Gospel—D. Nicolet
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As I am.
Without one way.
Thank you.
Open with me to read the 1St 12 Words of Acts chapter 27.
Verse one.
Acts, Chapter 27.
The 1St 12 words.
Of verse one.
I'm going to read it.
Slightly perhaps different in the J&D translation.
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But when it had been determined that we should sail to Italy.
Perhaps most of us in this room tonight are very well acquainted with this passage, which tells us about the voyage that the beloved apostle Paul took.
With those prisoners, those other prisoners.
Their destination was Rome. Their destination was Caesar's tribunal in Rome, there to be judged for their deeds.
We well know that the beloved apostle was innocent.
All that was going on.
In that sense, here was of God's ordering.
But what I want to do tonight is speak to the hearts of each one in this room, who can understand what I'm saying from the youngest.
To the oldest to tell you that you.
Two are on a voyage tonight.
And that voyage is going to end, in a sense, the same as this voyage ended.
With the prisoners standing before Caesar, however, the voyage that you're on tonight, the voyage of life, the journey that you're on.
Whether you've been on that journey ever so few years, or whether you've been on that journey for a long, long time, that you, my friend, will stand before a far more solemn tribunal, the holy righteous God of this universe.
If tonight.
You would enter eternity.
Loss a stranger to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As your personal savior.
And so here we have a story. It's not my intent to go over this story.
But just to consider a little background to set the stage for what I have on my heart, as it were.
We have a journey that.
People are going to take.
It says. And when it had been determined, they didn't determine that they were going to take that journey, it was determined for them.
You, we might say, had no choice about beginning your journey of life. But you're on that journey tonight. Whether you made it, Whether or not there was a conscious choice or decision, you certainly didn't make it. But you most surely are on a journey.
And the journey that you're on, every single soul in this room tonight.
I say there's going to be an end of that journey. The time will come.
Sooner or later, beloved children, you that are very young sitting here, if you can understand what I'm saying.
Each one of us, those of us who are older, we perhaps, as we go on, have a growing sense of it.
That the journey of life whereon has an end in this.
World.
And should the blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
Wait to come for his beloved bride that long.
Every soul in this room will come to a point.
Where their journey will end?
And then you will have a destination. You will have reached the destination in one of two places.
The tribunal that we spoke of pictured by Caesar's court.
Or in the presence of the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.
In glory forever, those two thieves on the cross one.
Ended in one place, the other in paradise.
And their life's journey came to an abrupt and violent end.
Forgive me if.
In here have heard this story.
Perhaps it will illustrate the solemnity.
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Of this journey, in a way, and the seriousness of the decisions that you will make which will affect.
The outcome of the journey that you are on tonight.
A brother recounted this to me.
I trust I have the details right.
During the Second World War, AUS naval vessel was sailing.
And it was a very, very stormy night.
Very difficult to see anything.
And as the vessel was sailing through the seas, being tossed in this fairly severe storm.
Off in the distance and on a direct collision course with this vessel, showing a very bright light.
The captain immediately asked the man in charge of communications.
To send a message warning that vessel with that light of the danger.
Of the course that it was on.
And so the message went out. This is a US naval vessel.
You are on a collision course. Change your course.
And for a while there was number answer.
And a little while longer went by and there was still no answer.
The light shone, perhaps a bit closer. No answer.
And so the captain asked that the message again be sent more urgently.
You're on a collision course with the United States naval vessel. Change your course.
The light still shone.
The storm blew no answer.
The captain himself came down to the communications room.
And he took the microphone or whatever device he used to send a message.
And he said this is the captain of the United States battleship.
You are on a collision course. Change your course.
There was continued silence and then a message came back.
And it said this is a United States.
Lighthouse.
You should change your course.
Tonight, dear friends, everyone of us is on a journey.
There are two destinations.
We read about one of those destinations.
Well, we read about a general warning in Acts chapter 17.
In verse 31.
He God hath appointed a day into which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man.
Whom he hath ordained, O beloved friends.
Tonight.
Is it going to be at the end of the journey you're on that you haven't heeded the warnings?
I'm looking into faces that I have no doubt have heard warnings time after time after time.
Warning you of danger of judgment, telling you of God's righteousness, his righteous holy claims, telling you of a blessed Savior of the Lord Jesus Christ, his beloved Son, who went to the cross, shed his precious blood, that you might be saved.
