Choose Your Attitude
3/24/2002 Palm Sunday Zech 9:9-12 Matt 21:1-11
How many of you have ever been to a parade that had different things in it from bands, to floats, to drill teams and more? In a parade you never know what is going to come up next, whether you will feel good about it, or just want it to hurry up and get out of the way. Life itself is like a parade. You never quite know what is coming next. Although you cannot determine, what’s coming, you can determine what your attitude toward whatever it is, is going to be.
Our attitude is a choice. It is something that’s very valuable, because it lets us be in control of how we feel inside. If attitude was not a choice, we could not follow Christ, because Jesus requires of us some unexpected attitudes in certain situations. Have you ever had anyone tell you, you need to change that attitude or get rid of that attitude as soon as possible? Having a bad attitude or a poor attitude can really destroy relationships and will hurt us in the long run.
Chuck Swindoll had this to say about attitude. “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of Attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important: than facts, than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do, than appearances, than giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the Attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our Attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…We are in charge of our attitudes.”
Palm Sunday is a time for us to examine our attitudes toward each other as well as toward God. In a way, Palm Sunday is about a huge parade coming into town with one major float as its main attraction. The preparation, the launching, and the moving of the float will allow all kinds of attitudes to appear. Let’s see when and where our own attitude shows up.
Now Jesus has less than a week to live, and He knows it fully well. He has finally decided to make it known publicly that He is the long awaited Messiah, the King that God’s people has been waiting for, for hundreds of years. We read in the Old Testament a prophecy about a King who would come into the city riding on a colt. Zechariah predicted it would happen over 500 years before Jesus was born. The time had finally come and Jesus was ready to take the next step. Can he count on everybody’s cooperation?
He’s starting to get ready for his whole reason for being ,which was to obey God the Father. He calls his disciples and chooses two of them. Let’s look at Luke 19:30-31 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ’Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ’The Lord needs it.’ Now the word Lord here, is the name for God which is found in the Old Testament.
So Jesus is saying, tell them “God is about to do something great with it" Now here’s the first opportunity for an attitude. Suppose you had been there as one of the disciples. Would you have gotten upset and became envious that Jesus chose those two and not you? Some kind of miracle is going to take place with this colt. Why do they get to be the ones to go?
Few things are as damaging to the body of Christ, than people having the attitude, “I should have gotten that part, or my child should have had that part.” The attitude of envy causes us to say things about others that should never be said. We question their motives, their hearts, and their intentions. We forget that we are called the body of Christ, not the interchangeable parts of Christ. Jesus does not treat us the same, because He has different roles and ministries for each of us to fulfill. Some of us would have said, “if he was going to do it for the two, then he should have done it for the 12. That’s the only way to be fair.”
Sometimes we get upset with others over God’s call on their lives, when we do not understand what price they have paid to get to where they are. Sometimes God cannot use us in the spot light, because we’re unwilling to pay the price to get there. Now here are these two disciples are going on the word of Jesus. As they are walking along, one of them probably said, “So how much money did Jesus give you for the colt.” The other said what, “I thought he gave you the money to pay for it.” What’s our attitude when God calls us to do something, but God does not give us anything to accomplish it with except His Word. All we know is that God told us to do it.
Now suppose Jesus had told you, “go to Parma Town Mall. Near the main entrance there will be a brand new blue car with the keys inside of it. Bring it back to me. If the security or police ask you what you’re doing in the car, just tell them the Lord needs it.” How many of you would feel comfortable with Jesus’ instructions? Many times doubt will linger around us when God tells us to do something. You see God can’t choose some of us, because God knows, we will not go through with the task. We start asking, “Is this going to work? How can I get this done? Where am I going to get the money?” In times like these we have to choose the attitude of faith. God told me to do this for a reason. Because God sent me, God will keep His word.
Sure enough, the two disciples found the colt exactly as Jesus had said, in the place where he told them it would be. Everything is going fine. They go over to start untying the colt. All of a sudden there is this booming voice saying, “Hey that’s our animal. What are you doing untying the colt?” All of a sudden you’re being surrounded by some guys looking pretty angry. Now if it had been some of us, we would have gotten a self righteous attitude. “Don’t be accusing me of being a thief. I just made a mistake. I didn’t know this was your animal.” You see we can become so interested in how we look in a situation, that we forget what it was Jesus told us to do.
