WEBVTT 00:00:09.780 --> 00:00:12.900 Hi everyone, this is Emma from Encounter Church 00:00:12.900 --> 00:00:15.900 Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our 00:00:15.900 --> 00:00:19.059 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast, 00:00:19.100 --> 00:00:21.760 you can have an encounter with Jesus that will 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:25.359 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:29.739 message from our preaching team. Let's pray together. 00:00:31.899 --> 00:00:34.100 Oh Lord, we pray that you just come and examine 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:39.000 our hearts today. We thank you God for your forgiveness 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:43.159 that you give us through the cross and we thank 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:45.619 you that you come and meet with us here today 00:00:45.619 --> 00:00:49.219 through your word despite the ways in which we 00:00:49.219 --> 00:00:55.899 fall short of your glory. Lord, may we have ears 00:00:55.899 --> 00:00:59.899 to hear and eyes to see today that we can hear 00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:03.159 your voice. that we can be transformed by Your 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.060 Word and that You would come and do a work in 00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:10.319 us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. When I was 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:15.859 15, a girl broke up with me. It was after a month 00:01:15.859 --> 00:01:19.459 and it was over text message. It's rough. She 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:21.519 lived this side of town and I lived all the way 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:27.329 in Galah. Yeah, okay. Now, when I lived in Guala, 00:01:27.590 --> 00:01:29.510 Adelaide didn't seem very far away from me, but 00:01:29.510 --> 00:01:31.409 now that I've begun living in the western suburbs, 00:01:31.469 --> 00:01:35.829 Guala feels like an eternity away. In fact, when 00:01:35.829 --> 00:01:37.349 you live here, it feels like anything more than 00:01:37.349 --> 00:01:41.409 20 minutes is too far away. I was so disappointed 00:01:41.409 --> 00:01:43.930 that this girl had broken up with me that I poured 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:46.409 my disappointment out into a journal, which I 00:01:46.409 --> 00:01:50.430 still have, which funny as it would be to read 00:01:50.430 --> 00:01:54.200 to you, I cannot. on account of all the colorful 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:57.859 language that I used to express my disappointment. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:01.319 You know what's funny about this journal entry, 00:02:01.500 --> 00:02:04.959 right? I didn't blame her for breaking up with 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.939 me, even though it was her decision. I blamed 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:11.300 God. My anger, my frustration, my disappointment 00:02:11.300 --> 00:02:14.219 was directed not towards this girl, but towards 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:17.620 God. After all, the only reason we moved to Gaula 00:02:17.620 --> 00:02:22.520 was a call of God upon our family. My disappointment 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:24.780 was directed towards God. I was disappointed 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:29.800 in God. I was disappointed with God I'm sure 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:32.539 you've all experienced moments of disappointment 00:02:32.539 --> 00:02:36.020 in your life John Maxwell said disappointment 00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:42.539 is the gap between expectation and reality But 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:44.819 that doesn't completely cut it does it because 00:02:44.819 --> 00:02:47.259 the gap between expectations and reality could 00:02:47.259 --> 00:02:51.580 be massive in a positive way, couldn't it? Your 00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:54.719 reality could somehow suddenly become so much 00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:58.460 better than your expectations We wouldn't call 00:02:58.460 --> 00:03:00.759 ourselves disappointed if we suddenly won the 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:03.819 lottery Or got offered a massive promotion or 00:03:03.819 --> 00:03:06.340 thought we couldn't have kids and then you fall 00:03:06.340 --> 00:03:11.000 pregnant That's not disappointment That's delight 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:14.039 You would be blown away. So I've improved on 00:03:14.039 --> 00:03:18.180 John Maxwell's quote Disappointment is when your 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:23.340 reality is less than your expectations. Maybe 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:25.020 your life hasn't turned out the way that you 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:28.639 thought it would. Maybe your career isn't where 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.659 you hoped it would be. Maybe your marriage or 00:03:31.659 --> 00:03:33.819 family doesn't look like what you thought it 00:03:33.819 --> 00:03:37.800 would. And maybe you fully or in part hold God 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:41.860 responsible for this. Maybe you're disappointed 00:03:41.860 --> 00:03:44.919 in God. Maybe you thought he would show up at 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:47.409 certain... in certain ways in certain times. 