Services | First Fruits

Bulletin

Hymn # 114 “The Lord Is Risen Today”

SCRIPTURE READING – Luke 24:1 - 12
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate

Praise and Worship
“Overcome”
“Death Was Arrested”
“Great I Am”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“First Fruits”

“Didn’t Our Hearts Burn?”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection

“Great I Am”

Acknowledgements and Announcements

Benediction “Praise You Anywhere”

Sermon Notes
Luke 24:13 & 14 2 men were walking and talking about what had happened in Jerusalem
Luke 24:15 – 24 Jesus comes and joins in their discussion, but they are prevented from recognizing Him
Luke 24:25 – 27 Jesus explains what has happened and taught them the Scriptures
Luke 24:28 – 31 Jesus eats with them and as He breaks bread they recognize Him and He vanished
Luke 24:32 The men state “Didn’t our hearts burn as He was speaking and teaching the Scriptures
Luke 24:33 – 35 They go back to Jerusalem and relate what they saw and witness to them that Jesus actual rose from the dead

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

We celebrate what most of the world calls Easter or some called resurrection Sunday. I happen to call first verse but that's for a different time. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is essential to the Christian faith. If he did not raise from the dead then our faith is in vain and the scripture says that. There are a number of people who have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. The Apostle Paul outlines how many different appearances plus others and as well as over 500 people saw Jesus. We have this tendency that Jesus rose from the dead, appeared for a little while, then left. In reality he rose and was around the earth for 40 days before he ascended. Of all the various accounts of his resurrection we're going to take a look at one of my very favorite accounts. That's about two men who are traveling on a road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. We'll see and discuss their experience.

Good morning if you have your Bibles we're here to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and there are various accounts of that. I'm going to give you my favorite account of Jesus's resurrection. You'll find that in the gospel of Luke in chapter 24 and it'll be starting with verse 13. Again our faith is founded on a factual basis that Jesus the Messiah rose from the dead, that he was crucified according to the Scriptures, that he was buried according to the Scriptures, and that he rose again according to the Scriptures. Paul tells us that if Jesus did not in fact rise from the dead then our faith is in vain. So the reality of his resurrection is essential to our faith and if he did not rise from the dead our faith and we're wasting our time here. However there were a number of accounts of people from the women at the tomb to the disciples to others and as Paul said over 500 at one time I saw his resurrection. Of all these various accounts I have a very favorite one and that's found in Luke chapter 24 starting with verse 13 and it says this, "And behold two of them were going that very day," which was on that Sunday, that resurrection, "to a village named Emmaus which was about seven miles from Jerusalem." So they are traveling from Jerusalem to this town about seven miles away and it's on this Sunday where they've been hearing various things and they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. So they were talking about how Jesus had been crucified and buried and how that they heard that the women went to the tomb to care for his body because they didn't have enough time after the crucifixion to properly do so and when they got there his body wasn't there and they even heard that one of them had spoken to Jesus and that Peter and John and others had gone to the tomb and found it empty and they were discussing these things while they're traveling on this road and I would imagine that that would be the topic of the day. First off that you went to Jerusalem during the Passover celebration and all those things took place and that the one that you had hoped for to be the Messiah was crucified and then all of a sudden you hear of these and I'm sure at the time unbelievable stories that Jesus was not infected, that his body was not there and that some people had seen him and so I'm sure there would be a fascinating topic of discussion. And while they were talking and discussing Jesus himself approached and began traveling with them. We see here these two men are walking and talking and discussing the things and then Jesus approaches and starts walking with them but their eyes were prevented from recognizing them and so we see that that at this point they don't know that it's Jesus the resurrected one and that somehow that the eyes are prevented which probably means sometimes when we don't understand why people don't see and believe perhaps because at that point their eyes have been prevented. And he said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?" And they stood still looking sad and I'm sure that this is a normal reaction. You're talking about this one, this rabbi, this teacher who was assured with the Messiah and that he had been crucified and buried and all the things and here's this one who's traveling and they're going, "You don't know about it?" And that causes them to be sad because the whole city had been in an uproar and so how is it this one doesn't know what's going on and the reaction is of sadness, how is it that you don't know? And one of them named Cleophus answered and said to him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here?" And these days he's going, "Wait a minute, the entire city has to know what happened." Because he entered into Jerusalem on a donkey and everybody was crying out, "Hosanna, blessed be the name of the one who comes in the name of the Lord." And they were putting out their coats and their palm branches and then how the Pharisees were upset and caused several trials and that he was publicly crucified and that he was buried and even then the entire town city is just in uproar and it's like how is it possible that you can be so unaware of these things? He said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "The things about Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet, mighty and deep in word, inside of God and all the people." And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to the sentence of death and crucified him. So they gave the outline of the facts. These are the things that have happened, that he was a prophet to us, that he spoke the word of God and that he did mighty wonderful deeds and that he was delivered to be crucified.

