How will we be remembered? - Mal 3:16

How will we be remembered?

May 27, 2012

Malachi 3:16

Memorial Day

• Down through history, there have been battles to be fought and wars to be won
• Our young men and women go out in service to their country, to fight these battles on our behalf
• On this day, memorial day, we will remember them!
• We remember them because of their patriotism,
• We remember them for their courage in fighting for their country
• We remember them for giving their lives for freedom
• We will spend a moment in silence, now, as we remember them
• TAPS

Introduction

• Those we just remembered were fighting for a flag, representing their country
• There are particular things that we remember them for
• In remembering, we do not think about negative things that may have happened in their lives
• These men and women gave their all, and that is what we remember, not their sins, or negative stuff they may have done.
• They finished well and that is what counted.
• The Christian is also in the army
• We fight battles that may be far more intense than fighting on the field of war
• Our battles are huge, because we are not fighting flesh and blood, but instead we are battling spiritual forces – 2 Cor 10:3
• As human beings we see only the material and physical things
• But there is a spiritual war going on around us
• There are casualties in this war, and there are wounds we carry around and scars we bear
• This war is real, whether we see or recognize it or not
• If we want to be on the winning side in this war, there are steps that we need to take, to ensure victory.

Repentance

• The first step we take is to repent of our old way of life
• Repent means to turn around, start going in the right direction, living in sync with our Commander’s directions
• When we repent, and ask Jesus into our lives, something extraordinary happens
• We are removed from the kingdom of darkness, and are placed into the kingdom of God
• It is as though we crossed the lines, across no-man’s land, and into the Lord’s army
• What happens then is that we become God’s children, instead of being subject to the devil and his forces.
• We now have a fresh start. Our sins are forgiven and are remembered no more
• Psalm 103:8-14
• Our guilt has been washed away
• But it requires stepping across the line, from one side to the other

Baptism

• At the same time as we take this step, into Jesus’ kingdom, we are baptized
• Acts 2:36-39
• Repentance is followed by baptism
• We need to be baptized because in the heat of battle, we can sometimes become discouraged, and we can forget or discount the thought we had of surrendering our life to God
• Baptism gives us a ceremonial reminder of the decision we made, and emphasizes to us that we now have a new allegiance
• Romans 6:3-7
• When we are baptized following Jesus example, we are immersed in water
• There is meaning to being immersed in water
• As we go down into the water, we are burying our sinful past
• Our sins are forgiven and will be remembered no more
• As jesus bore our sins when he died on the cross and then was buried in a tomb, we too bury that past in the waters of baptism
• But just as Jesus was raised from the tomb, we too arise from the waters of baptism, to live a new life, no longer under the penalty of sin
• We will be baptizing during the service, next Sunday
• If you want to be a part of that, please let me know so we can be prepared

Power for the battle

• The next step is that we need ammunition for the journey, power to defeat the enemy
• This is what Jesus promised us in Acts 1:4-8
• In our human flesh we have little power to stand against the enemy’s arrows and darts
• He is attacking us daily, and there is no way for us to stand, except to wear the armour God gives to us.
• God wants to give us power to be his witnesses, to move against the forces of darkness, and release the captives the enemy has taken.
• This baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism, an immersion
• Instead of having only an earnest, a deposit of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14), we are now filled with the Holy Spirit, God living in us
• The book of Acts shows us that the filling with the Holy Spirit is accompanied by the gift of tongues
• It is available to you, it is not scary, it is a gift
• If you want to receive this baptism with the Holy Spirit, it will be available to you at the end of this service
• If you would like to receive Jesus into your life, today, please come forward right now and take a seat here on the front row
• If you would like to be baptized in water, please come forward and let us know
• And if you would like to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, please come forward now, ready to receive.

Conclusion

• Today we are remembering those who went before us
• But God too has a book of remembrance
• Mal 3:16
• God remembers those who fear him
• He remembers those who stand with him in battle
• And he rewards those who are faithful in their walk with him

The Cleansing Flood - Eph 1:7

The Cleansing Flood
May 6, 2012
Ephesians 1:7

Introduction

Have you ever done something and wondered how this could ever be set straight again?

