In the gospel of John chapter 11:1-26 we read a story, a true story. It contains one of the most powerful statements Jesus ever made! These words weren’t spoken in a synagogue or on a mountainside during a sermon. They were spoken to a grieving sister named Martha, whose brother Lazarus had just died.
They were words of comfort, but more than that – they were words of revolution that would change how we understand life itself.
In verses 25-26 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
It’s a question God asks of us as well. Just repeat the question and insert your name where it say, “Martha”.
Do you believe this, Gary?” Do you believe this, Tina?” Do you believe this, Ashley?” How about you, Bob?
How many of us live each day fully aware of our mortality? The Psalmist tells us to ‘number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom’ (Psalm 90:12). Our days are indeed numbered, but that shouldn’t lead us to fear. Instead, it should inspire us to make each day count for God’s kingdom.
Psalm 90 says this… 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
So, how many days have you lived? I have lived 24,573 days. There are 427 until I reach 25,000. You can go to https://numberourdays.com/ to find out. I have 4,647 days left until I reach 80 years of age. That’s 84% done. I want them all to count for Jesus Christ!
Recently one of the giants of our Christian faith passed away. I’m talking about Dr. James Dobson. Dr. Dobson made a tremendous impact on our society. He was a friend of pastors and presidents. He authored many books, including THE STRONG WILLED CHILD, DARE TO DISCIPLINE, YOUR LEGACY and dozens more. He was a man who had a heart for families and worked to keep families together. He was a true man of God.
Pastor Greg Laurie interviewed James Dobson shortly before his death. Pastor Greg asked him……..If you were going to give one last talk, you knew that you could only speak one last time. What would you talk about?
Dobson replied, “I would talk about… winning your children to Christ – your legacy, the greatest gift. I’ve written 35 books or so, and all of them point toward this one way or the other. That’s the capstone of my professional life.”
Pastor Laurie then asked, “What would you say to your younger self – Here’s what I’ve learned in life?”
Dr. Dobson answered, “Two words. Finish strong. Finish strong.”
We see the patriarchs of the Bible. Samson, Solomon, yes, David, so many of them, Hezekiah, who lived a godly life, it’s true, and then they fell, yes they fell. I realized it could still happen. It could happen to me. It could happen to you.
It has happened to some of you already!
Yeah, finish strong. Don’t allow yourself to fall. Don’t allow yourself to fail God after all He has done for you.
We are talking about living abundantly. Living the life God intends you to live.
So how does this resurrection power transform our daily lives? Let me suggest three ways: First, resurrection power gives us freedom from the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that Jesus came to ‘free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.’ When we truly believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, death loses its sting. It becomes a doorway, not a dead end. It’s just moving to a new home.
Second, resurrection power gives us purpose for today. If our days are numbered, as the Psalmist reminds us, then they should count for something eternal. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:15 that Christ ‘died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.’ Resurrection life means living for something bigger than ourselves.
Third, resurrection power gives us confidence to trust God with our needs. Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Not weekly bread, not monthly bread, but daily bread. Why? Because God wants us to trust Him day by day. If God has the power to raise the dead, can He not also meet our daily needs? Before performing the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus prayed, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me’ (John 11:41-42). That’s the confidence we can have in our daily prayers – for our everyday needs and the needs of our church, and for DRAMATIC MIRACLES when God chooses to perform them.
Make your own choice to live abundantly, then do it. Make all your remaining days count for God!
If we can be of assistance to you, come see us at Craig Valley Baptist Church in New Castle, Rt. 311 next to Bibos restaurant. Sundays at 11 AM or call 864-5667.
-Pastor Scott Gabrielson
