good morning everyone<\/p>\n
Happy Easter<\/p>\n
if this is your first time visiting<\/p>\n
Grace City we do want to say welcome to<\/p>\n
you<\/p>\n
thank you<\/p>\n
my name is Tim Mills I'm one of the<\/p>\n
elders here at the church<\/p>\n
then Grace City you know we are a<\/p>\n
community of Christians that long to<\/p>\n
love and care for the city of Bangkok in<\/p>\n
and by the grace of God<\/p>\n
foreign<\/p>\n
and we believe that the good the good<\/p>\n
news of who Jesus is and what he has<\/p>\n
done it brings transformation not just<\/p>\n
to our own lives but for our neighbors<\/p>\n
friends and family and for the good of<\/p>\n
this city that we call home now<\/p>\n
in recent weeks we've been looking at<\/p>\n
the words of Jesus<\/p>\n
words that speak<\/p>\n
truth in love and love in the midst of<\/p>\n
Truth<\/p>\n
words that help us to know God<\/p>\n
words that help us to understand his<\/p>\n
good desires for our lives<\/p>\n
words that lead us to walk forward in<\/p>\n
obedience by his grace<\/p>\n
um<\/p>\n
in the scriptures Jesus speaks words of<\/p>\n
peace and Reconciliation<\/p>\n
he speaks words of rest in the midst of<\/p>\n
our lives and our work<\/p>\n
well<\/p>\n
he speaks words of justice and mercy and<\/p>\n
Hope<\/p>\n
this morning Easter Sunday we turn our<\/p>\n
attention to Jesus's words about life<\/p>\n
itself<\/p>\n
more specifically about the value of<\/p>\n
life<\/p>\n
we know that life is precious<\/p>\n
each breath that we take is a gift and<\/p>\n
each day we're given is of great value<\/p>\n
life can be so beautiful<\/p>\n
and yet<\/p>\n
our lives are also punctuated with pain<\/p>\n
and suffering<\/p>\n
[Music]<\/p>\n
we experience great joy but we also<\/p>\n
experience Untold sorrow and despair<\/p>\n
but the message of the Gospel of Jesus<\/p>\n
Christ is that he understands our<\/p>\n
suffering<\/p>\n
a composite man<\/p>\n
is<\/p>\n
he understands the pain of this world<\/p>\n
because he stepped into it and he<\/p>\n
suffered<\/p>\n
as we read the Bible today listen to the<\/p>\n
words of Jesus as he speaks words of<\/p>\n
Hope in the midst of Darkness<\/p>\n
listen as he speaks words of life in the<\/p>\n
midst of death<\/p>\n
let us pray hello<\/p>\n
Lord God we're grateful for your word<\/p>\n
the Bible<\/p>\n
prepare our hearts now to hear from you<\/p>\n
you know the Deep recesses of our own<\/p>\n
hearts and Minds<\/p>\n
you know the thoughts and the<\/p>\n
experiences that causes anguish fear and<\/p>\n
despair perhaps even at this moment<\/p>\n
we pray that your truth would speak into<\/p>\n
our lives and help us<\/p>\n
hey<\/p>\n
in your holy name amen<\/p>\n
our text this morning is the Gospel of<\/p>\n
John chapter 11. we'll read verses 1<\/p>\n
through 53.<\/p>\n
I'll read the text in English the tie is<\/p>\n
also on the screen<\/p>\n
this is the word of God<\/p>\n
now a certain man was ill<\/p>\n
Lazarus of Bethany<\/p>\n
the village of Mary and her sister<\/p>\n
Martha it was Mary who anointed the Lord<\/p>\n
with ointment and wiped his feet with<\/p>\n
her hair whose brother Lazarus was ill<\/p>\n
so the sisters sent to him saying Lord<\/p>\n
he whom you love is ill<\/p>\n
but when Jesus heard it he said<\/p>\n
this illness does not lead to death<\/p>\n
it is for the glory of God so that the<\/p>\n
son of God<\/p>\n
may be glorified through it<\/p>\n
now Jesus loved Martha<\/p>\n
and her sister and Lazarus<\/p>\n
so when he heard that Lazarus was ill<\/p>\n
he stayed two days longer than the place<\/p>\n
where he was<\/p>\n
then after this he said to the disciples<\/p>\n
let us go to Judea again<\/p>\n
the disciples said to him<\/p>\n
Rabbi that the Jews were just now<\/p>\n
seeking to Stone you<\/p>\n
and are you going to go there again<\/p>\n
Jesus answered are there not 12 hours in<\/p>\n
the day<\/p>\n
if anyone walks in the day he does not<\/p>\n
