Knowing the heartbeat of God for you….Part 5
Week number one we talked about the way God sees you versus the way we see ourselves God’s heartbeat for the way He sees us
The labels we wear versus what God calls us knowing His heartbeat for the labels He gives us
A few weeks ago that we would understand God is always with us that we can have his heartbeat and know when we are in difficult places He will get us through them and we don’t need to fear
Last time I shared I talked about how it is God’s heartbeat to bless His children
His heartbeat is that we truly know Him
John 11:1-7
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
When we know the Father’s heartbeat we learn to trust Him despite any circumstance….notice how odd John 11:5,6sounds to us
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”
Jesus loved Lazarus, Martha and Mary but he purposely allowed him to die because He loved them and John 11:4tells us why
“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
If we see things from God’s perspective, knowing His heartbeat, more importantly, trusting His heartbeat
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
It is not that the “things” are good. They could be disastrous but God is even able to make the disastrous “things” work for our good. He will turn it around
We must believe in who He is and learn to trust him
Solomon said it this way
Proverbs 3:5,6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Jesus had no plans to fail Martha, Mary and Lazarus but he had a bigger plan that anyone could imagine. He was going to leave a miracle and a precursor to His own resurrection for everyone to see
How often do things happen in our lives, even things that seem disastrous?
What is our first response? Do we run to the Lord saying we trust in Him and even though we don’t understand we choose to stand and trust him or do we
– complain about what is happening to us
– look for someone to blame for what is happening to us
– Get angry at God for something bad happening to us
Martha and Mary kind of did the latter
John 11:17-28
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.”
Martha is just like you and me…..”Jesus, I know you can handle certain things, I have faith for those things” she complained to Jesus about not solving her problem her way!
She has a battle with belief and unbelief…”I know whatever you ask God he will make it happen”
Jesus “OK I’ll bring your brother back from the dead”… Martha “I know on the final judgment day we all will rise”…. Jesus “Martha let me help you here, I am life”
Jesus is saying, Martha, this is bigger than bringing your brother back to life I am going to do this but there is so much fear, anxiety worry about death, it breaks my heart…people don’t really believe that this life is just temporary and that eternity is forever
I want everyone to understand though everyone will die in this world, that is not the end. There is a more marvelous place and this fear and brokenness that is all around is breaking my heart
Jesus always has a better plan than what we see immediately…it is His heartbeat that we would trust him regardless of the dire need, circumstances, experience, battle, struggle, or fear we may be facing
Martha and Mary were upset about their brother’s death they were disappointed Jesus wasn’t there; he didn’t care enough to show up before Lazarus died…do you feel that way about God sometimes? You needed him now…why did he let you down?
Ephesians 3:20
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”
Here is Mary’s response
John 11: 29-32
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Mary the same as Martha….Jesus I had a plan, an idea and why didn’t you do it my way?”
Once again when we have the Father’s heartbeat we live in so much peace because we are able to look beyond the circumstances to know that God has something far betterthan we could hope or imagine
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
I love this part of the story I believe three things were going on here in Jesus heart
- His heart was broken for Mary and Martha, he was their friend, he loved them and He was feeling their pain…when you go through something the one who loves you the most feels your pain as well
- His heart was broken for the human conditionthat his friend Lazarus had just died…Jesus is our high priest who understands all that we go through…He understands how we feel when we lose a loved one, the sorrow and mourning we face
- His heart was broken for the fear and misunderstanding humanity has about eternal life.
I need us to take note here that sometimes we can believe what we need from God is truly impossible…Martha was saying he is not just dead Jesus he is rotting
When we know the Father’s heartbeat we never give up hope we know he can
Move the mountains
Heal anything
Turn the water into wine
Violate any physical law
Feed 30K with a few loaves and fish
Set anyone free
What will he do for you?
John 11:40-44
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
When you know the Father’s heartbeat it is easy to come into agreement with his purpose and his plan Jesus asks “Can you believe with me that God has a bigger plan here?”
Jesus proclaimed the greater miracle so all the world would know…here is where many get messed up
– We give God our agenda then when He doesn’t fulfill our agenda we get frustrated
– We give God our plan and when it doesn’t happen the way we want we give up and miss out on what God really wants to do
– we give God our concerns our worries and when He doesn’t respond to them our way, we abandon him
Martha and Mary felt this way, obviously, the townsfolk of Bethany felt that way based on what they said in verse 37
We all battle seasons of doubt but I have found my doubts leading me to ask honest questions, that in turn, lead me to Jesus
Never fear to ask the Lord hard questions or the leadership he has in your life. As long as they are honest and you are ready for an honest answer you will be OK
God wants us to have his heartbeat to trust him even when things don’t seem to be going the way we want or expected
He always has a better plan it just may take a little longer or a different path than we expect.
Can you see some areas in your life you feel like God let you down? Some areas of hurt where you didn’t understand?
God has a better plan…Can you lay those plans at his feet today and allow Him to show you the better plan?
When you know someone, really know them it is easy to know what their heartbeat is….God wants us to be at peace, to not worry or be afraid, he wants us to trust that God always has a better plan. The key is knowing His heartbeat for you. You are really loved by Him, you see yourself through His eyes, wear only the label He has placed on you, know that he is always with you, always wants the best for you…wants to bless you always
That takes trust! Will you trust him today with your future? Will you trust Him with your past? Your past has shaped who you are today but it doesn’t need to control your future God has a better plan