1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,280 A city with a meaningful name live up to its name. 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,160 Like who wants to have to be the person that reports the crime 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:15,040 statistics, particularly violent crime for Philadelphia, the city 4 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,480 of brotherly love? Cities have trouble living up to 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:25,760 high and lofty names, and Jerusalem is also a city that 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:31,440 has struggled for thousands of years to live up to its name as 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,600 a city of peace. And as we come into a familiar 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,560 story today with the Palm Sunday in the triumphal entry and all 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,760 this, I want you to just take a minute and think about what it 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,440 meant to be a Jewish person living in Jerusalem 2000 years 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,240 ago. What does it mean to live under 12 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,600 an oppressor? We know we have talk a lot in 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,280 church about the desecration of the temple and about 160 years 14 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,640 before this the MAGA beans, the Hanukkah story where they had 15 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:09,840 light that lasted 7 days because the temple had been poorly 16 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:15,040 treated around 4 BC. I mean CE or common error or AD 17 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,000 depending which system you want to use. 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,680 There was actually a revolt in Jerusalem and they stoned a 19 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,440 whole company of Roman soldiers trying to get them out. 20 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:31,840 Which means that there is, by the time Palm Sunday happens, 21 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:38,400 High Roman alert Pontius Pilate would have come in in a parade 22 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,880 showing Roman authority because they don't want during Passover 23 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,040 to have another rebellion. But why would people rebel? 24 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,280 Why would people look for a saviour? 25 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,280 Think about what you know in history and about oppressors. 26 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,840 You see, Roman soldiers would come, they would charm Jewish 27 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,920 girls and they would leave children behind as they got 28 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:09,280 resettled in another place. You know that Jesus says go the 29 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,960 extra mile and we think, oh, that's cheap and easy, but it 30 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,320 comes because a Roman soldier could just grab anybody and say 31 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,360 carry my heavy pack and you would have to go a full mile by 32 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,360 law. And Jesus said go extra. 33 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:29,000 So when Jesus saying go in the extra mile, it wasn't, oh, give 34 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,640 your friend two birthday presents instead of one. 35 00:02:31,640 --> 00:02:34,280 It was there was some oppression to this. 36 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:41,000 Their sons saw who was getting higher positions and frankly, it 37 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,880 wasn't the ones that were following after God. 38 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,080 It was the ones that were willing to do what Rome wanted. 39 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:52,520 And so their sons were being wooed into jobs that shamed the 40 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,960 whole family. So when we think about what 41 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:01,160 Jesus's triumphal entry meant, enter into the space of what 42 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:07,800 does it mean to be an oppressed people who need salvation? 43 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,560 And let's read now in Matthew chapter 21. 44 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,000 And this is not for today, but this is for you at home. 45 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:20,480 I was at a conference last week and I just want to encourage you 46 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,320 when you read, get your physical Bible. 47 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:25,800 Do you know the research coming out with cognitive 48 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,960 neuroscientists are saying that we can't help it when we read a 49 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:35,440 screen, we skim and that there's something that happens when we 50 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,000 have a physical book. There's a space place in our 51 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:45,720 minds that gets activated. Jesus also activates the space 52 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,440 place in our understanding of who God is because he is an 53 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,600 embodiment of who the Father is. And so let's read Matthew 21. 54 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,200 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage on the Mount of 55 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:04,680 Olives, Jesus sent 2 disciples saying to them, go to the 56 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,520 village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied 57 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:13,080 there with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 58 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,720 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them and 59 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:23,360 he will send them right away. This took place to fulfil what 60 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,360 was spoken through the prophet. Say to daughter Zion, See, your 61 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,880 king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a 62 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:37,240 colt the foal of a donkey. The disciples went and did as 63 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,280 Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the 64 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:43,120 colt and placed the cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 65 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:48,640 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others 66 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,600 cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 67 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,000 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed 68 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,360 shouted Hosanna to the Son of David. 