Embracing Christ's Kingship: Unity, Justice, and Humility
Summary
In today's gathering, we reflected on the profound ways God is working through our lives and communities, particularly at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya. We celebrated the incredible unity and compassion shown by students and staff in response to last year's devastating floods and landslides. Over $150,000 was raised to support the affected community, providing counseling services and building 22 new homes. This is a testament to God's faithfulness and the power of collective action in His name.
We also delved into the significance of Palm Sunday, focusing on Zechariah 9:9-10, which prophesies the coming of a humble, righteous, and sovereign king—Jesus Christ. This passage reminds us of the cyclical nature of Israel's faithfulness and rebellion, and God's unwavering promise to restore His people. As we reflect on Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, we are reminded of His fulfillment of prophecy and His role as a different kind of king—one who is sovereign, just, and humble.
The sermon challenged us to consider who truly rules our hearts. As the king goes, so goes the kingdom. Our lives testify to who our king is, and we are called to make Christ our sovereign ruler. Jesus willingly endured crucifixion to secure His kingdom, and we are invited to rest in His security by making Him our king. We explored three portraits of Christ as a better kind of king: sovereign, just, and humble. His sovereignty assures us that we are seen, His justice means we are known, and His humility welcomes us into His presence.
As we navigate our lives, we are encouraged to behold and respond to Christ's kingship. We are called to rejoice and shout in celebration of His coming, to imitate His love and justice, and to welcome others as He has welcomed us. In doing so, we participate in His kingdom, which is everlasting and unshakeable.
Key Takeaways:
1. Unity in Action: The response to the floods in Kenya exemplifies the power of unity and compassion in action. When we come together as a community, we can achieve remarkable things for God's glory, demonstrating His love and care to those in need. [27:30]
2. Christ's Sovereignty: Jesus is a sovereign king whose rule extends beyond geopolitical boundaries. His sovereignty assures us that we are seen and known by Him, providing immense hope and security in a world where we often feel overlooked. [43:52]
3. Justice and Righteousness: Christ's justice is an attribute of God that we are called to imitate. As the source of justice, He acts with fairness and righteousness, challenging us to live justly and to recognize that we are fully known by Him. [50:59]
4. Humility and Welcome: Jesus' humility is a profound aspect of His kingship. By riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, He communicated peace and welcomed us into His presence. His humility invites us to turn to Him and find rest in His gentle and lowly heart. [01:01:59]
5. Responding to Christ's Kingship: We are called to respond to Christ's kingship by rejoicing, imitating His love and justice, and welcoming others as He has welcomed us. This response is a testament to our faith and participation in His everlasting kingdom. [01:10:52]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [27:30] - Unity in Action at Rift Valley Academy
- [28:08] - Community Support and Rebuilding
- [28:50] - Family Life at RVA
- [29:31] - Embracing New Roles
- [30:07] - Seeking Wisdom and Guidance
- [30:52] - Staffing Needs and Opportunities
- [31:33] - Prayers for Our Children
- [32:59] - Introduction to Zechariah 9:9-10
- [34:29] - The Significance of Palm Sunday
- [36:01] - Historical Context of Zechariah
- [39:02] - The King and His Kingdom
- [41:29] - Christ as a Sovereign King
- [49:35] - Christ as a Just King
- [01:01:59] - Christ as a Humble King
- [01:10:52] - Responding to Christ's Kingship
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Zechariah 9:9-10
Observation Questions:
1. What actions did the students and staff at Rift Valley Academy take in response to the floods and landslides in Kenya? How did these actions demonstrate unity and compassion? [27:30]
2. How does Zechariah 9:9-10 describe the coming king, and what are the key attributes mentioned in this prophecy? [33:43]
3. What are the three portraits of Christ as a king mentioned in the sermon, and how do they differ from traditional views of kingship? [40:39]
Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the response to the floods in Kenya reflect the power of collective action in God's name? How does this align with the concept of unity in action? [27:30]
2. How does the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-10 challenge the traditional expectations of a king, and what does this reveal about God's plan for His people? [33:43]
