“You Can Never Outrun God”

 Scripture:   Luke 24: 13-35

In previous messages regarding the first sightings of the Risen Christ, I asked the question “Why are the stories of these sightings so important for Christians?”  Perhaps it’s time for an actual answer!  I believe that the answer is that folks of that day, as well as those throughout the centuries since Christ’s resurrection, need to know that Jesus, the Son of God, cannot be held to the same limitations that humanity is!  The only human characteristics that God will accept are those that He will use to the benefit of those who come to Him in faith. 

 Consider human characteristics such as these: hunger after the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13); sorrow that brought tears to Hie eyes at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:32-36); the blood that He shed from the scourging, the crucifixion, and the spear (John 19:32-37); as well as the tiredness that He must have felt as He traveled the many roads in ministry to the people.

 Today, we read of the Risen Christ coming to two believers who were on their way to the village of Emmaus as a means of getting away from the inherit dangers that existed in Jerusalem on that day of resurrection.  This story also contains a message that is of vital importance to us all.

 Read Luke 24:13-18

 This will be our third reported sighting of the Risen Jesus, and this will occur outside of the city of Jerusalem.  As we will see later in this passage, the men travel the 7 miles to Emmaus, and then, after Christ reveals Himself to the men, they return to Jerusalem that same night!  14 miles, in one day, on foot, and the last half of the journey occurring very possibly after dark!  Imagine the urgency that must have been driving these two believers!

 And as with the other events that we have considered the past two weeks, these two don’t recognize the Risen Christ when He begins to walk along the road with them.  And we read that “they were kept from recognizing Him.”  It would appear that the Lord needed them to listen and experience Him before they could come to the full realization of the moment. 

 Their emotions were filled to overflowing, blocking the reality of this stranger, and in God’s timing, there were other issues that they needed to be reminded of before their agonizing hearts could be relieved.  Sometimes the most effective release comes from being reminded of the truths that have been put in place during previous times for our own benefit!  And Jesus initiates these thoughts simply by asking them what they have been talking about!  Of course, their conversation had been all about the past few days that were filled with heartbreak, fear, uncertainty, and even doubt as to what the eventual outcome would mean for their lives.

 But Jesus wasn’t about to leave them in the agony of those past 3 or 4 days.

 Read Luke 24:19-27

 Jesus asks them to explain what has burdened them so heavily, and they begin to reveal the hopes and dreams, as well as some of the past reality that had formed, then dashed, their understanding of Jesus’ purpose and plan for their lives.  And even though the Lord had previously explained all that was about to unfold around Him, they still hadn’t been able to pull it all together to bring to light the complete truth of Jesus.

 But their description of Jesus as a “powerful prophet” seems more in line as a portrayal of the Jewish Messiah, than as the divine Son of God that He actually is!  But just as with others who would meet the Risen Savior, their recollection of what the prophecies of scripture had foretold about their “Mighty God” had become blurred, and they had forgotten much of what they knew about the Redeemer and Savior who would be coming as their hope for eternity.  (Isaiah 9:6-7)

 And for those of us who live, teach and worship in today’s environment of diverse interpretations and understandings of what faith requires of us, this is an important lesson to remember.  We must never allow someone to offer a single verse, or portion of a verse, to become the sole source of truth for our lives.  Search scripture for other related passages to understand exactly what the Lord wants us to know about a particular topic.  In John Wesley’s paper “TheCharacter of a Methodist”, he wrote “But as to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think. So that whatsoever they are, whether right or wrong, they are no distinguishing marks of a methodist.” 

 Wesley’s understanding of what methodism should be about had become synonymous with what God’s Will is all about.  And Jesus begins to lead them to remember all that He had taught them, as well as what the prophets had proclaimed about His coming, and the truth is that He will help us to know His truth, too, if we let Him!  God never wants anyone to remain “foolish” or “slow of heart”.