69 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:03,000 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the 70 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,720 highest heaven. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, 71 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,480 the whole city was stirred and asked, Who is this? 72 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,480 And the crowds answered, This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth 73 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,280 in Galilee. And Jesus entered the temple 74 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,120 courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. 75 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,120 He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches 76 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,960 of those selling doves. It is written, he said to them, 77 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,440 My house will be called a House of prayer, but you are making it 78 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:41,000 a den of robbers. The blind and the lame came to 79 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,120 him at the temple, and he healed them. 80 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,480 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the 81 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,160 wonderful things he did, and the children shouting in the temple 82 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:55,120 courts hosanna to the Son of David, they were indignant. 83 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,200 Do you hear what these children are saying? 84 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,640 They asked him. Yes, replied Jesus, have you 85 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:05,320 never read from the lips of children and infants? 86 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,240 You, Lord, have called forth your praise. 87 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,400 And he left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, where he 88 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,000 spent the night. Early in the morning, as Jesus 89 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,080 was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 90 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,360 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found 91 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:29,280 nothing on it except leaves. And then he said to it, May you 92 00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:34,320 never bear fruit again. Immediately the tree withered 93 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:36,960 and when the disciples saw this, they were amazed. 94 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:38,840 How did the fig tree wither so quickly? 95 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:43,760 They asked and Jesus replied, Truly I tell you, if you have 96 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:47,760 faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the 97 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:52,320 fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, go throw 98 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:54,800 yourself into the sea and it'll be done. 99 00:06:55,080 --> 00:07:00,200 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. 100 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:07,160 Jesus arose and as we'll look through the story we'll find 101 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:12,360 that Jesus arose above others expectations and with a faith 102 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:16,840 that moves mountains, you can also rise above others 103 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:21,600 expectations. So what do they expect from 104 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:25,520 Jesus? They expected him to save them 105 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,880 because he is acting like a king. 106 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,600 And as he came in, everything he did was purposeful. 107 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,560 First of all, if I leaned over and I asked you, Bethany, to go 108 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,240 and get somebody else, and I'm going to ask you to just go over 109 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,080 to the Parcade and get somebody's Lexus and somebody 110 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,080 else's Mini Cooper, she's going to want a little more 111 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:51,240 information. And that's what Jesus did. 112 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:57,040 He had set things up and he was exerting the ride of the king, 113 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,920 the ride of the leader we called us. 114 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,840 My aunt and uncle had lived in their same house for over 45 115 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,040 years. And then the government decided 116 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,440 that it was in the trajectory of the airport expansion. 117 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,000 And guess what? The government could come in and 118 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,520 say we need your land. We don't actually care about 119 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:21,200 your family memories and the Reno's you did and da, da da. 120 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,800 And that Jesus right now is exerting kingship. 121 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:27,240 It seems he had made arrangements and it all went all 122 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,600 right. But do you realize that 123 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,080 disciples had reasons to be like? 124 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:39,240 Also, Jesus is setting up a nod to the prophet Zechariah. 125 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,880 I've listed out from Zechariah 9. 126 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:46,120 I encourage you to read it later, but just because we're 127 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,480 not catching the illusion does not mean the people there did 128 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:55,520 not know it. They knew that he was acting out 129 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:58,280 with this entrance, with this fall. 130 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,720 It talks about coming in as rejoice. 131 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,160 They would rejoice, they would be righteous, victorious. 132 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,000 And here's the piece. Slowly, and riding on a donkey's 133 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:14,160 fall, Jesus is making sure to activate their expectation that 134 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,720 He is a king. And I want you to see who this 135 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:18,960 king came for, because this matters. 136 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,840 He came for the peace of the nations. 