1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,040 Thanks so much. I'm so thrilled to be here. 2 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:08,080 If you know Tony, you love the guy, but is it just me or does 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,440 anyone wonder if that's kind of one of those fake Zoom 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,120 backgrounds? You know, I'm like, I think I 5 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:15,520 know how to do that on my computer. 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,560 I, I saw that this morning during the run through and I 7 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:23,520 immediately text him and I'm like, dude, you are not in DC. 8 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,760 It's a lie. Like I shot a video out there 9 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:28,080 and he sent a picture back of him and started. 10 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:29,960 He goes, he goes, don't tell anyone. 11 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,120 I'm in Hawaii, you know, but so I've just been talking trash to 12 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,760 him already today. You have a great pastor and Tony 13 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,560 and the other leaders here. It is such a blessing, such a 14 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,840 joy to finally be able to be here and put my eyes on the 15 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,640 great work of God. Tony is a dear friend. 16 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,560 I don't know if you know that, but it's not every city where 17 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,960 pastors are really friends and really heartfelt friends. 18 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,960 I cannot tell you how many tacos I've eaten at Nepal with Tony. 19 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,960 You know, it's just been so good over at his house with Sarah, 20 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,200 the kids. Wow, just lost my voice there. 21 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,360 It it's delightful and we've shared some ministry together. 22 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,280 I don't know if you know this or not, but John and Kelly Scotty 23 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,280 who were here and you've been investing in them. 24 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,480 We had a chance to to just like the apostle Paul talks about 25 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:19,600 labor on the foundation that is Christ and them also they now as 26 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:21,120 a lot of you know and support them. 27 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,560 They're in North Africa. You know, just the day after 28 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,600 Easter Sunday, I'll be heading North Africa with a bunch of 29 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,040 other pastors and I'll be hanging out with them and, and 30 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,000 show us what you're doing. And I can't wait, I can't wait 31 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,200 to do that. But it's been fun to really 32 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,640 cultivate relationship with with Tony, honestly, over these last 33 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:40,600 couple years. To have a true friend in the 34 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,480 Kingdom minded friend is, is a real delight. 35 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,520 He's come to our staff team and encouraged us. 36 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,560 And I hope I can be an encouragement to you real quick. 37 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,680 I just wanted to say something to you that I have been looking 38 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,480 forward to saying for the last couple years. 39 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,040 Thank you. I don't know if you know this, 40 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,520 but I sat down once with with Tony over lunch and he said we 41 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,600 took a Christmas offering and our custom is to give away a 42 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,680 percentage of that offering every year. 43 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,360 And we prayed as a leadership team, and God's LED us to give 44 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,280 away a percentage of that to Salt Company, to assault church. 45 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,800 And he slides an envelope across the table. 46 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:21,680 And you know. When that kind of thing happens, 47 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,560 you want to open it, but you don't. 48 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,440 Not right there, you know? And I thought couple 100 bucks, 49 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:28,880 man, that's really generous or whatever. 50 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:35,280 He left and I probably got to my car and ripped that open $7000 51 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:42,120 you gave to help another church in this city reach people for 52 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,600 Jesus. I I just want you to know. 53 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:45,640 Yeah. That's worth laughing about. 54 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:47,800 Thank you. I want you to know this, though. 55 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,560 No one does that. No one does what you did. 56 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,200 Churches get so competitive that they think they're playing March 57 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,360 Madness. You know, they, they think we 58 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,120 got to kill everyone out here and and they'll realize the the 59 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,880 world needs Jesus and there there needs to be more of us, 60 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,400 not less. And your church, listen, you're 61 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:10,920 going to forget almost everything I teach from the 62 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:12,240 Bible this morning. I get it. 63 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,120 I I forget almost everything I teach after a few days later. 64 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:17,840 I understand how that works. But here's what I don't. 65 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,160 Here's if you remember something, remember this. 66 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,120 You're setting a pace in your generosity. 67 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:28,800 You are a Kingdom minded church. You believe in the capital C 68 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,160 church even more than just like the little C, like just Vita. 69 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,280 And I'm saying thank you so much for being those kind of men and 70 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,240 women. God is using you. 71 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,640 And it has been such a blessing to us who's a part of this 72 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,240 bigger harvest field. We're just sort of in another 73 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,600 corner of it, you know, on the other side of Gainesville. 74 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,840 So so grateful for you guys. All right, enough sentimental 75 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,280 stuff about churches being friends. 76 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:53,480 Let's jump into our passage this morning. 77 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,760 Let me give you a little bit of context to where we're going. 78 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,160 The death and resurrection of Lazarus has just happened. 79 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,800 That just happened and that was taught about a little while ago. 80 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,400 But that is that is just previous to our passage where 81 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,760 Jesus goes to be with Mary and and Martha in their pain and 82 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,360 sees Lazarus raised from the dead. 83 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:15,600 Oh, I forgot to introduce one last thing. 84 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:16,920 Oh, shoot. Time out. 85 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,399 I didn't introduce you to my family. 86 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,000 I know it's way out of order. I I am married. 87 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:22,920 There's Jenny. I just looked at my notes. 88 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:24,800 I'm like, ah, my family. There's Jenny. 89 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:27,920 We've been married 30 years, and that's our youngest child. 90 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:29,480 No, that's just kidding. That's a grandchild. 91 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:32,440 Can you imagine? What a gap. 92 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:37,800 That's Josiah, my son on the left and then Claire and Ellie 93 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,400 and they're all in full time ministry in different ways and 94 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,840 in and in different places. And then Josiah, Michelle or 95 00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:45,400 Mary, that's my son and daughter-in-law and our little 96 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,080 granddaughter Flora. So I know out of order we are 97 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:51,360 already into Lazarus and all that kind of stuff, but that's 98 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:52,960 my family. I actually am married. 