Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday and for those who are unfamiliar with Palm Sunday, Palm Sunday marks the first day of the week of Jesus's last week on earth. He's making his entrance into Jerusalem and if you've grown up in church, if you know the story, they're waving palms as you see in the picture. As you see at the side, they're waving palms and they're shouting Hosanna. Here's our king. He's the one that we've been waiting for. The Messiah and they're praising him and they're cheering. All for a few days later on Friday, the scene changes dramatically. What was once praise and cheers and rooting him on has turned to crucify him, kill him, hang him on Friday. How do we go from Sunday? He's king. He's worthy. Praise him. Hosanna, the one who saved. Save us now. How do we go from there to crucify him on Good Friday in just a matter of a few days? I want to read the scripture in Luke and I pray that as I read it and as we speak today, God begins to make some things real to us. Luke chapter 19. I'm gonna start in verse 11. Then I'm gonna jump down to verse 37. Holy Spirit speak to us. Verse 11. While they were listening to this, listening to what? What were they listening to? I have to do this because I need us to understand the context. While they were listening to this, this is Jesus is telling them about Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus, he was this dude, a tax collector who was living wrong. Little short dude, if you know the story. And Jesus is passing through and Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. And so because he's so short, he can't see him. He climbs up into a tree and he, to see Jesus. Jesus looks up at Zacchaeus and says Zacchaeus come down. I must not buy your house today. And he goes to Zacchaeus house and long story short, Zacchaeus begins to repent and turn. He says anything I ever cheated anybody out of, I'll give it back to them. Multiply. And Jesus is like salvation has come to your house today. Salvation has come to your house today, Zacchaeus. So with that in mind, it says while they are listening to this, while they are listening to the story of salvation, while they are listening to this story of Jesus who passed by to save someone's soul, to call them to repentance. While they're listening to this, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. Why? Because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. While they're listening to this story of salvation, Jesus jumps and he starts to tell them this parable. I'm not going to read the parable.

You could go read that on your own. But he starts to tell him this parable because he's like, man, even as I just told him the story of Zacchaeus, I'm coming in Jerusalem and they think that the kingdom of God is about to show up at once. They think something's about to happen that's not really about to happen. They think, I'm going to jump down to verse 37. It says when he came near the place where the road goes down to Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, teacher, rebuke your disciples. I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, look at this. He wept over it and said, even if you, even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace. But now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another. Why? Because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you. All because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you. Let me paint the picture for you one more time. Jesus lets them in on the story of Zacchaeus, talking about how he brought salvation. And as he's telling this story, he's approaching Jerusalem, and he knows that they have this expectation of a king who's going to overthrow Rome and save them. And the way that they expect it, and Jesus is like, they think I'm going to do what they got in their minds, that I'm going to do. And with this, they are cheering Jesus on, they're waving palms, they're laying palms on the floor, they're laying their cloaks on the floor, they're celebrating him, here he goes, Jesus, Jesus, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can. And they're screaming in there, yes, let's go. But Luke has this detail in his account of this moment that other gospels don't have.

Luke paints this picture, he says, while they're cheering, Jesus is crying, they're cheering. I know on Palm Sunday, we often talk about Hosanna, we often talk about Jesus, we praise him, we lift him up. But can you imagine in the moment of them cheering, Jesus is crying. Why would they be cheering while he's crying? Why would he be crying while they're cheering? Let me explain it to you, it's because he knew they were only cheering this version of him that they had in their mind. They were only getting excited about what they thought God was going to do. But he's like, as he's crying, if you only knew, if you only knew the real reason why I'm here. They had their own political motivations for what they wanted Jesus to do. They had their own plans and expectations for what they wanted Jesus to do. And that made them praise and worship and while they're doing it. You know what I found so interesting as I read this? When the Pharisees come to Jesus, this is the part that's only recorded in Luke. The Pharisees come to Jesus and they're like, tell your disciples to stop praising. Imagine this, Jesus knowing that they're praising him with for the wrong reasons. Jesus knowing that they praising him with the wrong motives. Jesus knowing that they're praising him, not understanding why he's there. Jesus knowing this, I would think Jesus would be like, you know what you're right, that's just stop praising me. Stop praising me until you understand why I'm here. Stop praising me until, stop praising me until you get it right. Jesus didn't tell them to stop praising him. Jesus said to the Pharisees, he said, if they don't praise me, the rocks will cry out. If they don't praise me, here's what he's saying. The nature of who I am demands a response. You raking your brain and getting mad and frustrated because they praising me loudly. You might as well continue to be annoyed because if they don't do it, the rocks are going to cry out.

