First Baptist Church of Highland Park

Rev. Dr. Henry P. Davis III: Hi, I'm Henry Davis, Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Maryland, a Bible-believing, Christ-centered, and spirit-led congregation. I want to welcome you to our radio broadcast and remember, there's power at the park.

We thank God that Pentecost signifies the 50-day point from the resurrection of Jesus and of course, the introduction of the Holy Spirit into the church. And so, it is in that spirit that we look at the various texts that we look at this weekend. In this service, Luke chapter 24, picking up the reading at verse number 28.

New Living Translation: 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. And 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? These are the words of God.

You may take your seats around the building. That 32nd verse is really our launch pad. 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? Don't go back cold. Don't go back cold. They said to each other, didn't our hearts burn within us?

There's something powerful about fire. We've been talking about fire on the theme, resetting the fire for revival. Fire gives warmth, fire gives light, fire gives energy, fire gives movement. But after every fire comes a dangerous moment. And that moment is the possibility of going cold.

That is the tension. That is the tension. So good to see Ronald and Lucy Clark in worship. They must be up here for a graduation, Ms. McKenzie getting ready to march across the stage. But good to see the Clarks and North Carolina. I know they're getting a lot of good North Carolina good barbecue. Amen. But so good to see them.

The tension in the text, these disciples had walked with Jesus, heard Jesus, watched miracles from Jesus. But after the crucifixion, their passion had cooled. Now here in Luke 24, they are walking away disappointed, confused, and emotionally drained. And if we are honest, many people know what it feels like to live after the fire.

After the heartbreak, after the betrayal, after the sickness, after the funeral, after the revival, after emotional exhaustion. After surviving what almost broke you. And the danger is not always the fire itself. It is what happens after the fire. Because sometimes people survive the crisis, but they lose their passion.

They survive the storm but lose the joy. They survive the battle but lose the fire. Even this morning, in this 8:00 experience, don't let what God brought you through leave you spiritually cold. The enemy wants you surviving physically but frozen spiritually. But the devil is a liar. God did not preserve you for you to cool off now.

He did not save you for you to be energized and excited and joyful for you to get to cold worship. Now, I would believe that many of you who have been rising and shining during this early worship experience, you have some get-up to you. You have it. You have it. You have it. There is some Joe in your mo'. There is some pep in your step.

You responded to the alarm clock when it went off. And a day like today, yeah, it's a good sleeping day. And I believe that for some folks, your seat is empty right now because you're enjoying sleep. You enjoyed it. But now you kind of turned over and said, let me see what's going on. Well, the reality of it is you do not want to grow cold.

And you don't want to go back cold. Three areas we're going to look at. Number one, disappointment can drain your fire. Sometimes it's the sense of a closed door, but you need to realize that every closed door is not a bad thing. Some doors need to be closed. Some opportunities don't need to be there.

The second thing we'll look at is Jesus knows how to rekindle what life drained. Life can wear you out. Matter of fact, somebody's coming into this holiday weekend and again we're going to salute before we leave every military person and thank God for their service, but because it is also Memorial Day weekend, but we understand we don't want to have a coldness.

The third thing you need to know, burning hearts produce moving feet. When your heart is burning, I can't be casual. I can't be laid back. I can't do that. Many, some of you are watching the NBA playoffs and last night the Knicks went up three games to zero and you looked around in the stadium and it was a lot of Nick fans in Cleveland.

The game was in Cleveland but New York fans had traveled and because New Yorkers are everywhere. And so they were cheering. But last week when Cleveland was playing Detroit, in Detroit, it said that they took all of these buses from Cleveland to Detroit and they were filled the seats. I said, well, that won't happen.

And I told the brothers on Monday night, that won't happen at Madison Square Garden. There won't be that many seats available that you could take buses. And then I looked at the fans in Detroit. And I'm not, not as a put-down, Dr. Ronald Henderson, I know you from the D, but I was looking in Detroit and I saw there all of these empty seats.

How you going to be in the playoffs and have all of these empty seats? And then I realized that some of the people were in the arena but they were at the concession stand. They were more concerned with libation and popcorn and hot dogs and buying merchandise than they were cheering on their team.

Now they got all the time to get all of that stuff because now their team has been relieved of the responsibility of playing because they lost. What I'm trying to say to us, if you're energized, your energy ought to have you to be excited to be in your seat, giving God praise, lifting up the holy hands.

I mentioned last night that over the history of our church we've had people come into our church with a sense of energy and enthusiasm. And we still do. Some folk who will run in church. Other folk who, they, one lady came in, she came in blowing a whistle. We got another gentleman, you come on Wednesdays, you'll see him waving his flag.

