Miracles in the Midst: Seeing God's Work When He Seems Late

Sermon Summary: Drawing from John chapter 11, the account of the raising of Lazarus, this sermon challenges believers to wrestle personally with the biblical narrative and recognize that God's timing rarely aligns with human expectations. The pastor explores the tension between knowing God is good and feeling that he has not shown up when needed. Rather than limiting the definition of a miracle to dramatic, immediate interventions, the sermon expands that definition to include the miracle of God's presence through his people, the miracle of encountering God's love more deeply through suffering, and ultimately the future miracle of resurrection and new creation that Jesus secured by his own rising from the dead. The sermon calls believers to anchor their hope not only in what God has done in the past, but in the certain future miracle that is yet to come.

Key Points:

God's timing is not always aligned with human urgency, as illustrated by Jesus remaining two days before going to Lazarus, yet his delay was purposeful and pointed to a greater display of God's glory

Jesus was deeply moved and troubled in his spirit at the sight of death and mourning, suggesting a holy anger at what sin and death have done to creation

Healing and miracles do not always come according to our personal agenda, and believers must learn to recognize the unseen miracles taking place around them

The miracle of God's presence through his people is often overlooked; the church is called to be Jesus with skin on for those who are hurting

Suffering can produce a deeper knowledge of God's love that would not have been accessible any other way, even when the method of learning is unwanted

The raising of Lazarus is not an end in itself but a sign pointing forward to the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of a future new creation

Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15 anchor the believer's hope in the future miracle of bodily resurrection, when death itself will be swallowed up in victory

Believers are called to speak the gospel to themselves daily, reminding themselves of the future miracle because we are prone to forget and to leak

Scripture Reference:

John 11:38-44, the raising of Lazarus, serving as the primary text

Romans 10:1-13, read as the morning scripture, addressing salvation by faith and the declaration that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

1 Corinthians 15, referenced by the pastor to ground the sermon's conclusion in the promise of future bodily resurrection and the defeat of death

Stories:

The biblical account of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha is explored in depth, with the pastor noting Martha's initial confrontation of Jesus for arriving late, Mary's similar response, and Jesus being deeply moved before commanding Lazarus to come out of the tomb

The pastor shares a personal account of praying for a Lazarus-like miracle in his own life that did not come, and the process of learning to see other kinds of miracles in its place

A story is shared from a student camp where a young woman was overwhelmed to the point of tears upon truly grasping that God loved her despite everything she had done, illustrating that many people have heard the words but never truly received the message

The pastor reflects on moments in his own life when God's people showed up during times of crisis, identifying this as a recognizable miracle of divine presence through the body of Christ