Palm Sunday 2018
Faith, Obedience and Mission
(A Palm Sunday sermon by Pastor Clarence William Page)
13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. (John 12:12-13)
In the United States of America, today is March 25, 2018. It is Palm Sunday. Most Americans apparently care more about "Sports Sunday" than about Palm Sunday. More will watch sports on television than will go to church; and, many of those that go to church will rush home to watch sports on television. The United States of America may not be the only "Western" nation that is fast losing faith in Almighty God. I suspect there are a number of others. These nations are making choices; and, many of those choices are anti-Almighty God. In some of the countries it is somewhat politically correct to mention God (this appeases the "conservatives") but the mention of God is often mere window dressing.
Reflection on the above could cause true Christians to worry. Please don't fall into that trap (that is exactly what Satan wants us to do). As a matter of scriptural fact, we are commanded to not worry; rather, we should pray and take our concerns to the Lord. In Philippians 4:6 we read:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Christians already worry too much. We worry about the unSaved. We worry about living, moving, helpless, innocent, defenseless babies being murdered in their mothers' wombs. We worry about men "marrying" men and women "marrying" women. We worry about the "transgender" movement. We worry and worry and worry. Stop worrying!!! Remember, Jesus said, "Be careful for nothing". Some of you would respond by saying, "Reverend, we love people. That's why we worry." That, my friend, is logic but it is disobedient logic. The Bible says, "Be careful for nothing". To worry is to be disobedient to the command of Holy Scripture.
Your question, then, is probably, "Reverend, what should we do?" My friend, just give them the word of God, live the Christian life before them, pray for them and leave the results to Almighty God. Some of you will respond, "But Reverend, some of these are my family members". My question to you, my friend, is this: "Do you think you should disobey the word of the Lord and worry when the scripture has commanded us to, "Be careful for nothing"?
I know that we don't want people to be Eternally Lost (and today billions are Eternally Lost). I know that it can be frustrating to see people walking into Eternal Destruction and not be able to convince them to turn around and be Saved. That is disappointing. It is also heartbreaking; but, we must not worry about it (because the word of the Lord commands us to "Be careful for nothing".)
Brothers and Sisters, Satan is playing with us. He has deceived billions and many of them do not want to hear anything about the "Christian God". Many of those billions will tell you that they don't "believe" in God. They will say that they don't "believe" that God exists. They will say that they don't believe there is any such thing as "faith". They are fooling themselves. They may not believe God but they do have faith. They believe the lies of Satan (and that is a form of faith). As a matter of fact, they have enough faith in Satan's lies to believe that there is no God. They have enough faith in Satan's lies to believe that there is no Heaven. Actually, they have enough faith in Satan's lies to believe that Satan himself does not exist. They have enough faith in Satan's lies to believe that there is no existence after physical death. They are bound up in "faith" (faith in Satan's deceitful lies).
In light of the above, clearly, the situation is too hard for us. It is too heavy for us. If we spend time worrying about it, we will self-destruct. We were not made to worry about such fatal situations (and we must not worry about them; remember, the word of God commands us to "Be careful for nothing").
This Palm Sunday is a good time to revisit the reality of the Christian life. As many of you know, on Palm Sunday the disciples of Jesus had many things that they could have worried about. Please consider the following:
- The Jewish leaders had sought to kill Jesus.
- Jesus and his disciples had left Judea in order to escape the murderous plans of the Jewish leaders
- Jesus had been informed that his friend Lazarus was dead. When Jesus said they should go back unto Judea, his disciples protested (reminding Him that "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee" [John 11:8]).
- Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead; that miracle and his public popularity caused the Jewish leaders to increase their efforts to kill Jesus
- Jesus had told his disciples that he must die and that he would rise again. His disciples had questions about that
So, clearly, there was much to be "worried" about on that Palm Sunday. (Not to mention the fact that Jesus Himself knew that he would soon suffer the unconscionable indignities of the cross and indeed die and be buried). Yes, there was much that could have been "worried" about; but, "worry" was not the appropriate protocol for Palm Sunday - - faith, obedience and mission were.
Faith, obedience and mission; those are what we should be about (not worry). Actually, regardless of what we do not do, some people will be Saved; and, regardless of what we do, some people will be Eternally Lost. Almighty God is Sovereign. He has seen all this before. He sees it from generation to generation. He sees people being Saved and He sees people being Eternally Lost (it happens all the time). For us to worry would be totally naive. Almighty God has this all in control. He does not want disobedient people in Heaven. Yes, He wants all people to be Saved (1 Timothy 2:4) but we know that because of unbelief not all people will be Saved (Mark 16:16). God knows that. He is not worried about that. He has prepared a place for those who will refuse to obey and will thus be Eternally Lost. Clearly, He (Almighty God) has it all in control. The Saved will go to Heaven and the unSaved will be Eternally Lost. That is the way it is. That is the way God has made it to be. Our worrying cannot change that. So, what is the logic of worrying?
Palm Sunday was a positive Sunday. It was a positive experience. It could even be characterized as a Sunday of acceptance. (Five days later Jesus would experience total rejection.) Whether we are accepted or rejected, we are called to maintain our faith, be obedient to Almighty God and complete our mission. That is what the Lord Jesus Christ did.
Not only was Palm Sunday a positive Sunday; but palms, in scripture, are mostly associated with that which is positive and good. Throughout the entire Holy Bible, palms are mentioned in positive light (except for Joel 1:12 [and even there the negatives are the sins of the people and not of the palms]).
