 Hello, this is David Diga Hernandez, and you're watching Spirit Church here on the EncounterTV network. Jesus declared, I am the resurrection and the life. In this statement, he is claiming ultimate power and authority over death. This is a very bold statement indeed, and we're going to explore this truth as I continue my series on the I am. But first, Steven Mock, who is here with me, is going to lead you in some very anointed worship, and then we're getting right into this message. Let's worship now. So I'm going to conclude my series on the I am by exploring this declaration. I am the resurrection and the life. This is found in John chapter 11 verse number 25. Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying. Now, the context surrounding this powerful declaration of the Lord was actually a terrifying situation. This is what the scripture says in John chapter 11. I'm going to begin reading at verse number one. A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, Lord, your dear friend is very sick. But when Jesus heard about it, he said, Lazarus' sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said this to his disciples. Let's go back to Judea. But his disciples objected, Rabbi, they said, only a few days ago, the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again? Jesus replied, there are 12 hours of daylight every day. During the day, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night, there is danger of stumbling because they have no light. Verse 11 says, then he said, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up. So this is a terrifying life or death situation. Yet Jesus addresses the situation very calmly, very confidently. Even in death, God would get the glory from the power demonstrated by the Lord in this particular situation. Now I asked myself when reading this, why didn't Jesus just send forth the word like he did with the Centurion servant? And I believe it was because he wanted to demonstrate his ultimate power over even death, his ultimate authority over even the grave. Verse 11 says, then Jesus said, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up. Jesus knew that Lazarus would die. And he knew the very moment that Lazarus had died. He was all knowing. He is all knowing. And this is a demonstration to us that we can trust him even in those situations that seem impossible, even in those situations that seem so dark. Jesus knew that Lazarus would die, but he was confident that that sickness would not end ultimately in death. And Jesus connected with the Heavenly Father knew the very moment that Lazarus, as he put it, fell asleep. And in this story, we see the demonstration of the power of the I am continuing to read at verse 12, the Bible says, the disciples said, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better. They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping. But Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there. For now, you will really believe. Come, let's go see him. Thomas, nicknamed the twin, said to his fellow disciples, let's go to and die with Jesus. Remember, this was an area that had threatened to stone the Lord only a few days prior. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus told her, your brother will rise again. Yes, Martha said, he will rise when everyone else rises at the last day. Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this, Martha? Martha had a very limited view of the Lord's power. She was depending upon a certain day when they knew that the dead would rise. But Jesus says to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Now, a powerful two-fold reality is revealed in that statement in this instance. Because Jesus was telling her that it's not the day of resurrection that has power. It's me. Jesus demonstrated his authority, his power over both time and death. Time and death cannot even stop the will of God. And he did not say, I give life or I cause resurrection. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. In those words, I am. We see something familiar, something we saw in Exodus chapter three. But Moses protested to God, who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt? God answered, I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain. But Moses protested, if I go to the people of Israel and tell them the God of your ancestors has sent me to you, they will ask me, what is his name and what should I tell them? God replied to Moses, I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel. I am has sent me to you. Moses made excuses when being called by God because Moses, like Martha, had a limited view of God's ability. You see, we say we trust God. We say we believe God. We say we have faith in his power to do above what we can imagine. Yet when it comes to certain instances, certain circumstances, certain difficulties, we struggle to see how God is going to move. We base what God can do off of what we've seen him do already. We base what God can do for us off of what we've seen him do for others. And if we say, well, I don't know that God would do it for me because I've never seen God do it for anyone else, then that shows us that our faith is not in the I am, but rather experience. But God is above all. He's above time. He's above death. He's above the laws that govern the universe. God is able to do above what you can imagine because he is the resurrection and the life. People say they believe God, but they only believe him up to a certain point. Martha knew Jesus could raise the dead, but she was thinking on the day of resurrection. Moses knew who God was and that he was capable of using flawed people, but he didn't think that God could use him. And it is in the