The Journey of Life - Part 2

Welcome to this edition of Power Point with Jack Graham. A little later in the program we'll tell you how you can get a copy of Dr. Graham's Evangelism Bundle. But first, here's the message, The Journey of Life Part 2. Now we have a story in Luke chapter 24 that begins with two disappointed and disillusioned disciples. And so these two men, one by the name of Cleopas and the other unnamed, are on their way to a little town, a little village called Emmaus.

They did this no doubt to just get away and think, perhaps to talk along the road, to remove themselves as far as possible from the sorrow and the sadness, the events of the last few days. But then something very wonderful happened beginning at verse 13 of Luke's Gospel chapter 24. That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, what is this conversation that you're holding with each other as you walk?

And they stood still looking sad. And then one of them named Cleopas answered and said, are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know these things that have happened in these days? And he said, what things? And they said to him, concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. Now note these words in verse 21, but we had hoped, past tense, we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.

Yes, and besides all this is now the third day since all of these things have happened. These men are now lost and confused on life's journey. They're afraid because their dreams have been destroyed.

What they had expected turned out to be unknown. Maybe you're struggling in life today. Maybe you've decided that life isn't worth living just a chunk at all. Others on the other extreme decide that since life seemingly has no purpose and all hope is gone that they'll just live for pleasure or live for profit and success. Or maybe your life hasn't turned out as you expected in that you're facing illness or sickness or relationships that are broken or you're dealing with guilt or fear or financial loss.

I don't know. But you find yourself disappointed. You find yourself in life's journey struggling. But their disappointment and yours can turn into an appointment, a divine appointment and that is exactly what is happening here. The divine stranger took them down a path that restored their passion and he resurrected their hopes.

And on this seven mile journey we also just these steps with these men we can also discover how our hopes can be renewed, how our faith can be rekindled. And though we are disappointed at times and doubting at times and empty at times we can learn how to live life on life's journeys when we begin to focus on God's promises again. That's what happened in verses 25 through 27. Look at the verses there. And he said to them, O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets that have spoken.

Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory? And watch this, verse 27. And beginning with Moses and all the prophets he interpreted them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

What a walk this turned out to be because Jesus now takes these men down Route 66. The 66 books of the Bible starting in the Old Testament and he points out in all the Scriptures there the things concerning himself. And what an experience these men had as Jesus took the Scriptures. Maybe he started in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 when God promised the Savior and that the Son of God would bruise the head of the serpent. No doubt he took them over to Genesis chapter 22 when Abraham took his son, his only son Isaac as commanded by God and was willing to sacrifice him there. And the Lamb was caught in the thicket and became a substitute for the Son. And it was a reminder, it was a refresher course that God had promised the Messiah and the sacrifice was so very vital. Maybe he took these men over to Exodus chapter 12 and spoke of the Passover and the Israelites who put the blood on the doorpost of the house and the judgment of God's hand was stayed upon those who believe. And when he saw the blood he passed over and Jesus spoke to them of his Passover. Maybe he took them over to Psalm chapter 22 verse 1 when the Son of God cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And he pointed out to these men when he spoke on the cross it was in fulfillment of that very passage. No question he would have taken them to Isaiah chapter 53 when the prince of the prophets Isaiah said he was wounded for our transgressions.

He was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him. All we like sheep had gone astray but the Lord laid upon him all our iniquities. Jesus pointed all these things out and so much more.

It was a walk in the Word. If you don't find Christ in every passage of Scripture you read either in type or in prophecy or in prediction then you're missing the point of the Bible because all of the Bible is about Jesus. And so in these moments Jesus is teaching them and teaching us who He is. The problem these men had, the problem that many of us have is we have forgotten who Christ is, His identity. And we lose hope when we fail to remember who Jesus is. They forgot that Jesus promised the resurrection so they're walking away in the wrong direction. And I can tell you that every step away from Christ is a step in the wrong direction. So if you're disappointed in life even in Jesus Himself now is the time to renew your faith, to draw near to the One who is drawing near to you.

You can live knowing the reality of the risen Christ, listening to Him, walking with Him, talking with Him. We read here that Jesus drew near to them but they didn't recognize Him and that happens to many today. They don't recognize Christ for who He is. They're living on the wrong side of the resurrection. These men knew Jesus as a prophet. They knew that He had done many wonderful and mighty works. They believed that somehow He was supernatural, that He had been crucified, but they were living on the wrong side of the resurrection.

They did not know Him in the power and the presence of His living love. So Jesus drew near as He draws near to us when we're paying attention. Can I remind you today that He is nearer, much nearer this risen Christ than you think? Sometimes when we walk through life's journey we feel alone, that God is far away. And we especially feel this in times of tears and times of trials and tests. We wonder where is God when our expectations are not met, when we prayed and our prayers were not answered, when we had hoped against all hopes that things would change and they didn't change. We wonder where are you God? Where is this promise of your presence?

