Well, it's a blessing to be at Westside Baptist Church. It's been some time since we've been here, and so it's a real blessing to be here. It's good to see you all. I don't know some of you, and maybe I'll get to know you a little bit this morning. Pastor Craig sent me a text. I got out of prison this morning, and so did my wife. and uh... i wasn't texting and driving she was checking my text for me as we were in route and uh... but anyway pastor craig is he texts us from the airport there at christ church and uh... Zero Dark Thirty is getting ready to get on his plane. He says, Brother Owen Street, I'm praying for you this morning. Tell my church I love them. And so I sure love Pastor Craig. He's a dear, dear friend of mine. I love the Houston family. Love them dearly and been great friends and supporters for many, many years and we just appreciate them. I think often of you, I can't tell you all the reasons why, but there are secrets. They'll come later, maybe. but uh... well i don't know some of y'all maybe i don't know how many y'all know this but i had bought an old car from pastor craig sometime ago and so i've thought of craig everyday as i drove that car until the lord took it from me in an accident but uh... anyway uh... so i just i just think of you all in this church so very often many of your volunteers help miss yvonne in the women's facilities uh... where i've preached many times and so uh... Anyway, but your pastor told me to tell you that I will be back within the next couple months to fully report on the ministry. I'm not here to do that this morning. So if I don't tell you much about the ministry, you can talk to me later. But it is a blessing to be here. I want to say, wow, what a great blessing just to hear the music this morning. I thought I was in heaven seeing the harp. I mean, just the orchestra, it was just amazing. My wife and I, we're talking on the way here that every time we're here, you just feel the presence of the Lord and just such a spirit of worship. And I pray this morning as we go to the word that your hearts are prepared. In fact, let's take a few minutes as we get ready to start this morning. Normally I read the passage and then open in prayer. I just feel inclined to open with prayer right away this morning. And as we do that, I just want you to take a couple moments Ask the Lord to take those things that are heavy on your heart and mind and put those things aside and make a conscious choice right now to focus on God's Word. Would you do that with me as we go to the throne of grace this morning? Father, I pray as we gather together this morning that you'd meet with us. Lord, you know how desperately I need you. Lord, each one in here, Lord, I know is no different. We need you every day. Father, we ask that you'd meet with us in just a great way. I pray that you'd touch the heart of each and every one that's here. Lord, if there is one that's maybe not a true believer, that Lord, you would touch their heart even now, help them realize their need for you. Lord, for the believers, for those who are strong, and Lord, I just pray that they would be praying in prayer, that they'd be seeking your will and direction in life. Lord, for those who may be struggling, I pray that you'd lift them up, encourage them. Lord, we do need you every day. As we come to you this morning, we just ask you to meet with us, to stir our hearts. Lord, help me to focus on the message that you've given to me. I pray that, Lord, it would be delivered with your divine grace and purpose and intent with each and every heart that's here. Lord, I pray that you'd just touch our hearts and work in a great way. Be with Pastor Craig as he's so far away, Lord, half a world away. I just pray that you would give him journey mercies as he travels and bring him back home. We thank you for all that you are. Thank you for the work that you've allowed us to be a part of. We thank you for all these things in Jesus name. Amen. Before we get into the word, I do want to say I do have prayer cards this morning. It has been, I looked at my notes. I don't know how accurate they are, but from what I could see the last time I was here is about six years ago, which is absolutely pathetic considering I'm just over at joint base Lewis McCord. So, um, that's really, really sad. So, uh, I'm embarrassed. But anyway, we do have new prayer cards. It's been a busy, busy year for us. So it's actually a very recent picture. So if you need one or you have no idea who I am this morning, please come and get one of these prayer cards. As Brother John said, you've supported us for some time. Please come get a prayer card. I do not want to go to prison without you praying for me. And I certainly don't want my wife going in prison without your prayers either, so make sure you come and get a prayer card from us. It has been a very, very busy year, and as I said, I'll give you a full update here within the next couple months. But we had 15 years with the Rock of Ages this year. I can't believe it. 25 years of marriage this year. My wife put up with me for that long. And then my oldest daughter got engaged this year. So just been a very, very busy year, but we're excited. God's still saving the souls of young military men and women over at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and all the other military facilities that we travel to. And thank you so very much for your faithful support and your prayers. We could not do it without churches just like you. With that being said, let's take our Bibles this morning. If you'd stand with me, Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24, very, very common passage of scripture. And yes, I know this is not Easter, but every day is Resurrection Sunday, amen? So once you've found your place, those who are physically able to, please join me and stand as we read the word of God. I won't make you stand for the whole chapter. We're just gonna read a few of the verses and then we'll go from there this morning. Luke chapter 24. Say amen if you're there. Alright, I heard a few amens. Luke 24, verse number one, it says, now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. I know how your pastor preaches, and I know he preaches context, and that's absolutely the only way to preach. So if you want context for who's they, well, if you look in verse 10, a little foreshadowing here, it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James, and other women that were with them. That's who we're talking about this morning as they go to the tomb. They came out of