SPEAKER_00: Good morning.
SPEAKER_00: I have a couple things to say before we pray and jump into Luke chapter 24.
SPEAKER_00: First of all, congrats to our Lady Texans.
SPEAKER_00: They won the state championship in soccer.
SPEAKER_00: Proud of them, very proud of them.
SPEAKER_00: If you see, there's a couple ladies here that were playing on that team.
SPEAKER_00: So if you see them, give them a big hug.
SPEAKER_00: Second of all, if you have your phone, take it out real quick.
SPEAKER_00: I think there may be a slide here.
SPEAKER_00: I want you to scan this.
SPEAKER_00: Now, here's what I'm asking you not to do.
SPEAKER_00: Don't take this survey during the sermon.
SPEAKER_00: All right.
SPEAKER_00: Please don't do that.
SPEAKER_00: But if you'll scan this, maybe make an alarm on your phone to take this sometime this afternoon, or even if it pops up later in the week, I want to let you know what's going on with that.
SPEAKER_00: It's it's a survey, it's about 18 questions.
SPEAKER_00: It took me about 10 minutes.
SPEAKER_00: It may take you 10 to 15 minutes, but all year, since January, our pastor team, our elder team, we have four elders here, we have been praying and seeking the Lord for a vision moving forward in the next five, 10, 15 years.
SPEAKER_00: What's the vision?
SPEAKER_00: How are we going to fulfill God's call on us as a church family?
SPEAKER_00: And some of you have been praying very diligently for us.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for that.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you have even fasted and prayed.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for that.
SPEAKER_00: We have been hearing from the Lord, and we've got a good sense of what God is going to call us to do as a church.
SPEAKER_00: But here's the deal: we want to hear from y'all too, right?
SPEAKER_00: There are some finishing touches, uh, the way that we're going to communicate these things, the way we're going to put them in front of our church family at the quarterly family meeting here in a couple weeks.
SPEAKER_00: And before we do any of that, we want to hear from you.
SPEAKER_00: And so would you please, would you please take a moment, 10, 15 minutes?
SPEAKER_00: There are some great conversation starters there that we could hear from the church family.
SPEAKER_00: There's some priorities, scriptures.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, here are things that we think are important in every Christian's life.
SPEAKER_00: Uh, it would be a great help to us if you would take time and fill out that survey.
SPEAKER_00: So thank you for taking a look at that.
SPEAKER_00: Let's open to Luke chapter 24.
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna pray before we get going this morning.
SPEAKER_00: And just in God's goodness, I was able to catch up with our old college pastor this past week.
SPEAKER_00: He's a pastor in Tennessee, and he's hanging out with his grandkids out in Tennessee.
SPEAKER_00: But 25 plus years ago, he was the college pastor at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas.
SPEAKER_00: And I got to be at a meeting with him, and it was really good to catch up with him, and I want to pray for him and his ministry at Salem Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, and then we'll jump right into Luke 24.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you for everything that you are doing in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for small blessings of catching up with old friends.
SPEAKER_00: And right now I pray for Pastor Allen and I ask God that as he stands to preach multiple times today, would he preach in your strength, in your power?
SPEAKER_00: Would he be bold with the truth of the gospel?
SPEAKER_00: Lord, would you be helping people to have new eyes to see Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Would you be helping people to surrender their lives to you?
SPEAKER_00: Would you be helping people to make that next step in their faith journey?
SPEAKER_00: And would you use Alan and the truth that he's preaching this morning and so many other leaders at Salem Baptist Church, our brothers and sisters, even though they're states away, would you use them to see your kingdom come and your will be done?
SPEAKER_00: And I pray that in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
unknown: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: All right, in Luke chapter 24, we see two uh followers of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and they are in the presence of greatness and don't even know it.
SPEAKER_00: I wonder, have you ever been in front of somebody famous and you didn't know they were famous?
SPEAKER_00: I have a brief story to share.
SPEAKER_00: I love playing golf.
SPEAKER_00: I don't get to play golf as much as I used to in New Mexico, but I still get to play occasionally.
SPEAKER_00: And last fall I was with a couple church members.
SPEAKER_00: We drove all the way to Lano, Texas, because it's less expensive to play golf if you make the drive to Lano, all right?
SPEAKER_00: We drive all the way over there and we're playing around with golf, we're really enjoying ourselves, and we're on the 18th tee, and this group comes from behind us and they say, We're not even gonna play the 18th T.