stumble because he sees the light of<\/p>\n
this world<\/p>\n
but if anyone walks in the night he<\/p>\n
stumbles<\/p>\n
because the light is not in him<\/p>\n
after saying these things he said to<\/p>\n
them our friend Lazarus has fallen<\/p>\n
asleep<\/p>\n
but I go to awaken him<\/p>\n
the disciples said to him Lord if he's<\/p>\n
fallen asleep he will recover<\/p>\n
now Jesus had spoken of his death<\/p>\n
but they thought that he meant taking<\/p>\n
rest and sleep<\/p>\n
then Jesus told them plainly Lazarus has<\/p>\n
died<\/p>\n
and for your sake I am glad that I was<\/p>\n
not there so that you may believe<\/p>\n
but let us go to him<\/p>\n
so Thomas called the twin said to his<\/p>\n
fellow disciples let us also go that we<\/p>\n
may die with him<\/p>\n
now when Jesus came he found that<\/p>\n
Lazarus had already been in the Tomb for<\/p>\n
days<\/p>\n
Bethany was near Jerusalem about two<\/p>\n
miles off<\/p>\n
and many of the Jews had come to Martha<\/p>\n
and Mary to console them concerning<\/p>\n
their brother<\/p>\n
so when Martha heard that Jesus was<\/p>\n
coming she went and met him<\/p>\n
but Mary remained seated in the house<\/p>\n
Martha said to Jesus Lord if you had<\/p>\n
been here<\/p>\n
my brother would not have died<\/p>\n
but even now I know that whatever you<\/p>\n
ask from God God will give you<\/p>\n
Jesus said to her<\/p>\n
your brother will rise again<\/p>\n
Martha said to him I know that he will<\/p>\n
rise again in the Resurrection on the<\/p>\n
last day<\/p>\n
Jesus said to her I am<\/p>\n
the resurrection and the life<\/p>\n
whoever believes in me though he die yet<\/p>\n
shall he live<\/p>\n
and everyone who lives and Believes In<\/p>\n
Me shall never die do you believe this<\/p>\n
he said to him yes Lord I believe that<\/p>\n
you are the Christ the son of God who is<\/p>\n
coming into the world<\/p>\n
when she had said this<\/p>\n
she went and called her sister Mary sane<\/p>\n
in private the teacher is here and he's<\/p>\n
calling for you<\/p>\n
and when she heard it she Rose quickly<\/p>\n
and went to him now Jesus had not yet<\/p>\n
come into the village but was still in<\/p>\n
the place where Martha had met him<\/p>\n
when the Jews who were with her in the<\/p>\n
house consoling her saw Mary rise<\/p>\n
quickly and go out they followed her<\/p>\n
supposing that she was going to the tomb<\/p>\n
to weep there<\/p>\n
now when Mary came to where Jesus was<\/p>\n
and saw him<\/p>\n
fell at his feet<\/p>\n
saying to him Lord if you had been here<\/p>\n
when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews<\/p>\n
who had come with her also leaping<\/p>\n
he was deeply moved in his spirit and<\/p>\n
greatly troubled and he said where have<\/p>\n
you laid him<\/p>\n
they said to him Lord come and see<\/p>\n
Jesus wept<\/p>\n
so the Jews said see how he loved him<\/p>\n
but some of them said could not he who<\/p>\n
opened the eyes of the blind man also<\/p>\n
have kept this man from dying<\/p>\n
than Jesus<\/p>\n
deeply moved again came to the tomb<\/p>\n
it was a cave and a stone lay against it<\/p>\n
Jesus said take away the stone<\/p>\n
Martha the sister of the dead man said<\/p>\n
to him Lord by this time there will be<\/p>\n
an odor<\/p>\n
for he's been dead four days<\/p>\n
did I not tell you<\/p>\n
that if you believed you would see the<\/p>\n
glory of God<\/p>\n
so they took away the stone<\/p>\n
and Jesus lifted his eyes and said<\/p>\n
father I thank you<\/p>\n
that you have heard me<\/p>\n
I knew that you always hear me<\/p>\n
but I said this on account of the people<\/p>\n
standing around that they may believe<\/p>\n
that you sent me<\/p>\n
and when he had said these things he<\/p>\n
cried out in a loud voice Lazarus come<\/p>\n
out<\/p>\n
the man who had died<\/p>\n
came out<\/p>\n
his hands and his feet bound with linen<\/p>\n
