Holy or Hollow
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Intro
Intro
Emma Birthday = 20th Dec = No Joint Gifts | At store with Alexis looking for bracelet | Looked at 2 = one nice, one not as nice but catch.
One that looked nice = Hollow ? = Gold outside, Easily broken, can’t be repaired | Solid Gold = Doesn’t break.
Ok, but hollow Cheaper? Yes - Good but Fragile.
Some of us = Look great = Can be hollow in middle.
Palm Sunday = Day Jesus rode into Jerusulem on donkey = Crowds praising, Laying down palm branches:
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”
But king they wanted = Not king they got. Why? Expectations where surface level | Praise = Surface Level…Jesus was presented Holy = They wanted Hollow.
Title: Holiness or Hollow-ness?
*Pray*
Series: In Awe all the Time - Holiness | Holy = Set apart, Holy = Glory | Last week = Day Holiness stepped down. Today = We see Holiness stepped into our religion, confronts whatever is stopping us getting near.
Where are we? Palm Sunday, 2,000 years ago | Jesus Came, 2,000 years ago - Declaring Himself Messiah | Huge Parade, 2.7m people in city | To everyone - Felt like biggest worship service in History - To Jesus - Felt like a Funeral.
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 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.
Umm, Jesus - Your Party, What?
[Imy party, and i’ll cry if I want to]
Jesus predicts temple destruction and:
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.”
Why weep? Did not know time of your visitation | They knew King was coming | But their view of their King was Hollow, not Holy.
Let’s walk through this;
When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,
Bethany = Lazarus raised = People came
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. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ”
Lord has need? No = Humble invitation of being invited | What a miracle | Ordinary, being invited into Holy Work of God.
First thing:
They wanted a Hollow relationship with the Holy
One of Greatest Miracles = Offered to reflect His Holiness:
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
You are Set Apart & set apart for GREAT Work.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
In John says = Donkey never ridden = Set apart | If call Jesus Christ Lord = Set Apart.
Plasturers labourer, during packup, I would watch = Didn’t go down well.
What’s Hollow Worship? When we just watch = Praise, Worship, just don’t join king in Furthering Kingdom.
Donkey = ordinary = Didn’t need it, doesn’t need us, but chooses us.
He wants to Partner with you.
Let’s continue.
And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 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, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Calling him King | Praising = Why?
“For all the Mighty works they had seen”
They wanted Jesus’ Power but Jesus came to bring Peace |
2. They wanted a hollow Victory without a Holy Surrender
Macabee Bro’s = Saved Religious freedom for Jews | Judas “The Hammer” came in few hundred years earlier. Tought Jesus = Same.
This was day Lambs presented for Sacrifice = Jesus didn’t come to bring Peace with Romans = Peace with God.
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
I want to be sensitive here: We have battles = I have no right stand here try and minimise | No business telling you to toughen up | But I do have business telling you the Hope we have:
Marvel movie = I am weirdo staying | Why? Bonus scene - Looks black and finished = Bonus Screen.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
3. They offered Hollow Worship because they missed the Holy sacrifice
He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
If rocks cry out = First rock concert | Why would they cry out? Jews had prophesy all through Scripture pointing to EXACT DATE.
What Happened?
They looked at what they needed right Now.
Gold Chain = Looks amazing on outside = Easily Broken.
We are looking for bandaid solutions to problems that require a resurrection.
Painting - crack, patch it, patch it = gets to a point ,patching looks terrible, come in and scrape everything away - to bring the room back to life
What is hollow Worship? Worship without sacrifice. What’s sacrifice? The Scraping Away.
They wanted different Jesus - Worshipping different King. They wanted King to patch problems | They wanted Victory without the death.
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All Worship requires Sacrifice.
What happens - Jesus marching in = 2.7m People vs 10,000 roman soldiers… marching up, Parade worship loud
4. They had a holy view of Religion, and a Hollow view of Relationship
What happens - Jesus marching in = 2.7m People vs 10,000 roman soldiers… marching up, Parade worship loud
Temple pic
Jesus takes left hand turn:
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
What’s Happening? Travel days to get to Jerusulem | Wouldn’t take animal = Buy it | Come withe foreign coins = Change for temple coins to buy animals = Good Service.
Where to setup? wasn’t Temple - Temple Courts | Foyer of Church | Had to go somewhere.
Got a Job = Had to go Somehwere | Friends, Wife, Kids = Had to go Somewhere | Talent = Had to go somewhere | House, Anxiety, Money = Had to go…somewhere = Under the cross.
Something happened at temple courts though | Somewhere along way = Someone got business idea = Changed order
Move table in front of Cross
Hike Exchange rates up | Hike Price of birds up | Making Fortune.
Job is great, now its idol | Kids = First | Talent = World must know
And Jesus came in…
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
However = Injustice not source of main anger.
Jesus = Quoting Isaiah = There is little bit missed out:
these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
ALL PEOPLE | Temple Courts for Gentiles | Closest they could get to Worship Holy One | Jesus not flipping tables = Opening Door.
Oh Religion was Holy = Make money for Temple | Relationship was Hollow = Didn’t Let people in.
What made Jesus Weep = People couldn’t get close to him | What makes Jesus weep today? That we would put anything before him | He cares about your outside situation = Cares more for heart.
(Build this)
God is El Roi | God sees your situation | He sees what you have to give up | Sees what needs to die so you can have a resurrection | He sees what you’re holding because if you give it up you’ll feel like you’ll have nothing…
and he wants to …(flip the table)
Why?
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
Healed them | Listen - Jesus wants to heal you | You have to LET HIM flip the table
Here is the question: What’s on your table? What have you allowed to sit between you and Jesus - Where has Worship become Hollow instead of Holy?
Hollow Worship looks so inviting | Just like gold chain | ooks great on the outside, until you realise, that you’re empty on the inside…
Church:
There is parade coming this week | There will be worship | There will be emotional moments | Praise to King | but more importantly = Invitation on table for you = to meet Jesus.
I want to invite you | Officially
Maundy Thursday - 8:30pm - Last Supper | Good Friday 7:00pm - The Crucifixian | Resurrection Sunday…
don’t just come cause it’s easter - Come because you’re longing to be healed | May the death of the King - Inspire a death in us.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
We have talked about Holiness and river this series | River in Garden = Life | River in Revelation = Life | Exekiel saw river flowing out of temple HEALING everyone…
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Come to the Living Water | Come be transformed | For His Glory, and our Good.