But then they make it personal. But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel and they beside all this, it is the third day since these things happen. Who's going? We were hoping that this one who was crucified was going to redeem Israel.

Now as a side note, the reality is we did redeem Israel and all of us because of that crucifixion.

So their hope was not misplaced. They just didn't have a proper understanding. And then he said, "Dee, besides all this, it's the third day since these things happen." So he's like,

there's some rumbling about that the third day being important and you should have been hearing these things because it's been three days. But also some women among us amazed us when they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body. They keep saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. And some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said, but him they did not see. So they're saying there's this disconnect. There's this third day, the body's missing. Some angels said that to the women and they went to the tomb and he wasn't there and they couldn't find the body and some of the 11 went and found it just as the women had said. And so they recounted all of the facts of what had happened, but they didn't understand the reality of what had happened.

And he being Jesus said to them, "O foolish man and slow of heart to believe and all that the prophets had spoken." So obviously they had understood some of the things because they talked about, well now it's the third day and they talked about Jesus being a prophet. And he's saying, "Hey guys, when you read the scriptures, you seem to be slow of heart and believing

about what God says. Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" So he's saying this isn't an accident. These things that happened was proclaimed by the word of God and it was not advisable, not a good idea, but that this was necessary. That it was necessary because God had created so. "Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, he explained to them the things concerning himself in all the scriptures." Now that had to be an awesome Bible study. That the one, the Christ, the one who had in essence informed Moses and the prophets of the prophecy about the Messiah. That the Messiah himself

would tell them what the prophets meant and he would go through Moses and all the discussions in Revelation and Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers and Deuteronomy. And then he would go through the prophets, even David prophesying in Psalms chapter 22 and other places. And he would go through and talk about all Daniel and all the other prophets about the Christ and he would explain to them the scriptures and what they meant. And they approached the village where they were going and he acted as though he were going further. So Jesus said, "Okay, you guys are going here. I'm going to keep traveling." But I'm sure they didn't want this Bible study to end. They didn't want the presence of this stranger. And so he was going to keep going as they thought. But they urged him saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting towards evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went to stay with them. And so they encouraged him because they said, "Wait a minute, it's going to be dark soon. Traveling is not good at night, so why don't you stay with him?" So they invite him to be with them for the rest of the day. And not knowing whose company they are in, but they are getting an experience of a lifetime that the one whom the scriptures spoke, spoke to them. And when he had reclined at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed it. And breaking it, he began giving it to them. And so all of a sudden, he comes from being a guest, if he will, the host. He takes the bread, he blesses it, he prays over it, and then he breaks it, kind of similar to the Passover. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. So now these ones who were talking about all the things that had happened in Jerusalem, and how the women had found the tomb empty, and how an angel had told them that he wasn't there, and that he would meet them in Jerusalem, I mean, I'm sorry, in Galilee. And how some of the 11 went and found the tomb empty. And later how Mary herself would

see the Lord. They recognized him. They were eyewitnesses to the resurrection of the Messiah.

