mayfield church of christ

New Year Message - Emmaus Road

Posted by Pastor Mark on 4 January 2009 | 0 Comments

Tags: New Year

When you hear a verse like.....Romans 8 verse 28.....that we KNOW that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.....do you REALLY believe it

I mean....just thinking back through this last year.....remembering all that's happened over the year.....do you BELIEVE that all these things .....have worked for your GOOD?.... Cause it's NOT always easy is it......

Just this last week.....I've had one thing after another BREAK down on me.....boat motor......boat controller....boat starter..... the head gasket in the car......all RIGHT before I go to America......

And I'm thinking....HOW can that be for my good.....Well right NOW.....I guess I'm not seeing it.....BUT....HISTORICALLY.....I have a very good track record.... when I look back at the things that have happened in my life.......of very clearly seeing the hand of GOD working on the circumstances of my life......to allow things to happen....which cause me to MOVE in certain directions.....to MAKE certain decisions.....or to REACT in certain ways.....and as such....I'm CONFIDENT that in the near future I WILL know what this weeks breakdowns have been about......BUT....Having the CONFIDENCE....or the FAITH to be able to accept that REGARDLESS of what happens....that God IS working for my good.....is to me....one of the major challenges of living this life with Jesus....

I think it's GOOD to look back over your life.....particularly at the beginning of a new year.....at one of the most critical markers of our calendar.....and be able to identify key moments when God has been significantly guiding and directing the circumstances of your life....and to SEE God working in your life......because that KNOWLEDGE is what BUILDS our faith....and strengthens our TRUST in Him.....so that when we get BOMBARDED by the BREAKDOWNS of life......we can get THROUGH them.....because of the CONFIDENCE that we have in our God.....knowing...that HE is walking there beside us.....because sometimes....I think we MISS what it is He's doing there.......

A few days after Jesus is crucified.....there is an event that takes place on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus.....which I want to look at today....as we move into another year as a church....because to ME it SPEAKS to us......of what this years holds for us.....and also what we need to be prepared for....as we move into this next exciting period together......

The Road between Jerusalem and Emmaus was about 7 miles ......

Jesus has just been crucified.......and what is now happening.....is that all of these people who loved Jesus.....who had followed him....and listened to him....and who had decided to LIVE their lives according to His teachings.......They were shattered.......and gradually....they began to scatter....to go back to their everyday lives.

 Cleopas and his mate....whose name we're not even told..... aren't two of your well known disciples....they're just two followers....not part of the inner core of disciples....but everyday people who had been AFFECTED by the words that Jesus spoke....and I think we tend to forget about this group of early followers of Jesus.....and instead focus on the core of disciples and how they would have felt at this time.....but there were probably hundreds of disciples like Cleopas and his mate......who would have had NO idea....what was going on....to them....the whole thing just FELL apart....before it really got started......and they're STRUGGLING.....they were DEVASTATED........and they've LEFT Jerusalem......left a DEAD Jesus.....left what they thought was a DEFEATED Jesus....and they're going home.....they're moving one....back to their OLD lives......

And the thing I LOVE about this account....is that these two virtual NOBODIES could be any one of us.....any one of us who have decided to follow Jesus.....but who FAIL to see what it IS that he is DOING in our lives and in our church....that has ANY lasting... significant affect.......Any one of us.....who....when the wheels start to fall off......decide to GIVE it up.....and WALK AWAY disillusioned....back to our old life.....

Anyway......Out of the blue....a stranger tags along with these guys...... as they walked on the road away from Jerusalem.....and this stranger asks them WHAT they are discussing....and they say to Him.....are you kidding.....have you been in a cave for the last three days.....haven't you heard about this Jesus.....He was amazing....we thought He was IT.....He was meant to be the ONE.....but they killed him.....done....finished.....we did NOT see that coming....

And in Jesus' beautiful style.....He responds with....how thick are you.......hello.......do you not GET it.......OK....let me explain in  ONE more time for you......obviously you MISSED it......and so He reminds them of all the teachings about himself from Moses right through......and they HEAR IT.....BUT.... even THEN....these guys STILL didn't get it......

