Guarding the Affection of Great Worth, Part 2

Introduction

Play “He Is- Names of God” Eric Ludy (Ellerslie)

Psalm 73:25-28.

Psalm 73:25–28 ESV

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

Is God the richest delight of your soul? Is he the most sincerely satisfaction of your soul?

Do you have a high view of God?

Do I have a high view of God?

Are our hearts enraptured with the glory and worth of God?

What captivates you BOTH in the highs and lows of life?

Is God THE affection of great worth in your heart?

Protecting GOD as THE affection of great worth in our hearts requires us to guard with all diligence the values and affections of our lives.

Outline/Review

Big Idea: Protecting GOD as THE affection of great worth in our hearts requires us to guard with all diligence the values and affections of our lives.

Four values we must guard...

Guard the value of time: Be available to God - Matthew 21:1-5.

Guard the value of your gaze: Don’t miss the spectacular - Matthew 21:6-11.

Guard the value of your passions: Don’t value the wrong thing! - Matthew 21:12-13.

Guard the value of faith: Protect the simplicity of childlike faith Matthew 21:14-17.

Sermon Body

Big Idea: Protecting GOD as THE affection of great worth in our hearts requires us to guard with all diligence the values and affections of our lives.

First, we need to guard the value of our time.

Let’s ready the text together as we return to our study.

Matthew 21:1-17.

Matthew 21:1–17 ESV

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” 12 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. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

In addition to guarding the value of our time, we need to guard the value of our gaze.

Guard the value of your gaze: Don’t miss the spectacular - Matthew 21:6-11.

Matthew 21:6–11 ESV

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 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!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

John’s account goes like this....

John 12:12-15.

John 12:12–15 ESV

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 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!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

This account suggests that the actual sequence of things was such that the cries of Hosanna and the palm branches began BEFORE Jesus even had the colt and rode in on it.

It is likely that a crowd followed him out of Bethany.

Such was the commotion that it set Jerusalem in a uproar and likely a crowd came from Jerusalem and met him, turned back, and led the way back into the city, joining the throng!

So, he had crowd behind, a crowd before.

In the midst of these cries, Jesus sent his disciples to retrieve the colt and completed his journey.

The point being…this went on for some time. Sometimes I think we gloss over or minimize the enormity of the moment.

This praise and worship of Christ as he came into Jerusalem was a prolonged, significant event.

Consider the events leading up to this…

Just prior - He visited Bethany. What happened there? They saw him bring back a dead man, Lazarus, for the grave. In this significant moment, Jesus revealed himself as THE resurrection and life.

He returns to Bethany the day before entering Jerusalem and feasts with Lazarus and family and Mary anoints Jesus with oil and wiped his feet with her hair

As an aside, this reveals the depth to which she was impacted by the revelation God made about Himself as the resurrection and the life.

The people had witnesses something that was unimaginable.

Is it any wonder that they responded in this fashion?

Lazarus was living breathing witness to Jesus’ power.

Which is why the Pharisees wanted to kill both Lazarus and Jesus.

Thus, when they learn he is back and headed into the Jerusalem, the crowds follow him and others flock in praise to Him so that this entourage grows to epic proportions.

We will consider their cries in a moment, but I want us to consider the significance of what is being portrayed here...

Beginning with the beast he was riding.

The beast of burden he rode on was declared from Zechariah 9:9.

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

In this prophecy, it was revealed HOW the MESSIAH would arrive in Jerusalem.

That is why Matthew 21:4-5 points out....

Matthew 21:4–5 ESV

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”

Jesus was revealing…VERY PUBLICALLY…that he was, in fact, the Messiah.

This means of arrival was a distinct fulfillment of a prophecy to reveal the coming of the Messiah, the entrance of the rightful king.

A King who had just prior shown his power of death itself.

He was the Messiah, coming to bring to salvation.

The people recognized this…having seen him bring a dead man back…and not Jesus reveals it even more clearly.....

He was coming to bring salvation....and the people were rightfully excited....their long awaited deliverer, savior, messiah had arrived.

However, he was not coming to bring military conquest but spiritual.

Leon Morris notes about this prophecy and entrance...

Matthew (The Climactic Entry into Jerusalem: Jesus’ Authority as Messiah (21:1–11))

The Zechariah prophecy indicates the nature of Jesus’ arrival: He comes as the righteous one who offers salvation, not as a conquering military leader. He comes with reconciliation, as did rulers who sometimes rode a donkey in times of peace (Judg. 5:10; 1 Kings 1:33). Through this event, Jesus delineates that he is not coming to bring military conquest.

In Kings 1, David puts Solomon his son, on a donkey and parades him around the city and calls for Nathan the prophet to annoint him king of Israel. He is seen to be riding the donkey in times of peace and prosperity.

Just one place where this picture is seen.

