Introduction: For three days the body of Jesus lay in a stone cold tomb. On the Sunday morning after his death, the disciples find that his body is missing. Something inexplicable had happened; something unexplainable. There was some talk that Jesus was alive but they were not quite certain.
We are not quite sure why Jesus appeared to these two men on the road to Emmaus but one thing is evident Jesus had made an indelible impression on their lives. As they walked together, “they conversed and reasoned” about the things that had taken place. Their hearts and minds I believe, were on the Lord, yet they did not recognize Him when they saw Him. Could it be thjat since they knew that He was dead, therefore it was unthinkable that Jesus would be walking with them?
On that day the two men were taking one of many such walks, since public transportation would not have been readily available as it is today. But on this particular day their walk took on a significance that they would not soon forget. They realized after a short while that they were in the company of the risen Lord.
The two men on the road to Emmaus were traveling companions. In those day people rarely traveled alone. Robbers and bandits were always around so it made sense to have someone along, if only for the company. As they walked Jesus joined them. They did not recognize Him but they must have decided that one more person in the group would make them that much safer.
In the journey of life we all need traveling companions. This life is full of uncertainty and treachery and we cannot make the journey alone. But we must also be careful about who goes with us. You see, some people make wonderful traveling companions but others just would not do. The Bible tells us that we must be in agreement with those accompanyus. Paul make this very clear by saying, “How can two walk together lest they agree?” Who is your companion on this walk of life?
Today I want to talk to you about making your walk with Jesus more meaningful. He is the only companion that would never let you down and when things get rough, He will never leave or forsake you…but unlike the two men on this lonely road, to walk with Jesus is a choice that you must make…He can either go with you if you invite Him along or you can leave Him behind…the choice is yours.
1. “Jesus Himself drew near and went with them!” Verse 15
A. Jesus calls men to go with Him
- Matthew 4:19 “Follow Me!”
- Jesus calls and men leave all to follow Him
- Andrew and Peter left their nets
- John and James left their families
- Matthew left his tax collecting business
B. To follow Jesus means making sacrifices
- It means giving up some things that are important to us
- It means there is no looking back
- “If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
C. There is a cost of discipleship (Luke 9:57 – 62)
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”
58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.”
But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
APPLICATION: We have all answered the call to follow Jesus…to walk with Him but very often we are not willing to pay the price that it requires…
We are not willing to make sacrifices for the Lord!
We are not willing to make changes in our lives…we want to live the same way that we did before.
There are times when I find myself being ashamed to associate myself with people who call themselves Christians because of their behavior
To businessmen and women of the church let your Christian integrity show through to those whom you do business with
2. “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” Verse 17
A. There is no joy in our walk
- Jesus calls you to joy (explain joy).
- “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11
- Peter calls it joy that is “inexpressible and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8
- The men on the road were sad because they thought Jesus was dead.
- If you served a dead savior you would be sad to but knowing tht Jesus is alive makes all the difference
B. We need a change of attitude
- “Attitude determines your altitude in life.” John Maxwell
- It determines how high you rise and how far you go
- People with bad attitudes do not amount to much
- These men showed concern but their attitude showed their unbelief
C. We need to know who we are and whose we are
- We are children of the King
- Sons and daughters of the Most High God
- “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9
APPLICATION: Most people fail in their walk with God because they do not recognize who they are.
They live beneath their means! They walk around only talking about how satan has gotten them down and they fail to give God praise for what He has done for them.
They forget that Christ has promised “abundant life.”
- Abundant life is a life of joy
- Abundant life is a life of peace
- Abundant life is a life lived in the fullness of God’s blessings
3. “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” Verse 25
A. Constancy and consistency in your walk is a requirement
- The men failed to fully believe all that Jesus had taught
- Unbelief is evident more in our actions than in our hearts and minds
- In other words we may “think” we believe and on Sunday we might think we have faith
- But the real test is on a Monday morning when we face the real world
- It was easy to have faith and believe while Jesus was with them but now He is gone…?
B. We must examine ourselves – (self examination)
- Look at the “man in the mirror.”
- Because you know you better than anyone else.
- Paul said “For what I am doing I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” Romans 7:15
- We must know what we are capable of doing and then bring it under the subjection of Christ
C. We must examine our beliefs
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
D. We must be ready “in season and out.”
- We must be ready to stand and defend our faith if we have to
- We must be ready to give answer to any man that asks, the reason for the hope within us.
APPLICATION: The biggest problem with the church today is the number of people who are fakers.
We pretend to be something that we are not
We act like we are the biggest Christians but when the pressure comes we fall apart
Joshua: “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 1:20
4. “Abide with us…” Verse 29
A. Our fellowship must be with believers
“So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together.” Verse 30
- Your fellowship with Christ brings you closer to those who are of “like precious faith.”
B. Your fellowship with believers gives you the power to reject sinful actions
- If you associate with criminals you will more than likely commit criminal acts
- If you associate with believers you will most likely act in a Christian manner
C. “The devil made me do it!” Flip Wilson
- If you associate with the devil he will make you do it
APPLICATION: Jesus expects us to abide in Him.
John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me”
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” 15:7
