The King's Priority
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Video - Palm Sunday
The truth is that Jesus was and is the King of Kings! As He came to Jerusalem and the people shouted Hossanna, expecting him to establish his kingdom, he could have done that. He had the power and authority. But he had a different priority.
The truth is that Jesus was and is the King of Kings! As He came to Jerusalem and the people shouted Hossanna, expecting him to establish his kingdom, he could have done that. He had the power and authority. But he had a different priority.
Priority - something given or meriting attention before competing alternatives
From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
God has a destiny for us, and He wants us to know that we are His priority
He explained that he “must” go and suffer and die
Jesus was willing to be patient to take the throne
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Some things are worth dying for. Jesus thought you and I were.
Greater Love - In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor. “Would you give your blood to Mary” the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said “Sure for my sister”. Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room; Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. Withe the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. “Doctor, when do I die?” Only then, did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he’d agreed to donate his blood. The’d thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he’d made his great decision.
There is a challenge to us to have the same sense of priority in our lives
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Some things are worth dying for.
Telemachus was a brave, elderly monk who went to the Roman Colosseum in 404 A.D. to observe the gladiatorial Games in its splendor. Upon witnessing the gruesome spectacle of men slaughtering other men for the pleasure of the crowd, Telemachus scaled over the wall onto the Colosseum floor to stand in between two combatants. He shouted three times: “In the name of Christ, forbear!” The gladiators separated but the crowd stood up and stoned Telemachus to death because he had interrupted their entertainment for the afternoon. Once they recognized what they had done to the elderly man, the crowd became quiet and slowly filed out of the stadium in silence. When the good emperor Honorius heard of the heroism of Telemachus, he put an end to the gladiatorial games forever and Telemachus was designated as a saint for his heroic stance for humanity and truth.
Some things are worth dying for.
Some things are worth dying for.
Greater Love - In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor. “Would you give your blood to Mary” the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said “Sure for my sister”. Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room; Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. Withe the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. “Doctor, when do I die?” Only then, did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he’d agreed to donate his blood. The’d thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he’d made his great decision.
In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor. “Would you give your blood to Mary” the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said “Sure for my sister”. Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room; Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny’s smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube. Withe the ordeal almost over, his voice, slightly shaky, broke the silence. “Doctor, when do I die?” Only then, did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he’d agreed to donate his blood. The’d thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he’d made his great decision.
In New Man, Gary Oliver writes about a difficult decision made by professional baseball player Tim Burke concerning his family. From the time Burke can first remember, his dream was to be a proffessional baseball player. Through years of sacrifice and hard work he achieved that goal. Wile a successful pitcher for the Montral Expo’s, he and his wife wanted to start a family but discovered they were unable to have children. After much prayer, they decided to adopt four special needs international children. This led to one of the most difficult decisions of Tim’s life. He discovered that his life on the road conflicted with his ability to be a quality husband and dad. Over time it became clear that he couldn’t do a good job at both. After more prayer and soul searching, he made wha tmany considered an unbelievable decision: he decided to give up professional baseball. When he left the stadium for the last time, reporteres wanted to know why he was retireing. “Baseball is going to do just fine without me, “ he said. “It’s not going to miss a beat. But I’m the only father my children have. I’m the only husband my wife has. And they need me a lot more than baseball does.”
In New Man, Gary Oliver writes about a difficult decision made by professional baseball player Tim Burke concerning his family. From the time Burke can first remember, his dream was to be a proffessional baseball player. Through years of sacrifice and hard work he achieved that goal. Wile a successful pitcher for the Montral Expo’s, he and his wife wanted to start a family but discovered they were unable to have children. After much prayer, they decided to adopt four special needs international children. This led to one of the most difficult decisions of Tim’s life. He discovered that his life on the road conflicted with his ability to be a quality husband and dad. Over time it became clear that he couldn’t do a good job at both. After more prayer and soul searching, he made wha tmany considered an unbelievable decision: he decided to give up professional baseball. When he left the stadium for the last time, reporteres wanted to know why he was retireing. “Baseball is going to do just fine without me, “ he said. “It’s not going to miss a beat. But I’m the only father my children have. I’m the only husband my wife has. And they need me a lot more than baseball does.”
Jesus says that to follow in His path, we must be willing to lay down our life and pick up our cross -
Jesus says that to follow in His path, we must be willing to lay down our life and pick up our cross -
Jesus says that to follow in His path, we must be willing to lay down our life and pick up our cross -
Jesus says that to follow in His path, we must be willing to lay down our life and pick up our cross -
Salvation (forgiveness, healing, deliverance) is in Jesus sacrifice.
Salvation (forgiveness, healing, deliverance) is in Jesus sacrifice.
Often it is our sacrifice that points people to Jesus
Be willing to take a risk with your reputation & pride. (Junior Taylor and waitress)
“If anyone would come after him, he MUST”... Pursue Him where He is - The Kingdom
Seek first the kingdom
Follow the King’s example of choosing His priorities
We
Paul and Silas in Prision
Paul’s journey to Jerusalem and Rome
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Jam 1
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Well meaning people sometimes don’t see God’s destiny and priority for us
Mat 16
Well meaning people sometimes don’t see God’s destiny and priority for us
In New Man, Gary Oliver writes about a difficult decision made by professional baseball player Tim Burke concerning his family. From the time Burke can first remember, his dream was to be a proffessional baseball player. Through years of sacrifice and hard work he achieved that goal. Wile a successful pitcher for the Montral Expo’s, he and his wife wanted to start a family but discovered they were unable to have children. After much prayer, they decided to adopt four special needs international children. This led to one of the most difficult decisions of Tim’s life. He discovered that his life on the road conflicted with his ability to be a quality husband and dad. Over time it became clear that he couldn’t do a good job at both. After more prayer and soul searching, he made wha tmany considered an unbelievable decision: he decided to give up professional baseball. When he left the stadium for the last time, reporteres wanted to know why he was retireing. “Baseball is going to do just fine without me, “ he said. “It’s not going to miss a beat. But I’m the only father my children have. I’m the only husband my wife has. And they need me a lot more than baseball does.”
Once they recognized what they had done to the elderly man, the crowd became quiet and slowly filed out of the stadium in silence.
Take up your cross - place of sacrifice but also victory
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
When the good emperor Honorius heard of the heroism of Telemachus, he put an end to the gladiatorial games forever and Telemachus was designated as a saint for his heroic stance for humanity and truth.
Take up your cross - place of sacrifice but also victory
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Mat
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
There will be reward for those who make God’s desires their priority
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Well done good and faithful servant
What is your priority today?