Remember

Greeting

Good morning! My name is Joel Cossins, and I’m the pastor here at Libby COTN. I’d like to welcome all of our guests here today, especially to those of you checking us out online. Hello! If you’ve not yet visited us in person, I look forward to the day we can welcome you to our fellowship. You should know when you visit, you will most likely be invited to stay after, as we have a potluck every Sunday after the service—unless otherwise noted. So, come hungry for an encounter with JESUS and bring your appetite for food, as well!

Announce text: Zechariah 9:9-12

Key Text: Zechariah 9:9-12

Review

God desires deep transformation in and through His kids, and this Lent, He invites us to that end through a corporate fast and prayer. Drawing from Jesus' teaching, this season is designed for spiritual pruning—removing distractions to make room for greater intimacy, favor, and the Holy Spirit's work.

As we lean into these 40 days, we seek renewal in our individual and family lives, our church body (Libby COTN) and the church body of Libby, and our community (with a vision for 3,000 souls delivered, saved, and set free). This fast is a vital part of a larger 'season of change' God has initiated before Lent—a season within a season. In the midst of this transition, our primary posture is to rest in His Presence while seeking His transformative power.

the first Sunday in Lent, we began with a burning invitation

Psalm 95 presents a heartfelt appeal for worship, emphasizing both celebration and caution as it invites us to acknowledge God's power and mercy while reminding us of the importance of listening to His voice and not hardening our hearts.

Big Idea: Worship is an active engagement that requires both joy and a vigilant heart, calling us not only to celebrate God’s majesty but to continually seek His presence and guidance in our lives.

In this passage, we discovered that genuine worship not only involves celebrating God’s goodness but also requires a posture of humility and responsiveness to His guidance and word, urging those who will listen to avoid spiritual complacency.

the second Sunday in Lent, we explored Psalm 84 and discovered a burning need

Psalm 84 expresses a deep yearning for God's presence, illustrating the joy and satisfaction found in communion with Him. The psalmist highlights the beauty of the dwelling place of the LORD and the blessings that come from being in His Presence.

Big Idea: Our deepest need is for the Presence of GOD, which brings joy and strength in every season of life.

This passage depicts God's temple as the ultimate refuge, emphasizing an intimate relationship over a physical structure. The psalmist shows that true fulfillment is found solely in God's Presence, creating a yearning that leads to joy. Though trials are certain, drawing near to God remains our source of strength and sustenance.

How deeply—how desperately—do you long for HIS Presence? It will be reflected in your actions ...

the third Sunday, we were captivated by GOD’s burning desire for restoration that burns hotter than any distraction or failure we have

In Jeremiah 32:26-41, God illustrates His unwavering sovereignty over the nations and His intimate knowledge of His people's struggles. He emphasizes that despite their shortcomings and the dire consequences of their actions, He remains committed to their restoration and renewal through a covenant steeped in mercy and faithfulness, intending to bring about a profound transformation in their society and relationship with Him.

Big Idea: GOD's commitment to restoration is unfailing and invites us into a transformative journey that not only renews us but also impacts those around us, revealing His glory in the world.

The message that day taught us that no matter how far we stray from God, His desire is always to draw us back into relationship with Him. It emphasized that God's plans are not foiled by our failures but rather that He uses them to fulfill His purpose of transformation and restoration.

the fourth Sunday, we felt the urgency and the passion of GOD’s burning love as He placed before us a choice to love Him.

Deuteronomy 30:11–20 presents a profound moment as Moses conveys God's plea to the Israelites to choose life and blessing. This passage emphasizes the accessibility of God's commands, the consequences of disobedience, and the life-giving power found in loving God wholeheartedly. It reveals the depth of God's desire for His people to thrive in a relationship with Him, where their choices can reflect His love.

Big Idea: True life and blessing flow from a heartfelt commitment to love and obey God, reminding us that our choices reveal our deepest affections.

We discovered that our choices have significant spiritual implications. The message reinforced the idea that obedience is not just a duty but a loving response to God’s grace, portraying a picture of an engaged faith that results in genuine blessings from God.

last week, we were encouraged to respond to Burning Encounters With Jesus.

In Psalm 27, we saw a foreshadowing of Christ as the ultimate light and salvation. The passage expresses David's confidence in the Lord as his light and salvation, emphasizing the importance of trusting God in the face of fear and hostility. Just as David found safety in God, believers today find their refuge in Jesus Christ, who ultimately protects from spiritual enemies and offers eternal hope. When we experience and encounter Jesus, He inspires faith and courage amidst fear and uncertainty.