00:03:47.849 --> 00:03:49.930 Maybe the prophetic word that was spoken over 00:03:49.930 --> 00:03:53.770 you hasn't come to pass yet. Maybe you prayed 00:03:53.770 --> 00:03:58.689 and healing never came. Maybe you shared and 00:03:58.689 --> 00:04:01.189 you hoped and you prayed but that person that 00:04:01.189 --> 00:04:03.870 you love still hasn't come to faith in Jesus 00:04:03.870 --> 00:04:08.069 yet. How do we deal with our disappointment with 00:04:08.069 --> 00:04:11.330 God? Dealing with disappointment, particularly 00:04:11.330 --> 00:04:13.030 when it's our disappointment with God, I think 00:04:13.030 --> 00:04:16.069 is really crucial. Because there are so many 00:04:16.069 --> 00:04:18.329 people, and I know a lot of people, and I know 00:04:18.329 --> 00:04:20.829 you probably do too, who went to Easter camps 00:04:20.829 --> 00:04:23.149 growing up, they grew up going to church, or 00:04:23.149 --> 00:04:25.790 even found Jesus as an adult, but they no longer 00:04:25.790 --> 00:04:28.910 follow Him, and at the heart of it is that they 00:04:28.910 --> 00:04:32.250 thought God would do X, Y, or Z, and He didn't. 00:04:33.209 --> 00:04:37.750 At the heart of it, they are disappointed. Maybe 00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:42.529 in your heart, you are disappointed too. So we... 00:04:42.750 --> 00:04:46.110 In order to live by our key values of multiplying 00:04:46.110 --> 00:04:49.449 resilient disciples or hearts on fire for Jesus, 00:04:49.750 --> 00:04:52.389 we have to learn what to do with our disappointment 00:04:52.389 --> 00:04:56.009 when it comes. Today we're starting a series 00:04:56.009 --> 00:04:58.550 called the resurrection files. where we're exploring 00:04:58.550 --> 00:05:01.189 the encounters that the disciples have with the 00:05:01.189 --> 00:05:04.170 resurrected Jesus. Because from them we can learn 00:05:04.170 --> 00:05:07.610 things about the resurrection life, which Matt 00:05:07.610 --> 00:05:10.389 led us in thinking about at the beginning. The 00:05:10.389 --> 00:05:12.250 life that we have to come because Jesus rose 00:05:12.250 --> 00:05:15.410 from the dead. We can learn what Jesus has in 00:05:15.410 --> 00:05:17.329 store for His disciples post His resurrection, 00:05:17.370 --> 00:05:20.629 which is us as well. And we can be ministered 00:05:20.629 --> 00:05:23.879 to by the humanness in which the first disciples 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:26.800 respond to the resurrection of Jesus because 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:31.420 in so many ways they behave so much like we do. 00:05:33.300 --> 00:05:36.480 Today we're looking at the road to Emmaus. It's 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:39.500 Easter Sunday still and two of Jesus followers 00:05:39.500 --> 00:05:42.360 are walking to Emmaus. It's a village about 11 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.259 kilometres, so about a two and a half hour walk 00:05:45.259 --> 00:05:47.569 away. and they're walking and they're talking 00:05:47.569 --> 00:05:49.949 about everything that's happened and a man joins 00:05:49.949 --> 00:05:52.230 in and we've got some hidden knowledge here, 00:05:52.250 --> 00:05:54.889 we know this man is Jesus but the disciples are 00:05:54.889 --> 00:05:58.129 kept from recognising him. Now joining in a conversation 00:05:58.129 --> 00:06:00.670 mid -walk feels weird to us today with randoms 00:06:00.670 --> 00:06:02.310 that we don't know but this is a very normal 00:06:02.310 --> 00:06:05.009 thing for people in Jesus' culture. They were 00:06:05.009 --> 00:06:07.589 travelling from maybe long distances to Jerusalem 00:06:07.589 --> 00:06:09.509 for Passover, this was the thing that they did 00:06:09.509 --> 00:06:11.509 and this was the festival around which Jesus 00:06:11.509 --> 00:06:13.889 was killed. And there wasn't any headphones you 00:06:13.889 --> 00:06:15.430 could jam in your ears so you don't have to talk 00:06:15.430 --> 00:06:18.509 to strangers. So this, you know, you talked, 00:06:18.629 --> 00:06:21.810 you debated, you discussed what was going on. 00:06:21.870 --> 00:06:25.129 It was the in -flight entertainment, so to speak. 