“I’ve Have Got To Go”
4/8/2001 Psalm 118:15-29 Mark 10:32-34 Mark 11:12-19
How many of you remember that great theological parable sung by Glady’s Knights and the Pips. It is the story of a man who left Ga to pursue his dream of becoming a movie star in Los Angelos. While there he falls in love with the singer of the song and she with him. Her life was centered in LA, but his roots were in Ga. He never comes close to his dream, and finally he decides to give it all up and return on the Midnight train to Ga.
He sells all he has in order to purchase a one way ticket back to Ga. Glady’s knows he won’t return to LA and she has to decide to either say goodbye to him and remain with her family and friends or say good bye to family and friends to go and be with him. She declares several times, “I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go. Her reason is simple. “I’d rather live in His world, than live without him in mine.”
It cost her a lot to follow the one she loved. If you could have seen Jesus and the way he was moving the weeks before Palm Sunday, you may have asked Jesus, what’s the rush sit down for a while. Jesus had his face turned toward Jersualem and seemed as though he was fixated on getting there no matter what the cost.
On one occasion the leaders who were very jealous of Jesus’s popularity, had decided they were going to kill him if he ever entered the city of Bethany again. The word was out that Jesus was on somebody’s hit list. But then one of Jesus’s friends in Bethany became very sick and needed Jesus’s attention. When he told the disciples, I’m going to see about Lazarus back in Bethany, they were shocked. They said, “now Jesus it was just a couple of days ago that the people try to stone you to death, and now you’re going back. What is wrong with you.” Jesus basic reply was, “I’ve got to go.” They said, “well let’s go and die with Him.
A couple of days before Palm Sunday Jesus was leading the way toward Jerusalem knowing that a contract was out on his life again. The disciples were astonished at his bravery. The other people following along behind were very afraid of what would happen next. Would they end up losing their lives because of Jesus? When they stopped to get some rest, Jesus took the 12 off by themselves. He said, “now listen fellows, we are going up to Jerusalem. I will be betrayed to the religious leaders. I’ll be condemn to death, mocked, spat upon, whipped and killed. In three days I will rise from the dead”
The disciples had no idea what Jesus meant by rising from the dead in three days, but they did understand the other part about whipping and dying. No doubt the disciples said, “But Jesus we do not have to go to Jerusalem. There are plenty of other places we could go and preach. Have you thought about Jericho, or Capernaum or Galilee. We can wait until things die down before going back to Jerusalem You’ve escaped from the leaders before and you can do it again.”
I can imagine Jesus looking at them and saying, “but fellows, you do not understand. I’ve got to go.” Peter, one of the disciples went so far as to say, “Never Lord, this shall never happen to you.” Jesus looked at Peter and said, “Get behind me Satan. You are a stumbling block to me. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” I have got to go.
Why did Jesus have to go to Jerusalem? Suppose you had a week left to live. Where is it that you would have to go? What is it that you would have to do? What would you want to make sure was competed before your left? For Jesus, he had to go to Jerusalem because that’s where God’s will for His life was. Remember the words, “I’d rather live in his world, than life without him in mine.” Jesus would rather live in obedience to God’s will and be in God’s world, than to seek to preserve his own life and God be missing from it.
Every day we are faced with choices. Some are real hard decisions we have to make. Some seem insignificant, but they will change our lives in ways they we never would have imagined. Each choice comes with a price tag. Jesus could have decided to not go to Jerusalem that week. He knew what a price he would have to pay. If he had of decided to stay in Galilee, there would be no Palm Sunday. There would be no Holy Week. There would be no resurrection. There would be no Glenville New Life Community Church. There would be no hope for us when we stand in the presence of God to give an account for the lives we have lived. But because love for us and a love for God, Jesus went to Jerusalem.
When we make our choices, how much of a factor does wanting to be in God’s world play in our decision. Our decisions are always affecting someone else. Jesus’ decision to get on that donkey on Palm Sunday is affecting us today. It was a hard choice to make. Others attempted to discourage him from going where he felt he had to go to be the Father’s world Often times the easier option between choices is not the one God would have us make.. In the beginning, it is often easier to do wrong than it is to do right. It’s when payment time comes that we always wish we had done the right thing the first time around.
