"The Greatest Sermon Never Recorded" - Luke 24:13-35 (6.12.16) - Pastor Jordan Rogers

know what secures your joy believing right theology there is a difference between mental cognition of things and actually heart acceptance believing it to the in this morning we're in Luke chapter 24 beginning there in verse 13 down through 35 you know in life it doesn't take long it doesn't take much time at all living in this world or in this life before you find disappointments correct does anybody in here ever been disappointed you ever put your hopes in maybe a sports team maybe you're a Cleveland Cavaliers fan or a Golden State Warriors fan or how about this maybe you're a Dallas Cowboys fan you know exactly what I'm talking about don't you you put your hopes in this team and they go however long of a distance and then they just come up short and your hopes are just dashed on the rocks of reality really maybe you put your hopes in a politician and you think well when this man or woman gets into office they're gonna do the right things they get there and they come short or they just don't win the election you just kind of duck your head and you feel disappointed maybe you put your hopes in a person in your life and your family you're hoping that they're gonna do this you're hoping that they're gonna be there at this time but then what happens you disappointed they come up short because when we put our hopes in man when we put our hopes in humans our hopes are almost always dashed on the rocks of uncertainty on frailty and really in large part on human undependable if that were a word it's the truth for sure you just can't really depend on humans but this morning what I want you to see from this text I think this is the purpose of this text is that hope that is in Jesus is not based on hypotheticals but on the certainty of the promises of God and those who believe in him will never be disappointed when you place your faith in your trust in Jesus you don't have to ask what if what could have been what should have been when you place your faith in Jesus you are placing your faith in the certainty of God's promises there is no hypothetical nature about it it is sure it is certain and these disciples on the road to Emmaus would have been better served to have placed their faith not in their hopes but to place their hopes in the certainty of God's promises you remember Jesus had been crucified there in Jerusalem it had been a terrible weekend hadn't it Jesus betrayed there in the Garden of Gethsemane in the Mount of Olives betrayed by Judas one of the number of the twelve handed over tried by Caiaphas by Pilate by Herod betrayed by one of his closest disciples in Peter and then he has mocked beaten scorned and put to death on a cross in between two criminals in between two thieves he is numbered with the transgressors he cries out with a loud voice my God my God why have you forsaken me and then he cries out again and he gives up his spirit into your hands I commit my spirit he says to the Father and then he breathes his last and he dies Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus that disciple by night they come and they get Jesus special permission by Pilate they take Jesus's body down and they place him there in a tomb before the Sun Goes Down and the Sabbath begins but you remember after the Sabbath is over Mary Magdalene and a few of the women gathered together with her and they were taking those spices there to the tomb and they were going to anoint the body of Jesus they had no plan other than that they had no idea how they're gonna get inside the tomb it an enormous stone rolled over the entrance and when they get to the tomb right before they get there there is an earthquake the earth shakes that stone is rolled away and there are two angels there in front of the tomb and they asked these women why do you seek the living among the dead you're looking in the wrong place you're looking for Jesus among these dead corpses but Jesus is not a dead body Jesus has gotten up and he has walked out of here he is among the living because he is the living he has been raised from the dead and the women are bewildered they are amazed and they go back to the house where the eleven apostles are and there are many other disciples gathered there too and they tell them everything that they have seen and you remember what it says in verse 11 of Luke 24 it seemed as though it were an idle tale to the disciples to the apostles they don't believe the women you've been up to early you've been smelling too many of these spices you've been preparing you don't know what you're talking about you're out of your mind but there are two men who have hope there are two men one in particular who says if Jesus is alive I'm thinking these says this if Jesus is alive I have an opportunity to be made right with God and so Peter shoots up out of his chair John does as well the disciple whom Jesus loved they both get up and they literally according to John have a footrace to the tomb John arrives first but he stands outside Peter goes right inside looking for Jesus Jesus is not there why because the living don't reside among the dead Jesus is gone so Peter had not seen Jesus at that point they all go back to the home and they tell all the disciples the rest of the the nine apostles there tell them what happened and even still they don't believe the words of Peter and John or Mary Magdalene or the women they don't believe that and so two of these disciples who had disbelieved they leave and they're gonna go back home they're gonna go back to their village their hometown of Emmaus which is where we find them here in our text verse 13 of chapter 24 in Luke's Gospel says that very day that is Sunday that is a day like today the day of the Lord the Lord's Day the day we worship on because he was raised on this day that very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus we're going back home there's nothing more to see there's nothing more to do our Lord has been crucified he's been buried and we