 Read Luke 24:28-31

 Jesus appeared to be moving on when the invitation was offered for Him to remain with them a bit longer.  This is important for us to understand, for the Lord will never impose Himself on our lives until we invite Him and welcome Him into our reality.  Remember the picture of Jesus standing at a door knocking, waiting for us to welcome Him in?  That is the Lord’s way – showing us whatever we need to know, that we might begin to see the importance of inviting Him to join us in this life.

 On that evening, when Jesus accepted the invitation that the 2 men offered Him, He joined them as their guest.  But almost immediately, He takes the lead for the meal, as well as for whatever the “staying” may have involved.  As soon as they sat down together at the table, Jesus took authority as the host, breaking the bread and giving it to the men.   And Jesus will feed us with His goodness, too, as soon as we are ready to receive and respond in it.

 Read Luke 24:32-35

 And how do they respond to this new-found grasp of the fullest truth of their Lord and Savior?  They gave up on their headlong rush to escape from both God’s call on their lives and the world’s hatred for the Lord’s people!  And now, only the Lord’s plan for their lives would hold any promise for them ever again!  There was no thought of finishing their meal, or getting some rest until the morning’s light could guide them back to Jerusalem safely.  They each confirmed what they had experienced, and then left immediately to testify to all that Jesus was truly living.

 How do each of us respond to what the Lord provides for us?  Do we share the Good News with others?  Or do we tuck it safely away in our memory to protect us from the doubters of this world?  Are we afraid that others won’t believe us, or do we run to tell others about our renewed life in Jesus, regardless of what others may think?

 It’s our choice, but how will we respond - by showing the Lord our love for Him, just as He has shown His exceptional love to us?  Or by hiding His gifts in the depths of our forgetfulness? 

Let’s choose to follow the example of Cleopas and his friend, who just couldn’t wait to tell others what Jesus had shown to them!  And the Lord will always be glorified when we do just that!

“Be Ready When He Comes”

 Scripture:   John 20:19-29; John 14:12-29

We all know folks who believe that they have plenty of time to get right with the Lord.  And yet, we also know that this is a false hope, since no one knows either the date of Christ’s return or that of our own death, or the day and hour when He will call us to service in His name, or what He has in store for our testimony to the world.

 The truth is that now is the time for each and every person to give their life over to the Lord Jesus, and to begin following in His footsteps wherever they may lead in preparation for what will be coming next.  As we consider the second and third sightings of the Risen Lord in today's message, we discover that there is one more issue that we must be prepared for, and that is walking in the relationship that Jesus desires to have with us.

 Very few of the early “sighters” recognized Jesus upon His appearing, and some needed additional evidence that this apparition was, indeed, the risen Christ.  But how about us?  What would we need if Jesus appeared in our midst right here and now?

 Read John 20:19-23

 We read that the Lord appears to His “disciples” who were hiding out for fear that they would be next to be arrested, tried, and Lord only knows what else!  But who exactly were these followers of Jesus?  Was it limited to the 11 who were remaining after Judas deserted the Lord?  Or could it have included other believers who were just as frightened as the eleven were.

 We remember that Mary didn’t recognize Jesus until He spoke her name, and that now He actually reveals the wounds He received at Calvary as a way to reassure these frightened people.  Interestingly, His flayed body from the beating should have been sufficient, but that isn’t even mentioned!  And why does He join these believers just hours after Mary had brought them a message affirming the fact that He had risen into new Life that morning.

 She had carried out her assignment to share the Good News with others, and now Jesus also gives this group a task and gives them a gift to facilitate them in their efforts.  He breathes the Holy Spirit into their being, and calls them to stop hiding and to go out and begin to share His good gifts with the people of the world.  Forgiveness of our sins comes through faith, and these faithful are being given the authority to determine if each person is worthy of forgiveness or not.  Of course, they have the Holy Spirit to help them, but this is the first time that these folks have been sent for this purpose.

 In Matthew 10:1-20, we read that the 12 had been sent earlier for healing and to free the people from demon possession.  Later, in Luke10:1-24, He sends out 72 believers in pairs to prepare communities for the arrival of the Lord Jesus.  Throughout His ministry, He was not only teaching, but also preparing the faithful to carry on in ministry after He had left them.

