Easter Changes Everything: My Kingdom

Easter Changes MY KINGDOM

It’s early. Jerusalem is already alive.

The streets are packed—shoulder to shoulder.

You can feel it… something is happening.

You start pushing through the crowd, trying to get a glimpse—

People are whispering…

Some are shouting…

Others are standing on rocks, craning their necks…

And then you hear it—

The sound of armor.

The clanking of metal.

The stomping of horses.

You catch a glimpse…

A war horse.

Roman soldiers.

Banners waving.

It’s Pilate.

Rome has arrived.

Power. Control. Authority.

A kingdom built on dominance.

People step back.

Some in fear.

Some in awe.

That’s one side of the city.

But from the other side…

You hear something different.

Not the sound of war—

But the sound of worship.

At first it’s faint…

“Hosanna…”

You lean in…

“HOSANNA!”

Now it’s getting louder.

People are running.

Branches are being cut down.

Cloaks are thrown on the ground.

You push through another crowd—

And then you see Him.

Not on a war horse…

But on a donkey.

No armor.

No sword.

No army.

Just a King…

Gentle.

Intentional.

Unshaken.

And the crowd is shouting:

“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Two processions.

Two kings.

Two kingdoms.

Entering the same city…

On the same day.

And here’s the tension—

The people wanted a king like Pilate…

But God sent a King like Jesus.

They were looking for someone to take over Rome…

But Jesus came to take over hearts.

And if we’re honest…

We’re not that different.

We say we want Jesus…

But we still crave the kingdoms of this world.

But Easter changes that.

When Jesus makes you new…

He doesn’t just change your life—

He changes your kingdom.

2 Corinthians 5:17

“17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”

1.) New Creation means New Kingdom

Colossians 1:13

“13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,”

This word brought…. Literally means RELOCATED…. You were RELOCATED…

You don’t just get cleaned up … you get KINGDOM TRANSFORMATION.

Salvation doesn’t just change what you DID… it changes WHERE YOU BELONG

Philippians 3:20

“20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

Kingdoms have culture and values… Kingdoms have purpose… the new you doesn’t fit in the old way of the world….

But it still calls you

2.) The Old Kingdom Calls to you

You may have been made new, but the old Kingdom is like Columbia house…. It’s going to call you, follow up with you and keep mailing you cd’s from your past….

John 18:36

“36 Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’”

MY kingdom is not of this world…. Doesn’t mean the kingdom of this world doesn’t call to you…..

Just look at the reality of PALM SUNDAY…. They wanted JESUS and the WORLD… that is the entire misunderstanding of PALM SUNDAY…. The want JESUS to come in like PILATE… two kings, two kingdoms…. One day….

You cannot walk in your new identity while living in the OLD KINGDOM….

I’m reminded of the moment on Mount Carmel with Elijah, confronting the prophets of Baal… the culture, the way of the world… it’s not that they didn’t want the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… it’s that they wanted BOTH KINGDOMS….BOTH WAYS…BOTH the new and the old

1 Kings 18:21

“21 Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.”

Ultimately that just it….

3.) NEW KINGDOM…. NEW KING

It’s not just choosing a citizenship… its not just choosing a “KINGDOM”… its living under the a NEW AUTHORITY… a NEW KING…

HE is the KING OF KINGS… the LORD OF LORDS…

Romans 6:14

“14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”

You are no LONGER…. Under the authority of your old self and the destruction of this world….

YOU have a new identity and a new KING… and it is within you

Luke 17:21

“The Kingdom of God is within you”

4.) Living in the NEW KINGDOM

One of my favorite stories in the entire Bible is the story of the prodigal son…. If you are familiar with the story the son takes his inheritance from his father and squanders it in the way of the world…. He intends to return to his father as a servant… but something incredible happens when he returns..

Luke 15:22–24

“22 ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.”

The ROBE,

“THE BEST ROBE… likely the fathers robe

Covering his shame

restoring his PLACE in the family’s

Telling the world HE BELONGS HERE

Isaiah 61:10

“10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

The RING

A SIGNET RING… family authority

You act on behalf of the father

You carry the family NAME

You have authority

You are not JUST living in the new KINGDOM… you represent the KING

2 Corinthians 5:20

“20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.”

The SANDALS

Servants went barefooted..

Sons wore sandals

-you aren’t here in this kingdom to sit in shame… you are here to walk in purpose!!!!

And our PURPOSE IS TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM!!!

Salvation:

can you hear it…. The difference between two kingdoms… the roar of the world… just like that of Jerusalem as Pilate entered… and the quiet whisper of worship as JESUS entered…. Each of us in our time must decide just like the prodigal…. Which KINGDOM… do we belong to…

CHARGE:

INVITE INVITE INVITE