strips in his face wrapped with a cloth<\/p>\n
Jesus said to them unbind him and let<\/p>\n
him go<\/p>\n
many of the Jews therefore who had come<\/p>\n
with Mary and had seen what he did<\/p>\n
believed in him<\/p>\n
but some of them went to the Pharisees<\/p>\n
and told them what Jesus had done<\/p>\n
so the chief priests and the Pharisees<\/p>\n
gathered the council and said what are<\/p>\n
we to do<\/p>\n
for this man performs many signs if we<\/p>\n
let him go on like this everyone will<\/p>\n
believe in him<\/p>\n
and the Romans will come<\/p>\n
and take away both our place and our<\/p>\n
nation<\/p>\n
but one of them Caiaphas<\/p>\n
who was the high priest that year said<\/p>\n
to them you know nothing at all<\/p>\n
nor do you understand that it is better<\/p>\n
for you that one man should die for the<\/p>\n
people<\/p>\n
not that the whole nation should perish<\/p>\n
he did not say this of his own accord<\/p>\n
but being high priest that year he had<\/p>\n
prophesied that Jesus would die for the<\/p>\n
and not just for the nation only<\/p>\n
but also to gather into one the children<\/p>\n
of God who are scattered abroad<\/p>\n
so from that day on they made plans<\/p>\n
to put him to death<\/p>\n
Jesus<\/p>\n
loved the text says<\/p>\n
Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary<\/p>\n
and her brother Lazarus<\/p>\n
but as we read this account we learn<\/p>\n
that as Lazarus was ill<\/p>\n
Ness<\/p>\n
and word was sent to Jesus to let him<\/p>\n
know<\/p>\n
doesn't hurry to go and see Lazarus no<\/p>\n
he waits he waits for two days on<\/p>\n
and Lazarus succumbs to his illness he<\/p>\n
dies<\/p>\n
where were you Jesus<\/p>\n
where are you God<\/p>\n
perhaps the raw emotion of this story<\/p>\n
resonates with us this morning<\/p>\n
because we know<\/p>\n
the pain<\/p>\n
of losing loved ones<\/p>\n
we've experienced the suffering and<\/p>\n
sickness of family and friends<\/p>\n
we've heard stories or we've experienced<\/p>\n
it firsthand<\/p>\n
and we grieve the reality of death<\/p>\n
and this broken world<\/p>\n
perhaps if we're honest we know that<\/p>\n
feeling of ask the same question<\/p>\n
where were you God without you baby<\/p>\n
we can feel the tension and pain in this<\/p>\n
account from the gospel foreign<\/p>\n
but he did die<\/p>\n
Lazarus had died<\/p>\n
death<\/p>\n
it's a part of life right<\/p>\n
but it seems to be the cruelest part of<\/p>\n
existence<\/p>\n
yes flowers fade in the grass withers<\/p>\n
but life is worth so much more isn't it<\/p>\n
with me<\/p>\n
they're not<\/p>\n
the Bible speaks of God creating humans<\/p>\n
in his own image<\/p>\n
everyone you pass on the street<\/p>\n
is made in the image of God<\/p>\n
your neighbor your colleague this person<\/p>\n
that person the person sitting next to<\/p>\n
goodbye<\/p>\n
made by God<\/p>\n
in His image<\/p>\n
given life given a life with great value<\/p>\n
this city is full of God's most precious<\/p>\n
possession<\/p>\n
yes humans are precious brought into<\/p>\n
existence by<\/p>\n
and here we see Mary and Martha in the<\/p>\n
middle of their pain and grief<\/p>\n
and into this Jesus speaks words of Hope<\/p>\n
that is<\/p>\n
I am the resurrection and the life<\/p>\n
shall he live and everyone who lives and<\/p>\n
Believes In Me shall never die do you<\/p>\n
believe this foreign<\/p>\n
do you believe this Jesus asked Martha<\/p>\n
and she responded Yes Lord<\/p>\n
I believe that you are the Christ the<\/p>\n
later in the passage Jesus sends Martha<\/p>\n
to go and call on Mary to come to him<\/p>\n
and Mary comes to Jesus and falls at his<\/p>\n
feet<\/p>\n
repeating the same heart-wrenching<\/p>\n
statement that Martha had said Lord if<\/p>\n
you had been here<\/p>\n
we needed you we need you<\/p>\n
Jesus is with them now<\/p>\n
and he enters fully into their sorrow<\/p>\n
he has moved deeply in his Spirit the<\/p>\n