don't even know where he is so I guess it's just time to go about our own merry way go back home and go about life two of them were going to a village named Emmaus about seven miles or sixty stadia a little less than seven miles from Jerusalem so they hadn't gone too far from Jerusalem and it says in verse 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened they were discussing the events of the weekend can you imagine that conversation two men who had witnessed all of these things that had happened they had probably been there in the betrayal they had probably seen these mock trials before Caiaphas and Pilate and Herod they'd seen Jesus beaten spat upon and then put to death hear the words of him crying out there on the cross and these men are discussing it now they had waited in Jerusalem until the day Jesus was supposed to be raised from the dead they still haven't seen him so they're headed home they've lost their hope they've lost their faith it seems discussing trying to figure out exactly what happened look at verse 15 it says while they were talking and discussing together now those two for two verbs together and especially with the inclusion of the second discussing that word actually has the force of an argument so it's not that they're just trying to figure out what's going on it's that one of these disciples says you know why I know what happened this is what happened to Jesus this is how we make sense of it this is what we're supposed to take from it and then his buddy as they're walking together says well I saw what happened too and I know the things that Jesus said and this is what we're supposed to take from it one of these men sees things his own way the other sees it his way neither one of them sees it God's Way but Jesus is going to show up and tell them what opinion of the whole weekend was you can get a lot of people together in one room and you can get a lot of opinions circled up in a little bowl there and none of them be right what matters is not your opinion or my opinion what matters is what's God's opinion and so Jesus shows up here on the road to emmaus and he's going to set these two men straight while they were talking and discussing little they're arguing here while they were talking and discussing together Jesus himself underline that word himself Jesus himself drew near and went with them that is an astounding clause Jesus himself drew near and went with them because think about the first half of that cause the first half of that sentence they were talking and discussing together the things that had happened that weekend what are they talking and discussing the death of Jesus how Jesus had been crucified this brutal execution of our Lord and of our master and we were expecting him to rise from the dead but where is he now Jesus himself that word himself is actually what's known as a intensive reflexive pronoun if I were to say something like you yourself I'm trying to draw attention to the fact that you actually said that they themselves drawing particular attention to that person who stands there can you believe what she herself she actually said that so they're talking about a dead man and yet here is the dead man himself walking up Luke is astounded at this that's why he uses that pronoun there Jesus himself drew near they must have been walking pretty slow for a dead man to catch up right but that's just the point isn't it that's the amazement Jesus is not dead Jesus himself drew near and went with them isn't that something these men are bewildered bewildered they are confused they can't really seem to put their thumb on what exactly took place trying to figure out the meaning of it all what if they devoted their lives to for the last few months or years however long they've been walking with Jesus in their moment of confusion when it seems that they are about to let go of their hope who shows up Jesus isn't that the way that life works that's the way that life works in the life of a believer you feel like you're right there at your in you're right there you're about to just give up hope but what does God do not too late not too early always on time he shows right up he draws near and he went with them look at verse 16 this is amazing because think about this these two men are disciples of Jesus they are not of the number of the eleven eleven now because Judas has killed himself every betrayed Jesus but they are not of the eleven apostles these are just two men who had been following Jesus you would think that they could recognize Christ right he's been their life for the past however long and especially he's been on their mind the last few days as he was tried and mocked and then crucified you would think that if a man walked up with holes in his feet and in his hands and with scars on his head from a crown of thorns you would think that they would identify pretty quickly who this man was whom they called Lord and Master rabbi teacher but what is the say in verse 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him work hipped is a verb that is in the passive voice you can have a verb that's in the passive voice or the active voice if I say something in the active voice it means that I am doing it if I say something in the passive voice I'm saying that I am being acted upon so in verse 16 when it says that their eyes were kept their eyes were kept from recognizing him they are being acted upon from an outside force who is the one who gives sight to the blind and who makes the seeing to not see who is the one with that power is God God is the one God is the one acting upon these men so that they do not see Jesus if you see Jesus rightly and this will come up again later on in the text if you see Jesus rightly you know why you do it is because God has opened your eyes to see Jesus rightly you didn't get smart one day you didn't just get sick of your life one day you saw Jesus rightly because God in His grace came to you he drew near he walked with you and he opened your eyes so that you may see so Paul says in first