The Sermon of the Palm Tree - Pastor Jason Staten

[Music] Hello and welcome to Living Hope. This is Pastor Staten and I want to welcome everybody that is joining us today. I shout out to our eFamily, all of you that are joining us through the internet. I want to remind you every Sunday morning at 11 o'clock you can join us live at tv.livinghopemd.com. I pray that today's message blesses you and that you enjoy the word as is shared today. [Music] [Music] Why don't we call up on the Lord right now? Come on somebody wait on the Lord right now. Come on somebody serve the Lord. They that wait on the Lord. Shower of new their strength. They shout out up with wings as eagles. They shout run and not be weary. They will walk and not faint. Hallelujah. Amen. I wonder can you just pray with your neighbor? Amen. If they would be permissible, maybe place your hand on their shoulder, take them by the hand, whatever might feel permissible for you and the one next to you. Amen. But the Bible tells us of an instance where the prophet is equal. Amen. That the spirit of the Lord carries him into a valley and there he finds a valley that is full of bones. Amen bones that aren't even connected together. They've been in that valley so long. And yet when that prophet begins to speak for the spirit, for the breath of God to breathe. Amen. Those bones come back together again. Muscles come up on the bones. Amen. Life comes into them and they raise up as a mighty army. Come on all we need right now is for God to breathe in this place. It doesn't matter how hopeless your situation may look. Amen. If God can breathe right now upon your circumstances, it doesn't matter how dry the valley may be, how dead the situation may look at the breath of God, the dead thing can come to life again. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Somebody speak faith right now. Somebody speak faith. I believe. Come on. I believe that God can do it. I believe that he can make a way out of no way. Hallelujah. Jesus. Yes, Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. Can we give the Lord a hand, clap a praise? Amen. Amen. Amen. Even in the sports world, they're different. We have different expectation depending upon who's got the ball. Amen. If if Aaron judge is stepping in the batter's box, we have greater expectation. Then if Jason state we're stepping in the batter's box. Amen. If Michael Jordan's got the ball and there's five seconds on the clock, we have greater expectation because we've learned we can depend upon that person because we've seen them come through before. Can I tell you in the news is is is is made known that Jesus is in the house. There ought to be a level of expectation. Amen. Just because just because Jason is in the house, you're going to be disappointed if that's what you came today expecting. But when Jesus is in the house, anything is possible. I wonder if anybody came today expecting to receive because Jesus is in the house. Healing can take place because Jesus is in the house. Deliverance can take place because Jesus is in the house. Amen. Amen. That's why the scripture says so many times when it was noise abroad. When people heard that Jesus was in the house, there was a higher level of expectations. Tell your neighbor Jesus is in the house. I don't know. It didn't sound like you meant to when you said it. Tell somebody else, Jesus is in the house. Come on. And when Jesus is in the house, anything is possible. Hallelujah. Amen. If you would turn with me and your bibles, the book of John, chapter 12, happy Palm Sunday. Amen. Brother Sylvia is excited about anybody else excited. Amen. I see Brother Wagner brought his palm branch with him. Amen. Sister Linda's got her fan. We'll turn up the heat today. We'll get you waving something by the time we're done here today. Amen. I want to, before we get into the reading of the word today, I want to say again a big thank you to everyone who came out yesterday and helped with the work day here at the church. If you were here yesterday, could you just wave your hand? Amen. Look around you right now. Turn, if you turn to somebody who's got their hand waving right now, tell them thank you. All right. Say, tell them thank you. Thank you for coming out. Thank you for the sacrifice of your time. Amen. Thank you, brother, sister Simpkins. Amen. Brother Simpkins for leading the charge yesterday. Amen. Mike and Brent. If you were here yesterday, Mike and Brent, these guys, I looked at one point Brent had a weed eater in his hand and he was running to the next station to and then I look at and Mike has a bag of mulch and he's running and I was like, what in the world is going on? I felt weird for walking to my next workplace. Not weird enough to try to keep up with them. But I want to say thank you again to everybody who came out. Brother Tom, thank you for coming out yesterday for your help. Amen. Everybody. I know you start naming names and you'll leave somebody out, but I just want to say thank you to everybody. Amen. Also, if we today, as we, as you go throughout your day, if you would keep Brother Josh Johnson, his family in your prayers. Brother Josh's grandmother passed away yesterday and that's his mother's