Powerhouse 08.03

Power House Message March 22, 2008

Lord, Open Our Eyes KEY TEXT Luke 24:13-49 INTRODUCTION How many of you guys have gone sightseeing before? You go sightseeing to see something amazing. You might go to some great place and there might be a great sight before you, but if your eyes are closed you cannot see it! In the same way God is real. What He is doing and saying is real. However, since some people’s spiritual eyes are closed and their hearts are hardened, they do not understand what God is doing or saying. Only the power of the Holy Spirit to give revelation can open our eyes to see the truth of Jesus Christ. BODY Background story: Jesus was crucified and He died. At around the same time more news broke out that Jesus was alive! During this time two followers of Jesus are walking to a town called Emmaus while Jesus walked among them (although they could not see who Jesus truly was). They began to explain to Jesus what had been going on in town concerning Jesus’ death and supposed resurrection. Jesus talked to them through the scriptures so that they could understand what was truly going on. How do you know who Jesus is?  Learn it through scripture! These people saw Jesus performing miracles, were with Jesus, heard their teachings, and heard many times that Jesus was supposed to die but the disciples could not understand! Without revelation, we cannot truly hear and our hearts cannot be touched. Some people need intellectual reasoning to understand while some need biblical reasoning to explain the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Risen One, the Savior and Lord over all! Biblical Reasoning 

Why Jesus had to die: Isaiah 53  Jesus had to be pierced for our sins, whipped so that we could be healed.



Who is our oppressor: Our oppressor is not Rome (during the time of the Israelites), the Japanese (through WWII), the Nazis (during WWII, etc.) but our oppressor is Satan, the one working through our desires. If we fail to see this, that Satan is the true oppressor, then we fail to see that Jesus is the Messiah. The followers of Jesus could not see that the true

Lord, Open Our Eyes

1

Power House Message March 22, 2008

oppressor was Satan so they were confused about Jesus being the Messiah or not. 

Scripture: So Jesus explained through scripture (probably through Isaiah) that Jesus had to come, had to die for our sins, and had to pay the price for us!



Lordship/Ruler-ship: Illustration of Lion King (Hyenas thought that there would be no king after Mufasa was killed but Scar said they were fools because he would be king after Mufasa’s death!) For Jesus to rule over us as Lord and King, He had to rise again from the death since death = sin = Satan…when He defeated death He defeated the king of this world.

*** Jesus must come and pay the price for our sin and rise again so that He could become Lord and Ruler of all generations (Isaiah 11:9 – God’s desire is that all people would come to know the Lord). -

Since the two followers of Christ did not see how Jesus had saved Israel from oppression (because they were seeing things through human eyes) they thought that Jesus might not be the Messiah.

-

However, through scripture Jesus was able to show them the truth of what He had done.

Intellectual Reasoning 

How is scripture true? -

Textual Criticism  More copies of the manuscripts = less doubt about the authenticity of the original (example: counterfeit $100 bill, not a $3 bill because there is no such thing) 

Shorter the time gap between the original and the earliest extant copy = less doubt about the original

- Historical Texts and Their Authenticity 

Heroditus & Thucydides  1300 yrs., 8 copies



Tacitus  1000 yrs., 20 copies



Caesar’s Gallic Wars  950 yrs., 9-10 copies



Livy’s Roman History  900 yrs., 20 copies



New Testament  300 yrs, 5309 copies in Greek, 10000 in Latin, 9300 other, 36000 citations (this is with 40 different authors from different generations and different professions writing the Bible separately  H.S. anointing)



Even with scientific proof…people still want to attack the authenticity of Jesus Christ. It is not because they have no evidence  some out of ignorance reject the truth while others reject it because of hardened hearts.



Theory of the Absence of the Tomb 1. Jesus never died. - Medical evidence: the soldier pierced Jesus side on the cross and blood and

Lord, Open Our Eyes

2

Power House Message March 22, 2008

water flowed out  when one is dead, the clot and serum separate with blood and water flowing out 2. The disciples stole the body - They were persecuted! Why would they steal Jesus’ body and fake everything to be persecuted for something that they made up? 3. The authorities stole the body -

There is no benefit to them since Christianity was starting to grow. They could have brought the body out to prove Christianity was wrong, but they didn’t!

4. Robbers stole the body -

Robbers only steal things of worth.

-

Jesus body had no worth…only the cloth had some value and that was left!

So why don’t people believe? 2 Corinthians 3:14 – people’s minds were hardened But what did Jesus do? Jesus used Scripture to prove and as the scripture was being said, the follower’s hearts were burning with passion = revelation (done through the power of the H.S.). Jesus then sat and broke bread with them = communing with them and then suddenly, their eyes were opened. By believing in Christ, the veil that blinds people from seeing the truth will be removed! Believe in the Lord and He will cause your heart and your mind to perceive the things of God (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). CONCLUSION What’s still keeping you from believing in Jesus Christ, what is keeping you from turning your life back to Jesus Christ? I pray that Jesus will pour His revelation upon you. But you must receive Jesus into your heart first in order for Him to reveal greater truth to you. QUESTIONS 1. What is hindering you from believing in Jesus/receiving Jesus/being fully committed to God’s calling? 2. Why do you suppose many people still refuse to accept Jesus and the truth of the Bible? 3.

What can you do to help them? (You must pray that their eyes may be opened and that they will receive/believe in Jesus).

Lord, Open Our Eyes

3