Waiting for a Miracle

Nothing Is Over Until Jesus Says It’s Over

Scripture References

• John 11
• John 12

Overview

Jesus’ miracle at Lazarus’ tomb shows that delays are never denials and that God’s purposes stretch far beyond our immediate pain. Pastor Chris Beal walked through the whole of John 11, wove in his own family’s five-month journey after a devastating car accident, and called us to move from troubled souls to renewed trust. When we pray honest prayers, risk believing again, and remember that resurrection power belongs to Jesus alone, we see that nothing is finished until He declares it finished.

Context

• Chris Beal marked 20 years on Life.Church staff, introduced his family, and shared about his granddaughter.
• The message opens a series on Jesus’ miracles leading to Easter.
• Definition of a miracle: God momentarily stepping outside the natural order He created.

Main Points

Miracles Restore, Not Suspend, God’s Order

• Natural laws (gravity, thermodynamics, planetary motion) were set by God; miracles are moments He overrides them.
• Tim Keller quote: we view miracles as suspensions, but Jesus meant them as restorations of the world before sin.

Honest Prayers for Troubled Souls

Story: Chris and Cindy’s youngest son, Seth, fell asleep at 80 mph, totaled his car, fractured his sternum and spine, and faced an uncertain future.

• Mary and Martha send word: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
• Jesus “loved them … so He stayed where He was two more days.”
• Waiting seasons often cause a “troubled soul.”
• Intimacy with God begins by telling Him the raw truth: anger, confusion, fear.

Risk Your Heart—Believe Again

• Martha moves from “If You had been here…” to “Even now I know…” within one breath.
• Jesus’ declaration: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
• He meets each sister differently; He meets us where we are.
  Illustration: A hospital cafeteria worker felt prompted to pray over Seth, anointed him with oil, and changed the room’s atmosphere—reminding the family that God still heals.
• Healing accelerated; today Seth walks, works, and lifts weights.

Nothing Is Over Until Jesus Says It’s Over

“Nothing is finished until Jesus says it is finished.”

• Jesus waits four days—past the folk belief that a soul hovers for three—to make resurrection the only explanation.
• He weeps, entering fully into human pain before reversing it.
• Divine delays often allow God’s glory to be the sole headline.

Temporary Pain, Eternal Purpose

• Some prayers end with continued sickness or loss; Jesus is still present.
• The Lazarus miracle set the cross in motion (John 12 anointing, triumphal entry, Gethsemane, Calvary).
• Ultimate miracle: through the cross, death lost its sting for all who believe.

Key Truths

• God may delay, but He never abandons the people He loves.
• Honest lament is a doorway to deeper intimacy with God.
• Believing again after disappointment requires courage but positions us for resurrection power.
• Jesus enters our suffering before He removes it.
• Every miracle ultimately points to God’s glory and others’ salvation, not merely our comfort.

Response

• Speak candidly to God about the pain you have been stuffing down.
• Choose, even with trembling faith, to declare “even now” possibilities over dead situations.
• Watch for Holy Spirit prompts and obey immediately; your obedience may unlock hope for someone else.
• Replace expired expectations with fresh trust that God’s timing serves His glory.
• Live ready to testify, like Seth, that God still works miracles today.

Closing

Many raised hands acknowledge troubled souls and the need for Jesus’ saving life. Pastor Chris reminded us that sin separates but the cross reconciles.

“Father, I need You. I’ve sinned. Save me… fill me with Your Holy Spirit so I can serve You always.”
Resurrection is not just a future event; it is a present Person. Because He lives, the story of anyone who trusts Him has only just begun.

Prayer

Pastor Chris led the congregation to confess sin, trust Christ’s finished work, and invite the Holy Spirit to make them new, thanking God for His unfailing goodness even in waiting.

Resources

• Tim Keller quotation on miracles