How Do You Kill a Man That's Already Dead | Rev Aubrey Jayroe
by Aubrey Jayroe
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: John 12:9-11, Ephesians 2:6

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/aubrey-jayroe--how-do-you-kill-a-man-that-s-already-dead
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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when sister Carpenter said that my wife and brother carpenter were in the same room I've had people ministers individuals say to me why do we worry about these kind of things and I want to first of all commend brother and sister Carpenter for their desire to make sure things are done right the Bible says don't be slothful in business let me tell you a little quick story one of my dear friends who has now gone on to be with the Lord was Charlie mahaney you probably know brother mahaney I've heard of brother mahaney prays for me several times he called me every Sunday he's called me from around the world on Sunday morning one Sunday morning in particular and if he was around by the mahaney very long you know you didn't know what when he called you you didn't know what he was going to call you okay I've been called turkey goofy you name it he's just that was that way and if he was talking to the general superintendent he'd say that he called me one Sunday morning I was at the church early I answered the phone and brother mahini said brother jarrow praying for you and he was crying he was sobbing oh dear me what's what's gone wrong is has Nick gone off on the deep end is sister mahaney passed away and she said what's the deal what's wrong with him Haney he said I was praying for you and he said the Lord spoke to me and told me to call you and ask you a question now if that doesn't scare you nothing will and I said okay sir what's the question and and brother mahaney said the Lord said why didn't I give Revival in Acts chapter 1 why did I have to wait to lacks chapter 2. to start the church and give Revival think about it Why didn't it start at the very beginning when Paul or when Luke wrote this treaty I write unto you o Theophilus we're fixing to have Pentecost didn't do it and I said brother mahaney let me be honest with you I don't know the answer but if God gave you the question he also gave you the answer so tell me what the answer is and he said these words he said the Lord said to tell you you don't worry about what others may say about what you're doing and helping churches and so forth he said because I couldn't start the church read chapter one until they had a business meeting they had a vote they had an election they got things in order and then I can start and have Revival and then I can let the church grow and flourish so it is important it really is important that we do what's necessary to comply with the law yet again stay in total compliance with the word of God that's what's important thank you Brothers to Carpenter for letting me be here your family a wonderful family they are a tremendous family give them a hand they deserve it they deserve it they're wonderful I'll be honest with you I've heard of Kenny Carpenter for years we just got to meet yesterday I've heard heard of him and if if I was talking to Billy Mills oh God has no Billy Mills Billy Mills is one of my close friends best evangelist I ever had when I pastored if I was talking to Billy Mills you would think that was God walking around here okay best preacher in the apostolic movements and now I got to get up here in fact I talked to brother meal Sunday for about 30 40 minutes told him where I was going to be this week and oh he started he couldn't say enough good things and so I'm honored tonight to be here in this place and as the Queen of Sheba said when I look around the half has not yet been told this is a beautiful edifice for the kingdom of God okay people may some people may say and I don't know if they have or not but I've been around a little while and some people may say why you want a building like that why don't we take that money and give it to missions this is for the ministry this is for people in this area okay there's nothing wrong with this because you don't worship the building you worship the god that's in the building that's what's important never forget that praise God sister Carpenter you didn't hear everything that was said earlier but that's okay but it's an honor to be around you also and and we've talked a lot on the phone over the last few months but it's a privilege today to to meet all of you and to I'm glad I got to meet everybody because Nolan told me today that I get paid more if I pre-short then my wife put a limit on it she told me how many minutes to speak so I'm I'm in trouble not really amen thank you for letting me be here this Arky uh after tread lightly over here in Tennessee but I was raised in the gumbo of East Arkansas cotton fields and corn fields and rice paddies and I know who I am but God's been mighty good to me let me tell you my God's been mighty good to me John chapter 12. let's go to the word of the Lord because my time's running out John chapter 12 I'm going to read from verse 9 10 and 11. follow with me if you will much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there talking about Lazarus and they came not for Jesus's sake only but that they might see Jesus or might see Lazarus also whom he had raised from the dead but the chief priest consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus my subject tonight for the next few