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[0:00] well in luke 24 the last chapter of the gospel of luke where we're finishing tonight we read about lost people who become found and i want to show this to you so if you have a black bible right in front of you some of them are blue most of them are black if you could grab it open it to page 885 that's luke chapter 24. and as you flip it i want you to notice notice the adjectives notice the words that describe the people in luke 24 starting at the very beginning of the chapter so this goes beyond our reading but just note the mood of luke 24. in verse 4 we read that people are perplexed in verse 5 people are frightened in verse 11 they're disbelieving verse 17 sad stagnant in verse 21 they're without hope in verse 37 they're startled and frightened in verse 38 they're troubled and doubting and in verse 41 they're overwhelmed dumbfounded incredulous these are not happy words we think of luke 24 this is the resurrection this is easter sunday this a happy text these are not happy words to describe the people in this story chapter 24 starts with sad scared hopeless troubled people people who are lost who are listless maybe the words in chapter 24 describe where you're at this evening maybe you're limping into september and you're feeling sad or hopeless or frightened or troubled well with that in mind look at how those same people are described at the very end of the chapter this is in verse 52 of luke 24 we're told the same people return to jerusalem with great joy literally overjoyed and continually constantly unendingly they are in the temple blessing god how did these people go from being lost to being found how can all of us move from a place of fear and hopelessness and sorrow to a place of joy and blessing and praise what happens in between verse 1 and verse 53 that changes everything for these people look at the middle of the chapter verse 36 beginning of our reading while these people were talking to each other jesus himself stood among them and he said to them peace to you what changes a person from being lost becoming found is a personal encounter with the risen jesus what moves you from being sad and scared to joyful and blessed is the risen jesus entering your life and bringing you his peace the resurrection of jesus christ changes everything for everyone then and now what's interesting in luke 24 is when the people see and touch jesus risen body it doesn't dispel their disbelief and discouragement in verse 37 when jesus first appears we're told they're not happy they're not excited they're not joyful they're startled they're scared in verse 38 jesus identifies the doubt that is still in their hearts even after touching his hands and feet in verse 41 we're told they're still disbelieving you know i'm in charge of outreach here so like getting people to be interested in jesus and what i would love to happen is if we could get the risen jesus to show up

[4:07] so everyone could see him and then everyone would believe wouldn't they if the whole world could just see that jesus is alive that everyone would believe in him well apparently not according to luke 24 seeing is not believing in our chapter it's something else what truly transforms people from being lost to found from being sad to being joyful from worrying to worshiping is what happens next in the story look at verse 45 jesus opened their minds to understand the scriptures what changes people is not seeing the risen jesus but hearing him it's the words of the risen jesus that open their minds in one short conversation jesus teaches these disciples the entire arc of scripture he summarizes the entire story of the bible as pointing to him and being fulfilled in him jesus is saying god's great story of salvation the entire story of god at work in the world is all leading us to this moment to this person to this event jesus tells scared disbelieving people who are lost in a dark world that god has a plan and the plan is to rescue and save those who are living in the land of deepest darkness and the plan reaches its pinnacle in verse 46 god's cosmic universal eternal plan is accomplished in christ in god's chosen king he suffers and on the third day he rises from the dead and this event is what causes repentance for the forgiveness of sins this is the good news of god that jesus says needs to be proclaimed to all the nations this is the message that has the power to find people who are lost to fill people with an everlasting joy no matter their current suffering to take your worry and replace it with genuine worship this is god's plan the fulfillment of all of god's promises and words and interventions in all of history boils down to this all of scripture every sermon comes to this jesus came for this to save our sinful world to turn it around forgiving our sin through faith in him and this is accomplished through his life and death and resurrection and ascension jesus reveals to us he is the christ he is the son of god this is the gospel that jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves he's taken away our sin by his death willingly offering an outrageous substitution his perfect life in exchange for our sin on the cross jesus took the blame for our selfishness and our rebellion against god our sin was forgiven and forgotten by jesus death on our behalf and this good news causes great joy a joy that at the end of the chapter bubbles over into praise and in luke 2 acts proclamation as the good news of jesus through these people is proclaimed to all nations the announcement's universal doesn't matter how broken you are doesn't matter how messy your life is or how chronic your sin or your sorrow jesus comes to take your sin and to offer a new way forward

[8:14] that leads to joy it's the risen jesus speaking god's word speaking scripture's story that opens his disciples eyes and ears to understand what has happened it's not seeing him risen it's hearing him explain all of scripture as fulfilled in him it's the word proclaimed that finds lost people and rescues them god's word proclaimed and explained is the key that opens up for us god's joy god's word is the vehicle by which people's eyes and minds are open to understand who jesus is and what he's accomplished so if we want to be a people who know joy who know jesus whose eyes and minds are opened to see him and to understand him they're opened by this book by this message by the good news of this man nothing else will work nothing else will bring you lasting joy or eternal peace if you are lost tonight and you want to be found the only way we are rescued is by god himself as he speaks to us he reveals himself to us and he shows us his gospel and the way that god speaks is through this book the gospel is the power of god for the salvation of everyone it is a living breathing book it's sharper than any two-edged sword it cuts to our hearts it exposes our sins it opens us up to receive god's forgiveness and love and joy and peace this should be a great encouragement for all of us because none of us here can physically see jesus we're told at the end of luke 24 he's ascended to heaven he's seated on the right hand of the throne of god he's not visible to us but we can still hear him just as they did and it's his words that contain the power of god for the salvation of everyone we can experience the risen jesus today tonight through his word and also through his holy spirit dwelling within us that's what jesus means when he says the promise of the father in verse 49 he's talking about god the holy spirit who is the power from on high that all followers of jesus will be clothed with and as you hear the gospel and receive it you receive god's holy spirit and having the holy spirit alive in you dwelling in us collectively is what will bring us joy joy a fruit of the holy spirit is joy jesus offers all of us his holy spirit the proof of his resurrection and his power the guarantee of the gospel and this gift will transform us to be a people of joy not of fear people who are found who are no longer lost to people who have a living hope that can never be destroyed jesus blesses those who believe in him with his own holy spirit and the response of the followers of jesus to this encounter with the risen lord is that they're they worship him in verse 52 i don't want you to miss the significance of that statement in luke's gospel until now it has never been described that anybody worshipped jesus if you're a jewish person there is only one who is worthy of your worship you worship god and him alone and yet these jewish people experiencing the risen jesus worship him

[12:22]  they see that jesus is god jesus is god's son he is the king of the kingdom of heaven he is our lord and our god after experiencing the risen jesus they return to jerusalem to the world that doesn't know this gospel who has no idea who jesus is and yet we're told they're united in joy-filled worship continually blessing god as they celebrate how he has blessed them in christ so friends as we finish our series it ends with an invitation you can be found tonight no matter how lost you can hear these words and turn to the lord and be saved you can hear his gospel receive his spirit let him open your heart and your mind to receive his salvation and his joy as you experience the risen jesus and believe in him and as we believe in him we are empowered and sent to now go and proclaim this incredible story to a world that is literally dying to hear it but first full of his joy and his spirit let's worship now together let's practice what we preach and let's bless him because of how he has blessed us amen