Monthly Archives: April 2017

AUDIO for Sunday AM – PALM SUNDAY- April 9, 2017

We all have our expectations in life.

    • Everyone. You. Me. Everybody. And these expectations dictate the course of our lives, how we live, how we understand God, how we interpret our world. The real question is not whether or not we have expectations, but on what or on whom do we base our expectations. That is the game changer. One way brings salvation and the blessing of God. And every other way brings destruction and the judgment of God.
    • This morning we are going to look primarily at a group of people who followed Jesus Christ and longed for the kingdom of God. As they followed Jesus around the countryside of ancient Israel, they observed his saving, transforming work in the life of a no-good tax collector, they heard him state the intent and purpose of his ministry and they celebrated with Him as he rode triumphantly into Jerusalem in fulfillment of OT prophecy.
    • And when he spoke … these people hung on his every word.
    • And yet … after all of that … within a week … just days from the victory celebration of his grand entrance into Jerusalem, they were screaming, “Crucify him, crucify him.”
    • What? What ever could have happened during that week that caused such a sudden and dramatic shift in their attitude?
    • Unmet expectations. Unfulfilled dreams. Jesus had let them down. At some point along the way the light bulb had come on, and it occurred to them that this man was not working their plan for the kingdom of God. He had his own agenda. 
    • They had supported him and given their “amen” to everything he said and did as long as they thought it fit into their plans. But this man was no Messiah. Not in their eyes. So they joined the angry crowd, “Crucify him, crucify him.”
    • This morning we will observe two religious groups: A loud, demanding group who followed Christ for their own selfish purposes. And another group who we hardly notice as they quietly, obediently went about their Lord’s business.

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    • An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future; a belief that someone will or should achieve something; a belief that something should happen in a particular way, or that someone or something should have particular qualities or behavior; believing that something is going to happen or believing that something should be a certain way.

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Great Expectations – PALM SUNDAY – Luke 19

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STUDY SHEETS for PALM SUNDAY – April 9, 2017

What Are Your Expectations in Life?
It Matters. A Lot.

We all have our expectations in life, good or bad, positive or negative, happy or sad, rich or poor. And we live based on these expectations. Expectations are in fact crucial to our personal relationships. Many couples start out “in love” and their wedding ceremony is well-planned and very impressive, costing thousands of dollars and attended by family, friends and well-wishers. They travel to the Cayman islands for an amazing honeymoon, but then you find out three years later that they have divorced. What happened? Their expectations were not met.

Your friend is a Chevy guy. Why? Because the first pickup truck he bought was a Chevy and they have met his expectations ever since. Or your other friend is a Ford man because the first truck he bought was a Chevy, and he thought it was a piece of junk. It did not live up to his expectations.

We must understand the major part that expectations play in our lives. I think we could say that our expectations “rule the roost.”

So where do we “get” our expectations? What is our source? We must understand the absolute nature and importance of God teaching us through his Word and through his Holy Spirit and directing our lives according to biblical expectations that will never disappoint.

God came to them and they didn’t know it …

The people in our Luke 19 text had misguided expectations when it came to their long-awaited Messiah and the kingdom of God. Their expectations were human-based as opposed to Bible-based, so when the Son of God “visited” them they missed it.

They grumbled as Christ went about his salvation work in the life of Zacchaeus because they did not understand Christ’s true purpose for coming to Earth.

They were very fickle indeed … When it appeared that Christ was going to meet their expectations–give them what they wanted–they cheered, celebrated and hung on his every word.

But merely a week later when they saw that he was not going to deliver to them the kingdom of their dreams, then they screamed, “Crucify him, crucify him!”

Our huge lesson? It is not until we accept God’s plan and purpose over and above our expectations that we truly see and live the blessing of God, the abundant life that Christ promised.

Great Expectations – PALM SUNDAY
Luke 19

AUDIO for Sunday – April 2, 2017

He is a murderer,

a liar and a deceiver.

There is no truth in him.

He is an accuser and a slanderer

and deceives the whole world.

And the people marvel at him.

  • Jeremiah the prophet tells us (5:30–31) that “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
  • This morning’s text tells us that “… the whole earth marveled as they followed … and they worshiped …”
  • During a future time on this Earth, an actual period of history, during what theologians call the eschaton, the end days, the last days, this person will set up two powerful leaders who will dominate the political, economic and religious landscape, and the whole earth will marvel, be in wonder, amazed.
  • Why? How? How does this villain, this dastardly person, get away with this? How does he pull it off? What is his secret? Are people really that gullible?
  • Simple. He works an age-old scheme. Works every time. Just ask your favorite politician. He promises to give people what they want. Two things here. First, he tells people what they want to hear. He nurtures the natural, sinful rebellion found in every human since Adam and Eve. He affirms the “sweet lies” of the human heart. And second, he assures them that he will fight for them against their enemies which in this case is God and the people of God.

REVELATION MESSAGE 22 – the unholy trinity: the demon gods of deceit –
Revelation 13

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STUDY SHEETS for Sunday – April 2, 2017

the unholy trinity: the demon gods of deceit

The Great World Leader …

During this period of Earth’s history, someone will accept the devil’s offer of world domination in exchange for worship. Christ rejected the offer, but not this great world leader who John identifies as “the beast” which arose from the sea. The sea probably signifies the abyss. This man will more than likely be possessed by a very powerful demon or by the devil himself.
But that is not how most of the world will view him. In fact, if TIME magazine is still in existence during this period of great tribulation, then this man will surely receive the award for “Person of the Year!”

  • (Matthew 4:8–9 ESV) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
  • (Luke 4:5–7 NLT) Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

From the very beginning of creation, from his beginning, his creation, the god of this world has tried to dethrone God and take over the planet. The story begins in Genesis and now as the last chapter of the saga unfolds, we see that nothing has changed.

But his time is almost to an end … forever.

REVELATION MESSAGE 22 –The Battle for Earth!
Revelation 13