WEBVTT 00:00:00.260 --> 00:00:04.679 Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you so much to the band for leading us with some 00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:10.380 wonderful songs. And thank you to all those who have participated already today. Margot, 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:16.219 it was great to hear your story, what a challenge that is, as you have spoken to us about what 00:00:16.219 --> 00:00:22.320 God has been doing in your life. And thank you, Drew, for reading this wonderful passage, 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:29.980 John chapter 11. And as we now spend a few minutes thinking about it, I'm convinced that 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:38.719 God may have very different things to say to different ones of us here today. And Margot, 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:43.380 you were very helpful in speaking about the fact that sometimes maybe it's just a line of a song 00:00:43.380 --> 00:00:48.760 or something that causes you to leave, feeling that there's been something there for you in a 00:00:48.760 --> 00:00:55.519 particular service. I've been absolutely fascinated looking at John 11, seeing the way in which Jesus 00:00:55.520 --> 00:01:05.640 reacted quite differently to Martha than he did to Mary. Here are two women going through exactly the 00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:13.960 same situation. For both of them, they've experienced the loss of their brother four days before. And so 00:01:13.960 --> 00:01:21.040 you might think that Jesus' approach to Martha and Mary is going to be identical. But it's not. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:29.260 Martha comes running to Jesus when she hears that he is approaching. She comes and she says the very 00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:37.560 same words that Mary said later on. She says, Lord, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. 00:01:37.700 --> 00:01:46.219 Feel free to check it out in John chapter 11. It's there in verse 21. And Jesus, in response to what 00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:54.500 Martha has said, gives to her words. And aren't we glad that he gave to her those words? Because 00:01:54.500 --> 00:02:02.539 they're the words at the center of our gathering today. The words which stand and instruct us and 00:02:02.539 --> 00:02:09.500 encourage us and have done for Christians and followers of Jesus on down through the ages. I am 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:14.960 the resurrection and the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live even though 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:22.860 they die. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Mary comes along later. Mary comes along 00:02:22.860 --> 00:02:33.099 and says, Lord, if you'd been here, my brother would not have died. And Jesus responds with not a single 00:02:33.099 --> 00:02:51.359 word. Not a word. Instead, he stands with her and weeps. He stands and weeps and twice we read that he is 00:02:51.359 --> 00:03:01.319 deeply moved in his spirit. And it's in the interaction with Mary that we get these wonderful words, 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:08.019 the shortest words. In the shortest verse in the Bible, as many of us will know, Jesus wept. 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:17.099 I don't know why it is the case that both came to Jesus with the same needs, saying the same things, 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:25.439 and one received the words at the center of our passage, and another received no words, but simply 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:37.680 received what an incredible assurance that Jesus felt her pain. And my prayer is that as we reflect 00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:43.919 on all that we've already heard and spend another few minutes together, that whatever situation you 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:53.860 find yourself in today, you'll have an encounter with Jesus. The one who knows us, who knows you, 00:03:53.860 --> 00:04:01.340 and who knows exactly what you need to hear this morning. So let's pause and invite Jesus to speak 00:04:01.340 --> 00:04:07.600 to us directly today. Just a moment of silence as we, before we go further. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:27.600 Lord, you know what each of our hearts and souls and lives need today. Thank you for what you've 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:34.560 already spoken to us, for how you've already spoken to us through this service. Continue to speak, 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:41.180 not through my words, but through your Holy Spirit, God. Amen. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:50.180 So a passage today that is full of contrasts, death and life, belief and disbelief, power and weakness, 00:04:50.439 --> 00:04:58.279 tears and joy. A passage that I think will have real relevance to us as we seek to tune in to what 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:05.519 the risen Lord Jesus has to say to us. Maybe it's speaking to us through the struggles and weaknesses 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:12.939 that we have and that we present to God today. It's a passage in which Jesus is unquestionably 00:05:12.939 --> 00:05:21.059 the central character, in which he is clearly in absolute control, in which he takes very deliberate 00:05:21.060 --> 00:05:28.879 action at a specific time so that others will see his power and his glory. But yet it's also one in 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:39.120 which we see Jesus showing such depths of tenderness, of empathy, of compassion and friendship, strength 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:49.139 and determination and control. Compassion, tenderness and friendship. What do we need from Jesus 00:05:49.139 --> 00:05:56.159 this morning as we are here? Do we need a fresh understanding of him as the risen Lord and 00:05:56.159 --> 00:06:04.680 Savior who commands us to turn and to follow him? Or do we need to know him as the one who weeps with 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:14.719 us in our sorrows and struggles? Let's focus in then on the words that Jesus used when he speaks to 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:30.260 Martha in verse 21. Martha's pain is so evident. Let's take a moment to try and enter into her circumstances. 