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Sunday, 24 March 2013

'PALM SUNDAY

Rev. Brent Russett
By Rev. Brent Russett
Pastor of Sunnyside Wesleyan Church in Ottawa:
http://www.sunnysidechurchottawa.com/   
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PODCAST LINK to CFRA broadcast - Sunday, March 24th, 2013:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/12041/good_news_045_mar24.mp3
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Palm Sunday’

            Good morning. And welcome to good news in the morning. My name is Brent Russett. I am the Senior Pastor at Sunnyside Wesleyan Church. It is my pleasure to look at some of life’s challenges, and then bring you some good news in the morning.


            This program is sponsored by Good News Christian Ministries, Box 184 Rideau Ferry, ON K0G1W0. Or you can find us on the web @ Goodnewsinthemorning.ca

            What a great morning to celebrate. It is Palm Sunday. It is the Sunday before Easter. It is the Sunday where Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and crowds worshipped. We are going to unpack that story in a moment, but before we get there let’s listen to:

Song: Bob Fitts – This is the day – from Millennium Worship –He is excited about who God is. (Track 3 3:57)

            Have you ever waked up in the morning, and got that sinking feeling? You know it is going to be a long day at the beginning of a long week. There is much to do. The situation in front of you is stress filled. The outcome is uncertain. I am sure that when Jesus woke up that first Palm Sunday morning he felt that way.

            By the end of the week, he would have cleared out the temple, celebrated the last supper with his disciples; Sweat drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane; Been betrayed by a friend; Been arrested by the Sanhedrin; Lied about, spit upon and condemned to death. He would be beaten bloody and then crucified and killed. He was going to bear the sins of the world. His Heavenly father was going to hide his face from him.—To say it was going to be a bad week is like saying an atomic explosion is somewhat noisy.

            But as the sun peaked over the hill at the town of Bethany, and Jesus rose from sleep, he knew it was going to be a long week. Although--- the circumstances were pleasant for the moment. He was at the house of friends. Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Lazarus had become somewhat of a celebrity. He had been dead for four days until Jesus called him out of the grave and back to life as easily as you might call your family for supper.

            Everyone in the village of Bethany had been at the funeral. Everyone had seen the 4 days of mourning. But now Lazarus was sitting a the breakfast table. His very existence was causing a stir.

            Now as you know, Jesus was nobodies fool. Some people don’t seem to understand that if they do certain actions those actions will cause a predictable reaction. Jesus was not like that. He knew exactly what he was doing.

            As he approached Bethany, he knew he was the hero. He had raised Lazarus from the dead. He also knew that the people in Bethany would follow him into Jerusalem. He also knew that if he rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey that is would cause a stir. It would make the Romans edgy. It would make the Sanhedrin angry. It would bring things to head.

            If self preservation was Jesus’ goal, this was not the way to do it. If staying alive was Jesus objective he was going about it the wrong way – and he knew it. But self preservation was not his objective. His heart was as big as the world. For God so loved the world. His objective was to die for the sin of the world.

            Let’s take a break from the story for a moment. When I look at my own heart, and I often see this draw towards self preservation, towards playing things safe, towards comfort. But as soon as I give into those kind of things my world starts to shrink. I start to be concerned with only the me and my. Life starts to revolve around me. And when that happens my soul starts to shrink. I start to be less like Jesus.

            The gospel has never been about playing it safe. Look at the apostle Paul,

I have worked much harder been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked,

            The gospel has always been about a full life, a real life, it doesn’t promise a safe life. It calls us to really live.

            I am thankful to be part of Christian community that calls me beyond self preservation and playing things safe. Let me tell you about a couple of people.


            Let me tell you about Al and Joanne Brown. Al owned his own computer company. At the time when God called Al and Joanne they had four kids. They sold the company moved to Thailand. Now they have set up and organization called Compassio. It works along the Thai Burmese border with Burmese refugees and children of prisoners and orphans

            You look at that – and say this is not the way towards self preservation. That is not the way to accumulate a pension plan . But I want to tell you, as I talk to Al, you can tell he is excited to be where he is. His world has grown large as he has followed God’s call. It’s not easy, but he would tell you, it is good, very good.