We know that Jesus came, not to be a military savior but a spiritual one. The fulfillment of this prophecy is a vivid picture of that.

The people certainly misunderstood this. They thought the Messiah would be a political savior to free them from oppression but nevertheless, they recognized who Jesus was and rightfully declared....

“Hosanna to the Son of David.....

Literally it means “O Save” or “Save Us”

These shouts and praises drew a song to the minds of the crowds that was sung at Passover and in preparation of Passover.

Psalm 118:19-29.

Psalm 118:19–29 ESV

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Verse 25…SAVE US…Hosanna

This is unmistakably a messianic cry

As is their title for him of Son of David

Point is this…the crowd recognized and affirmed Jesus’ claim to be Messiah.

They saw the fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah.

They saw the God who sent Him.

Granted, they failed to understand the full significance of what Jesus had come to do.

They saw him as a political savior rather than a spiritual one.

They would later turn away, reject, and fall away from him.

BUT they saw Jesus. And for a moment…they affirmed his claim of Messiah and heralded him as the Savior long promised.

They had eyes for God. They guarded their eyes, their vision for truth…at least momentarily

Can you imagine being here, in this moment?

Probably some got caught up in the hype not truly understanding what was going on

But with their recognition of Jesus as Messiah, as the Son of David, as the rightful king, who they thought would bring political salvation for them...

The mood and temperature of that moment was jubilant.

I do not think we understand the pomp and circumstance of this moment.

Celebrating someone they believed to be their Messiah, their political Messiah, who was in fact their Messiah.

A man who had just brought back a 4 day old dead man to life

This was the pinnacle of all his miracles.

A parade so jubilant that drew the attention of the entire city of Jerusalem, that drew more worshippers OUT of the city to join the throng.

Why did this moment happen?

Because they saw Jesus.

They had eyes for the Messiah…even if their understanding was darkened.

For this moment in time, they saw, believed, and acknowledged God, Jesus for who He was.

They did not miss this moment.

Let me make this personal to us for a moment.

Do you have eyes for God?

Do you see God, know God, and delight in God ABOVE ALL ELSE.

The lesson we will learn from their quick departure of their worship later is this…when God did not meet THEIR expectations, he was no longer the king they wanted.

Doesn’t that sound alot like people today PROFESSING to believe in Jesus but when THEIR expectations are not met, they fall away.

Because their gaze was never on Jesus but on self

God, this is what I am expecting you to do for me....

And when he doesn’t...

Well, I was wrong about him.

Their rapid departure of worship as Jesus as Messiah OUGHT TO SOBER us.

Now, of course do not know everyone’s responses to the arrest, trial and death of Christ. We know that few stood by him at his trial and at the cross.

Perhaps not all heralding his entrance were crying out for his death later that week, but some may well have when Jesus failed to be the type of Messiah they were seeking and looking for.

But why did they turn away....

Because he proved NOT to be the political Messiah they sought.

Jesus did not fulfill THEIR expectations or meet THEIR desires.

They wanted God to make much of them. They wanted a savior would place their deliverance from oppression at the center of his plan.

They did NOT have the glory of God at the center of their worship. They did NOT have the glory of God at the center of their delight in God.

Truth is, we are no different. We are often guilty of preaching a gospel that PUTS US at the center instead of God.

Consider the following lyrics of the song “Someone Worth Dying For” by MikesChair

You might be the wife, Waiting up at night You might be the man, Struggling to provide Feeling like it's hopeless Maybe you're the son Who chose a broken road Maybe you're the girl Thinking you'll end up alone Praying God can you hear me? Oh, God are you listening?

Am I more than flesh and bone? Am I really something beautiful? Yeah, I want to believe, I want to believe that I'm not just some wandering soul That you don't see and you don't know Yeah, I want to believe, Jesus help me believe That I am someone worth dying for

I know you've heard the truth That God has set you free But you think you're the one That grace could never reach So you just keep asking, Oh, what everybody's asking

Am I more than flesh and bone? Am I really something beautiful? Yeah, I want to believe, I want to believe that I'm not just some wandering soul That you don't see and you don't know Yeah, I want to believe, Jesus help me believe That I am someone worth dying for

You're worth it, you can't earn it Yeah, the cross has proven, That you're sacred and blameless. Your life has purpose!

You are more than flesh and bone Can't you see your something beautiful Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe He wants you to see, He wants you to see that You're not just some wandering soul That can't be seen and can't be known You gotta believe, you gotta believe That you are someone worth dying for

You're someone worth dying for Someone worth dying for Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Ben Glover / Mike Grayson / Sam Tinnesz Someone Worth Dying For lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Mike Curb Music

What is wrong with these lyrics?

We are NOT worthy dying for. AND THAT IS EXPLICITLY the point.

Jesus’ death for us is not about OUR worth BUT HIS.

