PM Luke 24:13-35

[0:00] Our evening worship, it's good to be back together again, it's good to be back in the church, it's good at least to be able to gather in person in these difficult days and we just pray that in God's mercy we will be able to sustain that now for a good period at least and perhaps for the foreseeable future and we do pray to that end.

[0:27] The midweek is on Wednesday at 7pm, prayer meeting Bible study led by William and it will be in the lower hall, entrance from the car park and it's a missionary prayer meeting this Wednesday.

[0:43] Just a wee update, donations from the congregation towards the cost of eradication of dry rot have amounted to £810 additionally.

[0:54] The church has received a most generous and unexpected donation of £1,500 from Knockbain Free Church of Scotland in the Black Isle.

[1:05] Total external gifts now amount to £2,500 plus the grants of £10,000 that we have been promised here. Following the recent acceptance of an estimate, they're now waiting for redecoration to start.

[1:25] Services Dick's Lord's Day are at 11 and 6 and Tom McKenzie from Downvale Free Church, God willing, will be conducting worship.

[1:36] And again a reminder if you've never done it and you would like to at least hear some more about it, the Reverend Ian Watson, Minister of Campnour Hill and Blackwood Free Church, and I are going to be running a biblical journey to the Holy Land in November 2022, so a year come November.

[2:01] But these things take a good deal of time to organise, particularly for groups, and to that end we're going to be having an inquiry and information at 11 o'clock on the 2nd of October, it's a Saturday, so late morning through to early lunch, and if you're travelling we'll be more than happy to give you something to eat and drink at the church for that.

[2:29] Even if you don't want to come, it's actually very nice to go along and just hear about it and see some of the pictures and slides and hear of people's experience of going to Israel, to Jerusalem and to Galilee.

[2:44] So I hope you'll maybe take advantage of that and give it prayerful consideration. He is Lord, He is Lord, He is risen from the dead and He is Lord.

[2:59] Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God. And so let's praise His name. We sing from Psalm 9, verses 7 to 11, and then our brother will lead us in prayer after that.

[3:16] Psalm 9 and sing Psalms, verses 7 to 11. To God's praise. The Lord forever reigns on high His throne for God where He stands.

[3:41] He'll judge the world in righteousness With justice through the last.

[3:57] The Lord will be a hiding place for those who are oppressed.

[4:14] And He will be a strong defense for those who are oppressed.

[4:28] All those who know your name, O Lord, in you let us be a place.

[4:48] For you do not abandon those who seek your gracious face.

[5:04] Sing praises to the Lord who sits inside and on His throne.

[5:21] Thy Yahweh will be a grâce to the Lord who Th picky is ю.

[5:39] Namaste Amade Let us pray.

[5:55] Our gracious, eternal, sovereign Father in heaven, we bow together in your presence tonight to give praise to your great and holy name, and especially this day to give praise and thanks for our risen Lord.

[6:16] We thank you that he has been crucified for our sins, that he is dead and buried and risen again gloriously on the third day, that he is ascended into heaven and does indeed sit enthroned, sitting at your right hand on high, just as we have saw.

[6:43] Awaiting that day when he will judge the world in righteousness through him. We thank you that he is indeed a hiding place to those who are oppressed.

[6:56] And we tonight, oppressed by our sins, would indeed trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that in him is peace, in him is freedom, in him is everlasting salvation.

[7:13] We pray that you will draw close to us tonight and bless us indeed in our meeting together. We thank you that we are able to meet together in this way once again.

[7:28] We thank you that Jack was able to meet together in the flesh. We thank you that Jack was able to be amongst us again this morning and Stanley able to be amongst us again this evening.

[7:46] We thank you that we thank you for each one who has gathered today with us. We pray, Lord, for appropriate blessings for young and old alike.

[7:57] Thank you for the families in our midst and we pray for them as they bring up little ones in the knowledge and love of Christ. We pray, Heavenly Father, for this church, that the Spirit of God may be poured out upon us.

