David teaches on Palm Sunday and the entering of Jesus into Jerusalem. He uses this story to encourage us that when it’s not about us we are able to obey Jesus, share Him, and praise Him.
Okay wonderful if you’d like to take your seats and uh if you wouldn’t mind putting a pause on your conversations and uh we’ll have the opportunity or you guys have the opportunity to continue connecting over teas and coffees after the service but uh now we’re going to be
Getting into the word so yeah please come please take a seat if you’d like there’s a few seats here um well good morning everybody wonderful to be with you my name is David and I’ve got to join privilege of sharing the word uh today we are in part four of our
Easter series and uh really looking forward to getting into that um just to show you how much I’m looking forward to get into it uh just wanted you all to see my uniform for today you may notice it’s not just some Hawaiian shirt it’s got Palms on it it’s got palm trees
Right I know yeah give me a round of applause if you want to Fantastic stuff taking it to for Jesus um also got Mickey Mouse on there but uh hopefully you know visually you’re thinking Palm Sunday as well but it it’s a great joy to be together and as we’ve progressed
Through our series our Easter Series has been called Resurrection it’s going to happen and uh that’s based on Jesus on his lead up to his Resurrection or his lead up to coming into Jerusalem three on three separate occasions he prophesied to his disciples he predicted that he was going
To die and three days later be raised back to life and uh so the three predictions have happened and at the end of the third prediction Jesus talks about even more clearly we are now going to Jerusalem where this is going to go down this is going to happen and uh so
We are on our way in in the triumphal entry and uh although the series is about what will happen and yes we know it has happened on a deeper level what we believe God’s heart for us is to realize that just what God says he will
Do what Jesus says will happen what the word says will come to pass what this book talks about and says will happen with will eventually come to pass and one of the things we get in this time together when we we’re saying that so strongly we’re recognizing that Jesus is
Faithful God is faithful he never fails his word never ever fails and it’s an encouragement to us because I believe not only from the word we see here but we who have personal relationships with Jesus and he is spoken to us spoken a word spoken a promise you are probably
Living in some unfulfilled promises unfulfilled words from God it’s a reminder that God’s word never returns back to him empty it never returns back to him void what Jesus says is going to happen will happen and and this morning just in my devotional I was struck I was
Reading about Jesus in the wilderness you know when he’s been tempted he’s tempted on three occasions and on each occasion what does he say he says it is written the word the word will come to pass and I really want to encourage us today I believe Jesus’s invitation for all of
Us is if his word has been spoken over you if you’re reading the word if you’ve heard the word and the promises of Jesus then let’s trust Jesus and therefore make it a b about him and not about us if Jesus has said it then make
It about him and what he said not about you and uh so as we spend time together kind of reflecting on this I hope I pray and hope it’s not just about today but in fact in The Way We Walk in the way we talk in the way we do life together with
Jesus we’d recognize every day it’s about him and not about us it’s about his word and not about us and uh I don’t know about you but when I hear that phrase I think of breakup terminology I’m not sure if anyone has had that sad
Thing of saying oh it’s not you it’s me well I I don’t want to I don’t want to open up those wounds right now but something I found quite funny um are a couple of greeting cards I’ve seen online and so uh fortunately nobody’s ever sent these to me and I’m sorry if
You’ve had this before but contrary to what you believe not everything is about you and we’ve got what I believe are two sisters possibly fighting over flowers and then on this side a bit more to the point congratulations on your uncanny ability to take something that is not at
All about you and make it all about you and uh you’ve got a picture of a woman there with a mirror saying looking at me but the the point is let’s not make it about us us let’s make it about him and so whatever challenge whatever thing you’re going through is actually an
Opportunity even through the difficulty even through the opposition even through not knowing the uncertainty it’s an opportunity Jesus is inviting all of us to make it about him and not about you and so uh whatever is happening if we make it about Jesus we recognize it can be for our good and for
His glory come on let’s um open up the word together we’re going to look at Matthew chapter 21 as we’ve been going through Matthew um in actually in all the synoptic gospels so Matthew Mark and Luke you’ve got the three predictions of Jesus and you’ve got the triumphal entry
In all of them but we’re going to stay on theme with Matthew verse 21 will’ll go uh sorry chapter 21 will go up to verse 11 for now as they approached Jerusalem and came to Beth Page on the Mount of Olives Jesus sent two disciples saying to them
Go to the Village ahead of you and at once you will find a donkey tied there with her cult by her untie them and bring them to me if anyone says anything to you say the say that the Lord needs them and he will send them right away
