Easter Sunday - Pastor Sandra Roach

In this powerful Resurrection message, Pastor Sandra shares the journey with two disciples on the road to Emmaus and uncovers a life-changing truth: Jesus is often closer than we realize, even when we don’t recognize Him.

Through the Word and the breaking of bread, their eyes were opened and their hearts burned with revelation. This episode explores how God reveals Himself through Scripture, restores vision through communion, and calls believers back into true fellowship.

If you’ve ever felt distant, discouraged, or unsure of where Jesus is in your situation, this message will remind you: He is alive and He desires to open your eyes.

Transcript

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Welcome to the Summit Church Podcast. Thank you for joining us as we share weekly sermons and teachings from Summit Church in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Our prayer is that today's message encourages your faith and helps you grow in your relationship with Jesus. Check out our website at summitchurchtn.com. Thanks for listening, and we pray this message encourages you today.

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I'm going to preach a little different Easter sermon. And I am intrigued with this passage. And if you hear me reading it, those of you who are regulars will say, Yeah, you've preached from that before, but I'm going to do it again. The title of my sermon is Jesus Opens Our Eyes. This passage in the scripture we're looking to look at today has always fascinated me. We find Jesus in the afternoon of the resurrection. Jesus is walking down a road. Like, you know, I wouldn't really think that on Resurrection Sunday, that Jesus, after being dead, buried, and resurrected, beaten, and you know, we we we don't get the fullness of beaten, but beaten, and here he is, the resurrected Lord, and he's walking down a road. That may not make you wonder, but it makes me wonder. It pleases me because here are two men virtually unmentioned who are with the resurrected Jesus who took a walk and preached the best sermon ever preached on Resurrection Sunday. Come on, somebody. He preached the best sermon that had ever been preached on Resurrection Sunday, and he did it for seven miles. Come on. Now I'm telling you, that makes me tired thinking about it. What about you, Brother Ryan? Boy, wasn't that an opener this morning? I got happy in Jesus, just thanking him for all he is and who he is. Hallelujah. So we're gonna read Luke 24. We're gonna start reading in verse 13. The scripture is up on the screen. If you have your Bibles, please turn to Luke 24 and verse 13. Now, behold, two men were traveling that same day, Resurrection Sunday, to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so they did not know him. You see, there was a purpose for them not to know him at that time, because he had a message for them. And it took their eyes being restrained to get it across. Verse 17, and he said to them, What kind of conversation is this you have with one another as you walk and are sad? Then the one whose name was Cleopathus answered and said to him, Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem? And have you not known the things which happened there in these days? And he said to them, What things? Don't you love that? Jesus just lead them on. What things? Have you ever had Jesus ask you a question? You know he knows the answer. And I have been known to say, I don't know. Because he knows more than I do, and my answer may be wrong. So anyway. So they said to him the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word, before God and all the people, and how the chief priest and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as women had said. But him they did not see. I want to pause here. If you look up in the first 12 verses, you will see that when those women got back, they said, You're delusional. You must have been imagining that. They didn't give any credence to it at all. And so then he said to them, Oh foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets had spoken, ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into glory, and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Then they drew near the village where they were going, and he indicated that he would have gone farther. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went to stay with them. Now it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took the bread blessed and broke it and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, Did our hearts not burn within us while he talked with us on the road, and while he opened the scripture to us. So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And they told about the things that had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Now here we are on resurrection afternoon. Two disheartened disciples. All their hopes were dashed because Jesus had been crucified, and all of their dreams of him being the conquering king. And Jesus shows up, and for the seven-mile walk, he preached to a congregation of two. Now I'm going to tell you something. There's not a whole lot of pastors or preachers, evangelists, whatever, that would enjoy and rejoice in preaching to a congregation of two. And they didn't get offended. They didn't say what people in the church would say. Listen, I don't have to put up with this. I can go somewhere else. I'm gonna go somewhere where they celebrate me instead of tolerating me. Just cause you told the truth. Hallelujah. And he preached to them for seven miles. Verse 27 says, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scripture the things concerning himself. He explained from Genesis up to his death, burial, and resurrection the story God had planned to restore humanity. Oh, hallelujah! Come on, church. And they got to the end of the journey and urged Jesus to stay with them, for it was nearing evening. Now, what happens next should be an