99 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,680 So there you go. Hey, we'll jump right back into 100 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,640 it. Lazarus and the raising of 101 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,400 Lazarus just happened. Let me give you a little bit of 102 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,480 context from John 1134. And some of these slides are 103 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,760 just going to be up on the screen for you and then we'll 104 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:06,160 jump into our main text in a moment. 105 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,000 But here's a little context. If you didn't come, you know, 106 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,120 these last handful of weeks. The Bible teaches in John 1134 107 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,120 and he, this is Jesus said, where have you laid him? 108 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,840 Lazarus who had died, where have you laid him? 109 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,160 They said to him, Lord, come and see. 110 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,280 It says Jesus wept. So the Jews said, see how he 111 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:27,320 loved him. And then it goes on to say, many 112 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,600 of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what 113 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,560 he did, believed in him. So, so get this right before our 114 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:39,440 passage this morning, many Jews saw not only the power of Jesus 115 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:45,480 to raise the dead, but also the compassion and love of Jesus to 116 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,600 enter into people's pain. And there was something about 117 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,640 that that was so magnetic. It was winning the hearts of 118 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,200 many Jews. OK, so that's that's right 119 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,520 before our passage. Now getting a little closer. 120 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,360 The verse is literally right before our text. 121 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,960 John 12, nine. Let me read what else this adds. 122 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,400 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, 123 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:11,120 they came not only on account of him, but also to see Lazarus, 124 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:12,720 whom he had raised from the dead. 125 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,760 So the chief? Priest made plans to put Lazarus 126 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,120 to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews 127 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,760 were going away and believing in Jesus. 128 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:26,000 All right, now I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. 129 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:29,880 But I'm thinking, dude, you guys already killed Lazarus once and 130 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:31,360 you're going to try and kill him again. 131 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,600 Like, come on, let's at least learn from our mistakes. 132 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,520 Like Lazarus, they didn't kill him the first time, But like 133 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,360 killing someone that Jesus just rose from the grave, that's a 134 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,800 losing battle. You know, you're, you're not 135 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,800 going to win that you're just, you're going to lose more 136 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,120 people. I, I think that, you know, 137 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:48,680 insecure leaders just don't think straight. 138 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,880 And, and this is, this is them. But guys, with that backdrop in 139 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,200 place, with the resurrection of Lazarus, the anointing of 140 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,840 Jesus's feet, they married that whole scene, the power of Jesus 141 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:03,200 on display, the compassion of Jesus on display, Jews heading 142 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,840 towards him already with that backdrop, we we are at the 143 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:09,960 triumphal entry. This is literally a week before 144 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,920 Easter Sunday. Chronologically, it's found in 145 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,520 all four gospels. And let me read our passage for 146 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,240 this morning. It'll be up on the screen. 147 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,920 Also, if you don't have a Bible, John 1212 reads this. 148 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,960 The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast. 149 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,680 Heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, so they took branches 150 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,360 of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out Hosanna. 151 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,200 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king 152 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,520 of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey 153 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:41,400 and sat on it, just as it is written. 154 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,040 Fear not, daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming, 155 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,360 sitting on a donkey's colt. His disciples did not understand 156 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:53,360 these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified then they 157 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,280 remembered that these things had been written about Him and had 158 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,360 been done to him, the crowd that had been with him when he 159 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:00,840 called. Lazarus out of the tomb and 160 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,840 raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 161 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,520 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he 162 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,440 had done the sign. So the Pharisees said to one 163 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,160 another, you see that you're gaining nothing. 164 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,680 Look, the whole world has gone after him. 165 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,640 All right, that's our text. I just want to slow down and 166 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,120 break it down kind of one phrase at a time. 167 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:25,120 The the Bible starts in verse 12 by talking about the the next 168 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:28,840 day, the next day that that's the day after the dinner with 169 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:31,920 Lazarus Mary, Martha held in honor of Jesus. 170 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,159 That's where where Jesus feet were anointed by by Mary's 171 00:08:36,159 --> 00:08:40,120 perfume right That's so we're in the next day and notice this it 172 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,039 says that that there's a large crowd, a large crowd. 173 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:45,160 A large crowd had come to the feast. 174 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,800 Now there are two crowds. This is super important that you 175 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:51,120 see it. You have a smaller crowd and a 176 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,320 large crowd. This is critical that you see 177 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:57,400 this the large crowd. This is not the small crowd with 178 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,400 the Jews who had witnessed Jesus's love and the 179 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,320 resurrection of Lazarus. It's not that crowd. 180 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,520 This is not the small crowd who had made it to the feast held in 181 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,480 Jesus honor that saw his feet get anointed. 182 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,800 It's not that crowd. This is a different crowd. 183 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:16,400 This was the large crowd, the large crowd that had come to the 184 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:19,120 Passover feast. And it's very important. 185 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,200 You see, there's a small crowd and a large crowd. 186 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,600 Now this large crowd was enormous that would have come to 187 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,800 the Passover. Get get this. 188 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:31,280 This was a time of the year when Jews would return to Jerusalem. 189 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:32,640 Didn't matter if you didn't live there. 190 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,920 In fact, Jewish males 3 * a year were commanded to come back to 191 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:39,720 Jerusalem to celebrate some feasts. 192 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,000 The Passover is one of those 3 feasts and they often just 193 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:44,400 brought their wife, their kids, whatever. 