Participants: John Lomacang
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000581S
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01:01 Well, Happy Sabbath, and welcome
01:04 to the Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:06 here in Thompsonville. 01:08 We want to welcome each and every one 01:10 of our members 01:11 and all of those who are visiting with us today. 01:13 And we also want to welcome 01:15 all of you who are watching from around the world, 01:18 maybe by television, or internet, 01:20 or maybe listening on the radio. 01:23 We're coming to you today live 01:25 from the 3ABN Worship Center here on our campus. 01:28 And you know, we've had a wonderful week 01:30 here this week, haven't we? 01:32 We've had a Focus on Revival. 01:35 And today, we're going to do 01:37 a second part in a three part series. 01:40 Our speaker today will be Pastor John Lomacang, 01:44 and he is our senior pastor here at Thompsonville 01:46 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:48 And you know, John has an extremely impressive resume, 01:52 but I'm not going to go through it 01:54 because we're not here today to lift up a man, 01:56 but rather to lift up Jesus Christ that 01:59 He may draw all men to Himself. 02:01 Say amen. 02:03 You know, I was thinking how interesting it is 02:06 when we have a week of revival. 02:09 In this congregation, 02:10 probably 90% of the people work in ministry full-time. 02:15 And you know there are people out there 02:17 who might look at us and think, 02:18 why do they need revival when they're in ministry. 02:21 Galatians 6:9 says, 02:24 "Do not grow weary in doing well, 02:27 for you will reap a harvest 02:29 in due season if you do not faint." 02:31 But you know something, 02:33 we're just like everybody else, aren't we? 02:35 It doesn't matter that 02:36 you're working full-time for the Lord. 02:38 We can grow weary in doing well. 02:41 And if you want to put 02:43 a finger on your spiritual pulse, 02:46 then here's the secret. 02:47 Check the devotional time. What is your prayer life like? 02:51 What is your time of spending in the Word? 02:57 And how much are you seeking day by day 03:00 to be filled with the Holy Spirit 03:02 and with God's love? 03:03 Let's go to the Lord in prayer. 03:06 Heavenly Father, we come this morning 03:09 to worship and to honor You. 03:12 We come, Father God, to surrender ourselves to You. 03:16 I ask in the name of Jesus, Father, 03:19 that You will be with this service 03:21 in a special way today. 03:23 I pray for John that You will help him 03:25 to be emptied of self and to be filled with You. 03:28 I pray, Father, that You will give him words 03:31 straight from Your throne of grace, Lord. 03:34 Words, Father, that have transforming power. 03:37 I pray, Father God, 03:39 that You will help each one of us 03:41 to plow up any hardened area in our hearts and to seek You, 03:46 Father, until you rain righteousness on us. 03:49 Revive us, O Lord, is our cry. 03:52 And we ask these things for the glory of Your name 03:55 and in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. 03:57 Amen. 03:59 Well, now it's my pleasure to introduce Angela Lomacang, 04:02 wife of our senior pastor, 04:04 and she's going to be doing our scripture reading. 04:07 Angela. Thank you, Shelley. 04:12 She's so wonderful, well spoken. 04:16 Right now we're going to be reading something 04:18 from the Scripture and whenever 04:20 we open the Word of God, 04:22 we know that we receive food for eternal life. 04:25 So right now I'd like you to turn to 04:27 Luke 24:30-32. 04:34 That's Luke 24:30-32. 04:41 If you're there, say amen. Amen. 04:44 And those of you at home, you could do the same. 04:48 Okay. 04:49 "Now it came to pass, 04:50 as He sat at the table with them, 04:53 that He took bread, blessed and broke it, 04:56 and gave it to them. 04:58 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him, 05:04 and He vanished from their sight. 05:07 And they said to one another, 05:09 'Did not our hearts burn within us 05:13 while He talked with us on the road, 05:16 and while He opened the Scriptures to us?'" 05:20 May the Lord add a blessing to the reading 05:22 here in an application of His most holy word. 05:26 Amen. 05:28 Thank you, Angela. 05:30 You know, God wants us 05:32 to quit being seekers of His hand. 05:36 Do you know what I'm saying? 05:38 When we just go before the Lord and say, 05:40 "Lord, this is what I need, that's what I need. 05:43 What God wants His people to do is to wake up 05:48 and become seekers of His face, seekers of His heart. 05:53 And now it's my pleasure to introduce Denise Barclay, 05:57 who is going to be singing a very anointed song, 06:00 "Seekers of your Heart." 06:12 Before we give You first place 06:19 Before we let You begin 06:26 To fill us with Your spirit 06:34 Renew us from within 06:42 Nothing matters 06:49 Nothing's gained 06:54 Without Your Holy presence 07:01 Our lives are lived in vain 07:10 Lord, we want to know You 07:17 Live our lives to show You 07:24 All the love we owe You 07:31 We're seekers of your heart 07:48 Because your heart was broken 07:54 Because You saw the need 08:00 Because You gave so freely 08:07 Because of Calvary 08:15 We can now be 08:21 Called Your own 08:26 Completed creations 08:33 Filled with You alone 08:41 Lord, we want to know You 08:49 Live our lives to show You 08:55 All the love we owe You 09:02 We're seekers of your heart 09:12 Lord, we want to know You 09:19 Live our lives to show You 09:26 All the love we owe You 09:33 We're seekers of Seekers of 09:41 We're seekers of Your heart 09:58 Amen. 10:05 Let us pray. 10:09 Gracious Father, this morning we come 10:12 to open our hearts and not our hands. 10:18 And, Father, we invite You in to come now 10:20 and to remove, as it may be the obstacles 10:25 that are erected to prevent the Spirit of God 10:28 from communicating to us this morning 10:30 the wonderful words of life. 10:34 Lord, we open our hands that 10:36 You may lead us and give us strength in our voice, 10:40 that Your words of eternal life may be heard this day, 10:45 that someone listening may find hope, and strength, 10:48 and courage, and salvation in none other 10:52 than the person of Jesus Christ. 10:55 And we pray this in His holy name. 10:58 Amen. 11:01 The message this morning is entitled "Hot Water." 11:03 Say that with me. What is it? 11:05 Hot Water. 11:07 The difference between 11:10 hot water and comfortable water 11:14 could be something as simple as the direction 11:17 Your life is taking. 