Luke

[0:00] the words which I trust the Lord will enable me to make a few remarks we found in the 24th chapter in the Gospel of Luke verse 15 the 24th chapter in the Gospel of Luke verse 15 and it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned Jesus himself drew near and went with them there are two types of religion one force the other real but it matters not what we may call ourselves it will be a concern to us if we are the people of God to know whether our religion is real or false in false religion there is reason in true religion there is communion and also reason and we read here while they communed together and reasoned

[1:52] I feel that in this chapter the experiences of the Lord's people are so clearly portrayed perhaps more than any other portion in the word of God faith unbelief and it came to pass we should take notice of this it came to pass what came to pass that which God in eternity had already ordained he knew in eternity that on this certain day these two would be at a certain spot on their journey he knew what their hearts would be feeling he knew the need of his presence and so it is with all the Lord's people if we are the Lord's the Lord has a very watchful loving care toward us so often we may be taken up with our circumstances the trials of the way but the Lord knows everything about us he knows when his help will be most needed and also he knows when to get that help in an unseen way as well as to grant those visible signs of his presence in our midst now these characters mentioned in this chapter knew the Lord

[4:15] Jesus they'd heard his voice they'd seen him they knew him they'd followed him and also they'd seen him cruelly persecuted and crucified and we see carnal reasoning opening this chapter although they believed that he was the son of God although they believed him to be without sin yet we find a zeal for the things of God as they very early in the morning as soon as it was light they came unto the sepulcher what a mercy it is if we have a zeal for the things of

[5:23] God but how we want a right zeal so many today they have a zeal in their religion but it's not a right zeal it is a zeal where they will be seen and heard of men but don't have that secret zeal within our hearts that we would see Jesus that we might forego rest which may be most needful or anything else which may be so needful to us if only we could have a glimpse of the Lord Jesus but you see amidst all this they brought spices which they had prepared the spices were to preserve that body that body of the

[6:26] Lord Jesus which was sinless needed no preservatives that body would never decay that body could never corrupt because there was no sin in it but you see they reasoned they reasoned and yet there was love in that reasoning and so you see we have to be very careful we have to examine ourselves even with our zeal even with our so called love for the Lord that our love is right and that our zeal is right but when they came to the sepulchre how different things were to what they expected they expected to see that stone still there sometimes we view things with our carnal reasoning and we expect the Lord to work in a certain way we expect to find this in our pathways we journey on and as we perhaps go to the sepulchre we expect to see the stone there but how different as they came to the sepulchre so the stone was removed and also him whom they were seeking was removed and despite what the

[8:14] Lord had told them how forgetful they were isn't this a word of comfort to us how the Lord perhaps has in time past manifested himself to us how we felt such a love to the Lord how we felt his presence in our very hearts we said Lord we'll never doubt again never doubt again I know now that thou art my God I know now that whatever happens thou art an unchangeable God I know I know now that I am right and safe for life and for eternity but it's not very long before we find this that as we look to him he's gone things appear so different to what we expected and they were perplexed they were perplexed and I believe that in true religion there will be much to perplexion true religion is not an easy matter it is the reason but to a child of

[9:44] God it is a most perplexing thing things seem to be so different to what reason would have reason says yes if you do those things which are right in the sight of God you'll be safe you'll please God but you see when one is brought into communion with God they know that they cannot do anything that will please him that will be acceptable under him apart from his hope reason says I am as good as anybody else reason says I read the word of God I believe ah but there's a difference between believing and knowing and communing with our God and one of the things which is lacking today in the churches is this communion communion one with each other but above all communion with God so often we may sit around the Lord's table which we call communion but how often do we commune with him and yet communion is one of the greatest blessings all the blessings of God are great but communion is one of the greatest blessings the Lord's people could ever have now to have communion we must have things in common how can two walk together except they be agreed our friend here who has been brought through an operation can now commune with others as we will commune with her it is that which she knew perhaps so little about before and others who have never walked this pathway can never realize what this means but you see there are things which we have in common one with each other naturally and we're able to commune one with each other upon these things whether it be in bereavement sorrow affliction and it's sweet to commune it's comforting but there is that common interest now these you see and it came to pass that while they communed together and not only did they commune but with their communion there was also reasoning and we must remember this that there is such a thing as communing and to other

[13:09] Lord's dear people communing to no profit these two were very sad and as they journeyed on their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus knowing that they had a similar nature similar mind to what we had we could tell something of the doubts and the fears that they had now as they communed did they confirm the doubts and the fears it is so easy when perhaps we are speaking of those things which we hope the Lord has done for us even as we communicate one to each other to dampen the spirits of another to bring that one into doubt and unbelief but what a mercy it is and what a great blessing it is when two are journeying together and they are able to commune upon the things of