00:06:26.189 --> 00:06:28.050 And Jesus wants to know what on earth they're 00:06:28.050 --> 00:06:31.120 discussing so intently. And they say these things 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.920 that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth. 00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:35.540 He was a prophet who did powerful miracles. He 00:06:35.540 --> 00:06:37.860 was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all 00:06:37.860 --> 00:06:40.060 the people. But our leading priests and our other 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:42.019 religious leaders handed him over to be condemned 00:06:42.019 --> 00:06:45.660 to death and they crucified him. We had hoped 00:06:45.660 --> 00:06:48.779 he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:53.379 This all happened three days ago. We had hoped 00:06:53.379 --> 00:06:57.500 he was the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:05.000 hoped their expectations of Jesus were shattered 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.259 by the reality of the cross. But then they go 00:07:08.259 --> 00:07:11.939 on. Then some women from our group of his followers 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:14.439 were at his team early morning and they came 00:07:14.439 --> 00:07:16.660 back with an amazing report. They said his body 00:07:16.660 --> 00:07:19.199 was missing and they'd seen angels who told them 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:22.439 Jesus was alive and some of our men ran out to 00:07:22.439 --> 00:07:24.079 see and sure enough his body was gone just as 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:28.240 the women had said. Now wait a minute, hold up. 00:07:28.870 --> 00:07:32.350 They hoped that he was the Messiah and then some 00:07:32.350 --> 00:07:35.790 women say his body is missing and and that an 00:07:35.790 --> 00:07:39.310 angel had said that Jesus was alive and Some 00:07:39.310 --> 00:07:41.110 of their friends had confirmed that there was 00:07:41.110 --> 00:07:46.430 nobody there. So why are they going home? Why 00:07:46.430 --> 00:07:48.589 are they why are they going home? Why aren't 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:51.370 they investigating if Jesus is not dead doesn't 00:07:51.370 --> 00:07:54.110 that mean that maybe they were right about Jesus? 00:07:55.529 --> 00:08:01.060 Maybe their hopes were founded Why do they leave? 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:05.540 Because they've given up on Jesus as the Messiah. 00:08:05.660 --> 00:08:07.879 Their hopes were shattered on the cross from 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:10.839 their vantage point. Their reality is less than 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:14.199 their expectations. It's worse than their expectations 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:19.100 because the Messiahs don't die. In their heart 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:22.379 of hearts they're disappointed and so they go 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:27.860 home to Emmaus. Now I wonder Where do you go 00:08:27.860 --> 00:08:31.480 when you're disappointed with God? Who do you 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:37.460 go to? Where do you run? What is your Emmaus? 00:08:38.899 --> 00:08:43.179 Maybe it's comfort food. Maybe it's dating. Maybe 00:08:43.179 --> 00:08:47.539 it's pain. Maybe it's shiny new things. Maybe 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:51.259 it's binging TV shows or video games. Maybe it's 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:54.360 alcohol or other substances. Maybe it's doom 00:08:54.360 --> 00:08:57.480 scrolling or pornography. Maybe it's the comfort 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:00.860 or the affirmation of others. Where do you run 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:05.220 to in your disappointment? What is your Emmaus? 00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:10.659 Now Jesus isn't having this from his disciples. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:15.019 He says, very kindly, you foolish people, Jesus 00:09:15.019 --> 00:09:17.899 has a way. You find it so hard to believe that 00:09:17.899 --> 00:09:21.210 all the prophets wrote in the scriptures. Wasn't 00:09:21.210 --> 00:09:23.110 it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have 00:09:23.110 --> 00:09:25.610 to suffer all these things before entering his 00:09:25.610 --> 00:09:29.110 glory? And then he explains it all from start 00:09:29.110 --> 00:09:35.330 to finish. By the time he's finished they're 00:09:35.330 --> 00:09:37.230 approaching Emmaus and Jesus does the polite 00:09:37.230 --> 00:09:40.289 thing he makes as if he's going on and they do 00:09:40.289 --> 00:09:42.389 the polite thing of the time which is to beg 00:09:42.389 --> 00:09:45.929 him to stay. So everyone's being so very polite 00:09:45.929 --> 00:09:49.070 but then at the meal Jesus does something that's 00:09:49.070 --> 00:09:51.809 a little less polite. because