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Luke 7:11-17, "When God Visits His People" · Clifford Baptist

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  Speaker A: Welcome to the June 28 sermon from Clifford Baptist Church, 635 Fletcher's Level Road in Amherst. Today's scripture is Luke, chapter 7, verses 11 through 17. And the sermon is entitled When God Visits His People, delivered today by Pastor Jeffrey Campbell.
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  Speaker B: But praise be to God today that we gather around God's word. Grab your Bible, go to Luke chapter number seven. Luke, chapter number seven. As we continue on in our study, as you are turning there, I just want to take a minute to say this. I will say that this week we celebrate a milestone in the life of our country. 250 years of the United States of America. I have not forgotten about that. That sermon will be next week. Okay. And you do not want to miss that challenge that I have, not only for the church, but. But for a nation as we face the next years of our life. But what an opportunity that we are alive for and that God has put us here, that we are in this country at the 250th year of her birthday. So I pray that we are thankful for the many that have stood and fought and given freedom. And we are thankful for the church that stands on the freedom that comes through Jesus Christ. And so today, we are thankful to God for a nation, a free nation, that we look to him. In September 23, 1857, a lay missionary named Jeremiah Lamphere was hired by an Old Dutch North Church in New York City. And his job was simply this. They hired him, the church hired him to save the church, to keep the church doors open. Now he was a businessman. He had no experience in church work at all. And he began to call prayer meetings for the people of New York and for the city and for the church. He visited businessmen, others, inviting them to his prayer meeting that happened at noon. The first week, there were six people. The second, there were 20. And the third week, 40 people showed up at this prayer meeting trying to save this church. Well, that third week, something happened in New York. It was a financial crisis leading to the loss of jobs. Banks closed down. And as that happened, the next prayer meeting, there were 3,000 people in attendance. Within six months, 10,000 businessmen gathered together in New York City for prayer at noon. That seems unheard of in our world. And yet, through the work of this little man and through the faithfulness of God, God showed up. And their only desire, their only desire was this God visit with us. Visit with us during our prayer time. My question to you today is, do we desire the presence of God? And do we desire that our souls long for Jesus oh, we want to be with him one day in heaven, but do we desire him all of our days? And even today, Revival happens when God shows up. And so that doesn't happen on our calendars once a year in the time frame of August. My prayer every Sunday morning is God, you show up and your word is proclaimed, and your people will be met here, and the truth will will go forth. So as we gather in this place today, we do so seeking God's presence in this place through his spoken word. On the pages of Scripture, though, what happens when God shows up and God visits his people? Well, we're going to see a little bit of that today as we take our Bibles to Luke chapter number seven. Now, I'm going to ask you to do something that I normally do not ask you to do, and that is this. I'm going to ask that you stand up as we read God's Word. I'm going to read God's Word and the entirety of it today and then have a prayer. Let's listen to what God's Word says. Luke chapter number seven, beginning with verse number 11. 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. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her. And he said unto her, weep not. And he came and touched the bear, and they that bare him stood still. And he said, young man, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. Verse 16. This is the verse of focus today. And there came a fear on all. And they glorified God, saying that a great prophet is risen up among us and that God had visited his people. And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the region round about. Let's pray, Father. Today I pray, Lord, that as your people gather at Clifford Baptist Church, we welcome many that are watching and joining us online. Lord, we gather together as your faithful body. Lord, I pray that you will visit us today, Lord, that you know each and every situation. Lord, your eyes are upon us. Your heart is with us. And God, I pray, Lord, that you will take notice of every situation that is in this room. God, thank you that we can lay things before you as believers. But maybe there's somebody here that needs your special touch. Oh God, I pray, Lord, that they would recognize that touch today. God, I pray that you will lead us through the reading of your word and the study of it. And we give it all to you for your glory and your glory alone. It's in Jesus name we do pray. Amen. You may be seated. When God visits his people. Really, there are three things that I would like you to see today that God has shown me that I want to share with you. When God visits, the first thing can be found in verses 11 through 13. And that first point is this. When God visits his people, he sees you. He sees you. I know it's easy to walk into a big room full of people that love Jesus and think this. Nobody even knows I'm here. Well, listen, that may be true. I've walked in rooms where I felt unnoticed and unworthy before and, and that's okay. I've got to get over myself and what I feel. But here's what I want. You can recognize you can never enter any place where the Lord doesn't know and meet you where you are. And so you may feel like nobody here knows me. Oh yes. Somebody here knows you and knows that you are in his presence. And that person is Jesus Christ. And so as we gather together when God visits our, us, his people, we need to recognize that he sees us or he sees