 This is the same call that God places on all who come to Jesus in faith, and it isn’t specifically directed toward church leaders – it is for all who believe.  Are each of us prepared to step out to share the name and way of Jesus with the lost and broken of this world?  Jesus is calling us all, you know!  And now is the time to become prepared!

 Read John 20:24-29

 Now Thomas comes into the picture, and when he hears the news of Jesus’ resurrection, he doesn’t believe his ears either, and he is very specific as to what it would take to allow him to believe.  He says that it won’t be enough to simply see or to hear, but that only a touch in the wounds that Jesus showed to those who saw Him a week previous would be enough.

 Thomas has become known as the Doubter, but this account of Christ’s gift to him has little to do with doubt or skepticism.  It’s actually about the grace that Jesus shows to all who are having a difficult time in faith!  Notice that as soon as Jesus offers Thomas the opportunity to actually do what he had said he needed to do, his faith came alive!  And in faith, Thomas readily confesses that this is truly “my Lord and my God!”

 At Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus asked His followers who they believed that He was, it was Peter who promptly replied “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” (Matthew 16:13-20)  The profession of faith that Thomas proclaimed was more exact and on the mark, while Peter’s had been close, but not completely fulfilling – Lord and God made the point that Jesus is truly God and Master of “all that is, seen and unseen”!  Is our faith that exacting?

 Read John 14:12-21

 Jesus is not only our Lord and our God, He is One in the greater significance of God.  And in this teaching that the Lord Jesus offers us, He offers us a relationship with the entirety of God.  And He establishes the point of this relationship and what it means for all who come to Jesus.  It is established in the love that we have for the Lord Jesus, and is proven to all through our obedience to all that our Lord has taught us.

 And God confirms the relationship by creating a connection between us and them through the Third Person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit.  God has ensured that we never have to question the relationship that exists between us and our Almighty God every again.  By God’s grace, we see, we hear, we sense, we know, we live, and we become part of God’s plan for the people of this world. 

 We carry the message of hope and salvation that many throughout this place have never heard, and unless we share those words of divine promise with them, how will they every know?

 Read  John 14:23-29

 And what will it take for them to know?  We have the Holy Spirit within us, teaching us, reminding us, encouraging us, and refreshing us with the renewing Peace that Jesus offered to so many during His time among us.  And it is still bringing blessing upon blessing to all who welcome the words of hope that we must share with those who are searching, and striving, and hoping to receive the gift of God for themselves.

 This is all about being ready to respond to the call that the God of Eternity places on our lives.  It isn’t a preparation that we have any control over, or responsibility in developing – we can only be ready to hear the voice of our Lord speak to us with directions for becoming a servant of the Most High God and His ways.  And it will certainly be the most glorious gift that we will ever receive.

 We must be ready to see and hear and recognize and accept whatever may be coming our way.  And we can’t miss a single word or nudge or embrace that the Lord sends to us through His divine and perfect love.  Believers are called to be the Lord's "holy priesthood", God's representatives to the people of this barren world. (1 Peter 2:4-6) And when we are prepared, it will certainly be glorious beyond anything we have ever known before!  

“You Are Always Known”

 Scripture: John 20:11-18; Luke 5:17-26

Today, we begin a new 4 week series regarding the sightings that many received of the resurrected Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-7).  There were similarities between all 4 sightings, but there were also some unique aspects of each.  You might wonder why these are important for the church to understand.  But the truth is that these reports are the visual proof that Jesus arose from the tomb, with a specific purpose in mind for our lives, and to live again, in spite of the world’s death, which just couldn’t hold Him any longer! 

The Lord’s Life Eternal versus the world’s unending death – two very different possibilities with two infinitely different outcomes.  And we have very little to say about the decision!  It is all on the Lord Jesus when He returns to sit in Judgment over the world.  And our part?  It all hangs on whether we have chosen Him as our Lord, our Redeemer and our Savior, or Not!  We have the opportunity to either choose the way of Jesus for our life, or to live in the allure and resulting condemnation of the world’s lies.

 Today, we consider the very first resurrection sighting of the Living Lord which occurred right outside of the tomb.