[8:16] How we need you, Lord. How we need to be built up afresh. Lord, we pray for the churches of God throughout our land likewise. We thank you for our brother Douglas here, ministering amongst us, and we ask for the power of your Spirit in his ministry tonight, and that you would be with him in all of his ministry, and direct his future path that he may continue to be useful in your service as he desires.

[8:51] Lord, we pray for the nation as a whole, that you would turn back the ungodliness that has swept over us.

[9:02] Lord, how grievous it is to see a nation that once heard the gospel gladly, now casting it aside as something unnecessary, of no interest, even rejecting it as something that is undesirable.

[9:23] Lord, have mercy upon Scotland, have mercy upon the whole of the United Kingdom, and grant that we might see a better day's return, when the multitudes will desire to come to the house of God, and will come confessing their sin, and seeking righteousness in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[9:47] So, Lord God, be amongst us, we pray. Grant us that we may all be refreshed and helped tonight, that we may be able to go to our homes later on, saying that it has been good for us to gather together in the house of the Lord.

[10:09] For we ask all, in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour, Amen. Amen. I want to again read two passages of Scripture.

[10:27] The theme for this evening is Encountering God on the Road. And it deals first of all with what is, I think, one of my favourite passages, or certainly post-crucifixion passages, in Luke's Gospel, chapter 24, and reading from verse 13.

[10:52] The passage, of course, that inspired the hymn, Abide With Me. So let's hear together the Word of God. 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.

[11:14] While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognising him.

[11:25] And he said to them, What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk? And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them named Cleopas, answered him, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?

[11:48] And he said to them, 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.

[12:02] And how our chief priests and ruler delivered him up to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.

[12:13] Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back, saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

[12:38] Some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the woman had said, but him they did not see. And he said to them, O foolish ones, how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

[12:56] Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

[13:11] So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going further, but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is now far spent.

[13:29] So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.

[13:41] And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?

[13:54] And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and they found their living, and those who were gathered there, saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. Then they told what had happened on the road.

[14:09] And how he was known to them in the breaking of bread. And to the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 9.

[14:24] And we continue to read God's word. And we'll see you next time. But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

[14:49] Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

[15:06] And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.

[15:20] The men who were travelling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were open, he saw nothing.

[15:33] So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias.

[15:47] The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias, he said, Here I am, Lord. And the Lord said to him, Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Juras look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying.

[16:02] And he is seen in a vision a man named Ananias. Come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.

[16:19] And here he is authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord said to him, Go. For he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and children of Israel.

[16:42] For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. So Ananias departed and entered the house and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

[17:02] And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes. And he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized. And taking food, he was strengthened.

[17:21] Amen. May God bless to us this reading of his holy word and to his name be praise and glory given. Let's again sing, this time from the Scottish Psalter. From Psalm number 24, we are singing the first seven verses.

[17:36] of the Scottish Psalter to God's praise. To thee I lift my soul.

[17:51] O Lord, I trust in thee. My God, let me in all be ashamed nor foes draw up for me.

[18:15] Let Allah fim st brillant. Let one that w cues on me please be good to shame at all.

[18:27] Shame at all But those that with the force And stress Will shame upon them fall Show me thy ways, O Lord Thy path so teach thou me And to the beginning In thy truth There lay my teacher be For thou art all that does

[19:31] To me salvation said And lie upon thee all the day Expecting to attend Thy tender mercies, Lord I pray thee to remember I'm loving kindnesses for thee I'm being awful forever My sins and faults of you

[20:38] To thou, O Lord, forget After thy mercy Think on me And for thy goodness Let's pray Almighty God, may the book speak to us this night By the ministry of your Holy Spirit Show us ourself Show us the Saviour And show us yourself And may the book speak to us, O Lord Amen I think I've said to you before The last two years Of my secondary education