• You did something and it seemed so bad or vile, that we could not imagine it ever being removed from our life
• Yet we know that as Dennis told us last week, when we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive
• We are on a journey through the Old Testament tabernacle, entering into the presence of God
• Sin separates us from God
• So God first of all gave us a means to be cleansed from our sins. For the Israelites, this was through the altar
• It was on the altar that a sacrifice was laid, and was then offered up to God. Forgiveness was given to the person who had come to take care of sin in his or her life
• Today we are going to look at the process of forgiveness, how God set in motion a means to roll back the clock, on our sins

The tabernacle is a picture of what is in heaven

• Some may wonder, why is pastor teaching us old testament material?
• Rom 15:4 The OT was written for our learning
• Heb 8:5 The tabernacle was built as a copy of what is in heaven
• So there is new testament relevance to the old testament tabernacle and temple
• A person who had sinned and wanted to be forgiven, would bring an animal presecribed by the law, his sins would be transferred to the animal by his laying his hands on the animal’s head, and then the animal would be sacrificed on the altar. The person was now cleansed from sin.

Example of David

• David was chosen by God to reign as king over Israel
• David had not had a lot of training
• He was a shepherd boy, being the youngest of his brothers
• How could that prepare him to be king?
• As a shepherd, he had few distractions and a lot of time to spend with God
• I think this was the best training he could receive for being a leader, one whom people would respect and follow
• David wrote most of the psalms. Some were written while shepherding the sheep, others while he was on the run from Saul, and some were written during his time as king.
• As a king, there is a lot of pressure on you.
• Pressure not only relating to your job and responsibilities, but also because Satan wants you to fall

David’s sin

• As I talk about David, we need to be thinking about our own life
• These things were written for our learning
• 2 Sam 11:1-12:14
• David was taking t5hings easy
• Normally he would have been with his troops, doing battle.
• But the troops were out doing the dirty work, and David was at home
• One evening he couldn’t sleep, so he got up and started walking around on the patio on his roof
• He looked over the edged, and he saw the woman next door bathing.
• This may have been out in the open, but more likely David was looking through her window
• She was close enough that David could see she was very beautiful
• Why was David looking in that direction – I am sure he must have seen her before, and a lustful thought had come up in his mind.
• The enemy works this way, he plants a thought, if we let him
• James 1:13-15 the process of sin, it starts in the mind, we entertain it, we act on it and it kills us
• David fell into a trap
• You may think, how could this godly man fall into this trap
• But he did, and so could we, oh so easily
• Bathsheba becomes pregnant after this one night stand
• David tries to cover their sin up, by making it look as thought the baby is Uriah’s
• But Uriah doesn’t cooperate with David’s coverup scheme, and David arranges his death, in order to keep up his hypocrisy
• I don’t think David was very close to God during this time

His sin is uncovered

• David thought nobody knew, but God knew
• God sent Nathan the prophet to David with a message
• The game is up.
• Suddenly David sees the enormity of his actions
• And he repents before God
• He writes a song expressing his repentance
• Psalm 51
• This psalm is a classic description of repentance
• I'm sure David felt dirty after all that had happened
• V10 - He asks God to change his heart, to clean him up
• V 2 - He asks God to wash away all his iniquity and to cleanse him from his sin
• V 7 – Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow

God’s solution

• God knew man would sin, he knew it all ahead of time
• So before man was even created he had already agreed with the Son that he would come and die, so that our sins could be forgiven.
• Jesus would die, not an easy death in his sleep, but as the object of a bloodthirsty crowd, that beat him to a pulp, and then crucified him, hanging from a cross, his lifeblood flowing out, running down the cross, and flooding our to cover our sins
• The sacrifices of the old testament pointed forward to the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world
• Victory over sin was achieved by this precious flood, Jesus blood poured out for us so that our sins could be forgiven
• We are reminded of the enormity of what Jesus did for us each month as we take communion

