This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Gift Of The Holy Spirit", 2/14/2013

HOLY SPIRIT; THE POWER OF THE CHURCH

 

Acts 2:1-13

 

V:1. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

 A. Pente means fifty. Pentecost is fifty days after the resurrection of Christ.

     1. This was God's appointed time for the giving of the Holy Spirit to believers.

     2. They were all in one place awaiting the fulfillment of the promise of power

          given by Jesus.

          a. Whatsoever Jesus promised, we should anticipate.

     3. When believers gather, they should gather with their minds focused on the

          work of the Lord and all of His promises.

 B. God has pre-planned the place and the time for all events concerning His plan of

      redemption.

    1. When we are obedient to God's Word, miracles can take place.

        a. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for a miracle.

   

V:2. "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting."

 A. God reveals Himself to us by what He does through nature.

     1. He can disturb the elements of nature and localize the disturbance into one place.

     2. The sound like a rushing wind was heard only in the place where the disciples

         were gathered.

     3. They were all sitting in one house.

 B. You can hear the wind, but the wind cannot be touched.

     1. You can feel the effects of the wind, but the wind cannot be seen.

     2. The sound they heard was violent, but destroyed nothing.  

 C. When God appears, He fills the House.

     1. We should maintain our focus on the Lord, and thus be filled with the Lord.

V:3. "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues with the likeness of fire, and it sat upon each of them."

 A. They saw something with the appearance of fire resting on the head of each of them.

     1. The word "cloven" means divided or parted.

     2. God gave them a visual sign of the spirit that rested with them.

        a. The Holy Spirit is present in every believer.

        b. In the room, there were120 people.

 B. Wherever believers gather, the Holy Spirit is present.

     1. The word “tongue” is from the Greek word "gloossai" which means

          speech or language.

     2. The first spiritual gift given by God to the original disciples was

          the gift of language.

          a. The gift of language was the ability to speak a language different

              than their own, immediately and without any training.

    3. Notice that the text says it rested upon them and not within them.

         a. Our spiritual gifts are meant to be used for the glory of God.

V:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

 A. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.

      1. The Holy Spirit dwells within every believer.

      2. They immediately began to speak other languages as directed by the Holy Spirit.

      3. The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural abilities. Isa 28:11

      4. The Spirit works through our obedience to the Word of Jesus.

           a. Because of their obedience, they were in Jerusalem awaiting the promise of

               Jesus.

           b. They assembled themselves together for worship and prayer.

           c. We must allow the Holy Spirit to direct us in the work of the Lord.

 B. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, each believer is enabled to do the

      work of the Lord.

     1. The Holy Spirit is not for our own personal use, but given to us in order to glorify

          the Father.

     2. Any gift we have comes not by our abilities, but by the Lord.

 

V:5. "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven."

 A. To verify this gift of languages and the power of the Holy Spirit, God brought

     representatives from every recognized nation.

     1. These representatives were all religious men who believed in God.

     2. These men lived in Jerusalem, so they knew the people and their language.

 B. These men were familiar with the crucifixion of Jesus and the disciples of Jesus.

     1. Under Jewish law, something could be proven by the testimony of two or more

         witnesses.

V:6. "Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and they were confounded, as every man heard them speak in his own language."

 A. There are things that cannot be maintained as a secret.

    1. Word travelled that Jesus’ disciples were speaking in different languages.

    2. These devout men came to the place where the disciples were speaking, in order

         to witness the miracle themselves.

    3. These devout men were confused because common people were speaking

        different languages.

        a. Every devout man heard the common people speak in their own language.

     4. The Lord can use ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

          a. According to God’s will, we are empowered.

  B. When we devote ourselves to God, we become a power of which the minds of this

       world cannot understand.

     1. Under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are unlimited in what we

         can accomplish for God.

V:7. "And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, “Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?"

 A. The multitude of devout men had different languages.

      1. To hear common people speak in each of their languages was amazing to them.

          a. The Galilaeans were considered ignorant, rude and uncivilized. John 1:46

      2. These common people were not educated, and should not have had the ability to

          speak in their language.

        a. There was no multitude of teachers in Jerusalem who could have taught the

            common people these languages.

        b. If God has a mission for us, we need not worry about how it will be

            accomplished.

 B. When you witness a miracle, it should be discussed and shared with others.

     1. You must make your own determinations about God.

     2. Though two people may see the same thing, they may view it differently.

     3. People can experience the same thing, but have different beliefs.

 

V:8. "And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?"