moments is simply how do you kill a dead man how do you kill a dead man would you lift your hands magnify the king of kings and Lord of lords we love you Jesus we worship you tonight we praise you thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus I need thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus you may be seated in the Bible there are many different type men and women most of them were very unique in their own way many of them stood out because of accomplishments that they did or because of what they didn't do and when you look in the word of God in this great Book You'll see easily the picture that's available for us as we look at the various men and women and characters of the word of God Abraham man of faith Moses when you think of him you think of a little bitty boat that he was put in and then he led the people of Israel out of Egypt David an expert with a slingshot a giant that he won the battle over Isaiah Isaiah who called himself unclean but was given one of the only two insights into the heavenlies as he saw the other side that we hoped to see one day Jeremiah he was called of God before he was born Esther she came from an ordinary life and she was challenged to stand up when needed she became the queen and had the ability to savor people look at them Matthew Mark Luke John all from varied backgrounds all with different abilities all with contrasting walks of life yet in their own way they wrote the stories that compel us to know who Jesus really is what do you think about all the characters Peter look at him what do you say bold Brash brittle easily to offend easy to be upset but yet chosen to preach the first message that Pentecost Paul righteous educated at the best schools of his day he had a Zeal beyond measure and yet he preached he taught he healed he delivered with his message all of these and many many others can be classified as great men and women for the cause of God each as I said are unique in their own way yet they were all drawn together into the same thread of truth I find these people outstanding yet when I analyze the varied characters that it that I find in the Bible my conclusion my conclusion is simply there's one who stands out far above the rest as far his uniqueness he was a common man there's nothing special about him from his birth until his death he is simply known as the brother of Two Sisters Lazarus brother of Mary and Martha friend of Jesus who would occasionally stop by have a meal and visit Lazarus would be considered somewhat strange today by the fact that he was an adult living with his sister still but apparently he worked a normal job to take care of them Mary and Martha appeared to take care of the household projects the gardening the meals while Lazarus brought home the paycheck you won't find anything spectacular about Lazarus simple quiet ordinary never one time is he quoted in the scripture never one time does he speak up that the writers record it it's not there never known to speak out or speak up he's a figure on the scene who Blended in the crowd and most of the time that crowd was just he and his two sisters but something written backs up this thought even when Jesus and the disciples found out that Lazarus was sick the Bible tells us that Jesus wasn't in a hurry to get to Bethany to go pray for him what if you were sick in the hospital you're on your Deathbed dead called the past weekend hello imagine it think about it okay he wasn't in a hurry Jesus wouldn't he didn't get there to have a prayer meeting he lingered really doing almost nothing the disciples did not understand as they urged him on but Jesus just waited just waited that's all it was just waited would Jesus have waited for others well he didn't I want to show you a comparison with Lazarus and others he didn't wait he didn't he didn't put the woman with the issue of blood off for a few days he healed her immediately he didn't uh he didn't reach down at the casket of the boy that was at the city of name when he died his mother's there no he didn't wait well you know I'm a little busy my schedule just won't allow it oh I'll get back with you later though he did not do that he didn't denied belon Bartimaeus being touched he didn't do it but yet for the one who many felt like was one of his close friends Jesus waited just waited he was in no rush to get to that or normal ordinary mundane Lazarus that's who he was he waited four days I want you to look at me with if with me please let her seen in the word of God one of the most dramatic scenes of the Bible Jesus finally four days later arrives at Bethany he goes directly to Mary and Martha's house the Bible calls it Mary and Martha's house he's been dead four days and it's no longer his house they've done change the title deed and everything it's been recorded at the courthouse he's gone normal routine routine ordinary mundane Lazarus think about it a crowd has gathered to console those two sisters the talk is being whispered as to why Jesus waited such an ungodly time he shouldn't have waited they were talking about that one sister sulking in the living room while the other runs out into the yard accusing Jesus of arriving too late really when Jesus gets to Bethany to marrying Martha's House the focus isn't about Lazarus it's about Mary and Martha the focus is on them four days have passed and poor old Lazarus he's forgotten forgotten it's over Jesus didn't stop at the house but you know what took place he went on to the graveyard I'm