00:06:31.260 --> 00:06:43.120 She has nursed her sick brother. She has hoped and prayed for his recovery. She felt Jesus was her only hope 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:52.000 and she got a message out to him but he never came. She's surrounded by family and friends but none can 00:06:52.000 --> 00:07:01.139 provide the answers to her questions. She loves Jesus. She's had him in her home and she knows that he 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:10.660 loves her and her sister Mary and Lazarus. She feels that she can speak to him with absolute honesty. 00:07:10.660 --> 00:07:19.360 So she says, Lord, if you'd been here, my brother would not have died but I know that even now God will give you 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:32.400 whatever you ask. And Jesus says, your brother will rise again. And she says, yes Jesus, I know that he will rise 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:43.319 in the resurrection at the last day. And Jesus says, Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:53.359 The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never 00:07:53.359 --> 00:08:01.759 die. And notice he doesn't end there. He then asks a question. Martha, 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:16.000 do you believe this? Jesus, who knew absolutely everything, took the time to ask Martha a question. 00:08:17.259 --> 00:08:26.860 It's at least one of four questions that Jesus takes the time to ask in this passage. Feel free to have a 00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:34.539 look afterwards. I've spent this week or three days of this week being trained in how to resolve 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:43.159 conflicts and how to try to negotiate and mediate. Don't bring me too many situations, please, just in 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:48.919 case I'm not yet too well up on how to do it successfully. But one of the key points that I 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:59.399 was made to focus on throughout this week was the way in which we can ask questions that really enable 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:09.959 others to speak freely and fully. Questions that get beneath the surface of what is presenting. 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:20.480 Questions that ideally are big, open questions that allow others to expose a little bit of what is 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:31.879 going on. Who, what, where, why, when questions. I think our human interactions and our interactions with 00:09:31.879 --> 00:09:41.919 each other as a church would be greatly enhanced if we took the time to ask big questions of each other, 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:52.620 getting below the surface and really listening intently to what we hear in reply. And of course, 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:59.879 the flip side is true that when others ask us those big questions in a church, we need to be willing 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:08.860 to give some honest answers that perhaps expose some of our own vulnerabilities. And I'm encouraged by 00:10:08.860 --> 00:10:16.759 the fact that Jesus wasn't willing just to make a statement and then move on. Certainly not a statement 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:26.860 of this importance, but would make that statement about being the resurrection and the life. And then would 00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:35.940 pause and say to Martha, Martha, Martha, where are you at with this? Martha, is this, is this tuning in 00:10:35.940 --> 00:10:43.779 to where you're at? Is this truth that really is landing with you? Or Martha, are you hearing something 00:10:43.779 --> 00:10:58.799 totally different? Martha, do you believe? Do you really believe that the one in front of you is the one who can 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:10.579 say, I am life in the midst of this death? Do you really believe that I can bring your brother to life 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:26.580 now and in the last day? Martha, do you really believe this? As we look at our present life, 00:11:27.520 --> 00:11:37.580 as some of us look at perhaps sickness and pain and death, I wonder if we can hear Jesus' words in John 11, 00:11:37.580 --> 00:11:45.240 25, which for some of us, I know will be words we've heard many, many times, and simply hear Jesus saying, 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:57.400 do you believe this? Do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life? The only hope 00:11:57.400 --> 00:12:07.000 for life after death and the only hope for life now. This is the whole purpose of the book that we have 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:13.679 in front of us, this book of John's gospel. In John chapter 20, verse 31, the writer says this, 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:22.960 all of this is written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:34.360 believing you may have life in his name. In this profound statement in John 11, Jesus makes it absolutely 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:46.320 clear that he is the way to everlasting life, life beyond death, and that he is the way to life now, 00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:53.560 life before death. And then the rest of the time we've got together, I'd like to look at these two 00:12:53.560 --> 00:13:02.980 ideas, life beyond death and life before death. Let's look first at life beyond death. 