 A. God is not limited in what He can do with us.

     1. Problems arise when we attempt to “see” our possibilities with our eyes.

     2. Faith in God is beyond human understanding.

 B. There is nothing that God cannot accomplish.

     1. There is nothing we cannot accomplish with God, if it be His will.

     2. God is more than the whole world against us.

 C.  This miracle was complicated.

     1. Unlearned men spoke languages other than their own.

     2. Men of many different languages each heard their language spoken at the same

         time.

     3. How can this be? God made it to be.

 Acts 2:9-11

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

 A. Only God can bring men together from different countries and empower them with

       simultaneous understanding

    1.  Believers should hunger to bear witness to God’s work of miracles in their own   

         lives and in the lives of others.

    2. We should anticipate God’s miracles.

 B. The works of God are beyond the ordinary.

    1. Many things before us are miracles in the making.

    2. The air we breathe is constantly purified:  This is a miracle.

         a. The grass changes colors with the seasons: this is a miracle.

         b. There is sufficient food for all of the people of the world: this is a miracle.

         c. Cows produce milk to nourish their caretakers: this is a miracle.

    3. The miracles of God are never ending.

        a. The blood of one man atones for the sins of all the world: this is a miracle.

 

 V: 12. "And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?"

 A. The Holy Spirit is the power of the Church.

     1. God gives each of us different gifts to build His Church.

     2. Each believer has the responsibility to use the gifts given them toward the glory

         of the Father.

 B. All believers have a purpose in the body of Christ.

    1. Every believer should be actively involved in the mission of moving the Gospel to

        the ends of the earth.

    2. The Church, with the power of the Holy Spirit will survive every effort of man to

         destroy it.

    3. Believers have the hope of victory and eternal life.

 C. The miracles of God are foolish to the human mind.

     1. Only a spiritual mind can understand the works of God.

 

V:13. "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."

  A. In the middle of the mission, Satan is always trying to undermine the works of

       God.

      1. What the world can't understand about God, it cast off with foolish thoughts.

      2. If the disciples were drunk with wine, it would be more unlikely that they would

          speak a foreign language fluently.

 B. We should be thankful to God that He gave us a measure of faith.

     1. We should be thankful that that our faith is not left to us but to the power of the

          Holy Spirit.

     2. We should be thankful that He chose us to receive His Spirit.

     3. We should be thankful that the death of Jesus on the cross provides eternal

          life to all believers.

     4. Thank God for powering our lives with the Holy Spirit.

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             

 

THE START OF THE CHURCH

 

Luke 24:36-53

 

V:36.  "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."

 A.  Jesus is the source of our peace.

      1. He is the peace between you and the Father.

      2. He is the peace between you and Him.

      3. He is the source of peace between you and other believers.

 B. Trusting Jesus brings peace in the mist of troubling situations.

     1. The eleven (disciples) were troubled by the death of their leader.

     2. They heard the reports of His resurrection, yet they were still troubled.

     3.  Lack of trust in the Word leads to a troubled mind.     

 C. Jesus is in the mist of whatever is going on in the life of believers.

     1. Our trust in Him ought to calm us down and assure us of the best outcome.

         a. We are commanded to be anxious for nothing.

 

V:37. "But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit."

 A. Some people are hard to convince.

    1. They had the testimony of the women and the men from Emmaus, yet they would

         not believe.

    2. They saw what looked like Jesus, but they refused to believe it was Jesus.

    3. They obviously believed in spirits.

       a. They immediately believed what they saw was a spirit.

       b. It was common in Old Testament times for Angels to appear in human form to

           God's chosen.

 B. Jesus is Spirit, but He chose to reveal Himself in human form. 1 Cor 15:45

     1. They could not grasp the reality that Jesus was alive and standing before them.

     2. We have to take hold of the reality that Jesus is always present when believers

         come together in His name. 

 

V:38. "And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?"

 A. When you refuse to believe the Word of Jesus, your mind will play tricks on you.

      1. When you refuse to believe the Word, you open the door for Satan to deceive

          you.