text says<\/p>\n
friends Jesus<\/p>\n
knows our suffering<\/p>\n
he understands he knows our sorrows<\/p>\n
he says to them<\/p>\n
and then Jesus calls out<\/p>\n
in a loud voice<\/p>\n
Lazarus come out<\/p>\n
Lazarus steps forth from the tomb hello<\/p>\n
he steps forth back to New Life<\/p>\n
in this act of raising Lazarus from the<\/p>\n
grave<\/p>\n
Jesus robs death<\/p>\n
of its lasting power<\/p>\n
sometimes<\/p>\n
each year during Holy Week and on Easter<\/p>\n
Christians remember the death and<\/p>\n
resurrection of Jesus Christ takes one<\/p>\n
but really we celebrate Jesus's victory<\/p>\n
over death all the time<\/p>\n
it is the very foundation in Hope of the<\/p>\n
Gospel itself<\/p>\n
househood<\/p>\n
the faith of the Christian is centered<\/p>\n
on the reality of the resurrection of<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ from the dead<\/p>\n
in the same way that Jesus called<\/p>\n
Lazarus back to life from his physical<\/p>\n
Jesus calls out to this broken and<\/p>\n
hurting world he calls out to Sinners<\/p>\n
Like Me and like you come out of your<\/p>\n
tombs of death and come into New Life<\/p>\n
in Ephesians the Apostle Paul wrote this<\/p>\n
and you were dead<\/p>\n
in the trespasses and sins in which you<\/p>\n
once walked<\/p>\n
following the course of this world<\/p>\n
following the prince of the power of the<\/p>\n
air the spirit that is now at work in<\/p>\n
the sons of Disobedience among whom we<\/p>\n
all once lived in the passions of our<\/p>\n
flesh<\/p>\n
carrying out the desires of the body and<\/p>\n
the mind and were by Nature children of<\/p>\n
Wrath like the rest of mankind<\/p>\n
but God being rich in Mercy because of<\/p>\n
the great love with which he loved us<\/p>\n
even when we were dead in our trespasses<\/p>\n
made us alive together with Christ by<\/p>\n
Grace you have been saved and raised us<\/p>\n
up with him and seated us with him in<\/p>\n
the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so<\/p>\n
that in the coming ages he might show<\/p>\n
the immeasurable Riches of his grace and<\/p>\n
kindness toward us in Christ Jesus for<\/p>\n
by Grace you have been saved through<\/p>\n
faith and this is not of your own doing<\/p>\n
it is the gift of God not a result of<\/p>\n
work so that no one may boast<\/p>\n
for we are his workmanship created in<\/p>\n
Christ Jesus for good works which God<\/p>\n
prepared beforehand that we should walk<\/p>\n
in them<\/p>\n
yes God being rich in Mercy makes us<\/p>\n
alive together with Christ<\/p>\n
as Jesus demonstrated his power over<\/p>\n
death conquering death itself we are<\/p>\n
brought back from Death to life<\/p>\n
I'm not<\/p>\n
as we look to Jesus in faith as we<\/p>\n
believe along with Martha and Mary that<\/p>\n
he is the resurrection and the life we<\/p>\n
experience New Life in and through him<\/p>\n
we experience New Life<\/p>\n
in him even though we were dead in our<\/p>\n
trespasses and sins foreign<\/p>\n
physical death is still<\/p>\n
part of our lives<\/p>\n
it's a part of this broken World brought<\/p>\n
on through the sin of humanity<\/p>\n
and even though Jesus raised Lazarus<\/p>\n
from the dead Lazarus would still die<\/p>\n
again one day<\/p>\n
but the resurrection of Jesus Christ<\/p>\n
from the dead gives us the hope to live<\/p>\n
in this present Life as we look to the<\/p>\n
resurrection that is to come<\/p>\n
here<\/p>\n
when Jesus comes again<\/p>\n
to establish his kingdom in full and for<\/p>\n
eternity<\/p>\n
Jesus has been Victorious over death and<\/p>\n
Reigns in power<\/p>\n
in his book new morning mercies Paul<\/p>\n
David Tripp<\/p>\n
writes this<\/p>\n
the resurrection promises you all the<\/p>\n
grace you need<\/p>\n
between Jesus's resurrection and yours<\/p>\n
if your end has already been guaranteed<\/p>\n
that all the grace you need along the<\/p>\n
