The Highest Road!
Slide #1
Scripture…Mark 11:1-11
Welcome…guest cards.
Next week along with Millions of People we all will be participating in one of the biggest Biblical Holidays of the year…Easter Sunday.
It is known… as the most anticipated and attended Sunday services of the year for Christian Churches throughout the world.
Most all of us are familiar with the Bible stories about Palm Sunday (Jesus Triumphal Entry)…and the Empty Tomb (The Resurrection of our Lord and Savior).
And because of this… there should not be one Christian here today… that shouldn’t take part in some sort of outreach opportunity…by inviting someone to church.
But this is where most of us struggle…we feel inadequate like we don’t know enough… or we don’t have all the right answers to go out and invite someone to church…I mean what if someone does say yes…what then?
Video-
As a church family…8 days ago 35 of you did your part by helping in distributing 1,610 door hanger fliers…x 2.5 = 4,025 invites to this service.
Obviously everyone who was invited didn’t show up…but that’s not what’s important.
What’s important is the heart behind the one who serves.
Slide #2
Open your bibles with me to the 11th chapter in the book of Mark.
It is here that we read about a servant…a servant who enters into Jerusalem to participate in one of the most difficult outreach missions ever recorded in history. (READ)
Prayer
Jesus whole life was focused around people and ways to reach out to them...
He loved to serve them…He loved to teach and to train them…He spent every free moment of His life with them.
He taught them principles like… it’s better to give than receive…Your testimony is vital to reach the lost…The servants heart is seen through the way they give. (Not just financially)
He shared that this life is not what’s important.
He taught them the importance of inviting people to meet with Him…to know Him…to have a personal relationship with Him.
Slide #3
From our text today we see Jesus is on spiritual journey towards the Holy City…this city is known to us today as Jerusalem…
As Jesus approached Jerusalem He was aware that the Annual Passover Feast was preparing to begin.
He knew thousands of Jews from all over the Roman world would arrive to the Holy City with their hearts filled with Excitement...Joy and Anticipation…of the up-coming Passover Festival.
Every practicing Jew knew the Passover feast was established the night before God delivered their ancestors from their Egyptian bondage. (Exodus 12: 1-3; 7; 11b-14…Read )
God could not have picked a better time to introduce to His people the true Passover Lamb…(Jesus).
For this week long festival the population of Jerusalem tripled in size.
There were more merchants and people drawn into the city at this time than any other time of the year.
Families were reuniting and sharing stories of the past years challenges and blessings.
As Jesus walked down this very necessary road towards the Holy City with His disciples…a person can’t help but wonder what thoughts passed through His mind.
Jesus knew…
He had been called to serve mankind…even knowing that His time was limited.
(We waste so much time doing meaningless things…daily we work ourselves to death striving to obtain earthly treasures…that will never leave this world with us)
Jesus knew that it was much better to give than receive.
(There is nothing with higher value than sharing Jesus with someone close to you)
(We fail to prioritize what is truly important in life)
Jesus knew the importance of inviting the lost to the truth. It’s the only truth that has the power to set you free.
(Think right now of someone close to you…someone you work with…a family member…a close friend…or the stranger you just haven’t meet yet)…Invite them to church this next Sunday.
As Jesus approached Jerusalem…He knew that without Him traveling down this road…the world would not know about their sin.
He was a King… who very soon would have to face Judgment by laying down His life for all People.
As Jesus passed through Bethany and
Beth-the-ge…He was preparing to change History by doing something that He had never done before.
He was going to permit His followers…the disciples to give a public demonstration in His name.
Re-read Verses 1-3…
Jesus sent two of His disciples to Bethphage to pick up a colt whose service would very soon be need for the journey He was soon to embark on.
Still today…People don’t see the significance /importance behind God choosing a donkey to carry the Messiah into the city of Jerusalem.
Jesus chose the donkey so that He might fulfill the Messianic prophecy that had been recorded clear back in Zechariah 9:9.
“Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Jesus triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on a colt/donkey was recorded here 500 years before it even happened.
And Just as this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus coming to earth…so the prophecy of His second coming to get His children is certain to be fulfilled as well. (the game we call church…)
By Jesus fulfilling the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9…by riding into the city on a colt…He accomplished two purposes.
First…He declared Himself to be the one true King of Israel and their deliverer.
Second…He deliberately challenged the religious leaders…In turn this… set up the stage for the official plot that leads to his arrest and trial and crucifixion.
This Easter don’t miss the opportunity that is being shared right in front of you.
The Easter Holiday is much more than an egg hunt and an opportunity to wear your new clothes.
Slide#4 Easter Is About Giving
When a person has a relationship with Christ… they understand that there is way more to Easter than bunnies and candy.
Jesus was the Master of Giving…He was known throughout the Bible for his compassionate heart…a heart that loved to serve and give.
Not financially…But whole heartedly. Jesus gave of His time…we read throughout the New Testament where Jesus not only invested time in His disciple’s.
But He also invested in the world that He was born to serve in…
He gave sight to the blind…He made the lame walk…
He gave by reaching out and touching the untouchable.
By being a giver… He had established quite a reputation for Himself…
The Jews looked to Him as the Promised Messiah...
But the Roman leaders looked at Him as a threat.
Because of tradition…It was custom when welcoming a King into the city for people to lay their outer garment (cloaks) onto the road…as well as festival branches (palm branches).
As Jesus began His Triumphal Entry into the Holy City… the crowds began to shout “hosanna” meaning save now. ..
He knew that their chants would soon play a major part in the end of His life…But still he allowed them to go ahead and shout!
When Jesus entered into the city… He knew that things were about to change.
Not just for Him…but for all those close to Him including you and I today.
33 years of His life came down to these last few days.