the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them. And verse two says, and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, aren't you glad? I don't know about you, I'm just glad this morning as I was sitting there praying, I'm just glad that they didn't find him in there, amen? They found not the body of the Lord Jesus, and it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout. Behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Once again, I'm gonna pause. I just said how excited we were that he's not there, but yet I want you to notice some very faithful Christians, very faithful, devout ladies said they were much perplexed. You say, well, Brother Lance, we know things that they don't. Yes, now, because God has given us vision. But at the time, they did not know. Verse number five says, and furthermore, in addition to being perplexed, it says, as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, why seek ye the living among the dead? I could preach a whole message on that phrase alone. He is not here, but is risen. Remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again? And they remembered His words, and returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. I'll let you be seated. Thank you for standing. We are going to read most of the chapter this morning. A couple verses come to mind as I was kinda getting my thoughts together. You ever look for something that was right in front of you? I mean, maybe that never happens to you, but it happens to me. In fact, I just took my glasses off, brand new, and these aren't my, well, I don't call them trifocals, because I'm not that old yet, but they are. They're progressive, you know, trying to get, I'm going progressive. I have progressive lenses now. But anyway, glasses are pretty new to me. I've only had them for a few years now. But anyway, one day, I couldn't find my glasses anywhere. I knew I had them in my head. I said, I just had them, and I was looking everywhere, all around the office. Some of y'all have already been there. Y'all know the answer to what happened here. But I was looking all over, where are my glasses? And then I realized they were on my face. Maybe that's never happened to you, but I'm a little dense. I am getting a little older, so I forget things. You know, sometimes we look for things that are right in front of us, but sometimes we don't see things that are right in front of us. We have not had our eyes opened to the truth. Although we are seeing, we don't really see. And two verses came to my mind, one of them you all know, Proverbs 29, 18. The Bible very clearly says, where there is no vision, the people perish. If we can't see what God's doing, then what about the world out there who don't know God? I mean, we are just as the, these ladies, these, I almost said females, you can tell I work in prison. These ladies come to the, come to the, see, now I said prison. Come to the tomb. And there's, the Lord's not there. Y'all didn't know I was a comedian, did ya? They couldn't see. They saw that he wasn't there, but they were afraid, and they were perplexed, and they were distraught. And maybe there's been days, I know there's certainly been days in my life, especially when I have boys chasing my daughters, and one gets engaged, and I've been afraid and perplexed, because I don't know, even though the Lord's told me, hey, do you trust me, and do you, you know, I've got these things under control, and I trust God. but I don't see it. And what I wanna see isn't there. And so, here's what the ladies, they knew who Christ, these are disciples, these are people who knew that Christ was the Messiah, and they knew, but they did not see. Sometimes we just don't see. Our eyes haven't been opened, and we look for things that are right in front of us. Another verse that came to my mind was Psalm 119, verse number eight, it says, open thou my eyes, that I might behold wondrous things, out of thy law." You know, we know the Bible. I know the Scripture is preached here in this church, and I know that you all, Lord willing, are Bible students, and you know what the Word says, but how many times have you gone about things in life, and you know the Lord's there, you say you trust God. I really question that statement sometimes. We all know that's the right answer. Well, yes, I trust the Lord, but do you? Would we have any stress? Would we have any anxiety? Would we be perplexed if we really trusted God? I challenge you with that thought because I come to the humble reality that I do not trust God like I'm supposed to. Brother Lance, you're one of our missionaries. We need to fire you. You know, I don't trust God like I'm supposed to. I know I'm supposed to. I know that's the right answer. But oftentimes when I find myself stressed, when I find myself full of anxiety or anger or frustration, I'm not trusting God. I'm not seeing the way God wants me to see. If I could title this anything this morning, I would entitle it this. Have your eyes been opened? These disciples, these ladies, did not even understand. They didn't see. And as they were reminded by the angels of the words of Christ himself, they remembered, but even there they didn't understand. And it doesn't stop there. In fact, have you ever felt spiritual before? I feel spiritual every once in a while. I'll feel spiritual and then the Lord will humble me. And sometimes it's with verses like this. In verse number 10, again, we kind of skip forward to this, but the ladies, they run to the disciples, the apostles. Now these are supposed to be spiritual men. I mean, oftentimes, especially us as a New Testament church, we'll look and we'll look at those men and say, wow, can you imagine being right there with the apostles? I'm not trying to detract from that. I'm not trying to say that they were not important or that they're not key or that they weren't spiritual. But I'm telling you this, there are men like you and I. And so the ladies are excited because they hear this good news from these angels, even though their eyes deceived them and they were still, they had fear and they were perplexed, but they believed and they were reminded of God's word. What a blessing, aren't you glad when you are frustrated and perplexed and afraid that you can go to God's word and God gives you some reassurance? Hey, I have said. So that's what's happened here. And so they, they run to the apostles, the, the most spiritual people they can think of. And this is what it says in verse number 10, it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary, the mother of James and the