SERMON: REAL DISCIPLESHIP

Purpose and Passion Sermon Series #6

7 April 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

            -- Yogi Berra -- the former manager for the New York Yankees who has now passed away -- was renowned not only because of his baseball and managerial expertise, but also because of his convoluted philosophical meanderings

            -- Yogi is famous for such philosophical gems as “If you come to a fork in the road, take it” -- “it ain’t over till it’s over” -- and “It’s like deja vu all over again”

            -- but, even though Yogi might get somewhat mixed up in his sayings, he did make some good points along the way -- for instance, speaking on the issue of direction, Yogi once said, "You’ve got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

            -- that one really hits home with me, because I’ve been there myself a time or two -- I remember the first time Bill asked me to fill in for him here at church when he was working on a Kairos -- it was a pretty fall morning, and I wanted to take a different route -- I didn’t want to just get on Highway 84 and come straight here -- I wanted to see something different -- so I took a shortcut through the woods -- but, if you remember, my shortcut actually took about 30 minutes longer than usual and I got to church really late that day -- y’all ended up calling me to make sure I remembered that I was supposed to be at church

            -- my experience shows the truth in Yogi’s statement -- Without a clear direction, there's no telling where you'll end up -- and whenever you go the wrong way, it invariably ends up taking you longer and ultimately costs you a lot more

            -- this morning, we are finishing up our Purpose and Passion sermon series we started back in February -- looking at the five purposes of the church from Rick Warren’s books: “A Purpose Driven Life” and “A Purpose Driven Church”

       -- as you remember, Rick Warren derived these five purposes from two scriptures in the Gospel of Matthew:

           

            -- the first passage is Matthew 22:37-39 -- “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” -- this is worship

            -- this passage goes on to say, “love your neighbor as yourself” -- that is ministry

            -- the second passage is Matthew 28:19-20 where Jesus gives us the Great Commission -- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” -- that’s evangelism

            -- “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” -- that’s fellowship -- bringing others into the church community

            -- “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” -- that’s discipleship

            -- so, the five purposes are worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship

            -- so far in this series, we have looked at worship, ministry, evangelism, and fellowship

            -- this morning, we’re going to end this series by looking at discipleship -- the one area in the church where I think we are clearly lacking direction -- and, as Yogi Berra pointed out, if we don’t know where we’re going, we’re certainly not going to get there

II.  A Lack of Direction in Discipleship

            -- the church has not done a very good job at discipling in the last several decades -- we’ve done a good job with the other purposes -- with worship and ministry -- evangelism and fellowship -- but, we’ve not done as well with discipleship -- we’ve not spent intentional time leading and growing and helping new Christians mature -- and that’s led to a deficit of mature leaders in our churches today

            -- you can really see that void in leadership and maturity if you look at recent events, such as the school shooting in Parkland, Florida -- when that tragic event happened, you saw people with a variety of interests and purposes coming out to speak about the issue from their perspective -- you could turn on the news and hear someone from anti-gun groups and from the NRA -- mental health advocates and law enforcement and from all other spectrums -- talking about the issue and what needed to be done

            -- but, did you notice who was absent in this national conversation about school shootings? -- the church

            -- where were the youth pastors? -- where were the local churches in that community? -- where were the religious leaders? -- they weren’t there -- we simply are not growing mature Christian leaders in our churches who can speak from a religious perspective on issues such as this

            -- the fault lies clearly in a lack of discipleship -- in a lack of intentionally growing and maturing new Christians and teaching them what it means to be a follower of Christ in this world today

           

            -- others have noticed this lack of discipleship in the churches -- and, thankfully, there has been a move within the last ten years to start intentional discipleship -- Francis Chan and Rick Warren and other national leaders have all released books on discipleship and are focusing their efforts more on growing new Christians -- on helping new Christians mature in their faith

            -- right here in our local community we have an active home-grown discipleship movement called The Fishermen -- who offer one-on-one discipleship for men and women to help them grow in their faith -- who take time out of their day to mentor and teach other believers what it means to live obediently to Christ in today’s society

            -- the point I’m trying to make is that the church needs to embrace the direction from Christ to make disciples and teach them to obey everything He has told us to do -- we need to put as much effort in making disciples as we do in sharing the gospel with others

            -- we do a great disservice to people when we evangelize them and bring them into the church and then don’t teach them how to live as Christians and how to grow in their faith and to develop and mature their spiritual gifts, graces, and talents

III.  How do we make disciples?

            -- so, how can we begin making disciples in this community of faith? -- to go back to Yogi Berra’s point, “now that we know where we want to go, what direction do we have to go to get there?”

            -- the one thing we need to remember is that real disciples are made over a long, long time of loving and being loved by God -- real disciples are made when they live life with God -- when they walk with Him through the valleys and the mountains -- when they spend time with Him in His word and in prayer and with His people -- real disciples are made when they are molded and formed in the image of Christ -- and once they are real, it is then that they are ready to work and serve and be Christ's hands and feet in this world

            -- that is our calling -- that is the fifth purpose of the church

            -- if you would, look back with me now at this passage from Deuteronomy 11 and let’s see how God instructed the Israelites concerning disciple-making to see how we can apply this in our situation today

            -- look back at Deuteronomy 11:18

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 

            -- the first truth we need to understand when it comes to making disciples is that we can’t give what we do not possess -- in other words, you can’t give away what you don’t have

            -- here in verse 18, God instructs the Israelites to fix His words in their hearts and minds -- to tie them as symbols on their hands and to bind them on their foreheads

            -- this means that we are to have God’s word always before us and in us -- you are not going to know and understand God’s word -- and you are certainly not going to be able to share God’s word and instruct others in what it says -- unless you are actively reading it and studying it on your own

            -- God’s point in this verse is that we have to be in the word on a consistent basis -- we have to be reading and meditating on God’s word every single day -- and, if we do that, it becomes a part of us -- we learn it -- we absorb it -- we live it -- and we’re able to share it

