Sermon Tone Analysis

RECORD

It was my intention to open this sermon by stating that it is my personal policy not to use this pulpit as my own personal soapbox, but then I began to think about all the different things I have said about Yamaha motorcycles, the New England Patriots and other subjects that may be near and dear to me and it occured that I do, in fact, like to use this pulpit as my own personal soapbox

So why should today be any different?

I want to begin with a pet peeve of mine

And no it has nothing to do with whether or not people return their carts to the cart collection area

This morning I want to talk about loyalty, or the lack thereof

Recently Liane and I went through a process that we do from time to time which is to review our bills and see if and where we might be able to save a little bit of money

Although many expenses are fixed and there’s nothing that you can do about them, we have found that many of our monthly expenses creep up with time with a small increase here and a small increase there and that with a little due diligence we can reduce these costs, usually while improving the service

Anyway, the last time we did this we came across one such scenario, when we looked at our internet bill and compared that to the rates our company had posted on-line we realized that we could triple our internet speed while at the same time reducing our monthly bill

Win-Win right?

Well except for one little hitch, when we called the company to make the change we heard the one reply that is perhaps more infuriating than any other, “That deal is only for NEW customers.”

Whatever happened to a time when companies rewarded the loyalty of their customers?

It seems to me that the majority of larger companies tend to forget that it is easier and more cost effective to hold onto a loyal customer than it is to try and attract new ones

And unfortunately this trend is not only between companies and customers but between companies and employees

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker currently holds ten different jobs before age forty, and this number is projected to grow.

Forrester Research predicts that today's youngest workers will hold twelve to fifteen jobs in their lifetime

While that is an American statistic, workopolis.com recently did a study in Canada and concluded that “Canadians can expect to hold roughly 15 jobs in their careers.”

That’s not in their lifetime mind you but just once they get into their chosen career

I guess I better pick up the pace then because that means if I want to retire at 65 I still have at least 13 churches to Pastor in the next 16 years

Loyalty is just not something that our society seems to put a high value on any more which is a real shame

Of course, as Solomon said, “There’s nothing new under the sun” meaning that the more things change the more that they stay the same

Today as we celebrate Palm Sunday and the “Triumphant entry” of Christ into the city of his fore-father David, the city where Christ promised to establish His reign that would never end, we have an excellent opportunity to witness the importance of loyalty

This morning I want to the opportunity to stir anew our loyalties to Jesus Christ our Lord by considering the different ways that people failed in their loyalties during this most holy week

As we consider the different times that Jesus entered Jerusalem and what happened each time

To do that we’re going to consider Matthew’s perspective of this story as recorded in the 21st chapter of his gospel

Just before we get into the text and my 3 points I want to make sure that we are all thinking about the same thing when I talk about loyalty

Just before we get into the text and my 3 points I want to make sure that we are all thinking about the same thing when I talk about loyalty

I’m not talking about blind faith but rather as the dictionary defines it, “faithful to one’s oath, commitments, or obligations” “The state or quality of being faithful.

Faithful adherence to a person, cause, duty etc”

The first are where we see that loyalty is of supreme importance is in our service to Christ

Let’s go to our text,

Matthew 21:1-3

The “biggest” day of Christ’s ministry was about to take place, Jesus was going into Jerusalem and everyone was excited

Crowds were forming, the city was buzzing and people were looking towards Jesus for some kind of big announcement or action

And in the middle of all of this excitement Jesus calls 2 of His disciples and tells them to run ahead, get a donkey and bring it back to Him

Now while all of the gospels record the triumphant entry none of them tell us who these 2 disciples were but I don’t really think that it matters who they were, knowing the disciples reputation for fighting to be #1 in this little group, this command had to be a shot to the ego

I don’t know how far ahead they had to walk ahead to get this donkey but you can imagine their conversation, ‘Are you kidding me? 3 years we have been working along side Him preparing for this moment and He sends us to go get a donkey.

Why did He choose me anyway?

You could have done this on your own.’

Of course I am just speculating here but imagine the fear of missing the big event because of some menial task

Yet Matthew tells us just how important a task this really was as he continues on in the story

Matthew

These two disciples probably had no idea of how important a job they had been given

It was their task to facilitate the fulfillment of this prophecy of God

What if their egos had gotten in the way?

Or if they decided it was beneath them or they didn’t want to miss the big event?

The big event wasn’t even possible apart from their loyalty, their faithfulness to Jesus and so Matthew records,

Matthew 21:

In King Saul is given very specific instructions by God through the prophet Samuel to “…attack the Amelekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them… men, women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

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1 Samuel 15:

Saul claimed that he had done this to make sacrifices to God but because of this lack of total loyalty to God and His commands Saul grieved God and God ultimately removed Saul from the throne and gave it to David

Because of this lack of total loyalty to God and His commands Saul grieved God and God ultimately removed Saul from the throne and gave it to David

This is where we get that famous verse “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

To make matters a little more interesting I suggest that when you get home you continue reading on in where you will also find the Parable of the 2 Sons

The second area that we need to make sure we are being loyal is in the area of our gifts and talents

Matthew 21:7

What would you do if someone walked up to your driveway, got into your brand new car and prepared to drive away with it telling you, ‘It’s okay Jesus needs it.’

Do you have any idea why God has gifted you with the gifts and talents that He has?

The reason is simple, because He knew that one day He would need them

In the parable of the talents Jesus talks about how God gave to different people according to their abilities but the one person chose to do nothing with what God had given

Do you remember the master’s reaction when he returned and demanded an account?

A little bit different than his response to the other two servants to whom he said, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

How about you?

Can you say with complete certainty that you are being loyal with your talents, that you are being faithful to your obligation?

Our final point is found in the first 11 verses and it is a strong reminder to us to be loyal in our worship

Matthew 21:7-

All of this praise, all of this worship

But why here and why now?

Well the answer to that question can be found in a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah

The people were full of praise and worship on that particular day because of what they were expecting this man Jesus to do for them, He had come to set them free

Free from the tyranny of Rome, free from the oppressive taxes, free from the constant threats and the forced obedience, free to have their country back

But oh how their loyalties changed when only a few days later they realized that Jesus wasn’t going to do for them what they had expected, or as we know, not in the way they expected

This is the scenario on Friday,

Matthew 27:

Now before we are too quick to condemn them for their abrupt change, we had first better take a look at ourselves and make sure that we’re not guilty of doing the same thing for the same reason

In the Mercy Me song inspired by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, called “Even If” we find these lyrics

They say sometimes you win some

Sometimes you lose some

And right now, right now I'm losing bad

I've stood on this stage night after night

Reminding the broken it'll be alright

But right now, oh right now I just can't

It's easy to sing

When there's nothing to bring me down

But what will I say

When I'm held to the flame

Like I am right now

I know You're able and I know You can

Save through the fire with Your mighty hand

But even if You don't

My hope is You alone

They say it only takes a little faith

To move a mountain

Well good thing

A little faith is all I have, right now

But God, when You choose

To leave mountains unmovable

Oh give me the strength to be able to sing

It is well with my soul