We had another one who would come in even though he could not physically see, he would stand up in worship. And that's the kind of energy and enthusiasm. When you think about being excited for God, you're not coming in here to catch up on your rest. You're coming in here to be grateful for how far God has brought you.

And I am grateful. Every morning you get up, every time you get a good doctor's report, and I've already talked about Ernest Baskerville, but I see you over there Rev. Angela Taylor, you've had some challenges but look at God. I heard your testimony yesterday Sister Newborn and look at God.

And you realize Deacon Partee that God is still in the prayer hearing and the prayer answering business. When you come through something, you can't come and be cold and casual. I don't care how you look at me. When I think about the goodness of God, we've got survivors in this room.

You've dealt with a diagnosis. You've dealt with being counted out. I heard you yesterday Deacon Partee, fourth-stage cancer but still giving God praise. Oh, and so I lift up my hand. I give God. And so I go back to my first point. The disappointment can drain your fire. The 28th verse says by this time they were nearing Emmaus, the end of their journey.

They were coming down to the end of their journey and then they said, my God, as they were coming to this endpoint, yeah, Jesus acted as if he were going on. They didn't know what Jesus was going to do. And my God, you got to realize I have to make sure I've got something on the inside that's going to lead me.

These disciples are emotionally exhausted because the Emmaus Road experience lands itself right after Calvary. After the pain, after the savior had died. All of these things had happened and so right now they were emotionally exhausted. They were not present but they did know what was going on.

Jesus had died and when Jesus had died on that Friday, their expectations had collapsed. You need to realize that earlier that same day, they realized that Jesus had risen from the grave. But they were not there. They were not there because the women showed up and they got the word but here they were hiding out.

So they, all they knew was Friday was final. All they knew was Jesus had died. The word had gone out and so had their expectations died. Their expectations had collapsed. Their hope was weakened and now they are walking away from Jerusalem discouraged. They're walking away with their heads down and lamenting.

When I leave church, I should not leave church with my head down. I ought to leave being lifted. I don't know what your week has looked like but I do know that God can meet you right where you are. That matters because Jerusalem represented purpose and promise and power.

But here they are, discouragement has a way of making people walk away from places they once loved. Some folk were in the church at one time but they drifted away. At one time they were on fire for the Lord. But then they go through some of life's experiences and all Satan wants to do is take away your joy.

Some people used to pray harder. They used to worship in a free way. They used to dream big dreams and they trusted deeper. But disappointment cools something down. Life has a way of draining people. Ministry fatigue can drain you. Church hurt can drain you. Family struggles can drain you.

Financial pressure can drain you. And even grief can drain you. Waiting too long can drain you. I'm just waiting on the Lord. Okay, to come and meet me where I am. But you still come to church but your fire is not what it used to be. I'm, I am physically here but spiritually I'm floating a bit.

I'm, I'm not anchored in. I'm not locked in. Oh, um, yeah, yeah, it's almost like James Harden playing defense. I'm not necessarily locked in. Yes, but yeah, but you still serve but the flame feels weaker. You still smile in the public while you're struggling privately.

And one of the enemy's greatest goals is not always to destroy you, sometimes he simply wants to cool you down. If I could just cool you down. If I can have you come like you, like you're half asleep, no energy, no enthusiasm. My God, all I need to do is cool you down, cool you down.

Because cold Christians stop moving. Cold worshippers don't praise God. Cold believers stop expecting. And if you're cold, you're not going to spread the good news and talk about what the Lord is doing in my life. Look at me. I'm a testimony. Look at me and see how far the Lord has brought me.

Look at me, God is still blessing me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. I bless the Lord at all times. It's like a phone battery left running too long without a recharge. Eventually the screen is still on but the power is fading. And some people this morning look fine on the outside but spiritually your battery has been draining.

Oh, there's a drain going on. There's a drain going on. Yesterday I was able to tip out for a minute and be able to go over to the New Vision Church as they were celebrating their 30th anniversary and Pastor Ronald Crawford is now handed the baton to another young man and I was able to come.

Pastor John Jenkins was the speaker, yes, and they were talking about their journey, their journey. They were showing pictures along the journey. And I thank God that every now and then we got to reflect on where God has brought us from. You got to reflect and look back, look back over my life.

Look back not to go back but look back to thank God for how far he has brought me. Somebody is in this room this morning. You can celebrate every door that God has opened, celebrate every prayer that's been answered, celebrate every miracle that's come your way. Don't you know you are a miracle? And we serve a miracle-working God.

