[0:00] This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made.
[0:22] Let us rejoice and be glad in it. All right, together.
[0:34] This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.
[0:52] Great dinners. Great. Good job. We're the Fish Fry Cleanup Crew. Fill out your friendship card to get on the mailing list, sign up for activities, list any prayers or concerns, and any notes for the staff.
[1:07] A welcome gift is available for new visitors and can be picked up at the connection site in the back of the sanctuary following worship. Welcome to our church.
[1:18] And we do welcome you to church this morning. There are three opportunities for ministries on the clipboard. Sorry, we do that once in a while, just this time of year. The first one is the Fish Fry. We have our last Fish Fry this week.
[1:30] We had a great one last Friday, and we're looking forward to the last one this weekend. I mean, really looking forward to it. I'm sorry, I didn't say that. We also have a clipboard to help with our Seneca Street Ministries, our dinners we do down in the city of Buffalo.
[1:45] And the third one is to help with our Seder meal or Seder service. So, on Thursday we have a worship service, and it's a worship service designed around the way that Jesus was worshiping on the Thursday when he was betrayed.
[2:00] And it's the service when he transformed the service into Holy Communion. And at the end of the service, we go into a prayer vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane. It's an experiential worship service on Thursday at 7 o'clock.
[2:15] So, we do encourage you in that. If there aren't any gentlemen that would be willing to help with that, you'd see Pastor Sherry. She'd love to have you. A very small little part, mostly pouring juice.
[2:26] But she does need some fellas. I also wanted to mention that Friday, besides the fish fry, we also have our Good Friday service, which is a very powerful, moving experience where we learn about the cross of Jesus Christ.
[2:41] The whole sanctuary is full, so it's a very powerful service. We do encourage and invite you to come. That's at 8 o'clock at night. On Saturday, we're going to have a massive Easter egg hunt with about 800 or 900 people.
[2:52] So, you can come down and help or just bring your kids and have them run around and get eggs. We'd love to have them do that, too. And then that evening, we have a vigil service. We don't have Easter service on Saturday night because it's Holy Saturday.
[3:06] So, what we have is a service where we remember our baptism and we take some time for prayer and contemplation. Next week, okay, I know you've been ignoring me up to this point. Next week, there's only two services.
[3:17] All right? It's Easter. And to move all those people, we really can't have the services so jammed together. So, we have them at 9 o'clock and 11. What time is Easter? 9 o'clock.
[3:28] All right. So, we do invite and encourage you to come and join us for that. Shall we turn to the Lord in prayer? Dear God, we thank you. We thank you for your church. Even in the midst of all the business and all the things we do, we remember you.
[3:43] And we remember you're the reason, Lord, that we do all this. You're such a blessing to our lives that we ask you now to come into this place. And we focus our lives, our hearts, our minds, and our souls on you.
[3:56] And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Hear these words from the Gospel of John, chapter 13, verses 34 through 35. Jesus said, A new command I give you, love one another.
[4:09] As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. This is the word of the Lord.
[4:20] Thanks be to God. I'd like to invite you all to stand together as we sing Hosanna, loud Hosanna. All Son Hosanna, loud hosanna The little children sing Through pillar, court, and temple The lovely anthem rang To Jesus who had blessed them Was folded to his breast The children sang their praises
[5:23] The simplest and the best From all of it they bowled In an exultant crowd The victor palm-branched waving And chanting clear and loud The Lord of earth and heaven Rode on him holy state Nor scorned that little children Should on his bidding wait Peter!
[6:03] Rebuke your disciples! And they keep quiet, the very stone will cry out Hosanna in the highest That ancient song we sing For Christ is our Redeemer The Lord of heaven, our King O may we ever praise him With light and life and voice And in his blissful presence Eternally rejoice Please be seated Please be seated Hosanna in the highest
[7:13] Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest For we lift up your name With heart for praise Be exulted, O Lord my God Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest Glory, glory, glory Glory to the King of Kings Glory, glory, glory to the King of Kings Glory, glory to the King of Kings Glory, glory to the King of Kings With heart for praise Be exulted, O Lord my God
[8:16] Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna Hosanna in the highest Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest Hosanna in the highest For we lift up your name With heart for praise Thank you.
[9:17] Thank you.
[9:47] Thank you. Any other kids are invited. Come up and join us. They're coming.
[10:01] Good morning. Good morning. Do you know what this is? Yeah. Yeah.