And you've heard that over and over again. What are you doing? What course are you on? You see the light up in front of you, as it were.
Are you going to stay on a collision course tonight? Is your life's journey going to continue on as it is stranger to the Lord Jesus?
You know, though, we aren't going to follow this story. Well, you could follow it out and see.
That there were warnings given to the one who was responsible.
For guiding this ship that these prisoners were on.
And they were warned not to go on that voyage, to stay at a place called fair havens. It was a place of safety.
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But it didn't look comfortable. It wasn't a place that says that was commodious to winter in.
It wasn't going to have all of the comforts that they desired. They knew that a little further down the shoreline.
There was a much more comfortable harbor, and though the beloved apostle Paul faithfully warned them against going any further.
They decided to continue on their journey to get to another location.
That was more comfortable.
Perhaps tonight being a Christian.
Being out and out for the Lord Jesus Christ, walking with him in fellowship, knowing him, confessing him as your Savior and as your Lord.
Is not a comfortable place for you in your heart of hearts.
To spend as it were, the winter and you're looking for something more comfortable? Well, I tell you, out beyond the walls of this building, there are many things that look more comfortable, more convenient, more acceptable than walking the Christian path then going on a journey as a Christian saved by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that world out there has tremendous.
Ports, as it were, that looked very, very nice, very, very comfortable, very, very inviting.
But there is a warning going out, and it may go out ever so feebly tonight.
But you hold in your lap a perfect book.
With perfect warnings so that even if the ones speaking tonight.
Does less than an adequate job in warning you. That book that you hold on your lap, the word of God.
Has been warning you ever since you picked it up for the first time and began to read its blessed pages.
Of the dangers of going on in this journey.
Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I said earlier that the journey of life can end.
Very violently.
Very abruptly.
It may be a long journey. It may be a short journey.
But before we turn now to look at some journeys in the word of God.
Let me say again, I beseech you, dear friends, sitting here tonight.
To consider.
You, you yourself are on a journey.
And that journey will come to an end.
And there's not one person in this room who.
Seriously, would dare to say I know.
When the journey of my life is going to end, you don't know that. Neither do I.
But you do know that it will end, and if it ends apart, having been taken?
Without the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal savior.
You will stand before a most incredible tribunal, as it were, a judge.
Who is going to judge an absolute perfection?
And there will be no hope.
Dear friends.
Tonight consider.
And in your mind, you beloved young people who have so much.
Naturally, speaking ahead of you, it seems like an almost endless Vista of life in front of you, and it seems perhaps so difficult to understand when people talk to you about the coming of the Lord Jesus.
He is coming. How do I know that? Because he said that.
The Lord Jesus is coming back and he said, behold, I come quickly.
Those are his words.
And yet you sit there with a life, as it were, considering stretching out in front of you. That seems almost endless.
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And they're such a great danger. There's so much in front of you. The world tells you. There's so much to do, to experience the taste, so many things to try, so much fun to have.
I tell you, there is a sign somewhere on that road.
Stretching out in front of your eyes, that says the end.
And you don't know if you're going to come in your journey to that sign tomorrow.
Or many years down the road.
I just trust tonight.
That as we turn now to consider a few journeys that we have mentioned in the word of God.
That the Spirit of God will work in your hearts, if there are any here.
Strangers to the Lord Jesus going on a journey.
With an end to stand before a holy, righteous God.
As judge these prisoners.
Was it 200 of them?
We don't know what happened, but we do know this.
Through a terrible storm, through incredible hardships, through an awful shipwreck, they still ended up evidently standing before Caesar to hear a judgment pronounced upon them for what they had done.
I'm so thankful tonight. My blessed savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, has taken my judgment.
That's over for me. I don't have to look forward to that. He bore my sins on Calvary's Cross Precious Blood shed to wash them away.
And I don't look forward to a tribunal. I don't look forward to a judge. I look forward to meeting face to face the most wonderful friend and Lord and savior.
Impossible to describe.
But many of you here know exactly what I'm talking about. A friend that's walked with you faithfully, step by step, every step of your journey.
And it will never leave you.
That's what I'm looking forward to and maybe maybe tonight.
Behold, I come quickly. When is that going to happen?
I believe he said that to encourage each of those who belong to him to look for his coming momentarily.
No, those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ His Savior aren't looking to stand before a judge to answer to anything. It's been answered at a cross 2000 years ago and answered fully to God's satisfaction. He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God.
