Matthew 21

If you have your Bibles turn with me to Matthew chapter 21, as you're turning there. Let me encouraged you to get involved. Get involved in missions. Get involved in sharing the gospel. But don't wait do it now. A man. The world is dying, and there's many people on the way to hell because they have not heard or have not accepted Christ as their lord and savior. If they have not heard, they have an opportunity to hear before it's too late. If they have her, the responsibility as theirs now to receive or reject. That's our choice. We have to decide whether we want to not just have him as our savior. There's a lot of people that have that but is he your lore? There's a big difference. If he's your lord, not just your savior. Then you want to serve him, you want to do for him as needs to be done today. As we look into Matthew chapter 21, we find the story of Palm Sunday, Jesus entering into Jerusalem, just days before his death. Days before he used to give up his life, for those who have rejected him, those who scorn him, those who mock him. Plus those who love him. He laid down his life freely for the whole world. If you just had Days to Live. If you knew that this was your last week upon this Earth. How would you go about spending your last days?

Many would make those final plans that maybe have never been made buttoning up some of those things that need to be buttoned up. So the family doesn't have much to have to worry about when it's all said and done.

I like watching American Pickers every now and then you ever watch that show those guys that say all that stuff and they got garages and garages and sheds and sheds of stuff. And they say, well, I realize I'm getting old enough to have to start getting rid of it because my family wants nothing to do with it. And if they don't take care of before they die, guess who gets to take care of it, the family, right? I mean, there's some pretty neat stuff in some of those garages and barns and sheds and whatnot. But it's all the stuff of life that over the years have been accumulated. And some people can accumulate a lot of stuff. Can they not? How many of you have lived in your house over 20 years? Are you ready to move? You should have cumulated a lot of stuff. I lived in the house up in Greenville for 7 years. I didn't realize how much stuff we have a cat accumulated until it's time to move. And we got a dumpster and we needed another dumpster and we needed another dumpster cuz he threw a lot of stuff away that it was down in the cellar and just never was going to use. Until I got rid of it. You know how that is, right? You get rid of it. Now, you need it. Matthew chapter 21 and all the gospels have a story of Palm Sunday, Jesus entering into Jerusalem. They all look at it from their perspective. It's not wrong because it may be a little different, how they see it. It's the same story just from their point of view, where, where they were at that moment and what they saw taking place. Palm Sunday is celebrated on the Sunday before Easter. So that's why we're here today. Every every year. We celebrate Palm Sunday, every year. I've got to think of something different. Something better, something greater to everybody with, but I don't have to because it's the word of God in that out of Wallace enough. The word of God is sharper. It's powerful. It's quicker than any two-edged sword. And we need to understand that the things that God has for us and apply it to her life. Palm Sunday, signifies the start of Holy Week. Now, you don't wait till this Sunday to start being holy. We had to be working on that every day of Our Lives, a man. If you're here this morning, you know, Christ as your lord and savior Holiness ought to be a part of our life. I've had many people talk to me about life. And God just wants me to be happy. So here's to the direction. I'm going to go with a what's happening. And I say, God doesn't really care about your happiness. He cares about your Holiness and when we Are, Holy happiness comes, but if we are not wholly, we cannot have true happiness because the things of this world may bring us peace and happiness for a. Of time. And then it rots and rusts and gone. And where is the happiness then? So don't wait. Began being holy, don't, wait it out to be something. We're working on every day of Our Lives. But what is the actual significance of Palm Sunday? This this holy day. How does it play a part of the greater story of Christ's life Christ, death in, Christ's Resurrection. Is my life different today? Because it's Palm Sunday is my life going to be different next week because it's Easter. And the reality of that is probably will be in and out of me every day. I'll be better for the Lord, but I shouldn't have to change because of the season. I ought to be striving daily. To live for Jesus read Matthew chapter 21 verse 1 through 11. As we begin this morning. Now, when they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethpage at the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus had two disciples saying to them go into the village opposite, you and immediately, you will find a donkey tied in a cult with her loose them and bring them to me. And if anyone says anything to you, you should say, the Lord has need of them in the middle e, he will send them all. This was done that, it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by. The prophet saying, tell the daughter of Zion behold. Your king is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey, a Colton, the fall of a donkey. So when the disciples went dead as Jesus commanded them, they brought the donkey and the cult lay their clothes on them and said him on them and spread their clothes on the road, otherwise cut down, branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitude who went before in those, who followed cried out saying, Hosanna to the son of David blessed, is he who comes in the name of the Lord hosanna in the highest? And when he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved saying, who is this? So the multitude said, this is Jesus. The prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. Let us pray. Father this morning. Have you open up your word as we look into? What you have for us individually, what you have for us, collectively, wait, maybe you lay aside the business of Our Lives, a business of this day and focus upon you and allow you to work in our lives. As only you can Father, you know, the burdens in each life, you know the the pain and sorrow that many people may be suffering today. Help us a lay aside, those birds help us to allow you to rule and reign in our hearts and our lives and remove that pay. Remove that Sorrel as best as you can. Father, help us, help us to serve you with everything. We have in Jesus name, we pray. Amen. If you had just a few days to live. What would you be doing? What would you need to button up? What would you need to finalize? What in your life? Would you need to change? We have some flowers here up front with us this morning. They're from Diane Sampson, Rebecca Tolleson mother, who passed away this past week. I was privileged to go and visit with her last Sunday after church. And as we sat down and talked to you, she knew she understood that she didn't have long on this world to live. She didn't know when that day was going to come. She didn't know how it was going to be. She had her faith in her Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. She shared her face with her family. With her friends, everybody that she could share her face with it made a difference in their lives. Not all of them immediately accepted Christ as our Lord and savior saw them. We got mad at her for sharing her face because she when she became a Believer, it changed her. It changes. He became a new creation for Jesus serving ham and worshipping him and sharing him with those around. And last week as I'm talking with her, here. She is at the last days of her life. Last hours last moment. She didn't know. She said, I don't know when that day is past reply. She goes. I I know what that I have Jesus in my heart. I know that I'm his child. But I don't know what's going to happen on the other end. And I said that, you know what, none of us though, cuz we not not up not one of us have done that yet. Not one of us. Is that have died. We're all here in like anybody here. Who died yet? We're all here. Yes. We we hear about it. We think about it was it was going to be a long ways off and for some it might be but for some it's not we know that also true. Do we not with family and friends and loved ones those around us who God has chosen for whatever reason to take home early.

