What Road Are You Walking?

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,680
Welcome to A Word in Season with Doug Stringer and friends.

2
00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:09,040
We share good news and godly wisdom to empower you to be salt and light in every season of

3
00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:10,040
life.

4
00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:13,600
Unmeant expectations can cause us to miss Jesus in our midst.

5
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,700
Yet He is in the middle of our circumstances.

6
00:00:16,700 --> 00:00:21,680
By inviting Him into our lives as Lord and communing with Him, we open ourselves to the

7
00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,920
revelation of who He truly is.

8
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:29,020
Listen as Doug shares how inviting Him into our lives as Lord and communing with Him will

9
00:00:29,020 --> 00:00:32,740
open ourselves to the revelation of who He truly is.

10
00:00:32,740 --> 00:00:37,680
After the episode, consider leaving a review and follow us on your favorite streaming service.

11
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,080
If you've cleaned anything from this podcast, consider paying it forward with a gift at

12
00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:43,080
SomebodyCares.org.

13
00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,720
Now let's join our host, Doug Stringer.

14
00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,560
We're Monday, April the 1st.

15
00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:54,160
It's the day after Resurrection Sunday, 2024.

16
00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,760
And so I was just pondering and processing because I know between the original Passover

17
00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:06,840
2000 years ago with Resurrection, as well as the days before the Ascension and then the

18
00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:12,800
days to go Terry in Jerusalem, and of course the outpouring of Acts chapter 2, which we

19
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,200
see in Scripture, was the outpouring of Pentecost.

20
00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,940
There was a progression in the question I kept thinking about, and I've done some teachings

21
00:01:19,940 --> 00:01:24,320
and articles on this in years past, but I thought I'd just kind of run through a quick

22
00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:26,200
scenario.

23
00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,160
It's after Resurrection Day, what road are we walking?

24
00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,200
What road are you walking on?

25
00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,200
What are you hoping for?

26
00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,520
What are you hoping that the Lord would have done or should have done?

27
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,960
And I want to use Luke 24.

28
00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:45,500
I did a teaching over the years called Abiding in His Presence, which was talking about really

29
00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:50,840
abiding as invitation and then communion or fellowship is the place where their eyes were

30
00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,600
open in Luke 24 and they got revelation.

31
00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,800
And from that, they began to have an expectation that was given to them at the Ascension to

32
00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,920
go Terry in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit would come.

33
00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,760
And so there are some things I think we can all learn from that.

34
00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,520
What is our expectation?

35
00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:17,640
We got a true revelation of the abiding presence of God, and then ultimately what is the expectation

36
00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:23,520
and how to respond when we now have a new expectation, anticipation of things to come

37
00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,360
and not knowing exactly what that looks like.

38
00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:30,440
Because the followers of Christ, the disciples, the apostolic fathers did not really have

39
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,920
a full understanding before the death, burial, and resurrection.

40
00:02:34,920 --> 00:02:37,160
And you really didn't know what to expect.

41
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,720
At Pentecost 2000 years ago, and look what the Lord did, the Lord just showed up in this

42
00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,720
supernatural way, supernatural to them, but not supernatural to God.

43
00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,200
God had already orchestrated putting all these components together.

44
00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,760
And you've probably heard me speak about in the past about how God takes these seemingly

45
00:02:53,760 --> 00:03:01,760
unrelated components of our lives and relationships, even places and times, and how we think it's

46
00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:06,800
unrelated, but God had already put it all together for a moment, for a moment in time

47
00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,240
that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came.

48
00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:15,280
So all the known nations of the world 2000 years ago happened to be in Jerusalem at Pentecost

49
00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:20,080
so that when the Lord poured out this Holy Spirit in the upper room that turned to the

50
00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:25,240
church's birth in a day and thousands came to Christ, that wasn't supernatural.

51
00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,440
That was God actually setting all these components together.

52
00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,640
And we stepped into a moment.

53
00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:33,000
But I want to talk about abiding in His presence.

54
00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,200
This really comes out of Luke 24.

55
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,000
I know a lot of friends and people have been teaching on it the last couple of days over

56
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:44,080
resurrection weekend, but I want to talk about it from a little bit different perspective,

57
00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,840
because if you look first and foremost, and we're talking about this year when called

58
00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:52,720
a million voices of esters and the Mordecai's that come along in the world in which we live.

