A Journey Church message through John 12:12-26 on grief, a lowly King, the seed that dies, and hope for outsiders

[Applause] Hey, while you're taking your seats, just tell somebody, "Get ready. Get ready. Get ready." Somebody needs to know that God has a message for them today. Get ready. Get ready. Hey, get ready. Get ready. Get ready. Isaiah 6. Here I am. Send me. Get ready. Get ready. Listen, today I had planned to give you a financial update on the church. It was two years ago that we launched this generosity initiative called more out of Ephesians 3:20 which promises now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we could ask or think think to him be the glory in and through the church not just now but forever more and and we we we've been dreaming of more in our day and in our time and originally we said in our

city but God has increased that vision not just for our city but central Oregon shall be saved but in light of all that's happening in our world right now. I'm not going to share those financial numbers or updates today. I will share them next week. So, if you want to hear those financial numbers, come back next Sunday. But this week has been filled with a tragedy that we cannot ignore. It seems like every day, and it's not it seems like, every day, we turn on the news and we see some form or some act of evil. School shootings have become so normal that many of us are just numb to this. I remember the first few times that school shootings happened and it was something that caused our nation to to be traumatized, to turn on the

television, to ask huge questions and it's it's stunned us and now it's just this ordinary event. And that should not be the case. When children go to a Catholic church and they're sitting in a pew to pray and they are murdered, that should cause outrage. When there's a beautiful young innocent Ukrainian refuge refugee who gets murdered while grown men just watch and do nothing, nothing. They just witness what happens. And and now we have the footage and the video footage to to watch this and we ought to ask in our own hearts, what would I do if I was there?

And then the assassination of Charlie Kirk has shocked not just our nation, but the world is watching and witnessing what's happening. And these moments demand us to stop and face the seriousness of this hour that we all find ourselves in. This is important. Jesus likened it to this that we we know what the weather's like outside. We can witness and tell tell what the weather's like by the signs of the sky. But he says we don't know the signs of the time. It's time for us to look into something more spiritual, the serious time in which we're living in. And church, I'm asking you that you would join with me, that we would be in unity. This is not a time for distraction.

This is not a time of comfort without conviction. This is not a time for us to shrink back or to sit back. This is not a time for us to witness this evil without standing for the truth. It's time for us to meet this sadness with the hope of Jesus Christ. It is not time for us to allow evil to have the final say, but to say Jesus always has the last word. Jesus is the Messiah. Yes, he's come. Jesus is the savior of the world. And Jesus said he's coming again. We are nearing more than ever the end where we get to spend eternity either with God or apart from him.

And I say wherever you are in your faith journey today, you need to hear this clearly. Jesus is coming again soon. And it's time for us to take our lives seriously. Today we find ourselves in a text in John chapter 12 that God ordained for this moment. As my wife shared with me yesterday, this is not accidental. It's not coincidental. God knew exactly where we'd be in history, exactly where we should be in his word. And his word speaks for itself. We don't need to conjure up the answers for the times that we live in. It's found in God's word. Amen. And today Jesus will teach us that unless a seed dies and is buried, it cannot bear fruit.

That that a seed on its own just remains alone. But when it's buried, the potential is for so much more. And although this points to Jesus on the cross that he died and and and so much more fruit would be produced, this message is for you as well. This message is for each and every one of us to recognize that if we truly want to experience what God has for us, we must die to fear. We must die to comfort. We must die to silence. And we must see that God has a fruit that will arise in the church of faith. We will see a fruit. we will see a of fruit of of of comfort and healing and God's grace that will come out when we die to the things of this world.

And although Charlie Kirk died, we can take the words of Jesus in John chapter 10 and know that they are true when Jesus said that he is the resurrection and the life and he said, "Whoever believes in me, though he die, he shall live." Amen. Charlie Kirk has died. an enemy tried to silence him, but really what happened was this resounding alarm that has awakened so many of us. We have an opportunity now to recognize that you are alive for such a time as this. God made you. He loves you. And he's got a purpose and a plan for your life. And it's not to be comfortable. is to recognize that this earth is never meant to be your permanent home. Every one of us will die.