he takes the position 00:09:51.809 --> 00:09:55.669 of the head of the household and he blesses the 00:09:55.669 --> 00:09:58.029 bread and he breaks it. This was the job of the 00:09:58.029 --> 00:10:00.649 person whose house it was, not him. And suddenly 00:10:00.649 --> 00:10:04.350 their eyes are opened. These disciples, they 00:10:04.350 --> 00:10:07.529 realize it's Jesus and Jesus disappears. And 00:10:07.529 --> 00:10:09.409 they say to each other, didn't our hearts burn 00:10:09.409 --> 00:10:11.909 within us as he talked with us on the road and 00:10:11.909 --> 00:10:14.769 explained the scriptures to us. So they rushed 00:10:14.769 --> 00:10:17.500 back to Jerusalem to tell the others. Now I want 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:20.299 us to take a big step back from all of this. 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.759 Why would Luke, who recorded this Gospel, include 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:27.820 this? See, John says at the end of his Gospel, 00:10:27.899 --> 00:10:30.480 Jesus did many other things as well, and every 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:32.120 one of them, if they were written down, I suppose 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:33.580 that even the whole world would not have room 00:10:33.580 --> 00:10:35.500 for the books that would be written. So there's 00:10:35.500 --> 00:10:37.559 so much content. There's content everywhere. 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:43.080 Why put this in? John was an eyewitness of Jesus. 00:10:43.220 --> 00:10:45.840 Luke had a plethora of stories from eyewitnesses 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:47.899 he could have chosen to include. Why include 00:10:47.899 --> 00:10:52.039 this? Why make this, in terms of length, the 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:55.139 primary resurrection story in his gospel, right? 00:10:56.820 --> 00:10:58.399 Now it takes another level of significance if 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:01.039 you take another step back and think about how 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:03.000 much it would have cost Luke to include this 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:05.029 story. It's pretty cheap to get your hands on 00:11:05.029 --> 00:11:07.350 a Bible today. In fact there's a whole bunch 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:08.690 where the kids are up the back which you can 00:11:08.690 --> 00:11:10.730 have for free so go nuts if you want a Bible. 00:11:11.450 --> 00:11:14.389 But to produce Luke's Gospel in today's money 00:11:14.389 --> 00:11:16.409 would have cost between three and a half to four 00:11:16.409 --> 00:11:20.429 thousand dollars. And that's just the floor because 00:11:20.429 --> 00:11:23.070 it depends on how many spelling mistakes were 00:11:23.070 --> 00:11:25.590 in there, how many revisions that he decided 00:11:25.590 --> 00:11:28.649 he wanted to make. This was a significant investment. 00:11:29.909 --> 00:11:32.970 And the Emmaus Road story is two percent of Luke's 00:11:32.970 --> 00:11:36.320 Gospel. Now I'm not the one who does maths in 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:40.279 the family, that's Ash's specialty. But this 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:44.279 would have cost $200 to $250 for Luke to include. 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:49.759 Why include this encounter with Jesus with some 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:53.039 nobody disciples on a road to a town that no 00:11:53.039 --> 00:11:55.620 one can really definitively tell you where Emmaus 00:11:55.620 --> 00:11:59.600 actually was? Why would Luke include this? What 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:05.450 is he getting at here? Well this story is so 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:11.210 important because so much of our own story as 00:12:11.210 --> 00:12:14.350 disciples of Jesus is reflected in this story. 00:12:15.389 --> 00:12:18.889 The resurrection has happened. We have heard, 00:12:19.330 --> 00:12:22.149 you and me, that the tomb is empty and that Jesus 00:12:22.149 --> 00:12:26.169 is alive and still we can be come disappointed 00:12:26.169 --> 00:12:29.529 with God. We hope in things that do not come 00:12:29.529 --> 00:12:33.340 to pass. And on the long walk of life, like a 00:12:33.340 --> 00:12:36.100 walk to Emmaus, we can easily avoid seeking the 00:12:36.100 --> 00:12:39.019 truth about Jesus on our own little walks to 00:12:39.019 --> 00:12:43.279 our own little Emmauses. And it's on that long 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:47.159 walk of life, even today in 2026, that the risen 00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:52.799 Jesus meets us. The risen Jesus meets us. And 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.639 I want to give you three ways that Jesus meets 00:12:55.639 --> 