Have you ever faced overwhelming challenge? How did you react? Did you attack or retreat? This week in The Story, we find Israel facing an overwhelming challenge. After 600 years from God’s promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, the children of Israel are ready to enter the Promised Land. But there is a problem, a big problem. There are wicked people already living in the land and among those people are some literal giants. Under Joshua, God tells them to take the land. Joshua is told 4 times by God to “be strong and courageous.” Now is the time for courage!
If Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was triumphal on Palm Sunday, what went wrong? Why did the crowds who adored Jesus on Sunday, turn on him by Friday? And what choice does Palm Sunday present to us today? This Palm Sunday, we will try to answer those questions and explore the reasons the Roman empire, the Jewish religious leaders, and the common people all turn on Jesus after that glorious Sunday.
Leading Israel was like herding cats. Moses had over 3 million kids on a road trip who were complaining and asking “Are we there yet?” The hard thing about road trips with little kids is their fussing, fighting and endless questioning. Another hard thing about road trips is taking a wrong turn and getting off the way to the destination. Every road trip includes a destination as well as the trip itself across the terrain. Thankfully we have GPS today – global positioning system – to help us as we travel. In chapter 6 of The Story, we come to the wanderings of Israel as Moses leads them toward the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey.
In Chapter 5, God wants to come down and dwell with Israel. This is the big idea, the big vision of the whole story of God. The trinity of God wants to extend their community to include people. God wants to come down and do life with us. That was the original vision of Genesis 1, and this is what God is desperately wanting to do, in page after page in scripture, chapter after chapter of The Story, he wants to get us back.
The number one barrier between us and God is sin. We all are in slavery to sin. And it is because of sin that the destroyer – death – is coming. We need the blood of a lamb just as the Israelites did. Where will we get it? John 1.29 “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5.7, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” One of the biggest clues in the Story is in the deliverance: the blood of a lamb.
God is at work in the midst of the details of our lives accomplishing his good purposes (Romans 8.28). Knowing that God’s story line is unfolding even in bleak and confusing times allows us to live freely, being able to forgive those who sin against us. God tests us in order to build our faith in him and strong character in us.
This week we are excited to have John Snelgrove return to The Bridge to preach.
In choosing Abraham and Sarah to begin the new nation, God reveals a pattern. God chooses unlikely people who are not the smartest, the most beautiful, handsome or with the best resumes. God chooses ordinary people like you and me. You are not disqualified to be used greatly in God’s great Story. You may reveal God, too, and reflect his plan to win us back.
From the creation story we discover the value of all people. God wants to be with you. Think about that. You. God wants to personally be with you. At great cost to God, God has done everything possible to get you back. You are valuable. True, lasting self-esteem begins by believing what God says about you.