Jesus did not say defend yourself. He said, tell them the “Lord needs it.” When they said, “The Lord needs it”, the owner’s attitudes immediately changed from anger and suspicion to cooperation. Now God had previously spoken to their hearts to bring out their prized possession, a beautiful colt upon which no-one had ever ridden. But God did not tell them how He was coming to get it. They may have been waiting for an angel from heaven to come and pick it up. They certainly were not expecting two ordinary looking men, who they mistook as thieves. We need the right attitude even with strangers, because we never know when Jesus is right in our midst.
When the owners heard, the words, “The Lord needs it”, they were eager to let it go. According to Matthew’s gospel not only did the owners send the colt, they sent along the donkey’s mother as well, so the disciples took both animals back to Jesus. God must have spoken to their hearts some time ago, “don’t ever ride on that colt, I have need of it.”
Some times God tells us to hold on to something that we might want to use for ourselves, because He has a higher purpose for it. This particular colt symbolized sacredness or holiness in that it had never been ridden before. Animals and things used for sacred purposes in the Old Testament had to be animals and things that had never been used before.
Now this colt was simply a young donkey. We do not highly prize the riding of a donkey, as a matter of fact, we would much rather see someone riding on a horse. But just like Jesus has a reason for why he chooses us, he had a reason for why he chose this new donkey. The donkey was used by Kings when they entered the city in peace. The horse or stallion was used by a King when he entered the city as a conqueror. The donkey was also an animal of service used to carry the burdens and loads of people. So Jesus is preparing to come into the city fulfilling the prophecy in Scripture and presenting himself as the King of peace, ready to carry the burdens of others.
At the heart of Palm Sunday is Jesus’ desire to bring peace into our lives and to be willing to carry whatever burdens in life that are weighing us down. But the only way Jesus can complete his desire, is for us to allow him to march in and take over without having to fight us all along the way. Have you ever told God, ”you can march over there, but don’t come this way because I’m not yet ready to surrender.” Where ever Jesus is not fully welcome in our lives, is where the real battle is taking place for our attitudes. We’re doing all kinds of things hoping to find some peace, but God is saying, until you get your attitude together right here, you shall not have peace as you seek for it.
When the two disciples returned with the colt and the donkey, they placed their coats and garments upon the young colt to serve as a saddle for Jesus. The parade is about to start. So far it consists of a large number of people who have recently seen the miracles Jesus had done such as raising Lazarus from the dead and the healing of Blind Bartimaeus. They were from Galilee and other parts of the country on their way to Jerusalem for the feast. There were the disciples themselves, along with Jesus, a donkey and her colt.
As the parade began, different attitudes started to manifest themselves. The first attitude was those who wanted to immediately offer Jesus the best that they had. They took off their coats and clothing and begin to lay it down the pathway as to form a royal carpet for the animals to walk on. They were not concerned that their clothes might not be reusable or that they would not be able to get them back. Their focus was on going all out to honor Jesus Christ. Is this your attitude when it comes to serving God? Lord you can count on me to give whatever I have without thinking about it. This was the group that gave Above and Beyond what was expected. These were the real NUTS in the crowd who could say, “we never underestimate the spirit.”
Then there was another group with another attitude at the parade that day. It’s the attitude of giving something good, even if its not the best they could give. They kept their coats and clothing, but they were willing to go and cut down the palm branches and lay them down as a means of honoring and respecting Jesus. They are in the parade and they look pretty good.
This is where many people are in the church today. They’re doing a pretty good job, and investing themselves in the work of the Jesus, but they haven’t decided that all that I am truly belongs to God. They believe it as a head knowledge, but its not a reality in their hearts. They are still not convinced that doing things God’s way is the best way to handle their lives.
Then there were those who were there, but they never actually became a part of the parade, they just sort of stood alongside the road and cheered a little bit. They were willing to take notice of Jesus and to even give him a handclap, but they were too concerned with other things to actually get involved. As soon as Jesus passed them by, they went on about their business as people do once the parade is gone.
These are the people who claim to know Jesus, but are not committed in any church, nor do they seek to live the lives God has called them to live. Their attitude is, “well the Lord knows my heart.” The Lord does know our hearts, and what God has to say about our hearts should cause us to run and give our lives to Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ, our hearts are in need of a major overhaul.
