Sermon Worksheet & Manuscript

Robert L. Hutcherson, Jr.

Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church

                                        Sermon Preparation/Delivery

Luke 7:11-17

“The Power Of Love”

The Rev. Karla J. Cooper, Pastor

 June 10, 2007

                                                       Proper 5 (10)

Sermon Worksheet & Manuscript

TEXT

Luke 7:11-17

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people." And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

NKJV

BODY

When someone is critically ill or near death, we might describe the hopelessness of the situation by saying, "He doesn't have a prayer." The widow in today's Gospel was in such a situation. Her son had died, and she was marching along with his body into confusion and uncertainty. She "didn't have a prayer." Her situation seemed hopeless. But Jesus saw her and helped her anyway.

The widow "didn't have a prayer". The death of her son meant the loss of her family, as the son was of course required to carry on the family name, and receive any inheritance that there might have been, and continue the claim on the family land in Israel. Not only did the death mean the loss of the family, but it also meant the loss of her livelihood. In those days, elderly parents, especially widows, were cared for by their children. This is what grieved Jesus so much as He hung on the cross to save us from our sins, seeing His mother there, and why He then commends her into the care of His disciple John. Jesus was, even in His agony, taking care of His responsibility to His mother as her firstborn son. This widow hadn't been so lucky. Her son was dead, and she had nowhere to go. Today, we'd say, she "didn't have a prayer."

There are many times in life we feel that we are "without a prayer". We all face times in our lives when it seems that nothing will help. In such times, it is so wonderful to remember that God took the initiative and sent His only Son Jesus Christ into this world to give us life, even without our prayer. Jesus came into this world, and just like He involved Himself in the story to stop the funeral procession, He also involved Himself in our humanity to take our sin, our death on Himself and there die on the cross for it. Just like Jesus restored life to the boy being buried in our text, Jesus gives us life, life with Him on this earth through faith, and gives us the promise of life with Him in eternity. Just as Jesus restored the relationship of this widow and her son by raising him back to life, Jesus restores our relationship with God and gives us the model and the power to renew and restore broken relationships in our own lives. Without Jesus, we are dead in our transgressions and sins. We haven't got a prayer. Because of Jesus, we are made alive. Jesus gives us a prayer! He teaches us to call on the Father any time we are in need.

This is the reason that the people there said, "God has come to His people." The whole purpose of Christmas was for God to be WITH His people. That has now happened in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God being WITH His people. In foretelling the coming of Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah said that His name would be Immanuel, "God with us." God being present with His people is the goal of everything that He did in the Old Testament to bring about the coming of Jesus. God with us means God is "up close and personal" to touch us in a most wonderful way. When it seemed that the widow, whose only son was dead, was "without a prayer", God in Jesus Christ touched her son's coffin and stopped what looked to be inevitable . Hardship... suffering, death. And God in Jesus Christ was with the widow as He spoke the life-creating, life-sustaining, life-restoring word to her son, bringing him back to life. What a comfort to know that in Jesus, God has rescued us from eternal death even before we could utter any prayer, and now He also responds to our formal, articulated prayers and our "groans that words cannot express" (Romans 8:26). In confidence we call on the God Who has rescued us from an eternal death sentence! We express our faith by pleading with God and believing His Word. We respond like the witnesses of this miracle by exclaiming, "Our God has come to help!" Indeed He has!

The Power of Life. an amazing truth, Jesus didn't hold funeral services! Whenever Jesus came into contact with those who were dead He gave them life! The Bible records that Jesus raised three people from the dead: Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, and the widow's son. I want us to consider this particular event this morning. In this account we find several great powers that are present. These same powers are present today!

The Power of Death. It is a universal power. Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Death is no respector of persons. High or low, rich or poor, young or old ... death comes to all. It is a power against which we are helpless. This young man lived in Nain, and that name means "pleasant or lovely". But though he was young and lived in a lovely place, he had no power over death. We pile up things on this earth to keep us young and happy, we invent things to prolong life, but when the hour of death comes these things are helpless to sustain life. People flee to the best doctors, to the best hospitals, and seek the best treatments; but there comes a time when they say "there is no hope" and we must stand by helpless before the power of death. It is a mysterious power. It strikes when and where we least expect it. I have sat in the waiting rooms when the doctors have told friends that death was imminent, only to see that individual raised up and sent home. While I have also seen those whose loved ones have been taken suddenly in death leaving everyone amazed. The widow was feeling that she didn't have a prayer because of her loss. Loss does that to people. Perhaps you've experienced that. Perhaps you have experience in what its like to "not have a prayer", to lose someone. When you lose that person, relationships die. We are left hanging, with nowhere to turn. Studies indicate that people go through similar stages of grief, whether their loss is a death, a divorce, or another significant loss. When loss happens, when death comes, relationships die, dreams die. For a long time we may be in denial, reluctant to admit that what we hope for probably will not come to pass. When people die, we feel that we don't have a prayer.

