WEBVTT 00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:01.919 Well, good morning. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:03.120 So we're finally here. 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.440 We've been journeying through Lent. 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:10.080 Lent is the season leading up to Easter, Resurrection Sunday. 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:13.119 And so today is the Sunday headed into Holy Week. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.439 And Holy Week you have Monday, Thursday. 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:20.960 So Thursday is the Last Supper, Jesus with his disciples, and then you have Friday. 00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:26.320 You have Good Friday when Jesus was crucified, and then Easter Sunday. 00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:30.320 So we have today, we have Master Sunday, is what we have today, right? 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:32.240 I'm surprised any of you are here. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:39.439 You're not at home preparing, preparing with your getting your couch ready and your Doritos and getting everything lined up. 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.880 But it is Palm Sunday, and so we're going to talk about Palm Sunday. 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:47.600 This is also important, uh, equally with the Masters, perhaps more, hopefully more. 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:49.039 And so let's talk about it. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:54.000 Let's talk about what Palm Sunday is, means, what it has anything to do with your life. 00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:57.439 And so at this point, Jesus was a rock star. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:08.239 He was this poor rabbi from the north, and he had he had built a following uh through his teachings and his miracles, and he the the the crowds are coming around at this point. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:12.799 I mean, this is this is big time, and he is coming into Jerusalem, and it is Passover. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:28.079 So there are hundreds of thousands of people who have journeyed into Jerusalem for this huge festival, and then Jesus is coming in, and so he's outside, like in a little suburb town, and he's headed in and he sends two disciples ahead of him. 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:33.519 He says, Go ahead of me, you're gonna find a donkey, you're gonna find a cult, they're gonna be tied up, bring me those two. 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:35.599 And this is what we read in Matthew 21. 00:01:35.680 --> 00:01:51.840 Christie read it in Matthew 21, 4 and 5, uh, when he brought they brought the donkey, and Jesus rides in on the donkey, and it says this in verse 4 this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:58.799 Humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.040 So this scene develops. 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:05.599 This rabbi, huge following, he's coming into Jerusalem. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:10.080 Thousands and thousands and thousands of people are lining the streets in him coming in. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:11.840 I mean, this is quite the scene. 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:18.560 It's a strange sight, though, because if you remember, a donkey is a symbol of humility. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:25.120 It's not regality, it's not power, it's a symbol of humility, it's a symbol of peace. 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:33.280 Now, through another gate, the governor of Rome would have come in. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:46.960 He would have arrived there, he would have arrived with cavalry, he would have arrived on a horse, a big regal horse, and there would have been chariots and soldiers and drums beating, quite a different scene. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:48.639 Quite a different scene. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:03:13.840 And all of it would have been to show power, and the crowds would have been shouting there, not Hosanna, they would have been shouting, hail to Pilate, hail to Caesar, and all of that was a show of force, raw power, power to get your allegiance, not humility and lowness and love to get your allegiance, power to force your allegiance. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:15.120 Because it was one message. 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:21.680 You mess with Rome, if you mess with Rome, you're messing with power, and we will crush you. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:26.560 So you'll you'll be you'll have allegiance towards us. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:35.680 But Jesus, of which through whom all things were created, you're talking about real power, and enters on a donkey. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:37.759 But he can be fierce too. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:44.240 That's what's so interesting about this story, is not shortly after he enters, he goes and he flips tables. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:04:07.199 He flips tables in Jerusalem at the Temple Mount, where these people are selling sacrifices, they're selling these animals, and so people then can go make the sacrifices up at the temple, and so these people have turned this spiritual, meaningful uh you know, system of sacrificing the Old Testament, turned it into money making, and he goes and he just sees that all this is just perverted and wrong, and he flips tables. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:11.360 I mean, he is he is irate, he is fierce, he's fierce. 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:13.120 So he's no pushover. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.560 So why is he entering this way? 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:17.439 Right? 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:21.360 If he's no pushover and he is powerful, why? 00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:23.920 Why enter on a donkey? 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:26.879 You go, well, it's a fulfilled prophecy ahead of time. 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:27.920 Okay, I get that, but why? 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:30.160 Why even the prophecy for him to fulfill it later? 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:30.560 Why? 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:31.839 Why enter this way? 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:34.079 Well, the past couple of months, I started reading C. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:34.319 S. 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:37.839 Lewis's Narnia books to my two oldest girls. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:38.800 This is a series of books. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:43.120 Maybe you've seen the movie, a series of five books, and Narnia is one of the books. 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:45.680 And the first book is called The Magician's Nephew. 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:47.759 And so we just read a few pages at a time. 