59
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,960
And I've taught about this in my previous podcast that we're coming into a season.

60
00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:02,560
And so even this year, many, many esters or women of God are gathering together along

61
00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:07,240
with Mordecai's to hold their arms up for a time such as this in Washington, D.C. on

62
00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:11,160
Yom Kippur this year, October the 12th of 2024.

63
00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:17,000
Look at Luke 24 for a moment, because it's interesting that after the death, burial,

64
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:22,680
resurrection, Joseph Arimathea gave his tomb for the Lord to be buried in for the Sabbath.

65
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:28,600
The women of the company of the Lord, Mary Magdalene and others were coming back after

66
00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:33,840
the Sabbath to bring their proper fragrances and so on and notice that the tomb had been

67
00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:34,840
opened.

68
00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:37,840
And so let me just look at that for a moment because I want to kind of give you a quick

69
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:40,600
synopsis here in Luke 24.

70
00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:47,000
It says, now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they and a certain

71
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:53,440
other women with them came to the tomb bringing the spices that they had prepared, but they

72
00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,480
found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

73
00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:01,000
Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

74
00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,000
It happened as they were greatly perplexed about this.

75
00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:10,360
I can imagine coming in expecting to bring fragrances for the burial of Jesus and find

76
00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:15,760
that the tomb was opened and that they would be very greatly perplexed.

77
00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,240
And so, behold, that two men stood by them in shining garments.

78
00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,600
Of course, we see that this is angels of the Lord.

79
00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,200
And verse five says, and they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth.

80
00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:30,720
They said to them, why do you seek the living among the dead?

81
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:35,800
And I love this because in verse six it says, he's not here, but he's risen.

82
00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,120
Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee.

83
00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:43,680
I love that because I've been to the tomb, the garden tomb many times, and every time

84
00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,960
I go, I want to visit and I go into what some believe was the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

85
00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,960
that gave it to Jesus for his burial, where the resurrection was.

86
00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:54,400
Others believe it's other locations.

87
00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,440
But in context, when you leave, it does say, he is not here, he is risen.

88
00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:04,640
It's interesting throughout each year during the Easter season or resurrection weekend

89
00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:08,560
and that holy week, you'll have many people in the Middle East will have a greeting that

90
00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,480
says, he is risen.

91
00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:14,480
And the people respond to that term, he has risen indeed.

92
00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,320
It's kind of like, of course, he's risen indeed.

93
00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,200
It's a revelation that we've come to now as believers in Christ.

94
00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,720
But back then, there was a lot of ambiguity.

95
00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:25,960
There was a lot of things that people didn't understand.

96
00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:30,200
They were expecting certain things and they were perplexed when it didn't happen the way

97
00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:31,200
they expected.

98
00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:38,400
Then they said, the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and crucified

99
00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,500
and the third day rise again.

100
00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:45,720
And so it says in verse nine, they returned from the tomb, this is the women, and told

101
00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:49,760
all these things to the eleven, the other apostles, and to all the rest and to the others

102
00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:51,220
that were there.

103
00:06:51,220 --> 00:06:56,720
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who

104
00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,540
told these things to the apostles.

105
00:06:59,540 --> 00:07:04,920
Their words seemed to them like idle tales and they did not believe them.

106
00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:09,520
Can you imagine, you've been the apostles, you've been the disciples of Jesus, traveling,

107
00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:15,360
watching all the miracles, hearing his teachings for three plus years and these women of the

108
00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:20,520
company that they were a part of, Mary Magdalene and Joanna, Mary and the mother of James,

109
00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,400
and other women who saw this and heard the angels share with these words to them.

110
00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:29,880
They run to tell the apostles and the apostles, they were like, they couldn't believe it.

111
00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,760
It's hard to have them believe.

112
00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,040
Their words seemed to them like tales and they did not believe them.

113
00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:42,640
But Peter arose and ran to the tomb, stooping down and he saw the linen cloths lying by

114
00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:47,400
themselves and he departed, marveling to himself at what had just happened.

115
00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,200
Can you imagine all these thoughts going through his mind?

116
00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:54,680
And then now you fast forward to what we call the road to Emmaus and that's why I even asked

117
00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,480
the question, what road are you walking?

