You turn back to Luke chapter
7, but I've just been sitting here thinking, I sure love you
guys. I really do. I feel like I'm
with my family, because I am, and I'm thankful for you very
much. Luke 7, verses 11 and 12 were
introduced to a very sad scene. 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. 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, a sad, sad scene that will all face
death, death. This woman was already a widow,
and she's now lost her only son. She is now destitute and alone,
and it was a young man who died. That's always shocking when a
young man dies. Think of one of our young men
dying. What happened to this man? Sudden
illness? An accident? The results of sinful behavior?
We don't know, but it was a young man. who died and there was a
sorrowful funeral procession going on. And there's only one
reason for death. What is that one reason? Sin. The wages of sin is death. You know, when people die or
young people die, people always question God, why, why? Well,
I know the answer to that. We regard every death. Sin. I know the answer to every problem.
What causes it? Sin. Sin. By one man, sin entered
the world and death by sin. And the reason you and I will
die is our sin. This young man pictures us dead
in sins. And there are things that a dead
man cannot do. And there are things that are
spiritually dead man cannot do. That's the point. This young
man was dead. Verse 13, the glorious sight. And when the Lord saw her, now
this woman didn't know who the Lord was. She didn't ask for
his help or expect his help. She was in great grief and sorrow. all alone in her own mind, destitute,
and the Lord saw her. The Lord saw her. And I like
the way Luke says, the Lord saw her. Not Jesus at this time.
We love his name Jesus. But it was the Lord who saw her,
the one who could do something for her. You see, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is God. Jesus is Lord. And he could do something for
this woman when he saw her. Now we could see her and feel
sorry for her, and we do. And maybe even feelings of sympathy
and empathy, but there's nothing we can do. There's nothing we
can do to bring this young man back, but he could because he's
God. When Jesus saw her, it says in
verse 13, he had compassion on her. This one who is God,
this one who is absolutely holy, this one who is sovereign, this
one who is just, is one who has compassion toward the misery
of men. What a glorious savior he is. When he saw The multitudes as
sheep without a shepherd. The scripture says he was moved
to compassion. He was moved to compassion at
the hunger of the multitudes. They were hungry and he was moved
with compassion. He was moved to compassion by
sick people and he healed them. He was moved with compassion
at the sight of blindness. And he touched the blind men's
eyes and gave them sight. When that man full of leprosy
came before him, and that man was breaking the law when he
came to the Lord. He should have been staying outside the city,
but here he comes into the city against the law with his great
knee. Lord, if you will, you can make
me clean. And the scripture says, and Jesus
moved with compassion, reached forth his hand and touched him
and said, I will. be thou clean. Now he said to this woman, verse
13, and when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and
said unto her, weep not. Now this woman's just lost her
son and She's in a funeral for her boy
and that almost seems insensitive. Can you imagine if somebody was
in a funeral and they just lost their son? Don't cry. But the Lord can say this because
the Lord can do something about it. She didn't know that he was
going to do something about this. He said to this woman, weeping
and mourning over the loss of her son. Oh, who knows what all
she was feeling at this time. He looked at her and said, weep
not. Verse 14, and he came and touched
the stretcher that had the dead man on it. The scripture says
he touched it. He touched it. Now, what he did was something
that was forbidden in the law. You couldn't touch a dead person
or anything that that dead person had touched. You couldn't do
it. You couldn't come into contact
with death. If you did, you were unclean. You had to be washed. You had to be ceremonially cleansed
before you could be restored to worship. If you came in contact
with anything that was dead, you were forbidden to do that.
Don't touch the dead. Remember the ashes of the heifer
were used. If someone touched the dead to
cleanse them once again, if you even touch the bone of a dead
person, you were considered unclean. And yet the Lord touched this
beer stretcher with a dead person on it. I don't know if he touched
the person himself. He may have. I don't know. But
he touched it against what the law said. Now, this law concerning
touching dead people, it isn't just about hygiene. I mean, I
can imagine, you know, I wouldn't want to, if I touch something
dead, I'm going to wash my hands. I'm going to clean. I've washed
my hands, seems like 40,000 times this week. Going in and out of
the hospital, all the time. But this isn't just about hygiene.