God knows our days are numbered with him. He knows exactly the day that Clyde mccaskill is going to die here on this Earth. But that's the age of 78. I made a choice at the age of 7. I accepted Christ as my Lord and my savior. Jesus Come into my heart. Save me. I believe that he would because I believe it he did.

How did my life change at 7 years of age without worldly? There? Probably wasn't a whole lot of change. I was still up snot nose little kid. The youngest of five siblings and they would tell you how spoiled I was and how rotten I was and how I would pick on them as a little child and get away with it. That's their story. I also will tell you how I watched him, get in trouble as they grew up. And I realized I'm not going to do it that way. They taught me some things. Maybe I shouldn't have known. Write how to get around, but I still got in trouble. I just didn't get in trouble that way.

Life comes at all of us. God knows exactly when that moment. And that time is for each and everyone of us. He knows the days. Our days are numbered. He has it all figured out. We don't. Maybe we're wishing the Lord would take us home today. Maybe we're wishing that we could live another 40 years. This world keeps going in the direction. It's going. It's going to be woe. Is me a man. But God's got it figured out. He doesn't make a mistake. Although it feels like in our lives that he does many times. He took my mother when I was 13 years of age. I I didn't understand that. But I know that I will see her again because of her faith and her trust in Jesus Christ. But back to you. If this was your last week to live, and you knew it. What would you be taking care of? We see what Jesus was taking care of. He wasn't concerned about it. So he knew what was coming. He knew from the very beginning of time. What was to be done? In fact in his three-year Ministry upon this Earth the last three years of his life as he did, his Earthly Ministry, going from place to place sharing what God has done sharing this Faith with others being rejected, being mocked at being ridiculed, being chased being threatened, to be put to death. And over and over, and over again. As you read the route, the gospels people looking to kill him in the crowd would gather together. They would come in and try to get a hold of him and all of a sudden, he's gone. He's disappeared into the crowd and they can't find him.

