The Risen Christ is Closer Than You Think

I'm going to be reading today out of the book

of Luke, chapter 24, verse 13. And I invite you

Luke 24:13

to read with me for a few passages today. Luke,

Luke 24:13

chapter 24, verse 13. It says, Now behold, two

of them were traveling that same day to a village.

called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem.

And they talked together of all these things

which had happened. And so it was, while they

conversed and reasoned, that Jesus himself drew

near. Somebody say, he drew near. And went with

them, but their eyes were restrained. But their

eyes were restrained, so they did not know him.

Now, going ahead to verse 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. Then their eyes. Were opened. And they

knew him. And he vanished from their sight. And

they said to one another. Did not our heart.

Burn. You know that God can give you. Holy heartburn.

I don't like the unholy heartburn. But I like

the holy kind. Hallelujah. Did not our heart

burn within us. While he talked. with us on the

road and while he opened the scriptures to us

so they rose up that very hour and returned to

jerusalem and found the eleven and those who

were with them gathered together saying the lord

is risen indeed and has appeared to simon i came

to preach today on this resurrection sunday the

risen christ is closer than you think The risen

Christ is, someone say he's closer. Say it again.

He's closer than you think. Let us pray. Father,

we love you today. We thank you for your presence

that fills this place today, Lord. We have come

with a made -up mind to give you all the honor

and all the glory. You are alive, Jesus, and

we feel you in this place, and we ask God that...

from your word you would speak to us god anoint

our hearing to receive this message with gladness

god i pray that no matter how close or far we

are from you today lord that each and every one

of us would receive something in order to recognize

your plan your purpose your resurrection power

in our life anoint my lips of clay put your word

in my mouth in the name of jesus everyone say

amen You may be seated in the presence of God.

I want to take just a few moments of your time

today to look at this text. There are many windows,

if you please, to view the resurrection story,

firsthand accounts that shape our personal beliefs

and convictions about Christ, such as the women

who saw the stone rolled away, Peter and John

who ran to the tomb, or even Thomas, who touched

his nail -scarred hands. But the account before

us today finds two despondent and depressed men

walking home to the road to Emmaus. And it was

Sunday. This was the day that Jesus had promised

to rise again. This was the day that Jesus said.

He said, in three days, you will destroy this

temple, but in three days, I will rise again.

This was that day. And yet, these men are not

standing at the tomb in worship, nor are they

gathered with the disciples ready to strike a

party, a welcome home party for Jesus. They're

not doing those things. Instead, they are walking

away disillusioned and dismayed. They are walking

away from Jerusalem, the very city where Jesus

had been crucified, buried, and now had risen.

And the thing that really strikes me from the

onset of this story in the gospels is how these

men were already walking home in defeat in discouragement

in dismay and yet christ had already risen but

they couldn't see it someone say they couldn't

see it they couldn't see it they couldn't believe

it and in their pain they couldn't even recognize

that the risen Christ who came and walked beside

them. This text has always fascinated me, and

as I began to reflect, meditate, and prepare

my heart for today, I began to think about all

the different scenarios that we in our faith

find ourselves in from time to time, wherever

you're at in your Christian walk, whether you're

a seasoned saint, whether you've been baptized,

filled with his spirit for many years, or a new

convert, or yet to be converted, yet to be baptized,

wherever you're at, the tension of Resurrection

Sunday is this, that the tomb can be empty, the

Savior can be alive, and yet we can still live

as if he's gone and still miss his presence.

his power, and his salvation. No matter how long

you've walked with him, no matter how good you

think you know him, you can still miss his resurrection

power. Let me just lay this scene out before

you today. There are many places that Jesus could

have appeared after his resurrection. Think of

all the places Jesus could have showed up. upon

rising from the dead. Think of all the grand

entrances he could have made in that moment.

He could have appeared before the leaders of

the Sanhedrin, which were all the Jewish, the

elite class among the Jewish society. He could

have appeared to Caesar in Rome and say, look,

I'm still here. That would have been impressive.

He could have went to the temple. presented himself

to all the priesthood and say, ha, you were wrong.

