as well. Let's have a word of prayer and then we'll get into the message here today. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time. We thank you for the privilege we have of being able to join together and worship together. Lord, thank you for all that has prepared our hearts for this time in the service. Lord, we believe the central part of the service is to open the word of God. Lord, if we want to know what God has to say, We need to read the letter that God has written us. And so, Lord, I pray that as we delve into your precious word, may the Holy Spirit work in our hearts and minds and illuminate the scriptures for us today. Lord, you've allowed me to be the messenger this morning. So, Lord, just anoint my lips with the things you would have me to say, those things that I have studied and prepared. Lord, may you bring those to remembrance, those things that are of utmost importance here today. Lord, we thank you. We ask all this in your precious name, amen. Luke chapter number 19, Brother Marshall started reading there in verse number 29. We have the triumphal entry. I think the last couple of years I've looked at the parallel passage in Mark 11. It's also recorded for us in Matthew 21. So all three of the first three gospels there give us this account. They give us this story of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This was an event that was prophesied about. We've looked at that the last couple of years, so I'm not gonna linger on that today. But this was prophesied about in the Old Testament, how Jesus would come in and the cult and so forth. And so this is a fulfillment of prophecy, a literal fulfillment of prophecy. And I'm emphasizing the word literal because of what this also paints a picture for us in future events. and literal events of Jesus coming once again. Verse number 29, he rides in. We've already read through it. Brother Martz will read through it. We don't need to read through it again. We understand he borrows the colt as he rides into the city. People are laying down their coats. They're cutting off some of the palm branches and laying them in the way. It's like a red carpet event. They are expecting Jesus. And again, here's the problem, their expectation was wrong, but they were expecting Jesus to come in as a conqueror, as a king, as someone who was going to overthrow this crummy Roman government that they were tired and sick of. They were looking for a revolution and they were looking for a revolutionary. The disciples had been guilty of that from time to time, right? They were looking for a kingdom now in their time. The overriding culture of Israel at this time is they were tired of the oppression of the Roman government. They were being taxed. They were being burdened. They felt like they were being bullied. They had lost their independence. They had lost their freedom. They wanted that restored. There had been some revolutionaries prior to Jesus that had tried to overthrow and had not gone well. There would be some after that would raise up. And we know what happens when Titus comes back in history. And Titus comes back from Rome in 70 AD and decides to put down this revolutionary fervor once and for all. And Titus just, I mean, bulldozes. Not that there were bulldozers. But he just runs roughshod through the city and destroys things and destroys the temple and takes treasures back to Rome where he will be inaugurated the next Caesar. But there was a tumultuous time. So we have these bookends in history of people wanting to restore the freedom, restore the independence of Israel. And in the midst of that, Jesus comes. It was not by accident. Right? God didn't mess up the timing of this. The timing of this was perfect. And we look at that so often in the Christmas time. But Jesus came at the right time and for the right purpose. But he wasn't coming as a revolutionary to bring independence and freedom to the nation. He was coming as a savior to die for the sins of the world. And there was a misunderstanding of why he had come and who he was. Obviously, we talk about the Pharisees, the chief priests, the Sadducees, the other religious leaders of the day who were very critical of him, who didn't like him, who didn't trust him, who often, ultimately, were responsible for him being put to death. But there were those that were excited about him being there. They were just excited for the wrong reason. They had the wrong motive. They didn't understand. And so we see that even early in his disciples' life, as they were looking for a kingdom, and who's gonna sit on your right side, and who's gonna sit on your left, and how are we gonna rule? And Jesus is like, this is not why I'm here. This is not it. He's coming to die. He's coming to be a sacrifice. And as he comes into Jerusalem at this time, this is now obviously late in his ministry, his fame has spread these last three years, people are well aware of who he is, they've heard about the miracles, they've heard about the changes, the lives, the crowds, all that stuff. And now he's coming into Jerusalem and we know the end of the story, right? One week after this, not even that, he will be crucified, His body will be placed