I can't come into connection with death. God can't accept
someone who comes into connection with death. If you came into
contact with death, you were unclean, and yet the Lord reached
forth and touched. Now there's something very powerful
in a touch. And what about his touch? You
know, when you've been grieving and someone touches you and embraces
you, unless you know they care, there's something special about
that. But to think of the touch of the Lord, he touched that
leper and that leper was cleansed. He touched the ear of that man.
The scripture says where Peter was going to kill him. He was
trying to cut his head off. The guy ducked, cut off his ear,
bleeding in pain. And this was one of the men that
were coming to get the Lord and crucify him. And the Lord touched
his ear and it was healed. He touched the eyes of the blind
and they saw. He touched the tongue of the
mute and he began to speak. He touched Peter's mother and
the fever left. He touched the terrified disciples
on the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter made that foolish
statement, let's make three tabernacles. one for thee, one for Moses and
one for Elijah. And the great cloud overshadowed
them. And they heard the voice from heaven. This is my beloved
son in whom I'm well pleased. Hear him. And they were scared
to death. And the scripture says, Jesus came and touched them.
They were down on the ground. He came and touched them. And
they saw no man save Jesus only. Lord, if you will, you can make
me clean. And Jesus moved with compassion,
reach forth his hand and touched him. And to touch means to come
into contact with the Lord came into contact with death. Now you listen to this very carefully.
The Lord Jesus Christ in his person never sinned. Never ever did he sin. But he
came into contact with death. He died. And there's only one
reason for death. One reason only. Sin. That's
the only reason. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Prince of Life, died. The God-man died. who his own
self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. Now, how can,
I've asked myself this, I don't know how many times I've asked
myself this, how can the God man die? I mean, he's, I heard
once somebody once said, well, the man part died and the God
part didn't. I don't know. You know what I mean? That's,
you can't give an explanation for something like this. I don't
know how the God man died, but he did. He did. He died and the
only reason for death is sin. He never sinned in his own person,
but my sin, the sins of God's elect, the sins of those who
believe became his sin so that he cried, mine iniquities are
gone over my head as a heavy burden. They're too heavy for
me. He died because of sin. He bore
the shame, the guilt, the humiliation of my sin. He touched death.
He touched death. He experienced death. He tasted
of death. He touched this coffin. But he didn't stay dead. The
Lord did. More on that in a moment. But
I want to ask a question about this dead man. Here he is. He's
dead. He's a young man. Tragic. Dead.
Sorrow everywhere. And the Lord came and touched.
This man's beer, or buyer, or whatever you call it. Here's
my question. Could this dead man do anything
to bring himself back to life? Everybody here knows the answer
to that question. No, this dead man could not do
a thing to bring himself back to life. Who then can be saved, the disciples
said, with men it is impossible. Can a man dead in sins do anything
to bring himself back into a state of life, favor, or acceptance
with God? Can a man dead in sins do anything?
The answer is no. A dead man cannot. He can't hear
the gospel. He can't understand the gospel.
He may have some kind of intellectual apprehension, but there's no
true understanding. He can't hear the voice of the
Son of God. He can't see any beauty in the gospel. He can't
come to Christ. He can't believe. He can't. He's unable to. He can't repent.
He's dead, dead in sins. This man was dead and could do
nothing to give himself life. There he is, dead. There was
no cooperation going on. You see, salvation is of the
Lord. Now he came, now this, I think
this is so interesting though, in verse 14. He came and touched
the beer, or buyer, and they that bear him stood still, and
he said, young man, now isn't this interesting? He's talking
to somebody dead as if they were alive. And that's what goes on
in the preaching of the gospel. He was talking to somebody who
was dead as if they were alive. He, young man, what's he talking
to a dead man for? He can't hear. The Lord can make
him hear. You know, this is God speaking.