3. What does it mean for Christ to be a sovereign, just, and humble king, and how do these attributes provide hope and security for believers? [40:39]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you witnessed or participated in a community effort that demonstrated unity and compassion. How did it impact your faith and understanding of God's work in the world? [27:30]
2. Consider the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9-10. How does Jesus' fulfillment of this prophecy influence your view of His kingship in your life today? [33:43]
3. In what areas of your life do you struggle to recognize Christ's sovereignty? How can you remind yourself that you are seen and known by Him? [43:52]
4. How can you imitate Christ's justice and righteousness in your daily interactions with others? What specific actions can you take to live justly this week? [50:59]
5. Jesus' humility is a key aspect of His kingship. How can you practice humility in your relationships and welcome others as Christ has welcomed you? [01:01:59]
6. Reflect on the question, "Who truly rules your heart?" What steps can you take to ensure that Christ is the sovereign ruler of your life? [39:42]
7. How can you actively participate in Christ's everlasting kingdom by rejoicing, imitating His love and justice, and welcoming others? What practical steps can you take this week to live out this calling? [01:10:52]
Devotional
Day 1: Unity in Action Reflects God's Love
In times of crisis, the power of unity and compassion can bring about remarkable change. The response to the devastating floods and landslides in Kenya is a testament to this truth. At Rift Valley Academy, students and staff came together to raise over $150,000, providing essential support to the affected community. This collective action not only rebuilt homes but also offered counseling services, demonstrating God's love and care in tangible ways. When we unite in purpose, we become instruments of God's faithfulness, showing His love to those in need. [27:30]
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community is in need of support today, and how can you take a step to unite with others to provide help?
Day 2: Christ's Sovereignty Provides Security
Jesus Christ is a sovereign king whose rule transcends all earthly boundaries. His sovereignty assures us that we are seen and known by Him, offering hope and security in a world where we often feel overlooked. This understanding of Christ's kingship invites us to rest in His care, knowing that He holds all things together. As we acknowledge His sovereignty, we find peace in His presence and strength in His guidance. [43:52]
"The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." (Psalm 103:19, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to trust in Christ's sovereignty more fully today?
Day 3: Living Justly as Christ's Followers
Christ's justice is a defining attribute of His kingship, and as His followers, we are called to imitate this justice in our lives. He acts with fairness and righteousness, challenging us to live justly and to recognize that we are fully known by Him. This call to justice is not just about fairness but about embodying the love and righteousness of Christ in our interactions with others. As we strive to live justly, we reflect His character to the world around us. [50:59]
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8, ESV)
Reflection: How can you practice justice in your daily interactions, and who can you show kindness to today?
Day 4: Embracing Christ's Humility
Jesus' humility is a profound aspect of His kingship, exemplified by His entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. This act communicated peace and welcomed us into His presence. His humility invites us to turn to Him and find rest in His gentle and lowly heart. As we embrace His humility, we are called to reflect this same spirit in our lives, welcoming others and serving them with love and grace. [01:01:59]
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate humility in your relationships today, and how can you welcome others into your life with open arms?
Day 5: Responding to Christ's Kingship
We are called to respond to Christ's kingship by rejoicing, imitating His love and justice, and welcoming others as He has welcomed us. This response is a testament to our faith and participation in His everlasting kingdom. As we navigate our lives, we are encouraged to behold and respond to Christ's kingship, participating in His unshakeable kingdom through our actions and attitudes. [01:10:52]
"Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:28, ESV)
Reflection: How can you actively participate in Christ's kingdom today, and what specific action can you take to reflect His love and justice in your community?
