New Life: Game On

6 · Uses a personal anecdote about mishearing a song lyric to reinforce the theological point that the disciples were indeed heading "to a mess" by walking away from faith and community

So there's this song about this passage of scripture from a Christian artist I like to listen to, and there's a lyric from the song that says, "Two fools on the road to Emmaus, it might as well be you and me." The funny thing is when my mom hears this song, she thinks the lyric goes, or she's thought for a long time that the lyric goes, "Two fools on the road to a mess." It might as well be you and me. And I thought to my, I said to my mom, what is this, some kind of southern accent in the song?

Emmaus, you know, like what is this? Is this what you're hearing in the song, you know? And so, Mom, if you're listening, I had to talk about that. But, you know, she's actually more right than she realizes, I think. They were on the road to Emmaus.

They were walking away from the center of God's activity and going going kind of to life before Christ in their lives. They're sort of leaving the faith in a sort of way.

7 · Draws theological significance from the narrative's seeming insignificance: Jesus meeting with obscure people in an obscure place reveals that every person matters to God, countering the belief that God only pursues the spiritually elite or socially powerful

You know, and what's really interesting too about where they're heading to, Emmaus. You know, Emmaus is like this place where today we really don't know. We know it's 7 miles from Jerusalem because the Bible says so, but we don't actually know, oh, this is the spot where Emmaus is. There's really nothing that has lasted from Emmaus that we would be able to locate it today. It's really kind of an interesting setup to a story. Two people, we only know one of them, and that person we don't even know very well, going the wrong direction, the opposite way, to a place that we don't even know where it is. There's so much insignificance about this whole setup in this passage, and yet in verse 15, this is what we find is it says, while they were talking and discussing together, heading the wrong way, The Bible says Jesus himself drew near and went to them. Now, if I was Jesus's PR guy, you just rose from the dead, Jesus, we gotta do this big, okay?

So let's get the, I wanna get the emperors together, you know, the religious leaders. Let's kinda like rent out the Colosseum, everybody, you know? And let's just have a big moment, ta-da, I'm alive again, right? But Jesus does something so different here. One of the first places he reveals himself as the risen Savior is to two people we don't really know going the wrong way to just a regular place that we don't even know today.

And this tells us so much about the character of God. So often we think to ourselves, man, God, He wants to reveal himself to the uber spiritual people or the most powerful in society. You know, he's most concerned with the most important people in our world. But what we find in this scripture here today, and really about the character of our Savior, is that every person has significance to God. And if he would set aside in his schedule of being the resurrected Savior, he would set aside some time for a couple people we don't know very much, regular people going the wrong way to just some ordinary place.

Church, you gotta believe Jesus has time to meet with you and me as well, amen? This is who He is. This is what we learn about our Savior. He's the God who knows us personally, loves us individually, and speaks to us even in those moments of places where we feel so insignificant. Maybe there's somebody here today where this is just for you today.

Maybe you've just sort of felt like maybe the world or other people or somebody you work with has sort of treated you like you don't matter too much. You need to know the God of heaven and earth knows you, loves you. He knows even all the messed up stuff. The Bible tells us in the book of Romans that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. He knows everything about you and He still loves you.

That's who He is. We've been studying Ephesians. I love what the Bible says in the book of Ephesians 2:10, that we are God's masterpiece. That's who God says you are. You have so much significance to our Savior.

Created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for you to do. That's who you are. That's who this scripture, that's what this scripture communicates to us about our Savior Jesus.

8 · Applies the theological truth of God's personal attention to individual prayer life, correcting the misconception that God only cares about large-scale concerns and inviting the congregation to bring personal matters to Him

Sometimes we think to ourselves, man, you know, when it comes to prayer and it comes to the things that I talk to God about, I have to just talk to God about the God-sized prayers, you know. I'm trying to pray about, you know, I gotta end world poverty, or I'm praying for peace on earth, 'cause God doesn't wanna hear about my own sort of issues or situations. I gotta pray about the God-sized stuff. And that's good, by the way, we ought to pray that way. But what I love about this scripture is that every person is significant to God, and that means the things that are issues in your life or problems that you might be facing, they may seem small to you, but they're not small to the Lord. He invites us to share all those things with him. I love that about this passage and about our Lord.

