Hosanna

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-29-2023

John 12:12-19

Introduction:

 

A.  In our text tonight, we find one of the reasons that Israel rejected Christ. 

 

1.  The rejected who He was, the great IAM THAT I AM.

 

2.  They rejected what He did, miracle after miracle.

 

3.  They rejected what He said, authoritative.

 

4.  Here they rejected why He came.

 

B.  Here we find His First Entrance into Jerusalem.

 

1. Though our Lord Jesus had come to Jerusalem on many occasions, there were two entrances that were the fulfillment of prophecy.     

 

2.  The Jews confused the first entrance with the last entrance.

 

3.  Though many believed on Christ and were saved (The Old Testament believers put their faith in the coming of Messiah and His Sacrifice while the New Testament believers look back to the coming of Messiah [Jehovah God in the flesh—Christ Jesus and His sacrifice], many of the Jews saw His entrance into Jerusalem as the end of Roman rule and the setting up of the Kingdom Age.

 

a)  Instead of leading a rebellion and overthrowing the Romans, the Lord almost immediately cleansed the Temple, upsetting the religious practices of the Pharisees and money changers.

 

b)  Then the Lord was betrayed, arrested, beaten, mocked, and publicly displayed in His horrendous condition while be hailed as the King of the Jews.

 

c)  Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God was not what they expected and they rejected the Lord and claimed their king as Caesar. 

 

John 19:13-15  When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.  (14)  And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!  (15)  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

 

4.  The result of this confusion led up to the rejection of Christ:

 

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 

C.  Israel’s view of this First Entrance is evidenced in their use of the word “Hosanna” in John 12:13: “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

 

1.  This First Entrance was preceded with “Hosanna”, a compound word that expresses “save now”.  Something that is desired TO BE DONE. 

 

“Hosanna” is well defined in Psalm 118:25 which says, “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.”

 

2.  Israel was looking for a King, a Conqueror, instead of Sacrifice on a hill called Mount Calvary.

 

3.  The Last Entrance of Christ Jesus into Jerusalem is found in Revelation, chapter 19, is preceded by four uses of the word “Alleluia”, a word of thanksgiving and praise for something that HAS BEEN DONE.

 

D.  Tonight, I want to biblically compare the two entrances of Christ into Jerusalem.  I want to preface this with the understanding that Jesus made many entrances into Jerusalem beginning with His childhood, but these two entrances were both prophesied in the Old Testament.

 

1.  The First Entrance that we read tonight is recorded in all four Gospels.  It was an entrance that was prophesied in the Old Testament.

 

Zechariah 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

 

2.  The Last Entrance is also prophesied in the Old Testament, but it is an Entrance yet to come.

 

Ezekiel 44:1-3  Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.  (2)  Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.  (3)  It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.  (The Eastern Gate of Jerusalem was walled up in 1530 AD by the Muslim conquerors (the Ottoman Turks) and has a cemetery in front of it.)

 

E.  What Israel expected and what Israel got were two different things.  Comparing the Gospels, we find the Jew’s view of this first entrance.

 

Matthew 21:5-11  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.  (6)  And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,  (7)  And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.  (8)  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.  (9)  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  (10)  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?  (11)  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

 

F.  His First Entrance was as a Lamb, not a King. John 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

G.  One day, Christ Jesus will come again as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS!  Revelation 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

1.  Christ will come a Sovereign instead of a Sacrifice.  Revelation 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

2.  Christ will come again in Clouds of Glory instead of Palm Branches.  Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

 

3.  Christ will come again in Power instead of Submission.  Jude 25  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

4.  Christ will come again in Boldness instead of Meekness.  Revelation 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

                         

5.  Christ will come again on a White Horse instead of an Ass.  Revelation 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

 

6.  Christ will come again in Judgment of Sinners instead of payment for Sin.  Revelation 20:11-12  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  (12)  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 

7.  Christ will come again on a Jewish Throne instead of Roman Cross.  Psalms 93:1-2  The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.  (2)  Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.

Life’s Sorrows

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-26-2023

Psalm 69:1-15

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Psalm 69 is both Davidic and Messianic. 