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna go in and we're gonna grab a bite to eat, and uh, we're just gonna watch you tee off.
SPEAKER_00: I said, No big deal.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not the best golfer in the world.
SPEAKER_00: In fact, I think on the tea box I'm under average, and it did not matter to me that people were watching until I shanked the ball.
SPEAKER_00: And everybody laughed, and I had to tee it up again, and I hit one fairly decent in the fairway, not very long.
SPEAKER_00: And later in the car ride, the church members that I was playing with said, Aaron, did you know that that was a that was a professional golfer?
SPEAKER_00: He's a retired professional golfer.
SPEAKER_00: His name is Rich Beam.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you know who Rich Beam is.
SPEAKER_00: Here's a picture of him.
SPEAKER_00: Uh here's what I learned.
SPEAKER_00: He beat Tiger Woods by one stroke in the 2002 PGA championship.
SPEAKER_00: And he watched me tee off and shanked the ball.
SPEAKER_00: And I didn't even go pick it up.
SPEAKER_00: I was in the presence of greatness and did not know it.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you're watching the Masters.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe golf is on your mind.
SPEAKER_00: It was certainly on mine as I prepared for this sermon.
SPEAKER_00: Being in the presence of someone that really knew what they were doing, even though I had no clue.
SPEAKER_00: I think that's where these two followers of Jesus find themselves, walking on the road to Emmaus.
SPEAKER_00: They did not know that they were in the presence of greatness.
SPEAKER_00: Let's look at it in Luke chapter 24, starting in verse 13.
SPEAKER_00: It says this.
SPEAKER_00: And they stood still, looking sad.
SPEAKER_00: Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, Are you the only visitor to Jerusal to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened in these days?
SPEAKER_00: And he said to them, What things?
SPEAKER_00: And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty indeed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.
SPEAKER_00: But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.
SPEAKER_00: Yes, and besides all this, it's now the third day since these things happened.
SPEAKER_00: Moreover, some women of our company amazed us.
SPEAKER_00: They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.
SPEAKER_00: Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women said, but him they did not see.
SPEAKER_00: And he said to them, Oh foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
SPEAKER_00: Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?
SPEAKER_00: And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
SPEAKER_00: So they drew near to the village to which they were going.
SPEAKER_00: He acted as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent.
SPEAKER_00: So he went in to stay with them, and when he was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to them.
SPEAKER_00: And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
SPEAKER_00: And he vanished from their sight.
SPEAKER_00: They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?
SPEAKER_00: And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the eleven, and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon.
SPEAKER_00: Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.
SPEAKER_00: He is not here, he's risen.
SPEAKER_00: And now these two followers of Jesus, who still, I think, are doubtful that the resurrection even happened.
SPEAKER_00: They were slow of heart to believe.
SPEAKER_00: They were sad having a conversation about man, wouldn't it have been great if Jesus was who he said he was?
SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't it have been great if he would have redeemed Israel and brought us back to a mighty nation not under the Roman rule and Roman oppression?
SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't it have been great?
SPEAKER_00: And who do they meet on the road but Jesus Himself?
SPEAKER_00: They're having this debate, and Jesus comes in and says, Tell me more about what you're talking about.
SPEAKER_00: Clearly, they show that they don't have the hope in the resurrected king who's seated at the right hand of the Father.
SPEAKER_00: They're sad, they're in despair, and they're arguing.
SPEAKER_00: They did not know that Jesus truly claimed the victory he said he would, not in his death, but in his resurrection.
SPEAKER_00: They didn't know.
SPEAKER_00: So as you're taking notes, I hope you'll write this down.
SPEAKER_00: The first thing we see this morning is we need to recognize the true identity of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 19 and 20, it says they believed him to be a prophet, mighty indeed and word.
SPEAKER_00: He was a great man.
SPEAKER_00: But they didn't understand truly that he was king.
SPEAKER_00: Truly, that he would raise from the grave as he said he would, and that they should continue to follow all the things that Jesus had taught and preached.
SPEAKER_00: There's irony here that Jesus conceals his identity.
SPEAKER_00: They think that he was a great man, but don't you don't you believe that he was so much more?
SPEAKER_00: Don't you believe that he is so much more?
SPEAKER_00: They didn't understand that not only would Jesus redeem Israel, but he would be redemption for everyone who would turn to him and trust in him.
SPEAKER_00: That's what the Old Testament says.