[21:41] Was spent at the academy Here in Dumfries But before that I had the privilege Of being a pupil At the High School of Glasgow For those of who went there The school in Glasgow As far as we're concerned I know there's an academy in Glasgow But I've never been able to find it Or really identify it I remember sitting in class In Elm Bank Street And we were about to show the teacher The homework we had prepared And he went to somebody asking To see his homework And he turned round And he said Well sir As you know Last night was Was a warm But windy night And I was sitting by the window Just completing my homework And I turned round Because my mother had come into the room And as I turned round The paper got caught up

[22:43] In a gust of wind And was blown out the window And he said I ran outside But the wind was so bad That it blew my essay Down the street And a car ran over it And it was then flicked up From the wheel And went into Somebody who was doing a barbecue And it burnt sir And I just wasn't able to Do another copy in time The teacher said The teacher said Just step out And you know Gave him the belt For I don't know Whether it was for Not having his homework done Or for lying But the point of that story Is that Stories like that Are very obviously untrue They're so bizarre And ridiculous That they're clearly untrue And actually As I thought about What we were talking about This morning

[23:44] On the way back In the car There's a sense When we read these Resurrection stories They're almost As ridiculous As that story That that boy was telling They are They are so unbelievable Just like what I was I was saying this morning They are They are just so Out there That no group of people Would ever sit around And somebody says Let's Let's decide that Jesus Came back to life And everybody says Oh there's a good idea Do you know At that level It's a crazy idea And the craziness of course Goes in so many different ways As we read through These resurrection accounts It was women Who were the first witness To the resurrection And if you know anything About those times The testimony of women Was not a valid testimony

[24:47] In court It relied on The personal testimony Of the disciples themselves Effectively They testified to their own truths And to their own experience That's not a good testimony That's not a good testimony either And when we come As we do this evening To look at These two men On the road to Emmaus And then Just for a moment At the great conversion Of the apostle Paul Who too Came to faith On a road We get the sense We get the sense We get the sense that The whole of the gospel And the whole of the future Of the church Is literally hanging by a thread It really wouldn't take much For this to go wrong And here we have On the road to Emmaus In Luke's account

[25:48] A very clear sense Of just how precarious All this In human terms Seemed to be The very day In other words The day of the resurrection Two of them Were going to a village Named Emmaus Now We're not terribly sure Just who these two people were Some people think They were two disciples Others think There was maybe one disciple And a friend I think it's generally agreed That these two people Were certainly part of a reasonable Inner circle of Jesus They were followers of Jesus They had exposed themselves To his ministry They had been taught by him They knew him They walked with him And talked with him He was the master to them But interestingly enough It really hadn't taken very much

[26:50] For these people To have lost sight Of so much That Jesus had taught them About the fact That the son of man Must die And would be crucified And he would rise again On the third day And you kind of think Well guys Just think of What in your own words Has happened Over These last few days Guess what Jesus Has been mocked He has Been crucified He died Somebody put him Into a tomb And he rose again You know guys This should be ringing Some bells here And yet The testimony of Luke Is that It really was Not ringing bells It really was Achieving the opposite We We sue two guys Who by their own admission Were disappointed

[27:53] We had Hoped That he would be the one Who would redeem Israel Is that the one Who would redeem Israel Is that the one Who would redeem Israel Are you not the only person In Jerusalem Who doesn't know What's going on And doesn't know The disappointment That causes This melancholy In our journey here Of course the irony of that Is that Jesus was the only person Who really knew What was going on here And we are told In a very moving way That Jesus came Beside them But it is A challenge here That Even Jesus Coming beside them We are told That they were prevented From recognizing him And I think What Luke is doing here In this passage Is He is identifying For us that