11:19 Today we're going to go to the Book of Luke Chapter 24 11:21 and see in the lives of two 11:23 of the many disciples of Jesus Christ. 11:28 They knew Christ. 11:30 They were His followers, 11:33 but the direction of their lives 11:35 made all the difference between finding peace 11:40 and going in the direction of hot water. 11:43 It was a very interesting story 11:44 in the scriptures that opens to us, 11:47 that sometimes we could be so absorbed 11:49 in our discouragement that 11:51 we could miss Jesus Christ who is right by us. 11:55 Sometimes we could be 11:56 so absorbed in our disappointment 11:59 that we miss the greater appointment that 12:01 Jesus has made with us. 12:04 Sometimes we can be 12:05 so let down in our spiritual journey, 12:08 that we fail to realize that 12:09 Jesus is walking with us in that very journey. 12:14 The Bible says in Luke 24:13, 12:17 "Now behold, two of them were traveling 12:20 that same day to a village called Emmaus, 12:26 which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 12:29 And they talked together 12:31 of all these things which had happened." 12:34 When the Bible says that same day, 12:36 the Bible means the day of the resurrection. 12:39 These two disciples were returning from Jerusalem. 12:42 They had heard about 12:44 the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 12:45 They had heard about 12:47 the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 12:48 They had heard about the disappointing news 12:51 that the disciples hiding for fear of the Jews 12:55 had all been crushed by the idea 12:58 that Jesus had died. 13:00 But they also heard the news that Jesus rose. 13:02 They heard that 13:04 when the women went to the tomb, 13:05 they did not find the body of Jesus. 13:07 They also heard that these women said 13:10 that they had a divine encounter. 13:11 They had seen two angels that said, 13:14 "He is not here, but He is risen." 13:16 They had heard the good news but still, they had missed. 13:20 And they went out on their way back to Emmaus. 13:23 Emmaus by the way means hot water. 13:27 They were on their way to hot water 13:28 with all the good news in their hearts, 13:30 they were still going with the wrong attitude 13:33 in the wrong direction. 13:35 And every step they took made this seven mile journey 13:40 that much more difficult, 13:42 because they focused more on the bad news 13:45 than the good news that Jesus had rose. 13:48 Now, Brethren, I want to say at the beginning, 13:50 there are many disciples of Christ that are here. 13:53 There are many disciples of Christ joining us 13:55 via satellite listening on the radio, 13:58 but unless we focus on the good news, 14:01 our journey is going to be a difficult journey 14:04 even though Jesus is walking with us. 14:05 Can you say amen? 14:07 There's good news today. 14:08 The good news is that Jesus is alive forevermore. 14:11 The good news is that Jesus is coming again. 14:14 These were disciples of Christ and, Brother, 14:17 there are times that no matter how good the news is, 14:22 disappointing news sometimes seems to 14:24 manufacture its own clouds. 14:27 I mean, there are days when you get news, 14:29 it seems as though you are the only person 14:31 walking around with a rain cloud 14:33 above your head. 14:34 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 14:36 I mean, you get news that 14:38 the doctor's report is the negative one, 14:40 or somebody in your family is about to pass away, 14:44 or the check is not going to show up when you need it. 14:47 And instead of focusing on the fact that 14:49 Jesus can answer our prayers, at the last second, 14:52 we walk around, and we manufacture our clouds 14:56 of disappointment. 14:57 And although there's joy and glee all around us, 15:01 because we fail to see Jesus. 15:04 We are walking on the road to Emmaus. 15:06 Now, Ellen White says in Desire of Ages 15:08 that these two disciples, 15:10 not one of the 12, but one of the 70. 15:13 They were not close to Jesus, but they had seen Jesus. 15:17 They had been converted by the words of Jesus. 15:20 They knew Him as their Savior 15:22 and their Lord and their Master. 15:24 They heard the news that He had arose, 15:27 but they were going home to get absorbed 15:29 in their disappointment. 15:30 And she says, on page 795, they were now returning 15:35 to their homes to meditate and pray. 15:37 And never before 15:39 had they been so utterly disheartened, 15:42 hopeless and faithless. 15:44 They were walking in the shadow, 15:46 not the light of the cross. 15:49 But I want to say this. 15:50 Just when you think that there is no place that 15:53 Jesus can be found, Brother, the good news is, 15:56 there is no place that Jesus cannot be found. 15:58 What do you say? 16:00 Just when it looks like Jesus has disappeared, 16:03 Jesus is always present. 16:06 They were on their road, but Jesus was with them. 16:09 David the Psalmist says in Psalms 34:18, 16:12 "The Lord is near to the broken heart 16:15 and saves those who are crushed in spirit." 16:18 And I want to say this, when God is near, 16:21 and we realize that everything else seems small 16:24 in comparison to God. 16:26 What do you say? 16:27 I mean, what's big in comparison to God? 16:29 Think about it. 16:31 We are a dust on a speck of dust, 16:35 in a speck of dust called the universe, 16:37 but God the Bible says He spake and it was done. 16:41 He commanded and it stood fast. 16:44 Whenever my wife and I are flying in an airplane, 16:46 I'm always amazed because I look out the window 16:48 and I never see people. 16:51 And I'm only 35,000 feet maybe looking down. 16:53 But what amazes me so much is that 16:55 God no matter how many people are alive, 16:59 no matter how many worlds God has to monitor, 17:02 He's large enough to keep that all together 17:04 but small enough to abide in our hearts. 17:06 What do you say? 17:08 So we don't have a God that's absent. 17:10 But there are times when God is near 17:14 and we don't even know it. 17:17 There are times when God is right with us, 17:20 and we cannot perceive His presence. 17:22 The Bible says in Luke 24, look with me to verse 15. 