into a tomb. Praise the Lord, we get to celebrate Resurrection Sunday after that. But things are gonna change in the attitude of the people, and he's coming into Jerusalem, and people are like, here he is, the one that's going to restore our freedom, our independence, he's our revolutionary. They were treating him with royalty, they were putting out their garments, putting out their cloaks, putting out some palm branches that they were taking off neighboring trees, trying to line the street, making it look like royalty, making it look like what we would call today a red carpet type event. They were putting all that out and Jesus comes riding in and they're crying out and well, they should. Some of them having maybe some understanding of who he is, some clearly not understanding what the intention was here. If you remember in Mark last year, I looked at the fact that when he got done riding, he got off and walked away. It was very anti-climatic. I think the people were a little stunned by that. It didn't end in the ultimate push to power that they had looked for. It kind of ended quietly. And he went up to the temple. We're gonna see what he did when he got to the temple, but it wasn't what they were expecting at that time. But since we're going through the book of Luke, let's go back to verse 11 in this chapter that we're in right now. We'll go back to verse 11. We're gonna start there because it gives us a little insight into the mindset and the timing and what's going on. Luke chapter 19, verse 11. And as they heard these things, and that would be the prior things, that's with Zacchaeus. As they heard these things, he added and spake a parable because, He was nigh or close to Jerusalem. And because they thought the kingdom of God should immediately appear. And so Jesus understands their mindset. He knows he's about to go to Jerusalem and he knows how they're going to react as he goes to Jerusalem. So because of that, the Bible says, he gives this parable. Well, I think that's very important. Understanding the mindset of the people, the mindset of the time, Jesus knowing what they're thinking, first he gives them this particular account. So let's look at the parable in verse 12. A certain nobleman went to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. He called his 10 servants and delivered them 10 pounds, said unto them, occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him. They sent a message after him saying, we will not have this man to reign over us. It came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained 10 pounds. He said unto him, well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over 10 cities. The second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained 5 pounds. He said likewise to him, be thou also over Five cities. Another, Lord, behold, there is thy pound which I have kept laid up in a napkin. For I feared thee, because thou art an astute man, that takest up where thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. He said unto him, out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knew that I was an astute man, taking up that I had laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. Wherefore, thou gavest not thou thy money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required my own with usury. And he said unto them that stood by, take from him thy pound, and give it to him that hath 10 pounds. And they said unto him, Lord, he hath 10 pounds. For I say unto you that unto every one which hath shall be given, from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies which would not, that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me. And when he had thus spoken, he went before ascending up, to Jerusalem, verse 29 then begins the triumphal entry. So this is the story he gives, a familiar parable that he gives, the parable of the 10 pounds. It's often called the parable of the 10 pounds, even though there's obviously different numerical amounts within it. But he said in verse 11, he knew where he was going and he knew their mindset, he knew what they were thinking. So he gave them this particular parable, this particular lesson in preparing their hearts before he went into Jerusalem before the garments and the palm branches were laid down. This is the account he gave. This is extremely important to us, and here's why. Our theme in 2024 is the king is coming. We're preparing for that in two ways, and I just went over this with our membership class this morning to make sure they understand our position, what our church believes on future events. Number one, we believe that the very next event on the timetable of God's plan is the end of the church age, which the church age started very abruptly, mighty rushing wind on the day of Pentecost. And it will end just as abruptly with the gathering up of the church. We refer to that today as the rapture of the church. But the Bible talks about the gathering up, the taking up of the church, the church will be gathered up. Jesus doesn't come back to earth at that time. Bible says he comes in the clouds, calls his own, we go to be with him. Then seven years later, the Bible talks about the seven