 Read John 20:11-15

 These verses begin with the recollection that Mary was heartbroken and teary eyed over the loss of her Lord and Teacher.  We read in Luke 8:1-3 that Jesus had driven 7 demons out of Mary’s life.  And because of Jesus’ wonderful gift to her, she wanted to give Jesus a gift in return, which she would do very soon, but in a totally different way than she had expected.  But for now, in His suffering and crucifixion, she had lost the only love that she had ever truly known.  For Mary, as well as for many others, Jesus had been their purpose for several years.

 That doesn’t mean that they understood everything that He taught, because they didn’t!  But as was mentioned at the Northeast Convening Conference of the Global Methodist Church this past week – they had begun to realize that the only business that they would ever accept again was Jesus!  And now He was gone – or so they thought.  The men, as well as the women, who had been following the Lord, had heard Him speaking to the masses, and had seen His healing touch change the lives of people who others had shunned, and Jesus’ inner circle had seen the life He lived in such a radically different manner from the one which they had always known.

 When Mary turned back from the tomb, she saw a man through her moistened eyes, but didn’t recognize Him.  The angels hadn’t been any help to her – they only made her miss Him more.  The other women who had come to help her in preparing the body for final burial were in just as difficult a situation as Mary was.  And even if they knew where the Body was, how could they, even all of them together, possibly carry it all the way back to the tomb?

 Read John 20:16-18

 What was Mary to do?  She was lost, she had no answer for her dilemma – until, that is, the stranger spoke her name.  She had heard Jesus call out to others with the words – “Come and follow Me!”  He may have even called her with those same healing and loving words, but when she heard her name this time, her life totally changed.  When she heard the voice of her Savior call out her name once again, she knew, without a doubt, who it was that wanted her service.

 Have you heard the Lord call your name sometime in the not-too-distant past?  What did He ask you to do?  Do you remember what it was?  But the most important question is this – what did you do about it?  Consider what it was that Mary was asked to do – to carry a message specifically for the disciples who were holed up in the Upper Room!  Now we might at first believe that this would be a rather simple thing to do.  But if we read of the impact that Mary’s message had on the men in Luke 24:9-12, we discover that they weren’t about to readily accept her words, as they sounded like “nonsense”!  Even Peter wasn’t ready to listen - he had to run to the tomb to see for himself!

 The tasks that the Lord asks of us are usually nowhere near as dauting as Mary’s was.  I will admit, however, that there have been times in my life when the call of God wasn’t all that appealing to me at first!  And yet, as I began to live out those calls, I came to experience the blessings and the joys of each and every one.  I guess God really knows what He’s talking about!

 The mission statement of the Global Methodist church includes a call to “witness boldly”.  That is exactly what Mary did on that Easter morning, and what each of the disciples would begin to do as they were called into service in the name of Jesus Christ.  And the truth is that when our name is called by the Lord, He expects us to begin stepping out into action right away.  He expects us to begin stepping out into action right away - not to take time to get proof, not to finish up what we had just started, but to get working in Jesus business right away!

 Read Luke 5:17-26

 It makes you wonder if these learned men ever heard their name being called by God!  The problem is that if a person doesn’t know the Lord Jesus, then Jesus doesn’t know them either.  The Pharisees had been following Jesus around for most of His ministry, so they should have known Him and His way very well, and yet, they didn’t have a clue.  If our faith hasn’t prepared us to even hear our name being called, how are we going to be able to do what the Lord asks of us?  And if we aren’t listening to the Lord, how will He ever be able to guide us and prepare us to live a life in Him?  There were only a few Pharisees who would ever come to Christ, and their listening ears would struggle to understand the truth of Jesus.  But in time, their trust in Christ would grow, and they would be ready to step out “boldly”, in faith and service in the name of Jesus Christ.  But it seems that Mary heard better than all of the rest, and she went to work in the only business that she truly cared about – the business of Jesus!

 May each of us make a decision to know Jesus perfectly today, and to have the ears to hear, as well as the conviction to go and do just as we are told to do, as faithfully as Mary Magdalene did on that day.