00:12:59.100 us. He meets us as he met those disciples in 00:12:59.100 --> 00:13:03.450 the correction. Scripture. The disciples confession 00:13:03.450 --> 00:13:06.370 about Jesus is not wrong but it's very partial, 00:13:06.549 --> 00:13:09.450 it's incomplete and Jesus comes alongside them 00:13:09.450 --> 00:13:12.950 and he corrects them with Scripture. The Messiah 00:13:12.950 --> 00:13:16.029 had to suffer these things before entering his 00:13:16.029 --> 00:13:20.009 glory. He interprets the whole Scriptures for 00:13:20.009 --> 00:13:22.730 them through the lens of what he had come to 00:13:22.730 --> 00:13:29.080 do. In the same way the Scriptures for us interpreted 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:32.679 through the lens of Jesus, comes and corrects 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:38.899 us if we let it. If we let it. And invites us 00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:40.639 into the deeper truth and understanding about 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:44.639 who Jesus really, really is. Now I want to make 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.259 sure we don't just brush past this, my friends, 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:50.440 because we actually need the scriptures. We need 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:53.240 to read them and we need to allow them to shape 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:56.889 us and to challenge us. We can't assume that 00:13:56.889 --> 00:13:59.090 we have a complete understanding of who Jesus 00:13:59.090 --> 00:14:01.250 is. We can't assume that we've ticked him off. 00:14:01.370 --> 00:14:05.409 I've read Jesus. I'm good. We can't assume that 00:14:05.409 --> 00:14:07.309 the scriptures have nothing more to say to us 00:14:07.309 --> 00:14:10.230 today. And we can't assume that we don't still 00:14:10.230 --> 00:14:12.870 need, regardless of how spiritually mature we 00:14:12.870 --> 00:14:18.269 may be, loving correction from God. Paul says 00:14:18.269 --> 00:14:21.610 in 2 Timothy 3, all scripture is inspired by 00:14:21.610 --> 00:14:23.970 God and it's useful to teach us what is true. 00:14:24.330 --> 00:14:26.370 and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. 00:14:26.690 --> 00:14:29.029 It corrects us when we're wrong and teaches us 00:14:29.029 --> 00:14:31.789 to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and 00:14:31.789 --> 00:14:35.750 equip his people to do every good work. God uses 00:14:35.750 --> 00:14:38.909 it to prepare and equip his people to do every 00:14:38.909 --> 00:14:42.230 good work. We need the scriptures, my friends, 00:14:42.590 --> 00:14:45.450 to prayerfully read them, to absorb them, to 00:14:45.450 --> 00:14:47.870 allow them to renew our thinking and to cultivate 00:14:47.870 --> 00:14:52.590 our imagination. We need to allow Jesus to lovingly 00:14:52.590 --> 00:14:56.190 correct us. he does with Cleopas and his friend. 00:14:57.230 --> 00:14:59.149 The second way he meets us is in the breaking 00:14:59.149 --> 00:15:02.330 of bread. Jesus breaks and blesses bread with 00:15:02.330 --> 00:15:05.149 the disciples and it's in the breaking and the 00:15:05.149 --> 00:15:07.610 blessing of the bread that their eyes are open 00:15:07.610 --> 00:15:10.409 and the presence of Jesus is seen and felt clearly. 00:15:11.590 --> 00:15:14.179 In the same way when we break bread with each 00:15:14.179 --> 00:15:15.879 other, in our homes, as Christian community, 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.440 when we break bread together here, celebrating 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:21.000 the Lord's Supper together, our eyes and our 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:23.740 hearts are open to the presence of Jesus. We 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:26.860 can see clearly both Jesus and our own selves, 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.679 our own hearts. The third way that he meets us 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.179 is in the burning of our hearts. The disciples 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:37.100 remarked that their heart burned within them 00:15:37.100 --> 00:15:40.200 as they talk with Jesus. And friends, in the 00:15:40.200 --> 00:15:42.159 same way, when we talk to Jesus today, when we 00:15:42.409 --> 00:15:45.149 Contend in prayer, which is one of our core values. 00:15:47.769 --> 00:15:51.029 When we listen to His voice, when do we cultivate 00:15:51.029 --> 00:15:56.190 ears to hear? Well, then our hearts burn inside 00:15:56.190 --> 00:16:00.789 of us for Him, with Him and for Him. Ben, you 00:16:00.789 --> 00:16:05.370 can come back up. You know, Luke includes this 00:16:05.370 --> 00:16:09.230 expensive little story. For the disciples that 00:16:09.230 --> 00:16:11.629 are to come. If you call yourself a follower 00:16:11.629 --> 00:16:15.370 of Jesus for you and for me. For those who wander 00:16:15.370 --> 00:16:17.629 away from the empty tomb and they've got disappointment 00:16:17.629 --> 00:16:21.590 in their hearts. Because we also wander away 00:16:21.590 --> 00:16:24.830 from Jesus from time to time. Towards our own 00:16:24.830 --> 00:16:27.769 versions of Emmaus. With disappointment in our 00:16:27.769 --> 00:16:30.750 hearts. What do we do with this disappointment? 