[10:12] You know, when I was a kid, one of my chores was I had to take out the trash. Any of you ever have to take out the trash? Yeah. I had to take out the trash, and if I refused, I didn't get to eat.
[10:28] Oh, my God. So that didn't work, did it? Yeah. And I had to shovel the driveway in the winter, and I had to mow the lawn in the summer, and I had to do the dishes every night, too.
[10:40] Yeah. Any of you have chores? I do. Some of you have chores. You know what chores are for? Helping. For helping. Who does all the other work?
[10:52] Your mommy and dad. Your mom and dad. That doesn't seem fair, does it? Why should they do all the work? Because they're parents. No. That's not fair at all.
[11:02] So you think that they should do everything? Maybe they should do nothing. You know, make you live in a garbage can. You know? Maybe that's what they should do. That's not fair.
[11:14] Do you love your parents? But you don't want to do a darn thing to help them? That don't sound like love to me. That sounds kind of mean.
[11:25] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. See, love really, love cares about other people. You know? God wants to love us, but he also wants him to love us to love him.
[11:37] It works both ways. And that means if we want God to do something for us, we should be willing to do things for God. And if we want our parents to love us, well, we should be willing to love them and do something for them, too.
[11:50] Oh, that's harsh, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. Welcome to the real world. You know, when I was your age, I had to take out the trash and mow the lawn and shovel the driveway and do dishes.
[12:05] And that's the only part of what I had to do. Grow up. No, it's just, it's what love is, isn't it? To do nice things for other people.
[12:17] All right? To do nice things for you. That's right. And they do nice things for you. Because that's what your parents do because they love you. Who would like to share what they're thankful for this morning?
[12:28] Raise your hand if you want to share something. My friends and family. My mom and dad. My daddy.
[12:41] My dogs. Sherry. Friends. Pigs. Pigs and hedgehogs. My mom and dad.
[12:56] Windows. Not doing the, not doing the dishes. My mom.
[13:08] Friends and family. Friends. Sherry, before you go, there's one over there. Friends and family.
[13:19] I hope my sister feels better in the hospital. Friends and family. Friends and family.
[13:31] Right there. My cat. I like to have my daddy and mom.
[13:42] All right. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for our parents. And we thank you for the love they give us. And we thank you for giving us the ability to love them in return. Thank you for all the good things in our lives.
[13:53] And make this a great week. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Okay. You guys can go out to church school now. All the kids can go out to church school. Good morning.
[14:24] Good morning. Did you see those kids coming down with Jesus this morning? Did you see the lesson they taught us this morning? About praising God with complete and carefree abandon?
[14:38] You know those palms you've got in your hands? How many of you got palms in your hands? I know you do. We're going to be thankful for God. I want you to take those palms. Ready? I'm not kidding.
[14:49] Ready? You should take your palms. Take your palms. I want you to wave them. I want you to say, Hosanna. Hosanna. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Glory to God.
[14:59] Glory to God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen. Amen. You're allowed to do that with the palms today. Are you thankful that you're here to worship God? Are you thankful for all Jesus has done in your life?
[15:13] Let's continue our worship and bring our gifts, tithes, and offerings before the Lord. Amen.
[16:02] Amen. Amen.
[17:02] Amen. Amen.
[18:02] Amen. Amen.
[19:02] Amen. Amen.
[20:02] Amen. Amen.
[21:02] Amen. Amen.
[21:34] Amen. Amen. How is everybody today?
[21:46] We have some wonderful blessings to share. 633 fish fries this past Friday, even in spite of the weather. Remember that weather? I don't want to remember that weather.
[21:58] But that weather is gone, and it looks like things are going to be nice for the next, well, we're getting into spring, right? We have a wonderful joy to share.
[22:09] Pastor Sherry's mom has been suffering from some health issues, and they were concerned that it might be cancer. It's not. There is no cancer, and we are blessed. Amen.
[22:21] And Claire Boleslaw celebrated her 90th birthday in the hospital, but she's home now, so we're all blessed for that, too. Not only for a dear parishioner having been here, you know, serving God for 90 years, but also that she is home.
[22:38] That is truly a blessing. And I don't know if all of you know, but Dick Anderson took a nasty fall last Sunday afternoon, and he has been in the hospital. It looks like he's going to be in the hospital for a while, so we want to keep Dick and Anna Kay in our prayers.