9 · Establishes the theological principle that God meets people in their brokenness and wrong choices rather than waiting for them to clean up their lives, using the disciples' wrong-direction journey as the paradigm for grace

You know, other times we might think to ourselves, we have to have it all together before we can meet with God. Sometimes we think we have to have arrived in some sort of place in order to have a relationship with God. And sometimes, I mean, I find people that think this way is they say to themselves, once I clean my life up and I get my act together, then God will meet with me. But what we find in this passage is this couple is actually walking the wrong way. They're going to the wrong place.

And the Bible talks to us, it's on this 7-mile journey, as they're going the wrong way, that that's actually when Jesus shows up to meet with them. And I think it's so interesting, yeah, we can think so often, well, I have to have my life together before God will meet with me. And He's actually meeting with this couple when they're making the wrong decisions. Maybe you've had days where you've maybe had a fight with your spouse and you think to yourself, aw man, I can't go to church now. I just had a big fight this morning, I can't show up in this kind of a situation.

Or maybe you've thought to yourself, man, I'm still struggling with sin, God must want nothing to do with me. Or maybe you've had thoughts like I've had sometimes, where I think to myself, man, God must just be so disappointed in me because I'm not a good enough chaplain, or I'm not a good enough husband, or a good enough dad. You need to know, It's as this couple's going the wrong way that Jesus stops and meets with them. And so you might be thinking to yourself, man, I've gone the wrong way a lot of times. And maybe you're in a season of your life right now where you're like, yeah, I've kinda been making the wrong choices, I'm going the wrong way, and there's something inside of me saying, this is not a good idea, this isn't gonna end well for me.

Let me just encourage you, one of the works of the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us, is to convict us of sin. You see, what Jesus does is He shows up as we're going the wrong way, and He's so good 'cause He invites us to go a different way, in a better way. And you might think to yourself, well, I've sinned so much, God wants nothing to do with me, but that's a lie. That's exactly when Jesus is showing up and saying, no, no, no, no, let me show you a better way 'cause I love you this much. That's our Savior that we see here meeting with this couple on the road, to Emmaus, right?

And he meets us on that same road as well.

10 · Expounds on the narrative irony of the disciples discussing Jesus with Jesus while unable to recognize Him, interpreting their blindness as the result of being consumed by discouragement and disappointment

So Jesus, he does, he meets this couple on the road to Emmaus. And I think God just has this great sense of humor here. This couple, they're involved in this personal discussion about everything that happened to Jesus over the Easter weekend. And so they're just, I mean, can you believe it? He died on the cross, we really had all these big hopes for this. And they're having this personal discussion and then all of a sudden, hey guys, what you talking about? Like, whoa, hey, where'd you come from? I mean, that's funny right there if you read that, that is pretty good. He says, hey, what are you talking about?

And the Bible says in verse 16, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. I mean, there's so much irony in this moment. They're talking about Jesus to Jesus, but they don't even know it's Jesus, you know. It's like they don't recognize him. You know, and as you keep reading, you find, Man, they're just so focused on their own discouragement, their own disappointment, that the very one that they're hoping in is right in front of them and they don't even see him.

11 · Articulates the theological principle drawn from the narrative: God's presence and activity do not depend on our ability to perceive them

And let me just encourage you with this, friends.

Even if there's a place in your life where you don't see God's activity, it doesn't mean he's not there.

12 · Narrates a personal experience of feeling God's absence during a deployment to Iraq, followed by a powerful encounter with God through Scripture that confirmed His presence despite the speaker's inability to perceive it

You know, I remember when I was on my first deployment with the Army, I was 19 years old, I was in Iraq, and I remember it being one of the toughest years of my life. And it wasn't necessarily the toughest year of my life because of various traumatic events or things along those lines that you might think of when you think of a soldier serving in Iraq. For me, a lot of the challenge that I was facing was even just the fact of being away from home, being a 19-year-old kind of on my own. I was with a new unit and I didn't have a good church that I was connected with overseas. And sometimes I even felt guilty. It's like, why am I having such a hard time when I'm really facing some minor things compared to what some other soldiers might be facing on the same deployment? And I just remember it was such a difficult season. And I had this theology kind of that I was beginning to form back then that when I was following God, everything in life would go well.