[28:54] It is It is really There is more required In response To the gospel Than Simply Being on Some meander With Jesus Of being on a journey With him You know You hear a lot of people Who talk about Christianity as well Where we are going this way And other people Are going that way And the truth is We all will End up In the same place But you see The problem with that Friends is that God is not a destination Jesus Christ is not a destination He is a person He is a person He is not enough To just Go on a journey Even if it is a journey With Jesus More is required

[29:59] And what we get in these verses Is an example An example And an extension Of what is the more That is required Jesus Doesn't miss them And hit the wall As we see in Glasgow He gets right to it In verse 25 Oh foolish ones And slow to heart To believe All that the prophets Have spoken Jesus is very clearly And specifically Identifying himself In those terms He And him alone Is the one Of whom The prophets Have spoken When I preached

[31:02] On Friday night At Blackwood And Kipmure Hill I was noting That As Matthew Describes The cross And the crucifixion There is a darkness That surrounds The whole scene A darkness A darkness Of ridicule Of Of Of Of Of Isolation Of Of Terrible insults Being hurled At Jesus And what I said To the folks On Friday night Is that there is A universal Aspect To those It was rich And poor It was Jew And Gentile It was people Who had A long term Axe To grind With Jesus Who were hurling Insults at him And we are told It was passers-by Probably as I said On Friday night People who didn't know Jesus from the man On the moon And they just got on A bandwagon and hurled Insults at him Sat to him

[32:03] But while it had a universal Quality to it It also had a biblical Quality to it And the biblical quality Was so evident That it was almost as if These passers-by Had been given a script As to what to say And how to behave To behave And what I did on Friday night Was I went right back to Genesis 315 To the consequences of the fall And how the battle between Humanity and Christ Of sin bound humanity And holy Christ Will be marked by enmity And conflict And then we went to Isaiah 53 And how we saw there

[33:04] How that great passage That has been eliminated From Jewish liturgy The forbidden chapter It's called Taken out of the Jewish liturgical program Of reading How it very specifically Points us to Jesus As the one who would suffer And then And you might just want to do this In Psalm 22 My God, my God Why have you forsaken me?

[33:39] That great psalm That is repeated by Jesus On the cross And yet There is such A close identification Here with Jesus You wonder Is Jesus quoting the Psalms?

[33:57] Well, perhaps But you wonder If it's actually The other way round Is the psalmist Actually quoting Jesus?

[34:11] Is the psalmist Under the guidance Under the guidance Of the Holy Spirit Recognizing That the cross And the saving death Of Jesus Christ Was something that was Formulated before The beginning of the world And with eternal knowledge And eternal understanding The psalmist By the ministry Of the Holy Spirit Actually quotes What he knows Jesus will say One day on the cross On the cross But if you look beyond that To Psalm 22 Verse 6 But I am a worm And not a man And here it is Scorned By mankind And despised By the people All who see me Mock me They make mouths At me And they Wag their heads And further on In verse 16 For dogs encompass me A company of evildoers

[35:12] Encircle me They have pierced My hand and my feet I count all my bones They stare And gloat over me They divide my garments Among them For my clothing They cast knots And you see Jesus As he Becomes the Actual living Manifestation Of these Old Testament texts And these Old Testament visions Is basically Saying to us This is About Me It is about Me And it is about Understanding My true Identity At a human level You know me As Jesus of Nazareth In terms of A relational identity Some are here Because they are Members of my family Others are here On duty Like the soldiers

[36:13] But others Identify me As the nuisance Preacher From Galilee Who undermined Their Jewish Authority By the authority By the authority That he carried And he says Now I want you to Understand why That is the case Because everything That the Old Testament Has pointed to Is now fulfilled In me And therefore It is one of the most Important things Important things That we can do Is to actually Recognize Who Jesus Is He is not just A pal He is not just Somebody that we sit Down in the park bench With and talk to He is not just Somebody that we Meander through life Beside As a good companion He is the