the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live yet the sister walking with him replied with doubt oh yes sure I understand I've heard it there's going to be a great Resurrection Day in the future that's not what Jesus was talking about Jesus looked around made one of the most shocking statements in the Bible when he said to someone roll the stone away what rolled a stone away no way no way he's been dead for four days and we know we know if you've studied anything scientifically about a body it starts decaying the minute it dies it doesn't wait to start the can for a few weeks okay then they said they said and they did not have all the technology of today but they said Lord we can't do that he stinketh he's stinking in there we don't want to do this no one wants to hang around the smell of a dead body now I want us to do something we probably I've never done please please uh give me a little leeway for just a moment okay let's think about Lazarus for just a minute they're standing outside the tomb roll the stone away guys and they're standing there and we probably never thought about this what does Lazarus have to say about this what does he have to say about what's going on he's walking streets of gold hello no more Judean mud he's moved into a mansion no more compost Huts in the hot dry desert he's been listening to Angelic choirs no more grumbling and fussing among his sisters I can say that about sisters because I don't have any I got three brothers and Bubba we know how to fight and in the midst of that Angelic Heavenly atmosphere that Lazarus is in okay he hears his voice Lazarus that voice sounds familiar it's a memory of another life a friend in another world so he does nothing Lazarus more emphasis this time he don't want to hear that voice would you but you want if you're on the other side want to have to come back here and put up with this mess you let me get over there and I'm not coming back hello he don't want to hear that voice that voice came from a place of hurt sickness discomfort he's in a place of peace and joy and contentment Lazarus come forth there's no choice now he has no choice nothing can stop the process the king over death has called Lazarus back to life and he must go unwillingly but he must obey now Lazarus finds himself standing at the opening of her grave in dirty stinking grave clothes that white Royal robe has disappeared and he's back to the reality of tattered garments a miracle more than you can imagine now would you do something with me please let's forget all about that would you leave the cemetery and let's go downtown to Bethany okay let's go downtown all right the Bible says that Jesus and Lazarus spent some time together after the miracle crowds the Bible says came to where they were not just to hear or see Jesus but they wanted to see and hear Lazarus okay history says the high priest Caiaphas was intent on Killing Jesus and Lazarus because of the Uproar they were causing and the priest high priest wanted to Discount the reality of the Resurrection now let me step into another Arena we may not have known history has a very little to say about Lazarus there have been a few books written about him all of them but one were written about the resurrection okay now there's there's a few books that are out there there was a book written just a couple of years ago about Lazarus that made bestseller list okay but here there's not much said about him because how do you write a book about somebody that is ordinary and a normal and got a mundane life hello that's not the kind of guy you want to write about you want to write about the hero you want to write a story about the guy that's hit 600 home runs or so many touchdowns or whatever or is the president hello some articles in a few chapters have been written about the resurrection hymn however breaders do not mention Lazarus in their book I have done extensive research now I have a pretty sizable Library my library consists of about 11 000 books nobody likes books anymore it's all here and I've got them here but I love my books I've got books dating back in the 1700s up until recent dates because I love to read I read every spare minute I can I'm a reader and I've read and I've researched and I've only found one Arthur who has taken the time to review and write historical facts as to the reason people were drawn to Lazarus one writer writes it then you say well that's not enough out of their mouth or two or three Witnesses would just let me be in charge of this right now okay the writer that writes about him in this respect because the Bible is clear that Jesus and Lazarus together and they're both on The Hit List hello but the writer says the reason that Lazarus was drawn to people and they drawn to him was that he was infected with joy hello those religious leaders wanted to kill him but how do you kill a man who's already been dead and he knew he knew it Lazarus has spent four days in heaven amen four days he's seen streets of gold he's seen Gates of pearl he's seen the walls of Jasper he's been beside the river and he's most of all he's seen the throne amen think about it he's talked with characters that I hope to talk to one day amen the song is so aptly written some years ago that just simply says I Can Only Imagine I can only imagine what that's like but here's Lazarus I wonder I wonder why John who wrote more about Lazarus than all the other writers of the Gospel did not interview Lazarus sat down with him take notes and then write those notes in the Bible John I think