[22:53] And with these concerns and joys and those that are on your heart, please turn with me to the Lord in prayer, either from your seats or at the rail. You're welcome. Heavenly Father, we come before you, trusting you, knowing you, rejoicing in you, and in your great love for us.
[23:30] We've done nothing to deserve it, Lord, and yet you pour your love out into our lives. You are always there for us. You hear and answer our prayers.
[23:45] We know that we can trust you. And so we offer all of these prayers up to you this morning. We pray for those who are sick and in need of a healing touch from you.
[23:56] We ask that you would make them whole in their spirits, in their souls, in their bodies, in whatever way it is that you know they need to be healed.
[24:09] We pray that you will draw them into your presence. Help them. We're grateful for your help, Lord. We pray, Lord God, for all of those who are grieving losses.
[24:23] How difficult it is to come into seasons of rejoicing and yet have that emptiness, that sense of heaviness, knowing that someone has gone from you.
[24:47] Lord, we pray for your spirit to come into them, each and every one who is grieving, we pray that you will bring peace. We pray that your compassion is known as they know your presence.
[25:07] We just pray in Jesus' name, Lord God, that you will move in and through your people. Make each and every one of us to be a blessing wherever it is that we go.
[25:19] Help us, Lord, to get ourselves out of the way and to seek to do what you have called us to do. Help us, Lord God, to be open to receive your spirit, to receive those things that you want us to do, that you call us to do, that you draw us to do in the lives of other people.
[25:46] We know sometimes it can make us uncomfortable. We know sometimes it can be hard to know what to say, to know what to do. Sometimes we fear rejection, that if we speak your name, if we tell of our belief and our love for you, that we will not be received well.
[26:13] We might be laughed at or scorned. Lord, we know Jesus was scorned. We know Jesus wasn't received everywhere he went.
[26:30] Help us to be like Jesus, to be more concerned, Father, for what you would have us to do, for who you would have us to be, than we are concerned for how we appear in the eyes of the world.
[26:48] Transform us as we hear your word today. Transform us as we sing songs of praise. Teach us as Pastor Tom delivers the message you've given him to bless us.
[27:01] let it bless him, Lord. Let all of our worship be a blessing to you so that we can show your love wherever we go, unafraid and unashamed.
[27:18] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Shall we hear from the word of the Lord? Lord heals us into the name we pray.
[27:39] You may receive stories.
[27:55] Are we fueling to keep your love Good morning.
[28:10] Good morning. Hear the scripture from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verses 36 through 45. Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane.
[28:23] And he said to them, Sit here while I go over there and pray. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
[28:34] Then he said to them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.
[28:50] Yet not as I will, but as you will. Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour? he asked Peter.
[29:04] Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away a second time and prayed, My father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.
[29:24] When he came back, he again found them sleeping because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
[29:36] Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
[29:49] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Guys, seriously, where is Max? Calm down, girl. He's right...
[30:01] Huh. He is gone. Oh, it's fine. I heard him screaming after he disappeared into those bushes. Max is gone? This is bad. This is so bad.
[30:13] Maria, if he is your true love, you must go to him. Save him. Save him! Yes! Yes! Save my true love! Run!
[30:25] I'm coming, Max! Ah! Hi, Clint. If anyone asks, I'm on my way to the roof to look for Max.
[30:41] Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Okay, bye-bye. I love that little dog. Her name is Gidget, and as far as I'm concerned, she's a star of this movie.
[30:53] She is going to go and save her beloved one, Max. Her, her, her true heart. And we love love, don't we? But sometimes we think of love as passion.
[31:05] We, we think of love as romance and as drama. And love is much, much more than that. Sometimes we're faced with situations where love causes us to go through something we may not want to do.
[31:20] I don't know if any of you other men have had this experience. It's late at night. You get yourself into that nothing box. And you're laying down at bed, and just as you're about to go out into that wonderful world of sleep, your wife says, Honey, I have something important we need to talk about.
[31:43] What? Jesus is meeting people on the way to the cross. And on the way, he's teaching us how to love other people.
[31:54] And he's very close now. He's in the Garden of Gethsemane. Right near where he will be crucified. And he knows it. He knows he's going to be arrested soon.
[32:07] He knows he's going to be crucified. He knows he's going to die. But his disciples don't get that. And it's not going to happen to them.
[32:20] So they're not really completely understanding. And he says to them, Would you just wait here in the garden and pray for me?