            -- King David understood this principle well -- in Psalm 119:9-11 he wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? -- by living according to your word -- I seek you with all me heart; do not let me stray from your commands -- I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you”

            -- the more we are in God’s word -- the more we have it in our hearts -- the closer we will walk with God and the better we will be able to disciple and lead others in His ways

            -- God tells the Israelites here to tie His word on their hands as a symbol and to bind them on their foreheads -- the Jews had these little boxes called phylacteries, where they would put tiny scrolls and sayings from God’s word -- and they would tie these to either the back of their hands or their foreheads as a reminder of God’s word always being with them

            -- we are blessed to live in such as time as we do -- everyone of us has at least one Bible in our homes -- and most of us have smartphones and can carry the Bible with us everywhere we go -- LifeChurch has the Bible app that you can download for your phone with almost every translation imaginable -- they have daily reading plans -- they have seasonal and topical reading plans -- and, if you just hit “Play” on the Bible, it will even speak it out to you -- you can just ride along and listen to it as you go

            -- there is no reason that all of us can’t be reading or listening to God’s word every single day

            -- so, in order to make a disciple, you first have to be a disciple of God’s word -- you have to know God’s word -- to have it in your heart and in your head -- so you can live it out and share with others

            -- verse 19

¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 

            -- remember the old song by Crosby, Stills, and Nash that has the line, “Teach your children well?” -- that’s what God is telling us here in this passage

            -- remember that the early Israelites were a God-centered community -- their whole society and the structure of their lives was centered around God -- everyone was brought up in the faith and knowing the faith -- their children were discipled from an early age to know and understand what it meant to be part of the family of God and how to live this out in their lives

            -- that’s why God tells them here to pass on their faith -- to pass on their knowledge and wisdom to their children -- to talk about it when they’re at home -- to talk about it and demonstrate it to their kids when they’re on the road -- when they’re out in the world -- to constantly be sharing what it means to be a God-follower, no matter if they are lying down or getting up and moving around

            -- this is the heart of discipleship -- if you substitute “children” with “new believers” or “immature Christians” in this passage, you’ve got clear direction on what you should do to help grow and mature the faith of these other believers

            -- we need to find someone to disciple in this way -- someone we can take under our wing that we can teach -- not only directly through the word -- but through our actions -- show them how you live out your faith by carrying them with you to the store and to church and to other places -- this is what God means when He tells us to teach our children His word in this verse

            -- verse 20-21

²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

            -- when God tells us to write His word and His commands on our doorframes and on our gates, He is meaning that we are to proclaim His word to a watching world -- to let them know what we believe and Who we follow

            -- discipleship is about more than just gaining knowledge about God in a church setting -- it’s about living it out in community -- it’s about being a voice in this world -- a city set on a hill -- a light shining in the darkness

            -- your neighbors and your friends and your coworkers and everyone whose path you cross in a given day should know Whose you are and what you believe -- they should be able to see it even if you never speak it

            -- let your actions speak your faith to others -- and disciple other believers to live out their faith in such a way that others see it, too

           

IV.  Closing

            -- when Jesus commanded us in the Great Commission to "Make Disciples," what He was meaning was, "Make people who know me -- who love me -- who understand what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength -- and I will make them into people who love their neighbor as themselves"

            -- making disciples is much more than just getting people to the cross -- it's much more than just having people sit in our pews -- it's much more than having people added to our church rolls

            -- making disciples means that we help people learn to love the Lord -- to spend time at His feet -- growing in grace -- so that they might serve Him better and more as they grow in His image

            -- we need to intentionally lead others to deeper relationships with Christ -- and we need to make sure that we are intentionally trying to grow in our own lives

            -- we cannot become who Christ called us to be coming to church only on Sundays

            -- we cannot become who Christ called us to be if this is our only experience with Him in a given week

            -- we need time in His word -- we need time with Him in prayer -- and we need to have our faith challenged and pushed and pulled by others as we grow and learn together

            -- so, where do we begin? -- we begin with ourselves -- we being by looking at ourselves with truly critical eyes -- with the eyes of faith -- to see if we are truly growing in faith and in maturity in Christ or if we are in a holding pattern

            -- we begin by seeing where we are -- ask and answer these questions in your heart:

            -- do you know more about Christ today than you did last year?

            -- do you know Christ more today than you did last year?

            -- when's the last time you truly experienced His transforming power in your life? -- can you honestly say that you have grown in your studies, in your Bible reading, in your prayers, in your church attendance over the past year?

            -- and then think about this church and the reason we are here:

            are we fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment?

            -- are we making disciples who are being shaped in the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself?

            -- are we becoming true disciples ourselves, who experience God's grace and power in our lives in response to our growing faithfulness and obedience?

            -- these are questions that we must ask and answer if we are to be who Christ called us to be -- if we are going to live out the five purposes in our lives

            -- if we become intentional about living out these purposes, people are going to notice -- they’re going to start paying attention -- and they’re going to be attracted to and start growing closer to the Jesus we proclaim

            -- that should be our ultimate goal -- not to grow the church -- not to get more members -- but to point people to Christ -- to magnify Him and see Him praised and worshiped throughout this community -- and to see mature Christians brought into the Kingdom

            -- this is our direction -- this is our path and our calling -- so, let’s step out in faith and begin intentionally living out worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship in our lives and in our churches today

            -- let us pray

What Kind of People Ought We to Be?

“...what kind of people ought you to be?  You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming...” 2 Peter 3:11-12

I just finished reading an interview with the comedian Ricky Gervais, who is an outspoken humanist and atheist.  In this interview, Gervais makes clear his dislike of religious people, especially fundamental (i.e. evangelical) Christians.  He absolutely does not respect Christians and goes out of his way to confront them and ridicule them whenever possible, in his stand-up comedy routine and in his movies.