[37:14] Saviour The promised Saviour The talked about Saviour Back to Luke In verse 25 Some of those Who went to the tomb And found it just As the woman had said But him they did not see And he said to them Verse 25 Oh foolish ones And slow of heart To believe All that the prophets Have spoken This is the very words Of Jesus And Jesus is making It crystal clear How vital it is That we tie up Those ends And you see When Jesus said On the cross It is finished We are good Reformed Calvinists We know And we understand And we have heard For years And we have sat Under reform ministry That what Jesus Was primarily Identifying there

[38:15] Is the fact that That is the work Of salvation Done And that is Absolutely true And first and foremost That is exactly What is being Conveyed to us There in these words But there is more Conveyed In these words What Jesus is saying Here is That all the Expectation That is built up By any kind of Proper messianic Understanding of the Old Testament Right back from Genesis 3 And the conflict That is going to Take place Between Christ And Satan Right through The whole streams Of Passover And Isaiah And all the Prophetic literature And all the Highlights of Israel Wanting a king And the desire Who would be the King who would Truly be the Good king Who would be the Prophet That would finally

[39:16] End all prophecy Who would be the Sacrifice That would end All sacrifices And what Jesus Was saying On the cross And what he Goes on to Explain to These people Is that The words It is finished Not only Identify the fact That that is Salvation's Work done It is effectively The Bible's Work done And now he Stands As the very Centre point Of the Bible This is what You have Longed for And beloved The tragedy Of this Is that

[40:18] Jewish People Still Read those Scriptures And they're Still Unfinished They still Long for Messiah The reason They took Isaiah 53 Out of The liturgy Is that The rabbi Said it is Too confusing The forbidden Chapter Of course It's confusing If you take The finished Conclusion Out of Any equation It's going to Confuse you As to what The answer Is And what The longing Is Was it Not Necessary Jesus Says That Christ

[41:19] Should suffer These things And enter Into glory And beginning With Moses And all The prophets He interpreted To them In all the Scriptures The things Concerning Himself Do you Come to The scriptures With that Sense of Completion Do you Read your Old testament With the Great Advantage That This must Have created Such a Longing And such An expectation And now In Christ I have This fulfilled And does Your heart Burden For those Who still Read these Words And who still Have that Unanswered Longing In their Hearts Because the

[42:21] Truth has Been denied Them By their Own Spiritual Leaders Jim Philip Who was Had the Famous Ministry In Holyrood Through Edinburgh Was Somebody That I Knew Reasonably Well He was An Assessor At my Selection School And I Had Privilege Of Having Meals With him On Odd Occasion And Jim As he Went Through The Old Testament Was Supposedly Notorious For Finding Jesus In the Old Testament Sometimes In Places That most Of us Would Have Found it Very Difficult To find Him There And Jim Was Once Asked About That What a Brave Man It was To Challenge Jim Philip About Such a Thing And And I Was In The Room And I Kind of Held My Breath Wondering What Jim Would

[43:21] Say And This Is What He Said And I'll Never Forget It I Would Rather Find Him Where He Wasn't Than Miss Him Where He Was I Would Rather Find Him Where He Wasn't Than Miss Him Where He Was And Beginning With Moses And All The Prophets He Interpreted To Them And All The Scriptures The Things Concerning Himself And Then We See The Transformation That Took Place In The Lives Of These Two Men Clearly They Were Generous Hospitial As Would Be Their Background And Their Tradition Jesus Went To Go On

[44:21] And The Men Said Abide With Me Fast Falls The Even Tide As The Hymn Writer Said Stay With Us For It Is War's Evening And The Day Is Fast Spent So He Went In To Stay With Them When He Was At The Table With Them He Took Bread And Blessed And Broke It And Gave It To Them And Their Eyes Were Opened And They Recognized Him And He Vanished From Their Sight And Then If You Think Back To This Morning And The Challenge That We Were Left With As We Read Through Those Great Accounts So What So What And And We See This So What It Was Evening They Had Just Eaten Supper It Was Dark It Wasn't Safe For