And I couldn't figure out the fact that how come things are so hard for me, but I'm doing the best I can to follow the Lord? And I was just so discouraged in that season, wondering, God, where are you? What is going on here? Why are things so hard for me right now? And I just remember it was through a time of going into the scriptures one morning, and I've never heard the audible voice of God, but this might have been it's close to something along those lines that I had faced, where I just was reading the scriptures, it was actually another sort of resurrection passage, where God just revealed himself to me in a powerful way and said, Stephen, you know what, I'm with you and you're gonna be okay.

Yeah, it's not easy and there's things I'm doing in you that you don't even know right now. And I just remember just in a powerful way just sensing the love of Jesus, sensing in understanding I'm not alone. And even though I haven't seen God's hand or understood exactly what God was doing, it didn't mean he wasn't there.

13 · Applies the resurrection truth to present struggles, asserting that Christ's living presence guarantees His availability and accompaniment regardless of circumstantial feelings of abandonment

And friends, maybe you're going through some things today. Maybe it's something in a relationship, maybe there's a job situation going on, and you said, Javelin, it feels like God's not there. It feels like I'm kinda facing this on my own. But you need to know, and this is what's so important about understanding the resurrection, We don't worship a dead God.

Jesus is alive. And if he's alive, it means he is there. It means he is with us through everything that he's facing. He said that he would never leave us or forsake us, and this is something that we can trust in our Savior.

We worship a God who is alive, and we can approach him with whatever it is that we're facing.

14 · Analyzes Jesus's response to the disciples' rudeness, highlighting His gentle invitation to share their hearts despite their misguided theology and tone, demonstrating God's receptivity to honest expression

And so Jesus is walking with this couple and they just begin to share, you know, he asks this question to them, he says in verse 17, so what's this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk? And their response here is actually quite rude when you read it. You know, they're like, are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have happened here these last days? I mean, come on, are you dense? Do you read the paper? You know, like, don't you realize what's going on? And they're just kind of rude to him. And I love what Jesus does here. Are you the only visitor who doesn't know what's happened here these past couple days?

And Jesus just says in verse 19, what things? Like, tell me about it, you know? I love that. I mean, he's not mad at them, he's not angry with them. He just says, tell me about it, what happened? Church, this is what I love about the Lord is he just invites them to share their hearts with him in a powerful way. You know, Jesus isn't afraid of our discouragement, he's not afraid of our disappointments. Even when their discouragement and disappointment is based on even some bad theology, Jesus isn't afraid of that. He invites, hey, tell me about it. Talk to me about these things.

15 · Expounds on the disciples' response to Jesus's invitation, noting their openness in sharing their disappointment and highlighting the phrase "we had hoped" as central to their emotional state

And so he does, he asks them, what things? What's going on? Tell me about it. Oh, nothing, Jesus, it's cool, I got it, not a big deal. I'm glad that's not what they said, but that's what we can say sometimes, right? I'm a soldier. I know sometimes how many soldiers can think about some of these things. No, I'm gonna just handle this myself. I'm gonna just keep this to myself. Let me encourage you.

Jesus invited them. He invites you and me to share openly with him. And so that's what they do. They just launch into it. They're like, okay, this person Jesus, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and they crucified him.

But we had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.

16 · Applies the disciples' phrase "we had hoped" to the congregation's present disappointments, creating space for honest acknowledgment of unmet expectations in work, relationships, and spiritual growth

And we're gonna talk about a little bit of what their misguided expectations for Jesus had been, but I don't want you to miss that phrase there. We had hoped. We had hoped.

How are you doing today in the hope category?

Is there a work situation where you're just like, God, what's going on with this? What's going on with my finances? I had hoped. Is there a family or a relationship situation? Or maybe for you it's like, God, no, I want to be in a relationship situation.

I had hoped. God, what's going on?

Maybe it's a sin issue like we said earlier. Maybe there's a sin that, Lord, I had hoped I'd be over that by now.

They had hoped.