SPEAKER_00: In Daniel chapter 7, it says this.
SPEAKER_00: And his kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed.
SPEAKER_00: They're speaking to Jesus and say, We had hoped he was gonna lead us.
SPEAKER_00: We had hoped that he was gonna restore Israel.
SPEAKER_00: We had hoped.
SPEAKER_00: Yet they don't understand that he that does, did, and does so much more than restores Israel.
SPEAKER_00: He truly is sovereign king over all nations, just as the Old Testament had said.
SPEAKER_00: My question for all of us this morning is have we recognized the true identity of Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: He's holy, he's perfect, he is the only way to redemption.
SPEAKER_00: My sin is heavy, but his grace is amazing.
SPEAKER_00: Do we understand the victory that he had?
SPEAKER_00: He said this in Luke chapter 22.
SPEAKER_00: He says, But from now on, the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of power of God.
SPEAKER_00: And later, when Peter is preaching in Acts chapter 2, this is what was said about Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: This Jesus God raised, and of that we are all witnesses, being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.
SPEAKER_00: And in verse 36 it says, Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.
SPEAKER_00: I just wonder how you would answer this question, honestly.
SPEAKER_00: Is Jesus Lord over your life?
SPEAKER_00: Have you come face to face to recognize he deserves it all?
SPEAKER_00: He's the only one that has purchased our forgiveness.
SPEAKER_00: And in surrender has said, Jesus, you be King.
SPEAKER_00: Have you recognized the true identity of Christ?
SPEAKER_00: As you continue in this passage, verse 21 through 26, they're continuing to have this conversation with Jesus, and Jesus tells them, Oh, you foolish ones, slow of heart.
SPEAKER_00: Taking notes right down, don't be slow of heart to believe the resurrection.
SPEAKER_00: Don't be like Cleopus and this other follower and say, Ah, we had hoped, but I'm not really sure.
SPEAKER_00: These women came, but it was an idol tale.
SPEAKER_00: If you walked into church this morning with some doubts, that's okay, you're in good company.
SPEAKER_00: Thomas doubted Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Thomas said, I'm not sure it's really you.
SPEAKER_00: Let me put my hands in your scars.
SPEAKER_00: Peter doubted.
SPEAKER_00: As he's walking on water, Jesus says, Come out to me.
SPEAKER_00: And Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: He starts to sink into the water.
SPEAKER_00: He's doubting Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: If you are doubting that the resurrection ever really happened, you are in good company.
SPEAKER_00: But my encouragement to you is don't be slow of heart.
SPEAKER_00: Take those doubts to the Lord.
SPEAKER_00: Let him handle them today.
SPEAKER_00: They had been told that Jesus defeated death.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: They talk about these ladies that came and said, they amazed us with this information.
SPEAKER_00: But I don't think they believed the ladies.
SPEAKER_00: You remember from last week that the disciples thought it was an idle tale.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure that's true.
SPEAKER_00: They say, even others from our company talking about Peter who ran to the empty tomb.
SPEAKER_00: Others saw that the tomb was empty, but we don't know where Jesus is.
SPEAKER_00: We're not really sure that this happened.
SPEAKER_00: Don't you remember?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said he had to suffer many things, and then the kingdom would be ushered in.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus said he had to go to the cross and then he would raise three days later.
SPEAKER_00: Don't you remember they were slow of heart?
SPEAKER_00: I'm curious.
SPEAKER_00: In my own life, how many times Jesus would have said, Aaron, you're so foolish.
SPEAKER_00: It's right here.
SPEAKER_00: I've already taught you everything you need to know.
SPEAKER_00: Aaron, don't be so foolish.
SPEAKER_00: But if you were honest, I wonder, I wonder if you could identify with that same statement that God may have said to you, Don't be so foolish.
SPEAKER_00: The scripture had told us, and we read again from the Old Testament, that Jesus would suffer.
SPEAKER_00: This this statement in verse 26, it really becomes the key to understanding all of the gospels and all of the scriptures, really.
SPEAKER_00: The kingdom comes through suffering.
SPEAKER_00: Christ paid it all that we might have life abundantly.
SPEAKER_00: So Isaiah 53, we we should know this, we should hold it in our hearts, and these followers should have known this.
SPEAKER_00: Talks of Jesus in a prophecy, saying, He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised.
SPEAKER_00: And we esteemed him not.
SPEAKER_00: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted.
SPEAKER_00: But he was pierced for our transgressions.
