He is Risen!

Chunilal Pema shares a powerful message on the story of the disciples walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. If we are not careful, we can be like these disciples and let disappointments from our life cause our awareness of the Lord to harden and our hearts to grow cold. We must come back to the cross and the victory the Lord has won so that our hearts may burn passionately again for Him!

Our heart at Celebration Church Rarotonga is that this message will greatly bless your walk with Jesus and help bring you closer to Him. We pray that you would be stirred to live a life that is passionate about loving Jesus!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:05

Welcome to this week podcast by Celebration Church Brother Toba. We believe this message will empower and equip you to live a life of breakthrough. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

I want to share from the Word of God this morning and the Gospel of Luke. Luke's Gospel, chapter 24. It's a it's a wonderful, great, big long portion we're going to read this morning. It's Luke 24, verse 13, is where we'll begin. Now, behold, two of them were traveling that same day 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 that they did not know him. And he said to them, What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? Then the one whose name was Cleopas 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? And so they said to him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty indeed, and word before God and all the people, and how the and how the chief priests 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 he was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the woman had said, but him they did not see. Then he said to them, Oh foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Verse 28. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and he indicated he would that he would have gone further, but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took bread, breast, and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word this morning. Lord, as we ask that, Lord, as we come to your word and as we uh bring out what you're saying to us this morning, from your word, we pray for your blessing, for your anointing, we pray for your grace, we pray for your empowerment, we pray that Lord, your Holy Ghost will work through your word and bring light into our hearts and to into our lives this morning. Father, this is your day. This is an amazing day. This is resurrection Sunday. Lord, we are reminded that you're no longer in the grave, but you have risen. And I pray that, Lord, you would be with us this morning. In Jesus' name. Amen. Jesus' agony and his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. I've got to remember to keep my microphone here. But his prayer and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, it's past. The betrayal at the hands of Judas Iscariot, it's past. His arrest and his trials before both the Jewish and the Roman authorities, before Pilate and before Annas and Caiphus, it's passed. The crown of thorns, that horrible, horrible, thorny crown of the desert with thorns about this big, worked into the shape of a crown and plunged and pushed and squashed into his skull. It's passed. And then these horrible, horrible men taking a rod and beating him upon the head while the crown was still on his head, beating and beating and beating. That is past. And then his scourging of the Catanine tails, that horrible form of Roman death, where they took this uh this uh like a whip with nine tails that came out of it, and upon each tail was was sown or or tied into it bits of bone and bits of steel and bits of other sorts and bits and pieces and crockery or whatever thing could be sharp, and they would wet this and they would put it in water so that when they used it, it it could it could inflict the worst, the worst of pain and agony and disaster upon the person that they were inflicting. And they took this and they whipped him. And in fact, the Bible says, so bad was the whipping, so terrible was what they did to him in the scourging with the catanine tails that no one could recognize him in the Old Testament. The Bible says he was marred more than any man, in other words, they couldn't recognize who he was because his whole body was cut to shreds. They don't show this on television or in the movies because it would not get a rating. But the truth is, it was a terrible, terrible way. In fact, with most people who were scourged, it was a death sentence, and they never went home alive. It was their death sentence, but Jesus was alive because he must not die at the post where he scourged, he must not die in the palaces and in the courtyards, he must not die anywhere else except at the cross of Calvary, at the place where God has ordained and called him, that there he must give his life. And so the Bible tells us he's forced to carry his cross to Golgotha, to to Calvary, and there he's crucified. All that is past. Then he's buried, all that is past. Then the third day early in the morning, the woman arise, they go to the tomb, they go to where he's laid to put spices on his body to prepare him for the rest of his time, being buried in a tomb. But when they get there, he's gone. He's gone. And the angel says, He's not here, he's risen. All that is past. All that is past. And so we come to this portion this morning on the road to Amais and these two disciples, and they are not part of the twelve disciples. They are disciples like you and I, men and women who put their trust in the living God, men and women who've called upon the Lord Jesus Christ and said, Lord Jesus, save me a sinner. They are men and woman who trust in the Lord and his