Big Idea: True confidence in God empowers us to respond to fear with faith, knowing that He is our refuge and strength in every situation.

We discovered that faith in God's character and promises allows us to face fears boldly. It encourages you and me to seek and remain close to Jesus through prayer and worship, enhancing our relationship with Him. A genuine encounter with Jesus leads to a deeper relationship with Him, prompting us to respond in faith, worship, and confidence even in the midst of life's challenges.

Announce text again: Zechariah 9:9-12

Scripture Reading

Zechariah 9:9–12 NIV

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

Prayer for added blessing to the reading of the Word

> hold palm branch up and say,

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Response: “Hosanna in the highest!”

The title of our message this morning is A Heart That Burns.

In Zechariah 9:9–12, the prophet foretells a future king who arrives in an unexpected way—lowly and riding on a donkey. This prophecy reveals God's plan for a coming king who illustrates God's intention to rescue and restore His people, establishing an everlasting covenant with them, and emphasizing that true leadership is characterized by meekness and righteousness rather than pride and power.

Big Idea: Jesus, our humble King, ignites hearts that burn for God’s Kingdom — where true victory comes through humility and obedience, and salvation arrives in the most unexpected way.

This sermon teaches that God's kingship is revealed through Jesus Christ—a humble King whose strength lies in serving rather than dominating, demonstrating that God often works in surprising ways with priorities different from ours. True greatness in His Kingdom is measured by humility, peace, and seeking the well-being of others, calling believers to align their hearts with His counterintuitive path of service and the fulfillment of His promises.

Introduction

How many of you have ever taken part in or watched a parade?

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the biggest one we all probably know. It is an extravagant parade with floats as tall as 102 feet and as long as 178 feet. The Macy’s parade is really a display of capitalism and corporate wealth as companies spend money on giant floats and expensive entertainers just to dazzle us. Yet many of us can’t help but watch it. It is a large and majestic spectacle that we can’t look away from.

In the ancient world, when new areas were conquered, it was common for there to be a military parade where the new king, with great pageantry and spectacle, would enter the conquered city. They would show off the wealth of their army and how many horses and soldiers they had. This display would help scare the conquered people into submission and perpetuate the propagandistic idea that the conquering nation could not be defeated.

In our text this morning, Zechariah describes a coming King that is a bit of a surprise; but before we can fully grasp how surprising this King truly is, let’s first look at what the prophet Zechariah actually foretold — and how Jesus fulfilled it in a way no one expected.

◆ GRACE IN THE TEXT

Jesus comes to Jerusalem victorious.

Zechariah 9 depicts this kind of kingly parade, where the Messiah, the Anointed King, comes to a city that has been oppressed under foreign rule and liberates it.

The people who have been desperate for freedom rejoice at the king’s victory! They shout and sing.

Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem in John 12 echoes and even quotes Zechariah 9. (Read John 12:12–19 aloud.)

John 12:12–19 NRSV

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord— the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. 17 So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. 18 It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. 19 The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

Jesus is entering into this city as a conquering King with people shouting, “Hosanna in the highest!” and “Blessed is the King of Israel!”

But Jesus is entering into the city on a young donkey, not on a war horse.

This is not the kind of victory parade the world was waiting for. Zechariah paints a picture of a King who looks nothing like the conquering rulers of his day. Let’s see exactly how different this King really is.

◆ GRACE IN THE WORLD

A Different Kind of King

Jesus enters Jerusalem as a different kind of King, and Zechariah describes a different kind of king, too, than what is normally found in a military victory parade.

Rather than mighty horses to show the strength and wealth of the army, there is one lowly, borrowed donkey.

There are no soldiers flanking the king, no displays of splendor or power. There is just one person, on a donkey.

Not only that, but Zechariah claims that this king comes to get rid of all those things that are normally found in a military parade. All the battle chariots, the warhorses, and the weapons will be broken and removed from the land.

This is a king of peace instead of violence.

This king gives freedom to prisoners instead of taking captives for control and proof of victory.

This king has a kingdom of peace that will cover the entire world.

He will proclaim peace to all the nations. “His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (v. 10).

Zechariah 9:10 NIV

10 ... His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

This should have been the best news Israel had ever heard. A King of peace who breaks the weapons of war and sets prisoners free — what could be better? Yet the very people who should have welcomed Him with open arms responded in a way that still shocks us today.

