Palm Sunday - What is your level of expectation? by Pastor Edd Breeden

 

 

A Note about Giving based upon 1 Timothy 6:19

            Paul says “life indeed” is the result of a life being rich in good works. Happiness comes not from acquiring more possessions but in the pursuit of helping and serving others. If my whole life is in the pursuit of riches so that I can acquire things for myself and my friends, I have missed the point of why God has us on this world in the first place. 

            If my life is consumed with a search to find my soul and I end up away from the people of the world in a hermit’s existence, I might find a sense of freedom, I might find some solace, but according to Paul, I will never fully find the meaning of life. 

            I will have missed the fullness of what God meant life to be. I have focused selfishly on my own journey towards the depths of my soul, and I have missed the true joy and meaning of caring for my neighbors, which is “life indeed.”

Palm Sunday Message

I talk often about the name of the LORD. It is the Hebrew word for "I am." The name was first revealed to Moses at the burning bush in the wilderness. Moses received the ten commandments from the LORD, the second one says, "You should not speak the name of Yahweh in an empty way." Hundreds of years later, to avoid using the name wrongly, the Hebrew people, began to pronounce the name in the same way they said the word, "Lord." 

 

On Palm Sunday, as Jesus road into the town of Jerusalem, the people quoted the phrase from the psalmist, "Blessed is the One coming in the name of the LORD." (Psalm 118:26 EBV) The people were seeing Jesus as the one coming as God's messenger to the people of Israel. And we look back on that day and realize that God was present in the flesh with Jesus and as such, He was the King of the Jews. The King of all humankind for that matter.

 

What do we do to prepare for His coming into our lives on a daily basis? Anything? The people did not expect to see God that day. They felt like He had abandoned them years before. They were almost resigned to being under the rule of the Roman Empire forever. And as Jesus approached a spark of hope set a fire within them. Not a big fire, but the seed of faith that was very different from the discouragement so many of them lived with.  

 

They were not prepared for the coming of Jesus on the donkey that day. They were caught off guard.  They were not expecting God to visit His people. They were not hoping that the future could be better. And then when they least expected it, He came, riding on a donkey. Silently He rode into town, listening to the praises of those who still had some hope, listening to the cries of those who still believed that God cared, and listening to the hearts of those who could quickly change directions and believe that salvation had arrived. The King had come.

 

2000 years later, we still celebrate the coming of the King. We want to be included in the crowds of the first Palm Sunday. We desire to remember the glorious moment as He made His triumphant entry. We long to be counted with those who believed then, and those who believe now, that Jesus, God in human flesh, truly is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. 

 

And we look forward with hope to the day He will come again, when we least expect it, to take us home. At that time, He will welcome us into the eternal kingdom, into the mansions of heaven. We will see the streets of gold and the crystal sea and stand in awe before the throne of Almighty God. And there we will see THE KING, high and lifted up.  All the host of heaven, the millions of angels, and the saints who have gone before us, will be singing, "Unto the One on the throne and to His Lamb, we give worship, praise, wonde,r and strength from now and to eternity." (Revelation 5:12,13 EBV)

 

In the meantime, we prepare to meet the Savior. We spend time with Him in prayer, talking over our lives, interceding for others, and listening to the sound of His voice, so that we might respond in obedience when He calls us to serve. We spend time with Him, reading His Word, seeking to understand the God we love. We enjoy singing His praise and by doing so, the Holy Spirit comes upon us and showers us with His love and blessing. We walk with Him, meeting the needs of those around us with the resources that God so freely supplies for us. We share our bounty with others who cross our paths. And we wait for Him, with expectation that He will one day return in glory. Our Savior desires to come to us just as He came to the people of Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. 

 

Let’s take a closer look at the whole story from Matthew’s point of view. 1 "They came to Bethphage on their journey into Jerusalem. They stopped at the Mount of Olives, just in sight of the city and Jesus sent two disciples, 2 instructing them to go into the village. There they will find a donkey and her colt tied up to a post. He said, “untie them and bring them here for Me.” 3 He continued His comments, “If someone questions what you are doing, just say to them, ‘The LORD has need of them,’ and he will let you go.” 4  His riding on a donkey fulfilled the words of Zechariah, the prophet; "Raise your voices in triumphant shouting, O daughter of Jerusalem! Your King is on the way to you. He brings with Him justice and salvation, He comes humbly seated on a donkey, even a young donkey." 6 When His disciples arrived in the town, they saw the donkeys 7 and brought them to Jesus. Then they covered them with their coats so Jesus could sit upon them. 8 There were plenty of people in the area and they began to spread their coats on the path in front of Jesus, others were cutting branches off of the palm bushes and laying those in the road along with the clothing.  9 As the people closed in on Jesus they shouted, "Hosanna to David's Son, Blessed is the One coming in the name of Yahweh. Glory beyond measure!" 10 The whole city was stirred up as He entered through the gates and they were saying to one another, "Who are the people praising?" 11 They were told, "This is Jesus, the Galilean, the prophet from Nazareth." (Matthew 21:1-8 EBV) 

 

I remember the coming of a King, well, actually, the President of the United States. Two times I have had the privilege. Once, it all happened so fast, and I was so young. There was little time for preparation and the meeting lasted much longer than I expected. The crowd was small and silent. There was a sense of honor in the air and the memories have lasted for over fifty years in my mind. 