 

1.  Davidic. David, a man after God’s own heart, lived a hard life and we can both see it and feel it in this Psalm. 

 

Psalm 69:1 “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.”

 

2.  Messianic.  This Psalm can also be tied to John 17, the Lord’s Prayer.  Our Lord, the Son of God, lived a hard life also and we can see it in Mark 14:32-36:

 

“ And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.  (33)  And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;  (34)  And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.  (35)  And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.  (36)  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

 

B.  I want to divide this Psalm into two parts.

 

1.  Life’s Sorrows – Verses 1-15

 

2.  Life’s Solutions – Verses 16-36.

 

C.  I continually say that life is hard and when you know that you can make it! 

 

1.  A lot of “Rose Garden” preaching is one of the causes of discouragement.  “Something good is going to happen to you today!”  Though that is a good thing, it carries the believer upon a “wave” of unrealistic hope down the road to disappointment, dissatisfaction, and discouragement.

 

2.  We are to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice in Philippians 4:4, but we also live in days of heaviness—manifold temptations—along with the trial of our faith in 1 Peter 1:6-7.

 

3.  As long as the believer thinks that salvation did away with trials and sorrows in this life, they are continually disappointed, dissatisfied, and discouraged.  One of the greatest enemies that we face is that of discouragement.  One must realize that the road to discouragement is a sinful process of disappointment and dissatisfaction!

 

D.  There are times when we just have to “suck it up and go on”!  I do not want this to be a message of discouragement to you because this Psalm is just the opposite of that, but I do want to be realistic because we live in a real world.

 

1.  Verses 1-3.  I call this the Popeye Syndrome.  “I’ve had all I can stand, and I can’t stands anymore.” 

 

a.  Verse 1.  David’s soul is drowning, and he is struggling.  There are and will be times when we, as God’s children, struggle to some degree.  Such was this time in life for a man of war, a man after God’s own heart.  If David struggled, and he did, it is alright for you and to struggle at times.

 

b.  Verse 2.  David’s standing is quicksand, and he is continuing to sink down.  His spiritual feet were mired down so that he could neither move nor climb out.  Impossibility with man is possibility with God.

 

c.  Verse 3.  David’s supplication is waning.  Tired, speechless, and spiritually blinded.  David had come to the point that he was beginning to be unable to pray.

 

d.  This is actually the end of David’s supplication, not the beginning of it.  It is the culmination of “When it rains, it pours”!  David was at the “end of his rope”, yet he was still on the rope!  He is writing this Palm and is still alive.

 

Psalms 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

 

e.  There will come a time in our lives when we are overwhelmed to the point of despair, but God will hold our hand and be there with and for us.

 

2.  Verse 4.  David faced enemies that could not be bought off.  “without a cause … wrongfully … restored … took not away” 

 

a.  David’s innocence.  He had evidently done nothing to be hated or destroyed for but his enemies persisted.

 

b.  David’s inability.  David tried to restore that which he had not taken.  There have been times in the ministry when someone accused Barbaras or I of something that we did not do and demanded an apology.  Needless to say, no apology was given.  If we had been in the wrong, we would have gone to that person’s home and apologized.

 

c.  There will come a time in our lives when we are in a “lose lose” situation.  Where more damage will be done through acquiescing to the enemy’s demands than we be done by affirming innocence.

 

3.  Verses 5-7.  David’s appeal to as omniscience God.

 

a.  Verse 5.  If David had done wrong, God would have known.

 

b.  David did not want to be ashamed, and his expectation quenched before the eyes of those around him.

 

c.  There may come a time when you ask God to vindicate you for the sake of those who look on.  People see bad things happen to you with nothing seemingly resolved and they ask, “Why?”

 

d.  I do not ever want to be ashamed because the truth is never manifested.

 

4.  Verses 8-12.  David’s enemy was often from within. 

 

a.  Absolom.  Matthew 10:34-36  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  (35)  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  (36)  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

 

b.  Ahithophel.  Psalms 41:9  Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

 

Psalms 55:12-14  For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:  (13)  But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.  (14)  We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

 

c.  There may come a time when your greatest enemy will be from within.  Someone that you loved, trusted, spent time with, and worshipped with.  Possibly the greatest hurt of all!