You're going to stay mad because you can't keep the revelation of the truth silent. Somebody is going to cry out. You know, you know, you know, what else this tells me Don't be mad at me for this Our praise to Jesus is not dependent upon our personality I Praise is not dependent upon our personality. Our praise is dependent on a revelation of who he is Why is this important because I talked to so many people when it comes to praising Jesus and worshiping Jesus Oh, you know, it's I'm just I'm just you know Just you know, this is just who I am I'm just you know, I'm just reserved You know, I'm just quiet You know, I just don't really praise like that. It's just not my thing Is your praise dependent on a person your personality This is just who I am not about who he is He says if they don't do it the rocks gonna recognize who I am The fact that he said a rock will cry out what personality does a rock have Imagine a rock is like, you know, i'm just a rock. I don't really praise It's not my thing He said the very nature of who I am is going to demand a response And the only reason why you're not praising is because you don't have a revelation of who I am I'll skip back to the end of the scripture It said because you did not recognize the time of god's coming to you So jesus is coming through And they're praising him and they shout but verse verse 33 verse 37 says this it actually says The crowd of disciples begin to joyfully praise god and loud voices for what for the miracles they had seen So you mean to tell me they actually seen the miracles he did? This is when things become a little dangerous

Because they seen the miracles he did But their expectations of what they wanted him to do was so big That they use the evidence of him performing miracles to match it up with their own agenda They said he performed miracles He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He caused the lame to walk the blind to see This is the kind of king we need to overthrow rome This is the kind of king we need to do what we need him to do This is the kind of king we need tell I know what our political agenda. This is the kind of king we need And as they're cheering and getting excited about something that's not even gonna happen Jesus is crying like if they only knew That i'm not here to do what they want me to do I'm here to do what they need me to do As a pastor I talked to so many people Who come and they're talking about their wants I want this and I want this and mad at god because god is not showing up the way you want him to show up So We have a god that may not always do what we want, but he will never fail to do what we need Even if we don't understand it Even if we want to reject him for it, even if it causes us to be upset He is so committed to us He loves you so much That even when you reject him Even when you're mad at him, even when you don't understand him I'ma still do what you need I'ma still give my life for you I'ma still die for you Because you don't know you need what i'm about to do But just because you don't know you need it it's not gonna stop me from doing the thing you need

This is why it's so important for us to make a difference to be able to differentiate between wants and needs Could you imagine them in this moment thinking we need a God, a King who's going to come through violently and change this whole nation. We need a God who's going to come through and overthrow Rome and put to death the people and make and bring us back to our rightful stance. Imagine wanting a King that will kill for you but needing a King that will die for you. Imagine being so blinded by your expectation of Jesus that you can't see what he actually wants to do in your life. It's not uncommon for people to, looking back at, I started reading this poem Sunday and I'm reading this whole thing. I'm like, wait a second, all of this, all the poems, all the praise, all the shouting, was all a misunderstanding? Was this all because they thought he was going to, this is why you have to be careful with the praise of people because people will praise a version of you that they expect you to be but will try to crucify the reality of who you really are but be missing what God is doing the whole time. I love it because often in churches and in relationships, how many people I talk to, I'm like, you know, I've got discernment, I've got the gift of discernment, I can see right through. How could you have the gift of discernment and always miss what God is doing? It never ceases to amaze me how people who claim they've got discernment never seem to have it in the moment you need it most. I can't believe this, your discernment should have kicked in right around there. But God still doesn't do away with us. He still goes to the cross for us. This is important because although God still saves us and deliver us in the way he know we need, there are still consequences to spiritual blindness. Look at the scripture. It says, the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.

