Freedom Nights | Lazarus Revival | Pastor Ken Wright | 6/02/2023
June 2, 2023 / Bethesda Church john 12:1-11 (TLB)
1 Six days before the Passover ceremonies began, Jesus arrived in Bethany where Lazarus was—the man he had brought back to life. 2 A banquet was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus sat at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took a jar of costly perfume made from essence of nard, and anointed Jesus’ feet with it and wiped them with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples—the one who would betray him—said, 5 “That perfume was worth a fortune. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor, but he was in charge of the disciples’ funds and often dipped into them for his own use! 7 Jesus replied, “Let her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. 8 You can always help the poor, but I won’t be with you very long.” 9 When the ordinary people of Jerusalem heard of his arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus—the man who had come back to life again. 10 Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus too, 11 for it was because of him that many of the Jewish leaders had deserted and believed in Jesus as their Messiah.
1. Revival is marked by repentance.
2. Revival produces a hunger for the presence of God.
3. Jesus goes where he is celebrated not tolerated.
john 11:53-54 (nlt)
“So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.”
john 11:55-56 (nlt)
“It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began.
john 11:55-56 (nlt)
They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?””
john 12:9 (nlt)
“When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man had raised from the dead.”
4. People are looking for a church that is revived by the spirit of God.
5. Miracles accompany the word.