Over and over again. Those twelve men who walked with and would say there, but Lord you don't need to go to that town because they don't like you there. They're looking to kill you and Jesus would say to them, well, that we can go there because now's not the time for them to kill me. He knew he knew and over and over. And over again, is now is not the time. Now is not the time, now is not the time until that moment. And the last supper at the Last, Supper way, he gathered together with those 12, man. And he says, Now's the Time. You man, go do what you need to do. You men go. Take care of the Ministries that you're called to do at this point. Judas. You go do your thing. Peter, you're going to go do your thing, and I'm not going to do that. Yes. Peter, you will. Before the cock crows Peter, you will deny me three times. Not me. Lord. Have you ever said that? Judas went betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And when you got it, it didn't mean much to him because he knew what he had done and he tried to return it. They wouldn't take it because it was blood money. So, we drove it into the temple. He wanted no part of that, 30 pieces of silver. Yet he didn't turn his face back to God. He walked away and scripture says he goes and he hangs himself. He committed suicide. And then it says he goes to his own place. That's not the place that God has made for you. And for me, that's not that place. He talks about in John chapter 14. We'll talk a little bit about in a little bit. The funny part about it. He wanted no part of that, 30 pieces of silver, but you know what they did with that Thirty pieces of silver. They took that money and they went and they bought a cemetery Potter force field. And you know who is buried there? Judas. Sometimes When We Don't Turn back when we don't repent and all of us have an opportunity, all of us have a chance. We can do that. We can get rid of the things of Our Lives. That's holding us back in. Time to sit down and we can follow Jesus the thief on the cross. Did it at the last minute. I don't suggest you wait to the last minute, cuz none of us know when that is.

But having my conversation with Diane on Sunday, she said, I don't know what that's going to be like, and I said, that's where faith comes in and that's where the hope of what God has done. Willow verse. Come all of those fears that we have. Jesus is riding into Jerusalem. He was on his way with his disciples to celebrate the Passover. When they reach the Mount of Olives, scripture tells us he sent two of his disciples to go retrieve a donkey. A Colt for him in a full that was with them and bring them to him and their concern was with Lord. What if, what if we had we going on tired and the owners of that, say, hey, what are you doing? And that happened? It's all just tell him that the Lord has need of them and they'll let it go. Let it take place. And Zachariah chapter 9 verse 9 says Rejoice greatly o Daughter of Zion shout or daughter of Jerusalem. Behold your king is coming to you. He is just, he is having salvation lowly and riding on a donkey, a Colt, the foal of a donkey. Not a picture, a king. Riding on a donkey was not what they would picture. You would picture it a king, right? Again? The best stallion that was there. All that's happened. Stree on that. That would just pop out it and make you know, that he was somebody special.

But here on Palm Sunday, the King of Kings, and the Lord of lords is riding in on a donkey. People have thrown their coats on top of the donkey for him to sit on in the right on the throne, branches on the ground. Their coats on the ground for him to ride over. It is as if his own ticker tape, parade was taking place and they were there to celebrate.

But not the way that they would celebrate. A Worldly King, not the way that maybe we celebrate those athletes. And those people that we put in that right position. But here's what he does. He he's looking for people to serve him looking for people to do his will even when it doesn't make sense. A man. Have you been there? Lord, you want me to do? What? Go do it, don't lose the donkeys and bring them to me.

How many donkeys? Do you have tied up in your life? That need to be loosed. Given to Jesus so he can help you get on with your life. What is it that's keeping you from serving God. The way that? You should. We've all got something. We've all got, maybe more than something. What is this beeping you from being all that? God wants you to be? Jesus has provided everything for us that we need in order to serve him with everything that we have, and it doesn't matter if you're a billionaire, or it doesn't matter if you got one penny in your pocket.