And, while most people are not as blatantly hostile towards Christianity as Gervais, his negative attitude towards evangelical Christians is still reflected in a sizeable portion of the population today.  It is routine to hear disparaging and disrespectful comments directed against national leaders such as former President George W. Bush, Vice-President Mike Pence, and Samaritan Purse’s Franklin Graham, simply because of their public adherence to a Christian faith.

Things were not always like this.  Historically, Christians were considered in high regard in the U.S., and pastors were among the top of the most respected and admired professions.  However, as Bob Dylan pointed out, “The times, they are a changin’...” 

In a recent list of most respected professions, pastors were not even listed in the Top 10.  A 2018 Gallup poll said that only four out of every ten Americans place a high level of trust in clergy, and one blogger reported another survey where pastors came in just above used car salesmen in the list of most respected and trusted professions.  Without a doubt, the opinion of the public towards clergy and Christians is at an all-time low in our country. Why is this? 

Certainly, some of the disrespect and dislike of Christians comes from the negative association with fringe groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, which has infamously protested at funerals of veterans.  Their vocal stances on homosexuality and their pronouncement of God’s judgment and wrath on this nation has negatively affected the opinions of the nation against Christians, whether you agree with their positions or not.

Some of the disrespect has been the result of national media coverage of prominent Christian leaders and clergy who have fallen from grace for a variety of reasons, from adultery to financial discrepancies and scams.  Other examples of fallen Christians are those politicians and political leaders who were outspoken in their faith but who experienced very public moral or legal failings in their lives.  Critics have pointed to these cases and cried out, “See, all Christians are nothing but hypocrites.”

A good deal of the disrespect we see comes from a shift in societal norms, with issues such as homosexuality, transgender acceptance, and abortion rights becoming part and parcel with the mainstream culture.  Cultural and moral shifts such as these often run counter to traditional, orthodox Christianity.  Christians and churches who publicly disagree with the popular stance on these issues end up being labeled in the press and in social media as “bigots,” “racists,” or worse.

So, a decline in the acceptance and respect of clergy and Christians in our country is understandable.  But, it is not desirable.  How can the church be salt and light and bear witness to the grace and good news of Christ if the country either actively opposes us or looks down on us?  In other words, what kind of people ought we to be in the face of such dislike, disrespect, and persecution?

Peter gives us the answer in the verses I quoted above: “You ought to live holy and godly lives.”  The key to being a true witness of the Christian faith and proclaiming Christ in this world today is to live out our faith in our lives.  To not just give lip service to the Christian ideals, but to demonstrate them in our homes and in our families and in our communities.  To actually be the people who Christ called us to be.  We should be living holy and godly lives, not only because that is our calling as Christians, but also as a witness to the world around us.

Let us not forget the culture into which Peter originally wrote these words.  The first century AD was a time of extreme persecution of Christians.  Not only did the Romans and other pagan cultures persecute the Christians, but they also faced persecution and derision from the Jewish faith communities from which they derived.  The disrespect and derision we face is nothing like the seriousness of the persecution the early church experienced, which included physical death at the hands of both mobs and the Government. 

To a people who daily feared for their very lives, Peter wrote, you ought to still live holy and godly lives.  Even though you face persecution, even though you may suffer fiery trials and die a martyr for your God, strive to live a holy and godly life.  As he wrote in 1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.”  The answer to a hostile world is to live our faith to the best of our ability.

So, what does this look like for us?  What does living a holy and godly life look like in our day? 

First, it means not compromising our faith or our beliefs.  We must remain true to what God has taught us and what He has called us to.  We don’t counter negative comments and hostile remarks by compromising with an immoral culture.  Instead, we hold fast to our beliefs and strive to live them out in our lives. 

This means that we hold ourselves to a higher standard than the world around us.  We follow God’s law and obey His calling in our lives.  We strive to be righteous and holy in all our endeavors, especially among those who are not of the faith.  To be honest, we haven’t done a very good job at this.

Statistics show that the same percentage of Christians cheat on their taxes, get divorced, tell white lies, and sin in a myriad of ways just like non-Christians.  We are more like the culture than we are willing to admit.  In order to make a difference in this world, we have to commit to living holy and godly lives.  That means that we actually strive to live as God intended for us to live.  To separate ourselves from the culture through our behavior and our faith.  We need to be serious about obeying God’s law and living holy, righteous lives, not just giving lip-service to it.

Next, we must learn to respond and not to react.  We have to learn to be unoffendable, to expect others to be hostile or disrespectful to us, and to receive their comments with grace.  We can disagree with people without being disrespectful in return.  We can remain true to our own beliefs without blasting those who do not agree.  We can tell people what we believe and why we do not agree with them and offer them an alternative to their actions or beliefs, but we must do so in a humble and graceful manner.

I heard a testimony one time from a Christian who had forged relationships with the homosexual community where he lived.  He made it clear that he did not agree with their lifestyles, that he felt that their lifestyle was a sin and forbidden in the Bible.  But, he still associated with them.  He loved them.  He ministered to them.  He did not avoid them or respond to them in hate.  And later, when one of this community was in a hospital dying of AIDS, he was the sole Christian that this homosexual man was willing to see and listen to.  Because he had responded to these people with humility and love, he was able to share the gospel with this man on his death bed.

Finally, we have to be good neighbors to all those around us, whether believers or not.  We must love our neighbors as ourselves, sharing God’s love with them in tangible ways.  Being God’s hands and feet in this world to those around us who need a hand.  Doing good to others, speaking good to others, and not bringing harm or injury to anyone. 

Speaking of those who reacted hatefully to President Obama and other liberal politicians, Michelle Obama counseled, “When they go low, we go high.”  And, although I do not agree with her politically, Mrs. Obama was certainly correct in her recommendation to respond gracefully to those who attack us.  Jesus demonstrated this principle with His life, and He always responded with love to those who persecuted and attacked Him physically and verbally.  We should do the same.