identity of God that we find the confidence to believe for the unimaginable. Because God said, I am. Not I give, not I will be, not I was, I am. In other words, everything that you need from him, he is. He doesn't just give healing. He is healing. He doesn't just give freedom and deliverance. He is freedom and deliverance. He doesn't just give salvation and hope. He is salvation and hope. He is peace and joy and love. He is time and eternity. He is justice and goodness. He is the bread of life. He is the light of the world. He is the door. He is the way. He is the good shepherd. He is the resurrection and the life. He is all that you will ever need. And he has power and authority over anything that might ever trouble you. Continuing now with the story of Lazarus, we see. Yes, Lord, she told him, I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, the teacher is here and wants to see you. So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village at the place where Martha had met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus' grave to weep. So they followed her there when Mary arrived and saw Jesus. She fell at his feet and said, Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. And here again we see a limited view of God, despite all the miracles they had seen. Mary is fretting if only you had been here. My brother would not have died. Verse 33, when Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him and he was deeply troubled. Where have you put him? He asked. They told him, Lord, come and see. Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, see how much he loved him. But some said, this man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying? Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. Roll the stone aside, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible. Jesus responded, didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe? So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, Father, thank you for hearing me, you always hear me. But I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me. Then Jesus shouted. Lazarus, come out. And the dead man came out. His hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, unwrap him and let him go. In verses 33 and 35, we see the emotions of Jesus. We saw anger. We saw weeping. Now, there are many different reasons that people give as to why Jesus felt these emotions in this moment. Perhaps he was angry because of the lack of faith of the people. Perhaps he was angry at the pain that death caused them. Perhaps he was weeping over having to remove Lazarus from heaven. Or perhaps he was weeping because he was weeping with those who wept. Whatever the reason, we know that Jesus responds to the situation. And he preaches a simple message. Only believe. Do you know who your God is? Only believe. All things are possible. Only believe. Your God has authority over anything and everything, even the grave. Do you realize that because we serve the resurrection and the life, we have been liberated from fear ultimately? We fear nothing. Why? Consider the fact that the world is full of fear. Why are they full of fear? They're full of fear because ultimately they're afraid of death. Fear ultimately is based on the fear of death, the consequences in the afterlife. You and I were set free from all fear. You and I are set free from all of those apprehensions. We know where we go when we die. We know who we belong to. He is the resurrection and the life, the one who has power over all things. He doesn't just give. He is. Father in Jesus' name, I pray for that one receiving this word right now. And I ask you, Lord, to begin to touch them, fill them in a fresh way, stir their faith, cause their faith to go soaring to new heights they never thought possible, and remind us, Lord, that you are the I am, that you are everything we will need, that you are time and eternity, that you are bigger than anything we will ever face. We honor you and we bless you. And I pray your power touches your people now. Lord, let healing flow, let delivering power flow, break off every bondage and addiction, remove every sickness and disease we pray. In Jesus' name, I want you to say it because you believe it, say amen. Well, that is it for the lesson and for the series titled I Am. I want to welcome now the new members of Spirit Church. There you are up on the screen. We love you. We're praying for you. I always say that because I always mean it. If you like information on how you can join Spirit Church, go to davidhernandezministries.com slash Spirit Church. And now to your comments. These comments come from a lesson that was a part of a series on the spiritual gifts. This lesson is titled Gifts of the Holy Spirit Leadership Gifts. And if you haven't seen this yet, I encourage you to go and watch this. I talk about the pastor, the prophet, the apostle, the teacher and the evangelist. And the Bible really gives us a clear understanding as to why God gave us these gifts. Perhaps God has called you to be one of the five fold. Now, I'm going to read these comments, but if you're going to go and search for that video, I recommend that you follow us on all of our social media platforms. And if you're watching us here on YouTube, make sure that you subscribe and click the notification bell when you do. Leave a comment in the comment section and I may read it on an episode of Spirit Church. So here are the comments from Gifts of the Holy Spirit Leadership Gifts. Christopher Kett Bagan writes, thank you David for this message. It is powerful, clear and in perfect timing. Angelina writes, thank you David and Stephen. I am grateful for the teachings and the worship. It has changed my life