They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another because, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you. Folks, spiritual blindness has consequences. This is why when I come up and I'm preaching and I'm talking, I'm like, listen, God is going to do what he's going to do. But can you save yourself the heartache and surrender right now? Could you save yourself some of the unnecessary, some of the burdens, could you? But some of us are so blinded by our own plans. Some of us are so blinded by our own agenda. Some of us are so blinded by our own expectation. Our own expectation is so big that we cannot fall in line with God's plan. Some of us have these 10-year, 20-year, 50-year lists, in 10 years I'm going to do this, in five years I'm going to do this, in three years I'm going to do this. But what if God is like, I got something totally different planned for you? What if God is like, you like, you know, I want to get married at this age. I want to have kids by this point. I want the promotion at this time. I want healing at this moment. I want my kids to have breakthrough at this time. And you hear that Jesus answers prayer, you getting all excited for this, this, your own expectations. And Jesus is like, when I come through, the correct response is surrender. Like we preached last week. It's surrender that God, regardless of what my own plans are, regardless of what my own will is, God, not my will, but your will be done. That's the path that brings peace. They wanted to see change in their nation. Oh, if this is not important for America. They wanted to see change in their nation. They're crying out and they're excited

because they think God is going to be change in their nation the way they think God is going to be change in their nation. They think God is here to represent their own political agenda. And they're excited for it. God is like, no, the change I want to do is a change in your heart. And whatever I'm going to do in the nation is going to be through some people with surrendered hearts who let me into their hearts and change them on the inside. And now they're living differently. Now will you get excited about that? This is why Jesus was crying. Because he said, if they only knew, you could get loud and excited and cheer for Jesus and scream his name and throw out scriptures when you think he's going to do what you think he's going to do. When you think he's going to show up the way you think he's going to show up. Can you keep that same energy when you find out the thing he really wants to do is call you to surrender and repentance? Palm Sunday, I couldn't help when I read this scripture this week. Why don't we always talk about the tears of the crowd, but we never talk about the tears of Jesus? As if the tears of the crowd was the most important thing. As if the tears of the crowd is like, this is what we should be doing. Yeah, we actually should be doing it.

But how many of us could do it for the right reason? How many of us will still praise Jesus? Mm. There's an old theologian who has this quote. He says this. When Christ calls a man, he bids him to die. When Christ calls his followers, he invites you. Not come have an amazing time in Disney World, not come through a rally and, yeah, Jesus, no, no, no, no. That sounds good, though. That sounds amazing. You know what Jesus actually calls us to do? He said, take up your cross and follow me. You know why I'm really coming down right now? I'm coming to die. I'm coming to die on a cross for you. And I'm going to raise again, and I'm going to have power. I'm going to have new life. And when I raise, when you see this, I invite you on the same journey. Come die. Come surrender. Come lay down your goals. Come lay down your dreams. Come lay down your aspirations. Come lay it down the way I just did. Remember when I was in the garden praying, and I said, not my will, but your will be done? You start praying, God, not my will, but your will be done. I know this is a different Palm Sunday message,

and maybe I shouldn't have read it in Luke. Maybe I should have read it in one of the other versions where I didn't read the part where it said Jesus was crying. I feel now more than ever, we have a Jesus who's still crying. When he looks at people who gather in churches all over the country, when he looks at people who screams his name, and bears his name, and shouts Jesus, he's looking as they're cheering, and he's not stopping them. But don't confuse him not stopping them for his approval. He's still crying. He's still weeping. He's still like, if they only knew, if they only knew the real reason I came was to call them to repentance. What's to die and not just to die so you can say, is die so that I can give you new life. Die, surrender yourself, humble yourself, let go some things, forget your expectations. And as long as Jesus was on earth during this 33 years, out of all the things he did, out of all the miracles he performed, out of all the parables he told them, out of all the signs they seen, it's funny how on this last week of Jesus's life, where it says they didn't recognize him, it reminds me of when I go back to Christmas, when he first came and they said they didn't recognize him, what a tragedy. God who came down from heaven to earth, as we just sang, to show the way, it's like look hello, and yet we have so many people who still only want a version of Jesus that agree with their lifestyle. We still have so many people who only want a version of Jesus that's here to do their bidding. We still have so many people that only worship a version of Jesus that comes to overthrow whatever they don't like. And when we get to Good Friday, Jesus is on the cross, Jesus is being beaten, Jesus is

