FOUR GREAT POWERS
LUKE 7:11-17
1. JESUS'S MINISTRY VERY POPULAR
   A. JESUS ON ROAD TO NAIN
      1. GREAT CROWD FOLLOWED HIM
         A. DISCIPLES-MUCH PEOPLE
      2. TEXT SAYS THE DAY AFTER
         A. HEALED CENTURION'S SERVANT
   B. HAD PREVIOUS TO THAT:
      1. TURNED WATER INTO WINE
      2. HEALED A LEPER
      3. HEALED A PARALYTIC
      4. HEALED A DEMONIAC
      5. HEALED A WITHERED HAND
      6. HEALED MANY IN GALILEE
2. HERE WE FIND JESUS ON ROAD TO NAIN
   A. CROWD FOLLOWING WIDOW
      1. WAILERS OR MOURNERS
         1. PAID- PROFESSIONALS
         2. MUCH PEOPLE
      2. THOSE THAT TOOK TURNS
         CARRYING THE FUNERAL BIER
      3. VS.13  And when the Lord saw her, he
         had compassion on her, and said unto
         her, Weep not.
   B. LIFE MEETS DEATH ON ROAD TO NAIN
      1. GREAT TRUTH HERE
         A. TWO LARGE CROWDS
         B. ONE FOLLOWING LIFE THE OTHER
            DEATH
         C. GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
3. IN THIS TEXT WE SEE FOUR GREAT POWERS
   A. FIRST GREAT POWER IS THE POWER OF DEATH
      1. LESSON HERE FOR US
      2. YOUNG MAN HAD DIED
         A. UNEXPECTED
      3. NAIN MEANS LOVELY
         A. LOVELINESS COULD NOT KEEP DEATH
            AWAY
      4. NOAMI-LOST HUSBAND-2 SONS
         A. LAND OF MOAB-PLENTY
         B. LAND OF PLENTY COULD NOT KEEP
            DEATH AWAY
      5. DEATH COMING YOU YOU AND ME
         A. SOMEONE WILL CARY US
         B. NOT MORBID JUST FACTS
      6. SOMETHING CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE
         LOOKING FORWARD TO
         A. BIBLE SAYS: WEEP AT BIRTH AND
            REJOICE AT DEATH
         B. DEATH IS A DOOR THAT WE WALK
            THROUGH TO BE WITH JESUS
      7. NOW THE QUESTION IS- WAS THIS
         YOUNG MAN THAT HAD DIED READY
         TO MEET JESUS?
         A. WHAT ABOUT US?
         B. SOME ONE HAS WELL SAID-LIFE IS
            SHORT AND ETERNITY IS LONG
         C. ILLUS: MAN SAID HE MADE 2 MIS-
            TAKES, BOTH MATHMETICAL.
            1. MISCALCULATED SHORTNESS OF
               LIFE
            2. MISCALCULATED THE LENGTH OF
               ETERNITY
            3. BOTH VERY SERIOUS MISTAKES
         D. POEM:
            When as a child I laughed and
             wept-time crept
            When as a youth I dreamed and
             talked-time walked
            When I became full a full grown
             man-time ran
            Then as the years I older grew-
             time flew
            Soon I shall find as I travel on-
             time gone
      8. DEATH COMES UNINVITED
         1. INTRUDES UPON PEOPLES LIVES
         2. DOESN'T OFFER AN APOLOGY
         3. DOES NOT KNOCK AND WAIT FOR THE
            DOOR TO OPEN
         4. DOES NOT RESPECT KINGS OR THE
            RICH OR THE POOREST OF THE POOR
      9. FOR THE CHRISTIAN DEATH SHOULD BE A
         WELCOME TIME
   B. SECOND GREAT POWER IS THE POWER OF
      TEARS
      1. TEARS MOVE US TO COMPASSION
      2. TEARS MOVED JESUS WHEN HE SAW THE
         MOTHER CRYING
         A. TEARS SAID HERE IS A BROKEN HEART
         B. TEARS CRIED OUT HERE IS A GREAT
            NEED
      3. JESUS SHED TEARS:
         A. GRAVE OF LAZARUS
         B. CITY OF JERUSALEM
         C. GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE
      4. TIMES WHEN WE WEEP
         A. OUR HEARTS BROKEN BY SORROW
            1. WE WEEP-THAT'S GOOD
         B. MANY NIGHTS PILLOWS WET WITH
            TEARS AS MOTHERS WEEP AND PRAY
            FOR THEIR CHILDREN
         C. THERE US A PLACE WHERE ALL TEARS
            WILL BE WIPED AWAY-THERE IS A
            PLACE OF NO TEARS
      5. TEARS HAVE POWER TO WIN SOULS
         A. BIBLE SAYS WE ARE TO GO WITH
            COMPASSION
         B. THE BIBLE SAYS: "THEY THAT SOW IN
            TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY.
      6. YES, TEARS HAVE GREAT POWER
         A. ILLUS: ROBERT McCHEYNE-SCOTTISH
            PREACHER-HEAD DOWN PULPIT AND WEEP
            FOR THE LOST BEFORE EVERY SERMON.
      7. TEXT SAYS JESUS WAS MOVED BY
         COMPASSION
         A. TOUCH FUNERAL BIER AND SAID ARISE
   C. THIRD GREAT POWER IS THE POWER OF LOVE
      A. LOVE IS A GREAT POWER HERE ON EARTH
         1. LOVE WAS GREAT ENOUGH TO BRING
            GOD'S
            SON DOWN TO DIE FOR US
         2. AND HERE IS THAT SON HAVING
            COMPASSION AND LOVE FOR ONE WIDOW
            IN MOURNING
         3. SCIENTIST CAN MAKE BOMBS TO
            DESTROY ENTIRE CITIES-
         4. LOVE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT
         5. ILLUS: MAN ONRY AND MEAN, BRING
            SOMEONE INTO HIS LIFE TO LOVE HIM
            AND HE CHANGES
         6. JESUS SAW THE TEARS AND NEED AND
            REACH OUT TO HER
            A. WEEP NOT
   D. FOURTH GREAT POWER IS THE POWER OF
      JESUS
      A. JESUS STOPS THE PROCESSION
         1. TOUCHES THE WICKER BASKET
         2. GIVES COMMAND-ARISE
      B. THERE IS POWER IS THE VOICE OF JESUS
         1. SPOKE TO DEMONS AND THEY FLED
         2. SPOKE TO THE STORM AND IT OBEYED
         3. SPOKE TO DEATH AND IT TURNED
            LAZURUS LOOSE
      C. POWER IN HIS HANDS
         1. LAID THEM ON BROKEN BODIES-MADE
            WHOLE
         2. LAID THEM ON EYES AND THOSE EYES
            SAW
         3. LAID THEM ON THE DEAD AND THEY
            AROSE
      D. JESUS SAID I HAVE THE POWER TO LAY
         DOWN MY LIFE AND THE POWER TO TAKE
         IT UP AGAIN
      E. HIS POWER IS GREATER NOW
         1. ALL POWER HAS BEEN GIVEN UNTO ME
            IN HEAVEN AND EARTH
         2. POWER TO SAVE THE FOULEST SINNER
         3. POWER TO CONQUER DEATH AND WILL
            RAISE US US UP AGAIN
      F. WHICH GROUP ARE WE FOLLOWING
         1. DEATH OR LIFE
         2. LIFE IS SHORT AND ETERNITY IS
            LONG
         3. IF I HAD BEEN THOSE PEOPLE IN
            THAT DAY I WOULD HAVE TURNED FROM
            FOLLOWING DEATH AND FOLLOWED
            JESUS