God in Christ.
Are you looking forward to that? If you're not, I beg you tonight, dear friend, think seriously about the end of the journey that you're on. I want to turn to Luke. We will go through these just briefly. I don't put a particular significance on the number, but we're going to look at 7 instances of journeys in the chat in the gospel by Luke.
And as we look at these journeys.
I want it to be understood that I'm simply going to make some applications from them.
We're just going to look at the journeys and seek by the grace of God, with the help of the blessed Spirit of God, to.
Make some applications that might be used to bring blessing.
Two souls in this room tonight.
We'll look in Luke.
Chapter.
3.
A little account of the Blessed Lord Jesus as a 12 year old boy.
We'll start reading in verse 42.
And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast, when they had fulfilled the days as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem.
And Joseph and his mother knew not of it, but they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey.
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And they sought him among their kinfolk.
And acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking.
Him. Now I want to start with this and I want to speak to those.
That as one attends various prayer meetings for the Gospel.
Probably the group that is, I would say, most prayed for.
Children and young people sitting in this room tonight who have been brought up in a Christian home.
And I'm just going to make an application of this journey to you.
Here were those who thought the Lord Jesus was with them in their journey.
And they were mistaken.
They thought he was there.
And they thought he was there because their friends, their acquaintances, their neighbors, their family was there. And they assumed that if their family was there, Jesus would be there.
Perhaps that's a little like you tonight. You have Christian parents. You have Christian relatives. You may be in an assembly that's large enough that you have Christian friends and you're on your journey, assuming that you too are a Christian, that the Lord Jesus is with you in that journey because he's with the others.
How many times have we heard stories of those who said that at one time or another in their life?
They woke up at night, they came home unexpectedly, and those they loved and knew to be Christians knew to.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ were not to be found.
And the accounts of the fear and the dread that they felt in their hearts, thinking that the Lord had come, They were mistaken. They thought Jesus was with them.
But they missed him.
I don't want anyone tonight in this room.
To think because you've grown up in a Christian home, because you're sitting here with several hundred other Christians, because you go to the meetings and on and on and on, all of the things that in your mind you can put together to look at and say the Lord Jesus must be my Savior.
I don't want you to go for one day on that journey, assuming that the Lord is your savior, if you have never really before him. Ask him to be your Lord and savior before him, believed by faith God's record, that you are a Sinner.
That that forever shuts you out of the presence of a holy, righteous God.
That He sent his beloved Son into this world, and that blessed One went to a cross, and there shed his precious blood.
And that that blood, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. That you will believe by faith, that record for yourself tonight, not because your parents believe it, not because your family and kinfolk believe it, but because you personally believe it for yourself. They went one day, and they found the Lord Jesus wasn't with them. May God grant.
For each one in this room.
That tonight you by His Grace, might be able to say. I know.
I know.
On the authority of the precious word of God, that the Lord Jesus Christ is my personal Savior.
Let's turn over to Luke. And again, I just want to say, as we look at these various beautiful accounts, they're not the only journeys, they're not the only trips perhaps, that you'll find in Luke.
And I want to say again, I'm just simply applying these in this gospel meeting.
For we trust blessing.
But let's look at this in.
Luke Chapter 9.
Verse one then he Jesus called his 12 disciples together and they gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases.
And he sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Verse 3 is what I had on my heart.
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And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves nor script, neither bread, neither money, neither have two coats apiece.
That's a strange journey to take, isn't it?
To go on a journey.
And to take nothing.
Do not have any way to support yourself on that journey, to not have the means to be able to finish that journey.
But dear friends, that's exactly what God would like you to understand tonight. If you're here without Christ, nothing you can do in your life, nothing you can provide yourself in your life, can ensure that you can finish the journey. You won't be able to do it.
These who were sent out by the Lord Jesus were going to go out in a conscious sense that they had nothing, and if they were going to go, they were going to act on faith.
Faith, Faith alone. To go on a journey and to take no bread.
One of the first things my wife and I did shortly before.
We went to the airport to get on. The airplane was to go to the bank.
And to get some money.
We came down with I trust they won't mind if I tell a little story on them.
Dan and Esther, Tony and he brought us down from the Kirkland area and I noticed they did the same thing before we left town. They stopped at a bank to get some money. We were going on a journey.
And we needed some means to be able to get to the end of that journey.