SPEAKER_00: He was crushed for our iniquities.
SPEAKER_00: Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed.
SPEAKER_00: All we like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all.
SPEAKER_00: You can put your faith in him today.
SPEAKER_00: Don't be slow of heart to believe the resurrection.
SPEAKER_00: Next, verse 27 is one of my favorite scriptures in all of the gospels.
SPEAKER_00: When Jesus shows these two followers that all of the scriptures have been pointing to him, I would challenge us all to realize the importance of the scriptures.
SPEAKER_00: Look at verse 27.
SPEAKER_00: Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
SPEAKER_00: Later, here in verse 44, it says, Then he said to them, These are my words, and I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written, everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
SPEAKER_00: Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.
SPEAKER_00: A Savior is coming, a redeemer is coming.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was never the backup plan of God the Father.
SPEAKER_00: It was never Adam and Eve in the garden saying, Guys, I wish he wouldn't have done that.
SPEAKER_00: Now I'm gonna have to go back to the drawing board.
SPEAKER_00: Let's go to the conference room, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit on the whiteboard and make a plan.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus was always plan A.
SPEAKER_00: Always.
SPEAKER_00: And the scripture's been showing us that.
SPEAKER_00: From Genesis all the way through, the prophets and the Psalms, all the way through, Jesus says, it's always been pointing to me.
SPEAKER_00: Genesis 3.15 is a passage I love to talk about Adam and Eve had sinned, they walked in pride, they faced the punishment, the due consequence, yet God gives a whisper and says, Eve, your seed is going to crush the seed of the serpent.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you're aware of this, but we have about a dozen of these out in the resource center.
SPEAKER_00: I talked about this at our family conference.
SPEAKER_00: Fantastic book.
SPEAKER_00: It's written by a guy named Kevin DeYoung.
SPEAKER_00: The biggest story ever told, how the snake crusher brings us back into the garden.
SPEAKER_00: If you have little kids and you read to them, would you get this on the way out?
SPEAKER_00: Go to the resource center, grab it.
SPEAKER_00: I want to read you just a few pages because I think it's so appropriate to remind us the importance of all the scripture that's been pointing forward to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: All the law, the prophets, the psalms, always pointing forward to Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: This is what one pastor has to say about Genesis chapter 3.
SPEAKER_00: I'll start here in the middle of the story.
SPEAKER_00: Being near to God and having him draw near to us would not be easy any longer.
SPEAKER_00: God was not happy with Adam and Eve.
SPEAKER_00: He wasn't happy with the snake either.
SPEAKER_00: God put a curse on the man and the woman and the snake and everything else.
SPEAKER_00: He kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden paradise he had made for them.
SPEAKER_00: It wasn't possible for a people who were so bad to live with God.
SPEAKER_00: They had to go.
SPEAKER_00: Fantastic promise.
SPEAKER_00: Genesis 3, this promise that Jesus would crush the head of the serpent.
SPEAKER_00: Even Genesis 12, this promise to Abraham that one of his descendants would bless all the nations.
SPEAKER_00: You go on and on.
SPEAKER_00: Abraham and Isaac.
SPEAKER_00: Isaac wasn't sacrificed.
SPEAKER_00: There was a substitute lamb.
SPEAKER_00: Read through the Psalms.
SPEAKER_00: Not a bone of his body would be broken.
SPEAKER_00: Salvation would come in Christ alone.
SPEAKER_00: Realize the importance of scripture in your life.
SPEAKER_00: It is a thing that draws us back to the promises that Jesus made.
SPEAKER_00: It is a thing that draws us into believing the hope that we have in who God is.
SPEAKER_00: Because we're reminded of God's character in the scriptures.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 119 teaches us this.
SPEAKER_00: It's the longest Psalm out of all 150 Psalms, and so many times, dozens of times, there is this emphasis that the word is true, that God's word reminds us of promises.
SPEAKER_00: How can a man keep his way pure?
SPEAKER_00: By guarding it according to God's word and hiding God's word in our hearts.
SPEAKER_00: Just three other references.
SPEAKER_00: 119, 103, God's word is sweeter than honey.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 119.105, God's word is a lamp unto my feet.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 119, 111, God's testimonies are the joy of my heart.
SPEAKER_00: Do you realize the importance of scripture in your life to remind you who he is and all the things he's done and all the things he's still doing in your life?