But he then vanished from their sight. He didn't walk out, just left. Then they said to one another, and this is why this is my favorite recounting of the resurrection,

were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, and while he was explaining the scriptures to us. They said, this wasn't an ordinary Bible study. Our hearts were burned within us as he spoke and as he taught. Now the reason that this is

one of my favorites, is I'm going to admit something to you.

There are often times that I will read the scriptures, and I will gain some understanding, or I will recall some things that I had previously learned. And there are times that I will have worshiped in private or in a church setting or public, and I'm doing an act of worship, and I'm not discounting that. But there are times when I read the scriptures, and there are times when I'm worshiping in private, and there are times when I worship in public, that there is a difference, that my heart burns within me, that the one that I'm reading about, the one that I'm seeing about, the one that I'm in public worship, is the Son of God, is resurrected, and my heart acknowledges that and burns within me. There is a difference when I read the scriptures that way, and when I worship that way. And as a pastor, I know you think that I ought to do that all the time, but sadly I don't. But there are times when my heart burns within me, acknowledging who he is and experiencing who he is, and further understanding who he is as I read the scriptures, as I worship him in private and in public. And so I know exactly what these two men were saying, that when he was talking to them, and when he was revealing the scriptures to them, that their hearts burned within them. And sometimes, like I said, when I read the scriptures, and when I worship, my heart burned within me. So I may not understand like the women who saw, or may not have seen the empty tomb, but I understand what these men experience, and that I know, having not seen him, but with my eyes, but my heart burned within me because I know the truth. And that I walk by faith, not by sight. I didn't see him, but I know him. And their hearts burned. And there are times my heart burns. And I hope that you have experienced that same thing. And if you haven't, I pray someday you will,

because it is a defining moment. But notice what happens. They didn't say, "Well, that was a wonderful experience. I wish we had it again. Maybe it will show up again and we'll have that experience." Notice what they do. And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. Now I want you to stop and think a moment. They had just invited Jesus to stay with them. Why? Because it was getting late, and he shouldn't be traveling in the evening. But because it's so important to them that others know what they've seen and what they experienced, they go back the seven miles to Jerusalem to report to the disciples what they saw and what they heard and what they experienced. It was so important to them that it didn't matter the hour or the time or the distance or what the problems might be. They said, "We need to testify." So they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found, gathered together the eleven and those who were with them. So they went and found, and they probably knew exactly where the disciples were. And it wasn't just eleven. There were the women and others, like just mentioned these two men, who were disciples of Jesus. We get this idea that Jesus only accomplished the disciplining of eleven. No, there were others who followed him. But he called specifically the eleven. And that eleven was there along with others. And so they found them saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." They're going, "We're here to acknowledge and verify what happened." Simon Peter experienced it. You can believe him because we saw him and we experienced him. And he taught us and explained to us why those things were necessary. And they began to relate their experiences on the road and how he was recognized by them in the breaking of bread. They witnessed

what they saw and what they experienced. They didn't witness about what others experienced and what others saw. They witnessed what they saw and what they experienced.

I know we serve a risen Savior. I know not because I was there, but because his Spirit revealed to my Spirit that Jesus is and was and always will be the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He is the Lion of Judah. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is, as he said in the Gospel of John, "He is the Great I Am." He existed before the world was formed. He will exist after the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. And there will come a day. Not only will my heart burn within me sometimes as I read the Scriptures and as I worship, whether it's private or public, there will come a time when I and all the redeemed will stand in front of the throne and worship the Great I Am,

the Lamb of God, the One who made me, the One who saved me, the One who sanctified me, and the One who will one day glorify me.

If that doesn't get your water running, if that doesn't get you excited as a believer,

I don't know what can.

There was a day when I thought heaven would be boring, because everybody talked about streets of gold and harps and angels. They sounded kind of boring to me

until I understood the love of God, and His love for me caused me to love Him.

The idea of spending any time other than in His presence sounds boring. Because He is and always will be not only the resurrected Lord, the King of kings and Lord of lords, He is the Great I Am and all God's people say.