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet say to daughter Zion see your king comes to you Gentle and riding on a donkey and on a cult the fo of a donkey the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them they brought the donkey in the cult
And placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted hosana to the son of
David blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosana in the highest heaven when Jesus entered Jerusalem the whole city was stirred and asked who is this the crowds answered this is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee don’t know about you but have
You ever been asked to do something ridiculous better yet have you ever been asked to do something ridiculous and then you did it um even feeling uncomfortable and feeling awkward or unsure of yourself well uh two weekends ago um me and my family we went to the
Park and uh my eldest daughter who’s seven sailor she’s uh cycling her bike around and we’ve got a little picture of her there a I know precious and uh and on our way back we decided rather than going through the park we’ll go through the residential area and my other
Youngest daughter Olivia suddenly needed to pee so you got that conundrum do we go back to the park to find a place or do we go back to the car and then drive to find a toilet and so Hannah my wife lovingly suggested to me um David why
Don’t you take sailor’s bike and cycle to the car then bring the car back pick up the family and we’ll go find a toilet and um as you can see from sailor’s bike it’s not quite an adult bike it’s baby blue it’s pink it’s got hearts on it and
Um I I took the bike I didn’t take the helmet sorry all cycling all awareness and um so I just started pedaling as fast as I could to get to the car and L like you what you have to understand is when you’re on a bike and I know some
People here will feel strongly about this you’re not supposed to be on the path are you supposed to be on the road cycling proficiency well I felt a bit too awkward to be cycling my child’s bike down the road you know just going for it so I kept on the path and of
Course it’s a residential area and so there were pedestrians walking and watching and unfortunately it’s fine if they’re passing by I’m going that lightning well as fast as you can go on one of these bikes and um unfortunately ahead of me was this older couple and they could hear me coming along now
You’ll be happy I didn’t use the bell I didn’t Bell out the way but then I felt so awkward and I could see they they heard me so I got into the road and I went around them and as I went around them both those judgmental eyes on me
Saying what on Earth is this man doing and uh cut the story short I got to the car put and then I picked up my children and uh I dealt with the feeling of feeling very uncomfortable and unsure of myself and we got Olivia to a toilet praise
God but it’s not about me it’s about him and we’ll we’ll talk about that a little later on in verses 1 to3 Jesus asked two of his disciples would you mind going to the next Village well he actually commands them go to the next Village and there you’ll find a
Donkey not a donkey just strolling around doing its own thing a donkey that’s tied up that belongs to somebody and uh please untie it for me and take it oh and if anybody asks maybe the owners there you know just say oh it’s for Jesus you know it’s for the Lord and
I want to get this straight from the start Jesus wasn’t telling his disciples to steal okay he wasn’t teaching that and he does say in another version and we will return the donkey to you it’s a very magical donkey I’m sure but anyway this is what Jesus asked his disciples
To go and get a donkey and I could imagine being one of those disciples imagine yourselves being one of those disciples oh that’s a bit awkward you know that’s a bit strange what will people think of me what happens if you know the owner there but Jesus tells
Them and they did it they obeyed even though I’m sure well it seems to me that they would have been uncomfortable and unsure of themselves today we’re going to look at three things we can do to make it about Jesus and the first thing to realize is in our lives in our days
Every day every moment is an opportunity to obey Christ I want to encourage you all to obey Christ and Trust the way or trust his way don’t make it about you even when Jesus called you to do something don’t make the call about you make it about him because it’s about him and
It’s all for him I really want us to be encouraged that Jesus loves us all so much that he actually does and wants to and desires to speak to you in fact to speak with you and have a personal relationship with you he really cares that he would
Call you to himself and we see this through the gospel in Matthew before we’ve seen how disciples have been called and during that conversation during Jesus’s call he asks people to follow him he invites us all to follow him and as we follow him Jesus teaches
Us even commands us he leads us and he leads along us but he also directs us into places into positions where we can’t see Jesus maybe and yet he commands us to go and we see that even in the disciples before they followed him they followed him they learned from
Him and he sent them out without himself going with them but they obeyed they trusted him they trusted the way so the disciples did that and we can see some of that In this passage here that the crowds followed they trusted they obeyed so the question is how do we obey Christ