being bloodied, Jesus is being bruised. Where was all the people who were shouting for him? Where's all the people who was making way for the king? Where are all the people who were waving palms? Where are all the people who were his disciples? Where were they? Nowhere. They died alone, hung. You know what's even crazier than that moment? In the scripture I just read, out of all the miracles they had seen, out of all the signs they had seen, let's fast forward to about 2,000 years later, present day. We actually go in the Bible, we read the stories of all God did. We see he rose after he died. We see prophecy after prophecy that has come true. And yet, how many of us still don't recognize him? You thought they was tripping? You thought it was bad on them? What more evidence do you need to surrender? What more evidence do you need than to say, God, whatever you want to do in my heart, do it in my heart. I know it's not easy. I know it's not preferable. I know it will cause some isolation from the world. I know it will cause me to change some habits. I know it will cause me to have to change things. But God, I've seen what you did and I believe you and I surrender. My answer to you, God, is yes. My answer to you, God, is would you come into my heart? Would you change me? Would you make me into the person you want me to be so I can do the thing you want me

to do, so I can have the impact you want me to have? I know this is a wild question to ask. I know I might get some feedback after, people are like, well, maybe you shouldn't have asked it like that. This is why I'll say it now before the feedback comes. Would anybody die? Would anybody lay down their life? Would anybody give up their hopes and dreams? Would anybody say, God, my expectations is not worth it? If it costs me living for you, or is it too costly? Is it too inconvenient? Is it not pretty enough? Is it not galvanizing enough? The amazing thing about Jesus is this, bow your heads, close your eyes. Jesus will never ask us to do anything he hasn't demonstrated himself first. Through the pain, through the tears, through the rejection, through it all, Jesus says I'm still going to lay down my life, it's still not my way, but your way. Not my will, but your will. Jesus brings us the same invitation, will anybody follow my lead? There are some of us who I feel have made declarations and decisions for Christ, but it really wasn't a decision to change your life. It really wasn't a decision to turn from the life that you live. It really wasn't a decision to lay down everything and say God, I'll lay down this crown that I'm chasing and I'll pick up a cross. Let me take about 60 seconds in your seat right now and just reflect, where in your life have you elevated your own expectation of Jesus, your own preference, the things that you want Jesus to do, the things that you expect him to do, that you really haven't considered God, what do you actually want to do with this? What do you actually want to do here? Am I like those disciples who are waving palms and excited all because of the expectation

that I have, or will I actually praise you and worship you for who you really are? Father God, I pray even as we sit here now, God, would you begin to knock on the door of our hearts, would you begin to open up our eyes, our ears? Father to the things that you're calling us to lay down, I believe in this room there's some things that God is causing us to lay down. I said this, I met with some guys on Monday night, I say it often, there's some things that God is causing us to lay down and if it's hard for you to lay it down, it was probably in the way to begin with. What might God be asking you to lay down? What might God be asking you to give up? What might God be asking you to stop chasing at? Forget that, come follow me, come pick up your cross and follow me, I have something better for you, something that you wasn't expecting, something that you didn't know you needed but I know you need it and I'm right here, I'm right here and I'm willing to give it to you. The thing that you need, the thing that you go to bed crying about, that void in your heart, that emptiness in your soul, that thing that only I can provide, the thing that only I can do, I have it for you but it's going to take you to surrender, it's going to take you to lay it down. If you're in this room right now and you want to make a fresh surrender to Christ, you want to give God a fresh, yes God, whatever you say, I'll lay it down. If nobody else will do it, I'll be one who follows you, the real you, the real version of you, not this fake built up expectation that I have. If you're in this room and you want to make a fresh surrender to Jesus and say yes God, I hear you, I'm here, could you do me a favor, just slip your hand in the air, nobody looking around, I see you, I see you, I see you, I see you. Come on, continue to raise your hand. If you say I want to make a fresh surrender to you God, I don't even fully understand everything I'm even saying, if that's you, if you have your hand up, could you do me a favor, take one more step, could you come up to the front right now, could we clap for