One of my favorite verses is from Acts 9:36, “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor.”  I can think of no greater epithet or description than that given to Tabitha.  May all of us be described by those around us as doing good, living holy and godly lives, and bearing ourselves in a manner worthy of our calling.  This is the kind of people we ought to be.

SERMON: IT IS FINISHED (TETELESTI) -- EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Morning Service

1 April 2018

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 19:16-30

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.

21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"

27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."

29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.

30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

            -- this morning, I want to talk about the importance of words -- specifically, the importance of just one word

            -- we have a trend in our modern society to want to be verbose -- to use many words in our writing and in our communication with others -- I see this a lot at work

            -- for instance, right now we are working on our annual personnel evaluations -- and we are told that the form we use to evaluate our employees must be completely filled up -- they tell us, “There should be no white on any line” -- in other words, every white space must be filled up with words, whether they’re meaningful or not

            -- we see this in articles and in emails and in Facebook -- we hear this in speeches by Congress and by actors and by others on TV -- everybody uses lots of words to express their points, when just a few would suffice

            -- I’m sure you’ve all heard the idiom, “A picture is worth a thousand words” -- but yet, we still use thousands of words daily in our communication with each other -- and not just with each other -- also we God -- we even do it in our prayers

            -- if you remember, Jesus specifically warned us about this -- when His disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He told them in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, don’t keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words”

            -- sometimes the most important messages are those communicated with the fewest words -- if you think about it, a lot of the messages that have truly impacted history and our own lives were all comprised of just a few select, meaningful words

            -- for instance, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address -- considered by many to be the greatest speech ever given in America -- just 272 words that changed the fate of our nation

            -- or what about Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio address on December 7th, 1941 -- "Today is a day that will live in infamy" -- just hearing those words immediately reminds us of the tragedy of Pearl Harbor

            -- or in more recent history -- just hearing the words, "The Space Shuttle Challenger has exploded" or "A plane has hit the world trade center in New York," immediately brings back to mind the events of those days -- I don't doubt that each of us -- at least those who are old enough -- can remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news -- no more needs to be said

            -- even in our own personal lives, it is amazing how many life-changing events are announced with just a few simple words

            -- words such as:  "I love you" -- "Will you marry me?" -- "I'm pregnant" -- "He passed away" -- "I have cancer” -- “The test was negative”

            -- simple words -- simple messages -- but messages that change lives

II.  It is Finished

            -- maybe that's why the most profound event in the course of human history and this world was announced with just one word -- Tetelesti -- the Greek word that we translate in verse 30 as “it is finished”

            -- as His time on the cross was nearly over, John tells us here in verse 30 that Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven and cried out in a loud voice to heaven and to all creation, Tetelesti -- "It is finished” -- and as the echoes of that word resounded through Creation and died out, John tells us that Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit to the Father

            -- the only place in the entire New Testament where the word Tetelesti is used is in this passage -- and to understand the importance of this word, you need to know how it was used in Jesus' day

            -- someone only used the word Tetelesti when their work was completed to perfection

            -- for instance, when an artist finished a painting, he might have put down his brush and stepped back and proclaimed Tetelesti to declare the picture was perfect

            -- or a servant would respond Tetelesti when asked by his master if the work assigned had been completed as asked

            -- a judge might have said Tetelesti when he conferred a sentence or issued a ruling that a sentence had been completed -- Tetelesti -- "Justice has been served"

            -- a priest would say Tetelesti when an unblemished and acceptable sacrifice was given to God and a soldier might cry Tetelesti as a battle cry towards a vanquished foe¹

            -- Tetelesti was only used to indicate the task was perfectly completed

III.  What is “it?”

            -- all over the world today, believers have gathered to celebrate this final word from the cross -- while the empty tomb and resurrection stand as proof of Christ's final victory, it was the cry of Tetelesti that proclaimed to all creation that the task assigned to Jesus had been perfectly completed -- that "it" was finally over

            -- the question, then is "what task did Jesus accomplish? -- what is the "it" that Jesus said was over?"

            -- part of the answer can be found in Luke Chapter 4 -- if you would, please turn over to Luke 4 with me and we’ll read starting at verse 18

            -- in this passage, Luke records Jesus' first message in the synagogue at Nazareth -- as He stood up to read the scriptures, He turned in the scroll of Isaiah and read this passage quoted for us here in Luke 4:18-19:

             "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor -- He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

            -- every eye in the room was on Him to see what He would say in response to this powerful verse -- but look what He did -- verse 20 [read Luke 4:20-21]

            “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. -- He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

            -- this is important -- Jesus rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down -- we can’t miss the importance of what He did there

            -- when I took my preaching classes at Emory, I was told, "Never close your Bible when you are preaching -- never read the Scripture and close the Bible and start preaching”

            -- you always leave the Bible open because this is the source -- this is the place where revelation comes from -- this is where your message originates -- the word of God is alive and active and should never be put away while it is being proclaimed

            -- but that’s exactly what Jesus did in the synagogue that day

            -- He read God’s word -- He proclaimed the verse from Isaiah to the Jews gathered in the synagogue -- and then He rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the attendant to be put up before He said anything

            -- why did Jesus do just that? -- He tells us in verse 21 -- Tetelesti -- “today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” -- it is done -- it is finished

            -- Jesus could put the scroll away because the word of God was fulfilled -- it was done -- completed to perfection -- finished -- nothing more needed to be done

            -- Jesus had been assigned the task of preaching the good news of salvation to the poor -- of proclaiming freedom for the prisoners -- healing to the blind -- release to the oppressed -- and announcing the day of the Lord's redemption

            -- His presence in the synagogue that day fulfilled the prophecy from Isaiah

            -- as Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets -- I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them" -- through His sinless life and His death on the cross, the law and the prophets were fulfilled -- for Him and for us -- it was finished perfectly and completely -- Tetelesti