17 · Narrates a personal experience of heartbreak and disappointment after a breakup, describing walking in the rain while praying and receiving assurance from the Holy Spirit of Jesus's unchanging friendship and love

So I remember a number of years ago when I was going through my first breakup, and I was thinking about it as I was preparing for this, and it was almost a little bit comical how much that— now it's almost comical, like how much that had impacted me a number of years ago when I went through it. But at the time, it was my first breakup, and I was pretty shook. I remember where I was, I was in Portland, Oregon. If you've been up to the Pacific Northwest and specifically Portland, it rains all the time. And I remember this one particular night, it's dark out, it's raining hard.

I mean, it's like a scene from a movie. I could hear like the '80s breakup songs playing, you know, in the background. And I'm just pretty mopey, I'm pretty sad, feeling it pretty hard. And I just remember I went out for a walk, you know, just with no umbrella, just a raincoat. And again, it's a little comical thinking of it now, how much I may have been overreacting in some ways, but I went out nonetheless.

And again, I was just feeling it pretty hard that night and feeling pretty sad. And I just remember I went out in the middle of the rain, in the middle of the night in Portland, Oregon, and I'm just walking and I'm just praying. And I'm just sharing my disappointments, my discouragement, my frustrations with my Savior. And it might have been a funny scene actually to see because, you know, a guy just walking on the sidewalk in the middle of the night talking to who knows who, you know. And it might have been a funny scene, but thinking about it again in Portland, Oregon, maybe it actually fit in okay, I don't know.

But that was me this night. But I just remember the Holy Spirit in a powerful way just laying on my heart that Jesus has always been my closest friend and will always be that closest friend in my life, and that he loves me beyond measure despite the rejection I might have been feeling.

18 · Applies the principle of honest prayer by encouraging the congregation to share their hearts with Jesus without pretense, asserting that openness with God leads to healing

Let me just encourage you, if you're in some situations where you're facing feelings of hopelessness or despair, maybe discouragement, the Bible tells us in Psalms 34:18 that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and he saves those who are crushed in spirit. Church, there's nobody better for you to share your heart with than with Jesus. You know, maybe you think to yourself, well, no, no, I gotta put on a brave face. Let me tell you, you don't gotta put on a brave face with Jesus. He knows about it anyway, right?

You might as well open up your heart and tell him to it. And here's what I find, is every area of our life we open up to the Lord, those are the places of our life that we find healing. And that's what we need to do.

19 · Expounds on the disciples' specific expectations for the Messiah in light of Passover context—they expected Jesus to overthrow Roman political oppression as Moses had delivered Israel from Egypt, explaining their disappointment at His death

So this couple, they left Jerusalem, they're heading for Emmaus, they're discouraged and disappointed. Verse 17 even says they're looking sad, that's just what they are because this, they had hoped that Jesus would overthrow Roman oppression in their life, that's what they were hoping for. You know, you have to remember too, this is the middle of Passover in Jerusalem, Passover is kinda like this reminder of what Moses had done with the people of Israel who were enslaved in Egypt. And so it's very much in the Jewish mind and in everybody's mind, man, this Messiah's gonna come, he's gonna overthrow Rome just like Moses helped deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt. And it's in this moment that they're feeling this disappointment because they thought, well, you know what though, he's the Messiah and he died on Friday. So it's over, it's not going to happen. We're just stuck in the same government and rule of Rome, and it's just not going to happen.

20 · Introduces Jesus's exposition of the Scriptures to the disciples, framing it as an impromptu Bible study where Jesus interprets all of Scripture as pointing to Himself

Meanwhile, they're walking with Jesus, and I love what Jesus does here. He just starts up a little community group Bible study right here on the walk, you know. I mean, if I was seeing the community group signups and one of the groups said Jesus is the Bible study leader, you know, I'm like, hey, sign me up for that group, you know. That's the one I want to be part of. In verse 27 it says, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them all the scriptures and things concerning himself.

Jesus just opens up the Bible, starts a Bible study right here on the walk.

21 · Constructs Jesus's likely teaching to the disciples: correcting their political messianic expectations by identifying sin—not external oppression—as the true source of slavery, and announcing His mission to establish a kingdom of freedom through heart transformation rather than political revolution

And I don't know everything that Jesus said to them in this moment. If I had to guess at what he had said, or if I had to guess at kind of some of the content of what Jesus was talking about, I think he would have just began to speak to them about some of their expectations. You know, he might have said that you've been waiting and praying for someone who's gonna overthrow the Roman Empire, maybe a lot like how God used Moses to deliver the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. But I think Jesus might have begun to share with them in this moment, you need to realize the source of slavery and oppression isn't an empire.