Corinthians let him who boasts boast in the Lord these men have their eyes shut because they're going to learn a truth that is greater than their sight these men need to learn what faith is so they're not going to be able to see who Jesus really is at this point but their eyes were kept from recognizing him verse 17 says and he said to them what is this conversation and that word literally means an anti Belletti it means to put against or to place against they are putting their ideas against one another Jesus intensifies their discussion even more and says you're fighting what's this fight about what's this argument this debate what is what is all this about what is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk now think about this unbeknownst to these men God has come up to them and wanted to peek in on their conversation what if unbeknownst to you God came up and peeked in on your conversation hey what you're talking about just kind of leans his shoulder on the table at dinner and says hey what are y'all talking about would that change the tone of the conversation a little bit Bible says that God is always listening to our conversations that he takes account Paul says that we will give an account for every eye word that we speak so here's just a just an example of what always takes place Jesus listening in on our conversation she says what is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk and they stood still looking sad these are disciples of Jesus what business do they have being defeated what business do they have being depressed or distressed as if they have been run over they shouldn't have any do more gloom about them their disciples of the Lord and it says that they looked at him they stopped and they were sad their downcast what you'll see in verse 19 through 24 is that they actually knew the right things about God they had right theology a good theology very good theology better theology than a lot of people these men had right theology but folks I'll tell you this right theology will not secure your joy right theology will not secure your joy these men know the right things but they're sad right theology doesn't secure your joy you know what secures your joy believing right theology there is a difference between mental cognition of things and actually heart acceptance believing it to the end Jesus said he would be raised Moses and the prophets said that Jesus would be raised we haven't seen him yet but guess what we rest our hopes on the certainty of God's promises we will not be sad they're not sad because Jesus didn't overcome the grave they're not sad because Jesus was conquered they're sad because they don't believe they're sad because they don't see even though they know good theology the good theology does not secure your joy believing right theology is what secures our joy and they stood still looking sad look at verse 18 then of them named Cleopas answered him I have a little arrow outside this verse pointed out and it has four words and all I wrote was most ironic statement ever verse 18 I believe this is my heart's conviction verse 18 is the most ironic statement in all of the Bible look at it it's astounding then one of them named Cleopas answered him who is him the Jesus okay answered him are you the only visitor in Jerusalem to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days you can imagine these two disciples the one who said this in eternity he looks back and he thinks about that and he goes did I actually say that did I actually look the crucified Lord in the face and asked him if he was the only one in Jerusalem who didn't know what took place see Jesus could have done this and said those are my tickets a front-row seats actually the nail scars in my hands have you seen the holes in my feet have you noticed the imprint ation of the crown of thorns up here I was there you talked about sticking both your feet as far down your mouth as you possibly could that's what this man did be careful where we point fingers here how many times do we stick our feet in our mouth because we have no idea who it is we're actually talking to we have no idea what that person has gone through in their life we have no idea the kind of hurts that they feel felt the kind of joys that they've felt the kind of victories that they've experienced the kinds of defeats that they have experienced we don't know how many times their life has been on the line we have no idea and yet we just come and blurt out say hey or you're the only one who is dot dot and we just fill it in with something there probably many many times that we stick our own feet in our mouth because we have no idea who it is that we're talking to this disciple doesn't recognize Jesus and he accuses him of having no knowledge of what happened at the crucifixion yet he's looking at the crucified and risen Lord incredible the most ironic statement in history verse 19 and he said to them Jesus said to them what things tell me about this weekend and they said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth listen to this right theology concerning Jesus of Nazareth a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God literally in the opinion in the eyes of God and all the people it's one thing to be high and mighty in the eyes of many people in this world there are a number of people in this world who are mighty and word indeed before the world aren't they we call them icons we call them stars we call them idols but there are very few in history that are mighty in word indeed before God these men look very highly at Jesus and say without a doubt God approved of that man he was high in God's estimation a man who is a prophet mighty in deed 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 but we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel you can see that their hopes seem to have been that we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel but now we are headed back home we have not seen the risen Lord it's now the third day our hopes have been dashed yes