"Good Grief”
Luke 7:11-17 (ESV)
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris, Jr.
West Fort Hood Chapel
Communion Sunday
Killeen, TX
6 June 2010
Big Idea: Believers should show compassion and provide emotional support - and assistance - to those that have loss their sons and daughters while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Scriptural References: EAI (Expository; Application; Illustration); Luke 4:24-26 (NIV) “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon; Luke 7:11-17 (ESV) The Raising of the Widow’s son at Nain; 1 Kings 17:7-24 (ESV) – The Widow at Zarephath – Jar of flour/Jug of oil: Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him (Elijah): “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath …; 1 Kings 17:17-24 (ESV) The Widow son became ill; Matthew 10:41 (NIV) Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward; John 5:24 (Lazarus brought to life);
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 7:11-17 (ESV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 7:11-17 (ESV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 7:12-13 (ESV) As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
IV. PURPOSE: Believers should demonstrate the Love of Christ by providing emotional support - and assistance - to those that have loss their fathers, mothers, sons and daughters while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
V. SERMONIC THEME: "Good Grief”
VI. INTRODUCTION:
“Good Grief!”
According to the National Mental Health Center – Grief is defined as “the normal response of sorrow, emotion, and confusion that comes from losing someone or something important to you.
It’s not strange to “grieve” because is a natural part of life on this side of heaven. Grief is the typical reaction that New Soldiers experience when they – for the first time – leave their home of record and their friends and family.
Grief is what happens when someone loses their job or their spouse to divorce. Grief is a typical reaction to death.
One of the signs of grieving is identified in how it feels.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 1: Just after a death or loss, one may feel empty and numb as if you were in shock.
a. In some cases, Soldiers and family members experience trembling, and trouble breathing.
b. While in other cases, they have had a hard time breathing, sleeping and eating.
c. Some become angry at both situations and people.
d. It has been said that “almost everyone in grief also experiences guilt.
e. For guilt is often expressed in statements such as:
f. “I could have … or I should have …. I wish I would have”.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 2: It has been said that folk experiencing “grief” may also experience strange dreams or nightmares.
a. They may even become absent-minded, and withdraw socially.
b. But, eventually … in time … with God’s help … grief … will pass.
c. Who can ever forget the story of the Gentile Woman in Zarephath who had been experiencing a drought in her land?
d. For don’t you remember, Elijah (in 1 Kings 17) found her at gate of the city gathering sticks to start a “last meal fire”?
e. Her plans were to fix some biscuits/hoecakes, drink some water and die.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 3: But, the Good Book says that God had another plan.
a. For the Man of God instructed her to bring him a glass of water and before she makes her last supper to bring him a meal.
b. I don’t know if you remember, but the widow informed Elijah that she only had a little flour in jar;
c. and a little oil in a jug.
d. Still, the Bible says … she obeyed the Man of God and discovered that her ….
e. … Flour never ran out; and her oil never ran dry.
f. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying …
******* TAKe 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 4: She didn’t get an abundance; but God met her needs daily.
a. All because of her faith.
b. But, some time later, … this same woman of great faith … experienced a tragedy in her family.
c. A tragedy that caused her great pain and grief!
d. For the Bible says that her son became ill and his illness grew worse and worse.
e. The image that I gather is of a boy suffering unto death.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 5: Consequently, the mother became “angry” with Elijah … and upset with God.
a. Listen … carefully … and perhaps … you too … can hear this mother like only a mother can.
b. She cried, like many of us, “Why has this tragedy come to me?
c. What have I done to deserve it?
d. Have you – preacher - come to remind me of my sin?
e. Have you taken my child because of my sins?
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 6: The Bible says that Elijah calmly uttered – give me your son; then he picked the boy up and carried him to the upper room.
a. It was there that he cried out to God … “Lord, have you brought grief upon this widow that I am staying with by causing her son to die?”
b. The Good Book says, after he stretched himself over the boy and cried out 3 times: “O Lord, My God, Let this boy life return to him.”
c. Afterwards, God honored Elijah’s prayer request. So, Elijah carried to boy back to his mother saying: Look, your son is alive!
d. Likewise, in our text, this morning we find – yet - another widow in a hopeless situation.
e. This times we find ourselves witnessing a “funeral procession” …
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 7: For don’t you remember, the Good Book says: After Jesus had healed the servant of the military commander, He went to a town called Nain.
a. Note: Jesus went to Nain even though he had not been requested to come.
b. Because he lives on a divine timetable. His steps are ordered by the Father.
c. The Good Book says Jesus was followed by his disciples and a great crowd.
d. And as he got closer to the gate of the city, he witnesses a funeral.
e. This funeral was headed to the burial ground.
f. Jesus and his crowd had been rejoicing in the blessings of God was headed for the city;
g. In contrast, this crowd had been mourning and grieving the death of the widow’s son, and was now headed for the cemetery.
******* TAKE 5 BEATs *******
MOVE 8: Spiritually speaking – each of us can find ourselves in one of the two crowds: A crowd rejoicing in the blessings of life or in A crowd “spiritually dead” and under the condemnation of God.
a. The Bible tells us that this funeral was of another widow’s son.
b. This son had been dead probably a day, and it was evening when Jesus and His crowd met the widow and her crowd.
c. The body was in an open coffin and was probably wrapped with spices in readiness for burial.
d. The Good Book says … when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
e. Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.
f. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, …
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 8: This morning, Good Grief is when we – like Christ get involve – touch the situations or circumstances and enable families (sons, daughters, mothers and fathers) and friends to accept their loss as best they can;
a. It’s when we help others to work through and feel the physical and emotional pain of their grief.
b. We aren’t capable of doing what Christ did; but we can allow Him to utilize us to push the spiritually dead and depressed (around us) into the arms and life in Christ. We can allow our Savior to use us to positively enable those that are grieving.
c. For “Good Grief” is when we enable families to make adjustments to living in this world without the person they loss.
d. In our text, this morning, after Christ spoke to the dead son, the Good Book says the boy sat up and spoke.
e. And just as Elijah had done in the Old Testament (1 Kings 17) Christ gave the boy to his rejoicing mother.
CELEBRATION:
My brothers and sisters, Good Grief is when we help folk that are grieving to positively move on with their life.
It isn’t just what we say; but it’s how we – as believers - collectively demonstrate the Love of Christ … by what we do …
Sometimes providing “Good Grief” means carrying a kid to a movie;
and at other times it means having a family over for dinner.
Good Grief is when mothers provides hugs on mother’s day to the little girls that have loss their mothers;
And fathers providing hugs to little boys – on Father’s Day - that no longer have fathers.
Good Grief is going out of your way to render emotional support to the widows who are without their spouses.
