He Was There The Whole Time - Pastor Tyronne Gross Jr. | Elk Grove Easter Service

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More about Pastor Tyronne:
            
           Tyronne Gross Jr. is the Campus Pastor of Midtown Church, Elk Grove campus. A native to Northern California, Pastor Tyronne attended CSU Sacramento and majored in Business Communications. He joined the NFL in 2006, as a Running Back for the San Diego Chargers. During his second season in the NFL, he experienced what was considered a career-ending injury. Shortly after, he began volunteering as the Team Chaplain for ARC and SCC Junior Colleges in Sacramento, CA. He traveled throughout the country as a motivational speaker offering keys to success to students and business professionals alike.

In 2011, Pastor Tyronne and his wife Raquel founded The Table Community Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization committed to serving youth and their families. The organization quickly grew, offering employment to over 180 employees and serving youth in after-school programs across two counties and 3 school districts. This was the start of operating in ministry “outside of the four walls.” In 2018, Tyronne answered the call to pastor and now serves in full-time ministry.

Pastor Tyronne and Raquel married in 2008. They are the proud parents of two amazing boys, Tyronne III (“Bubba”) and Tyrese (“Pooch”). They currently reside in Sacramento, CA.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:14

We are here because it's Easter, amen. So could you just look at somebody tell them they look good today? Yeah, we can clap for that. Husbands, y'all better tell your wife you look good for y'all get in trouble. But but we know that it's not about what we have on, amen. Today is about God, Jesus conquering the grave. That's what we're here about. And so with him dying and raising up again, that means death didn't win. That means our sins didn't win, and that means that your story isn't over. Amen? Amen. And so I said this last service too. I know Easter, um, coming to church on Easter can be tradition for some of the families. And if that's the case, amen. You're here today. And maybe you've been invited, so that's why you showed up. But I know that there's others, this is the first time you've been in church in a long time. And I know there's some people that that's been here and you're still trying to figure out what you believe. But however you got here, I want you to know that this moment matters, and this moment is for you, amen. So, oh we can clap for this, because yeah, we can clap for that. Amen. And we we've all heard the story. We were singing it. You know, Jesus, he died, he rose, and he fulfilled the promise. But with all of that, how many of you know that you can be told something is going to happen and you still miss it? You can be told something's gonna happen and you still miss it. That's not a spiritual thing, that's real life. Like, have you ever missed something that was right in front of you? Just, I think it was yesterday or the day before, I was walking up my stairs. I was like, oh, my wife was sitting right there, said, Where'd you come from? She said, I was here the whole time. I was like, Man, I didn't see you. But but what about this one? Have you ever been um taking a long walk with someone and you guys start having a conversation and you realize you don't even know what you're talking about? Or worse, you were doing all the talking and they don't know anything you said. Don't look at who they are. I want you to stay right here. I'm not trying to get nobody in trouble. But the thing is, we we all have been there, we all have been in situations where we're moving, and and but as we're moving and we're walking and going forward, we're thinking about other things. We're processing different things, we're thinking about you know, other conversations, you know, things that we expected to happen that didn't happen, processing disappointment. At the end of the day, our mind is somewhere else, and the whole time, something or someone could be right in front of you, but you miss it. Here's the thing it's not always that you can't see, it's sometimes it's what you're carrying is shaping what you see. So your expectations, your experiences, your pain, you're looking at something, but you don't recognize what it really is. And how often do we do that with God? We do that with God where um we start thinking, is God the problem? God isn't the problem. God is the problem. It's it's the thing is we at times, because of what we're carrying, what we're going through, we don't recognize his presence. We're not aware of his presence, and that's exactly what we're gonna find with two men in scripture today. So if you have your Bibles or your U-verse, or you can follow along on the screen, we're gonna be in Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24, and I want to start reading at verse number 15. Amen. It says, as they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked him, What are you discussing together as you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleophys, asked him, Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that happen there these days? These are two followers of Jesus who are walking from Jerusalem and they're headed to a village called Emmaus, which is about seven miles away. They're talking about everything that just happened. Jesus being crucified, the tomb, uh the tomb is now empty, and there's rumors that he is alive. And while they're talking, trying to make sense of it all, Jesus himself comes alongside them, but they don't recognize him. That means you can be close to Jesus and still miss him. You can be close to him and still miss him, and that's what this story is all about. The title of this message is He Was There the Whole Time. He was there the whole time. Let us pray. Father God, I thank you for this day. I thank you for who you are. Father God, use me, speak through me. Allow this message to touch the hearts of your people. Allow everyone to grab hold of what they need from your word today. We ask all these things in your mighty name we pray. Amen. So, some biblical background before I go further, we need to understand what just happened. Right before this moment, these two men, they didn't just start walking for no reason. Something happened that shook everything that they believed. Everything