year tribulation period. But at the end of that seven year period, then Jesus and those who are with him, hope and prayer would be that would be everyone in this room. Everyone in this room either died before he came back, and as a believer in Jesus Christ, you're with him, or you've been caught up with the church and you're with him. One way or the other, if you know him as Savior, you should be with him. If you don't, there's another whole end. We're going to talk about that. When Jesus Christ comes back, he's coming back to earth. That's the second coming of Jesus Christ. He came the first time in a manger. He came the first time in humility. He came the first time people rejected him. He came the first time they misunderstood him. He came the first time they put down cloaks and palm branches in the path, hoping he was a revolutionary. They misunderstood and they ended up crucifying him. But he died for the sins of mankind, which was why he came. When he comes the second time, he's coming in power and glory. When he's coming the second time, he's coming to rule and reign. Not just to overthrow the local government, like they were hoping at the time, he's restoring order to a world that is in chaos. I talked, my wife and I talked about this for a long time yesterday morning. over breakfast and after breakfast. Our world's a mess. There are so many cultural problems, evil problems. Desi was reading me a story last night that she'd come across where children had been so physically abused by their parents. She read another one this morning as she was eating breakfast of someone more locally. Parents abusing their kids, like what is going on? There's an evil in our world today. Because of that, there's chaos in our government, and there's wars, and there's fighting, and there's hate, and there's just corruption. And we're very concerned about the state of our world. Listen, this is the phrase I've been using lately. I used it in a membership class this morning. Sin will not ultimately win. Jesus wins. God's not going to take this corrupt world and just say, eh, done with it. Listen, he didn't do that the first time. And that would be Noah. Things were so evil in the day of Noah, what did he do? Not to be flippant, but he washed it clean. He took a world that was covered with evil, took a few people who were righteous and believed in God and scrubbed the rest of it away and then restored what he had already created. He's going to do that at the second coming. He's going to come back in power and glory. He's going to straighten out our corrupt world governments, corrupt world culture, corrupt world systems. He's going to restore to order what he had set in order in the Garden of Eden. He's going to bind Satan for a thousand years. Read Revelation chapter 19, 20, 21. It gives us exact details. Satan, the devil, the serpent, the great deceiver bound for a thousand years. Then Jesus Christ will rule and reign. God has a plan for this earth. He had a plan from the beginning. Sin messed it up. We people, humans messed it up because of sin. Jesus will restore that and set things in order. When he comes the second time, it's going to be triumphant. When he comes the second time, it's going to catch everyone's attention. It will not be quiet like it was in Bethlehem. It will not be missed like it was in Bethlehem. It's going to be in power and glory. The triumphal entry of Jesus Christ is a picture of that. It's why Jesus allowed it to happen. It's why it was prophesied in the Old Testament and allowed to happen. Jesus could have said, no, we're not doing this. You all misunderstand. No, no, no. No, this was a picture of what was to come. Jesus is returning. He is straightening up the mess that's down here. He is going to rule and reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem. Satan will be bound, sin will not ultimately win. And he's coming back in power and glory. This is a picture of that. So here he is riding into Jerusalem on a borrowed colt. People are putting down their palm leaves, they're putting down their branches, they're putting down their coats and their cloaks and so forth. It's a picture of what's to come. That's why this should be so important for you and I today. And so, listen, here it is, Jesus says, In Luke chapter 19, because I'm going to Jerusalem, because the people think they want the kingdom right now, and that's not what I'm doing, I'm going to give you a parable. And the parable is, there was a certain king who went away, said, occupy till I come, and when I come back, I'm gonna ask how you did. That should make some sense to us. Because after Jesus rose from the dead, Easter Sunday, he spent 40 more days on earth and then ascended. The angels that were there said to his followers and his disciples, you saw him go up, he will come back. So we have a perfect picture and a parable of what to expect. He left. He said in John chapter six, don't let your heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. So he's gone to prepare a place for us believers in Jesus Christ, but he's coming back. We should expect him to come back. We should be looking for him to come back. And this particular parable