137 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:31,840 So they forgot that part. See, they got excited that this 138 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,640 king was going to come and overthrow their oppressor, but 139 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:40,960 their imaginations could not contain the fact that this king 140 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:46,360 was for all nations, that this king was to free all prisoners, 141 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,840 and that those that felt imprisoned by their own hope 142 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:57,120 were going to be restored. But Jesus is asking them to 143 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,800 activate all that prior knowledge and to recognize He is 144 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,840 king. So do not, do not mistake that 145 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:10,440 Jesus's entrance was anything but a royal declaration. 146 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:16,680 Now the whole city was stirred. You remember that little 4B4 147 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:21,160 ADCE event I told you where a whole company of Roman soldiers 148 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,240 were stoned? See, when the whole city gets 149 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:28,960 stirred at Passover, Rome goes on high alert because they don't 150 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,440 want another revolt. Who is in the crowd? 151 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,240 There are people that were genuinely interested in the work 152 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,280 of Jesus and what he had done. But you know what else? 153 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,160 There were people who just wanted Rome gone. 154 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,320 And then have you ever been to a parade and it has nothing to do 155 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,400 with you, but you just went? One of our kids for a while was 156 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:54,120 a would dance in Vancouver's Saint Patrick's Day parade. 157 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,800 Now, y'all, there are just not many Irish people in this city 158 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,560 and how we sustained about 10 years of a Saint Patrick's Day 159 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:03,920 parade, I'm not sure. I'm married to one of the 160 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:05,440 Irishmen, but they're just not many. 161 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,400 And so you would go and you would look around and you would 162 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,840 see who was in the parade and you're thinking, I don't think 163 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:17,560 there's much Irish heritage in this crowd, but people wanted to 164 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:22,840 be there for a good time. And so in Jesus reception as he 165 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:27,640 comes in declaring himself as king, there are people who are 166 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,480 desperate for help. There are people that genuinely 167 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:35,040 are followers of Jesus and there's a whole lot of let's see 168 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,520 what this is all about or if they fight, I'll jump in to do 169 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,640 whatever it takes to get rid of these Romans. 170 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,840 And so is a mixed crowd. And what is the cry? 171 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:55,920 The cry is in verse 9 here. Hosanna to the son of David, 172 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:57,960 bless. It is he who comes in the name 173 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,760 of the Lord Hosanna in the highest heavens. 174 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,640 Now y'all when I was a child, have you all ever had like you 175 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:11,120 had the fronds and you had it was like a party on Palm Sunday. 176 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,040 But the word Hosanna is not a party word. 177 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:21,240 It is save us now and the tradition I grew up in. 178 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,640 It is a help me Jesus y'all true story. 179 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,600 If I would say under my breath, help me Jesus about something 180 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,800 small like the copier at work is making me very frustrated. 181 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,360 And people would think, oh, and that's a funny way to curse. 182 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,400 And I'm like, well, no, I have no way to fix this copier and 183 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:39,880 I'm actually asking for some help. 184 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:45,040 But these people were calling out for save us now from the 185 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,760 ones that are taking our daughters from the ones that are 186 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:51,680 tempting our sons. Save us now from taxes that are 187 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:54,640 eating up all we have and we can't take care of our families. 188 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:00,680 Save us now from the rape, pillage and plundering of an 189 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:05,240 oppressive nation. And So what in your life has you 190 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:11,880 gone? God save me now because there is 191 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:17,640 a wait. And this is the cry. 192 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,960 This isn't just it was a party atmosphere, but it was a deep 193 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:27,760 cry to the God of Jacob saying do not forget us and please save 194 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:32,760 us. Now Jesus goes from there and 195 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:38,280 enters the temple. Now again, my childhood 196 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:41,800 understanding of Jesus cleansing of the temple has never quite 197 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:46,600 left me because you know what I see as a kid, it's like Jesus 198 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,600 got to have a fit. Craig and I one time went to one 199 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:54,000 service and had this beautiful table and the pastor flipped it 200 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,440 and he brought out all of a sudden it was quite dramatic. 201 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,320 But I want you to think about what Jesus is doing. 