            -- another "it" that was finished on the cross was the curse of sin and death -- Adam and Eve had been warned not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because if they did, they would surely die

            -- and through the temptation of the serpent, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned by eating the fruit -- when they did, the curse of sin and death fell upon mankind and all creation

            -- because of them we are born with the curse of sin in our bodies -- that’s what makes us sinners -- we aren’t sinners because we sin -- we sin because we are sinners -- it’s who we are

            -- we sin because we have been born infected with a sin nature that corrupts our very soul and spirit -- and not only do we suffer from this sin nature, but all creation suffers too

            -- that is why Paul said in Romans 8:22 that all creation has been groaning up to the present time -- it groans because of the curse that has been laid upon it

            -- but when Jesus died on the cross, the Bible tells us that He became the curse for us -- He became sin for us -- the righteous becoming unrighteous -- the sinless One taking upon Himself our sins and transgressions -- bearing the consequence of sin and death and paying a debt we could never pay

            -- when Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished," He was referring to the debt that each of us owed and the sin in our lives -- Tetelesti means our sins are completely forgiven -- Tetelesti means our sin nature has been destroyed -- Tetelesti means we are no longer bound by sin and death but have been freed for victorious life in Christ

            -- we no longer have to sin because Jesus has perfectly and completely removed sins and the sin nature on the cross of Calvary -- Tetelesti

            -- the final "it" that was finished on the cross was the divide between God and man -- the Bible tells us God is holy and cannot look upon sin -- He cannot be in the presence of sin -- and so, when Adam and Eve infected the human race with sin, they separated us from God's very presence -- their sin created a chasm that none could cross

            -- it was for this reason Jesus was sent to earth -- remember John 3:16? -- "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish but have eternal life"

            -- that is the final task Jesus came to fulfill -- He came not only to fulfill the law and the prophets -- not only to pay the penalty for our sins -- but to reconcile us to the Father by transferring His righteousness to us

            -- when Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished," it also meant the bridge that Jesus had built with His own body had been completed -- and now we could cross the chasm to the Father

            -- His sinless life became our bridge to the other side -- His righteousness replaced our unrighteousness -- His holiness replaced our unholiness -- and we are reconciled to the Father through His Jesus' death and resurrection

            -- the separation has ended -- it is finished -- because Jesus paid the price -- Tetelesti

IV.  Closing

            -- one word -- that’s all it took -- one single word -- the final cry of Jesus from the cross -- that one word was the summation of God's love to a world that had turned its back on Him -- that one word was a cry of defiance against Satan and his minions -- that one word was a cry of victory over sin and death -- that one word was a cry of reconciliation with the Father -- Tetelesti -- it is finished -- Jesus had completely and perfectly ended His task on earth and so He bowed His head and gave up His spirit and died

            -- so if it is finished, why are you still trapped by lingering sin? -- if it is finished, why then do you still fear death? -- if it is finished, why do you still worry and fret over life? -- if it is finished, why do you still strive to pay a debt that has already been paid?

            -- Tetelesti means it is finished -- finite -- nothing left to do -- it has all been done

            -- someone once asked in a lecture what the difference was between Christianity and all the other religions of the world -- the lecturer paused for a moment and said, "All the other religions of the world tell its adherents, "Do! -- Do this and you will be saved." -- Christianity, on the other hand, says "Done! -- Tetelesti! -- It is finished!"

            -- as you leave here today on this Easter morning -- as you go forth into the rest of your day and time here on earth, remember the cry of Jesus from the cross -- cease your striving and work -- cease your worry -- believe that it is finished -- that all your sins have been forgiven -- that all your sin debt has been paid -- that you are being created anew in the image of your God and Father -- and walk in the knowledge that it is done -- Tetelesti"

            -- let us pray

------------------------------

 [SOURCE:  “It Is Finished!” Jesus Does Not Need Your Help by Tony Miano, edited by Matt Slick, http://carm.org/it-is-finished, accessed 4/19/2014]

FOR ONE PERSON...

Luke 8:26-37 New International Version (NIV)

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The familiar passage above from the Book of Luke was included in my daily Bible reading plan for this week.^*  In this passage, we read of Jesus casting out the legion of demons from the man of Gerasenes into a herd of pigs, leaving the formerly possessed man healed, dressed, and in his right mind.

Reading this passage during Holy Week this year, I was struck again by just what God will do to reach a single person.  In the verses immediately preceding this passage, we read that one day, just out of the blue, Jesus had spoken to His disciples and told them, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” (Lk 8:22).  Jesus and His disciples had been ministering in Capernaum on the west side of the Sea (Lake) of Galilee for some time, but for some reason, Jesus just decided that today was the day to cross over the sea to go to the other side.

The story is familiar to us.  Jesus and His disciples get into their boat and sail out across the lake.  As they head towards the distant shore and Jesus sleeps in the front of the boat, a storm comes up of such terrible ferocity that it terrifies even the seasoned fishermen who were piloting the craft.  Jesus wakes to their cries for help and calms the storm with a word, and they continue on their journey.

They land at Gerasenes, where they are immediately confronted by the demon-possessed man.  Luke tells us he had lived in the tombs for years, without clothes and in poor condition, harassed by the demons within.  A man truly in need of salvation.  A man truly in need of a Savior.

Jesus steps out of the boat and the demons immediately begin to get worried.  Light had come to a dark shore.  They beg for Jesus to not cast them into the Abyss, but to let them go into the pigs who were nearby -- just as a note, this was an indication that Gerasenes was a primarily Gentile area, and Jesus had not yet carried His message to anyone outside the Jewish community.  Jesus relented and allowed the demons to leave the man and go into the pigs.  Even as the pigs rushed into the water and drowned, this formerly demon-possessed man finds himself made clean and whole and restored for the first time in years.

