SET MY SOUL AFIRE LORD
LUKE 24:32
24:32 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 little background here from this passage and what is going on.
Here we find where the Bible says two people were on their way from Jerusalem a few days after the crucifixion of Jesus upon that hill called Calvary, traveling to the small town of Emmaus,
The Bible say one of those were a man named Cleophas,the Bible does not name the other person but studying the scriptures I think the other one was a woman named Mary.
Here is why I think that,
#1- There were three Mary’s at the crucifixion of Jesus. There was the earthly mother of Jesus, Mary, she was there.
#2- There was Mary Magdalen who Jesus cast out the demons and being a prostitute.
#3-Then there was the third Mary, which was the wife of Cleophas. In John 19:25
19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
Mind you this was Mary’s the mother of Jesus’s sister. In fact, when you read about the Marriage at Cana where Jesus preformed his first miracle, turning water into wine. This was her marriage of that sister, Mary marring Cleophas.
So, I do believe that the person that was not named was Mary the wife of Cleophas. The Aunt and Uncle of Jesus.
They were leaving Jerusalem and headed back to the tiny town of Emmaus, which is about 7 ½ miles away.
I’m sure they were confused, they were down trodden, they were sad, they were trying to just understand all that had just happened.
So let us pick back up in verse I started with verse 32.
I want you to see something here. Notice that it says; they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us.
They had the “heartburn.” Something inside them was set afire and it was burning in their heart. This heartburn was not something that Rolaids, Pepto-Bismo or any other antacid could cure.
They had a deep rooted burning in the soul, the depth of their heart that only can be reached by the hand of God.
Notice here too where it says; he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Here we find the cause of this “heartburn,” HE meaning Jesus talked to them.
Let me stop right here for a moment and tell you, if Jesus ever stop by while you are going somewhere and begins to talk to you, your heart is going to burn too. You are hearing the Lord or Lord, the Rose of Sharon, The bright and morning star, the first, last, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the very Son of God.
Your heartburn comes from the depths of your soul and it will be set afire!
Not only did he just talk to them but “HE OPENED UP TO US THE SCRIPTURES”
Look with me to verse 27, Jesus started in the days of Moses and went from there. He had 7 ½ miles that he could tell them scripture concerning Him, Jesus.
He may well have started in Genesis and went forward through the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He may have told of the love affair between Ruth and Boaz leading up to the story of their linage of King David which if you follow that on out it comes to Jesus.
Maybe the story of Elijah being swept up by a whirlwind into the air.
I’m telling you right now, if Jesus comes walking up behind you and starts telling you about the truth and the way, your heart will go to burning too.
We need our hearts to be set afire this morning. We need that fire to burn and allow the scriptures to be opened to all of us.
Do you remember when you first got saved? Man, you were “on fire” for God.
You could not wait until the church doors opened, you had to be there.
You could not get enough of reading your Bible, you had to have it.
You were telling everyone you knew that you were saved, and a child of God and Heaven was your home.
You had the “heartburn.”
Now, maybe…. Is it just same old same old? Go to church stay for an hour or a little longer then go home and fix lunch and relax?
You might decide to maybe read some of the Bible during the week? How about your prayer time?
When you first got saved, you were praying and knelling and worshiping and having fits of joy of happiness by getting in touch with God.
Now…. You might pray if something comes up in your life that you really feel the need to get in touch with God over, but its got to be a big problem for you to even do that.
Where did that fire go for God? Have we all lost that fire that we once had that made us feel that Heaven was only two steps away.
I would like to use for a message this morning.
SET MY SOUL AFIRE LORD
I would like to point out 5 things that happen when “you get your soul afire for the Lord.”
#1- Look with me in verse 15.
24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
There is Companionship when you get your soul afire.
Look in that verse and see where it says, “and reasoned” they were thinking together, their thoughts were on the same wave length. There was a common ground between them.
No matter what troubles and event you are in, if you come and begin reasoning with Jesus, he will be there for you.
Jesus is the comforter in all our needs.
Jesus is our light for our darkness.
Jesus is our bread for our hunger.
Jesus is our water for our thirst.
Jesus is our salvation for our sins.
Jesus is our everything!
Here they found companionship with Jesus’ walking with them down the dirt baked road to Emmaus.
#2- There is Clarity when you get your soul afire.
Look with me in verse 27;
24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
There was clear understanding, not mixing up the words of thoughts going on here. There was that clarity that not a word was being misconstrued.
Jesus started with Moses, as he began opened their eyes concerning himself. He expounded, that just means he was telling them everything they needed to know about him, concerning him. He was making it clear to Cleophas and Mary just who he was., but still they did not recognize him or know him as Jesus.
Wonder why they have not recognized him yet? I will get to that in a few minutes.
Do you know what “real revival” is?
Real revival isn’t just a preacher coming in and preaching a few nights and then everything goes back to normal the next Sunday.
Real Revival isn’t having to go to church more than once or twice that week.
Real Revival is not singing a few songs and having a special offering for the preacher conducting the revival.
What real revival is, is it all about Jesus, it is getting in touch with Jesus. It is feeling that Holy Ghost conviction. It is seeing that we can do more for Jesus because of all the things he has given us.
Revival simple put, is about Jesus! It is getting your soul afire for the Lord!