[45:21] This Stranger To Go On The Journey And Yet They Got Up And Said We Must Go Back To Jerusalem And Tell This News Because This News You See Had Transformed Their Lives And Their Perspective Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us When He Talked With Us On The Road And When He Opened Up The Scriptures Do You See How The Bible Grounds Our Salvation In The Person In The Identity Of Christ And How The Person And Identity Of Christ Is Grounded In The Revelation Of The Bible I Had It For Years As

[46:21] I Ministered In A Liberal Denomination Saying You People Are Obsessed With The Bible No We're Not No We're Not We Do Not Worship The Bible At One Level This Is A Book But What We Do Worship Is The God Of The Bible And We Come To Know That God Because The Bible Is Written By That God And It's Written For One Sole Purpose This Is My Beloved Son In Whom I Am Well Pleased This Is The Savior Who Died The Saving Death This Is The Christ Of The Resurrection And They Run Back To Jerusalem And You Can Almost Imagine Them Bursting In The Door Guess What And

[47:24] There Must Have Been A Slight Sense Of Disappointment We Know We Know The Lord Is Risen And He's Appeared To Simon And Just in The time Left I want Us To Flick Over To Another Man On A Road And Again The Question Is Lord Why Why For Goodness Sake Go For A Guy Like This And Here We Have Identified For Us The Fact That There Is Only One Person Who Builds His Church And That Is God Almighty And

[48:28] Friends I Want This To Be An Encouragement Tonight Because We Have Lived Singularly In A Generation Of Decline In Our Churches Of Of Course There Are Exceptions And Of Course There Have Been Ministries That Have Been Peculiarly Blessed Over These Years But The Truth Is In Any Reasonable Audit Our Churches Have Seen A Colossal Decline And One Of The Tragedies Of That Decline Is The Reaction Of Many Many Many Good People Who To Use My Granny's Frase Should Have Known Better And They Have Gone Down The Road Of Liberalism They Have Gone Down The Road Of Pursuing Social Gospel They

[49:28] Have Gone Down The Road Of All Kinds Of Trendy Formats Of Worship They Have By And Large Abandoned Expository Biblical Preaching I Have A Friend Who Was Minister In Dundee And Some Of You Might Know Him I Will Not Bother Saying His Name Who Was Talking To An Elder In A Liberal Denomination And The Elder Was Quite Intrigued By My Friend And Asked Him Are You A Minister Are You Struggling He Says Well Actually No He Said In The Last Ten Years My Church Has Grown Five Times Over How Did That Come About He Said Well He Said Really By God's Grace He Says He Said What Do You Do On A Sunday Morning He Said Well Basically What I Do Is I Open

[50:28] The Bible And Teach From The Bible And The Elder Came Back Go We Gave That Up Years And Years Ago We Found That Young People And Indeed Most People Don't Like Hearing From The Bible My Friend Turned Around To Him And Said So How Many Young People Do You Have In Your Church None He Said Of Course There Is No Need Really For Any Further Conversation There People Who Should Have Known Better Have Brought In All Kinds Of Ideas Why A Plethora Of Reasons But Actually Every Single One Of Them Boils Down To Two Factors They Don't Trust The Power Of

[51:28] The Gospel And They Don't Trust God To Build His Church And We Can See As We Work Through And This Is Really Why I Wanted To Really Finish With This We Can See What Is Happening Here With Paul Ananias Go And Lay Hands On That Man And Bring His Sight Back Because He's Been Praying And Basically What Ananias Says There Is God Do You Really Know What You're Doing Here Do You Know God Who This Guy Is Do You Know What His Agenda Is And God Says Ananias Just Go And Do It Trust

[52:29] Me For I Have Selected This Man And Friends We Must Never Ever Ever Lose The Significance Of This Day And The Significance Of This Truth Our Faith Is A Supernatural Faith At The Very Heart Of It Is Miracle And Wonder And Things That Are So Unbelievable You Would Never Ever Make Them Up But If They Were True They Would Become A Sure And Firm Foundation Upon