Communion

• Matthew 26:26-29

The Christian Bar of Soap - 1 John 1:9

The Christian bar of soap
Dennis Hickerson
April 29, 2012
1 John 1:9

• We all need forgiveness
• Christians too
• Romans 3:23 - all have sinned
• Christians fail
• Matt 26:41 - our flesh is weak
• Adam left us with this when he sinned in the Garden of Eden
• All have sinned - this is all of us, and includes sins of commission and ommission
• Romans 5:11 - reconciled through Jesus
• We ask God into our life, and we are forgiven
• But we still fall
• Things happen, thoughts come into our mind
• Even Peter
• Peter drew a sword and cut off a soldier's ear
• He was brave
• Yet he denied Jesus three times
• He was grieved in his heart for his failure
• Luke 22:62 - remorse
• John 21:12-19 - Jesus tells Peter, feed my sheep. 
• He was reaffirming that he forgave him for denying him
• The apostle Paul had sin in his life
• Romans 7:14-25 - Paul struggled in his inner life
• 1 John 1:4-9 - When Christ forgives, it is water under the bridge
• No matter how bad we have been, we can receive forgiveness
• 1 John 1:9 - confession comes first
• A lamb was offered as an atonement
• David once sinned, by taking a census
• 1 Chron 21:9 - David had to choose his punishment
• He had to take full responsibility for his actions.  Punishment was necessary
• Grace is the love and mercy of God in action
• John 3:16 - God's grace saves us forever
• Rom 8:38 - nothing can separate us from God's love
• God's grace is unconditional, and apart from works
• 2 Cor 12:9 - "My grace is sufficient" - God's grace still works through him
• Rev 22:17 - we can come to Jesus for forgiveness
• Romans 3:23-24 - God's grace justifies
• Titus 3:7-8 - Saved by Jesus, by grace
• Titus 2:11-12 - grace leads to a cleaner life
• Grace is the underserved love of God
• 1 Tim 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 

The Grace Gate! - Romans 5:2

The Grace Gate!

April 22, 2012
Romans 5:2

Introduction

• Have you ever wondered, have I really been forgiven?
• Has God really wiped out that sin which I committed?
• We sometimes find it hard to experience forgiveness
• The first step to restoring relationship with God, is to bring ourselves and our sin, to Him
• Our sins separated us from God, now we need these sins removed from us
• God provided a way to take care of this, in the old testament
• When the Israelites were told to make the tabernacle, there was a courtyard around the tabernacle.
• It was made of posts covered with fine linen, on the north, west and south sides
• On the east side was a 30 foot entrance, which was special, the white linen was embroidered with blue purple and scarlet yarn
• When people would come to ask for forgiveness of their sins, they would bring their sin offering to the gate, or entrance
• The priest would instruct them to bring their goat to the place of slaughter, lay their hands on the head of the goat, and then the person who had sinned had to slaughter the goat of the sin offering
• The priest would pray for the man and he would be forgiven
• Nothing is said about doing penance, or payment of money
• All that had to be done was a symbolic act, transferring the sin onto Jesus
• This is grace

The gate was open

• God had provided a way for forgiveness to be extended
• The way was open for people to restore their relationship with God
• The way in which people received forgiveness was by grace
• God did not make it impossible to achieve.
• The person who wanted forgiveness had to come to the entrance to the tabernacle – I have called it the grace gate
• Grace and forgiveness was always available
• Jesus was represented by the animal
• The person was able to come to the place where forgiveness was extended, by entering the grace gate
• It was always open
• Grace is always available

What is grace

• Grace means favour, undeserved

1. grace 1a) that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2. 2) good will, loving-kindness, favour 2a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3. 3) what is due to grace 3a) the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace 3b) the token or proof of grace, benefit 3b1) a gift of grace 3b2) benefit, bounty 4) thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward

Grace is undeserved

• Grace is God’s favour on us, his desire to show goodwill to us, love us, and show us mercy
• It starts with God sovereignly wanting to not leave us in our wretched condition, but he draws us to him, he turns our hearts to Jesus
• This grace develops us in our Christian faith continually.
• It is the expression of God’s favor on us, his goodwill towards us.
• This grace continues to work in our hearts, to keep us close, to strengthen us, to draw us close to him
• If we want closeness and intimacy with God, we must understand grace

But do we live in grace?