salvation at the work of the cross, who believe that the blood of Jesus washes from all unrighteousness. They are such uh uh such disciples as that. And they're walking, making their way to a particular village on the road to Emmaus, and Jesus joins them, but they don't realize it's him. The Bible teaches that their eyes are closed, their eyes are blinded, they don't recognize who he is. Remember, Jesus is no longer now bloodied, he's no longer worn and torn, and he's no longer bleeding. Yes, he's got scars in his hands, he's got scars in his feet, he's got scars in the side, he's got scars in his brow. But all the torment and the blood and the gore of that crucifixion is no longer on his body, and he's walking with them, and they don't recognize him. Like many in Jerusalem that day. People believed in Jesus, just like this couple did. Many believed in Jesus Christ, whether it was the many miracles he did, the people he raised from the dead, the healings, the provision, the teachings, the sermons on the mount, whatever their reasons, many people believed in Jesus Christ. That is, they believed until they saw him put to death, crucified like a shameless criminal on the cross between two other known criminals of the area. While the miracles flowed, and while the healings alled the crowds, and while the Old Testament scriptures were wonderfully unfolded to the people, they believed and they were in awe and they wanted to follow this Messiah. In fact, not long before the cross Jerusalem had welcomed Jesus, the Messiah, riding on a donkey. They celebrated and they cheered his arrival triumphantly into the great city, but it would not be very long before the chering turned to jeering, as many of the crowd now gathered to see him put to death on the cross. With the cross on the horizon, suddenly Jesus was no longer who they believed him to be. For centuries, the Jews believed that a Messiah, a deliverer, would come to release them from all the rulers that were pushing against them on every side, and that they would enter the golden age of Israel, where everything would be like King Solomon's day, where gold would be would be uh provided for everyone, where food would be available, where there'd be no enemies, where the Romans would no longer be powering over them and and squashing them into the ground. That's the deliverer, that's the messiah they'd longed for for a long, long time, and they believed Jesus was such a Messiah, and while he did miracles, they believed. How could such a deliverer be led to his death like a lamb to the slaughter? How could someone who is our Messiah be taken and be beaten and be put to death? To so many that day in Jerusalem, their belief in Jesus Christ changed. You see, everything Jesus did was now seen as less than what a Messiah was meant to be in their eyes. Their Messiah was going to bring the nation into fulfillment and fruitfulness. But the cross changed everything. The cross changed everything. Everything changes at the cross. Jesus said, if any man will come after me, in Mark chapter 8, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Everything happens at the cross. The apostle Paul preaching and sharing to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And they were going through some terrible problems with doctrine and a number of other things and worldly things happening within the life of the church. And he says, for the preaching that is for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. In other words, the preaching of the cross, the message of the cross, the fact that Jesus went to Calvary, was given, he gave his life and his blood for us, all that is a laugh, all that is a joke to people who don't want it, to people who have made up their minds, they're going to go to heaven, but without the cross, it doesn't happen. And he goes on to say, look, you guys in Corinth, you guys, listen, you fellas, listen, you guys, you're struggling and arguing and going on and on and on about this and that and the other thing. Get your eyes focused upon the cross. That's where things change. That's where things happen in your life as a church and as an individual, as a family, and as a community of believers. Let me explain that. Maybe as a young child, or maybe at a Christian camping organization, and for years I did about 20 years of ministry and Christian camping within New Zealand and saw many, many young people give their lives to Christ. But maybe you made a commitment, maybe you were one of those young ones I led to Christ at one of those camps. But today you're no longer walking like you were. No, today there's not the fire that's burning within your soul and your heart. Gone cold. Your faith, your belief in who Jesus is has gone cold and dry and far away from where it should be. Things went well, even the struggles were overcomable, that's such a word. But today, Jesus is not the same to you as he was when you were a young person, surrendered your life to Jesus. Life has been hard. There's been some pain, been some hurt that continues to break your heart. Loved ones have been have been sadly taken away from you. And the joy and the excitement, the wonder and of the great experiences and all that God has done for you over the years, it's all gone silent. You no longer see Jesus as the Savior of the world. You no longer see him as your Savior. Your own heart has gone cold and dry towards the Lord. The cross, the shed blood, the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, no longer holds priority or significance in your life. It's no longer first place in your heart. Because everything else is far more important. And Christ is no longer on the throne where he longs to be, he's no longer priority in your life. The work of Jesus dying on the