As the Widow gave her one might. God, he was proud of that. He was pleased with that because the rich guy still around at the church conference, and saw her, give her one night and ridiculed her made fun of her house. Look at that. She gave One mic. I must be pretty good. I've given him a thousands and thousands and that's all she's got. Can you imagine what what's a sense of that? It's easy to give when you got it to give.

Right. When you got nothing left? And you give it all? Where's your face? All my faith is in my bank account, a billion that I got left over or my faith is in God, and which now he's going to have to provide for everything. Cuz I don't even have a Mite to my name.

Remember penny loafers. Right. Member when they quit, putting pennies in a penny loafer started, putting dimes in the penny loafers. You're really rich now, right?

I just had loafers. Not sure what that meant the wearing. Any pennies, no dimes in and just loafers.

God provides for us, but we got to be willing to release whatever's keeping us. From serving him. They went in, they release the donkeys. They brought him to Jesus and Jesus use them to present himself as king of kings and Lord of lords. As I said, this, this entry that we have of Palm Sunday is in all four of the Gospels. They look at it differently from their own perspective, from their own eyes, the stories, the same. Just like my story of Salvation. I was saying at the age of 7 and it's my story. Our story is the same way because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what saves us. But at what age did you get saved? At the age of 7. I didn't have very many donkeys tied up. What's the significance of a donkey? It's a humble servant. It is a humble animal. It's a worker. It wasn't there. The brilliant. Stallion that you would see a royal king riding in on with all the pump in the circumstances, because that's not what Jesus wants us to focus on. He wants us to focus. On his peaceful coming.

When's the last time you had screw piece? When's the last time that you truly understood true piece?

I'm going to do the same thing. I did this morning. I'm going to sit right here and share a little story with you because I think it was strange that. So, whoever's on the camera, can either get the top of my head or nothing.

Remember having true peace. When the last time I I remember story in my life a time in my life, seven years of age, living in Texas, against a tree looking up at the Blue Sky in the white clouds. Just staring off into space. I would do that every now and then.

Peaceful. Very peaceful. Oblivious to everything that was going on around me until somebody came to me and said that my mom or my dad or somebody needed me. So, I got up. Took care of whatever that need was. I went back to that place cuz it was a peaceful place is like man. I want to go back and I want to recreate that and I sit back down in that crunchy grass. Texas, if you ever been there, you know what I'm talking about. Leaned back against that tree looked up to the sky, looked up the clouds and it was the same spot. Same Sky. Maybe some different clouds come in at that point. I don't remember but I couldn't recreate that piece that I had before. I'm trying to make it happen. It's like, why can't I get that feeling that? I just had a little while ago?

Isn't that true and wife about salvation?

You accept Christ as your lord and savior. The peace that passes all understanding overwhelms, you the 11th. Everything. Go because, you know, that's what you're supposed to let go and let God. He not only is my savior at that point. He's my Lord.

But then, as I grew a little older.