mother and he's going to be flying out tomorrow for the funeral services. If we could keep that family in our prayers. Also, I know we have a lot of families that are traveling this week at spring break time and so just pray for everybody's safe travel. I know there's a lot of needs so good to see the hindersons here today. Back home. I know they go back to visit North Carolina, but this is still home. We love them. Amen. We appreciate them. John chapter 12 beginning in verse 12. On the next day, the large crowd, I'm reading, reading, let me preface and say I'm reading from the new American standard Bible. Maybe a few. It's still a direct translation. It's a word for word translation. But it simply says this, on the next day, the large crowd who had come to the feast when they heard Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him and began to shout, "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel." Jesus finding a young donkey sat on it as it is written, "Fear not daughter of Zion behold, your King is coming seated on a donkey's coat." These things, his disciples did not understand it first. I wonder if anybody can relate with that. There were things Jesus did in your life that you didn't understand it first. In fact, we used to sing a song that says, "We'll understand it better by and by." Amen. The disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of him and that they had done these things to him, verse 17. So the people who were with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify about him. Amen. I want to say to us today, we can't stop testifying about the goodness of Jesus. Amen. Just because it happened yesterday or two or three days ago, a year ago, we can't stop telling people about the goodness of Jesus. Last verse in your standing, "For this reason, also the people went out and met him because they heard that he had performed this sign." Amen. I want to preach for just a little while on this special Sunday morning today on this thought, the sermon of the palm tree. Amen. The sermon of the palm tree. God bless you. You can be seated. Amen. We are one week away from the day that we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen. And as we look at this day in biblical history, we could find several objects, individuals, elements that could be considered worthy of being the namesake of this day, as we read in the gospels and we read about the events that took place on this day, 2000 years ago. There are many different things that took place that we would say the name of this day should be named after that. Perhaps this Sunday could be known as triumpet Sunday, as it was the day that Jesus made his triumpet entry into Jerusalem. It would have been proper and fitting. Had this day been known as Hosanna Sunday, because as Jesus made his way in the crowds, they began to shout, "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord as they welcomed his arrival." It might be fitting for this day to have been called by any of the number of persons or figures that find themselves central and significance. Yet it is the palm tree of all the objects. and individuals involved in the day that would begin the week that would ever change the world. It is the palm tree that has been deemed worthy of the namesake of this great day. There is good reason that the day that would begin the week that will literally transform the world is identified as Palm Sunday. It's identified by the palm tree. The first thing that I would point today is the sign of the palm tree. Can I tell you today that the palm tree is not just any tree. Palm trees have the ability to grow in climates where other trees could never survive. Palm trees are resilient. They're able to withstand hurricane force winds, which I thought last night in the middle of the night was what we were enduring. Amen, but a palm tree can be blown sideways by the strongest wind that could ever come. Yet that tree will withstand. That tree will remain standing because they have an open canopy and they have a strength that other trees do not have in the trunk of that tree. Amen, and it is also a factor that wind blows that tree rather than withering away from the wind, it bows itself into itself and is able to withstand the force of the wind. Amen, and while there are many factors that stand out in regard to the palm tree, the one that is most relevant in the wilderness. Amen, the one that is most relevant rather. Amen, and the one most relevant to biblical desert regions is that the palm tree is a sign that water is near. Amen, turn to your neighbor and tell them I came thirsty today. Amen, the palm tree is a sign that water is near. If you glance back at the Old Testament, we find the children of Israel in their wanderings in the wilderness and we find that on more than one occasion they are in great want and even need for water. On many occasions God would step in and he would move in a supernatural and sovereign way to satisfy their need and quench their thirst. In Exodus chapter 15 the Bible tells us they come to a place that they would call "Mara." Amen, "Mara" means bitter and the reason they named it "Mara" is because the waters that they found were bitter. They