way<\/p>\n
has been guaranteed as well<\/p>\n
or you would never make it<\/p>\n
to your appointed end<\/p>\n
future Grace always carries with it the<\/p>\n
promise of present Grace<\/p>\n
Mercies<\/p>\n
in First Corinthians chapter 15.<\/p>\n
maybe something called in advance<\/p>\n
behold I tell you a mystery<\/p>\n
we shall not all sleep<\/p>\n
but we shall all be changed<\/p>\n
in a moment in the twinkling of an eye<\/p>\n
at the last trumpet<\/p>\n
for the trumpet will sound and the dead<\/p>\n
will be raised imperishable and we shall<\/p>\n
be changed<\/p>\n
for this perishable body must put on the<\/p>\n
imperishable<\/p>\n
and this Mortal body must put on<\/p>\n
immortality<\/p>\n
when the perishable puts on the<\/p>\n
imperishable and the Mortal puts on<\/p>\n
immortality then shall come to pass the<\/p>\n
saying that is written<\/p>\n
is swallowed up in Victory<\/p>\n
oh death where is your Victory O Death<\/p>\n
where is your sting<\/p>\n
The Sting of death is sin<\/p>\n
and the power of sin is the law but<\/p>\n
thanks be to God who gives us the<\/p>\n
victory through our Lord<\/p>\n
Jesus Christ<\/p>\n
therefore my brothers my beloved<\/p>\n
brothers be steadfast and movable always<\/p>\n
abounding in the work of the Lord<\/p>\n
knowing that in the Lord your labor is<\/p>\n
not in vain<\/p>\n
Buddhism<\/p>\n
alive foreign<\/p>\n
friends at Easter we remember that that<\/p>\n
Jesus gave himself<\/p>\n
for us<\/p>\n
the death that he died on the cross was<\/p>\n
our death<\/p>\n
I'm thy people um<\/p>\n
he died for our sins<\/p>\n
he paid the punishment of our own<\/p>\n
Brokenness our own sins<\/p>\n
but the hope of Easter is found<\/p>\n
in the fact that Jesus rose from the<\/p>\n
dead<\/p>\n
man<\/p>\n
the hope that we have is in Jesus's<\/p>\n
power over death itself<\/p>\n
that is what gives us hope for today and<\/p>\n
hope forever<\/p>\n
regarding the truth of Easter Theologian<\/p>\n
in t right said this<\/p>\n
the message of Easter<\/p>\n
is that God's new world has been<\/p>\n
unveiled in Jesus Christ<\/p>\n
and that you're now invited to belong to<\/p>\n
it<\/p>\n
friends if you are a Christian this<\/p>\n
morning be reminded of the resurrection<\/p>\n
of Jesus and the hope that you have in<\/p>\n
him<\/p>\n
our God is not dead he is alive<\/p>\n
and and for those of you here today that<\/p>\n
would say I don't I'm not a Christian I<\/p>\n
don't I don't know that I believe these<\/p>\n
things<\/p>\n
let me<\/p>\n
and to you I would say consider the<\/p>\n
words of Jesus this morning<\/p>\n
these words of life and hope to you<\/p>\n
trust in him and and come to him in<\/p>\n
faith<\/p>\n
oh<\/p>\n
and no<\/p>\n
that one day you will be raised to New<\/p>\n
Life to be with him forever<\/p>\n
yes we are invited to New Life in Jesus<\/p>\n
we are called to leave our tombs of<\/p>\n
to walk forward into New Life<\/p>\n
with my looking in faith to Jesus the<\/p>\n
one who conquered that<\/p>\n
the one who Reigns in power<\/p>\n
and the one that will one day<\/p>\n
come again<\/p>\n
let's pray<\/p>\n
Jesus Our Risen Lord and Savior we<\/p>\n
praise you today<\/p>\n
death could not hold you down<\/p>\n
you are alive<\/p>\n
and you reign with power<\/p>\n
and you're coming again one day to make<\/p>\n
all things new to make every wrong right<\/p>\n
you're coming again<\/p>\n
to establish your kingdom forever yeah<\/p>\n
help us to trust<\/p>\n
in this truth and to follow you we pray<\/p>","english_search_text":"","":"","original_publish_date":"20230907","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hccKyCKwFpY","video_id":"hccKyCKwFpY","video_duration":"37:59","channel_name":"Grace City Bangkok"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":566,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/565\/revisions\/566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}