#3- There is constraining when you get your soul afire.
Look with me in verse 29
24:29 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.
Constraining means = compel or force (someone) to follow a particular course of action:
They were wanting to constrain Jesus, compelling him to stay with them.
They did not want him to leave. In others words they were saying to Jesus, “I want some more.”
They were trying their best to tell Jesus that it was getting late, it was toward evening time and the day has been long and we are spent, we are tired and hungry, but we want you to abide with us.
When the fire burns you want to hear more, be there more, read more, pray more, you want it bad, you want more of it.
Clophas and Mary had walked all day on this dirty beaten down dirt road for over 7 miles but they now were trying their best to tell Jesus, just come on with us, we kind of like having you around. We like the things you are telling us.
#4- There is Communion when you get your soul afire.
Look with me in verse 30
24:30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them
During the day they had heard him preach, now they were hearing him pray.
When they all had set down, Jesus took the bread and blessed it, he prayed over it. Let me just remind you this morning that Jesus is the Bread of Life to all of us.
Here Jesus blessed it and braked the bread and what did he do then” He gave to them.
So, what so big about him breaking bread?
Isn’t it enough he died for our sins,
Isn’t it enough that he healed the sick, made the blind to see, the lame to walked again and when he spoke to the dead, they came alive.
But still…. we see Jesus still “gave to them.”
Look with me in verse 31,
24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
He opened their eyes, and they knew him.
They have been with him all day long and yet not knew him. They have heard his voice and yet not knew him.
Remember this is his earthly aunt and uncle, surly they would have recognized him, he was even at their wedding.
**Now, I am getting back to what I mentioned a few minutes ago as to why had not Cleophas and Mary not recognized him yet.
I have wondered this myself, how could this have happened, was he disguised in another body form? No, because he would have had to taken up another form and the Son of God would not have done that just for the principal of it. He was God in the flesh!
Remember the day Christ arose and Mary seen him outside the tomb, his own mother thought he was the gardener she did not recognize him then and there.
Now we read here that Cleophas and Mary did the same thing.
I am thinking here, not Bible scripture just how I feel in my heart was happening.
I think Jesus in his resurrected body allow the memory of the earthy Jesus to pass away from them. Jesus was in his “perfect” state and the memory of those that knew him before was washed away for a time being, at least as long as Jesus stay on this earth before ascending to the Father in Heaven.
It was if they had never known him, but in truth they had never seen the resurrected body of Christ in His God form.
I cannot back this up with any scripture, so do not quote me on this. I do not want you to go looking for this in your Bible because it is not there, it is my heart felt reasoning as to why they had not recognized him …yet!
So, how, and why did they opened their eyes and then know him?
This is what I believe,
I believe when he blessed the food and broke the bread and then gave to them, his hand was strength out toward them, open to hand them the bread, they reached out to take the bread from His hand and here I think they looked and saw the nail scared hands that he suffered on the cross at Calvary.
Right then and there all remembrance came flooding back to them. Seeing those nail scarred hands was the reason that their eyes were opened and then then knew him.
Right after that happened, poof, Jesus was gone, he had vanished. Jesus knew his job was done there, he would not need to have Clophas and Mary, to bring all the attention to him.
Jesus many times when he healed someone, did not stay around to get the attention he simply went elsewhere. He just slipped away. He had on occasions told those that he had healed not to tell anyone.
Jesus wasn’t looking for the bright lights the fame and fortune. Jesus was looking to find those that would take up their cross and follow him.
#5 The Courage when your soul is afire.
Look in verse 33,
24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
They got up the next morning and they started back to Jerusalem, they had walked 7 ½ miles the day before over that dirt road and now they were heading back.
They had the courage to go back to where Jesus was crucified. They knew that those there were not their friends. They knew that if anything started up about this Jesus they would be thrown in jail or worse.
Peter had been approached about knowing Jesus three times and he denied it, he was scared.
The disciple were scared that they all went hiding in the upper room.
But when you get your soul afire, you are not scared to stand up and go forth for Christ. You are not ashamed to stand tall and tell those around you that you are a child of the living God and it is him that you pledge your life to, It is him you worship, it is him your glorify, it is him you trust and obey.
But Clophas and Mary wanted to go back, their soul was set afire by Jesus and there was nothing more important than going back to Jerusalem and telling everyone that Jesus had walk with them, talked with them and broke bread and he shared it with them. They saw his nail scarred hands, He was alive and he cares for us and he loves us, and he will be there when the darkest of days are surrounding us.
IN CLOSING
Church we should want to have our soul set afire for God this morning. We should be wanting that “heartburn” that dwells deep in our heart that God has light up for us.
Jesus is willing to come walk with you, he will talk with you, he will pray with you and he will reach out with those nail scared hands to hold you.
You can start your fire this morning, you can feel like the day you were first saved. You may want to come to this alter this morning and just ask Jesus to reach out to you that you are needing that fire again in your soul.
You just first need to reach out to him. Jesus has done it all for us.
In verse 15, we just need to commune together and reason with him. It tells us He will draw near and he will come to you.
24:15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
This morning church, could be the day that you can experience the best “Heartburn” you will ever feel,
Lord, set my soul afire for you this morning.