began after three days with no water. What would you do? After three days in the desert with no water and all of a sudden you find a pool of water. I'm going to tell you what you would do. You would do what they did. They began to drink the water and yet as soon as that water would enter into their mouth they would spew it out because there was some pollution in that water that made it undrinkable and yet the Bible says that God spoke to Moses and said take a tree, a type of cavalry across and he said take that tree and cast it into the waters and when he did the Bible says that bitter waters were made sweet. I could preach a whole message right there about what cavalry will do to your bitter situation. Amen, I could preach a whole sermon right there about what cavalry will do in the middle of a bitter circumstance. Amen, "In Exodus 17 and again in Numbers chapter 20, again we find in both circumstances the tune of Israel or again thirsty there without water and in this situation in these situations God would speak to Moses and provide a rock that was there. Amen, the Bible explains this rock as a supernatural rock. It was a rock that followed them and Moses would take that rock and he would smite the rock and when he did water would flow from that rock enough water to quench the thirst of perhaps millions of children of Israel. You see because many times God's provision is supernatural but then there are other times that God's provision is not supernatural God simply gives you a sign in Exodus chapter 15 verse 27. The same wondering Israelites whose bitter waters had been made sweet by the tree that was cast in. Amen, the same children of Israel whose thirst had been quenched by the supernatural rock from which water flowed. They now come to a place called Elam. Amen, and the Bible tells us God did not quench their thirst by supernatural work but rather he gave them a sign. I believe as they were wondering through the desert by the Alberti they look and they saw standing a palm tree and they knew that palm tree was a sign that water is nearby. Amen, can I tell you today sometimes God will provide supernatural and other times God will give you a sign. Though the water was the resource most covered and the Bible tells us in Exodus 1527 that as these children of Israel make their way to Elam they would find their 70 palm trees and 12 wells. Amen, and even though the 12 wells contained the resource most coveted that being water they didn't name the place a place of wells rather they named that place Elam which means a group of trees because they didn't know they had hope until they saw the tree. They didn't know that there was water in the ground until they saw the tree. This was the sign of the palm tree. It was a sign for those wondering in the desert that water is nearby. Anytime that a desert traveler was making their way through the dry desert and they saw that palm tree in the distance they knew it was a sign that water is nearby. Amen, and they found there at Elam 12 wells of water. How many tribes of Israel were there? Anybody know? There were 12. You know what? God will give you exactly what you need. He didn't give them six so the tribes would fight over the wells. He gave them exactly what they needed and I want to tell somebody if you will pursue the sign that God has for you, you will find everything that you need. Can I tell you what praise is? Praise is a sign that deliverance is on its way. Worst it is a sign that your help is on its way and if you will pursue the sign everything that you need you will find. That's why I don't come to church to be a spectator. That's your first time in a pinnacle of church you might be wondering what you just walked into. Amen, I don't blame you today if you're looking around a little bit surprised and amazed by what you see. Amen, but come back again next Sunday and join us in participating in worshiping God. Amen, because when you pursue the sign, when you give praise unto the Lord, when you worship the Lord, you will find everything that you need in Jesus. Sometimes God will work in a supernatural way to provide for your needs. He'll put a tree in your bitter waters. He'll provide a rock from which water will flow, but other times he'll put a palm tree in your path and you're going to have to pursue that path. You're going to have to pursue that sign that God has placed in your path. Amen, that palm tree was a sign that help was on the way. It was literally a beacon of hope to the weary traveler in the wilderness. It was a lifeline to the weary. Even a solitary branch by the Wagner hold that branch up there. Amen, I think in most cases they might have been a little bigger than that one, but amen, if you are wondering through the desert and you had water for three or four days and you happen upon a palm branch in the middle of the desert, something within you would begin to rise. Amen, there would be a hope that would begin to rise within you because you know if I find a branch that means there's a tree nearby. Amen, and if there's a tree, I know that there's water. I don't have to find the tree to have hope. All I need to do is find the branch to have hope. I think of Noah when he sent out the