118
00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:02,800
Because it's now the day after Resurrection Sunday 2024, Holy Week prior to that and you

119
00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:08,720
have Palm Sunday and you have all these things and looking historically at the original Passover

120
00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:14,040
and what we call Great Friday, the original Passover and now we call Resurrection Sunday.

121
00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,000
But here is the reality of that original moment.

122
00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:22,520
These disciples and the apostles had walked with the Lord for three plus years.

123
00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:27,040
Everything he taught them, the miracles they saw, they saw with their eyes and yet in the

124
00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:31,840
aftermath of all that just transpired, they did not believe.

125
00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,800
And so now you have this context on the road to Emmaus.

126
00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:40,360
On the road to Emmaus we see these two followers, some say disciples and if you want to call

127
00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:45,640
them disciples or followers who may not be the eleven that Mary Magdalene and others

128
00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,000
came to tell them.

129
00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:52,540
There was others there in the company but there was two of the followers of Jesus or

130
00:08:52,540 --> 00:08:56,760
two who had been following and been around the apostles and the disciples for all this

131
00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:01,400
time, saw the miracles for themselves and they're perplexed too because it says in verse

132
00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:08,840
13, now behold two of them were traveling the same day to a village called Emmaus which

133
00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:14,560
was about seven miles from Jerusalem and they talked together of all these things which

134
00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:15,780
had happened.

135
00:09:15,780 --> 00:09:21,120
They were discussing all the things that transpired in the previous days and all that was taking

136
00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:27,820
place and it says, so it was while they were conversing and reason that Jesus himself drew

137
00:09:27,820 --> 00:09:29,940
near and went with them.

138
00:09:29,940 --> 00:09:33,840
Can you imagine, you're talking about Jesus, you're discussing all that just takes place,

139
00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,840
Jesus shows up but it's interesting they did not recognize him.

140
00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:43,680
It says here in verse 16 of Luke 24, but their eyes were restrained so that they did not

141
00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:44,880
know him.

142
00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,880
They're talking about the Lord, they're discussing all that just happened and all their personal

143
00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:53,560
experiences and yet Jesus shows up and they don't recognize him.

144
00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:58,600
And verse 17 says, and he said to them, what kind of conversation is this that you have

145
00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,280
with one another as you walk and you're walking and you're sad.

146
00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:09,880
Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him, are you the only stranger

147
00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:15,880
in Jerusalem and have you not known the things which happened here in these last days?

148
00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,120
And Jesus said to them, which things or what things happened?

149
00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:25,320
And he said in the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet, mighty in deed

150
00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,280
and word before God and all the people.

151
00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:32,840
Next thing, notice what they said, they're telling this stranger that they don't realize

152
00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,400
it's Jesus, he was a prophet.

153
00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:41,000
Now that's interesting, it says, Jesus of Nazareth, mighty in deed and word before God

154
00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:42,140
and all the people.

155
00:10:42,140 --> 00:10:48,000
They recognized that he was a prophet, they recognized that he was one who was a preparer,

156
00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,660
they recognized the miracles, they recognized he was sent by God.

157
00:10:51,660 --> 00:10:56,400
But notice here the very followers of Jesus and he'd been talking about himself all this

158
00:10:56,400 --> 00:11:01,960
time and these disciples, but they did not recognize he was who he says he was.

159
00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:06,120
He said, no man comes to the Father, but by me, he is the way, the truth and the life.

160
00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:10,080
And you've heard me say before, he's the way out of our Egypt, the way out of our past,

161
00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:11,080
the way out of the world.

162
00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:15,600
He's the truth in the desert, the wilderness of our lives at Mount Sinai and he's the life

163
00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:18,320
in the promised land, he's the way, the truth and the life.

164
00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:23,120
But we have to come to a revelation of the truth in our journey if we're going to be

165
00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:26,280
able to enter into the fullness of our destiny and promised land.

166
00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:29,960
And that's another teaching that I've done before, we can share some other time.

167
00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,920
They go on to talk and now they go on to talk more about what the chief priest did and so

168
00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:34,920
on.

169
00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,800
And here is interesting because in verse 21, here's what these followers say, but we were

170
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:46,360
hoping that, hold on to that for a second, what road are we walking in our journey?

