Round Trip to Emmaus - You Shall be My Witnesses - 4 (Sunday Oct 5, 2025)

Good morning once again, and welcome to everyone. The message I shared that day was titled “Round Trip to Emmaus.” You might have heard people speak about a “Road to Emmaus” experience—but I want to talk about the full journey, the round trip, and what it means for us today.

The Setting of the Story

Luke’s Gospel tells us about two people walking from Jerusalem to a small village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles away—roughly a two-hour walk. Here’s how it begins in Luke 24:13–14 (NASB):

“And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.”

When you read “that very day,” it refers to the day Jesus rose from the dead. But these two travelers didn’t know that yet. They were heartbroken and confused. Everything they believed about Jesus seemed to have ended with His crucifixion.

Understanding the Bible’s Big Picture

Before we follow them on their journey, let’s take a moment to talk about the Bible itself—the book where this story is found. The word Bible simply means “book” in Greek, but it also means the Book, because it stands apart from all others.

It’s divided into two parts: the Old Testament (the old covenant) and the New Testament (the new covenant). The Old Testament, made up of 39 books, tells the story of God’s people and His promises pointing forward to a coming Savior—the Messiah. The New Testament, with 27 books, reveals the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ.

Every part of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, points toward one person—Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world.

A Nation Waiting for Hope

The Jewish people at that time had long awaited a Messiah. They believed he would be a political deliverer—a mighty ruler who would free them from Roman control. So when Jesus came performing miracles, teaching with authority, and showing compassion, many thought, “This is the One.”

But then He was crucified. Their hope vanished. They didn’t understand that the Messiah was not coming first as a conqueror, but as a suffering servant. Jesus Himself said in John 18:36 (NASB):

“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting... but as it is, My kingdom is not from this realm.”

Still, when He died, even His closest followers were devastated. That’s the moment when the two on the road to Emmaus began their sad journey home.

Jesus Joins the Journey

As they walked, something unexpected happened. Luke 24:15–16 (NASB) says:

“While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.”

Imagine that—Jesus walking right beside them, but they didn’t realize it. Sometimes we’re the same way. We think God has abandoned us when, in truth, He’s walking right alongside us. His presence is constant, even when our eyes don’t see it.

Their Conversation with Jesus

Jesus asked them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” (Luke 24:17 NASB).

They stopped, faces downcast, and one of them—Cleopas—replied, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” (Luke 24:18 NASB).

In a gentle, almost humorous way, Jesus responded, “What things?” (Luke 24:19 NASB).

They poured out their grief:

“The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.”
— Luke 24:19–21 (NASB)

Their words capture disappointment many of us have felt: “We were hoping…” Maybe you’ve said that too. “I was hoping for healing.” “I was hoping for a change.” “I was hoping things would be different.” But God’s plans are often deeper and greater than what we can see.

The Witnesses Nobody Expected

They went on to tell Jesus about the women who went to the tomb and found it empty.

“Some women among us amazed us; when they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive.”
— Luke 24:22–23 (NASB)

In that culture, women weren’t accepted as reliable witnesses. Yet God chose them to be the first to proclaim the resurrection. That’s just how God works—He honors those whom the world often overlooks.

Jesus Explains the Scriptures

Then Jesus spoke words that must have changed everything.

“And He said to them, ‘You foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to come into His glory?’
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.”
— Luke 24:25–27 (NASB)

He walked them through the entire Old Testament, showing how it all pointed to Him—the suffering Messiah who would take away the sin of the world.

The Bread and the Revelation

As they reached Emmaus, Jesus acted as if He would go farther, but they urged Him to stay. So He did. Luke 24:30–31 (NASB) says:

“And it came about, when He had reclined at the table with them, that He took the bread and blessed it, and He broke it and began giving it to them. And then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.”

The phrase “their eyes were opened” appears only one other time in Scripture—in Genesis 3:6–7 (NASB):

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked.”

In Genesis, eyes were opened to shame. In Luke, eyes were opened to salvation.
The first couple, Adam and Eve, ate in disobedience and saw their sin. This couple, Cleopas and (most likely) his wife, ate in fellowship and saw their Savior.

Hearts on Fire

After Jesus vanished, they said to one another:

“Were our hearts not burning within us when He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”
— Luke 24:32 (NASB)

When Jesus speaks, hearts still burn. His Word brings light, conviction, and joy that no circumstance can extinguish.

From Despair to Hope

Those travelers had left Jerusalem in despair—but they returned in joy. Their “round trip” to Emmaus began in disappointment and ended in revelation. The same happens for us when we encounter the risen Christ.

Through His death, Jesus paid the price for our sin. As Romans 4:25 (NASB) says:

“He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.”