How do we obey Jesus I think it’s some of us it’s just simply a slow down let’s listen let’s listen again it’s a process and we’ll grow in understanding how to listen and how to hear to obey Christ has to start with listening to the one who’s saying the
Commands or saying the call we are to wait wait again remember what he has said and I I want this um hopefully for those of you who are living out unfulfilled promises still believing in the Lord which is a good thing wait remember remember what he said think on it continue to reminisce
On it but you can’t leave it there it can’t just be listen think it can’t just be to wait we have to act that’s the whole point of obeying see trust is an action not a Feeling I’ll say it again trust is an action not a feeling faith is an action not a
Feeling it may start with a feeling it may start with a sense but it moves into action obedience is an action not just your thought not just your Reflections not just your view it’s an action you do do you live trust is an action not a feeling you see when um Hannah lovingly
Asked me to cyle that ridiculous little bike um now I did that because I was motivated by my love for my family I also did that because I didn’t want my car seats getting peed on but I did that for my family you see my love for my family motivated me to act
I want to encourage you today your love for Jesus which by the way is a journey a process a walk in relationship with him as you Journey with him your love for him grows but your love for him will motivate you to act to obey rather than
Care more about the car seats or potential car seats that could be wet in your life do you get me like caring about my things no I do it because I love Jesus I’m for him love for Christ motivates us to listen love for Christ motivates us to listen and to
Believe and our love for Christ helps us not just to listen and believe but helps us to do you see the more we listen and that’s a journey the more we listen to God the more we will believe and the more we believe the more we will
Obey The More We believe We obey and the more we obey you’ll see that your relationship with Jesus grows even further remember obey is the same as trust because trust is an action not a feeling my first point every day every time whatever is going on in our lives is an opportunity
To obey Christ and Trust the way trust his way we’ll continue in the um reflecting on this passage now unfortunately Matthew doesn’t give some of the details um we’ve see in verse six that the disciples did exactly what Jesus told them to do but Matt Mark in
Chapter 11 he shares a bit more of what happens because in Mark’s gospel somebody does question what they’re doing so in verse four in Mark 11 says this they those are the the two disciples went and found a cult outside in the street tied at a doorway as they
Untied it some people standing there asked what are you doing standing um what are you doing un tying that cult they answered as Jesus had told them they answered as Jesus had told them to and the people the people let them go the second point about making it
About Jesus every day is an opportunity to share Christ and tell the world don’t make it about you make it about Christ here in this passage we have two disciples when questioned they made it about Jesus they didn’t make it about themselves they did as the Lord instructed them as it says in
Matthew in the passage we also see the wonderful procession the crowds going in ahead and following behind and they’re saying hosana to the son of David hosana to the king hosana check this out I thought this was really cool hosana means to save another word to save is Joshua a
Name means god saves a derivative of Joshua is Yeshua which is Jesus so in the terminology they’re using this to say hosana which is a exclamation of praise and to save they are actually saying Jesus save Jesus us Jesus so they’re making even the procession they’re
Making it about Jesus I mean he’s on a donkey anyway he’s got all the palm branches he’s got the things put down but they’re making it about Jesus and I love this because in Matthew’s gospel it’s really kind of clear he uses that word from Isaiah Emmanuel which means
God with us and as they’re declaring hosana they’re literally saying Jesus us Jesus saves God Saves us God is with us and he saves us let’s continue in the passage in verse 10 you hear the city ask who is this man who came riding on a donkey and the crowds answered this is
Jesus they didn’t make it about themselves they made it about Jesus and there seem to be a lot of questions people can ask right when people are doing what Jesus has asked them to do it seems to me when you obey Jesus you live differently and when you live differently people ask
Why I don’t want to make it about me but I use the examples of just through my life and following Jesus and I’m no saint in that way you know I get I get things wrong I make mistakes as I follow Jesus but my heart’s desire is to follow
Him and to obey him but people have noticed in my life they say David you’re so joyful you’re always smiling why why are you so different and that is doesn’t mean to say I don’t go through difficult times and I’m sad sometimes that’s true but because I
Follow Jesus I have a joy when I go through tough and difficult circumstances some really painful stuff in our lives people have asked how are you okay how are you at peace it’s because I’m following Jesus it’s because I’m obeying Jesus why do you care about people so much why do you
Help them and stand up for others see when we follow Jesus when we Jesus there’s a lot of does but there’s also some don’ts and some of the don’ts I think actually in our culture today help us more to speak into our lives and people’s lives about Jesus people have
