Part 12 - The Manner Of Our Praise (Palm Sunday 2020) Series

Note: This sermon was written before the COVID-19 Pandemic. The content remained the same for this submission on Sermon.net, but the presentation on this day would be very different. You may find a copy of this message at www.gracecommunity.com/messages

A little boy was sick on Palm Sunday and stayed home from church with his mother. His father returned from church holding a palm branch.

The little boy was curious and asked, "Why do you have that palm branch, dad?"

"You see, when Jesus came into town, everyone waved Palm Branches to honor him, so we got Palm Branches today."

The little boy replied, " Aw Shucks! The one Sunday I miss is the Sunday that Jesus shows up!"

This morning is Palm Sunday- The day, taken from the Gospels, where an entire city threw a parade for Jesus. As Jesus rode into the city, the people threw palm branches in anticipation of his coming. This day marked a time of celebration where Jesus was worshipped and praised.

This day is bittersweet for us because even as we read about the celebration, we know that Friday is coming. The cross is coming. We know that many in this same crowd will exchange words of praise to words of death. Shouting Hosanna and then later shouting Crucify Him.

Over the last few months, we’ve contemplated the subject of worship in great detail. Perhaps your perspective of worship has changed. I hope you’ve learned something about what biblical worship means. I pray I’ve at the very least, energized your passion and zeal to worship Jesus with vigor and all you are.

So it is fitting that as we near the conclusion of this series, it is on Palm Sunday and Easter. Jesus is the singular and exclusive object of all worship. The reason for that is before us today and next week. Without the passion of Christ, there is not worship. We worship Him because he is the risen Christ and that’s the point of Palm Sunday

Billy Graham said that the greatest mission field in our country to today is in our local church. I think the essence of what he was saying is that coming to church does not equate a path to heaven. It is relationship and faith in that relationship alone that transforms the life for eternal salvation. Coming to church is great and necessary, but even singing praises to Christ doesn’t save you. The only assurance of salvation is faith alone in Christ alone. You can come to church week after week, but never have the transformational relationship that saves you.

We see a perfect example of this in our two passages this morning. On Sunday Jesus rode into the city with the people shouting praises and praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. On Friday they are shouting give us Barabas, Crucify Jesus, Crucify Him. Why the change?

They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” (Matthew 21:7-9)

Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” (Matthew 27:15-23)

There are many reasons why their praise turned to condemnation, but one simple reason is that their words did not match their heart. They possessed a casual, not a committed faith. They had a religion but they missed the relationship. Their Sunday talk didn’t match their weekday walk. So how can we have a committed faith that is real and sincere and consistent throughout our lives? I want to offer you some keys to just such a faith.