other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. I know, you know, this verse. But I still, I have an asterisk next to it, and I just, I think about the words all the time. It says this, and their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. I don't know about you, but there's been times even in the ministry that I've been excited about something God's doing, or maybe I saw a young sailor, or a young marine, or a young soldier get saved, and I was excited, and I remember sharing that with somebody, or talking about all that God has done, and maybe I come and share that with somebody, or a church member, or a pastor, or a deacon, or someone. And the response is not always with excitement. In fact, I remember one time I had a pastor tell me, he's like, well, how many of those people do you really think get saved? I said, oh, probably about the same percentage of the people in your church that get saved. People are people. We forget that. Sometimes we look at different demographics and we look at different situations and we think differently, but people are people. And so I don't know. All I know is this, I'm preaching the word and the Holy Spirit convicts and they draw and they respond and I get to lead someone to the foot of the cross. What they do with Jesus, I do not know. But I know this, that God can save. And God can change lives. But have you ever gotten a response like this? Again, here's the ladies, they're excited, they were afraid, they were perplexed, and they run to the apostles and they're like, hey, he's not there, he has arisen, remember what he said? And the disciples, the apostles look at him like, whatever. Come on now, I don't think I'm exaggerating that. Did you read what the scripture said? Have you ever? experience that from another believer? Maybe you are thrilled about. By the way, those that are seasoned Christians, if I even dare use that term, when a new believer comes to you and is excited, when a new believer is excited about their salvation or the fact that they're learning something in Scripture, be so careful that you don't extinguish that flame because oftentimes we'll have someone that's excited and they saw Christ do something. It could be that they've had more faith than you It could be that they've heard from God when you haven't. Here the apostles look at them and the Bible says it fell on their ears as idle tales and they believed them not. These are supposed to be the ones that are plugged in. You say, well, Brother Lance, I'm glad you're up there, not me, because I'm not plugged in this morning. Well, I pray I'm plugged in, that's my desire. Every time I stand behind, I told my wife on the way over here, I said, I've been preaching for a long time, and I still get nervous when I stand behind the sacred desk in an auditorium in a church, and I have to present God's word. I don't wanna ever have that, because I want to be dependent upon God, because it is overwhelming, and it's a great burden to know that it's not what I have to say, but it's what God has to say. But the apostles didn't believe them. Bible says in verse number 12, then arose Peter and ran unto the sepulcher and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves and departed. Look, Peter even said, you say, well, brother Lance, if I could see, you know, and maybe obviously you weren't there, but maybe in your life right now, you've got a situation that's kind of like that and you feel like something It's just dead, you know, all hope is dead, and there's nothing, there's no hope there, and you run there, and you don't see anything, and maybe even Peter, who believes, obviously believes, and he knew the words of Christ, and even when he saw, it doesn't say when he saw, he believed too. It said when he saw, what does it say? Wondering in himself that which was come to pass. Have you ever got a glimpse and God chose you something and then you still wonder, yeah, but is this for real? Come on now, maybe someone that you prayed for for a long time, they finally trust Christ and they make a profession of faith and you're, you know, I can see some people scratch their head, hmm. I wanted these guys for real. I've had that happen before. I was talking to another pastor and his wife and we were talking about some, they were talking about some of their church members and how this one family they'd been praying for for some time and they made a profession of faith and this is what they, I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just trying to make it very, very plain that we have not progressed since the apostles. We're not more spiritual than them, okay? Well, I don't really know if they meant it. Why do we need to worry about that? Disciple them. Teach them. If they're not really saved and they didn't truly trust Christ as their savior, I believe he'll make it clear. Why don't we just love them and show the mercy and the grace of God and trust the Lord and be excited and let them see zeal and excitement in the church. Who wants to go to a dead church? I haven't been here in a long time, but I don't believe this church is dead. Not after the music worship service that we had just a moment ago. I believe that the Lord's here and I believe that you should be and ought to be excited and most of you probably are this morning. But how often does maybe our lack of response just quench the fervor and the desire to serve God and the excitement of maybe a younger believer or someone that maybe has not been here as long as you. Have your eyes been opened? Do we even see that this morning? It's right in front of us, but how often do we see the things that we're talking about? The Bible says in verse number 13, and behold, two of them that went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs, about, I know Bible scholars like to argue about these things, but about seven and a half ish miles. So two of these disciples, two of these people, who knows, and we know from later on in the passage in verse 18, it's Cleopas, and some speculate maybe it was Cleopas and his wife. They don't really know, they like to argue about those things. But here's two disciples, and they just left this same meeting where the apostles are talking about this, and shot down these ladies who saw that the tomb was empty. So here they are, and they're on the road to Emmaus, and I know most of you all know this story. And they talked together of all the things which had happened, Judas's trial, and the beatings of Christ, and ultimately the crucifixion, and watching Jesus in his torn body be removed from the cross. I don't know about