 

5.  Verses 13-15.  David’s resolve restored.

 

a.  Verse 13.  David ’s Prayer.

 

b.  Verse 14.  David’s Plight.

 

c.  Verse 15.  David’s Plea.

 

Conclusion:  Isaiah 43:1-2  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.  (2)  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Thanksgiving - 2023

Temple Baptist Church - 11-26-2023

Psalm 23

 

Introduction:

 

A.  As we continue to be “thankful” concerning the blessings of God upon His people, in my devotions on Thanksgiving morning, Psalm 23 was one of the chapters that was in line for reading. 

 

B.  As I read for the “umpteenth” time this wonderful Psalm, it was as fresh and exciting to me as the first time I heard it.  I guess you could say that it says it all.

 

C.  For the “umpteenth and one time,” I want to look at it this morning.  The best way to read it is one word at a time but that in itself would take a lot more time than we had this morning.  So, I want to give to each of us what we should be thankful for today.

 

1.  “The LORD”  A wonderful Saviour is Jesus our Lord!  Jehovah God, the Almighty, the Self-Existing One, the Eternal One, Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, our Lord and Saviour, High Priest, Advocate, Mediator, and Coming King!  Says it all: LORD!

 

2.  “The LORD is my Shepherd”  Thank the Lord this morning for our salvation.  My sheep hear my voice and I know them!  I hear His Voice this morning as I read God’s Word.  I am glad that I am His and He is mine!

 

3.  “I shall not want”  Thank the Lord for His vast supply.  We are indeed blessed with all blessings in Christ Jesus.  In a right way, we have need of nothing this morning because every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of Lights!

 

4.  “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”  Maketh because sheep are not really all that smart.  Sometimes, we overlook the “green pastures” in which we feed and live and look for “greener pastures.”  Preachers are the worst in the world for do such.  There are times when we just need to lie down in our wonderful pasture and learn to rest.

 

5.  “He leadeth me beside the still waters”  Sheep do not like running water as they are skittish.  Thank the Lord for quiet places of refreshment.  Leaning to relax and enjoy the blessings of God in peace.

 

6.  “He restoreth my soul”  “Restoreth” is in a present perfect tense as the Lord continues to restore the fallen, failing, and unfaithful!  Thank the Lord for His compassionate love for His kids!  He never gives up on us.

 

7.  “He leadth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake”  Thank the Lord that He will never lead us in a wrong way to a wrong place.  You can trust the path or race that God has intended for you personally.  He has never led this preacher wrong!

 

8.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”  Death is the door that we must walk through to get to our eternal state with God.  Thank the Lord that there will be no fear of the other side of that valley because we know what awaits us.

 

9.”For thou are with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”  Thank the Lord that He will both lead in this life and protect in death.  We will have peace in death because He will be with us.  Peace, peace, wonderful peace.

 

10.  “Thou anointest my head with oil”  The oil of gladness; the oil—a type of the Holy Ghost.  Thank the Lord for the precious Holy Spirit that He has given to us and will always be in us.

 

11.  “My cup runneth over”  Thank the Lord for the joy of salvation from the first to the last.  When your cup runneth over, the saucer gets the blessing.

 

12.  “Surely goodness and mercy”  God is good all the time and His mercy is new every morning.  Thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy with neither being deserved.

 

13.  “Shall follow me all the days of my life”  Thank the Lord that His goodness and mercy will FOLLOW us, not lead us.  Oft times we are not all that we should be for Christ but where we walk, goodness and mercy will follow.

 

14.  “And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”  Thank the Lord for our short home but praise God for our long home!  This world is not our home but there is one that awaits that will be eternal.

 

Conclusion:  As the choir sang last Sunday morning, “I’ve got so much to thank Him for!” 

 

Psalms 100:4-5  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

They Hated a Godly Man: Lazarus

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-22-2023

John 12:9-11

 

Introduction:

 

A.  In the preceding verses, we saw the restoration of three people that the Lord loved very much.  I am glad that God will not leave you in the aftermath of great hardship but will continue to make you better instead of allowing you to get bitter.

