April 1 Sermon Celebration

April 1 Sermon Celebration
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40


The other day I watched a show about how the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders train and are picked out. Man that’s some tough standards they set. They shake this way, they shake that way. They jump and smile and do the splits. But if a girl shimmies instead of shakes or jumps instead of splits, she is gone.

And for what?? A job that pays very little, $50 per game in fact. Of course they make $$ from other gigs outside of the stadium, but why in the world would anyone want to be a cheerleader, go through that torture, and only get $500 a season?

They believe in the team. They are excited to be a part of this team. What about the non-paid cheering section. You’ve seen these people. The kids in uniform, the women with pom poms. The grown men who will paint their faces and maybe even their bodies the colors of their favorite team and go to the game to cheer them on whether they are having a winning or losing season. This is devotion at its highest point. I’m waiting to see that kind of devotion from God’s church. I have not seen any men on TV in a worship service with their shirts off and big cross painted across their backs.
Today is the beginning of Holy Week. Many churches will focus not only on the palms, but also on the passion of Christ. Not only on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but also on him being sentenced to death. There is so much imagery and so much prophecy being fulfilled it’s just amazing.

Lets look at verse 31 again. Jesus tells the disciples about the colt “if anyone asks you about it, tell them The Lord needs it.” Let’s say he sent Peter and John to get the colt. What would that conversation be like??

Peter says, “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? When Jesus says someone will ask us about taking the colt, it will definitely happen.” John looks at Peter saying, “your right…and YOU tell them The Lord needs it. I’ll be behind you all the way.” I see a Three Stooges skit acting out, “you do it. No you do it. No you do it.” I bet it was Peter who said it. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Why a colt though? Zechariah 9:9 says “Shout, Daughter Jerusalem. Your King comes to you. Righteous and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was not coming to start a war and overthrow the government in Jerusalem. When a King comes in on a donkey, it’s a sign of peace.

The people cry out “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and on earth.” Remember that from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The people knew what the donkey meant. They wanted peace also. Peace from conflict. Peace from backbiting. Peace from the hatred that filled their society. A second chance to make a difference in the world.

Jesus came on a donkey into Jerusalem…..this time. Do you know when Jesus comes riding on a horse as the King who seeks to conquer? Revelations 19 starting in verse 11 where John tells us “I saw heaven open up and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations….on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

If Jesus would have stayed away from Jerusalem, he probably would have lived a lot longer. The religious elite would not have seen him as much of a threat out there. It was only when he came into Jerusalem that he was a real danger to the status quo. He was going to upset the apple cart.

The mascots were running around. The cheerleaders were cheering.

WAVING YOUR PALM

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We love you. You’re the best. Keep up the good work.” Then the religious elite come into the picture. “Tell them to stop. They are making fools of themselves and soon the Romans will be upon us.” And Jesus, probably smiling the whole time “I can’t stop them. If they stop, the rocks will cry out.”

Rocks and artifacts are the words of life for archeologists. They want the proof in hand for what they believe. They travel around the world to get proof, as Sir William Ramsay did. This son of an atheist (and an atheist himself) was a wealthy PhD archeologist from Oxford.


He set out to the Holy Land to disprove the bible, specifically the Book of Acts. After 25 years of digging and writing books about his finds, he declared that “Luke in writing Acts was accurate,” and to the shock of his critics he declared himself to now be a Christian.

Praise God that different people can be reached in different ways, and Christ is big enough to be different sizes in a one-size-fits-all world. And so we follow Jesus in faith into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ grand entrance, and what happens afterward means there is hope for us. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be persecuted in some way. Either the Devil will work on beating you down, or those who are against God and giving him glory will beat you down. The success of Christ’s mission [Lk 4:18-19] is not dependent upon me. I am called (as Mother Theresa has said) to be; “Faithful, not successful.”

We may be abandoned by the crowds, scorned by leaders, unsuccessful according to this world, and even persecuted, but that would make us more like Christ than if we were accepted by the crowds, praised by leaders, successful according to this world, and living a life of comfort and ease.


Though we may fail by this world’s standard, Christ’s name will be proclaimed. All of creation, all of history faithfully points to him. The longer his claim has stood, the more his evidence is corroborated.

I’m going to tell you the story of Pastor Li De Xian from mainline China in 2002.
April 1 Sermon Celebration
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40


The other day I watched a show about how the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders train and are picked out. Man that’s some tough standards they set. They shake this way, they shake that way. They jump and smile and do the splits. But if a girl shimmies instead of shakes or jumps instead of splits, she is gone.

And for what?? A job that pays very little, $50 per game in fact. Of course they make $$ from other gigs outside of the stadium, but why in the world would anyone want to be a cheerleader, go through that torture, and only get $500 a season?

They believe in the team. They are excited to be a part of this team. What about the non-paid cheering section. You’ve seen these people. The kids in uniform, the women with pom poms. The grown men who will paint their faces and maybe even their bodies the colors of their favorite team and go to the game to cheer them on whether they are having a winning or losing season. This is devotion at its highest point. I’m waiting to see that kind of devotion from God’s church. I have not seen any men on TV in a worship service with their shirts off and big cross painted across their backs.
Today is the beginning of Holy Week. Many churches will focus not only on the palms, but also on the passion of Christ. Not only on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but also on him being sentenced to death. There is so much imagery and so much prophecy being fulfilled it’s just amazing.

