Palm Sunday evening Service
I think that it bears merit to mention that today is Palm Sunday. Today almost two thousand years ago, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Jesus was totally devoted to following the will of the Father. Jesus was dedicated to doing whatever it took to fulfill the mission the father had for Him. Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, He asked God to let this cup pass from Him, but not MY will but yours oh Lord. Jesus was committed to the work of God. Jesus was sold out to God.
Tonight I want us to look at the life of the apostle Paul.
The book of Acts introduces us to a man named Saul. And through the book of acts we see the transition from the distinctly Jewish ministry of Jesus to the distinctly Gentile ministry of the Apostle Paul. But before we meet Paul, we meet Saul.
Turn with me if you will to Acts 7:58. We meet a young man named Saul. He is a Jew. He is a Pharisee. Saul was one of the elite group of the Jews and he was determined to put down this uprising called Christianity. Saul was defending Jewish tradition adamantly. Saul Had a commitment, but his commitment was to tradition and not to God. Saul, it says in Acts 8:1 that Saul was in total agreement with the killing of Stephen and look at verse 3 He began to ravage the church. NIV reads he began to destroy the church, KJV says he made havoc for the church.
Saul was dedicated to his purpose, and he was sold out to his goals, the problem was that his goals were not set on Jesus.
Where are your goals set?
Where are your priorities?
What are you defending with your all, is it tradition, or is it Jesus?
Saul had an experience on the road the Damascus that changed his life, and forever more after that experience he put all of his effort into the will of God. Saul became known as Paul. Paul is one of the most well known names in the Bible. He wrote the majority of the New Testament., He wrote 13 and possibly 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament:
Romans
I Corinthians
II Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
I Thessalonians
II Thessalonians
I Timothy
II Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews?
Paul preached Jesus Christ everywhere he went. Paul went on missionary journeys and took the Gospel of Jesus with him. Paul said that we are to preach Jesus and Him crucified.
In 1 Corinthians 1:17 Paul said he was not preaching with crafty words, because he did not want to make the cross void.
As one pastor once noted anything I can talk you into, someone else can talk you out of. Paul did not want to use pretty words, or big ten dollar words to talk you into believing, but he was sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul shared with the people that he came into contact that Jesus was born according to the Scriptures, He lived a sinless life, He was crucified for our sins, He was buried and raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Jesus is now seated on the right hand of God.
Paul was sold out to God; He was determined to serve God with his every breath. Paul had done some things in his life that were not what we might call Christian, he was in fact trying to kill the Christians, but when he submitted to the will of God, God used him for His glory.
This Palm Sunday, as we leave here, ask yourself what are you sold out to? Are you sold out to Jesus, are you serving Him today. Do you know that if tomorrow never comes that when you stand before almighty God you will hear Well done my good and faithful servant?
Or are you just sold out. When you look to your future do you see a time when you will be before the Lord and He will tell you that your name was not found in the Lambs book of Life and you will be judged according to the book of works. Do you have this to look forward to, hearing Him declare to you that He never knew you?
Today you can get it right with God, accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, Ask Him to wash away your sins, so you too can hear well done my good and faithful servant.
Prayer.