171
00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:50,840
We're followers of Jesus, we have a revelation and believe that he's either a prophet, a

172
00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:55,560
good man or who he says he is and that's why I'm always asking people the question, is

173
00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:57,320
Jesus who he says he really is?

174
00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,480
And many people who don't even know the Lord, I ask them to pray with me, say, Jesus, if

175
00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,720
you are who you say you are, reveal yourself to me.

176
00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,640
People are honest enough, even if they don't believe in their mind, they just say, if you

177
00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,520
are who you say you are, reveal yourself to me.

178
00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:16,440
And I believe that's a very important aspect here because if we actually say that, Lord,

179
00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:21,560
if you are who you say you are, reveal yourself to me, I know that Jesus will find a way to

180
00:12:21,560 --> 00:12:23,880
give us revelation of who he really is.

181
00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,600
Of course, I believe he's the Messiah, he's the son of the living God, he rose from the

182
00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:32,800
dead, he's coming again and that's the distinction between Christianity and every other religion.

183
00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:37,560
And it says, yes, we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel.

184
00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:41,680
They were believing Isaiah 53 that he was going to be the conquering king.

185
00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:45,040
He was the one that was going to come and be bruised for our transgressions.

186
00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:49,520
They didn't realize the fullness of what those prophetic words were, that he wasn't just

187
00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:54,120
coming to somehow redeem Israel at the time or the people at the time.

188
00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,960
He was coming as a suffering servant who would become the conquering king, conquering our

189
00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:04,240
souls, conquering us for eternity, making a path and a way for us to have eternity and

190
00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,600
the promise of eternity, not just in this life, but for all eternity.

191
00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,360
He was our savior, he's our healer, our liberator, our deliverer.

192
00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,400
He's our soon coming king, as believers in Christ.

193
00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,360
But they didn't understand the fullness of that, so that's why they said they were hoping

194
00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:21,400
that he was he who was going to redeem Israel.

195
00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:26,600
Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened.

196
00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:31,240
Now I've been trying to calculate that, but I believe this is probably the third day since

197
00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:35,640
the death and burial of Christ, his crucifixion, his being mocked.

198
00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,760
And now this is the beginning of the third day.

199
00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:42,480
You've heard the stories of the women who came early in the morning and found the tomb empty.

200
00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:43,560
They're hearing a story.

201
00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:49,160
Now they're walking on this road to Emmaus, seven miles or so away from Jerusalem.

202
00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:54,120
It says, and yes, certain women of our company, of course, what I said earlier, they're referring

203
00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:59,640
to Mary Magdalene, they were referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus, of James and other

204
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,400
women that were with them.

205
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,800
And so they were saying certain women of the company, of our company, who arrived at the

206
00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,620
tomb early astonished us.

207
00:14:08,620 --> 00:14:10,120
Can you imagine being astonished?

208
00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:18,080
So think about these certain terms, expectation, perplexed or being perplexed, astonishment,

209
00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:23,200
these very significant words, I think, play into our personal lives because although we

210
00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:28,280
may have a belief in the resurrection of Christ as Christians now, but what about those moments

211
00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:32,840
we go through journeys in our life, we go through times of hoping that and that the

212
00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:36,320
Lord didn't do certain things the way we expected him to.

213
00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,880
Maybe there are times that Jesus in the midst of our circumstances, we don't even recognize

214
00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,040
him in that moment because we have our own expectations.

215
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:48,240
We were hoping that and we put all these different factors of what we expect the Lord to do.

216
00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,640
And yet he's in the midst of our difficulties, in the midst of our circumstances.

217
00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,400
He's in the midst of what's happening around us and in the world today.

218
00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:00,640
And yet we have certain ideas or hoping that he would do certain things a certain way and

219
00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:05,560
we could become very disappointed, discouraged, disillusioned and distracted from what God

220
00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:06,960
really has for us.

221
00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,840
He is our deliverer, he is our savior, he is our liberator.

222
00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:14,840
He's all these things and he's taking us through a process to get us to the place of promise.

223
00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,020
They were going on, they were talking about all these things and the Lord begins to speak

224
00:15:18,020 --> 00:15:24,460
to them and Jesus says, Oh foolish man and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets

225
00:15:24,460 --> 00:15:25,460
have spoken.

226
00:15:25,460 --> 00:15:31,560
Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?