you. Now remember, we are coming off a miracle from the centurion servant that was very ill. And the very next day, after Jesus heals that servant, he makes his way southwest some 25 miles to the village of Nain. Scripture tells us that his disciples are with him and many others as well. Here's what you need to realize that's not just a quick trip. Jump in the car, go in a few minutes, I'm there. This was about an eight hour journey for Jesus and his followers to walk some 25 miles to this little village. And when we think about that, that blows my mind, right? If you told me I had to walk to Lynchburg to preach, I don't know if I would be questioning God. Do you really want me to do this? Right. Well, listen, Jesus makes that journey 25 miles and he enters the city of Nain. As we see this, the crowd that is with him, the disciples that are with him, there's something, a sense of excitement that goes with him as he enters this city. But also what happens with Jesus is there is somebody else that is trying to get out of the city. Look at verse number 11. 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. Something happens at this gate of this beautiful city, and that is this. There is a passing, a transition, there's a celebration from the people that are going in that have seen the work of God, the work of Jesus, and they're excited to go and to follow Jesus to another place, another town to see and to hear what Jesus is going to do in this place. But as they enter town, there's a procession coming out of town. And that procession is filled with people that are full of sorrow. If you allow me to say it, it is a funeral service that is taking place. And in the days of Jesus, it is simply just a wooden coffin, like open container, maybe not even a container, maybe even wooden flat board that they're just carrying this dead man on and they're carrying him out of town. Now, as they cross paths with one another, I want you to see this. Jesus notices what's going on. This is not 2026. When people today see a funeral procession, they just keep on going, don't they? Maybe you're guilty, like I'm guilty of saying that. Oh, that's just another funeral. I've got somewhere to be. I'm just gonna drive on by. Well, Jesus doesn't do that. And I'm thankful that Jesus doesn't just drive by our situations. No, Jesus takes notice. This woman didn't send for Jesus. She may have heard about him. And as he visits her town, she is in a place of mourning and pain and a dark moment in her life. And here's what scripture tells us. In that moment, Jesus recognizes where she is. Verse number 13. These are important words. And when the Lord saw her. I don't know if you write or underline or highlight in your Bible. You need to star that, because what this is is not Jesus passing by, but Jesus recognizes so much and he sees so much about this woman's life. And Luke records it for us. Verse number 12. He sees the funeral procession. He sees the people that surround this woman who has lost her son. And Jesus recognizes that. And church. Here's what we need to do. We need to recognize that as well. There's something healing, something comforting. When somebody loses someone they love, that the people of God surround them, that a community surrounds them. What an opportunity for ministry. And I want to challenge Clifford Baptist Church very directly. When you know of a loss, go surround that family. Send the message. Call them. Take something. Whatever the Lord calls you to do, minister to that family. It means so much to them. Jesus sees this. They're carrying out the woman's son. And there's a crowd of people that is surrounding this woman in her sorrow, in her time of need. And Jesus recognizes that as death reaches past the family into a community, that community rallies around them. But Luke also tells us Jesus knows this is not her first funeral procession. Look again at verse number 12. I'm going to back up. Toward the end of it, it says, and there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. So this woman has experienced loss before. She has lost her husband, and now she has lost her only son. And Jesus recognizes that as well. He sees a woman that is headed into a life without anyone to give or care. Even though this moment, there are so many people that surround her. She is headed for a life of loneliness, of begging, and of poverty, because that's what widows did in Jesus day. And so Jesus understands that this loss will be detrimental to this woman. It will be detrimental to not only her life now, but her livelihood in the future. And so, as we read verse number 12, it is filled with sorrow and loneliness and no hope. Life has come to a screeching halt. Is there anybody in the room that can testify to that? That sometime that life comes to a screeching halt? And you look around and there's people around, but they really don't know what you're going through. You can sit in a big room of people and you can realize nobody knows what's going on here. And that can be a very true statement. But there's somebody that does. There's somebody that sees you. And his name is Jesus. I read verse number 11, and as I started studying for this passage, I read it with joy. Jesus is going on in ministry. We're going to another town. The truth is going to continue to be proclaimed. And then I read verse number 12, and I felt it deep in my bones. It's full of sorrow and pain and hurt. There's a woman here that has lost it all. But I'm thankful for verse number 13 that says this. Win. The Lord saw her. He had compassion on her and said unto her, weep not. What is compassion? That's a word that's floated around my house a lot. I challenge my family to be more compassionate. And my Family challenges me to be more compassionate sometimes. We can be rigid and rough and straightforward people. Right? I'm going to be honest with you. The pastor could be that way. But what is compassion? Here's a great definition. It's your pain in my heart. I found that definition. I don't know where. Who it came from, where it originated, but that is a great definition, your pain in my heart. But compassion begins with seeing a need. And the Lord compels you to help meet that need. There's a great, great verse, a great chapter that speaks to compassion. Psalm 103. You can write it down or you can go back and read it later. But here's what I want to read a couple verses. Psalm 103, verse number 8 says this. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. We love that verse, don't we? And then if you go on and read in verse number nine, that he will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. Praise be to God for that. In verse number 11, it says, as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Verse number 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. We love that verse, don't we? Look at verse number 13. Look at verse number 13. Like a father that pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. God has compassion. And what we need to understand in that compassion, yes, he can forgive sin, and he can forgive it so much that it moves as far as the east is from the west. But as God has has compassion, we also can understand that. He can look at this woman who has lost it all, and God can say this. Weep not, weep not. Today maybe you're here and you have a situation where it seems like all is lost. Here is what you need to understand. Jesus sees you, and Jesus is in control of it. If you will allow him to be in control of that situation. As he looks at this situation, here's what you need to realize. He is in full control, with full compassion, and he is getting ready to minister to this family. Maybe today you've got something that you've just got to trust to the Lord. You don't have the answers. You desire help or you have a need. But here's what you need to understand. When God visits, He sees you. He knows where you are, the good, the bad, the ugly. He sees everything about you. God sees. Sees you look at point number two, look at verses 14 and 15. And he came and touched the bear. And they said that bare him stood still, or excuse me. And they that bare him stood still. And he said to the young man, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead sat up, began to speak, and he delivered him. And to his mother. I want to say something before I get into my point. And that is this. We all desire the miracle of God. We all desire that complete healing or that complete touch. And we even could read this and say, lord, I desire that you would heal or bring back to life someone that I've lost. I want to tell you a very real truth, though. Jesus raised this young man, this young man would have to die again. And so you've got to be careful what you ask for, because sometimes it can only be a little bit of time. Now, look, the woman did not ask for this. Jesus, out of his compassion, saw this situation. And. And it leads us to point number two. When God visits his people, they recognize his authority. Luke does a tremendous job of showing us throughout this book that Jesus has the same authority as God, because he is God. But we see in verse number 13 the word Lord or Kyrios for the first time in Luke's Gospel. And what Luke is proclaiming is this. Jesus is Lord. That word, if you trace it back and connect it to the Old Testament, it is the same word that is used for God in the Old Testament. The holy name of God, Yahweh. It is the same word that is used there. And so as we connect this, what Luke is trying to say is Jesus is God. Verse number 13. When God saw her, or when the Lord Jesus saw her, he says this. Weep not. When we understand that he has the authority to tell this woman not to cry tears of sadness, There is something else to be anticipated here. Verse number 14. He does something that is unthinkable, that also shows his authority. He touches the wooden slats that carry this dead body. Now, what Jesus is not saying, but he is showing is I have authority even over death. What the law says is unclean. Here to show you this, that I've overcome it all, even death and uncleanness. And so as Jesus reaches out his hand and touches that coffin, that beer, he's showing the world that he has authority over death and over anything that the law would command him to be as uncanny, clean, touching that dead body. He simply says this in verse number 14. Young man, I say unto thee, arise, Arise. Do we believe that when God shows up, not only that he sees us, but that he can bring life to that which was dead. And you say, pastor, there's nobody dead here this morning, physically, praise be to God. But in a crowd this size, is there deadness in this room? And here's what I'm going to tell you, church, more than likely, yes. There are situations and relationships that are dead. Whether that's in your family, with your children, with your parents, with your spouse. There are dead relationships in this room. There are addictions in this room. As you were broken, you ran to the wrong thing. And even today you continue to run to the wrong thing. And it is a dead end road if you keep running that direction. In this room, there's spiritually dry seasons. We've looked out, man outside has taught us what a drought really is. Right? Praise God for the rain. Amen. But outside we can see the drought out there. But in here, is there spiritual drought in this room? Are there people that are lacking in their prayer, in their Bible study, in their walk with the God that they love? Absolutely. Jesus is God. And this is what Luke says. Not only does he see you, but he can bring healing to the areas that are broken and that are dead if you will allow the Lord to help you. Do you desire God to visit your situation? How many of you know he's in control of it all anyway? God has authority. Jesus has authority because he's God. Jesus has authority even over death. It does not harm him. And Jesus has the authority to look at this woman and say, don't weep. And then at the next sentence, raise her son back to life. Jesus has authority over dead things today. If you will allow him to touch those dead things, he can bring them back to life. There's one more point. Verses 16 and 17. There came fear and there came a fear on all. And they glorified God