[32:32] Now, you have to get the right setting. They just came from a big party. Big celebration. Lots of emotional energy spent. They had a big meal.
[32:44] And some wine. And Jesus leaves them alone, in the dark, in a quiet place, doing nothing. What do you think these guys are going to do?
[32:58] That's what I would do. Even if I didn't want to do it, I would fall asleep. He comes back and he says, Really? Seriously? You're sleeping? All I asked was for you to stay awake for one hour.
[33:12] Let's try again. Goes away and they... Three times. Isn't it interesting? It's always three times in the Bible.
[33:23] Three is a very special number in the Bible. Three. All he wanted was for them to be there. We sometimes call that the ministry of presence.
[33:35] People don't have any idea how powerful their presence is. People want to do something. They weren't doing anything. If they were doing something, if they were picking weeds in the garden, they may have stayed awake.
[33:48] But people want to feel that they're doing something. What can I do? So they bring 400 lasagnas. Which feeding is very nice when people are hurting.
[34:00] But sometimes all people really want is for someone to be there. I learned this years ago when I was a pastor out in Wyoming County and I had a fellow in a nursing home.
[34:12] He couldn't move and he couldn't speak. But he could hear and he could move his eyes around. And so I'd go in to visit him. You ever have those one-way conversations?
[34:25] Hey, Roy, how you doing today? Blink. Blink. So, what's new going on in the nursing home this week? Not much, huh? Okay.
[34:37] And so after a couple of these visits, I got to a point where I talked to him for about three, four minutes and I said, you know, Roy, I'm a little tired. Always tired. I said, do you mind if I just sit in your chair and take a nap?
[34:52] They'd give me the sign and I'd go sit in the chair and I'd go to sleep for 20 minutes, 25 minutes. I'd wake up. I'd say, well, Roy, it's been really great visiting with you. You know, I hope to see you again soon.
[35:03] You have a great day. And I'd say a prayer and I'd leave. His wife said to me that Roy enjoyed my visits more than any other visits that he got. You don't want anybody to talk to him.
[35:16] He just wants somebody to be with him so he wasn't alone. Only need one hour. Can't you give me one hour?
[35:30] And they failed. Have you ever felt that kind of failure? There's something in life I call the tyranny of the immediate, which is that in life, even though we know what we should do for the long run, we keep getting bombarded with all these little things we have to do right away, right away, right away.
[35:47] Got to do this, got to do that, got to do this, got to do that. All these little tasks that we probably won't even remember next week, but they are in our head like we have to do them. And we so often miss the most important things in life as we do those things.
[36:03] Some people ask me, what does a pastor do anyways? You know what? Write a few notes on the back of an envelope and then talk for a couple hours and take a nap the rest of the week. You know, catch up on the soap operas and things. My days start in the morning and go into the night, most days of the week.
[36:20] I've got meetings and Bible studies and I go to hospitals and funeral homes and nursing homes. Sometimes I just sit down and talk to people. There's worship services and parties.
[36:31] Oh my gosh, you have no idea how many of the parties I go to. I am a party animal. I figured it out one time. I bet it's somewhere around 75 to 100 parties a year.
[36:41] I'm not kidding. I go to a lot of parties. That's why the doctor doesn't like my diet. Speaking of parties, by the way, I found out, you might not have seen this, there's a huge amount of cool stuff out there that you can eat for Easter that the kids are selling, that people are selling for the Easter egg hunt.
[37:01] So I didn't even know it was there. I walked out and said, wow, cool little candies and things. Check it out. That was a plug. Unapologetically. I told them I'd work it in somehow.
[37:15] So the thing is, is sometimes I find myself just not having the time to be everywhere people want me to be. They want me to be there and there and there and there and there all at the same time.
[37:27] And the worst of all, sometimes you're just not up to it. These guys are just plain tired. I got sick this week again. Okay? Not in the hospital sick. Just, you know, that cold thing like 80% of you have, right?
[37:41] You know, where you can work but you shouldn't and what you really need is about a day and a half to just go, you know? So you're kind of half work and half don't and you're kind of not very productive and I hate when you're sick and you sleep.
[37:54] I love to sleep but I hate when you're sleeping just because you're sick. It's just like such a waste of time. I think I'm over it but you know it's still affecting my voice because, well, you know, pastors, all they do is talk, right?
[38:06] So, can't you just be there for an hour? The spirit is willing but the body is weak and you know, life is like that.