Quotes
"I praise our faithful God, you may be seated, yes we're Daryl and Leah Bernett and we serve in Kajjabi Kenya at Rift Valley Academy uh I'm the lead chaplain there and uh also teach Bible um I am the elementary principal my ministry is primarily to the elementary teachers and staff god's been doing some amazing things at Rift Valley Academy we've seen uh quite a number of kids come to faith in Christ we've had quite a few baptisms and and dedications of lives to the Lord and so it's been exciting to see how God's been moving amongst the students." [00:26:44]
"One of the the the neatest things that we've seen the way that God has been working in the last year uh some of you may have heard there were some significant floods and landslides last year in Kenya and uh we really saw both the students and the staff come together to to support the community around us um there was over $150,000 raised that has gone to to help the community at large we've been able to offer counseling services to to many of those who lost loved ones and friends uh we've been able to build 22 new homes for people who lost their homes during the floods and so God's really been doing some amazing things in the community around RVA." [00:27:30]
"Both of our boys love basketball and RVA has a fantastic basketball program for them as well as just other things that you would find in a normal high school with languages and extracurricular activities and a lot of things that we get to be involved in as well because we are a boarding school for missionary kids we get to be involved with having children in our home for meals or snacks game nights uh just it's just a great environment to raise a family in um I'll just be honest I was a little concerned about going to Rift Valley Academy i've never worked with teenagers before i've never worked in a school environment before and I wasn't sure how it was going to fit but um I've absolutely loved working with the students at Rift Valley Academy it's been so much fun and exciting and it's always exciting to to be able to see um how God is working and moving in their lives and it's challenged um me to to learn and grow." [00:28:56]
"One of the things I like to do in the Bible class that I teach is we have a a Q&A day every other Friday and I let the students ask whatever questions they want has really kept me on my toes to make sure that I'm well prepared um every time we have Q&A because they they ask some really great questions and they're really curious about God in his word so it's been a lot of fun i think one of the the biggest needs that that we would ask is just prayer for wisdom um both Leah and I are in positions of leadership at RVA uh and and we need God's wisdom to be able to lead well as as Leah leads um in the elementary school as the principal as I lead in in the spiritual life areas of of RVA uh we want to be able to make decisions that that honor and glorify God and that directs both our students and our staff um back to God and his word and so we just we ask for your prayers." [00:29:52]
"Another need for RVA is staff um lots of institutions like RVA are still trying to recover from COVID um low numbers of staff and students i think we're currently in need of probably 30 staff members um and these don't have to be educators they can be you know dorm parents or finance people or administrators like just running the dayto-day um admissions process or we need someone to plan activities for the next school year um but yes we of course need teachers and healthcare workers and various things like that so we need people on the ground so that we can admit more students and care for them we would ask for prayer for our children um the twins are in ninth grade it's a big year for them starting to uh get accustomed to high school and you know keeping their grades up and um making decisions about their future uh I know it's only 9th grade but these things are still going through their minds and our minds as well for our youngest uh Silas 7th grade is the beginning of junior high for him it's just been a transition into changing classes and having different teachers and balancing all the different things and so prayer for all of them and their schoolwork and studies and then as we all begin to think about what's next especially for our twins you know university or study abroad or just all of those different things that kind of go through our uh our minds as we're planning for their next step." [00:31:43]
"Well good morning Westover i am Michael Carter i'm the worship pastor i'm up here a lot i don't really need to introduce myself but I'm thankful that you're here palm Sunday right at the beginning of spring break everybody's heading off uh but it's good to be together with God's people and God's house if you go ahead and turn as was just read to Zechariah 9 so Ze Zechariah is one of those tiny little books buried deep into the Old Testament if you go to the break between the Old Testament and New Testament and you back up two books there you are there you find yourself zechariah here on Palm Sunday we remember Jesus entering into Jerusalem coming to his people in righteousness and we remember the crowds and the palm branches and we remember the donkey like that's got to be one of the most famous donkeys in all of history except for uh Balum's donkey you know he talked he was very Shrek's donkey donkey yes very famous but then you got this donkey here that Jesus rode in and when I think of Palm Sunday I think of the Palms and the donkey i don't know if everybody else is with me on that but um when Jesus entered Jerusalem this week it was the beginning it was the beginning of the week of his crucifixion and he's fulfilling a prophecy from Zechariah that's