Resurrected Dreams Part 1

Looking to Jesus early on, the disciples of Jesus argued over who would sit with him in the kingdom when Jesus died, their dreams die their best laid plans were in ruins. For some the best thing to do seem to be walk away and forget those three wonderful years with Christ today how the resurrected Jesus revived their and how he can provide yours as well from church in Chicago this is running to win with Dr. Erwin looks her teaching helps us make it across the finish line was about today's message entitled, resurrected dream date. This is found in Luke chapter 24 and I love the story about the disciples leaving Jerusalem walking to Emmaus and not recognizing when Jesus fell in step with them some dad like to hear about the conversation is Jesus Christ was explaining the Scriptures to them.

And even though they thought that they had just witnessed the end of a beautiful life. Well, Jesus appeared and they knew who he was and they ran back to Jerusalem to say to the disciples, he is alive and that's what we're going to be saying on Easter Sunday.

He is alive. I want to thank the many of you who support the ministry of running to win. If you ever considered becoming an endurance partner. Many of you contribute and you might want to become an endurance partner that someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's how you can find info.

I hope that many of you join us and you hold our hands so to speak and become a part of the running to win family but for now it's the journey to Emmaus, shattered dreams lie everywhere. Sometimes a dream is shattered because of an accident sometimes it is shattered because of the disease. Sometimes it is shattered because of people we've all had our share of disappointments are feelings of betrayal or maybe even abuse and the problem is that lying beneath those shattered dreams is another problem. It may be a problem with deep disappointment and even resentment against God. All that you have to do is to talk to a skeptic and the skeptic will tell you why he's a skeptic, what good is God's omnipotence, his tremendous power if that power is not used to make a crooked world straight like one woman said to me long ago. I've given up on God and I've given up on prayer.

I expected that my daughter, for whom I prayed fervently would become a missionary, now she she not only hates God.

But she also hates me.

I don't want to pray again, lest I be disappointed. Disappointment with God is not a new phenomenon. As a matter fact in the New Testament to the day of resurrection. Early that morning, there were two disciples that set out for the town of Emmaus 7 miles from Jerusalem. And they were going there because they wanted to forget their disappointment with Jesus.

They remembered that some women had gone to the tomb and reported that the tomb was empty and the stone was rolled away and there were some angels there at the tomb, but they did not believe the reports of those women who had witnessed that because among the women was Mary Magdalene. She was one out of whom Jesus cast seven demons and these disciples probably thought that her story was actually in a that had not yet been cast out, and so they decided to leave and to forget it all. But the Bible tells us that a stranger fell in step with them and they did not know that this stranger was Jesus, and we pick up the story and the 24th chapter of the book of Luke. If you have your Bibles. You may turn their notice that Jesus began to speak with them and as they were talking. He asks this question.

He says what is it that you are discussing together as you walk along verse 17 they stood still, their faces downcast. One of them named the Clea press asked him are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do you not know the things that have happened there in these days. What things Jesus asked, not because Jesus didn't know, obviously, but he wanted them to tell him and now comes the hurt will notice they said about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet powerful in word and deed before God and all the people the chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him, but we had a hope that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.

And what is more, it's the third day since this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us.

They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels.

Who said that he was alive then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said about him. They did not see that's where the pain was.

We hope that it was he who would deliver Israel. We thought that he was going to be the one to establish the kingdom to break the yoke of Roman occupation. We are tired of saluting those pagan soldiers were tired of paying taxes and being humiliated and we thought that the Messiah was going to be one who is going to bring this deliverance and now we notice that it's the tragic end of a beautiful life and it's all over. These disciples were as if they had lived through an earthquake so sad that they thought. Possibly they would never genuinely smile again. You see it's not just that they were concerned about the Roman occupation, they felt betrayed. They love Jesus. They were there when he fed the multitude with the boys lunch and they thought to themselves all. If only he would be king.

Think of all the miracles he could work in our behalf.

They believed in him. As far as they were concerned, though he raised expectations that he did not meet and he gave them dreams which were now shattered at their feet. But Jesus spends two hours with them on the way to Emmaus.

And as Jesus speaks in interacts with them. He gives them the answer to their shattered dream and in the process he gives us the answer to our shattered dream as well.