Can I remind you that Jesus, the risen Savior, is a friend that sticks closer than a brother? What do you suppose is the most common repeated promise in all of the Bible? The most repeated promise of all is the promise, I am with you. I will never leave you or forsake you.

I am always present. And the risen Christ is always available if we will seek Him, invite Him, and discover His living presence. That is why it is so very important that we take a walk in the Word with Christ each day.

The Bible is never a boring book to the believer because we meet Him in unexpected turns and places in our lives when we open the Word of God. So when we walk in the Word we are walking in the steps of our Lord and His presence fills our lives. Thanks for listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, The Journey of Life Part 2. You have a God-given calling to take the gospel to the world. That's why we've put together a special bundle of resources to help you grow in your love of the gospel and share it with others. This evangelism bundle includes three of Pastor Jack Graham's books, The Hope of Easter, Life Book, and God's Promises for Doubt-Filled Days. This evangelism bundle is our thanks for your gift today. And thanks to a generous matching grant, your gift today will be doubled. This is the last week to have your gift doubled, so call today. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627.

You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit JackGraham.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online, or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website again is JackGraham.org. Now let's get back to today's message, The Journey of Life Part 2. Well, it didn't take long for these men to realize something supernatural was happening because by now their hearts are burning and their faith is being restored. And as they're walking with Christ they reach their destination and Jesus tells them that He's going to go on. Look down at verse 28. So they drew near to the village in which they were going and He acted as if He was going farther. But then, verse 29, they urged Him strongly saying, Stay with us for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.

So He went in to stay with them and when He was at the table with them He took the bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to them. What's going on here? Their hearts are burning, pounding in the presence of this incredible personality. They don't yet know exactly who He is. Their mind is in a fog.

It's a mental fog, a mental fatigue. But when Jesus suggests that He's going away they said, No, please, please stay with us. Did you know that Jesus always waits for our welcome? He only comes where He is invited and He's still waiting on your invitation to say, Lord, stay with me. Revelation 3.20 says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in and sup with him and him with me. So He joins them for a meal. It's supper time. He joins them for just a common, ordinary thing.

Something that people do two or three, four times a day, sometimes more. Eating a meal. And they're enjoying friendship together. And then the guest turns in to the host and he takes bread and he blesses it with a prayer. And then he breaks it and he begins to serve them. And immediately they recognized him. What was it that opened their eyes, that opened their hearts to him?

Was it something that he said? Was it in the way that he broke the bread? When he broke open the bread and gave them to eat they saw the nail prints in his hands. You see the only man-made thing in the resurrection body of Christ in heaven itself will be the nail prints in his hands. Well we don't know. But what we do know that now it is obvious to them and their doubt is turned to faith.

They see Jesus. He's alive. He's alive. And at that moment He disappeared. He vanished. Now some liberal scholars, I don't think they're too much of a scholar, but many liberals would say, well you know it really doesn't matter whether Jesus came alive in His body.

And it certainly doesn't matter if He could move from place to place. These stories are ambiguous they say. Perhaps they're metaphors and perhaps this whole story of Jesus vanishing before their very eyes.

Maybe they just imagine the whole thing. Let me remind you that if you believe in a risen Savior, if you believe in a supernatural Savior, that Jesus is who He claimed to be, then you have no problem at all in believing that Jesus in His resurrected body could be anywhere He wanted to be anytime, any day. And at that moment He disappeared. But the fire of His presence remained.

He was invisible now to them, but His presence was even more real. Now they get it. From death comes resurrection. After Good Friday comes Easter morning. After the suffering comes the glory. After the cross comes the crown. After the pain there is the gain. Now they know that Jesus has defeated death and hell and they realize personally that He is with them forever.

And listen up, so can we. That's what this is all about, this Christian life, this journey of life. It is knowing that He is at our side, that His presence, His passion burns in our hearts. They said, did not our hearts burn within us when we walk with Him? That's what it means.

Walking down the street, riding in the car, working in the office. It means that He is alive. Because now Jesus is not limited by time or space, but His presence living is in us always. And we see Him in everything and we see Him everywhere.

Don't miss His presence. Don't miss this miracle that you can see Christ in every place and in every person, in every sunrise, in every sunset, in every dark hour, in every sunlit day. That the presence of Christ is real and the living Spirit of God is in us by Christ.

And oh, what confidence this gives us. And certainty and conviction and, yes, compassion. The Bible tells us here that these two men ran back into Jerusalem and they began to tell their friends this good news that Jesus is alive. If your heart has been touched by the fire of Christ so will you live in certainty and conviction. And no matter what twist and turns in life's journey you may find you will discover there is power, the power of the resurrection and the promise of a new life. Back during the days of the American Revolution thinking about it, reflecting upon it, one of those young revolutionaries of early America said, as young men our hearts were touched with fire. That brought about revolution in the world, in America. But a greater revolution took place when some young men and women years ago when Christ came out of that grave said that our hearts had been touched with fire.