why we're in this passage as you're still trying to locate Zechariah let me just give you some context uh Zechariah was a prophet around the year 520 BC before Zechariah came onto the scene God's people had some ups and downs good times of following God bad times of of rebelling from God it was cyclical back and forth if you read through the Old Testament you kind of get that you kind of get sick of it eventually God raised or God dis disciplined his people through a pagan king a Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar god led him to take Israel into captivity but then God promised to bring them out again into the promised land with fresh hearts that follow after him and after many years in captivity God being faithful to his promise he moved in the hearts of pagan kings to allow his people to begin returning to the promised land that's incredible that is an incredible fact that we see in the Old Testament zechariah was a prophet during that time when God's people were beginning to return and Zechariah was a prophet during the reign of King Darius I of Persia i'll connect that later but God's people had been in the land for about 15 to 20 years so they started going back and they had been in the land for about 15 to 20 years they were rebuilding the temple they were laying the foundations things were going great but the neighbors around them did not like it they began to threaten and cause trouble for Israel and this bothered Israel so much that they stopped the work of rebuilding like they stopped for like 16 years 16 years no work then God began to speak he spoke through the prophet Haggi which is just before Zechariah in your Bible just before he spoke through the prophet Haggi to say restart the building get back to building so God's speaking to his people start building again and then he speaks to the people through Zechariah saying return to me in your hearts that's what God is saying through Zechariah so this was a theme that echoes all the way up through the beginning of Zechariah all the way up to chapter nine return to me i will avenge you i will protect you i will be your king i will show mercy and compassion so then we get to this section here Zechariah 9 verse 9 where God or the prophet begins to describe God's king that's where we are you may be thinking "So what what does this have to do with me this is the Old Testament these are Jewish people what does this have to do with me my family my life?" And I think these are great questions these are the questions that you must ask yourself when you're preparing to preach it like what in the world does this have to do with anybody this morning well the ideas the concepts of king and kingdom are so closely related it's like the king is the head and the kingdom is the body you just can't separate them they can't be separated and history has shown this to be true so if you're if you like to take notes during your sermon this is one thing that I would encourage you to write down as the king so goes the kingdom as the king so goes the kingdom and you see this played out over and over throughout the scripture as the king so goes the kingdom so let me ask you this morning before we get into it who is the king who is your king this morning who is your king who rules your heart that is our hope but your life testifies to it yes it's important that we proclaim it but you look at your life it actually testifies to who rules your heart you see just a few days after Jesus entered to celebration just a few days they crucified him they abandoned him they rejected him but the great news is he willingly did this he willingly did this to secure his kingdom and if you want to rest in his security he must be your king he must be your king so this morning right here Zechariah 9 9 through 10 and a little bit 11a as they do 11a we see these three points these three descriptions these three portraits of a better kind of king these right here christ is a sovereign king christ is a just king and Christ is a humble king he's sovereign he's just and he's humble these are three portraits for a better kind of king trying to keep with the the Hebrews you know the way the Hebrews does things three portraits of a better kind of king so right here at the top verse nine it says "Behold." So that's what we're going to do we're going to behold Christ is a sovereign king i am seen christ is a sovereign king i am seen observe right there in verse 10 it says "And he shall speak peace to the nations his rule shall be from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth." Real quick right there nations simply means all people all people and when it says his rule from sea to sea you get the point he wants to communicate the entire world the entire world you know just 200 years after Zechariah wrote this there would arise a great king who would conquer pretty much from sea to sea you remember who that was in history world history who was the great king that conquered from sea to sea i'll tell you i'll tell you alexander the Great yeah so Alexander the Great um conquered Darius III of Persia which was considered his greatest conquest but Alexander's rule was just 13 years and he was flawed he was hot-tempered he was an alcoholic and many of his loyal friends downed him because of his flaws so Zechariah was pointing clear over Alexander to a better kind of king our king is sovereign over peoples and nations he's sovereign over people and nations daniel 7 says "And to him Christ was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him." His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away after 13 years and his kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed you see that in Daniel 7 which was a prophet way before