17:27 "So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, 17:32 that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 17:36 But their eyes were restrained, so they did not know Him. 17:42 And He said to them, 17:43 'What kind of conversation is this that you have 17:47 with one another as you walk and are sad?'" 17:50 I'm gonna say today, one of the reasons 17:51 why we have the kind of conversations 17:53 that we do is because we fail to realize that 17:56 Jesus is always near. 17:59 Let me say that again, you didn't hear that. 18:03 There would have been a hearty amen 18:04 if you really heard that. 18:05 One of the reasons why we talk the way we do is 18:07 we fail to realize that Jesus is always near. 18:09 What do you say? 18:11 Let me break that down. 18:12 If we knew that Jesus 18:14 was listening in on our conversation, 18:16 what would we say differently about the person we don't like? 18:21 If we knew that Jesus was always listening in, 18:26 what would we say differently about 18:28 our pastoral staff? 18:32 If we knew that Jesus was always listening in, 18:36 what would we say about that brother or that sister 18:39 that knows when they're walking towards us 18:42 that every nerve ending it's at its own end? 18:47 And we turn them on and we say, "Oh, Lord, here they come." 18:49 What would we say differently if we knew that 18:52 Jesus was standing right by us? 18:53 What do we say? 18:55 Oh, Lord, here they come or rather than oh, Lord, 18:58 here they come. 18:59 Brethren, Jesus is always present 19:02 in our conversation, in our activity, 19:06 in our interaction with each other. 19:07 And so as the people of God realizing we are His followers, 19:11 we should always speak and have words that say, 19:15 we know that Jesus is there. 19:18 There are two people that I always suggest you avoid. 19:21 And you may not have met these people, 19:24 but the people that you should never invite to your house 19:27 are Brother Gloom and Sister Doom. 19:31 You know why? 19:32 I think that these two disciples 19:34 were caught off guard. 19:36 And although Jesus was walking with them, 19:38 all they saw was Brother Gloom and Sister Doom. 19:42 I mean, think about it, some of the conversations 19:44 we have on the telephone. 19:45 And by the way, if you look at 19:46 some of your phone bills, it's a crime. 19:48 But wouldn't it be nice if our phone bills were high 19:51 because we're spending time calling somebody, 19:54 telling them about the goodness of God? 19:56 What do you say? 19:57 I mean, wouldn't it be nice if our phone bills are high 20:00 because we're busy calling people saying, 20:02 you need to come to church for Sabbath, 20:04 you need to come to the house of God, you need prayer. 20:07 Wouldn't it be nice 20:09 if our phone bills are expensive 20:12 because we're spending money to find out 20:14 how to get somebody into the kingdom of God? 20:17 Wouldn't it be nice, 20:21 if we have to sign a contract with Verizon 20:25 because all we do on the phone is call people and tell them 20:29 how wonderful it is to have pastors like Pastor John 20:33 and Pastor John who are doing their best. 20:35 Come on and say amen. Wouldn't it be nice? 20:39 It would be nice, Brethren, but I want to say, 20:43 as the people of God, 20:45 how can we use our energies any differently than we are? 20:49 These two disciples, to my amazement, 20:55 they spoke as though Jesus was not there. 20:58 And how could they be discouraged 21:00 in the presence of Jesus. 21:02 It is very easy. 21:03 There's some of us that are discouraged in God's presence. 21:05 You know why? 21:07 Because we focus more on our trial 21:09 than the one who is walking with us in our trials. 21:12 We focus more on our disappointment 21:14 than the one who is there to carry our burdens. 21:17 We focus more on the hard things 21:19 that are happening, rather than the one 21:21 who knows no defeat. 21:22 How could a disciple of Christ be discouraged 21:25 in His presence? 21:26 Easy, by looking at the problem rather than the problem solver. 21:31 Now, there are those of you 21:32 who are sitting here this morning, 21:33 but your mind is somewhere else. 21:35 You're thinking about how that bill is going to 21:36 get paid this week. 21:37 You're thinking about the move that you have to make. 21:39 You're thinking about 21:40 your child that has not yet given 21:41 his or her life back to Christ. 21:43 You're thinking about your wife or your husband 21:45 that does not know what it means to have 21:46 a personal walk with God. 21:48 And as a disciple of Christ, you're discouraged 21:50 because you're focusing more on the human side 21:53 than the divine side. 21:54 But, Brethren, here's the good news. 21:56 Jesus is not just going to give your family up to the devil. 21:59 What do you say? 22:00 Because He has died to win the battle, 22:04 not to lose the battle, and Jesus said, 22:06 "He's not willing that any of us should perish." 22:10 So the devil may look like he's big and bad, 22:13 but God always has the final word, 22:15 and God's people said what? 22:17 Amen! God always is a step ahead. 22:18 That's why Oswald Chambers says this, 22:21 "Discouragement always comes 22:23 when we insist on having our own way." 22:27 You know, sometimes God allows our problems 22:30 to linger longer than they need to. 22:32 Sometimes God allows us to go through trials 22:36 longer than we need to. 22:37 And I believe I found out the reason why. 22:40 You know what, I've learned more about God 22:42 in long trials than I did in short trials. 22:46 You missed that? 22:48 Brother Matt, excuse me. 22:50 I've learned more about God 22:52 in long periods of difficulty 22:55 than I do in momentary glimpses of difficulty. 22:58 I've learned more about God 23:00 when my life is really on the line 23:02 than I do when, oh, that was a close call. 23:05 The reason why the Lord does not always 23:07 remove our trials instantly is because sometimes 23:11 we won't learn the lesson that we need to learn. 23:13 And that trial will come back all too soon. 23:18 That's why the disciples had to walk with Jesus 23:20 in their trials. 23:22 Jesus didn't just say, "Hey, Cleophas, how you doing? 23:24 My name is Jesus." 23:25 Jesus came into the conversation, 23:27 walk with them, 23:28 listen to their discouraging conversation, 23:31 and did not reveal Himself by saying, 23:35 I am the Christ. 23:38 He had a lesson for these two disciples 23:42 to learn that they would not have learned 23:45 if Jesus had told them at the very outset that 23:47 He was there. 23:48 And sometimes, Brethren, 23:50 that's why the Lord doesn't call you and say, 23:51 you know what? 23:52 I know that you have a bill due on Friday morning 23:54 at 7 o'clock. 