you, but I mean, what a somber thing, even if you knew and you had all faith that what God was gonna do, can you imagine what it would have been like to be there? They're walking on the road to Emmaus, talking to these things, and it came to pass in verse 15 that while they communed together, and reason, Jesus himself drew near and went with them, but their eyes were holden that they should not know him. I wonder how many times we're on a kind of our own dirt road in life and maybe we're just going through bad things or maybe, you know, all the things and all the things we hope for and prayed for just didn't seem to work out. You know, and maybe we're going back to scripture and say, well, I know that all things are supposed to work together for good to those that love God, to those that are called according to his purpose. But you know, church just doesn't seem like that to me. And we're kind of going down the road and we're kind of kicking rocks as we go. Where's God? Did you just see what happened? Did you just see what's experienced? I mean, I thought Christ was supposed to come and set up his kingdom. They were expecting him to come and overthrow Rome and set up this new kingdom. That's not what happened. They thought they'd see Caesar kicked out of the throne and all of a sudden Christ, God himself would take reign as he prophesied, I will come and set up my kingdom. And they believed he was the Messiah, but that did not happen. Rather, they saw him beaten and taken off the cross and laid into a tomb. And now they hear these rumors of these ladies that just saw the empty tomb and they knew that Jesus wasn't there, but even Peter, I mean, I can just, you say, but Lance, how do you know they talk like this? Because they're people like you and I. And if I was there and I heard Peter and Peter came back and said, well, I looked myself, but I just don't know. Well, Peter, I mean, he's, I mean, Peter, come on now, y'all with me this morning? I mean, that Peter said that. What am I supposed to do? It's gonna kick rocks and go back home, I guess. That's what they were doing. The road to a mess. By the way, where's God? He was right beside them. You know, we say these verses, you know, we know the Lord will never leave me nor forsake me. But again, just like I said, we're supposed to trust the Lord. I wonder how many of us really, really, really, really, really believe that and hold on to that truth. Because if we did, we wouldn't be having the stress and the anxiety and the frustration and the disappointment and the darkness. Come on now, even when things look really, really bad, we knew that Christ is right there with us, even when it looks like He's not. The Bible said their eyes were holding, that they could not see Him. I'm sorry I keep fiddling with this mic. I'm used to preaching in prison with no mic, and I'm probably loud enough I don't even need it. Maybe y'all are more spiritual than I am, but I've been there. I've just been there. I've been on that Emmaus road before, and I've kicked some rocks, and I've talked with my partner, my companion, my wife of 25 years, and said, you know, I just don't see him. Where is he? I thought he was supposed to do something here. I thought this was supposed to be amazing. I thought this was supposed to be miraculous. I thought he was gonna do this, and I thought he was gonna do that. Where is he? He's right there. Have your eyes been opened that you can even see what God's doing when you don't think that He is there? Verse 17, and He said unto them, don't you love Jesus? Well, I guess I'm the only one. Don't you love Jesus? Look what He says. And he said unto them, what manner of communications are these that you have one with another as you walk and are sad? Hey, what's bothering you? They didn't even know who he was. And you've got to remember that. This is Joe Stranger. Have you ever thought you were close to Christ, but you don't recognize him when he's right next to you? Come on, now, I'm just trying to ask you some questions this morning, trying to challenge you a little bit. Have you ever just thought you were close to God, but He's right there and you don't even recognize Him? And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, verse 18, answering, said unto him, Aren't thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? What rock did you crawl out from under? Oh, that's right, He did. Where have you been? Are you serious, you don't know what's going on? Let me fill you in. And it says this, I'm losing this ear mic. That's not what he said. And he said unto them, what things? I just love it. Listen, I want you to hear this, this is just a beautiful piece of truth. You know, Jesus knows what all the problems are. He knows what's going on. He knows all the things you're dealing with. He knows how frustrated and discouraged you are. But yet, you know what he does when he comes up next to you? Even when you don't know, tell me. I want you to tell me. I just want you to talk to me. I had a guy tell me the other day, he's a young Marine, just got saved, and he's like, Chaplain Lance, that's what they call me over there. He's, Chaplain Lance, I don't even know how to pray. I said, do you have a kid? And he says, I've got two children. I said, you ever have your little child crawl up into your lap and just start jabbering? Oh yeah. I said, what do they talk about? He goes, half the time, I don't even know. But it sure is awesome. I said, let me ask you. He goes, sir, I'm just having a hard time sleeping. I've got a lot of things going on in my mind. And in my opinion, I think he's got PTSD. He's just experienced a lot of bad things. And I said, why don't you try this tonight? I said, did you lay there in your bunk? I said, why don't you crawl into the lap of Jesus? Abba, father, that means daddy. Crawl in his lap and just talk to him. Just jabber. He already knows what's going on. Even when you don't think he's there, he already knows. Just crawl in his lap. I said, I guarantee you, you'll sleep well. He goes, but I'll fall asleep praying. That's like a sin. I said, let me ask you a question. I said, do you think it was a sin when your little baby crawled in your lap and fell asleep in your arms? He said, no sir. I said, you know what that is? Priceless. I said, try it. The next day he was so excited, he's like, Chaplain Lance, I tried that last night. I've never slept, I didn't have a night's terror. I slept that night, I slept well, and I got some rest for the first time in a long time. Listen, that's what the Lord, what things? What are you talking