[38:22] Even people who love each other sometimes disappoint each other and Jesus is now with the people he loves the most on this earth and they're going to disappoint him.
[38:35] you know, when both of my parents died it was really weird because it was the same experience. I was working here at church meeting with people and I get a phone call.
[38:48] With my father the phone call went something like your dad's got a stomach ache so I think we're going to take him to the hospital. Tell him to take a Tums. I mean, why are you calling me? Right? You know?
[38:59] After I hung up I thought dad doesn't go to the hospital for a stomach ache. I need to get in the car and get out there. I got there in time and we actually went to the hospital and I said a prayer with him and my last words to my father which I meant something different then than I think of it as now is I said I'll see you on the other side.
[39:18] Kind of an interesting last words. Now my mother I was here working at the church and I got a phone call that she had fallen. I was like yeah well my mom falls all the time. How hurt is she? I mean I know that sounds callous but my mother fell like you know three times a week.
[39:32] So she hurt badly. Oh we're not. Okay so I got in the car and I drove out there and I went to the hospital because I decided to take her to the hospital and I walked in the door expecting to see my mother kind of banged up and beat up and the doctor pulled me aside and said I'm sorry but your mom didn't make it.
[39:48] I'm like what? What? They didn't tell me she had a heart attack on the phone. I did my best but I guess my best wasn't good enough.
[40:02] You ever feel that way? Then the guilt just starts like pouring in on you. I don't think these guys meant to fail. I don't think that they got up that morning and said let's mess up Jesus today.
[40:16] We'll just fall asleep on him when he needs us. Unfortunately sometimes we fail. We fail.
[40:31] In the book of John in chapter 13 Jesus said I give you a new commandment that you should love one another as I have loved you. That's how you must love one another.
[40:43] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples. how did Jesus love? How do we show love?
[40:55] And love for us has become something different what it truly is. We tend to see love as a feeling an emotion and sometimes we even react like Gidget.
[41:08] friends I am afraid that I have some terrible news.
[41:29] The squirrels are going to take over the world. I know it. I always said squirrels are little shifty little guys. No we're not doing the squirrel thing right now. That's not no. Max is missing.
[41:42] He's out there somewhere lost scared so so handsome. We've got to find him and bring him home. But the outside world is loud and scary.
[41:53] Is that a hawk? This is my friend Tiberius. He's going to help us. He's not going to eat us. We've already been over it. Come on Gidget. We go out there without a leash we'll get caught by a net or something worse.
[42:06] Yeah like a hawk. We're wasting time. Max needs us. Come on girl Max doesn't even know you're alive. Well I don't care. I love him. I love him with all of my heart and I'm going to go look for Max no matter who's with me.
[42:21] So who's with me? Alright fine. Fine. Oh come on guys.
[42:33] I can't believe you. When I got my claws caught in the curtains who pulled me down? Max did. Buddy. Mel. When you were fixed who taught you to sit the comfortable way?
[42:47] Max did. Max did. Max did. He did it. And when that random cat tried to eat sweet pea who saved him? It wasn't a random cat it was you.
[42:58] The identity of the random cat is not the point. We're talking about who saved him. Max did. We gotta save him. We gotta go save Max. Yeah. Let's go save Max.
[43:12] Let's go save Max. Passion and power and love that takes the risk and goes out into a world filled with nets and the hawks and the hawks that might eat us.
[43:28] Love as Jesus loved. In 1 Corinthians 13 it says to us love is patient love is kind. It doesn't envy. It doesn't boast. It isn't proud.
[43:39] It does not dishonor others. It's not self-seeking. It's not easily angered and it keeps no record of the wrongs.
[43:50] Too often love as we call it in this culture is self-seeking. What's in it for me? We're looking for somebody that can help me.
[44:02] I'm looking for a partner. A great lover. Someone that does something for me. Someone that makes me laugh. I have to say it I didn't really like the conversation with the children this morning.
[44:15] We don't want to help our parents. Let them do all the work. They're getting taught the message real young. Love isn't supposed to be that way.
[44:29] Now I don't want you to misunderstand we weren't much different when we were kids. Well every Sunday we got a box of donuts. There were five of us kids so there were seven in the house. Do the math. We each got two.
[44:41] So mom and dad got which is why dad was so excited when there was a baker's dozen because he would get you know two. Mom never got two. In fact sometimes one of us would sneak a third donut and mom would get none.