00:16:32.370 --> 00:16:34.909 Well we can see how Jesus met the disciples in 00:16:34.909 --> 00:16:38.330 theirs and he meets us in ours. But there's something 00:16:38.330 --> 00:16:41.379 deeper here. There's a there's an irony here 00:16:41.379 --> 00:16:44.179 going on we talked about disappointment being 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:47.019 when your reality is less than or worse than 00:16:47.019 --> 00:16:50.659 your expectations But here their reality for 00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:53.539 these two disciples is is not less than their 00:16:53.539 --> 00:16:56.679 expectations The problem is is their perception 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:01.340 of reality is incorrect We had hoped he was the 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:04.819 Messiah who'd come to rescue Israel Not only 00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:10.049 is that exactly who Jesus is but he's even better. 00:17:11.130 --> 00:17:15.029 He's even better. Jesus is not just the Messiah 00:17:15.029 --> 00:17:17.769 who's come to rescue Israel, he is the Son of 00:17:17.769 --> 00:17:21.589 God who's come to rescue the universe. His death 00:17:21.589 --> 00:17:23.990 on the cross wasn't the end of his claim to be 00:17:23.990 --> 00:17:28.809 the Messiah, but his very coronation as King. 00:17:30.069 --> 00:17:32.049 And this is what Jesus meets them on the road 00:17:32.049 --> 00:17:35.549 to show them, that ultimately their disappointment, 00:17:35.609 --> 00:17:40.759 although real and valid, is completely unfounded. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.559 He is what they hoped he would be and more. They 00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:48.599 were only seeing partially but now their eyes 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:53.880 are opened. Now they see clearly. Now they see 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:56.900 their perception about Jesus was wrong and their 00:17:56.900 --> 00:18:02.759 disappointment turns into utter delight. You 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:05.650 know I think I've noticed that In my own disappointment 00:18:05.650 --> 00:18:07.970 with God, my disappointment isn't actually with 00:18:07.970 --> 00:18:10.789 God, it is with what God has or has not done. 00:18:11.890 --> 00:18:16.089 God made my family move to Galah, thus ruining 00:18:16.089 --> 00:18:20.509 this months long relationship. God did not make 00:18:20.509 --> 00:18:23.029 her love me enough to overcome our distance. 00:18:23.930 --> 00:18:26.349 And I think often our disappointment with God 00:18:26.349 --> 00:18:31.170 is similarly not necessarily with God, but with 00:18:31.170 --> 00:18:35.690 what God has or has not done. I wonder today 00:18:35.690 --> 00:18:38.930 what disappointment you might carry within you. 00:18:39.289 --> 00:18:42.230 Disappointment in what God has or has not done. 00:18:43.569 --> 00:18:47.690 What do you do with it? You do what Cleopas and 00:18:47.690 --> 00:18:49.569 his friend, the two disciples on the road to 00:18:49.569 --> 00:18:52.289 Emmaus, do without even consciously realising 00:18:52.289 --> 00:18:55.470 it. You do what 15 -year -old heartbroken Tim 00:18:55.470 --> 00:18:59.130 did in very colourful language. You speak out 00:18:59.130 --> 00:19:02.970 your disappointment to Jesus. You take it to 00:19:02.970 --> 00:19:06.339 him. And as He did with the two disciples, He 00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:09.420 meets us in our disappointment. He meets us with 00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:12.059 spiritual correction. He meets us with His presence. 00:19:12.140 --> 00:19:14.619 He meets us through the burning of the Holy Spirit 00:19:14.619 --> 00:19:18.099 within us. Now I can't stress how important this 00:19:18.099 --> 00:19:23.079 is for a life of joyous, lifelong, fruitful life 00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:27.579 with Jesus. It was not a sentence. I can't stress 00:19:27.579 --> 00:19:30.160 how important this is to not stuff your disappointment 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:32.849 down. to not allow your heart to grow bitter 00:19:32.849 --> 00:19:35.630 with God for what He has or has not done, to 00:19:35.630 --> 00:19:38.049 not allow your heart to turn to stone within 00:19:38.049 --> 00:19:42.829 you towards Him, but to go to Him and to confess 00:19:42.829 --> 00:19:45.410 your disappointments to Him, to confess your 00:19:45.410 --> 00:19:49.029 hopes to Him, and to watch Him meet you in that. 00:19:49.089 --> 00:19:51.309 Watch Him open your eyes to truly see what's 00:19:51.309 --> 00:19:54.630 happening. 