We ought not be shocked at death. But you too can have the same confidence that Charlie Kirk had that when you die, you actually don't die. You really start living. Amen. Jesus warned us in Matthew 10:28, "Do not fear those who kill the body and cannot kill the soul. rather fear him who can destroy both the soul and body in hell. There's no need for us to have any fear today but the fear of God to recognize that he's real. He's eternal. He's all knowing and he's the one we face in judgment. And thankfully we have a God, as Pastor Connor just said, of kindness. It's his kindness that leads us to repentance, a changed thinking. We have a God of faithful, steadfast love. The only one we ought to fear in this world is the

fear of God. And when you do, he blesses you. This is a time for radical faith. This is a time for soldout surrender to Jesus. This is not a time for political stances. This is not a performance. This is putting our hope in Jesus. This is operating under the power of the Holy Spirit. This is living and waking up every day to please the father. So today, I don't share with you the financial numbers and update of this church, but today there's an urgency and there's a call to action for such a time as this. To live that light in a dark world, to take Jesus at his words that when we do good deeds, that's when they glorify our father in heaven. To recognize that wherever God has placed you, that's where he wants you to represent him. You

don't need to be a preacher or have a platform to live out the ways of Jesus. And as you'll discover today in the sermon, the way up is down. That God's ways are so much higher than our ways. And what the enemy intends for evil, God does work it for good. That no matter where you find yourself today, this is not the end of your story. God wants you to not only know his truth, but when you do, unashamedly tell the truth today. Let the world know that if God can do it with you, he could do it with them. I tell you, the enemy does not like this message. The enemy thought that he silenced Charlie Kirk.

But now, so many all over the world are willing to stand up for the truth. I need you to see that you have a story. Charlie Kirk was only 31 years old, and he did more in 31 years than most people will ever do in their lifetimes. times 10. He He was willing to go. He was willing to speak. He was willing to recognize that God has a truth that can stand on its own. It does not need violence or force. That if we'd be willing to operate in the form of a conversation much like what Jesus did, we will see the way, the truth, and the life. Amen. As the Greeks call it, logos. It will lead us to the word to the to the logic to to the very thing that can change our lives.

But the devil is a liar. Jesus said it's his native tongue. He's a thief. He's come to steal. He's come to murder and he's come to destroy. So do not be mistaken. The devil wants to distract you from what matters most. Jesus came to give you life and life abundantly. And if you've ever gone through a trial, if you've ever thought you were going through the valley of the shadow of death, it's not God's absence. It's an opportunity to see that God is real. He is for you. I tell you, the devil tried to take me out before I was even out of my mother's womb. When I was born, I had an umbilical cord wrapped around my head. The devil tried to stop me before I could even say anything because God had a calling on my life.

And then I got a staff infection the first week I was in the hospital. Almost killed me. The devil tried to stop me because God had a message inside of me. My father abandoned my family when I was 2 years old. And as a young little kid, I I walked around with identity issues with father abandonment issues because the devil thought that he could rewrite my story. But Jesus got a hold of my heart. He reminded me that that didn't stop me. He had just gave me a message to say that my God is able and if he could do it with me, he could do it with you. My hope is not in the things of this earth. We have an eternal hope. So don't get comfortable on this planet. This is not your home. The moment you start surrounding yourself with things of comfort, you think that this is it. But I'm here to tell you, we're living for

something greater. God's got a good plan for you. And today, wherever you are, I'm believing that we can bring it before God because the promise of God's word says when you need help, you can approach the throne of grace in a time of need and he will give you mercy. So that's what we came to do today. We came before the throne of God and we're just going to give him our lives. So wherever you are, if you're seeking God, you're going to get an opportunity to believe in him today, to be saved today. You don't have to go get your life right first. Today could be your day of salvation. I'm going to give you an opportunity before we leave today to do that. For some of you, you do believe in God and and I need you to do a gut check to say if you're still breathing and

your heart's still beating, maybe God has a greater plan for you than you even understand. So, so let's just start with just aligning our hearts with his. This is called prayer. And I'm just going to ask, would you ask God to speak to you today? Father, our hearts are heavy. The world is confused. And there are a lot of people trying to give us answers. Jesus, you declare that you are the way, the truth, and the life. And when we grieve, we do not grieve as those without hope. We we mourn because things are not the way they ought to be. But we trust your word that says you are a comforter. That in our sadness, Holy Spirit, you comfort. And where there is evil, you don't give up, God. Your light shines even brighter. Where there is brokenness, you bring healing. And where there is fear, God, I pray that the

church would rise up in faith for such a time as this. That this is our opportunity to point people to the resurrection and the life, which is you, Jesus. That we would be anchored in the living hope of who you are. And even today, I pray in this moment, in this few minutes that we have together, that your word would speak life to your your people, Lord, your children. If anyone's questioning who they are, I pray today there would be an identity shift in their heart. That we would recognize that we are not defined by what we've done, what was done to us. We were we are defined by you. And that when we believe in you, we receive your name. And today I proclaim I am a child of God.

