Sylvania Wesleyan Church 1
Sunday Morning 4/13

      • Galatians 5:13NIV2011

  • Today is palm Sunday. We celebrate this week as the day that Jesus triumphantly entered into the city of Jerusalem.
    I always find it interesting that when we talk about this we think about one weeks time but this story often takes place chapters before the end of the books of the Gospel. There are several events that follow this story and they fall within a very short time frame. This story kicks it all off though. Let’s read how this story plays out.
    Matthew 21:8–11 NIV
    8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
    Luke 19:35–38 NIV
    35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
    Mark 11:7–11 NIV
    7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 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 heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
    Jesus entered into the city to the roar of a crowd and to the celebration of the coming of the Messiah. They Shouted Hosanna!

    Hosanna

    The Word Hosanna is the combination of two Hebrew words and then is transliterated into Greek. In short the best way to translate and understand this word is to reference the Hebrew not to look at the Greek.
    It literally translates to “save, we Pray”
    This would have been used in Jewish liturgy during prayers sung during the feast of Tabernacles. Worshipers would walk around the alter and say,
    “save now, we beseech thee, O Lord! We Beseech thee, O lord, Send now prosperity”
    We also see it well in Psalm 118:25
    Psalm 118:25 NIV
    25 Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success!
    The Hosanna Ritual combines the idea of praising realized victories over the nations and sympathetic prayers for salvation.
    This is why it is shouted in a time of celebration and visible connection to the hope of salvation of who Jesus was and who the crowd thought he was going to be in his entry into the city.
    This is the triumphal entry the coming of the Savior.

    Looking For Hope

    The truth of the matter is that as humans we look for hope often in the people that we follow. Many people look to all kinds of people to inspire hope and courage from someone in difficult times.
    In many ways part of my job is to give you some hope and encouragement as a leader. To help you see the benefit and hope of the good news of the Gospel and to help you grow in it.
    We look to other people to provide us with hope as well.
    Hollywood likes to immortalize it in the dramatic monologue of a coach, or a school teacher, sometimes the president, or some other leader.
    You know the moment I am talking about that big moment they stand up and give the speech that is inspires the men, team, or crowd to do great things.
    Everyone goes out ready to fight, or to win the day. That’s what we look for. I mean isn’t that what is happening here with Jesus entering into Jerusalem?
    One of the reasons I like the Mark passage is the fact it down plays what is supposed to be this glorious moment.

    Mark

    I mean it is amazing how quick it starts and how quick it ends in Mark’s Gospel.
    Mark 11:8–11 NIV
    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 heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
    People came they celebrated and they left.

    Mark

    Mark’s Gospel unlike Matthew and Luke forces us to look at what does not happen.
    Luke reports that if the people didn’t do it the very stones would have cried out.
    Matthew talks about the whole city being stirred up.
    Marks like “He came, the celebrated, they went home, it was late, so Jesus went to Bethany” No biggie.
    Mark points us to something important though. He points us to the idea that faith and popularity should not be mistaken for being a disciple of Jesus.
    At the end of the day it reminds us that there are no Accidental Saints.

    No Accidental Saints

    Think about this for a moment. The crowd that came to see Jesus was excited and they knew who they thought he was going to be.
    They were celebrating.
    I mean clearly they were all followers of Jesus right.
    They must have all been disciples.
    They must have all been so devoted that they wanted to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the city.
    They all became Saints of the church right?
    The truth is that many of the crowd probably never saw Jesus as anything more than a hopeful messiah that was coming to deliver them from the oppression and reign of the Romans.
    Or did some of you wake up one morning look in the mirror and was like,
    “Wow, would you look at that? I became a Saint. Isn’t that weird”
    I mean I am free of all worry, care, judgmentalism, lust, and anger; Money no longer has any hold on my heart; I’m no longer run by fear and the need to look good to others is gone. I’ve been pervaded by love, even love for my enemies. What a nice coincidence.
    Umm…Can I ask what you did the night before so I can wake up that way.
    The Truth is that the crowd came to see Jesus but they made the choice to either follow after him or to go home. Even if they followed after him they had to make a daily choice to continue to follow after him each and every day.
    We talked about last week but Spiritual formation will happen no matter what. We will be shaped but to be a person of love in Christ will not without an intentional choice.
    Where do we start.

    The 3 Part Formula

    Spiritual formation in the North American church often looks like this. It breaks down into a simple 3 part formula. It really only takes three steps. Many of you have heard these steps before. Whatever, May be said remember these three steps are essential to getting you to be a follower of Jesus. First...
    Go to Church
    Read Your Bible and Pray
    Give
    Okay, let’s be honest for a moment. These are important parts of our faith. They all are a part of who I am and essential in my opinion to a Good walk with Christ, but...
    How many of us have walked this life and may not feel any closer to God?
    Why are there hundreds and thousands of people who have lived this life and walk away from church to never come back?
    Why is there a movement of people who are deconstructing their faith?
    The problem lies in this view of the Christianity has its problems.

    Breaking down the Wall

    The challenge that comes with the idea of Go to Church, read your bible and pray, and give to the church is it leads us to a good place but it isn’t the final destination.
    Let’s take a moment and walk through the life of a believer.
    You come to faith. You recognize the need for God in your life. This is the first step. This leads hopefully to other believers pouring into your life and helping you discover the power of Discipleship and you start to practice going to church, reading and praying, and giving. You become a productive Christian.
    You participate in the life of a church you attend regularly, you give, you pray. You wash rinse and repeat. Little did you know you feel like you have had a successful life as a Christian because you are being productive after all. What you don’t know is you have come up to a wall that you don’t realize is in your way from something more.
    The wall is there but you ignore it because you are productive and happy. You feel content. After awhile you might begin to feel disappointment and think is there more to this than just going to church, praying, and giving?
    Well I can do this at home on my own? So you give up going to church? You don’t mind becuase it frees up some money so you can enjoy your life as you want. You also have more time on your hands becuase why do i need to read my bible each day when I know what it says. Who do i have to pray for now that I am no longer a part of a community. The spiral starts and before you know it you simply never break past the wall of being a good little Christian.
    What if there is more to our faith than simply becoming a productive member of a church?
    What if we are called to be a people of love? What if we are called to search deep within and root out all the things in our life that are keeping us from God?
    What would happen is after we work to seek him deep within who we are suddenly there is a freedom that we find that is unlike anything else we have experienced.
    We no longer are worried just about being a productive Christian. Instead, we are consumed by the love of God in our lives and the love of God pours out into the world around us.
    We aren’t bound by the burden of sin, we aren’t bound by the worries of the world, we are only bound by our deep and passionate love for God.
    We become what he has called us to be. WE have become Holy.

    The Crowd

    WE move from being just another face in the crowd to a follower. To becoming an apprentice of Jesus. We start out and recognize that it is through him that we can do this. It is through his arrival into our lives that this is possible.
    We aren’t just going to go home we are going to become like him. We are going to live out the life that Jesus set for us and we are going to be his followers and not just another face in the crowd ready to go home when the parade is over.
    Are you ready?
    Let’s Pray.

      • Matthew 21:8–11NIV2011

      • Luke 19:35–38NIV2011

      • Mark 11:7–11NIV2011

      • Psalm 118:25NIV2011

      • Mark 11:8–11NIV2011

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