you blew it I think you messed up John okay I think you did and then I got to thinking about it John probably did sat down with him he probably did talk to him a little bit okay he probably sat down got all the information he just didn't write it in the gospels but the writer of the Gospel of John was also the writer of Revelation and I've studied John's Revelation I've analyzed his rendition of the world to come and wondered about what he saw John got to see what Lazarus experienced I believe that John was so descriptive in his Revelation and the reason was because he had spent years with Lazarus being reminded of that experience remember I said Lazarus was infected with joy the writer says everywhere Lazarus went people followed okay let me give you a little history when Lazarus got up that morning went to the post office nobody else could get in the post office because of the crowds in there they wanted to get as close to him as they could the traffic was unbelievable okay unbelievable traffic jams every time Lazarus crossed the street the local restaurant was wall-to-wall when people when Lazarus went to lunch the church broke attendance records for weeks Lazarus was infected with joy and crowds followed him everywhere that's why he wasn't concerned about who wanted to kill him it didn't matter to him how do you kill somebody who's been dead and now walking on this grounds Terra Firma that we call it a man and he's rejoicing I can just see him I like to get a little Vivid in my imagination sometimes I can see him somebody said Lazarus do you hear that the high priest wants to kill you Lazarus said why don't y'all go tell him where I am yeah I don't care doesn't matter I've been there and I'm going there again shoot me stab me do whatever you want to it doesn't matter do whatever you wish I've been dead and what an awesome place that was okay so no matter what life dealt him Lazarus was totally infected with joy you couldn't change him you couldn't dampen his Spirit you couldn't sway his attitude now listen to me according to history Lazarus was approximately 30 years old when he died the first time sometime after that writings history says and I researched this again this afternoon history says that he moved to to uh another town little ways down the road and he lived there for 30 more years okay he was right at 60 when he died the second time so he lived 30 years infected with joy infected I've had the Holy Ghost since I was nine years old I wished I could say every day of that I was just on top of the world but it wasn't that case okay but I'm telling you I want to be infected with the joy of God hello listen to me we are filled with the mundane cares of life we have to face the ordinary every day struggles and conflicts and problems and cares and taxes and books and all this stuff and the normal routines that's the way we have to live today but it doesn't have to just be that way you hear me I've never been to Heaven you say what does this have to do with Lazarus let me tell you I'm glad you asked I've never seen heaven but I have given an opportunity to have a little insight and have the opportunity to experience it Ephesians 2 and 6 and he hath raised us up together and made us set together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus hello when you walked in this place tonight it's a place that Angels would love to have been in and to experience you walked into heaven on Earth you walked in here today with God's glory and God's power and God's presence permeating this place oh Hallelujah if all you think about this up in this life is the taxes and the health care and and the dilemmas that you face and the the car payment and the house payment and all that stuff if that's all you think about you'll never enjoy life yes we do have cares in this life and we got to live here but I'm a firm believer that the lord gave me his presence I have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost not just to say I'm a Christian not just to say I go to church but that I can enjoy joy in my life every day that I walk on this Earth Lazarus enjoyed life because he enjoyed Heaven you can enjoy life because you can enjoy the presence of God in this place tonight not just here but you can get up in the morning with joy on the inside remember the song We Sing as a kid I got the joy joy joy joy down in my heart down in my heart to stay have you still got it is it still there you still feel the joy of God moving in your life if you've had a touch of Heaven you can still have it I don't believe you can enjoy life if you haven't enjoyed a Heavenly atmosphere when was the last time now I'm I'm not going to get off on on the debate of the type of songs we sing okay go ask my wife after church what song She Likes and you got to go dig out the Pentecostal Praises hymnal her playlist goes back 60 years but when was the last time you just got a that look in your eye and you get to sing it oh I want to see him look upon his face whoa when did you last sing I've had a little taste of Heaven we don't have that like we should we don't feel that like we should come on I don't know when he's coming back I don't know when he's coming back but I do know that I got more behind me than I do in front of me so that means I'm closer to Heaven than I was yesterday and the day before and I don't know when it's going to be but thank God I get to go but until then but until then but until then I'm going to Rejoice with the people of God I'm going to keep the joy of