them as they come up to the front, don't make them feel lonely, come on, I saw you raise your hand, come up to the front, come on up to the front, come on up to the front. Fresh surrender, God whatever it is that you want me to do, whatever path that you want me to walk, whatever my life may look like after this moment, God I say yes to you, come all the way up to the front, give them room. Join me. Come on, I'll give you time. And as you're here right now, I just want you to close your eyes and bow your heads and just begin to tell God, God, I want to give you my life. I want to rededicate my life to you. I want to give you a fresh surrender. Forgive me of my sins for turning from you, for not believing in you, for elevating my own expectations and plans above you. Talk to God. He hears you. You can raise the music in the room as they pray. Keep praying. I'll pray over everyone in a second, but I just want you to take some time with God right now. Raise the music. Give it to him. Fresh surrender. Fresh yes. Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice, for your blood. Thank you for calling us to you. God, you are so good. You are so real.

Can you do me a favor while you're here right now? I want you all that's here to repeat this prayer after me. This is a prayer of surrender. This is a prayer of submission. This is a prayer that you say, God, I'm giving you my life. I'm giving you my heart. And I'm going to rely on you to do a work in me that begins to transform me. Thank you. Say, dear God, all right. Can we say it together? Can we say, dear God, I come today humbled, asking you to forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me, make me new, redeem me, wash me, purify me, live in me, change me, make me new so I can live for you, so I can be a light to the world, to my family, to my work. Forgive me, heal me, make me new, and set me on fire for you. May your spirit dwell in me and change me forever. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen. Can we begin to give God some praise? Amen. If you prayed that prayer, sometimes the mistake is we come to the front, we pray this prayer, and we expect something magical to happen. We go on and we continue to live our lives

however we want to live our lives. I love how Peter, when he preached to the masses, he told them, he said this, he said, repent like you just did, turn from your ways like you just did, he said, and be baptized. He said, take that next step. Don't just stop at prayer, don't just stop at repent, repent and be baptized. So some of you here, this is your first time praying that prayer, and we want to begin to walk you along a journey that doesn't just stop here, it starts here. It doesn't just stop here, it starts here. So can we do this? Can we put up the baptism? Because this is what I want you to do, this is how we're going to keep in touch with you. Can the production team do the baptism slide? If you're here and you prayed this prayer for the first time, and you haven't been baptized before, or you want to make a fresh surrender to Christ and be baptized, I want you to scan that QR code. I want you to enter your information so we can keep in touch with you and we can start to walk you through these next steps. Because when God calls you, he doesn't just call you for no, he calls you to a new family,

a new body, new identity. And over this next season, we're going to walk you through what that means to be new and live a new life. So I want you to scan that QR code and begin to pray, and when the team will be in touch with you around next steps. Everybody. this room stand. Lift your hands to God. Father God we thank you for your sacrifice we thank you for the lives that you're moving in and touching that's even at this front of the room who's prayed to you and repented. Father God I pray that you give us the power the strength to take this next step and begin to walk this journey to where you called us to walk. Father God can we stop the music one time? No music. Father God I pray for each and every person in this room who's going to walk out and teach it treat this as a casual moment. Father God I pray that this moment not be casual. It's not another run-of-the-mill holiday week. Father God I pray that you begin by the power of your spirit just to put the weight of this moment make it real to your people. Don't let anyone walk out and be deceived, tricked, sidetracked, distracted. Don't let the seeds that was planted today be snatched up. Let it grow down and grow Let it grow down and grow root into the heart of your people and may Rochester begin to be changed by what you're doing in the hearts of your people through prayer and in this house. In Jesus precious and mighty name I pray. Amen. Have a blessed rest of the week. Stand like you are cold. Baptisms are coming. We love you. We will see you next week.