194 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,920 It was like mandatory family vacation, but one you wanted to 195 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,000 be on. This is a great time. 196 00:09:50,560 --> 00:09:54,040 And the city of Jerusalem that no one knows exactly for sure, 197 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:58,160 but had 10s of thousands of normal inhabitants, That city 198 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:01,720 would explode, but with an additional somewhere between and 199 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:05,480 this is a wide range, 100,000 to maybe a quarter million more 200 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:10,120 people. So the city just exploded in 201 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,240 inhabitants. I mean, you, you thought you 202 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,560 thought come fall, a lot of students come to Gainesville. 203 00:10:16,680 --> 00:10:18,840 I mean, you talk about the roads getting congested. 204 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:25,640 I mean, Jerusalem just exploded with humanity and Jesus and his 205 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,080 disciples are some of those pilgrims coming into Jerusalem 206 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:34,960 to celebrate the Passover. So, so you have maybe 300,000 207 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:39,600 people jammed in this city all celebrating and Jesus is on his 208 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,280 way coming into that. And it says, I hope you notice 209 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:45,480 this, the large crowd, it says that they, they heard that Jesus 210 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:54,120 was coming to Jerusalem. They heard who told them, who 211 00:10:54,120 --> 00:11:01,160 told them that Jesus was coming. It looks like the small crowd 212 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:03,720 that had been with him, with Lazarus. 213 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:05,800 Looks like the small crowd had been talking. 214 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,040 Looks like the small crowd been talking to the large crowd. 215 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:17,200 They let the world know. You got to check out Jesus. 216 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,760 You got to know about this Jesus verse 18 clearly says that's 217 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,960 coming up in our passage. The reason why the crowd, the 218 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:31,280 large crowd went out to meet and was they heard that he had done 219 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,880 this sign. They heard and here's kind of a 220 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:36,800 universal truth. You know what I know it. 221 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,680 We all talk freely about what we love most, don't we? 222 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:44,480 We can't, we can't stop ourselves. 223 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:46,480 It's like, did you see Hail Mary yet? 224 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,640 Aw, you got to go sit. Have you eaten at Noble Tacos? 225 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,840 You got to go. I mean, the whatever it is you 226 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,040 love, you talk most freely about and food's an easy one, 227 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,880 honestly. My wife and I found humble wood 228 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:03,880 fire pizza. Anyone like seriously, that's 229 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,160 and if you like mushrooms, the fungi pizza, that's your pizza. 230 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:12,800 That's where you want to be. And if you like burgers, DJs, 231 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:14,480 cast iron. You been there? 232 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:16,520 Oh, my word. Come on. 233 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,120 Are you kidding me? Like just the fry sauce alone. 234 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,640 I think I could just take a quart of that and just slowly, 235 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,240 but I'd probably get through it. It's so good. 236 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:30,840 Like, it is easy for me to talk about what I love most. 237 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:33,840 All of us do that. All of us do it. 238 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,960 Why? Because here's what we're doing. 239 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:42,680 Whatever we find ourselves most enjoying, we find even greater 240 00:12:42,680 --> 00:12:47,120 joy when we can pull others in to the center of our joy. 241 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:52,600 Christians have a word for that. It's called evangelism. 242 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:59,560 When you love someone so much that honestly it would increase. 243 00:12:59,560 --> 00:13:06,200 Your joy to pull them in to the center of that relationship you 244 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,000 love because that's what's happening. 245 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,600 The small crowds talking, they can't help it. 246 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,840 They've seen the love of Jesus. They've seen a Savior who 247 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,440 weaves, and they've seen his power to raise the dead. 248 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:25,200 You can't keep that to yourself. So they're talking and the large 249 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,120 crowd. Is there because the small 250 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,520 crowd? Was talking and look what they 251 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,520 did. Verse 13 says that large crowd 252 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:36,320 they took branches of palm trees. 253 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:38,520 They're thrown on the path like palms. 254 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:40,960 I don't know if those are just brought here for today or maybe 255 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,200 they're always there palms, they're just just throw them on 256 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:50,240 the path and it seems weird to us, but not to them. 257 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:55,000 Palm branches were a sign of victory, like a victorious kings 258 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,400 coming back waving palm branches. 259 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,600 It was like this is a sign of victory. 260 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:01,880 You know, maybe nowadays people are waving their cell phones and 261 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:06,000 lights and palm branches. That was the thing and throw 262 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:07,600 them down. In fact, we see them elsewhere 263 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,680 in the Bible. Look at this from Revelation 79. 264 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:15,000 Be on the screen as John records. 265 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,600 After this I look and behold a great multitude that no one 266 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:23,120 could number from every nation for all tribes and peoples and 267 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,160 languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, 268 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,360 clothed in white robes. And here it is. 269 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,720 With palm branches in their hands and the passage goes on 270 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,600 how they're declaring the greatness of God palm branches. 271 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,360 It shows up in the Bible. It's a sign of victory. 272 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,360 A victory they're assigning to Jesus in this moment. 273 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,200 We'll get into that more. But look, palm branches 274 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,360 communicate that their king is bringing victory, but listen to 275 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:56,000 how their words communicated the exact same thing. 276 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,160 What they said in verse 13 is Hosanna. 277 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:03,080 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King 278 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,320 of Israel. Now you got to know this. 279 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:11,280 They are grabbing a hold of a prophecy of Scripture that was 280 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,680 forever pointing to Jesus from the Old Testament, Zechariah 99. 281 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,440 See, God's people were looking forward to a coming king, and 282 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,440 they're grabbing hold of that passage and assigning it to 283 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,080 Jesus. Listen to the prophecy from 284 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,360 Zechariah 99. It says this. 285 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,480 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. 286 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,200 That was a reference to Jerusalem. 287 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,000 Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. 288 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:40,400 Behold, your King is coming to you righteous, and having 289 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,440 salvation. Is he humble and mounted on a 290 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:48,000 donkey? On a colt the full of a donkey. 