dove. Amen, the Bible tells us that after he sent that dove out multiple times that finally that dove came back and he then that dove didn't have a tree. It wasn't carrying a whole tree around. It just had one branch in its mouth. Amen, but Noah began to rejoice because he knew that hope was nearby because all I need is a branch to give me hope. And I find it to be fitting that the Old Testament prophets time and again declared Jesus to be the branch. Amen, Zachariah spoke in the sixth chapter and the 12 verse and he said, behold, the man whose name is the branch. I don't need to find the whole tree. I just need to find the branch. Some of you are wondering in a dry place. I came to tell you there's a branch nearby. Come on, some of you are in a dry season. Let me introduce you to the branch. Jeremiah, the prophet, in the 23rd chapter and the fifth verse declared, behold, the days come, say the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch. And when you find the branch, the tree isn't far away. And when you find the tree, there's water in the ground. I came today to tell somebody I found the branch, and his name is Jesus. I don't know what you're going through today, but there is a branch in this house. I don't know what situation you're facing today, but you ought to rejoice in this house today because I found the branch. I found the branch. I say to the weary traveler today, I found the branch. I say to those that came in dry desert places, Jesus is the branch. You came today, and all you found at this point is life bitter waters. I'm preaching today to those in dry wilderness depression. Jesus is the branch. And when you find the branch, there's water to be found. I don't rejoice because every problem in my life has been worked out. I'm not here today with hands lifted because I'm void of problems. I lift my hands today because I know that I've got the branch. And when I've got the branch, I know the water is nearby. I wish somebody rejoiced today because you've got the branch. Come on, there's water nearby. Help is on the way. Hope is nearby. The solution to what I'm going through is near. When you find the branch, there is water to be found. Nearby, there is an oasis of hope. Somewhere near, there is an oasis of joy. You're not far away from that oasis of peace. Because you found the branch. You've got the only one in the house today. But everybody in this building today, the old songwriter used to say, "This way Jesus is here right now. Reach out and touch him." Jesus is here right now. Somebody ought to reach out and get ahold of that branch today. Somebody ought to reach out today and get ahold of that branch. Amen. He's a river in dry places. Amen. He's water when you're thirsty. He's red when you're hungry. And this was the sign of the palm tree. It was a sign that water is nearby. It was a sign that everything I need is nearby because I found the branch in a desert place. Next, I would speak to you about the symbol of the palm tree. The palm tree in biblical times was a symbol of victory. Somebody say victory. Amen. The Bible says out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. Some of you don't have victory because all you do is talk about loss. Amen. All you do is talk about defeat. You've got to always be mentality. Amen. All you do is confirm what the enemy is speaking over your life. Amen. We're the last time you open your mouth and said I am the head and not the tail. I am victorious in Jesus Christ. I am more than a conqueror. I don't care what the doctor said. I am the creation of God. He is in control. Come on. Right now is a good time to open your mouth and speak victory. Amen. Life and death are in the tongue. Hallelujah. Life and death, you're confirming. You're confirming one of two things. Life or death, even you're speaking loss and defeat or you're speaking victory. Amen. The palm tree was a symbol of victory. I didn't come today for any other day. I came for Palm Sunday. I came for victory in Jesus. Amen. I came to let the devil know you may have me behind us something right now. But I'm coming through in Jesus name. I am victorious. [Applause] The palm tree was a symbol of victory. The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in biblical times. The Romans in this era of time rewarded champions of their games. Of course, their culture very well known. The Olympics and sporting events of that nature came forth from that culture and that time. And they would reward their champions not with the gold medal or silver medal or bronze medal. But if you finished in first place they would give you a palm branch. Because that palm branch was a symbol of victory. And the Jews had a tradition of carrying palm branches during festive times. Whenever there was great victory and great celebration you would find them waving the palm branch because it was a symbol of victory. Early Christians used the palm branch to symbolize the victory over faithful of the faithful over enemies of the soul. From the first book of Maccabees which is an extra biblical book and I'm certainly not using it right now as a biblical authority. But there is a historical account in there. A man that records