about? Why are you so distraught? Tell me all, we know he already knows, but he says, tell me, I wanna know. I want you to talk to me. I want you to jabber. I want you to crawl into my lap and call me father. I want you to be close to me. I want you to depend on me. I want you to lean on me. And they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him but we trusted that it would have been he which should have redeemed Israel he didn't do it the way we saw it so we didn't think he did it but oh he did beside all this to this day is the third day since these things were done and yeah But certain women also of our company, again this is why scholars, just for a little Bible scholar note, that's why they think that Mrs. Cleopas may have been one of those other women. Certain women also of our company, so it's debated whether it means our company, the two of us, or the people we just came from. But anyway, made us astonish, which were early at the sepulchre. And when they found not his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels. which said that he was alive, and certain of them which were with us went to the sepulcher and found it, even so as the women had said, but him they saw not. I wonder if Jesus is just kind of snickering. You don't see me either. I just wonder. I wonder how many times we do that to the Lord. He's like, you don't see me either. You don't have a clue what I'm doing, do you? But I'm right here. Come on, have your eyes been opened this morning? Did you know until we can really get a glimpse of what God's doing and what God can do and believe what he can do, that there is a world that's perishing and unless we see, we're in trouble. The world depends on our vision because they can't see. But yet we can't see him when he's standing next to us. And I'm supposed to be going in the prison and helping these young men and women know Christ. Do you ever feel guilty as I do? You see, sometimes we read these stories and we don't even apply it to us. But the Lord is the same today, yesterday, today and forever. It's the same Lord and the same, you know, we're no different than the apostles. We're just like they are and they were. By the way, in fact, Brings me back to this question back in verse number 19, when Jesus said what things? I'm just gonna tell you something. Cleopas must have been, we know that he was walking with God, because it says he was. But he didn't know that he was walking with God, but that in itself makes me wonder how carnal I am, because if someone came up to me when I was in a dark place like this, some Joe stranger, and said, what is your problem? And I unloaded and just poured out my heart to them, and they're like, what things? I don't know how understanding I would be, especially when you see the response that we get here from Jesus. The Lord doesn't respond as some of us might think he does. In verse 25 it says this, and he said unto them, O fools, And wait a minute, this is Joe Stranger. We're not talking about Jesus yet. They don't know it's Jesus yet. This is Joe Stranger. And they just literally poured out their heart to him. And he says, oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? I'm just gonna tell you something. I've always been kind of a scrapper. I might've just punched him right there. Brother Lance, I can't believe you just said that! Come on, hey listen, you're on a dark road, you're down, you're depressed, you're frustrated, you're upset, you're anxiety and frustration, and this stranger comes up to you and says, what's going on? And you unload your heart and you pour out your heart to him, thinking that they were in a cave. And they call you a fool? Come on now, let's just be real here. We're in church, so let's be honest. You'd like to think that you're as spiritual as Brother Cleopas, but I don't think, I don't think some of us are. I said us, don't get offended. I'm used to dirty looks, by the way, so don't offend me. You know, when our eyes are open, we see a few things. I'm going to give one to you, purpose. There is purpose. I began to think about this, verse 27. It's just, I wish I could have been in this Old Testament survey class. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Can you imagine? I don't know how many Bible... I know you have some Bible students here. I know you've got a school here. Listen, I wonder how many of us... Man, can you imagine that Old Testament survey? I mean, in Genesis to the birth of life. In Exodus, he's the Passover lamb. In Leviticus, he's our high priest. In Numbers, he's the fire by night. He's Moses' voice. He's salvation's choice. He's the lawgiver in Judges. He's the kinsman redeemer. He's the trusted prophet. He's our sovereign. He's our scribe. He's the rebuilder of broken walls. He's Mordecai's courage. He's the timeless redeemer in Job. He's our morning song. He's wisdom's cry. He's the time of the season. He's the lover's dream. He's the prince of peace. He's the weeping prophet in Jeremiah. He's the cry for Israel. Call from sin and the stranger in the fire. He's the forever faithful. He is the Spirit's power. He's the arms that carry us. He's the Lord, our Savior. He's a great missionary in Jonah. He's the promise of peace in Micah. He's our shield and strength in Nahum. He's the pleading for revival in Zephaniah. He restores lost heritage in Haggai and in Zechariah. He is our fountain. Can you imagine, and I mean that's just a quick excerpt of what I could find, but can you imagine standing there, Cleopas with his mouth open, hearing this man expounding on the Old Testament scriptures, and he still didn't know that Jesus was talking about himself. What a Bible survey class. They knew this though. There was, oh, all those things that we knew about scripture, they're coming to life. Maybe there is a purpose. Hey, we want to hear more about this. All of a sudden, yeah, we still don't understand everything, but there was purpose now. Hey, we want you to stay. They constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave them, and their... What? Read this with me. Their eyes were opened. Where are my glasses? I can't find them anywhere. I'm looking through them. Should that not be what we are with Christ? Are we looking at the world through the eyes of Christ? Are we looking at things the way Jesus sees things? Now hold on a second, I wanna back up a minute and talk about this for just a moment. I want you to look at what happens here. So put yourself back in the story again, alright? Is everybody still with me? I don't wanna lose anybody. So here they are, Cleopas, and