• So often we come to Jesus, hungry, thirsty, dirty, and we ask for forgiveness
• We know we need grace, and we ask God for his free pardon for our sins
• We become a new creation
• But so often we then pick up the controls of our life
• We think that by our prayer and Bible study we will become a better person
• We think that it is now up to us to live a clean life, and get our life straight
• The truth is that God is the one who is doing this work in us
• This is grace
• Grace is lived out in allowing God to do his work in us
• Eph 2:8-10

The grace gate is open

• God has made access to grace available to us, not just when we accepted Jesus, but every day
• Daily we can come into his presence
• Heb 4:16
• Each day we can come before God and receive grace in time of n3eed
• I need God to clean me up, not myself
• My own righteousness will not cut it.
• The gate is open
• The entrance to God’s throne room is available for us to go through
• We are not unworthy, because God has made us worthy
• We can approach him, cleansed of sin
• But it all starts with approaching that gate, that entrance, and allowing him to take our sins upon him
• Is this a day when you need grace?
• Grace is available, without price, freely given as a sign of God’s favour
• The altar is open, if any would want to come forward
• We will close with a praise song – "Only by grace will we enter"

Step by Step …!
April 15, 2012
Mark 4:28

Introduction
-         It was 2000 years ago when Jesus our Savior cried out, “It is finished!”
-         When Jesus cried this out, it was not because his suffering was at last complete
-         No, it was because the work that he had been sent to do was complete
-         So what was the work that Jesus was sent to do?
-         Was it only to heal the sick and bring wholeness to the mentally afflicted?
-         No, the task he had been set was to reconcile man with God, and restore a right relationship between man and God
-         2 Cor 5:18-19 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
-         In doing this, the way was made open for man to come into God’s presence
-         The whole purpose in man’s existence is to live in relationship with God, being obedient to Him, and to live in His presence for all eternity
-         Personally, I long for a closer, deeper walk with Jesus
-         I hunger for it and am actively seeking it
-         In the next weeks we are going to journey towards God’s presence
-         We will be talking about it in church, and I want to ask you to join me as we develop a closer walk with God!

A journey
-         As we read through the Bible, we see time after time, how God worked with people over a period of time
-         A major example is the Israelites leaving Egypt – God didn’t take them the short way, he took them through the windy dusty roads of the wilderness.
-         It wasn’t his choice that they spend 40 years there, it was their own rebellion that led to that punishment
-         But by the same token, he also did not take them the short way, along the road that went straight from Egypt to Palestine
-         David went through all kinds of hardships and experiences before he finally sat on the throne, for which he had been anointed around 20 years before
-         There is a principle here – God wants to develop character in us
-         This takes time
-         So we are on a journey with God
-         Mark 4:26-29 – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head
-         2 Cor 3:18 – from glory to glory
-         Our development as Christians is a process

How we got to where we are
-         Did you know that our natural state is to be in close relationship with God?
-         In the events of the garden of Eden, it is clear that God fellowshipped with Adam and Eve, he spent time with them
-         Gen 3:8 – God walked in the garden in the cool of the day, and he called to Adam – where are you?
-         1 John 4:19 – we love because he first loved us
-         God initiated this relationship with mankind
-         Man was created to have communion with God
-         Of course, we know the story, that man sinned and so became cut off from God
-         Isa 59:2 – your iniquities have separated you from your God
-         Man actually hid from God
-         But this was not just Adam and Eve
-         It has been repeated time and time again in our lives too
-         We pull away from God and as a consequence we live at a distance from God
-         Jesus made it possible for us to be reconciled to God
-         There is a route to follow, a road to tread
-         Many have walked this road before us, and it lies ready for us to walk upon, step by step


The way back to intimacy
-         God provided us a vehicle for understanding how to regain the intimacy that God has intended for us
-         That vehicle is the structure of the tabernacle in the Old Testament
-         So much of what happened there is symbolic of and teaches about our relationship with Jesus.
-         As the priests, worked in the tabernacle, there would be a progression, from the entrance to the tabernacle area, to the altar of burnt offering, representing Jesus, the Lamb who was slain
-         There is the laver, a basin of water, where the priests would be cleansed, as we are by the blood of the Lamb
-         There is the table of shewbread, representing Jesus the bread of life
-         There was the candlestick representing Jesus, the light of the world, and the oil representing the Holy Spirit
-         There was the altar of incense where our prayers are presented before God on a continual basis
-         And finally there is the veil which was torn in two at the moment of Jesus’ death, telling us that we now have full and complete access to the Father, through Jesus’ death and our justification