It's not Rome, it's not Egypt, it's not Russia. It's not China. The source of your oppression, it's not your family. It's not your job. It's not even some of the difficult situations we might face with our kids.

The source of slavery and oppression in our lives is our wayward hearts towards God. It's the sin in our hearts. That wants to have power over our lives. And so Jesus is saying to them, I'm not going to just deal with a symptom. I'm not going to just deal with the symptom of the issue by getting rid of one empire just for another evil empire to come in and take control.

I'm going to deal with the source of the issue. And so Jesus just begins to share with them how he had come not to just overthrow some worldly empire, but to actually establish a kingdom where people can find freedom from sin. Isn't that good news, everybody? You know, God, the Bible says he also began to open up the prophets, and the Bible talks about in the prophets how God promised one who would come and would give us a new heart. You know, so often when it comes to our condition, a new heart is exactly what we need.

I always tell soldiers, you know, vegetables don't taste bad, I mean, it's easy to eat vegetables when you don't think they taste bad, right? God, what he does is he gives you a new heart that literally has new desires in your life. And so the things that were once pleasing but were sinful don't seem so appealing anymore. And God starts giving you a new heart where your desires are changing from the inside out.

22 · Expounds Isaiah 53:11 as a prophetic text Jesus likely used to explain His substitutionary death and resurrection, demonstrating that the suffering servant would bear sin and be raised to life

I think as Jesus was opening up the prophets and describing his work at the cross to pay for our sin and and give us that new heart, I think he might have opened up to them possibly Isaiah 53. If you're familiar with Isaiah 53, here's what it says in verse 11. It says in Isaiah 53:11, after he has suffered, which is Jesus, talking about Jesus, he will see the light of life. You see that resurrection language there? He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Iniquities is like a big word for sin. He's gonna bear their sin. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he'll divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. So in other words, he says, I'm dealing with more than just some kingdom, I'm dealing with sin itself.

And he's giving his life on the cross in order to pay for our sin.

23 · Synthesizes Jesus's teaching by reframing Good Friday as the moment of substitutionary atonement and Easter Sunday as the demonstration of Christ's power to fulfill all promises, transforming the disciples' understanding from political disappointment to redemptive hope

So these two on the road to Emmaus, they thought, no, no, no, Friday was bad. It was a bad Friday. The Messiah died. It's the end of our hopes of this new empire. And Jesus is saying, no, no, no, no, I was paying for the sin of the world on Friday, so that means it was a good Friday, everybody. And also, by the way, it's a hallelujah Sunday, right? Because he rose again on the third day. And so Jesus was beginning to share this with them and saying, no, there's so much bigger that was happening here. And it's so much larger than what you had expected.

And I love how Jesus sums it up with this question in verse 26. He says to them, "Didn't the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?" So much bigger than that. Suffering and the cross was always part of His plan to pay for the sin of the world, to deal with the issue at its source. And then, and then to rise again on the third day and show his power to keep every promise that he ever made, that he's able to forgive, give a new heart and a new life, and resurrect our broken lives. Amen, church.

Amen. Amen.

24 · Applies the theological correction Jesus gave the disciples to the congregation's present circumstances, arguing that changed external situations are insufficient answers to life's problems—only Jesus Himself is the worthy object of hope

And so I think the message here that Jesus is sharing with them, and I think the message for us here today, is just this, is that whatever you're facing in your life that is discouraging Maybe that thing in your life where you're like, it's been 3 quarters of discouragement and I'm in the moment of stress at the moment, you know. Whatever that thing in your life has been, it could be a job situation or it could be things with the government or a relationship. Whatever that thing is, Jesus is saying the answer isn't just to get a new job that earns more money.

And he's saying the answer isn't just to go out and find a new relationship with a new person. And the answer isn't just to continue, you know, just to try to forget about sin and pretend it's not there when it is.

