Is He Your King?
Notes
Transcript
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
It’s Palm Sunday.
Taking a break from the last 3 prophets. We’ll pick it up in a couple of weeks.
A little different that I didn’t finish my spring series before Easter week.
But, there’s a lot different about this year.
Hopefully we’re all getting used to the idea that this is the way it’s going to be for a while. Stay disciplined. Don’t let your guard down. Stay inside. And, stay informed.
The best way to do that is the Prez’ daily press briefings.
Daily Press Briefings
Daily Press Briefings
For the most part I’ve turned the news off.
I check the headlines from time to time. But, mostly I study, read, watch anything but the news on TV
The one thing I do pay attention to is the President’s daily press briefings.
Prez, VP, Dr. Fauci, the Surgeon General, and the rest of the experts updating us on what’s happening.
Everyday I’m hopeful the curve is rounding off. AZ seems t/b a bit behind the hardest hit ares. We still don’t know for sure what’s coming.
World news, national news, and local news.
I’m most of us are keeping up w/ what’s going on. We have to. Whatever your news source.
And, we’re probably all doing it for basically the same reasons.
We are dependent on the government. Even is peaceful times, but especially now there are things we need from our government.
Education: We need to know what’s happening and what to do about it. We need the info so we know how to respond and live our lives.
What are the symptoms to look out for?
Is the curve flattening out or still rising.
Is the virus in MP? Flag? The Med Ctr.?
What stores are open and when?
When will be in the clear?
We need t/b educated so we know what to do.
Legislation: We need to know what the new rules are.
The social distancing order has been extended to April 30.
The non-essential businesses will remain closed.
Restaurants open for carry-out only.
No church gatherings till May.
It’s not just about us. It’s about the ppl we could infect.
We need rules, laws, boundaries; many are temporary but necessary to get us thru this.
Provision: We need stuff and the gov’t is the only entity who can provide it.
The Coronavirus bill that was passed provided cheap loans that can become grants if they keep their employees.
PPL can make products that will stock the shelves of the stores.
The salaries that the gov’t helped protect will give us the resources to buy the products on those shelves.
Health providers need masks, gloves, and protective gear.
We need more hospitals, like hospital ships, and makeshift temporary hospitals w/ beds for patients.
Hospitals need ventilators.
We need bread on the grocery store shelves. And more TP, of all things.
And, the gov’t is returning some of our tax money so we can make payments and buy the stuff we need.
The gov’t provides, if not the products and resources themselves, provides the environment for the products to be made and delivered.
Protection: The gov’t is responsible for protecting its citizens.
From ourselves. Thus the new rules and reg’s.
Shouldn’t have to tell ppl not to go the beach and party among thousands. But, we do.
From this virus and others. CDC, FDA, Surgeon Gen.
From each other. Social distancing.
We’re bored. Someone cut the lock on the gate to the forest off Pinewood Blvd.
We’re desperate. We lock up our TP.
We are vulnerable to our enemies around the world to a cyber attack, economic attack, even military.
The gov’t is who needs to protect us, locally, nationally, and on the world stage.
Now is the time in most of our lifetime when we need leadership from the government informed and prepared.
That’s what good governments do. Good leaders. Good kings. Even the Great King.
It’s Palm Sunday. Today is the day we celebrate Jesus as our Great King.
What is the relevance of celebrating this occasion every year?
It’s the same relevance why we check into the Prez’s daily briefing.
The gov’t of the universe for all eternity is on the shoulders of Jesus.
In good times and bad.
In crises and celebrations.
Jesus is the Great King. And, when He’s your king, He will educate you, legislate you, provide for you, and protect you.
In fact, He will use our Prez and all his advisors and do a better job than any prez, prime minister, Ayatollah, king cabinet, or congress could do.
Jesus does it all the time. He is always and only good to us.
It’s Palm Sunday and today we celebrate Jesus as our Great King.
Reception
Reception
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Matthew 21:
Quote from Zechariah we just studied.
Should have been a clue: You see a prophet, miracle-worker, Rabbi riding into town on a donkey alarm bells should have gone off. This is Him!
They should have recognized Him for Who He is.
They recognized Him as their King.