So today Lord I ask that you speak in the name of Jesus. If you're in agreement today, would you shout amen? Amen. You know the cry of our hearts today, church, and what we see around the world is in many ways the echoing of the cry that was in the streets in John chapter 12 where we find ourselves today. It was a time of political tension in John chapter 12 when Jesus entered into Jerusalem. There was tension because Rome was ruling the world and the Jewish people were on one side and the Romans were on another side and the Jewish zealots would kill the Romans and the Romans would kill the Jewish people. And there was this political divide that was happening in the world of Jesus in John 12. And as he entered Jerusalem, they waved palm branches and they proclaimed

out loud, "Hosana!" Which in Hebrew means save us. And really what they were crying out for was a political savior. They were looking for a king that would overcome the Roman Empire. They they were looking for their answer in some type of politicized person that could do what needs to be done. But as Jesus is going to show us today, he didn't receive that praise from the people. He points them to an eternal truth that is for each of us today. Several weeks ago, I proposed this question that I had no clue would have as much weight as it does today. And the question is, what would you do if you knew today was your last day on earth?

May maybe we could put it in other questions of what would matter most or what would not matter at all. And I've come to the conclusion based upon the brevity of life, no matter what age you are, we ought to live every day as if it's our last. So in the text today, we are going to see clearly the title of this sermon is the way up is down. The way up is down. Would you say that with me? The way up is down. Stand for the reading of God's word. I'll read to you the text today. John 12:es 12- 26. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to

meet him, crying out, "Hosana! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel." And Jesus found a young donkey, and sat on it, just as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkekeyy's colt." His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and it had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.

So these came to Philillip who was from Bethada in Galilee and asked him sir we wish to see Jesus. Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus and Jesus answered them the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, Jesus says, he must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the father will honor him. This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated.

The way up is down. I need to you to immerse yourself with your imagination for just a moment. What was happening in that world? It's easy to read stories like this and forget that these were real people living in a real time. You've got to understand the the political climate at the time, the tension, the the oppression of the Roman taxation on the people, the worship of false gods was rampant. And to say you only worshiped one God was was absolutely divisive, you look like a a crazy person. And the Jewish people that were monotheistic and has have a scripture of of who created the heavens and the earth, the Jewish scriptures that say there's only one true God, they were looking for someone that would get them out of the place where they were.

The crowd was hyped. The tension was real. The people are looking for political revolution. Jesus of Nazareth, he does not just heal the sick. He does not just have these incredible sermons, but he brings the dead to life as he did with Lazarus. And the word is out that during Passover, when so many from all over the world would come to Jerusalem, the word was out that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. Here comes the king. Here comes the Christ. Could this be the Messiah? And it was in this place as he comes into this town, Jerusalem, this great city of Zion, Jesus, it says in John 12:14,

found a young donkey, and sat on it, just as it is written. Fear not. The prophet Zachchariah would say, "Daughter of Zion, behold." Everyone shout, "Behold, behold, your king is coming sitting on a donkekeyy's colt." Consider this. Jesus did not come in riding on a stallion. He did not come in on horse and carriage and pomp and circumstance. If this is the king, he came in on a what? a donkey. I mean, consider our world today, the Academy Awards. We're celebrating the greatest films. We're we're celebrating

the greatest actors and let's just say the the male actor of the year that's going to get the Oscar. He's going to show up and and all of the press is there. People are pressing in, fans are there, paparazzi are there, and they're pressing into the Stansion, and there's a red carpet there, and they're they're waiting. They're waiting. We want to see the Oscarinning actor that's coming today. And imagine if you will the hype and the chemistry and the large cameras are there and people are sweating, pressing into one another. And here he comes riding in on a 1993 Ford Focus with cloth seats. See, they don't even make Ford Focus today. So, I I asked my 16-year-old daughter like, "What what's a car that kids would not want to ride in today?" And she's like, "Taster cars, Dad.

