Jesus says: Don't Cry (Captioned)

LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT. IT'S RECORDED FOR US IN LUKE'S GOSPEL WHERE WE READ FROM CHAPTER 7, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 11: SOON AFTERWARD, JESUS WENT TO A TOWN CALLED NAIN, AND HIS DISCIPLES AND A LARGE CROWD WENT ALONG WITH HIM. AS HE APPROACHED THE TOWN GATE, A DEAD PERSON WAS BEING CARRIED OUT -- THE ONLY SON OF HIS MOTHER, AND SHE WAS A WIDOW. AND A LARGE CROWD FROM THE TOWN WAS WITH HER. WHEN THE LORD SAW HER, HIS HEART WENT OUT TO HER AND HE SAID, "DON'T CRY." THEN HE WENT UP AND TOUCHED THE BIER THEY WERE CARRYING HIM ON, AND THE BEARERS STOOD STILL. HE SAID, "YOUNG MAN, I SAY TO YOU, GET UP!" THE DEAD MAN SAT UP AND BEGAN TO TALK, AND JESUS GAVE HIM BACK TO HIS MOTHER. THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH AWE AND PRAISED GOD. "A GREAT PROPHET HAS APPEARED AMONG US," THEY SAID. "GOD HAS COME TO HELP HIS PEOPLE." THIS NEWS ABOUT JESUS SPREAD THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY. THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD. LET US PRAY: GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT. AMEN. [TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA, INC.] DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST: ONCE AGAIN THROUGH THE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE, WE HAVE WITNESSED A MIRACLE PERFORMED BY JESUS CHRIST. ALL OF THOSE MIRACLES THAT HE DID WERE THERE TO PROVE THAT HE WAS NOT JUST A HUMAN BEING. BUT THAT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD, WHO HAD THE POWER OF GOD. HE COULD DO THINGS THAT ONLY GOD CAN DO. AND THIS AMAZING ACCOUNT OF THE WIDOW OF NAIN'S SON BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD, STANDS AT THE TOP OF THOSE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT JESUS DID IN HIS MINISTRY. TO SHOW PEOPLE WHO HE WAS. TO SHOW THE STRENGTH THAT HE HAD AS THE SON OF GOD. THE POWER THAT HE HAD OVER DEATH. AND YET IN ALL OF THAT POWER AND STRENGTH, HE HAD TREMENDOUS COMPASSION. WE COME TO THIS ACCOUNT AND SEE WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE THROUGH THE EYES OF FAITH. BUT THEN WHEN WE RETURN THIS ACCOUNT OVER AND OVER IN OUR MIND. THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS ARISE. BECAUSE WE AS CHRISTIANS, ARE VERY CURIOUS PEOPLE. WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT YOUNG MAN? WAS HE IN HEAVEN? DID HE COME BACK? DID HE TALK ABOUT HEAVEN? WAS HE A BELIEVER AT HIS DEATH? DID HE GO TO HELL AND COME BACK FRIGHTENED OUT OF HIS MIND? WHY DID JESUS CHOOSE THAT DEAD BOY TO RAISE FROM THE DEAD? WHY THAT WOMAN'S SON AND NOT SO MANY OTHERS? QUESTIONS SOMETIMES ARE INTERESTING. AND I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO ADMIT IN OUR OWN LIVES, THAT THOSE QUESTIONS ARE NOT FAR FROM OUR OWN MINDS, OR OUR OWN LIPS. BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE'RE A LOT LIKE THAT WIDOW THAT ELIJAH WAS DEALING WITH IN OUR OLD TESTAMENT LESSON FOR TODAY. REMEMBER THAT WIDOW? WHO WAS GONNA BAKE HER LAST LOAF OF BREAD. IT'S ALL SHE HAD IN HER HOUSE. AND THEN SHE AND HER SON WERE GOING TO DIE. THEY WERE POOR. THE FAMINE HAD WIPED THEM OUT. SHE HAD RESIGNED TO HER OWN DEATH. AND ELIJAH CAME TO HER HOUSE AND SAID: DON'T WORRY. IT'S NOT GONNA RUN OUT. AND I'M GONNA COME AND STAY WITH YOU. BUT I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. BUT SHE DID WHAT ELIJAH SAID. AND THERE WAS FOOD. BUT THEN ... HER SON DIES. AND WHAT DID THAT WIDOW DO? TURNS ON ELIJAH LIKE A BARKING DOG. HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE AND NOW MY SON IS DEAD. WHY DID YOU DO THIS? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? SOUNDS A LOT MORE LIKE US, DOESN'T IT? WE GET OURSELVES INTO PLACES IN OUR LIVES THAT ARE PAINFUL. THAT ARE HURTING. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ONLY QUESTIONS WE CAN COME UP WITH ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT BLAME GOD FOR WHAT'S GOING ON. HOW HE DOESN'T LOVE US. HOW HE DOESN'T CARE FOR US. HOW COME I'M THE ONE WHO HAS TO SUFFER THROUGH THIS? WHY DID MY HUSBAND HAVE TO DIE? WHY DID MY CHILD HAVE TO BE BORN WITH THIS DISEASE? HOW COME I'M THE ONE WHO ALWAYS HAS TO SUFFER? I'M YOUR CHILD, GOD! AND I SEE WE SOMETIMES ARE NOT GOOD CHILDREN OF GOD. WE'RE SELFISH. A LITTLE BIT ON THE SIDE OF BEING BRATS! THINKING THAT SOMEHOW WE DESERVE SOMETHING MORE FROM GOD THAN HE'S WILLING TO GIVE US. OUR MINDS CAN ALWAYS TRY TO QUESTION THE WILL OF GOD. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? OUR MINDS ARE SO SMALL WE WILL NEVER FIGURE HIM OUT ON THIS SIDE OF THE GRAVE ANYWAY. UNTIL WE SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE. AND OUR GOD USES EVERY EVENT IN OUR LIFE, ALL ... FOR OUR GOOD! FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED. HE CAME INTO THE TOWN OF NAIN AND SAW THAT FUNERAL PROCESSION LEAVING THAT TOWN WITH THAT YOUNG MAN ON IT AND REALIZED NOW IS THE TIME FOR HIM TO SHOW HIS POWER. HIS POWER OVER LIFE AND DEATH SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHO HE WAS. SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHAT HE HAD COME TO DO. AND YES IT MUST HAVE BEEN A TREMENDOUSLY TOUCHING SCENE AS HE GOES UP TO THAT WIDOW WHO HAS LOST HER ONLY SON AND SAYS TO HER: DON'T CRY. DON'T CRY BUT WATCH THIS. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. AND HE REACHED OUT AND STOPPED THOSE MEN CARRYING THAT YOUNG MAN AND HE SAID: GET UP. AND THE YOUNG MAN DID. AND HE BEGAN TO TALK. WHAT A TREMENDOUS MOMENT. WHAT A SHOWING OF THE POWER AND THE STRENGTH THAT JESUS HAD - THE POWER OVER DEATH. BY HIS VERY SIMPLE WORDS TO SAY: "GET UP" AND THAT YOUNG MAN WAS RESTORED TO LIFE. THE REASON FOR IT? TO SHOW WHO HE WAS. TO SHOW HIS STRENGTH. AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE THAT SAW IT, THAT WITNESSED IT, UNDERSTOOD IT. SURELY A PROPHET HAS COME AMONG US. SOMEONE WHO COMES FROM GOD. SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS GOD'S WILL TO US. THEY PRAISED HIM FOR IT. GOD HAS COME WITH US. HEAR EMMANUEL IN THERE? EMMANUEL. GOD WITH US. AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE GATHERED AROUND THAT SAD DAY, FOR THAT SAD BURIAL, REJOICED AND PRAISED GOD. BECAUSE GOD HAD SENT THEM SOMEONE SPECIAL. A MESSIAH. A PROPHET. AND NOT JUST SOMEONE WHO HAD THE POWER OVER PHYSICAL DEATH. BUT JESUS CHRIST WHO BY HIS VERY EXISTENCE WAS GOING TO BRING SPIRITUAL LIFE TO ALL PEOPLE. HE CONQUERED SPIRITUAL DEATH BY TAKING CARE OF THE THING THAT CAUSED IT ... AND THAT WAS SIN. BY SHARING THE BURDEN OF SIN, THE PUNISHMENT AND THE WEIGHT OF SIN, HE SUFFERED PHYSICAL DEATH TO PAY THE PENALTY SO THAT US, ALL PEOPLE, WOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE FREE FROM THAT PUNISHMENT OF SIN. AND THEN HE TRIUMPHANTLY ROSE FROM THE DEAD BY THE POWER OF GOD! BY THE STRENGTH OF GOD SAID: I HAVE LIFE. AND I AM ALIVE AND HE SPENT IT WITH THE DISCIPLES. HE SPENT IT WITH HIS PEOPLE. TO ASSURE THEM THAT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD AND THROUGH FAITH IN HIM THOSE WHO BELIEVE EVEN THOUGH THEY DIE WILL LIVE. THAT IS THE STRENGTH OF JESUS CHRIST. THAT IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH. THAT IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR DAILY LIVING AND HOW WE GO THROUGH LIFE KNOWING THAT WE FACE DEATH AT EVERY MOMENT. WE FACE TRAGEDIES ALL AROUND US. BUT SOMETIMES WE DON'T REALLY SEE THEM AND APPRECIATE THEM UNTIL WE HURT. WE KNOW THERE'S A FIRE BURNING TODAY. THOUSANDS OF HOMES IN DANGER. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVACUATED. DOES IT AFFECT US? HAVE WE PRAYED TO GOD THAT HE WOULD COUNSEL THOSE PEOPLE AND GUIDE THEM AND KEEP THEM SAFE AND PROTECT THEM NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULTS? AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY LOSE THEIR HOMES TO KNOW THAT HE HAS NOT ABANDONED THEM. THAT HIS STRENGTH IS STILL WITH THEM. AND THAT HE IS ALWAYS WITH US WITH HIS POWER AT OUR SIDE. EVEN WHEN WE'RE ANGRY WITH HIM. EVEN WHEN WE ARE LIKE THE WIDOW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON YELLING AT GOD'S PROPHETS AND COMPLAINING TO HIM GOD STILL IN GRACE RESTORED HER SON TO LIFE. GOD DOESN'T PUNISH US JUST SO THAT HE CAN BE HAPPY. BUT HE TURNS TO US WITH COMPASSION. JUST AS JESUS WALKED UP TO THAT WIDOW AND SAID: DON'T CRY. DON'T CRY PAY ATTENTION. WATCH WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. IT WAS HIS COMPASSION THAT REACHED OUT TO HER. IT WAS HIS COMPASSION THAT RAISED HER SON. AND SOMETIMES EVEN IN THE MIDST OF LIFE, IN THE MIDST OF OUR DAILY GRIND, WE DON'T SEE THE COMPASSION OF GOD. WE'RE FORGETTING THAT HE'S THERE. WE'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THE BAD THINGS SO MUCH THAT WE DON'T HEAR THAT VOICE OF GOD WITH ALL THE GOOD THINGS. WE'RE CONSUMED SOMETIMES IN MAYBE OUR OWN GRIEF AND MAYBE OUR OWN STRIFE. THAT WE CAN'T STOP GRIEVING TO HEAR THE LORD SAY: DON'T CRY. I LOVE YOU. I HAVE SAVED YOU. WHAT A WASTE FOR YOU IF THE GREAT JOY IN MY PRESENCE. AND I WILL WIPE THOSE TEARS FROM YOUR EYES. HE DIDN'T SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A DIFFICULT PLACE TO LIVE. HE KNOWS THAT THIS IS A BATTLEFIELD WITH SATAN AND SIN AND THE WORLD EACH AND EVERY DAY. BUT HE SAYS: I STAND AS THE VICTOR AT YOUR SIDE. I HAVE COMPASSION ON YOU AND I LOVE YOU. AND IN FAITH WE OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE THAT. AND SOMETIMES IT'S HARD AND SOMETIMES IT IS DIFFICULT TO STOP FOCUSING ON THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME. THE BAD THINGS, THE HARD THINGS, THE REASONS WHY MY LIFE IS DIFFICULT AND I NEED YOUR HELP. AND WE SHOULD SHARE THOSE THINGS WITH BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE FAITH. BUT AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE FAITH WE HAVE COMPASSION ON THOSE PEOPLE. AND COME BACK TO THEM WITH THE WORDS OF GOD. COME BACK TO THEM POINTING THEM TO CHRIST. POINTING THEM TO THE ONE WHO HAS THE STRENGTH TO HEAL ALL HURTS. TO HEAL ALL WOUNDS. TO CONTINUALLY COME TO US WITH REMINDERS OF HIS LOVE. AND TO SEE THAT. AND TO SEE THE STRENGTH OF THAT KIND OF LOVE. THE POWER OF GOD'S LOVE THAT CHANGED OUR HEARTS FROM UNBELIEVING LUMPS OF STONE TO HEARTS THAT BEAT AND BELIEVE AND TRUST THAT HE IS OUR LORD. HE MAKES HIS HOME THERE. THAT'S HIS THRONE. WE LOVE HIM AND WE LIVE IN THAT LOVE. WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE THAT ARE REMINDERS THAT TODAY HE STILL IS WITH ME AND HE STILL LOVES ME. BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, HE HAS REMINDED US OF HIS STRENGTH. AND WE'RE WEAK. WE'RE WEAK AND WE CAN'T ALWAYS FIGHT THE BATTLES IN ORDER TO WIN THEM. BUT THANKS BE TO GOD WE DON'T HAVE TO. BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ALMIGHTY AND ALL-POWERFUL GOD ON OUR SIDE. HE IS STRONG. HE IS MIGHTY. HE IS THE VICTOR OVER DEATH, BUT YET HE IS SO LOVING AND COMPASSIONATE TO COME TO US WITH TENDER CARE TO GUIDE US THROUGH EACH DAY OF OUR LIFE. SEE ... THAT STRENGTH OF YOUR SAVIOR. AND LIVE ... IN THE POWER OF HIS LOVE. AMEN. LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.