What does Jesus say to them the answer to their need to comes in two parts. First of all, he says disciples you should have known and you should believe the promises of Scripture. You'll notice it says how foolish I'm in verse 25. How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Don't you wish that you had been there when it been wonderful to run a tape recorder to see what Jesus had to say about himself. They didn't know that they were in the presence of the one who was the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies I can imagine that he began with the book of Genesis and explain how that the Messiah was the seed of the woman, then there would be conflict and the woman's seed would crush the head of the serpent that I can imagine them going into the book of Exodus. In talking about the Passover lamb is explaining once again how the Israelites had to kill a lamb and put blood on their door and those who had blood on their door.

The angel of death would Passover them, which is where the word Passover comes from, and they would be exempt from God's judgment and health Messiah was now the Lamb of God that that took away the sin of the world and he had to die on a cross.

He had to be crucified so that that blood would be shed so that we would be spared from the consequences of our sin and then as he went into the book of Leviticus, he would've explained that the Messiah was the fulfillment of all of the prophecies regarding the sacrifices and burnt offerings in numbers.

The Messiah is the rock from which water flows and then I can imagine he gets to the Psalms. Psalm 22 and points out to the disciples, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me that that description of crucifixion was actually fulfilled just three days before when Messiah was dying on the cross that he got to Isaiah 53 he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.

He died for our sin. I notice Christ point he saying to them, you should have known that first of all first of all, he must suffer and then enter into glory. You're right about all the prophecies about political deliverance. You're right about the fact that someday, the law shall go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. You're right about that that great days are coming, but the suffering comes first the grinding the comes before the glory and the cross has to come before the crown. The order is important. Today we have television preachers that tell us that we can be healed whenever we want to be that we can have wealth whenever we want to be in there right that the Bible talks about these things, but they forget the fact that first of all in this life, we must be willing to suffer. This is a life that is not easy, but the suffering eventually leads to glory. There are some people who wanted all. Right now they say give it to me now and are confused regarding the order of how it is to occur. And so the Scripture says. First of all there is suffering and then there is glory and what Jesus is saying to these disciples whose dreams have been shattered as he speaks to us as well is this.

Remember the promises of Scripture and we do not interpret this life simply on the basis of what we see there is a life to come. There is glory that lies ahead, we do live in a Good Friday world. To be sure where there is injustice and cruelty and bloodshed and violence and we do all that we possibly can to overcome it. But at the end of the day.

We know that there's going to be this until this world ends and in the meantime, we look to the glory that shall be revealed, and it is that gives us hope God doesn't have to answer all of our prayers.

Now, to be faithful to his promises. So Jesus says to them. First of all, you have to believe in the promises of God, but you say will Pastor Luther, does that mean all that we have to do now is to simply grin and bear it and and wait for the future know there's another part to Jesus Christ's answer. You'll notice the Scripture says that verse 28. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther but they urged him strongly and said stay with us, for it is nearly evening. The day is almost over so he went to stay with them while he was at the table with them, he took bread, and gave thanks and broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared out of their sight. Wow, what a story isn't it interesting that the one who is invited in.

He's invited as a guest email becomes the host. The one who is invited to receive is now the one to give an as he breaks bread. They say this is Jesus. Very probably because as they saw his hands. They saw the nails cars and they remembered this one is the Messiah where the presence of the one whom we love our dreams were shattered.

After all, and then suddenly boom Jesus disappears. So Pastor Luther you actually believe this story that Jesus disappeared. The answers yes because you know his body was a resurrected body. It had a different molecular structure.

He could go through doors. He couldn't be in two places at one time with that body, but he could travel very quickly from one place to another.

Some of you are visiting here today may wonder what kind of a place is Moody Church anyway. What are you what you all believe your one so just to clarify, I wanted you to know that we actually believe this stuff here at Moody Church because we believe we believe in a resurrected the Savior, who is capable of all kinds of miracles, and so Jesus disappears and the Bible says that they say to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while he talked to us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us.

That's why that's why we were so intrigued.

That's why he knew so much. That's why he was able to get it right and then we read that that very evening they got up and returned once again to Jerusalem.

It didn't matter whether thieves were along the way. It didn't matter whether it was dark didn't matter whether they were tired.

They'd already walked the 7 miles they had just completed the journey, but you know there's something about meeting Jesus that makes you want to go find someone else to tell you to tell about Jesus and as a result of that, they go back and they're saying to everyone. Guess what, the risen Christ appeared to us. It says that there they found the 11 and those with them assembled together saying it's true. The Lord has risen and appeared to Simon and then the two told what happened on the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke bread I now notice in verse 36 while they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, peace be unto you, if the first answer to shattered dreams is to properly interpret and believe the promises of Scripture. The second is the reminder of the fact that Jesus Christ is with us. Among his people. He is with his people in body he is with his people in spirit and he says to us today.