23:56 I'm telling you on Monday, I got it taken care of. 23:59 Wouldn't you like if the Lord did that every now and then? 24:04 If every now and then the Lord says, 24:05 "I know that you're going to the doctor 24:06 to get a checkup. 24:08 And I know you felt a lump this week, 24:09 but I want to let you know that in about four months, 24:12 that lump will just be a memory. 24:14 Don't worry about it." 24:17 Wouldn't it be nice if the Lord sent us a letter 24:18 every now and then that says, 24:20 "At the end of the year, 24:21 you're not going to owe any taxes?" 24:25 Wouldn't it be nice if the Lord said to us, 24:27 "I know you got a long journey, 24:31 but your car is not going to break down in the desert. 24:35 Don't worry about that tire that looks bald. 24:37 I'm going to carry you through. 24:39 If I can take Moses through the wilderness 24:41 with one slipper, 24:42 I can take you anywhere you need to go on a bald tire. 24:45 Can you say amen? 24:46 But the Lord does not do that, 24:49 because we walk by faith and not by sight. 24:52 We walk by trusting God, not by God giving us 24:55 all the details of His divine agenda. 24:59 These disciples needed to get 25:02 some lessons learned before 25:04 Jesus revealed Himself to them. 25:06 And the very next text is striking to me, Luke 24:18. 25:09 They had what I call 25:11 a blind conversation with Jesus, 25:13 and I want to say something for a moment. 25:15 Some of us have blind conversations with Jesus, 25:18 or you don't know what I mean. 25:20 Some of you kneel down and pray. 25:25 And you get up off your knees after your prayer. 25:28 And after you said, "Lord, take my burden from me." 25:31 You get up off your knees and you walk away like that 25:34 burden is still on your back. 25:37 I call that a blind conversation with God. 25:41 I call that blind prayers. 25:43 How can you kneel 25:45 before the richest person ever to exist 25:49 and will never cease to exist 25:51 and pray about a $25 phone bill? 25:55 How can you look at God 25:56 who can create anything and fail to realize that 26:00 God can recreate in you His divine image? 26:05 Blind conversations, praying to God, 26:08 looking at Him, calling on His name, 26:10 and failing to realize He's right before us. 26:13 They had a blind conversation with God. 26:15 Look at this very ridiculous text. 26:18 And I say it's ridiculous because these are disciples 26:21 saying this to their master. 26:22 Notice Luke 24:18, the Bible says, 26:26 "Then the one whose name was Cleopas 26:28 answered and said to Him," talking to Jesus, 26:32 now this is an amazing thing, 26:34 "'Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, 26:36 and have You not known the things 26:38 which happened there these days?'" 26:41 Brethren, I am so glad to say 26:43 that in the midst of our dilemma, 26:46 the Lord always knows about our problems, 26:49 more than we know about our problems. 26:50 What do you say? Now get this, you missed that. 26:53 They said to Jesus, "Are you the only stranger." 26:58 Can you imagine? Can you imagine? 27:00 Now, we're not talking about thinking that Jesus is there, 27:03 Jesus is there. 27:05 He's walking with them. 27:07 They turn around and look Him square in the face. 27:11 And they say to the one who just defeated death, 27:15 the one who just whipped the cross, 27:18 the one who just said to the devil, 27:20 "You got a short time, make it a good one." 27:23 They say to the one that just told a stone, 27:25 "It's time to move out of the way." 27:28 They just said to the 100 soldiers, 27:30 Jesus said to the 100 soldiers, "Time to go to sleep. 27:33 My father is calling Me." 27:36 And He's walking right by their side, 27:37 and they're saying to Him as His disciples, 27:40 "Are You the only stranger that 27:42 don't know what happened here today?" 27:46 Don't know what happened? 27:48 And Jesus bore with them. 27:51 He didn't say, not only did I not know what happened. 27:53 I was in the midst of the fray. 27:55 He didn't say that. 27:58 That's why sometimes you pray and you say, 28:00 "When is God going to answer my prayer?" 28:02 Sometimes He let that prayer linger long enough. 28:04 So you can realize, Brethren, 28:06 you don't need to get an answer. 28:07 All you need to know is that I am. 28:12 That's why I say God's promises are like stars. 28:15 The darker the night, Brother, 28:17 the brighter those stars are going to shine, amen? 28:19 So when it seems dark, the stars are still there. 28:23 When it seems like you can't see Jesus, 28:25 He is right there. 28:27 Well, the story continues. 28:29 Because what amazes me 28:30 is when the Lord asks us questions, 28:32 He does not asks us questions for information. 28:34 He asks us questions for testimony. 28:36 Look now to Luke 24:19, 28:39 because Jesus had to break 28:41 past this funky conversation 28:43 and find a way to get to the minds of His disciples. 28:47 He said to them in verse 19, "What things..." 28:51 Now let me ask you a question. 28:52 He said, "What things did Jesus know 28:55 what things happened in Jerusalem?" 28:58 He knew exactly what happened. 28:59 But, Brethren, 29:00 He was not asking for information. 29:02 He was asking for personal testimony. 29:04 He was not saying, "Tell me about the cross." 29:07 He was not saying, "What events in Jerusalem." 29:09 He wanted them to say, 29:11 "Did you witness any change in the events of Jerusalem." 29:14 What things and then he goes on to say, 29:17 and then they said to him, 29:18 the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth. 29:22 Now, this blew me away. This blew me away. 29:24 I'm not going to read the rest of the verse, you read that. 29:27 This blew me away because they began to inform 29:29 Jesus about Jesus. 29:31 Brethren, they began to tell Jesus about Jesus. 29:36 Come on and say amen. 29:38 They began to tell Jesus about Jesus. 29:42 What could you tell Jesus about Himself 29:45 that He does not know. 29:47 Matter of fact, I would haste to say that 29:48 while they're telling Jesus about Jesus, 29:50 they were leaving out all the details that 29:52 Jesus had already known, and He entertained them. 29:54 Let me say it, I could imagine, if I was God, 29:56 I would have said, tell me more. 29:57 Tell me more. I missed that. 29:58 Tell me more. 30:00 The Lord heard them telling Him about Himself. 30:02 And He allowed them, but I like the way He broke in, 30:05 because the Lord sometimes allows us to go far. 30:08 But I praise God that the Lord does not allow us 30:11 to make an absolute fool of ourselves. 30:21 Verse 21, they said, "We were hoping. 30:24 We were hoping." 