John 11
Unbinding Lazarus!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 19.
Do you have anything in your life that is binding you—holding you back—from being the best version of you?
In John 11:44 we read the last words of Jesus in the famous story of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead: “The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”
It is so easy to romanticize this story that we forget the very real details and implications. Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus, but it took the community to practically, hands-on unbind him from his burial wrap, the linen strips wrapped around his body.
Jesus commanded them to unbind him because he couldn’t do it alone!
Here is a practical application: If we are going to participate with God in helping transform stories through the gospel of Jesus Christ then we need to trust Him to do what we can’t—resurrect the dead, but we have to do what we can: allow people to unbind us from our burial wrap.
Is there anything binding you? Do you need help getting unbound from some stinking thinking or habitual sin patterns that are still affecting your present and infecting your future?
Seize the moment: Let’s be a community like the one that came around Lazarus. We unbind one another by forgiving each other often, because we make a mess of it, and helping one another learn how to live as new creations in Jesus; we call this discipleship—we call this doing life together! We all need this and at every season of our lives.
If you need any practical assistance or would like to receive a personal phone call, please dial the number below and someone from FBC will call you soon.