291 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,320 So when they shouted, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the 292 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,080 name of the Lord, even the king of Israel, they were quoting 293 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,040 that passage. They were saying, we're 294 00:15:57,040 --> 00:16:00,360 connecting everything that the Old Testament said about Jesus 295 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,920 and we're saying we found it. We found it in this guy. 296 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:08,440 He is the king of Israel for so long in the book of John, you've 297 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:10,440 probably seen this. It's time to not come. 298 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,040 It's time to not come. It's time to not come. 299 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,360 It's almost like he's playing down his identity in front of 300 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:17,600 the crowds. And now this is the great 301 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,600 unveiling. This is the great aha moment 302 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,520 where he goes public to everyone. 303 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,360 The king is coming, the king of Israel. 304 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:32,080 After 3 1/2 years of public ministry, now he is finally 305 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:35,080 announcing it to the world. He is not just the king of 306 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,520 Israel, He is the king of all kings. 307 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:44,680 And this declaration galled. The religious leaders of the 308 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,800 day, they hated it. Even when Jesus would be 309 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:52,680 crucified the upcoming Friday, Pilate would nail that 310 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:57,240 declaration onto his cross in three different languages, that 311 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,720 Jesus is the king of the Jews, I think in Greek, Hebrew and 312 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,200 Aramaic and the Jewish news, like take that down he goes. 313 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,760 I've written what I've written. Just it just so disturbed them. 314 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,640 They hated the thought that a king was coming and that it was 315 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:15,079 Jesus. They wanted a king. 316 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:16,359 They wanted a different kind of king. 317 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:21,359 But look at what they shouted. The crowds, the masses shouted 318 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:26,400 when they saw Jesus again, with Zechariah in mind, they shout 319 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:34,320 this hosanna, which in Hebrew means this Please save or save 320 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,560 us. They're looking at Jesus, who 321 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:43,000 they see to be the God's king, coming to Jerusalem as the 322 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,200 Scriptures foretold. And they're yelling save us, 323 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:50,200 save us, save you from. What? 324 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:57,280 That's a good question to start with, the famous apologist, Dr. 325 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,840 William Lane Craig said this. Just listen. 326 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,440 Just kind of gives you a context of why they wanted someone to 327 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:08,320 save them. Israel labored under the 328 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:12,160 oppressive military dictatorship of a Pagan nation, Rome, the. 329 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,960 Jews chafed under the yoke of Roman rule. 330 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,960 Within 35 years of Jesus death, Jews would be in full scale 331 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,200 rebellion against Rome, finally resulting in the catastrophic 332 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,560 destruction of Jerusalem in 8070. 333 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,840 But in the meantime, this was a this was what was going on. 334 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:30,400 Israel was a seething cauldron of unrest. 335 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:35,480 Jews yearned for a Messianic deliverer who would once and for 336 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,560 all restored to Israel the throne of David and established 337 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:43,640 God's Kingdom in the land. When they said save us, Jesus, 338 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:46,400 they weren't thinking of sins at all. 339 00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,040 They're saying save us from Rome. 340 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:56,200 Listen, people see in Jesus what they want to see in him, not 341 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:00,280 necessarily what he wants them to see and they saw in Jesus. 342 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:05,720 We we're really excited about you if you give us what we most 343 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,920 want. In fact, we're shouting Hosanna 344 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:13,240 so loud we're hoarse. But we're going to get our 345 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,520 voices back, and by Friday we'll be shouting crucified. 346 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,040 Because it didn't take long before they realized. 347 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:27,720 It's like he's not on my agenda. I want to be safe from some 348 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:32,120 things, but it doesn't seem like he's worked in my timetable. 349 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:36,680 They saw in Jesus what they wanted to see in Jesus. 350 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,880 See, they celebrated that he came to give them victory from 351 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,400 the nation of Rome, when instead he was coming to give them 352 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:49,880 victory over sin and death. And here's the incredible irony. 353 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:54,520 Jesus came not to save some from one nation, but to save. 354 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:59,120 Many people from all nations and I thought. 355 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,640 Man that makes us even more mad because they wouldn't have put 356 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,160 God bless the USA on their bumper stickers. 357 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:10,240 It just then God bless Israel and there's enough stories that 358 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,560 are Jonah like in the Bible that goes we don't care about anyone 359 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,720 else. And Jesus is like, you're not 360 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:23,240 like me, you're not like me. But they shouted Hosanna, they, 361 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:26,600 they, they shouted save us. And here's what I saw myself 362 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,680 just musing on Vita. As as we just consider this 363 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:31,360 passage, I found myself amusing on this. 364 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:38,120 What are you looking at Jesus to do when you hear Jesus and you 365 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:39,560 hear that he's a savior and Lord? 366 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:42,640 Do you think rightly about Jesus when he says that? 367 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,480 Because I think it's possible that some people who go, yeah, 368 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,720 Savior and Lord still don't know Jesus and are heading towards 369 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:55,720 eternal judgment. He came as a savior from sin, 370 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,840 not a savior from your life of boredom, from a failing 371 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,160 business, a struggling marriage. And get this, Jesus graciously 372 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:05,200 helps us with all of these things, right? 373 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,080 The real tears that we cry, that I cry in marriage when I can't 374 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,680 get along, like he meets us in those places and does rescue. 375 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:17,080 I'm not saying that he doesn't. I'm saying He came first and 376 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:18,720 foremost to solve a way bigger problem. 377 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:29,480 Look, we can have Jesus and want him as a savior and miss what he 378 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,720 came to save people from eternal judgment. 379 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,920 And then I and then I fear that some might get that part. 380 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,960 Oh, I want that. Yeah, I want Jesus as Savior, 381 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:42,120 but the. Lord part, Can we skip that? 382 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,400 I love the Savior part. I really want to go to heaven. 