There were thousands and thousands of people there on Palm Sunday as Jesus marched into the city. You see Jerusalem has hills all around it, and if you were on the right hills, you could easily see Jesus riding in on the donkey. You got to decide how close you wanted to get to Jesus then, just like you get to decide today how close you want to get to Jesus. Palm Sunday was the only time in Jesus’ life that he allowed the people to declare him as King and to openly receive their praise and worship as a crowd.
The people shouted out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.” They were saying, “you’re the one whom God has sent.” Matthew tells us, the people were also shouting out Hosanna to the Son of David. Hosanna literally means to “save us now.” The people are shouting in our terms, “You’re the one God has sent save us now. You’re the one God has sent save us now.”
Just as in the nation of Israel today in which Israel sends occupying forces into Palestinian territories, the Romans were occupying the nation of Israel then. The people were hoping that Jesus was coming to overthrow the power of Rome. They are all excited about what’s going to happen next. They are going wild in their praises and expectations of what Jesus is going to do. But remember Jesus did not come into the city riding a stallion, he came riding a donkey. He was not coming to destroy the Romans, but rather to deal with the issue of sin in our lives.
But there was still another attitude at the parade, when it was obvious Jesus was at the focus of it all. There were religious who had a lot to lose if the Romans thought Jesus was attempting to become a king. The religious leaders had already wanted to get rid of Jesus. Palm Sunday was just too much for them. They told Jesus, “Jesus to rebuke this crowd.”
The educated religious leaders knew that the words the people were shouting were only suppose to apply to the Son of God. What they wanted Jesus to do was to tell the people, “you should not be worshipping me like this. I am not the Messiah, the one the Scriptures have spoken of for 100’s or years.” But Jesus could not deny who he was despite their attitude of jealousy, hostility, and hatred toward him.
This attitude voices itself more and more in our society where people are actually hostile toward Jesus Christ. They get angry when we way that Jesus Christ is the One true way to God. Some of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus, have become so intimidated by our culture, that we will not back the claims of Christ, and are saying, well other religions could lead to God as well.
Jesus has left than a week to live, and before he dies he says, “I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The only thing I can break that down to and be faithful to what Jesus said is to tell others, “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no once comes to the Father except through Him. Now you can call me narrow minded if you want to, but your problem is not with me, your problem is with Jesus.
Even if the religious could have gotten the people to shut up and stop praising Jesus that day, it would not have changed who Jesus was. He still would have been the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Jesus took it even a step further. He said listen, “even if I told the people to be quiet for a moment, the very stones on the ground would cry out, “He is the Son Of God.” Even the animals know who Jesus is. Think about it for a moment, what happens when you get on a horse that’s never been ridden on before. Well if you’re not prepared for the experience you’re going to hit the ground with the bucking back forth.
Yet here is this donkey that has never been ridden on before, immediately becomes submissive when Jesus gets on its back. That was the donkey’s way of offering praise to Jesus. He had the right kind of attitude.
What attitude is Christ trying to expose to you today? Have you allowed jealousy or envy to enter in your heart toward something God is doing in and through somebody else, when you think you could do just as good a job? Is your attitude one where you have completely sold out to Jesus Christ, or do you see areas in which you do not want the donkey to carry Jesus to just yet? You’ve got a great attitude toward your friends, but the way you treat your family stinks, especially your spouse. Is your attitude one of just doing your own thing, but sure that God knows your heart so there’s no need to worry? Or are you openly hostile toward God and His word. You don’t believe it and you never will?
At the moment, it really does not matter because on Palm Sunday, when Jesus went to Jerusalem he was going to the cross to be crucified and He had you on His mind. He loved you, and He gave His life for you that you might have peace and forgiveness for the wrong you have done. His attitude toward you will always be one of love and acceptance until the day you die. After that, you’re on your own because you will have sealed your own fate. Why not today, try to love Him, in the way that He Loved you. It’s a choice on your part.
