Stand

Relying on Christ, we will stand

This is Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday is always the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

It’s named Palm Sunday for the scripture we read as our call to worship.

Jesus rode into town on a donkey and people laid their coats and palm fronds on the ground for the donkey to walk on.

That’s what they did for a king.

And that’s what they thought they were getting.

But who knew the world was about to change?

I want to read you a few entries from my diary.

Don’t worry, they aren’t long.

March 10, 2020 - Met with staff - regular meeting plus discussed coronavirus plans.

March 11, 2020 - The world literally went crazy. Essentially feels like the world is shutting down over the coronavirus.

Either it is a huge over-reaction or Captain Trips has been unleashed by China. I’m good for over-reaction.

March 12, 2020 - Spent the morning learning about the Coronavirus. Set up a meeting with leadership to craft a policy.

March 13, 2020 - Methodists pulled out of D-Now and since they were hosts that killed that.

JC Schools closed next week yet we have had 0 cases. Something really odd about all of this.

We are meeting Sunday morning but all else canceled.

March 14, 2020 - Governor Kemp asked all churches to cancel in person services tomorrow.

So we are Facebook Live.

This is a different moment. Lord, please guide me and us through this minefield. We want you to be glorified.

March 15, 2020 - 1st ever live stream. Logan, Becca, Austin, Luke and I did a worship service on Facebook Live.

Have over 117 viewing live and 1700 views by the end of the day. CDC says 8 weeks. Time for Plan B.

Who knew the world was about to change?

We are stepping out of Exodus for a couple of weeks as we observe the next to the last major world change.

Yes, there have been lots of things that have changed the way the world runs.

We lived through one in 2020 with Corona.

World War 1, World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan

The sexual liberation movement of the 60’s

The civil rights movement.

Women’s rights movement.

Gay rights - and now a totally new sexual morality movement.

All of those things changed how the world was managed.

But Jesus being raised from the dead changed humanity fundamentally - not how we managed things, but who we are.

That was the next to last fundamental change in history.

There is one more.

Open your Bibles to Matthew 24, we’ll start with verse 3.

Kids, Jesus loves you more than you will ever be able to understand.

Next week we’re going to talk about the empty tomb.

But today we’re going to be talking about something else Jesus is going to do but hasn’t done yet.

Listen closely - take good notes - here are your three words Jesus, world, saying.

Everyone, hear now the word of the Lord from Matthew 24:3-14

Matthew 24:3–14 ESV

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

When Jesus died on the cross and was raised, something happened to us on a very fundamental level.

We went from being dead with no hope of life - to something new.

Paul tells us, very plainly: 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

When Jesus was raised from the dead and He called out to us and we trusted him - we became something different.

We became people with a new heart.

God’s word is written on that new heart and that God Himself takes responsibility for guiding us through life.

In my daily Bible reading, I ran across one of my most favorite verses;

Isaiah 30:20–21 ESV

And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

He’s guiding us, isn’t that what you hear?

We have to trust Him to do that.

At the second coming, we’ll fundamentally change again.

1 John 3:2 ESV

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

We have no clue what that’s going to look like.

We know we won’t be God.

But we know we will be like Him.

You do believe that, right?

But until then, we continue to grapple with life just like the disciples did.

In the story, Jesus and the disciples had walked out of the temple and for some reason, that day, his disciples found the temple to be especially beautiful.

But instead of admiring what had to be a magnificent structure, Jesus told them that one day the place would be destroyed.

Well, that blew them up - that was like saying the White House will be blown to smithereens - that’s a sacrilege.

It’s who we are.

So when they got to the Mount of Olives they stopped and asked Jesus what about this destroying the temple thing.

I honestly don’t think they had a clue what they were asking: Matthew 24:3 “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?””

They don’t really understand Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection at all.

It seems to me they are asking, “OK Jesus, is this tearing down the temple thing going to be how you take over?”

Jesus answers them with three things we need to know. First

Don’t be led astray

All Jesus is saying in verses 4 - 8 is everything will continue to be as chaotic as it has ever been.