227
00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:36,280
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded to them in all the scriptures

228
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,760
of things concerning himself and they still didn't recognize him.

229
00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,840
Then they drew near to the village where they were going that he acted like he was going

230
00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,440
to leave them and depart from them.

231
00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,040
But in verse 29 they constrained him saying, abide with us.

232
00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:53,040
That's an invitation.

233
00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:54,320
Now think about it, abide.

234
00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,840
That's inviting him, don't leave us yet.

235
00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:02,440
For it is toward evening and the day is far spent and he went in to stay with them.

236
00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:08,560
And it came to pass in verse 30, as he sat at the table with them and he took bread,

237
00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:13,640
that's an element of communion and fellowship, blessed it and broke it and gave it to them.

238
00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,840
Now watch this in verse 31.

239
00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:23,360
Then their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished from them.

240
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,240
Abide with us, that's invitation.

241
00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,520
That's the place of invitation and the place of fellowship and communion where they're

242
00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:30,920
breaking bread.

243
00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:35,280
All of a sudden at the place of communion or fellowship their eyes were opened.

244
00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,000
That's revelation.

245
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:38,000
Abide with us, invitation.

246
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,400
A communion and fellowship, we receive revelation.

247
00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:47,840
When the Lord abides with us, not just in invitation but his abiding manifest presence.

248
00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:52,120
I liked with David Ravenhill, the son of Leonard Ravenhill, was sharing during a gathering

249
00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,280
I'd hosted of leaders and pastors many years ago.

250
00:16:55,280 --> 00:17:00,840
And he was using the example saying, if I invite Doug to my house and Doug comes in

251
00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:02,840
and I say, hey, my house is your house.

252
00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:07,640
He goes, if I invite you and say, hey, you're my guest, here's the keys to the house.

253
00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:13,000
Feel comfortable, do whatever you need to do in the house and make yourself comfortable.

254
00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,360
My wife and I are leaving for a little bit but we'll be back.

255
00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:17,680
But here's the keys, make yourself at home.

256
00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,880
That wasn't an invitation to take ownership.

257
00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,720
It was an invitation to feel comfortable.

258
00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:27,120
He was using the example that I wouldn't go around changing the furniture and changing

259
00:17:27,120 --> 00:17:32,520
the painting on the wall because it was an invitation as a guest, not as the owner.

260
00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:37,080
But when we speak to the Lord to abide with us and we ask the Lord to take lordship of

261
00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,320
our hearts and lives, what we're saying to him is, this temple doesn't belong to me.

262
00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:42,560
It's the temple of the Holy Spirit.

263
00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:44,240
It belongs to you, Lord.

264
00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:49,560
Are we asking the Lord to be our invited guest but not allow him lordship to take ownership

265
00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:50,560
of our lives?

266
00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,920
I think it's important for us in this journey we're living in and the things I've written

267
00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:59,280
about over the years about his abiding presence and how we're living in a very difficult time.

268
00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:05,040
But we need his abiding presence by taking ownership of our hearts and thoughts and lives,

269
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:06,320
these temples of the Holy Spirit.

270
00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,760
Purchase, we no longer belong to ourselves, the apostle Paul says.

271
00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:13,480
You no longer belong to yourself, you are now the temples of the Holy Spirit because

272
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,620
we've been purchased by the blood of Christ.

273
00:18:15,620 --> 00:18:20,080
So the death, bail, and resurrection is more than just about our salvation, it's about

274
00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:21,320
his lordship.

275
00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:23,620
It's about his ownership in our lives.

276
00:18:23,620 --> 00:18:28,240
So when I ask the Lord to abide with me, I want him to take ownership of my thoughts,

277
00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:33,280
ownership of my life, to help me just steward this temple that he has purchased by his very

278
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:34,280
own life.

279
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:38,560
To do that, he has the right to change the painting on the walls of my mind.

280
00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,600
He has the right to change the direction of my heart.

281
00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:46,640
He has the right to change my life because he is Lord, he's not a guest, he's my Lord.

282
00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:50,480
I want his abiding manifest presence to take ownership.

283
00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,480
I don't want him just to be a guest.

284
00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:57,020
When our eyes are open, abide with us, invitation, communion and fellowship with God, that place

285
00:18:57,020 --> 00:19:02,240
of daily communion, that daily manner with God, that in that place we begin to receive

286
00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,960
a revelation, our eyes are open.