[44:55] I got to tell you the truth we never realized that until we were all adults and then we felt pretty small. Love is not about what can we get out of it.
[45:06] What's in it for us? How can we somehow take advantage or gain advantage in a relationship in a situation? Jesus said in verse 39 God not my will but your will be done.
[45:22] What would you do in this situation? If someone you loved and someone you have given so much time to failed you at such a simple little task it may be just important what do you expect others to do when you're the one who fails?
[45:44] Because we all fail. Psalm 53 says to us everyone is turned away all have become corrupt there is no one who does good not even one.
[45:59] Do you understand that means we all are not good. Every once in a while somebody will say to me about good people there are no good people. You're not good I'm not good none of us are good take that pressure off we're not good we fail that's the beginning point I think it's part of our difficulty is we're trying to be perfect and we can't Jesus' disciples loved him he knew it but they failed him and not just here that night one of them would betray him the next day they would all desert him and deny him and Jesus loved him because love is not self-seeking Jesus actually loved him so much that he made the ultimate sacrifice and he died on a cross for them and for us now this passage is important because it says to us Jesus didn't want to die he wasn't like oh yeah
[47:02] I'm going to the cross what a good time I'm about to go hang on a cross and die he was sort of looking forward to this and he didn't deserve to die it might be a little different if he deserved it in Isaiah 53 they talk about Jesus he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people he was punished he was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death though he had done no violence nor was there any deceit in his mouth yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin he will see his offspring and prolong his days and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand he wasn't punished for what he did he was punished for us you know this is Palm Sunday the day we wave the palms and sing the victory but it's also
[48:03] Passion Sunday the day we remember the cross and the reason we have Passion Sunday is because so many people skip the cross I can't say that about our church this sanctuary is generally full on Good Friday but so many Christians want to go from the celebration of the Hosannas on Palm Sunday right to the Halleluias on Easter without realizing that the centerpiece of our faith is not an open tomb but a cross and death is the way we find the victory they even knew that in the movie uh Mr. Pops sir shouldn't we be heading to the sewers now if we take the human route getting there is gonna take days you may have lots of time but for me every breath is a cliffhanger so we gotta take the secret route okay the secret route was death well that's that I guess come on get down here the secret route is death that's more profound than I think the people in this movie even realized because that's exactly the answer that's exactly what happened
[49:22] Jesus died on a cross but though the human Jesus suffered it's the God aspect of Jesus that's dying that is important to us in 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians chapter 5 it says God made him which would be Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God God took the sins your sins my sins everyone's sins of the world unto himself I want you to think about the very essence of God it's a kind of high concept but just think about it for a moment God is perfect and if he takes broken people into his presence he's no longer perfect so God gave up being perfect now to you that might not mean much because none of us are perfect right but to God who is perfect if you had a we had a volleyball team in high school that had not lost a match forget about championship not lost a match for 20 years in my senior year they lost one and the whole school went into mourning they only lost one match but before that they were perfect imagined a God who is perfect in every way and he's giving up his perfection for us why would God even do such a thing it goes back to love the love that Jesus offers is not based on strangers any more than we are in our relationships now children your children my children we give them everything we house them we feed them we teach them we take care of them and nurture them and protect them and you name all the things right the very least they could do in return is be perfect amen don't you think that would be reasonable
[51:35] I think so for all we do all I've done for you right but it doesn't work that way we know it doesn't work that way so we have to make a choice as to whether we're going to have perfect children or we're going to have children to love God could have cast us away and stayed perfect but instead he embraced us because he loved us but to love us requires knowing someone and so in love there's also knowing someone we know that we all possess knowledge but knowledge just puffs up while love builds up those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know people think they know everything but they don't whoever loves God is known by God known by God and that's why God could forgive them because he knew them he looked into their very soul and he said
[52:46] I know the flesh is weak but I see your spirit I see your soul I know you love me I hope to and expect to meet my parents in glory someday I don't expect them to say you failure you loser you weren't there for us I really don't I knew them they knew me they knew I would have done what was needed had I known but does love get mirrored in all we do or do we get caught up the tyranny of the immediate one time I was walking out the driveway of my house my dad said to me hey Tommy someday this week could you come over and help me move this couch off the patio I said well you know dad I'm kind of busy I got a lot of things going on this week I've got all kinds of meetings I'll see if I can make some time and as I'm walking out to my car my neighbor who happened his neighbor who happened to hear me comes walking over to me he says I want to talk to you I said yeah he says that man has done everything for you he raised you he fed you he would come to your house in the middle of the night if you needed him and all he wants from you is to move a couch and you say
