What Angers and Saddens God

Notes: What Angers and Saddens God

Luke 19:28–48

Pastor Greg Laurie

SERIES: Live, Love, Fight

Thursday, March 19, 2015 — 7:00 p.m.

What makes you mad? What just ticks you off? For Greg it can be hunger. Other things are cell phone ringers at the highest volume. Blue tooth in the ear all the time.

The angrier we get the more stupid we become.

In general it is not a good thing to get angry.

Ephesians 4:26-27 NKJV

[26] "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, [27] nor give place to the devil.

But there is times that call for anger, even Jesus Christ got angry.

Hebrews 4:15 NKJV

[15] For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Luke 19:11 NKJV

[11] Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

Most of the Jewish people thought that Jesus Christ was going to establish His kingdom right then and there.

John 1:11 NKJV

[11] He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

[14] if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

God doesn't call out the government, He calls out His people.

George Washington had a flag that read "Appeal to Heaven" on his boats.

The only way we can all be saved is through an appeal to Heaven.

Hosanna means "save now"

Jesus Christ was coming to fulfill the purpose for which he came, and that purpose was the death on the cross for our sins.

The journey to the cross began in fan fare.

Luke 19:28-44 NKJV

[28] When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. [29] And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, [30] saying, "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. [31] And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'" [32] So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. [33] But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, "Why are you loosing the colt?" [34] And they said, "The Lord has need of him." [35] Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. [36] And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road. [37] Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, [38] saying: " 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!' Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" [39] And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." [40] But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." [41] Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, [42] saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. [43] For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, [44] and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

This action of Jesus Christ was an attention getter. Yet in most actions, Jesus Christ would not seek attention.

Riding into town on a donkey in those days would have been like a conqueror after war.

Zechariah 9:9 NKJV

[9] "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Malachi 3:1 NKJV

[1] "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.

Jesus Christ was a wanted man by the chief priest and Pharisees.

Luke 19:41 NKJV

[41] Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,

The crowd is rejoicing and Jesus Christ was crying, wailing, and weeping in mourning.

At the climax of His ministry He felt alone and betrayed.

Have you ever felt betrayed by the people you love?

Luke 19:43-44 NKJV

[43] For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, [44] and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

They were going to be destroyed and Jesus Christ already knew it.

The God who places the planets will not force Himself into your life and that makes Him sad.

Winners of souls must first be weepers of souls.

Luke 19:45-48 NKJV

[45] Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, [46] saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" [47] And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, [48] and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Jesus didn't just do this on the fly. He was there, then left for the night and came back and was angry.

Mark 11:15 NKJV

[15] So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

Jesus Christ was not a small and weak man, He was a man that could throw these tables over. This is different then most artistic renderings of Jesus Christ.

Mark 11:29 NKJV

[29] But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

Meekness is not weakness, but power under constraint.

Meekness will boldly defend others.

The problem that Jesus Christ was wanting to eliminate was the scammers out in front of the Temple.

Instead of praying for people they were preying on people.

They were keeping people away from God and that makes God very angry.

The church is a place for us to worship and learn about God.

The church is a place for sinners to come and meet God!

New believers are the life blood of a church. Older and new believers need each other.

What kind of witness are you? Are you helping a person come to Christ?

Are you a bridge or a barrier to Christ?

When you first come to Christ you make a good clean break, but then over time you seem to let "little sins" back in. Sins seems manageable when they are little. But they always will grow and grow out of control.

Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do right now.

1 John 1:8-9 NKJV

[8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When is the last time you had a house cleaning?

The objective is not for you to clean up your life and come to Christ, it's to come to Christ and He will clean your life up.

The more you get to know Jesus Christ the more you will love Him.