Palm Sunday: Not My Will, But Yours

Matthew 6:10 May your Kingdom come soon.  May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Luke 19:28-44 After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples.  As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead.  “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”

And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.” So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

Luke 22:41-44 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

1 Peter 4:1-8 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.  You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.  But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead.  That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.  Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

John 6:35-40 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 4:32-38 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”

“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

Jesus the Same

Jesus in the yesterdays (Old Testament)

·         In the beginning…

o    Sacrificial ram (Genesis 22)

o    Passover lamb/deliverer (Exodus 12)

·         In the wilderness…

o    Manna from heaven (Exodus 16)

o    Water from the rock (Exodus 17)

o    Bronze serpent (Numbers 21)

o    The tabernacle (Exodus 25-31)

·         In the promised land….

o    The temple

·         In the exile…

o    Fiery furnace (Daniel 3)

o    Vision of the son of man (Daniel 7)

·         Prophecies

o    About 60 specific prophecies referenced in over 300 verses http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/messianicprophecies.html

o    Partial list

·         New Testament speaks of Jesus in the Old Testament

o    At creation - John 1, Colossians 1:15-17, Romans 11:36, Hebrews 1:2

o    1 Corinthians 10:1-11 I don't want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground.  In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses.  All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, "The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry."  And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.  Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.  And don't grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death.  These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

o    Jude 1:5 So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.

o    John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!"

o    Luke 24:27, 44-45 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. …  Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

o    John 17:5 "Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began."

o    John 8:58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!”

Jesus Today - Palm Sunday & Easter

Jesus Tomorrow & Forever - Post-Easter

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Lord of all your yesterdays and today is the same Lord of all your tomorrows.  When you can clearly see Him in your past, you can trust Him with your future.

Colossians 2:6-7 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.  Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

God in the Silence

Silence in the In-Betweens

Psalm 83:1-4  O God, do not be silent!  Do not be deaf.  Do not be quiet, O God.  Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies?  Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up?  They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones.  “Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation.  We will destroy the very memory of its existence.”

Isaiah 57:11 “Are you afraid of these idols?  Do they terrify you?  Is that why you have lied to me and forgotten me and my words?  Is it because of my long silence that you no longer fear me?"

Psalm 50:16-23 But God says to the wicked:  “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant?  For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.  When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers.  Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies.  You sit around and slander your brother— your own mother’s son.  While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care.  But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you.  Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you.  But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.  If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”

Silence in the Grave

Isaiah 38:18 For the dead cannot praise you; they cannot raise their voices in praise.  Those who go down to the grave can no longer hope in your faithfulness.

 Psalm 94:17-19 Unless the Lord had helped me,  I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.  I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.  When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Silence of Jesus

Matthew 26:62-63a Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?”  But Jesus remained silent.

Matthew 27:12-14 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent.  “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded.  But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.  He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

Matthew 27:46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Silence in Heaven

Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.

Finding God in the Silence

1 Kings 19:11-12  “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

Isaiah 30:15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved.  In quietness and confidence is your strength. … “

“True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.” ~ David Tyson Gentry

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God!   I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.”

The Power of the Tongue

Q: How many muscles are in the human body? (approx. 640)

Q: What is the strongest muscle in the body? (the tongue)

·         The tongue is the strongest muscle in your body, and most flexible. (actually comprised of 8 interconnected muscles - four connected to bone and involved in changing the position of the tongue, and four non-anchored involved in changing the shape)

·         Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.

·         The tongue is the fastest healing part of the body.

·         Like fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different.

Proverbs on the tongue

·         Proverbs 18:21 The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

·         Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

·         Proverbs 15:4 Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

·         Proverbs 12:18 Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing.

·         Proverbs 12:6 The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of the godly save lives.

·         Proverbs 13:3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything.

James 1:26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

James 3:1-12 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. 

