SERMONS BY PASTOR JIM NORMAN

JOHN 11:39-44, JOHN 12:1-2 OCTOBER 2000

" ARE YOU IN THE TOMB, OR AT THE TABLE"

*MANY ARE IN THE TOMB !  LIKE LAZARUS SURROUNDED BY THE DEAD !

*THEY LACK LIFE  VRS 39 NO MOVEMENT, NO STIRRING, NO SOUND.

A CHURCH WITH OUT THE SPIRIT IS A CURSE  MORE THAN A BLESSING TO THE LOCAL OUT REACH.

MANY ARE DEAD

PHILIPIANS 4:4

 EPHESIANS 2:5

ROMANS 6:1-2 THEY HAVE A DEAD WALK, A DEAD WORSHIP AND A DEAD WITNESS.

NO LONGER KNOW WHEN THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVES- NO LONGER CARES  IF THE SPIRIT MOVES.

MANY ARE DRY  THE TOMB IS A DRY PLACE, HOW MANY HAVE DRIED UP IN THE CHURCH. WE SHOULD BE DRINKING OF THAT RIVER OF LIFE FREELY.THEY WOULD RATHER STAND TRUE TO SOME MAN MADE DOCTRINE INSTEAD OF A DEVOTION TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

MANY HAVE DRIED UP, MANY HAVE DRIED OUT

MANY ARE DUMB (THEY SAY NOTHING)(THEY DO NOTHING) (THEY ARE NOTHING FOR THE LORD) WE HAVE MORE PHD'S THAN EVER BEFORE, WE HAVE MORE BIBLE SCHOOLS THAN EVER BEFORE. WE HAVE MORE CHURCHES AND PREACHERS THAN EVER BEFORE AND YET WE KNOW LESS THAN EVER BEFORE.

WE HAVE SAID MORE AND MORE ABOUT LESS AND LESS UNTIL WE HAVE SAID ALL THERE IS TO SAY ABOUT NOTHING!

*THEY LACK LIBERTY VRS 44 WHERE IS THE MOVE OF GOD IN OUR CHURCHES?

THEY ARE BOUND BY SIN GALATIANS 5:1, MARK 9:23, ROMANS 6:14, ROMANS 6:12 SATAN HAS BOUND MANY WITH HIS CORDS OF SIN.

THEY ARE BLINDED BY SIN (II CORINTHIANS 5:7) CAN NOT SEE WHAT IS RIGHT. WHAT USE TO BE RIGHT IS NOW SEEN AS WRONG IN THIS SIN CURSED WORLD.

THEY ARE BURDEN WITH SIN SIN IN THE LIFE OF A BELEIVER WILL BURDEN YOU DOWN.

*THEY LACK LIGHT

LIVING IN DARKNESS  JOHN 1:5, ROMANS 6:23 THE DARKNESS OF SIN WILL ENGULF YOU.

LIVING IN DOUBT HEBREWS 9:27 BELEIVE AND RECEIVE OR DOUBT AND DO WITH OUT. THEY WILL RESPOND WITH I THINK I AM SAVED, I HOPE I'M SAVED. PRAISE GOD I KNOW I'M SAVED!!!!

LIVING IN DECEPTION (HELL IS REAL !) MANY DO NOT THINK IT MATTERS IF YOU GET SAVED OR NOT, BUT ONCE YOU DRAW THAT LAST BREATH YOU WILL KNOW THEN. THEN IT WILL BE TOO LATE!

THANK THE LORD FOR THOSE AT THE TABLE !!

*MANY ARE AT THE TABLE  (JOHN 12:1-2)

WITH FEASTING ENJOYING THE MEAL. WE CAN FEAST AT JESUS TABLE ALL THE TIME. WE SHOULD ENJOY CHURCH. NOT ENDURE CHURCH.

WITH FELLOWSHIP HE WAS WITH JESUS!! DRAW NIGH TO HIM AND HE WILL DRAW NIGH TO YOU.

WITH FAVOUR JAMES 4:10 HE WAS SEATED WITH JESUS.

FULL OF LIFE HE WAS INDEED ALIVE! IT IS A GOOD THING HE JUST SAID LAZARUS COME FORTH AND NOT JUST COME FORTH, ALL OF THOSE DEAD PEOPLE WOULD HAVE COME UP OUT OF THE GRAVE.

FULL OF LIBERTY HE WAS ABLE TO MOVE WITH OUT BEING HINDERED. IF WE HAVE LIBERTY IN OUR CHURCHES WE WILL SEE A MOVE OF THE HOLY GHOST.

FULL OF LIGHT HE WAS NOW WALKING IN THE LIGHT.

CALVERY FOR PARDON, PENTECOST FOR POWER! WHERE WOULD YOU RATHER BE! IF YOU ARE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD YOU TOO WILL SIT AT A TABLE! THE MIRRIAGE SUPPER TABLE.

A LOT OF US ARE JUST LIKE LAZARUS. WE HAVE BEEN IN THE TOMB OF SIN AND NOW WE SIT AT THE TABLE OF SALVATION. ONLY JESUS CAN BRING US OUT!!!