And, the rec’d Him as their King.
In a way they did. They rec’d Him the way ppl would receive their king. They expected Him to go directly to David’s throne and throw out the Roman gov’t.
But, that’s not what happened.
It wasn’t unusual for a king to ride a donkey.
We think, donkey, how humiliating.
He wasn’t humiliated. He was humble.
A king would ride a donkey when He came in peace.
This time Jesus came to let them kill Him. He had to die.
He is the only king to die for his subjects.
He died so we can live.
And, the rec’d Him as their King.
A King was too important for His bum to sit directly on the animal so they put their coats, shawls, and sweatshirts on the donkey first.
And, the king’s ride was too important for its hooves to touch the ground so they put more coats and the palm fronds on the ground for the donkey to walk on.
And their words.
Son of David, the next stop would be David’s throne.
Hosanna, Save us, rescue us!
As if a revolution was about to break out. He was more than their George Washington. He was a prophet of God.
And, yes, He is their King. Just not the King they expected.
What did they expect? Why did they receive Him like this?
What can we expect if we receive Jesus as our King?
Well, the same thing we expect from our government now. Only, better. Bigger. Longer. and Deeper.
Our King does for us the same 4 things we want from our Prez and his daily briefings.
First, we need for Him to educate us. We need to know what to do.
Educate Us
Educate Us
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
Jesus is a Rabbi. A teacher. Much of what He said was written down for us to know today.
What he taught directly, and indirectly thru Paul and others who wrote their own letters, teach us about life today.
Marriage and family. God designed us and created us. He knows how marriage works. He knows what it takes to have a good marriage and Paul wrote about it in .
Finances. There’s more in the entire bible about money than any other subject. He doesn’t tell us what stock to buy or what lottery numbers to play. But, he does tell us how to manage what we have.
Psychology. Mental discipline and mental health. He instructs us what to focus our minds on and what to avoid in order to maintain our mental health.
Health and hygiene.
“ ‘Whoever touches the man who has a discharge must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.
Long before germs were discovered God instructed us to wash our hands and our clothes after we come in contact with someone who was sick.
Citizenship. Pray for your president and those who hold elected office in authority over you. Regardless of party affiliation. Be a good citizen.
Life. Of course, how to get to heaven and how to live your life on earth. How do we walk w/ Jesus and in the Spirit?
How do we avoid trouble? And how do we navigate our way thru it?
Our King has provided ample lessons on these subjects and so much more. If He is your King; study, learn, and apply.
He knows so much more about your situation than you do. He know what’s coming and He knows how we’ll get thru it.
Not only does He educate us, He legislates us.
Legislate Us
Legislate Us
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Jesus took this teacher by surprise. 10 commandments and by the c1. there were 70 volumes of laws, sub-laws, and rules.
But, Jesus legislates only 2 laws.
Simple to read, memorize, and understand. A little more difficult to apply.
The entire OT law can be summarized in these 2. The first 4 of the 10 commandments are summarized in the greatest #1.
There is only 1 God, Love the Lord your God w/ all your heart and w/ all your soul and w/ all your mind and w/ all your strength.
And, the last 6 are summarized in the greatest #2:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Simple right? But, what does it mean and how do we do it?
First, you can’t love Jesus if you don’t believe in Him and receive Him for all He is including King.
If you let Him die for your sins but don’t accept his payment for you’ve disrespected Him and don’t love Him.
Is there anything worth more to you than God?
Worth-ship. What else do you worship?
Is there anything you try to do to find something that only God can provide?
Peace. Satisfaction. Fulfillment.
Is there anything you won’t do for anyone else that you will do for yourself?
Go to the grocery store, shop for, feed, die for?
Jesus would never ask you to do for anyone else that He hasn’t already done for you.
The entire bible is not a book of laws, rules, do’s and don’t’s. It’s a book about how to have successful relationships. And in every relationship there are things we should do and things we shouldn’t.
Whether it’s our rel w/ God or each other.
Do you love God more than anything else and do you love the ppl around you as much as you love yourself?
Those are the only 2 laws He has laid on us.
If He’s your King these are the rules you live by.
Education, legislation, and next provision.
Your King provides for you.