30:26 And after they got through all the texts, 30:27 the next three verses Cleopas was telling Jesus 30:31 about the resurrection. 30:32 But if you look at the end of verse 24, 30:34 look there with me, the end of verse 24. 30:36 The Bible reveals at the end of the account 30:39 of what Cleopas said, the Bible reveals exactly 30:43 what the problem was. 30:45 And it says these six words, "But him they," 30:50 come on say it with me, "did not see." 30:54 Cleopas went through 30:55 all the scriptural details about 30:57 what happened in Jerusalem, but I wanna say this today, 31:00 Brethren, if you are a follower of Christ, 31:02 you'll realize that sometimes scriptural detail 31:05 is not enough. 31:07 Are you there this morning? 31:10 Sometimes scriptural detail is not enough. 31:13 You can read your Bible. 31:15 But if you fail to realize that it's not just the Word, 31:17 but the living Word, 31:19 the scriptural detail cannot get you 31:21 out of your dilemma 31:22 if you fail to realize Jesus is with you. 31:25 Sometimes it's got to be more than theology. 31:27 They will write about the theology of the cross. 31:29 But Jesus was there 31:31 and they were still discouraged. 31:32 They were telling Jesus about Jesus. 31:34 Sometimes having it all together is not enough. 31:37 Let me make that even clear up. 31:40 Knowing the 2300 days is a good thing. 31:46 But knowing the Christ of the 2300 days 31:49 is a whole lot better. 31:52 There're some folk that have been 31:53 Adventist all their lives, 31:55 and they still don't know what they believe. 31:59 Now, I wanna say this, that's not all right. 32:02 Because Paul the Apostle 32:03 or whoever wrote the Book of Hebrews said, 32:06 that by the time that 32:07 we should be handling the meat of the Word, 32:10 we need to be taught all over again 32:12 the very oracles of God. 32:16 God does not want grown up children. 32:21 The Lord wants us to mature in the knowledge of His Word, 32:25 so that we can go out and become effective disciples 32:28 for the winning of souls to the kingdom of God. 32:30 Can you say amen? 32:32 And so these disciples that had 32:33 all the theological details together, 32:36 how it happen sometimes is not nearly important 32:40 as it did happen. 32:42 How it happened is not always as important as it did happen. 32:47 They're saying to Jesus, you know what happened 32:49 and they're telling Him how it happened. 32:50 He's saying, "Brethren, you're caught off guard. 32:52 Let me just tell you that it did happen." 32:54 And that's good enough sometimes for us 32:56 that Jesus rose again is good enough. 32:59 Here's what I want to make the illustration. 33:00 Some people are fighting as to whether or not 33:02 He rose on Sunday, on Monday, 33:05 whether or not He went in the tomb on 33:06 Thursday, on Wednesday. 33:07 I don't care when He went in. 33:09 I don't care when He got out. 33:10 I'm glad that He got out. What do you say? 33:13 So you go ahead and fight with that theology 33:14 and pit yourself against each other. 33:16 It was 72 hours some say, some say it was more than 72. 33:19 Brethren, I don't care how long He was in there, 33:21 as long as He's not in there anymore. 33:23 That's the good news for me. 33:27 Some people say, Sunday is the best day. 33:28 Some people say, Sabbath is the best day. 33:30 That's vitally important, Brother. 33:34 So don't throw that one into the pile 33:36 of it does not matter. 33:38 It does matter. 33:40 But don't forget this point. 33:42 You may go on Sunday, or you may go on Sabbath. 33:46 If you don't know Christ, 33:47 it does not matter what day you go. 33:52 Some folk go every Sabbath, don't know Jesus. 33:54 Some folk go every Sunday, 33:56 and they know as much as they can, 33:57 until the Lord reveals more. 33:59 Don't get caught up in the idea that 34:00 you're Seventh-day Adventist 34:02 or Seventh-day Adventist without Jesus is dangerous. 34:06 A vegetarian without Jesus is dangerous 34:08 because they tell me that 34:09 vegetables catch on fire real fast 34:12 when they're dry. 34:14 So, Brethren, it's not your diet, 34:16 not your external dress, 34:18 not your theological debates that you can win. 34:21 But it's first and foremost, Jesus, as Paul says, 34:24 I desire to know nothing but Him crucified and risen. 34:28 And I add coming again. 34:31 Telling Jesus about Jesus is a ridiculous thing, 34:33 but Jesus decided to break it in verse 24. 34:36 You know what? What gets me is this. 34:39 They thought they knew something, 34:40 Pastor Murray, but the all knowing one 34:43 was about to tell them what they did not know. 34:46 Luke 24:25, 34:50 "And then He said to them, 'O foolish ones, 34:53 and slow of a heart to believe in all that 34:58 the prophet have spoken." 34:59 And then verse 27 says, 35:01 "He expounded to them in all the scriptures 35:05 the things concerning Himself." 35:08 How much Bible did Jesus use? 35:10 Say it with me, all. 35:11 Now, Brethren, I've given Bible studies before. 35:14 But can you imagine getting a Bible study from Jesus? 35:18 What verse is that? 35:19 Oh, He'll tell you exactly where it is. 35:21 What chapter is that? 35:23 Oh, they put in there, what they need you to know. 35:25 But let me tell you what's more behind that 35:27 because Luke the doctor said, 35:29 "If they wrote everything there is to write about Jesus, 35:33 not even the earth itself could contain all the books." 35:39 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 35:42 Thank you for that, my brother. 35:44 If the Bible wrote everything 35:47 that needs to be contained about Jesus, 35:51 the world itself could not contain 35:52 the books that are written. 35:54 What do you say? 35:56 But they're about to tell the great I am 35:59 about the great I am. 36:00 And then Jesus began to take them 36:02 from Genesis to Malachi. 36:04 The Alpha and the Omega was going to take them 36:07 from the beginning to the end. 36:08 And so Jesus began to remind them 36:10 as He's walking with them, 36:11 He takes them to Genesis, and He says, 36:14 "I am the seed that will destroy Satan." 36:17 Then he says in Exodus, "I am the lamb without spot 36:21 and without blemish." 36:22 He takes them to Numbers and says, 36:23 "I am the bronze serpent, 36:25 that if you look at him in the wilderness, 36:28 you shall live." 36:29 He takes them next to Numbers and says, 36:32 "I'm the star from Jacob. 36:34 I'm the scepter from Israel." 36:36 But, brethren, when He got to Isaiah 53, 36:38 He spent some time there. 