The Three great Processions.
Everyone loves a procession.
A few years ago all of New Zealand celebrated and the Team New Zealand members triumphantly paraded down Queen street in Auckland to a tumoltuous welcome as they bought honme the America’s cup.
But the cabinet is now empty.
This week the American troops were welcomed by many as conquering heroes into Baghdad the capital of Iraq = But the hard yards still lie ahead of them.
A few years ago floats with woman and men paraded through Auckland in what was known as the Heroes parade but the problem was they were not heroes = simply people celbrating their sin caused by their rebellion - there inclination or some distortion.
Three parades but all of them have more questions than answers.
We are moving towards Easter and easter is a great celebration for Christians because what we are celebrating is the liberation of the human race -
Through Jesus Christ you have come into an incredible inheritance in Christ - you can achieve great things in God because of what Jesus has done.
Bill Subritzky was sharing something of his conversion in th\\\his book On the cutting edge.
He said "Harry Greenwood was praying for people. As he moved along and laid hands on them, some wept and others made strange sounds. I wanted to get out and run but Maria was looking at me. The preacher said, "Brother, in the name of Jesus Christ be baptized in the Holy spirit. Open your mouth, brother, and speak out." Without thought I did so and an unknown language poured out of me.
As this happened, Harry Jumped in the air, his hands almost touching the ceiling, and shouted the loudest hallelujah I have ever heard. I am sure that he thought God had cracked the toughest nut in New Zealand.
When it was time to go, I walked down the stairway and Maria approached me and said, "Dad you must feel different." I vagualy said, "Yes." But I was really quite bewildered.
The next morning I arose early and looked out of my bedroom window. I could not believe my eyes. I had never seen the grass so green, the trees so beautiful, nor heard the birds sing that way.
I ate breakfast, then drove down to the office. As I looked at the sky, I realised I had never seen it so blue.
Then the words that my Mother used to say to me came to my ears, "Except a man be born again he shall not enter the kingdom of God." I suddenly realised I was born again and was looking on the world as though I had entered it for the first time. My Mother had died praying for me and now, 25 years later, her prayers were being answered.
Some years ago Stan Clark an elder of this church was sharing with me his testimony which shared many features of this one - He too was talking about how the next morning after he gave his life to Jesus the grass and trees all looked different. Something had radically transformed his life.
Of course Stan has since gone on to be with the Lord.
But this morning I want to talk about three great parades that we need to take part in in order to be effective as christians
The first parade is the parade of Mordecai. EST 6:1 That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
EST 6:3 "What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?" the king asked.
"Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered.
EST 6:4 The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him.
EST 6:5 His attendants answered, "Haman is standing in the court."
"Bring him in," the king ordered.
EST 6:6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?"
Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?" 7 So he answered the king, "For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, `This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’ "
EST 6:10 "Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended."
EST 6:11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!"
There is something remarkable about this man Mordacai that is well worth understanding and copying.
Mordacai was a cousin of Esther who was the Queen of Ahasuerus or Xerxes the King of Persia .
She was a Jewess and obeyed Mordecai as a child would obey her Father.
In the days after she becamne Queen Mordecai overheard a plot against the king by two of the Kings eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh. He reported this plot to Esther, and the King succesfully halted their plan.
At that time no crdit was given Mordecai except his deeds were recorded in the official records of Persia.
Now Mordecais would not bow in those days to the King’s favourite prince Haman. Like Daniel he would not bow to anyone except God being a Jew.
Haman became angered and sought to destroy all Jews because of Mordecais faithfulness to his God. When Mordecai learned of this evil plot he went into mourning.
Haman planned to have Mordecai hanged on a gallows that he would make.
At this time the King was reminded of the great dead that Mordacai had done in saving his life. At precisely the same time Haman was entering his presence to seek permission to hang Mordecai, presumably on some trumped up charge.
But before he could ask the King asked him about honouring someone and Haman thinking that he was the someone came up with a grand plan.
The end result was he found himself leading Mordecai his hated enemy through the streets ringing a bell and Yelling. This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!"
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Not only that but Mordecai was wearing the royal crest on his cheast and Royal robes the sign of royal favour and power.
Why did he receive all this honour?
Because he honoured God.
In Isaiah we read 1SA 2:30 "Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: `I promised that your house and your father’s house would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: `Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.
It seems top me that those who honor God will receive honor.
You may not experience it immediately but at some stage of your life in this world or the next God will honour you in response to your honouring him.
He promises it.
"Get someone else to blow your horn, and the sound will carry twice as far." - Will Rogers
"Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. And when we are right, make us easy to live with." - Peter Marshall
Don’t be like the boxing promotor Don King:-"I am the best boxing promoter in the world. And I say that humbly." - Don King
Once Winston Churchill was sitting on a platform waiting to speak to a large crowd gathered to hear him. The chairman of the event leaned over and said, "Isn’t it exciting, Mr. Churchill, that all these people came just to hear you speak?" Winston Churchill responded, "It is quite flattering, but whenever I feel this way I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big."