 

My mother had dressed me in nice clothes and reminded me to be on my best behavior. And on the first tee of the golf course on the Air Force Base in Ramey, Puerto Rico, I stood near my father as he prepared to play golf with President Ike Eisenhower and some other men. 

 

The second time, it took days of preparation. The sighting was very short. The crowd was enormous, and they cheered for many minutes before and after the motorcade of John F Kennedy passed in front of us. And then we went into one of the biggest hangers on the base to enjoy a reception, a celebration for the one coming to our town. There was excitement permeating the crowd and I can still remember the moment over fifty years later. 

 

My father-in-law shook hands with President Reagan and his life was never the same. He talked about it for years to come. He pulled out the picture and showed everyone who would listen. He had the honor of escorting Ronald and Nancy to their seats in the Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara, California. There the President was in the company of a greater King. He was present for the whole hour, worshipping and listening. The crowd stood and applauded as Ronald and Nancy left the church and no one left early that morning. 

 

I also had the privilege of meeting another honorable lady. Her name was Beatrice, a stately lady of about five feet one inch tall with a deeply British accent. Her claim to fame, was to say she had met the Queen, and she was not talking about the present Queen Elizabeth II, but the Queen Mother. Beatrice had made her way from England in the 1920s to marry someone she had not yet met. She arrived and caught a train to the town in the mid-west where her husband lived. The next day she was fitted with her wedding dress and met her husband for the first time at the altar of the small-town church. When I met her in 1988, she was 98, still writing poetry, living on her own, and full of life. She reminded everyone that she had met The Queen. 

 

If we knew ahead of time when Jesus was going to arrive, I would think we would make some preparations. We might gather a crowd as Cornelius did to welcome Peter to his home. Would we respond with silence and honor or cheers and excitement? Would we want to tell the story to everyone we met? And tell it for years to come? Then why don’t we feel that way each Sunday when we gather with two or three others where Jesus is in our midst?

 

I met Jesus, late one night, in the quiet of my room. And when I awoke the next morning He was still there. I asked Him for some help, and He reached out to guide me along the right path. I had and still have all the proof I need. My response was the same as a kid on Christmas morning or what it was like to meet Ike Eisenhower. 

 

On the first Palm Sunday, the crowd did not leave their houses knowing that they would meet the King of kings that day. But someone saw Jesus riding on a donkey and knew in the power of the Holy Spirit that this was the Messiah. And one by one, people around him began to know what he knew, the Messiah was coming, sitting on a donkey. And they began to grab whatever they could find to lay a royal path, the very first red carpet, before Him as He approached the Great City. 

 

Were you there, at least in spirit? Would your coat have lined the road of the King of kings? How loud would you shout along with the others, "Blessed is the One coming.”? Do you expect to see Him again someday? Do you have hope that He is coming? Are you prepared to meet Him every Sunday when we come together for worship? You know He is present with us when we gather, don't you?

 

Approach this week with a sense of expectation for what Jesus might choose to do for you and through you. 

 

Hosanna, Hosanna, in the highest, Blessed is the One coming in the name of Yahweh. All glory belongs to Him. 

Pastor Edd

We had the pleasure of two choir pieces this Sunday from Bonny Doon's virtual choir.

The first pieces is the "The Palms" by Jean-Baptiste Faure.
Listen on YouTube »

The second piece is "My Song is Love Unknown", a hymn by Samuel Crossman, written in 1664, predominantly used as a hymn for Good Friday. 
Listen on YouTube 

Jesus has Risen! He has Indeed.

 

Daffodils in Sally & Brian Thomas's yard

Sunday's worship service on April 4th celebrating our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.  We will have our traditional Sunrise Service at 6:30am followed by a 10am virtual service over Zoom followed by an 11:30am in-person service outside.  

Larry's sermon: They are just like us

 

Acts 10:34-48. 34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

One of my wife’s favorite sayings is,“Why are we still talking?”  The same thing happened to Peter in this passage. God actually interrupts Peter while he is giving a sermon to some Gentiles and fills them with the Holy Spirit, and they begin to speak in tongues. Peter then gives the command that they should be baptized, saying, “Can any man forbid water to these who have received the Spirit just as we have?” His speech begins with the revelation that he receives from God which gives him this insight, “God does not judge by appearances, but in every nation people who stand in awe of him and do his will, like Cornelius, are acceptable to him.” Remember, Cornelius was a Roman commander and there was great polarization between Jew and Gentile, between military and civilian, and between the early church and Romans. So this story is about a miracle carefully crafted by our Lord in a long, complex and pivotal chapter in Acts. This is the moment when Gentiles are fully accepted both by the Lord’s heavenly baptism, and then by the church’s act of earthly baptism.  