This gospel places MAN at the center and Not God.

There is a subtle difference but note the difference. Piper comments....

“The acid test of biblical God-centeredness-and faithfulness to the gospel-is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at the cost of his Son, he enables you to enjoy making much of him forever? Does your happiness hang on seeing the cross of Christ as a witness to your worth, or as a way to enjoy God's worth forever? Is God's glory in Christ the foundation of your gladness?” ― John Piper, God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself

Listen.....

Our great joy IS NOT IN BEING MADE MUCH OF but in BEING ABLE TO MAKE MUCH OF GOD.

Our spiritual condition apart from Christ is a COMPLETE INABILITY and UNWILLINGNESS to delight in God.

Salvation changes that.

It makes us alive and enable us and causes us to DELIGHT IN GOD as the highest source of our enjoyment and delight. What once we COULD NOT enjoy, DID NOT WANT TO ENJOY is opened to us.

We CAN NOW enjoy God and delight in Him.

This is very different than God making much of us.

If we want to protect GOD as THE affection of great worth in our hearts requires us to guard with all diligence the values and affections of our lives.

And we must guard our gaze to SEE AND SAVOR God above all else.

Even when our expectations and desires go unmet. It should cause us to look to God for what He wants us to delight in.

“This is crucial to see. Many people seem to embrace the good news without embracing God. There is no sure evidence that we have a new heart just because we want to escape hell. That's a perfectly natural desire, not a supernatural one. It doesn't take a new heart to want the psychological relief of forgiveness, or the removal of God's wrath, or the inheritance of God's world. All these things are understandable without any spiritual change. You don't need to be born again to want these things. The devils want them. It is not wrong to want them. Indeed it is folly not to.

But the evidence that we have been changed is that we want these things because they bring us to the enjoyment of God. This is the greatest thing Christ died for. This is the greatest good in the good news. Why is that? Because we were made to experience full and lasting happiness from seeing and savoring the glory of God. If our best joy comes from something less, we are idolaters and God is dishonored. He created us in such a way that his glory is displayed through our joy in it. The gospel of Christ is the good news that at the cost of his Son's life, God has done everything necessary to enthrall us with what will make us eternally and ever-increasingly happy-namely, himself.” ― John Piper, God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself

God’s love for us IS NOT the center of the gospel.

God’s INTRINSIC and MAJESTIC Glory is AND that because of his grace, we are now able to enjoy His glory as our HIGHEST good.

This means we must GUARD OUR GAZE…for GOD ALONE.

We must keep our gaze firmly fixed UPON HIM and His worth and glory AS THE CENTER OF ALL THINGS, including the gospel.

Do you see God?

Are you enraptured by his glory?

Are you missing the spectacular or have you turned away from the spectacular because you have failed to truly see the wonder and glory of God?

One final thought...

How do we protect our gaze for God? How do we guard our gaze and not miss the spectacular?

Control the input

Testimony of my own heart - I am an idolater at heart. So many times I have been lured away from love for God because of lesser passions that captured my gaze.

Music

Media

Not always limit to avoiding sinful and negative.

May limit the good to prioritize the best

Say no to Bad desires

Say no to Good desires (If necessary)

Say Yes to the BEST desires.

Control the influences

Manage priorities

Examine the scriptures FOR THE PERSON AND CHARACTER OF GOD.

Give Thanks Often

Praise the person and works of God Often

Pray Often

Gather with the Body of Christ Often

Big Idea: Protecting GOD as THE affection of great worth in our hearts requires us to guard with all diligence the values and affections of our lives.

Conclusion

Big Idea: Protecting GOD as THE affection of great worth in our hearts requires us to guard with all diligence the values and affections of our lives.

Four values we must guard...

Guard the value of time: Be available to God - Matthew 21:1-5.

Guard the value of your gaze: Don’t miss the spectacular - Matthew 21:6-11.

Guard the value of your passions: Don’t value the wrong thing! - Matthew 21:12-13.

Guard the value of faith: Protect the simplicity of childlike faith Matthew 21:14-17.

“The ultimate good of the gospel is seeing and savoring the beauty and value of God. God’s wrath and our sin obstruct that vision and that pleasure. You can’t see and savor God as supremely satisfying while you are full of rebellion against Him and He is full of wrath against you. The removal of this wrath and this rebellion is what the gospel is for. The ultimate aim of the gospel is the display of God’s glory and the removal of every obstacle to our seeing it and savoring it as our highest treasure. “Behold Your God!” is the most gracious command and the best gift of the gospel. If we do not see Him and savor Him as our greatest fortune, we have not obeyed or believed the gospel.” ― John Piper, God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself

Psalm 73:25-28.

Psalm 73:25–28 ESV

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.

As we reflect upon these truths, I pray that we are challenged, encouraged, and stimulated to be growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.