[53:29] Which To Build Your Faith Why Did God Choose Saul Oh We Can And I Could Do This Very Easily We Could Go Into Some Great Academic Debate Similar To The One Paul Goes Into In Philippians I Was A Hebrew Of Hebrews I Was Taught In The Scriptures I Well Educated I Multilingual I Got As A Roman Citizen Access To All The Places You Know I Can Understand Why God Would Want Me But That's Not Why God Picked Him God Picked Him For No Other Reason Than God Decided To Pick Him Paul I

[54:32] Build Build I Build My Church And Paul You're Going to be part of it And Paul The transforming Activity Of me Coming into Your life Will be so Amazing That it will Change you You will Never again Be the person That you Once Were And Paul That change Will be so Incredibly Dramatic And transforming From who you Are To who I Will make You That you Will have Such a Passion That you Will want To go and Tell others About this Great gospel That focuses On this Jesus That you Met on The road It Transforms

[55:33] Your life It Transforms Immediately His Relationship With Ananias He set Off Three Days Four Days Earlier To Destroy This Man And now He welcomes This man Into His Place Of Recovery And here's Him talk About Brother Saul And Immediately Something like Scales fell From his Eyes And he Regained His sight Then he Rose and Was Baptized And taking Foot He was Strengthened Boy was He Strengthened And here's The question That I guess Should always Be left With each And every One of Us On Such A day As This Do you Still Believe In a God of Miracles Do you

[56:38] Still Have Confidence This is That God God knows What he's Doing And despite At a Human Level How it Might Look he is drawing to himself men and women and children and what he knows will ultimately be the overwhelming minority and we're part of that and I guess that's the greatest and strangest thing of all those guys on the road somebody like Paul women fishermen and yet brothers and sisters you and I can just join that queue why would he ever think of using me and he does what is it the hymn says channels only blessed master but with all thy wondrous power flowing through me thou canst use me every day and every hour let's pray father as we reflect on the glories of this day and all that we remember we thank you that we as we said this morning we do not simply gather here to revere his memory but to celebrate his living presence among us and it may be even this night heavenly father that you are doing your work in this place you'll certainly be doing it somewhere heavenly father because you have promised that where your word is preached it will render unto you everything that you desire of it and so this night heavenly father we stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene how marvelous how wonderful how amazing that he should pick people like

[59:06] Paul and these men on the road and Mary and and you and me to be his servants oh father we're only human we we long to see our churches as Robert prayed full and our nation once again where people hurry to the Lord's temple and the Lord's day but give us peace give us assurance that you are the God of miracles and that you are the God who is everything in your hands and all things under control that you are with great conviction and strength and power not in some spiral of history but in one great march towards your son's glorious return and to the gathering up of the elect of God before your throne of grace and mercy to cry worthy is the lamb may that be our pillow and our resting place this night heavenly father in Jesus name we pray amen let's finish with the great missionary hymn listening to it the day thou gavest

[60:35] Lord has ended as over each continent and island a dawn leads on another day the voice of praise is never silent nor dies the strain of prayer away to God's praise be there the truth and the cheers the ll live for all the things that you are what do you have to endure on thisurn for all life Oh, it is the second I'm gracious and divine, O rest.

[61:28] Be happy, Lord, I shall not just sing what I have for all the years tonight.

[61:45] Through all the world our bodies, seeking and rest, so thou art my day or night.

[62:03] The sun that gives us rest is waking up, reverend, in the western sky.

[62:21] As I am, as I am, as I am, some may be my heart, as you is not on high.

[62:39] So be it, Lord, I hope I am, my cross from heaven has passed away.

[62:57] I give it, I'm starved and rose forever, till all my creatures ever my strength.

[63:17] Amen.