And I begin tying up some donkeys. I began holding on to some things that I probably, I'll just let go. That peaceful feeling that God is in control. And yes, I know that God's in control, but you know what? I'm trying to control or God's in control of it that never works. When God says, give it Let him have it all loose the donkeys. I don't just let him go easily lose them and bring them to me because I can take care of my can do with them. What needs to happen. I can take your burdens, your trials and tribulations. I can turn them into Joy. If you'll just allow me. To do that. Revelation 19:11 as read verses 11 through 16. Revelation chapter 19. We have this picture of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Which is in contrast to his second coming, when he will come on the horse. And when he comes on that horse, he's not bringing. Peace. He's bringing judgment. Revelation 19:11. He said, now, I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true. And his righteousness. He judges and makes War. His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood. And his name is called the word of God and the armies in heaven clothes and fine, linen white and clean followed him on white horses. No out of his mouth goes, a sharp sword that with it. He should strike the nation and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself Treads the winepress of the fierceness and Wrath of almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh, a name written. King of Kings. In Lord of lords. Is he? Your king. Is he your lord? He wants to be more than just your savior. He wants to be your lord, as well. And when he is your lord than we are releasing, the things that's holding us back from being all that. He wants us to be. We're releasing the things that's keeping us. I'm serving him with all that we have. Go with me. If you want to song 118. Psalm 118. The people were blind to the scriptures, as he said his Zakaria 99 that Rejoice, he's coming just and having salvation Loli. Riding on a donkey. They were blind to that scripture about why? Because years ahead of time. They're saying, what's going to happen down the road and many years from now. And here, we see that taking place. Matthew chapter 21 through out the gospels, but listen to what he says. In Psalm 118, look at verse 26, and we're going to jump up the first 22 blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord, we have blessed you from the house of the Lord. 12 to verse 22. Just the stone, which the builders rejected has become the Chief, Cornerstone. This was a Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. But I like with his, this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Have you had that piece? What is it that needs to be loosed in your life? What is it that you got tied up and say, Lord, I would serve you if it wasn't for. These responsibilities I have. Don't you think God could take care of your responsibilities? Whatever it is. That's holding you back from serving. If he wants you to serve him like Norm said, right in some songs. God gives it. I ride it. Amen, do it. Do it. There's nothing worse than being all bound up with words. A lot of stuff in you that you got to get out but you can't get it out. You can't say it. Nothing worse than having a bunch of donkeys tied up inside. Why you keep talking about the donkeys? They're not special. Well beyond had a special donkey, didn't he? Remember his donkey? This donkey talked to him. His donkey did what you got medicine questions, like this wall. So the donkey turned around as he was beating a donkey and he said hey, stop that.

Has your donkey ever talked to you? Has those things that you've got up and tied up in to you, as you say, I'm going to let this lose. Let no, no, no, don't let it go. It. Where am I going to eat? What am I going to do? How am I going to survive?

See our faith, many times, is not truly in God, the way it oughta be. Our faith. Many times is truly in ourselves how we can gain things and how we can hold onto things. And if our life was to end this week. What would you do? How would you survive? Who are you trusting in? Jesus came that we may have life and not just any life. But Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly. Are you living the Abundant Life? Hey, when God is in the right place, then we can live that a bunch of life. But when God is not in that right place, and when we're holding onto things and not letting them lose that God wants us to lose, not being the Cervantes called us to be. We lose that peaceful feeling. What did Jesus say in John 14:27? Peace, I leave with you. My peace. I give you. Not the world's peace. It's messed up. But God's peace is perfect. God's. Peace is right, God's. Peace is one in which you just want to stop and give it all to God. And there it is again, but it's never like that. True. Peace, we have when we trusted him as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we can only do that one time. We can only truly trust him once because once we've truly trust him. We become his child and no one can remove us out of his hand when we haven't truly trusted him as Windows moments in time for the Lord. If you're riding it. Just, this is true. Okay, I'll believe in you just in case and that doesn't work. If you have a just in case salvation. Be careful. What we talked about last week, the Apostle, Paul said, I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded, that is able to keep that, which I've committed keep that, which I've lost to him. Until that day. Does he have you? Are you his?

Is he yours? If he is truly yours, then you need to be his. To be used off as he sees fit father. We thank you. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the work that you have done on Calvary. That is perfect needs. Nothing else. All we have to do to have that salvation is Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just a head knowledge. It's a little more than just knowing about him and saying, well, yes, just in case. It's having a relationship. Letting go of the things that's keeping us from truly having that relationship with him that we need to have. And just say yes to Jesus and walking hand-in-hand with him as he guys's. And as he directs us daily. We thank you. I pray that anyone here this morning who has not accepted Christ as their lord, and as their savior that today, they say yes to Jesus. I believe I can fetch my sense to you. Lord help me now to walk in the newness of life that you have laid out before me in faith. When we do that. We mean that truly We become a child of God. We don't truly mean it. It really is just words and nothing backing it up. Help us father. God to release whatever is keeping us from serving you. The way we should in Jesus name, we pray.