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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/tj-thompson/the-lords-presence/
Luke's Gospel, chapter 24, verse 13. And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was in Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened, and it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
But their eyes were whole in that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communication is this, that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad? One of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which were come to pass there in these days?
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty indeed in word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him.
But we trust that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day which these things are done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, and were early at the sepulchre.
And when they found not the body, they came saying that they had seen a vision of angels which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said, but him they saw not.
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them and all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
As they drew now into the village where they went, he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent, and who then tarried with them?
And it came to pass, as he said it meet with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight. They said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, found the eleven gathered together, and them that were risen, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared the same. Now may the Lord bless this lovely, lovely portion of God's precious word, and I trust that what is on my heart, the Lord will give us help to give the Lord's people encouragement from this little passage.
The one thing I want to draw near is verse 15. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. And is that not the desire of each one of us, that we would know the companionship of the Lord Jesus?
Once when studying Philippians chapter 4, I'm not too sure of the verse, but it says, Let your yieldingness be made known unto man. And it says there, The Lord is at your elbow. That was Mr. Young and his critical comments.
The Lord is at your elbow. And I have enjoyed that experimentally, not theoretically, but experimentally in so many, many experiences that the Lord has taken through in our lives. And this would be lovely just to know the presence of the Lord Jesus with you.
And what it brings, you'd find that in the word of God, there are some, and I'm sure because some of us have been that way ourselves in Luke chapter 7 and 12, you find a woman there. It's a pathetic picture.
Her son is being carried out in a casket to be buried. What a sad scene it was. A weary, sad widow, and you find what she needed above everything else is comfort. You would find that there are many today.
Not just we don't want to tell a story or something out of the Scriptures, but there may be some here today. And we would love to encourage you to tell you what brings the Lord Jesus Christ near. Notice that.
You find that when the Lord asks them about what these things, what the things which are come to pass these days, the things. They were speaking about right things. They were speaking about what happened to the Lord Jesus Christ.
But the thing is, they missed his presence. They thought, and they were wrong, and quite often when we think, we are wrong too. But among the things that, if you look at this, they were going away from the place where the Lord Jesus Christ was rejected.
So, I would think of that they were on the right road. They were speaking about the right things, and you find that their heart was sad. And brethren and sisters, that's how the Lord Jesus drew near to them.
They were speaking about the things of the Lord Jesus. It may be that they were unlike us, because him they found not. They missed the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We sing sometimes, I must have the Savior with me, for I dare not walk alone.
I must feel his presence near me, and his arms around me thrown. And how we need that in the trials and the difficulties of life. And it's nice to be able to say that in the difficulties of life that some of us have gone through, and the things that have happened to us, you find it was lovely to have the Lord Jesus knowing him at your side.
And this is what you'll find. The Lord was the silent listener to their conversation. We can talk about many things, and these things are right. I can talk to Bill here about when we were boys in Ballyhackam, our gospel hall.
And it was interesting, because I shouldn't just digress, but I'm going to do it anyway. But Bill is younger than me, and we used to sit at the back. And over there, the culture was that when you became 14, you could have long trousers.
And I had long trousers, and Bill had short ones. So we can talk about those things. We talk about the Sunday school we were brought up in, dear Mr. Robinson, and all those things. And those are good things.
But you know, there's nothing like speaking about the things of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to realize that he's listening to us, and how that would govern the things that we speak about one to another.
Now we know, and we would be very foolish to say we didn't, but there are many trials that God's people are going through. There are many assemblies where there's things that are not right, trials that they're going through.
And we could speak about those things. But there are things that are not as important as speaking about the Lord himself. They were talking about the things that happened. They were talking about their expectations and their hopes.
And you find that there was one, and he heard them, and they were talking about himself. You know, that is a key of enjoying the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. It's a lovely thing, and our brother was speaking about his wife, it's a lovely thing to sit down in the morning together, and open the Scriptures, and read about the blessed Savior.
And then read devotions, and it encourages you. And one of the things personally I do every morning, I go back to the City Hall in Belfast, and there's a little street up there, and there's a building up on the right, and I go back there every morning and remember how God saved my precious soul.
I do that every morning, and the reason is, it takes you back to the time when God took a hopeless, helpless, hell-deserving sinner, saved him by his grace. What wonderful things to be able to talk about the things of the Lord.
Now, of course, it says here, they were walking away from Jerusalem, the place where he had been rejected. And you know, that is one thing that we should remember, that this world has rejected the Lord Jesus, and they have an antagonism of hate to the person of Christ.
And you find that they would speak about him in derogatory words. And the Word of God says concerning us, and I want you to realize this, please. The world is that sphere that you and I live in that has rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior, who loved us and gave himself for us.
Some of us would remember before there was the United Nations, and you find there was three men that came together. I think I'm right in this. Joseph Stalin, Yanni Smuts of South Africa, President Roosevelt of America.