36:39 What do you say? 36:41 Jesus said to them, "You're talking about grief. 36:43 You're talking about being despised and rejected." 36:45 Jesus says, "I was despised and rejected of men. 36:49 I am the man of sorrow. 36:51 I'm the one acquainted with grief." 36:53 What do you say now? 36:55 They thought they had grief, but Jesus says, "I am the one. 36:58 I'm the man of sorrow. 37:00 I'm the one acquainted with grief. 37:02 I was the one oppressed and afflicted not you. 37:04 I was the one lead as a lamb to the slaughter, not you. 37:09 And I did not even complain about it.? 37:13 Can you say amen? 37:14 Now, I want to say something about that. 37:16 A lot of us complain about everything that comes our way. 37:18 Jesus was led as a lamb to the slaughter. 37:21 And the Bible says, 37:22 "He didn't even open His mouth." 37:25 Now, that's what I call silent witness. 37:28 In the midst of difficulty, 37:29 the Lord sometimes wants us 37:31 to be a silent witness for His glory. 37:33 Instead of saying, "Oh, the devil did," say, 37:36 "In spite of what the devil tried to do, 37:39 Jesus prevailed nonetheless." 37:42 They thought they had difficulty. 37:44 Jesus said, "I am the one wounded 37:47 for your transgression. 37:49 I was the one bruised for your iniquity, 37:53 and by my stripes, you are healed." 37:56 Now that may have flown over your head 37:57 because you've heard that 1000 times before. 37:59 But, Brethren, just imagine Jesus 38:01 walking by your side saying to you, 38:03 "It's not about you, Brethren, it's about Me." 38:10 It's not about what you've been through. 38:11 It's about what I have been through. 38:13 It's not about whether or not you can save your family. 38:15 It's about the fact that I can save anybody 38:18 that come unto Me. 38:22 And there they are in their sorrow 38:24 and He's the man of sorrow. 38:26 You must have missed that. 38:27 There they are in their grief and He says, 38:30 "I am the one acquainted with real grief." 38:34 There they are thinking they had a tough day 38:36 and Jesus just got crucified. 38:40 There they are complaining about how bad life is. 38:43 And they never got their nails, their hands nailed to a cross. 38:48 There we are complaining of how tough life is. 38:51 And nobody ever stripped us of our clothing and beat us 38:54 to where we almost died. 38:57 There we are complaining about 38:58 what's going to happen tomorrow. 39:00 And Jesus is saying tomorrow 39:03 I'm going to rise from the grave. 39:07 So, Brethren, don't get caught in all the details of life 39:09 that sometimes tend to put 39:10 a wet blanket on what's happening, 39:12 because Jesus ever lives 39:13 to make intercession for all of us. 39:15 What do you say? 39:19 I would have loved to have been there. 39:20 You know why? 39:21 Because Jesus preached a sermon, 39:23 and He preached the best sermon about Jesus 39:25 because Jesus preached it. 39:29 Jesus preached the best sermon 39:33 ever heard about Jesus was preached by Jesus. 39:35 What do you say? 39:37 I mean, I would love to have been there 39:39 to hear Jesus preach. 39:40 He wouldn't have been nodding, 39:41 they wouldn't have been nodding like 39:43 some of you are nodding. 39:49 Unless you have sleep apnea, 39:56 you need to pray for divine intervention 39:59 because Satan does whatever he can 40:02 to cause the people of God 40:03 to miss the very thing they need to hear 40:06 when the Lord is speaking. 40:08 The battle of these last days is not a battle 40:11 fought with flesh and blood. 40:12 It is a spiritual battle. 40:14 It is a battle that is for the lives, 40:16 for the salvation of every person 40:18 walking this planet. 40:19 We come to church, and as soon as church is over, 40:21 we get back to life. 40:23 But when we're in church, and we sit down on those seats, 40:24 all of a sudden we feel like 40:26 we're on some posturepedic comfort mattress. 40:28 This is about salvation. 40:29 Don't let the devil woo you to sleep. 40:31 What do you say? 40:33 Fight that. 40:34 All of a sudden hard seats can become comfortable 40:36 because we fail to realize, this is a battle 40:39 not against flesh and blood. 40:41 If our eyes could be peeled back, 40:44 we'll see right in our very midst, 40:46 the battle between good and evil. 40:49 There's some here that are not converted this morning 40:51 and they have allowed evil influences to come in. 40:54 There's some here that are converted and praise God, 40:56 through them good influences have come in, 40:58 but there is a great controversy going on here 41:01 right now today. 41:04 We wrestle not against flesh and blood. 41:06 You know what I like about this sermon, 41:08 it began to say, 41:09 there's something about Jesus Christ that 41:10 some of us have forgotten. 41:12 And the Bible brings it back to our understanding 41:15 in Luke 24:28. 41:17 When they finally made their way to Emmaus, 41:20 when they finally made their way to Emmaus, 41:24 the Bible says, 41:25 "Then they drew near to the village 41:27 where they were going, and He indicated 41:30 that He would have gone farther." 41:32 He indicated that He would have gone farther. 41:34 In other words, let me illustrate this. 41:36 Jesus, when they got to Emmaus 41:38 and they were on their way to maybe Cleophas' house, 41:40 the Bible doesn't say whose house they went to. 41:42 But when they were on their way to the house 41:44 to retire for the night, it was already dark. 41:46 They had walked on a very treacherous path 41:48 with Jesus. 41:49 They avoided all the stones. Jesus kept them from falling. 41:53 Can you say amen? 41:55 Nobody was hurt in the journey, 41:57 because they were walking with Jesus. 41:58 You cannot be hurt if you're walking with Jesus. 42:00 They finally made it 42:02 to the Cleophas' house in Emmaus 42:04 if that's where they went, 42:05 but they were in the city of hot water. 42:07 And Jesus was on His way about His Father's business. 42:10 And the Bible said that He indicated that 42:13 He would have gone farther, but Brethren, 42:16 here's the point of that scripture. 42:18 Jesus never forces Himself to be 42:22 where He is not invited. 42:25 Jesus never forces Himself to be 42:30 where He is not invited. 42:32 He desired their fellowship, 42:34 but Jesus will fellowship with us 42:36 only when we invite Him into our fellowship. 42:42 And I praise the Lord, that they invited him in 42:45 because this is where the story took its turn in verse 29, 42:49 the Bible says, "But they constrained him 42:52 and they said to him, 'Abide with us, 42:54 for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.' 