Emmaus Or Damascus?

Title of today’s message is Emmaus or Damascus?

The purpose of today’s message is:

1. Give us clarity

2. Encourage us

3. Draw us closer to Jesus

4. Remind us of our purpose as Christians

• In doing this, I’d like to:

o Compare the Road to Emmaus to the Road to Damascus

o Examine some scripture

o CTA

• Key verses found in:

o Luke 24:16

o Acts 9:8

Let’s take a few minutes to compare the roads to Emmaus and Damascus.

Stay with me, I’ll pull this all together in the end, I promise.

A. What was the purpose for the journey?

1. Damascus:

a. Because of persecution, Christians scattered from Jerusalem, many to Damascus

b. Paul/Saul wanted to pursue them there to continue the persection

2. Emmaus:

a. We aren’t sold why?

B. When did the journey take place?

1. Damascus:

a. Most scholars believe Pauls’ trip to Damascus occurred sometime between 4-10 years after Christ’s Resurrecion

2. Emmaus:

a. Day of the Resurrection

C. Did they see Jesus in a physical sense?

1. Damascus:

a. Give you 3 passages and let you determine for yourself

i. Acts 9:7-8

ii. Acts 22:11

iii. Acts 26:13-14

2. Emmaus:

a. They saw Jesus in a physical sense

Just a couple of other comparisons of these two journeys:

• Distance to Damascus from Jerusalem- 135 miles

• Distance to Emmaus- 7 miles

• Paul on the Road to Damascus was a non-Christian

• Those on the Road to Emmaus were followers of Christ.

Let’s examine some scripture today:

We’ll begin with Emmaus:

Starting in Luke 24: 13

Sometimes I don’t hear a word from God about what the message is to be until the Wed/Thur before that Sunday.

Sometimes it is weeks and sometimes it is Months before.

• God works on the messenger, before the messenger works on the message!

Luke 24:13

God spoke this to me on the drive home last Sunday.

In my mind we’ve observed Resurrection Sunday, now what?

-I heard “the walk to Emmaus”

Luke 24:13 (read from my bible 13-24)

Stand with me as we honor God while reading His word.

Read v13- Resurrection Day

Read v15- Comment on 18th chapter of Matthew

Then read Matthew 18:20 “For where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them”.

• The two disciples were discussing Jesus, and He was right there with them “drew near to them”.

Jesus Himself drew near to them.

Read v16- then ask others what their bible says.

We’re going to hit the pause button on Luke and go to:

Acts 9:1-8 (read from my bible)

v.2 The Way

v5 Hard to kick against the goads

Goad-describe it and what used for

Jesus was telling Paul “my will is stronger than yours” So don’t kick against my will.

v.8 His eyes were opened, but he saw no one.

Ask others to read their bible

Then go back and read Luke 24:16

Brings us to the 1st point (Lisa says…)

1st Point- Sometimes the reason for our blindness is to give us clarity: again, stay with me here, as I pull this all together!

Back to Luke 24

Read v17: asking questions He already knows the answer to, you know questions like “why are you kicking against the goads?”

v.18 “you ain’t from these parts are ya boy?

v.19-24 Even in their distraught, discouraged state of mind-they told the story of Jesus.

2nd Point

Doesn’t telling the story of Jesus encourage the story-teller as well as the ones hearing the story?

When we find ourselves discouraged, we should shout out “Let me tell ya ‘bout my Jesus”!

Next time you see/hear someone talking about Jesus, observe their countenance!

Back to Acts 9

Read v10-12

“certain disciple” is that you?

Have you ever heard the expression “I was so mad, I couldn’t even see straight?”

Paul was so full of hatred for Christians, he could no longer “see straight”!

But God, was about to make Paul see straight!

v.13-14 Ananias “I’m not sure we are talking about the same Saul. Are you sure you have the right fella you want me to go see?

v.15 Are you a chosen vessel?

v.16 Here’s the part certain disciples and chosen vessels might cringe over!

Listen to what Paul writes after his conversion.

“Not only that, be we rejoice in our sufferings, know that suffering produces endurance. (Our sufferings, that’s you and me)

3rd Point

Our suffering draws us closer to Him.

Back to Luke 24

Read v25-27 At this point weren’t they wondering “who is this guy? First He scolds, then He “expounds” scripture, but they still don’t “see” Him.

His Jesus ever scolded you, then brought scripture to your mind?

v.28-29 They invited Him in. They didn’t know Him, who He was, they just knew they wanted more!