Dinner to Go

Lk 24:28-35

Today is Superbowl Sunday. I had to think of some way to work in my Colts and then it hit me. Last week’s game was a pretty good correlation to this story!

This dinner is about going from discouragement to revival. A theme we all understand.

PRAYER

I. Discouragement

A. The Dillinger house

1. We got home in time to see the last part of the 1^st quarter and it wasn’t looking too good. In fact, it didn’t look good all the way through the first half. I was discouraged. So discouraged, I almost quit watching at half time.

2. Helene wasn’t feeling very optimistic either. She is a little more animated than I am (extend arms wide) when watching games and was letting her discouragement be known.

3. I moped my way upstairs, did a couple of things and then came back to watch the last half of what I thought would be a very discouraging game.

B. The road to Emmaus

1. That’s how these two men were feeling that Sunday afternoon on their way back to Emmaus. Jesus had died, it looked like the end of Christianity. They were moping their way home.

2. READ Lk 24:13-18

3. Jesus was supposed to be the Messiah. How could he die?

4. Christianity seemed so right, how could things go so wrong?

5. Questions, discouragement, heartbreak.

6. It was going to be a long, sad 7 mile trip home.

C. Discouragement in life

1. We can all relate to discouragement. We have all felt it at some level.

2. For some, it’s momentary and you know you’ll get past it.

3. For others, it’s deep and you wonder if you can survive it.

a) I’ll admit, I had been so hopeful for some added years if not a cure to Mom’s cancer until 2 weeks ago.

b) When Dad called and we found out the cancer had spread and there wasn’t any hope, I was devastated.

4. When times like that hit your life, it all seems to black, so bleak, so hopeless.

5. How can you get past that kind of discouragement?

6. How do you deal with the crushing of your dreams?

7. How do you come back from the Abyss?

8. The men on the road to Emmaus had that thought on their minds, I’ve had that thought on my mind, and there is probably someone here today thinking that exact thought this very moment.

II. Hope Begins to Emerge

A. The Dillinger house

1. Back at the Dillinger house, the 2^nd half started.

2. I had changed into my Colts shirt and quite honestly was hoping that it would just be a good game for them. You know, lose respectably.

3. As the game progressed, it started getting closer and I started getting excited. We tied, and there was hope again.

B. A Stranger starts a strange conversation

1. As these men head for home, a stranger joins up with them and asks why they are so discouraged.

2. They couldn’t believe he didn’t know what was going on. He obviously had to be a visitor to Jerusalem.

3. They tell their sad tale. He listens and then starts quoting scripture to them.

4. READ vs 25-27

C. Hope emerges through scripture

1. When I have been most discouraged I have learned to force myself to turn to scripture and gain solace from the words there.

2. I used the word force on purpose.

a) It’s not what I really want to do.

b) At first is seems meaningless to open the Bible, but I know that’s what I need more than anything.

3. I read passages from the Psalms.

a) David was great for writing when discouraged.

b) He has often described my life at down times.

c) And he always finds the right answer by the end of the Psalm.

4. I read passages like Matt 6:25ff, Rom 5, Phil 3:12ff and other passages like them.

5. God doesn’t abandon us during those times. He is right there beside us.

6. He is in our heart encouraging us.

7. He is whispering in scripture, words of comfort, hope and peace

III. A Victory Dinner

A. The Dillinger house

1. The momentum of the game begins to shift and so do Helene’s and my spirits.

2. We went ahead and I was hugging Helene and we were jumping up and down.

3. I couldn’t sit in my chair. My heart was thudding in my chest.

4. When Brady threw the interception we were screaming so loud that I almost wore out my voice and Renee came and chewed us out for waking them up.

5. I didn’t care; we were going to the Superbowl!

B. Dinner with the Messiah

1. On the road, Jesus talked to the guys about the promises made in scripture. They invited him in for supper as they arrived at Emmaus and he began to eat with them.

2. That’s where our text picks up.

3. 2 men run back to Jerusalem excited and revived.

4. My guess is that they got back to Jerusalem a lot quicker than they made the trip to Emmaus.

5. They were revived from a dinner with the Messiah.

6. What once seemed so hopeless, now was hope itself.

7. The burning in their hearts wasn’t from indigestion, but from God working as only God can do to lift that heavy blanket of despair.

8. Marc Bertrand did a sermon by imagining himself as one of these two men. I want to read his ending of this sermon to you.

a) Seven miles from Emmaus to Jerusalem. Half a days journey at a regular pace, and just over a couple hours at a flat out run. Had our hearts not burned with joy I am certain they would have burst from the exertion.

All the way we went running, jumping, whooping and laughing like little children. Any robbers on the path this night must have been terrified at our approach.

Tears streamed down my cheeks again, but not with grief, rather irrepressible joy. Through the gates of the city, past the shadow of the old temple and the gate to Gethsemane down the little street to the little house in Jerusalem.

Cleopas beat me to the door of the upper room by two steps; bursting through red faced and breathing hard we collapsed in laughter. The disciples looked startled and then bewildered. Finally we were able to stammer out the words. “Jesus is risen – we have seen him – we have spoken to him – he has won!”

They rejoiced with us, telling us then that he had also been seen by Peter and that reports were coming from all over Jesus is alive.

Then I knew… I knew that this had been the plan from the beginning. The cross had to precede the empty tomb. The pain came before the pleasure. In the cross Christ brought freedom, out of the tomb he carried hope. Hope, that though we may suffer in life, Christ has defeated death with the triumph of the empty to tomb.