42:58 And he went in to stay with them.'" 43:02 Now notice this, he went in to stay with them. 43:05 I want you to not miss the application here. 43:08 When they were walking with Jesus, 43:10 they didn't see Him. 43:13 When Jesus was talking with them, 43:15 they didn't see Him. 43:17 They didn't know Him. 43:19 When He broke down the Bible from Genesis to Malachi, 43:23 they still did not know who He was. 43:29 And in my mind, I'm thinking to myself, 43:31 have they run into leaders before that can break down 43:34 the Bible like Jesus? 43:35 I mean, just the divine unfolding 43:37 of Scripture would have said to me 43:38 that this cannot be an ordinary prophet. 43:40 What do you say? 43:41 I mean, this just could not be an ordinary man. 43:44 Not only did Jesus quoted exactly 43:45 the way it's written in the Hebrew, 43:47 and Greek, and Aramaic. 43:50 But He filled in details that they had not heard before, 43:53 and He expounded on to them all the things in Scripture 43:57 concerning Himself. 43:59 He didn't leave out any detail. 44:00 As a matter of fact, I had to leave out some detail 44:03 because if I didn't leave detail out, 44:05 we will be here till tomorrow night 44:06 just talking about all that Jesus said. 44:08 What do you say? 44:11 But still, as they arrived at his home, 44:16 they invited Jesus to come and the Bible says, 44:18 but they constrained Him. 44:21 Notice that in verse 29, "But they constrained Him, 44:24 saying, 'Abide with us, for it is toward evening, 44:28 and the day is far spent.' 44:30 And He went in," and He went in 44:34 to do what, Brethren, "to stay with." 44:36 To do what, Brethren? To do what? 44:39 Stay. He didn't come in to visit. 44:43 Now I want you to not miss this. 44:46 You're gonna read further and you're gonna try 44:47 to figure this out in your mind, 44:48 you're gonna say, but didn't He vanish? 44:50 The Bible says, "He went in to stay." 44:54 Some people think that because we can't see Jesus, 44:57 He's not there. 44:59 Brethren, Jesus is staying with us 45:01 whether we could see Him or not. 45:02 Am I right? 45:03 Didn't He say, 45:05 "I will never leave you nor" what? 45:07 "Forsake you." He came into that house. 45:09 And I like this part. 45:11 I praise God for the Spirit of Prophecy 45:12 because before they saw His fellowship, 45:15 Jesus saw their fellowship, before they constrained Him, 45:20 He constrained them. 45:23 The Bible says, "The love of Christ constraineth us." 45:27 Before they even knew that it was Christ, 45:32 He had gotten a hold of their heart, 45:34 and because of the inroads He made in their lives, 45:36 they could not let Him go any farther without coming in 45:40 and sitting down and having supper with them. 45:42 He said... 45:45 They said, "Come in and abide with us." 45:49 And when they invited Jesus in their greatest joy, 45:54 the greatest joy that mortal man 45:57 can ever experience is having Jesus at your house, 46:01 sitting at your table having dinner with Jesus. 46:05 That should have been an amen to raise the roof. 46:09 Now, Brethren, how many times 46:10 have you invited somebody to your house for lunch? 46:14 Aren't you excited about that? 46:16 Can you imagine having Jesus come to your house? 46:19 What would you cook if Jesus came by? 46:26 You would call on the best cooks 46:29 to prepare a meal for Jesus. 46:30 But like the woman at the well, 46:33 you will come to realize it is not the meal 46:36 that you prepared for Jesus, 46:37 but the meal that Jesus prepared for you 46:40 that's going to make the difference. 46:43 Ellen White says that when Jesus came in, 46:46 when Jesus came into that house. 46:48 Brethren, they didn't have halogen lights, 46:50 they didn't have switches on the wall. 46:52 I surmise in my mind, they may have had candlelight 46:56 or may have lit a torch on the wall somewhere. 46:58 There was some kind of ambient yellow light in the room. 47:01 There was no white, over flooding light. 47:04 But there was enough light in the room 47:05 to light the entire world 47:07 because the light of the world was in that house. 47:11 It's not the visible light that makes the difference. 47:14 It's the spiritual life that makes the difference. 47:16 The light of the world was in a dimly lit room. 47:19 If that's not ironic, what is? 47:22 And then Ellen White says that 47:24 Jesus didn't go and sit down on the side of the table. 47:27 Jesus went right to the head of the table. 47:29 You know why, Brethren? 47:30 Because Christ is the head of the church. 47:32 What do you say today? 47:33 The body is what fails the church, 47:35 not the head. 47:37 But I'm today not concerned about the body 47:40 because the head is still in charge. 47:41 Can you say amen? 47:43 I'm not concerned about what happens at the GC, 47:45 although we pray about it. 47:46 I'm not worried about 47:48 what happens at the union level, 47:49 although we pray about it. 47:51 I'm not worried about 47:52 what happens in the conference office, 47:53 although we pray about it. 47:55 I'm not worried about the local church, 47:56 although we pray about it and work with it. 47:58 Brethren, if there's no problem at the head, 48:00 everybody can still be saved. 48:02 What do you say? 48:04 So don't talk about what the GC is doing, 48:05 and what the conference is doing, 48:07 and what the union is doing. 48:08 And the rules are passed that allows wedding bands 48:10 to be wore now. 48:11 You can fight over that all you want. 48:13 There's no problem at the head. 48:14 Jesus Christ is still the head of the church. 48:19 Well, Jesus came in. 48:22 And this part of the story when I first shared this sermon 48:24 a few weeks ago. 48:28 Pastor Murray was at the house and my wife was sitting there 48:30 reading Desire of Ages and we all went to the sermon, 48:32 praise the Lord together. 48:34 Even after they left, even after Pastor Murray left, 48:37 my wife didn't leave. 48:38 Make that very clear. 48:43 That wouldn't sound like even after they left, 48:46 clean that up. 48:48 After he left, I still got into it with Jesus 48:51 because Ellen White says that 48:53 in the darkness of that room, when Jesus reached down 48:57 and picked up the bread, He extended His hands. 49:01 And in the dimly lit light of the room, 49:05 they saw the nail prints in His hands. 