Sermon Reflections from Palm Sunday- The Triumphal Entry | Sara Wade | March 24,2024
It was nice to have Sara Wade back to speak this Sunday. She is passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others, and it certainly comes through as she speaks. This being Palm Sunday, she wanted to see the events of Palm Sunday through the lens of 1 John. The Palm Sunday events reveal a willing Christ who humbly entered the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. This showed humility as He was the Son of Almighty God and deserved a chariot and crown if not more! Yet, he did not demand recognition or the things that go along with being a king. The people willingly praised Him and shouted Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The city was teeming with those coming for Passover and many in the crowds had heard of the great miracles Jesus had performed and took control of the scene. They waved palm branches and sang praises to God. The proclaimed Jesus as Messiah. His disciples were confused at by all the happenings and did not fully understand them until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Sara spoke about John’s words of love, proclaiming God is love from 1 John. The people who praised Jesus were doing so to show their love and devotion foe who He was and who they thought He was. John knew later in his ministry that this love, selfless praise, can only come from God. Love originates with God. The mission to come to earth and be the sacrificial Lamb of God to die for our sins was accomplished by Jesus on the cross. He knew where he was headed that day as he went down the steep road into Jerusalem. I’m sure the human part of Jesus soaked in those brief moments of praise and love the crowd provided. Jesus knew their ‘love’ was going to be fleeting and He would end up at the cross. Sara questioned each one of us to think about our commitment to God’s love. 1 John 4:7 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” The love we have for one another comes from God himself. He brought love into the world and showed us the ultimate in love by sending Jesus. To be able to truly love one another and be unified in faith we must love God. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, He fills us with the power to love others in a way we cannot humanly love. How can you love strangers? How can you love those who would do you wrong? It is only possible with God because God is love and He will give us the love we need for one another. She gave a powerful challenge that forced us to realize a new that love must be done in community. We have to be united in love to give out the gospel message of love and hope. A church divided will not move forward. I am reminded that Jesus prayed for the unity of all believers in John 17:22-23 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Jesus wanted us to know and feel the love He has for the Father so that we will feel 1 with Him. He even shares some of His glory with us so that we can know we belong to Him. This is the love Sarah is talking about that we need to access and apply to our Christian walk. May your feet feel lighter as you walked the Palm Sunday road today with Jesus. Knowing his feelings of love and devotion for you can uplift and move us forward to love one another in a more profound and genuine way. He deliberately went down that Palm Sunday pathway for you and me! (PHOTOS BELOW) Palm Sunday & Eastern Gate The road ends at the eastern gate through which Jesus entered the city. It is now closed. In later times the gate was blocked to keep Messiah from entering, not realizing that Jesus had already come that Palm Sunday so long ago. Linda MESSAGE LINK Click Here to View the Message on Youtube Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass Sermon Reflections from Preparing the Way | Alex Hardt | April 2, 2023
Pastor Alex’s sermon on Palm Sunday morning began with sobering thoughts. How much are you swayed by gossip or in our modern day ‘fake news’? The Pharisee’s wanted to have Jesus GONE! He was a threat to them as he had the support of the people and called them to be accountable. They spread ‘fake news’ about Him- that He was claiming to be a King and that he wanted to start a rebellion against Rome. Neither of those were true but gathered fake witnesses to lie and condemn him. According to Jewish law at least 2 witnesses were required to convict someone of a crime, and they gathered the needed witnesses and brought them to court. We know the reasons for their actions but why did the people go along with them? Why did they listen? Perhaps it was because they were the religious leaders who had power over them and could cause great harm to them personally if they did not go along to get along. Or perhaps they agreed with them and thought Jesus was guilty. Whatever the reasons God allowed it to happen. God had a plan and in that plan to redeem us their needed to be a perfect sacrifice. Jesus was that sacrifice. Hebrews 9:20 “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Jesus was an obedient son as Philippians 2:8 attests, “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!” Jesus knew it was the Father’s will that He go to the cross. One of our memory verses for this week puts it this way, 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus knew his death was the key to our restoration and redemption. Thank you Jesus. Just as the Pharisee’s had a way of redefining truth in their day so the world seeks to deceive us and deny the truth of Jesus and God’s Word. We need to cling to the knowledge that God’s truth frees us from the bondage of sin. Romans 6:6-8 “ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Praise God our freedom begins when we accept Jesus as our Savior and goes into eternity with us. Christ gives us eternal freedom. He transforms us from sinner to saint through our faith in His work on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Believers are often referred to as saints in the Old and New Testament. Psalm 34:9 “Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! Colossians 1:12-13 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you[b] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” We His saints have been transformed! Thank you Jesus. Pastor Alex’s last point was about the impact and importance of the resurrection. Paul makes a case for the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” If Christ was not raised from the dead, our faith is in vain. Paul continues in verses 12-120 “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Just like Paul and the early believers, if we do not believe in the resurrection all is lost. If Christ could not be raised from the dead then neither can we. However, Christ was raised! He was seen by the disciples as they talked and ate with him. Besides the disciples, over 500 people attested to Him being alive as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 “ and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.” He had indeed risen! Thank you Jesus. Come Resurrection Sunday, be ready to reply, “HE HAS RISEN INDEED!” It is true and a life changer for all who believe. See you next Sunday! Linda SERMON LINK Click Here to View the Sermon Our Sunday service is online and in-person at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass. |
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