and besides all this it is now the third day since these things happen verse 22 says moreover some women of our company amazed us they were at the tomb early in the morning and when they did not find his body they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive they haven't believed the word of God about the resurrection of the Christ they haven't believed the word of angels about the resurrection of Christ they haven't believed the word about the of these women about the resurrection of Christ and then it says in verse 24 some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said but him they did not see so now they just don't believe the words of Peter and John of the resurrection of Jesus these men don't believe anyone's testimony they are so slow of heart to believe and that's exactly what Jesus says them verse 25 and jesus said to them o foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory he says look have you not read Isaiah 52 all the way down through the through the 53rd chapter have you not read Psalm 22 have you not read the words of Moses beginning in Genesis all the way through the prophets ending in Malachi have you not read the Old Testament do you not know that Jesus was supposed to die and then he would raise from the dead and if you have read it why are you slow to believe it look at verse 27 the greatest sermon never to be recorded what I would give to have been able to walk with Jesus at that moment and hear that sermon verse 27 says in beginning with Moses that means beginning in Genesis and all the prophets ending in Malachi he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself incredible there are many people in this world I'm gonna get on the soapbox here for a second to soapboxes in fact there are many people in this world who talk about the Old Testament as obsolete its obsolete for for us we're New Testament people we're the New Testament church the Old Testament is about Yahweh apparently Jesus thinks the Old Testament is all about him the Old Testament is not just for Jews the Old Testament is for all people the Old Testament and the New Testament every bit of it is Christocentric it's all about Jesus Jesus is the center of everything in Scripture the purpose of every letter every punctuate of mark in the Bible is to declare the glories of God through His Son Jesus Christ who has revealed himself to mankind as the propitiation and the redemption of all peoples who believe that is the purpose of all scriptures don't discount a single passage that you come upon in the Bible here's the second soapbox that I'll stand on if it was Jesus's job and duty to declare to the disciples the Christ from all of the Scriptures then it is certainly the duty of every preacher to do the same it is not the duty of preachers to stand behind a pulpit and tell stories or jokes or to be amusing to people it is their job to do Luke 24 27 explain Jesus from Moses to John to revelation to the end that's their duty talk about Jesus get off the stage and go home because it's not about us the Bible is not about us the Bible is about Jesus what I would give to have been there at that sermon I'd walk seven miles and a little bit more with Jesus just to hear that and beginning with Moses and all all the prophets he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself you know when you read the Old Testament and you don't see Jesus you're reading it wrong because according to Jesus the Old Testament is all about him preparing us for his coming preparing us for his person and his work look at verse 28 so they the disciples and Jesus drew near to the village to which they were going he that's Jesus acted as if he were going farther but they urged him strongly saying stay with us for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent they show hospitality to Jesus don't they a stranger they met on the road they have no idea who this man is other than the fact that he loves God and he really knows the scriptures and he loves Jesus but they show great hospitality two reasons why you should show hospitality to strangers one is God tells you to Matthew 22 verse 39 love your neighbor as yourself the second reason you ought to show hospitality in the neighbor or to strangers the writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews chapter thirteen verse two he tells us that people who have entertained strangers have unbeknownst to them some of them entertained angels these two men these disciples on the way to Emmaus they're not entertaining an angel they are entertaining the creator of the angels it's a good thing that they love their neighbor as himself they said hey come and stay with us it's getting late it's getting dark it's not safe outside come have a bite to eat with us we ought to be quick to be hospitable to people so he went in to stay with them verse 30 when he was at table with them he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them you know when people say prayers a lot of times they say the same things don't they if you listen to somebody pray enough times you'll hear them say the same statements right a lot of times that that's because that statement is correct it's correct to say our Father in heaven Hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven it's correct you can't improve upon that this is what I'm thinking took place here Jesus sits down with these disciples no doubt he had eaten dinner with them many times before that and the guest of honor the teacher he's the one that's gonna say the blessing he sits down he takes the bread he breaks it and he blesses it and as he begins to pray they go I've heard that prayer before I've heard somebody say that before I've heard one person pray like that in my life the one who we asked Lord teach us to pray nobody's prayed like that what does it say in verse 31 and their eyes were opened their eyes were shut earlier but now their eyes were opened you know that verb is not in the active that verb is also in the passive now that they have heard about Jesus in