00:13:02.980 --> 00:13:11.180 That seemed to be the thing that Martha found easier to grasp. Oh yes, yes, Lord, I know that my brother's 00:13:11.180 --> 00:13:17.220 going to be alive in the resurrection at the last day. She had absolute confidence somehow or other 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:26.720 in life beyond death. But maybe some of us will find that harder to believe this morning. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:34.820 I think it's important that we recognize the context that just as the death of Lazarus cast its shadow 00:13:34.820 --> 00:13:44.940 over this whole story, so Jesus' own death is drawing very, very close when we get into John chapter 11. 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:54.820 And Jesus is absolutely clear that his own death and resurrection is going to be necessary 00:13:54.820 --> 00:14:02.920 in order to offer eternal life and resurrection to those who will believe in him. 00:14:03.520 --> 00:14:10.060 And I'm really keen that we don't miss Jesus' sense of absolute determination here, 00:14:10.620 --> 00:14:17.379 his absolute sense of mission and purpose, that he was heading to the cross, that he was heading there 00:14:17.379 --> 00:14:25.220 to die, that he knew he would rise again, and that he knew that was the only way in which we would have 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:33.480 life after death. John chapter 3 verse 14. There's three that I've picked out as I've read through John 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:37.220 in preparation for today. John chapter 3, we hear this, 00:14:37.220 --> 00:14:43.899 just as Moses, these are the words of Jesus, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, 00:14:44.660 --> 00:14:52.800 so the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:59.399 John chapter 10, what we looked at last week, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:06.840 life for the sheep. My sheep, listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:14.559 and they shall never perish. And finally, John 12, the chapter after this one, verse 23, Jesus says, 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:23.059 the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, 00:15:23.059 --> 00:15:32.000 it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? 00:15:32.099 --> 00:15:41.139 Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. 00:15:42.779 --> 00:15:49.019 I labour this because I've been struck this summer by the fact that the church risks missing this. 00:15:49.019 --> 00:15:58.539 We might risk missing this. Elizabeth and I were at a church over the summer where the speaker 00:15:58.539 --> 00:16:07.240 decided to speak about heaven. And as part of his message, he said, as far as I could gather in a 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:16.279 Christian church, that our hope of getting to heaven was through doing good works here on earth. 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:27.120 I trust that we can see through looking at this passage and through the verses that I have 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:37.439 brought to us today, that that is not the message of Jesus. That Jesus comes telling us so clearly 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:48.780 that his death and resurrection and belief in that death and resurrection is the only way in which we can have 00:16:48.780 --> 00:16:59.680 absolute confidence in life after death, in the reality of resurrection for us. 00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:09.000 Jesus. And I don't want us to miss a word that comes again and again and again through John's gospel and that 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:18.759 comes even three times in Jesus' short encounter with Martha in verse 25. Did you notice the word 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.980 that's repeated three times? Anybody there with it? 00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:31.660 I'm the resurrection and the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies. 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:43.700 And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Three times, Jesus challenges 00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:54.539 Martha about the necessity of belief. In verse 45, we read that many of those who had come to visit Mary 00:17:54.539 --> 00:18:04.220 in light of this wonderful miracle that Jesus had done, believed. But we also read that many in light of 00:18:04.220 --> 00:18:14.559 all that Jesus had done that day in Bethany, disbelieved and actually took what had happened and went away all the more 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:23.160 determined to tell the Pharisees and kill him. As I reflected on this, I remembered the words, well, I was reminded 00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:32.779 that they were words of Charles Spurgeon who said, the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay. Jesus comes and 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:42.539 enacts before them the most remarkable miracle to show his power over death, to provide such 00:18:42.539 --> 00:18:53.720 substantial validation if needed of those claims to be the one who can give life. And some turned believing 00:18:53.720 --> 00:19:02.539 and others went away more resolved than ever to see him executed. And so again, I ask, 00:19:02.539 --> 00:19:10.359 what is our response to Jesus Christ today as he comes with these words? Now, I want to really 00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:17.000 emphasize that believing is not about having no doubts. I'd like just to spend a minute or two on this 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:24.819 because I think we see this so clearly in the passage. In verse 16, I love Thomas. There's Thomas. 