Lets look at verse 31 again. Jesus tells the disciples about the colt “if anyone asks you about it, tell them The Lord needs it.” Let’s say he sent Peter and John to get the colt. What would that conversation be like??

Peter says, “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? When Jesus says someone will ask us about taking the colt, it will definitely happen.” John looks at Peter saying, “your right…and YOU tell them The Lord needs it. I’ll be behind you all the way.” I see a Three Stooges skit acting out, “you do it. No you do it. No you do it.” I bet it was Peter who said it. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Why a colt though? Zechariah 9:9 says “Shout, Daughter Jerusalem. Your King comes to you. Righteous and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was not coming to start a war and overthrow the government in Jerusalem. When a King comes in on a donkey, it’s a sign of peace.

The people cry out “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and on earth.” Remember that from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The people knew what the donkey meant. They wanted peace also. Peace from conflict. Peace from backbiting. Peace from the hatred that filled their society. A second chance to make a difference in the world.

Jesus came on a donkey into Jerusalem…..this time. Do you know when Jesus comes riding on a horse as the King who seeks to conquer? Revelations 19 starting in verse 11 where John tells us “I saw heaven open up and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations….on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

If Jesus would have stayed away from Jerusalem, he probably would have lived a lot longer. The religious elite would not have seen him as much of a threat out there. It was only when he came into Jerusalem that he was a real danger to the status quo. He was going to upset the apple cart.

The mascots were running around. The cheerleaders were cheering.

WAVING YOUR PALM

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We love you. You’re the best. Keep up the good work.” Then the religious elite come into the picture. “Tell them to stop. They are making fools of themselves and soon the Romans will be upon us.” And Jesus, probably smiling the whole time “I can’t stop them. If they stop, the rocks will cry out.”

Rocks and artifacts are the words of life for archeologists. They want the proof in hand for what they believe. They travel around the world to get proof, as Sir William Ramsay did. This son of an atheist (and an atheist himself) was a wealthy PhD archeologist from Oxford.


He set out to the Holy Land to disprove the bible, specifically the Book of Acts. After 25 years of digging and writing books about his finds, he declared that “Luke in writing Acts was accurate,” and to the shock of his critics he declared himself to now be a Christian.

Praise God that different people can be reached in different ways, and Christ is big enough to be different sizes in a one-size-fits-all world. And so we follow Jesus in faith into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ grand entrance, and what happens afterward means there is hope for us. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be persecuted in some way. Either the Devil will work on beating you down, or those who are against God and giving him glory will beat you down. The success of Christ’s mission [Lk 4:18-19] is not dependent upon me. I am called (as Mother Theresa has said) to be; “Faithful, not successful.”

We may be abandoned by the crowds, scorned by leaders, unsuccessful according to this world, and even persecuted, but that would make us more like Christ than if we were accepted by the crowds, praised by leaders, successful according to this world, and living a life of comfort and ease.


Though we may fail by this world’s standard, Christ’s name will be proclaimed. All of creation, all of history faithfully points to him. The longer his claim has stood, the more his evidence is corroborated.

I’m going to tell you the story of Pastor Li De Xian from mainline China in 2002.
April 1 Sermon Celebration
Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29
Luke 19:28-40


The other day I watched a show about how the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders train and are picked out. Man that’s some tough standards they set. They shake this way, they shake that way. They jump and smile and do the splits. But if a girl shimmies instead of shakes or jumps instead of splits, she is gone.

And for what?? A job that pays very little, $50 per game in fact. Of course they make $$ from other gigs outside of the stadium, but why in the world would anyone want to be a cheerleader, go through that torture, and only get $500 a season?

They believe in the team. They are excited to be a part of this team. What about the non-paid cheering section. You’ve seen these people. The kids in uniform, the women with pom poms. The grown men who will paint their faces and maybe even their bodies the colors of their favorite team and go to the game to cheer them on whether they are having a winning or losing season. This is devotion at its highest point. I’m waiting to see that kind of devotion from God’s church. I have not seen any men on TV in a worship service with their shirts off and big cross painted across their backs.
Today is the beginning of Holy Week. Many churches will focus not only on the palms, but also on the passion of Christ. Not only on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, but also on him being sentenced to death. There is so much imagery and so much prophecy being fulfilled it’s just amazing.

Lets look at verse 31 again. Jesus tells the disciples about the colt “if anyone asks you about it, tell them The Lord needs it.” Let’s say he sent Peter and John to get the colt. What would that conversation be like??

Peter says, “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? When Jesus says someone will ask us about taking the colt, it will definitely happen.” John looks at Peter saying, “your right…and YOU tell them The Lord needs it. I’ll be behind you all the way.” I see a Three Stooges skit acting out, “you do it. No you do it. No you do it.” I bet it was Peter who said it. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth.

