Don't Sleep On Jesus

In this engaging Easter Sunday sermon, the pastor delivers a heartfelt message centered on Luke 24:13-35, the account of two disciples encountering the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. With humor and relatability, he opens with anecdotes about disrupted sleep schedules, the challenges of napping, and a memorable youth mission trip where teenagers stuffed peanuts up his nose while he slept, illustrating how being "asleep" causes us to miss significant moments. He connects this to the disciples’ spiritual blindness, as they walked with Jesus but failed to recognize Him, urging the congregation not to "sleep on Jesus" and miss His work in their lives.

The sermon highlights how Jesus, fresh from His resurrection, chooses to walk with two obscure disciples rather than seeking a public victory lap, embodying the Good Shepherd’s pursuit of the lost. The pastor emphasizes three key lessons:

1. Jesus’ Faithful Presence: Jesus takes thousands of steps with the disciples, reflecting His patient, faithful presence in our lives over time, not just in a single moment.
2. Spiritual Blindness: Despite talking about Jesus, the disciples were blind to His identity until He opened their eyes, showing that talking about Jesus doesn’t equate to knowing Him personally.
3. Invitation and Revelation: When the disciples invite Jesus to stay and share a meal, their eyes are opened during the breaking of bread, possibly seeing His scars, symbolizing intimacy and trust that lead to spiritual awakening.
The pastor challenges the congregation to consider whether they truly know Jesus, not just in words or rituals, but in a life-changing relationship. He draws parallels between the disciples’ journey and our own, noting that Jesus desires to be invited into every sphere of life—marriage, relationships, schedules, and struggles. Through references to biblical stories like Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, and the Tower of Babel, he illustrates how all Scripture points to Jesus, providing a foundation for faith in difficult times.

Concluding with a call to action, the pastor prays for open eyes and warmed hearts, encouraging the congregation to welcome Jesus in and recognize His nearness. This sermon is a vibrant reminder to stay awake to Jesus’ transformative presence, especially on Easter, celebrating His victory over death and His desire to walk with us.