let's just say Mrs. Cleopas. So here they are and they, Hey, sir, will you please stay with us? We wanna hear more. All of a sudden, all those scriptures we had no understanding of, now it starts, there might be a purpose there. Hey, I see glimpses of hope in the word. Will you stay, please? And the Bible says they constrained him and abide with us. Come stay in our home. You know, we know that Jesus is always with us, but I wonder how many of us, as we go home every day and as we go through the different things of life, how many of us, deliberately and consciously and specifically invite the Lord in. Maybe, could it be that you haven't seen him because you don't? I want you to notice something else about this text. After they invite him, and I don't know how you are, I like to have people over. We don't do it very often just because I'm so busy, but you know, I mean, when we have people over, I don't know how, if you find it customary when you have guests to have them serve you, But when I have people over, Mrs. Houston, you sit right here and you children, is there anything I can get for you? I mean, can I get you something to drink? Don't say yes, because I don't have anything. Come on now, isn't that how you do when you have company over? That's not what it said. Did you notice that? I mean, have you, I don't know, maybe y'all saw that like years ago and you're like, really brother, why didn't you just now realize that? Look what it says. As it came to pass as he sat at meat with them. He, meaning Jesus. Come on now. He took bread and blessed it and break and gave to them. I mean, this is how it is. So instead of me sitting them down, Or instead, as a guest, that'd be like me sitting down and say, okay, Ms. Houston, I'm a little hungry. Hit the fridge. Make me up a sandwich. I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Come on now, I mean, that's what happened here. The Lord took the bread and break it and blessed it and served them. Did you know if you'd invite the Lord into your house, he just might serve you? In fact, could it be that as he does that, in fact, the Bible says, as soon as he did that, that it said their eyes were opened and knew him. Could it be as, come on, look, look, look, look, as he takes the bread and he break it and he hands it to them. What is that? all of a sudden it all just kind of clicks. Have you ever been there? Come on now, you're in a dark place, you're on a bad road, things are not going well, you don't know where God is, and you know that the scripture says, and it's repeated to you, and maybe the Lord, the Holy Spirit's whispering it to you, maybe it's a spiritual wife that's saying, hey, you know what the scripture says, and you're like, Lord, please, I need you tonight, please come in and help me out, and then all of a sudden you just get a glimpse. I don't know about you, but could it be that that's when they knew him and realized that it was him? Can you imagine? Their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished. Wait a minute. He vanished out of their sight. Do I need to remind you of the scripture that says, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the Lord lets us see just enough? And once our faith is restored that we don't need to see it anymore. Nod your heads up and down. Y'all get what I'm giving to you this morning? Brother Lance, I just got a glimpse of the Lord and now I don't see him anymore. Yeah, but now you know he's there. Now you know he did what he said he was gonna do. Now you know he's revealed himself to you. Now you know the purpose. Not only do you know the purpose, now you know the provision. You just got fed. You just got your plate loaded. God just gave you something to eat when you were in a long, dark, heavy road and you were hungry and needed restoration. You ever been there? Have your eyes been opened? The Bible says, and they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the 11 gathered together here, the same 11. and then that were gathered with him saying, the Lord is risen indeed. Now we just, listen, here it is a one verse, just a one verse kind of transition. We don't even, I want you to think about, sometimes we would just read these stories. But wait a minute, remember how many furlongs? It was, remember it said, they constrain him, hey, for it is toward evening. You know, by this time it was late, it was dark, and you did not travel at night then, and there weren't streetlights. Come on now, this is not like they just said, oh well, we'll just trot on back next door. No, this is a seven and a half mile-ish hike. In the dark, where there are known thieves, but you know what, there's also God's protection. You know, I skipped over something, I don't, I have it circled, I don't even have it in my notes. If you go back to verse 32 for just a second, it said, and they said one to another, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures? You know when your eyes get opened? When the scriptures are opened. I wonder how many, you know my wife for years, I know it'll embarrass her, but for years I can, she usually gets up earlier than me. I'm embarrassed to say that. I usually work late, so that'll be my excuse. I get back home from the prison, she's already in bed usually. But you know, for years I'll come downstairs and she's almost always down there, you know, getting ready for the day. Every morning, I honestly, I can't think of a day that she hasn't, but she's got the scripture playing on the, I don't even know what you call that thing, iPad? Scripture. And then I wonder, you know, maybe that's why the times where I can't see things, that it's my spiritual wife that says, honey, you know what the word says here. Maybe that's why that she can see when I can't. Aren't you glad God gives us a help me? Are the scriptures open in your home? See, here's the problem, I really believe this, and I preach like your pastor, he preaches that a lot too. But I've preached in hundreds of churches across the country, literally. And oftentimes I'll go and it just seems like the churches are just kind of drying up. I'm just being honest. And I really believe it's part of the mentality. I've heard people come to me, I guess as a passing evangelist, preacher, missionary, they feel like they can tell me stuff. Well, you know, I just come to church and the pastor just ain't feeding me. I wish he could preach like you, brother. You are desperate, aren't you? Well, I mean, I'm an ice cream guy. Anybody here an ice cream guy? Ice cream lovers in here? Yeah, that's, you know what I, this is how I see