Belief, the Glory of God and our Culture

I went on Thursday evening to see a friend preach at a revival (yes, a good old fashioned revival).  Actually, it was really refreshing to sing some old hymns and to see a real come down front invitation.  In a day and time when we are told "Modernism" is on the out and Postmodernism is in, I saw a Modernistic approach work.  It made me smile.  My friend preached out of John 11 and one of the verses that stood out and I want to express some thoughts on it today.  Deep into the heart of John 11 Jesus and Martha are talking in a graveyard.  Jesus wanted to take the stone away and Martha thought it was a bad idea as Lazarus would really stink.  Here is Martha's view of the situation - "Lord,  by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days" (11:39).  In other words, it is too late for anything to be done.  When we look at our culture, we see that it can really reek, and if we are not careful we can fall into the mindset where we see that it is too late for anything to be done about the death in our culture.  I hope that is not the way we see it, but when you smell the stench enough, we can see that there is no hope for a resurrection of Christ's power in our world.  

It is at this point that Jesus says something very interesting about belief and the glory of God and it is in these words where the hope for our culture lies.  We all want the power of God to come and move again in our land of the dying.  Here is what Jesus has to say about our culture, "Did I not tell you that if you believed  you would see the glory of God?" (11:40)  Look at those words again keeping in mind that Lazarus has been in the tomb 4 days.  If we believe that he is the Resurrection and the Life, then a faith in him that knows he can and will move in power - will see the glory of God through the working of his Power, not our plans and creativity.  Look at this again, what Jesus wanted them to see more than Lazarus alive again was the glory of God. Though we want to see "Our Lazarus" (culture) resurrected, what we really need to see is the glory of his greatness and it is through the working of his power, we cab and will see his glory.  

Do we believe the culture can be resurrected?  Making someone alive after 4 days is impossible, but not with God.  Seeing the culture awakened would bring the glory of God and we would see it, literally.  It is not to late for our culture because we are still called to believe, to have faith that he can do all things 

Could it be that  we have lost what it means to really believe in his power?  Have I lost my belief that he can bring life from that which is dead?  I hope not, but I want to live and do life with a group of people who do believe that Christ presence can call forth the dead to life.  Jesus, I beg you to call our "Lazarus" forth.  Only you can do this and we await you to call us forth.