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Luke 24:13-35 • THE PROTESTANT TRADITION WHICH WE BELONG…BELIEVES THAT WE MEET GOD …THAT WE MEET CHRIST IN THE WORD OF SCRIPTURE…IN STUDY….AND IN PRAYER • OUR SCRIPTURE READING THIS MORNING SPEAKS TO THESE THINGS • STORY OF TWO MEN…ON EASTER SUNDAY SET OUT ON THE ROAD FROMJERUSALEM TO EMMAUS….A DSITANCE OF ABOUT SEVEN MILES • THEY WERE MET BY A STRANGER…GOING SAME WAY • BEGAN TO TALK ABLOUT WITH HIM ABOUT ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THE HOLY CITY DURING THE PREVIOUS WEEK • THE STRANGER..RESOONDED TO THEIR GRIEF…THEIR DEJECTION…THEIR SHOCK…REGARDING HOW JESUS HAD BEEN TREATED • CRUCUFIED • BURIED • BODY DISAPEARED FROM HIS TOMB • THE STRANGER BEGAN TO SHOW THEM HOW THE SCRIPTURES HAD FORETOLD ALL THATJESUS DID…SUFFERED…EVEN DIE…AND THE PUROSE IT WOULD SERVE • THE SCRIPTURES ARE AN AMAZING THING… • MOSES AND DAVID • ISAIAH AND MALICHI • JEREMIAH AND RUTH….AL SPEAK OF GOD’S APPOINTED ONE…GOD’S SUFFERING SERVANT…HIS PURPOSE AND PLAN FOR THW ORLD AND HOW IT BEGINS AND ENDS • MANY MEET CHRIST THROUGH SCRIPTURES…HIS FORGIVENESS…JOY…STRENGHTH AND HOPE…WHOLENESS AND SALVATION • THE STRANGER THAT WALKED WITH THE TWO SPOKE OF THESE THINGS • AS HE SPOKE THEIR HEARTS BURNED WITHIN THEM AS THE STRANGER TALKED ABOUT THESE THINGS • “AS HE “OPENED THE SCRIPTURES TO THEM” • TRADITION OF READING + STUDY + PROCLAIMATION = PRIMARY WAY WE MEET CHRIST!! • PRAYER = IMPORTANT!!! • WHILE MEET HIM THROUGH STUDY…WE COMMUNE WITH HIM IN PRAYER!! • CANNOT TELL YOU THE NUMBER OF TIMES MY HEART HAS BEEN WARMED THROUGH SCRIPTURES AND MY ANIXIETY CALMED BY PRAYER • IN PRAYER I HAVE HEARD GOD’S VOICE…FELT HIS FORGIVENESS • HUNDREDS OF PRAYERS IN THE BIBLE…LORD YOU ARE MY ROCK AND MY REFUGE…BE SWIFT TO HELP ME YOU HAVE ASSIGNED ME MY PORTION AND MY CUP…YOU HAVE MADE MY LOT SECURE…AND I PRAISE YOU!! • LORD LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION AND DELIVER ME FROM EVIL… • FATHER I WILL PRAISE YOU IN THE MORNING AND IN THE WATCHES OF THE NIGHT…I WILL EXALT YOU…MY GOD AND MY KING..YOU ARE GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL SLOW TO ANGER AND RISCH IN LOVE…I THANK YOU • PRAYER OF JABEZ…EVERY MORNING IN THE CAR….ME LOGAN…CARLY….KAY TOO!! • PRAYER IS SO PRECIOUS…IN IT WE MEET GOD…BECOMES MORE REAL… • SCRIPTURE, STUDY…PRAYER!! • STORTY TELLS US SOMETHING MORE… • TWO INVITE THE STRANGER INTO THEIR WORLD …INTO THEIR HOUSE • EVEN TODAY..TO INVITE SOMEONE INTO YOUR HOUSE TO BREAK BREAD AND SHARE A MEAL WITH SOMEONE IS A GREAT KINDNESS THAT WE CAN ALL SHOW. • IN OUR STORY TODAY…IT WAS IN THIS ACT THAT THE TWO HAD THEIR EYES OPENED AND THEY RECOGNIZED JESUS!! • THE CHURCH HAS LONG TAUGHT THAT WE COME TO KNOW GD…RECOGNIZE GOD IN THE LITERAL ACT OF BRAKING BREAD AND GIVING THANKS • HOLY COMMUNION • I BELIEVE THAT AS WELL…BUT THIS STORY IS TELLING US MORE… THAT WE TOO RECOGNIZE CHRIST…WHENEVER WE GATHER TOGETHER WE MEET AND SHARE WITH ANOTHER PERSON OUR JOY AND OUR GRIEF AND OFFER PRAYER • JESUS SAID WHEREVER TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN HIS NAME HE WOULD BE • I HAVE GREAT MOMENTS IN STUDYING SCRIPTURE…W/ PRAYER…HIS PRESNCE…HIS PURPOSE…HIS PLAN… • BUT I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE GREATEST …MOST PROFOUNF MOMENTS OF RECOGNITION OGF CHRIST IN THE BREAKING OF BREAD WITH OTHERS..OF FAITH ANF THOSE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS…THE SHARING OF FEARS…GRIEFS AND JOYS WITH MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE WILLING THE WALK WITH ME FOR A TIME AND TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS!! • CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE.. • CAROLYN… • TELL TO MAKEA POINT…WE GET TO MEET CHRIST…WE GET TO KNOW HIM BETTER…TO RECOGNIZE HIM….AND EXPERIENCE HIS HEALING PRESENCE AS EWE SHARE WHAT IS IMPORTANT WITH THEM AS WE HONOR THEM WITH OUR HOSPITALITY, OUR TRUST AND OUR HEARTS • THE BIBLE CALLS FOR THIS MEETING!! • THIS SHARING…THIS COMMUNIONTHAT RAE WE ARE ASKED TO GO OUT AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF FOR CHRIST • TO ENCOUNTER GOD…READ SCRIPTURE…STUDY…PRAY… • AND REACH OUT TO OTHERS.. • OPEN YOUR HOMES AND OPEN YOUR HEARTS…BY DOING SO YOU MAY WELL BE ENTERTAINING ANGELS UNAWARE …BY DOING SO YOU MAY WELL ENCOUNTER THE RISEN CHRIST WHER TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN HIS NAME …HE IS THERE!! |