[14:23] God this is one of the benefits of true religion this is something which the professor knows nothing about he can commune with those that have a fleshly religion they can talk of doing this and doing the other and he can say yes you want to do this you want to do the other why because he doesn't know anything of his sinful heart he doesn't know anything of his depraved nature but what a mercy it is for the Lord's poor tried afflicted people to meet another full of doubt full of fear with a heart the same as they have and then to be able to speak of what the Lord has done how the Lord has subdued that sin within them how the

[15:25] Lord has come and met with them how the Lord has lifted them above all their doubts and all their fears how he has come personally to them I'd rather have one minute of communion with the Lord Jesus than ten thousand years of a dead form of religion of bible reading and so on once they grant me the visits of thy faith and I desire no more I desire no more as we journeyed here this afternoon we felt to be absolutely full of Satan full of the devil and as with regard to coming before tonight well we felt it was impossible we even rebelled against the

[16:30] Lord in preserving our life we have recently experienced such a nearness such communion with the Lord and then to be brought into that place where we seem to be full of the devil and I said Lord why didst thou preserve me why am I brought here and then just before we left for the service Jesus Jesus himself drew near he didn't send the priest he never sent someone in his state but Jesus himself think of it what greater guest what greater friend what greater blessing could we have

[17:36] I say he never sent as it were Moses or Isaiah he never sent the prophets or the priest but he came himself and when the Lord comes himself you'll know it you'll know it and it came to pass it came to pass the Lord knew the very place and the very time and the very spot when his need would be most appreciated he knew the time of blessing and he was with his people and it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned Jesus himself drew near I like that it wouldn't seem half so sweet even if it said Jesus drew near but Jesus himself there were these two their hearts sad full of unbelief because they spoke to him and they said that concerning

[19:03] Jesus of Nazareth which was a mighty prophet mighty indeed and word before God and all the people but we trusted that it had been he now you see there is that it couldn't be he they 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 and so you see they had as it were a certain amount of truth and how the devil attacks the Lord's people doubtless they thought that the Lord according to his own word would rise the third day but how the devil would come and say to the third day and your blessed redeemer hasn't risen oh what a crafty foe is Satan how he will come to the

[20:03] Lord's people and how he will bring even the very truth to bring them into despair and doubt and then again how these two communed and reasoned together and Jesus was with them there might be one here this evening who is saying to themselves if only the Lord Jesus would come with me if only the Lord Jesus would grant me such a favour as he did to those two on the Emmaus road he's probably with you now he's probably at your side he's probably talking to you it is he who is putting these desires within thy heart but thine eyes are holden but you cannot see him and so it is so often with the

[21:15] Lord's people he's with them he's travelling with them but they can't perceive him he lends as it were an unseen hand and gives a secret prop and how many have proved that God has been with them in places where they never realised the Lord was with them how perhaps it's taken years before they realised that the Lord was with them in that very spot I believe that there are those here tonight who can testify at those times when the Lord was with them watching them knowing all about them determined to save he watched all my path while Satan's blind slave I sported with death but

[22:16] Jesus himself drew near I believe that the Lord Jesus is as close to his people as they are in as it were in dead in sins and trespasses before they are quickened by divine grace as he is at a time of blessing the Lord is ever with his people but this will be no comfort to us it will be of no benefit to us we should want to feel his presence it's one thing to know the presence of the Lord is another thing to feel it now if you've never felt the presence of the Lord if you've never known the Lord's voice speaking to you and if you're unconcerned as to your desires with regard to these things you're in a very sad condition if you're resting upon some reason it may be the reason that you attend every service it may be that you have some other reason we were speaking to one recently who was most upset because doubt as it were was brought upon her going to heaven she was so sure never given a thought that she would always go to heaven never been in doubt couldn't understand that one would think that and yet you see

[24:11] Paul that great servant of the Lord he was brought to that very place by his reason not by the grace of God within his heart but he was brought to that place where he felt having preached to others he himself should be a cast away and it came to pass that while they communed together unreasoned and so you'll find a lot of reason in your religion reason is of the flesh reason is of Satan when you feel the absence of God and it's very seldom that we feel the presence of God I believe I can say that I have known and felt the presence of God in my own experience on more than one occasion but when we feel the presence of God and know the presence of God we're in those places where we most need him and as we read in this chapter how soon he left his people how he went from them and you'll prove this if you're a child of God that you'll feel his presence in your hour of need and he'll be such a support such a stay to you and then he disappears as it were out of your sight have you felt that have you known it and so there was this reasoning surely had he been the son of