202 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:08,320 Do you remember the Zechariah verses is that He will proclaim 203 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:16,400 peace to the nations in a week of weeks plus one more week. 204 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:22,400 So in 57 days, Pentecost is coming at Passover, which is in 205 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,760 this next week of the story. And then Pentecost, which was 50 206 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:30,600 days after, Jewish people from all around the world would take 207 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,800 a once in a lifetime trip to Jerusalem to be there for the 208 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:39,960 high and holy feasts. And they had money that wasn't 209 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:43,560 local currency. And so it started out as let's 210 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,080 help you out. We'll change your money over so 211 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,000 you can buy the sacrifices that are purified so that you can 212 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:55,600 make your sacrifices to God. In some ways it was to help, but 213 00:14:55,600 --> 00:15:01,840 it became the place where the nations could come to pray was 214 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:07,320 all about business and trade. So Jesus is cleansing his 215 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:12,720 temple, is actually making a space for those that were coming 216 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,880 into Jerusalem, the city of peace, where there is no peace. 217 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,600 And he is making a place where they can meet his Father. 218 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:27,240 And he calls out and he references a verse in Isaiah and 219 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:34,360 I want to read all of it to you, Isaiah chapter 56, and then 220 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:39,560 it'll be verses 6 and seven. It's worth you reading the whole 221 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,880 chapter later. It's beautiful, but he is 222 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,920 referencing this and foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord, 223 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:51,720 to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord and to be His 224 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,400 servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it, 225 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:57,920 and who will hold fast to My covenant. 226 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:03,080 These I will bring to My holy mountain and give them joy in My 227 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:07,600 House of prayer. Their burnt offerings and 228 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:13,040 sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for my house will be 229 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:17,400 called a House of prayer for all nations. 230 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:25,080 Jesus, as he enters in his high and most famed and fanish 231 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:32,600 moment, makes it clear that He has come for all of us, that He 232 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:37,520 has come for all nations, and that He has come so that all of 233 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,880 us can be in conversation with the Heavenly Father. 234 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:46,320 He has come so that they would meet Him. 235 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:50,400 And so a den of robbers is not going to be distracting. 236 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:55,160 Jesus is making sure that all those that come have a place to 237 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,440 pray. Now who does he help? 238 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:02,280 Think about this, if you are back to Matthew 21, if you are 239 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:09,720 sitting around trying to become an influencer, his brothers told 240 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:11,359 him he should come now and he didn't. 241 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:13,920 What are you going to do? You're going to find other, you 242 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,560 know, they do this. They find other influencers to 243 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,440 come on their post and their podcast so that then they get 244 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,480 both each other's and then they share newsletter lists. 245 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:26,359 So if you like me, you're going to like my three friends too. 246 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:30,800 It's not bad marketing, but who did Jesus go and help? 247 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,360 He helps the blind and the lame, y'all. 248 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,760 That's not the way to gain friends and influence people if 249 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:44,920 you want to become powerful. But Jesus knew who he was. 250 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:50,720 Jesus knew that he had power, and Jesus knew he was the Son of 251 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,840 the high King of Heaven. And so he knew who he was and 252 00:17:54,840 --> 00:18:00,080 what he was about, and he did not forget that he was called to 253 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:02,560 go to those who are on the margins. 254 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:05,760 And guess what? Who notices? 255 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,000 The religious authorities, right? 256 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:13,480 Is that who's celebrating this healing? 257 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:21,160 It's the children. If you want to notice where the 258 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:28,400 healthy response is to God, notice children's responses and 259 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,560 if children are delighted and you're not, ask yourself why. 260 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:39,240 And if you feel bothered by and we all do it sometimes when 261 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,240 someone's asking you for something like the Lyme and lame 262 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,360 and the blinds were asking for Jesus, say, all right, Jesus, 263 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:48,760 where's your heart? I know I need good boundaries, 264 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,880 but I don't want to lose a soft heart for where you had a soft 265 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:59,080 heart. And then notice what makes you 266 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,800 indignant. Are the things that make you 267 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,360 indignant the things that make God indignant? 268 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:15,640 Or do you have friends that help you justify your indignantness? 269 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:21,000 I don't think that's a word because everybody else feels 270 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,240 that way. Well, you're only human, OK, 271 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:28,120 take that phrase out of you. You are human, filled with the 272 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:32,160 spirit of the Almighty God. And so the spirit of Almighty 273 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,680 God gives us emotional and spiritual reserves to see things 274 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:44,200 differently. And when we don't we say help us 275 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,520 Jesus. This week I was traveling for a 276 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,880 conference and work and I had, well, let's just say more 277 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:53,400 layovers than you can shake a stick at in the States. 