15 -year -old Tim couldn't see that 00:19:54.630 --> 00:19:56.230 the end of this relationship could make way for 00:19:56.230 --> 00:19:59.730 something much, much better, but it did. Have 00:19:59.730 --> 00:20:10.279 you met my wife? I can't see my life objectively. 00:20:11.740 --> 00:20:15.519 I can't see my life from God's perspective. But 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:19.660 God can. God sees. And whatever disappointment 00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:22.000 you hold in your heart towards Jesus, He sees 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:27.799 you. He knows you. I want to encourage you. Speak 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:30.940 it out to Him. Confess it to Him. Allow Him to 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:34.200 lovingly meet you in it. Because here's something 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:36.440 that I believe with all my heart. And Paul says 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:39.160 it to his in his letter to the Corinthians. Now 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:42.339 we see things imperfectly like puzzling reflections 00:20:42.339 --> 00:20:45.180 in a mirror but then we will see everything with 00:20:45.180 --> 00:20:48.779 perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial 00:20:48.779 --> 00:20:51.299 and incomplete but then I will know everything 00:20:51.299 --> 00:20:56.779 completely just as God knows me completely. One 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:59.079 day we will also like those disciples break bread 00:20:59.079 --> 00:21:03.240 with Jesus and our eyes will be open and we will 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:05.940 realize that any disappointment we've ever had 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:12.220 in Jesus unfounded. Now disappointment that our 00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:14.440 expectations have been less than our reality 00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:20.839 will turn to complete absolute utter joy and 00:21:20.839 --> 00:21:25.599 delight. Let's pray together friends. God we 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:30.079 thank you that you give us life and life to the 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:34.119 full. And I just pray, Holy Spirit, come and 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:36.440 minister to us. Come, Holy Spirit, we want you 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:40.460 to be here with us. I want your presence to descend 00:21:40.460 --> 00:21:43.079 here in this place where your gathered people 00:21:43.079 --> 00:21:47.400 worship you. Come and create a space in us where 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:50.440 it is safe to speak out our disappointment to 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:54.380 you. And God, we pray and we know that you will 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:58.220 meet us in that. We ask that you to come in Jesus' 00:21:58.460 --> 00:22:04.259 name. While we sing this song, while I was praying 00:22:04.259 --> 00:22:10.740 about today, I felt that we should give a really 00:22:10.740 --> 00:22:15.240 practical, physical opportunity to confess your 00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:18.460 disappointments to God. So behind page over here 00:22:18.460 --> 00:22:22.200 is this box that I found in a cupboard. Isn't 00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:28.019 it beautiful? And there's some paper here, which 00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:30.420 I'm going to put on the ground, and some pens. 00:22:32.170 --> 00:22:36.630 that was my fault and I want to invite you as 00:22:36.630 --> 00:22:40.789 we're singing and as we worship together to come 00:22:40.789 --> 00:22:43.769 to write down the disappointments that you hold 00:22:43.769 --> 00:22:46.269 in your heart towards God and to put it in that 00:22:46.269 --> 00:22:52.309 box and then I will destroy them I promise and 00:22:52.309 --> 00:22:57.109 use this as a way to clear your heart of anything 00:22:57.109 --> 00:22:59.210 that you hold against God and allow him to come 00:22:59.210 --> 00:23:02.970 and meet you in it. Sound good? Would you stand 00:23:02.970 --> 00:23:09.250 with us as we sing? Thanks so much for tuning 00:23:09.250 --> 00:23:12.349 in to this week's message. If you felt challenged 00:23:12.349 --> 00:23:14.890 or need prayer, we'd love to hear from you on 00:23:14.890 --> 00:23:19.009 Instagram at encounterhenley. Or if you're interested 00:23:19.009 --> 00:23:21.529 in how you can support this ministry, please 00:23:21.529 --> 00:23:24.930 go to our website encounteradelaide .com .au. 00:23:25.490 --> 00:23:27.750 Thanks again for listening. God bless you.