I will never leave you, I will never forsake you depend upon it.

I have not left you alone. I will come to you.

In fact, Jesus said that the reason I'm going to heaven is so that I can get the Holy Spirit of God who will come and indwell the lives of all those who know Christ as Savior and as a result, you can be assured of my presence. I am with you till the and of the world. Let's boil this down where we are today so that we can pick our own shattered dreams up off the floor and understand its relevance to us today. First of all I want is to realize that when Jesus was raised from the dead. In that resurrection he brought every one of our shattered dreams with him and he took those shattered dreams, and he will someday give us their fulfillment just like you find that God would not create a fish unless he created water so the fish would have a place to swim in the very same way God would not have created these longings for the eternal. These desires, he would not have given those to us unless there was a place where those desires would be fulfilled.

What is your deep desire today. What is your shattered dream is that a physical problem. Is it because of the fact that maybe you have been involved in some tragedy, maybe you are suffering from some illness. Maybe the doctor came to you and told you things about your body that you thought could only be true if someone else and you say to yourself, hello, this is the and I begin to see the end coming. I will never be able to enjoy life again want you to know today that when Jesus was raised from the dead with that resurrection, he gave a promise the health of beauty of strength. All that we need to do is to look at how Jesus Christ body function without tremendous power that we spoke about the ability to say the word and to go from one place to another, and we shall be like him. The Bible says, for we shall see him as he is like Christ is remarkable. I've often pondered the Scriptures because as you think of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose body was physical but nonetheless the molecular structure was very different from ours so that he could travel through space instantly.

What a remarkable body.

We are going to have you know there are those of you who are suffering today.

You're going through all kinds of physical illness and I won't take time to even begin to list all the different ways that we can suffer.

But I need to tell you that you do not have a problem, but a good resurrection will not solve. And that's why on Easter Sunday. We rejoice in the fact that Jesus rose and because he lives, we shall live also.

I'm so glad for the many of you who support the ministry of running to win. It's really because of you that this ministry is in 20 different countries in four different languages. Thank you. Would you consider becoming an endurance partner that someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Of course you need more info so I hope that you have a pencil handy and what you can do is to go to RTW offer.com when you're there you click on the endurance partner button that's RTW offer.com or if you prefer you can call right now you can call 1-888-218-9337. Let me give you that contact info again. RTW offer.com. Click on the endurance partner button or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and let us rejoice.

I say again because he lives, we shall live also. It's time once again for you to ask instruments or a question about the Bible or the Christian life as we get older are prone to develop diseases and conditions that constrain our most precious relationships in anonymous running to win listener is a victim of this and writes for advice.

She says my husband has Alzheimer's disease and has begun to yell at me all the time. As a Christian.

I'm having a difficult time knowing how to handle this pastor looks or what should I do well thank you, my dear sister for your question and it is a dilemma that I'm sure is close to your heart every single day just a couple of thoughts probably things that you have already thought about on your own.

First of all, you have to understand that your husband as you knew him is not the husband that you know today.

This disease has a habit of playing with our minds and playing with her brains. And so when he lashes out on you. Remember that he is not doing this as the person whom you married something has gone radically wrong.

So don't take it personally. And of course as a corollary of that whatever you do don't respond in kind because you have to take into account that you need to pity him because he also is the victim of the disease that is creating this kind of havoc in his life and he apparently is very uncomfortable.

He does not like his circumstances and he is becoming increasingly more difficult for you to handle. But second, my sister very important for you to get help.

I can't imagine you dealing with this 24 seven when you need to do is to get help from other believers.

You need to investigate other possibilities for your husband preps a home that he can go into their places that have been designated like this so that those who struggle with these kinds of illnesses can be cared for professionally, because it might simply become too much for you. Bottom line, I conclude with a prayer in my heart for you that God will give you real wisdom in working this out and remember my sister eternity is coming thank you pastor looks or forgot compassionate answer if you'd like to hear your question answered.

Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask pastor looks or or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Next time the triumphant conclusion of resurrected dream featuring the Moody choir and orchestra with the hallelujah chorus. Thanks for listening for pastor Erwin lutes are this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church