Others from the region come to the scene, and beg Jesus to leave.  They want no part of what they have just seen (remember: these are Gentiles who are pagan in their beliefs.  They do not truly understand Who stands before them or what He has done.  Their fear leads them to push away the One who came to redeem them.).  In response to their urgings, Luke tells us, “So, He got into the boat and left” (Luke 8:37).

“He got into the boat and left.”  That is the phrase that made me catch my breath when I read this passage.  Remember what has just occurred.  Jesus has been successfully ministering in Capernaum and just decides to leave one day to go to the other side of the lake, encountering a terrible storm, and then confronting a legion of demons in a man isolated from life and community.  He undertakes this great journey to go all the way to the other side of the lake, only to get back into the boat and immediately leave.

What does this tell us?  That this whole trip was conceived and executed for a single person.  This whole journey, including the frightful passage through the storm, was Jesus’ efforts to reach just one person, to save just one person, to restore just one person.

Do you understand what this means?  If Jesus would go to such extremes to just save one person, then He will go to such extremes just to save you!

During Holy Week, we often hear people reflect on the cross and say, “If it had only been you in need of a Savior, Jesus still would have come and died.”  We hear this, we nod in assent, but do we really believe it in our hearts?  Do we really consider ourselves worthy for the Lord of all creation to come to earth as a man, born in a manger and living in an oppressed world, dying on the cross and suffering the wrath of God, all just for us? 

If we’re honest, we really don’t believe that.  We believe that Jesus came to save the world (i.e. John 3:16), but just us?  No, we don’t believe that He would care that much for just one person, especially for us.  But, the scriptures say otherwise. 

Jesus undertook a journey of great peril to redeem and restore one demon-possessed man, and then immediately left the region, having victoriously accomplished this purpose.  God sent Philip the evangelist into the desert to witness to just one man, the Ethiopian eunuch.  And God would have sent Jesus to earth to die on the cross and suffer His wrath in our place just for you.

There is a very popular Christian song out now by Cory Asbury called, “Reckless Love,” which speaks of the measures Jesus will go to just to save us individually.  Let me quote part of the song for you:

“Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me

You have been so, so good to me

Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me

You have been so, so kind to me

“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

“When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me

You have been so, so good to me

When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me

You have been so, so kind to me

“And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

“There's no shadow You won't light up

Mountain You won't climb up

Coming after me

There's no wall You won't kick down

Lie You won't tear down

Coming after me”

[Click here to see the video of this song]

So, what does Holy Week and Easter mean to me in light of this passage from Luke?  It is a reminder to me of just how much God loves us, something that is hard for us to really understand and accept.  But, know this -- it is not just a cliche that Jesus would have come just for you.  It is the truth!  It is the message behind the cross.  It is the message of the empty tomb.  It is the voice of God singing over us and the presence of God kicking down walls and climbing up mountains and leaving His home in heaven just to find us and restore us and redeem us.

God loves you so much that He couldn’t imagine heaven without you!  Know that.  Believe that.  And let it change your life.

^*(Just as a note, I am reading through the Bible again this year, using a plan that has an Old Testament passage, a New Testament passage, a selection from the Psalms, and another from Proverbs.  Although I won’t disagree with the argument from others that such a plan leads to a disjunct context and causes passages to be considered in isolation, potentially missing the bigger picture and meaning, I have found this plan works well for me.)

SERMON: RUMORS OF REVIVAL

25 March 2018 (Palm Sunday)

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in your Bibles to John 12:12-19

John 12:12-19 (NIV)

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.

18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

            -- one Palm Sunday, little 5-year-old Johnny had a sore throat and really didn’t feel like going to church -- so his family let him stay home with a  babysitter -- when they got back to the house, they were carrying several palm branches -- just to let you know, on Palm Sunday a lot of the larger churches actually pass out little palm fronds and let the people wave them during the service as a reminder of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago -- and evidently that’s what Johnny’s church had done

            -- well, when Johnny saw his family come walking in with those palm branches, he wasn’t happy -- Johnny said, "Where did you get the palm branches?  What are they for?” -- Johnny's older brother said, "People held them over Jesus' head as He walked by" -- Johnny looked disgusted and said, "That's just great -- The one Sunday I don't go to church and Jesus shows up!"

            -- well, that’s exactly what this passage in John is all about -- it’s about Jesus showing up -- it’s about God coming to town

            -- today is, of course, Palm Sunday -- it marks the start of Holy Week -- the holiest and most important week of worship in the Christian church

      -- the next important event occurs on Thursday, what many call Maundy Thursday -- we get the term “Maundy” from the Latin term "Dies Mandati" meaning the Day of the Commandment, referring to Jesus' command to us to love our neighbors

      -- this is the day of the Last Supper in the Upper Room -- the Betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane -- followed by the trial of Jesus by Annas and Caiaphas, the high priests of Israel, and the rest of the Sanhedrin, the religious and political leaders of Israel

      -- we remember Jesus being turned over to the Romans by the Jews and Pontius Pilate eventually caving in to political pressure and condemning Jesus to death by crucifixion

      -- Friday of this week is known as Good Friday -- the day of the crucifixion -- the day of Jesus’ death and burial in the empty tomb -- a time of darkness and sadness for Jesus’ disciples as they mourned the death of Jesus

      -- but finally we reach Sunday -- Easter -- the day of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and the pronouncement of His victory over sin and death forever

            -- this is such a momentous week, and so much is happening, that it’s sometimes hard to really understand the significance of it all and how it would have been experienced by the people in Jerusalem who lived through those events

            -- to truly understand how they would have received those events -- how they would have interpreted them -- you need to put yourself in their place and understand how the Jews would have viewed themselves during that time

            -- the Israelites recognized themselves as God’s chosen people -- out of all the people in the world, God had chosen the Israelites to be His special people -- and He had established a covenant with their ancestors -- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob -- and promised to be their God and to bless them and all the world through them