Look, just walked in and smiled at him. That

would have sent a message, how many of you think,

huh? But interestingly enough, Jesus spent, if

you read, the moments after his resurrection,

he spent a good portion of his resurrection day

simply walking down a road with the two men in

this passage. Of all the places Jesus could have

appeared and spent a great deal of his time,

precious time, because he wasn't going to be

in the flesh on earth very long. So every hour,

every minute, every day was precious. And so

he spent precious time time on his agenda to

walk with these two men on the road to Emmaus.

And I believe that that says something profound

about what Jesus came to do. Not only then, but

here today. It says that Jesus wants to walk

with us. Somebody give God some praise here today.

Amen, somebody. I said he wants to walk with

us. And this is a very important point when we

think about what the risen Savior wants to do.

What is his plan for our life? What is his purpose

for us today? Why am I even here this afternoon?

Number one, the risen Christ joins you on your

journey. Amen. In verse 15, it tells us this.

So it was, while they conversed and reasoned,

that Jesus himself drew near and went with them.

Again, these men weren't gathered at the tomb.

These men weren't all huddled around fasting

and praying and reading scripture. These men

weren't doing all the kind of spiritual things

you think one ought to be doing with the expectation

of Christ's return or his resurrection. They

weren't even expecting a miracle at this point.

They were at this point walking with their proverbial

tail between their legs back home to Emmaus.

They were walking home believing in their mind,

thinking that everything was up in smoke, that

this whole thing was just maybe one big misunderstanding,

that they had got it wrong, that they were processing

their disappointment, trying to make sense. I

want you to understand the state of mind that

these men were at today and where they were today

because it's going to help qualify and validate

where you and I might be today in our own faith

because even if you fail, feel like spiritually

you have it all together. I can assure you all

have sin and fall short of the glory of God.

And so until you have been perfected, then we

are all in some ways working through our faith

and navigating and trying to search and figure

things out. Questions still remain unanswered

and life still remains to be lived. And we are

in a way like these men walking through our journey.

And even like they, We could be walking in the

wrong direction. They were going the opposite

direction from where the presence of God was.

They were even going closer to Jerusalem. They

didn't even go back to Calvary and just kind

of, you know, kneel there and cry or something.

They didn't go back to it. They were walking

in the polar opposite direction from where Christ

was. And yet, despite being in the wrong mindset,

despite having the wrong belief, despite... being

in the wrong spirit and in the wrong attitude

and even going in the wrong direction, Jesus

comes alongside them and begins to walk. I just

want to take a brief moment and encourage somebody

here today and tell you that no matter what direction

you're going, no matter where your mind and where

your heart and where your spirit is at today,

God loves you so much that he will come down

to wherever you are and walk with you so that

you might know. Him. Somebody ought to thank

God because there was a day. Who's going to preach

with me here today? There was a day, maybe 10

years ago, maybe 20, 30, 40 years ago, where

you were walking in one way, but God loves you

so much. For God so loved the world that He gave

His only begotten. He came and walked beside

you and engaged with you. How many of you can

give God some praise today for that? I mean,

he could have just gave up on you. Could he not

have? He could have said, you know, it's not

going to work out. I don't know. Maybe we'll

try with the other disciple. God could have passed

you by. But he came to where you were and he

walked beside you. And I'm so glad that Jesus

doesn't wait for me to have all of my issues

resolved. He doesn't wait for me to have everything

figured out. He doesn't wait for me to be, you

know, in a state of perfection before he comes

and begins to walk with us. I just want to encourage

you here on this. Is this all right? Can I do

this today? And just tell you that God will love

you right where you are, my friend. Hallelujah.

Now, he doesn't want you to stay where you are,

but he'll start loving you right where you are.

said he loved me first. Oh, how I love Jesus.

Oh, how I love Jesus. Because he first loved.

How many of you know he loves you first? How

many of you know he walked beside you first?

And these men were going in the wrong direction.

And they were talking about the wrong things.

And they had a backwards mindset about everything

that God was trying to do in that hour in the

world. And yet Jesus still came alongside them.

Even when you're walking away. From what you

thought God. Some of you that's exactly where

you are today. You don't even have to say amen.