      2. Unbelief is an invitation to Satan to enter your life.

 B. We make our own trouble by not following and believing the Word.

     1. The Bible is our light.

     2. The only way to walk in the dark is to turn off the light.

 C. Out of the heart flows the issues of life.

     1. Put the Word of God in your heart and let confidence flow out.

 

V:39. "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

 A. There is always a way to arrive at the truth.

     1. You have to check it out for yourself.

     2. Jesus instructs us to take a look at Him.

     3. The disciple saw Him nailed to the cross.

         a. They observed the holes in His hands.

         b. They observed the holes in His feet.

 B. Jesus reminded them that a spirit does not have flesh and bones.

     1. There was something unique about His body.

        a. He could put it on and take it off in an instant.

        b. He walked through closed doors.

    2. The Word does not make common sense until Jesus enlightens us.

 C. Where two are more gathered in His name, Jesus is in the mist.

    1. I don't have to see Him to know He is present.

    2. It is our faith that gives us the spiritual sight to see Jesus.

    3. All of us need an experience with Jesus to grow our faith.

 

V:40. "And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet."

 A. If you study the Word, Jesus will make you know that He is real.

     1. The Word is Jesus and you will understand it through the power of the Holy Spirit.

     2. The glory of God is shown through His creation.

         a. To see His glory all you have to do is observe your surroundings.

         b. The work of the Lord is always before you.

         c. His glory is shown through His creation.

 B.  His hands represent our security.

     1. Our life is in His hands.

     2. All the provisions of life is in Jesus.

 C. His feet represents our walk.

     1. His walk is our way to heaven.

     2. Jesus is our role model.

 

V:41. "And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?"

 A. Faith in Jesus comes by discovery.

     1. There is joy in discovering who Jesus is.

     2. Your mind ought to wonder about the person of Jesus.

     3. The more we ponder who Jesus is, the closer we get to Him.

 B. Jesus knows how much it takes for us to have faith in Him.

     1. Spirits have no need for meat.

     2. The flesh needs meat for nourishment.

     3. To have faith in Jesus, we must believe He died and was raised from the dead.

     4. If what we see with our eyes causes joy, how much more joy will there be with

         belief?

 

V:42. "And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb."

 A. Jesus takes the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary.

      1. Food is ordinary, but Jesus is extraordinary.

      2. Jesus the extraordinary, brought Himself low for us to behold His Glory.

      3. Jesus knows us because He lived with us.

 B. When we share what we have with those in need, we share with Jesus.

   1. Jesus reveals Himself to us in our sharing.

   2. Our hearts are uplifted when we lift others up.

 

V:43. "And he took it, and did eat before them."

 A. Jesus our Lord and Savior takes time with us to enlighten and comfort

      us in our time of trouble.

    1. He is never to busy to visit with us.

    2. Jesus was about to be glorified by the Father, but His focus was His disciples.

 

V:44. "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."

 A. Jesus is one who keeps promises.

     1. The Old Testament is a complete prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ.

     2. From beginning to the end of the Old Testament, all the prophecies.

         concerning Jesus Christ were fulfilled.

 B. We should take comfort in the prophecy of His second coming.

     1. We should take comfort in all the promises Jesus made to us in the

         New Testament.

     2. What He said would be done in the past was done.

     3. Therefore, we can be sure that His Word is true.

         a. We can be sure that His word is sure concerning us.

 

V:45. "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures."

 A. It is the Lord that makes it possible for us to understand the scriptures.

     1. God has a time for us to understand certain parts of scripture.

     2. The disciples walked with and were taught by Jesus for three and a half years,

         yet Jesus kept them blind concerning His death and resurrection.

 B. Perhaps Jesus wanted His disciples to keep their focus totally on Him.

    1. His disciples needed to experience His crucifixion and death in their hearts

        so that the Good News of His resurrection would carry them through future

        trials and tribulations.  

    1. Once Jesus was resurrected, His disciples were allowed to see Him in

        the Old Testament prophecies.

    2. We need constant training in scriptures to  understand fully God's plan of

         redemption.

 

V:46. "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day."

 A. Jesus planned His death and His resurrection on the third day.

    1. He suffered for our sins.

    2. He was raised on the third day for our redemption. 1 Cor 15 :21-22

    3. He was three days in the ground to reset the day of worship from Saturday to

        Sunday.

       a. By Jewish law, no work could be done from sun down Friday through sun rise

           Sunday.

       b. The work of atonement was completed by sun down Friday.

       c.  The Work of grace begin on Sunday.

