In May of 1738, John Wesley wrote in his journal: "In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation: And an assurance was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

There are many times that we may feel that stirring in our heart, or as Wesley described a “heart strangely warmed.”

Do you remember the first time you fell in love with someone special? That moment when that someone special captured your heart can often be described as a burning in our hearts.

Or what about one of those really emotional moments in a movie, you know the kind that we describe as one that “tugs at your heart strings.” We men, of course, may try to fight back the tears, but deep inside when we are touched, both men and women alike, there is a feeling of our hearts burning deep within us.

Well, the secret of the burning heart comes today from our passage in Luke 24:13-35. It is one of the many resurrection accounts told in the gospels as proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

As with many of the resurrection accounts, we know them so well, that perhaps it is hard to find anything new in them. As I share the story, I invite you to listen with new ears.

Upon Jesus’ death, many of his disciples and other believer’s hopes in Jesus were destroyed. Two believers, sensing that their hopes in Jesus were over, decided to return to their homes by way of the Emmaus road. As they walked together, they were discussing all of the events. No doubt, they were trying to figure out what it was they missed, or misunderstood. They put their hope in Jesus to be the Messiah, but now Jesus was dead.

Their first problem was that they missed the significance of the greatest event in history. And to add to their problems, they were going away from Jerusalem, away from the fellowship of believers.

As they walked and talked, Jesus came upon them and began to walk with them. These two believers did not recognize Jesus and were amazed when he asked what they were talking about. They described to Jesus the events of the last few days and the hope that they had placed in Jesus of Nazareth as the powerful prophet, and the hoped-for Messiah.

“How foolish you are,” Jesus says to them, “and how slow of heart to believe all that prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things, and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scripture

These two believers as well as many others in Jerusalem had misunderstood the coming of the Messiah. They expected a Messiah who would come and be ruler of Jerusalem; a Messiah who would end the Roman occupation of Jerusalem. And so they were disappointed when Jesus died, because he failed to fulfill that hope. But Jesus said, “how foolish you are and how slow of heart to believe ALL that the prophets have spoken!” The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would fulfill their desires, not a Messiah who would fulfill God’s will for their nation. Jesus explained all this to them.

Then as these two believers came to the village they were traveling to, they urged Jesus to stay with them and to share a meal. As Jesus broke bread at the table and blessed it, they suddenly recognized him and he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Make note of the reasons for their burning hearts. It was as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them, as he explained, as he interpreted God’s will and plan for the Messiah and for God’s people that they sensed the burning of their hearts.

In Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost for His Highest” he writes, “We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, the fires are kindled, we have wonderful visions, then we have to learn to keep the secret of the burning heart that will go through anything.”

The secret of the burning heart is to constantly allow the Holy Spirit to bring fresh, new interpretations to God’s Word. On Good Friday, Pastor Don led us through an exercise called Lectio Divina, or Divine Reading. This spiritual discipline is designed to allow God’s Spirit to bring new understanding to passage of Scripture. As we not only read God’s Word, but as we sit in contemplation, we begin to interact with the living, breathing Word of God. It is at that moment, that our hearts have the capability of burning within us, because God is working on our hearts.

The secret of the burning heart is truly a mystery, but this mystery can be furthered by four practices outlined by Charles Swindoll, the well-known radio preacher. (Encountering Jesus along Life’s Road, http://www.sermon central.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=118938&page=2)

First, he says, “Invite God in.” Invite God into your life. Invite him to travel with you, and to breathe new understanding in your daily faith.

Secondly, “Surrender your expectations.” We may feel that God has one thing in mind, but as we pray, open your heart to let God speak what his will and desire is.

Thirdly, “Seek God’s perspective. To help the two disciples see their circumstances from God’s perspective, Jesus explained the Scriptures. And we have the same opportunity to share God’s vantage point by reading our only completely reliable source of truth, the sixty-six books of the Bible. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply set aside as little as ten minutes each day, and read.”

Fourthly, “Trust God’s timing. God, in His perfect discernment, did not allow the two disciples to recognize Jesus until the time was right.”

In order to experience the secret of the burning heart, we must submit ourselves to the leadership of Jesus Christ.