SERMON | Ezekiel 37:1-14 & John 11:1-45 | LENT: LEARNING TO LIVE INSIDE OUT - 5. "Who Could Stand" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana

Sellersburg United Methodist Church Sermon Podcast

SERMON | Ezekiel 37:1-14 & John 11:1-45 | LENT - LEARNING TO LIVE INSIDE OUT - 5. "Who Could Stand" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana

Learning to Live Inside Out — a Lenten journey with Jesus… toward the cross… toward the death of sin and self… following Jesus… until what we KNOW in our hearts becomes the REALITY we live in the world. We’ve focused on the importance of fasting and testing… moving from the familiar comforts in the uncomfortable unknown… confronting our thirst… and seeing the presence of God among us… Today we come to a deep question of whether we believe all of this and what it means. WHO COULD STAND? The opening Psalm asked this important question focusing on the choice we have to be weighed down with anxiety scanning the horizon for our enemies… or standing in the hope and trust in God and finding joy in the midst of struggle. We have a choice. We have the POWER to choose: How will we respond? ______________________________________________ Similar to Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones who is asked, “Can these bones live?” Can they live, Ezekiel? Can they stand up and carry on once more? Can they find life and joy and hope and trust? Or is God’s promise just a let-down…a pipe dream? Ezekiel knows the answer…but he won’t say it. He knows better. What is our answer to this question? Let’s look at the bones of today and decide. We’ve heard the statistics for years now… the church is in decline. less and less people are worshiping God on Sunday mornings less and less people are saying they have faith at all We’ve felt the pain of the valley and the bones around us… this church and many others are not what they once were things used to be easier people came to church this room was too full some days…many days… Have we messed it up? Did we mishandle what God gave us? I’m certain we haven’t been perfect…but have we ceased to love our church? Have we ceased to love God? Look at the bones, friends. Can these bones live? Is there a thriving life ahead of us? Our heads have an response…and we know it well. We are all tempted to scan the horizon for the next bit of bad news about our church…about our world… about our own lives. Who could stand in the midst of our reality today in 2023? You might bite our tongue and follow our hearts just the tiniest bit and say in response to the question: “You know, Lord.” Perhaps that response is something like, “Please don’t make me say it. Don’t make me have to offer my breath and effort to utter my hopelessness into existence.” Or maybe the response contains a seed of hope. After all, it’s God we’re talking with, right? Aren’t ALL THINGS possible? This brings us to our scene in John when Jesus is standing in front of Martha. Her brother had died. She had sent word of his illness to Jesus, but never asked him to come directly. She ALMOST implied the question by giving the word of Lazarus’s illness, but she never asked Jesus to come and do anything about it. Was she shy? Was she being respectful? Did she think that Lazarus’s situation didn’t deserve to interrupt Jesus’ mission? When Jesus does arrive, she can’t help but say to him, “If only you’d been here…” Maybe that’s how we feel in our 2023 reality. If only… If only we’d opened our doors wider… If only we’d played our music louder… If only people didn’t focus on working… If only extracurricular sports didn’t have activities on Sundays… If only we’d stayed more traditional with our style… If only we’d gone more contemporary… If only… If only… And now we sit in a pile of bones… The stench of what was having long past… The stillness of death where the bustle of life once was. Jesus prods at Martha’s faith. “Your brother will rise, Martha.” “Sure, sure, Jesus…one day he will…” “I am the resurrection and the life. Even amid death, there is life in me. Do you believe this?” “Yes, of course, you are the Messiah…” Then she walks away to get Mary—it’s Mary who is the good student, after all. Even Mary says, “If only you had been here, Jesus…” Then she wept. She has lost all hope. She doesn’t believe in the power and presence standing right in front of her. It’s over… Lazarus is lost… Death has won the day… Jesus wept. and NOT because he felt sorry for Mary and Martha… NOT because of the death of his friend. Jesus wept because they didn’t understand who he was and what he was. They stood before the very power that could once again make Lazarus stand into life, but they didn’t see it. They only saw bones… What once was… And a pile of “If onlys…” Jesus is disturbed in his spirit and deeply moved to see the pain and despair of his friends. Jesus will weep again as he takes in the sight of Jerusalem on the day he triumphantly enters…because of their shortsightedness…because of their blindness. Lack of belief and faith and joy and hope tears at Jesus’ heart. So here we are… In the valley of bones ourselves: Our individual lives… Our families and friends… Our church… Our community… Our nation… Our world… Who could stand? Are our best days behind us? Has the stench of death overtaken us? Can we not see the future for the stone which lies before us…sealing us into our fate? Hear the voice of Jesus! Take away the stone. Believe and see the glory of God. Lazarus, come out! Unbind him, and let him go. Notice that Lazarus is freed to life by two things: the power and presence of Jesus the faith and obedience of Lazarus’ community to follow Christ’s instructions The community of Lazarus rolls away the stone… They boldly face the stench of death and open themselves to possibilities beyond their comprehension. They are the ones to unbind him and set him free. This is our calling, friends. Living inside out means we keep our hearts and minds and souls and strength fixed on Jesus Christ because he is the source of life and the resurrection. NOTHING is beyond hope with Jesus our Lord! Let us stop scanning the horizon in search of the next threat or bad news… and, instead, let us find the opportunity for joy, wonder, and love right here and now. Let us realize that we have been placed here in 2023…just like Ezekiel was placed in the valley of bones. The word for “placed” is the same word used for the first human beings when they were “placed” in the garden. Ezekiel is there intentionally and with purpose; and so are we! We are placed HERE…now. Do you believe? Let us place our faith in Jesus Christ even when our vision goes no further than the stone in front of us… Even when our movement is limited by the wrappings we have been bound in… How we became bound no longer matters. How long we’ve been limited doesn’t matter either. What matters is our response to the question: who could stand? Who could stand, friends? Do you know? If the whole house of Israel could stand and receive the breath of life once again, then so can we? If Lazarus could be raised up and unbound to walk and live and thrive again, then so can we? Let us continue our journey toward the cross not ignoring the calamity and chaos around us in this world, but also not letting it determine our response to the opportunities before us. We have been freed from many stones before…and there are many stones before us still. But we will press on…together—living inside out for Christ We will press on following our Savior trusting that each and every stone that stand in our way will be removed through the power of life in him. We will witness the power of God drawing us together and standing us up HERE, NOW…and FOREVEMORE.