cross has been relegated to Easter weekend. And every other day is Christless, not Christ-filled. The words of these two disciples sounds out like a clarin call from the very heart of God to consider afresh who Jesus is. Did not our hearts burn within us? While he talked with us on the road, and while he opened the scriptures to us. In the Greek, that word burning means deep emotional, spiritual burning. In other words, their heart, their heart was set on fire. Is your heart on fire for God this morning? It ought to be. We are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We're remembering who he is. We're going to remember him in communion a bit later on. We're remembering what he's done. Our heart should be on fire. We should have woken this morning and say, Lord, you are risen. You are risen. You are risen. My heart's on fire for you. Has that happened? Or have you woken up and says, I guess I better get to church. It's the right thing to do. I better find somewhere and go to church. It's the right thing to do. When's the last time your heart or my heart was set aflame with a deep emotion and spiritual longing after Jesus Christ? The Apostle Paul speaking to a young man called Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 6, encourages this young man. He says, fan into flame the gift of God and to stir up the gift of God that is in your life. In other words, the fan to fire up, to strengthen, to stoke the fire of what God has put into your life, of what God is doing in your heart. Burn that fire, make it burn louder, stronger and stronger. You know, sometimes I have to burn rubbish. And I like to take my gas blower that you blow the leaves with. Because I like to blow that in, I love blown into the fire, and it just and the wind catches the flames and it just burns through everything. And the flames get higher and higher, and I'm just having a great time. And yet that's what God wants to happen in our hearts. He wants our hearts to be burning, not just smoldering. He doesn't want charcoal, he wants a flaming fire heart. Did not our hearts burn within us when he spoke to us on the road and he opened to us the scriptures. Did not our hearts smolder and burn and inflame? And did not our hearts desire to love God like we've never loved him before? Has that been happening in your life? In your heart? Paul is writing to this young man. He says, stir up, stir up, pump up, get going, start to get that fire going, fan the flame, fan that flame, burn it, burn it in your heart, what God is doing in your life. Make sure it's strong and it's alive. We wonder sometimes why people don't see Christ in us. Why we can go places and other people are winning people to the Lord here, there, and everywhere. And we go and no one wants to even look at us. And maybe maybe it's because when people go and see so-and-so, they see a man or woman that's on fire for God, and where there's fire, they want to go and warm themselves. They look at us, and we're so cold they keep away. Let the fire of God burn within your hearts. Let Christ burn within your life his will and his desires. Timothy, flame, fan the flame within your heart and your life personally. You know, sometimes we go to events hoping that the events will fan and uh and push that flame higher, and they do to a degree. But it's up to you and I personally to get before God and to allow the Holy Spirit to do it in our lives personally. It's up to us to get down on our knees, to seek his face, to get into his word, to allow the word to change and to transform us and to and to make us a different man, a different woman, a brand new creation. It's up to us to do that. God will come. If you seek me with all your heart, he said, You will find me. So, how do we get that flame fired up? How do we get our hearts burning? Let me give you four little key words from the word fire. Fire. The first thing that gets it gets out your Heart on fire and flame and burning again for God is faithfulness. It's the first word. Faithfulness. Be faithful in seeking God. Be faithful in getting into uh in your pre in God's presence. Be faithful in your quiet times. Be faithful in doing what God's called you to do. Be faithful as a parent, as a man or woman of God in your family. Be faithful in your job. Be faithful in everything that you do. Be faithful and honor the Lord with integrity and honesty and grace and forgiveness. Be faithful. The next word is intimacy. Be intimate with the Lord. Spend time in his presence. Just don't just go to church and hear the message. You go home and think that's it for another year. Each day. Become intimate with the Lord. Get close to him. Draw near to him. Seek his face. Ask him to change you. Ask him to deal with the rubbish and the muck in your life. Ask him to make you a man after his or woman after his heart that he's pleased with. God is around the world looking for men and women whose hearts are towards him. Is your heart? Be intimate. Get close to God. The third word is repentance often. We need to deal with stuff in our lives. When God draws near to us and we draw near to him, God begins to deal with stuff and he begins to rise things to the surface. The Bible says about the word, it says the entrance of God's word brings light. And sometimes that light will shine up the rubbish and the stuff that we need to get rid of. We need to repent of. Repent. So you got faithfulness, intimacy, repentance, and then engagement. Engage with what the Holy Spirit is doing. Engage with what God is doing. Engage. Put into action. Don't just sit on it for another another 10 years. Don't put it on the shelf. Don't put it in your Bible and think, hopefully, one day I'll do that. Engage today. Faithfulness, intimacy, repentance, engagement. Faith is