"ESTABLISHING OUR FAITH IN GOD EVEN WHEN THINGS LOOK IMPOSSIBLE!"

This is Palm Sunday. It commemorates when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed Donkey. People got word that Jesus was coming into town and hundreds ran out to greet him laying their garments and cut palm leaves on the road in front of Jesus as he rode into town.

Jesus was making a public statement that He was their King and Messiah with his ride into Jerusalem  He did this to fulfill the old testament prophecy

Zechariah 9:9

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

However, the people who came out to greet Jesus as He entered Jerusalem had a different concept or belief of the situation they were witnessing. They thought Jesus was the one who was going to liberate them from Roman domination. They thought He was going to be the leader that they had been praying for, the one who would lead a revolt against the Roman government.

In other words they thought He was coming to meet their expectations. They misunderstood the meaning of His entry as the Messiah who was ushering in Gods Kingdom.

That is why many of the same people who cheered Him as He entered Jerusalem ended up being the same ones yelling crucify Him a week later.

When you look at the whole picture of Him coming in slowly on a borrowed donkey instead of a mighty chariot pulled by a team of horses and wearing a common robe instead of a shield of armor and carrying a sword you wonder, “How did the people miss it?”

·      "People see what they want to see and they hear what they want to hear."

Jesus was coming to them slowly, quietly in peace and love and the crowds were hailing Him King and deliverer. He was a deliverer, but in a different way than they expected. Thus they turned on Him.

When He was brought before pilot and was slapped and accused  he wouldn’t respond to most of the interrogation. He disappointed what the crowd expected.

Now here we are over 2000 years later and not much has changed. Many are still creating a Jesus as they want Him to be which leaves them disappointed and sometimes leaving the faith.

As a practicing Christian you are going to be called on to answer some pretty tough questions. I think one of the toughest questions we have to try and answer is the Why of suffering.

There are some religions that are still teaching that if you have enough faith, and you say the right prayer, that God is going to zoom down and rescue you every time and in all situations. And if He doesn’t then you must have not had enough faith, or maybe you didn’t pray long enough or hard enough or maybe your just not good enough.

There is a funny story about a young man who was raised in a religion where he was taught that sickness was not real. This particular religion had an irrational worldview that suffering does not exist. Suffering was only an imagined state brought on by wrong belief.

So a young man who had an extremely ill father went to the practitioner of this religion and asked him to pray for his very ill father. The practitioner said  “Son your father only thinks he is sick.. Tell him to have more faith and believe he is not sick, but well.”

The boy went home and did what he was told. The next day the boy comes back to see the practitioner and the man asks the boy how his father is doing. The boy responds, “Now he thinks he’s dead.”

Several members of our congregation have gotten personally involved with a couple of tragic situations over the past month.  I am very proud and happy about their willingness to step into these difficult circumstances because that is what we are called to do as Christians. Where there is hurt, sorrow, pain, suffering we are called to be the healing ointment.

Unfortunately illness does exist in this world. Sorrow, pain and suffering are all very real. These conditions are as real for Christians as they are for non-Christians. That is the reality of the fallen world we live in.

When you start living your life as a practicing Christian, you are going to get your hands dirty and have to deal with these situations. God is going to place you into circumstances where you are going to have to choose to get involved or walk away. As a practicing Christian You are going to be confronted many times with the stuff in this world that we would rather not see or hear about much less get involved with. That is the essence of what being called to serve God is all about. It isn’t going to be all fun and games.

Look at the life of Jesus. He was surrounded by lepers, crippled, blind, poor, hungry, the rich but unhappy, the deceived, the downtrodden. His ministry was a demonstration of Gods love by getting involved in the brokenness of mankind and offering hope, healing, and love. 

Anyone claiming to be a follower of Jesus and yet not willing to get their hands dirty is fooling themselves. I want you to understand the cost of discipleship and the great reward of discipleship.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

I was asked to join a couple of our members this past week to go visit a young person with stage 4 cancer. I went to pray, and offer spiritual support and our mission team is helping this person in anyway they can.

When I left this young persons home that night I had this heaviness on my heart. I went to God and asked Him “God, what are you trying to teach us with this situation?”  Help me with this one because I am expecting a miracle, I am praying for you to fix this situation and bring back this persons health and restore their life here on this earth. Because the suffering I see is great and I don’t see the reason for it?  Help all of us involved here to know your plan.

I went home and I got my bible out and started searching the scriptures for help and understanding in this situation and I came across a verse, in book of Daniel: And it just jumped off the page at me.  That’s when I know God is trying to get my attention. This story is about three characters Meshach, Shadrach and Abed-nego. Do you remember these guys. Man what a story of faith.

This helped me understand more about this life and it’s problems and what God really wants of us regardless of our circumstances.

Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego were believers in God in a time when a Babylonian King named Nebuchadnezzar ruled Jerusalem. He had overthrown the Jewish people. During his reign King Nebuchadnezzar had four Jewish boys brought to him who were to be bright, without blemish, who could serve in the Kings palace.

The 4 chosen were Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego.

They were to eat of the Kings rich food and wine for three years of training but Daniel would not defile himself with the kings rich food and asked his keepers to feed them vegetables and water. God the blessed Daniel and the other three with wisdom and favor.

Eventually Nebuchadnezzar builds a 90ft statue that all must bow down and worship when ever music is played in the land. Meshach Shadrach and Abednego refused. Anyone who refused was to be thrown into a heated furnace.

Daniel 3:17-18

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

When I read and meditated on this scripture, it empowered me. It lifted me up and gave me a new understanding and hope. I had the peace of God come onto me. There is power in the reading of the word of God!

What this said to me was, set your hope, your trust, your entire life in Gods hands regardless of the circumstances or the outcome. God is God and His love for us is absolute. He will not disappoint in His love. The reality of this life is, it is temporary yet our existence is eternal. We cannot imagine the blessing on the other side of this temporary life.

This is the reason we come together as a church, to examine the word of God and then apply it to our lives. God still speaks to us through his word and the Holy Spirit. But you have to do your part. All of you that have gotten college degrees and advanced degrees. It took more than just showing up for class didn’t it?  I mean you had to read and study and go to lectures and then write papers and do projects and pass exams before you were handed a degree.

God’s word will change your life but only if you read it, study it, and then apply it.  If we don’t know it, if we don’t apply it, then how can we expect to have God’s healing power in our lives?

That is my message. The living word of God, is a spiritual message to your spirit. The word of God can and will minister to you and comfort you regardless of what you are facing.

Let me tell you something mysterious and wonderful and very enlightening.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks.

in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Here is the deal. God is going to restore all that is lost in this lifetime however long or short our life may be. All good things that have been corrupted, interrupted, broken, lost, are going to be made right. That is the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And it is only through Him that this restoration is going to take place. That is why this church is so very important. To bring hope and the living gospel to a broken and hurting world.

I want to cry out from the top of this steeple listen everyone in the town of Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, Come to Jesus and it is going to be OK. I don’t care what you are facing it’s going to be ok. I don’t care what you have lost, Jesus is going to restore it it is going to be ok.

James 1:12

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Romans 8:38,39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And finally

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.   AMEN!   

I pray to see you all soon!   Love Pastor Kent