I Thought That I Was Too Far Gone

We are never too far gone. As long as there is breath in our lungs
and we are able to respond to the call of God in faith, there is hope.

I Thought That I Was Too Far Gone

"Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'"

(John 11:43-44)

In Lauren Daigle's song, "Still Rolling Stones", this may be my favorite lyric: "I thought that I was too far gone." We are never too far gone. As long as there is breath in our lungs and we are able to respond to the call of God in faith, there is hope.

One of the things that really speaks to me in John 11 is how God always does His part, and yet He leaves room for us to do our part. Here are the examples I noted in our text: In verse 39, Jesus commanded them to take away the stone, so they had a part to play. Then in verse 40, they had to have faith. Then in verse 44, Jesus told them to loose Lazarus and let him go, so they had a part to play there as well.

God includes us in rolling away our stones. I am not minimizing the sovereignty of God. I am only stressing what Scripture clearly teaches. God works with us in accomplishing His will in our lives. He also works through us as we make ourselves available to minister and serve others. God's inspiration and our perspiration make a mighty team. (Again, I know God does not need us. He is all-powerful and all-sufficient. It is just that He has, in His providence, chosen to use us to accomplish His will. I am very aware of verses like John 15:5, a verse, in fact, which has become so vitally important to me the longer I live and walk with God. Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Speaking of the power of Jesus, Warren Wiersbe writes about the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead: "A quaint Puritan writer said that if Jesus had not named Lazarus when He shouted, He would have emptied the whole cemetery! Jesus called Lazarus and raised him from the dead. Since Lazarus was bound, he could not walk to the door of the tomb; so God's power must have carried him along. It was an unquestioned miracle that even the most hostile spectator could not deny." (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible Exposition Commentary (Vol. 1, p. 337). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

The power of Jesus has not diminished over time. He is still to this day rolling stones and working miracles in the midst of death, crisis, pain, and suffering.

Here are the lyrics to Lauren Daigle's wonderful song, "Still Rolling Stones". You may want to watch her video on YouTube, specifically the social distancing version, which is excellent:

Lauren Daigle - Still Rolling Stones (Social Distancing Version)

Lyrics:

Out of the shadows
Bound for the gallows
A dead man walking
Till love came calling
Rise up (rise up)
Rise up (rise up)

Six feet under
I thought it was over
An answer to prayer
The voice of a Savior
Rise up (rise up)
Rise up (rise up)

All at once I came alive
This beating heart, these open eyes
The grave let go
The darkness should have known
(You're still rolling rolling,
you're still rolling rolling oh)
You're still rolling stones
(You're still rolling rolling oh)
You're still rolling stones

Now that You saved me
I sing 'cause You gave me
A song of revival
I put it on vinyl
Rise up (rise up)
Rise up (rise up)

I once was blinded
But now I see it
I heard about the power
And now I believe it
Rise up (rise up)
Rise up (rise up)

All at once I came alive
This beating heart, these open eyes
The grave let go
The darkness should have known
(You're still rolling rolling,
you're still rolling rolling oh)
You're still rolling stones
(You're still rolling rolling oh)
You're still rolling stones

I thought that I was too far gone
For everything I've done wrong
Yeah, I'm the one who dug this grave
But You called my name
You called my name

I thought that I was too far gone
For everything I've done wrong
Yeah, I'm the one who dug this grave
But You called my name
You called my name

All at once I came alive
This beating heart, these open eyes
The grave let go
The darkness should have known
You're still rolling stones
(You're still rolling rolling oh)
You're still rolling stones
(You're still rolling rolling oh)
You're still rolling stones

Lazarus was dead, and we too are dead in trespasses and sins until He calls us out and we respond. The key is always belief. Jesus responds to it. He is saddened by unbelief and will not work when it is there.

No stone is a match for the power of God through Christ. No, not even the stone of all stones, death itself, which Jesus conquered in Lazarus's life and in His own life. Remember that the stone at the mouth of His tomb was also rolled away. Glory to God!

I invite you to give your life to Christ today, yield and surrender to Him, believe, and repent. God has done everything; all you have to do is believe and turn from your sin to Him. Call out to Him in prayer even now!

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