278 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,680 And every layover got worse and it ended me having an extra 279 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:58,120 spin. The night party that I didn't 280 00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:03,680 expect to have in one city. And as I was going through, I 281 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,120 came accidentally like y'all, it was some kind of crazy, like we 282 00:20:07,120 --> 00:20:10,120 had to stand shoulder to shoulder in threes and dogs 283 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:11,040 coming. I had never. 284 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,400 I've travelled a lot, I've never had this kind and all of a 285 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:19,200 sudden I'm face to face. With someone in his shirt, said 286 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:24,440 Ice. And my mouth literally curled up 287 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,480 in disgust. Y'all I don't feel disgust to 288 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,520 other humans. I have like really strong 289 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,880 senses. Humans are made in the image of 290 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:34,560 God. No one is beyond. 291 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,200 And I just was like like like disgust. 292 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:45,200 And now it is a week later and I have prayed for this man every 293 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:51,680 day because if I know it's OK that I don't like all of what 294 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,840 his work is doing. I, I, I don't think that I think 295 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:58,560 that is from God, but the disdain and disgust for another 296 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,960 human that is not from God, that also is not going to bring 297 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,840 change. And so that disgust response in 298 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,720 me is the disgust response that the chief priests were having 299 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,880 for Jesus. And so I'm still repenting 300 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,200 because I'm like, part of me feels justified. 301 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,440 And so where are we indignant? And what does that tell us about 302 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:27,000 the heart of God? So in Jesus going to the temple, 303 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,480 he did all kinds of things. And then I want us to look 304 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:36,120 really quickly at this tree. This is fig leaves, figless fig 305 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:40,920 leaves. Quick metaphor. 306 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:47,640 The temple was to be a place where the presence of God was 307 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,320 experienced. And if you go back to Ezekiel, 308 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,880 it was going to flow to the whole world, the presence of God 309 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:59,680 from that temple. And Jesus really quickly gave 310 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:04,160 his followers an image of that. If the presence of God is not 311 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:08,920 flowing, it's going to wither up and die, and it is already. 312 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:13,200 And then he calls them into a deep faith. 313 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:17,120 He calls them into knowing and seeing more. 314 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,560 And y'all, they are about to have a week. 315 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,480 You think sometimes you've had a week. 316 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:27,000 The disciples were about to have a week and Jesus is saying that 317 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:33,040 you need faith for this next week that can move mountains and 318 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,840 they did not have it. Now in the midst of all this, 319 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:43,320 we're going to look very quickly at Jesus response to Jerusalem, 320 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:47,120 this city of peace where there is no peace. 321 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:54,640 And when he came over this city, Luke tells us that as he 322 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:59,760 approached Jerusalem and he saw the city, he wept over it. 323 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:06,760 And he said, if you even you had only known on this day what 324 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:12,640 would bring you peace. And so when we don't usually do 325 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,440 this in the middle of a message, we're going to have a few 326 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,280 moments of prayer if we can show the next picture where we sit 327 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:24,680 with Jesus. And what I want you to do is to 328 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:29,200 invite Jesus into the places in your heart where you feel no 329 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:36,680 peace and where you need Jesus both to weep over you, over your 330 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:42,080 places of work and residence, over UBC, over Vancouver. 331 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:46,960 But we're going to sit with Jesus and say, Lord, help me 332 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:52,880 know, and help us know what will bring us peace. 333 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:19,080 I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in his arms, 334 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:28,160 in the arms of my dear. Save your world, there are 335 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:44,960 10,000 charms. Come ye weary, heavy laden, lost 336 00:24:45,000 --> 00:25:00,080 and ruined by the fall. If you tarry till your better, 337 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:16,040 you will never come at all. I will arise and go to Jesus. 338 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:40,600 He will embrace me in His In the homes of my dear Savior, there 339 00:25:43,240 --> 00:26:13,790 are 10,000. If you even you had only known 340 00:26:13,790 --> 00:26:15,910 on this day what would bring you peace. 