Zechariah not only to the Jew but to all peoples nations and languages everlasting not destroyed christ is truly a sovereign king his sovereign rule doesn't have a boundary he rules his people and the nations we even see him directing the mind and the heart of pagan kings for his purposes christ is in control he is sovereign therefore you are not overlooked you are seen this would des this this fear of being overlooked would describe the Jewish mentality toward God at that time i would say man he doesn't see us he's forgotten about us but God is all knowing allseeing ever present these are attributes of God this reminds me of a story back earlier it's Genesis 16 and if you know your Bible you know about this area of scripture there's a guy named Abraham his wife named Sarah his wife had a female Egyptian servant named Hagar and there are some details and Sarah and Hagar had a bit of a falling out you should you could say if you want to know why you can read it genesis 16 but this led Sarah to kick her pregnant servant out hagar kicked out but God showed up to minister to this Egyptian woman Hagar and listen to how she responded scripture says in verse 13 Genesis 16:13 "So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her you are a god of seeing." Elroy is the Hebrew name for God the God of seeing it's right here this is where we get that name for she said "Truly here I have seen him who looks after me." So this is uh one of the first maybe the first time that God gives his name and he gives it to an Egyptian woman so not only is God sovereign over people and nations but God is also sovereign in the unseen world too this is his sovereignty doesn't know any boundaries and we usually think of geopolitical boundaries but God's sovereignty doesn't know any boundaries listen to this he's sovereign in the spiritual realm ephesians 1 describes Christ as seated at the Father's right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and he's been given the name that is above every name not only in this age but in the one to come even the grave is not off limits to Christ the King listen in Revelation Jesus says to John "Fear not i am the first and the last and the living one i died and behold I'm alive forever more and I have the keys of death in Hades that is immense hope for many all of us this morning have experienced someone who's died in our life some in this room right nearby just around the corner just a few weeks ago just a couple months ago all of us stand at the graveside and we have no power to speak and have anything happen but Christ has the keys of death in Hades incredible sovereignty that he can just walk up and he has no boundaries he has no boundaries not even the weather he just speaks it's incredible if you want to look further there's another story but I'm not going to get into it just write down Luke 7 11-17 another incredible story one of my favorite stories of Christ luke 7:1-17 but we'll move on there is great security here you are seen you may be asking "Does anybody see me does anyone know I even exist?" It's kind of the typical line that's given in movies does anybody know I exist or maybe you're saying "Does anyone see the real me I put on this front does anyone see the real me?" That may be a question out of fear maybe you're hiding maybe you're surrounded by people maybe you're here this morning surrounded by people but you're hiding maybe you don't want to be seen all right scripture says that even the dark is light to God god would say to you this morning "Step out into the light be seen i see you i look after you." We could go on and on but we need to move on our second our second portrait that we see right in Zechariah 9 is that Christ is a just king i am known i am known verse 9 says "Righteous and having salvation." So I love using the scripture to define the scripture right especially when you come across a word that you don't use everywhere like righteous you know yes uh man the cashier at Harris ter she was righteous she gave me exact change back you just don't say that not not that you would comment on that anyway but it righteous is not a word you use outside of the church there's a lot of those words and the Bible will define it for us i want to know not what Webster says about righteous but I want to know what the scripture says about righteousness and there's a definition for us zephaniah 3:5 it connects God's justice and righteousness it says this "The Lord within her Jerusalem is righteous he does no injustice he's completely just every morning he shows forth his justice he acts in justice each dawn he does not fail he is forever just but the unjust knows no shame the unjust they feel justified in their wrong they feel like it was right for them to be that way so we see that Christ is a better kind of king he's just we see that he's the source of justice and that he's eternally just he's the source of justice what does that mean justice is another attribute of God so if you were to take a theology a theology class you would talk about God's attributes and they would def divide them into two groups incommunicable and communicable attributes the incommunicable attributes are that he's allseeing all knowing everpresent these are things that we cannot imitate these are attributes of God that we can't be like but the others are communicable we're meant to imitate him in these and justice is one of them love is one of them kindness is one of them goodness is one of them god is the source of justice justice isn't a concept that God before he created the world he said "You know what I'm going to do i like this idea of justice i think I'll use that and create the world." No justice flows from him he's the source of it he can't be unjust he