Limited Faith:

Martha says in John 11:21
"Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died." You see here the death of Lazarus was the end of Martha´s Faith!
She believed Jesus could raise her brother from his sick bed, but could not from the dead!

My question here: Just how limited is your Faith?

If things do not appear to you as they should or how you want them to appear! How do you react?

• Do you react out of fear?
• Do you react out of frustration?
• Do you react out of anger?
• Do you get depressed?
• Do you want to quit?
• Or do you Trust in God with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding? Proverbs 3:5

Limited Faith is controlled by circumstances and is motivated by fear of failure.

Fundamental Faith:

Jesus said in John 11:23 "Your brother shall rise again." Jesus said these words to Martha to fire up a little hope and Faith.
Martha responds in a fundamental Faith by saying in verse 24. "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." She has the fundamentals down pretty good.
Jesus blows her out of the water with "I am the resurrection and the Life." in verse 25 What He was saying to Martha, was I have all Power over life and death!

Then Jesus asks Martha in verse 26 Do you believe this?

Martha says in verse 27. "Yea, Lord I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the World."

She avoided Jesus´ question and quotes her fundamental creed

Our Faith must go beyond any creed or belief system but to the living, all powerful Christ!

Unlimited Faith:

verse 39 Martha objects to having the stone moved from her brothers tomb, she said; "Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days."

• Jesus responds to her unbelief by saying in verse 40. "Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God?"
• Now Martha obtains unlimited Faith by consenting to have the stone moved from the grave in verse 41
• Martha believed and waited to see the glory of God in action and she was not disappointed!
• Jesus cries out in verse 43     "Lazarus come Forth"

Do not be satisfied with unlimited, or fundamental Faith only.

We can have unlimited Faith that pleases God and brings Glory to God!

John 11:21-44 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live.
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
28 And when she had so said, she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying, The Master is come and calleth for thee.
29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled,
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
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John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
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John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
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John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
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John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live.
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John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
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John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
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John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
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John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
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John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
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John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
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Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
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Email Pastor ron Oliver

Last updated on May 29, 2005