The big lesson from Mordecai is to honour God.
The next parade is the one that happenned in Jerusalem and is honoured on what we call Palm Sunday:-MK 11:1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, `Why are you doing this?’ tell him, `The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ "
MK 11:4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
"Hosanna! "
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
MK 11:10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"
MK 11:11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
When Jesus came into Jerusalem he is fulfilling a prophecy that Israel had had before it for fivehundered and twenty years.
ZEC 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.
This scripture perfectly describes Jesus - righteous and having salvation.
For 520 years the Jewish leaders had these words to contemplate and turn over. But when the day came - they missed it.
But this celebration marked the fact that for the entire human race that an incredible historic moment had come.
What was being celebrated was an incredible universal change that would affect every man and woman on earth.
Every life that has been lived since this time has been defined by their response to what happenned shortly after this triumphant entry.
As Paul wrote in a letter to the Roman Chrisitans:-
RO 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
This week American troops flooded into Baghdad - the law of Saddam Hussein was put to an end and hopefully the law of freedom will soon reign there.
The toppling of the big statue in Baghdad is like a parable of sin being toppled when Jesus was crucified.
The only way that sin can triumph in your life now is if you choose to let it.
I hesitate to make too many comparisons to Iraq but imagine someone who insists on staying loyal to Saddam Hussein and gets a gun and starts shooting up the city.
They wouldn’t last long they would taste death.
It is the same for us we need to undersatand that if we want to run our lives by the rules of the old regeime of death then God will allow us to do that but it will kill us.
But if we choose to join with the crowd welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem then we are committing ourselves to following Jesus.,
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 comes in peace - we know that when a King came into a city on a Donkey he came in peace - and as Zechariah he bought salvation with him.
The problem with the Jewish people is that they only worshipped him for a moment and then went on to kill him. Jesus did three things when he came into Jerusalem in this way:-
He made his claim as God’s Messiah, God’s annointed one We must acknowledge him as King or not receive him at all. Let’s not join with the cults and say Jesus is just a Prophet - that is not a luke warm compliment but reather an insult and must be seen as such. It is in the end to call God a liar which is a very serious matter and will lead to death.
Iit shows Jesus’ courage - coming into Jerusalem like this could do nothing other than create an impasse an impasse that would mean he was accepted as Lord and King of Israel or crucified as a criminal - Historys blood stained pages show us the Jews decision - We too are called to courage.
Thirdly - It shows Jesus appeal - people were attracted to him and they came out in droves to express their appreciation of him.
Through this parade God visually displays his son for who he is - The King who comes in peace - what we have to do is either respond in worship with our prayers and our lives or reject him as an imposter.
The third parade that I want to consider is
Revelation, 7: 9-15
After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
This parade is in startling continuity to the one we have just read about -
But there are some outstanding differences - here Jesus is not the coming King who eventually is rejected - Here he is established on his throne - There are the same palm branches waving in the peoples hands but they are dressed quite differently.
We do not find them taking off cloaks and laying them on the road.
Why?
Wel as I already said Jesus was not travelling. He is already established on the throne.But more than that The people are not wearing earthly cloaks - they are wearing white robes.
As the passage says:-Revelation, 7: 9-15
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
These are people who have moved through their lives in this world and have availed themselves of all Jesus has provided on the cross.
Yes among them are the former guilty - the angry - the hurtful and the irratable - the sinful but the one common feature these people have is they have endured with Jesus until the end.
They have not given up on him or given up hope.
They have come out of the tribulation of this world clinging to the cross of Jesus Christ - nevfer giving up.
Friends is that not our task here in this parish.
The message of the cross of Jesus Christ is as important as the day that you first heard it
This parade beckons us - calls to us pleads with us - come and join in.
It is full of hope full of encouragement to join in on this great party in heaven.
It has a serious note of reward and blessing of peace and in it’s own words:_Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
This is a great promise and it has already been achieved for us.
We though need to be sure not to get weary - to give up or to stray off:-
We need to persist and never give up pursuing God through whatever tribulations we may face. David was like that.
The army of Israel thought Goliath was too big to defeat; David thought he was too big to miss.
The message of this third parade should inspire us with hope to never give up.
In Galations chapter 6 we read verse 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
If we were to sum up the action points of these three great parades we would ensure that we are:-
1.Honouring God in our lives like Mordecai. Don’t let the world distract you from the way that you are meant to honour God - If you are to busy for God then youn are too busy.
2. Secondly is to worship God with our whole lives -
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
3. Thirdly We need to learn to take hope from the future and to learn endurance and persistence in the things of God.
When we do this we will become more and more like Jesus our King
