In this stirring sermon from John 11, Pastor Devon Ortiz likens our spiritual condition to that of Lazarus—sick, bound, and effectively dead in sin. When Mary and Martha send word that “he whom You love is sick,” Jesus declares, “This sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God” (v. 4). Yet He waits two days, allowing Lazarus’s disease to run its course, so that when God acts the miracle will be unmistakable.

Jesus then confronts the darkness binding us:

• Spiritual Blindness: Like Martha and the disciples, we often mistake death for mere sleep (vv. 11–13) and fail to see God’s hand at work.
• Fear of God’s Timing: We bristle at God’s delays—He waited four days, even when Lazarus “stinketh” (v. 39)—because He isn’t bound by our clocks.
• Grave Clothes of Sin: Lazarus emerges “bound hand and foot with grave clothes” (v. 44). So many Christians remain wrapped in old habits, excuses, and guilt, unable to rise.

But Jesus’s voice still calls us: “Lazarus, come forth!” (v. 43)—or as Pastor Ortiz passionately rephrases it, “Christian, come forth!” To experience true revival, we must:

1. Cry out to God—admit our need and call on His power.
2. Roll away the stone—identify and remove the barriers of unbelief, fear, and self-reliance.
3. Loose ourselves from grave clothes—lay aside sin, excuses, and stale routines.
4. Step into the light—walk by faith, not sight, trusting that Christ will breathe life into our dry bones.

If you’ve grown cold, distracted, or stuck in old patterns, this message is your invitation to become alive again—not by your own effort, but by the resurrecting power of Jesus.

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