SPEAKER_00: There have been a few times that we've encouraged ministry, Gideon ministry, the handout Bibles.
SPEAKER_00: A few of our church members have jumped into that ministry, given Bibles at Texas State and given Bibles, trying to give Bibles here in Wimberly at Market Days.
SPEAKER_00: Did you know that the Gideon's International they've given away two and a half billion Bibles?
SPEAKER_00: That's a big deal.
SPEAKER_00: I remember meeting one in New Mexico at their banquet, and they told me this story of a guy in Zimbabwe who's giving away Bibles, giving away Bibles, giving away Bibles.
SPEAKER_00: One guy named Mr.
SPEAKER_00: Kambarami.
SPEAKER_00: I might be saying that wrong.
SPEAKER_00: So he had a passion to put God's word in people's hands, and one time he met this guy, the guy said, I'm not gonna read that.
SPEAKER_00: I'll be honest with you, if you give me that Bible, I'm just gonna use the pages and roll cigarettes because it's really nice paper-to-roll cigarettes.
SPEAKER_00: This Gideon said, here's a deal I'll make with you.
SPEAKER_00: You can use this Bible to roll cigarettes if you will read each page before you smoke it.
SPEAKER_00: If you'll just read each page, and the Gideon Bible is typically the New Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, New Testament, and so he says, I'll do that.
SPEAKER_00: I'll read each page, I'll roll it up, and then I'll smoke it.
SPEAKER_00: He came across this guy later.
SPEAKER_00: This is this happened in 2015.
SPEAKER_00: I love this testimony.
SPEAKER_00: Came across this guy later, it says, Well, I smoked my way through Matthew, I smoked my way through Mark, and I smoked my way through Luke.
SPEAKER_00: But when I got to John 3.16, I could not smoke any more of the Bible because my life was changed forever.
unknown: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Do we see the Amen?
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Do we see the power of the scripture in our lives?
SPEAKER_00: Because Jesus meets these two men and he opens their eyes and says, Don't you understand that from all eternity it's been pointing towards me?
SPEAKER_00: I am the Savior that you've been waiting for.
SPEAKER_00: If you're a Christian in the room, what priority are you giving the Bible in your life?
SPEAKER_00: Do you truly understand that the Scripture increases your gratitude for the gospel?
SPEAKER_00: Or could it be that the Scriptures would fuel your affection for Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: Or getting into the word might increase your patience with your spouse, or make you a better parent, or a better friend.
SPEAKER_00: Getting into the word could lead you to change your attitude at work.
SPEAKER_00: Making the scriptures a priority would remind you of the importance of forgiveness.
SPEAKER_00: Do you realize the importance of the scripture?
SPEAKER_00: And if you're not yet a Christian, would you, similar to this guy in Zimbabwe, would you be committed to seek and find the Lord right in the word?
SPEAKER_00: You would know Jesus in his true identity.
SPEAKER_00: Realize the importance of the scriptures.
SPEAKER_00: Lastly, as we come to a close, ask Jesus to open your eyes today.
SPEAKER_00: Listen, verse 31 through the end.
SPEAKER_00: Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight.
SPEAKER_00: And they said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while we talked, while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us all the scriptures, and they go and they tell the disciples, It's true.
SPEAKER_00: Thousands of people in very few days give their life to Jesus at Pentecost.
SPEAKER_00: They understand that Jesus did die, Jesus did raise from the grave, that he offers new life, and even 2,000 years later, millions and millions of Christians have believed in the scripture.
SPEAKER_00: I wonder, I wonder if you're still yet to believe Jesus, if he might open your eyes today.
SPEAKER_00: And you would ask him, Jesus, give me new eyes to see.
SPEAKER_00: Do you see the contrast?
SPEAKER_00: Verse 31 before their eyes were opened, they were sad.
SPEAKER_00: They were arguing and said, We thought, we thought he was gonna restore us.
SPEAKER_00: We thought we would have so much hope.
SPEAKER_00: But then after their eyes are opened, they're they're rescued from ignorance and they find identity in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: They're rescued from foolishness and faithlessness, they're rescued from their despair and their hopelessness to delight in who Jesus is.
SPEAKER_00: Can you see how life changes when your eyes are opened to see Jesus?
SPEAKER_00: You know, Paul says it later in 1 Corinthians.
SPEAKER_00: This is the most important thing.
SPEAKER_00: He says, I delivered to you as of first importance what I received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with their scriptures.