can't be other than what he is one writer commenting on Zechariah 9:9 talks about this word righteous here it says this is the Lord's personal righteousness indicating that he holds within himself moral uprightness spiritual perfection and legal righteousness he alone fulfills the righteous standard of God's law something that no one else on earth has ever done the word righteous also refers to the justice of Christ so you see right there the connection between these two words kind of using them interchangeably god acts in justice because he is justice he is fair you and I have a sense of what justice is because we were created by the source of justice we have a sense of it but God is the source of it even at an early age toddlers can sense when something is out of balance there's like a friend of mine told me about this Tik Tok or Instagram I don't know where it's called the cookie challenge and you got like the the dad the kid and the mom and if you've seen it you know what I'm you know what I'm going they've got three napkins in front of them at the table the dad removes his napkin there's a cookie and everybody's like "Oh cookie." And the kid the toddler really young removes her napkin and there's two cookies you know everybody's pumped the mom removes her napkin no cookies and they're waiting the whole point of is to see how the child will respond and um the ones that really support the illustration here those responses are when the child is bothered the child's bothered by this imbalance and at an early age she hasn't been taught this but she knows mom needs a cookie and there's these videos that just tear your heart out this kid takes one cookie and gives it so each of them have one cookie of course there are some others where the kid just starts eating cookies looking at mom's yeah look at But anyway we know a sense of justice and balance simply because we're made by a God who is just but we see that he's the source of justice and he's eternally just hebrews quotes Psalm 45 at the very beginning hebrews 1 your throne oh God is forever and ever the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness a scepter is like a ceremonial staff of authority you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness when it comes to justice this is the image that comes to mind god will not shy away from proclaiming to wicked men and wicked women he will not shy away from saying "I hate wickedness." He's not afraid of us he's not afraid of our excuses he's not afraid of your power he is just an eternity past he just in eternity future jesus says in Matthew 12 I tell you he's talking to I don't really know who he's talking to but talking to a crowd of people and he says this right here he goes I tell you on the day of judgment people will give an account for every careless word they speak and then a couple chapters later Matthew 16 he says 'The son of God will repay each person according to what he has done so he knows us we are known in his justice our words and deeds he said he will judge we can't hide from being known by this king so it kind of took a turn did it not we thought for a second his justice was going to work in our favor and now the scriptures setting it up where it's really working against us because he is just hold that thought like most dog owners we have a dog we named our dog before we knew who she was our dog is a three-year-old black Labrador Retriever i wanted to name when we got her she was a little puppy i wanted to name her Shiloh you know like a place of rest yeah you get it you get the joke already but we know her now and she has this blanket that we gave her when she was very little much smaller than that she has this blanket that was one of our kids blankets and so we thought "Hey let's give this to her as a puppy it smells like us it'll comfort her we'll put it in her crate." you know so probably a year ago she started acting funny with it and she was doing it last night i was trying to get a video of it but it's not worth it she we be the family would be in the TV room watching TV and Shiloh would I don't know what would stir in her but she'd get up run off she would come back with the blanket in her mouth just slinging it around wildly just slinging it around like she's trying to ring its neck you need to kind of give her her space i've been hit by her before while she's in this whatever she's doing i've been hit by her she's got a a Labrador block head and she's 80 pounds but that's not all when you throw the blanket back into her crate if she hears it go into the crate you can hear that jingle when it hits the crate she'll go get it bring it back out and go through the whole thing again i don't know what she's doing she likes the blanket because she sleeps on it she'll she'll lay on it and sleep on it but it's just something that she does we don't know why but I know her i know this is what she does kind of let her have her space something else she does she will not go out if it's really cold or rainy we open the door go on out and she kind of smells and she backs back into the kitchen something else she does this is I know my dog she will not eat until we tell her to eat so we'll put the food in a bowl she'll sit there and just stare at you and she'll drool she'll drool onto the floor but she won't go and she'll say "Take it Shallow take it." And we I have to do I have to be very de demonstrative so she gets it if she gets out of the gate she is in our neighbor's backyard that's where she is she is nowhere else she didn't go anywhere else she goes to our neighbor's backyard every time i know Shiloh i know her faults if she could talk she could give me no excuses she's a dog i know her i know that she chewed up the tissues in the trash