Why a colt though? Zechariah 9:9 says “Shout, Daughter Jerusalem. Your King comes to you. Righteous and having salvation. Lowly and riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Prophecy fulfilled. Jesus was not coming to start a war and overthrow the government in Jerusalem. When a King comes in on a donkey, it’s a sign of peace.

The people cry out “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and on earth.” Remember that from Psalm 118, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The people knew what the donkey meant. They wanted peace also. Peace from conflict. Peace from backbiting. Peace from the hatred that filled their society. A second chance to make a difference in the world.

Jesus came on a donkey into Jerusalem…..this time. Do you know when Jesus comes riding on a horse as the King who seeks to conquer? Revelations 19 starting in verse 11 where John tells us “I saw heaven open up and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.

With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but himself. He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

The armies of heaven are following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations….on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”

If Jesus would have stayed away from Jerusalem, he probably would have lived a lot longer. The religious elite would not have seen him as much of a threat out there. It was only when he came into Jerusalem that he was a real danger to the status quo. He was going to upset the apple cart.

The mascots were running around. The cheerleaders were cheering.

WAVING YOUR PALM

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We love you. You’re the best. Keep up the good work.” Then the religious elite come into the picture. “Tell them to stop. They are making fools of themselves and soon the Romans will be upon us.” And Jesus, probably smiling the whole time “I can’t stop them. If they stop, the rocks will cry out.”

Rocks and artifacts are the words of life for archeologists. They want the proof in hand for what they believe. They travel around the world to get proof, as Sir William Ramsay did. This son of an atheist (and an atheist himself) was a wealthy PhD archeologist from Oxford.


He set out to the Holy Land to disprove the bible, specifically the Book of Acts. After 25 years of digging and writing books about his finds, he declared that “Luke in writing Acts was accurate,” and to the shock of his critics he declared himself to now be a Christian.

Praise God that different people can be reached in different ways, and Christ is big enough to be different sizes in a one-size-fits-all world. And so we follow Jesus in faith into Jerusalem.

Jesus’ grand entrance, and what happens afterward means there is hope for us. If you are a true disciple of Christ, you will be persecuted in some way. Either the Devil will work on beating you down, or those who are against God and giving him glory will beat you down. The success of Christ’s mission [Lk 4:18-19] is not dependent upon me. I am called (as Mother Theresa has said) to be; “Faithful, not successful.”

We may be abandoned by the crowds, scorned by leaders, unsuccessful according to this world, and even persecuted, but that would make us more like Christ than if we were accepted by the crowds, praised by leaders, successful according to this world, and living a life of comfort and ease.


Though we may fail by this world’s standard, Christ’s name will be proclaimed. All of creation, all of history faithfully points to him. The longer his claim has stood, the more his evidence is corroborated.

I’m going to tell you the story of Pastor Li De Xian from mainline China in 2002.
http://www.jesusfreaks.net/excerpts/JF2_China.pdf


We can stand as affirmed in our faith as Jesus stood, knowing that his purpose is victorious, that love is stronger than fear, and that God’s salvation is greater than man’s sin. Though our lives may appear as failures; our God turns disaster into hope, for (as Paul has promised); “Love never fails [I Cor 13:8].”

It is because of this love Jesus has for us, that he died for all of us. All we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives. We go feast in communion at least once a month as a family of Christians together. And we go through the hymnal with the words that say exactly what communion means…

”This is the body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.” With your salvation, continue to be a cheerleader, faithful of Christ, even when it seems to be you can’t find the truth in the rocks. Continue you faith walk and search for evidence of your salvation as we do the same. On Friday night we will be seeing this communion in a new way and I heartily encourage you to come to that service at 7pm.


We can stand as affirmed in our faith as Jesus stood, knowing that his purpose is victorious, that love is stronger than fear, and that God’s salvation is greater than man’s sin. Though our lives may appear as failures; our God turns disaster into hope, for (as Paul has promised); “Love never fails [I Cor 13:8].”

It is because of this love Jesus has for us, that he died for all of us. All we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives. We go feast in communion at least once a month as a family of Christians together. And we go through the hymnal with the words that say exactly what communion means…

”This is the body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.” With your salvation, continue to be a cheerleader, faithful of Christ, even when it seems to be you can’t find the truth in the rocks. Continue you faith walk and search for evidence of your salvation as we do the same. On Friday night we will be seeing this communion in a new way and I heartily encourage you to come to that service at 7pm.

We can stand as affirmed in our faith as Jesus stood, knowing that his purpose is victorious, that love is stronger than fear, and that God’s salvation is greater than man’s sin. Though our lives may appear as failures; our God turns disaster into hope, for (as Paul has promised); “Love never fails [I Cor 13:8].”

It is because of this love Jesus has for us, that he died for all of us. All we have to do is accept him as Lord and Savior of our lives. We go feast in communion at least once a month as a family of Christians together. And we go through the hymnal with the words that say exactly what communion means…

”This is the body and blood of Christ, broken and poured out for the forgiveness of your sins.” With your salvation, continue to be a cheerleader, faithful of Christ, even when it seems to be you can’t find the truth in the rocks. Continue you faith walk and search for evidence of your salvation as we do the same. On Friday night we will be seeing this communion in a new way and I heartily encourage you to come to that service at 7pm.