a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel. And it says that because they had this great unexpected victory over this enemy that the Jews entered in with praise and with palm branches. A man that the palm tree was a symbol of victory. It was the ancient custom that conquering kings were greeted by the waving of palm branches. And laying them on the road. A man to pave their way for their procession. Thus it was as they waved those branches. And they laid them in the road as Jesus proceeded into Jerusalem. Simultaneously they shouted "Hosanna" meaning save us now. A man and they also said "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord." A man I know it's a little bit different in the house today but I want to tell somebody that the palm tree was a sign of hope but it was a symbol of victory. I didn't come today to talk down to my problem. I didn't come down today to live down to what I'm going through. I came today with a palm branch. I came today to declare victory. (Applause) But the job I wish I could sing as good as you if I could. I would sing the old song victory in Jesus. I guess I'm doing it anyhow. I save your forever. And he bought me with his redeeming blood. He loved me and I knew him and all my love is do him. He plunged me to, he plunged me to, he plunged me to in his redeeming. Somebody ought to give him praise right now there's victory. (Applause) You can keep talking about what you're going through or you can speak victory today. You can keep talking about what's coming against you or you can speak victory today. (Applause) Thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph. (Applause) I need somebody that the doctor gave you a negative report. I need you to stand up and give God praise right now because there's victory in Jesus. (Applause) I'm not going to confirm what the doctor said. I'm going to confirm what God has spoken over my life. (Applause) Amen. And it was the custom whenever it wasn't just anything. It wasn't just anybody with victory but when a victorious king came riding into town they would bring out the palm branches and they would wave them. And then they would lay them on the ground so that that proceeding conquering king could, could tread upon those palm branches because it was a symbol of victory. And this moment, the moment that Jesus enters into Jerusalem riding on the cult of a donkey was monumental. I need to understand today how big the event we celebrate today. Well, I know next Sunday's resurrection Sunday. It's Easter Sunday and we're going to celebrate Jesus God up. And that is the precipice of the greatness of God when he conquered death hell and the grave. But this day that we celebrate today was no less great. It's a monumental moment. In fact, all four of the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all four of the synoptic gospels record the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. There are only ten occasions. If you read all four of the gospels you're going to find only ten occasions that all four of the gospel writers wrote about, all ten of them, all of them wrote about what happened. Seven of those ten surround the betrayal by Judas, the trial of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the burial of Jesus. Jesus and the resurrection, seven of the 10, that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John thought were important enough to write about, seven of them took place in the last three or four days of Jesus' life. The other three of those were the beginning of the ministry of Jesus in Galilee. And Matthew four, Mark chapter one, Luke chapter four, and John chapter four, all four of the writers thought it important enough to bring out that the ministry of Jesus began in Galilee. The second miracle out of, out of again, seven have already been taken by the last few days. So the second now, a three is Jesus feeding the 5,000 in Matthew chapter 14, Mark chapter six, Luke chapter nine, and John chapter six. And then the one event left that has not been taken by the last few days of Jesus, the beginning of his ministry and a magnificent miracle where he feeds 5,000 with just a few loaves and bread. Loaves and fishes, a man that the Bible tells us is this event when Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem? I don't know about you, but I thought, but the still be I thought through, I was like, I think there were other events that they probably should have captured. I mean, I think Jesus walking on water. Amen, anybody else, that's a pretty good one. I would think Matthew would want to write about that. I would think Mark would want to write about that, Luke would want to write about that, John, all of them would, and if not, that what about Peter walking on water? Everybody would want to write about what a miracle. Nobody else can, I've done it when it was frozen. That's about it. All right, but Jesus walked on water. Simon Peter walked on water and yet all four of the writers did not think that he vent magnificent enough for all of them to take pin and put it to parchment and write about not Jesus healing the woman with the issue of blood. If anything, we're gonna write about it. It should be that woman who for 12 years has