And to complete that journey, But my friend, you and I have no way.
To provide what we need to get ourselves home, as it were, to heaven.
The Lord Jesus Christ has provided everything for our journey.
No money will buy that journey, no efforts will buy that will allow us to work our way through that journey.
And you don't need 2 garments, you just need one, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Clothed in that garment and that alone, by faith you will finish the journey home safe to heaven. But don't think that your money, your efforts, your character, anything about you, is going to enable you by your efforts to get home to heaven safe in the Father's house. That's something that has been provided to faith through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And faith alone can lay hold of that.
Turn it over to.
The 10th chapter of Luke.
Perhaps one of the very best known stories in this wonderful book.
The man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
This was mentioned in the Reading meeting this afternoon. We'll look at verse 33, but a certain Samaritan.
As he journeyed, came where he, the wounded man was.
And when he saw him, he had compassion on him. I'd like to read that in the new translation. It's beautiful.
But a certain Samaritan journeying came to him.
And seeing him was moved with compassion.
And came up.
To him? Isn't that precious if you come up to somebody?
You have to have gone lower than them.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich.
Yet for your sakes, he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might be rich.
I want to ask you.
Do you think you'll ever find anyone who so loved you?
Had such compassion and concern for your condition that has gone lower than the Blessed Lord Jesus who went down into death, even the death of the cross.
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There in Jonah the Prophet, he went down to the bottoms of the mountains, the weeds.
Were wrapped about his head.
Blessed Lord Jesus on the cross, that crown of thorns wrapped on his head. Why was it there?
Do you think you had anything to do?
With that crown that he wore.
It wasn't there because he deserved it.
Blessed Savior, compassion. He saw that man.
He saw you wounded and needy. You think you're going on a journey. You think you can make it alone in this life.
I want to be careful with the word of God. I expect this man didn't get halfway.
Between between Jerusalem and Jericho before he was lying wounded.
In a ditch.
Had beloved young people you know very well.
As you look around.
At those you work with, those you go to school with.
Those you read about, you know very well that it doesn't take long in this life to be terribly wounded and left half dead.
But I want to tell you, there's a despised outcast.
In the eyes of this world Samaritan, I say that reverently.
Who is on a journey?
And tonight I would like to make that very personal for you. He's on a journey for you personally.
And he's looking, and he sees you, and he has come down ever so low. No man could ever go lower than the Blessed Lord Jesus.
And he's done that in his love and his compassion for you that he might bring you.
To that place of rest, the end.
What are you going to do? What do you suppose that wounded man did?
After those others, the Levite, the priests, whoever they were, whatever their excuses.
Pass by. Do you suppose that he was conscious enough to be able?
In the dimness of his wounded vision, to see people walking by.
What do you think it meant to him when he saw a form come over to him and lean over?
And come down to where he was and minister to him.
Do you think? He shrugged his shoulders.
Acted unconcerned.
Acted as though it didn't matter. Acted as though tomorrow would be fine to be taken care of.
I don't believe it for a minute.
How are you acting tonight as this blessed?
Man, this Samaritan, as it were, leans over in compassion, having come up.
To where you are.
Out of the depths of that horrible cross.
That he might pour in oil and wine.
And bring you to a place of rest. What are you going to do with that tonight?
Are you going to say no to him?
Oh dear friend.
He's not going to make a second journey.
He's gone through this world. He's passing through now. And you know, I say carefully.
That journey will come to an end, too.
When the day of grace is over, this blessed Samaritan, the Son of God.
Is making no more journeys through this world.
For those who tonight are sitting here and may be rejecting.
His offer of care and love and grace.
Let's look at Luke Chapter 11.
And verse 5.
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go on to him at midnight, and shall say unto him, Friend, lend ME3 loaves.
For a friend of mine is in his journey, In his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. You know, when we began tonight, I spoke about those who have grown up in Christian homes.
Who may be thinking that the Lord is with them because he's with their family.
Now I want to speak and I don't know. As I lookout over the audience tonight, I have no way to know.
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If there are any here who are visiting.
If you are, we're so glad you're here.
And you've come, And if you come here tonight, not sure or without the Lord Jesus Christ.
As your personal savior, you are in desperate need of bread.
And I would like to be the friend that you have come to.
Asking for bread.
But I have a problem.
I can't give you that bread.
But I have a wonderful friend.