And 1 Corinthians 15:20–22 (NASB) reminds us:

“But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”

The Round Trip for Us

The two travelers thought their story was over. But when Jesus met them, everything changed. The round trip to Emmaus wasn’t just their journey—it’s ours. We all walk roads of confusion, fear, or loss. Yet Jesus joins us, listens to us, and reveals Himself to us.

Sometimes we don’t recognize Him right away. But when our eyes are opened, our hearts burn again with the fire of His truth. And like those disciples, we can’t help but turn around and share the good news: Jesus is alive!

Amen.

Third, Go Out and Share Your Faith - You Shall Be My Witnesses - 3 (Sunday Sep 28 2025)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to share our faith. I’m an introvert by nature, and the idea of standing up and talking about evangelism doesn’t exactly come naturally to me. But that’s the beauty of God’s work: He uses us despite ourselves. It’s not by our strength, but by His Spirit. When we step out in faith, He meets us there.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the gospel with a young man at work. What started as a simple conversation about finances—he asked if I played the stock market—turned into a divine appointment. I told him, “No, I don’t. I’m not against anyone who does, but our true treasure is in heaven.” That one sentence opened a door. Later, he told me he went home and shared with his mother and his aunts. That’s how the Lord works—He takes the simplest words and breathes life into them.

The Heart of the Gospel

In the book of Romans, Paul wrote about being set apart to proclaim the gospel. I’m no apostle, but the same God who empowered Paul empowers us. My message today is simple: the gospel itself, and what it means for us who share it.

Paul gives us the foundation of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4 (NASB):

“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

That’s it—the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That’s the backbone of our faith. Without it, there’s no hope. If Christ didn’t die and rise again, our faith would be meaningless. But He did. And because of that, we have life, peace, and eternal hope.

The Gospel of Love, Mercy, and Grace

The gospel is more than a message—it’s the expression of God’s love.
John 3:16 (NASB) says:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

That word gave—it means gift. We didn’t earn it; He freely offered Himself to us.

It’s also a gospel of mercy. Ephesians 2:4–5 (NASB) says:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”

And a gospel of grace:
Ephesians 2:8–9 (NASB) reminds us,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

There’s nothing we can do to save ourselves. Every act of sharing, every conversation, every open door—it all comes from Him.

A Gospel of Peace

Paul also calls it a gospel of peace. Romans 5:1–2 (NASB) says:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.”

Before Christ, we were enemies of God. There was enmity between us. But through faith, that war is over. We now walk in peace with Him. That peace should radiate through our lives and draw others to Him.

My Story of Grace

When I look back, I can see God’s hand guiding me long before I realized it. I was born in Jamaica, and when I was six years old, my parents moved to the United States. Before that, I was being raised mostly by older boys in my neighborhood. If God hadn’t intervened—if my father hadn’t come to America when he did—my life could’ve gone down a very different path.

My father once told me a story from his early days in Queens, New York. One night, coming home from Bible study, two men pulled him into an alley and demanded his wallet. One of them raised a knife. My father closed his eyes, thinking of his family back in Jamaica. Suddenly, he heard a bloodcurdling scream, and when he opened his eyes, the men were running away. No one was there. Later, someone at church told him, “That was an angel.”

When I became a believer, I realized—if my father had died that night, I might never have come to know Christ. God spared him, and through him, He reached me. That’s the grace of God in motion.

The Gospel from the Beginning

The gospel didn’t start in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. It started in Genesis. When Adam and Eve sinned, God immediately proclaimed the plan of redemption. Genesis 3:15 (NASB) says:

“And I will make enemies of you and the woman, and of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”

That’s the first announcement of the gospel—the promise that the seed of the woman, Christ, would defeat sin and Satan. From that moment on, the story of redemption unfolded through the prophets and the Scriptures, all pointing to Jesus.

Even the prophets longed to see what we now know. 1 Peter 1:10–12 (NASB) says:

“As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.”

Even the angels are watching in awe of what God is doing through the gospel. What a reminder of how precious our salvation truly is.

Becoming a Vessel God Can Use

If we want to be used by God, Paul gives a beautiful picture in 2 Timothy 2:20–21 (NASB):

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”

When we keep ourselves pure, we become vessels ready for His use. That “good work” includes sharing the gospel. We can’t tell others about righteousness while living in sin—it doesn’t work that way. God wants clean vessels, not perfect ones, but those yielded to Him.

Stepping Out in Faith

I’ve had times when I didn’t want to go out and share the gospel. There were days when I felt discouraged, even spiritually attacked. Once, I went downtown to share and felt an overwhelming heaviness, a kind of depression I couldn’t explain. But when I obeyed, when I just showed up, the Lord lifted it. Later, He opened doors at my workplace to talk to people about Christ—people I’d never imagined would listen.