Nobody likes the toaster cars. I think that's like a Nissan Cube or a a Kia Soul. Go with me." Even greater though, this this may not have been like a just a a decent car that no one really wants to drive, but may be cheap and reliable, but this is more like this. This is more like this is the Oscar winning actor. And just imagine he comes riding in on bicycle, but not any bicycle. I'm talking about one of those Walmart bicycles like like a Schwin or a Huffy. You know those bicycles that squeak and it doesn't matter how much oil you put on it. He shows up and everyone wants to see him. What would happen? Shock. Because typically the best does not come in on the lowiest.

And it's in this place that the scriptures actually say that that's who our God is. Zachchariah says he's lowly coming in on a colt on an unbroken donkey. He doesn't come in the way that we would expect on that stallion or with carriages or with pomp and with circumstance because Jesus doesn't need our praise. He did not come to sit on an earthly throne. He came to die on the cross. This is why he's coming into Jerusalem. They wanted political freedom thinking that they would be set free. But Jesus offers something greater, spiritual freedom. He sets us free from our sins. They wanted power, but Jesus is the prince of peace.

They wanted someone that would take out the enemy and kill them. But Jesus came to lay down his life. This is the way of King Jesus. This is his kingdom. The way up is down. This is the gospel. Gospel means what? Shout it out. Good news. And the good news is not just that Jesus forgives you of all your sins. The good news is not just that Jesus will heal you of every sin done to you. The good news is Jesus. This is his kingdom. That we have a king and he has a way. And as we've looked at the life of Jesus through the lens of John, things are not the way you would expect. It's not what you think. So the way you think God's going to work in

your life, I could probably bet money it's not going to happen that way. The way you think God's going to work is probably unlikely the very thing that he's going to do in your life. You see, in our world, the best actor comes in the best car. The best give the best. They look the best. But clearly Jesus had a different agenda. He wanted to impact the world. And he did not impact the world because he was a good teacher. He did not change the world as the most impactful man that's ever lived because he was a miracle worker. He changed the world because of who he is. He is the king of all kings. And when they took branches out and they were waving before him, prophetically proclaiming Psalm 118, which says, "Hosana, the King of Israel has come." This is the song that would have been sung for generations,

for centuries, as they would come to Jerusalem for Passover, they would sing this song. So, I need you to see the anticipation here as now they're not just singing this song. They're proclaiming the reality. Save us, Jesus. You're the king. We have a high expectation that you're the one that's going to overcome the throne of Caesar. The new reality will be Rome will be no more, but God's going to fulfill every prophetic word that he said through the Messiah. And I love that John is so incredibly honest because this is a book we can all relate to. In John 12:16, he says, "His disciples did not understand these things at first." How many of y'all could testify that you

couldn't see what God was doing at first? Do you know what I'm saying? I can only imagine the disciples convincing Jesus, "No, it's not a donkey that you come into Jerusalem with. The people have an expectation, Jesus. We've seen the palm branches. They're excited. Jesus, no. Donkey is the wrong vehicle to come into Jerusalem. Let's get you a white stallion with a big old sword going down your hip. Come on, Jesus. We got a plan." And I can only imagine Jesus saying, "No, no, no, guys. I got this." And then as Jesus is riding in Jerusalem, could you imagine the gossip behind Jesus' back like, "This guy doesn't know what he's doing." How many times have you thought God didn't know what he was doing? How many times have you had a better plan for God than God had? Because the way up is down.

And as we read this, we understand they were looking for a ruler. They were looking for a king here on earth. But this king does not need any accolades because he came in for something so much greater for his kingdom to come. That was his original message when he preached. Repent, which means change your thinking. The kingdom is at hand. That message is still true today. Repent. Change your thinking. It's not what you think it is. His ways are higher than our ways. And although it makes sense because the Jewish people were oppressed, they were overt taxed. They were worshiping false gods. Somehow God's got to make this right. We could say the same things today. But let me tell you, Jesus does not do what you expect him to do.