49:08 And they finally realize that the one walking with them 49:11 all that time was in fact, the Great I Am. 49:14 What do you say? 49:16 They realized, they said, "He is here." 49:18 And the Bible says, "Then their eyes were opened, 49:22 and they knew Him 49:24 and He vanished from their site." 49:26 And they said to one another, 49:29 did not our hearts burn within us, 49:31 as He talked with us on the road, 49:33 and while He opened the scriptures to us. 49:35 And, Brethren, from that moment, 49:36 the only appetite they had was not for physical food, 49:39 like some of you are thinking about right now. 49:42 But their appetite was the bread of life, 49:44 the Word of God 49:46 and they got up from that table. 49:47 Now I'm gonna say this, Brethren, 49:48 it was nighttime in Jerusalem. 49:50 They didn't go outside and get in their SUV 49:51 to go back to Jerusalem, Brother. 49:54 They didn't go outside and get in a car 49:55 to go back to Jerusalem. 49:56 They got out there in the dark night running 49:58 with all the energy they had, 50:00 and they were finally going in the right direction. 50:03 Now catch this. Catch this. 50:07 The Bible said, "Jesus vanished." 50:09 Didn't it say that? Amen. 50:11 Brethren, they may not have seen Him. 50:14 But when they were on their way back to Jerusalem, 50:16 Ellen White says that on their way from Emmaus, 50:19 hot water, back to Jerusalem, the city of peace, 50:23 Jesus was guiding their steps through the rugged rocky roads 50:27 on the road back to Jerusalem. 50:30 And they did not fall, they did not slip. 50:31 You know why? 50:33 Because the light of the world, 50:34 the one who can keep us 50:36 from stumbling was walking with them. 50:38 What do you say? 50:39 All the way back, the only appetite 50:41 they had was to share what Jesus had done for them. 50:47 When they got to Jerusalem... 50:49 You got to read that story in Desire of Ages. 50:51 When they got to Jerusalem, and they opened the door 50:54 and saw the disciples, Ellen White says that 50:56 when they opened the door to find the disciples, 50:59 Jesus was in the room with the disciples, 51:02 and they did not even know that He was there. 51:06 Brethren, he is never absent. 51:08 What do you say? Now, I wanna say this. 51:11 They were on their way to hot water. 51:16 And they didn't see Jesus. 51:18 But the moment they caught a glimpse of Jesus, 51:21 they were on their way to Jerusalem, 51:24 the city of peace. 51:26 Why is my sermon entitled Hot Water? 51:28 Somebody this morning is on the road to Emmaus. 51:32 And I want you to get this, Brethren, 51:33 the road to Emmaus is the same road 51:36 that went to Jerusalem. 51:37 What made the difference? 51:39 They were going in the wrong direction. 51:42 It's not enough to be a disciple of Christ today. 51:45 It's not enough to say, we're on the same road. 51:48 It's not enough to just listen to the words of Christ. 51:51 It's not enough to be 51:53 theologically correct on everything. 51:54 You've got to be going in the right direction, 51:57 letting the light of the world guide you back to a place 52:00 where you can find peace. 52:01 What do you say? 52:02 And the Savior was waiting for them 52:04 to give them that opportunity. 52:06 He was waiting all along the road 52:07 to have them to come and show themselves to Him. 52:10 Brethren, today as Denise sings this song, 52:12 there's somebody watching here today 52:14 that may say, "Brother, 52:15 I can't be lost, I'm on the same road." 52:18 But I may say to you today, you may be on the same road, 52:20 but you may be on the road going to hot water, 52:23 rather than on your road, going to the place 52:26 where you can find peace. 52:27 In the Bible, it's the same road. 52:30 Today, as Denise sings this song 52:32 "The Savior is Waiting." 52:34 The Savior is waiting to change your direction 52:37 and take you from hot water trials 52:39 and tribulations to a place that you can find peace. 52:53 The Savior is waiting 52:58 To enter your heart 53:03 Why don't you let Him come in? 53:11 There's nothing in this world 53:16 To keep you apart 53:21 What is your answer to Him? 53:30 Time after time 53:34 He has waited before 53:40 And now He is waiting again 53:47 To see if you're willing 53:53 To open the door 53:58 Oh, how He wants to come in 54:06 If you take one step toward 54:11 The Savior, my friend 54:16 You'll find His arms open wide 54:24 Receive Him, 54:27 And all of your darkness Will end 54:34 Within your heart He'll abide 54:43 Time after time 54:48 He has waited before 54:53 And now He is waiting again 55:01 To see if you're willing 55:06 To open the door 55:12 Oh, how He wants to 55:16 Oh, how He wants to 55:22 Oh, how He wants to come in 55:33 Friends, this morning is not enough 55:35 to just want to walk with Jesus. 55:38 It's not enough just to be satisfied 55:41 by the reading of His Word. 55:44 This morning, friends, the Lord is calling us 55:46 for a change in our direction, 55:49 a change in the direction of our lives 55:53 with all the knowledge the disciples had, 55:55 they were still going in the wrong direction. 55:58 This morning somebody's life 56:00 is about to take a turn to go in the right direction. 56:03 This morning somebody's going to respond 56:06 to the voice of the Savior, 56:08 and have an encounter with Jesus, 56:11 and turn around to go in the right direction. 56:12 Brothers and sisters, if you want to be 56:14 that one this morning that want to have 56:15 that encounter with Christ, 56:17 and go in a new direction all together, 56:19 why don't you stand with me this morning, 56:20 and those joining us via satellite by television, 56:22 friends, as we pray this morning, 56:24 we're gonna ask the Lord to encourage you 56:26 to trust Him with all your heart, 56:29 that you can follow Him all the way back to the place 56:32 where we find peace. 56:33 Father, God in heaven, we pray that Lord today, 56:37 You'll come in and talk to us. 56:39 You'll come in and break bread with us 56:41 and in our dimly lit moment of gloom and solitude and doom, 56:46 You remind us that the Prince of Peace is there. 56:49 The light of the world is there. 56:51 The hope of salvation is there. 56:53 Today, Father, turn that young man around, 56:55 that young woman around and may they find hope, 56:57 and encouragement, and salvation. 56:59 Maybe we all look to Jesus and finally realize that 57:03 the reason why we make it to the New Jerusalem 57:06 is because the Savior lights our path all the way. 57:10 May that be our experience 57:11 and we pray this in Jesus' name. 57:14 Amen. 57:15 God bless you. See you this afternoon. |
Revised 2020-01-16