 

B.  I came back to this portion of Scripture for a reason. 

 

1.  There will come times when, as a saint of God, you will be persecuted without cause.  In our text, I always find this to be an amazing thing when religious people hate saved people without a cause. 

 

2.  When I say, without a cause, then the cause becomes evident.  Without a cause because God’s people are good people and good citizens.  The cause of their hate is that they hate God and especially the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation.

 

C.  We find early in the Bible the First Mention of such anger and hatred.  Wicked people who hate the Lord cannot take their ire out on Him, so they choose to do injury to the Lord’s people who love Him.

 

1.  In Genesis, chapter 4, we find the story of Cain and Abel.  Righteous Abel verses the “way of Cain.”  In the First Mention of the wicked destroying the righteous, I see several things that apply to the story of Lazarus. 

 

2.  Both Abel and Lazarus were Righteous people.  All they did was obey and love the Lord in biblical silence.  Neither did nor did they say anything offensive.

 

Hebrews 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

 

Matthew 23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

 

3.  Both Cain and the chief priests were wicked.

 

Jude 10-13  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.  (11)  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.  (12)  These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;  (13)  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

 

4.  Both Abel and Lazarus were persecuted for who they were more than for what they did.  Cain was put to death and Lazarus was under a false indictment of death.

 

5.  Both Cain and the Chief Priests were VERY wroth (furious, incensed, to blaze up) with God because of their personal rejection of the sacrifice that God demanded.  This was a baseless, unreasonable anger that spelled hatred for both God and God’s way while continuing in their rebellion by killing Abel and threatening Lazarus.

 

D.  Why persecute Lazarus?  He was not persecuted for what he did, but for who he was.

 

E. We that are saved are slowly becoming the enemy of the state.

 

1.   I am not speaking of religion which allows one to live as they like and continue to feel good about themselves spiritually in disobedience to the Word of God.

 

2.  I am speaking of those who have been converted, turned around, through repentance and faith in a finished work called the Gospel.

 

3.  They know who we are and do not like what we have become, out of step with society which continues to decline, because Jesus Christ was such.

 

F.  Why persecution?  Why Lazarus?  Why God’s people?  I want to tie these three questions together because this has not changed since Cain and Abel.

 

John 12:10-11  But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; (11) Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

 

2 Timothy 3:10-13  But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,  (11)  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.  (12)  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  (13)  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

 

1.  These “chief priests” persecuted an innocent man! 

 

a.  I find no fault in this man that would cause any sane person to want him killed.  There is nothing recorded that Lazarus ever spoke or did that was wrong. 

 

b.  All that Lazarus did was love the Lord and open his home and life to Him. 

 

c.  If we live godly, we shall suffer persecution!

 

d.  To avoid persecution, all a child of God has to do is “hide in plain sight” by living at a guilty distance from the Lord.

 

2.  These “chief priests” who wanted Lazarus dead were not sane people.  These religious zealots hated a man who was righteous because of what the Lord had done for him.

 

a.  It was not Lazarus’ fault that he got sick and died.  I am sure that Lazarus would have been perfectly happy to die once and spend his eternity with the Lord without having to come back to this old sinful world and go through the process of dying again at a later date.

 

b.  It was not Lazarus’ fault that the Lord chose to resurrect him from death and the grave.

 

c.  They hated Lazarus without a cause.  Like Job, Lazarus was just the “man caught in the middle.” 

 

3.  These chief priests hate Lazarus because of what the Lord had done.  “Because that by reason of him”

 

a.  The Lord did a wonderful thing for Lazarus that should have made everyone glad.  Proof that our Lord had resurrection power and that there was life after death.

 

b.  There are going to be times when you will be persecuted simply because the Lord did a wonderful thing for you when He saved your soul.

 

c.  Though not perfect in the flesh, those who choose to live a godly life expose the ungodliness of the unsaved.

 

John 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

 

4.  Lazarus was persecuted because these “chief priests” hated our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

John 15:18  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

 

1 John 3:13  Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

 

1 John 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

 

5.  Rejoice when men hate you for who you have become and be good to them.

 

Luke 6:22-23  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.  (23)  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

 

Luke 6:27-28  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,  (28)  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.