Alive in Christ!

Sermon Notes

Saturday, August 1, 2009 & Sunday, August 2, 2009

Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church

9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, Arizona 85248

(480) 895-8766

 

Luke 24:28-35 NRSV

28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.  29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.”  So he went in to stay with them.  30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.  32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”  33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.  34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!”  35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

 

 

A.  Introduction

    1.  Helen Keller

        a.  At nineteen months of age Helen Keller became ill which then caused her to become deaf and blind.  This resulted in her being imprisoned by her circumstances.  She could feel with her hands, but without sight or hearing, how could she know what she was touching.  Without sight or hearing communicating her wants and needs was difficult.  She was like a wild animal grabbing food and toys grunting her approval or howling when angered.  Then when Helen was almost seven a teacher named Ann Sullivan was hired to instruct her.  It was very difficult. 

        b.  Then one day Ann took Helen down a familiar path to the well house.  Someone was drawing water there.  Ann let the water run over Helen's hands and then spelled out the word water on her hand.  She did this repeatedly.  Then something dramatic happened inside of Helen Keller:  Something life changing.  It was only a five letter word, but for Helen it was a gigantic breakthrough.  She now had a name for a familiar object:  Water!  If this thing had a name, other familiar objects, things, experiences and even people must have names as well.  It was as if she had suddenly burst forth from a cruel prison.  Now she could be a whole person, experiencing the world as a real human being in spite of her disabilities.  From this moment on she felt truly alive!

    2.  Today's Scripture:  Luke 24:13-35

        a.  Such a breakthrough is an exciting experience.  Such a breakthrough came to two of the disciples of Jesus.  They were walking to a village called Emmaus which is about seven miles from Jerusalem.  They were in grief, broken in spirit and mourning.  Their Master Jesus had been killed.  They, along with the other followers of Jesus, were in shock.  They were stunned beyond words.  Their minds were numb and clouded in sadness for their friend and for their own deep disappointment.  They had thought that Jesus was to be the Messiah, the one to redeem Israel, and now he was dead, crucified like a common criminal.  As they walked slowly to Emmaus they poured out their grief to each other.  They also mulled over some disquieting news.  Earlier in the day some of the women had gone to the tomb to anoint the dead body of Jesus.  His body was missing.  It was not in the tomb.  And then these women babbled something about an angelic encounter in which they were told, "He has risen!" (Matthew 28:7 RSV)  What could this mean?  Who could have stolen his body from the grave?  What should they and the other disciples do?  These two just had to get away and so they journeyed to the village of Emmaus. 

 

A.  Introduction… continued

        b.  As they walked another man joined them in their journey.  Luke's Gospel tells us that it was Jesus, but for some reason the two disciples in the cloud of their grief did not recognize him.  To them he was just some stranger.  Then breaking in on their conversation the Lord asked, “What are you talking about to each other, as you walk along?” (Luke 24:17 TEV)  One of them responded, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have been happening there these last few days?” (Luke 24:18 TEV)  Then they shared with the stranger all the things that had taken place:  Who they thought Jesus was, what happened to him, as well as their present grief and confusion.  Then the Lord whom they thought was just some stranger said, “How foolish you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said!  Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26 TEV)  And beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he interpreted to them everything in the Scriptures relevant to the ministry of the Messiah.

        c.  As they neared Emmaus it became evident that this stranger intended to journey farther, beyond the little village.  They begged him to stay there for the night to share some more of his wonderful insights, to have a bite to eat, and to rest till morning.  He did stay.  That evening when they gathered around the table, he took the bread and blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them.  It was one of those breakthrough moments!  They knew that this was not a stranger.  It was Jesus!  It was the risen and glorified Savior.  The story of the women was true.  Jesus is alive!  And these two disciples, also, truly became alive.  Alive in Christ!  Can this happen to us today?  Yes, it can.  Let me suggest two ways in which modern day followers of Christ can have an Emmaus experience.

 

B.  Get into the Bible.

    1.  Bob Hope and Bishop Sheen

        a.  Bob Hope and Bishop Sheen were just two of many honorees on an awards show in the late fifties.  First, Bob Hope stepped up to accept his award and stated, “I would like to thank my four writers…” and he named each one of them.  Bishop Sheen was given his award right after Bob Hope.  His acceptance speech was short and simple:  “Like Mr. Hope, who just preceded me, I would like to thank my four writers:  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”

        b.  Are you thankful for the Holy Bible?  It contains the words of life.

    2.  Read the instruction book!

        a.  The custodian at one of the churches I served was assembling a new desk for our Church’s Administrative Assistant.  He just opened the box and started putting it together.  What a disaster!  Unfinished panels of wood were showing and the whole thing was lopsided.  I finally asked, “Did you read the instruction book?”  Sheepishly he admitted, “No.”

        b.  If you want a life that is rich and meaningful.  Read the instruction book.  Read the Bible!

