The Good Work of Jesus

Main Idea: Doing the work of Christ - Follow without hesitation and clean out the temple.

Opening Line: How much do you love a celebration or party?

Excitement and joy are contagious…laughing, smiling,

Introduction

Palm Sunday Reminds us that Jesus the King we need, but maybe not the king are looking for.

Mark 11:1–11 NIV

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Jesus rode in with honor as the Conquering King

He was given the colt

People sang His praises!

People laid clothes and branches on the road to make a honorable clean path for Him.

He was the king like David and the people knew He was the savior for them.

They showed Jesus honor and praise BEFORE He conquered anything.

The Triumphal Entry is a declaration of Jesus is more than a teacher, but He is the savior.

Declaration of Truth is not the end of the story.

James 2:19 NIV

19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Declaring truth is only the first step in what Jesus Christ wants to do in your life.

Mark 11:12–26 NIV

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” 26

Exchange Money with Robin

Main Point

The Triumphal Entry makes Way for a cleansing and restoring

The people where looking for a king to save them from the bondage in their land,

But Jesus is the king who saves from the bondage in ourselves.

Why does it matter?

Many times in life we Welcome Jesus Christ in with open arms, but When it comes time to change or grow

We want him to leave.

Yesterday we were singing Hosanna, Hosanna, but when the work becomes personal we often pull back.

What should we do?

Allow Jesus Christ to be the King we follow

How do we do it?

And HOW?

1. Don’t loose the passion and hope if/when things don’t turn out how you expect

The crowd was willing to give what they had to Jesus

Their garments

IF they didn’t have or couldn’t give that they found something they could give

The excitement and passion they had seeing Jesus as the conquering king

But once the excitement of that moment was over they went back to the old habits and behaviors.

Often we experience God in a mighty way and we give our best in the moment.

We see Him as Lord, Savior and King

But then when the moment passes and He begins to do His work in our lives we revert back to old habits or ways of thinking and doing things.

Success/Failure rates over the first 6 months

Of those who make a New Year’s resolution, after 1 week 75% are still successful in keeping it.After two weeks, the number drops to 71%.After 1 month, the number drops again to 64%.And after 6 months, 46% of people who make a resolution are still successful in keeping it.In comparison, of those people who have similar goals but do not set a resolution, only 4% are still successful after 6 months.

Overall success/failure rates

According to a 2016 study, of the 41% of Americans who make New Years resolutions, by the end of the year only 9% feel they are successful in keeping them.

2. Be Open to the cleansing of Jesus Christ

The things we put so much worth and value on in our hearts

If we allow Him to overturn those things

He will take something that we were putting value on that is meaningless, and create something of real value.

Jesus Knew the law was that people had to give a specific amount and the money changers we providing the change people needed to give as an offering.

He was not taking away the act of worship, but the heart behind it.

Are we allowing those things or our morality or religiousness to overshadow pure worship.

We must allow Jesus to redeem everything inside us (GOOD and BAD) so we can worship through Everything in Spirit and In Truth

John 4:23–24 NIV

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Genesis 50:20 NIV

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Often we want the pain and sin in our past to disappear and as far as God is concerned when we repent it is washed as white as snow, but the enemy of our hearts helps us remember.

This is why we must recognize that God will take those hurts and sins and create the YOU are today or maybe tomorrow.

When we try hard to forget or ignore we find ourselves not allowing God to redeem the pain for something Good! The sin and pain wasn’t and will never be good, but the person you are because of it will be good if you allow Christ to overturn your past!

3. Grow Figs

John 15:1–8 NIV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

In the middle of all this is a random comment about a fig tree without fruit.

In order to truly keep the hope and passion and be open to the cleansing of Christ we must understand that without Him as our source of life we can do nothing.

Worship Team

This is why it is important that we must not assume we can just grab a shovel and make that mountain move, but we must allow His Spirit to flow through us in Faith.

Those mountains of pain, sin, and shame will be thrown into the sea if we choose

To welcome Him in as King

To allow Him to Redeem our past and future

To Cling to Him as our source or hope, peace, significance and future

That fig tree was whithered and we will whither if we don’t accept the cleansing work of Jesus instead of turning back to old habits and ways of life and worship.

Is the Bottom Line Clear?

Closing Line: Will you be an open space for Jesus Christ to overturn your heart for His glory?