can i know that was her and I know why she's hiding under the dining room table i know why she's hiding under there she can't justify her actions you see when it comes to my relationship with God it's a little bit like that i know that I've lied to hide something that I didn't want known i've taken the last piece of cake and I denied it it wasn't me not me i didn't do it have you ever cheated to get an advantage have you ever taken credit for someone else's work have you ever fudged a little on your finances to get a break do you justify your injustice god is not tricked by our hiding or excuses we may say "Well it didn't hurt anybody." But God God's righteousness he sends it forth every morning each morning it does not fail he requires justice in his kingdom he knows us completely psalm 139 says "Lord you have searched me and known me you know when I sit down and when I rise up you discern my thoughts from afar even before a word is on my tongue behold oh Lord you know it altogether this should be terrifying you can't give excuses to God you won't convince him a just king who requires justice in his kingdom he knows your heart but the good news is that the one who is just makes us just romans 3:21 listen to this this is this is the gospel the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe are justified by his grace as a gift that he becomes the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus behold your king is coming to you and he's just and we're thankful that he makes me just simply by believing in Christ so he's sovereign he's just he's also a humble king i am welcome and we see here in verse 9 it says "Humble and mounted on a donkey." The text says he's riding a donkey in those days it was riding a donkey was just a way to communicate peace to everybody else if you're coming into a town somebody could see you from a distance and this would this would indicate your intentions people couldn't send texts back then you had to sort of communicate it from a distance by some other means and it also says he's humble and I'm glad that the text adds that because this speaks of the heart of Christ it wasn't enough that the king only communicated peace but tells us who he is he is humble christ is a different kind of king he's humble he was sent to his people he welcomes us to turn to him to come to him we can see his message his heart his suffering like I said the point of riding on a donkey was basically to say "I'm not coming for war i'm not coming to rally an army i'm not coming to protest." He's the son of God so you we know the full story we know what he can do they were just learning of him but he was strength in flesh he spoke to the wind and waves and they obeyed he could have decimated the people but he is an image of meekness strength under control and don't miss that he was sent the father sent the son he was sent so he went isaiah calls Christ the prince of peace and he welcomes you to him he welcomes you to him so we see his message we see we see his heart at that time the Jewish people wanted to be freed from Roman oppression they wanted to be a nation they were looking for a prophesied king to save them but not primarily in a spiritual sense more in a national political sense so there was this pressure when Jesus rode in to the palms there was this pressure to give people what they wanted but it's not what they needed christ came to save them in a spiritual sense he came for their heart his heart is for our heart the creator became like the creature to give his life for the mistakes of sinful men and women so that he could welcome us to reign with him forever this is simply a better kind of king there's been no king like Christ so we see his message his heart we see his suffering so uh the rays didn't read this but verse 11 says "Because of the blood of my covenant with you." Because of the blood of my covenant with you this so Zechariah these the people reading this prophecy didn't have Jesus to look to they were looking backwards from this they were looking back and this blood of my covenant phrase probably pointed them back to the Abraham covenant Moses covenant covenants that were made in blood sacrifice now we know that God gave those covenants to point forward to a once-forall blood sacrifice in Christ but basically this is answering the question what does God's kingdom cost the king what is what does the kingdom cost the king danny Aken says he will be the king who obtains his kingdom by the by being the suffering servant of the Lord and he bases that on Isaiah 53 a suffering servant christ denied himself what he was rightfully owed to give us what we are not rightfully owed to deny this is part of the disciplehip pathway to come to Christ deny yourself take up your cross and follow after him to deny is some is some we want to imitate Christ ephesians 5:1 be imitators of Christ christ doesn't ask anything of you that he himself didn't do he denied himself so that we could receive his righteousness i was going over this sermon with uh Carrie earlier this is Carrie my wife earlier this week and she reminded me of a story um that she didn't she remembered a story and told me many of you probably have already heard this story and I'm just late to the game so there's this father and son racing team running running running racing not NASCAR and uh Dick and Ricky Hoy ricky was born with cerebral pausy so severe that at the time in the 1960s doctors encouraged his parents to institutionalize him well they didn't but they cared for Ricky and took every medical opportunity that came their way eventually Ricky was fitted with a computer that enabled him to communicate and then he was fitted with a special wheelchair one day Ricky told his dad that he