How many of you have ever prayed for strength only to realize that Jesus gives you weakness so that you would lean into him to be your strength? Come on, somebody. How many of you have ever prayed for success and somehow God has allowed you to fail so that it's actually your character that's a success in your life? Oh, this is the worst one. How many of y'all have ever prayed for patience and God gave you opportunities to be patient? You pray for a crown and Jesus says, "If you follow me, pick up your cross daily."

Following Jesus is not easy. It is not comfortable and it is wildly unpredictable. This is so important that you see it in your life because what was true then is still true today. Which is why we always come to the living word of God. We look at the life of Charlie Kirk and Evil said, "If I silence him, it will be the end of the message." But that's not how history plays out. We can see it in the early church as the message of Jesus spread and people were putting their faith in Jesus and and the Romans tried to snuff out the church and they would throw Christians into arenas and they would be ripped apart by lions for sport and entertainment. Christians would be put on stakes alive with hot oil poured over their heads and they would be lit on fire while they were still alive.

somehow to silence the message of the Christ. Because that's what Christian means, that you represent Christ, your little Christian. It actually was a derogatory name, not a a powerful name that was meant to be a religion. The name was first given to the believers and followers of Jesus in Antioch. And here we are later. People try to call this a religion. It's not a religion. It's a living relationship with the living God. And although Rome tried to silence Christians, the message just spread. And here we are 2,000 years later still heeding the words of Jesus that we're going to share this message with others as well. He's not just for some people. He's a God that's for all people. This is a hope that we can all hold on to.

like Paul who was there when the first martyr Steven was put to death. He was holding the robes of those killing Steven and he was he he was ushering in the the death of Christians. He he was trying to silence this movement. But yet, wouldn't you know that God can capture the heart of anyone and Paul gave his life to Jesus and he became a multiplying movement of God. So much so that as the world tried to silence him and put him to death and put him in prison, it only made his message louder. And Paul would say so simply in Philippians 1 21, he says, "To live is Christ. If I'm going to live, I'm every breath is for Jesus. If I'm going to live, I'm going to live for the one that made me that loves me. To live is Christ. But

listen, if I die, it's not the end. It's actually a game. I get to be with Jesus. I get to be with the one that has streets of gold. The one that's been making mansions for me. I get to be with Jesus where there's there's sea of glass because there is no wind, there is no war, there is no sin, there is no sorrow. So as long as I'm here, I long for Jesus Christ. But if I die, it's actually a gain. I get eternal life. We have something to live for. This is the kingdom of God. And we have a king unlike any others. He does things differently. The way up is down. When he goes into Jerusalem, he's on a donkey. Normally, kings say, "Well, give me your taxes. Sign up for the military so so you can serve me." But this king doesn't take This is a king that says, "The Son

of Man came not to be served, but to serve. This king sets an example of his kingdom." And so we see John intentionally lets us know what kind of a king we have in verse 20 when he says, "Now among those that went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks." Greeks simply means that they were non-Jewish. They were not born into a Jewish religious family. They didn't grow up in the synagogue learning the Torah, the scriptures. Greeks were academic. They they were educated. They would they loved entertainment. They were hedonists. They they were very uh sexually rampant. And we we see the Greek culture changed the world. In fact, much of what we do today is because of the Greeks.

And yet there were some Greeks, which means they were not Jewish people who were interested in Jesus. Some of the most judgmental people that I've ever met are not pagan people. They're religious people. Do y'all know who I'm talking about? I want to confess this to you. I've been blocking people on social media. Uh if you write me a nasty DM, the likelihood is I'm not going to read it. I'm just going to block you. And uh the nastiest DMs that I've gotten are not from non-Christians. They're from those who I'm going to be really intentional with this word, claim to be Christians. Yeah. And so I I don't need to hear your word when I've got this word.

And I will just say just if you don't know my story, I did not grow up in a religious home. I didn't grow up going to church. I didn't grow up knowing the scriptures. You see some fanatical guy today crying hallelujah. But I'll tell you that's because Jesus changed my life. And you got to hear a story Greeks, non-Jewish people who in verse 21, they come and they say, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus. We're interested in Jesus. We want to know who Jesus is." And this is big news because the gospel is not just for the Jewish people. The good news is for absolutely everybody. And we say this all the time around here, and it should never get old until we're in glory. There's hope for everyone. Say that with me. Hope for