Provide for Us
Provide for Us
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Obviously this doesn’t mean we never have to eat again or drink our 8 glasses of water.
But, what it does mean is God will provide nourishment and satisfaction for the deepest part of our lives. We will never want for what matters most.
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
What other king provides this?
A counselor, advocate, guide, reminder-er of what Jesus has said to you.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
Ephesians 1:18-2
Our King provides Hope, an inheritance, and strength. The very strength that raised Jesus from the dead is in us to help us live our life.
Our King provides us w/ a purpose for our life. A reason to get out of bed every day and go to work.
Also from Eph., we can know God’s will for us. He has prepared jobs for us to discover and do. And, He’s gifted us to be able to accomplish them.
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
Peter also wrote in 2 Peter that we’ve been provided everything we need to live our lives as God directs.
What other King does that?
I could go on, but that would be an entire series of sermons, not just part of 1.
He educates, legislates, provides, and He protects us.
Protect Us
Protect Us
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
There is no safer place to be than in the palm of your King’s hand.
He will protect you for all eternity.
That doesn’t mean we’re not exposed here or won’t get hurt, get sick or go thru hard times.
But, what it does mean, is that no matter what happens to us, one way or the other we’ll be healed.
In order to get to the next life we’re going to have to leave this one. Unless we’re blessed enough to live to experience the rapture.
Something is going to take us out of here. But Jesus is going to take us there. That is a guarantee.
And, His protection is not just for the next life. He protects us here from threats we may never know about.
And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
There are forces at work trying to destroy us now. Forces that try to influence us to make destructive decisions. And, if we won’t, then maybe he can get those close to us to do it so we get caught in their shrapnel.
But, right now, there is a Restrainer at work reining in what forces there are trying to destroy us.
The HS, God, is protecting us right now. We think the threat of a little virus is bad. It pales in comparison to the threat that will be set free in then.
Our King is protecting us from so much that we don’t know. If we did, the mere knowledge could crush us.
Our King is protecting us. Nothing will happen to us that He is not okay w/. When it does, it may hurt. But, if it does, our King will stand w/ us and lead us through it.
If Jesus is your King then this is just a little bit of what He does for you.
Would you have been there? If you were alive in c.1 would you have been on the Mt. of Olives as Jesus rode into town?
Would you have called out to Him to be your King?
You weren’t there then, but you’re here now.
If He is your King praise Him for what He is doing for you.
If He isn’t, why not? He will do for you what He does for all of us.
Applications
Applications
Education
Education
Our education is only offered.
Our son found out this week that Gov. Ducey like so many other governors has closed the schools for the rest of the year.
So, it will be up to the parents and the students to get online to take advantage of what’s offered even though the buildings are closed.
Likewise, it’s up to us to take advantage of the educational opportunities that our King has offered. He does not force feed us.
Better relationships, financial situation, citizenship, and lifestyles are available.
What can you do while you sit at home to advance your education that your King has provided?
Legislation
Legislation
There are only 2 laws we have to obey.
How are you doing?
Is there anything that is more important to you than Jesus?
Ask Him. He’ll show you.
Maybe you need to rearrange your priorities.
It may be that something pretty important has supplanted Jesus in your life and doesn’t need to be adjusted far down your list.
Is there anything you will do for yourself that you won’t do for anyone else?
Do you love them as much as you love yourself?
Are there any adjustments you need to make?
Provision
Provision
Hope, strength, courage, self-control, patience, peace, love, joy, the list goes on.
Your King has provided them. Are you using them?
Or, are you trying to muster them up on your own?
What’s lacking in your lifestyle that your King has already equipped you w/?
Use it. It’s there for you to use.
Protection
Protection
That’s done to us and for us.
Maybe we just need the self-discipline to focus our mind on the protection we have and relax.
What do you need to trust God w/?
Today we are celebrating Palm Sunday.
Every year this weekend we celebrate and receive Jesus as our King.
Jesus is the Great King. And, when He’s your king, He will educate you, legislate you, provide for you, and protect you.
In fact, He will use our Prez and all his advisors and do a better job than any prez, prime minister, Ayatollah, king cabinet, or congress could do.
Jesus does it all the time. He is always and only good to us.