[26:12] God had he been the Messiah he would have shown mighty things but we can understand their reasoning as they walked on this way had it really been the Messiah well surely he would have come down from the cross surely his father would have come as it were and preserved his life but there you see we saw his body tortured we saw him suffering as no human body ever suffered before we saw his face as it were so marred it could not possibly have been the Lord Jesus their reasoning their reasoning does Satan come to you come to you like that that sweet time that you had that token that time of rich blessing when you were so sure the Lord came when your heart burned within you but now you see things are so different reason reason has begun to work there's such a difference between communion and reason you see communion is of the spirit it is a precious gift of God it is that which the

[27:39] Lord Jesus referred to as the comforter the Holy Ghost and when the Holy Ghost comes in our experience there is that communion within our heart we're able to talk with one with him one never sees we're able to tell him and talk to him just as if he was a visible person we don't come out as it were with words which we're so familiar with which we call prayer but there is that as we journey on where we come to the Lord and we commune with him and we say Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest amidst all the tumult within thou knowest amidst all my sin all my pollution that I love thee thou knowest

[28:48] Lord that if I knew that thou was my God I could go through fire I could go as it were in the lion's den with Daniel easily if I knew that thou was my God communion communion communion when he had to call the saviour mind with ardent wish my heart aspires can it be less than love divine that animates these strong desires communion desiring a communion do you ever hear the professor talking of this communion do you ever hear him speaking of the Lord coming to him in his hour of need reason says the Lord should always be with you you should always be blessing and praising the

[29:49] Lord you should always be free from fear you should never have any doubts if this God is your God and if he's spoken to you as you say he's spoken to you if you've received a blessing at his hand as you say you have done if you say you have such love toward him and as you say that you know or he has told you in time past that you are right for eternity why do you doubt him why is it that you are as you are now why because reason doesn't understand there are many who go to the house of God there are many who mingle amongst the Lord's people who have a very good religion when viewed by a reason but there's no communion in it and there are many who seem to have to the eyes of others a religion which is far from right but they have communion with their

[31:03] God now you see religion without communion is empty it's vain it's hopeless it's of the devil whatever that religion may be whatever you may possess whatever you may call yourself if there's no communion in your religion well then it's of the devil oh but one says I have no communion is my religion of the devil yes it is but let us examine what communion is communion is that which communicates one to each other our feelings now that poor publican as he spoke upon his breast as he cried unto the Lord for mercy had communion communion he'd been brought to see that there was only one who could save him and therefore he communicated his desires and his longings to that one and that one alone and that is communion when one is brought and exercised about a certain matter and when they're able to pour out their heart before the

[32:52] Lord now a child of God he can tell in a moment whether his prayers are acceptable under the Lord or not and I'll tell you why because there is such a thing as communion in prayer there is such a drawing there is such a feeling within the heart that there is this communion at the throne of grace just as if you had the very presence of God before you and that you could see him at other times as you come before him and bring your request it's dead it's formal you might just as well be speaking as it were to the brick wall seems to come back to you communion and so these two they came to pass yes their communion and their reasoning there is a time in the experiences of the Lord's dear people when there is a time of reasoning it's necessary it's all appointed by the

[34:15] Lord there are these times of communion which are all appointed by the Lord and they will come to pass it matters not what we may say or what we may do there are certain appointments in our lives and the Lord knows those times of communion he also knows those times of reasoning but you see Jesus himself drew near and so you see there wasn't that communion with the Lord Jesus as one would expect one would have thought according to reason that the Lord Jesus having approached them in their sorrow that they would immediately have rejoiced that they would immediately have known him but this was not the case but he spoke to them their eyes were holden that they should not know him and he said unto them what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad and I believe this

[35:45] I know it in true religion their sadness it's not all joy one said an oft an absent God I mourn have you ever mourned over an absent God some people always have God before they can pick him up as it were as and when they like but the child of God has to prove this that they have no power whatever to draw near unto the Lord they have no power whatever to commune with him until he first comes to them and communes with them but what a compliment it is that this word is on record some of us who have known what it is to be sad as we've journeyed as we have mourned an absent