Young man, I say to thee, arise. Now, this is what takes place
in gospel preaching. He spake with the authority that
only God has. Young man, You know, I'm praying
right now that God is saying this to some young man here right
now. Young man, I say unto thee, arise. Old man, I say unto thee,
arise. Whoever the Lord's speaking to,
I say unto thee, oh, the authority of the word of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, just the day before, you
notice that this happened just the day after what we considered
last week. So let's consider this again
in verse 2 of the same chapter. And a certain centurion's servant
who was dear unto him was sick and ready to die, Luke And when
he heard of Jesus, he sent on him the elders of the Jews, beseeching
him that he would come and heal a servant. And when they came
to Jesus, they brought, besought him instantly, saying that he
was worthy for whom he should do this, for he loves our nation,
and he's built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with him, and
when he was not now far from the house, the centurion sent
friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself. I'm
not worth you coming under my roof. I'm not worthy that you
should enter my roof. Neither thought I myself worthy
to come to thee. But say in a word, You see, he knew he was God.
He knew all he had to do was will it, and it would take place.
Do you know that? Do you know that? Say it a word,
and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under
authority, having under me soldiers. I say unto one, go, and he goes.
To another, come, and he comes. And to my servant, do this, and
he does it. He understood authority. Whatever you say must come to
pass. He understood authority, and
he knew that Jesus Christ has all authority. So when our Lord
says, young man, I say unto thee, arise, did he have any choice? When the Lord said, Lazarus,
come forth, could Lazarus say no? No, no, no. If he says arise, what takes
place? He spoke with the same authority
that he used when he said, light be. And light was. The authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He spake with the same authority
that he had when he said, it is finished. Oh, I love the authority
of that statement. When the Lord said, you know
what? When he said it was finished, it was finished. The salvation
of all of God's elect was accomplished by what he did. Oh, the authority
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's speaking as God. He says,
young man, I say unto thee, arise. Verse 15. And what happened? And he that was dead sat up and
began to speak. And we're not told what he said.
It'd be interesting to talk to Lazarus after he's been raised
from the dead or to this young man or that young maid, the three
different people the Lord raised from the dead. when he was here
on earth, what did they say? You know, I mean, I get Lazarus
at any rate, you know, somehow he was brought into glory and
he, like Paul, heard unspeakable things, which are not lawful
for a man doubter, but we don't know what they said. We're not,
but I know this, he began to speak to show us that this wasn't
a trick. Now I've heard of where bodies have popped up after they've
been dead in a wake or a funeral where some kind of swelling took
place. I've heard that. Have y'all ever
heard of that? It's happened, I think. But this
man, it wasn't just something like that. He began to speak
to show that life had actually been given to him. The Lord said, as the father
raises the dead and quickens them, even so the son quickens,
gives life to whom he will. And salvation is a resurrection
from the dead. This man was raised, this young
man was raised from the dead, the resurrection of the dead.
Now there are three resurrections spoken of in the scripture. First,
there's the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And one of
the things that I love to think about, they put him into the
tomb dead. Now, the scripture points out
that his body never saw corruption. His body never saw the process
of decay. And the reason his body never
saw the process of decay is because he satisfied God's justice. The debt was paid. It was paid. God was satisfied. What happened
during that three days he was dead? I don't know. I have no
idea. Neither does anybody else. But
I know this. After three days, all of a sudden as he was laying
there dead, he opened up his eyes. He removed his grave clothes
and he walked out of the tomb. The resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now he died because of sin. Who his own self bear our sins
in his own body on the tree. He died because of sin. Why was
he raised from the dead? Because complete satisfaction
had been made. Turn to Romans chapter four, verse 25, who was delivered to death. The father spared, not his own
son. He was delivered for our offenses. and was raised again
for or because of our justification. When Jesus Christ was raised
from the dead, every believer was justified. Clear, no guilt,
not guilty. Perfect. Look in Romans chapter
eight, verse 32. He that spared not his own son. What, what did the father feel
as he spared not his own son? There's another thing we can't
understand. Oh, the, he loved his, that's a son of his love.
And yet the son felt nothing, but the father's awful frown
cut off forsaken by God. He that spared not his own son. Now God's going to punish sin.