That has bread for you, the Lord Jesus Christ. What a precious friend.
And tonight, even now and before this meeting.
And I enjoyed that thought that was expressed here, that for weeks prayers being going up ascending to this friend, a friend who sticketh closer than a brother.
That tonight the need that you have in your journey, the need of bread.
Might be met, the Lord Jesus could say that he was the bread come down from heaven, that a man might eat of him and live.
And tonight I want to tell you, dear friend, if you've come into this hall.
You too are on a journey, but if you have come in a stranger to the blessed Lord Jesus Christ not able to say.
He's my friend. He's my Lord. He's my savior.
If you can't say that tonight.
Would you allow me to go to my friend, the best friend I've ever had or ever will have?
And beg him for bread to give to you.
On your journey.
Would you tonight, simply by faith, say, Lord Jesus, I want thee.
As my Lord and my Savior.
What a satisfying bread that would be.
You're on a journey. You have no bread if you have not the Lord Jesus Christ.
As your Savior, He is here tonight offering himself to you, and all you need to do is reach out and take by faith that bread for your journey.
Luke, Chapter 13.
This is Speaking of the Lord Jesus.
Verse 22 of Luke chapter 13 and he Jesus.
Went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward.
Jerusalem.
You know, the journey that we came on as we were kindly brought down here from Kirkland was a very pleasant journey.
We got to see what I, coming from the Midwest considered to be an absolutely incredible.
An awesome sight. The sun was shining in a clear sky as we went up through one of the passes. I'd forgotten the name of it now many of you probably know, but one of the passes over Mount Rainier.
And the view, the incredible grandeur and majesty of that trip was beyond my ability to describe.
It was a very pleasant journey.
Taken in the company of loved ones who saw to our care and made sure that we were comfortable. What a nice journey.
Do you think that's the journey that the Lord Jesus had as he went to Jerusalem?
I knew that when we got here, should the Lord leave us here, I would meet.
Those that I've never met before, I would be reacquainted with those that we have met in the past.
And we be with those who love and love the blessed Lord Jesus.
Those who I call my brothers and sisters, those who have shown love and care for me.
And so I could look forward to the end of a very, very pleasant journey.
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Do you think the Lord Jesus looked forward to a pleasant end in Jerusalem?
He, being wearied with his journey, sat on a well.
Did you ever think what it meant to the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ as he walked through this world?
A world that he had created in perfection.
And saw it spoiled by sin, the misery.
The unhappiness, the violence, the corruption.
He was wearied with his journey and he full well knew what awaited him.
At Jerusalem, it was not going to be a welcome of joy and love and open arms.
And happiness. It was going to be a welcome of spitting and shame.
Blessed Lord Jesus.
And he knew every stroke that was going to fall on his blessed back.
He knew the individual of everyone who struck him in the face.
And said prophesied out Christ.
He knew everything and he knew more than that. He knew what it meant.
That he was going to go to the cross and be forsaken of his God.
Perfect, Holy, spotless man.
That was the journey he took.
And he took that tonight, beloved friend.
So that the journey you're on might and enjoy and bliss and happiness in the Father's house.
Rather than a lost eternity in the lake of fire.
Prepared for the devil and his angels.
Let's look look at.
Luke, Chapter 15.
Again, a story very well known will just read one verse, verse 13.
And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took.
His journey into a far country.
And there wasted his substance with riotous living.
There is the absolute opposite.
Of the blessed Lord Jesus who took his journey to Jerusalem, he took that journey.
In absolute selflessness.
Set aside all that he might claim as a perfect man.
And accomplish the father's will.
Here is what you and I by nature are taking everything. By nature I say everything that we can get to waste it on ourselves.
I look around this room tonight and I see a group of young people. It's a tremendous joy and encouragement.
You look.
Wonderful.
This young man looked wonderful as he began this journey.
And he began it with a very, very fat pocket book.
He began it with every advantage that money and position.
Could give him.
He looked to the eye. Great.
How do you think? He looked a short time later in the pig pen.
So hungry that he would have taken one of those filthy husks that the pigs were eating.
He a Jew.
Swine the unclean Anne, one of the unclean animals to the Jew. And yet he would have filled his belly with the food that that unclean animal ate. You think he looked good then? All beloved young people, be careful.
Be careful what you're hearing the world tell you tonight. Be careful of the bill of goods that the world is trying to sell you, to tell you to go out and live it up. There's a saying.