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:54.959 And Diggory and Polly, these little kids in the story, they're hopping between different worlds, like different spheres. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:58.639 Like they hop in these different ponds of water and they pop up in a different world. 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:02.319 And so eventually they pop up in this world that's just blank. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:05.120 There's nothing in it except the sound. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:09.040 There's this beautiful, beautiful sound. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:14.480 And out of this sound, the sound is causing creation. 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:19.759 Like, like literally, as this song is being sung, and it's coming from somewhere. 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:20.800 They don't know where it's coming from. 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:24.399 It's coming from somewhere, from someone, or they're not quite sure where it's coming from. 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:25.759 They're overwhelmed by it. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:33.680 And so I'm reading this, and at the same time, my girls, like, they're on the floor and they're in blankets, and I'm I'm like, are they paying attention? 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:39.920 And you know, you start to get mad if you have kids, you know what I'm talking about, because you're reading and you're like, hey, I could move on to Survivor if you're asleep. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:41.279 Because I still like Survivor. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:43.439 I know it's been 15 years, but I'm still there. 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:44.639 I am still watching it. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.360 I don't know what you want to move on to, but you know the feeling. 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:51.360 You're like, I'm doing this for you, you're not paying attention, and now I'm getting mad. 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:56.399 And I'm hitting the point where I'm starting to get mad, and I'm just gonna send them off, like you're gone. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:58.079 And then I read this paragraph. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:05:59.680 Now read this paragraph. 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:02.319 They made you feel excited. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:04.399 This is talking about seeing all this creation. 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:12.399 They made you feel excited until you saw the singer himself, and then you forgot everything else. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:17.120 It was a lion, huge, shaggy, and bright. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:19.360 It stood facing the rising sun. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:26.800 Its mouth was wide, open in song, and it was about 300 yards away. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:39.199 And I read that, and literally, two little kids down there, my two little kids who aren't, I didn't think they were paying attention, they literally just turned to me and their eyes are wide open. 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:40.800 It's a lion. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:44.079 I mean, it's all of a sudden, I mean, all of a sudden they are in. 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:46.160 They are in, they are they are scared. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:50.240 They are into this and they are scared, and we're in our den and they're like, what? 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:51.279 What is what's going on? 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:56.800 What do you all of a sudden, just a couple chapters later, listen to this paragraph? 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:02.000 And this is Diggory gets up the courage, that character gets up the courage to talk to the lion. 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:05.680 And there's been a lot of buildup, like talking to this fierce lion. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:09.199 A lot of buildup because he's not the type of creature you bargain with. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:10.560 A lot of buildup. 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:12.639 But please, please, won't you? 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.759 Can't you give me something that will cure mother because his mom's sick? 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:20.959 Up till then he had been looking at the lion's great feet and the huge claws on them. 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:24.160 Now, in his despair, he looked at his face. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:28.639 What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:38.000 For the tawny face was bent down near his own, and wonder of wonders, great shining tears stood in the lion's eyes. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:51.040 They were such big, bright tears compared to Diggory's own, that for a moment he felt as if the lion must really be sorrier about his mother than he was himself. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:55.360 And I can just see my little girl's brain just blowing up. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.240 Like, how do you how do you process this? 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:04.079 Big, fierce power with tears. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.920 Okay, then this is Jesus. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:10.879 All things are created through him. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:15.199 Flips tables, but he's on a donkey. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:21.839 And Lewis's point in this story is that God is not tame, but he is good. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:31.920 And so here on a donkey, God is speaking two truths into the world for us, two truths that I at least that I'm seeing in the story, at least this year, next year we'll have a different couple truths. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:36.799 Point number one: God approaches you in humility. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:40.399 God approaches you in humility, in lowness. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:41.759 Right? 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:45.360 That phrase was in that verse we've read, your king is coming. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:48.639 This is an intimidating, fear-filled thought. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:50.639 Your king is coming. 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:54.000 I mean, am I gonna respond well to that? 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:56.480 You ever had your boss over for dinner? 00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.399 How do you feel about that? 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:00.320 Get a little overwhelmed with that. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:01.360 Is everything lined up? 