Had He been wise enough with the time the Father had allowed Him to minister in?
Had He been successful in changing the people hearts…?
Had He mentored the disciples enough to help them understand the reason behind His up-coming death?
Had he prepared enough personally to handle the mocking…the taunting…the pain…and the punishment that was very soon to come.
It would have been so easy for Him to turn north and head towards the Sea of Galilee and ask the disciples to just go fishing.
But God had already planned it all out…You see God Is All About Change
When most people are asked to change they become very uncomfortable…but actually change is good for several reasons.
Slide #5 Change Is Contagious
This is why millions of believers will meet together next Sunday for the resurrection Sunday.
Like many Churches around the world and even here in Hobbs …we believe that Jesus came to this earth with a purpose.
His purpose was to offer people hope…to offer them a future…(eternal life) if they choose it.
There is not one person who walks in through those doors who doesn’t need change in their life.
For someone here today…Finding Jesus today may mean that your life must take a different direction.
Next Change is also good for…
Slide#6 The Community
If Jesus was physically able to be with us today…I mean in the flesh…where do you think we would find Him in Hobbs?
I think we would be able to see Him everywhere in the community.
He would be the assistant coach at the soccer field.
He would be serving His co-workers an ice cold bottle of water on the 90 degree days we’ve been having.
He would be asking the mayor of Hobbs what He could do to help the needy and less fortunate.
He would be volunteering at the homeless shelters…Manna outreach…
He would be serving meals at Isaiah’s soup Kitchen…or helping to comfort a hurting child at The Humphrey House.
He would be seen around the church asking what needed to be done…what areas He could help serve to serve in.
We need to be out sharing Jesus with people in our community.
People are never going to meet Jesus if were not the ones willing to go out and share Him with them.
In all Honesty…we live in a material driven society.
My heart breaks as I drive around Hobbs.
The lost feel that in order for them to be accepted by their peers…they need to drive the Biggest and nicest vehicles…wear the newest and nicest clothing.
Gods’ number one concern is not what you drive or what you wear.
His number one concern is what condition is your heart.
I want to close today with an illustration.
Slide #7
CYMBALA'S EASTER STORY (Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle)
Jim Cymbala preaches at a church in the slums of New York. He tells the following story:
It was Easter Sunday and I was so tired at the end of the day that I just went to the edge of the platform… pulled down my tie and sat down and draped my feet over the edge.
It was a wonderful service with many people coming forward. The counselors were talking with these people.
As I was sitting there I looked up the middle aisle, and there in about the third row was a man who looked about fifty, disheveled, filthy.
He looked up at me rather sheepishly, as if saying, “Could I talk to you?”
We have homeless people coming in all the time, asking for money or whatever.
So as I sat there, I said to myself, though I am ashamed of it, “What a way to end a Sunday. I’ve had such a good time, preaching and ministering, and here’s a fellow probably wanting some money for more wine.”
He walked up. When he got within about five feet of me, I smelled a horrible smell like I’d never smelled in my life.
It was so awful that when he got close, I would inhale by looking away, and then I’d talk to him, and then look away to inhale, because I couldn’t inhale facing him. I asked him, “What’s your name?”
“David.”
“How long have you been on the street?”
“Six years.”
“How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.” He looked fifty--hair matted; front teeth missing; wino; eyes slightly glazed.
“Where did you sleep last night, David?”
“Abandoned truck.”
I keep in my back pocket a money clip that also holds some credit cards.
I fumbled to pick one out thinking; I’ll give him some money. I won’t even get a volunteer.
They are all busy talking with others. Usually we don’t give money to people. We take them to get something to eat.
I took the money out. David pushed his finger in front of me. He said, “I don’t want your money.
I want this Jesus, the One you were talking about, because I’m not going to make it. I’m going to die on the street.”
I completely forgot about David, and I started to weep for myself.
I was going to give a couple of dollars to someone God had sent to me. See how easy it is?
I could make the excuse I was tired. There is no excuse. I was not seeing him the way God sees him. I was not feeling what God feels.
But oh, did that change! David just stood there. He didn’t know what was happening.
I pleaded with God, “God, forgive me! Forgive me! Please forgive me. I am so sorry to represent You this way. I’m so sorry.
Here I am with my message and my points, and You send somebody and I am not ready for it. Oh, God!”
Something came over me. Suddenly I started to weep deeper, and David began to weep. He fell against my chest as I was sitting there.
He fell against my white shirt and tie, and I put my arms around him, and there we wept on each other.
The smell of His person became a beautiful aroma. Here is what I thought the Lord made real to me:
If you don’t love this smell, I can’t use you, because this is why I called you where you are. This is what you are about. You are about this smell.
Christ changed David’s life. He started memorizing portions of Scripture that were incredible. We got him a place to live.
We hired him in the church to do maintenance, and we got his teeth fixed. He was a handsome man when he came out of the hospital.
They detoxed him in 6 days. He spent that Thanksgiving at my house. He also spent Christmas at my house.
When we were exchanging presents, he pulled out a little thing and he said, “This is for you.” It was a little white hanky. It was the only thing he could afford.
A year later David got up and talked about his conversion to Christ.
The minute he took the mic and began to speak, I said, “The man is a preacher.”
This past Easter we ordained David. He is an associate minister of a church over in New Jersey.
And I was so close to saying, “Here, take this; I’m a busy preacher.”
We can get so full of ourselves.
Please Stand
Every time I share this story it just kind grabs me deep down inside and reminds me of why I am who I am today.
There’s not one of us in this room today who couldn’t have been in David’s shoes. Homeless and lost!
But by God’s grace we are here today. I pray this week that you do invite someone to next week’s Easter Service.
To you it seems so trivial…but the one you invite…It could be life changing!
We need to be the one’s sharing Jesus with people