spent everything she had to find a healer. And is nonetheless better, even worse, and spent everything she had. Yet not all the writers wrote about that, not all the writers wrote about Lazarus being raised from the dead. Oh, I would think if you're gonna write about something, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, if you're gonna get together and write about a singular event, it should be the resurrection of Lazarus. And yet not all of them wrote about Lazarus, but the moment that Jesus gets on the back of that donkey and comes riding into Jerusalem, and the poem branches begin to wave, and they begin to declare Hosanna. Matthew picked up his pin and began to write. Mark picked up his pin and began to write. Luke picked up his pin and began to write. John picked up his pin and began to write because the king is coming. (audience cheering) That's worth worst to be about today. The king is here. The king is in the house. (audience cheering) Some of us only get excited when he's multiplying fishes and loaves. When we're getting raises on the job, and we're getting promotions in our career, we get excited, but there ought to be something that rises up in you today, because the king is here. I don't need a raise on my job. I don't need a promotion. I just have good news. Messiah has come. Here's the fact you can get a raise on your job and go to hell. Some of you just cringe because you don't even like hard preaching. All right, help me. Holy Ghost. Amen. God could turn your refrigerator into a magic refrigerator, the rest of your life your milk never runs out. Macaroni and Jesus their day after day. Amen, barbecue ribs are always in love and waiting on you when you get home. And some of you would not stop rejoicing if God did that, but you can have an endless supply of barbecue ribs and end up roasting in a devil's hell. Amen, but the one thing that will change your eternity is the fact that there is a Messiah and his name is Jesus. That ought to be what we dance about, not because I got more money in my bank account, but who's that? Well, when Jesus heals me, then I'll get him, listen, you can make it into heaven with a no good arm. You can make it into heaven with the liver that ain't working right. Amen, but you can't make it without a Messiah. You can't make it without a Savior. So I'm not going to wait for the doctor to tell me how it's going. I'm going to shout out Hosanna. The King is coming. Messiah is here. Save now, Jesus. I came today with good news for the lowest sinner in this place, which is a good chance it's the God preaching to you right now. It doesn't matter how bad of a sinner you are. It doesn't matter how far you sunk, how bad you've done. The King is here and there's healing in his wings. There's salvation in his hand. Come on, he already paid the price for your sin. This was not some casual stroll on the back of a donkey. This moment was a clear, infantic declaration being made by Jesus. And it marked a point of no return. When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the back of the donkey, if you read the gospel, you'll find that the religious leaders, they didn't want to deal with the situation right now. They said, "Let's wait until after the feast." And then we'll take care of this Jesus. Matthew said, "They don't want to riot breaking out, so they said, "We're going to wait." But Jesus knew, I'm the Passover lamb. The sacrifice, you can't wait to deal with me. I'm the author, you're not the author. You don't get to decide how this goes. I'm the author. That's what Jesus said. You don't get to decide how, when and how this goes. I'm the author, I wrote the story. I'm the land that takes away the sin of the world. And so the Bible, when he rode into Jerusalem, he was making a statement they could no longer ignore. When he rides into Jerusalem on the back of that donkey, he presents himself officially to the nation of Israel as the Messiah and the Son of God. He's not only declaring himself to be King, but Messiah. Forfelling the prophecy of Zachariah 9 verse 9, which says, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout and triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem, behold your King is coming to you." He is just an endowed with salvation humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a coat the full of a donkey. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that day, the poem Sunday, the message is clear, your Messiah has arrived. The King is here. The branch, the branch is here. Jesus riding into town was a clear message, not only to the crowd that was there today, but the crowd that is gathered in this place today, the message is clear, your Messiah is here. But the response of the people would determine their reception of this King. What would they do as he declared himself to be King? What would they do? And when they grabbed those palm branches and they began to wave them, amen, the statement was clear. Not only are you telling us that you are Messiah and King, but we receive you as Messiah and King. We believe that you are the Son of God. I know you don't have a branch today, but I wish you'd wave your hands and declare I receive you as my King. You may not have a tree, but you got poems. I wish somebody raised your poems today and wave them. He is riding in this house today saying, I am your King. Oh, we receive you today as Messiah. Ferris sees in religious leaders, the Bible says, I'm almost done. I know I told you it would be. A few minutes, I don't know how you qualify a few minutes. John chapter 12 verse 19 tells us the Pharisees are watching what's going on. Again, their mindset for the Sylvia is we're gonna wait till after the Passover. 