The second thing that I need to tell you is that Jesus knows how to rekindle what life drained. Yes, that's what he knows how to rekindle it. Verse number 29: Stay the night with us since it is getting late. What is beautiful in this text is that Jesus never abandoned them in their discouragement.

What Jesus does, he walks with them. I thank God he's still walking with us. They did not recognize him but he was there. And that is a word for somebody this morning. Just because you can't recognize him does not mean he is absent. Jesus was right there beside them in their confusion.

He was beside them in their disappointment, he was beside them in their emotional exhaustion. And then the Bible says he sat at the table with them. God, you, I'm not going to pull off too soon. I'm going to sit right here with you until you are, have a turnaround, until you get your joy back, until you get your enthusiasm.

That's powerful because Jesus specializes in showing up at exhausted tables. You might be exhausted but Jesus can show up. And every time he shows up, he's going to make a difference. Every time he is able to walk with you and comfort you and fan the flame.

Tables where faith is weak, tables where hearts are hurting, tables where minds are troubled, tables where people are trying to process life after the fire. I'm trying to figure this thing out called life and I can't figure it out. And I wouldn't want to go forward in my life without Jesus in my life.

Somebody ought to celebrate. And then Jesus said and he breaks bread with them. And when he breaks the bread with them, suddenly the scripture says their eyes open. Because encounters with Jesus reignite what life drained. That's what we do. Every time I come to God's house, there ought to be something that gets lit in my spirit, something that gets lifted in my spirit.

Jeremiah said but if I say I'll never mention the Lord, then Jeremiah 20:9, his word burns in my heart like a fire. The word of God rekindles people. And that is why the enemy fights your worship life. That's where he wants to fight you. He doesn't want you to get to worship.

He doesn't want you to get that connection. He is going to fight you in your prayer life. That's why you can't stay awake and pray. I'm going to fight you. And if you are consistent, then he's going to fight your consistency. I need to tear you down. I'm going to fight your devotion to God.

Because hell knows if the fire returns, your strength returns. I thank God I don't want that strength to return. That's what the devil said. But somebody came to church this morning but Jesus still knows how to light fires in tired hearts. My God, no matter what your world is looking like, no matter what you are going through, God can bring you all the way through, not just with some power but with all power.

And when Jesus rekindles your heart internally, it eventually changes how you move externally. In other words, something going on on my inside is going to affect my outside. Hallelujah. And that's my third point. Burning hearts produce moving feet. Move, got to move, move, move, moving feet.

The scripture says didn't our hearts burn within us? Notice their circumstances had not fully changed yet. But their hearts had changed. Scripture says didn't our hearts burn within because it's got to start somewhere. And it's best to start within. And once the fire came back internally, movement followed externally.

A burning heart cannot stay stagnant. When your heart burns again, you worship differently. You serve differently. I don't have to beg you. You're going to do it because you want to do it. Do I have a witness? I remember Saturday morning chores with my mother.

And my mother would look at us because we were halfway working. And then she would look at us and say, give me the broom, give me the mop, I'll do it myself because I don't need you dragging through this. Come on somebody. When you got something burning within, you love differently. You give differently.

You're going to give more than $2 to church. Talking about I'm excited about the Lord. We trying to burn a mortgage, you see all the work going on around here. You can't do that on air. You need commitment, dedication. Come on somebody. You believe differently. You move differently.

Matter of fact, when you got the joy of the Lord, it's going to make you move differently. Different walk, different, different, different, different, different. You go, you go, you go, you go, you're going to walk with pep, you're going to have excitement, you're going to have joy, you're going to have enthusiasm. I can't, I'm going to keep moving.

I'm going to, I got the joy of the Lord and the joy, look at me how far the cameras can go. How can you find, I got to have some excitement. Making y'all work today. You're going to move differently when you got the Lord. Come on, you're going to move differently. You're going to move differently.

You're not going to drag. Joyful. Every parent, every grandparent, you know how child is moving when they're excited. My son and I, we're going to a Commanders game and typically when I go to Commanders game if they're losing and I know it's a lost cause, there's no need to stay to the end. No need to get stuck in traffic.

No need. Let's get out of here. I mean, we can see it's going down. Now one time I messed up, we got home and the Commanders won and we were at home watching the victory. And he looked at me and he said, Dad, I told you you shouldn't have given up. But all those other times, and then we would leave the stadium and I'm walking trying to get to the car because I want to get out, I want to get out the parking lot.

And I look behind that joker's, no enthusiasm. When you look at God, there ought to be enthusiasm. I'm not dragging into the house of God. I got a whole lot to praise God for. Not going to drag in here. Too many answered prayers, too many open doors, too many blessings sent my way, too many opportunities, so much love shown.