4. Never Ridden, Yet Never Put Up A Challenge
K. Where Is The Attitude Exposure For Us Today
1. Attitude Jealousy, Envy, Equality
2. Attitude Of Being Sold Out Completely
3. Attitude Of Don’t Come Over Here Yet
4. Attitude God Knows My Heart
5. Attitude Of Open Hostility
L. Palm Sunday—It Does Not Really Matter
1. Going To Jerusalem And The Cross
2. You Were On His Mind
3. Attitude Of Love And Acceptance Until
4. We Seal Our Fate
5. Loving Him The Way He Loved You
6. The Attitude Of Choice
Sermon Outline Pastor Rick 3/24/2002
Choose Your Attitude
Zech 9:9-12Matt 21:1-11Luke 19:28-40
A. Have You Been To The Parade
1. Bands, Floats, Drill Teams—What’Next
2. The Parade Of Life—What’s Next—Attitude
3. Choice—In Control, Jesus Demands—Told Change
Chuck Swindoll had this to say about attitude. “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of Attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important: than facts, than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do, than appearances, than giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the Attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our Attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…We are in charge of our attitudes.”
4. Palm Sunday---Attitude Evaluation—Major Parade
5. One Attraction—Preparation Launching, Show Up
B. Jesus—Less Than A Week To Go—Time To Tell It
1. Zechariah 500 Years Earlier—Now Is The Time
2. His Reason For Being And For Coming
3. Chooses 2 Of His Disciples—Is That A Problem
Luke 19:30-31 "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ’Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ’The Lord needs it.’ "
4. God About To Do Something Great With It
5. Who Gets Envious And Upset—Body Not Parts
When Ego Hurts The Body
6. I Should Have Got It—My Child Should Have Got It
7. Send The 12 And Be Fair
C. Can’t Always Know Why God Choose This One
1. Have You Paid, Or You Willing To Pay
2. The Two, “How Much Money Did He Give
3. Attitude When All We Have Is A Word From God
4. Jesus Sends Us To Parma Town Mall, The Blue Car
With The Keys— Attitude Of Doubt or Faith
D. The Colt Is Found—All Is Going Well Until
1. Action Leads To Threat “What Are You Doing”
2. Getting Too Self Righteous—We’re Not Thieves
3. Think Of Appearance Causes Us To Forget Jesus
4. Remember The Plan—The Lord Has Need Of It
E. God Had Previously Spoken—Didn’t Tell Them How
1. Looking For An Angel—But Getting Two Thieves
2. Right Words Get The Colt & Donkey’s Mother
3. Colt Sacred—Never Ridden Before –Set Apart
F. Colt/Donkey—More Highly Esteemed 1st Century
1. Not On A Horse—Reason For The Choice
2. Donkey—King Of Peace Horse-Conquering King
3. Donkey-Carrier Of Burdens
4. Palm Sunday—Peace For Us Burdens Lifted
5. Letting Jesus Ride Throughout Our Hearts
G. Disciples Return With The Donkeys—Makeshift Saddle
1. Parade—Those Who Saw Miracles- Laz & Bart.
2. Disciples, Jesus, Two Animals
3. Those Who Made The Royal Carpet- The Best
4. Attitude—It’s Yours Above & Beyond—NUTS
5. Those Who Went For The Palms—In The Parade
6. Hard Workers, Willing, Not Totally Convinced
7. Head Knowledge But Not Heart Knowledge
8. Attitude—I Love You Lord But Wait Until
9. Those Who Stood Alongside & Waved, Clapped
10. Yes God, But Not Willing To Get Involved
11. No Commitment—God Knows My Heart
12. Danger Of Relying On God Knows My Heart
H. The Parade Gets Bigger & Noiser
1. Thousands Present—Hills And Jesus—How Close Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord. Matthew Hossana To The Son Of David Hossana.
2. You’re The One God Has Sent—Save Us Now
3. The Roman Occupation—Palestinians/Israelis
4. Overthrow Rome Overthrow Sin
5. Came On A Donkey Not A Horse
6. Religious Leaders With A Lot To Lose
7. Tell Them To Stop It All—Jesus Deny It All
You Know What All This Means
8. Attitude=Jealousy, Hostility, Hatred
I The Attitude Of Society Against Jesus
1. Don’t Say The Only Way—Jumping Ship
2. With A Week To Go—Jesus Said I Am The Way The Truth & The Life, No One Comes To The Father Except Through Me. John 14:6
3. What Jesus Really Meant
4. Problem Not With Me But With Jesus
J. Even If The People Got Quiet, It Wouldn’t Work
1. Still Lord Of Lord And King Of Kings
2. Rocks Would Get Involved—He Is The Son Of God
3. Donkey Even Knew Who Jesus Was
