Palm Sunday
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Tradition on this day is that we preach on palm sunday I remember as a Boy the palm leaves decorating the hallways of the church the church stage in sunday scool we used palm leaves to make palm crosses so what is Palm Sunday This is the Story which fullfills the prophacy of Zachariah where the messiah would Ride into jeruselum on the back of a colt donkey signifiying His reighn on earth and all the People would cry out Hosana Hosana
This was fullfulled in Matthew
Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
this is a wonderful testament to the truth the accuracy the fullfillment of prophacy and scripture
And normally every palm Sunday this is preached in most pulpit accross the nation
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But im sorry im going to do something Different
What I know is that I must be led by God by His Spirit to Preach what he desires for me to preach and when , i cannot put God into a box into a schedule .....because this is how we do church if you will.......................
I must preach what he presses into me and when he presses me to preach it
This mornings message may make no sence to you at all maybe it will
I have so many thoughts going through my head I need to get them Out
First i want to apoligise for being a bit of a overshareer
WEll no I TAKE THAT BACK I DO NOT APOLOGISE
I have been going through allot not me only,................ I know but we have definitly been tested by the fire recently and I have shared with you cried with you through it all. .......................................Some of it you may or may not have wanted to hear
But Im certain of this That God leads us down certain paths that we would tell His story of His Grace of His Mercy Of His rich blessings in our lives
This reminds me of The Apostle Paul who Wrote
It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The Apostle Paul was concerned with others thinking of Him too Highly or himself thinking more highly of himself than he ought to
Putting paul on a pedistal if you will
and so should we
I look around What Do I see tough men strong silent type
Ones that express little emotion show no weakness
The society would say that this is a good trait, If you ARE A MAN YOU MUST BE TOUGH DO NOT CRY DO NOT SHOW WEAKNESS DO NOT BE EMOTIONAL
However I dont think this is healthy nor Godly
God has made us who we are........... society has been trying to destroy the image that God had made ever since
God created our emotions
Why do i Overshare with you
Because i do not want you to put me on a pedistal but Christ
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
One thing that my former pastor told me though I highly repect Him and love him i disagree with him on this aspect
He was adamit that we do not share our personal struggles with the congragation or with any out side of our house becasue if we did the church would loose respect for us and would dramatically reduce the level of influence we can have with them
I dont want influence I only want Christ
I think allot of Church men ...........think this way we come to church ......................we put on the right clothes................ we shakje hands we smile............. and we get through it.................. not wanting anyone to know how badly we are hurting inside............ for fear that it will be percieved as a weakness. This To me is foolish it builds up a lie a false image.................that we must maintain and when we cant maintain the image we want others to see we feel stressed depressed anxous or even angry
It can lead to chrchman placing pastors as Idols
No preacher can save you none, Do not believe on them but upon Christ
I know preachers who keep taly sheets of how many people they have saved
This is foolish and blasophmous for none saves but Christ
WE are simply His tool His servant and paul puts it His Bondservant
For we owe a debt in which we cannot repay but work earnestly as though we can in gratttude for the grace in which we were give and the wrath in which we were spared
Therefore look to no man no preacher
But look only to Christ
Do I have favorite preachers........................ abosolutly but I do not elevate them above thier place as a bondservant unto Christ
So I am very transparent because like paul I would rather boast of my weakness ...................and How Christ can overcome them and made them my strengths for the issue is Christ not my rightchousness not my goodness but his goodness not my image but his image this is where are hope lays
2. I would like you to know i go through what you go through
That being a christian does not exclude you for trials from hardships from pain or illness from diappointment from rejection
allot of folks look at the pastor like he walks on water like he has it all together 24/7 like nothing bad can ever happen
Foolishness .......................I tell you foolishness.............and its because these pastors have place up a false image that they are seen in such a way...........only to discourage the regular folks
But Through Christ it does Equpp us to handle these situations these hardships these trials, To be more in control when disater strikes even though we may loose a moment of peace by the power of Christ we will not we do not have to remain in misery For we can find contempment in all situaations of Life as Paul writes
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Men
its ok to be afraid sometimes
its ok to Cry
its ok To show emotions
Remember solomen
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.
Its Ok To tell someone you love them to cry with your wife unto God when things seem overwhelming when things are going great to cry and rejoice its ok
I promise it will not remove your man card if anything it will set you free to have the peace that you have been lacking to find the Joy that has elluded you
So tell your wife how much you love her today
Call your children tell them how much you miss them
Talk about some memories that may make you laugh and maybe cry express yourself
And Thank God that you still have the oppertunity to do so
Becasue you want to grow closer with people with your wife with your children show that you are vunurable that needs help and point unto where that Help comes from which is in Christ Cry together laugh together Pray together and watch your relationships transform into the love and Joy in which you have chaced but seemed to evade you all your life
So forget the man card and grab hold of the Love of Christ as His love knows no bounds and calls us to truley love one another
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So This was the first Point of the sermon this morning That we should boast not of our strengths ut of our weaknesses for our Weakness are made into stregths by Christ and that we are to share these experences with others that they may be encouraged by the work of Christ in our life
The second Point is understanding the Gospel
If there is anything in life that I want for you to be absolutley sure of to know without a doubt that is the Gospel
There are a few versese in the bible that theologians have argued are the most important verse of the bible
A mini bible within the bible that if you had to loose all other verses that these few would be the ones in which they would keep
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
What is John saying here we have heard John 3:16 most likly but in its context what are the implications
WEll let me help you with that
The One True God God the Father Gave His only Beggoton Son
He gave him as a Gift
What is a Gift just that a gift No payment needed just the acceptance of that Gift
That whosoever
What is the Whosoever
It means who ever shall
Or who ever does
believes in Him, To belive in him is more that to belive of Him
You may belive that abraham lincolm existed but you do not belive in Him to have a effect on your life
This is the belief in him that john is refering to the Faith in Christ the trust in Christ the dying to self that Christ will live within us
Shall not perish but have eternal life
there are eternaal consequenses if heven and that if hell
Those that do not belive are condemed already
whoa
whoa
You see they are allready condemend untill thier adoption by Christ
Second verse I want to take you to is
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Now pay attention here
God made Him Who knew no Sin to be sin for us
What does he mean here what is Paul saying that God made jesus Sin
He is saying simply this that Jesus who knew not Sin that could not sin who was the Spottless lamb of God was made sin for you for me that we would become the rightchouness of God
ok i still dont get it you say
Let me help you a little
lets make it more personal more direct
God made Jesus Who never sinned who could not sin for he was God in flesh and hung him on the Cross for my Sin for your sin, That when he looks at us who believes in Him he sees not our Sin but Christs rightchoueness
its as though jesus led my life and I lived jesus Life
He took My place in the full wrath of God that was deservingly waiting for me He took it upon Himself becaue He loves me
The Third verse is
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
For we have all sinned we all fall short of the Mark of the Glory of God none of us can say that we are without sin or that we are good people for we know for our conscence bears witness against us that we are deserving of Gods wrath for we are all sinners
However being justified Freely by His Grace the the redemption of Christ jesus He has passed over our Sins to demonstrate His love His mercy His rchtchouness towards us
This is the Gospel This is the Good news that we are all fifthty wicked unworthy sinners in the hands and at the mercy of Christ
At His Mercy and All we must do is call upon the name of the Lord Belive in Him and we shall be saved
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”