You don't have to bat an eyelash. You don't have

to wink at me. But that's exactly where you're

at. You're walking away from what you thought

God was going to do. Come on now. You're walking

away from what you thought God. How you thought

he would move. And how you thought he was going

to work. And maybe God didn't do it the way you

thought. And maybe God didn't move how you thought.

And maybe you're going in the wrong direction

in your faith. Bible says that Jesus came and

he walked beside them. Can I just tell you today,

what you feel in your heart, what you feel in

your spirit is a sign that God has not given

up on you and that the risen Savior is closer

than you think. Come on, clap your hands and

let's give God some praise today. Here's what's

striking. Verse 16. Verse 16 says it all. But

their eyes were restrained. So they did not know.

Do you know Jesus could be walking right next

to you and you not know it? Oh, hallelujah. Some

of you were afraid to say amen when I said hallelujah.

And he was there. Walking right with them. I

mean, they were like in his presence physically.

They were walking right with him. And they didn't

know him. And the same thing can happen today.

You say, well, Pastor, how does that happen?

I'll tell you how it can happen. You can attend

church even every Sunday. Well, no one's going

to help me right now. That's all right. Hallelujah.

You can sing the song because you know it. You

can even quote Bible. You can even outperform

and outdo others around you and still not know

his presence the way that you want to or that

he wants you to know him. You can be in the house

of God, hear me, and not know the God of the

house. You can be in the presence of God and

not know the God of the presence. And this is

exactly where these men were. They were walking

with him. They had some, there was something

about this that was. This was the Lord. This

was Jesus. And yet they missed his presence.

Why? Because they weren't looking for him. And

they weren't expecting God to be there. You'd

be surprised how many people come to church Sunday

after Sunday and they don't expect a miracle.

Oh, I need to help somebody. Somebody better

preach with me here today. Sunday after Sunday.

And they don't expect anybody to get saved. And

they don't expect anybody to receive the Holy

Ghost. And they themselves don't expect to receive

a blessing from the Lord. Well, I didn't come

today all dressed up just to impress you and

have a nice service. I came with the expectation

that God was good. Is anybody else in this place

today? Come on, can you give God about 30 seconds

to pray? Say, I came into this house. expecting

God to do something in my life. Come on, magnify

him. The problem is you got to get your eyes

off a man. Take your eyes off a man and get it

on God. Forget about what man is doing. Forget

about who, you know, I don't know. They didn't

shake my hand the right way, you know, so that's

going to derail your whole service now. Hallelujah.

Don't miss your blessing. Don't be like these

guys walking on the road to Emmaus. They're walking

with Jesus. The miracle. The resurrection and

the life. And they don't see it. Talking about.

Talking about all kinds of other things. Except

for the fact that he was right there. And they

missed Jesus. Not because Jesus was hiding. But

because life can cloud our spiritual vision.

And Jesus could be standing right. He could be

sitting. Some of you have a little space next

to you. You don't have someone sitting right

next to you. Jesus could be sitting right there

on the pew next to you. And you may not be able

to see him. Because life has clouded your vision.

Life has clouded your spiritual perception. And

you might be waiting on for something. else to

happen i'm waiting for the service to get even

better no the service is already good my friend

and god already wants to do something in your

life but thank god someone say thank god thank

god he doesn't walk away because you know jesus

could have been walking he said i'm gonna give

these guys five more minutes and if they don't

figure out who i am and i'm leaving thank god

he don't give up on us like that he'll just keep

walking someone say he'll keep walking with you

He'll keep walking, and I feel like Jesus was

walking with them, saying, all right, I'll keep

walking with you. I'll keep walking with you.

The whole time, they just don't know that it's

him, and he's waiting for them because God's

a patient God. How many of you know he's patient?

Oh, I said, how many of you know he's patient?

How many of you are glad God's more patient than

your neighbors are? If God had the patience of

our neighbor, man, we would have been cast off

a long time ago. But God is more patient. He's

more patient. And God's walking with them. All

right. And remember, a good portion of his day,

I mean, he's just been walking with them, talking

with them, waiting for them to figure things

out. And this brings us to a very important juncture

in the story, which is that the risen Christ,

he's not just wanting to walk with you. No, that's

not at all. He wants to reframe your whole mind.

