Heart Certainty Burns
Discipleship Questions for
Sunday April 6, 2008
Scripture Readings
First Reading: Acts 2:14,36-47
Psalm Reading: Psalm: 16
Second Reading: 1Peter 1:17-23
Gospel: Luke 24:13-35
Acts 2:14a,36-47 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 36"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." 40And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." 41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. -- NKJV
Psa. 16:1
Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Psa. 16:7
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Psa. 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
11 You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
1 Peter 1:17-23 17And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, -- NKJV
Luke 24:13-35 13Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. 17And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" 18Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?" 19And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see." 25Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 28Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them. 30Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" 33So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. -- NKJV
2. I’m convinced that we more often than not “feel reality” better than we “know it.” What do you think in light of the reference to the disciples “burning hearts?”
3. Please read the following and discuss: The Deuteronomic scribe knew then when he wrote:
Deut. 6:5
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
The heart in love with God – burns when He draws near to us!
The human heart signals God’s presence when it burns!
It’s that heart-certainty that something very very real and very very magnificent is happening and everything in me is resonating with what is happening!
What I’m getting at here is the language of the heart! It speaks to us if we will only listen!
Blaise Paschal had it right when he said, “The heart has its reason that reason knows not of.”
The heart leads us to wonder and to worship!
God speaks loudly through our hearts!
So what is God saying to us? Listen when your hearts burn!
Stop and pay attention – look around! Look for Jesus for He is most assuredly there with you and something very very wonderful is happening or about to happen.
Our hearts burn around Jesus!
Now I’d like us to do a little imagining for a moment. Let’s imagine that the two disciples which we have just read about live long and fruitful lives and it’s now 40 years later and you and I are visiting with them at their little two bedroom condo in Capernaum right on the Sea of Galilee.
They are old and wise and have remained faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and are respected by one and all throughout Israel.
Just imagine that its sunset and we’re sitting outside watching the sun set and we just asked them this question: Did Jesus really come back and have they met Him again and again throughout the last 40 years?
How do you think they might answer this question?
Yes, I think at some point they may just say that it’s the heart’s burning that let’s them know when He’s close by. I have to believe that from that first instance they became very very very very attentive to the heat of their hearts – don’t you think?
And when Jesus came to them He didn’t have to do too much to get their attention – what do you think?
Now I’m not suggesting that God can’t and won’t talk to us through our minds – through our rationality – but I am suggesting that at that first encounter it wasn’t their minds that “recognized” Jesus before He revealed Himself physically to them – rather it was their hearts!
You see you and I were made in the image of God! This is WHO we are – God imagers – and I have to believe that just as we recognize our family with our eyes we sense them, resonate to them, love them, know them at an intimate level through the heart!
Love the Lord your God with all of your heart soul mind and strength!
O Lord may we know you but O Lord may we also truly love you with all of our hearts!
Amen and Amen!