is some understanding of maybe, perhaps just maybe what we should be doing while we're waiting for him to come back. And he goes over the parable of the talents. He said, I'm leaving, occupy till I come, I'm gonna come back and hold you accountable. I gave you a talent, what did you do with it? We know in this particular account here in Luke chapter 19, the one had one talent and he used his talent until he made 10. The one used it until he made five and the one took it and what? Buried it, put it in a napkin, put it in his sock drawer, whatever, did nothing with it. And when the master came back after being away for a while, he held everyone accountable. This should be a picture for us, a parable, a story for us to have some idea of what to expect at the judgment seat of Christ. The judgment seat of Christ is for the believer. If you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, then we will stand at the judgment seat of Christ. The great white throne judgment is for unbelievers. Their names are not found in the Lamb's book of life. You're either in the book or you're not, period. And so if we're a believer, we'll stand the judgment seat of Christ. We stand the judgment seat of Christ, God holds us accountable. I like that in our modern language, modern language today. We use the word talent to talk about maybe a gift that we have. They're using the word talent here to talk about money, but it's a parable, it's a picture. If God comes back and says, I've given you a gift, a spiritual gift, an opportunity, an ability, a place, a time, knowledge, I've given you something, what did you do with it? I told you, Before I start preaching tonight in our evening service, I want to share my testimony with you. How God worked, I think, in some very unique ways in myself, some of my ancestors, to bring me to this place. But I believe firmly, and we're going to start with this verse tonight, to whom much has been given, much is required. I've done this before, but just bear with me for a second. I'm living in the United States of America. It's a country with a lot of problems, but based on our border situation, it's still the country everyone in the world wants to get into. It's still where everybody wants to be. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. There's nobody trying to move out of here. I'm still glad I live in the United States of America. That puts me in a pretty small percentage of the world's population. I lived at the end of the 20th century, beginning of the 21st century. I didn't live through the Dark Ages, the Black Plague, World War I or II, the Civil War. I didn't have to serve in any of those things, fight in those things, lose friends in those things, lose a limb or lose my life in any of those major things that have happened in the world. I've lived in a time of relative peace in the United States of America. I live in an age where the Bible is readily accessible. almost to the point of overly accessible, right? I mean, I could have it on my phone, my computer, my tablet, a book. I probably have 10 Bibles. I have the entire word of God, multiple copies of it. I can take it wherever I go, easily read it whenever I want, read it in my language. I live in freedom. I live in the United States of America. God gave me all of my faculties. I'm not wheelchair bound. I can see, I can walk, I can hear. And then God allowed me to be raised in a Christian family where I heard the word of God from the earliest ages that I can even remember. I don't remember not going to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. I don't remember not. And then my parents decided it was important for them, for us, to go to Christian school. I went to Christian school from kindergarten through 12th grade every school day, where I had Bible class and learned Bible verses. God allowed me to go to a Christian college and further my education. Then God allowed me to be the pastor of Cedar Hill Baptist Church in Dillsburg, to whom much has been given, much is required, And I'm gonna stand before God someday, along with multitudes of other people, and God's gonna say, what did you do with it? Did you bury it? Did you just sit on it? Did you take these opportunities and put them in a sock drawer? Or did you do something with it? Did you tell others? Did you live a life for me or not? Now, listen. That's the accountability that Jesus is asking of the people, that's the parable he gives before he goes into Jerusalem and rides in. That's not an accident, right? This is intentional by God, this is inspired. God's inspired word of God is very intentional the way he put all this together for us. Because while he was not riding in this day to be the king, He will be riding in soon to be the king. So are we ready to give an account? Are we ready to stand before the king and find out whether we did that which we were supposed to do with what he gave us to do? Listen, he says there, to some I gave 10 talents, I would, listen, I would put myself in that category based on the story I just gave you. Not that I'm talented, but that God has given me an abundance of opportunity. To some he gave five talents. Maybe they didn't grow up in