383 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,920 Who would not want to escape eternal judgment that they 384 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,640 deserve? I want that. 385 00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:59,280 I just still want to be in control because we want a savior 386 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:04,040 and we don't want a Lord. And look, can we just see that 387 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:08,200 Jesus is Savior and Lord? Savior and Lord. 388 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:12,000 You can fully accept him as Savior and Lord, or you can 389 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,440 fully reject him as Savior and Lord. 390 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,000 But you can't have Savior and not have Lord. 391 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:23,720 You can't follow half of. Jesus, who he is. 392 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:30,240 This Sunday they're shouting hosanna because they thought 393 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,840 we'd love to be safe from Rome. Within the week they'd shout 394 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:37,960 crucify because they thought you don't fulfill my immediate 395 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:41,320 expectations. And then what's this bit about 396 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,280 Jesus making his grand entrance on a donkey? 397 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,360 On a donkey? And I would choose a better 398 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:51,320 animal than that. Wouldn't you like a donkey? 399 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,160 People love making grand entrances. 400 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:55,600 I was doing a little research online. 401 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,320 I didn't know this. I don't watch a lot of things 402 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:03,520 like this, but apparently Lady Gaga arrived at a granny's once 403 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,560 in an egg her grand entrance. Literally I saw this picture 404 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,200 these guys are carrying in. A. 405 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,080 Ginormous egg. She's in the egg somehow, I 406 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,000 don't know if it cracks or what. She comes out of the egg. 407 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,320 That's her. People make grand entrances in 408 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,280 odd ways. I was reading about all kinds of 409 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,440 different things. Tom Cruise, he, because he can 410 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,160 do this. He he flies in his grand 411 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:24,320 entrance. Oh, it's my helicopter. 412 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:28,240 I just flew it in like our president, Air Force One Marine 413 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,920 one motorcade, like grand entrances. 414 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:36,000 People make grand entrances to events and even back in this 415 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,600 state, no different. No different now. 416 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,040 Most people, ruling kings and prominent people, they would 417 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,400 make grand entrances and like, give me a strong animal, like a 418 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,240 War Horse. That's it. 419 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:50,120 Ride that thing in. That's awesome, you know, or 420 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:51,920 they would get pulled by a whole team of horses. 421 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,920 They'd like being a chariot, you know, getting pulled in history, 422 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:59,960 even records, though it's rare that in some shows of prominence 423 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:02,360 people would come in on an elephant. 424 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,240 Whoa, You're making an entrance, associating yourself with power. 425 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,400 I I'd at least go, can I get a Clydesdale? 426 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,960 Because those are big horses, but Jesus. 427 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:23,640 All of a sudden, here he comes on a donkey. 428 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:31,120 What I just it, I just wanted more, you know, and, and here's 429 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:32,920 the thing, had Jesus been heading to. 430 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,880 War. He'd have been on a War Horse, 431 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,120 but he is coming to make a different statement. 432 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,680 He was fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy in the Old Testament 433 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:49,400 that the king, the king was coming to declare not war, but 434 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,400 peace. He was coming to not bring war. 435 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:57,200 He'll, he will bring that soon, but peace, peace. 436 00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,560 Now I just want to hit pause and go. 437 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,960 What peace did Jesus come to bring? 438 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:06,160 What peace are we talking about here? 439 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:08,920 And peace is sounding Jesus and we see it all over the 440 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,880 Scriptures. Now you have angels declaring 1 441 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,160 Angel declared this about Jesus when he came. 442 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:19,840 Luke 214 says, and you'll maybe recall this glory to God in the 443 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:25,200 highest and on earth, peace among those with whom he is 444 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,840 pleased. Peace, the coming of Jesus would 445 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:32,480 bring peace now. Now, what is meant by peace? 446 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,680 Is it that kind of emotional tranquility that kind of pour a 447 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,680 bubble bath kind of finally the kids are out, you know, and 448 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:50,400 just, is that what's meant? Is that what the Angel said? 449 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:53,480 Jesus is coming to bring you a bubble bath? 450 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,040 I don't think so. You know, is that what's meant? 451 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:05,760 Now Jesus does come to bring emotional calm in the midst of 452 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:07,960 chaos. Listen to this just so you do 453 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:09,600 know that there is this side of things. 454 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,720 John 1633. This is as the disciples are 455 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,440 probably freaking out Jesus talking about I'm about to leave 456 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:18,880 you guys and he says at the end of this chapter, I've said these 457 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,720 things to you that in me you may have peace in the world, you 458 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:26,920 will have tribulation, but take courage I've. 459 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,880 Overcome the world. So Jesus does bring emotional 460 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,680 stability and calm and tranquility to our lives. 461 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,400 That's true. That's in the Scriptures. 462 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,720 But that's not what we're talking about right here. 463 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,360 That's not the peace that we most need. 464 00:26:43,360 --> 00:26:50,520 We 1st and most importantly need the peace Jesus offers us 465 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:57,680 between our souls and the enemy of our souls, God. 466 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:02,840 Himself and you go. I think he misspoke. 467 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:05,680 I think the enemy of our souls of Satan. 468 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:11,720 Look, what I'm saying is, until we are forgiven by God through 469 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:19,720 Jesus, God is not father to us. We are his enemies, let us not 470 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,560 think too highly of ourselves. We can say my kids AI don't know 471 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,440 a plus student and got the school award. 472 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,680 Look, here's the reality. We are sinful. 473 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,840 Beyond our wildest dreams, our thoughts. 474 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:36,120 Our words, our actions. We are so depraved, so far lost, 475 00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:40,520 that the Bible says that we are by nature objects of God's 476 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,360 wrath. We do not start off friends of 477 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:45,240 God, we start off enemies of God. 478 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,320 We need not so much peace from a bubble bath. 479 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:54,480 We need peace from the war that we are in with God Himself, and 480 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:57,480 we cannot initiate that peace. We have so offended the 481 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,840 greatness of God that we stand as objects under His wrath, 482 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:05,720 expecting an imminent judgment for sins we know we've done and 483 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:08,360 a judgment we know we deserve if we're just going to be honest 484 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:10,520 with ourselves. Come on, you know what you've 485 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,000 done. You know it's how you think. 