Live Like You Believe!

Greetings,

Not long ago I preached a sermon on the scripture where Jesus called Mary and Martha to answer a simple question, "Do you believe this?".  Their brother Lazarus had died and Jesus was asking if the women believed hat Lazarus would rise again.  Of course, they answered with the response that many Christians would reply back with, "Of course I believe that he will rise again in the resurrection in the end!".  But that was not what Jesus was talking about.  I want to share with you some parts of my sermon:

The ultimate question has been asked. We ask many questions about the meaning of life and how we can handle different situations. When events happen that complicate our lives we turn to God and wonder where He is and then we go to church on Sunday and say we "Believe". Scripture tells us that even the demons believe and shudder. These two women had just gone through a very devastating even in their life. They lost their dearly beloved brother and the one man who could have handled it didn’t come the way they had anticipated. Jesus didn't react the way that those women had wanted Him to react. Jesus, had His own idea.  He knew that this particular event had happened so that God might be glorified through Him.  So when He arrived, apparently too late to do anyhting about Lazarus He asked the women if they believed that Lazarus was going to live.The question He asked was,  “Do you believe this?” But what He was really asking was “Will you live like you Believe?”

That's the question that God has for us today. Despite all that’s going on in your life, will you live like you believe? Don’t just say you believe and give some Sunday school answer like Martha first did. He said “I am the resurrection and the life…” Living like you believe means receiving life itself. Your spiritual life cannot survive without the One who gives life. Jesus asks Martha this question because Martha wasn’t living like she believed. She said she believed but from her obvious amount of frustration with the way Jesus didn’t heal her brother proved that she didn’t really believe.


The story goes: upon completing a highly dangerous tightrope walk over Niagara Falls in appalling wind and rain, 'The Great Zumbrati' was met by an enthusiastic supporter, who urged him to make a return trip, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, which the spectator had thoughtfully brought along.


The Great Zumbrati was reluctant, given the terrible conditions, but the supporter pressed him, "You can do it - I know you can," he urged.

"You really believe I can do it?" asked Zumbrati.

"Yes - definitely - you can do it." the supporter gushed.

"Okay," said Zumbrati, "Get in the wheelbarrow..."

Will you get in the wheel barrow? Will you live like you believe? Martha answered Jesus a second time. “Yes Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” Believe that He really will do what He said he will. Believe and Live like it. Tell other people about the one you believe in. Get out of the crowd and get into the wheel barrow! Live like you believe! Jesus asked a very simple and yet ultimate question, “Do you believe?” If so, then live like it.

Blessings,

Derek