that they believed. And earlier that same day, there was a group of women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James. Um, they went to the tomb where Jesus was laid, and when they arrived there, the stone was already rolled away, and his body was gone. Verse 6 and 7 in Luke 24 says, He is not here, he has risen. Remember how he told you while he was still with you in Galilee. The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified on the third day, and be raised again. Listen to that part. Remember how he told you. Remember how he told you. This was a new information. Jesus had already shared what was going to happen. Scripture already pointed to what was going to happen. But here's the tension of the story. They went to the disciples. And when they went to the disciples in verse 11, it says, But they did not believe the women because their words seemed to them like nonsense. They were told exactly what was going to happen. They were reminded what Jesus said and still they didn't believe it. They didn't believe it. Why didn't they believe it? Because they know they knew what was supposed to happen, but they didn't know what it was going to look like. They knew what was going to happen, but they didn't know how it was going to happen. And because it didn't look the way they expected, they dismissed what God was doing. How often do we do the same thing? You know, God will speak, God will make promises, God will move on our behalf, but when it doesn't look the way that we pictured it, we question it, we doubt it, and sometimes we even dismiss it. Okay, back to the story. Y'all don't want me to talk about you or myself. These two men, they were leaving Jerusalem. They weren't celebrating, they they weren't expecting the resurrection, they were confused, and as they were walking, Jesus joins them along the road. He was right there. And this is where we have to deal with the first truth of this story. Here's point number one. You can be close to Jesus and still not recognize him. You can be close to Jesus and still not recognize him. Verse 15 and 16, as they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they weren't kept, they were kept from recognizing him. Look at it. They were not far from Jesus. They were walking with him, they were talking about him, they were processing the things that happened, they were trying to make sense of everything. They were close. They were close, but off in how they saw him. How was that possible? There's not one reason, there's layers to this. So here's the first layer. It's expectation. Expectation. See, what they were carrying affected what they were able to see. What they were carrying, the pain, it affected how they were able to see. I know this all too well. There was a season in my life that I was praying and believing God to get back into the NFL. Now I just came off of a knee injury. This wasn't, I didn't just twist my knee. It was a, they said catastrophic. I dislocated my kneecap, I tore my ACL, my PCL, my LCL, shattered my IT band, hamstring calf, all in one play. Career-ending injury. But God said, if you trust me, you'll play again. So I said, All right. It was so bad that when I was talking to my doctor who was doing the rehab, he said, Do you know the plan that we have for you? I was like, to play. He said, No. The plan that we have for you is so that one day you might be able to play with your future kids. I said, Well, that's not what God told me. So a year and a half of rehab after two surgeries, I was cleared to play Pro Ball shortly after that. I got drafted into the UFL. Right after the UFL, I had a private workout with the Raiders. I'm like, here we go. It's lining up, it's about to happen. This is it, this is the moment. And then the door didn't open. I didn't sign the contract. And so now I'm like, God, where are you? This was not the plan. You said if I trust you, I was gonna get there. Where are you? Why aren't you moving anymore? But as I'm able to look back now, I realize that God was moving the whole time. Just not the way that I expected. Just not the way that I expected. See, it didn't look like how I had it in my mind, how I pictured it. It didn't go that way. And if I'm honest, if it went the way that I expected it, I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't be sharing God's truth with you right now. Because that was not my plan. That was not my plan. Let's go back to the text and listen to what they say in verse 21. It says, but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. We had hoped. That means hope died before they realized that he risen. Hope died before they realized that he risen. There, they expected one thing, but reality looked different. They thought that Jesus was going to take over, that he was going to overthrow Rome, that things were gonna happen right then, right there. They thought it was gonna happen like that. So they didn't have a category for suffering, they didn't have a category for death, they didn't have a category for the resurrection. So when it happened, they couldn't recognize it. They didn't miss Jesus because he wasn't there, they missed Jesus because he did not fit their expectation. And a lot of us, we live right there. We live there, we sit in that. We expect God to move one way, and when he doesn't, we're assuming that he didn't move at all. Expectation. The second layer is pain. Pain. Their perspective was shaped in pain. They were grieving, they were confused, they were disappointed. See, pain has a way of narrowing our vision. Pain will have us like this instead of like this. It doesn't mean that God wasn't present, it just means that they and we, us, you and I, we can't see clearly at times. Pain. The third layer is God's process. Now this one matters. God's process. The text says they were kept from recognizing him. That means this wasn't just emotional, this was intentional. Jesus didn't want them to see him, he wanted them to understand what just happened. He needed them to understand because if he was if he was to reveal himself too early, they would have got the moment, but they would have missed the meaning. So he let them walk, he let them talk, he let them process because recognition without understanding does not produce transformation. It doesn't. Just because we don't recognize Jesus doesn't mean he's not with you. Some of you are, you might be in a season right now where