[36:50] God as we have felt rebellion within our heart as our reasoning to our way of thinking is far better than the Lord's our reasoning was this that we might depart that we might be free from the troubles from the cares from the anxieties of this world but you see the Lord has a reason and it may be there may be much more sorrow much more trial or the furnace may have to be hoted seven times hotter we know not but if Jesus himself draws near and then again you see Jesus himself is the controller the government was upon his shoulders but you see their communications one to each other may walk and are sad they were walking the wrong way they were walking away from

[38:19] Jerusalem the place of worship they had their backs to it we can't expect to see the wonders of God we can't expect to enjoy the presence of God if we turn our back upon his house upon the means of grace was it that these two having seen the Lord Jesus expire perhaps having heard that word it is finished and they thought everything was finished so we'll give it all up now home we go home we go where others waited or there is this waiting time upon the Lord there's great mercy of you and I having experienced some of the goodness the love of God to wait upon the Lord to wait for his appearing have you known what it is sometimes to tell the Lord

[39:35] Lord I wouldn't ask to have the trial removed but I would have grace to bury it I would seek for that grace to wait upon me it's a wonderful thing when one has communion with their God when they're brought into submission to the Lord's will when they can say Lord I am willing I am willing to go through anything if thou art with me I am willing to suffer if thou art with me Lord if only thou art my God I know all be well now what harm really can come to the Lord's people it's a great favour a great blessing to be one of the

[40:37] Lord's people to have this communion and union with him to have that oneness whatever we may pass through in this life however painful these experiences may be Jesus himself is there we may not be aware of it but he's there but then there are those very special occasions when the Lord gives us to realise who he is and that he is very close to us and there was this time you see how the Lord as it were lingered how he spoke to them of the things of the scriptures how he cheered them how he came as it were over their carnal reason how he brought the very word of God toward them then he said unto them oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken we're in a worse state than that we are fools and slow of heart to believe the words which the

[42:04] Lord Jesus has spoken to us personally or some say well the Lord spoken well just believe in him that's all you've got to do oh it's not as easy as that we need the Lord to be with us before we can believe in him we need him to help us but then he said oh 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 then you see they weren't able to understand these things he even brought these things to their remembrance and then you see beginning of Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself and they still went on still went on they still didn't realize it was the

[43:07] Lord Jesus working within their hearts is there one here tonight the Lord is teaching you he's gradually bringing you along in the way in which he'll have you go he's showing you how foolish you are yourself he shows you of your carnal reasoning and at times he's teaching you by his blessed spirit and yet you're still slow apart to believe can it possibly be that the Lord is looking upon me can it possibly be that the Lord has a favour toward me is it possible that the Lord Jesus is working within my life as he is closing one door opening another as he is bringing me into one trial and then delivering me from it and then bringing me into a greater trial can it be the

[44:23] Lord Jesus ah but wait the time came and it came to pass you see and as they thus spake when it came to pass as he sat at meat with them you see he journeyed with them he'd gone into the house the meal was prepared they still didn't know it was the Lord Jesus although he must have spoken some wonderful things and then he took bread blessed it break and gave to them and it wasn't until then that their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight vanished out of their sight the very time when they could just see him and realise who he was he'd gone he'd gone the professor cannot understand the experiences of the people of God but if you know something of it or you felt such love to the

[45:44] Lord you felt so near to him you felt that you could leave all part with all and follow him and then in a moment he gone he gone I to my own sad place return my wretched state to fill others say look look at that one he was ready to go but now look at him but what a mercy it is to have a love touch like that for the Lord Jesus to come to us and while they commune together and reason are there these two ingredients in your religion reason itself will never get into heaven communion will reason is of the flesh communion is of the spirit and then the goodness of the

[46:57] Lord in this communion communion one with each other when we can talk as those in Malachi they that feared the Lord spake often one to each other commune have you ever had communion not talk but communion with the Lord's people perhaps if you've never felt to have communion with the Lord you've had a little communion with the Lord's people you've heard them speak of the experiences you've heard them speak of how the Lord has been with them how the Lord has spoken to them how the Lord has been faithful to his promise how the Lord has come and melted their hearts how the Lord has come and taken away all fear how the

[47:58] Lord has come at a time of sadness and their very hearts are burned within them and as they have talked of these things you've felt within your own souls yes I know a little of that pathway I know what that man's gone through I know what that woman's gone through and what does this do it brings a union and communion it brings a love which is beyond the love of earthly friends that union and communion of saints will never be dissolved if ever you felt a union to one of the Lord's dear people upon this earth that will never be dissolved Satan will do all he possibly can to dissolve it but it's eternal you see communion comes from the eternal God all the blessings spiritual blessings which we receive from