everyone. I mean that. I mean black, white, Latino, Asian, rich, poor, educated, uneducated, religious, messed up, broken down, strung out, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian. I'm telling you, divorced, widow, there's hope for everyone. This is not a message just for the Jews. This is for the Greeks and the Jews. So Jesus hears that the Greeks want to hear him. And what is his answer? He says in verse 23, Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified." Throughout this book, Jesus has continually said, "The hour has not yet come." He said that to his own mother in John chapter 2, when they ran out of wine, now the hour was not about the sermons that he would give, which

were absolutely awesome. It was not about the miracles that he would perform, which were absolutely incredible. The hour that has come is the cross. That's the anticipating moment. Not that we have a good teacher, not that we have a miracle worker, but we have God that came into the flesh and willingly gave his life. He who was without sin would take our sin on the cross. And Jesus says, "The hour has come now for the son of man," referring to himself to be glorified. Think about this. How does one get glory? The way in this world you get glory, the way up is up. But with Jesus, the way up is down.

So just think about this. Glory not through a spotlight, not through a stadium, not through a palace, but Jesus says the son of man has come to be glorified and it will be through the cross. You see, the kingdom is absolutely opposite of the world that we're living in right now. In our world, glory is fame. But that's not like that in heaven. You're going to be surprised who's famous in heaven. Really surprised. In our world, glory is followers. No one in heaven is going to be, "You had how many followers on earth? That must be why you're here.

You see? See, in our world, glory is flexing. It's looking good. It's acting good. But in the kingdom of Jesus, glory is laying down your life. Look at verse 24. Truly, truly, I say, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. The way up is down. A way to live is to die. That's why we can say I have been crucified with Christ. I died to my old life. So now that I live in Jesus Christ, death is the doorway to multiplication. Do you want to stay a seed the rest of your life? Stay a seed. Control your life. Choose not to be buried. But it's not until you're down in the dirt in the darkness that you realize that God didn't leave you there.

He's doing something greater. There's a legacy with your life. People are going to look to you and say, "No, inside that seed was so much more." That little little bit of wheat ends up being a whole harvest. Little apple seed becomes thousands of apples that inside each apple has the potential for thousands of apples because a seed is just a seed until it's buried. Amen. And although this may sound simple, it's absolutely sacred that Jesus knew exactly what we would need in this world. He says in verse 25, "Whoever loves his life loses it. If you just want to live for yourself, you're missing it. You will spend eternity apart from God." So if you if you think

the world is about you, you've made yourself God. But Jesus said, "Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Now, don't get this twisted. Jesus is not saying that you've got to get down on yourself. He's not saying despise yourself. What he's saying is you could either hold on to your kingdom or you can release it and say compared to this kingdom, my kingdom is worthless. I hate my old life compared to the new life I have in Jesus Christ. That's what he means by this. That life in Jesus is real life. And when you lay it down and surrender your life to him, you actually gain the life you were created to live. And finally, Jesus said, "If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there will my servant be also." If

anyone serves me, Jesus said, "If you serve Jesus," he says the father will honor him. You want God to honor you someday, then you've got to serve Jesus. You've got to follow Jesus. And it does not come through a crown. It comes through the cross. I need you to see the seriousness of what it means to be a Christian and to believe in Jesus because the way up is down. Glory does not happen by getting attention. The Bible teaches us that those who humble themselves, God exalts. that the way to be first is actually by being last. That it's not the most intelligent people that pleases God. He says he he loves it when we're more like a child.

So although they shouted hosana on this day that Jesus entered in Jerusalem, if we continue to read the story just a few days later, we would hear shouts of crucify him. Crucify him. He's not unaware of what's happening. Jesus was willing to go to the cross because he knew by going into the grave that he would defeat the devil and defeat death. Satan thought he won, but actually the grave was robbed. There's nowhere you can go and find the body of Jesus because he is alive now and forever more. He is the resurrection and the life and he died as Charlie Kirk said so that we can live. Yeah. And so the question is today, what needs to die in our lives? Pride needs to die.

Bitterness and unforgiveness needs to die. Control needs to die. Sin needs to die. There's no judgment upon what you're doing with your life. But if you're not fully surrendered for Jesus, you're missing the mark and you're not living the life God's destined for you. and you're here today and God has given you an opportunity not to cling to your life but to cling to him. So I speak first to the believer and say Jesus did not call us to die once. He says pick up your cross daily and follow me daily. We need to remind each other of this. None of us are going to just figure this out. We need to remember that God's word is always true.

