Disappointments

Rev Gideon Lee

Last week we had 4 candidates for water baptism. So we'd like to recognise them by giving them their certificates and a voucher to a Christian book store.

Last week we did on Resurrection Sunday and many things happened after that. Jesus did many things to show that he is alive.

Luke 24:13-33

The Road to Emmaus

13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

19 And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

25 Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

The Disciples' Eyes Opened

28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,

This it is the same day, Resurrection Sunday and these disciples which was not part of the main group made their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

Jesus appeared to these two disciples while they were on their way. It was as they talked and discussed these things. They were debating about the things that has happened. They were trying to make sense of what had just happened on Resurrection Sunday and Good Friday. Not just casual conversations.

Somehow Jesus decided to keep his identity from them at the beginning. He thought it was beneficial if he kept his identity from these two.

Jesus was leading them in his conversation with them. He was aware of what happened but he purposely kept his identity from them. There is a reason for this as we'll see later on.

The disciples told him what happened and the grammar was all in the past. He was a prophet. He was crucified. We had hope. They did not place any of their hope on what had happened Sunday morning. It has not become a reality for them yet. They were not sure if Jesus was alive.

They heard what the women testified but they were not convinced. I said last week if we wanted more credibility he would have used more reputable men to be witnesses. Women and children at that time were not given prominence.

This morning I want to talk about what discouragement can do to us. What it can to us as Christians. I think all of us have experienced disappointments before. We need to see the picture that is unfolding before us.

For these two disciples you can imagine what is going through in their hearts. They say their Saviour was crucified on Friday. He was tortured. I explained how cruel the crucifixion was. He also experienced betrayal from one of his own disciples. He was betrayed with a kiss by Judas. The disciples saw all this happened.

And now on a Sunday morning they heard that Jesus' body has disappeared. They were not sure. After all these that had happened, they decided to go home. Some of his disciples went back to their old profession. Like fishing. Of these two disciples, only one was named.

Of the four gospels it was only recorded in the book for Luke. These two were not mentioned anywhere else. They were going to Emmaus. It means obscure. They were leaving from Jerusalem, a place of promise. They were walking from a place of promise to obscurity. That's what happens when you are discouraged. You walk away from God's promise. And walk into our own pity party.

We rather walk away from God's promise to obscurity. I can understand why but that's what discouragement does to us. For some reason Jesus decided not to reveal himself to them. Their eyes were restrained.

They have forgotten the truth of God's words. They forgot that Jesus said he will rise again. They have lost all hope and thought someone has taken his body. They forgot that he will rise again.

We have to decide once and for all. That when we walk through the waters, he will be with you.

Isaiah 43:2-3

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;  And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

We have to decide once and for all if he had risen. If Jesus has risen there is no reason for us to walk away from his promise. No matter what we feel and our circumstances are. His promise is yea and yes. Let's decide once and for all if he has risen or not.

You have to know that he is the God that when you pass through the waters he will be with you.

Why, because I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel.

I don't know what you are going through. What disappointment or struggles that you are going through. Don't walk away from his promises. We have started a new series in our cell group. Please find a cell to attend. We are studying on the life of Joseph. He went from one disappointment to another. But in the end he was an overcomer.

Last week we studied how he overcome betrayal.

Discouragement and frustration can make us live in the past. I am not saying we cannot remember the past. What I mean is that sometimes we relive all the disappointments we went through. So we tend to relive what has happened.

Luke 24:17-21

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

They were all talking about the past. That's what happens when we become disappointed. Our hope should be on the future. The past should be a springboard for us to spring into the future. It must not hold you. Don't put your hope in the past. These two were talking all in the past tense. I like what Jesus did by asking them what happened. Don't Jesus know what happened? He knows because it happened to him.

I want you to know Jesus knows what happened to you. Yet Jesus ask what happened? That's what I do in counselling. I let them tell me what happened. By talking they begin to understanding what has happened to them. Sometimes the best counselling is to lend them your ear.

Jesus has a plan. He wasn't asking just for fun. As he asked them he brought them to a place of understanding  and finally he revealed himself to them.

And also I want you to know whatever you went through, Jesus is walking with you. These two were not prominent disciples. One of them were not even named. Think about it. I think at the moment of their disappointment and discouragement, the king of Kings and Lord of Lords saw it fit to walk with them. Jesus decided to walk with them. Jesus saw their hurt and their  pain.

Whatever you are going through, God is concerned and is willing to walk with you. That is the message of the resurrection. Death and grave could not hold him back. His desire is for you to know him.

Don't walk away from God's promise. Don't hold to the past. And remember whatever you are going through God is walking with us.

Sometimes discouragement and frustration can cause us to feel that God is not with us. We feel that he is so far away from us. We have all experienced this on our walk with God. We feel that God is not around. And we ask God where are you?

I sometimes say if you cannot feel God's hand trust his heart. Trust that God knows best. Trust that he loves you. That he will not leave you or forsake you. He works everything for good. We sometimes think God is not there.

Luke 24:25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

He was not rebuking them but he was challenging them. He was now focused on the present.

Jesus then shared from the beginning from Genesis. Then to Isaiah as the suffering servant. Then to Zechariah as the pierced man.

Imagine you are walking seven miles. How long will that take? Can someone tell me? I would say maybe about 3 or 4 hours. The time they arrived it was already evening. They started out in the afternoon. As they were walking Jesus walked alongside them. They did not recognise Jesus then they tell Jesus their problems. And Jesus shared the greatest sermon ever.

As they arrived, Jesus pretended that he was going further. But they told Jesus to stay with them as it was late. Only at breaking bread did they recognise him. Sometimes we got short of the miracle because we didn't go the second mile. The disciples said his sharing burned within their heart. They wanted to hear more and they wanted more of Jesus. That was one reason they asked Jesus to stay with them.

When they finally knew it was Jesus, the Bible said they rose up and went back to Jerusalem. Another 7 miles. There must be something great for me to walk 7 miles! In the dark. They went back with the sole purpose of telling the disciples what has happened.

Jesus is alive and these disciples did not keep the good news to themselves. Sometimes discouragement causes us to walk away from his promises and causes us to live in the past. And that we forget he is with us. Get back to him. Get an encounter with the living God.

I pray as TOP we will continue to move forward. In cell on the life of Joseph the one word that keeps coming back is that God was with him.

Tabernacle of Praise, hello. Are you all still awake? Sometimes I wish I was like Jesus where you say pastor don't go yet. We want to hear more. Tabernacle of Praise, God is with us. Amen.