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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/larry-perkins/spiritual-perspective/
Could we read from Luke 24, please? Gospel of Luke, chapter 24, and verse 1. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher, and they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.
And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And they remembered his words, and returned from the sepulcher, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. Now I would like to speak just for a few minutes on the importance of having a right perspective, and the importance of the scriptures in enabling us to have a right perspective.
You know, some like myself, we get up in the morning, I don't know about you, but I don't wear my glasses when I'm sleeping. But I wake up in the morning, I can't see very well, because my vision is not 20 -20.
And if I went around all day like that, I don't know what had happened, especially if I was driving. But I put on my glasses, and things come into focus. I want to look with you in this 24th chapter of Luke.
There are really three scenes here. We get, as we've been reading, the women at the tomb. And later on, we'll look at the two on the road to Emmaus. And then lastly, there's the eleven and others in the room.
But in each situation, these disciples had difficulty. We read that some were perplexed, others were sad, others were troubled and had doubts. There was great difficulty. But the Lord reminds them of what He said, and it makes all the difference.
And it's like for them, in each case, the light goes on, and they understand what's going on. Now, I don't have to tell you that God's people go through difficulties. And if we just interpret the difficulties by our own feelings, or what appears to be the situation, the situation can be very dark indeed.
Thank God that He's given us His Word. Thank God He's a living God, and He wants to speak to us. He has spoken in His Word. And just as He, well, we're going to see as the Lord interpreted the scriptures to His disciples, so they could have understanding of what was taking place.
This is what He wants to do for you and me today. Now, first of all, with the women now at the tomb, we read in verse 4 that they were perplexed. You know, they prepared all these spices. They thought they were going to anoint the body of the Lord Jesus.
They, first of all, find out that one of their problems has been taken away, their stones rolled away. But they find that the body of the Lord Jesus wasn't there. And it says they were much perplexed.
Now, Mr. Vine says that word has the thought of perplexity to the point of despair. I mean, they were bewildered. It's like things have gone from bad to worse. They'd seen the Lord crucified, and now His body's gone, and they don't understand.
They don't know what's going on. And you know, sometimes this happens to God's people today, doesn't it? Have you ever had situations where you just don't understand? You never thought that things were going to be like this.
And you say, why? What's going on? You're perplexed. And for some of us, we can be at the point of despair. But notice what the Lord does. He has these angels speak to them. And notice what they say in verse 6.
These angels say to the women, among the things they say, remember how He spoke to you when He was yet in Galilee. In other words, these angels say, remember what the Lord said? And He goes on to explain, if they've forgotten, in verse 7, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And then we read in verse 8, and they remembered His words. Now, let me ask you, do you think it made a difference? When they remembered? Now, just get the situation. They saw the Lord crucified. They couldn't understand that.
They saw Him buried, and now His body's gone. They don't understand that. But when they remember His words, He told them that He was going to be delivered into the hands of sinful men. He was going to be crucified, and He would rise again.
I'll tell you, it's like the light goes on. They say, ah, now we get it. I'll tell you, their darkness, this time of great darkness, and little do we understand what it must have been like for these disciples.
Their darkness was turned to day, just like that, because they remembered His words. Now, do you think that can happen to you and me? I'll tell you, we do ourselves a great disservice if we don't avail ourselves of the Scriptures.
We often hear the importance of reading the Scriptures day by day, and there are many reasons for that. But if we're not letting God speak to us day by day, in times of difficulty, how are we going to remember what He's told us?
How are we going to, just like in the morning, when I put my glasses on, things go into focus, God wants to use His Word so that we could put His Word on and look at things the way He looks at it. It can make all the difference.
And, you know, I don't know all your circumstances here today, and maybe there's some you can't understand why this has happened or this has happened, or what's going to happen. I'll tell you how wonderful it is to be able to sit down and remember His words.
Now, I just want to mention one more thing. They not only remembered His words, the light not only went on, but it says, verse 9, they returned from the sepulchre and told all these things unto the eleven and to all the rest.
They had a story to tell now. You see, the Word of God can be just theory to us. We may believe it, but I'll tell you, when you experience the reality of it, you've got a message to tell. They had a message to tell.
But look now with me in verse 13. These two on the road. And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem, about three score furlongs, that'd be seven or eight miles.
And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass that while they communed together in reason, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know Him.
And He said unto them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another as you walk and are sad? And 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 are 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 trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Down to verse 25. 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. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went, and 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 He went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread and blessed it, and break, and gave to them.
And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him. And He vanished out of their sight. 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.
And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together. And then there were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them in breaking of bread.
Now here are these two, whoever they were, Cleopas and the other one. I kind of like to think it was his wife, but of course I don't know. It says in verse 17 that the Lord asked them what they were talking about as they were walking along, and the end of verse 17, and are sad.
They were sad. They were downcast. And I don't know, I wasn't there, but I don't imagine they had much spring in their step, do you? Again, they didn't know what was going on. They say in verse, when they're talking to the Lord, verse 21, We trusted, or we were hoping that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel.
They were hoping that the Lord Jesus was going to set the Jews free from the Roman bondage. And yet things didn't turn out the way they expected. And here they are, they're downcast, they're sad, as they trudge along.
You know it's possible for us to walk through life, to trudge along, to be sad. See, they didn't understand what was really going on. And I would have probably done the same thing. They were just interpreting the circumstances through their natural vision, their natural reasoning.