287
00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,200
We need our eyes open today more than ever before.

288
00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:11,000
We need a revelation of the work of the cross and the power of the resurrection that comes

289
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,080
through fellowship, communion with him and with one another.

290
00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,960
It says in verse 32, so they said to one another when he had vanished, did our hearts not burn

291
00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:25,040
within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the scriptures to us.

292
00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,800
There's something about the Lord and opening and fellowship with him that his scriptures

293
00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:29,800
are open to us.

294
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:34,040
We get revelation in his word, his character, nature and spirit.

295
00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,680
And then he goes on and appears to others.

296
00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:41,440
Well, let me go back to verse 33 because this is the proof of his resurrection.

297
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,560
So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem.

298
00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:50,520
That's the ones that were on the road to Emmaus and found the 11, that's the 11 apostles,

299
00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:56,600
and they were there with them gathered together saying, the Lord has risen indeed and has

300
00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,680
appeared to Simon.

301
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:03,800
And they told about the things that had happened to us on the road and how he was known to

302
00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,360
them in the breaking of bread.

303
00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:11,320
Now watch as he was known to them, the revelation came, their eyes were open in the breaking

304
00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:12,320
of bread.

305
00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,840
Hold to that thought, that our eyes are open in the breaking of the bread.

306
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,560
This is the bread, the word of God.

307
00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:20,480
The word says it's our bread.

308
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:22,720
It's the word of God is our bread.

309
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,440
He is the bread of life.

310
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:29,320
And so as we break bread and commune together in his word and with one another, that our

311
00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:30,720
eyes are open.

312
00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:36,200
In verse 36, they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said

313
00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,000
to them, peace to you.

314
00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,000
Can you imagine?

315
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:44,120
Here's the ones on the road to Emmaus go running to the apostle, the other 11, and saying,

316
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:45,760
this is what just happened.

317
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:50,480
And they're still processing what the notable women of their company had said, that they're

318
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,640
saying, well, he's not in the grave, he's risen in the dead.

319
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,720
They didn't believe these women.

320
00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,040
And now they're hearing the story from the two men on the road to Emmaus and saying,

321
00:20:58,040 --> 00:20:59,580
here's what just happened.

322
00:20:59,580 --> 00:21:02,880
And it was in the breaking of bread that our eyes were open, revelation happened.

323
00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,440
Now they're hearing the story again.

324
00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,320
And they're hearing the witness again.

325
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,280
And they're hearing the confirmation again.

326
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:15,240
And in the midst of that, Jesus shows up in the midst of the 11 and the others and says,

327
00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:16,240
peace to you.

328
00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,920
Can you imagine being taken back by the presence of the Lord himself?

329
00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:21,360
And then he begins to speak to them.

330
00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:26,760
It says in verse 37, they were terrified and frightened.

331
00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,120
And suppose they saw a spirit.

332
00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:31,500
And Jesus said to them, why are you so troubled?

333
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:34,840
Why do you doubt arise in your hearts?

334
00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:39,880
He says, behold, my hands and my feet, that is I myself handle me and see.

335
00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:44,640
For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.

336
00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:46,720
Of course, we hear the story about doubting Thomas.

337
00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,640
Well, I want to see for myself.

338
00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:51,680
And then they began to commune together.

339
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:52,680
And here's what he gives them.

340
00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,040
He gives them a commandment that would be called the Great Commission.

341
00:21:56,040 --> 00:22:00,960
He says to them, these are the words which I spoke on you while I was still with you,

342
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:05,440
that all things must be filled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets

343
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,800
and the Psalms concerning me.

344
00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:12,160
And he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures.

345
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:13,160
That's revelation.

346
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:18,560
And he said to them, thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer

347
00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,360
and to rise from the dead on the third day.

348
00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:28,280
And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name, so all nations beginning

349
00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:34,880
at Jerusalem, and all nations, not just geographical nations, but all peoples or tribes and tongues.

350
00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:40,000
Now watch what he says, beginning in Jerusalem, because now they're getting prepared for the

351
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,960
ascension and then for Pentecost that would be in Jerusalem.