486 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:14,320 I know what I've done. I know what I do daily. 487 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:20,040 We need peace with God. Our greatest issue is not 488 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,880 internal war, it is war with the Holy God. 489 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,760 How would we find peace there? And see, this is the beauty of 490 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:31,160 the gospel. But God's like you cannot, but I 491 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:33,600 can. And he sends a son. 492 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:36,840 He sends a son to live the perfect life that you and I 493 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,080 haven't lived. And not only that. 494 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,240 His. Son then goes to the cross to be 495 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:46,800 blasted with the full venting of the wrath that God has against 496 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:51,200 us, and He stands in the place of it and absorbs the wrath of 497 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,560 the Father on our behalf. I always. 498 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,560 Wondered as a non Christian, why did he die? 499 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,680 Why did Jesus die? Couldn't his father have rescued 500 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:05,200 him from the cross? He was dying to absorb the wrath 501 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:09,800 that we deserve on the cross, to make the ultimate trade. 502 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:15,240 His perfect standing and righteousness we get, our stand 503 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:20,520 in the judgement He gets, and we move from enemy to child of God. 504 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:23,680 And spoiler alert for next Sunday. 505 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:29,000 I mean, he didn't stay dead. I'm so sorry if I ruined it for 506 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:33,720 whoever's teaching after me. He doesn't stay dead like 3 days 507 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,640 later he beats the grave, just blows out of that. 508 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:42,080 Tomb and declares that He has risen, proving everything He 509 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:44,440 ever said and did was faithful and true. 510 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:46,520 He can be trusted. He has our path to eternal life 511 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:49,360 and He has our path to peace with God, who begins our enemy, 512 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:56,240 who desires to be our Father. That's what Paul meant in Romans 513 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:00,800 5 when he talks about peace. Romans 51 says, therefore, since 514 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:06,760 we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through 515 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:11,880 our Lord Jesus Christ. There's something else we we 516 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:16,280 just have to see right here. Maybe even before I hit it. 517 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,080 Honestly, let me just stop for a second. 518 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,760 I wonder if there's someone here this morning who doesn't have 519 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,600 peace with God. I don't mean like, oh, there's 520 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:28,040 unrest in my marriage or with kids. 521 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,040 We don't know how to solve this. I'm not talking about that. 522 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:31,480 I'm not talking about on a horizontal level. 523 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:36,200 What I'm saying is this. You know that you're guilty of 524 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,320 your sins and you don't know if you're forgiven yet. 525 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,240 You don't know if it's safe to die, whether you would go to 526 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:47,880 heaven or you'd go to hell. I'm telling you that today God 527 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:49,880 probably just brought you here to hear this. 528 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:54,200 Today you can be forgiven. Today you can finally make peace 529 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:58,120 with God. Jesus didn't come to condemn, He 530 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,400 came to save. You're already condemned. 531 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,720 He came to solve the problem that you can't solve, that I 532 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:06,560 can't solve. Jesus comes to open heaven for 533 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,680 us. Today you could be made a friend 534 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,080 of God. Today you could receive the King 535 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,640 of kings, the Lord of Lords. You could experience the peace 536 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,440 that he wants to bring you through the cross. 537 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,320 Today. That's your step, it's to go. 538 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,640 God, please forgive me. I deserve your judgment. 539 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:26,040 Please come into my life, forgive me and bring me peace as 540 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,520 I become your child. That's where you need to start. 541 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,800 But, but, but there's something more. 542 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:35,480 I'm going to go back to John 12, just 17 and 19. 543 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:38,360 They're at the very end. It says the crowd that had been 544 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:41,720 with him, with Jesus when he called Lazarus out of the tomb 545 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:45,440 and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 546 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:48,760 This is a small crowd. They continued to talk. 547 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,880 The reason why the crowd went out to meet him, that's the 548 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,160 large crowd. The reason why that crowd went 549 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,320 out to meet him was that they heard he had done the sign, 550 00:31:57,640 --> 00:31:58,880 heard it from who was the small crowd. 551 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,000 So the Pharisees said to you see that you're gaining nothing. 552 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:03,640 Look, the whole world is going after him. 553 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:06,040 Remember earlier how I said there's a small crowd, there's a 554 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:11,800 large crowd and they're talking. The small crowd had witnessed 555 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:18,160 Jesus tears, his love, his compassion, his power, and they 556 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,640 saw the raising of Lazarus. And what do they do? 557 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:24,840 The Bible says they bore witness. 558 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,760 Witness. I sat outside of a courtroom 559 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:31,760 this week waiting to be called in on the stand in a sexual 560 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:36,240 abuse case, and I don't know all the details, but I labor to get 561 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:40,280 my words just right of what I'd heard, an indicted piece of 562 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:41,200 evidence. That's it. 563 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,960 I was ready to bear witness. I don't know lots of details 564 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,680 about lots of things that are happening, but I know this much 565 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:53,280 and I'm ready to say it. When you Call My Name, that's 566 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,920 what we're talking about. Bear witness. 567 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:59,040 The small crowds, I don't know exactly where he came from. 568 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:00,560 He just rose the guy from the dead. 569 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,520 Never saw that before. You should probably go listen to 570 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,800 him. I don't know all what he's 571 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:12,040 about, but I remember this before he rose him from the 572 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:13,000 dead, which you would think would be the. 573 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:14,120 Most amazing thing I've ever seen. 574 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,480 He wept. He wept and he knew he was going 575 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,520 to raise him from the dead. He still entered into people's 576 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:23,160 pain even when he knew he could fix it. 577 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,000 What king is there like that? I don't know what they were all 578 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:31,200 saying, but they were just saying what they knew. 579 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:35,720 That's what a witness does. My friends at Vita, if you know 580 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:40,400 Jesus, God is calling you to be a witness, to bear witness. 