you're asking God, where are you? Where are you in this situation? Where are you right now with me? And the reality is he is closer than you think. You just haven't recognized him yet. Because what you expected, what you've experienced and what you're carrying is shaping what you're able to see in the moment. Second Corinthians chapter 5 and 7 says, For we live by faith and not by sight. Faith doesn't mean you see everything clearly. Faith means when you can't see, you still trust. That's what faith is. When I can't see, I still believe you, God. When it doesn't make sense to me, I still believe you. If you tell me to go over here, I will go because I have faith. And what we're about to see next is Jesus didn't, he doesn't immediately fix their vision. He starts by fixing their understanding. Because he was there the whole time. Here's point number two Jesus will reveal truth before he reveals himself. Verse 25, he said to them, How foolish you are and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter into his glory? In the beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself. So look at what just happened. Jesus doesn't say, Ha, I'm here. That's what my kids are gonna be like, Dad, I'm here. I'm like, get out the way. See, Jesus didn't just pop up on them, he just started walking alongside them. He let them just talk, he let them process it all. He was just there. But you know what he did say? Let's look at the text. He says, How foolish you are and how slow to believe. For about seven miles, roughly two hours, Jesus walks them back through scripture. From the beginning, he brings it back to Moses and to all the prophets, connecting everything back to himself. Why did he do this? Because they had the information but not the understanding. They didn't lack evidence, they lacked the right interpretation. It's like having directions and not knowing how to use them, or having the directions, like you know, you could be like my parents, they use the GPS and they still get lost. I'm just like, what is y'all doing? Y'all were supposed to be here like 10 minutes ago. But that's that's a real thing. I'm glad they're not sitting here right now. I might get in trouble. But Jesus doesn't rush the moment. He doesn't rush the moment. He builds on the foundation, he reveals truth before he reveals himself. And this is what we saw all throughout the Gospel of Mark. We were in this series from the start of the year up until today. And in the Gospel of Mark, they saw the miracles, they saw Jesus' healing, they started following him, and still they didn't understand who he was. So now, after the resurrection, Jesus slows it down a little bit by walking with them, talking with them, and teaching them again. Because real faith isn't built in a moment, it's built on truth. It's built on truth. And while he was explaining scriptures, something started happening in the inside. Verse 32 says, We're not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened scriptures to us. This wasn't just emotion, this was truth breaking through their confusion. That was God opening up something in them before he opened up their eyes. Hebrews 4 and 12 says, For the word of God is alive and active. Jeremiah 29 says, His word is like is my heart is like fire. So for two hours Jesus walked patiently, explaining, connecting all the dots, connecting everything back to him, letting him know that this wasn't random, that this wasn't a mistake, that this wasn't the end, that this was always the plan. God was doing something in them before they even realized he was with them. How many of you have experienced that that that stirring in your soul? Where something is just moving, where you can't explain it, but you know there's a shift happening. See, being in different seasons, and there's sometimes we're in a season where we can't make sense of everything, and we're trying to figure it out. We're trying to figure out what our future is gonna be, we're trying to figure out what our purpose is, we're trying to figure out our next steps. But the truth is that's not always how God works. God starts working in you before he shows you what he's gonna do around you. The truth comes before clarity and understanding comes before recognition. So maybe you're not lost. Maybe you're not lost. What if God is building your understanding before he reveals your direction? Because right here in this story, this is where everything shifted. This is what they need. See, now it wasn't just to know that Jesus was alive, but to understand what it meant for them. They needed to understand what that means for me. And once they understood this, they were finally ready to recognize. And here's what happens next. Point number three. When Jesus opens your eyes, he changes your direction. When Jesus opens your eyes, he changes your direction. Before he opened up their eyes, there was another moment that I want us to look at here in verse 28 and 29. It says, as they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued as if he was gonna go further, but they urged him strongly, stay with us. For nearly it is nearly evening, the day is almost over. So he went and he stayed with them. Watch this. So Jesus, as we know, walking with them, talking with them, teaching, and revealing truth to them, and as he's doing all these different things, he continues to walk. He continues to walk. He he didn't force his way in, he was waiting to be invited. So the reality is Jesus can be around your life and still not be in your life. You can sit in church, you can hear the truth, you can you can feel something moving in the inside and never say yes. Jesus will walk with you, Jesus will draw you in, he will pursue you, but he won't force his way into your life. He can be present and still not be known. He can be present and still not be known. There comes a moment where we have to move from conversation and curiosity and observation, and we have to move into invitation. And for them, that moment, it sounded like stay with us, stay with us. I wonder how many people might be here right now where Jesus has been walking alongside you. He's been speaking, he's stirring something up in you, but you've never actually invited him in. You've never invited him in. Because everything changes at the table. Verse 30 says, He took the bread, he broke it, he gave, he gave it to them. Then their eyes opened. Their eyes opened. See, it