RUN TOWARDS THE ROAR.
THROUGH THE EYES OF A LION • Sermon • Submitted
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intro
intro
If Lions are known for anything other than their manes it would be their Roars. Their terrifying roar can be heard from 5 miles away. (Have a roar play through computer).
And this week that is exactly what we are going to talk about.
So far, we have talked about:
· Hiding in plain sight – How to see the invisible
· Standing on tiptoes at the edge of Eternity – Leaning into our groan.
Today – Run Toward The Roar- How to face our fears and fulfill God’s call on our lives.
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Are you ready? Let’s go to -
That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
“What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.”
Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.
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Lions are fascinating, especially the way they hunt.
Lions are fascinating, especially the way they hunt.
Compared to creatures they hunt they are relatively slow, can’t change direction quickly and do not use the wind to their advantage.
There are however 2 things that help the lion considerably.
First, they are good at hiding and incredibly patient.
Second, they are the only social cat. They live and hunt in a Pride.
This helps when they hunt because, they work together.
One or more lions will come to their prey from the front with a load roar. They prey run (Duh) but little does the prey know the Pride has circled the prey and are waiting to pounce as the prey runs towards them.
It’s a trap!!
It is COUNTER-INTUITIVE but the safest thing is to run towards the roar head on, not away from it.
And this is true in our lives as well!
And this is true in our lives as well!
We see this is the story we just read.
these two disciples, one named Cleopas, and the other who is unnamed go from frightened, despondent and scared to enlivened, enthusiastic, and evangelistic---all because:
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Their eyes were opened – VS 31
Their eyes were opened – VS 31
Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
Once their eyes were opened they started running towards what they were running away from, Jerusalem.
Where they could be arrested for being followers of Jesus
Where there was nothing but traumatic memories. The last place they saw Jesus before he was arrested.
The place where Jesus was whipped
Skull hill, the place where they saw Jesus crucified.
The garden tomb, which represented the death of all their dreams.
No doubt this is why at the start of the story they were so low.
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Verse 17 – Their faces were downcast.
Verse 17 – Their faces were downcast.
Disappointment is impossible to miss in their words.
Verse 19 – He was a prophet,
Verse 19 – He was a prophet,
“What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people.
Verse 21 – We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
Verse 21 – We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
The past tense is impossible to miss
The past tense is impossible to miss
Life did not turn out like they thought it would
The had lost all hope.
The had lost all hope.
Truth is we all can relate –
Dejected, disappointed, Life is not what we thought it would be, the loss of a friend, the loss of a loved one, the loss of purpose and dreams. A place where there seems to be no hope, no future.
The irony is they are saying this about Jesus to Jesus.
And mourning over something you think is over, is always premature when Jesus is in the picture.
And mourning over something you think is over, is always premature when Jesus is in the picture.
He always gets the last word – I am making all things new!!!
He can make a way where there is no way, for he is the way.
The resurrection is proof.
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IN HIS HANDS DEAD THINGS CAN LIVE!!!!!
IN HIS HANDS DEAD THINGS CAN LIVE!!!!!
He brings beauty out of ashes
Trash to triumph
And restore those things you thought were lost forever.
Graves don’t intimidate him and death cannot stop him!!!
Dead dreams, dead career, sickness, even the death of loved ones are not too much for the resurrected King of Kings.
You can only lose if you run from the roar… Into the trap of the enemy.
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Once the disciples saw this, once they saw through the eyes of a Lion, their pain was turned into power.
Once the disciples saw this, once they saw through the eyes of a Lion, their pain was turned into power.
Verse 29 – They had told Jesus not to travel because it was too late.
For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’
but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them.
(Verse 29 here)
Too dangerous to go a few miles in the dark – wild animals, criminals, dangerous travel in the dark.
Too dangerous to go a few miles in the dark – wild animals, criminals, dangerous travel in the dark.
But once they saw Jesus as the Grave robber, life giver, dream restorer….
But once they saw Jesus as the Grave robber, life giver, dream restorer….
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Verse 33 – They got up and returned to Jerusalem at once.
Verse 33 – They got up and returned to Jerusalem at once.