341 00:26:20,830 --> 00:26:26,270 Jerusalem did not know. And Jesus foretells many sad and 342 00:26:26,270 --> 00:26:28,910 horrible things that were going to happen and did happen about 343 00:26:28,910 --> 00:26:32,390 40 years later. And then he ends up saying, 344 00:26:32,950 --> 00:26:41,400 because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you. 345 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:55,400 Jesus came as a king and we can arise with him. 346 00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:00,200 We can arise when he says the Lord needs it. 347 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:05,920 One time we had a huge pipe failure and a friend of ours 348 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:10,040 arose when the Lord told him somebody else needs it. 349 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:15,920 He had been saving for ATV and he arose in how the Lord told 350 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,960 him to reallocate his resources and he paid for our new pipe. 351 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:28,360 I know another family who knew. A few years ago, Canada had an 352 00:27:28,360 --> 00:27:31,360 emergency response to the Taliban's resurgence in 353 00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:34,120 Afghanistan. And there was a young woman who 354 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:38,560 was trying desperately in her 20s, to save up the $20,000 she 355 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,760 had to have in the bank to bring her mom, her sisters and her 356 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,520 dad. And so the Lord reallocated that 357 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,880 family's finances because the Lord needed it and needed that 358 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,840 family to be in safety so that those girls could finish school. 359 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:59,280 The Lord's going to sometimes say to you, the Lord needs it 360 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,440 and it may be your time, and it may be your specialties and it 361 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,840 may be your resources and your money. 362 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:10,520 Are you ready for the Lord to take your donkey and coal, 363 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:15,760 whatever they may be? Jesus had to arise above the 364 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,600 expectations of others to do what the Lord wanted. 365 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,360 Guess what? Those of you that are students, 366 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,840 you have been successful students because you figured out 367 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,160 how to meet expectations. You read the room. 368 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:35,080 The longer I'm in education, the more I realize intelligence has. 369 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:39,520 Sometimes even work ethic isn't all it's can you read the person 370 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,400 who is marking you and made expectations? 371 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:48,720 But that variability, that variability may keep you from 372 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,880 being able to meet the Lord's expectations because you bear 373 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:56,880 the weight of what those you love, respect, who poured into 374 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:00,680 you want from you. And everyone has expectations. 375 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,520 The most like Jesus of any human. 376 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:08,000 Craig and I've ever known is our spiritual formation professor. 377 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,880 And can I just tell you that when we said yes Lord we will go 378 00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:17,480 to Canada, he was disappointed y'all. 379 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:20,680 And Deb I was like can we hear from Jesus and he not hear it? 380 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,440 Like I I was sure we might be hearing wrong because what he 381 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:27,880 spoke into our lives had only been from the Lord and was only 382 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:29,720 truth. And yet we knew. 383 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:34,040 And 30 more plus years later we are still serving Jesus where I 384 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,080 could believe he called us. Our professor along the way has 385 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:42,400 joined us and come alongside of us and has done retreat weekends 386 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:46,240 in all kinds of ways. But when we had to say yes to 387 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:50,080 Jesus, we did not have his good job. 388 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:54,320 We didn't have, we had some parents joy about us choosing to 389 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,400 serve the Lord here, but we didn't have all parents. 390 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:01,560 We weren't meeting expectations for what we were supposed to do. 391 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:07,520 And so following Jesus means you're going to let some people 392 00:30:07,520 --> 00:30:13,280 down and look at Jesus on this day he enters and these crowds 393 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:17,560 are screaming save us now. And he knew more intimately than 394 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:22,680 we do the pain that they bore under Roman oppression. 395 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,200 He really did want their lives better. 396 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:32,080 But he knew that the imagination and God on what salvation looks 397 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:38,200 like was bigger and very different and very brutal. 398 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,640 And so will we arise with Jesus above other people's 399 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,600 expectations to do and be who the Lord wants us to be? 400 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:52,760 Now this one's tricky, but the next is, would we allow the Lord 401 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,840 to unclutter us? Now see, we don't, we don't have 402 00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:57,720 a church building. We have a lecture hall. 403 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:01,160 But you know what? We are the church and so when 404 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,480 there is cluttering in our relationships, whether it be 405 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:09,520 conflict or just too busyness, when our own hearts which are 406 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:13,920 the temple of God and amongst us, never mind spaces and 407 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:22,680 places, then we are allowing a den of robbers to come and steal 408 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:26,360 and kill and destroy where the Lord would have us have abundant 409 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:31,680 life in these relationships. Travelling to meet my future 410 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,640 brother in law's family and the Czech Republic. 