When God Seems Odd | E. Dewey Smith | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

When God Seems Odd

The Lighthouse Church of Houston • Oct 5, 2025 • 71 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

Even when Jesus deeply loves His followers, His actions and timing can sometimes seem baffling or contradictory to human expectations. In this message, Dr. E. Dewey Smith examines the story of Lazarus, showing that divine delays are not a lack of love, but an invitation to trust God when situations appear dead. Believers are encouraged to bring honest questions to God, fulfill their practical responsibilities by removing distractions, and offer extravagant worship for both past deliverances and future miracles.

Themes

Divine Sovereignty and TimingTrusting God in Seasons of DelayHonest Prayer and Relationship with GodHuman Responsibility and Divine SovereigntySacrificial Praise and Expectant Worship

Pastor's Points

1.

To see who's going to trust Him in the face of death.

2.

To see who's going to talk to Him when depressed.

3.

To see who's going to take away the distractions.

4.

To see who's going to thank Him for deliverance.

Key Points

1.
To see who will trust Him in the face of death: God permits baffling delays to reveal whether believers will trust Him when situations appear completely dead and hopeless.
2.
To see who will talk to Him when depressed: God allows painful seasons to test whether we will maintain open communication and worship with Him even when we feel hurt or disappointed.
3.
To see who will take away the distractions: God expects believers to remove the practical stones standing in front of their destiny while He performs the supernatural miracle.
4.
To see who will thank Him for deliverance: God acts strangely in timing so that believers learn to offer worship both for past deliverances and in faithful expectation of future miracles.
5.
God may act oddly or seem delayed according to human expectation, but His timing is never a reflection of a lack of love for His children.
6.
Questioning God during difficult circumstances is not a sin; true spiritual relationship allows believers to bring their raw emotions to a personal Father who can handle their questions.
7.
Jesus reintroduced Himself to Martha not merely as a promise of future resurrection, but as "the Resurrection and the Life" who possesses immediate authority over dead circumstances.

Sermon Moments

“"When you got religion, you don't talk to it. But when you got relationship, you know that God is big enough to handle your question."”

“"Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding for an unknown couple, preached to Nicodemus, and delivered the Samaritan woman, yet when His close friend Lazarus fell sick, He stayed two days longer."”

“"Jesus arrived 96 hours after Lazarus died—24 hours past the 72-hour window when culture believed a spirit lingered—so no human could take credit for what only God could do."”

“"Jesus told Martha, 'I am the Resurrection and the Life.' You're looking for resurrection, not knowing you're looking at it."”

“"Divine sovereignty and human responsibility: Jesus spoke the word to call Lazarus forth, but He expected human hands to move the stone."”

“"Mary poured her annual salary and wiped Jesus' feet with her hair, placing her own glory at the feet of the One worthy of all glory."”

“"Mary praised Jesus in John chapter 12 looking back at what He did in chapter 11, and looking forward to what He was getting ready to do on the cross in chapter 19."”

This Week

Bring your honest questions, griefs, and raw emotions directly to God in prayer, knowing that true relationship with a loving Father welcomes your transparency.

Refuse to let divine delays shake your faith, trusting that Jesus is present with power as the Resurrection and the Life even in seemingly dead situations.

Maintain a worshipful heart and keep talking to God during seasons of sorrow or depression rather than pulling back in isolation.

Examine your life to identify and remove practical "stones"—such as bad habits, relational neglect, or laziness—where human effort and obedience are required.

Actively partner with God by doing what you are capable of doing naturally while trusting Him to perform what only He can do supernaturally.

Express genuine gratitude and praise to God today for past deliverances and answered prayers, refusing to forget His past faithfulness.

Praise God in advance with expectant expectation for the future breakthroughs, healing, and promises He will fulfill in your upcoming seasons.

Remember This

God's odd timing and delays are not a lack of love, but an intentional process to reveal His ultimate glory as the Resurrection and the Life while calling us to trust Him and remove practical obstacles.

A Challenge for You

The oddity of His delay is only confirming the enormity of the blessing that's around the corner in your life.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.