            Let me tell you about another couple in our community.  Chris was an electrical engineer making good money. Then God called him back into ministry with  the Navigators. Moving from a very good salary to having to raise one’s own support is not exactly a move towards security. But they followed the path that God put before them rather than move towards self preservation.

            But because of their move, people have come to know Jesus. Lives have been changed.

            I know a lot of people have chosen to follow Christ’s call rather than the path of self preservation. It may limit your opportunities, but it enlarges your world.

            Some of you may be sitting there and saying, following Christ hasn’t cost me all that much, should I feel guilty. I would say this to you. Other people’s path, is not your path. You are responsible for following God’s call on your life. But you don’t know what the future may hold. Life with Jesus is often an adventure.

Music –How deep the father’s love for us.  By Stuart Townsend on the Worship together live album (track 6  --- 2:56)

Mark 11:1
1 ¶ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,
 2  saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no-one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
 3  If anyone asks you, `Why are you doing this?' tell him, `The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"
 4  They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it,
 5  some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"
 6  They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.
 7  When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.
 
            We don’t know if Jesus pre arranged this colt. I think the real miracle here is that he sits on a colt that has never been ridden and he isn’t bucked off. I must say, that would wreck the story. But if Jesus could speak to the wind and the waves and calm them, speaking to a colt and calming it would be nothing.

            Everyone who first read the gospel of Mark would understand is that this is a political story.

            Kings rode into the city after conquering the enemy. Jesus was imitating the kings of his time. The symbolism of a Kingship would be unmistakeable to the people. That and 200 years before , as recorded by the Roman Historian Josephus, and the book of Maccabaeus - Simon Maccabaeus rode into Jerusalem like a Messiah. That would not be lost on this Jewish crowd either.

8  Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
 9  Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
 10  "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
 
            Even the worship was a political statement. Jesus is a King. Hosanna was a form of praise, but it was also a prayer that said, “Lord, save us.” So you have the crowd chanting “Hosanna. Lord, save us. Lord, save us.”

            Then they acknowledge that Jesus comes in the God’s name. “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus is sent from God. He is sent to rescue us. He is God’s anointed one.”

10  "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

            Then the crowd chants, David’s kingdom is about to be restored. Praise God in the highest. We are getting our land, our country back for here is our king.

            It is interesting that when the gospel of Luke tells this story, it becomes instructive on worship. It also has Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. But there is none of this is Mark. It is what it is.

            It is a statement of truth of who Jesus was. He is the king. He is the messiah. He is ushering in a kingdom. It could be construed as a political statement. But it was not meant in the way the crowd took it. The crowd was looking for the over throw of Romans. Jesus was looking for the overthrow of the dominion of sin. He wasn’t looking to conquer Pontius Pilate, he was looking to defeat Lucifer. He wasn’t looking to overthrow the Roman army, he was looking vanquish the power of sin.

            Jesus was often misunderstood. That happened to him a lot. Here is the thing. He didn’t seem to be all that worried about it, except when it came to the people who were his disciples. He wanted them to understand who he was. He wanted them to know what he was doing. But he knew most people looking on would not get who he was or what he was about.

            I must say that I don’t like being misunderstood. I really hate it when people misinterpret my words or my actions. I think that is one of the reasons that God, with his sense of humour called me a highly introverted person, and gave him the task of expressing his truth understanding that on a lot of days I will be misunderstood. I think either he wanted a good laugh or he was just trying to make me more like Jesus. Most days I believe the latter.

            My guess is that many of you don’t like to be misunderstood either. But the people of God were often misunderstood.

            Noah was misunderstood when for decade after decade he built a boat, that wasn’t near any water.

            Moses was misunderstood, when he tried to intervene on behalf of his people, and ended up killing and Egyptian. He was misunderstood again when he went back to Pharaoh and said, let my people go.

            David was misunderstood when he played for Saul – and had a spear thrown at him for his trouble.

            Then came the prophets. Jeremiah, Hosea, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, they were all misunderstood. The people of God through the ages have been misunderstood. There is a pretty good chance that you will be too. But that is alright, in that you will be like Jesus.