God foreign did you sing Heaven came down and Glory filled my soul wow yeah my mentor was Bob McCool senior you've heard of the mccools around this area well brother McCoo pastored in West Memphis just a few miles down the road and I wouldn't be standing here tonight I've said this to brother Carpenter I wouldn't be here without Bob McCool being on my in my corner on my side I've called him sometimes in a week every day because my dad wasn't a pastor he was just a good Saint in the church and I needed help I needed Direction but I can remember I can remember brother well cool getting that double guitar he can't play it anymore because of arthritis has affected his hands but he get that double guitar foreign I've heard him saying I've got a mansion just over the hilltop and when he sing it you felt it hello come on we're not here tonight just to go through the motions we're not here tonight just to go through the routines that we normally do and we do our little Pentecostal calisthenics hello we're here to Magnify Him infected when you're infected with something it infects and affects your entire body foreign a few days in the hospital four or five six years ago I can't remember now my my forgetter is getting better so I don't remember some of those things and but I had an infection in my body okay I had pancreatitis which is deadly in fact the doctors told me the day after that they thought I was dying the day before and I wasn't going to make it but God's got a purpose okay but infection affected my whole body hello I had knee replacement my knee got in trouble I played too much ball as a kid and busted my knee a few times and I had to have it replaced uh 15 years ago I believe it was and and a few days after that I got staff now that can be deadly in fact they rushed me to the hospital my wife did and I'm standing there with the infectious doctor and he looks at me and he says I can only promise you 12 more hours that's it can't give you any more and I was out of it coming going the infection had affected my whole body okay and so I raised up I remember raising up and I looked at the doctor his name was Dr Abraham and I said Dr Abraham thank you for all that you're doing but sir you're not in control here I have a doctor that's on the other side and he's going to take care of me hello when you're infected with something it's all over you it doesn't just come and go one day and go on the next okay I want to be infected with such Joy then when I walk down the streets people feel it they see it they grasp it they wonder what's going on wow I did something when I was studying for this message some time ago and I I uh decided to go visit the the web and I I went to Brother Google because he's got all the answers okay and and in Google what I did is I typed in because I wanted to know what the definition of heavenly songs was Heavenly songs I don't know if you've done that or not what's the definition of heavenly songs okay and I'm almost through by the way okay I've lost him so I got to hurry laughs I apologize sir what the what if you typed in Heavenly Psalms Google puts it this way it says go see funeral songs well you know what I'm not going to enjoy my funeral song I'm not going to shout when they sing at my funeral I want to do it now I want to be so infected with the things of God that I enjoy what God has for me now wow wow wow wow Lazarus you were infected with joy for 30 long years 30 long years everything you did everywhere you went every step you took affected somebody my question is this in closing we all know what the condition of this world is in it's a mess it really is okay are we going to get out of this there's not about one way we're going to get out of this and that's when he comes gets us out of it okay I'd like to think that things could get a little bit better who knows I don't know that right now okay and I'm not pessimistic by any means all right but hear me the Lord didn't put his church here for us to be downtrodden to us to feel like there's no hope for us to feel like everything's against us that we have no reason to Rejoice he didn't give you his presence for that he didn't do it the Holy Ghost is not meat and drink but righteousness peace and joy amen the kingdom of God is not that it's righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost I've got the Holy Ghost down in my heart and I want to continue to have that Joy 30 years how can somebody keep the joy of God for 30 long years you know why he died to himself when you and I surrender to God we can continue to have the joy of God in our lives now listen to me as we all stand we can all just be content to get by or we can become infected with joy we can just be content well just another Wednesday night service just another night no big deal got this dude from Arkansas I don't have to listen to him he don't know anything so what's the deal no big deal or we can get something in the word of God that says I can become infected with joy because the Bible tells us that the word of God is written for our example and Lazarus was our exam example and for 30 years crowds followed him for 30 years people knocked on his door to talk to him for 30 years the Press was there for 30 years God help me I don't forget what you've done for me God help me I don't forget where you brought me from hello God help me that I lose sight of the things of God there you have helped me and blessed me and heal me and touch me would you lift your hands and worship him Hallelujah oh Hallelujah