The Lord Hath Need Of You

INTRO:The time for Jesus triumphant entry is at hand!

English Standard Version (Chapter 19)

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

PRAY!

1. Jesus Is In Complete Control

Matthew 20:18–19 ““See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.””

2. Jesus Is Worthy Of Our Worship

Mark 11:9–10 “And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!””

Now the cat is out of the bag regarding Jesus. Up till now Jesus had told folks to keep His identity on the down-low.

Luke 19:39–40 “And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.””

Of course, the church folk were there too

To not worship Jesus is sin.

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Worship is not just singing 4 songs Sunday morning before the sermon

It’s easy to worship when your fields are overflowing, but what about when the bad diagnosis comes?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Jesus had a moment when overlooking the Great city that swelled to over 400k people due to passover.

Luke 19:41 “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,”

3. There Are Very Real Consequences Of Rejecting Jesus

“That you knew not the time of your visitation”

Luke 13:34 ESV

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Luke 19:44 “and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.””

Jesus knew what lay in store for Jerusalem. In 40 short years..

future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Judaea. Following a five-month siege, the Romans destroyed the city and the Second Jewish Temple. According to Josephus, a contemporary historian and the main source for the war, the city was ravaged by murder, famine, and cannibalism. It was said that not one rock lay upon the other, complete utter destruction.

4. Jesus’s Motivation Was Love

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

His love transforms us:

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Ephesians 5:1–2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

“The Lord hath need of it”

The colt of a donkey instead of “The high horse”

The colt was borrowed, so was the boat He traveled in on the waters. He ate His final passover in a borrowed room and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

God uses the low for high purposes. That’s why you come as you are to Jesus.

5. The Lord Hath Need of You!

He wants you to be with Him

He wants you for His church

He wants you for His glory and your good

IN CLOSING: “God’s love covers us …and cleanses us. Then, in His compassion, He transforms us.  He’s big enough and gracious enough to tackle our mess until the day He decides that construction is complete and He takes us home. So often, where God is taking us is less about our destination and more about our journey of becoming like Jesus.  God is more interested in our character than our accomplishments anyway”

PRAY!