And as iron sharpens iron, we need to sharpen one another. And to those who came in today seeking and you're not sure of your salvation, may I may I say from this point forward, you can be certain that you're saved. The Bible made it simple. God did not make it complicated. The Bible does not say go get your life right first and then follow Jesus. No, it says start by confessing him with your mouth and believing in your heart. And today, if you believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and you're willing to confess him as Lord, the one that rose from the grave, the Bible says you're saved. It's that simple. There's no other name by which you can be saved but the name of Jesus. You're never too old. You're never too young. You've never sinned so greatly that God won't forgive you. And I'll tell you, the moment you say yes, you've just changed your life forever.

It's the greatest decision you can make. You can't worry about what anybody else will think of you because if you think about what God thinks about, he loves you and that's enough. That's worth living for. And today, I want to give you that opportunity to say yes to Jesus. Doesn't just stop with your yes. You continue to follow him. Your next step is to get baptized. Is to keep growing in your faith. And I'm not going to mince my words here. It will be the hardest thing you've ever done, but you have the hope of glory. It is absolutely worth it. I've never met anyone that truly followed Jesus that regretted it and said, "This is just too tough." The closer you get to Jesus, the more you long for heaven.

The more you long for the second coming of Jesus. And the stirring that we see in the world right now is not to be distracted. We should go to the teachings of Jesus said, "Guys, he said he's coming. He said these things would happen. The these are the times that we need to remind each other of what God says so that we hope in him. So let's pray together. Let's just close your eyes right where you are. Lord, I I pray over your church that we wouldn't want a palm branch type of praise. That we worship you when it's comfortable. We worship you when we have the crowd and the chemistry. But I'm praying for the kind of faith that sees you clearly. that Jesus, you died on the cross for our sins so that we could live daily for you. And that when we die to the things of this world, that's when you bring forth a harvest.

That's when we'll bear fruit when we don't hold on, but we release it to you. So today, I just say, kill anything that's not of you in this room. Kill fear, kill pride, kill sin. And we speak in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up new life, new dreams, new boldness. Rise up a new hunger and desire to get to know you in your word. Lord, we choose you to be the king of our lives. So we thank you today for your grace, your goodness. So in this moment of prayer, I just want to ask you if if you want that decision to follow Jesus with just the eyes are closed, the focus on Jesus, would you just raise your hand nice and high and say, "Yeah, that's me. I want to say yes to Jesus today. I want to be saved." Praise God. Keep your hand up. We're going to give you a booklet. It's going

to give you some next steps. This is the best decision you could ever make. All over the room, all over the place, men, women, young, not so young. Praise be to God. You came here today because God loves you. He's got a plan for you. He's got a purpose. He wants to set you free from your past to give you a future. The Bible says today because you're making this decision, God sees you and calls you a child of God. You're adopted into his family. That's who you are. You're adopted. You're born again. And when you get to heaven, there's no adopted children. You're just a child of God. You get his name. You get his inheritance. It's yours in Jesus. If if you didn't get a booklet, keep your hand up. We got people all over the room getting them. There's a lot of hands raised. So, if you didn't get a booklet, keep your hand up. Got one over

here, one over here. I want to make sure that you know that we see you. And right now, I want to pray with you. And from this day forward, you're going to keep praying. That the Bible says pray continuously. Now, prayer is not scary. God's never asking for the right words when you pray. He just wants your heart. He wants you to be real. So, here's what prayer is. It's talking to God. It's listening to God. You can do it anywhere at any time. I'm going to pray really simple phrases. And today, if you raise your hand, I want you to pray this with me out loud. And for all those who have believed in Jesus, let's do it for those who are doing it for the first time. You're not alone in this, friends. So, pray with me. Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, I believe in you. I believe in you.

Forgive me of my sins. I repent today. I repent today. You are my king. You are my king. I follow you. I receive the Holy Spirit. I receive the in Jesus name. Amen. And amen. Come on. Can we celebrate the Lord today? Praise be to God. Now, for those of you who raised your hands, may I just say, "Welcome to the family." Uh you're not alone. None of us are perfect, but I got to say, we're we're in this together. And and although these are difficult days, that's when God gets to work the most. So lean in, learn from the Lord, seek his presence. That's the That's the person of God.