Sermon Tone Analysis

*Elements of Extraordinary Worship*

*Luke 19:11-48**              March 20, 2005*

* *

*Scripture Reading: *Unison, Luke 19:28-44

 

John 12:12-13; Rev. 7:9-10 (palm branches)

Lev.

23:39-40; Zech.

14:16-19 (Feast of Tabernacles)

 

“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!"” (Joh 12:12-13 NivUS)

 

“9  After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.

They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

10  And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."”

(Re 7:9-10 NivUS)

 

“39  "‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest.

40  On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.” (Le 23:39-40 NivUS)

 

“16 ¶  Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

17  If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain.

18  If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain.

The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

19  This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.”

(Zec 14:16-19 NivUS)

 

*Introduction: (*Luke 19:11-48)

 

Today is Palm Sunday.

It is a day of extraordinary worship.

It is the day you get to wave the palm branch of victory in honor and praise of Jesus.

And I – He – expects you to wave it in agreement with him as you listen to him and worship him this morning.

Wave it in adoration of him for his deliverance unto salvation from bondage.

What do I mean by extraordinary worship?

It is a day when God does something or reveals something far beyond the daily blessing of knowing him – far beyond the weekly blessing of worship in his sanctuary.

It is when God takes a quantum leap forward in our experience of him – like what happened on the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Holy Week – the culmination of three years of miraculous ministry among the people.

He was coming home to the City of God as the King of the Jews.

The Son of God had vindicated truth as God among men.

He was soon to embody it as he prepared to give his very self as the means to cross out sin, the enemy of truth.

Like one much greater than any earthly ruler, he didn’t need the pomp and display, and yet it could not be helped because the testimony of his life seemed to require it – even demand it.

His disciples praised and worshipped him with overwhelming joy, without reservation, with abandon.

This was unrehearsed and spontaneous.

It was the most natural thing in the world to do at the time, even though they did not yet fully understand all that his kingship meant for him – and for them.

He rode humbly yet resolutely toward the temple on his borrowed donkey to cleanse it from degradation – to drive out the merchants and moneychangers who profaned it – his first act as rightful King on the way of our salvation as rightful Lord.

Humility can act decisively when the righteousness and holiness of God’s worship are involved.

Humility can act even more decisively when the righteousness and holiness of the souls of men and women are at stake.

The cross was coming, and whether or not his disciples really understood all that meant, extraordinary worship was in order.

I would like for us to come to a fuller understanding of the elements of extraordinary worship so that it might truly be what takes place in our hearts today, and that it might also become increasingly characteristic among us.

This is because even though we rightly celebrate special events in the life of the church, like Palm Sunday, every Sabbath, every day of knowing Jesus, is a special event in the marvelous grace of God.

We must continually and irresistibly be drawn toward unreserved worship of our extraordinary Savior.

*Big Question:* /What are the common themes that constitute extraordinary worship?/

 

Scripture gives us several examples of extraordinary worship with various people at various times and places and circumstances.

Let’s take a look at some of these to discover not only what the extraordinary worship consists of but also what prompts it.

*I.

Extraordinary worship is called for when we receive a long-awaited answer to prayer.*

We honor God with our words.

“9 ¶  Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up.

Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.

10  In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.

11  And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."”

(1Sa 1:9-11 NivUS)

 

 “So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son.

She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."”

(1Sa 1:20 NivUS)

 

 “25  When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli, 26  and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.

27  I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.

28  So now I give him to the LORD.

For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD."

And he worshiped the LORD there.”

(1Sa 1:25-28 NivUS)

 

“1 ¶  Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.

My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

2  "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

3  "Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

4  "The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

5  Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more.

She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

6  "The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

7  The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

8  He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.

"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; upon them he has set the world.

9  He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.

"It is not by strength that one prevails; 10  those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.

He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

"He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed."

11 ¶  Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.”

(1Sa 2:1-11 NivUS)

 

Receiving a long-awaited answer to prayer should cause us to praise God with even prophetic eloquence and abandon in recounting all his acts of kindness and goodness.

Hanna was ecstatic in praising God for fulfilling her heart’s desire after long suffering.

Hanna affirmed and glorified God for his marvelous record of:

a)                 his deliverance from disgrace and enemies

b)                his unique holiness and dependability

c)                 his omniscience that exposes human arrogance

d)                his power to fell the mighty and lift up the fallen

e)                 his power to satisfy our deepest longings

f)                  his power to give life and death

g)                 his power to humble and exalt

h)                his power to rise up and put down

i)                   his power to judge and anoint

 

Who knows but that we also might prophesy in the praise of extraordinary worship like Hanna did when she received the long awaited answer to her prayers and prophesied that her miraculous son, Samuel, would anoint the King of Israel, both Saul and David.

And we know that the one we praise today came from the root of David, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

*II.

Extraordinary worship is called for when we know that our efforts to serve God are finally blessed.*

We honor God with our actions.

“1 ¶  David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. 2  He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark. 3  They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill.