Sermon Cloud

Hearts On Fire For God

Luke 24:13-35

Let me give you the context of our passage this morning.

• Luke gives us a story that is not found in any other Gospel – the disciples on the Emmaus Road.
• It was the afternoon of Resurrection Sunday
• These disciples were on their way to the small town of Emmaus which was about seven miles west of Jerusalem
• It was after the regular Sabbath – following Jesus’ death – and they were discussing the momentous events of recent days

READ LUKE 24:13-35

Luke 24:32 – “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

WHAT IS A “BURNING HEART?”

A.  It is a descriptive term for a “new” or “renewed” devotion to the Lord

B.  In Scripture, God’s presence is often associated with fire.

1. When God confirmed His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:17, it was a “smoking furnace and a burning lamp” that passed between the pieces of sacrifice.
2. It was with a pillar of a cloud and a pillar of fire that God led the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage

FRIENDS – God had first spoke to Moses from that bush that burned.

• Later in the N.T., God descended upon the disciples in the upper room and the Holy Spirit was manifested as “cloven tongues like as fire.”

Acts 2:1-3 – “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

• So an appropriate definition of a “burning heart” would be “a heart on fire for God because of His presence in Your life”

NOW THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE WAYS TO PUT OUT A FIRE

1. You can pour water on it and it will go out
2. You can smother it and it will go out - OR
3. You can just neglect to put fuel on it and it will eventually go out

FRIENDS – The same is true of a burning heart!

HOW CAN WE GET A “BURNING HEART”?

A.  It is “ignited” by the Scriptures

Luke 24:25-27 - “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁶Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

1)      - Jesus had just finished expounding unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself

2)   In V.25 Jesus stops playing dumb. Rather, He begins to lecture them on their denseness and lack of faith.

“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”

• “fools” – The idea here is not some much a negative term as one that portrays the idea of “lacking understanding”
• “slow of heart” – has the idea “dull of heart”

FRIENDS – These disciples ultimate problem was their lack of understanding and a sluggish faith in “the Prophets”

• To put that in modern terms – They did not have a good understanding of God’s Word
• Therefore they did not have the spiritual maturity to grasp the truth that Jesus was trying to bring to them

IN OTHER WORDS – they had a real problem understanding the Word of God

MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM!

B.  V.32 – Notice what the disciples say in v.32

“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”

FRIENDS – Do we allow God to daily open the Scriptures to us?

• Most of the time we spend more time watching TV than we do in Bible study and meditation
• We usually find time for what we think is important in our lives
• Maybe – it’s time we re-evaluate our priorities

“DID NOT OUR HEARTS BURN WITHIN US … WHILE HE OPENED THE SCRIPTURES.”

C.  Our “Burning Heart” Is Intensified By Communion With Him

1.  V.32 – “… while he talked with us by the way…”

 Consider Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  ⁴²But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

1. Every time we find Mary at the feet of Jesus

• In this instance she is there to receive a blessing

1. In John 11:32 she fell at the feet of Jesus when she had a burden over her brother Lazarus.
2. Later in John 12:3 we find her at the His feet giving her best as she anoints His and wipes His feet with her hair.

FRIENDS – DO YOU SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

• We find Martha busy – too busy – and having trouble in the kitchen
• Here she comes worrying about all sorts of things
• She became demanding of the Lord to get what she wanted done
• She wanted the Lord to straighten out her sister for not helping – but the Lord gave her a rebuke

Jesus told her that while she was very busy serving she had missed the most important part:

• Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet and it was the one thing that was needful or necessary

 FRIENDS – Not only was it most important – but it was permanent: “that which should not be taken away from her.”

• In the Christian life our choices are not usually between what is good and what is evil
• Usually the choices we make are between what is good and what is best
• So often our lives are consume with many good activities – but we are so busy about these things that we neglect what is most important – SPENDING TIME WITH OUR LORD!

 NOTICE: These two disciples had communed with the risen Lord!

• But it had been Jesus who initiated the fellowship.

John 4:23 - Jesus said: “true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

FRIENDS – God is seeking our fellowship and communion – but we must respond!

• V.28 – “And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.”
• God seeks our fellowship – but He will not force Himself upon anyone
• He will not stay where He is not welcome
• V.29 - “But they constrained Him, saying “abide with us …”

A “Burning Heart” is ignited by the Scriptures – It is “intensified but our communion with Him” AND it will “Inspire” us to become active.

1. The disciples had traveled a day’s journey from Jerusalem and had stopped for the night – had supper – and were making ready for the evening’s slumber.
2. When Jesus broke bread and gave it to them – their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.
3. Perhaps it was the scars in His hands or the way He prayed but there was now no question about His identity.

At that very moment He vanished from their sight and they began to discuss what had just happened to them.

1. They couldn’t sleep now – they had to go tell the other disciples what they had just experienced

FRIENDS – This was at night and they were seven miles from Jerusalem – BUT – that made little difference to them.

• When our hearts are burning within us with the presence and reality of God
• We won’t be able to keep it to ourselves or act casually about it
• We will not only want to – BUT – we will have to share it with someone else.

 CHANGED HEARTS = CHANGED LIVES

A.  Their Encounter With Jesus Changed Their Direction

• They hurried back to Jerusalem

B.  Their Encounter With Jesus Changed Their Message

• No longer did they moan about His death
• They proclaimed that He is alive!

C.  It Changed Their Attitudes Completely!

• V.32 – “Did not our hearts burn within us”

 CLOSE

HEAR ME THIS MORNING CHURCH:

DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD?

• Have you placed your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary”?
• Have you come to Him for salvation?

 IF NOT – Then I want to invite you to come to Him and receive eternal life through faith in Jesus.

 DO YOU HAVE A BURNING HEART FOR THE LORD?

1. Sin will immediately quench a burning heart

EXAMPLE:  David was a man after God’s own heart – BUT – sin broke his fellowship with God and brought him sorrow and pain

1. When we get so busy in our lives that we begin to crowd God out with our other priorities – we smother the fire in our hearts
2. If we neglect God’s Word – If we neglect spending time with Him in prayer and fellowship – our hearts will begin to cool and our activity will begin to slow to a stop