And they got together, they were going to have a United Nations, but Joe Stalin wouldn't have anything to do with God. And there's no God mentioned in the United Nations. Dear brother and sister, where the Lord Jesus, where God is denied and set aside, there'll never be any peace.
People have tried it, and there's no peace. They talk about peace, but there's no peace. The Lord Jesus said that. There'll be wars and rumors of wars, and we've got wars all over the place. But the thing is, brethren and sisters, that we can look and we can see so-called United Nations, it's a good object of the world.
There's no God there. He's been canceled out. And that's the same in this world. And you find it's a sphere. I want to speak honestly. I want to speak kindly. I want to speak to your heart. I used to love a number of things, and these things were not bad in themselves.
But you know, when God began to deal with me and my sins, there was a lot of things that held me back. And you may forgive me, but I looked at those things, and I want to have nothing to do with them.
I loved boxing. I loved football. I loved all these things of the world. I loved going to... I'm not going to speak anything about that. But there was things that... I loved things of the world. But you know, when the Lord Jesus Christ saved me, He saved me, as the Word of God tells us, out of the world.
Out of the world. And I believe this, that one of the things we want to have in our hearts, and I speak to the young people, is a thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus that we're saved and we're on our way to heaven.
Just shortly I was saved, I left for Africa. And on the ship, I saw the world. Just sat in it. Sat in the world. And then, we weren't very intelligent in the Scriptures. Thought Sunday, we should go to church.
And the man that was speaking was an English captain. He was a captain of the ship, because there was no Anglican clergyman there to take the service he was in. Well, I saw him during the week. And he was no fit person to be taking a message.
I saw two elderly men. Now you forgive me for this. I saw two elderly Scotch Presbyterian, three Scotch Presbyterian ministers. And they were at the service. And you know, if you've ever been in it, you know it's down and up and down and up and down and up.
And I looked around to see if there was anybody who went down and up. And here, it was these two men. And they didn't go down. They just did what I did. Sat there. And I went to them afterwards. And you know, we started.
And I think it was something that the Lord was leading and guiding. I said, they had both collars on their neck. And I said, well, I really... You know, when you're saved, you know, we say things maybe it wasn't right.
But I said, well, I don't agree with that. But I said, why don't you use it and get us a place where we can have a Bible study. So, they went and we had a Bible study. And I learned on my way out, the Lord had just saved me.
And I belonged to him. And my life belonged to him. And on that journey out, I believe things began to change. And I thank God for that. Just to have the Lord Jesus with you. Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
Now, you can have your own devotion on it. But you find in Luke 7 and 12, I mentioned before, a mother passing, following a casket or whatever you call it here, a coffin, a casket. And her son being carried away to be buried.
A sad, sad scene indeed. Jesus himself drew near. And what did he give her? You find that he says, weep not. First of all, there was that word of comfort. Weep not. And it wasn't too long until I say unto thee, arise a young man.
And what did the Lord do? The sorrowing widow. I can't express just how she must have felt. But I believe that she must have been thrilled her very soul with the joy and satisfaction to know that Jesus drew near.
Now, there may be some dear widows here. Practice the presence of the Lord Jesus. Talk to him. Take that little portion from Philippians 4. Let your yieldingness be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
I used to think I'd lose his coming. But you know, Mr. Strong, he put it this way. The Lord is at your elbow. So remember that. He drew near to the widow. If you remember in John's Gospel, chapter 6, there you have them at the sea, rowing, not making much headway.
And you find the Lord Jesus Christ drew near. And what did he do? He gave them what they needed most. And that was courage to go on. Our brothers have been speaking. Some of them mentioned this. You labor on, you sow the seed.
You don't see often much fruit in it. But the thing is, it's God. There's ways that God... If you want a series of meetings, wonderful. But remember, if you don't sow the seed, you'll never reap. And that is what we are.
We are seed sowers. I'm not talking about going around in these great textiles. That's good. But we're sowing seed. And God will show us in his own time that our labor is not in vain in the Lord. I remember in the store.
It was the same day. Marjorie and I were in the store. And two hands came across over there. I said, well, who is it? And I turned around. Well, I knew him. I recognized him because he had a big, wide jaw.
And they closed it in. And I knew who it was. She said, Uncle Tommy. He said, you'd be glad to know I was saved. I didn't know it. The same time, the same store, a girl came up. She was from Nome. And she said, I went to your Sunday school.
I said, yes. Did you learn anything? And she says, I learned so much I got saved. I didn't know about that. So please go on laboring. And know this. That the Lord draws near. And the work is his. Keep sowing.
And God says, he that goeth forth weaving bearing precious seed shall surely come again rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Now, excuse me. But I think, you know, to be a missionary, you need to have a good sense of humor as well as spirituality.