 B. Christ was dedicated to His plan of redemption.

 

V:47. "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

 A. Jesus designed His plan of redemption to begin in Jerusalem.

     1. Jerusalem is God's Holy City.

     2. He designed and guided the building of the Temple in Jerusalem.

     3. He focused His time on earth on the cross.

     4. He planned the lives of all those who would participate in His unjust death.

 B. Jesus designed His plan of redemption so that redemption would be

      offered to the Jews first and then the Gentile nations.

     1. It is good to remember that God is always in control.

 

V:48. "And ye are witnesses of these things."

 A. The disciples were eye witnesses to the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

     1. We are not eye witnesses but we have been gifted with faith to believe

          in Jesus as our salvation.

     2. We have the testimony of the Law, the prophets and Psalms of the

          coming of Jesus Christ.

     3. We have the testimony of disciples of the life of Jesus.

 B. We have God's record of Jesus in His Word.

      1. We have our own witness of Jesus in our lives.

      2. We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit which lives within us.

 

V:49. "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

 A. The Father empowered the Church with the Holy Spirit.

     1. Jesus gave His disciple the promise of power that enables every believer

         with the ability to resist sin.

     2. The supernatural power of the Holy Spirit was given first to the disciples of

          Jesus in Jerusalem.

 B. The giving of the Holy Spirit is the divine authority of the Church.

 

V:50. "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them."

 A. Jesus assumed His new role as head of the Church by leading His disciples to

      the base of the Mount of Olives.

    1. Jesus is the leader of our lives.

    2. He leads us in the way of righteousness.

    3. He leads us according to the will of the Father.

 B. Jesus is the blessings of the Church.

    1. Jesus is our eternal blessings.

    2. Jesus intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father to provide us with all

        the blessings of life.

 

V:51. "And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven; And they worshipped him, And returned to Jerusalem."

 A. The completion of God's plan of redemption for man was the return of His Son to

      His right hand on the heavenly throne.

    1. All power over Heaven and earth was given to Him.

    2. The Father allowed Jesus to be brought low before men so that He could be

         highly exalted above men and angels.

 B. Jesus blessed us with a kingdom address.

    1. Jesus blessed us with the atonement for our sins.

    2. Jesus blessed us with a teacher to understand His Word.

    3. Jesus blessed us with His unselfish sacrificial love.

 

V:52. "And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy"

 A. His disciples worshipped Him.

    1.All believers should worship the Lord for what He has done for each of us

       individually.

    2. We ought to bless the Lord for our privilege to fellowship with Him.

    3. We ought to bless the Lord for eternal life.

 B. The disciples returned to Jerusalem.

    1. After worshipping the Lord, we ought to return to our homes,

        and serve the Lord with our hearts, minds and soul.

    2. We ought to let God use us as His vessels to spread the Gospel and use

         us as His workers.

 C. It ought to bring us great joy when we think about the goodness of the Lord.

     1. It ought to bring us great joy to serve the Lord.

 

V:53. " And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen."

  A. We have a duty and an obligation to praise the Lord.

      1. His praise should be continuously on our lips.

      2. Jesus is our role model.

           a. We ought to bless Him because we are grateful for His work on the cross.

 B. When we come into His sanctuary, we should have no other motives but praise

       worship and prayer.

 C. We ought to make it our main business to come into His house to fellowship.

     

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Word Reveals Jesus", 3/31/2013

THE WORD REVEALS JESUS TO US

Luke 24:13-21, 28-35

 

SUNDAY A DAY OF CELEBRATION

V:13. "And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs." (7 miles)

 A. The "same day" is the first day of the week.

     1. Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week.

     2. The Church began it's celebration of the Good News of resurrection of Our Lord

          and Savior on the first day of the week.

     3. All the requirements of the Law which celebrated the Sabbath was fulfilled with

         death of Christ on the cross.

 B. Two  disciples of Jesus was returning home from Jerusalem where the feast of

     the pass over had been celebrated.

      1. It is good for believers to come together to comfort and encourage each other.

      2. It is good to celebrate with other believers.

V:14. "And they talked together of all these things which had happened."

 A. There is no better conversation than one which focuses on Jesus Christ.

     1. They had been to a feast, but the results were tragic.

     2. They had witnessed the death of their leader, Jesus Christ.

     3. They had witnessed the crowd shouting crucify Jesus an innocent man and the 

          release of  Barabbas, a guilty man.