He wants to reframe your disappointment. He wants

to change the way you're looking at your life,

the way you're looking at his plan, the way you're

looking at everything. When Jesus asked why they

were so sad, I want you to pay close attention

to what they said. They said in verse 21, 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. So Jesus

is having this conversation. And, you know, out

of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,

right? So this is exactly what they're feeling.

But notice the words, the beginning words, we

were hoping. Oh, hallelujah. We were. That's

past tense. We were hoping that God was going

to do this, that God was going to do that, that

he would defeat these Roman imperialists, that

he would show the Pharisees and the Sadducees

and the Sanhedrins and prove them wrong. We were

hoping that he would redeem Israel politically

and governmentally. We were hoping that he was

going to do that. And yet... They were missing

the big picture. It was Sunday. It was Sunday.

It was the day of resurrection. Jesus was already

out of the grave, and yet they were still living

with a Saturday or a Friday mindset. Their hopes

were still in Saturday, and yet the resurrection

and the life was walking with them on Sunday.

That's where somebody might be today. And the

reason why you're struggling to embrace what's

right in front of you spiritually is because

you haven't let go of what's behind you. You're

still focused on what you were hoping he would

do. Oh, my Lord. And you're still talking about

what could have been, and if it only had done

this. should have been and what would have been

and you can always tell when someone is living

in the past based on what they talk about my

god and they were saying what we were hoping

that he was gonna we were hoping and the question

is not what were you hoping for yesterday but

what are you believing for today this is the

day that the lord has made hallelujah and i don't

want to miss his resurrection and power because

my mind is somewhere else and yesterday we were

hoping I was hoping that my family member wouldn't

get sick I was hoping that my family member wouldn't

die from their sickness I was hoping that we

would have been out of this I was hoping my son

or my daughter would have come home to church

already I was hoping the miracle would have arrived.

I was hoping things would be different. I was

hoping that my life might be a little further

down than where it is right now. I was hoping

for this and hoping for that. And I've come to

tell you that whatever it was that you were hoping

for, there is still reason for hope today because

hope on that third day walked out of that grave

and lives forevermore. Hope is, someone say hope

is alive. Come on, say it again. Hope is alive.

These men were disappointed because Jesus didn't

do what they expected him to do. Again, they

thought God was going to move one way, but they

missed it because it didn't look like how they

thought it was going to look. We're not even

halfway through the year yet, church friends.

And already some of you have some disappointments

because your New Year's resolutions have already

went off the track. And some of the things that

you were praying for, you said, I'm stepping

into 2025. And you're like, wait a minute, why

does it still feel like 2024 right now? Why does

this still, what's going on? You know, how come

I haven't got that promotion yet? How come my

family member hasn't, I've been fasting and praying,

this was the year they're supposed to get saved,

and now it seems like they're getting worse?

No, no, no, no, that's not what, this is not

what I expected to hear. And things are not happening

according to our, Our ideas and our thoughts.

You see, what these men were struggling with,

and before I move on, I need to point this out.

They thought that Jesus was coming to redeem

Israel politically. They thought it was a political

move. They thought it was a power move within

the structures of man, the government, Rome.

They thought that God was going to come and deliver

them from Roman oppression. And so their whole

concept of what they thought God was going to

do completely went up in smoke when he died,

and then there was no talk about where he was.

But Jesus never came to deliver us from a political

situation. whole purpose for coming was not to

overthrow the Roman government. It was not to

churn the time or turn the times of the political

climate. It was not to redeem them economically.

It was to redeem them spiritually. And I've come

to tell you that even if God hasn't done the

physical thing, we all got. How many of you got

physical needs today? Somebody say amen. Even

if God hasn't done the physical thing that you

need him to do. Whether it's the healing in your

body, the saving of somebody or of a situation

or money in your bank account or whatever it

is that you need physically in your life doesn't

mean that God isn't working because the most

important thing that God has come to redeem your

life of is not to restore your 401k account and

not to restore the car that's in the backyard

and not to restore all the temporal things that

you've lost but to restore your spirit so that

you might live with him forever. Hallelujah.

