Welcome to Gateway Church's podcast. Wherever you're tuning in from, we hope you're encouraged by today's message.

So there's a lot to celebrate. In the midst of that, some of you might be celebrating this my last week here at Gateway Church,

and we're that much closer to getting past the Robert Bat.

But I have enjoyed my time with you the last three weeks have been great, and I have a burden to preach this last message.

I was telling my wife, my fine wife, who is here today with her fine self.

Love you, Juliet. Her birthday was yesterday, minus tomorrow. It's just a birthday weekend.

So excited. But I told her I said, I'm so excited about this message. I feel such a burden for it.

Maybe like the churchiest weekend that Gateway has ever had, because I feel like preaching, preaching on my birthday weekend.

And the reason why is because this text speaks so much to me.

So if you would go to the Gospel according to Saint John chapter number 11, the Gospel according to Saint John chapter number 11.

I was so tempted to read 44 verses to y'all.

Ooh, I was so tempted to do it. But because of time constraints, I can't get all 44 verses in and get where I need to go.

So I'm going to, I'm going to just give you 10, 34 through 44, but at least want to recap the previous verses so that we are all on the same page.

1, chapter number 11 is the story of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

Verses 1 through 10 is a breakdown of Lazarus getting sick. Mary and Martha sending out a messenger to Jesus who is a dear friend of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

And the messenger says, you need to come back to Judea even though everybody there has just tried to kill you.

You just need to come back real quick because your friend is sick.

And Jesus says, don't worry about it. I will come back. His sickness is not unto death.

And so the disciples are like, well, if his sickness is not unto death, then I guess we're all good.

Jesus kind of rolls his eyes and is like, dude, you guys have no idea what I'm talking about.

He's dead.

Well, which one is it? Is he sleep or is he dead?

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