important. Fire. We ought not wait for another Easter service before we begin to refocus upon the things of God. When's the last time you said in your heart, my heart burned? Did not my heart burn within me when I read that scripture? Did not my heart burn within me when I saw God deal and bring a miracle in the situation? Did not my heart burn within me? When he dealt with that habit that I'd struggled with for so many years. Is he no longer who you believe him to be as a young person? Is he no longer the Christ of glory? Is he no longer the one who transforms and makes all men new? Because you've gone cold. Because the fire is no longer burning deep inside. I pray that this resurrection Sunday service here in the Cook Islands will change that for you. And that today may be the beginning of days of resurrection living, of fire-filled living, of a life that is committed and dedicated to the Lord, a life that's surrendered to Him. Does your heart burn with holy passion for God? For a life surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life? What burns within your heart this morning? Is it unforgiveness? Disobedience? Maybe some secret sin, maybe some uncontrollable habit. What is burning within your life? And that's made you cold towards the reality of who Christ is? Maybe this morning you need a fresh rekindling of the fire of God within your heart. Does your heart afresh burn with love for God? With overwhelming thankfulness for God that he sent his son to die for you. The cross changes everything. Therefore, make much of the cross, talk much of the cross, talk much about the blood of the Lamb. Speak much about Christ, speak much about the work of Calvary, speak much upon about that wooden cross that was there and Jesus was crucified on it. Make a noise about it because it reminds us who Christ is and what He's done for you and I. Let me say that without the cross, there could be no salvation. Without the shed blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, there could be no eternal life with God. And so this morning, I wonder where you are. I wonder whether, like these disciples walking on the road to Ormayus, Jesus has come and met with you this morning in the short moments of this service, and he reminded you that your heart is not like it should be. And he's reminded you what your heart should be this morning and how you ought to be this morning. And he's reminded you that you should be on fire, you should be burning with a desire and a passion for God. Or maybe this morning, you're facing what that many may face, and that I faced. I went to church for a number of years, thinking that I was a born-again believer, thinking because I lived in a Christian home, well, I didn't really. And because I lived in a in a Christian, uh I went to Christian school, I lived in New Zealand, a Christian country, so-called, in those days. All these things made me a Christian. All these things meant that I was going to heaven. I had never had a a um, I'd never met the Lord, I'd never made a decision to surrender my life to Christ. I had just been born as a good person. I lived a good life, I was a good guy, I was I was a great guy, I was a good chap, but on my way to hell. You know, we think it's only the bad people, the ones who are terrible, terrible people, they're going to hell. You're all. It's a real thing. But the cross changes that. If we receive what Jesus has done for us on the cross and we invite him into our hearts, we say, Lord Jesus, I did this, Lord Jesus, save me a sinner. And he did. And my life was transformed right then and there. And it's and that's been about 54 years in the Lord, and God has just encouraged encouraged me and helped me over those years. Maybe you need to do that this morning. You need to ask him into your life. You've never done it. If you've never done it, I'm going to give you an opportunity, and that's going to be after we do communion. We're going to to come forward and to think it through. But even before communion, if it if after communion is too late and too long and you might forget, then why don't you just follow this prayer? I'm going to pray a prayer. And if you would like to invite Christ into your life, if you want to make serious with God, you want to invite him to change your life, to make you a man, a woman after his own heart, to forgive you from your sin, to wash you from your sin and to give you uh such a change of life, then I want you to follow this prayer and say it in your heart or say it aloud, whatever you like, but pray it if you haven't prayed such a prayer similar to this at all. Lord Jesus. I know that I am a sinner, and right now I ask you to forgive me from my sin, to come into my heart and be my savior and my Lord. I believe that you died for me on the cross and that you rose again from the dead. And from today onwards, I want to follow you. I want to walk with you. I want to please you in all things. In Jesus' name. Amen. But maybe, like so many here, your heart's cold, and you need to pray. Maybe, Lord, maybe you need to pray the second prayer. I'm gonna pray. And there's Lord, strengthen my heart, help me. If you're in that in the group of people whose hearts gone cold, your heart's no longer burning with a passion for God, then you pray. Don't leave this place as you came. Leave this place on fire, Lord Jesus. I come with all the mess in my life and all the coldness of heart. I ask you, Lord, to forgive me. Lord, forgive me for my strain away. Forgive me for the coldness of heart. Right now, I surrender all that I am to you. Right now, I say I'm sorry. Oh God, return to me the joy of your great salvation and renew your right spirit within me. I pray in Jesus' name.

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