incredible revelation to the church. Hallelujah. As they were sitting at the table to eat the meal, Jesus picks up the bread. You know what this reminds me of? Throughout Jesus' ministry, he would take the bread, bless it. Come on. And break it, and miracles would happen. Oh, hallelujah. And their eyes were opened and they recognized, and he disappeared. And one said to another, did our hearts not burn when we heard him preach? Have you you remember that sermon where the one who was preaching starts speaking and and your heart begins to burn and and you feel alive, and you you don't care how long it goes on, you just I'm in. I'm all in. And you feel that something transforming is happening in your life. You see, that's what happens when the anointing of God hits a son or daughter, and they begin to preach, that others will say, My heart was burning within me as I heard the word. Hallelujah. Glory to God. You know, it was the word Jesus preached. Jesus didn't sing a song, He didn't lead them in a few choruses, He preached the Word. I remember several years ago, it was said, a prophetic word was given by several who said the next great revival will come not through the preaching of the word, but through worship. Beloved, your eyes are opened when you hear the word. Your heart burns within you when you hear the word. You may love worship. We had some great worship today, and it got me super charged. But you see, I didn't come here to get my worship on. I was worshiping when I got up this morning. It's Resurrection Sunday. He is not dead, he is alive. Hallelujah. He's alive forevermore. Death couldn't hold him, death could not keep him down. I was listening to this song yesterday. It's one of my favorites. It's a country song. So if you're from the north, you may not be familiar with it. It says, Ain't no grave. Gonna hold my body down. Let me tell you, King Jesus paid the price for me to ascend. Jesus prayed the price for me to be one with him. Jesus paid the price for me to be a daughter. Jesus paid the price when he called me and said, I called you and I marked you. I said yes, sir. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Oh, come on. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. There are some people in here, you know what I'm talking about. You remember the day he called you. You remember when he said, You're mine. Come on. And you never looked back. You kept your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finish of your faith, and you're not stopping and you're not going back, though none may go with me. Still, I'm gonna follow him. Come on, church. Hallelujah. Beloved, it's the word that reveals who Jesus is. Wow. What a story they had to tell. We dream of having a story like that. We could go on the road with this story. Ryan, you could get you could get famous on a word like this. You could go everywhere, they'd just be pulling money out of their pocket just to hear that word. I'm telling you, what a word. Yeah, we were walking along the road, didn't even know Jesus was with us. And he began to preach, and he preached from Genesis all the way to the death, burial, and resurrection. And we got a little happy step. Come on. Oh Lord, I'm about to get a happy step right here myself. What a story to tell. They jumped up and headed back to Jerusalem. Listen, they they I bet they didn't even need. They jumped up and headed back to Jerusalem. They ran. Oh, we got to tell this. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. He's alive. That's why we're here tonight. Today, he's alive. Come on, say it with me. He's alive. But beloved, is he alive in you? That's the thing. He may be alive in the person sitting next to you. But I'm telling you, you really live when he's alive in you. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Oh my goodness. When they get there and tell their story. Oh, come on. They said, He was made known to us in the breaking of the bread. This beloved was their claim to fame in the New Testament. It said, Cleopathus, I looked that up. Everybody's got an idea of who he was. Some said he was Joseph's relative. Okay, so that made him legit, so to speak, okay? And the other one, they didn't even mention his name. You know why it wasn't important. And I'll tell you why. Because I could have been there. I've been there when he opened my eyes. It was a nameless person who had his eyes opened. Come on. Hallelujah. But see, if we look a little closer at what happened when their eyes were being opened. Genesis 3. Yeah, I'm going to read from Genesis 3, starting in verse 1. Now the serpent was more cunning, crafty, than any of the wild animals the Lord had made. He said to the woman, Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? The woman said to the serpent, We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. You will not certainly die, the serpent said to the woman, for God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her. Have y'all ever noticed when you really know in your heart you're in sin, you don't want to do it alone. Have y'all no, you know, so when you get in trouble, there'll be the two of you. Or maybe a whole crowd you run around with. But she thought, no, I'm I'm not going to do this alone. I'll make my husband do this with me. And he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made covering for themselves. Adam and Eve were eating the forbidden fruit, and their eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked. They knew for the first time sin and fear. For the first time, they experienced gripping fear. They hid from God. They sowed fig leaves together. But here, Dr. Luke wants us to understand that the healing and restoration of humanity came through the breaking of the bread. Hallelujah. John 6 and 35 says, Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Looking down at verse 48, it said, I am the bread of life. Your father ate, your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. God wants us to understand the power of the breaking of the bread. Hallelujah. So what is the power of the breaking of the bread? Acts 2 and 42 says they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2 and 46 says, every day they continued to meet together in the temple court. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Two things, two things the Lord wants us to understand about the power of the breaking of the bread. The Lord loves fellowship. Hallelujah. He loves the fellowship of believers. When you read the gospels, you see Jesus eating with his disciples all the time. You see people inviting him into his home to eat and have fellowship. Hallelujah. Do you know how wonderful it is to get together with your wonderful family and to fellowship around the table? It's glorious. But you see, there's also breaking the bread and sharing communion. Hallelujah. It's demonstrated. Through the early church. They were one in Christ, and relationships were important to God and to the church. There wasn't any of this. Would you hear what they did? Honey, it was awful. Hey girl, how are you doing? Good to see you. You're looking great. Has she put on weight? See, that didn't happen in the early church. They met together. There's something that happens when you come around the table of the Lord and eat of his body and drink of his blood. Something glorious, magnificent, and supernatural happens. You see, isolation is demonic in nature. Do you realize that? I've had so many people say to me, listen, I love the Lord, but I'm not about this church thing. I've been hurt in church. If I hear that one more time. For 21 years, I have heard people tell me, I got church hurt. Well, get in line. It's way back there. You're gonna have a wait. Are y'all hearing me? Anybody in here ever had church hurt? Get over it. Come on. You know, it's just like people just wear a badge. Church, hey, this new person that came in, church hurt, they got the badge on. We hand them out. Honey, have you been church? Okay, here. Sign them up for inner healing. And then they use it as a crutch. And they never fully step into what God has for them because of church hurt. Come on. Listen, I've been in church all my life. I was a pastor's daughter. I was a pastor who went way before many of you were born. And they didn't really have enough money to pay him. So the way they would pay him is they would give him their kids' leftover clothes for us to wear. They had holes in them. Somebody say church hurt. Come on. But see, we get to praying in our house. Come on. Listen, God loved us more than the church ever did. Someone said to me, Did you have a particular church you loved when you were growing up? Yeah, every one of them. I was raised to believe that was the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I ain't hating none of them. I'm not a hater. I'm not a hater. I'm a lover. When I say to you, I love you, I mean it. You know why? Because Jesus said, oh, no, man, anything but to love him. Oh, come on. Oh, come on. So I'm gonna pay that debt. Hallelujah. You see, if the devil can get you out of fellowship with other believers, he will get you to drift away from him, from the Lord. Do y'all hear me? His plan is to separate you from the greatest love you have ever experienced before. Come on. Jesus took time to fellowship with his disciples and to eat with them before he ascended to heaven. I think this is such a demonstration of the love of family. You see, if you're a believer, how many people in here are believers? Come on, lift your hand high. Those who aren't lifting your hands, my eyes are. You see, it was a demonstration of a family. We're family, beloved. We're family. We'll spend eternity in heaven. I may be your next door neighbor. Now, Lord, I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to call you to task here, Lord. She's a woman preacher. Is she gonna be up in heaven preaching all the time? Listen, you drive by my house sometime, two o'clock in the morning, I got the door open, kicking the devil out of my house. And I don't, and I'm not quiet. When I kick the devil out of my house, he knows he's being kicked out. He don't, he don't live there, he don't own that property. That property belongs to God. Somebody give God a shout of praise. Because you got to start kicking him out. Listen, we're alive because of him. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Glory to God. And second, the opening of our eyes in communion or the Lord's Supper. He opens our eyes to who he is when we partake of the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus through communion. Well, Pastor, I, you know, you need to be careful. That's a that that people say that all the time, and you know, I just next. You gotta be careful because, you know, it's just a symbol. All it is is a symbol. Jesus never in his Bible said, now listen, I'm gonna ask you to do something. I'm gonna ask you to remember me, but I I want you to know that it's just a symbol. It isn't like it's real, it's not like my real body and my blood. But if you remember back, Jesus was preaching another time. And he said, Unless you eat my body and drink my blood, you'll have no part in me. Listen, it's real. When I take communion, I thank him the minute I put that bread in my mouth that I am partaking of his body. I am one with him. It isn't gross, it's glorious. Hallelujah. And every time I do it, my eyes are opened more and more and more to who he is. Hallelujah. We must never see communion as something we do every month at Summit Church. You see, this is not a suggestion, it was spoken of Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 11, 26, he said, For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. How many of you all know he's coming again? How many of you all are sure he's coming again? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And when he comes, I'll go with him. Hallelujah. Come on, hallelujah. Thank you, Lord.