[49:03] God are eternal blessings and therefore they will last eternally I don't believe for a single moment that where two of the Lord's people have really felt union and communion one with each other that there can never be a real difference for any length of time differences there will be reason that will come but also where that communion and union has been felt grace where sin abounds grace will much more abound and that union will be brought about again that union between Christ and his church is eternal you see twixt

[50:05] Jesus and the chosen race subsists a bond of sovereign grace nothing can ever break that bond and when we hear people saying well they've had communion with one of the Lord's people or one of the Lord's servants and then a short while afterwards that there's discord and they can cast that away as a worthless thing well that's not communion that's not communion but it is communion when they are able to speak of the things which the Lord has done and those two souls are knitted together both for time and for eternity you won't find many where this union exists but what a mercy if we know something of it do you know something of communion with your

[51:08] God not constantly not every moment but can you go back my friend to one or two spots one or two places where you had communion with your God if you can well then I'll tell you more about it it was at a time when you were sad it was at a time when you were in distress it was at a time when you were in sorrow Jesus himself drew near he saw these two and he said under them this was his first question what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad the Lord knew where they were walking the Lord knew the pathway that they had to walk the Lord knew the sadness that was in their heart and he was with them in it well now so many today are dead spiritually to the ways of the Lord so many in their own churches in their own denomination are dead to the ways of the Lord they must be up and doing they must be doing this that and the other but there's one thing that if we know anything of this communion with the Lord we should know what we are we should know our sinful nature we should know our helplessness we should know that this body of sin and death is around us we should know that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags but also we should know at times that the

[53:22] Lord is precious to us we should see that the Lord is a sovereign that he's chosen us who are least deserved that he has left those who perhaps are far better to carnal reason than what we are look at the characters in the word of God those Pharisees could you point a finger at them they were wonderful characters and I often feel if only I could live like some of those Pharisees I often feel today as I see some of those Pharisees if only I could live like them but you see what it does for them it puffs them up with pride they rely upon themselves they know so little the ways of God they know not what it is to be sad because of an absent

[54:38] God they know not what it is to have their religion brought to an end everything finished no hope whatever no it's not until we're brought into that place where there's no hope whatever when it seems that if our very religion is death upon everything the Lord comes and communes with us and then what a difference it makes in a moment one moment we're right down we're rebelling yea we're brought into doubt as to whether we ever knew this God the next moment we're blessing praising his holy name so it was with these as the Lord Jesus spoke to them and then you see they wasn't very long before they went the very same hour as the others hurried quickly to the sepulcher early there was that zeal so there was zeal that same hour and they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem yes a visit from the Lord will make you return to Jerusalem to worship him all your heart will be so full of gratitude so full of love for the

[56:13] Lord that he has again returned unto you ah you thought he would never come again is there one even presence of God within our hearts a great mercy to feel a spirit of worship within our hearts now then have you had communion with him have you worshipped him you can't have communion with him my friends without worshipping him but there are degrees you see as we said there is that communion in prayer where we beg for mercy but you see even in this we shall worship him because as we beg for mercy rightly through the redeemer's blood so when that mercy comes there will be worship and it's a great mercy when we can come to the Lord in true spiritual worship mercy and it came to pass and it will come to pass in your experience you who is yet a mourning and absent God you who are mourning because of a lack of communion with your God and then there is that which will come to pass this communion which they had was brief the visits and the communion which you have with the Lord are brief but there is that time coming when those who have known communion here below with his people and with him will forever have that eternal communion think of it to have that eternal communion with the

[58:16] Lord when Jesus himself will draw near never again to depart from us some of us believe that this will be our happy portion sometimes our fears sometimes our reason tells us it won't and it never will I'll tell you what if heaven my prospect of heaven is based upon reason I shall never get there but if it's based upon communion I shall I know this that the Lord has communed with me and I believe I commune with him and I believe there are those here tonight who have known this communion and this union with the Lord but Jesus it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned

[59:24] Jesus himself drew dear and went with them went with them is the Lord always with us in our pathway yes I believe he is I don't believe he leaves his people for a moment he's always with them in all places with us however they go the Lord is with them he went with these on Emmaus they didn't know it he's with you if you're a child of God every moment watching keeping preserving oh to know it oh to feel it and it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned Jesus himself drew near and went with them what condescension what love and then you see what gratitude they must have felt within their arms as Jesus ever journeyed with you have you known what it is to take a few paces heavenward with the

[60:42] Lord at your side or may it be our happy Lord the Lord might draw near to us more and more that we might have more communion and less reason in our religion amen