wanted to enter a race to benefit an athlete at his school who had become paralyzed so Ricky's dad at age 36 who was not a runner he pushed his son through their first race together after their first race Ricky told his dad "Dad when I'm running it feels like I'm not handicapped." Team Hoy went on to complete over,00 races including 72 marathons six iron man triathlons 32 Boston marathons ricky the son simply would have never been able to do that except by the love and the humility of his father mark 10 says 'The king came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many this was humiliation on a God level a Puritan John Flavl he says it like this i'll put on the screen was not this astonishing self-denial that he who from eternity had his father's smiles and honors he that from creation was adored and worshiped by angels as their god must now become a foottool for every miscreant to tread on yet this humble king welcomes you to himself he came and he welcomes you to himself christ is a sovereign king no boundaries i am seen christ is a righteous king i am known christ is a humble king i am welcome in all four gospels there's only one place where Jesus tells of his heart and you've it's a very uh famous well-known verse matthew 11:29 he says "Come to me for I am gentle and lowly in heart." He's gentle with us but he won't be overpowered daniel 2 tells about his kingdom Christ's kingdom it says "And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed nor shall the kingdom be left to another people it shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end." and it shall stand forever see we're in that kingdom now and it will be fully inaugurated when Christ returns we're kind of in the days of Christ the King on a donkey we're headed toward the days where Christ the King will be on a waror at that point he will come to bring the fullness of his kingdom so Hebrews says "Today if you hear his voice if you hear his voice today do not harden your hearts." How what do we do from here where do we go what do we do well let's do what the text says the text says "Behold and respond." The text says "Rejoice and shout respond." God is saying "Look what I'm doing this is worthy of your celebration i'm coming to save set your hope on me i will not fail you." This is what the people did when Jesus entered uh Jerusalem they rejoiced and they shouted they worshiped christ is worthy of our rejoicing in in the halls in our homes in our coming and going he's worthy of this room being filled and more he's worthy of all the rejoicing that this room can handle he's re- He's worthy of our rejoicing when we're gathered and he's worthy of our imitating him when we're scattered he's worthy of it he's re- he's This is how we respond we respond by rejoicing and then we respond by doing as he did so let me ask you do you see others in the way Christ sees you do you see others you see them you look over them do you look around them or do you see them do you know others i'm not talking about I know who they are but do you lean in tell me more how tell me more about that how can I pray for you do you know others are you sent have you went have you gone are you sent do you welcome others as Christ has welcomed you jen talked about the neighborly initiative that we're starting that's just an effort to equip you to know and pray for your neighbors that you would be a blessing to your neighbors is that your neighbors would say "Man I hate that they're leaving i hate they're moving they were such a blessing to us." That's what the neighborly initiative is about are you sent have you gone and I just encourage you if you say "No I don't I don't see others i don't know others i don't welcome others." I want to encourage you just ask God to work a desire in your heart just ask God to work a desire if you feel far from God this morning thinking you know I can't get to him i don't know what to pray i want to encourage you that our God is a is a king who comes to you i don't know what to pray i don't feel worthy he knows me well he comes to you say here in this Palm Sunday we have a king who comes to us he's righteous he's just he's humble he's sovereign and so I think his the call to us from the scripture is to turn return to me come to me i will look after you i will protect you this is what God is saying to his church this morning would you pray with me father I'm thankful and grateful uh not just that you have provided for me and my family and um and all the ways that you bless the Carters and uh you give my daughters and my son what they need and you do that through me you do that through um their parents you do that through your church God you have sent us here to worship here and I'm grateful i'm grateful that on a Sunday morning I can gather together with your redeemed people and be blessed by your presence surrounded by people with your likeness god I'm thankful but I pray Lord that you will use me you will use us to be Christ all around Greensboro wherever we go next week to work whether we're going on vacation next week whether we're just going back home God to our neighbors I pray that you would work within me work within us a desire to um to know our neighbors to know those around us in a way that you've known us to imitate you to deny oursel pick up our cross and follow after you as you go and we pray this in Jesus's name amen please stand with me for the benediction and as a reminder we sure hope to see many of you on Good Friday here for the prayer walk at six o'clock now may the God of peace who brought our Lord Jesus from the dead equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever and all God's people said "Amen." [00:33:38]
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