Sermon #40 Luke Sermons

Title: A BLESSED INTRUSION

Text: Luke 7:11-17

Subject: The Resurrection of the Widow’s Son

Date: Sunday Morning – November 5, 2000

Tape # W-8b

Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Introduction:

On three separate occasions our Lord Jesus raised people from the dead by his great omnipotence and grace. In John 11, he raised Lazarus from the dead, one who had been dead for four days. In the eighth chapter of Luke’s gospel, our Savior raised the ruler’s daughter to life. But the first display of our Savior’s power over death is found in our text (Luke 7:11-17).

We have before us a scene of great sorrow. As our Lord Jesus, his disciples, and the crowds following him came to the city of Nain, they ran into a funeral procession. A widow was taking her only son to the cemetery. Watch what happened when the Son of God came upon this scene of woe.

(Luke 7:11-17) "And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. [12] Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. [13] And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. [14] And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. [15] And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. [16] And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. [17] And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about."

The title of my message is A Blessed Intrusion. Our Lord Jesus stepped into the life of this widow at the time of her greatest sorrow. He intruded when no stranger ought to intrude. He stopped what no one ought to stop. He interrupted a funeral.

Oh, how I pray that the Son of God will make such an intrusion here today! Some of you are like this widow’s son, dead in trespasses and in sins. You are being carried swiftly to your grave by the gaieties, glamour, and glitter of the world. Your parents weep and mourn for your souls; but you are dead. – You are totally unaware, without feeling. Oh, may it please the Lord God our Savior, to step into the affairs of your life today, stop your funeral procession, and raise the dead by the power of his omnipotent grace!

Proposition: Whenever the Son of God intrudes into the lives of men and women in this world, those who experience his intrusion, bow before him in reverent fear and glorify God.

Divisions: I want you to see four things plainly set before us by the Spirit of God in this blessed story. Without question, our Lord'’ miracles display the fact of his eternal Godhead and omnipotent power; but they are intended to do much more than that. Our Lord’s miracles are all designed to be pictures of his grace and salvation freely bestowed upon and wrought in chosen sinners by his omnipotent grace. This story of the funeral in Nain is designed to display…

1. The Consequences of Our Sin

2. The Compassion of Our Savior

3. The Character of Our Sovereign

4. The Conditions of Our Salvation

I. First, the scene before us displays most vividly the consequences of our sin.

“The wages of sin is death.” – And everything preceding death in this world is but the forerunner of it.

All funerals are sad; but here is a picture of sadness without any mixture of pleasure. Here is a widow, burying her young son, who is her only son. Everything in the picture, until the Lord Jesus steps in, is misery, sorrow, grief, and woe.

That is exactly the case with us. The corruption, depravity and sin of race is evident because ours is a race of sick, dying, sorrowful men. We live in a world of sickness and sorrow, drudgery and death, wickedness and woe, misery and motality, because we live in a world of sin.

Sin is the root and fountain of all this sorrow. Were it not for sin, the world would be free of tears and cares. Were it not for sin, there would be no sickness, no doctors, no hospitals, no courts, no prisons, no broken homes, no shattered lives, no morticians, no funerals, no cemeteries.

But, that is the way things are in a world of sin. That is the present state of things. It cannot be altered. What a thief, what a nuisance, what a great murderer sin is!

(Romans 5:12) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."

But, blessed be God, things change when Christ comes!

A. When the Lord Jesus steps into a sinners world of woe, all that was misery before is seen to be mercy.

B. When the Lord Jesus Christ comes again, he will make all things new, and remove from his creation all the evil consequences of sin.

(Revelation 21:1-7) "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. [2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. [4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. [5] And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. [6] And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. [7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

II. Second, this is a beautiful display of the compassion of our Savior.

(Luke 7:13) "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not."

Oh, how deep is the compassion of our Savior’s heart! None of us has yet begun to imagine how tender and compassionate our Lord Jesus is! He truly is One “touched with the feelings of our infirmities.”

· Beholding the City – “Jerusalem! Jerusalem!”

· At The Tomb of Lazarus

Here our Lord Jesus meets the mournful procession. As he observes what has happened and is happening, his heart is moved toward this poor, poor woman. He does not wait for someone to ask for help. He just steps in in sovereign mercy, and says to the woman, “Weep not!”

Perhaps those two words sounded strange to this woman, perhaps even cruel. Certainly, no one in the procession understood them. But, when the Lord Jesus says, “Weep not,” he takes away the cause of weeping!

A. There is no friend or comforter to be compared with Christ.

In all our days of darkness, he is our Light. He is yet the Sun of Righteousness.

B. The Son of God never changes.

(Hebrews 13:8) "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

He cannot fail. He cannot disappoint. He cannot change. He who made the mourning widow’s heart leap for joy will yet turn your sorrow into laughter and your mourning into a song. He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother. He lives to heal broken hearts, to mend broken lives, and wipe away all tears from our eyes. AND HE WILL!

III. Third, this story sets before us the character of our Sovereign.

Our Lord Jesus stepped in and took over! O blessed intrusion! There are those who say, “God is a gentleman. He never comes in uninvited.” But those who talk such nonsense are as ignorant as they are blasphemous. Thank God, he never waits for permission to intervene. When God comes to save, he comes in sovereign mercy.

(Ezekiel 16:6) "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live."

(Ezekiel 16:8) "Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine."

(Romans 10:20) "But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me."

IV. Fourth, this event was brought to pass by God’s wise, adorable, and good providence specifically to show us the conditions of our salvation.

Many, these days, object to our constant assertion that the grace of God is absolute and unconditional. I have thought about that a good bit. Perhaps, I should be more accommodating in my language. So, I have decided today to talk about the conditions which must be met before any sinner can be saved. There are three of them.

A. The Will of God

No sinner will ever be saved except God wills it. Your will is totally insignificant. Only the will of God matters.

(John 1:11-13) "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

(Romans 9:11-18) "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) [12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. [13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. [14] What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. [15] For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. [16] So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. [17] For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. [18] Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

(John 5:21) "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."

B. The Word of God

(Luke 7:14) "And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise."

(Romans 10:17) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

(James 1:18) "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."

(1 Peter 1:23-25) "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. [24] For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: [25] But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

C. The Work of God

(1 Corinthians 1:30-31) "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

1. A Work of Redemption

(Galatians 3:13) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."

(1 Peter 1:18-20) "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

2. A Work of Regeneration

(John 5:25) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live."

3. A Work of Resurrection

(John 5:28-29) "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, [29] And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

Application:

As the Lord Jesus came to Nain, I pray that he will come to you this day, in saving power and grace. As he spoke life to the dead that day in Nain, may he speak life to your soul today. As he touched the bier and raised the dead in Nain, oh, may he be pleased to touch the lives of some here this day, for the glory of God.

"The Touch of the Master's Hand"

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,

"Who'll start the bidding for me?"

"A dollar, a dollar;" then, "Two! Only two?

Two dollars and who'll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three--" But no,

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?

Two thousand! And who'll make it three?

Three thousand, once, three thousand twice,

And going, and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

"We do not quite understand

What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:

"The touch of a master's hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

Ruined and running from God he goes,

In madness, to hell, headlong!

He is "going" once, and "going" twice,

He's "going" and almost "gone."

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought

By the touch of the Master's hand.