P.O. Box 53055    
Los Angeles, CA 90053   

Sermon: What's Next?...1

CONNIE: If all else fails, follow the directions! It's a lesson we learn in the school of hard knocks. And even Jesus' disciples had to learn it, as we'll discover as we look at the gospel story today.

Giving God's trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I'm Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: and I'm Lonnie Melashenko.

CONNIE: You know Lonnie, we're talking about directions today and that just reminds me about, you know, me, being a woman and you, being a guy, that you get lost more then I do.

LONNIE: Because as a man I don't ask for directions

CONNIE: That's right! I don't mean to be gender specific her, but us woman, we tend to stop, ask for directions, and follow them to our destination.

LONNIE: That's right! I must admit, even when we were off on another appointment we got LOST because I did not stop and ask for directions. That's happened too often in my life.

CONNIE: Well, I think it is a fairly universal human trait. It's not just something man and woman do or don't do, it's all of us. It's natural to think that we can just figure out on our own to do things.

LONNIE: There is a lot of human pride in all of us. That desire to look back and say, "We made all the right choices, did all the right things, all on our own.

CONNIE: And that proverb, "Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding." That just doesn't just come naturally to us.

LONNIE: No it doesn't.

CONNIE: It takes a learning process before we're willing to surrender our ways to God's leading and follow His directions.

LONNIE: That's not anything new. In the gospel story we look at today we'll discover that Jesus' own disciples had the same problems. They didn't follow directions, didn't listen carefully to Jesus' instructions, and carry them out. As a result, they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, had to deal with some severe disappointments, because they didn't pay attention to what he told them, was coming into his future and their future.

CONNIE: And that sort of thing, Lonnie, continues to happen to us today. Partly, because we to often fail to pay to close attention to Gods word. You know it's easy to set up false expectations, especially when it comes to dealing with the prophecies.

LONNIE: Well, I guess, not following directions too well is a fairly universal human trait.

CONNIE: It's just natural to think, "I can figure this thing out on my own."

LONNIE: And don't forget that Frank Sinatra song "I did it MY way!" There's a lot of human pride in all of us--that desire to be able to look back over life and say we made all the right choices, did all the right things, all on our own.

CONNIE: That proverb about "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;" just doesn't come naturally to us. It takes a learning process before we're willing to surrender our ways to God's leading and follow His directions.

LONNIE: But you know, Connie, that's not anything new. In the gospel story we look at today, we'll discover that Jesus' own disciples had the same problem. They didn't follow directions--didn't listen carefully to Jesus' instructions and carry them out--and as a result they ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and had to deal with some severe disappointments. Because they didn't pay attention when He told them what was coming in His future--and their future.

CONNIE: And that sort of thing continues to happen to Christians today, partly because we too-often fail to pay close attention to God's word. It's easy to set up false expectations--especially when it comes to dealing with prophecies.

LONNIE: That's why we've invited Dr. Hans LaRondelle, professor emeritus of theology at Andrews University, to join us on our broadcast today as we look at prophecies and how to properly interpret and respond to them.

KEN: Dr. Hans LaRondale, it's a real privilege, for me, to welcome you to the Voice of prophecy broadcast today.

HANS: Thank you

KEN: I can remember sitting in your class, it's been a few years ago, back in your seminary, really enjoying your take, and your understandings on biblical prophecies.

HANS: Thank you

KEN: I was reading here on your vita, that you retired back in 1991, but your continuing to teach, a seminars and teach at other colleges around here, aren't you?

HANS: Yes, in all five continents.

KEN: Yes, I know that you travel quite a bit and you're much in demand as a speaker. I appreciate you taking the time to come and speak with us today. We're doing a couple of programs today, in which we look at the gospel story, and in particular, we notice in them, that the disciples, didn't really fully understand that the ministry of Jesus at the time, and even John the Baptist didn't really fully understand, did he?

HANS: No, he asked his disciples to go to Jesus while he was in prison, sent messenger's to Jesus, to ask if he really was the messiah, who was predicted, because he was somewhat confused.

KEN: Jesus wasn't living up to John's expectations, was he?

HANS: No, the general expectation of Judaism was, that the messiah will only come once and that in judgement, then to deliver the Jewish nation from the Roman oppressor.

KEN: Yes, and so, as far as their ministry, the disciples too didn't they come to Jesus form time to time, and sit them on thrones or something like that.

HANS: Oh yes! They wanted even on one occasion to make Jesus, forcibly, the king of Israel.

KEN: I think it was James and John, that actually sent their mother undercover, for appeal of the highest position in the kingdom. They had very high expectations. What was that based on? Why do you think they had those kinds of expectations?

HANS: They were part of their culture, in Judaism, and all the scribes and Pharisees had only one expectation. That is, that the prophecy predicted the coming, of the Redeemer King, in all His glory, and military might, to deliver the Jewish people, and exalt them again to universal dominion.

KEN: So, they had a kind of vested interest in that, didn't they?

HANS: Yes, they were in fact motivated by their selfish ambitions, of the Jewish leaders.

KEN: Now, as we look at prophecies, of course, prophecies are always easy, I suppose you could say, to interpret with hindsight rather then with foresight?