352
00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:49,320
All the nations are commanded to be there because all nations represented, no nations

353
00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,440
of the world are in Jerusalem on Pentecost.

354
00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:59,120
And it goes in verse 48, so that you are witnesses of these things, verse 49, behold I send the

355
00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:05,360
promise of my father upon you, but Terry in the city of Jerusalem you are endued with

356
00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:10,240
power and you will be endued with power from on high.

357
00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:14,560
And then he goes on and begins to share with them and lays out the commandments, the Great

358
00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:19,320
Commission, he lays out the different things that they should do to take the gospel to

359
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:20,560
the nations.

360
00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:25,880
And then it says here, as he led them out as far as Bethany and he lifted up his hands

361
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:30,560
and blessed them, now it came to pass while he blessed them that he was departed from

362
00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:34,260
them and carried up into heaven, he ascended.

363
00:23:34,260 --> 00:23:40,600
And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continuously in the

364
00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,760
temple praising and blessing God.

365
00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:49,200
Let me just fast forward here, because it says as he ascended, remember they went being

366
00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,560
sad on the road to Emmaus, they were doubting, they were being perplexed at heart, they were

367
00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:55,400
wondering what just happened.

368
00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:00,880
They asked him to abide with us, that's a place of invitation, they communed, they had

369
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:06,880
breaking of bread, their eyes were open, they had revelation, now they are astonished and

370
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,480
their hearts are longing as he was opening scriptures to them.

371
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:16,160
He appears to the eleven apostles and others, they hear from the story of the two on the

372
00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:20,960
road to Emmaus, they remember that the notable women told them about the empty tomb.

373
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:25,360
Now all these things they are processing and Jesus appears in their midst and they are

374
00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:29,300
astonished, they are frightened, they are taken back and the Lord has to remind them

375
00:24:29,300 --> 00:24:33,740
of who he really is and they begin to open up and remember all that Jesus had spoken

376
00:24:33,740 --> 00:24:34,880
to them.

377
00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:39,280
So now they went from sadness to expectation and gladness.

378
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:45,600
So from sadness to invitation, abide with us, abiding his presence not as a guest but

379
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:50,000
for habitation, to take ownership of our lives for us personally.

380
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,600
And then that place of daily communion with God, that place of breaking of bread with

381
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:58,800
him in his word, to know his character, nature, word and spirit, to break bread with one another.

382
00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,400
And from that place our eyes become open, we receive renewed revelation of the work

383
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,560
of the cross, power of the resurrection and the things that God has for us in our lives.

384
00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:11,920
And then they went from that place to hear his commandment, to hear his word and now

385
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:18,760
with great joy they praised him daily and they went to Terri with great expectation

386
00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:23,960
in Jerusalem, not knowing exactly what it was going to look like but with great expectation

387
00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:25,120
and anticipation.

388
00:25:25,120 --> 00:25:31,040
No longer sad, no longer doubting, no longer frightened but this renewed sense of the revelation

389
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:36,320
from abiding in his presence, from his abiding presence, from his revelation of himself and

390
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:42,240
that place of breaking of bread to now this new expectation that filled them with great

391
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:47,240
joy and worship and praising daily in the temple in Jerusalem.

392
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,520
It was in that context and I've been to the upper room on Pentecost but I remember being

393
00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:55,720
there and seeing all these people that were coming from all over the world, the nations

394
00:25:55,720 --> 00:26:00,560
of the world to do their pilgrimage, to remember what once happened.

395
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,680
But I want us to be reminded today not what happened.

396
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,360
Jesus is not dead, he's alive.

397
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:06,360
He's raised from the dead.

398
00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:07,360
He's resurrected.

399
00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:11,240
His resurrection power, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit for those of us who professed

400
00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,440
to be Christians 2,000 years ago.

401
00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:17,600
That same power that rose Jesus from the dead dwells in us.

402
00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:22,040
That same power of the Holy Spirit that came in the upper room like a locomotive, like the

403
00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:27,400
sound of a locomotive, like the whirlwind, like a tornado, that the fire of God that

404
00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:32,040
came to those 120 in the upper room that touched people, all the nations of the world in a

405
00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:38,240
day and thousands came to the Lord, that same power of the Holy Spirit lives in us for those

406
00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:42,920
who truly are not just followers but disciples of the Lord.

407
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:46,680
That he wants to remind us of what he did then is just as real today.

