April 5, 2009
Morning Worship
Text: Luke 19:10
Subject: The Last Week of Jesus’ Life
Title: Down to the Wire
Life is full of deadlines to be met. There are bills due on a certain date. There are car payments, house payments, utility bills… How many of you have ever been at the point where you just didn’t know where the money was going to come from or how you were going to get the bills paid? I would like to share a story with you about George Mueller. George lived and ministered in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a great man of faith who ran orphanages all across Europe.
One morning the plates and cups and bowls on the table were empty. There was no food in the larder, and no money to buy food. The children were standing waiting for their morning meal, when Mueller said, "Children, you know we must be in time for school." Lifting his hand he said, "Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat." There was a knock on the door. The baker stood there, and said, "Mr. Mueller, I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you didn’t have bread for breakfast and the Lord wanted me to send you some. So I got up at 2 a.m. and baked some fresh bread, and have brought it." Mueller thanked the man. No sooner had this transpired when there was a second knock at the door. It was the milkman. He announced that his milk cart had broken down right in front of the Orphanage, and he would like to give the children his cans of fresh milk so he could empty his wagon and repair it. No wonder, years later, when Mueller was to travel the world as an evangelist, he would be heralded as "the man who gets things from God!"
I want to share with you today from the lives of the disciples of Jesus. They had expected, like many of their contemporaries, that the Messiah would be a political figure and would restore Israel to world prominence. Now over three years into Jesus’ ministry, all they had heard of was how Jesus was going to suffer and die. It looked as though the bottom was falling out of everything they had hoped for. Quickly, I want to take you on a trip through the last week of Jesus’ life and show you that God is never early or late even though it looks as though life is going down to the wire.
Luke 19:10, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the church.
I. MONDAY, THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY. Luke 19:35-38, 35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. A warrior King would have ridden a white horse into Jerusalem. But this time Jesus comes as the Prince of Peace. Zechariah 9:9, Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Jesus is your peace. He is the only one who can offer the peace of reconciliation to the Father. Today someone needs that Peace in their life. If that is you would you just get up and come to one of the pews in the front.
II. TUESDAY, THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE. Mark 11:15-17, 15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ . But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Jesus began His ministry with a cleansing in the temple (John 2:13-16) and He ended it the same way. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Ephesians 5:25-27, 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing£ her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Today someone needs that cleansing in their life. There is junk I your life that you just need to get rid of. 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If that is you would you just get up and come to one of the front pews?
III. WEDNESDAY, A DAY OF REST. There is nothing recorded in the scriptures that took place on Wednesday of that last week. But I’m sure that Jesus didn’t just take a day off. John 9:4, As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” It is interesting that only through the “work” of Jesus can we ever have the hope of “rest” in our lives. It is the “resting” from our own efforts to earn favor with God where we find true rest. Some here today need to rest from you own works of trying to find satisfaction in your life and trust the word of God to receive what He has for you today. Would you just get up and come to one of these front pews?
IV. THURSDAY, THE PASSOVER SUPPER. There was a lot that transpired on this last Thursday. 1) Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples. It was then that He instituted the Lords supper. Are you willing to be unified in the body of Christ the way Jesus desires you to be? That may mean going to someone who you are at odds with and making things right. Are there relationships you need to mend today? 2) He showed them what His ministry was all about (and what theirs should be about) by taking the role of a servant and washing their feet. Are you willing to be that kind of servant for Christ? Lord I’ll do whatever I have to do in order to serve. 3) He told them about their roles and the role of the Holy Spirit, Who was to come. Do you need that Holy Ghost power at work in you? Jesus is willing that you be baptized in the Spirit today. 4) He prayed in the garden and called others to pray with Him. Matthew 26:40, Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” Make prayer and study a priority in your life. Are you committed to spending quality time getting to know Jesus better? 5) He was arrested in the garden. Luke 22:45-51, 45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” 47While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? 49When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. Are you willing to stand up for Jesus? Are you willing to have the compassion of Jesus? 6) His arrest and trial. Jesus was arrested without cause, questioned by a man who did not know the truth, and sentenced for a crime He didn’t commit – all because of you. One of the great truths that comes out of Jesus’ arrest was this – He acted not in His own authority, but in the authority of the Father. John 18:4-6, 4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Are you going to serve the Lord in Holy Ghost power in order to see the enemy put in his rightful place – under your feet?
V. FRIDAY, THE CRUCIFIXION. When we look at the events of Friday we obviously see the crucifixion. But there was much that went on before that. The trial that took place before the Sanhedrin was a farce. Jesus was already guilty before He was tired. False witnesses were brought in to testify because they could find no fault in Him. During this time the disciples scattered. Peter denied Jesus three times. Only John remained to see Jesus crucified. What are you willing to go through in order to be faithful to Jesus? John 15:20, Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” Jesus was sent to Pilate and then to Herod and then back to Pilate. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent but he was afraid of doing the right thing because of what the Jews might think. What do your friends at work, or at school, or your neighbors or your families think of you? If you were on trial for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you? Then Jesus was beaten. Isaiah 53:5, But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Are you ready to accept the healing that He bought for you? John 19:19-28, Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.ӣ
So this is what the soldiers did.
25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” 27and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
The work of salvation was completed. But the work of Jesus has only just begun. Acts 1:1-8, 1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with£ water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Are you ready to be the church that Jesus wants you to be? Are you ready to accept the salvation that Jesus is offering you? Are you ready to receive power from on high? Are you ready to be a servant? Are you ready to trust every word that God has given you in the Bible? Are you willing to receive life from the Father and give your life back in return?
Some of you received an email from me the other day about a prophecy given by David Wilkerson. He has had a vision of New York City – and in fact the whole eastern seaboard – being on fire with looting and riots everywhere. He never put a time line on it but he believes God is showing him the judgment that is upon America and the rest of the world.
In 3 ½ years Jesus changed his world. In the forty years that followed the Roman Empire was impacted with the gospel. As long as there was persecution and hardship the gospel advanced. In 313 AD under the rule of Constantine Christianity became the recognized religion of the Roman Empire and from that time forward the church became a religious and political force in the world.
Now it appears that the end of things as we know them are coming to a close. We are going down to the wire and the question remains, “What are you going to do with everything that Jesus did for you?” I suppose that everyone of you has an idea of what it is that Jesus would have you do.
As you go through this week before we celebrate Resurrection Sunday would you take the time to meditate on everything that Jesus had done for you and make a decision about what you are going to do with it all? As we go down to the wire let’s make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting and offer them hope and life and peace.
Where else can they get it?
Who else can offer it?
How else will they receive it?
It is the church holding out the gospel message to a lost and dying world that is going to get them through. And they need to hear it from you.