411 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:39,040 We went into lots of beautiful buildings that had no sense of 412 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,000 Christian shared life and community life. 413 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,160 And then we went into one and y'all, it was a construction 414 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:48,480 site and it was it had been pretty at one point, but it was 415 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:52,720 a a mess. And I left crying and my mom's 416 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,680 like what? That's the one that got you 417 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:56,720 excited? And I said, did you see the 418 00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,920 bulletin board, Mama? They've got a food bank and 419 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,040 they've got a prayer group and they've got all these different 420 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:08,200 things. And there they were having real 421 00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,160 body life. So what do you need? 422 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,960 Jesus cleared out the clutter so the nations could come. 423 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:18,680 In your own heart and amongst your relationships with brothers 424 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,680 and sisters in Christ, where do you need to declutter? 425 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:29,120 What is robbing the free movement of prayer for the 426 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,160 nations and with the nations? Where does the Lord need to show 427 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,280 up and show more power through you? 428 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,520 Where is the healing needed like the lame and the blind were 429 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:44,200 healed? Or where do we need to arise and 430 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:49,440 allow the empty vessels like the empty fig tree to be cleaned 431 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,200 away? Habits and practices and spaces 432 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:57,040 that are no longer life giving. And then where do we need to 433 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:03,400 arise in our faith? All the preparation didn't have 434 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,720 them. He has a whole city ready to 435 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:14,080 violently rebel. But not many were ready for the 436 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:18,240 kind of revolution Jesus was bringing the next week on the 437 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:23,360 cross. And so arise with Jesus beyond 438 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,440 your own expectations, the expectations of others. 439 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:31,440 Arise beyond those. Arise with Jesus beyond the den 440 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,840 of robbers in your life. What is stealing and killing? 441 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:40,880 Your joy and your peace. And how can you lean into that 442 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,160 so that you no longer have a cluttered heart? 443 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,560 And then arise with Jesus beyond the lack of faith lifting. 444 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,200 True story. Some of you know, in the last 445 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:57,200 year I've become a grandmother. And so I got really motivated. 446 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,840 I was going to do weightlifting because I was like, I've got to 447 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:04,200 carry this baby for a long time and I need to make sure I can do 448 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,520 that. And so I've been weightlifting 449 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:10,480 now y'all do you know those adjustable weights? 450 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:13,040 And it's like, how much can you carry? 451 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,239 So the kids got those for Craig a couple of years, and now he's 452 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:20,120 at the top end of those. Yeah, I'm at the same place, but 453 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:24,280 I'm still doing it so that I can carry this baby for a long time. 454 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,920 And here's what I found. Thought Lord, that's what 455 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,880 happens with our faith. Maybe I'm only starting at a 456 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:39,159 four kilogram weight lifting and Craig's at 2930 kilogram and 457 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:40,480 then the kettle bells are bigger. 458 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:45,199 I don't have it all, but it's not that Craig can carry more 459 00:34:45,199 --> 00:34:46,760 weight or I am. It's that we're both doing 460 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:52,159 something to stay healthy. And in your faith, what have you 461 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:54,800 done? Where have you stepped out in 462 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,680 faith and it required something from you that you didn't have? 463 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:04,920 Where has your generosity of time, your generosity of 464 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:10,760 relationship, your generosity of money required you to act in 465 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:15,040 faith? Or better, where has your 466 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:19,400 generosity of the spirit of Jesus in you to someone else 467 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:21,960 required an act of faith from you? 468 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:27,480 So start some faith lifting. No shame if you're with me at 469 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:30,480 the 4.5 kilogram and you're going to just stay there. 470 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:37,600 But faith lift because the day will come when something will 471 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,360 happen like Jesus. Disciples were about to walk 472 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:47,320 into where their lives were on the line for Jesus, and he had 473 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,040 been calling them into more and more faith. 474 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:57,360 And this Jerusalem, the city of peace that knew no peace, was 475 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:02,880 about to have a massacre of the one who is the Prince of Peace 476 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:09,040 so that he could exert the mighty power of God and so arise 477 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:16,080 with Jesus as he triumphantly enters the city of peace and 478 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:21,160 say, I want to learn from you, Lord, how to both meet and go 479 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:29,560 past expectations. Let's pray Jesus, we do 480 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:36,440 celebrate you and we do join on and say, Hosanna, save us now. 481 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:46,160 And Lord, we want to see our lives, our relationships, and it 482 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:49,640 may mean that we weep, but we want to see you Jesus. 483 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:56,360 And so we ask all of this in your precious name, and that 484 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,960 your spirit would build our faith in our ability to act in 485 00:37:00,960 --> 00:37:04,480 faith in Jesus name. Amen.