            Now the people of God through the ages did not go out of their ways to be misunderstood. They just were. Some people are misunderstood because they are just plain weird. That has nothing to do with being like Jesus.

            But by faith what is invisible becomes visible to us. So it is no wonder that we are misunderstood.

            We love one another. Not because of the hobbies we hold in common, but because of the Lord whom we serve. When we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, we have fellowship with each other. No wonder we are misunderstood.

            We serve a God who we can’t see, but know to be real. But others around us don’t believe, and have a suspicion that he is not real. No wonder were misunderstood.

            You are a people belonging to God. And as the KJV puts it, “you are a peculiar people”. Not because you dress weird, well some of you do but that’s not the point. You are a peculiar people, not because you talk weird. You are peculiar people because you see by faith what is invisible.

            It was the same for Jesus. The battle was not against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, the spiritual powers of darkness. The battle was for the kingdom of God, it was against the kingdom of darkness. The battle was for righteousness against sin. The battle was for spiritual life, it was against spiritual death. The battle was for heaven, it was against hell.

            And he was misunderstood by the crowds who want to make him a King to conquer the Romans. He was misunderstood, by Judas who somehow he had disappointed. He was misunderstood by Peter when he tried to wash his feet. He was misunderstood by the Jewish Leaders when they tried to examine him. He was misunderstood by Pontius Pilate as he tried to examine him. He was misunderstood by the thief on the cross who insulted him.

            He was misunderstood by Satan who wanted him dead. He was misunderstood by the disciples when they knew he was dead.

            But there came a time when he started to be understood. When the Roman centurion saw how he died, he started to understand, truly this man was the son of God. When the veil of temple was torn in two they started to understand. When Jesus descended into the depth Satan started to understand, he hadn’t captured Jesus, he had unleashed him.

            For he rattled the bars of hell and set the prisoners free. He grabbed death by the throat and conquered him. He took on the demonic legions and disarmed them. And now they understood. They understood that this was God’s plan from all eternity. They understand that where they thought they had won they had in fact lost. They understood that sin had be conquered. Death had been defeated and Life had been gained. And from that time on they would be subject to the power of the risen Lord.

            I want to tell you that you may be misunderstood, by your family, by your friends, by your employers, by your teachers. They may not understand what you value. Self preservation which is at the top of their list, isn’t at the top of yours. They may not understand how you think. That your trust is in the one who you cannot see, but you know lives within you. They may not understand why you do what you do. You choose to live with integrity even when it cost you. You choose to live with truth, even when lying is easier.

            But I want you to know, you are understood by God. You are understood by the one who knows all and sees all and understands all. He takes a look at you, and your faith and your values, and he say, my child. And what you find is your identity is not found in either the cheers or jeers of the crowd. It is found in the one who gave his life for you. And that is enough.

            So it was Palm Sunday morning and Jesus was getting out of bed. He knew it was going to be a long day at the beginning of a very long week. But he also knew God would come through. He knew next week at this time He would meet Mary in the Garden and the two men on the road to Emmaus. He knew that God would smile.

            For those of you who feel like you are not understood. Hang on – you will see the smile of God.

Prayer:

Lord, Thank you that you understand us. Amen.

Thank you, Listeners for your words of encouragement, and for keeping us in your prayers.   Keeping this program on the air continues to be a work of faith. If you can help with that, please make out a cheque payable to Good News Christian Ministries, Box 184 , Rideau Ferry , On. K0G  1W0. Or you can give online by going to goodnewsinthemorning.ca

Alan Churchill, the founding pastor of this ministry is writing a monthly devotional. Alan is well known for his spiritual insight and ability to communicate the truth of God. If you would like to receive this devotional, go to our website at Goodnewsinthemorning.ca and sign up to start receiving it right to you e-mail inbox. We know that God will bless you through this ministry.

May you know   Jesus Christ personally and profoundly.  May the Holy Spirit reside deep within your heart .  And may the heavenly Father surround you with His constant and abiding and accompanying love

Music Guy Penrod –(From his Album Hymns)  The Solid Rock  (Track 9  3:07)


- Rev. Brent Russett
To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

 

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