saying that a great prophet has risen up among us and that God had visited his people. And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the region round about now. Don't forget, we're at the gate of the city still. And at the gate of this city there are two groups of people that have met and there are two emotions that are present. The joy of the group of the disciples and Jesus and sorrow with with those that are in mourning. But after the miracle, there are two emotions that take place. There's people that are terrified and then they are glorified. Look at verse number 16. There came a fear on all and they glorified God. When we think of fear, it should remind us that God is still in control. It's powerful that our lives that are better to be lived under God's direction. And it is a respect that we desire to follow God's will to glorify God. The miracle had happened. It had been the work of God. And no other reason, no other person other than that of Jesus deserves the glory for this miracle. And so as he is God, he is glorified, he is worshiped. Our lives should bring glory to the Lord Jesus. Listen to me, Listen to me. If he is your Lord, your life should bring glory. And yes, we should live in a fear that we don't want to mess that up before a holy God. But there are two responses. Not only are there two groups and two emotions, but there's two responses. And here's what I want you to know. Church. You're going to leave this church today saying one of two things. After hearing about this miracle. Look at the end of verse number 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. Two totally different responses. But here's what you need to realize. 900 years before this, couple miles down the road, a prophet of God named Elisha visited a city. And in that city of Shunam, he raised another young boy from the dead. You can read about that in Second Kings, chapter number four. So here's what I want you to see in this area. Oh, there's been a great prophet that has shown up before and risen a dead son. And as the people witness this, here's their question. Is this another good prophet, or is it God? Is it a good prophet, a good man who's done a good work? Or is it God that has visited with us? The third point today is this. When God visits, he needs to get the glory. And so we can thank everybody and its son. But we must be careful to give God the glory in this situation. At the end of verse number 16, there are two messages that go out. One that says there's a great prophet that is among us, and the other that God has visited. They are two totally different messages. And so today, as you leave church, I don't want you to walk out of here and say, pastor Jeffrey, great sermon. I don't want you to leave out of here and say, that was eye opening. Here's what I want you to leave. I want you to leave here today and say this. God visited with us at Clifford Baptist Church. There's no doubt about it. God spoke to my heart. God saw me. God knows what's going on. God gives me strength to continue on. And I will live my life and look to him for the rest of my life because he is my Lord. And God visited with me every Sunday morning at 8 o' clock behind this room. I pray God meet us here today. And my prayer is this. I believe every Sunday morning, God shows up. But this morning, this morning with a little bit more knowledge and maybe a different perspective. Do you want God to show up? Do you want God to show up in your life and your walk with him and your situation that you have going on? My prayer is yes. Do you want God to see your situation and to see everything about you? You better be careful. You better be careful how you answer that. Do you desire God to see you? The heart of the believer says, oh, yes, because God, I need you to root out everything that is not of you. And maybe today you're sitting here in this room and you don't have a relationship with Jesus. Here's the greatest news of all. God sees you. And by his spirit and by the work of his Son, Jesus, he has made a way for you to come to him by Jesus, through his death, on an old rugged cross, through his resurrection, that he can bring life to your situation that is dead. He can give you a relationship with God. Today. What is your desire? What is your need? Believers today, can we gather together because he is God and worship him in spirit and truth? Know that he has authority to fix whatever is going on and trust him to do that. Will we trust him to do that today? Maybe there's somebody today that needs him as Savior. Don't leave this room saying Jesus was just a good man. No. A work of God can take place today in your life. A miracle. God can raise you to life, eternal life. Pray, Father. Thank you, Lord, for meeting us here in these moments. As we bow before you, God, we seek, Lord, that you will search and know our hearts. Every head is bowed today. Maybe today you just want to lift your hand up and say, pastor Jeffrey, will you pray for my situation? I need God to touch me. Would you lift your hand up and say, pastor? Pray for me, my situation. Anybody? I see that hand? Yes. Yes. Praise God, Lord. You have seen these hands, God, and in this moment of invitation, Lord, you know exactly what is going on. God, I pray that your Holy Spirit will lead. Power these believers today to trust you more as they walk with you, God. Strengthen their faith. Lord, I pray. And we'll be careful to give you the glory, God, for that one that needs you in this place. God, I pray that you will visit them right now. Your Holy Spirit will move their heart. Show them that they need you. Lord, I pray your Spirit alone will be the guiding factor here. God, thank you for meeting us in this place. As we open this altar today. God, we invite you into our lives, into our situations, into our church family to heal what is broken in our lives. We love you. In Jesus name, Amen.
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  Speaker A: Clifford Baptist Church invites you to join us for worship every Sunday morning at 11am for more information about our church, please call our church office at 434-944-605 55.