I thank God! Cold hearts create passive people. Burning hearts create moving disciples. That is why after this moment, they immediately got up and returned to Jerusalem. Something happened to them. The same place they walked away from discouraged, they now run back toward with passion.

Because real encounters with Jesus will always move you forward. Somebody this morning needs to return. Return to prayer. Return to ministry. Return to faith. Return to hope. Return to discipline. Return to expectation. Return to trusting God again.

Because after the fire, God does not want you frozen. Romans 12:11 says never be lazy, but work hard. And I love the last part of that Romans 12:11: serve the Lord enthusiastically. If I can't have enthusiasm, I need to wrap up and call it quits. But if you're going to have the joy of the Lord, there ought to be some enthusiasm.

Nate, don't you love an enthusiastic choir member? All of y'all are. Thank God. Because some folk, and I preached in some churches, they sitting down front. Come on somebody. And then somebody get excited and they fanning them, trying to take them out, trying to cool them down.

You need to take some of these sleeping, take them out in the hallway, fan them, then bring them back in. You so busy trying to take their glasses off, are they all right? No, they got some fire. Thank God for fire. You're going to move differently. Can I preach it like I feel it? Don't go back cold.

And after everything God brought you through, don't go back cold. After surviving heartbreak, don't go back cold. After surviving depression, don't go back cold. Gary, you know what I'm talking about, you can't go back cold. You've seen I saw all those pills you got to take.

And after the revival, I'm not going back cold. The enemy thought the fire was over. But God said I'm still burning in them. I came to announce this morning, there is still fire in your worship. On this Pentecost Sunday, there's still fire in your calling. There's still fire in your praise.

There's still fire in your testimony. And there's still fire in your future. Lord, keep my fire burning. Because burning hearts still change families. Burning hearts still change churches. Burning hearts still change communities. Burning hearts still move feet.

And if your heart is still burning, you ought to give God a praise that proves the fire is still alive. Good morning, Highland Park. We'll find somewhere good to eat later on but I got to give God the praise and I will bless the name of the Lord. From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same.

Don't go back cold. When I go back home this afternoon or this morning, I'm going to go back home with the joy of the Lord. Do you love him this morning? 'Cause when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me, yeah, I've got to praise him. I've got to praise him. I've got to praise him.

Ain't he all right? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Don't go back cold. No need for cold worship. I got to have joyful worship because God has done so much for me. Sister Ellis, where would we be if it weren't for the Lord on our side? God is great, Terry, and Samatha, and he's greatly to be praised.

I got a praise and I got to let it out and I'm going to bless the name of the Lord. Don't go back cold. I'm going back on fire. I'm fired up for Jesus and we need to stay fired up. Stay enthusiastic. When you go a place and you see folk running into the building, you say something must be going on.

Come on somebody. If it's a restaurant folk running, see sometimes, and it's been, I've been going to some restaurants and you know, some restaurants you see you get out your car, you know it's a busy restaurant and don't, and sometimes you see other folk walking and then you just run. Or maybe you don't do that.

But I want to get ahead of them. I don't want to have to wait all afternoon. But I want to get in there to find out what is it y'all excited about? Back in the day, we used to ride around the community on Fridays, we used to try to find a party. Amen, we find them, we looking, we looking.

I mean, okay, don't act like you weren't one of those. I, me and my folk we used to ride around trying to find one. We didn't have to know anybody. Where y'all going? We going in there. Junior's house. Going in the back door, back down some stone steps, going down in the basement, Junior got a DJ and a strobe light and it's dark and you don't know who's in there but the music is pumping.

And you come out with a good sweat. Come on somebody. You matter, and those are the days we would go to parties to sweat. We knew that. But now we so cool, coming to church, nothing out of place. Let go, let God. But after I get the word, don't go back cold. Somebody today, God is trying to get you out of that cold space.

I don't know you by name but God does. He knows where you are and he knows where you need to be. And if today is the day that you get your fire, you get Jesus, you get your joy, if he's knocking at the door of your heart, don't wait, don't hesitate, don't procrastinate, don't vacillate, but break out of where you are and break into that which God wants to do for you and in you.

But you have to say yes to him. He does have the power to break in, but it's much better if you willingly say, Lord, I'm turning it over to you. And if that's you, man, woman, boy, girl, in person, online, make that commitment, make that step.

You've been listening to the radio broadcast of the First Baptist Church of Highland Park and Landover, Maryland. If you want to receive a CD or DVD of what you have just heard, please call 301-773-6655 or visit us on the World Wide Web and remember, there's power at the park.