[53:58] I'm ashamed of you I walked away I'm like oh gosh daddy you want to move the couch now whatever you say oh my gosh what am I thinking who cares about what I gotta do this is my dad oh my gosh I don't think we intentionally fail so much as we we get caught up in it but how do we look at it our culture has taught us to look at cheap love cheap grace we look at Jesus and we want a savior but not a lord even though the old historic confession of faith has always been Jesus Christ is my lord and savior we just want the savior we want him to buy us a ticket to the next world but don't expect anything out of me because I'm busy and that's not love love has to be mutual
[55:05] Jesus showed that even he was willing to see God as the lord somebody was talking to me about the way to pray and about being on knees and I don't think there's anything wrong with being on your knees to pray but that's not biblical biblical is did you hear what it said he had his face down in the dirt I'm nothing see love love is something that is mutual and it's proved out not by our words but by our actions 1 John chapter 3 says dear children let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth this is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence how do we know that we loved how do we know that we're in a loving relationship because our actions naturally will show it it's not even something we think about it's something we do because love calls us the spirit is willing the flesh is weak that's not an excuse simply an explanation we have too many abusive relationships where one is giving everything and one is self-sacrificing and one is focused on the other person while the other one is taking it all in did you hear that line from the one dog girl max don't even know that you're alive there's been some young people in this world
[56:36] I want to say that too they don't even care about you that's not love that's abuse and it only leads to pain and hurt and that's true not just with us it's true with God Ephesians chapter 6 says don't be deceived God cannot be mocked a person reaps what they sow God is not a fool that will just be abused by people forever without doing anything in response in fact if you read the Bible it says God will get to a place where he'll say I'm done in the book of Psalms he talks about the Israelites and he says my people would not listen to me they wouldn't submit to me so I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices let them go do their own thing if my people would listen to me they follow my ways
[57:39] I can love them but if not there's a point where you have to say this is not love this is abuse with people God has to do it with us as well you know Jesus didn't want to die he wasn't looking forward to it but he was willing to die to make the sacrifice because of his love he calls us to love as he loved us people will often say to me they'll quote this one passage in the Bible like it's the entire encapsulation of our faith in some ways it is but not the way they see it people brought people they brought people out and they said sirs what must we do to be saved and they replied believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved you and everybody in your family all I gotta do is believe there's a God that's not that hard do you think God cares if you believe he exists are you that arrogant to believe that the Lord of the universe is worried about whether you think he's around the Bible says even demons believe in God and they tremble about it
[58:59] Satan believes there's a God only a fool says in his heart this is a scripture but I agree he says there is no God this isn't about some intellectual intellectual exercise this is about how do we live believe really is true when you be living are you living out your life for God love asks us to give our love and receive love with each other and with God religion talks the talk the seducers talk the talk love says we need to walk the talk Jesus said God I'll do whatever you want that's what love calls us to do if we're going to love like Jesus
[59:59] God says that we need to change you know what the word repent means to turn around it's scary and I'm not picking on the kids but it's scary that the natural reaction of children in our culture is to say let my parents do the work that's what they're there for and the natural reaction should be my parents have done so much for me let me come over and help you move that couch God calls us to live differently Jesus didn't give up on his disciples he knew them he speared into their soul he loved them and he knew that they loved him and eventually they would prove it they would end up dying for him but even more so they live for him and that changed the world some folks ask me is the church dying you know the bible says the gates of hell will not prevail against it there's no way the church will die and Jesus isn't even dead he's risen my concern is that our own souls are dying and we need to repent we need to change this attitude while we still can and reach out in love so that we can be the kind of generation that learns how to love with each other and learns how to love
[61:27] God and in doing so just like they did we can change the world I see the king of glory coming on the clouds with fire the whole earth shakes the whole earth shakes I see his love and mercy washing over all I say the people say the people say Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna
[62:28] Hosanna in the highest Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Rising up to take their place with selfless faith, with selfless faith.
[63:07] I see a new revival, stirring as we pray and sing.
[63:18] We're on our knees, we're on our knees. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in my highest.
[63:37] Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in my highest.
[63:50] Heal my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen.
[64:02] Show me how the love like you have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks yours.