BUT....while they didn't get it....there was obviously SOMETHING about this guy that made them want to talk more.....so they convince him to STAY for tea.....they offer him HOSPITALITY...... And at the dinner table in these guys home in Emmaus.....this stranger broke bread and gave thanks.....before they ate.....and AT LAST..... in that simple act.....Their eyes were opened.....they FINALLY got it.......

At that moment of the breaking of the bread....the penny dropped and they understood WHAT he had been saying to them out on the road......that this was all part of the plan....and that Jesus had come back to life from the dead.

And at THAT moment.....they GOT UP....(and a little foot note in one of my Bibles.....suggests that that term GOT UP literally means they had their own resurrection)......because they understood from that moment.... that nothing is impossible with God.......

I LOVE the next part of the account...you hear nothing more about what happened with Jesus .....but these two guys have now finally REALIZED what was going on.....and they start trying to convince each other that they KNEW all along....that it was Jesus who was walking with them..... "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"

And I love this part because I think....How often do we do that as well.....we use that wonder of RETROSPECT to revise our history.... We look back on the important moments in our lives.....and we try to convince ourselves that Jesus or the  Holy Spirit was there at our sides.....even though we didn't have a CLUE at the time?  

But you know....that's a GOOD thing.......because ultimately.....this is what the spiritual life is all about.......Trying to SEE God in the circumstances of our lives.....Trying to INCLUDE God in more of the day to day happenings of our lives......trying to make more and more of our lives a prayer..........Trying to celebrate and give THANKS.....for the incredible gift of this life with Jesus....that is with us every moment.....if only we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. 

And it's also about.....recognizing how much of our own life is outside of our conscious control....and how grateful we should be ....for those moments of undeserved and unrecognized connection and companionship when we are in need.....those moments that to me.....are moments of amazing grace....when we are picked up and carried through...whatever it is we are struggling with.....by a power of love that's is BEYOND our understanding.......

And the RESPONSE of these two guys is important......because... the moment that they see this....The moment they GET it.....they get up and head BACK to Jerusalem......BACK to the place they were just a bit earlier trying to get away from...... back to the place where they didn't want to be...back to the place that was just TOO hard......

And WHY did they go back?.....Well....it WASN'T because they have a new view of Jerusalem.... It was because they had a new vision of Jesus.....He was alive and He was there by their side...... And that gave them a new vision of themselves and what they were capable of........and it turned their FEAR into courage....and it turned their DESPAIR into hope....... And it turned their RETREAT into forward motion........

And as we head into this new year......I think there's a lot that we can take from that account.....Maybe as this year closes.....you find yourself heading AWAY from Jerusalem...feeling like it's all just a bit LOST.......there might be something that you have been running from for a long time.....an old hurt that just keeps hurting.....a failure or some sin that you're just terrified someone will find out about....hurtful words may have been said about you......you might have experienced loss.......or you might be feeling....that spiritually....it's all just falling apart.....and you're not FEELING like Jesus is there with you.....or that you even have a NEED for Him TO be with you......and so you're heading back towards Emmaus....back to some old pattern of life .....

This is the time to look back.....and to see when Jesus might have been walking with you....but you just didn't recognize it......when you were so busy trying to deal with life by yourself that you didn't even recognize Him there.......Or that life was going so well WITHOUT HIM....that you didn't think you NEEDED Him there...

This is the time for that AHAH moment....to have YOUR eyes opened again.....and to get up and DO something....and head BACK towards Jerusalem.....back to whatever it is that you have to deal with....KNOWING that Jesus is with you....that's His promise.....Because it is not until you go there with him...in him.....that you will EVER begin to DEAL with this stuff....or that you will EVER be ultimately free.

As a church.......as I think back over the last twelve months......there are a LOT of times.....when I can Identify that Jesus has been walking with us as we've been going....BUT...I wonder if we've RECOGNISED that He was there....or if we thought it was because of our careful planning or our generousity....or our cleverness....BUT I just want to RECOGNISE those times....and make SURE that we THANK Him for walking those roads beside us.....

