Crucify the King!
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Intro
Intro
False Conversion.
Palm Sunday is a perfect illastration of False Conversion.
What is false conversion?
false conversion is when you believe something to be true when its not.
Example: Miricale pill.
I come with 20 testomnies about this pill.
If you take this pill you have more energy than youve ever had. You will think clearer, remeber more, sleep better, less stress. - And i have 20 people who are in on it saying they took it and it really works.
In the begging you may be skeptikal but with my speech and the others testamony i convice you.
You are now so happy you about this pill, you want it and take it and are happy!
Howver, 1 week later, instead of having more energy and feeling great - you are weak, you have severe stomach cramps, you suffer from terrible headaches.
My pitch and the false wittnes were all lies to sell you my product.
How would you react if i came around 7 days later? Would you be glad to see me? Happy?
No! You would be angry, upset, demanding your money back!
But i say, just 1 week ao you were praisng the pill, telling your friends abouot the pill - yes, but you lied to me.
You were a false convert.
I converted you to a lie.
Well what we have on palm sunday is a classic case of false conversion. A problem which persists to this very day.
Lets look at this first instance and see how it carries on today.
Needs vs Wants
Needs vs Wants
False conversion happends because there is often a big difference between what a person wants and what a person needs.
It is a lot easier to sell what people want as opposted to what they need.
Well, lets look back to this first palm sunday: What did the people want?
The Jewish people were under Roman rule. under this rule they where subjects to rome. having to pay roman taxes, under roman law, unable to be their own people.
This roman oppresion resulted in terrible conditions for the jewish people.
Under this regim what the people despretly wanted was a Messiah, but not just any old Messiah - A Messiah who would free them from the romans, one who would come with an army, drive out the invaders and restore Israel as a kingdom!
So when Jesus came along and declared himself to be the promised Messiah, that is what the people expected Him to do.
So when he rode into Jerusalme thet met Him as the King who would conquer.
They sang and quoted the messianic psalm.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Look at what they said:
9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
They added Hosanna - which means “The Lord Saves” - And what did they expect Jesus to save them from? Rome!
This is what they wanted! This is what they believed Jesus would do! This is the expectation!
Like the pill which would give you more energy, this is the Messiah who will deliever us from Rome.
Like you who praised the pill for what you believed it would do for you, so these people praise Jesus for what they believed He would do for them.
However, Jeswus did not come to give people what they wanted, He came to give them what they needed, and what they need, more than anything was to be delieverd, not from Rome, but from Sin.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
What kind of King?
What kind of King?
So what does Jesus do? Mount hisb war horse, ride into pilate Chamber, drag himout and claim jewish independance?
No. He goes to their temple, over turns the tables. Gets arrested by the romans, and the next time they see their king, He is bruised, bloodies, hancuffed and under Pilates authority.
Not opnly this, but all the hype about the new king caused Roame to strangthen tyheir hold, there were more soilders, more force, more roman brutality.
far from freeing them, Jesus only made the situation more unberaible and now here is is, humiliated under Pilets command. His friends have abandonded him and Rome is stronger than ever.
How do you think the people felt? Cheated, lied to, angry, betrayed!
So when they see Jesus what do they say?
22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
All their love and praise has turned to hated and mockery, and as far as they are concered it is right!
The palm braches are replacec with clenched fists, the shouts of Hosanna are replaced with “Kill Him!”. the rose pettles thrown are replaced with rocks.
What happened?
All these people were false converts.
They believed Jesus wold do something that 1: He never did and 2: He never said He would do.
What they wanted was political freedom, what they needed was Spititual freedom.
Its the Same Today
Its the Same Today
To this very day, there are people who wave the palm brach and shout Hosanna , not to Jesus, but to a false promise.
And when the false promise fails, they call Jesus a liar and reject Him.
They are in the front of the church this year, and in the front of the bar next year.
Thery are the first at the church now, but first at the beach next year this timer.
What lie have they beleievd?
It is the most popular lie of all time:
Jesus will make your better. Like the promise of the pill, Jesus will solve all your problsms.
Wityh Jesus, you will not be sick, with Jesus you will get out of debt, with Jesus you will always get the promotion, with Jesus your children will always grow uop to be model citazins, with Jesus all your problsms will be a thing of the past.
Jesus will deliever you from your Roman oppresors.
And at the thought of that, they people rejoice, the people shout, the people clap, the people wave, the people sing!’ Hosanna in the highest!”.
And Then Jesus speaks and what people find is very different from what the false teachers told them:
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”
What does he say?
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
What they wanted was an easy life, but what they get is a life full of trouble and challanges.
And they reject the king!
My friends what we need to day is the same thing the people need those 2000 years ago, we need to be forgiven!
That is what Jesus promised snd that i8s what Jesus will do!
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Because of Jesus:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
But Does Jesus not bless us?
But Does Jesus not bless us?
But you ask: Does Jesus not bless us? Does he not give us peace, joy, strength and hope?
Of course he does!
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Here is the important issue:
The Fruit of the Spirit are the RESULT of salvation NOT the CAUSE for salvation.
A person who accepts Jesus just to experience the joy, peace, hope and strength that he gives are NOT actually saved, because their conversion has no genuine repentance.
That is, they are not sorry for their sins, they are sorry for their situation. They look to Jesus, not for forgivness, but for blessings.
Illastration:
Mission work, sent in teams with truck full of maise.
Do you acc.. YES!
Do you tru....YES!
These people were poor and hungry - all they wanted was the maise, so they went through all the motions, said al the words, but their eyes were not on Jesus their eyes were fixed on the food.
Well, replace the maise with the fruit of the spirit and you have the same situation.
And guess what happened by the end of the week when we went back to their houses but without maise? - They were suddenly not intrested anymore.
That is exaclly what happeneds when some accepts Jesus for his fruit, but in hard seasons when the fruit is scarce - so are they!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Look at your palm branch.
Why do you wave it? Do you wave it for what you hope Jesus will do for you, or do you wave it for what Jesus has already done for you on the cross?
Do you know howto tell if youre a false convert?
If having saved you, Jesus never does anything else for you for the rest of your life.
No divine peace, no joy, no strength, nothing!
ask yourself: Is the single fact that he saved you from Hell enough for you still to wave the palm branch?
If you loose everything you have, every blessing and end up like Job sitting on a pile of as scratching your sorers with a pece of broken glass, will you still wave the palm brach and shot Hosanna?