            -- but their lives were anything but easy -- they spent 400 years in captivity in Egypt -- slaves in bondage to Pharaoh and the Egyptians -- but when things were at their darkest and the Israelites were wondering if God had finally forgotten His covenant with them -- when the people were ready to receive Him again as their Lord and Savior, He sent Moses to lead His people out of captivity and across the Red Sea

            -- God’s was present with the Israelites in their journeys through the wilderness -- He appeared as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to show them the path they should follow -- God’s grace leading the people to salvation -- speaking to them through Moses and Joshua and the prophets -- giving them His word and His law to guide them as they settled in the promised land

            -- but familiarity breeds contempt -- and the people kept turning from God to follow after foreign gods, worshiping idols and graven images -- and although God would speak to them and call out for them to return, they wouldn’t hear His call and would continue on their path until God disciplined them and allowed them to experience the consequences of their sin

            -- and, just like in Egypt, when it seemed as if all hope was lost and the people’s hearts finally turned toward God again, God would deliver His people and restore them to the land and revive worship in Israel again

            -- this went on time and time again -- this wandering away from God -- this refusal to seek His presence -- to hear His voice -- to follow His commands -- and then, when things got bad, the people cried out again and God would save them by sending His word to the people through a prophet and reviving their faith in Him yet again

            -- the people of Israel had enjoyed their special relationship with God for a long time -- but one day, it seemed like God quit talking -- times had gotten bad again and the people were experiencing difficulty and discipline in their lives, but this time, instead of sending another prophet into the world to warn them and lead them back to Him as in the past, God just quit talking

            -- you see, God had warned the people through the prophet Malachi -- the last prophet in the Old Testament -- and told them to return and to worship Him again with all their hearts and souls and minds and strength because the end was coming -- the great Day of the Lord would soon be at hand when they would be judged for their sins -- and when Malachi wrote down all that God had told him to write and he proclaimed it to the nation of Israel, God stopped talking because the people weren’t listening and weren’t responding

            -- so for the last 460 years, the people of Israel had not heard a word from their God -- God had never left them alone so long before -- even in their sins, God would speak to them and would call them home -- but now, no one heard from God -- there had been no prophets since Malachi for almost 500 years -- and the people were lost

            -- but rather than calling on the Lord with their whole heart and opening their ears to hear from God and responding to His message through Malachi, the people of Israel just went through the motions, like so many of us today

            -- they continued to go to church -- they continued to offer sacrifices -- they continued to follow the law of God -- but it was all lip-service -- it wasn’t real -- it was just an act without heart -- and because the people did not respond to God with their hearts, God was silent -- there was no inspiration -- there was no word from God -- there was no indication that He was near

            -- for 500 years God was silent and the people suffered and wondered and hoped -- until one day, a man dressed in camel hair and wearing a leather belt appeared in the wilderness proclaiming the coming of the Lord and calling people to repent

            -- and, as John baptized people in the Jordan River, the people wondered if this could be the messenger that Malachi told them about in the last book of the Old Testament --- the one who was going to be like the prophet Elijah and who would prepare the way for the return of the Lord

            -- the faith of the people began to catch fire again -- they began to seek the Lord -- to respond to His word -- to chase after Him with their whole hearts

            -- and then Jesus appeared as a great light shining in the darkness -- a man who was more than a man -- a man who spoke with power and authority -- a man who touched the blind and the lame and the sick and they were healed -- a man who knew God and who spoke with God and who seemed to be God -- and the people wondered at this sight in their midst

            -- the nation of Israel flocked to Jesus -- they surrounded Him wherever He went -- some came for the healings -- some came for the bread from heaven -- some came to watch the show -- but others came seeking that which they had lost -- they came looking for God and hoping to hear His voice again

            -- the people began to whisper that God was back -- they began to hope and believe that God had returned -- there were rumors of a revival going on in Israel through the ministry of Jesus as the hearts of the people were turned towards God once again

            -- this is the setting of this passage -- just as in the past, the people are beginning to return to God with their hearts -- they are finally getting ready to receive God into their presence again -- and the time has come for God to return to Jerusalem

            -- this time He comes on the back of donkey

            -- look back at verse 12  

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.

            -- the city of Jerusalem was crowded that day -- faithful believers from all over Israel and beyond had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread -- we know it better as the Passover Feast

            -- this feast celebrated the protection of Israel by God as the angel of death passed over Egypt and slew the first-born children in the land as the final plague on the Egyptian Pharaoh -- only those people who had sacrificed a lamb and placed its blood on the doorposts of their homes were protected and delivered from death on that night

            -- as commanded in the Jewish law, every year people would come to Jerusalem to remember the Passover and to worship in the temple

            -- but this year was different -- this year it seemed as if the celebration was more than just a party -- more than just a mandated gathering required in the law -- this year it seemed as if the people were truly looking for God -- remembering His deliverance in the past and, hoping beyond hope, that He might return to deliver them again

            -- so on that Sunday before the Passover, Jerusalem was filled with people who had truly come to worship God -- it was literally busting at the seams with people -- and all of them had heard of Jesus and were wondering if He was coming or not

            -- verse 13-15

13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!"

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,

15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt."

            -- when the people heard that Jesus was coming, they ran out to meet Him -- John says here they took palm branches with them and waved them in the air in anticipation of His coming

            -- palm fronds signified victory -- they were waved when a victorious army came back home after winning a battle -- and they were waved when the king returned back to his palace -- through their actions, the people were saying what they truly believed about Jesus -- although they might not have fully understood that Jesus was God -- they knew that God had returned and that He was speaking through Jesus -- and so the people flocked to the road to welcome the voice of God back to Jerusalem after He had been silent for nearly 500 years

            -- one thing to note here is that our actions proclaim what we believe, too -- more so than our words, what we do and how we live our lives tells others what we truly believe about God and about Jesus -- do we go through our lives proclaiming Him for the world to see -- or do we act like we haven’t heard from Him in a long time?

