Youth Service in Malang, August 02, 2014 (Saturday Evening)

Speaker: Mr. Antanusa

Luke 7:11-17
7:11. Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.
7:12. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.
7:13. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."
7:14. Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."
7:15. So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
7:16. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."
7:17. And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.


Luke 7:11-17 is about Jesus raises a young man in Nain.

There are two big groups as follows
:
The question for us is in which group do we exist now?.
Luke 7:11-17 shows how God pays attention to the youth. If the youth is not educated by the true teaching Word, he will die like this young man and his journey of life goes to perdition.
The youth often chooses the journey of life that guides to perdition.
The examples are as follows:
  1. The youth prefers to worship which does not prioritize and show true teaching Word, but physical blessing, entertainment and prosperity, so the purification does not happen.
    Consequently, he lives in sin, keeps the sin up to the peak of sin, namely sin of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage.

  2. The youth does not like even rejects the true teaching Word.
    2 Timothy 4:4
    4:4. and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

    But, he prefers to hear fables or the story whose truth cannot be proved.

    Colossians 2:8
    2:8. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

    Consequently, his heart and mind are bound and chained. Unwittingly, philosophy and knowledge will bind the mind and make the youth harden his heart and reject the Word day by day.

  3. The youth prefers physical activity than spiritual ones.

    1 Corinthians 15:58
    15:58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
These conditions make the youth experience spiritual dryness, so he does not experience satisfaction and the power of resurrection of God.

How does the youth experience the power of resurrectionof God?
The answer is not going to the grave that contains bone and carcass, but to the empty tomb.
The empty tomb is Jesus'.

John 20:4-8
20:4. So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
20:5. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.
20:6. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,
20:7. and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
20:8. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.


The empty tomb proves that Jesus has risen. It is the same as the power of resurrection of God is revealed.
But, the youth is often afraid and does not believebecause of the reasons as follows:

  1. The youth does not want to bear the risk especially when confessing sin.
  2. The youth often doubts even worries.
  3. The youth often wants everything fast but precedes the Word and cannot obey it.
But, if the youth wants to enter the empty tomb without fear/ doubt but trust and totally commit himself to God, he will experience the power of resurrection of God.
The hand of God who has already risen has power to keep, protect and take care of our life.

Luke 7:11-15
7:11. Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.
7:12. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.
7:13. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."
7:14. Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."
7:15. So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.


There are some results that we can get if we experience the power of resurrection of God as follows:
  1. The power of resurrection of God raises the things that have already been dead.
    It means the power of resurrection of God finishes all problems until the impossible ones.

  2. The power of resurrection of God is able to change and renew our life.
    A dead son refers to useless life that becomes burden only, but he can be changed to be well pleasing before God and be blessing for others.

  3. The power of resurrection of God is able to wipe all sadness and tear, so we experience happiness.
  4. The power of resurrection of God is able to give beautiful and successful future.
  5. The power of resurrection of God is able to release us from sin up to the peak of sin, namely sin of eating-drinking and marrying-giving in marriage

    For experiencing freedom from sin, we have to die to sin first.
    The power of resurrection of God is able to purify and renew our life from carnal men to spiritual ones like God.
    It is started from becoming obedient. Obedience is the proof that we put to death all our will and desire of flesh.
    If we can obey God until our flesh does not sound anymore, we will not feel anything that the flesh feels such as disappointment, despair, and so on. Whatever happens, we can be strong and of good courage. We are not disappointed, proud, and desperate easily.
    We can surrender to God that His will happens in our life.
    The obedience is started from obeying physical parent, spiritual one (shepherd) and heavenly one (God). If we obey them, our life will be helped, cared, and get success physically and spiritually.
    The more we are changed, the more we are ready to greet God's second coming until we become perfect like Him.
God blesses us.