[64:20] Everything I am for your kingdom's cross. Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in my highest.
[64:47] Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in my highest.
[64:59] Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest.
[65:22] Hosanna in my highest. He became sin. Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest.
[65:35] Hosanna in my highest. Hosanna in my highest.
[65:45] Hosanna in my highest. Jesus, Messiah, name of all names, blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel.
[66:06] The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven, Jesus, Messiah, Lord of all.
[66:29] His body the bread, His blood the wine, broken and poured out, all for love.
[66:41] One more tremble, and there was no love so amazing. I'm so amazing, Jesus, Messiah, name of all names, blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel.
[67:14] The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven, Jesus, Messiah, Lord of all.
[67:35] All our hope is in you. All our hope is in you.
[67:47] All our glory to you, God. The light of the world, Jesus, Messiah, name of all names, blessed Redeemer, Emmanuel.
[68:18] The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven, Jesus, Messiah, Lord of all.
[68:40] Jesus, Messiah, Lord of all. Lord of all.
[68:55] Lord of all. Praise is rising, eyes are moving to you.
[69:25] Lord of all. We are moving to you. We are moving to you. Oh, mystery, I'll fire me.
[69:40] For you, we long for you. Oh, mystery, oh, mystery, oh, mystery, oh. Cause when we see you, we find a strength to face the day.
[69:53] Oh. And in your presence, all our fears are washed away. Washed away, washed away. Watch the way Hosanna Hosanna You are the God who saves us Bless me of all our praise Hosanna Hosanna Come at your way among us God, come you hear Lord Jesus Hear the sound of Our dream coming to you
[70:53] With that to you In your kingdom Broken lives are with you You make us new When we see you We find strength to face the day In your presence All our fears are washed away Washed away Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna You are the God who saves us Worthy of all our praises Hosanna Hosanna
[71:54] Hosanna Come at your way among us We welcome you here Lord Jesus Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna Come at your way among us We welcome you here Lord Jesus Hosanna just a ticket to eternity, but someone that can walk with us, be with us, love with us, and live with us from now and through that eternity. You know, God knows you'll mess up.
[72:57] He made you. He knows it. He's aware of it. All he wants you to do is come back. Come back to God. That's what our confession is about. Come back to Jesus. Let's pray.
[73:12] Dear Lord in heaven, I have sinned. I failed you. I failed others. I failed myself.
[73:24] Forgive me, Lord. Help me to repent, to turn my life around, to live in love with you and in love with others as you have loved me. In Jesus' name we pray.
[73:42] Amen. Here's the amazing thing. The scripture said, love keeps no record of the wrongs. God has decided today, everything that went before, he doesn't care about. How are you going to live tomorrow or even the rest of today? Let's live our hearts that way and forget about yesterday.
[74:07] Don't let it drag you back. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen.
[74:18] God invites us to the table. The table where we remember how much God loves us. All God has done for us.
[74:37] His body, His blood, what He gave for us so that we might be able to share in God's love, to know God's love in an amazing way. Everyone is welcome at the table in the United Methodist Church.
[74:56] If you love God, repent of your sin and seek to live in peace as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are welcome to come to the table and receive. Come expecting because God will pour out more of His love into your life than ever before. Come expecting because God promises to meet you here.
[75:20] The Lord be with you. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and a good and joyful thing always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. In love you made us for yourself. And when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, your love remained steadfast. And so with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
[76:07] Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you and blessed is your son Jesus Christ, whom you sent in the fullness of time to redeem the world. He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant being born in our likeness. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. He took upon himself our sin and death and offered himself a perfect sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. By the baptism of his suffering, death and resurrection, you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. On the night in which he gave himself up for us, Jesus took bread and he gave thanks to you.
[77:00] He broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, take and eat. This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And when the supper was over, Jesus took the cup. He gave you thanks and praise and gave it to his disciples. He said, drink from this, all of you. This is the cup of my blood.
[77:30] The blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin. Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. And so in remembrance of these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here. And on these gifts of bread and wine, make them be for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ. That we may be for the world, the body of Christ redeemed by his blood. By your spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
[78:44] Amen. Shall we pray together with the confidence of children dearly loved by God? The prayer he taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
[79:15] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
[79:28] Will those who are serving please come forward. Thank you.
[79:46] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Pacific s. Fallout 6. Thank you to all the world when. However, today we decided to be in heaven right now.
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