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In an ad from a very well known athletic shoe company, it goes something like this. Life is short. Play hard.
Well, half of that ad is very true.
Life is short. The journey is short.
The other half is an absolute lie.
Of the enemy of your soul, it should have said, Pray hard.
Life is short. Pray hard.
This young man found how short that journey could be.
By the grace of God, he was brought back. Do you want to end up down in a pig pen before you finally come to your senses and turn around and come back? Wouldn't it be easier tonight to simply in your heart say blessed Lord Jesus?
I don't want what is mine, I want to have what is mine.
That thou art offering me eternal life.
And save yourself that trip down to the pig pen.
In closing.
I'm going to.
Change the character a bit.
Of the Gospel Meeting.
And we're going to look at one more instance.
Of people on a journey.
Trust that this is.
Of the Lord turn to Luke 24.
And verse 13.
And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem, About 3 score furlongs, and they talked together of all these things which had happened. Well, here's the 7th journey, though it doesn't use that word that I'd like to close with tonight.
These were believers.
I rather suspect I'm speaking to a large majority tonight of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
But I would like to speak to the hearts of the young believers, if I may be allowed for a moment.
And perhaps all of us too, a time came when there was a great discouragement that came in to these two believers lives.
They had believed in the Messiah they had.
Believed that he was the one sent that was going to restore Israel to its place of greatness and glory.
Were they wrong in believing that? No, he's going to do that.
But it didn't happen in the way that they thought, and it didn't happen when they thought it ought to happen.
And Jerusalem instead of through their eyes by faith being God's center and remaining there in spite of what?
Outwardly had taken place.
They get discouraged and they go on a journey to Emmaus. I want to be careful about attaching meanings to words. Those who are far more capable of that kind of study may.
Have a different meaning, but at least in some sources that I looked, Emmaus means something like.
Warm Springs or Hot Springs?
It probably looked it was their home and it probably looked like a good alternative to staying in Jerusalem, where everything was cold.
And bleak because that one they had trusted in.
Had been crucified.
All of their hopes and dreams had come to a smashing end.
And now they decided to go on a journey to get where their discouragement could be eased a bit in the Warm Springs.
Have you ever been discouraged? I have.
And sometimes we look around and we look for a place that seems like it's going to be more comfortable, more pleasant, because whether it's the assembly or our home or our particular job, whatever it is, it didn't work out. It wasn't what we thought it was going to be.
00:55:15
And we get discouraged. The Lord didn't seem to act the way we had trusted.
That he was going to act in our behalf.
Beloved young people, you have, I know, hopes and dreams if the Lord leaves us here.
And perhaps they don't come true in just the way that you desire that they would.
You trust in the Lord. You know the Lord is with you. He loves you. He wants to bless you.
But your prayers and your earnest desires aren't being answered in the way that you wanted them to be answered.
Don't go to the Hot Springs.
But these did, and we all do. Sometimes in our lives we get discouraged and we go down to Emmaus, as it were. But this is so precious.
Jesus himself.
Jesus himself, did he know about their discouragement?
Did he know about their journey? Yes, he did. Does he know about that discouragement in your heart and in life, your life?
Just remember, dear friend, beloved young person, Jesus himself.
Knows about you and he's interested in you and he loves you.
And it's not only that Jesus himself knows and is interested in you and loves you.
But it says drew near and went with them.
Isn't that precious?
In the times when we're discouraged on our journeys.
To be able to look by faith and say blessed Lord Jesus.
Thou art with me now. The Lord Jesus, I say reverently, wasn't satisfied that they would stay there. But he went with them in grace and love and warmed their hearts, revealed himself to them. And then he was gone, and they had to go back to the place they left to find him again. And they did.
All dear friends.
What a Savior, what a Lord we have who even in our discouragement in such grace, condescending love and grace.
Would walk with us.
By US Jesus himself.
Talk to us, stir our hearts and warm our hearts. Did not our hearts burn within us?
While he walked with us and talked with us by the way, and then reveal himself.
To them that they might go back to the place where he wanted them to be.
Well, dear friends, there's the journeys. Where's your journey going to end tonight? It may end tonight.
I will say one more time.
The journey you're on.
The journey. Every single individual in this room is on the journey of life.
Will without exception come.
To an end.
Where will your end be standing as it were before Caesar, to answer for your sins?
Or there in the Father.