00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:31.200 Thomas. As Jesus says, I'm going to go down to Jerusalem. I'm going to see Lazarus. 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:38.359 Thomas believes. He loves Jesus. He wants to follow Jesus. He trusts Jesus. 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:46.059 But he's also full of doubt. And he says words to the effect of, well, why not? Why not? We'll go with 00:19:46.059 --> 00:19:52.719 Jesus and we'll just all die together. He reminds me of that much-loved character, Eeyore. Some of you 00:19:52.719 --> 00:19:57.799 may wish to go and see or watch the film, which is effectively a follow-up of Winnie the Pooh, 00:19:57.939 --> 00:20:05.099 Christopher Robin. As I was thinking of Eeyore, I like this one particular little extract from A.A. 00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:16.759 Milne. It's snowing still, said Eeyore, gloomily. So it is. And it's freezing, is it? Yes, said Eeyore. 00:20:17.500 --> 00:20:22.119 However, brightening up a little, we haven't had an earthquake lately. 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:31.639 Thomas is willing to go with Jesus, but thinks it will be a disaster. Martha is uncertain. 00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:38.740 Mary has no confidence at all, it seems, anymore that Jesus can help her brother. But look what she does. 00:20:39.900 --> 00:20:47.060 She falls at his feet. She pours out her pain. She expresses her confusion. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:55.680 Why, Jesus, didn't you come? Why didn't you stop the bad stuff from happening? Why, why, why? 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:07.759 Jesus isn't angry at her response. He's deeply moved in spirit and troubled. And so I come this 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:15.019 morning with a real conviction that while Jesus is challenging us to believe and to trust in him for 00:21:15.019 --> 00:21:23.120 life now and for life eternal, he recognizes that for some of us that might be hard. 00:21:23.119 --> 00:21:33.279 For some of us, we may feel we've got just as much doubt and uncertainty as we do confidence and conviction. 00:21:34.719 --> 00:21:40.939 And maybe what we need to recognize this morning is that that's okay. 00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:52.700 We come not being asked to believe in a concept, a theory, or a religion, but being asked to trust in one who knows us, 00:21:53.240 --> 00:22:01.620 who loves us, who recognizes our weakness and sin, but who died for us to forgive us and call us to him. 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:09.679 And as I've reflected on what does it mean for us to really believe in Jesus this morning, 00:22:10.239 --> 00:22:19.739 the phrase in my mind, it's about us choosing to lean towards Jesus rather than turn away from him. 00:22:20.199 --> 00:22:23.619 Maybe some of you today, you're tempted to turn away. 00:22:23.619 --> 00:22:32.479 Maybe if you reflect on how you've lived this week or in recent weeks, you would have to recognize that perhaps ever so 00:22:32.479 --> 00:22:39.500 subtly, what you've been choosing to do is to turn away from Jesus. 00:22:40.579 --> 00:22:46.679 Yeah, you're conscious of his words, of his challenge, of his offer of life. 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:52.880 But for whatever reason, you, we have been leaning away. 00:22:54.460 --> 00:23:04.539 And today, perhaps a bit like Mary, we're encouraged to move towards him, to cling on to him and to say, 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:05.900 yes, I believe. 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:11.440 Help me, Jesus, with all of my doubts and disbelief. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:24.940 But finally, and very briefly, as well as Jesus inviting Martha to receive him and to recognize him as the one who gave life 00:23:24.940 --> 00:23:27.539 and could give life beyond death. 00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:38.420 Crucially also, he wanted Martha and Mary and all the rest to see that he was the one who could give life before death. 00:23:38.420 --> 00:23:47.400 He was clear that Lazarus was not going to be lying there dead until the final resurrection. 00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:55.700 Lazarus would be summoned from the grave and would rise again to life that very day. 00:23:56.440 --> 00:23:58.759 And it's as though Jesus is actually saying, 00:23:58.759 --> 00:24:08.299 Even now, I can cut through death and decay to make everything new and hopeful and full of life again. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:15.359 Even now, I can answer your prayers and give you fresh life and meaning. 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:20.140 Even when you think it might be far too late. 00:24:20.819 --> 00:24:25.200 It's the fourth day and Lazarus is decaying and there's a stench. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:27.840 Even when you think it's too late. 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:32.600 I can reach in and bring life now. 00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:35.220 I wonder how Lazarus lived following his resurrection. 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:41.900 Strange thing is, we don't know a single word that Lazarus said following his resurrection. 00:24:42.620 --> 00:24:45.620 But I'm pretty sure he didn't live with one foot in the grave. 00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:51.900 I'm pretty sure he lived with a great sense of newness of life. 00:24:51.900 --> 00:24:54.980 One thing we do know is that he spent time with Jesus. 00:24:55.720 --> 00:25:00.820 Very next chapter, Jesus is there having a meal with Mary, with Martha. 00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:05.460 And we read that Lazarus is there reclining with Jesus. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:08.660 We also knew that life wasn't easy for Lazarus. 00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:16.759 Because we read later in that chapter that because some were so angry about Lazarus's rising from the dead, 00:25:17.080 --> 00:25:18.640 they were trying to kill him. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:33.340 But even as we look at Jesus in this passage, I think we can look at one who modeled what it is to live a full life now. 00:25:34.280 --> 00:25:36.259 Jesus knew that others wanted to kill him. 00:25:36.360 --> 00:25:40.160 He knew he was surrounded by foes and enemies. 00:25:41.300 --> 00:25:46.640 And yet what we see is Jesus living with an absolute clarity of purpose. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:50.440 He's heading to the cross to die. 00:25:51.080 --> 00:25:54.200 He's clear about why he is doing so. 00:25:55.120 --> 00:26:04.700 And on the way to that cross, he will take every opportunity to demonstrate to others what it means to know him and to follow him. 00:26:05.500 --> 00:26:07.500 He's clear about his purpose. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:10.880 He's absolutely clear about his priorities. 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:13.920 He'll wait a couple of days. 00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:19.160 And then he will head to Bethany for this very deliberate meeting. 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:24.300 He's clear that he will absolutely take time for prayer. 00:26:24.860 --> 00:26:30.380 And he's clear about the fact that he will absolutely take time for people. 00:26:31.040 --> 00:26:35.120 His purpose, his priorities, his prayer, his focus on people. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:38.759 There's no doubt another sermon there that might be for another day. 00:26:38.859 --> 00:26:51.119 But what I want to leave you with is just that picture of Jesus as the one who I think provides an example of what it means to really live. 00:26:51.959 --> 00:27:00.299 Of what it means to live, yes, with confidence in life after death, but with absolute confidence in life before death. 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:09.159 Maybe some of us need to take time ourselves in quiet study to ask that Jesus would show us what he's really looking for us this side of eternity. 00:27:09.799 --> 00:27:14.299 How he really wants us to live with fullness of life before death. 00:27:14.399 --> 00:27:19.639 I've been reading again and enjoying this book by Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life. 00:27:19.819 --> 00:27:29.559 Where in summary, in over 40 days of short, very simple readings, he unpacks for us that our purpose is that we were planned for God's pleasure made to worship him. 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:35.139 We're formed for God's family, made to play a full role in the life of the church. 00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:39.899 We're created to become like Christ, being more and more like Jesus week by week. 00:27:40.139 --> 00:27:43.919 And we're shaped for serving God and serving others. 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:52.559 A missionary returned to America on a ship, the same ship that the President of the United States of America was on. 00:27:52.559 --> 00:28:05.980 And as the missionary headed into harbour, she saw bands, red carpets, waving crowds gathered to greet the return. 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:11.159 The return not of her, but the return of the President. 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:14.700 She feels discouraged. 00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:17.659 She feels unnoticed. 00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:22.500 She wonders, has it all been for nothing? 00:28:23.180 --> 00:28:27.259 Why was there no one there to greet me in that way? 00:28:28.519 --> 00:28:33.640 And as she reflects on this and pours out her heart to God, 00:28:34.519 --> 00:28:37.779 she senses these words from God himself. 00:28:37.779 --> 00:28:42.360 My child, you aren't home yet. 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:53.479 She still had life to live for God before death and a sure hope of life after death. 00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:56.579 May that be our experience too. 00:28:56.939 --> 00:28:57.459 Let's pray. 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:18.279 And so we invite you once again, Lord Jesus, to speak to us in our situation today. 00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:25.620 To reveal to us what it means for you to be the resurrection at the life. 00:29:25.619 --> 00:29:30.279 And by your Spirit, would you help us to believe. 00:29:31.159 --> 00:29:31.579 Amen.