None of these things are worthy of our hope. I think what Jesus is saying here is the only one worthy to put your hope in, in any of these situations in our life, is Jesus Christ himself, amen everybody? That's what he, I think, that's I think the message for us today is. If you're feeling hopeless or discouraged today, let me encourage you, put your hope in Jesus. There's no one better to trust your life with than with Jesus.

25 · Provides concrete applications of hope in Jesus across three life domains—work, marriage, and sin—showing how Christ can either change circumstances or provide power to endure and transform within them

And so when you're in the situation and you're tired of working that same job, and you think to yourself, God, I just feel stuck, I wanna do something different, I wanna make more money, let me encourage you, put your hope in Jesus to provide something new possibly, or to give you the power and the perseverance to make a difference where you are. When you're feeling dispassionate in your marriage, let me encourage you to put your hope in Jesus. He's able to change the heart of that other person, and he's also able to give you a love beyond yourself so you can love that other person well and your family well.

When you're feeling the weight of your sin, put your hope in Jesus, who forgives your sin and gives you a new heart and helps you resurrect parts of your life that you thought were dead. That's what Jesus does in our lives.

26 · Expounds on the moment of recognition at the breaking of bread, interpreting it as the disciples seeing Jesus's nail-scarred hands and connecting His physical resurrection to His substitutionary work on the cross

And so this couple, they continue on, uh, they get to the couple's home in Emmaus. They invite Jesus in for a meal. And I love Jesus here. He doesn't only do the Bible study. He's like, I wanna make sure they get this. So he does an object lesson now, you know? So he takes some bread, uh, they're sharing a meal. It's object lesson time.

And he does with them what we've done so many times. Jesus takes some bread, he breaks it, and by the way, when we're receiving communion, we know what the bread represents, right? His body broken for our sin on the cross. He takes some bread, he breaks it, he gives it to these two, and as he gives the bread to these two, the Bible says it's at this moment It wasn't during the Bible study, it's at this moment that their eyes were opened and they recognized, oh my word, we've been talking about you this whole time and you're alive, Jesus, it's you. It's in this moment that they realize this.

And I don't know exactly how it worked, but my thought is this, just as he's handing that bread to them, and I think so much just like that disciple Thomas, is as he's handing them this bread, they look at him and maybe it's just then that they see the nail-scarred hands. And they realize, oh my word, what you did at the cross, you're alive now because you were doing so much more than just trying to overthrow some empire. You were paying for my sin.

27 · Interprets Jesus's sudden disappearance as mission accomplished—once the disciples understood the gospel and placed their faith in Him, His purpose for the encounter was fulfilled, and their hopelessness turned to joy

And I think it's in this moment, they see him risen again, they say, Jesus, I believe in you, I trust you, I want that work that you did at the cross to apply to me. The Bible says the very next things that happened after they recognize him, the Bible says the very next thing that happens is he vanishes. It's like, boom, he's gone now, you know. And I always thought to myself, well, that's a little odd. They just had this moment. But here's what I think is happening, is just like a good soldier, I think it's like, nope, mission complete. Like, this is what I was trying to come in here to do.

A couple discouraged people who matter to Jesus, by the way, going the wrong way. He comes with them, explains to them the gospel, the meaning of what he was doing at the cross, and that he rose again. Again, and they got it, so he's like, I'm done here, I'm outta here, you know? And they do, their hopelessness turns to joy because they get it.

28 · Transitions from exposition to application and invitation, returning to the opening illustration and connecting it to the resurrection truth that apparent endings are not final

So church, as we close today, I wanna give you a chance to respond because just like I talked about at the beginning with that Patriots game and some of the feelings that we face, even just in life, it might be the fourth quarter and I might feel very stressful, but just like it felt stressful potentially on Friday, the story's not over.

29 · Applies resurrection power to the believer's present circumstances, asserting that the same Spirit that raised Jesus works in Christians to bring new life to dead areas

Because we know that Jesus rose again on Sunday, and you need to know, the Bible tells us in the book of Romans that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is working in the Christian's body as well. And so you need to know for your life in those areas, it's not over for you.

Either.