Somebody give God some praise today. I invite

you, if you can, these next few weeks, starting

next Sunday, my personal invitation to everyone

is to join us beginning a new series called Countdown

to Eternity. And I'm going to do a little commercial

right here. Is that all right? Hallelujah. It's

Resurrection Sunday, but I'm going to put in

a plug right here. This next series coming starting

next Sunday, Countdown to Eternity. The problem

is that we don't realize how close he is to coming

because we've got our minds so focused on everything.

We're so waiting for God to restore our savings

account. Honey, he might not ever do that because

he might come tonight. Uh -oh. Hallelujah. So

are you going to live your life? Well, I just

got to work an extra few more hours of overtime.

Got to get that time and a half, baby. So what

if your soul's not going to heaven and your family's

not going with you? Oh, I just changed the message

on you today. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Now

some of you don't want to come next time. Hallelujah.

But Christ is closer than you think. He's closer.

Some would say he's closer. The problem is not

that God wasn't moving according to these men.

The problem is that he was moving in a greater

way than their minds could fathom. Can I tell

you something? Just a few more moments and I'll

be done. God's plans are greater than yours.

Turn to somebody and tell them that. God's plans

are greater than yours. God's plans are greater

than yours. And you know, sometimes I think God

hears us pray. And we're praying for things,

and God's like, that's cute. That's just cute,

man. That's just cute. But I got so much more

that I want to accomplish in your life. And it's

got nothing to do with cars and houses and things

like that. It's got everything to do with spiritual

blessings that I want to release in your life.

Hallelujah. That's cute. I can get, if you really,

if all you're believing me for is a $2 .50, you

know, bump in your raise and all that, I can,

but that's just a cute little blessing. I've

got so much more that I want to do in your life,

starting with the revival and the restoration

of your whole family. Woo, my God, hallelujah.

It's much bigger. It's much higher than we think.

So many times we've got our eyes set on what's

happening right here and what's happening on

the news and what's happening in the economy

and what's happening in the stock market and

what's happening in the workplace. The Bible

says, set your affections on things above. God's

got high. His ways are not our ways. Hallelujah.

His thoughts are high above ours. Hallelujah.

And there are bigger things that our minds, it

hasn't even entered into our minds what God wants

to do. So Jesus began to explain to these men.

He began to reframe. He had to rewire the thinking.

Unplug this wire, replug it over here. Say, man,

you guys got it all wrong. And then one by one,

one scripture at a time. who in verse 27 it says

and at the beginning at moses and all the prophets

he expounded to them in all the scriptures the

things concerning himself one wire at a time

he started to unplug and rewire their thinking

and from moses think of this from what a bible

study that must have been my god i mean the word

of life is giving the word of god he's just one

verse at a time all down through the prophets

i mean he went through jeremiah he went through

Isaiah and maybe he touched on the minor prophets.

I mean, he went down the line and finally he

was explaining these things so that they might

see. Listen, guys, let not your heart be troubled.

Don't be in a fear. Don't be afraid because all

the things that you need is sitting right in

front of you. Don't get too attached to your

own ideas. I've got a bigger plan. Don't get

too attached to your own mindset. Don't get too

attached. attached to you. Unless you missed

a bigger picture, I've got more that I want to

do in your life. I've just come to tell somebody,

whatever is disappointing you today, whatever

is heartbreaking your heart today, whatever is

wrecking your mind today, whatever is destroying

your life today, I need you to know that the

risen Christ is closer than you think. You need

to know that the tomb is still empty today. Oh,

my Lord. player come on and get ready i said

the tomb is still empty and jesus is still alive

and he's still healing how many of you know he's

still healing and he's still delivering how many

of you know he's doing it and he's still saving

and he's still manifesting his glory and his

power Until he comes, there are miracles bigger

than what we've ever seen before that are coming.

And God said, let me do it. The final thing as

I close is this, and I won't get through everything

here, but I just want you to see that it's not

the will of God for your eyes to remain closed.

It's not the will of God for you to live your

faith in ignorance. Blind faith. The Bible doesn't

teach blind faith. It says the faith walked by.