    3.  Alexander Solzhenitsyn

        a.  Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s speaks of the power of the Word of God in his book, ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH which is based on his own experiences in a Soviet prison for dissidents.  In the book, Ivan notices that one of his fellow prisoners in the Gulag Archipelago is not broken, and the light in his eyes has not gone out, as it seems to in all the other convicts.  This is because each night in his cell before the light is shut off the man reverently unfolds some wrinkled pieces of paper that have somehow escaped the censor.  On them are copied passages from the Gospels. 

        b.  The Book of Life was the secret of this man’s strength and endurance deep in the darkest corner behind the Iron Curtain.  One way we encounter the Risen Christ is in the breaking of the bread of life which is the Word of God.

    4.  Today's Scripture:  Luke 24:32

        a.  After the two disciples recognized Jesus in the “breaking of the bread,” they realized something else.  It is best summed up in Luke 24:32:  “They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?’” (Luke 24:32 RSV)

        b.  The Bible contains the words of life.  If you want to be truly alive you will be a daily Bible reader.

 

C.  Become a part of the Body of Christ!

    1.  Blest Be the Tie That Binds!

        a.  In 1765 John Fawcett was called to pastor a very small congregation at Wainsgate, England.  He and his wife labored their faithfully for seven years, but the little congregation could never pay him much.  The meager salary covered the necessities of life, but little else.  Though the people were poor, they did their best to support the pastor and his wife, and compensated them richly with their faithfulness and warm fellowship.  Then The Reverend Doctor Fawcett received a call from a much larger Church in London, and after lengthy consideration decided to accept the invitation.  As their few possessions were being placed in a wagon for moving many of his parishioners came to say goodbye.  Once again they pleaded with him to reconsider.  Touched by this great outpouring of love, he and his wife began to weep.  Finally Mrs. Fawcett exclaimed, “Oh John, I just can’t bear this.  They need us so badly here.”  “God has spoken to my heart, too!” he said.  “Tell them to unload the wagon.  We cannot break these wonderful ties of fellowship.”  This experience inspired Fawcett to write a hymn.  “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is life to that above.” (#557 in our United Methodist Hymnal)

        b.  Does that not describe the joy, the deep meaning, the aliveness that we have in our Church fellowship?  One of the greatest joys in life is being part of a loving Christian fellowship.

    2.  Work Team

        a.  And indeed what greater joy is there than truly being a part of the Body of Christ.  Some years ago I led a Youth Work Team sponsored by the Sierra Service Project.  We worked winterizing some homes on an impoverished Indian reservation in northern California.  The elderly whose homes we made warmer were most grateful, and eagerly shared baked goodies with our teenagers.  These senior adults expressed great joy and praised God for His goodness.

        b.  What I found interesting, but now know to be a great truth is this:  Our kids got the greatest joy in being the loving hands of Jesus for others.  One girl said, “This Work Team, this helping others in the name of Jesus, has been the greatest joy of my life!”  One of the boys said, “Wow, who would have thought helping others would make you feel so alive and good about yourself!”  We truly are the most alive when we are the loving Body of Christ sharing His love with the world.

    3.  Today's Scripture:  Luke 24:30-31

        a.  The words of today’s Scripture are important:  “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him!” (Luke 24:30-31 NRSV)  Indeed, it is significant that it was when Jesus took the bread, blessed it and broke it that the disciples knew who he was!  Hearts have been touched for 2,000 years when persons have taken the bread and the cup and heard those timeless words:  “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you:  this do in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24 KJV)  “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28 KJV)  “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25 RSV)

        b.  Part of the power of the sacrament of Holy Communion is that we experience it together.  We are Christ’s family and we feel that in a most beautiful way when we are gathered around His table in Christian fellowship.  We are His body when we live in harmony and love our fellow church members.  Also, when we partake of the bread of Communion this symbolic act reminds us that we belong to Jesus and live to serve Him.  His Spirit is within us, and we are called to be the Body of Christ sharing His love to a hurting world.  There is no greater joy and no greater sense of being alive than being His instrument of love to others.

 

D.  Conclusion:  Recap…  Do you want to be alive?  It is as simple as two words:  Bible and Body!

    1.  Get into the Bible.  Read from your Bible each and every day.

    2.  Become a part of the Body of Christ!  And by that I mean:  Be active here in our Church, and be in service to the world, to others, in Jesus' name.

Alive in Christ!

 

HOW WE BECOME TRULY ALIVE:

 

   1.  Get into the Bible.

 

   2.  Become a part of the Body of Christ!

 

Luke 24:13-35 NRSV

13Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?”  They stood still, looking sad.  18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”  19He asked them, “What things?”  They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.  21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.  Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.  22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us.  They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.  24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”  25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!  26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”  27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.  28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.  29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.”  So he went in to stay with them.  30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.  32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”  33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.  34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!”  35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.