me preaching in churches. It's like ice cream, I hope. If it's not satisfactory to your palate today, then apparently it's not, but anyway. But that's all church should be is like ice cream. This should be dessert when you come to church on Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night or whatever your midweek services are. They should be like dessert. It should be like apple pie and ice cream. But if that's all you ever ate, you would be pretty emaciated. You'd be pretty unhealthy. You'd be way out of shape. And you can't come to church and say, well, Pastor Houston just needs to feed me better. No, why don't you try eating your meals at home and come in here and get some dessert with some whipped cream and a cherry on top, amen? And that'll make you shout hallelujah. I really just believe that. Their eyes were opened when the scriptures were open and maybe we would see more if we would get in our Bibles more. I'm almost done, just bear with me a couple more minutes. Brother Moss told me preacher preaches like all day, so I'm... He didn't really say that, I'm sorry. Where am I? Verse number 34, the Lord is risen indeed. They go back to the, remember the same old leaven, the ones that said, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Back to the same apostles, hey, you don't understand. Hey, he is risen indeed and he hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way. I want you to, couldn't help but think. John 14, or John, my mind just died. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. What is that? Thank you. John 14, I couldn't remember that reference. Look where it happened. And they told him what things were done where? Come on now, look what it says in verse 35. I'm trying to make sure y'all pay attention this morning. And they told what things were done where? Absolutely, pun intended. You know where they met Jesus? In the way. Guess what? He is the way. I am the way. If you wanna see, by the way, he's also the word. When the word gets open, remember he said he preached to him himself. The word was open. The way was open. It happened in the way when they got out of the way. And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them, peace be unto you. Now, I don't know about you, but They didn't even see him leave. Can you imagine as Cleopas and the other disciple were sitting there, it says they saw him, and then he was gone, he vanished. And so now they're on this seven and a half mile hike, and I'm sure that they were going pretty quick. But then they finally get there, and they're so excited, and they tell the disciples, the apostles, what's going on, and they're like, hey, he really is there, we saw him, he expounded scripture, he was preaching about himself for the first time in my life, I see what the Old Testament scriptures came alive. Literally, it came alive. They were excited, and then Jesus is there. The Bible says he appeared. I'm just telling you, he stood in the midst of them and says unto them, peace be unto you. Not only does he give us purpose, not only does he give us provisions, but he also gives us peace. Hey, listen, things were falling apart. Nobody knew what was going on, but yet Jesus said peace. But they that were, but they were terrified and are frightened and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them in verse 38, why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? You know, Jesus, the mind reader. Yeah, I can't read your thoughts. Maybe, well, actually I probably can. Some of y'all think about your pot roast at home right now. I can't read your mind, but you know, the Lord knows exactly where you are. He knows what you're thinking about. He knows what your frustrations are. He knows when you see him and you finally see the reality of who he is, there's still fear. You know why? I really believe this. Sometimes there's fear because they knew that they didn't have any faith. Remember as they were out fishing and Peter was, the King James says naked, you know, he was not covered appropriately. You ever get caught like that in front of Jesus? Because you figured he wasn't looking? Nod your heads up and down, let's not lie in church. Nod your heads up and down, go ahead. You ever been caught like that? Come on, we've all been there. Why are you troubled and why do your thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself and handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have. You know, not only a purpose and a provision and peace, but he also gives us his person. You ever gotten a hold of the fact that Jesus has a hold of you and you've got a hold of him? You have the person of Christ. The Bible says we have the mind of Christ. He says, I'll never leave you. He's right there with us. And when he had thus spoken, he had showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy and wondered, he said unto them, have ye here any meat? That just proves that he's a Baptist. Amen. First thing he says is, give me some food. Praise the Lord. Brother Moss, I sat down next to him, he said, Brother Lance, he says, y'all have plans for lunch? I said, no, but I guess I do now. I was thinking about food on the way over here. I'm always thinking about meat, amen? Unless there's a vegan or vegetarian in here, I guess. And they gave him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb, and he took it. By the way, when people give up meat for Lent and they eat fish instead, that kind of blows it away right there. He asked for meat and they gave him fish, so guess what? Fish is meat, anyway. And he took it, that's free, I didn't put that in my notes. And he took it and did eat before them. Now look, I'm going somewhere. I already gave you the one scripture in verse 31 that says their eyes were opened. Now hold on. Their eyes were opened because the scriptures were opened in verse 32. Now I want you to see something else. These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me. We have God's promises. There's another P for you. We have his promises and he says it has to happen because I promised it would happen and you should have known that. By the way, that's where a lot of that peace comes from. And verse 45, we see another opening. And he opened their what? Man, I wish we understood more. Again, maybe y'all are more spiritual than I am. There's been times where my eyes have been opened, and yes, there have been times, praise the Lord, that I opened the scripture. Man, verse 45 doesn't happen very often for me. Maybe y'all are more spiritually, intellectually, theologically knowledgeable, I don't know. But sometimes, you ever just read scripture and you're like, Lord, I just don't understand. But you know, if we're faithful just to, Lord, have our eyes open and know him, and have the scriptures open, I really believe that verse 45 will come, just like it did for them. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scripture. And he said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it is behooved. I love that word. Just an old southern word. Christ to suffer, it would behoove you to listen to this scripture this morning. Thus it is written, and it is thus behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with what? Power from on high. The last P this morning is power. I wonder how many powerless Christians are in church today. I'm not gonna ask you to, I'm not asking you to raise your hand. I don't wanna embarrass anyone, but, and again, I'll be the first one to admit it. There have been many times where as a believer, as a preacher, as I stand in a pulpit to preach in a prison or a military correctional facility or in a church somewhere, and I'm like, God, I don't have it. Lord, my eyes have been opened and I know you, and Lord, I did my best to open the scripture, and Lord, I'm doing my very best to understanding with the open, you opened my understanding, gave me some understanding to try to relate, but Lord, I am nothing without your power. But you know what we have here? I already told you about the promise. The Lord said he did everything he did here because it had to happen, why? Because it's a promise. But aren't you glad we have the promise of power? But unless you're preaching about the power of God, absolutely. Do you have it? In fact, I would challenge you with this. If we don't have it, maybe that's why we're discouraged this morning. If we don't have it, maybe that's why you struggle with your salvation this morning. Listen, I struggled for years with my salvation. I was raised in church. I was raised knowing all the theological things and knowing what you're supposed to say and all the little prayers. You know what? It was a shocker for me when I realized it wasn't a prayer that saves you. Come on now. It's Jesus that saves you. And you can say a little prayer a hundred times if you want to, but until you have his power and his person and his provisions and all that he is, you have nothing. If you've got his power, you wouldn't be struggling with your salvation. If you had his power, you wouldn't be struggling with whatever you're going through. If you really trusted him and you really had your eyes opened, maybe we'd have some peace this morning. Can you imagine the power in a worship service? If we all gathered and we just gathered around the table and let Christ service, and we were all endued with power from on high, and we enjoyed his power and his provisions and his person and all his providence. And we could just go on and on and on with the peace. But can you imagine what a church service it would be? Have your eyes been opened? And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. If a person has a hard time going to church and praising God, I wonder if their eyes have been open. Come on now, let's just be honest, I'm done. But the times I get frustrated, the times I get depressed, the times I get on my Emmaus Road, and the times I walk down that road and kick rocks, those are the times where I get really frustrated, and you know, I'm not usually, I'm not usually, I'm just being real honest here, I'm not usually inclined to go to church. Brother Lance, you're a missionary! Come on now, y'all know the joke, you know, where the husband and wife are laying there in bed and she gets up and she's getting ready and she's like, hurry up, honey, you have to go to church. I don't feel like going to church this morning. And so she keeps trying to wake him up to go, you know, listen, you really need to go. I mean, it's important that you go to church. Well, I don't want to go to church. Honey, you have to go, you're the pastor. Listen, those days happen to all of us. But if we really had our eyes open and we really understood what we're talking about this morning, even when we're down, even when we're depressed, even when we're frustrated and we don't understand the things that are going on around us, we would still gather in the temple daily and we'd still be praising God and we'd still be rejoicing. And the community out here at Bremerton would say, what is going on up there on that hill? And these empty seats might not be empty. I wanna challenge you this morning, church. I love this church, I really do. I love the Houston family. I appreciate your faithfulness and prayer and support for us. But the work's not mine to do. It's yours to. You can't just drop an Andrew Jackson on the offering plate and say, well, we supported missions. Listen, I need people that are empowered from on high that get on their knees and pray. And as I talk with a soldier or a sailor or an airman or a Marine that comes home and he just watched somebody get blown up and he's laying there in his cell struggling with things and how can God forgive me? I need God's power as I look at him and I share the gospel with him. I have got to have God there with me. I need your prayers. I need Westside Baptist Church to be on fire for God. I need you to be fed from the same nail-scarred hands that I'm fed from. Would you let the Lord open your eyes this morning? And if you're not seeing things clearly, maybe there's a situation that's going on in your life, maybe there's a thing that's going on in your family, would you ask God to open your eyes this morning? God, help me to see. God, if I can't see, help me to recognize it's you walking with me. And Lord, even if I see you walking with me, I sure am hungry, Lord, I need you to break bread, I need you to feed me this morning. And Lord, just maybe, just maybe, my understanding will be open too. If you haven't been in the Word like you're supposed to, maybe you had asked God this morning, Lord, help me to be more faithful. When's the last time you gathered your family around the couch or around your bed or whatever it might be and opened the scriptures and shared scripture with them? When's the last time that you sought God with everything, even in a time of depression or discouragement, and said, God, I trust you anyway? When you don't feel like going to church, obviously you're here this morning. But be faithful, I'm not gonna miss it, I'm gonna be there. Would you do that this morning? Let's have every head bowed, every eye closed as the musicians come.