Conclusion
-         This coming week, I want to encourage us all to devote time in prayer, as we commence this journey together
-         I know most of us have accepted Jesus into our lives, and we are saved
-         But if you want to go deeper with God, go on this journey with me
-         Don’t allow past problems and difficulties hamper you in your quest
-         Lay these things aside, as Paul tells us in Hebrews 12:2 – let us throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles … Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
-         If we have not been praying, ask for forgiveness and start over
-         If we have been praying, keep it up, and ask the Lord how you can grow in this area of your life
And next time we will commence this journey toward the presence of God

He's Alive! - Matthew 28:6

He’s Alive!

April 8, 2012
Matthew 28:6

Introduction

• On Friday we commemorated the Crucifixion of Jesus
• God had planned this event from the creation of the world
• Jesus is described in Revelation as the Lamb slain from the creation of the world (Rev 13:8)
• In old testament times, this Jesus was symbolized by the Passover lamb which was killed around Easter time, reminding the Israelites of their release from captivity in Egypt
• In the same way, by Jesus’ death, we have been released from captivity to sin and death
• John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
• But a dead Saviour cannot give us life
• He has to be raised from the dead, otherwise we have no hope
• In the 1668, an Italian scientist called Francesco Redi, established in a controlled experiment that life can only come from life
• A dead Jesus cannot give us life
• And yet Jesus is described as the one who brings life (John 1:4 – in Him was life, and that life was the light of men)

Resurrection Day events

• There is an earthquake and an angel rolls the stone away from the tomb entrance, and sits on the stone
• Mary Magdalene, Mary Jesus’ mother, and Salome go to the tomb and see that the stone has been removed
• Mary Magdalene runs back in a panic, thinking the body has been stolen (John 20:1-2)
• The other two women enter the tomb and see an angel who tells the Jesus has risen. (Mark 16:4-8, Matt 28:5-7)
• Peter and John run to the tomb after Mary Magdalene’s report, see the empty grave clothes, and believe Jesus has risen from the dead (John 20:3-9)
• Mary Magdalene has returned to the tomb, and Jesus appears to her, and tells her to tell the others that Jesus is alive and returning to his Father and our Father, his God and our God. Mary is not allowed to worship him because he has not yet returned to the Father (John 20:10-18)
• Later that day, Jesus appears to the disciples on the road to Emmaus
• That evening, the disciples were together with the doors locked, and Jesus appears in their midst. He tells them, peace be with you, and shows them his hands and side to prove it is himself. He commissions them to do the same task the Father had entrusted to him, and he breathes into them the Holy Spirit (John 20:19-22)

Jesus gives life

• So we read that Jesus was resurrected
• If Jesus was not resurrected, our sins are not forgiven (1 Cor 15:16-19)
• John 10:10 – I am come that they may have life, and have it to the full
• It is crucial that we know that Jesus was resurrected
• This is why the angels spoke to the women
• This is why Jesus appeared to Mary, then the disciples on the way to Emmaus
• This is why he appeared to Peter (Luke 24:34)
• This is why Jesus appeared to the apostles, and gave them the Holy Spirit
• It is the Spirit that gives life
• John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing
• We need a Savior who is alive, who has the power to make a difference, the power to give us eternal life

How do we know that Jesus was resurrected?