Don’t let people freak you out about it and get you so freaked out that you do the wrong thing.

Ya’ll, the solution to everything we face right this minute is spiritual.

The fix for everything is Jesus - that’s not simplistic - that’s not naive.

That’s not Pollyanna - that’s real.

Imagine a world where sexual morality revolves around the family.

Where every person, saved or unsaved, rich or poor, powerful or powerless - every person would be treated with dignity and respect.

That’s what Jesus brings.

That’s what we crave - that’s what our hearts cry out for.

Don’t be led astray by antichrists preaching other solution.

We are being told in the media - and pick your media - they are all the same

We are being told this is the worst it has ever been.

But according to what Jesus is saying right here - every time is as worst as it has ever been.

Certainly the Chinese in 1958 thought it was the worst it had ever been.

From 1958 to 1962, over 30 MILLION Chinese starved to death in a famine.

I started to drop the graph of all of the major famines since Jesus, but it was too much.

They happen all the time - they are happening now in parts of Africa.

Just like Jesus said.

Jesus said nation will rise against nation.

Right now in the world:

Thailand is fighting an Islamic insurgency.

Pakistan is fighting an Islamic insurgency.

Iran is fighting an internal rebellion.

Nigeria is fighting a civil war.

The Congo is fighting an Islamic insurgency.

Paraguay is fighting a civil war.

Israel is fighting Hamas - and may the Lord protect Israel and crush her enemies.

Mexico is fighting their drug cartels.

Nine African nations are fighting an Islamic insurgency.

Somalia is fighting a civil war led by Al-Qaeda and Islam.

Four nations in Africa are fighting Boko Haram.

Yemen is fighting a civil war.

Bahrain is fighting an Islamic insurgency.

Syria is fighting the Islamic state and Al-Qaeda.

Mali is fighting an Islamic insurgency.

Central African Republic is fighting a civil war.

Tunisia is fighting the Islamic State.

Myanmar is at war.

Northern Chad is at war.

Cameroon is at war.

Iraq is still at war with the Islamic state.

Colombia in South America is at war.

Ghana is at war.

Morocco is at war.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war.

Ecuador is at war.

And you thought Russia and Ukraine was the only war in town.

And just for sport, we had a 2.1 earthquake a Lake Sinclair a few weeks ago.

Jesus is telling us the chaos will be loud and constant.

Don’t get confused by it.

Don’t get caught up in the world’s solutions.

The solution is Jesus.

If enough people follow Jesus then the world will absolutely change.

Which brings us to two:

The world will not stand quietly in front of Jesus

“Today, conflicts most often arise from Christian nationalism, the anti-democratic notion that America is a nation by and for Christians alone.”

Does anyone in here believe that America is a nation for Christians alone?

Have we ever said that?

That’s the opinion, by the way, of Amanda Tyler from the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.

The Southern Baptists aren’t affiliated with that group.

It is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship among others.

But that’s the war that’s going on against Christianity right now.

This article says the January 6th event that has been labeled an insurrection, was an overt Christian Nationalist event.

Evangelical Christianity has to be crushed.

Godly morality and sexual and social anarchy cannot coexist.

They are lithium and water - put them together and they will explode.

And that explosion is what Jesus’ describes.

We are seeing this in the church itself.

People don’t like the gospel they hear.

They go to another church that preaches a more palatable gospel.

A more, “Jesus is love,” gospel without addressing what love really is.

Other churches, prosperity teachers come in and teach another gospel.

One that promises healing and wealth and possessions - “God wants to bless you with all these things.”

And we all want things.

Matthew 24:12 “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

The love of many will go to the things that are more comfortable or, or, it will go away because of fear.

The mob will cancel you.

Ask Jack Phillips.

He’s the Christian cake baker whose gay friend tried to sue him into oblivion.

His case made it to the Supreme Court and Jack won.

But now a transgender has sued him for refusing to bake a transgender cake.