wasn't on the road. It wasn't while he was teaching, it was at the table. It was at the table because this wasn't just a meal, it was a moment of recognition. See, when he took the bread and when he broke it, and when he gave thanks, they've seen it before. They've seen it before. So suddenly, since they've seen him before, their eyes were open and everything started to connect. It started to make sense. The cross, the sacrifice, the promise. See, what didn't make sense on the road started to make sense and it became clear at the table. Because there's something good about when you slow down just a little bit. See, sometimes you got to slow down just to get a little bit closer and start building one of those intimate and uh relationships with your father. See, when when you get close and you start building those things up and getting to know him and allow him to get to know you, that brings clarity that you can't find when you just want to pass by. See, in this moment, their eyes were open and everything clicked. Everything clicked. This is the same Jesus that they questioned. The same Jesus that they thought was gone, but guess what? He was there the whole time. He was there the whole time. But check out what happened. Once their eyes were opened, and once they recognized that this was Jesus right there, he disappears. He disappears. Why? Why does he disappear? Because they didn't need sight no more. They had understanding. They had understanding. And immediately, once they had understanding, once they had their sight, their direction changed. Verse 33 says, They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. I want you to feel the urgency in that moment. It says, they got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. So it was the same night, it was the same seven miles that they just left on that same road. There was no hesitation. Why? Because now that they had understanding, now that they were able to see, they had to go tell somebody. So they were willing to go back on the road from what they left. What was different? It was the same place, but they're different now. The same road, but it's the new direction now. See, when they left Jerusalem, guess what? They were discouraged, they were confused, they were upset, they were grieving, but when they returned, they were clear, they were on mission, they had a purpose. So that means when God moves in your life, when he opens up your eyes, you just can't sit down. You have to get up and you have to go tell somebody because there is somebody that God wants to use you to reach to get to know him. Because once you get a new direction, you can be transformed from the inside out, and you have to go tell everybody. That's what happens when you have a real encounter with Jesus. You can't just sit on it, you can't just sit on it. That's why when we're up here worshiping this inner show, God has been so good, He's brought us through so much that we have to tell somebody. We gotta move, we gotta respond. You know what's crazy? Earlier in the story, they didn't believe the report, they didn't believe the story, but now they are the story. Now they're the ones sharing everything, they're the ones telling the truth to everybody. You can't keep it to yourself, you can't keep it to yourself because he's been walking with you the whole time, amen. He's been walking with you the whole time. Let me say like this you don't have to stay where disappointment took you. You don't have to stay where disappointment took you. You don't have to stay stuck in what didn't happen, you don't have to stay stuck in what doesn't make sense, you don't have to stay stuck in going the wrong way. You don't have to keep going in the same direction that you were in. You're able to move. Because when Jesus opens up your eyes, He doesn't just He doesn't just show you who He is. He shows you where to go. It said, and everything changed in that moment. Their eyes were closed, their hearts started burning, their eyes were open, and their direction changed. Their direction changed. And here's the truth that you can't miss. He was there the whole time. He wasn't just there for them, he's there for you. He's there for you. So here's the real question. As you're walking down whatever road that you're on, and you're processing the different things that's in your mind, and you're trying to make sense of everything, and you haven't recognized them yet. The reason is it's not just about knowing him, it's not just about knowing him. We have to respond to him. We have to be willing to respond. Jesus has already done everything necessary. He's lived, he's died, and he rose. We just sang it. He's lived, he's died, and he rose. Not so that you can just know about him, but so that you can be known to him. Be a part of the family. And just like in the story, he's here pursuing you, he's here speaking to you, he's not forcing you, he's not rushing you, but he is inviting you, he is inviting you, and the moment for them was when they said, stay with us, that was their moment because everything made sense because of what was happening inside of them, and for them in that moment, they had to respond, and so if this is a moment for you, it's not later, it's not when life settles, it's not when you have it all figured out, you will never have it all figured out. That moment is right now, that moment is right now in Romans 10 and 9. It says, if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. That is the Easter message. It is that simple. You will be saved. Jesus is alive and he's inviting you into something real. So I'm going to ask you if you know that you haven't recognized him yet, if you know that you haven't responded with your yes yet, I want everybody to close their eyes. If you haven't recognized him, if you haven't responded with yes, in this moment, I'm a count to three, and all you have to do is just raise your hand. If you haven't recognized him, if you haven't said yes, just raise your hand in three. One, two, three. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. If your hand is up, or if you know your hand should be up, I want you to pray this simple prayer with me. You can just say it to yourself. It's Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I believe that you died for me and you rose again. Lord, open my eyes, forgive my sins, lead my life, and from this day forward, I choose you. In Jesus' name, amen.