Now we never walk alone. He has conquered death and gives us life. And when our dreams are laying in the dust and when our hopes are shattered He helps us to pick up the pieces and go on and go forward and never give up. The promise is someday we're going to be like Jesus. We will awaken in His likeness. I mean look at the person next to you. That person next to you one day is going to look like Jesus.

I know it's a stretch right now. But we're being made in His image. And the risen Christ will return and then the journey will last forever. So if your heart is cold or maybe just casual, lukewarm, I'm here to say that the living Christ is right here right now. And if you will recognize Him and receive Him and welcome Him, He will come into your heart and change your life.

He can change things and change things forever. Maybe we look around at our world and we think where's the promise of His coming? Where are all these promises of His kingdom? That's what these doubting disciples were thinking. We thought, we thought, we hoped, we hoped.

It's not happening. Sometimes we think the same thing. But over and over again in the Scriptures we're told to watch and to pray, to keep on believing, to look for His appearing, to be ready and live a godly life. Some of you are thinking, well I've got to figure all of this out. There are so many things about this Christianity that I don't understand.

Well of course there are. Any god that is small enough to fit in your brain is not big enough to meet your needs. If you wait until you get all of this figured out before you believe you're going to miss the journey of life. Welcome Christ into your life today. In 1932 a California pastor by the name of Alfred Ackley was standing on Easter morning shaving in his mirror getting ready to go preach services at his church. And as he was standing there shaving there was a minister on the radio and as he was listening, Pastor Ackley was listening, this minister said, well good morning, it's Easter. He went on to say that it didn't matter whether or not Christ really came out of the grave or not, whether His body was still in the grave or not. What mattered was the metaphor.

What mattered was the inspiration this minister went on to say. And the entire message created doubt and suspicion regarding the resurrection. It upset Pastor Ackley so much that he shouted, shouted so loud that his wife could hear him down the hall. He said, that is a lie. But he was so fired up he went to his church and he preached furiously and passionately as never before in the resurrection of Christ.

Came back on Sunday night and did it again. But he was still so agitated, still so upset about what he had heard that his wife thought, I need to help him out a little bit. And she suggested that he write a song that would express his faith.

So that evening, that Easter evening, Alfred Ackley sat down and he wrote the words and composed the tune to this song, I Serve a Risen Savior. He's in the world today. I know that he is living no matter what men may say.

I see his hand of mercy. I hear his voice of cheer and just the time I need him, he's always near. He lives. He lives. Christ Jesus lives today and he walks with me and he talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives. He lives. Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know he lives.

He lives in my heart. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message, The Journey of Life Part 2. 3.2 billion people in our world still have no access to the good news of Jesus. And we must do whatever it takes to reach the lost with the hope of Christ. That's why we're excited to tell you about a matching grant that will double whatever you give today to help reach more people through PowerPoint. Your support will help broadcast the gospel into some of the most spiritually dark corners of the earth. We'll say thanks for your gift by sending you three of Pastor Graham's books to help you share the gospel right where you are.

This evangelism bundle includes The Hope of Easter, Life Book, and God's Promises for Doubt-Filled Days. This is the last week to have your gift doubled, so call today. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. That's PowerPoint to 59789. And don't forget to visit JackGraham.org where you can shop our e-store, give a gift online, or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional.

Our website again is JackGraham.org. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? We live in a world that is filled with instant access to every kind of communication device known to man. We have email and text messaging, and we're connected to people 24-7. Yet the fact remains that many people struggle with feelings of alienation and loneliness. You know, whenever I face times of sadness or disappointment or discouragement, it's always so comforting to know that a family member or a friend is there.

They may be present, they may be a phone call away, an email away, or just a car ride away, but your friends are so very important to you and your family when you struggle. And I believe this is the reason why God assures us so many times in the Scriptures that when we need Him the most, count on the fact that He is there. In fact, the most often mentioned promise in the Bible is this, I am with you, I am with you, I am with you.

We read that over and over again in the Bible. So when you follow Jesus, trusting Him as your Savior and Lord, an incredible thing happens. The Spirit of Christ begins to live within you. He doesn't leave you alone. His very presence is in you.

And because of this, you can count on the fact that you are never, ever alone. He said, I am with you even to the end of the age. So you can be driving, working, eating, recreating, or doing pretty much anything, and He will always be there for you. In your darkest moments, you can trust Him, you can run to Him for comfort. And in the greatest of days, the most joyous of moments, you can praise Him, for He is with you. I want to encourage you today that as a follower of Jesus, you are never, ever alone.

Take full advantage of that. Think about that today, that you have a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and he wants to hear from you today. He wants to hear your thoughts, your concerns, your fears, your anxieties, your prayers, your insecurities, your deepest secrets.

He wants to know you and walk with you, and He will guide you every step of the way. And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift to PowerPoint, your gift will be doubled by a matching grant. Call 1-800-795-4627. That's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789. Join us again next time when Dr. Graham brings a message about what God's Word says on becoming the kind of influencer He honors. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.