We must recognize the power of death and prepare for it! We do this by recognizing other powers.

The Power of Love. Love is the greatest power on earth. The widow wept because of her love for her son. We have the technology to destroy cities and perhaps even countries; but we cannot destroy love. Love can transform the meanest and most vile of all sinners, a truth to which many of us can testify. Love lightens the burdens of life. The parent at work doesn't mind the drudgery of that work if they know that those at home love and appreciate them for what they are doing. The partner at home doesn't feel that the burdens are too heavy when they know they are loved and appreciated. Love is an undying power. It was love that brought God's Son down to die for us.

The Power of Tears. Tears move us to compassion. They moved Jesus at the side of that dead boy as He gazed on the sorrow present. We must have compassion for the lost and dying world around us. We must weep. Tears are the relief valve of the soul as our hearts break with sorrow. "Jesus wept." is not only the shortest verse in the Bible, it is also one of the most powerful verses. He wept at the grave of Lazarus. He wept over the city of Jerusalem. He wept in the garden of Gethsamene. We must learn the power of tears! We must have compassion! If we go to people in a cold, mechanical manner we'll never win them to Christ. Do you see the effect of Jesus' presence in this story? He comes to the casket and it stops. He says to the widow, "Don't cry." That's not just good sounding words. It's not just wishful thinking. It is the power of God, speaking a word of hope. There are a variety of reasons you and I may say "Don't cry". Sometimes it's because we have sympathy for the person who is crying. Sometimes it is because we aren't comfortable when people cry. But Jesus had an entirely different reason for saying, "Don't cry". He could say it and mean it, because He is the one Who has come to wipe away ALL tears. He is the One Who has come to eliminate ALL crying.

The Power of Christ. He has power in His presence. When He would appear demons would flee from before Him. There is still great power in His presence!

There was great power in His Word: Did you hear what happened when Jesus simply touched the coffin and spoke to the boy in the text? The boy was alive again. Jesus' Word, God's Word, is life-creating, life sustaining Word. He spoke and this young man came back to life. He calmed the raging storm and sea by the power in His voice. When He spoke in the garden the very power of His voice caused the mob to fall to the ground. God's word spoke to you in baptism, declaring you to be his beloved child. God's word reaches out to you to strengthen your faith, forgive your sins, and encourage you to live as His people.  There is still great power in His Word!

There was great power in His touch. As He drew near to this funeral procession He touched the bier or coffin. He touched broken bodies and restored them. He touched the eyes of the blind and brought back their sight. God is with you. God touches you. He has touched you in the waters of baptism, making you his own. . God touches you in holy communion, through the very body and blood of Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and strengthen your faith. There is still great power in His touch!

He has the power to save. Perhaps the greatest power of Christ is in His blood atonement, the satisfactory payment for the sin of mankind. Through our repentance and faith in His blood sacrifice the worst of sinners can be cleansed.

"...Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Is. 1:18

What a powerful passage of Scripture. Do you know the power of Christ in your life this morning? You can know it today! It can rescue you from the power of eternal death.

Do you know the power of love today? Are you motivated by His love for you? Are you moved with compassion because of your love for those who are without Christ? When the Lord saw the poor widow following her son to the grave, he had compassion on her. See Christ's power over death itself. The gospel call to all people, and to young people particularly, is, Arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light and life. When Christ put life into him, it appeared by the youth's sitting up. Have we grace from Christ? Let us show it. He began to speak: whenever Christ gives us spiritual life, he opens the lips in prayer and praise. When dead souls are raised to spiritual life, by Divine power going with the gospel, we must glorify God, and look upon it as a gracious visit to his people. Let us seek for such an interest in our compassionate Savior, that we may look forward with joy to the time when the Redeemer's voice shall call forth all that are in their graves. May we be called to the resurrection of life, May we all know the power of love…May we all know Jesus the Christ.

Let us pray…

CHILDREN’S LESSON

Order of Worship

Sunday June 10th 2007

11:00 A.M.

Opening Hymn…………………………….” Love Lifted Me”,  Hymn 461

Doxology……………………………………………………All

Call to Worship…………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson

Hymn………………………….”And Can It Be That I Should Gain”, Hymn 459

Prayer……………………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson

Prayer Response………………………………….”Give Us This Day”

Scripture Reading………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson

Decalogue……………………………………….Bro. Robert Hutcherson

Gloria Patri…………………………………………….Congregation

Sermon…………………………………………..Bro. Robert Hutcherson

Invitation to Christian Discipleship………”He Touched Me”, Hymn 402

Altar Call/Offertory………………………………………..All

Offertory Response……………………………”All Things Come Of Thee”

Affirmation of Faith…………………………………..Congregation

Benediction………………………………………Bro. Robert Hutcherson