 B. They must have been in awe at the cruel injustice.

     1. They were shocked and in grief.

     2. They must have been disturbed by what their religious leaders had done to Jesus. 

     3. They must have been confused of how the God they served allowed this to

          happen.

     4. They must haven been even more confused by the news that Jesus had risen.

 C. They were walking and talking about Jesus.

 

WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED

V:15. "And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them."

 A. You can't have church without Jesus.

     1. Jesus said where two or more are gather in My name, I will be in the mist.

     2. Jesus shows up when you start discussing Him.

 B. When you start meditating on the Word, you got a helper on the inside to guide

     your understanding.

     1. Jesus will drop in on your conversation.

     2. All you have to do is have the courage to talk about Jesus to some one else and

         church will begin.

V:16. "But their eyes were holden that they should not know him."

 A. You are not going to understand everything you read in the Word immediately.

     1. Sometimes God withhold the meaning so you can study more.

     2. Some times He withholds the understanding so you can meditate more.

 B. They were talking about Jesus, but they were have trouble understanding all that

      happen.

     1. Don't get weary in your studying, because the master is close by.

     2. You might not understand it right away, but God has a way of opening your eyes

          to his word.

 

KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORD BRINGS JOY

V:17. "And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?"

 A. Watch how Jesus works with you.

   1. The first thing He does is stirs you up with questions.

   2. Jesus cause you to think through His Word.

   3. He causes you to keep your focus on Him.

 B. Jesus is aware of your walk and your talk.

   1. Your walk and your talk ought to match up.   

   2. He is aware of who you are talking too.

 C. He is aware of  your emotional state.

   1. He knows weather you are happy or sad.

   2. The Lord you serve gets all involve with you.

   3. He can use your emotional state to cause you to search Him out.

       a. Have you ever been lonely and needed a Word?

       b. Have you ever been hurt and needed a Word?

       c. Have you ever been lost and need a Word?

       d. Have you ever been discouraged and needed a Word?

   4. The disciples were sad and they needed a Word.

       a. There are sometimes in your life when you need to call on Jesus.

 

V:18. "And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?"

 A. Jesus is so involved with us, that He knows us by name.

    1. Cleopas's is written down in this book of life so everybody can know him.

    2. The Lord takes notice of your service.

 B. You can feel free to talk to Jesus any time.

    1. You can talk to Him about anything.

    2. He knows everything that have taken place, so you don't have to bring him up to

        date.

    3. Jesus can go back as far as you want to go in the past, and He is still up to date.

    4. Jesus want you to talk about everything that concerns you.

 C. You are no stranger to Jesus, so you don't have introduce yourself to Him.

     1. He knows where you came from and where you are going to.

 

DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

V:19. "And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people."

 A. See the question is, do you know Him?

   1. Do you know that He was from town called Nazareth?

   2. Do you know that He was a prophet.

       a. He could tell you what was going to happen before it happen.

   3. Do you know He can do miracles?

   4. Do you know that He is the Word?

   5. Do you know that He is God?

   6. Do you know that before Him every knee shall bow.

 B. His disciples knew who He was, but they didn't know His plan of redemption.

 

V:20. "And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him."

 A. This was the disturbing part.

     1. He was God, but Church folk turned on Him.

     2. He was God, but Church folk lied on Him.

     3. He was God, but Church folk condemned Him to death.

 B. Don't think, that just because you are good and do the right things, that Church

      want turn on you.

    1. Don't think that just because you are good, that some bad stuff want happen to

        you.

    2. They did it to Jesus. And Jesus said they will do it to you.

    3. Everybody that call themselves a Christian may not be for you.

    4. Good thing we know Jesus. He can watch our backs.

 

OUR TRUST IN JESUS

V:21. "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done."

 A. One thing you got to do, is trust Jesus.

      1. You got to trust that He is going to do just what He said He was going to do.

          a. He told them that He was going to be crucified.

          b. He told them that He would be delivered up to the Chief Priest.

          c. He told them that He was going to die.

          d. He told them that on the third day, He would be raised from the dead.

      2. What Jesus told them happen, yet they still didn't believe.

          a. He told them that who ever believed in Him would be save. And that is

              redemption.

          b. They didn't take Jesus seriously. If they had, they would not have been

              confused.

       3. They questions are ; do you believe Him, will you trust Him, is He your hope?

 B. They walked home confused on the third day , because what Jesus said would be

      done was done.