◆ TROUBLE IN THE TEXT

A Different Kind of King

This is good news, right? We want peace, not violence, so the Israelites should be excited about this, right?

Yet this same crowd that is shouting, “Hosanna in the highest!” and “Blessed is the King of Israel!” will, in less than a week, be found shouting, “We have no king but Caesar!” and “Crucify him!” (John 19:15).

Because they did not really want a different kind of king.

Yes, he came on a donkey, but they still hoped for a conquering king who would overthrow the oppressive Roman government and restore Israel to glory.

They did not want a king who was heading to his death, who was so committed to radical nonviolence that he would sacrifice his life.

Even the disciples did not understand what they were witnessing and what would come to pass.

Jesus told them he was heading to his death, yet they pictured a Messiah, a King, who would enter a city both as the conquering, rightful king and as the sacrificial lamb riding on a donkey.

The truth is the same struggle that gripped the crowd that first Palm Sunday still lives in us. We say we want Jesus as King, but too often we want a different kind of king — one who fits our expectations and serves our agenda.

◆ TROUBLE IN THE WORLD

Not the Kind of King We Want

If we are honest with ourselves, we don’t understand it much better than the disciples.

It is this weird mix of glory and humility, of release and subjectivity.

We are witnessing a King unlike any other, and we don’t know what to do with him.

And we’re not sure we want him.

We want a king we can understand and predict.

We want one who will only be glory and majesty.

We want a king on a warhorse, not a donkey.

We want a king on a throne, not a cross.

We want a king who puts us first, who agrees with us and prioritizes our desires.

So we try to make Jesus into the king we want.

Or we reject him altogether and put a different king on the throne.

As we walk through Holy Week, we don’t get to just shout, “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the King of Israel!” And on Easter, we don’t get to just shout, “He is risen.”

> ask everyone to stand and hold up their palms; then drop them and yell, "Crucify him!" Hard to do isn’t it?

We must also recognize the ways we have shouted, “Crucify him” and the ways we have shouted, “We have no king but Caesar!”

> instruct everyone to be seated

So, pj … What’s the point?

Conclusion

As we close the message this morning, let us remember the surprising truth of Zechariah 9: Jesus, our humble King, ignites hearts that burn for God’s Kingdom — where true victory comes through humility and obedience, and salvation arrives in the most unexpected way.

This passage points us directly to Christ. He is the King who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse. He is the One who broke the weapons of war and proclaimed peace to the nations. Through His humble obedience and sacrificial death, He fulfilled the ancient covenant, liberated us from the waterless pit of sin, and established an everlasting kingdom of grace and mercy.

So what does this mean for us today?

It challenges us to re-evaluate what real leadership and success look like. In our families, workplaces, and communities, we are invited to lay down pride and aggression and instead embrace Christ’s way — serving others selflessly, choosing peace over power, and putting the well-being of others before our own.

Here is the next step for each of us:

This Holy Week and beyond, let us actively participate with God by choosing the way of the donkey instead of the warhorse. Let us intentionally look for opportunities to serve humbly, to listen more than we speak, to forgive quickly, and to love those who are difficult to love.

Imagine what could happen if we all did this together as a church: families reconciled, workplaces transformed by servant-hearted leaders, communities marked by peace instead of division, and a people whose hearts burn so brightly for God’s Kingdom that others are drawn to the light of Jesus.

The King has come. He still comes. Will you welcome Him — not on your terms, but on His?

Let’s pray.

Closing prayer & Introspection for Communion

During this time, let us search our hearts, as we respond to this message & as we prepare for the Lord’s Supper. Listen to what Holy Spirit is speaking from the Father & respond accordingly.

> quietly allow space for Holy Spirit

Heavenly Father, ignite in us a burning love for Your Kingdom. Teach us to follow our humble King. Help us choose the way of the cross, the way of service, and the way of unexpected victory. May our lives declare, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.

> read word from the Lord, if peace (prompting)

Communion

> invite the ushers to come forward, and as they come, read Experiencing God devo

1 Corinthians 11:24 NASB95

24 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.”

1 Corinthians 11:25 NASB95

25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 NASB95

24 The Lord bless you, and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’

Numbers 6:27 GW

27 “So whenever they use my name to bless the Israelites, I will bless them.” 

So, receive and go with the blessings of YAHWEH!