My mom buys a lot of DVD movies and she loves to look at the bonus features. She likes to get movies like Blackhawk down, Pearl Harbor, Titanic and buy the set so that she can see how the movie was made. Many times those movies have interviews with people who were actually a part of the story in real life. She also likes to see all of the special effects, the director's interview and the likes.
Well, much like those bonus features a sermon is in effect a pastor's attempt at giving you bonus features to a scripture passage. We take that passage, look at every detail we can, dig out every commentary we have, look at the context and the original text and find every thing we can. Then, we put it into an outline form and present it to the church. We have to look at things like characters, people in the background of the passage, where the setting is and how the story goes with what is going on in that particular group. Then, we take all those things and make it relevant to today's believer. I am no director, no screen writer or producer and I thank GOd for it, but there are those small similarities.
In the Palm Sunday story there are a lot of things going on. I like to look at the donkey, which represents beleivers all over. Jesus does not need that donkey, but he rode it as a sign of peace. That donkey rode into town to branches on the rode, cheering and celebrating much like we experience when we accomplish things for God. That donkey could have very easily taken the glory, and may have we don't know, but as believers we are to simply be vessels for God, carrying Him along in the journey to reach our community for CHrist.
Then, we have the disciples who went and got the donkey, they went straight to where Jesus sent them and did as he said. I think an interview with them could show one of two things. ONe, they were probably puzzled and concerned as to whether they would find the colt, or even be able to get the owners to let them use it. Much discussion along the travel must have come up. Also, on the other hand they may have been so in tune to Jesus and believed so strongly in him that they just took off immediately for the donkey in question. Either way, they did what He asked which is many times our problem as believers.
Matthew 21 tells us that they went immediatley and got the donkey. These are the exact type of followers Jesus needs today. They were committed to the situation and they went right where they were told, and did exactly as they were told. Today so many believers are sitting back, skeptical and unsure of themselves and the things going on around them. We must get past this all, and do what God is calling us to do. The triumphal entry would have been much different had the disciples not done as they were told. Prophecy from the Old Testament would have been void and so much would have changed. The imagery would not have been the same, the situation would have changed.
So much is riding on you doing what God is calling you to do in your church, and with your life. There are a lot of people that God has placed in your life that are totally dependent on you going and doing for GOd what He is calling you to do.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
No comments:
Post a Comment