            -- the other three gospel writers tell us that the people also spread their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus as He passed -- this was symbolic of royalty -- it’s kind of like our red carpets that we put out today for celebrities and dignitaries

            -- this was another way for the people to show that they were offering themselves and their possessions to Jesus -- by placing these cloaks in front of Him, they were saying, “We trust you -- we believe in you -- take our lives and take all that we have -- be our King and restore Israel to its former glory”

            -- as Jesus made His way down from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, the people shouted at Him and said, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

            -- “Hosanna” means “Save” -- it carries with it the idea of God delivering the people just as He had done during the Passover -- it is a cry to God for salvation and deliverance and healing

            -- the phrase “Hosanna” was usually only heard during official worship services as an expression of praise -- but here, the people are shouting it in the streets to Jesus, showing that they recognized Him as worthy of their praise -- as someone who was touched by God -- as someone who might be their long-awaited Messiah -- God returning to Israel

            -- verse 16

16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

            -- isn’t this verse amazing? -- “the disciples did not understand all of this” -- isn’t that the way it always is?

            -- the people closest to someone can’t always see them for who they really are -- sometimes it takes distance and a new look in order to fully see and understand just how special someone is -- let me give you an example of what I’m talking about

            -- a few years back there was a miniseries on television called, “The Kennedys,” about the Kennedy family and their political dynasty, focused primarily on the life of John F. Kennedy

            -- and during this miniseries, the director recreated a scene that you may have seen pictured before -- John F. Kennedy is at his desk in the oval office working, and peeking out of the modesty panel underneath the president’s desk is JFK, Jr.

            -- and what has always struck me about that picture is that JFK, Jr. really has no idea who his father is or how important he is because he’s so close to him -- he doesn’t understand what it means to be that close to the president of the U.S. -- the leader of the free world -- he could only understand later, when he looked at his father’s political career from a distant viewpoint, at just how privileged he was to have been ushered into the presence of the President in such a close and personal way

            -- well, that is what is going on here in this passage -- the disciples were Jesus’ closest friends -- they had come to know Him in a special way -- they had lived with Him for three years -- they had traveled together -- they had shared meals together -- they had seen Him do miracles

            -- but, because they were so close to Him, they just couldn’t see Him for who He truly was -- it was only later -- after the resurrection -- after Jesus’ ascension -- that they finally started to understand who this Jesus was that they had been with for so long and started to see Him as more than just a prophet but God Himself

            -- verse 17-19

17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.

18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!"

            -- now here’s what I really want you to see in this passage -- word had spread about Jesus and what He had been doing -- especially after He raised Lazarus from the dead

            -- so, when news that Jesus was coming to town spread, the entire town gathered on the street to praise His name and to wave palm branches and put their cloaks in the road

            -- they had heard the stories of the miracles -- they had heard of the miraculous healings and the bread from heaven -- they had heard of the teachings and all that Jesus did -- and the people came to see for themselves if Jesus was the Messiah

            -- this is always the pattern of God’s work in our world -- when God begins to move, people respond -- when they hear rumors of revival -- the rumors of God showing up in power and presence -- people flock to be with Him and to hear His voice and experience His presence -- let me give you an example

            -- on February 3rd 1970, the students at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, were having their regular morning chapel service -- instead of preaching, the leader that morning gave his testimony and encouraged the students to come forward and talk about their own Christian experiences

            -- one student came -- and then another and another -- the entire altar filled up -- and students began to confess their sins and offer forgiveness to others for wrongs that had been done and offer their lives back to God

            -- this wasn’t a normal chapel service -- everyone could sense that -- everyone knew that God was truly there

            -- the service was supposed to last 50 minutes -- instead, it went on non-stop for 185 hours -- 24 hours a day -- as students and faculty poured into the chapel and turned back to God with their whole hearts

            -- just like on Palm Sunday, word began to spread about what God was doing -- and the revival grew and grew and grew -- people started flocking to tiny Wilmore, Kentucky -- seeking God and His presence in their lives

            -- they knew God was there -- they knew He was doing something special -- and they wanted to be a part of it

            -- by that summer, the revival had spread to more than 130 other colleges and seminaries and scores of churches -- there were reports of revivals occurring from New York to California and even as far away as South America

            -- that’s what happening here in this passage as John tells us about a nationwide revival that took place about 2000 years ago -- a revival that started a fire that has still not been extinguished

            -- the Pharisees, who had been hoping to capture Jesus in secret, looked at the crowd and listened to their voices of praise and said, “The whole world has gone after Him.”

            -- isn’t that the way it is supposed to be? -- why should Palm Sunday just be one day on the Christian calendar? -- why aren’t we expecting our churches and our streets to be filled with people looking for Jesus every Sunday? -- why should this be something that we just read about and not something that we are experiencing?

            -- I think it comes down to the condition of the heart -- looking at the history of the Jewish people, it was only when their hearts were right and they actively sought the Lord were they able to hear His voice and experience His presence

            -- when the people went their own way and tried to live life in their own power and their own strength -- when they refused to follow God’s word or listen for His voice in their lives -- it was as if God didn’t exist -- and that didn’t turn out so well for them

            -- the true message of Palm Sunday is of a God who loves to save and deliver His people -- when the people turn to Him and cry out for His deliverance, God responds -- when the people begin to seek God with their whole hearts, they begin to hear His voice again

            -- the word revival means to bring one’s faith back to life again -- it means to return -- to repent -- to remember God -- to seek Him and to trust that He is there -- to rely on Him and know that He will save

            -- this is more than just lip-service -- this is more than just going through the motions and showing up to church on Sunday mornings -- revival only comes through a change of heart

            -- in this passage about Palm Sunday, we see a change of heart in the people of Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel experienced the presence of God returning to their land

            -- as we begin this Holy Week together, let our first prayer be that our hearts might be changed through the power and presence of God -- that He would revive our hearts and renew our lives and restore our faith in Him -- that we would truly seek His presence in our lives and in this church and in this land

            -- let us pray