You can just write that down. He spared not his own son. God
is just. God is just. Sin must be punished. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all. And the all is seen in the context.
It's not talking about all men without exception. He says, if
God be for us, who can be against us? He talks about those who
before know and he did predestinate and called and justified and
glorified. That's the all. He delivered him for all those
who believe. He that spared not his son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? What could possibly prevent God
from giving you everything if he spared not his own son? There's
nothing to prevent him. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. You see, justification is not
something you decide to accept or reject. Justification is something
God does, and you're justified. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God who justifies. Who is
he that condemneth? Here's the only answer I need.
It is Christ that died, yea rather. that is risen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for
us. Now there's the answer. It's
Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen. Oh, don't you
love the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? And then we
read of spiritual resurrection. And you, hath he quickened? Ephesians
2, 1, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins. We read in John 5 where the Lord
said 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. You see,
faith cometh by hearing. and hearing by the Word of God.
You know, I've understood that for the first time. I've always
understood the first part, faith cometh by hearing, and I've never
really understood that clearly, what hearing by the Word of God
means. Well, it's the Word of God who gives the hearing. The
Word of God is a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the
Word of God, and He gives the hearing. Faith cometh by hearing. You can't believe something you
don't hear. And that hearing, that spiritual hearing, when
the dead hear the voice of the Son of God, that comes from the
Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, what happens? You may hear my voice. Well,
good to do you. You may even agree with it. It
doesn't do anything for you. If all you hear is my voice,
you've wasted your time being here. Really. But if you hear
the voice of the Son of God, now that doesn't mean you hear
His voice audibly, but what it means is this. This is the truth. This is God's Word. This is the
truth. You hear the voice like this,
1 Thessalonians Chapter 2. Well, let's look at a couple
of verses. Let's look at chapter 1 verse. Verse 4, knowing, brethren, beloved,
your election of God. Now, Paul had never seen the
role of God's elect, but yet he says to these people, I know
your election of God. How do you know, Paul? For our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and
in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. That doesn't really
mean assurance of personal salvation, but you're assured of this. This
is God's word. This is the truth. Now look in 1 Thessalonians 2
verse 13. For this cause also, thank we God without ceasing,
because when you received the word of God which you heard of
us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in
truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe." You hear the gospel as not the preacher's opinion,
not as the denominational distinctive, but as the very word of God,
the divine truth. That is spiritual resurrection. And then there's the final resurrection.
Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood can't inherit the kingdom of God. Neither does
corruption inherit incorruption. I couldn't be in heaven the way
I am. Nor could you. I mean, that's a holy place.
It's without corruption. And if me or you got in there
the way we are, we'd ruin the place. You know, it just, it
can't be. Paul says in verse 51, behold,
I show you a mystery. I love the mysteries of scripture.
Well, this is a mysterious book, isn't it? It's not something
you can figure out. It's God makes this mystery known. Here it is. We never know it
unless he was pleased to make it known. But Paul says, behold,
I'm going to show you a mystery, something that we would have
never known unless God was pleased to make it known. We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment. in the twinkling of an eye at
the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall
be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So then,
when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, death, is swallowed up in victory. Oh, death. Paul speaks with such
triumphant language. Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. And the strength of sin is the
law. As long as God's law is, it shows
all it does is expose sin. But thanks be to God, which giveth
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord. For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain
in the Lord. Now let's go back into our text. We see this resurrection. He
said, young man, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead sat
up and began to speak. Now where there is life, there
is speech. You see, if I've got life, it's
going to affect my speech, isn't it? If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. If thou should
confess with thy mouth, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Now, when God does something
for somebody, it changes their speech. And does that mean they don't
cuss anymore? Well, you ought not cuss. I ought not cuss. But
I dare say when you get mad in traffic, word might slip out
here and there. I'm not excusing it. It's wrong. But this is not just talking
about someone who their mouth is cleaned up. Our mouths ought
to be cleaned up. But what this is talking about is words that
are consistent with the gospel. Changes a man's speech. He confesses. Now, I might not be able to articulate
much of anything, but I can say this, Jesus Christ is Lord. And I can say this when he said
it is finished. All my hopes are right there. I confess that with my mouth.