When ever Jesus comes into a situation, there is a division among people in the way they respond to His presence. On palm Sunday, Jesus rode into the city on a colt. There were four groups of people lining the way for Jesus to come. There were those who thought so highly of Jesus, that they laid down the coats in the streets for the donkey to ride upon. Their worship of Jesus involved a sacrifice of what belonged to them. They did not have to think long about what they would do to honor the Lord. They were saying, “I’ve got to go and present my best.” They did not know it at the time, but for many of them, this would be their last chance to see Jesus in public.
Secondly, t here were those who would not make a sacrifice of their clothes, but they would cut down a palm and lay it on the roadway. Maybe they were thinking, one day, I’ll do better in the future. They were saying, “I’ve got to go and present something.” It was not much, but it was something.
Third, there were those who would shout Blessed be the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. But they would not give anything else. Their worship of Jesus was limited to the words coming out of their mouths. They were saying, “I’ve got to go and put in my two cents worth.” All talk and no action, but they looked like they were doing the same as everybody else from a distance. All three of these groups were shouting the same thing, but with very different levels of commitment behind the words.
Fourth, there were those who were angry at the attention and adoration given to Jesus. They just could not stand Jesus, and wanted him completely out of their lives. They were so bold as to tell Jesus, “tell these people to be quiet and quit treating you as though you were God..” One thing about this group is that they were honest. They were lost, but they were honest and they let the world know the place Jesus had in their hearts.
Jesus came riding into the city very late in the afternoon when the sun was probably just about to set on Paslm Sunday. The trip ended at the temple of God. Even though the people were shouting all kinds of wonderful things about him as he rode down the Mount Of Olives and into the city, Luke lets us know that Jesus ended the trip in tears. He knew that the majority of the crowd had no room for Him in their lives. He knew that many of the people that today were just caught up in the moment. He knew when he arrived and saw what was taking place at the temple, that the nation had given God a back seat in its life.
When Jesus entered the temple, he did not hear people singing and praising God. He did smell the incense. Instead he heard the baa-aa of sheep and the neighing of goats. The cooing of pigeons. The noise of people arguing over the prices, and people going through the temple area who obviously were not coming to worship God because they were loaded down with merchandise. He smelled the animals. He looked at this and cried. But since it was near dark, he and the disciples went back out of the city of Jerusalem and spent the night in Bethany.
The Temple area covered about 30 acres of land on top of Mt. Zion. It consisted of two parts. There was the temple building itself and then the temple courtyards. The temple building itself was small. Only the high priest could enter it once a year. First surrounding the temple would be the Court of The Priest. This is where the altar was and other things the priest used. Only priest could enter this area. A wall enclosed this area.
Second, it was surrounded by the Court of the Israelites. This is where Jewish worshippers met for services and where they would hand the priest their sacrifices. Women could only enter this area in special circumstances.. Third was the Court of the Women. This was as far as the women could go, except for worship on a great feast day. Fourth was the Court of the Gentiles. It covered a vast space surrounding all the other courtyards. It was the place of worship for all Gentiles who had chosen to serve God. This was the only part of the temple Jesus entered on Palm Sunday.
Jewish people came from all over the world to present themselves at the temple in Jerusalem for high holy days. The Law required all male Jews 20 and up to pay the half-sheckel temple tax. There were three kinds of money. There was imperial coins from the Roman empire. There was provincial money which was from the Greeks. There was the local Jewish money. People had to pay the temple tax in Jewish money, and the money changers would exchange their Roman and Greek money into Jewish money for a fee. Sometimes people would get ripped off in the exchange.
The people also had to offer certain animals as sacrifice. Some traveled too great a distance to bring their own animals from their homelands to Jerusalem. They had to purchase animals once they arrived in Jerusalem. If they did bring their own animals, the owners were charged a fee to have the animals inspected to make sure of their purity. There were a lot of bickering over the price of animals and whether or not the animals were pure. To make this worse, the priests had decided to allow all of the money changers and sellers of animals to set up shop in the area that God had designed for the Gentiles to worship
So the worship area of the Gentiles looked more like a gigantic smelly flea market than it did a place of worship. So other people used this area as a short cut to get from one side of town to another. The place looked like anything but a house of prayer. One of the reasons Jesus had to go to Jerusalem was to do something about His Father’s house.