But notice what the Lord says, see there was a problem, but God gave them a reminder. And I believe one reason he has conferences, one reason God wants us to meet together in assembly capacity, he wants to remind us.
And of course, when we read the Bible day by day, he can remind us. But in verse 25, the Lord says to them, oh fools. Now, it doesn't mean that they were imbeciles. They just didn't have understanding, spiritual understanding.
He says, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Is that where you and I are at from time to time? Slow of heart. Our hearts, you know, can be cold. They can be slow to believe what God has written.
But then he says in verse 27, or we read, and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them, he explained to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. And I'm sure you've thought of what it must have been like for them.
Did he talk to them about Genesis 22, about Abraham sacrificing Isaac, or going to sacrifice Isaac, and what a picture that is of God giving his son. Did he talk to them about Psalm 22, which begins, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Such a graphic depiction of crucifixion. They pierced my hands and my feet. Did he explain to them that that's talking about him and his suffering? Did he talk to them about Isaiah 53, but he was wounded for their transgressions, and so on?
I don't know. But he explained to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself. You know, brother, sister, we read that the Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And I know he's not here in bodily form, but I believe that what he did for them, he explained to them in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself.
He wants to do that for you and me today, if we let him. And what's the response? In verse 32, the two say, now, not slow of heart now, but they say, didn't our heart burn within us? While he talked to us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures.
Do you think they're looking at things a little differently now? Well, I know the Lord appeared to them then when he took bread and so on. I know that, but I don't think we can underestimate either the importance of the scriptures.
It says he explained to them in all the scriptures, and they say he opened to us the scriptures. What was the result of this? They just sat there and enjoyed heartburn? No, it says they rose up the same hour.
And they went back to Jerusalem, verse 35, and they told what things were done. They had a story to tell. They had a different perspective than they had at the beginning of their journey. And you probably marveled as I have, that here it's, I mean, probably evening now, seven or eight miles, and they start out for Jerusalem.
And I wouldn't be surprised, but they had a little more spring in their step. And going back to Jerusalem, some of you brothers and sisters have been to Israel. I haven't, but Jerusalem's up, right? And maybe it's an uphill going back that seven or eight miles, but I believe there was a spring in their step.
Why? They had a different perspective, different perspective. They understood. They remembered what the Lord said. They were looking at things now through the eyes of scripture. But just one more thing.
Look with me now in verse 36. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, now we're back in Jerusalem, of course, and saith unto them, peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
And he said unto them, why are you troubled? And why do thoughts or doubts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have.
Down to verse 44. And he said unto them, these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me.
Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. And said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And you are witnesses of these things. Now I'll just stop there. Now here the Lord appears to them. They're in the room, likely the upper room. Says in verse 37, they were terrified and affrighted. They thought they were seeing a ghost, the Lord appearing then.
And the Lord says them in verse 38, why are you troubled? And why do thoughts, that is, why do doubts arise in your hearts? Now here, it's not so much being perplexed or sad, but they're agitated. I mean, I guess it's hard for us to imagine what it would be like that somebody they'd seen crucified and buried all of a sudden appears in their midst.
Suddenly the doors are shut. So they're troubled and they're terrified and there's doubts. Now to me, it's not a leap to bring this into some of our circumstances. And I'm not talking about the Lord appearing in any visionary form, but you know, circumstances can terrify us.
They can agitate us and doubts can come in like a flood. Now I know the Lord said, behold my hands and my feet. I know that, but notice what he said in verse 44. Again, he reminds them of his word. These are the words he said that I spoke to you when I was yet with you.
And in verse 44, 45 says, then he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. You know, I think I need to understand this better, that I need the Lord to open my understanding if I'm going to understand the scriptures.
You know, so often we can just read it and, you know, by our own mental abilities or non-abilities, you know, try to understand it. But thank God, he's the living Christ. And he wants to open our understanding if we let him to understand the scriptures, not just to get a bunch of knowledge so we can show off how much we know.
May the Lord preserve us. But so we can bring the scriptures into every aspect of our life and to interpret our circumstances by what the word of God says. Now, the Lord told him, he says, you're witnesses of these things.
And he says, repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name. You know, difficult circumstances may come into us, into our lives that cause perplexity, causes to be downcast, causes to be trouble.
But God has given us his word, brother, sister. He's given us his word. And not only that, but he's the living Christ and he wants to open us, open our understanding so we can understand it. But it doesn't stop there.
You know, he has saved you and me out of the multitudes. And we can be thankful, those of us that are in assembly fellowship for the teaching that we received as a result of being in the assembly. Some of us know what it's like to be in other places.
And there are some tremendous Christians out there. I wouldn't say anything about that, but I'll tell you, I'm thankful for the teaching that I've received in the assembly. But, you know, we're responsible now.
We have a message to tell to others. And, you know, sometimes God lets us go through dark circumstances, difficulties that we at first may not understand. But I'll tell you, when we do understand and when he brings us through it, just like he did these disciples, what a difference at the end of the chapter than the beginning.
It's so dark and gloomy. And at the end, there's tremendous joy. They're praising, they're worshiping God. Listen, God specializes in turning darkness into day. And while he might bring us into dark valleys, he's going to bring us through the valley and out the other side.
God has purposes for us. May the Lord encourage you and me to look at circumstances through the eye of scriptures, to have a right perspective that can make all the difference.