581 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:42,040 You don't need to know everything. 582 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:45,400 No one knows everything. I guarantee you I don't. 583 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,440 I don't have some back in my Bible that's got some answers 584 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,160 that you don't have. Like I just trying to be 585 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:56,880 faithful with what I know. What a great challenge from just 586 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:58,440 that announcement time from Kurt this morning, he says. 587 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:01,520 Man, try and bring 3. Let's just be witnesses. 588 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,200 The small crowd is talking to the large crowd and people are 589 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,320 coming to see. Jesus, that's what he's calling 590 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:10,199 us to. OK, that might be your 591 00:34:10,199 --> 00:34:12,520 application this week. It's like, that's what I need to 592 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:14,520 do. God might even in the service 593 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:17,080 bring a few people to your mind and you've just been putting it 594 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,280 off. God put them right around you. 595 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:21,040 He put them in your neighborhood. 596 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:24,040 He put them on your dorm floor. He put he put them right down 597 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:26,600 there in the cubicle. Next year's at work they're just 598 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,000 or he brings in mind this isn't a family member. 599 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,040 You're so mad at them for what they did at Thanksgiving. 600 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:37,120 Like get over it. Be a witness like God might use 601 00:34:37,159 --> 00:34:41,840 you this week to tell someone in the large crowd, man, you got 602 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:44,199 you got to check out Jesus. Here's what I know. 603 00:34:45,199 --> 00:34:48,760 The Gospels come to you on its way to someone else, and we need 604 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,880 to be witnesses of that. God's calling us as a part of 605 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:54,480 the smaller crowd to tell the larger crowd we're on one side 606 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,120 of the city. We're trying to tell them you're 607 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,040 on another side of the city. We're trying to tell them small 608 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:02,920 crowds, trying to tell a larger crowd that they need Jesus. 609 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:07,960 Are you telling anyone when's the last time you used the word 610 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:10,960 Jesus around an unbeliever? When's the last time you said it 611 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:14,560 outside of a worship song? Like we need to be talking about 612 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:18,200 him. Well, I said. 613 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,560 One truth is just true. You guys know it. 614 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:22,560 People talk freely about what they love most. 615 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,000 Here's my honest confession when it comes to talking about Jesus. 616 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:32,320 I do love him most, I think. I don't talk freely about him. 617 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,480 I guess I maybe just, I don't know, contradicted my universal 618 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:41,480 truth. I don't. 619 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:46,560 I mean, I want to, but in practice I struggle with talking 620 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:51,480 to people about Jesus, and sometimes I'd just rather not. 621 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:54,400 And that's how it was with this guy. 622 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:57,760 John, I don't know about you. I, I, I ride a motorcycle to 623 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,200 work and I get off of I-75, which is terrifying on a 624 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:03,520 motorcycle. I get off I-75 on the Newberry 625 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,400 exit and that's where I take a left hand turn to kind of sneak 626 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:08,680 up around where our building is AT. 627 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:11,400 And same homeless guys there all the time. 628 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,920 His name's John. And I don't know how you guys do 629 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,760 with homeless people on every corner. 630 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:20,720 I, I don't know how to think about this. 631 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,800 Sometimes I won't even pick the, the road next to them. 632 00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:27,320 I'll purposely get in one row apart. 633 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:30,400 I don't know, just you're less likely to come up to me right 634 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,800 now. And then even when I'm parked, 635 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:34,800 I'm going. I don't know if Jesus is 636 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,200 anything like me. I don't know if I'm anything 637 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:37,760 like him. I bet he'd be talking to this 638 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:39,360 guy. And guys, I have stopped. 639 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:41,400 I've shared the gospel. I've taken out the meals like 640 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:42,680 I've done. Some stuff with homeless people. 641 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:45,400 But sometimes it just feels like I'm just, am I just buying the 642 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:46,600 next drink? I don't know. 643 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:50,080 I don't know how to think. Often times when I'm in those 644 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:51,120 places, I don't know what you do. 645 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:56,280 But this particular turn, I'm just there. 646 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,560 I'm in the left hand turning lane and John comes up to me. 647 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:02,960 He's got a sign, big old guy, you know, He comes up to me and 648 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:07,880 he goes, hey, I can tell your back tire is. 649 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,840 Looking a little. Bald, you might only have a few 650 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:13,040 more weeks. You're going to want to get that 651 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,800 changed. I thought. 652 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:22,200 This is getting so convicting. This is going the wrong 653 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,880 direction. Now the homeless guy is trying 654 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:31,320 to love me and I'm like, oh man, thanks a lot. 655 00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:36,760 And I said, OK, all right, green light saved by the light. 656 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:43,040 And then I tell you, I take this path all the time and John posts 657 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:46,320 up at like 3:30 in the morning to get the spot. 658 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,320 People don't start giving him dollars until like 7 something, 659 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,520 but he posts up early. Otherwise he'll give up the spot 660 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,520 to someone else. Send me next time. 661 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:59,040 Hey, your tire. I've got some friends. 662 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,560 There's a shop just on the other side of I-75. 663 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:04,880 They're great. I think they would change your 664 00:38:04,880 --> 00:38:07,920 tire for you. Thanks, John. 665 00:38:08,240 --> 00:38:11,520 You know, just like the conviction and, you know, I 666 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,160 start a friendship with John. I didn't want to. 667 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:19,240 I feel bad that I'm even saying that in just all honesty. 668 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:25,600 But now John's my friend the other day, I'm introducing her 669 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,360 to Jenny because that that we were in her. 670 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:30,440 She's got a car. So we're in that one, you know, 671 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:33,600 and I'm like, this is Jenny and oh, and then Jenny's talking 672 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:38,080 about, you know, and you know, I invited John to Easter. 