And the process begins again.

How do we stand up in front of this?

Jesus says we don’t do it by ourselves

Matthew 24:13 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

As Evangelical Christians, we believe our salvation consists of three parts.

The first part is when I am saved - when I am born again.

That’s what we mentioned earlier - we receive a new heart and the Holy Spirit comes to live with us.

The second part is “I am being saved,” or to use a big word, sanctification.

And this is real important and this is what we tend to forget in the chaos and noise.

Remember one of my favorite verses from Isaiah 30:21 “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

Sanctification is us learning to hear that voice.

And if you belong to Jesus, He’s training you to hear that voice.

Some of you have experienced it - I know I have.

In a particular moment, you just knew there was something you had to do or say?

Or maybe it was the other way around, you just knew you had to keep your mouth shut.

The voice behind us saying, “This is the way, walk in it.”

Jesus’ message is this:

The world is full of noise and chaos.

Listen for the right voice and you’ll stand to the end.

Jesus is telling us in the midst of the noise and chaos we are living in

“I’m right here.

“You aren’t doing this alone.

“Don’t listen to anyone who tells you differently - they will lead you astray.”

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Brothers and sisters, the noise is loud.

The evil one is working hard to overwhelm Jesus’ voice

But remember, its noise.

Regardless of what comes, we will stand.

We will not falter and we will not fail.

Remember YWHW’s word to Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.””

Make up your minds now.

Don’t wait until the noise gets its loudest.

Make up your minds now.

“I will follow Jesus.

“I will follow Jesus.

“I will follow Jesus and He will be with me wherever I go.”

If you are not a committed Jesus follower, I want to invite you to join the team.

If you’ve been around church for a long time, I hope you’ve noticed something.

We aren’t asking you to follow Jesus so you can go to heaven when you die.

Yes, that’s the third part of being saved.

But that’s kind of like the cool whip on top of the shortcake.

What really matters today is having truth as your foundation.

What you are getting in the world isn’t truth - and in your heart you know it.

Just like I knew something wasn’t right with the Covid stuff - you know what the world wants to tell you what they want you to have.

But you need Jesus.

You need a new heart.

You need a guide who will never leave you

And who will show you how to stand when the going gets hard.

You need Jesus.

We are inviting you right now to change the direction of your life.

Tell the Lord you want to follow Him from now on

Ask Jesus to save you.

Come join the team.

We are going to pray and then we are going to take a minute, while Kim plays

To let you ponder what the Spirit is trying to tell you.

If Jesus is calling you - you need to answer.

Come see me, or anyone in here.

We’ll get you to Jesus.

Let us pray.

Brief invitation

Communion

Jesus is coming again.

Our receiving the Lord’s supper today is the icing on the cake for today’s message.

1 Corinthians 11:26 says it “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

I know we often receive the elements in a rote kind of way.

It’s just what we do - it’s part of being a Christian.

But brothers and sisters, you are making a statement when you come forward.

Not a passive statement where a plate comes around and you pick up a tiny piece of bread

And there was nothing wrong with doing it that way - we did it for years that way.

But today you are going to stand up, walk down an aisle and take the bread and the juice

And your actions are going to say to anyone who sees it, “I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

“I am ready to take on all the world delivers.

“I am ready to stand for Jesus.

It’s really revolutionary.

We are standing in the face of a lawless world proclaiming

We will not bend our knee to your idol.

We will only bow before Jesus.

Because we know at some point - one day so will you - because Jesus is coming again.

That’s pretty bold.

So let’s listen to what Paul instructed one more time: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Marantha! Come quickly Lord Jesus.

(AUSTIN PRAYS)

At First Baptist, if you are a believer, baptized after you were saved, you are invited to join us at the Lord’s table.

Everyone please exit your pew on the left and proceed to the table closest to you.

When you receive the elements, you may consume them then or take them back to your seat and reflect before you take them.

The gluten free host is at _____________ table.

Please quietly, pensively come.