But I could tell you here today some awkward people that I've seen saved. And in Ireland we used to have in the shipyard the awkward squad. Do you remember that? And I often think, Tommy, when you come along to the Lord, you'll bring your awkward squad with you.
So we thank God that the Lord's presence, oh, how precious it is, to the widow and these men who were rowing. Laborers, go on laboring. Don't, you know, you wouldn't go out to the garden and pick up a lettuce if you hadn't sown the seed.
And that's what it is. You're sowing seed. And the only increase, the one that increases is God. And don't be in a hurry. Look at, what is it, 1 Peter 1, verse 23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of the incorruptible seed, which is the word of God that abides forever.
And I want you to look at that. Being born again. There may be somebody in this meeting today, and you find that God is developing a work in you. I know there's some people and they hear and then they get saved.
But really what I believe, mothers, we thank God for them. Sunday school teachers, we were talking about some of them we had. And they sowed the seed. And the day came when God gave the increase. So, go ahead.
Keep there. Those ones who were on the sea and they were rowing, you find he brought them encouragement to go on. And then you find also in John 20, verse 14. And it's an easy thing to go to the grave and weep over it.
And here you find Mary weeping. And it's right. You know, when one that you really love and have enjoyed, and the Lord takes them from your side, you go and you visit, shed a little tear. But you notice what happened with her?
It says, the Lord drew near. What did it end with? Joy. I always loved that. Where the Lord made himself known to her. She knew it was him. Rabona! And she just, as it were, as a woman, he just put her and the Lord said, I don't think he was making a sense of that.
I believe it was just the devotion of her heart. But there he was in all the loveliness of his presence. And you find in John chapter 20, verse 26. Except I see him and I put my finger in the holes in his hands, and I say, I will not believe.
This is one of the disabled. And Jesus appeared. This man who had lost his faith, he told him, Thomas, reach forth thy finger, thy hand. He broke them down. His presence, Thomas said, my Lord and my God.
Brethren and sisters, the Lord, we know that he died in Calvary. He ascended to God's right hand. But also, we were sitting this morning remembering him. And we knew his presence with us. Because he has promised to be with us.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And oh, how often we have had what you would call heavenly experiences down here on earth. And you know, thank God, we believe in the priesthood of believers.
That's not every man's a preacher. Please remember that. But we're all priests. And the way I sit behind a man in the meeting, and he's a black man. He's a son of mine, a spiritual son. As I sit beside him, you know, one of the things we taught him in the early days, forget about Saturday night and run here hither and thonder.
Prepare to bring something to the Lord. For none shall appear before him empty. And each Lord's Day morning, no matter if we had, and I think our brother Bill's been up there, and others who've been up there, Eric's been there, doesn't faze him one bit, who's in the audience.
But there he is up, and he's ready to worship the Lord Jesus. Oh, it's a wonderful thing. When we know the presence of the Lord Jesus, and what it will bring. It brought this, you notice, some of the lovely things.
It says here, in verse 27, He opened up to them the scriptures concerning himself. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and entered into his glory? I often think how wonderful it was when the Lord expounded here, verse 27, himself in all the scriptures.
And brethren, isn't that what it's all about? Himself in all the scriptures. There's nothing that is more important than seeing Christ in all the scriptures. He expounded them in all the scriptures. I heard the story, it was in Bellamena, and there are good Christians there, so I don't think they were telling lies, about this man.
He wanted to get something to entertain his children. And he went out and he got one of these jigsaw puzzles. And he got a very difficult one. And he thought, that'll keep them occupied for some time.
It wasn't very long before they came back and it was finished. Well, the story they told there, and I believe that people in Bellamena, didn't you? They discovered that there was a face on the back of the jigsaw puzzle.
So they put the face together and turned it upside. And you know, that's just the same, brethren and sisters. When Christ draws near, the puzzles can be easily put together. And we'll see. And it's a wonderful thing to be, to be saved in the assembly, and enjoying the companionship and the fellowship.
That's one thing sometimes we really miss. We're thankful to be here and with the Lord's people. Sometimes you're way up there and there's very few. By the way, any young man here who exercises about the Lord's work, there's places up north.
You're wasting your time. I remember a fellow, dear Albert, you know him. And he and I were having meetings and I was going around. This was in Sandy Row. And I was going around every day. And he was at work as an electrical inspector.
And he would come out on all the visiting. And I says, Albert, what are you working down there in shorts for? He says, you've got a gift. And I says, you should use it for the Lord. And dear Albert did.
And he saw, he was out in the Lord's work. He saw many precious souls reached and saved. Now if some of you know him, pray for him. His dear wife has passed on. And he's in Faith House. And he needs our prayers.
But Brelin, there's nothing like this. Jesus himself draws near. And may he draw near and go with us as we depart the conference. And go to our different areas of testimony. The Lord bless us as we part in Jesus' name.