SPEAKER_00: Would you ask Jesus to give you new eyes to see him?
SPEAKER_00: I love what it says as they talk to each other in verse 32.
SPEAKER_00: Our hearts were burning within us.
SPEAKER_00: We knew something was going on, but our eyes were closed.
SPEAKER_00: We we sensed something.
SPEAKER_00: And I truly believe this is a foreshadowing of what would happen in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit drops down.
SPEAKER_00: And all these signs and wonders are happening when the church gets started.
SPEAKER_00: We knew something.
SPEAKER_00: I wonder if you walked in a church, when you read the Bible, when you hear other Christians sing these songs, and you sit under preaching that there's something going on.
SPEAKER_00: You can't quite put your finger on it, but but your heart is burning within you because there's a spiritual experience happening.
SPEAKER_00: Would you ask?
SPEAKER_00: Would you ask Jesus to open your eyes to see the truth?
SPEAKER_00: Would you ask it?
SPEAKER_00: Now I started the day talking about golf.
SPEAKER_00: I was not embarrassed around Rich Beam.
SPEAKER_00: I shanked the ball and it really didn't matter.
SPEAKER_00: Until my eyes were opened.
SPEAKER_00: And the church members I was golfing with said, hey, that's a guy that beat Tiger Woods in the early 2000s.
SPEAKER_00: I was pretty embarrassed once I learned that.
SPEAKER_00: It's like, gosh, he must have thought I am the worst ever.
SPEAKER_00: Now here's the reality.
SPEAKER_00: If you're having your eyes open to see Jesus for the first time, I'm sure the weight of sin and the weight of guilt and the weight of shame can be pretty embarrassing.
SPEAKER_00: See, before you knew that Jesus was real, it didn't really matter about your sin.
SPEAKER_00: But once you believe he actually died and rose, once you believe he is who he said he was, there is a sense of guilt and shame.
SPEAKER_00: Gosh, that's really embarrassing to me.
SPEAKER_00: I never, I never gave any attention to living for God's honor or God's glory, and I've wasted all this time.
SPEAKER_00: I walked in so much sin.
SPEAKER_00: That's embarrassing.
SPEAKER_00: But you know what the beauty of the gospel is?
SPEAKER_00: Jesus paid it all.
SPEAKER_00: That's right.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus paid it all.
SPEAKER_00: He got on the cross and he spilled his blood and he said, I am bearing the punishment so that you don't have to.
SPEAKER_00: And maybe if you're struggling with that sense of guilt and shame, you would come to the cross, lay it down, and just say, Jesus, thank you for dying for me.
SPEAKER_00: I want the rest of my life to honor you.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to show a sense of gratitude for all that you've given to me.
SPEAKER_00: That's the beauty of the cross.
SPEAKER_00: So if you need to come to Christ today, come and speak to me.
SPEAKER_00: Speak to someone you came to church with.
SPEAKER_00: I say this a lot.
SPEAKER_00: Go out in this beautiful property we have.
SPEAKER_00: I know it's wet and soggy today.
SPEAKER_00: Praise God for the rain.
SPEAKER_00: But go on a walk and have a conversation and say, God, thank you.
SPEAKER_00: I'm getting new eyes to see Jesus today.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
SPEAKER_00: And if you are a Christian, maybe just these reminders are helpful for us.
SPEAKER_00: That we need to recognize the true identity of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: We don't need to be slow of heart to believe in the resurrection or any other promise that Jesus made.
SPEAKER_00: And we do need to realize the importance of the scripture in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: And we make a commitment to be disciplined to get into the word.
SPEAKER_00: There's some way for all of us to respond today based off of the truths that we've heard.
SPEAKER_00: How will you respond?
SPEAKER_00: What will look different in your life?
SPEAKER_00: Because we remembered some things from Luke 24.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you so much for a day to worship you, to look to you.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for an opportunity, even to be reminded that all of the scriptures, all the way back into Genesis, have been pointing to you, Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And now for 2,000 years, we've been remembering the cross and resurrection.
SPEAKER_00: It has been the highlight of all human history.
SPEAKER_00: I pray, God, as we respond to you, that you would show us very specifically things in our lives that we need to turn back to you.
SPEAKER_00: Open eyes in this response time.
SPEAKER_00: Do heart work.
SPEAKER_00: We are yours.
SPEAKER_00: And so we invite you to do all kinds of business in this moment.
SPEAKER_00: We pray that in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.