Asked me some of these questions they say to me David why don’t you swear as much okay I’m just being real with you David why don’t you get drunk and it’s not because I have a big alcohol tolerance by the way I am weak but um
You know why don’t you get as drunk as much if if that helps um David why don’t you gossip as much you know in situations why don’t you lie why don’t you choose to lie cuz it make things easier for you it’s because I’m trusting Jesus why aren’t you jealous why aren’t
You aiming for the things other people are aiming for why are you content it comes back to when you obey Jesus you live differently and and this is kind of a humbling sober thought right I wonder how many people and I’m not trying to put myself better than anyone you
Understand that I get things wrong but how often are you questioned about the way you live because I feel like if we’re really living for Jesus people are going to notice and going be like what’s up with that why are you living like that why do you care that way or why
Don’t you not care about the things a lot of people care about when you obey Jesus you live differently and it’s an opportunity when people ask questions to make it about him so how do we share Christ well ain’t got time for that I can’t tell you how
But I can at least give you a mindset you know sharing Christ is unlimited possibilities of how to do it and even if I lived to a 100 and just focus on that I wouldn’t get it all but I can at least help us I believe with a mindset
We relate everything in our lives remember it’s not about us it’s about him we relate everything in our lives to Jesus whatever’s happening we relate it to Jesus whether it’s good or bad or ugly we relate it to Jesus and I know well David you’re a reverend so it makes
It easier right oh D of course people are going to think about you talking about Jesus talking about church talking about prayer and things like that but that’s not the C if we can make anything about Jesus then working in retail for an example and I used to work in retail
Like when people ask what why are you doing this or what why are you like why are you the way you are it’s because God has blessed me with this opportunity with this job I believe God has blessed me actually with some of these skills to
Be able to do this job or maybe I’m struggling the job and I’m finding it hard people are asking but it’s like well the Lord has provided and so I’m trusting him at this time it’s difficult but I believe God’s with me and I’m here to help I’m here to
Serve other areas look I can’t give every example I hope something touches you in this but um I I was thinking of my wife Hannah the other day because of just how she’s as a mother so even though she is working slightly I feel like some people when when we talk it’s
Like why is this going on in your life or why are you the way you are well just because God’s blessed me to have children and God’s blessed me to Journey with them in this particular way in this particular season and I’m trusting in Him in this season as well as the next
So I I hope that helps you and understand you can relate whatever is going on in your life when you’re past or when you have an opportunity to relate it to Christ it’s about him it’s not about you and then finally hosana remember the term to save I think it’s
Really important when we share about Jesus we must share or get get to that point of being uh having confidence to share that he saved me he’s completely changed my life around so I can be like this one of the other key things I think is always good to say is about his
Resurrection so that he alive which means I can have a relationship with him because I believe he’s alive I relate to him a little personal challenge I think a lot of people when when we share why we are the way we are maybe we we say we’re just
We’re a Christian which okay is a start but you I hope you understand when people hear you’re a Christian out there in the world what they think is oh you go to church it’s not you go to church is that you go after Christ it’s you follow Christ just want to encourage you
God is doing a work in this church family to help us be more courageous and bold in testifying about Jesus in fact that’s why the Holy Spirit came down is to help us proclaim the gospel so my second Point again an opportunity to share Christ and tell the
World did you get it uh sorry did you get it cuz we could go through it again just kidding I wouldn’t do that to you right verse 12-4 we’re continuing in Matthew chapter 21 this is what it says Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and
Selling there he overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves it is written he said to them my house will be called a House of Prayer but you are making it a den of robbers the Blind and the lame came to
Him at the temple and he healed them but when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple uh in the temple courts hosana to the son of David they were indignant even after the commotion the
Craziness of what was going on in the temple the children are mentioned here continuing to give Jesus praise John one of the Disciples of Jesus after Jesus had died and rose again he wrote a gospel and in this gospel he doesn’t just refer to him as
The son of David look what it refers to Jesus as John chapter 1 verse4 the word hold on to that the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us we have seen his glory the glory of the one and only son who came from the father full of grace and truth