HANS: Jesus had warned them in John chapter 13, verse 19, " I am telling you before it happens, so that, when it does happen you will believe, that I am He."

KEN: That's a very important principle of a prophetic interpretation, isn't it?

HANS: Exactly! That is a principle that we should not make absolute statements about future predictions, that we must always keep our prognosis attentive and open to correction.

KEN: In looking back, we can see, Oh, God predicted that, and now we can see how he will fulfill that.

HANS: Yes, that is the hindsight that we may have more confidence in the word of God.

KEN: Now do you see any particular relevance of that today? You could go on the Internet, or you could go to churches and hear all kinds of different ideas, well this is how prophecy is going to be fulfilled. I get and I'm sure you probably get letters from people all the time. Well I figured out when Jesus is going to come based on this text and this text.

HANS: I see the basic parallel with the problems of those model prophets, we have in Christianity, and that parallel, is that, they and the early Jews believe that they and the early prophecies were Israel centered, instead of Christ centered.

KEN: Oh, ok, now how does that apply to today?

HANS: They were guided by the principle of a literalism. That did not detect the spiritual kingdom of God to deliver them from sin.

KEN: You see, that I think, particularly in the story told in John 4 of the Samaritan woman, where she's asking, "Do we worship here or do we worship here, and what's Jesus' response, no it's a spiritual kingdom he's setting up isn't it?

HANS: Yes, spiritual water of life. Basically, in John 5, verse 39 and 14. Jesus tells them they were indeed studying the scriptures and the prophecies, because they thought that by studying them you possess eternal life, then he says, "These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

KEN: So Christ is to be the center of prophecy, not some physical nation.

HANS: And that is the problem with destinanationalism and the futurists today, that they concentrate all their attention on the Jewish people in our time.

KEN: We're going to pick up this line of thought in our next program in this series, which will actually be aired in two weeks from now. We thank you so much, and thank you Dr. LaRondale.

HANS: Thank you indeed.

CONNIE: Well, the study of prophecies certainly is fascinating--not long after HMS Richards began broadcasting on the radio 70+ years ago, he picked the name "Voice of Prophecy" for the broadcast. And we continue to be interested in prophecy and fulfillment.

It's because we look forward with eager anticipation to the day when Jesus returns--the day of redemption--we're keeping our eyes fixed on the eastern sky--waiting for Him.

"Redemption Draweth Nigh", King's Heralds, from VOP Music Library #5

CONNIE: Signs of the times are everywhere, if you know what to look for. Signs that God is still interested in our world and has a great plan for our future.

LONNIE: That's right, Connie. But really understanding the prophecies in the Bible can be a bit tricky. There are a lot of different interpretations, and a lot of different expectations being promoted by various Bible teachers. What we here at Voice of Prophecy like to do is encourage people to study the Bible for themselves. That's why we've maintained a correspondence Bible school for the past sixty years.

CONNIE: And our course on Bible prophecy has just been updated. You can study this course right in your own home, either by correspondence through the mail, or at your computer using the Internet.

LONNIE: Why not enroll in the prophecy Bible course today? You can do it by calling our toll-free number, 1-800-872-0055, or by going to our web page at vop.com.

CONNIE: It's a great course, full of colorful illustrations and stories that help to bring the Bible prophecies alive, so check it out at our web page at www.vop.com, or give us a call at 1-800-872-0055, and ask for the Bible Prophecy course.

But right now, let's listen as Lonnie shares today's message, "What's Next?--Part 1"

What's Next?--1

They were headed the wrong way--but they ended up in the right place anyhow--with a little help and counsel from their best Friend. And their story can teach us a lot about finding our way in life.

Cleopas [kle' o pas] and his friend were headed west that Sunday afternoon, when they should have been heading north.

Now, you may have heard about Cleopas before--he's mentioned in the Bible, but only once. And the Bible doesn't tell us outright that he was going the wrong way. But a little background research reveals the rest of the story.

It happened on the first day of the week. Two days after Jesus of Nazareth had been crucified on the hill called Calvary. Still almost in shock over the sudden, violent death of the Man they had trusted in as their Messiah, the two men left Jerusalem, going out through the western gate on a road that passed not far from that infamous hilltop.

But they shouldn't have been going that way at all.

Let me walk you back through the events of that day we now call Easter Sunday (personally, I prefer to call it Resurrections Sunday, since the word Easter actually comes from a pagan background and never occurs in the original language of the Bible).

Very early that Sunday morning, several women went to the tomb, intending to give Jesus' body a proper preparation for burial. They hadn't been able to do it on Friday afternoon, because the body had been hastily laid in the tomb shortly before the Sabbath would begin at sundown. According to Luke 23:56, when the women left the tomb, they "prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." (NKJV).

Then, early on Sunday morning, they hurried to the tomb to do for Jesus' body what they had been unable to do on Friday afternoon. But when they arrived, they found the stone rolled away from the door, and the tomb empty, and an angel seated on the stone.

The angel spoke to them, and notice what he said: "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you" (Matthew 28:5-7, NKJV).