SermonCentral.com On October 8, 1871, at about eight-thirty in the evening, a lantern in Mrs. O’Leary’s barn, presumably kicked over by her cow, ignited the great Chicago fire. The woman was milking her cow; and there was a little lamp of oil, a little flickering flame. The cow kicked over the lamp; and the flame kindled a wisp of hay, and another wisp, until all the hay in the stable was on fire, and the next building was on fire, and the next and the next! The fire spread over the river to the main part of Chicago and swept on until within a territory one mile wide and three miles long, there were only two buildings standing. the little flame from that lamp had laid Chicago in ashes! That was over one half of the city.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

Matthew 12:33-37  “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.  You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.  A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.  And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.  The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Luke 6:43-45 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/11/30/words-can-change-your-brain/

In their book, Words Can Change Your Brain, they write: “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”

Positive words, such as “peace” and “love,” can alter the expression of genes, strengthening areas in our frontal lobes and promoting the brain’s cognitive functioning. They propel the motivational centers of the brain into action, according to the authors, and build resiliency.

Conversely, hostile language can disrupt specific genes that play a key part in the production of neurochemicals that protect us from stress. Humans are hardwired to worry — part of our primal brains protecting us from threats to our survival — so our thoughts naturally go here first.

However, a single negative word can increase the activity in our amygdala (the fear center of the brain). This releases dozens of stress-producing hormones and neurotransmitters, which in turn interrupts our brains’ functioning. (This is especially with regard to logic, reason, and language.) “Angry words send alarm messages through the brain, and they partially shut down the logic-and-reasoning centers located in the frontal lobes,” write Newberg and Waldman.

Ephesians 4:29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Leadership guru John Maxwell says that leaders carry two buckets with them at all times -- a bucket of water and a bucket of gasoline. (Think Hitler and Churchill)

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

Is your tongue glorifying Christ at all times?  Does your life reflect your beliefs?  Are you speaking life or death to yourself or others?

What is Your Vision?

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The Kingdom of God, however, is based upon timeless, unchanging principles.  Our methods may change and evolve over time as the culture changes and evolves, but the message does not.  The purpose of the church does not.  In between the extremes of striving to remain relevant and staying in a rut, we must never lose sight of this. 

Think of Jesus' illustrations of the Kingdom of God as a field, of the Word of God as being seed, of Christians being farmers (Matthew 13).  There are seasons of dryness and stagnancy, and there are seasons of exponential growth; a time for sowing and a time for reaping.  2 Timothy 4:2 says that we are to "Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not."

The Three Primary Functions of the Church

1.       Exaltation - Worshiping and honoring God, individually and corporately.

2.       Edification - Encouraging and serving one another in love.

3.       Evangelism - Being His hands and feet to the world, preaching the gospel not just in words, but in our lifestyles, being ready to give an answer for the hope we have, also being willing to put our faith into practice as God leads.

Our Mission

The mission of Acres of Hope Christian Fellowship is to help people find Christ and grow in Him.

We do this by endeavoring to love God and to love others (Matthew 22:36-40), serving and ministering to them in Christian love (Matthew 25:34-40), and to obey the Great Commission.

Our Commission

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:19-20)

Everything that we do as Christians and as a church should reflect these things.

·         Does it point to Christ?

·         Does it build the Kingdom?

·         Does it equip the saints?

·         Does it exist to serve others?

·         Does it manifest the love of God through Jesus Christ?

·         Have you prayed about it?

"Does it feel good/right?" - Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death."

James 4:14-17 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.  Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.

So, is it the "same old same old?"

“A man came across three masons who were working at chipping chunks of granite from large blocks. The first seemed unhappy at his job, chipping away and frequently looking at his watch. When the man asked what it was that he was doing, the first mason responded, rather curtly, “I’m hammering this stupid rock, and I can’t wait ’til 5 when I can go home.”

”A second mason, seemingly more interested in his work, was hammering diligently and when asked what it was that he was doing, answered, “Well, I’m molding this block of rock so that it can be used with others to construct a wall. It’s not bad work, but I’ll sure be glad when it’s done.”

”A third mason was hammering at his block fervently, taking time to stand back and admire his work. He chipped off small pieces until he was satisfied that it was the best he could do. When he was questioned about his work he stopped, gazed skyward and proudly proclaimed, “I…am building a cathedral!”

“Three men, three different attitudes, all doing the same job.” ~ Author Unknown

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

What is God calling you to do?  What dreams has He placed on your heart?  What would you do for Him if you knew you could not fail?  What gifts has He given you?  Are you using them?  Are boldly and obediently stepping forward toward your calling?