673 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:41,680 He goes, it's probably the best day of the year for me. 674 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:44,600 I can't be gone. And he'll tell you about how 675 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,760 he's trying to help. And I believe this actually, I 676 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:49,920 have enough relationship with with him now that I have learned 677 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:53,680 about his grandkid and trying to fix her teeth and all this kind 678 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:54,760 of stuff. And he's like, I just can't be 679 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,240 gone on that day. But guys, this Thursday, like we 680 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,080 we're kind of little messed up at salt church. 681 00:39:00,080 --> 00:39:02,600 We do a Good Friday thing on Thursday it whatever. 682 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:07,640 But but this Thursday, I think he said we can go out to dinner 683 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:10,640 and then he'll come to our good Thursday. 684 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:14,400 And you know what, Here's what I'm saying. 685 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:18,760 We got a bear witness. And sometimes I don't feel like 686 00:39:18,760 --> 00:39:20,280 doing the very things God wants me to do. 687 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:24,320 But I think the follow Jesus, we still faithfully do what God's 688 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:28,640 calling us to do. And I have found as a Christ 689 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,920 follower that most things God wants me to do, I don't want to 690 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,000 do. I wake up in the morning and 691 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,800 it's not like is it time to read my Bible? 692 00:39:36,840 --> 00:39:39,000 Yay. No, I'm just like snooze, 693 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:42,120 snooze, snooze, like, but you know what? 694 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:46,680 There's never a time I've gotten up and gotten in God's word and 695 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:48,920 poured out my hearts and in prayer where at the end I 696 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:51,080 thought, I wish I'd have stayed in bed. 697 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:54,480 I go. I'm so glad I sought the Lord. 698 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,040 Same thing with money. Oh, it's hard sometimes to give, 699 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:00,600 but there's never a time where I went. 700 00:40:00,680 --> 00:40:05,360 Wish I had that back. No, that you can't take it with 701 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,560 you, but you can send it ahead. You can invest in the Kingdom. 702 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,880 It'll last forever. Like almost everything. 703 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,240 Dirty dishes. Do you ever want to do them? 704 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,560 But you know what, the very things that I don't want to do 705 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:19,320 sometimes serve my wife or my family. 706 00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:22,720 When I do them, I feel like more of a man, like I've just honored 707 00:40:22,720 --> 00:40:25,720 the Lord and I'm blessed. I'm telling you, it's like that 708 00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:28,160 sharing Jesus. There's times I don't want. 709 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:30,960 That I step into that place of awkwardness. 710 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,840 Here we go. And somehow, in the midst of it, 711 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:38,400 making a decision without emotions, it's like my heart 712 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,000 catches up. And the Lord blesses it. 713 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:45,200 What I'm saying is in this passage there is a small crowd 714 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:48,800 talking to a large crowd, one small crowd of people telling 715 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:52,840 another large crowd of people that peace with God is possible 716 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:54,440 through Jesus. That's the point. 717 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:57,560 Peace with God is now possible. The King is here. 718 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,960 You can be. Reconciled to him, and God is 719 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:06,520 calling us to that place. And I'm telling you, people all 720 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:10,040 around you need him. People all around us need him. 721 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:12,840 The harvest field is so large. We're in it. 722 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:15,360 Maybe in one corner of it over here, Salt Church, you're in 723 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:17,040 maybe another corner. We're cheering you on. 724 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,360 You're cheering us on. There's so many people in 725 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:23,000 between us who need the Lord. We have to speak up. 726 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:29,520 Small crowds talking to large crowds about Jesus. 727 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:33,920 And let me just say one last thing to motivate us in this 728 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:37,120 Jesus Christ, who rode that little donkey and who made that 729 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:41,120 great declaration. Jesus Christ will ride again. 730 00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:46,640 You know this right? Jesus Christ will ride again. 731 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:51,240 Not on a donkey this time. Jesus will ride again on his War 732 00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:53,560 Horse. And I want to motivate you. 733 00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:57,400 As we look back to the triumphal entry, I want to let this 734 00:41:57,400 --> 00:42:00,320 passage. Push your mind forward to the 735 00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:02,360 next time. He's going to ride a horse. 736 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:05,680 It's the first time in the Bible we see Jesus not walking. 737 00:42:05,680 --> 00:42:07,880 He gets on a donkey. There is another time where he 738 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:09,200 will ride. Listen to this. 739 00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:11,120 Let me just read this over you. I'm going to ask the band to 740 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:14,320 come on back up and join me on stage as I read this closing 741 00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:18,040 passage, Revelation 19, it will be on the screen, John says. 742 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:22,160 Then I saw heaven open, and behold a White Horse. 743 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:26,720 The one sitting on it is called faithful and true, and in 744 00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:29,920 righteousness he judges and makes war. 745 00:42:30,240 --> 00:42:34,240 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many 746 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:37,200 diadems. And he has a name written on him 747 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:41,720 that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped 748 00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:46,120 in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. 749 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:50,320 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and 750 00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:53,320 pure, were following him on white horses. 751 00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:54,840 Guess what? We get a ride. 752 00:42:55,240 --> 00:42:58,960 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down 753 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:02,560 the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. 754 00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:07,800 He will tread the wine Press of the fury of the wrath of God the 755 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:11,680 Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh 756 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:16,320 he has a name written. King of Kings and Lord of Lords, 757 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:17,200 I'm telling you, thank you, Vita. 758 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:21,640 Jesus will soon reign. He will soon rule. 759 00:43:21,760 --> 00:43:25,640 He will destroy his enemies and he will do it alone. 760 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:28,640 And yet others will be riding with them, I think as 761 00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:30,680 spectators. I think their clothes stay 762 00:43:30,680 --> 00:43:33,560 clean. Meanwhile, he's in a robe dipped 763 00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:36,800 in blood. And the the sword of the coming 764 00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:38,480 out of his mouth. I think the how powerful his 765 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:40,720 words are. He just slays them with his 766 00:43:40,720 --> 00:43:42,800 words, the picture, I think of judgment. 767 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:46,680 But until then, until he returns as conquering king. 768 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:52,320 Until then, Vita, let's faithfully bear witness. 769 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:54,960 It doesn't matter if you don't know a ton. 770 00:43:55,560 --> 00:43:58,400 Say what you do now. Tell them that. 771 00:43:58,400 --> 00:44:00,520 Peace with God is possible through Jesus. 772 00:44:00,800 --> 00:44:07,680 They need that most. And may we find it in Him riding 773 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:13,120 on a donkey into Jerusalem. He declares as King of Kings, 774 00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:16,360 peace with God as possible. May we find in him. 775 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:17,240 Let me pray for us.