all the Old Testament now that they see Jesus rightly in their heart God is going to let them see Jesus rightly in their eyes so that verb is in the passive meaning God has acted upon them and he has opened their eyes to see the Lord Jesus rightly if you see Jesus rightly it is not a credit to you it's a credit to God and their eyes were open and they recognized him and he vanished from their sight they said to each other listen to this verse 32 did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road while he opened to us the scripture you're gonna get a grammatical lesson here today about verbs because that verb burn is also in the passive who made their hearts to burn it was not these men it was God made their heart to burn as Jesus is talking saying the things of God the Holy Spirit is testifying to their heart making their heart turn circles and fire up and light up and there's something someone telling them what this man is saying is true you ought to believe it and so their stomach is on fire and they just don't know what they're supposed to do about it there are many people who come to church on a weekly basis they hear a sermon and they get all excited and warm and their heart is burning in them and they go home wondering what happened don't you know that when your heart is burning that that is God saying something to you that is God in the presence of his holy spirit telling you that what is being said is true and when your heart burns you need to act on it you need to obey so many people go home from church with heartburn but they do nothing about it they make no decision about it they just said me and that sermon made me feel weird not the sermon it's God God's making your heart to burn you just need to act on it did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road while he opened to us the scriptures verse 33 says and they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem and they found the eleven and those who are with them gathered together saying the Lord has risen or has been raised passive again he has been raised up by God the Lord has risen indeed and has appeared to Simon because Jesus is raised indeed there's work for these men to do there is a message for them to preach and so that very hour once they see Jesus rightly they've got to tell somebody and when you see Jesus rightly you are not meant to just store that up in your heart and feel good about it when you see Jesus rightly you're supposed to do the same thing that these disciples did you're supposed to tell somebody tell somebody the Lord has risen indeed I know it for a fact God has spoken to my heart and he has confirmed his word what fills these men with boldness they heard the testimony of Jesus that he would be raised from the dead they heard the testimony of Mary Magdalene and the other women that Jesus had been raised they had seen angels they had heard the testimony of John and Peter who said yet when we went to it was exactly as they said Jesus is nowhere to be found these men believe it's an idol till in fact they pack up their stuff and they're going home what has changed these men's mind have the disciples proven their word to be true no Mary Magdalene and the women have they proven their word to be true no have the Angels proven their own word to be true no who proved this word to be true Jesus himself you see their hope now that leads them to go preach is not based in hypotheticals anymore their hope is based on the certainty of God's promises and those who believe in him they'll never be disappointed Florida's risen indeed and has appeared to Simon then they told what had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread as a Christian or asked somebody who is looking at Jesus wondering should I place my faith in Christ should I believe in the Lord Jesus should I trust myself with him what if see that that's the language of uncertainty isn't it woulda shoulda coulda what if maybe this maybe that how will it turn out the language of uncertainty when you look at the decision of whether or not you should give your life to Jesus and become a Christian don't say to yourself what if I'm wrong and the reason you shouldn't say to yourself what if I'm wrong and in the end Jesus is not right what do I do how does my life turn out if I missed out on everything am I gonna go to hell what if don't don't say that that doesn't even come up in the conversation when you're thinking about giving your life to Jesus remember that hope in Jesus is not based on hypotheticals it is based on the certainty of God's promises and those who believe in him they're never disappointed these two witnesses are enough to condemn somebody in a court of law where there are two or three witnesses every fact is confirmed the Apostle Paul tells us in first Corinthians that not just two witnesses saw Jesus face-to-face but over five hundred eye witnesses saw Jesus Jesus and faith in him is not a hypothetical there is no chance there is no possibility it is certainty and the apostles furthermore in the book of Acts tell us that God has certainly promised and proven this fact that he is appointed a day in which he will judge the living in the dead by the man Christ Jesus whom he raised up from the dead so you better place your hope in the one who is certain the one who is sure did you pray with me you

Channel: Dr. Jordan Neal Rogers

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Keywords: sermon, record, recorded, Emmaus, disciple, disciples, road, Gospel, Christ, Jesus, Lord, risen, raised, resurrect, resurrected, resurrection, hope, help, Yahweh, Jehovah, Holy Spirit, Father, teach, Bible, Scripture, Old Testament, Old, Testament, New, New Testament, preaching, teaching, expository, exposition, exegesis, exegetical, expository preaching, Messiah, Messianic, Jew, Jewish, Hosanna, Yeshua, grace, mercy, Nederland, Texas, Hillcrest, Baptist, Church, Jordan, Rogers, Jordan Rogers

Id: PxIldOr6iTM

Length: 36min 27sec (2187 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 20 2016