Imagine the effect such a thing must have had on those women! Imagine it! Seeing an angel. Seeing the empty tomb. Hearing that Jesus had risen from the dead. Receiving instructions about what the disciples were to do next.

I'm sure those women fairly flew out of that place, running as fast as their feet could carry them.

And say, have you ever wondered where the disciples were about then? Why weren't they there with the women?

Well, they were hidden away, up in a second-story room. Hoping and praying that Roman soldiers wouldn't soon be knocking on their door to take them to meet a fate like their Master's.

When they heard that the tomb was empty, two of them ventured out, along with Mary Magdalene, and ran to see for themselves. But they didn't know what to make of what they found--they weren't at all sure that Jesus had indeed been resurrected! As John's Gospel puts it, "they did not yet know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead" (20:9 NKJV). They went back to the upper room still wondering what had happened to the body--thinking that perhaps the Romans had disposed of it like the body of a common criminal.

Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb all alone. But then she too encountered angels, and then--wonder of wonders--a moment later Jesus Himself appeared and spoke to her.

Then a bit later He appeared to another group of women who were on their way from the tomb to the upper room. Here's the story, as recorded in Matthew 28:9, 10: as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me" (NKJV).

Now, did you notice something important in the messages that were being sent to the disciples. When the angel spoke to the women at the tomb, he told them to go tell the disciples that "He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him" (Matthew 28:7, NKJV). Mark's Gospel tells essentially the same story, but adds an important detail. He quotes the angel as saying "He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you" (Mark 16:7, NIV).

So, the picture comes through pretty clearly to those of us viewing it with the 20/20 clarity of hindsight. Sometime before the crucifixion, Jesus spoke to His disciples, telling them what would happen. At that time He told them not to be concerned by His death and assured them that He would rise again. And not only that. He gave them specific instructions as to what they were to do after the crucifixion: Take the road north out of Jerusalem and go back up to Galilee.

Galilee, 80 miles to the north of Jerusalem, was the place where they had spent most of their years of ministry together. It was a natural rendezvous point for them after Jesus would rise from the dead.

Now, back to the story of Cleopas and his friend. It's hard for us to figure out what they were doing on the road to Emmaus, which lay to the west of Jerusalem, when Jesus' instructions had been so clear to the disciples. "Go to Galilee. I'll meet you in Galilee."

If you review the events of Resurrection Sunday, step by step, you can discover something important and fascinating about what Jesus did that day. He didn't appear to any of His disciples during the day. All day long, He watched and waited, to see whether they would walk by faith or by sight.

In my mind's eye, I can picture Jesus, waiting, watching, wondering what His disciples will do next. I can imagine Him waiting by the Damascus gate that leads out of the north side of Jerusalem, looking into each face that passes Him by, hoping to see a little group of disciples coming that way, headed for the rendezvous point He had told them about.

By late afternoon, He knows that no one is planning to take Him up on His invitation. And it's then that He joins Cleopas and his friend on the road going west toward Emmaus.

And notice this: Jesus didn't condemn or criticize them for going the wrong way. No. He walked all the way to Emmaus with them. And as they walked, He talked to them, explaining all the prophecies about Himself. Luke 24:27 tells us that beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (NKJV).

You see, by the end of the day, on Resurrection Sunday, Jesus' own disciples didn't have a clue about what had happened that weekend. They didn't understand that it was part of God's plan for the Messiah to die and then rise from the dead. They were in a state of total discouragement and abject despair, because they didn't understand the things that had been prophesied about Jesus. They were so shaken up that they couldn't even understand and respond to simple instructions like "Go to Galilee--I'll meet you there."

But Jesus didn't hold that against them.

When they headed down the wrong road, He didn't just throw up His hands in disgust.

He went with them. He took the time to explain things to them.

And you probably already know what Cleopas and his friend did in response. They turned right around and hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.

But that's not the end of the story. There's more--and we'll continue with the story of Resurrection Sunday in our program two weeks from today.

But let me close today by bringing the message of Cleopas' story down to our day.

There's a lesson for us, as we await the Second Coming of Jesus. If we get discouraged while we wait--it just could be because we haven't fully understood the prophecies or Jesus' instructions to us. It just could be that we've gone down a wrong path or two ourselves.

But whatever the case, remember: Jesus walked with Cleopas, even when Cleopas was going the wrong way. And because Cleopas listened, Jesus got him back onto the right road.

He'll do the same for you and me, if we'll walk with Him. If we'll listen for His voice.

We can do that. Every day. By digging into the word of God, by praying, and asking Jesus to walk with us and show us the right way. Won't you do that? Today and every day.

"I Walked Today/Just A Closer Walk", Jaime Jorge, from At the Cross

CONNIE: That was a medley of two familiar songs: "I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked," and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," songs that echo the ideas of our program today--learning to walk with Jesus and learn from Him.

LONNIE: And perhaps to follow His instructions a bit better than His disciples did.

CONNIE: The musicians on today's broadcast were The King's Heralds, singing "Redemption Draweth Nigh," and the medley we just heard featured Jaime Jorge on the violin, from his album "At the Cross." You can always learn more about the music we play by visiting our website at www.vop.com