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:02.080 Is everything fixed? 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:02.720 Am I gonna be okay? 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:03.360 Am I gonna perform well? 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:04.960 Am I gonna say everything right? 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:08.799 Do you remember when you used to have to call a girl to ask her out? 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:13.519 You had to talk to her mom or dad first, right? 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:16.080 And you're thinking that through. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:20.480 And then you talk to her and you ask her out, and then you get off the phone and say you get the date. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:21.679 Say you get it. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:23.759 And you just replay everything. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:31.039 Oh, you replay everything you said with her mom, and were you cordial, and were you not, and then with her, and then say you go on the date. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:32.720 Say you go on the date. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:36.799 You finish the date, and you replay all of that. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:45.519 Or it's a big meeting, or you meet somebody, like somebody you really respect. 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:58.159 Somebody say you meet somebody who has power, who has power over your life, who has power to change the trajectory of your career or your family or of your economics. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:05.440 Imagine you meet that person and imagine the thoughts and the fear you would have to perform well in that situation. 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:05.919 Okay? 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:10.799 Your king is coming, is a thought that puts us into a lot of anxiety. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:14.159 But this king's on a donkey. 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:17.840 See, that changes everything. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:22.879 His approach toward you changes everything for you. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:31.919 Because he's on a mission not to force allegiance on a regal horse and soldiers and raw power. 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:41.840 He's on a mission to create in you gracious, abiding, loving unity with him. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:49.519 A couple of months ago, our family, the five of us, were packed in our car, headed to Florida for winter break. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.279 You know the scene. 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:55.600 Family all packed in a big SUV, bikes on the back. 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:57.440 It's clear we are headed out. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:07.679 And so we have been going for about seven hours at this point, and I'm zooming along down in Florida, just headed along, having a great time because all the girls have their headphones on. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:09.600 Headphones are on, we're happy. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:10.960 Christy and I are happy. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:13.440 No judgment on screen time on traveling. 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:14.879 Just play another movie. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:15.840 It doesn't matter. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:22.080 Just keep it going, keep it going until we get there, and then we'll have some screen time ideals at that point. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:25.919 But this point, it's just headphones are on, and we are happy. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:31.120 We're zooming along, and then there's some blue lights behind us. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:38.559 And so just immediately, you know the feeling, just stomach drops, you know, and you just fear, talk about your king is coming, right? 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:40.080 I mean, just fear. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:41.279 Let's go ahead. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:42.399 What have I done? 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:44.080 Or, you know, where am I? 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:45.840 All of a sudden you're let me know where you're at. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:48.080 You're immediately from cruising. 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:48.960 How fast are you going? 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:50.080 I'm not sure, I'm not sure. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.320 We pull over, you can pull over, now you can pull over on pull over here, pull over there. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:00.320 The girls, all of a sudden, you know, because you pull off on the side of the road, and so all their headphones come off. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:00.720 What's going on? 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.840 But you know, one turns around, there's a cop and you go, are you going to jail? 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:04.639 Are you going to jail? 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:05.440 You know, what's going on? 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:06.000 What's going on? 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.240 You know, it's like power. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:14.080 Real power has shown up and is behind us. 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:18.559 And they know it, and I know it, and I'm looking in that side mirror. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:20.240 I know how this works. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.759 So we get the license out, get everything ready beforehand. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:25.919 I'm not reaching for anything, okay? 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:31.039 Not reaching, not reaching down or for anything when cop is next to me, okay? 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.039 I'm watching the news, not reaching, hands are up high entire time. 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:38.320 Hands are up high, yes, sir, no, sir, no problem. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:39.759 I grew up in a small town. 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:40.480 That's all you say. 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.159 Yes, sir, no, sir, no problem. 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:44.080 That's how you that's how that's how you do it, okay? 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:55.600 Hands on the so I'm looking, big, burly, six-year-old policeman gets out of the car, raw power coming at me. 00:12:55.840 --> 00:13:03.200 I roll down, pre-roll down my window, roll down my window, and I roll down my little girl's window behind me. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:10.320 You know I did this, right? 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:19.840 Because he's gonna look in that window, and the first thing he's gonna see is a cute little four-year-old with her headphones on, Chick-fil-A cup in her lap. 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:23.120 And then he's gonna see, I have two other girls. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.200 He's gonna start doing the math. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:28.320 Three colleges, three weddings. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:31.840 And I'm playing that card. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:37.120 How dare you give me a ticket once you see the back of my car? 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:43.600 So that window is down, my window's down, he comes up, I am so nervous. 00:13:44.559 --> 00:14:00.320 Your king is coming, I'm so nervous because it is power, it is raw power, and I hand over the license, and just nervous, and it and it ends up my we had the bikes and the license plates behind the bikes, and you can't see the license plate. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:06.000 And so in Florida, you have to get the license plate on the on the far side of the bike so it can be visible. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:17.200 And he says, you know, I just I just you know, I didn't want you to, I didn't want you to uh get a ticket for that if you get pulled over for speeding later on, they add that on, and I'm just gonna give you a warning. 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:20.639 And I'm like, hey, no, no problem, I'm fixing that as soon as I get there. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:21.679 This is no problem. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:29.120 And then and then he begins to tell me about his grandkids in North Carolina and how he goes and visits them and he drives up to North Carolina. 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:33.120 I'm sort of wondering how long do I need to be pastoral and nice to get the warning? 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:38.080 I want the warning, but I've also been in the car for seven hours and we're on the side of the expressway. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.120 But I'm being nice, tell me all about your grandkids, that's great. 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:42.639 How often you f you fish? 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:43.679 What do you fish for? 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:49.440 And I'm sort of going, you know, hurry it up, head on back to the car because I know you got to go back there and do all that paperwork. 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:50.960 So eventually he goes back. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:51.840 He goes back. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:56.639 We build a good friendship, and then he returns to his car and he writes it up. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:59.600 Now, I'm looking in the side mirror again. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:01.679 He gets out of his car. 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:04.559 Remember the first time I saw him get out of his car? 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:07.759 I I I was I was fearful. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:10.399 It was raw power coming at me. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.679 Now, this time it was totally different. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:17.440 I saw him completely different this time. 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:24.720 Same guy, same walk, but now I know his intent toward me. 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:29.679 And because I know his intent toward me, it changes everything. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:33.440 See, we we all know God's approaching us. 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:37.519 And it may be better put, God's at the core of our beings. 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:42.320 And we know this, but do we understand his intent toward us? 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:44.559 Is it that first walk? 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:45.759 Right? 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:48.879 Is it that first walk and you're a little scared? 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:54.639 All that power, you know, is gonna force us, you know, is he disappointed us? 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:55.840 Is he gonna condemn us? 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.879 He's gonna put us to work, is he gonna make us pay something back? 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:00.799 Is that this God? 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.519 Or is it all the same authority? 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:07.440 All the same authority, all the same power, the same guy. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:15.600 Is it all the same, but low and loving and for you, right? 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:19.759 I mean, that's that's what Lewis was saying in the Narnia books. 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:26.480 He is strong and mighty, but he is good, and he is for you. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:50.159 That's why Jesus is on a donkey and making his way into Jerusalem, and those streets are lined and they're packed, and people are laying down their cloaks on the street, and others are lying down, they're laying down these palms and they're singing Hosanna, Hosanna on the highest, Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna on the highest, and like David was saying, comes from Psalms. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:51.840 This is a song they would have all known. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:53.840 It's like a soccer game in Europe, right? 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:57.679 And they all know the same songs and they're all chanting it, they're singing it. 00:16:57.759 --> 00:16:58.879 That's what's going on here. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.399 All these people know this song, and they're all singing it. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:07.680 But it's sort of bizarre also because these palm branches are a nationalistic symbol. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:09.519 It was on their coin. 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:16.559 And so part of these people, not all of them, but part of these people had this idea of like he's coming to free us from Rome. 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:21.599 They don't get that it's deeper, that it's bigger than politics. 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:30.880 And so some of these people are saying, Hosanna, save us from Rome, free us, save us because we are weak. 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:34.000 But this is about more than that. 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:42.400 This is about who we are as people, whether, no matter what form of government you are under, no matter what race you're in, no matter where you live. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.920 And so point number two is this this last point, just two points. 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:46.799 Last point. 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:59.839 Point number two God is strong, yet chooses to be made weak, so you can be weak as you are, which makes you strong. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:01.599 I'll say that again. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:10.640 God is strong, yet chooses to be made weak, so you can be weak as you are, which makes you strong. 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:11.119 Right? 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:15.680 You can finally admit the thing you've been avoiding your whole life. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:18.160 I'm not perfect. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:22.960 I'm not as strong as I pretend to be. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:25.599 I don't always have it together. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:31.279 My thoughts and my motives and my behaviors are inward bent. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:42.079 I love to justify my existence, not by God's centrality in my life, but by my production and how I look and what I do and who I know. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:53.519 I think I'm a good person by how righteous I am, or just by comparing myself to you, and so I'll just do a little bit better than you, or just degrade you a little bit, and then I'll think I'm righteous, or you know what? 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.799 I'll escape from it all. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:59.680 I'll call it all rubbish and do whatever I want, make myself my own God. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:01.519 And all of it is sin. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:03.279 All of that is sin. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:04.160 That's what sin is. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.160 It's self-saving. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:10.079 And it's exhaustion trying to redeem yourself. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:13.359 That's why we say Hosanna. 00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:19.519 We say, deliver me from this way of existing and living and being. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:35.039 And Jesus, God incarnate, shows up in our weakness, taking it on at the cross, deeming us righteous and strong in God's sight by the work on his cross. 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:46.319 So while we are still weak and sinful, we're wonderfully deemed righteous in his work for us, and we're being made new and being made strong by his word. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:52.880 For two weeks, I've just been thinking about this passage. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:09.599 I think for a lot of us it's just for us to realize it's what we talk, we talk about over and over and over again here at our church, is that we don't have to wake up each morning into that town of Shaneville or Merrittville. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:13.440 Like those, you know what I'm talking about waking up in those villages. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:19.920 You walk into your bathroom and you look into the mirror, and the first thing you think is, I need to lose 10 pounds. 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:21.599 First thought. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:23.119 Good morning. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:24.000 Good morning, you. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:25.119 I need to lose 10 pounds. 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:29.519 I wish I'd done more than my life. 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:32.480 I wish I was a little bit better. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:35.599 I wish I hadn't got that wrong. 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:40.240 If only I had gotten her, if only I'd gotten him. 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.319 If I could only achieve that goal, right? 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:49.599 I mean, meritville, shameville, and all of that is sacrificing. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:57.920 It's making, it's sacrificing yourself over and over and over again to a God of shame or a God of merit that will never fulfill your satisfying. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.240 You can't redeem you, only condemn you. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:07.039 And that's that lining up, sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice, day after day after day. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:17.200 And this Palm Sunday march into Good Friday at the cross, into Easter Resurrection Sunday, is about all of that being over. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:18.799 That's what this is about. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:28.079 That Jesus is the final sacrifice, which means you no longer have to keep sacrificing yourself. 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:33.039 He who is strong was made weak at the cross. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:41.200 So we who are weak are perfectly loved in him while we're weak, which makes us strong. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.880 So, my brothers and sisters, may you find your faithfulness. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:52.000 May you find your faithfulness and your strength and his good, loving regard toward you. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:53.680 Let's pray together. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:06.160 God, thank you for this week of remembrance that we come into that begins with your humility. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:12.960 That you hold all the power in the world to sustain the world. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:24.319 And yet you are riding on a donkey into a town of people filled with fittleness toward you. 00:22:25.759 --> 00:22:27.920 And you will go to the cross. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:33.279 And even on the cross, say forgive them, they don't know what they're doing. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:39.599 Thank you for your humility and lowliness that brings to us redemption. 00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:49.440 For you have taken on our weakness, you have taken on our sin, and you have given to us our righteousness, and we are your forever beloved. 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:52.799 Because of your good word for us. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:23:00.960 Help us when we feel weak to live in that weakness to confess it, and not ignore it or run from it or pretend. 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:04.400 In our sin to confess it. 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:10.640 And to turn our eyes back on Jesus' great word for us. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:14.160 Which makes us strong. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:15.839 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:16.480 Amen.