'Cause we don't wanna stir up more grief than we've already got. So we're gonna wait till after the Passover. But they watch Jesus riding on the donkey and they know. They know what Zacharias said. They know. Zacharias said this Messiah, the Messiah is gonna come on the back of a donkey. And here comes Jesus riding into town on the back of a donkey and they say, oh, we know what he's saying. But then they're watching the other side of the coin. How will the people respond to this? Because it doesn't matter if he declares himself to be Messiah if nobody recognizes it. But they watch in this May as one by one those people pick up the palm branches. and they begin to wave them declaring, "Not only are you telling us your king, "but we worship you as king." (congregation applauding) The Bible says in John 12 and 19 that the Pharisees look at one another and here's what they say. They say, "Behold, the whole world is gone after him." I wish the world would look at the church today and say, "Look, the whole world is following Jesus." Ain't nothing we can do to stop it now. Because everybody is serving Jesus. (congregation applauding) He is the king. He is the Messiah. He has come riding on the back of the donkey. He is the king. More than just a message that was recognized, that Messiah was among them, there is a great message that is also being preached by the palm trees. Those branches that they are waving are declaring that Messiah is here. We talked about there's great power in the sign of the palm tree. It means that water is near. And I preach to everybody in this building today if you found the branch Jesus Christ, I preach to you today that there is hope that water is near. He said to that woman at the well, "If you would drink of me, "you would find water that would quench your thirst "and you would never thirst again." I tell you, "Amen, I don't care what you might be bound "by what addiction you might be fighting. "If you found the branch water is near." (congregation cheering) There is great victory in the symbol. There's great power in the symbol of the tree victory. You feel that today? I feel victory in the house. Amen, I feel victory in the house. No weapon formed against me with prosper. You gotta claim that today for yourself. I claim victory. Come on, somebody say, "A no weapon formed against me, "shall prosper." Every enemy that rises up against me, amen, it's gonna be consumed, it's gonna be ashamed, it's gonna be defeated. There's victory in this house today. Turn to somebody behind you and tell them victory is in the house today. Tell somebody on your left, victory is in the house today. Tell somebody on your right, victory. Come on, Tiger Woods gets more applause from a nine foot plant than I just got from telling you that there's victory in this house. You ought to be excited that there's victory. Therefore you can't stop what God put in motion. Hey, what God is starting? What God put together, let no man put a thunder. (congregation cheering) Some of you show more emotion when they call your name at Mission Barbecue. You smile bigger when your pork sandwich got delivered. He's sitting there like bumps on a log today and I'm telling you the king is here. The only king that has the ability to wash away your sin. The only king that has the ability to write your name in the last book of life. That's better than a barbecue sandwich. That's salvation. (congregation cheering) Water is near, do you feel that? I feel water, I could see the palm tree in the distance water. Living hope, get ready, water is near. I say to some family, amen, some family that's been in a dry place for a while. Get your eyes on the palm tree, water is near. (congregation cheering) Those branches, as they wade them, they tried, good try. Take the whole, just take the whole plant and wave it around. As they wave those branches, I was thinking about a few minutes ago over the city of Elvio, I'm glad you tried it first. I was gonna try and grab that branch and wave it. Whoever put that there probably knew I was gonna try it so they cemented it down. More than just a sign of a symbol is the sermon of the palm tree. Mark 119 tells us that as they went before and they've followed, they cried, "Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the," I want you right now to just imagine, Josephus, the Bible historian indicates that there could have been as much weather still body as 2.5 million people in Jerusalem. Anybody ever been to Jerusalem? A couple, it's not really a huge city. Probably not as big as New York City, I would say. It's not really about 2.5 million potentially people pressed into that space. And now Jesus comes in in the multitudes. So much so the