The morning after Palm Sunday, Jesus got up and went back into the city of Jerusalem and went back into the outer court. Jesus became an army of one. While people had lined up their money on the table ready for business, he went from table to table turning them over with money going all over the place. He went from bench to bench turning over the boxes that the doves. Birds were flying all over the place. He did something to drive those who were buying and selling out of the place. Nobody was allowed to come through this area anymore as a short cut to another part of town.
Once he got everything out of there that was not supposed to be there he started teaching in the temple area. Jesus was revealing himself as God’s Son in cleansing the Temple Area. In cleansing the temple, Jesus was demonstrating how we are to treat others and how we are to use the temple of God. This was one of the reasons Jesus said, “I have got to go to Jerusalem.” This was another reason some of the people wanted to get rid of Jesus. He was costing them money.
The focus on Palm Sunday, is not that Jesus rode through the city to a lot of praise and palm waving. The focus is on where he was going. He was going to the temple to do a cleansing. It was not the inner court that Jesus needed to deal with, but rather the outer area of where every day living was taking place.
There are temples present here this morning. For the bible says, do you not know that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit which lives within you. This Palm Sunday, Jesus is riding on a donkey and he’s stopping at the temple of our hearts. He knows that most of us are okay where the inner temple is located. We know the law. We believe the right things We’ve given our lives to Him. But Jesus wants to do an examination of the outer court of our lives.
When Jesus cleansed the temple, He was asserting His right to clean up His house in the manner He wanted it cleaned. Do you recognize Jesus has the same claim over every part of our lives, including the outer lying areas. The Bible tells us that every believer has been purchased by Christ. Which means he literally owns us. All of us, not just the religious part.
If He marched in with his army of one, would He see a relationship in which we are taking advantage of someone be it a friend, a customer, a family member? Is Jesus saying “I have to go there. We’ve got to make something right.” Would Jesus overturn our tables with money because we have set aside money that should go for his work, to steal it and claim it as our own. It was he who put us in charge of spending 100% of it as a good steward. Is Jesus saying, “I have to go there. You’re not spending it correctly.” Would he overturn the clutter in our lives from being so committed to this group, and that group, or this club and that club so that he could restore the area to provide time in our lives for worship, for prayer, and for learning about Him. Is Jesus saying “I have to go there? We need to establish some priorities.”
Jesus riding into the temple is a confirmation of His love for the people of Jerusalem. His riding into our lives is a confirmation of His love for us. Some of the things and some of the people had to be sent out of the temple before Jesus could sit and do the kind of teaching that He wanted to do. If we are not open to being cleansed, by Christ, then the resurrection which we will celebrate will offer little hope for a richer life. Jesus loved the temple. Jesus loves you and He loves me. But his mission would not be complete without making a change more suitable to his liking.
There were some in the temple who would only allow themselves to be angry and upset with Jesus. They were unwilling to yield their lives to Him. To follow Jesus would mean giving up their very way of life. There were others who came running to the temple because they saw Jesus was taking a stand on their behalf so they could be made right with God. As Jesus enters our temple lives this day, which of the two are we more like. Jesus is asking each of us, to come and go with Him in a life of obedience to the word of God.. Can you say like Glady’s Knight, “I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go. I’d rather live in His world, than live without Him in mine.”
