Sermon notes from Sunday 2 December 2017 pm
Luke 7 verses 12 - 17
A celebration at a funeral
We meet the Lord on this day as he makes his way into the city of Nain. He met with a situation of sorrow and sadness as he approaches the city. As he comes to the main gate of the city he sees a procession, a crowd of people on their way out of the city. A young man carried out to an open grave. That brings sadness and sorrow to any heart. Behind this coffin there is a young woman. She has lost her husband and now she is burying her only son. The face and tears tell it all. The Lord speaks to this young woman and tells her in verse 13 "weep not". We see the Lord entering the scene and whenever he enters such a scene he turns that state of sadness and sorrow into something very special. He turns it into a celebration where a young man is raised to life again and a young woman is given back her son to life again.
Jesus is coming - verse 16. God hath visited his people. Jesus` timing is perfect. He comes at the very precise moment, at a lost point in this young woman`s life. She couldn`t care less whether she lived or died. Her heart was completely torn apart. The Lord comes at that precise time. You will find that the Lord does that. He comes at our the very lowest times in our lives. The disciples were caught up in the storm once when in a boat. The Lord was not with them. He had gone into the mountain to pray. He left them to go across the water. A storm arose up. They frantically tried to row to shore. All of a sudden they saw the Lord coming to them. Right at the lowest ebb of their lives when they thought the storm would take them under the water and they would lose their lives. God does that in people`s lives showing them their great need of salvation. Right at the lowest point in their lives. Is there something you are crying out for tonight? Maybe there is a set of circumstances, that is when the Lord will do a work in your heart. Revelation 3 verse 20 "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in." The door of happiness and sadness. He beckons you to come to him. Maybe you have never come to the Lord, know nothing of sins forgiven. You know all about Christianity but nothing of salvation. Perhaps this woman didn`t realise her greatest need. She was standing at the gates of the city of Nain. She was looking into the face of Christ. He was her greatest need. The greatest need of anyone is the Lord. Here was a woman walking behind the procession, taken up with the sadness of losing her son. Maybe she sees the Lord as he makes his way to the procession. There were so many things going through her mind. Have you ever stopped to think of the Saviour, of your greatest need? Will you stop to think of his great love for your soul? That he would leave even the praise of angels, the glory he had with his father, that he would step down into this dark sin cursed world, that he would leave all behind him to come into this world just for you, that he would stand in torture in Pilate`s hall. Here is the son of God with all the power to call a legion of angels to take him back to heaven. He stood up to the blasphemy, ridicule, soldiers who mocked him, put that crown of thorns, placed it on his head, pushing it down, plucking the very hairs of his face, that he would allow those men to take him to the hill of Calvary to be allowed to be raises up, have his feet and hands nailed to a cross, every joint pulled apart. That is the lengths Jesus went to. Think of the grave as they came there that morning, saw the stone rolled away, the angels saying `he is not here he is risen`. He comes to where you are tonight. He reveals to you your greatest need tonight. We looked at Jairus, the greatest need for his home was the presence of Christ. He had a daughter lying at the point of death. He realises what his family needed, what that little girl needed.
The compassion that he brings - verse 13. As Jesus looked at the procession, at the crowd as they carried this man, how his eyes caught this woman behind the procession. He saw the consequences and results of sin. The apostle Paul in Romans 5 verse 12 said "wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world ... all have sinned." The Lord was looking at the results of sin and the consequences was death which brought sorrow to this young woman. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden he disobeyed God. Through one channel sin entered into the world. The soul that sinneth it shall die. The wages of sin is death. The importance of a meeting with the Lord. That is what salvation is tonight. Not coming into church, raising your hand, speaking with the pastor but meeting with the Lord and experiencing the Lord for yourself. When the Lord saw her he had compassion and said unto her "weep not." The Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus one day. She had been caught in the act of adultery. They told him what Moses said - she should be put to death for this act. Jesus told them "let him that is without sin cast the first stone." One by one they all started to leave. Why? Because they were sinners. When the Lord looked at the young woman he asked her "where are those that condemn you." She told him they were all gone. Then Jesus said "neither do I condemn you." He was looking at her with the eyes of compassion. The ways of sin are death. You see the Bible says "For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." Are you saved by the grace of God? Here`s a woman through sin she had lost everything. Her heart was broken. Every possession she thought precious had been taken from her. Maybe tonight you can put a brave face on, you can talk with others, be the life and soul of any where you go, people are glad to see you coming. Maybe deep down in that heart you are empty. There is a longing in that soul, a vacuum that nothing can fill. The riches of this world cannot fill you. Have you got the Lord? He is the only one who can fill the void.
The command - verse 14. He came and touched the coffin and they that bare him stood still and he said "young man I say unto thee arise." He was addressing the very problem. What is he doing here? He is putting his finger on the source of this young woman`s sadness, his finger on the consequences of sin. That is what the Lord does still today. It is the problem of sin still today. This is not something of an encounter in a church, not church loyality, not putting envelope into the plate or taking communion. A transforming experience coming to the life of a man or woman. John 4. Jesus Christ made his way into Samaria and sat on a well. A woman came out with her waterpot as she did every other day. She met the Lord that day. He began to speak of water that would mean she would never thirst again. As he spoke her heart was opened. She wanted to get saved. What a day that was for her. The Lord said to that young woman "go and call your husband." She replied "I don`t have one." The Lord said "you have rightly said so, you have 5 husbands and the one you are with now is not your husband." He was putting his finger on the life of this woman. If we don`t get to the place where we acknowledge our sin we cannot be saved. That is easy believism today. Men are trusting Christ but have no change. They haven`t acknowledged the sin that they are born in. They have not left it behind to trust Christ simply for salvation. The Lord has to bring you to that place. The prophet went into David. He had taken Bathsheba and sent her husband out to the battle just to get killed. The prophet told him a parable about a lamb taken from the man, the only possession he had. He looked at David and said "thou art that man." He had to realise the sin he had committed before he could find repentance and peace in his life. Jesus said to this young man "arise." The Lord is still calling young men and women, middle aged men and women, old men and women, calling them to his salvation. Maybe you have realised he is calling you tonight. Nicodemus looking into the face of the Lord said "how can a man be born when he is old?" He wants you to be sure that you are saved by his grace. The Lord spoke of the parable of the vineyard. The man went out to employ labourers for his vineyard. He went out early in the day which represents children who are called to faith in Christ early in life. Then he went out at the sixth and ninth hour representing those of middle age, at the busiest times in life, going through university, marrying, setting up home, having families. The man also went out at the eleventh hour and saw those standing waiting and he asked them "why stand ye idle?" They replied "no man hath hired us." He told them to go into the vineyard still at that late hour. These people represented old age. The God of grace and compassion is not willng to see you perish but wants you to come to repentance. He calls once, twice, thrice and even a fourth time. Maybe he is calling you tonight.
The change that came - "the Lord spoke to the young man and said arise." The young man sat up and began to talk. He didn`t have to be taught to talk. He did it right away. Sometimes we doubt the ability of God to save people. The change was evident. Here was a young woman who saw her son raised to life again. They both went home rejoicing. Every day they would go to that gate and thank God for the miracle that took place there. You can do the same, point to this time in the future when you accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord. Don`t take any more chances tonight.
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