Pharisee said, "The whole world is going after Him." And we could just get the whole church. And I'd be, man, what a great Sunday. We got the whole church going after Him. (congregation cheering) But such a response, they said, "The whole world is 2.5 million people." I don't know. But it had to be something, can you just imagine right now in your mind's eyes hundreds of thousands waving palm branches. Our king is coming, Jesus, on the back of the donkey, making a statement, "I am Messiah, I am the king." Amen. And they're waving those palm branches, the sign of victory. Amen, the sign that water is near. Amen. Our Messiah has come, the king is here. We've got to read one verse early because Mark chapter 11, 8 says this, "And many spread their garments and cut down the branches of the tree." Matthew 21 and 8 says, "Most of the crowds spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting down the branches from the trees." We cannot miss the significance of this moment. As Jesus rides into town, "A man and they're waving those branches declaring him to be king." But there is no declaration that he is king until the branches of that mighty tree have been severed. There is no declaration that he is my king until the branches of that powerful tree have been cut away from their stem. And I came today not to preach to you just a message that victory is here. But there is no victory in your world until you're willing for some things to be severed. I know we all want to be clear and to be king. I know we all want to wave branches, but you can't wave a branch that you're not willing to be severed. The Bible tells us they gather together and they exalt the branch. Jesus, the one Zachariah said, "He is the branch." Amen. We recognize today Jesus is the branch. He is the root of David. Amen. The offspring of Jesse, he is the branch. But can I tell you he will never be exalted as the branch until you are willing to lower your branch? I know we live in a religious world today that wants their cake and eat it too. We want Jesus to be exalted while flesh is still exalted simultaneously. We want to do our thing and Jesus to do his thing at the same time, but it doesn't work that way. If you're going to wave your palm branch, somebody's got to sever that branch. If you're going to declare him to keep being king, you've got to declare yourself to be a servant. If you're going to see him lifted up, you've got to be laid low. If the branch is going to be exalted. I wonder in this house today, could we stand and raise our hands to word heaven? Harurobo Shata. Come on right now in this house. It's 2000 years later. But the sermon of the palm tree speaks to us today. The king is here. He's on the back of a donkey. He's humble. He's lonely. He's come with salvation in his hands. But you cannot declare him to be king. If you're not willing for that tree, that branch to be severed. You cannot declare him to be the branch. Oh, Jesus, I just want to keep doing my thing. But on that day, I want the branch to declare that I've lived my life holy and right, and it doesn't work that way. If Jesus is going to confess you, if Jesus is going to be professed you to be one, he said in the beginning, he didn't hide it. He said, "If you're going to follow me, you're going to have to take up your cross." If I'm going to be the branch, your branch has to be cut off. I'm reaching for somebody here today. The Holy Ghost has reached you for somebody. Come on, the branch wants to be exalted in your life. He wants to be water. He wants to be victory. But the question today is not how loud can your shout, Hosanna. The question today is, are you willing to saw off that branch? Are you willing to climb that tree and say, "Card, not my will, but thine be done." Lord, let me decrease so that you can increase. ♪ ♪ The king is coming. The king is coming. He's humbling low. He's coming into town. And only those that are willing to sever that branch. Only those that are willing to come to an old fashioned altar and bow. And say, Father, not my will. Lord, let my will in my desires God let them be severed. Let them be severed so that I can declare you to be king of kings and Lord of lords. So that the branch can be exalted, let my branch be debased. ♪ I wonder if somebody would come to this altar right now. I don't want you to bring a palm branch you found at some florist. I don't want you to bring your neighbor's palm branch. I want you to bring your own branch. Come on, I want you to bring your own branch. That branch that represents your will and your wants and your desires. Somebody's got to climb up in that tree and cut it down. If he's going to be king of kings and Lord of lords, somebody's going to have to cut down a branch. Somebody's going to have to sever something in your world that is. ♪ Sometimes it is easy to start on your destination without knowing the exact path that it takes to get there. To get to our destination, we need to follow the one who knows our predestined path. Be sure to subscribe and watch us every Sunday at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Also visit us at www.livinghopemd.com. ♪ ♪ I'm going to wait on your ships. ♪ I'm going to wait on your ships.