I’ve learned that we don’t save anyone; God does. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6 NASB)
Sometimes we see fruit right away. Sometimes we never see it at all. But God is always working.

I’ll never forget one encounter downtown. A man came storming toward us while we were sharing. He was angry—really angry—and wanted us off the corner. I listened, prayed silently, and kept calm. After about fifteen minutes, his tone softened. Before leaving, he hugged me and asked for a gospel tract. That’s how the Holy Spirit works—He changes hearts, not arguments.

The Power of Obedience

Sharing our faith doesn’t require eloquence or perfection. It requires obedience. Pray before you go. Ask God to prepare hearts and give you the words. Sometimes He’ll give you boldness. Other times, just gentleness and patience. And always remember—our strength isn’t in us. It’s in Him.

So as we go out, let’s remember that the same gospel proclaimed in Genesis, fulfilled in Christ, and entrusted to Paul, is now ours to share. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. And when we step out in faith, He moves.

Second, Get Ready to Share - You Shall Be My Witnesses - 2 (SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2025)

Friends, I'm so excited this morning because God is speaking to us constantly through songs, testimonies, and words of encouragement. He's not done with us; He's speaking His living words into our hearts, and that changes everything. We aren't listening to the world's philosophies but to the living God who ministers to and builds us up.

This morning, I want to turn to Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and beyond. In this passage, Jesus gives one of his final commands to his disciples before ascending into heaven: to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to observe all things He had commanded. The purpose was not just to have someone say a salvation prayer and then leave them, but to make them disciples—marking them through baptism and maturing them.

In Acts chapter 1, verse 8, Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were "endued with power from on high" and would become His witnesses. The Greek word for this power is "Dunamis," from which we get the word "dynamite". It's a powerful force that comes upon us when the Holy Spirit arrives. We might feel petrified or have many reasons not to share the gospel, but when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be empowered to preach the gospel to every nation.

Jesus said we would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. The disciples initially stayed in Jerusalem, where they were comfortable, and a great revival was happening. They weren't moving out to Judea or Samaria, places God had told them to go. Sometimes, when God's movement happens in the church, we want to stay where we're comfortable. But the Lord is telling us there's a time to move out.

By "Judea and Samaria," I don't mean leaving Portland for another city; I mean speaking to the people in your immediate circle, then those a little farther away, and then those outside of your usual contacts. Don't think you only need to preach if you become a missionary in a far-off country. There are people in your circles who haven't heard the gospel or haven't heard it properly, and you need to speak to them.

When the persecution of Stephen began, the church in Jerusalem scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. But they didn't stop preaching; they went about and shared the word wherever they were scattered. The Lord used that persecution to get His people to move out and preach the gospel.

The Bible calls only one person "the Evangelist": Philip. He went to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. Demons were cast out, and healings were performed at his hands. God told him to go to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, and he obeyed. On that road, he found an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official, who was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, and the eunuch replied, "How could I unless someone explains it to me?". The eunuch invited Philip into his chariot, and Philip preached Jesus to him, starting with that scripture. When they came to some water, the eunuch asked what was stopping him from being baptized, and Philip baptized him after he confessed his belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Key Takeaways from the Sermon

• God's Command to Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19-20): Jesus commanded his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This isn't just about conversions; it's about helping people grow in their faith.

• The Power to Be a Witness (Acts 1:8): Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The Greek word for this power, "Dunamis," signifies a powerful force, like dynamite, that empowers us to share the gospel.

• Moving Beyond Our Comfort Zone (Acts 8:1): "On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." The disciples were comfortable, but God used persecution to get them to spread the Word beyond Jerusalem, showing us we must go beyond our own circles.

• The Power of Obedience (Acts 8:26-40): The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a powerful example of obedience. Philip was told to go to a specific road, and he obeyed. His obedience led to a divine appointment, and the eunuch, who was reading from Isaiah, came to believe and was baptized. Our obedience can have a profound impact on others.

• Our Message to Share: We should be prayerfully prepared to share the gospel. The core message is summarized by:

  • Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

  • Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

  • Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."

We must mix these truths with our own life testimony because that is the easiest and most powerful thing to share. The message God puts in your heart has the power to touch others.

Homework for the Congregation

I want to give you some homework. Last week, I asked you to write down the names of people to pray for daily. Now, I want you to go and prepare what you will say to a person you need to talk to. Write it down, and be ready to share.

Your message doesn't need to be exactly like what others have said, like what Peter spoke at Pentecost or what Philip shared with the eunuch. Instead, you need to prepare prayerfully.

I am telling you prophetically that God will lead you to someone who needs to hear that message. Let's set aside our fear and doubt and ask for the Holy Spirit's prompting and empowering to go and share. As the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." And as we prepare, let us also remember the promise in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Let's pray that the Lord will use each and every one of us to be His witnesses in our community and beyond.