     1. What is your state of mind about the Word of Jesus?

     2.  You don't have to be confused. The solution is to trust Jesus.

 

V:22. "Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre."

 A. Good News, Greater Macedonia, we have a testimony from some women.

    1. Some women went to the tomb and came back with astonishing information.

    2. They knew the women.

    3. They could trust the women.

    4. But they still was in a state of disbelief.

 B. Brothers, some time you just got to lesson to the women.

     1. The testimony of others about Jesus is as valid as yours.

     2. They got up early, so they had the first testimony.

     3. They got up early to serve Jesus so they confirmed the Word of Jesus.

 

V:23. "And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive."

 A. The women went to the tomb early in the morning.

     1. While the men were sleeping and hiding out, the women were up and serving.

     2. The Lord rewards busy folk.

 B. The women had a vision from some angel.

     1. They trusted the Word from the angels that Jesus was alive.

     2. They proclaim the Word that Jesus was alive.

 C. The men  heard the Word, but still didn't believe.

     1. The men heard the Word, but they still couldn't rejoice.

     2. The men heard the Word, but it was just women that told.

     3. Their disbelief left them sad.

 D. Your unbelief can leave you sad.

     1. Your unbelief can leave you confused.

     2. They were walking and talking about Jesus, but they were still confused.

     3. They had the Word, but they  wouldn't believe.

 

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS

V:28. "And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further."

 A. Jesus will go with us as far as we will take Him.

     1. We have to make sure He is always in our hearts.

     2. There are some places we may not want to take Him because we have too many

          skeletons in the closet.

     3. Our relationship with Him ought to more important than anything else.   

 B. It is His intent to be wherever we are.

 

V: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 tarry with them."

 A. Jesus said, That if you abide in me and my word abide in you, I will abide in You.

    1.You have set your mind against the world to seek Jesus.

    2. You have set your mind on Jesus to learn of Him.

 B. If you want a closeness to Jesus, you have to invite Him into your heart.

    1. Jesus don't just want week end devotion, but full time dedication.

    2. The disciples had spent the day with Jesus, but they were moved to

        to have dinner with Him.

    3. Anytime you study the Word, your are having dinner with Jesus.

V:30. "And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them."

 A. The Word is the bread of Jesus.

      1. In the Word, there is life.

      3. You ought to make the Word your living.

 B. The word "meat" is the Greek word "kataklino" which means to recline down or

      take a place at a table.

      1. Jesus want a place at your table.

      2. Jesus is the head of your table.

      3. You can't get a better meal than the one Jesus has prepared.

 

JESUS GIVES US SIGHT

V:31. "And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight."

 A. Until you come to know Jesus, you are blind to the righteousness of God.

     1. When you start studying the Word of Jesus, you will come to know Jesus.

     2. On the way from Jerusalem to their home, these two disciples hear a word

          from Jesus.

         a. They didn't know He who was, but the Word He spoke affected their minds.

         b. The Word changes you from the inside out.

B. When Jesus broke the bread, their eyes were opened.

    1. Jesus took the place of Master at the table.

       a. That is when they recognized him as Jesus as their master.

       b. That is when the women's report of His resurrection become true to them.

       c. That is when the Word of Jesus to them of His resurrection on the third day

           became a reality.

 C. Immediately when He recognized Jesus He vanished.

     1. The just live by faith and not by sight. 

     2. One you have faith, you don't need to see Jesus to follow Him.

     3. The disciples now believed in His resurrection.

 

V:32. "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"

 A. There ought to be a burning in your heart when study the Word of Jesus.

     1. It is the Holy Spirit that opens the Living Word to you as you study it.

 B. You will find Jesus in the Old Testament.

     1. The Old testament foretold His coming in the flesh.

     2. The Old Testament foretold the redemption that is in Him.

     3. The whole Bible is God's plan of redemption for man through Jesus Christ.

 

OUR TESTAMONY

V:33. "And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them."

 A. Once you know Jesus, you ought to run and share the Good News with some one

      else.

    1. You never know when some one is troubled and need a word from you about

         Jesus Christ.

 B. Time is not on our side.

     1. Jesus could return any day.

     2. You ought to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus every time you get a chance.

 

V:34. "Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon."

 A.  The Good News, Jesus is not dead, He is alive.

     1. Mohammed is dead.

     2. Buda is dead.

     3. Jesus is alive.

     4. Because Jesus lives, we live.