It is a thrilling narrative. Cornelius, a Roman commander in Cesarea who is characterized by a life of constant prayer and multiple acts of charitable giving, is visited by an angel who tells him, “Cornelius, heaven has its eye on you. Your prayers and charities have risen up to God as a pleasing incense”. So the angel accepts him and then gives this command, “Go fetch Simon Peter who is staying with Simon the Tanner by the sea. Bring Simon Peter here and he will tell you what you are to do. Cornelius sends his aid de camp and two other believing soldiers from his household to “go fetch Peter”. 

Meanwhile Peter has a dream. He is going up to the roof to pray and he gets hungry. Then, in a trance or ecstatic state he has a vision. A four cornered knit sheet drops out of heaven full of all kinds of animals. A voice from heaven, says “Arise Peter, kill and eat”.  Peter protests, “Lord I have never ever eaten anything unclean or common”. Peter is meticulous about a Kosher Diet.

God says, “Call nothing unclean which God has made clean.”

This message is repeated three times, which is the Hebrew Triplicate. So while Peter is trying to figure out what this means the envoys from the household of Cornelius show up. They stand before the very large gate of the house of Simon the Tanner. The entourage relays to Peter that he is to go to the Roman Commander, not to hear what to do, but to tell the Roman Commander what he must do. Then Peter and some of the early Jewish disciples and the messengers start out to travel together.

The distance is about 54 kilometers or about 40 miles. So they were together about three to four days. I think that was a really important time for both groups as they got to know each other.

They arrive at the house of Cornelius. Cornelius bows before Peter, and Peter says, “We are both guys here, so let’s talk”. 

Cornelius replies, “I am listening”. 

Peter declares, “God has shown me that God does not judge by appearance or race or class, but accepts everyone who follows him.” That is the meaning of his vision. But then Peter does what preachers do. He transitions into his favorite sermon. He speaks of Jesus doing good, dying and rising and what that good news means. But while he is speaking, the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles and they begin to speak in tongues,  astounding the Jews who say, “They are just like us." Now there were steps in the process. Peter had been staying with a Tanner which some consider unclean. Then both Peter and Cornelius have heavenly visions. Then the whole group spends hours, perhaps days walking together from Cesarea to Joppa, chatting, breaking the ice. Then Peter declares that God accepts everyone who does good, and gives Jesus as the ultimate example of doing good.  When the Spirit falls and interrupts, Peter says, “Who can deny water to those who have the Spirit”. Here is what I get out of this. When the Spirit tells us what we need to know, it is no time to lay low. Peter let the Gentiles right in, and affirmed it with baptism. He was criticized for this, and he said, “Hey, this was God’s idea, and I acted on it”. When the Spirit tells you what you need to know it is no time to lay low. This theme repeats throughout Luke and Acts. When Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, is told to call his son John, he does it. When Mary is told she will give birth to the Messiah, she says, “Let it be done unto me”. When Jesus sends out the seventy disciples, they come back saying we did what you said and even demons obeyed.  When Paul is told in a dream to go to Macedonia he goes. When Phillip is transported beside the chariot of an Ethiopian he hitches a ride, and shares the gospel. I realize that sometimes it is not clear what God wants. Sometimes in prayer we wonder if we will ever get a clear answer. Martin Luther says that is the time God is preparing you for, when you are able to respond to his call. So let me encourage you by saying God is working with all of us.  

We need to be ready for when we catch the heavenly vision, because that will change the world. Amen.

The Light of the World

by Martin Gaskell
 
At Bonny Doon Church before the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were meeting inside in person, a pair of candles was always lit at the front of the sanctuary at the start of Sunday morning services.  In fact, if you go into almost any church around the world, there is a good chance that candles, or perhaps oil lamps, will be lit during the service.  Why do churches do this?   The answer is that the lighting of candles and oil lamps has long been symbolic.  Jesus said “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” [John 8:12, NASB].  The lighting candles thus reminds us of the One who is the light of the world.
 
This week’s virtual choir piece is about Jesus being the light of the world.  The text goes back to what is considered to be the first Christian hymn in the modern sense of the word, the ancient Greek hymn Phos Hilaron.  It is the earliest known Christian hymn text still in use that comes from outside of the Bible.  We don’t know who wrote Phos Hilaron or when, but it was already an old hymn by 300 AD.  One of the three other companion hymns collected with Phos Hilaron is thought to date back to 150 AD.  These four hymns were for use in worship at different times of day.  Phos Hilaron was sung at the lighting of candles at the end of each day.  Phos means “light” (a root of our English word phosphorescence) and hilaron means “glad”, “joyful” or “propitious” (benevolent).  We don’t know what the original tune was, but we are singing a setting by the contemporary American composer, Gregory Norbet.  His wife, Kathryn Carrington, made an English adaption from the Greek words. 
 
The images in the video are of the candles at the front of Bonny Doon Church.