Not just the son of David not just the Messiah but the Living God his son Jesus the son of God my third and final point today is every moment every difficulty every challenge every day is an opportunity to praise Jesus to praise Christ so we can thank the word don’t
Make it about you make it about him and some times we can feel in our lives that things have been turned upside down right just like Jesus turning the tables and the benches in the temple we Face problems we have misunderstanding we feel like we’re being attacked or there’s
Opposition sometimes we feel like it’s Christ’s fault as well come on Church let’s be honest I’ve had prayers where I’ve been mad at God for what’s going on in my life when he’s the one who’s doing the flipping of the tables but remember we trust God he is
Always good he is always faithful I just got to obey I got to submit to what he’s doing I got to continue to trust him but how can this be how can we stop it being about us I I want to link it back to the first point we stop long enough to
Listen to hear him to think on him to give the word its place in our lives to to trust the word which means to take action by the word not simply feel better about ourselves I wanted to end with this don’t praise to get your way we don’t
Praise to get our way we praise to give away ourselves to Jesus I’ve said this I’m sure many times we don’t praise to get we praise to give it’s not about me it’s about him and regardless of the situations we’re facing I know people in this room are facing challenging situations and
Difficult ones but Jesus is always worthy to be praised God is always worthy to be praised and it helps remind you as you praise him I’m praising he’s faithful I’m praising him in his faithfulness to despite my situation I’m praising him in his faithfulness knowing
That he is with me I praise him for he is always good not some at the time not partially not intermittently all the time he is good listen so how do we praise God again I haven’t got the time to answer that but I think a real key to this is declare
Who who God is declare who Jesus is declare who the holy spirit is and what they or he has done you see it all over the Psalms you’ll see it across the Bible but in the Psalms continuously they say remember what he has done and who he is his character and nature
That’s how we speak praise and I think for all of us what would be just really helpful especially when we’re going through the challenge when we’re going through the the Valley or the fire remember that Jesus died on a cross for you remember that he rose again for you
And remember that he’s working all things if we submit unto him for our good and His glory there’s other practical things we can do and I need to close we go to Services we go to church groups we do our own daily devotions or spiritual habits some of us who’ve got
The gift of speaking in tongues we speak in tongues that’s an amazing way to praise God when you can’t even think what to say about God but I really want to encourage us just coming back to that listening deliberately purposefully intention make space to praise God and I
Know we’re in a busy Society I know you’ve got busy lives and so maybe just a starting point is recognizing and realizing when when in the busyness how can I praise God in that maybe in the car I can just not listen to a radio or
The podcast or um secular music but I can just be in silence and praise him or speak in tongues maybe in the shower I know that’s a great in this day and age the shower is probably the only place you don’t take the phone in right I know the
Bathtub I do but anyway um but that’s a chance take that opportunity and just because we’re in Britain I just wanted to share this final one when when we’re in Q’s don’t I don’t know about you I hate cu’s it’s a waste of time and I realized
God was saying well you can praise me there you can even praise me for what you’re about to purchase David how about when you’re in traffic you oh man traffic that’s what thank you God that You’ provided me a car thank you God You’ provided me a means to get
To where I’m going thank you God for wherever I’m going God is good all the time we will never run out if you’re looking at God you’ll never run out of things to thank him for and praise him for let’s thank the word The Living Word so finally to come to a
Conclusion when we’re making it about Jesus not ourselves we obey him we share about him we praise him we trust the way we tell the word we tell the world and we thank the word I think how the Lord would lead us to respond today is to praise
Him and whatever you’re going through whatever situations come to mind so opportunity to unload it onto him and praise Him regardless because he he worthy of it we’re going to be singing a song about exalting God and so I’m just going to ask the Holy Spirit to come and
Minister and then I’ll ask you to stand and the band will lead us into praise Heavenly Father full of love and faithfulness and kindness to us all full of forgiveness I thank you that you sent your son Jesus to be our savior thank you for your SA work in our
Lives I pray Lord Jesus for each and every person here that you’d help us make it about Jesus and not about ourselves help us to obey you help us have the courage to tell the world about you to share about Jesus and I guess above all help us Lord God to live lives
Wholehearted Lives full of praise and worship and adoration to you because you alone are worthy Lord Jesus would you receive our hearts now and as we praise you I pray your Holy Spirit would come into us and fill us aresh please lead and guide us into the fullness and just that reminder Lord
Jesus when we make it about you we thank you that you make things to our good and for your glory amen