My eyes are open, my spirit set free and the peace of God now fills my heart – for I know that my Redeemer lives and that one day I will see him in the flesh.

C. When we commune with the Messiah

1. We can experience the same thing as these two disciples.

2. We can be revived just as they were.

3. It’s not a physical meal that revives us, but it is communing with the Savior.

4. When we have our eyes opened to the hope we have in Christ, we can put things into perspective.

5. Life might seem dark right now, but when you experience communion with Christ, hope springs forth.

6. Revived, renewed, invigorated,

7. We’re going to Heaven!

8. This is a meal of revival.

9. Will you break bread with your Savior today?

I. Discouragement

A. The Dillinger house

1. We got home in time to see the last part of the 1st quarter and it wasn’t looking too good. In fact, it didn’t look good all the way through the first half. I was discouraged. So discouraged, I almost quit watching at half time.

2. Helene wasn’t feeling very optimistic either. She is a little more animated than I am (extend arms wide) when watching games and was letting her discouragement be known.

3. I moped my way upstairs, did a couple of things and then came back to watch the last half of what I thought would be a very discouraging game.

B. The road to Emmaus

1. That’s how these two men were feeling that Sunday afternoon on their way back to Emmaus. Jesus had died, it looked like the end of Christianity. They were moping their way home.

2. READ Lk 24:13-18

3. Jesus was supposed to be the Messiah. How could he die?

4. Christianity seemed so right, how could things go so wrong?

5. Questions, discouragement, heartbreak.

6. It was going to be a long, sad 7 mile trip home.

C. Discouragement in life

1. We can all relate to discouragement. We have all felt it at some level.

2. For some, it’s momentary and you know you’ll get past it.

3. For others, it’s deep and you wonder if you can survive it.

a) I’ll admit, I had been so hopeful for some added years if not a cure to Mom’s cancer until 2 weeks ago.

b) When Dad called and we found out the cancer had spread and there wasn’t any hope, I was devastated.

4. When times like that hit your life, it all seems to black, so bleak, so hopeless.

5. How can you get past that kind of discouragement?

6. How do you deal with the crushing of your dreams?

7. How do you come back from the Abyss?

8. The men on the road to Emmaus had that thought on their minds, I’ve had that thought on my mind, and there is probably someone here today thinking that exact thought this very moment.

II. Hope Begins to Emerge

A. The Dillinger house

1. Back at the Dillinger house, the 2nd half started.

2. I had changed into my Colts shirt and quite honestly was hoping that it would just be a good game for them. You know, lose respectably.

3. As the game progressed, it started getting closer and I started getting excited. We tied, and there was hope again.

B. A Stranger starts a strange conversation

1. As these men head for home, a stranger joins up with them and asks why they are so discouraged.

2. They couldn’t believe he didn’t know what was going on. He obviously had to be a visitor to Jerusalem.

3. They tell their sad tale. He listens and then starts quoting scripture to them.

4. READ vs 25-27

C. Hope emerges through scripture

1. When I have been most discouraged I have learned to force myself to turn to scripture and gain solace from the words there.

2. I used the word force on purpose.

a) It’s not what I really want to do.

b) At first is seems meaningless to open the Bible, but I know that’s what I need more than anything.

3. I read passages from the Psalms.

a) David was great for writing when discouraged.

b) He has often described my life at down times.

c) And he always finds the right answer by the end of the Psalm.

4. I read passages like Matt 6:25ff, Rom 5, Phil 3:12ff and other passages like them.

5. God doesn’t abandon us during those times. He is right there beside us.

6. He is in our heart encouraging us.

7. He is whispering in scripture, words of comfort, hope and peace

III. A Victory Dinner

A. The Dillinger house

1. The momentum of the game begins to shift and so do Helene’s and my spirits.

2. We went ahead and I was hugging Helene and we were jumping up and down.

3. I couldn’t sit in my chair. My heart was thudding in my chest.

4. When Brady threw the interception we were screaming so loud that I almost wore out my voice and Renee came and chewed us out for waking them up.

5. I didn’t care; we were going to the Superbowl!

B. Dinner with the Messiah

1. On the road, Jesus talked to the guys about the promises made in scripture. They invited him in for supper as they arrived at Emmaus and he began to eat with them.

2. That’s where our text picks up.

3. 2 men run back to Jerusalem excited and revived.

4. My guess is that they got back to Jerusalem a lot quicker than they made the trip to Emmaus.

5. They were revived from a dinner with the Messiah.

6. What once seemed so hopeless, now was hope itself.

7. The burning in their hearts wasn’t from indigestion, but from God working as only God can do to lift that heavy blanket of despair.

8. Marc Bertrand did a sermon by imagining himself as one of these two men. I want to read his ending of this sermon to you.

C. When we commune with the Messiah

1. We can experience the same thing as these two disciples.

2. We can be revived just as they were.

3. It’s not a physical meal that revives us, but it is communing with the Savior.

4. When we have our eyes opened to the hope we have in Christ, we can put things into perspective.

5. Life might seem dark right now, but when you experience communion with Christ, hope springs forth.

6. Revived, renewed, invigorated,

7. We’re going to Heaven!

8. This is a meal of revival.

9. Will you break bread with your Savior today?

1. We got home in time to see the last part of the 1^st quarter and it wasn’t looking too good. In fact, it didn’t look good all the way through the first half. I was discouraged. So discouraged, I almost quit watching at half time.

1. Back at the Dillinger house, the 2^nd half started.