• Jesus appeared to the disciples as we said
• He appeared to them not only on that day but many times after that, up until his ascension
• Paul tells us that over 500 church members saw Jesus after his resurrection, and that most of them were still alive at around 50 AD when he wrote this letter to the Corinthians
• The apostles staked their lives on the resurrection
• 11 of the 12 apostles were martyred for their faith – look up Foxes Book of Martyrs
• Today, Jesus still shows us he is alive
• We pray to him and receive answers
• Do we have any testimonies here, of sicknesses that were healed, of lives that have been changed?
• My own testimony is that Jesus has completely changed my life
• I grew up in the midst of abuse. Our home was filled with terror and pain and hurt. I felt totally inferior and inadequate.
• I did not think that God could do anything with my life
• But Jesus healed me from my abuse, he healed me from my depression, he took away the fear of man and gave me a boldness to preach the gospel
• Frankie was healed – she had been told her medical condition meant she could never have a baby. Jesus healed her and she is now the proud mother of Lilly Ann
• John went to the hospital and had a 75% blockage of his aorta
• When he went back, it had disappeared. Jesus stepped in!
• Another person had a black spot on his x-ray
• After prayer he went for surgery and the spot had disappeared. Jesus is our healer
• But more than physical healings, Jesus changes lives
• What things have happened in your life to let you know Jesus is alive today?

Testimonies …

Conclusion

• Jesus is alive
• He is alive today
• And he wants to make each one of us alive!
• He was the lamb who died so that we would no longer live in sin, but our sins could be forgiven and we would be white as snow
• This is why we take communion on Resurrection Sunday
• Jesus lives today, and he has given us life!

Our Friend, the King! - Mark 11:1-11

Our friend, the King!
April 1, 2012
Mark 11:1-11

Introduction

• It was 30/31 AD
• Jesus had come down the Jordan Valley, and then started the climb up to Jerusalem
• Jesus passed through Jericho, and reached Bethany
• In Bethany he stayed with his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha
• He was known there as the One who raised Lazarus from the dead
• Then he prepared to ascend the east side of the Mount of Olives
• At this time something extraordinary happened
• Mark 11:1-11

Friendship

• For 3 ½ years Jesus had been with the disciples
• They were with Rabbi Jesus
• The great Rabbi who put the Pharisees in their place
• He had taught them, prayed with them, trained them
• He had become really close with them, closer than we may picture
• Some of the disciples were more close than others
• Peter, James and John were like an inner circle, they were closer to Jesus, and he later used them greatly in starting the church
• John himself became known as the disciple Jesus loved
• They were really close to him

God makes himself approachable

• This was a time when God was intervening in world affairs in a huge way
• Mankind had chosen to rebel and sin and follow the enemy’s ways
• You would think God would give up, allow man to destroy himself and start up with plan B
• But he didn’t
• He was not taken by surprise
• He had planned from the beginning, that he would make himself approachable, and become a human being, without losing his divinity
• And so God became flesh
• Jesus was with the disciples, they were of first name terms
• God showed them he cared
• He cared about the disciples
• He cared about the homeless and the prostitutes and the criminals
• He cared about publicans and sinners
• Because he wanted them to have a chance to get it right
• Mark 2:17
• Jesus offers us this closeness with Him
• John 15:12-17

Yet He is a King

• It is awesome that we have Jesus as our friend
• And yet, Jesus is more than a friend
• He is none less than the ruler of the universe
• He is our King
• When we accepted him into our life as our Lord and Savior, we placed Him on the throne of our life
• We recognized that by ourselves we cannot get it right
• We needed someone bigger and stronger than us, to help us
• That is why God became our friend, a fellow human being, in the form of Jesus
• Jesus is our king
• He now sits on the throne of the universe, and he offers us life instead of death, he offers us blessing instead of curses, he offers us an eternity of fulfillment
• As Jesus ascends the Mount of Olives, and as he enters Jerusalem, the crowds are calling out “Hosanna, hosanna in the highest!”
• These are not the same people who a week later would cry out “Crucify him!” These were friends of Lazarus who had been resurrected
• Bartimaus was in this crowed. Lazarus was probably there too
• These had seen the power of God displayed and they acknowledged Jesus as King

Will we acknowledge Jesus as king?

• Often we are comfortable with the idea of Jesus as our friend
• But when it comes to obedience and following his will, we sometimes draw away from him
• Yet Jesus came as our King as well as our friend
• We should treat him with the respect he deserves

Conclusion

• The story of Palm Sunday is a story of obedience
• It is a story of treating our King as the one who we follow
• Not deciding, I want to obey now, but that thing yesterday, no I did not want to be obedient in that
• Jesus came as our friend but we also revere him as our King