Sermon – “Who Is Your King?”
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Faith Temple Church – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Pastor Jeff Hayes
Title: “Who Is Your King?” He Wants More Than Just Your Palms!
He Wants Your Life!
Scriptures: John 12:12-15 and others
Introduction: a. Palm Sunday – Jesus riding into Jerusalem from the Mt. of
Olives!
b. Being welcomed as a king!
c. The Hope was that he would liberate Israel from
The Roman Empire.
d. Palm Sunday Begins The Week Where We Will Remember Jesus At The Last Supper, In The Garden Of Gethsemane, On The Cross And Becoming The Resurrected Christ.
John 12:12 - 15
“The next day (day after Jesus anointed by Mary at Lazarus’ home) the great crowd that had come for the (Passover) Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Vs. 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!’ vs. 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, vs. 15 “Do not be afraid, O daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’”
THE FINAL EXAM ---Ron Frager
At Penn State University, there were four sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had an "A" so far. These four friends were so confident that, the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party.
They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday
and didn't make it back to Penn State until early Monday morning.
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Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it. They said that they visited friends but on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final.
The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day. The guys were excited and relieved. They studied all that night for the exam!
The next day the Professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them a test booklet. They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points.
Cool, they thought! Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy.... then they turned the page. On the second page was written....
For 95 points: Which tire? ______
The Final Exam????
Some day We will Be a Part of a Palm Waving Celebration To Welcome The Lamb! Will You Be There!
Revelation 7: 9-10 - “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. And they cried out in a loud voice; Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
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Title: “Who Is Your King!”
(He Wants Your Life)
Easy Way To Figure Out Palm Sunday! Use The Palm Of Your Hand
And What Is Attached to It! Your Fingers!
He Wants Your Palms, Your Hands Your Entire Life, Your Entire Body!
1. Palm Sunday: He Wasn’t All Thumbs! He Received A Thumbs Up!
A. Look At Your Thumb! Remember Palm Sunday And The Cross!
B. He Wasn’t All Thumbs! Fulfilled Old Testament Prophecy!
C. Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
D. Jesus Received a “Thumbs Up” an Atta Boy on Palm Sunday!
E. Jesus Received a “Thumbs Up” which meant He Was Headed To The Cross!
F. The thumbs up actually gave approval of a gladiator’s request to kill his defeated foe rather than a vote to allow the defeated foe to remain alive.
G. On Palm Sunday… God Signals That Our Defeated Foe, Our Sin, Is Being Killed!
H. Colossians 2:13b – 15 “He forgave us all our sins, vs. 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Vs. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.””
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2. Check The Index (Finger), Palm Sunday Points To The Cross!
a. Victory In The Cross!
b. Jesus Is #1 – Jesus People Used The Extended Pointer Finger To Tell Each Other...”Jesus Is #1”
c. Luke 19:39-40 “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ vs. 40 ‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’”
d. Sin and Death Were Going To Be Defeated!!! Life Given!
e. Pointer Finger – Most Sensitive Finger – Touch A Hot Stove!
f. Isaiah 53:5 – “But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
g. Pointer Finger (held up to lips, asks for quiet!)
h. Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
i. Fulfilled this Old Testament Scripture:
j. Matthew 27:14 – “But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the Governor.”
k. Every Christian’s Message Points To The Cross!!!
A story is told about a famous preacher long ago who pastored a church that was filled every Sunday by people who traveled miles on foot just to hear his messages. One day, as the church was emptying, a passerby asked one of the people in the church why this preacher’s messages were so compelling. The person responded without hesitation, “This preacher will take you up to the mountain and down to the valley, he will bring you to laughter and to tears, he will have you jumping with joy and then falling to your knees - - -
but - - - by the time he is finished, he will always have you at the foot of the cross…”
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3. Middle Finger: The Cross Was An Obscene Gesture!
But For Jesus, The Cross Was A Gesture Of Obedience!
a. The Cross Was An Obscene Place For Disgusting People!
b. Thieves, Murders, Criminals Went To The Cross!
c. But For Jesus, The Cross Was A Gesture Of Obedience!
d. Matthew 27:27- 31 – “Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. Vs. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then wove a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. Hail, King of the Jews! They said. Vs. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Vs. 31 After they had mocked
him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.”
e. The Pain of Being Nailed To The Cross? “The Case For Easter by Lee Strobel...“The pain was absolutely unbearable.. In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Which Literally, excruciating means ‘out of the cross.’’
f. Without the obscene Gesture of the Cross, We’d Have Serious Problems!
g. Pointer Finger Across Your Pointer, Middle, and Ring Finger… Three Crosses (right their on your hand.
h. The Cross Became A Gesture Of Obedience!
i. Philippians 2:8 – “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
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4. The Ring Finger: Palm Sunday, The Cross…
A Commitment, A New Covenant!
a. The Living Last Supper – Bill Gibson couldn’t get his
ring off of his ring finger! (A Good Thing!)
b. “For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death due us part”
c. Matthew 26:27-28 – “Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. vs. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
d. The Cross, The Commitment And The New Covenant has changed our lives!
e. A Changed Life! Lee Strobel... Skeptical Journalist searching for clues to prove the existence of the Cross, The Resurrection and why people put their faith in Jesus!
f. “Looking back, I can see that this was nothing less than the pivotal event of my entire life. Over time my character, values, attitude, priorities, worldview, philosophy, and relationships began to change –for the good. So much so that a few months after I became a follower of Jesus, our five year old daughter, Alision – who had previously only known a father who had been profane, angry, verbally harsh, drunken, and all too often absent –
g. walked up to my wife and said,
h. “Mommy, I want God to do for me what he’s done for Daddy.”
i. We May Not Understand It all!
j. But The Cross Has Changed Billions Of Lives!
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5. The Little Finger: Palm Sunday, The Cross…
Better Than A Pinky Promise!
a. A pinky promise is made when a person wraps one of their pinky fingers around the other person’s pinky and makes a promise. Traditionally it’s considered binding and the idea was originally that the person who breaks the promise must cut off his pinky finger.”
b. God Has Wrapped His Pinky Around You!
c. I John 2:25 – “And this is what he promised us – even
eternal life.”
d. “In The Cross Of Christ I Glory, Towering Over The
Wrecks Of Time!”
Conclusion:
Title: Who Is Your King???
“He Wants More Than Just Your Palms!!!”
He Wants Your Life!
1. Palm Sunday! He Wasn’t All Thumbs,
He Received A Thumbs To Killed Our Defeated Foe!
2. Palm Sunday! Pointer Finger – Points To The Cross!
Lost In Life??? Head To The Cross!!!
3. Palm Sunday! Middle Finger: The Cross Was An Obscene
Gesture! An Obscene Place!
For Jesus, The Cross Was A Gesture Of Obedience!
4. Palm Sunday! Ring Finger: Palm Sunday, The Cross…
Affirms That We Are The Bride Of Christ!!!
5. Palm Sunday! Little Finger: Palm Sunday, The Cross…
Better Than A Pinky Promise!