“ARE YOU STILL AMAZED?”
“All the multitudes were amazed & said, ‘Could this be the son of David?’” Matthew 12:23
Today is Palm Sunday! Palm Sunday was the day that when Jesus came into the city on a Donkey that everybody “Worshiped, Sang & Praised”Him. They were “AMAZED” over Him, because of Him, about Him & simply at Him!
Because of their amazement with Jesus they “Worshiped” Him, they “Sang” unto Him, they “Praised” Him, but all that changed in just a few short hours as the enemy began his work among them all!
You see, it’s human nature to be one way one moment & then moments later be another way! Satan knows that & he uses that against us! He uses our Human Nature against us in order to hurt us & hurt the very Son of God through us! That’s why our focus has to “CONSTANTLY BE ON JESUS” & on those things that cause us to “PRAISE, SING & WORSHIP HIM!”
There were people that day who “Worshiped, Sang & Praised” Jesus without knowing the whole picture of who He was & there were those who
“Worshiped, Sang & Praised” Jesus knowing full well who He was & understood the reasons for their “Worship, Singing & Praising” yet even some of them still turned on Jesus within hours!
Since the day you got saved till this minute many if not most of you, in fact I would say “ALL” of you have faced trial, tribulation, setbacks, heartaches disappointments, some, even, disillusionment but you are still here. Which tells me that you still love Him.
All of us here have people we love & with whom we’ve been amazed with! I’ve been amazed for 27 years that my wife loved me to begin with & still loves me to this day! (You do still love me don’t you? See! I’m AMAZED!)
But I want to focus on the reasons they did “Worship, Sing & Praise” Him! In doing so I want you to refocus on the same reasons you “Worship, Sing & Praise” Him again as we go into this Easter Season!
Let’s focus for a few moments on those things that “AMAZED” them!
In our text Jesus had just healed a demon possessed blind mute causing all that witnessed to be “AMAZED!”
FOLK, YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO HOW “AMAZING” THAT JESUS IS! THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOMETIMES IF WE’RE NOT CAREFUL WE LOSE SIGHT OF THIS “AMAZING JESUS”, WE BECOME IMMUNE TO THE THINGS WE’VE HEARD & NOT SEEN IN A WHILE!
JESUS UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF VISUALS! THAT’S PART OF THE REASON THAT HE “AMAZED” PEOPLE IN THE MANNER THAT HE DID! HE DIDN’T DO IT FOR THAT ALONE BUT HE KNEW THAT PEOPLE NEEDED TO NOT ONLY HEAR ABOUT BUT TO SEE & EXPERIENCE THIS “AMAZING JESUS!”
AND HE DID IT TO SHOW THEM THAT THROUGH HIS NAME THEY COULD ACCOMPLISH THE “AMAZING!” IT IS THE JESUS IN THE DISCIPLES THAT ACCOMPLISHED THE “AMAZING!” THROUGH THEM JUST LIKE IT CAN & SHOULD TODAY!
WE NEED TO SEE & EXPERIENCE THIS “AMAZING JESUS” AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN! WE NEED TO SEE & EXPERIENCE THIS “AMAZING JESUS” ON A REGULAR BASIS! IT COMES BY PRAYER, IT COMES BY FASTING, IT COMES BY FAITH IN HIM, IT COMES BY OBEDIENCE! BUT KNOW THIS ONE THING!
IT DOES COME TO THOSE THAT
BELIEVE & FOLLOW AFTER HIM!
Mark 16:15 promises it for us:
“& these signs & wonders shall follow those who believe: In My name
they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues, they will
take up serpents; & if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means
hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick & they will recover.”
FOLK, THAT IS AMAZING TO ME! THAT GOD WOULD USE SOMEONE LIKE ME & YOU, BUT THAT IS HIS PLAN FOR MANKIND! “YOU” ARE AN “AMAZING CHILD OF GOD” TO BE USED BY GOD!
THEY WERE AMAZED AT HIS POWER & AUTHORITY OVER THE ENEMY!
“And they were all AMAZED at the mighty POWER of God...
at all things which Jesus did.”
Luke 9:43
“And they were all AMAZED, and spake among themselves, saying,
What a word is this! for with AUTHORITY and POWER he
commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
Luke 4:36
They were “AMAZED” at His “POWER & AUTHORITY” over the enemy & the power of the enemy! When He spoke the enemy had to move without hesitation or reservation! The enemy had no choice in the matter!
FOLK, THAT SAME “POWER!” THAT SAME “AUTHORITY” LIVES WITHIN US! WE NEED TO COME TO A PLACE IN OUR MINDS & SPIRITS THAT WE CAN ALLOW THAT “POWER” TO MOVE THROUGH US!