“Always Good, But Never Evil”

 Scripture:   Galatians 6:1-10; Romans 7:14-25; Galatians 6:14-18

The Church was initially established as a place where believers could come together for fellowship, worship, teaching, counseling, correction, and above all, for mutual support and unity in Christian faith.  But as we all know, the Church has seldom provided unity in the way that Jesus Christ intended it to be.  Throughout the lessons that we have learned from Paul’s letter to the church of Galatia, we have seen countless examples of disunity and conflict among the various church leaders of that day.

 After all, the gospel of Jesus Christ is, first and foremost, based in teaching Christ Crucified and Risen!  And following that, in all that Jesus did and taught for the people of this dark and hurting world.  The humanity of Jesus was immersed in Jewish law and tradition, but the spirituality of Christ encompassed far more than what Judaism had always stood for.

 In Matthew 19:16-30, we read of a young man who came to Jesus to ask the question “What good thing must I do to get eternal life?”  The Lord then gave him the expected response from Torah – which basically, was to follow the law.  But then, Jesus added the answer that comes from His spiritual nature - “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  Unfortunately, these words will never be found in the Law of Torah!

 Then later, when His disciples asked for further clarification, He added even more assurance and focus to the discussion - “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  “Goodness” is always founded within the heart of God, and seldom, if ever, in the ways of man.

 Read Galatians 6:1-10

 If we consider Paul’s advice regarding what the Church should be about, we discover that he thinks that we should be more like a loving family than as a group of individuals who are working to advance their own ideals of what is good versus what falls short!

 A true and loving family will always take responsibility for the welfare, encouragement and support of every other member, and always in the way of God, but never to their personal gain and understanding.  This is what the Church should always be striving toward – for this will lead us into true unity, not only with each other, but with our Holy and Gracious God.  Perhaps Paul’s point is for us to consider whether we are truly Spirit-filled or not!  Without the Spirit being at work in our lives, we will always be at the mercy of the world’s way and no other!

 Paul’s question to us all is this – who are we trying to please?  Are we working to emulate the Spirit of God by accepting and living up to the teachings of Jesus Christ. and to become spiritual people through Him, or are we more concerned and satisfied by remaining as worldly people of the flesh.  Unfortunately, the flesh will always bring about conflict, as flesh is always working to satisfy its variety of differences, which will never lead us into a unified position!  But by immersing ourselves in the Spirit, there will always be Christian ways at work within us.

 Read Romans 7:14-25

 Sin is our very nature, and given the chance, it will bring against us a mighty temptation to live and think in the world’s “fleshly” way.  In verse 20, the apostle brings his dilemma to the point – “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

 So the question is whether we are living in the Spirit of God, or in the spirit of the “flesh”?  It isn’t about what we desire to do, but rather what we wind up doing regardless!  But knowing the difference, and understanding that difference to be ever present in our decision-making processes, will allow the Spirit to begin taking precedence whenever we find ourselves at the point of choosing!

 It all comes down to the “I” and the “me” that tends to influence the decisions that we make!  When “I” am in Christ, and Christ is in “me”, our life will be focused in the spirituality that comes from our Almighty God, and when we are not, sin will have free rein in our lives.

 Paul reminds us that “law”, whether the Law of God or the law of sin, will always require that we choose which “law” will be governing our decisions.  This decision process is similar to the one that must be made before we cross a busy city street.  If we wait for the green “Walk” sign before we step off the curb, our crossing will be much safer and more complete, but if the “law” of “me first” jumps to the fore in our mind, and we decide that the cars will just have to wait for “me”, the outcome will certainly be less than successful! 

The same is true when we allow sin to govern our thoughts instead of the Lord!

 Read Galatians 6:14-18

 Paul asks us to consider the “marks” that we bear and the source from which they come.  Are they marks from the Cross of Christ which are the marks of His redemptive salvation for the life we have given to Him, or are they marks that the cross of Rome produced which are the marks of death that have become ours through sin?

 The apostle would have us keep our hearts focused on the Cross of Christ, and to leave the world’s sentence of death far behind.

John 3:16-17