Not What We Expected

The scripture lesson is Luke 19:28-41 in which we read the account of The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, the Palm Sunday story.  Pastor lifted several points for emphasis and illustrated others with connection to Old Testament history.

The selection of a donkey on which to ride was not merely a fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy, it was symbolic.  The King came not on a horse as conqueror but on a lowly donkey representing the fact that Jesus was King but not what the people expected.

The laying down of their coats in the pathway was a symbol of submission.  The people recognized Jesus as King, and He verified that He is indeed King.

The people expected a King who would give them what they wanted, but what they wanted was not what they needed.

Jesus came to bring men peace with God, not temporal blessings but eternal blessings.

Jesus came not to rule an earthly kingdom, but to rule the hearts of men.

We cannot fix ourselves.    When the pressures are too great, life is swirling out of control, cry out, "Jesus, I need you."

The King we need wants to rule every part of our lives.

Jesus wants not a piece of you, but all of you. 

Pastor Joe Deckard

Sunday morning

Zero to Hero: Saul and David

Pre-sermon sermon, addressing the week's events in our national life:
"We are not ruled by fear, we are ruled by love."

The message starts with the story of Saul in I Samuel 9.  Samuel recognizes that this comely young man is to be king over Israel.  The anointing was on Saul and he prophesied.  Saul was put in a position of authority because it was obvious that was where he belonged.

When the heathen hordes ordered Israel to submit or die, Saul burned with anger, cut up his oxen, sent the parts throughout Israel with the message to "join me to fight, or be even as this ox."  Saul was very motivational!  300,000 joined to fight with him.

God's promise to Saul:  You will be blessed so long as you are obedient to my will.

However, Saul had a problem.  The difficulty was not so much with what he did, but with the heart with which he did it.  Saul convinced himself that he himself could offer the sacrifice in Samuel's absence.  Samuel was pretty upset and told Saul his kingdom would not endure (chapter 13).

Saul looked good, but his heart was flawed.  He was lifted up with pride, the sin from which all other sin grows.

In the Book of Acts, we are told that God said, David will do what I want him to do.
Samuel saw something different in David.

David had a heart after God's own heart.  God's workman must be empty of self, and this we see in David.  Samuel anointed David, making him king over Israel years before David ascended to the throne.

Saul had it all.  My how far he fell.

cf. Saul and David

Saul was concerned with his own kingdom; David was concerned with God's will.
Saul was disobedient; David heeded God's word.
When you hear the Word of God, do you walk rightly in it?
Saul's heart was set to forget God's word; David's heart was set to receive God's word.
Saul was rebellious and defensive; David was receptive and repentant.

Oswald Chambers gave us a three-point test on the scale from Pride to Humility.
1.  Precedence.  How do we react when another gets the assignment we expected or when we are overlooked.
2.  Sincerity.  You may self-evaluate and be critical of yourself, but how do you feel when rivals criticize you?
3.  Criticism.  Does criticism arouse hostility in your heart?  Are you overly critical of others?

Saul was critical of others; David valued others.
Are your thoughts predominately  critical or uplifting?

God help us to have a heart that is after Your own heart.

I need You every hour.

David as role model:  When David fell, he got up facing the right direction.

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning

As I left the sanctuary, Pastor greeted me.  I asked him this:  If I have a natural tendency to be critical, do I get points if I don't express the criticism aloud?

"Pray,"  he responded.  "Pray more."

A few years ago, vanilla posted a brief sermonette about Saul

Home from Missions Trip

On returning from Haiti, I believe I have a larger picture of who God is.  God convicted me of some things this week.

The context of our lives is shaped and influenced by many things.

• politics, wars-- freedom is not free, relationships with the people around us, our place of origin, the amount of wealth-- or lack thereof, societal status, ones place within the culture.

All leave a lasting effect.  We are shaped by them.

In the Book of Acts, chapter 5 we see the development of the early church.  All these things were influences then as now.  People are people.

==There is a way in which God wants to change who we are, replace the "who" as we have been shaped with what we were meant to be.

Reading Acts 5: 12-16  we see people seeking healing simply by positioning themselves so that the shadow of Peter would fall upon them.  The apostles were casting shadows from the Almighty who was breathing life through them.

==What kind of shadow am I casting?

Is it my own? Am I merely hoping that as I cast my shadow good will come of it? Or is it God working through the Holy Spirit in my life?

==No man can change the culture for the Good if God be not in him.

Even with a church on every corner, our shadow is shrinking.  Why?  We still have the Holy Spirit, but our tanks are getting empty. We don't see Christians living under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.  We need to get to the realization that we need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The shadow we cast says something about the presence of God in us.

I believe God's people should be in a place that represents such power of God that all who fall under our shadow are affected by it.

Let's get first things first.

Let's be sure that things are right within us.  God will do something so big it will take our dream and blow it away.

Say of yourself:  Holy Spirit, you are welcome in this place!

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning

Zero to Hero: Esther

The old series "Lost" was outlined on a giant whiteboard.  The entire series was created by the writers with its ending in mind.

Think of God's massive whiteboard on which is displayed the beginning and the end.  Where are we on the whiteboard?

The Jewish people were dispersed, many taken captive.  Esther and her cousin, Mordecai, where residing in Persia.  At one point, the King had granted the Jews the option to return to Jerusalem, but these two people chose to stay.

The Persians loved great show.  The King would throw lavish banquets to show off his wealth and possessions.  At one such show, the King ordered Queen Vashti to appear at the feast.  She refused.  She lost her crown (but not her head; she continued to reside in the palace.)  The King sought a new Queen.  Now, to live in the king's harem was to be on call, yet one might never be called.

This Jewish woman was chosen to be Queen.

Cousin Mordecai hears of a plot to rid the kingdom of Jews.  He goes into mourning.  Esther learns this, tries to get Mordecai to eschew his mourning garb, lest he lose his life.

The king grants leave to Haman to carry out his plot to rid the country of the Jewish people.

God had a plan for Esther and Mordecai and they were placed in their positions for a reason.

God has placed us where we are for a reason.  We have a job to do.

A. B. Simpson said, "God is preparing His heroes and when the opportunity comes He can fit them into their places in a moment and the World will wonder where they came from."

The world of Esther's time did indeed wonder why the King chose a commoner and a Jew as Queen.
But when Mordecai told Esther she must plead for the people before the King, she accepted the challenge, even knowing that approaching the King with the matter could cost her her life.  She had a mission.

God uses people to further His purpose
==What has God given you that you can use to further His kingdom?

Esther had to "step up" but she had a choice.  Had she made the wrong choice her generation would have been lost.

We were created for this time.  Will we fulfill God's purpose?

When Christ comes into our lives we take Him to the World.
==It is not that we are to bring the World to Christ, but rather we are to take Christ to the World.==

What are you doing with what God has given you?  Are you going to be part of His story or not?

==It is our job to step up and take Jesus to a lost and dying world.==

Pastor Amanda Blair

Sunday morning