Don't Cry, Get Up!
I want to start by reading a portion from a writing of A.W. Tozer because I think it highlights the ideas that I want to bring up today:
Answers to prayer and miracles should not be uncommon.
I believe in the kind of miracles that God gives to His people who live so close to Him that answers to prayer are common and these miracles are not uncommon.
John Wesley never lowered himself to preach miracles once in his life. But the miracles that followed John Wesley’s ministry were unbelievable. On one instance he had to make an engagement, and his horse fell lame and could not travel. Wesley got down on his knees beside his horse and prayed for its healing. Then he got back up and rode, without the horse limping, to where he was going. He did not publicize the miracle and say, “We’ll have a big tent here and advertise it.” God just did those things for him.
While C. H. Spurgeon did not preach healing, he had more people delivered in answer to his prayer than any doctor in London. Those are the kinds of miracles I am talking about.
The church should be a healthy, fruitful vineyard that will bring honor to Christ, a church after Christ’s own heart where He can look at the travail of His soul and be satisfied.
Among the people should be a beautiful simplicity and a radiant Christian love so it would be impossible to find gossips and talebearers. There should be a feeling of humble reverence and an air of joyous informality, where each one esteems others better than himself or herself, where everyone is willing to serve but no one jockeys to serve. Childlike candor without duplicity or dishonesty should mark the church, and the presence of Christ should be felt and the fragrance of His garments smelled by His beloved. Prayers should be answered so regularly that we think nothing of it. It would be common because God is God, and we are His people. When necessary, miracles would not be uncommon.
- He asks if this is unreasonable -
If you answer, “No, it is not unreasonable, undesirable, or impossible,” then you are saying you believe in this. If you believe in this, if you would like to become the church that could begin this reformation, this change toward the better, this recapturing of the ancient power of God in the souls of people, then there must be a radical psychological break with the prevailing religious mood.
-He goes on to say that unfortunately this is not the state of most churches. -
Instead of being outgoing and soul-winning, the average church is self-centered and self-satisfied. We make our reports and we spend pages telling what wonderful good boys and nice girls we have been. Self-satisfaction seems to be upon us all.
Do we believe in: “the kind of miracles that God gives to His people who live so close to Him that answers to prayer are common and these miracles are not uncommon.”?
I want you to ask yourself that question as we study the scripture today. In the Bible there were three people that Jesus brought back to life after they died. Last week I told you about Lazarus, then there was the widows son, and lastly the daughter of the man named Jairus. Today I want to focus our attention on the widows son.
Luke tells the story very clearly. In chapter 7 we see two groups of people one group was a little band of mourners making their way out of town to go to a cemetery, and the other group was of people who were making their way into that town. The first group was weeping over the death of a young man. The second group was rejoicing over the power of Jesus that was demonstrated in the healing of a centurion’s servant, Luke 7: 1–10. The first group was led by a sobbing mother; the second group was led by a Sovereign Saviour.
Let’s read the scripture together:
Luke 7: 1-10
I want to remind you that we are all in a battle that involves death and life. In your personal life for sure, but also in the life of the church as a whole. We must choose if we are going to walk in life or in death.
We must decide if we are going to lean in to the authority of Christ or believe the lies of the enemy.
We are going to have to decided if we are going to be the church Tozer described as people who are “recapturing of the ancient power of God in the souls of people”. People so close to Jesus that we see prayers answered and miracles displayed or we are going to be far from Him lacking the glory needed to point this world in the right direction.
We are at a crossroad in the modern church and you might be at a crossroad in your life.
This crossroad is where two things meet. Faith and Fear. We must decide which one we are going to embrace.
That afternoon at the gates of Nain, there were a few meetings that took place.
Two Groups Met
One group was headed to a cemetery and that other group was headed to a city! So it is in life! There are two groups. One group is headed to Hell, and is even now under the condemnation and judgment of God, John 3:36
The other group, those who are following Jesus are headed to an eternal city of glory, joy and perfect peace John 14:1–3
Two Sons Met
One was the son of a man, and he was dead. The other was the Son of God and He was and is the Giver of Life, John 11:25–26
Two Enemies Met
The first enemy was death. He had invaded and devastated this little family. The other was Life. When He came, He defeated death and drove death away!
This is really the story of our personal lives, but also the church. We must find ourselves in the story. Are we mourning, are we dead, are we afraid, are we allowing the enemy to win?
Here’s the Message for you:
Don't Cry
I love that Jesus cares enough to see the woman’s tears.
Luke 7: 13
The command from Jesus came BEFORE the woman knew what Jesus was going to do! Actually, it could have seemed pretty rude.
Jesus had the miracle worked out and he knew that he was going to heal the boy, but he didn’t tell the mother.
Listen, there are things the Lord has planned for you that you can’t see. He is commanding you to do something that doesn’t seem logical or even compassionate, but until you obey, you won’t see the miracle.
Our suffering and tears are temporary.
Revelation 21:4
But until that day, are we supposed to live in our pain and suffering? Well, I don’t think so. I believe we have the victory right now if we choose to walk in faith over fear.
Jesus gave that mother a reason to stop crying and He can do the same for you too. He’s given us a chance to live a new life in Him. We can fine purpose, meaning, and joy instead of wondering what life is all about!
Get Up!
Jesus stopped the funeral. He told the young man to get up and they boy sat up and started talking.
This is a really important point. Jesus has stopped your funeral too! We have been given a new life and we need to start acting like we are children of the living God.
We need to get close to Jesus. We need to pray. We need to believe for miracles. We need to stop caring what others think.
CMA - Bikers undercover for Jesus. Why do they do this? Because Jesus stopped the Funeral! He healed them.
Your funeral is over. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop saying you have a limitation. Stop believing the lie of the enemy that God didn’t really set you free.
You need to jump off that death bed and start living like Jesus has placed His spirit in you!
What is the result when we stop crying and get up out of the death bed?
Jesus Gets the Credit!
Luke 7: 17
Here’s the real important part that we can miss. IT’S NOT ABOUT US. It’s about Jesus and the work He is doing.
Satan isn’t concerned with us. He’s concerned with destroying the works of Jesus! Jesus can’t be defeated, but we can! We are defeated when we stop telling the world what Jesus has done for us or what He can do for them!
I want to be a church where prayers are answered and miracles happen. We will only be that kind of church if we stop crying, get up, and start pointing people to Jesus!
WE are not the answer! Jesus is the answer. He still cares. He still saves. He still heals.
So, to me, the only thing really stopping the church is a lack of faith and an abundance of fear.
What do you need from Jesus today?
Salvation? Faith? Healing? Filling with His Spirit?
The funeral is over. You can have life today if you come to Him in faith by rejecting fear.