Last January.....I think we met Jesus in Manila......and he CAPTURED us.....and filled us with compassion......and love......and a desire to BE Jesus to these people in the slums of Manila.....and we came back here and shared that with you....and YOU captured it too....And this year has been an AMAZING journey on that road together with our friends in Manila.....In ONE offering...after the fire.....$10,500 was given......which has been used to build a Cafeteria...which is providing lasting employment for about 10 families.....providing purpose and security....and WORTH in a place where worth is hard to find....And AS WELL it's providing our sponsor children with daily nutritionally sound meals at the school......The picture of how that $10,500 was used....is very different to the picture we had..... of rebuilding houses.....but in many ways it's a BETTER more lasting answer to the problem....and JESUS was THERE in that process.......

One 11 year old boy.....has been able to have bowel surgery to REPLACE a colostomy bag.....because of what WE are doing here as we walk with Jesus......

THIRTEEN children are now being given the opportunity to attend school and BREAK the cycle of poverty....because of individuals within our church.....that's fantastic.....and THIS year...... I BELIEVE....that's going to increase....and I thank GOD for placing upon the hearts of individuals....compassion.....empathy....and the desire to GET UP and DO something about it.....

I had lunch tea with Boof and Libby this week.....and we were talking about the homework centre.....and how amazing the beginning of THAT journey has been.....and how as a result of that work.....we now have Cambell and Helen and Corey a part of us....on the same road together.....and we have Jasmine and Hamish and Angus and Heather....a part of us as well.....and Boof made the comment.....you know we have only scratched the surface of that ministry.....what do you think would happen if we GOUGED the surface.....WELL Maybe that's going to happen this year....and who knows where it will lead....because I am ABSOLUTELY convinced that JESUS is walking with us on that road.....and when He's there....anything is possible.....

We have received a cheque from Churches of Christ....which is going to allow us to purchase 10 notebook computers so that we can begin Adult Computer Education classes this term.......and again....Jesus is arranging the circumstances of OUR life as a church......and things are happening when WE....GET UP and go out and DO SOMETHING....even though it might seem hard....even though it might seem scary.....it's NOT...when Jesus is taking the road with you....

I am excited about Home groups this year.......having Boof at the wheel.....All I can say is....prepare to be confronted...prepare to be challenged......prepare to have ALL the obstacles removed so we can ALL be part of a small group....cause THAT'S what I HOPE is going to happen......and I want you ALL to be preparing for that......It's easy to say NO....it's easy to NOT put yourself out there...because it's SAFE......but Jesus doesn't want SAFE for us......he want's to walk the road with us......and He wants us to GET up and DO Something...

And then there's the BUILDING work.....if all these other things are happening....we are going to need somewhere for them to happen....and those extension we are planning.....are a part of that.....it MIGHT have taken 18 months to get though council.....but right there.....Jesus is walking with us on that road....it happens when HE needs it to happen......so I am confident to move to the next stage....knowing He is there......BUT this year.....we are ALL going to be challenged......because if we are going to do these extensions.....then we need to be able to pay for it....and that might mean that ALL of our faith might need to be increased....as we commit to making this happen.....BUT AGAIN.....If Jesus is walking with us all on this road.....then HE will open our eyes to what needs to happen.....it might take us a little while to SEE that.....but I'm confident we'll get it in the end......and when we do.....we will have the FAITH to get up and DO something......

The disciples on that road to Emmaus....were TURNED AROUND......NOTHING was the same once they RECOGNISED that it was JESUS who was walking with them......and it turned their FEAR into courage....and it turned their DESPAIR into hope....... And it turned their RETREAT into forward motion........

We certainly have NOT been retreating.....we've been moving ahead .....BUT I think this year...we are going to see a lot more forward motion......and the potential of that..... the potential of that.....is just SO exciting......

If you received a copy of our huge Christmas card.....you might have read my message on the back......where I said....

May God continue to bless and encourage each one of you over this next year.....BUT....be prepared to be surprised......because often....God's blessings don't look like we expect them to....

And that's what I want to leave you with as we go into this new year together......prepare to be surprised.....by Jesus...who walks this road with us......

Father....we look to this year with expectation and hope.....Lord I pray that you will make this year count....both in our personal walk with you...and our walk with you as a church. Help us not lose sight of you in that process....and help us to see you more in the everyday...AMEN.