408
00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:51,160
The pilgrimage in Jerusalem on Pentecost when I was there, I saw a thousand people that

409
00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:56,520
were longing for the past but I can look at the landmark of the past and know that we

410
00:26:56,520 --> 00:27:02,080
can expect with great anticipation what God has for us no matter what we go through and

411
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:03,160
in the future.

412
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:04,600
What road are you on right now?

413
00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:06,080
The things you're processing?

414
00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:07,080
What doubts do you have?

415
00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,360
Let's just say to the Lord, Lord, you said who you are.

416
00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:11,920
You're the way, the truth, the life.

417
00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:13,920
No man comes to the Father but by you.

418
00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:18,240
Jesus, if you are who you say you are, reveal yourself to us in a renewed fresh way.

419
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,340
God, don't just be a guest in my life.

420
00:27:21,340 --> 00:27:24,120
Be the Lord of my life.

421
00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:26,400
Change the painting on the walls of my mind.

422
00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:27,460
Change the images.

423
00:27:27,460 --> 00:27:29,200
Change the furniture of my heart.

424
00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,240
Change my life, Lord, so that I can walk in the fullness of what you have for me.

425
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,120
The Bible says that we walk in the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

426
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:41,720
We need to be a light that shines in a world of darkness, in a world full of storms, in

427
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:43,560
a world that's foggy.

428
00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,520
We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for

429
00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:52,800
the joy set before him endured the mocking, the shame, and the suffering of the cross

430
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:58,520
so that we too can find our place of hope, our place of healing, our place of destiny,

431
00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,920
and a place of entering into the promise of God in our own lives.

432
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,040
Don't let your circumstances keep you.

433
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:08,840
Don't let the doubts keep you but let us focus with expectation, anticipation of things yet

434
00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,640
to come because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

435
00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:14,400
He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

436
00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,640
Let us be a hope in a world of difficulties.

437
00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:21,800
In fact, one of my books called Mending the Net, I said bringing hope in a hurting world.

438
00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:22,800
That's what we need today.

439
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,320
We need to be those who bring hope in a hurting world.

440
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:27,640
There are certain keys I believe that are important for us as Christians.

441
00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:31,960
If we're going to get a revelation, we need to walk in humility in the fear of the Lord

442
00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:37,040
and we also need to walk in that place of attracting his abiding presence, which I believe

443
00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:42,480
is a place of holiness, personal consecration in the Lord, not external piety.

444
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,280
Secondly, is attracting his presence and walking in humility.

445
00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:50,120
The third is a place of true honesty, loving the truth more than the things we see, the

446
00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,600
more than the things we hear, loving the truth more than our own lives.

447
00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,040
And then finally, that place of honor.

448
00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:57,320
How do we honor the Lord?

449
00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:58,320
We live for the Lord.

450
00:28:58,320 --> 00:28:59,520
We live in relationship.

451
00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:05,560
We show appreciation of who he really is because really fellowship offering in Leviticus is

452
00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:06,960
that place of true communion.

453
00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:10,920
It talks about it's not because we have to bring an offering at that point.

454
00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:15,200
We're the living sacrifices offering ourselves before the Lord.

455
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,360
There's something that's so awesome about the fellowship offering.

456
00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:22,680
It's that place of communion with God, not because of what we expect from him, but because

457
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,240
of who he is and what he's already done.

458
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,200
Just because, because, because.

459
00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:30,040
What an amazing opportunity we have.

460
00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:32,160
Just because, because, because.

461
00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:37,240
Worshipping him just because, because, because of who he is and what he's already done.

462
00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,680
That brings a new sense of expectation, anticipation and attracts his presence.

463
00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,640
So let's honor the Lord today.

464
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,200
Let's attract his presence.

465
00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:49,240
Let's live for him, not because we have to do anything, but because of who he is and

466
00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:53,520
what he's done for us and we desire to show our honor and appreciation to him.

467
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:57,880
We hope you enjoyed this episode of A Word in Season with Doug Stringer and Friends and

468
00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:03,040
ask you to prayerfully consider supporting the ministry at somebodycares.org or by texting

469
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:09,080
your donation amount to 805-422-7348.

470
00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:15,520
Please join us again for A Word in Season with Doug Stringer and Friends.