30 · Expounds on the disciples' immediate return to Jerusalem, interpreting their urgency as a model for getting back into active participation in God's community after encountering the risen Christ

So I want to give you a chance to respond. I love this couple because the Bible tells us in verse 33, so they recognize Jesus, boom, he vanishes in their sight, and the Bible tells us, and they rose that same hour, so they get up out of their seats after this meal, and they return to Jerusalem, and they found the 11 and those who were with them gathered together. I love that right in verse 33 it says they got up that same hour, like you just got home, just sleep at night, you know. No, they're like, We're going back to Jerusalem now.

You remember what we said earlier when this couple's leaving the center of God's activity, going to Emmaus, right? Remember that part? You know, and they're leaving what God was doing in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us once they recognize Jesus and put their trust in him, boom, they're getting up right away. No, no, we're getting back in the game.

We're getting back involved with God's activity. We're gonna get back involved in community, back involved with God's people. The Bible says And 33, that they found the 11 disciples and those who were with them gathered together. They didn't waste any time.

31 · Calls believers who have drifted from close fellowship with Jesus to make an immediate decision to re-engage, assuring them of God's nearness and His receptivity to their return despite past hurts or disappointments

And church, I just want to encourage you today, maybe for you today, that's your decision point too. Sometimes we think, well, I'll think about it, I'll kind of dwell it over. Maybe God is wanting you to say, no, no, this very hour, right now, make some decisions about the Lord today. Maybe for some of you here today, you've been following Jesus for a long time and you've been Christians maybe for a long time, and this can happen to many people, but perhaps over the course of time, maybe because of some hurt or like we mentioned earlier, some discouragement in life, you've kinda drifted from a close walk with Jesus. Maybe you've stopped sharing so openly with Jesus like you once did. Maybe there's reasons for that, some hurts that are going on, But I just want to encourage you today, if you feel far from God, know that he's nearer to you than he's been, just as now as he's ever been.

That you are significant to God, that he's working even when you don't see it, that he's not afraid of your discouragement or disappointment, and he invites us to put our hope the only place where it ought to be, which is in him. What would that look like for you today, to put your hope in Jesus in a new and fresh way today? In your work situations, maybe with some area of sin in your life, maybe in a relationship or a marriage?

32 · Provides concrete steps for re-engagement with the church community—serving, giving, joining a community group, attending membership class, or simply committing to consistent attendance—as the practical outworking of putting hope in Jesus

I think for this couple, getting back in the game and beginning to follow Jesus in this sort of way, it certainly looked like being involved in the church, I mean, it really meant that because that's exactly what going back to Jerusalem, meeting up with the 11 disciples, being in community was all about, reconnecting with the church. Maybe for you it's this step to say, man, I've kind of been on the sidelines with my church for a while, but I want to start getting engaged and get back in the game, perhaps with serving or with giving. Maybe it's with a community group. I know that even today, like, a membership class has been happening. Maybe for you here today, your first time in church, maybe in a long time, was at McKelligon Canyon, and you're a little disappointed because you're like, oh, I thought we'd meet at McKelligon every week, you know.

But you're kind of like, you started there, now you're here, and you're thinking to yourself, maybe for you, the decision point that you get to make this very hour, and that God wants you to make this very hour, say, you know, I'm gonna just commit to being back here next week. Like, maybe that's your decision today is, Next week I'm coming back, and the week after, and the week after, and I'm gonna see what God does in my life as I'm even just more connected with his church.

33 · Extends an evangelistic invitation to unbelievers, interpreting the "burning heart" as the Holy Spirit's drawing toward salvation and providing the framework for a conversion prayer—confession, belief in Christ's death and resurrection, and surrender of lordship

Maybe for some of you today, we talk about getting back in the game and that's almost like a foreign concept because you would say, well, Chaplain, I don't know that I've ever been in the game, like I don't know if I've ever made a decision to put my faith in Jesus, and so hearing about that is sort of a foreign concept for you. I love this passage today because this couple, they were with Jesus, you know, and they recognize him, he vanishes, and the very next thing they say to one another is they say, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road and when he opened to us the scriptures? And I bring that up today because maybe you're here today and you would say, I've never been a person that like trusted Jesus with my life, I've never made that decision, but as I've heard these scriptures, as I've heard about the risen Savior, as I realize I have sin issues in my life, there's been something in my heart that's just been burning within me as I've been hearing this.