3. How To Use The Temple
4. People Want To Get Rid Of Jesus—Cost
N. The Focus On Palm Sunday—Not Palms—Goal
1. Jesus Only Did The Outer Court
2. Jesus Comes To Our Temple
3. Does Not Seek The Inner Temple-But Outer
4. Jesus Asserts His Rights—You Were Purchased
O. Jesus Wants To Come In As An Army Of One
1. Taking Advantage- Friend, Family, Customer
2. I’ve Got To Go---Make Something Right
3. Overturning Money Tables—Entrusted 100%
4. I’ve Got To Go Spending Adjustments
5. Cluttered With Groups, Events, Activities
6. I’ve Got To Go—Establish Priorities
P. Jesus Ride Into Jerusalem—Confirmation Of Love
1. Jesus’ Arrival Confirmation Of Love
2. Being Opened To The Cleansing For Life
3. Resurrection Power Available When
4. Loved The Temple—But Changed It
5. Loves Us—But Changes Us
Q. Some In The Temple Would Not Yield
1. Jesus A Threat To Their Way Of Life
2. What’s Going To Be Our Response
3. Can You Sing With Gladys
4. I’ve Got To Go, I’ve Got To Go
5. I’d Rather…………………….
Sermon Outline—Pastor Rick I Have Got To Go
4/8/2001 Psalm 118:15-29 Mark 10:32-34 Mark 11:12-19
A. The Great Theological Parable
1. Gladys Knights & The Pips
2. Story From Ga To LA To Ga
3. Leaving On The Midnight Train—Choices
4. Cost To Say Good Bye
5. I Got To Go—I Rather Live In His World
6. Cost To Follow The Love
B. Jesus Was On The Move Before Palm Sunday
1. What-The Rush—Sit—Fixed On Jerusalem
2. Leader’s Plan To Kill Him In Bethany
3. Hit List, Sick Lazarus, Back To Bethany
4. I Must Go---Disciples Try To Discourage
5. Let’ God Die
C. 1. Another Contract On Jesus Life
2. Front, Center, Leading Disciples Astonished
3. People Afraid—What If They Get Us
4. Jesus To The Twelve—This Will Happen
5. Condemn, Betrayed, Mocked, Whipped Killed
6. Three Days To Rise
7. Disciples Confused—Offer The Alternatives
8. Other Opportunities For Ministry—Escape
9. Jesus I Got To Go—Peter Never Will It
10. Get Behind Me Satan—Wrong Things In Mind
D. Why Did Jesus Have To Go
1. If You Had A Week---Where Go
2. What Must Be Done—What Completed
3. Jesus—Will Of God For His Life-Jerusalem
4. Rather Live In Obedience-Than Live Without
E. The Choices We Face Everyday
1. Small, Hard, Difficult, Seem Insignificant
2. All Come With Price Tag
3. If Jesus Decided No To Go To Jerusalem
4. No Palm Sun., Holy Week, Resurrection
5. GNLCC, Hope, Give An Account
6. Love Sent Him To Jerusalem.
7. Our Choices Influenced By God’s World
8. Choices Affect A Lot Of Things & Time
9. Palm Sunday Choice—Hard
10 Easier Option Not Always God’s Choice
11. Payment Causes Us To Wish Right Choice
F. Jesus Comes And The Different Responses
1. The Groups Lining The Road For The Entrance
2. The Cloak Layers----Sacrifice –Last Chance
3. I’ve Got To Go---My Best
4. The Palm Layers---Involved—One Day
5. I’ve Go To Go---Present Something
6. The Shouters---Blessed Be The Name
7. I’ve Got To Go---My Two Cents
8. All Look The Same—But
9. The Angry & Upset—Tell Them To Be Quiet
10. Hones, But Lost
H. Jesus Arrives In The City As The Sun Sets
1. Destination Of Trip—Temple Of God
2. Not Impressed With All The Crowd
3. Temple Revealed God In The Back Seat
4. Temple—Not Singing, Praising, Prayer, Incense
5. Baa, Neigh, Coo, Arguing, Smell, ShortCut
I. The Temple Area-30 Acres On Mt. Zion
1. The Temple & Four Outer Courts
2. Temple Building—Holy Of Holies
3. Court Of The Priest
4. Court Of The Israelites
5. Court Of The Women
6. Court Of The Gentiles
7. Jesus Arrived At Court Of The Gentiles
J. Jews Come From All Over World Holy Days
1. The ½ Sheckel Tax -Male 20 & Up
2. Imperial Roman Money, Provincial Greek
3. Local Jewish Money Money Exchangers
4. Opportunity For Rip Off
5. Animals For Sacrifice—Distance Problems
6. Purchasing Animals For Sacrifice
7. Tax For Inspection Of Purity
8. Flea Market Set Up In Court Of The Gentiles
9. Court Did Not Look Like Place Of Worship
10. Short Cut Across Town
11. Jesus Had To Go To Do Something About His
Father’s House.
L. Jesus Begins To Do Some Temple Cleansing
1. The Army Of One
2. The Turned Over Tables, The Money
3. The Turned Tables The Flying Doves
4.. The Sending Back Out The Gate
5. The Teaching Began
M. In The Cleansing Jesus Was Declaring
1. I Am God’s Son
2. How To Treat Each Other