and my walk with the Lord. You both encourage us and our blessing. May God continue to bless this ministry abundantly. Chrissy Hopkins writes, thank you David. I learned something new today, the difference between a prophet and someone who can prophesy. God bless you and your ministry. Mochisa Andrew Patrick writes, thanks evangelist David. I'm so blessed by your work in God's kingdom. Thanks Stephen, I love your worship ministry. You inspire me and are one of my role models. Stephanie Mitchell writes, Pastor David, every time I hear you speak the word of God, I take one more step toward God. God bless you and your worship leader for taking the world for Jesus. Well, God bless you all. And again, if you want me to possibly read your comment on one of the episodes of Spirit Church, leave a comment in the comment section. And I love hearing from you because really these testimonies energize us spiritually because we can hear about all of the wonderful things that the Holy Spirit is accomplishing through his ministry. And before we say goodbye, I wanna read something to you. And it's found in First Kings chapter number 17. This is a powerful story that will stir your faith. Then the Lord said to Elijah, go and live in the village of Zarapheth near the city of Sedon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you. So he went to Zarapheth as he arrived at the gates of the village. He saw a widow gathering sticks and asked her, would you please bring me a little water in a cup? As she was going to get it, he called to her, bring me a bite of bread too. But she said, I swear by the Lord your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal. And then my son and I will die. But Elijah said to her, don't be afraid, go ahead and do just what you've said. But make a little bread for me first, then use what's left over to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. Verse 14, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, there will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again. So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. There we see a powerful demonstration of faith in action. A widow woman afraid of the future, not knowing how the supply would come, not knowing how her next meal would come. And then the prophet, the man of God, enters the situation. And as the woman obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit and supplied for God's ministry within the earth, God not only met the need of the day, but he supernaturally met the need day after day after day. There is a real power to supporting the gospel. There is a real power to supporting ministries. This is biblical truth. I wanna tell you, God will supply your need. God will take care of you. We don't give so that God takes care of us. He takes care of his children. We give because we know that God will take care of us. And in knowing that God will take care of us, there is freedom from fear. And so I wanna challenge you. Maybe in this season, it's been a bit of a struggle. Maybe in this season, it's been a bit of a challenge. Maybe in this season for you, it hasn't been a challenge, but you've been very blessed financially in this season. Wherever you are in life, you can give in proportion to your faith and your circumstance. And so I wanna challenge you to not be afraid, to not doubt, but to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit and do whatever it is that he leads you to do in supporting this ministry. I wanna challenge you to become a monthly supporter of this ministry or give a one-time donation to help us continue to create the media, to do the live streams, to host events around the world and to continue hosting the Holy Spirit School Online, which is a free Bible training program. Your support will sustain all of that and more as well as all the general ministry expenses, but help us continue to expand, help us continue to reach the lost, help us continue to win souls and to build believers. This is God's work. This is what makes a difference in our world, and I wanna invite you to be a part of it. Sign up for a monthly gift at $10 or more a month, and you'll receive wonderful partner benefits, including access to our exclusive monthly Zoom calls. You'll receive a beautiful Dove lapal pin to show your support of the gospel, 10% discount on all ministry apparel, reservations at all ministry events, and you'll get an exclusive email update just for our partners. At the $30 level, you get all of those benefits, plus you get to select one book from our book catalog at $100 or more a month. You get all of those benefits except your discount doubles on ministry apparel, and you get all four books in that book catalog. But whatever you do, do it today. Ask the Holy Spirit what he wants you to do, and then act upon what he speaks. I promise you, the Lord will not disappoint you. So give to the gospel, not to get, but so that you might give out of love for God and out of love for souls. Do something today by going to DavidHernandezMinistries.com slash donate, that's where you can give a one-time gift. You can become a monthly partner by going to DavidHernandezMinistries.com slash partner. But again, whatever you do, one time or monthly, do it today and help us take the gospel all around the world in the power of the Holy Spirit. And that is it for this edition of Spirit Church here on The Encounter TV Network. Until next time, remember, nothing is impossible with God. Thank you for watching Encounter TV. Don't forget to subscribe and click the notification bell. Also, help us spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Make a one-time donation or become a monthly supporter by clicking on the donate link now.