Like I need to make a decision about something. And I just want to encourage you, I believe that that burning in your heart is the Holy Spirit. Inviting you into a relationship. Maybe you're here today and you just thought, no, no, God would never want anything to do with me because of all the wrong things I've done. This couple was going the wrong way, and that's when Jesus met with them.

And so maybe for you here today, there's been something on your heart that says, man, I feel like God's drawing me to him.

You know, you might be wondering, well, how do I do— how do I respond to this This burning of my heart. And I'll tell you, we're gonna have a moment to pray in just a moment here. And when we pray, I'm gonna just give an opportunity. It's really this decision to say, Lord Jesus, I'm sorry for what I've done wrong. I believe you died on the cross to pay for my sins and that you rose again.

Would you lead my life from here on forward? We're gonna have a moment to pray in just a moment. I just wanna encourage you as we enter into a time of prayer, Easter is real. Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins. He did rise again.

You can have a relationship with Jesus. He invites you into that today. He gives, he gives forgiveness for your past. He gives you a new heart that has new desires and things that are of God, and he gives you hope for your future.

34 · Leads the congregation in a pastoral prayer that first models a sinner's prayer for conversion, then addresses believers who have drifted, calling both groups to respond to Jesus while affirming God's reception of their prayers

Friends, would you pray with me today?

Lord Jesus, that is our heart. We just thank you for your work at the cross. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you loved us all the way to the cross.

Lord, you did. While we were sinners, you died for us.

So, Lord, maybe there's somebody here who's in earshot of my voice, and they just— their heart's been burning, just like we read. I heard the scriptures, I heard about this risen Savior, and I've always been skeptical of it, but there's something burning in my heart right now. Your word says that that couple, that very hour they got up, they went back to Jerusalem, got back in the game. Maybe for somebody here today, your heart's burning within you. It's because the Holy Spirit is drawing you and inviting you into a relationship with Jesus.

It's like we shared just a moment ago, how do I step into that relationship?

Well, we're praying right now. And so if you're here, just in your heart, really, I want it to, just like we said, be sincere between you and the Lord. If that's you, just in your own way, in your own heart, you don't gotta say it out loud or anything. But just say between you and the Lord, Lord, I'm sorry for my sin. I realize I've been going the wrong way and it's not ended well for me.

Thank you, Jesus, that you're coming to me in the midst of this wrong direction and you're inviting me to change course. I'm sorry for my sin, Lord, and I believe, I believe that you died on the cross not only just to overthrow some oppressive empire, but Lord, you died on the cross to deal with the source of the issue, which is my wayward heart.

Lord, would you give me a new heart?

Change my desires.

Lord, I want you to save me, but not only be my Savior, I want you to be my King too. I want to follow you.

So Lord, would you lead my life from here on forward? I'm done, I'm done my own way. I want to get on God's way.

Lord, would you lead my life from here on forward? If that's you here today and you pray that, and I mean, it's just in your heart, it's that sincere relationship with Jesus. If you prayed that today, the Bible says you enter into God's family. That's good news, everybody. Maybe you've been here a long time, maybe you've been a follower of Jesus for a long time, and today is kind of not about maybe making a decision of faith, faith, but maybe today is about sort of— you've been on kind of a, kind of a distant relationship with God for a while now, and God is inviting you to say, no, no, no, let's get back in the game.

Friday wasn't game over. Friday was the start of new life. And maybe there's some areas of your life that you need God to resurrect, that you need God to pour some hope into. Let me encourage you, lean into your relationship with God. And Lord Jesus, that's my prayer today for us, that we would lean into our relationship with you, that we would put our hope in the only one that hope ought to be put in, which is you, Lord Jesus.

That's what we want to do today. And so for everybody in earshot of my voice making those decisions, thank you, Jesus, that you hear every prayer, that there's no prayer too small, that you love even us. We pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus. And everybody said, amen, amen, amen.

35 · Closes the sermon by inviting the congregation to stand and respond in worship, transitioning from preaching to corporate worship as the final response to the message

Well, hey church, let me invite you to stand to your feet. We're going to close and respond with a time of worship. Let's sing this next song with everything in us.

Thanks so much,