Palm trees are mentioned early in the experiences of the Jews after they came out of Egypt and escaped Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea.
They went three days into the wilderness of Shur and found no water. When they came to Marah they could not drink the waters because the waters were bitter. This, of course, was a cause for murmuring and worrying (they thought). The people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" Of course, for human beings, situations like that are "worrisome" situations. It seems natural that people would worry. That is human logic. Let us remember, however, that the Christian life is not lived in pursuit of the dictates of mere human logic. Rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of Almighty God.
Moses cried unto the Lord and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he cast into the waters the waters were made sweet. There is a critical point to note here: Worry does not bring solutions, prayer does. The Holy Bible says, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1). The Marah scene is a scene of distress; but, God delivered them out of their distress.
After the children of Israel left Marah they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. Can you picture these scenes? In distress in Marah because the waters were bitter; God not only delivers them, but they move on to Elim where there are twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. Isn't God wonderful? One day they are worrying about water to drink (in Marah). The next move takes them to Elim where there are twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. I can imagine that as being a beautiful scene. What of the worry at Marah? What did the worry of Marah accomplish? Silhouetted against the worries of Marah are the provisions of Elim. In your life, don't let the Marahs derail you; keep the faith, be obedient, pursue the mission and the Lord will bring you to a place like Elim, a desirable place of provision. Worry didn't make their journey to Elim successful, prayer did.
Elsewhere in the Holy Bible, palms are presented in a positive light. Consider the following:
- Palms appear in the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:40).
- Jericho is called the city of palm trees (Deuteronomy 34:3)
- It was under a palm tree that Deborah judged (Judges 4:5)
- Palm trees are associated with the house of the Lord (The Temple). (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35; 1 Kings 7:36)
- In the instructions given Solomon for the building of the house of the Lord, palm trees were included (2 Chronicles 3:5)
- Psalm 92:12 tells us that, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree”
- An accolade in the Song of Solomon says, This thy stature is like to a palm tree (Song of Solomon 7:7)
- That wonderful scene in Revelation 7:9 is replete in its beauty with “palms in their hands”.
On that wonderful Palm Sunday when Jesus came into Jerusalem, many people that were at Jerusalem for the feast took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him (John 12:12-13). The apostle John relates it to us as follows:
12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed be the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. (John 12:12-13)
The palms are positive. The Hosanna is positive. There was, however, what appeared to be a dire negative. John precedes the palms and Hosanna scene with the reality of evil. The leaders were not there to welcome Jesus but to put both Jesus and Lazarus to death. This situation would seem to justify worry. It is not, however, presented as a worry scene. John says,
10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. (John 12:10-11)
So, we must, by necessity, return to our discussion of faith, obedience and mission. Jesus allowed neither the threat of death nor the praise of the people (they called him "King") to deter Him from his mission. He was dedicated to completing the work for which He had been sent. Being fully aware that sandwiched between the worship offered Him on Palm Sunday and the victory of Easter Sunday was the horrible work that must be done on the cross at Calvary, He pressed forward, not in worried hesitation, but in faith, obedience and dedication to mission accomplishment.
So, my dear Christian brothers and sisters, let not your hearts be troubled. God has this all in control. This is not to say that perilous times will not come. The level of sin we see in the United States of America and in some other countries will (more than likely) draw the wrath and judgment of God. It is clear that God will probably continue to allow horrible things to happen (because these nations are defying the True and Living God). Repentance could help these nations escape the catastrophic judgment of God (as Nineveh escaped) but I see no widespread evidence of repentance. God has clearly laid out the procedures for escape (2 Chronicles 7:12-15). Many of you are very aware of how many times the Lord says in the Holy Bible "And they shall know that I am the Lord". He normally made that statement when the people were steeped in sins and He was in the process of sending great judgments into their lives. Let us not be ignorant but understand how the Almighty and Holy God operates. God does not bless sin. He does not continually bless sinful people. He does not continually bless sinful nations. We must be prepared for the various judgments God will send upon our nations and we must not worry about them (because that is the way God operates and has always operated). Many of the unSaved don't want to hear these truths about the judgment of God; so, telling them what to expect is like pouring water on a duck's back. As Biblical history clearly shows, many will not believe until conditions become intolerable (Jonah's Nineveh was a notable exception).
Once we have given them the word of God; and, as we continually live the Christian life before them, we must not worry. After all, Satan wants us to worry. He (Satan) will do everything he can to cause us to be concerned, uncomfortable and to worry. He will vex us. He will intentionally harass us and cause us pain. He will make it his business to distress and torture us. Being armed with this knowledge, let us live Holy lives and bring praise to God. Let us pursue our ministries and get as many people Saved as we can.
We must not worry about those that do not accept Jesus Christ. Our job is to offer. Their job is to accept. We cannot make them accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour and make Him their Lord.
It is important that we not let God's judgment on the nations weaken our faith, interrupt our obedience or endanger our mission.
Those who are not of God will accuse God of not being God and will blame Him for all the calamities He suffers to occur in judgment of their evil ways. They will ask questions like, "If there is a God, why would he let that happen?" They have no understanding of God's perennial statements of, "And they shall know that I am the Lord". It is very clear to me that some nations have gone so far off the Spiritual rails until God (acting from Heaven) will do whatever it requires to get their attention. So, let us not be surprised and let us not worry; rather, on this Palm Sunday, let us remember that God may take our nations through the agony of Good Friday for the express purpose of bringing us to the resurrection of Easter morning.
Pastor Clarence William Page is an ordained Christian Minister
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