THE THINGS WE READ ABOUT IN THE BIBLE ARE EVEN WORSE TODAY! DON’T BE FOOLED! IT IS WORSE TODAY THAN IT WAS EVEN THEN! THE ENEMY HAD PULLED OUT ALL STOPS BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE HOUR IS LATE & SHORT!
WE NEED TO MOVE IN THAT “POWER & AUTHORITY” IN THESE LAST DAYS WITH “POWER & AUTHORITY!”
THEY WERE AMAZED AT HIS HEALING POWER!
“And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all AMAZED, and glorified God...”
Mark 2:12
Jesus had just healed a lame man. He told him to arise take up his bed and walk. We know that He, Jesus, is still the same that healed that day! So many of you have experienced that healing for yourselves. It was “AMAZING” then & still is!
WE SHOULD STILL BE JUST AS “AMAZED” NOW AS WE WERE THEN! I KNOW YOU BUT THERE IS A WORLD OUT THERE WHO IS NOT! THEY NEED TO BE “AMAZED” AT HIS “HEALING POWER!”
FOLK, WE ARE THE CONDUIT IN WHICH JESUS MOVES THROUGH TODAY! THE MORE “AMAZED” (WE ARE) ABOUT HIS “HEALING POWER!” THE MORE PEOPLE WILL BE “AMAZED” BY HIS “HEALING POWER!”
THEY’LL BE “AMAZED” AT HIS “HEALING POWER!” BECAUSE THEY’LL SEE IT EVIDENT IN YOUR LIVES AND IN THIS CHURCH!
HE STILL HEALS! I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM DALE EVERETT JUST THIS WEEK TELLING ABOUT A WHEELCHAIR BOUND WOMAN WHOM GOD HEALED! DANCING & SHOUTING ALL OVER!
HE IS THAT SAME “HEALING JESUS” THIS MORNING! WITH OUR FAITH, TRUST & BELIEF IN HIM WE’LL SEE THAT “HEALING JESUS” MOVE IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR CHURCH!
THEY WERE AMAZED AT HIS POWER TO FORGIVE!
“Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven you, to say rise up
and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has POWER to
forgive sins, He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise,
take up your bed and go to your house. And they were all AMAZED...”
Luke 5:23-26
We need to express to the world of that “POWER TO FORGIVE!” There is a world of people needing His forgiveness! They don’t know it yet and some of them do but need to be reminded of it!
When you experienced that “POWER OF FORGIVENESS” you were “AMAZED!” That same power has to be evident in your life everyday of your life! That same “FORGIVENESS” applies to us as we walk this life as Children of God!
Once forgiven always forgiven but not for sins committed as of late. THAT SAME POWER OF FORGIVENESS IS THAT “POWER OF REGENERATION” WE NEED DAILY! WHAT HELPS KEEP ME “AMAZED” IS THE EVERYDAY FORGIVENESS I EXPERIENCE! THAT KEEPS ME “AMAZED!”
IT’S THAT “POWER TO FORGIVE” THAT “AMAZES” & CHANGES THE HEARTS OF MANKIND FROM SINNERS TO CHILDREN OF GOD! POWERFUL CHILDREN OF GOD!
THEY WERE AMAZED AT HIS POWER OVER THE ELEMENTS!
“And He went up unto them into the ship, and the winds ceased; and they
were AMAZED in themselves beyond measure, and wondered...”
Mark 6:51
Jesus wasn’t just showing off for them! Although He could have but He had complete control over their situations! Folk, be reminded, remind yourselves that HE HAS COMPLETE CONTROL OVER YOUR SITUATION! BE “AMAZED” AGAIN AT “HIS POWER” OVER ALL THINGS IN THIS LIFE!
THAT POWER INCLUDES, FINANCES, ECONOMY, 401K’s, SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, PERFORMANCE OF YOUR CAR, THE SELLING OF YOUR HOUSE IF NEEDED, HEALTH, WORK, RELATIONSHIPS, MARRIAGES, DIVORCES, RESTORATIONS OF FAMILY, EVEN THE RESTORATION OF CHURCHES!
BE “AMAZED” AT THE POWER OF JESUS AGAIN!
THEY WERE AMAZED AT HIS AT HIS RESURRECTION POWER!
“But he said to them, ‘Be not alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazereth,
who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here....so they went
quickly...and were AMAZED.”
Mark 16:6-8
AT THE POSSIBILITIES!
“When the apostles heard it, they were AMAZED, saying, ‘Who then
can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said,
“With God all things are possible!”
Matthew 19:25