And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them,
7 miles in the dark.
7 miles in the dark.
Heading back to the place that filled them with fear
They ran toward the Roar.
They ran toward the Roar.
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Moral of the story:
When your eyes are open (to who Jesus is and what he has done) you’ll have courage to do what you didn’t think could be done.
When your eyes are open (to who Jesus is and what he has done) you’ll have courage to do what you didn’t think could be done.
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Let me finish this up today by giving you 4 essentials you need to run towards the roar.
Let me finish this up today by giving you 4 essentials you need to run towards the roar.
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REVERSE OF FEAR
REVERSE OF FEAR
Often the thing we need to do and the place we need to go is exactly the opposite of what fear wants us to do.
When we run due to fear, we often run away from our destiny.
(Tithing for our family - scared we would have even less money but, in faith we chose to run towards our fears and start tithing. Nothing has been more important to our financial well being than tithing. Our fear was robbing us of a financial blessing. )
Victory comes from facing our fears- running towards the roar.
This is seen all over scripture.
This is seen all over scripture.
Think of Esther going into the king’s presence uninvited.
Mary accepting the call to carry the Lord as a virgin knowing what that would do to her and Josephs reputation.
Shadrach, Meshack and Abedigo refusing to bow before the King knowing it meant they would be thrown into a fiery furnace.
Or David not just fighting the Giant but running towards the Giant.
If any of these and many others would have listened to their fear, they would have lived but, their destiny would have died.
The truth is God often calls us to places of fear as a way of creating and strengthen our faith in Him.
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OLD THINGS IN A NEW WAY
OLD THINGS IN A NEW WAY
Sometime the roar we need to run to is often staying when we feel like bolting.
(I have always run away from fear. I even had temptations of running from NCF. It is too hard to turn this around, what if it fails, where will it leave me, I will be seen as a failure. And then I realized – I keep running from my destiny. )
I have discovered that what often masquerades as faith is actually flakiness.
The person who has been a part of 9 churches
Runs out of relationships anytime there is trouble.
Quits work over and over with a million excuses.
Moves constantly from place to place without ever placing down roots.
All in the name of stepping out and following God’s call.
Faith does not always call us to go- sometimes it calls us to stay.
Maybe you need to stop looking for the new thing and just start doing the old thing in a new way!
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ACCEPT YOUR MISTAKES AND KEEP MOVING ON
ACCEPT YOUR MISTAKES AND KEEP MOVING ON
Mistakes will be made, we are all human
One of the most difficult things about moving forward into our destiny is condemnation from past mistakes.
Condemnation can paralyze us.
When that happens hold on to
Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
The answer is to accept your mistakes and failures. Fall to your knees and give them to Jesus, and then leave them there and continue to move forward.
The answer is to accept your mistakes and failures. Fall to your knees and give them to Jesus, and then leave them there and continue to move forward.
You are more than your failures and mistakes, you are a Child of God!
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REVOKE NEGATIVITY
REVOKE NEGATIVITY
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
- ESV
You have a choice you can either believe God or not.
You have a choice you can either believe God or not.
Either God is true or he is a liar. That is your choice.
If you believe him you have to start speaking as though you believe him.
Stop the negativity
Stop speaking failure, loss and death into your life.
He is the God who brings the dead to life, resurrects dreams, restores marriages, reconciles families, creates new out of the old.
When we speak negativity it means 1 of 2 things
When we speak negativity it means 1 of 2 things
1. We do not believe God or
2. We do not want to see success, life, hope, new birth.
I am convinced there are a lot of Christians who fit in catagorey 2.
They love defeat, they love to complain.
If they trusted God they would no longer have anything to complain about and that would end ¾ of their conversations.
Revoke the negativity and start speaking Life, Joy, Beauty! Speak God’s victory over your life.
NLT
The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
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Conclusion
Conclusion
God wants you to have Life, Joy, and Beauty in your life.
God wants victory for you, he wants you to live an abundant life.
God desires for your life to be a testimony of His greatness, his love, his power.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Remember Satan uses his roar to cause you to run away.
Run towards the roar and find your victory, your destiny.