The Bible said that we walk not by sight, but

by faith. It's not blind faith. No. My faith

is built on substance of things hoped for. The

evidence of things not yet seen. It's not blind

faith. God wants us to open our spiritual eyes

today. How many of you want a greater revelation

of Christ today? than when you walked in how

many of you want to leave this service with a

greater revelation of christ oh hallelujah can

i tell you the key here it is jesus walked with

them they didn't recognize him their spiritual

eyes were closed their natural eyes were open

but that was a problem our natural eyes could

be open and we're looking in the flesh we're

looking in the carnal we're looking in in the

physical but no you're not going to discern this

physically It was their spiritual eyes that needed

to be opened. Just like some of your, the scales

need to fall off your spiritual eyes today so

that you might see Christ, the risen Savior is

closer than you think. In verse 30 and 31, hold

up, I feel this in my spirit. Now it came to

pass as he sat at the table with them that he

took the bread. Someone say bread. He took bread

and blessed and broke it and he gave it to them.

And then it says, and then. Their eyes were open.

Man, this really messed with me. This whole thought,

like, why would Jesus wait all the way to this

point? At any point, Jesus could have revealed

himself to these men. At any point, he could

have just, you know, touched their eyelids and

said, all right, guys, open them. At the count

of three, you're going to see me. He could have

done that. But he sits down because you know

what Jesus, first of all, he wants to break bread

with you. You're not going to know him like he

wants to until you sit down in fellowship with

him. Oh, my God. And so they sit down and then

he gets the bread. He takes it. He blesses it.

Then he breaks it. And then he gives it. And

right when that happens, their eyes are open.

It made me think of what happened on the Last

Supper. What could it be about the breaking of

this bread that opened their eyes? What could

it be about this? Was it a ceremony? Was it ritualism?

No. Was it merely custom? No. It was revelation.

What was it that God was trying to show them?

He took them back to the Last Supper. Where he

took the bread, he gave thanks, he blessed it,

he broke it, and he gave it to them. And what

did he say about the bread? He said, this is

my body, which is given for you. I believe that

when they saw the bread broken, it dawned on

them. The bread. The body that was broken. He

came. They saw the full gospel illustrated before

them in that moment that he came. He was blessed.

He was broken. And he was given. And when they

saw that, their eyes were opened to God. And

they realized that this was their Savior. This

was what it was all about. The resurrection.

You don't have a resurrection unless you have

a bread, a body that is broken and buried. You

can't live in resurrection power and know him

in the power of his resurrection if you also

don't know him in the fellowship of his suffering.

You will know him in the power of miracles and

glory and wonders that God wants to do in our

life each and every day until we also look at

the cross once again. Oh, my God. Where he shed

his blood and he died for us and he gave up the

ghost so that we and I could have our sins washed

away in the blood of the Lamb. Would you stand

with me this afternoon? Hallelujah. When they

saw the bread, they remembered that he had to

die. He had to be given. He had to be broken

so that he could be given away. And this is the

key today. You'll never know the resurrection

power of God until you find yourself at the cross,

my friend. You'll never see the power and the

resurrection and the life that God wants to give

you until you go. back to Calvary. I've got to

start at Calvary. I've got to start at the cross.

I've got to start at the blood. How many of you

are thankful for the blood of Jesus? I said,

how many of you are thankful for the blood of

Jesus? Come on, can somebody give God, why don't

you give him about 30 to 60 seconds of praise

right now? Come on, come on church. Why don't

you thank him right there for the blood? that

you shed for me on Calvary, Lord. And when I

see the blood and when I see the cross and when

I see you, Lord, taking my place, all of a sudden

it comes to my mind. All of a sudden I begin

to realize that my life is worth it. That you

love me. and that you would never leave me nor

forsake me. Come on, somebody worship him right

now. God is in this place right now. All of a

sudden I can see that my Redeemer lives. The

Lord has risen. The Lord has risen. The Lord

has risen. The Lord has risen. The Lord. Anybody

a witness today? The Lord has risen. The Lord

has risen. The Lord has risen. He's not dead.

Come on, somebody worship him. He's not dead.