I can, I, my speech is going to line up with scriptures. I
know this. I'm nothing in and of myself, but sin. I confess
this. I know it. I know it. And I confess this,
salvation is of the Lord. I confess that. By the grace
of God, I'd die for that. We confess with our mouth. We
confess with our life. I want to identify with the people
that believe Him. It was such a blessing to me
to look out over you this morning. Blessing it is to be with this
group of people. I mean, you're my family. I love you. I want
to identify with his people. Those people who believe the
gospel, those are the people I want to be identified with.
I want to be right there. We confess him by believer's
baptism. I think of what it says, they were baptized of him, confessing
their sins. That doesn't mean they confess
their sins and then were baptized. Well, I got to tell her about
what I've done. No, no. We confess in baptism. My only
hope is his life, death, resurrection, and ascension into glory. I'm
confessing the only hope I have is that when he lived, he lived
for me. I'm so sinful that the only way I can be saved is by
what he has done for me. I confess that. When someone
is given life, it changes their speech. They speak in the fear
of God. And he, verse 15, delivered him
to his mother. This woman was giving back her
boy. Can you imagine that? She was in such distress. Oh, she was so distraught. She
lost her son and she didn't have anybody to take care of her.
She was a widow. And she was given back her boy. When the
Lord said to her, weep not, there was a reason for her to weep
not. Now look in verse 16. Now here's
the response to all this. And you imagine seeing this and
beholding it. And there came a fear, a fear
on all. Now, when God speaks, there's
only one proper response. Fear. Fear. Not all this hoopla and
the way religious people, no. Fear. The fear of God. This is something only a believer
has. The fear, the reverence, the respect for God where anything
you say regarding Him, you're fearful because you know who
He is and who you are. The fear of God. And what's it
say next? And they glorified God. They gave him all the glory.
You see, this is what happens when the Lord raises somebody
from the dead. They give him all the glory. All that foolishness
about salvation and by works and by free will, they get rid
of that. They glorify God. They give him all the glory. Saying that a great prophet is
risen among us and that God has visited his people. Oh, a divine visitation has taken
place. And verse 17, and this, I like
this word, and this rumor of him. Now it's the word that's
generally translated word, this word of him, but I like the way
the translators called it a rumor. Don't you love to think of this
rumor circulating all over the place? I love to think of this
rumor circulating in Lexington, Kentucky, a rumor, a rumor, a
rumor. This rumor of him, and that's
the only rumor we want, a rumor of him, of him, who he is, what
he did, where he is now. Oh, oh, what a rumor. I love
this rumor. And this rumor of him went forth
throughout all Judea and throughout all the region round about. Now, I pray that this rumor takes
place here. The buzz starts here and it goes
out. Now let me give you one last
thing to think about. Romans chapter 10 verse 13 says,
whosoever, that's a great word. I'm one
of them. You're one of them. Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord, this one that we just read
about, who has the power to raise the dead. Only God can raise
the dead. He has the power to save you.
He's the only one who can do anything for you. He's the only
one who can do anything for me. That's the name of the Lord. The name
of the Lord is His attributes. The name of the Lord is his holiness,
is his sovereignty, is his justice, is his love, is his grace, all
of his wonderful attributes. I'm calling on the name of the
Lord. Lord, save me by an act of your will. Will my salvation.
Lord, save me by an act of your justice. Save me by blotting
out my sin. Whatever attribute you have,
use it in my salvation. Whosoever shall call, call, call. You can do that right now. Lord,
save me. You can say that in your heart
without anybody ever hearing it. Right now. Lord, save me. Look down in mercy on me. Now,
everybody in here, you're commanded to call right now, right now.
Believer, unbeliever, I don't care what your state is. Call,
call right now. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. Ain't no doubt about it. Call upon the name of this one
who gives life to the dead. He can say to you, weep not.
I can say weep not, it means nothing. But he says it, it means
something because of who he is. Let's pray together.