a Christian home. Maybe they did have a physical handicap or illness. Maybe they never got to go through church or Christian school or any of that stuff that I did. Maybe they don't live in the United States of America. Maybe they've lived in a place where it is really hard to be a Christian. Their opportunities have not been as vast. Down to the person who has won, who had the one. How about the thief on the cross? We're gonna talk about him probably Friday or next Sunday. How about the thief on the cross? He's the one who said to Jesus, remember me. He was on the cross and he corrected the other thief for making fun of or picking on or belittling who Jesus was. Jesus said to him, this day thou shall be with me in paradise. How much time did that guy have to live for Jesus? Seriously, maybe an hour, right? That was a deathbed confession. Thief on the cross didn't, It's a good thing baptism doesn't save, because he didn't get baptized. Good thing church membership doesn't save, because he couldn't go become a member of a church. He had just a moment there, and all he did was testify who Jesus was to the one other person who was hanging there who didn't believe. I think he had one talent, right? He had limited time, limited opportunity, limited ability. It was very limited in what he could do. He couldn't, he didn't have much. He didn't have time. He didn't have opportunity. He became a believer at the end of his life. And so God gives up other opportunities or varying opportunities to varying amounts of people. We understand that. So as we stand there before Jesus, what did we do with what he gave us? Did we waste it? Did we hide it? Did we put it away or did we use the talent he gave? Did we tell others, did we live a life committed to Christ? Please understand, we talked about this a few weeks ago. I'm not talking about how much we do, right? We're not working for our salvation. It's not just do, it's who we are. Are we living a life for Jesus? Are we spending time with him? Are we praying? Are we letting the fruit of the spirit grow in our lives? Are we changed into the image of Jesus Christ? as having Jesus changed us, changed who we are as a spouse, as a parent, maybe as a child. We have this accountability parable given just before. It doesn't end there. Verse 37, let's jump ahead. Verse 37, when he was come, nigh, even now at 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, saying, blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, glory in the highest. The disciples, I think at this point, had a better understanding of what they were witnessing. Verse 39, some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. Tell them to quiet down. Verse 40, he said, I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Listen, he is the master of all creation. If people weren't praising him at this time, inanimate objects would have to, because he's the king of kings and Lord of lords. Verse 41, what happens after? We looked at the parable before. What happened right after? When he was come near, he beheld the city. And he wept over it. I don't know about you, but I cry over our country and where we're at and what's going on and the lostness of people, the void of a fear of God and an understanding of God and the people. Jesus wept over the city. He was concerned over that city. And he said in verse 42, if thou hadst known even thou at least in this day the things which belong unto the peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, encompass thee round, and keep thee on every side, and shall lay thee even in the ground thy children with thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. So the destruction of Jerusalem is foretold in these verses. And again, much of this will happen in 70 AD. Verse 45, he stopped, he cried over his city, he foretold what was going to happen, and then he did what in verse 45? He went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought, saying unto them, it is written, my house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. He went in and cleaned out the temple. So let me see. He begins to tell a parable because he knows he's going to ride into Jerusalem and it's picturing what's going to happen in the future. And so he gives us a parable of accountability. He rides in. When he's done, he stops for a moment. He cries over his city. He walks into the temple and he cleans it out. What's the temple today? We're the temple today, right? Bible tells us that. No, you're not. We're the temple of the Holy Spirit. There is no physical temple, no building anymore. We're the temple of the Holy Spirit. So again, one more time, just before he comes back, just before he rides in, just before he sets up his kingdom, one, we should look at the accountability factor, and two, perhaps we should clean up the temple. Me. and you. If we're the temple of the Holy Spirit, maybe it's time to get things fixed before he comes back. Listen, the King is coming. He's coming. We're not gonna stop it. It's happening. There are those doubters out there. There are those that are wondering if he'll ever come, because it's been so long. When Desti and I talked about this yesterday, we talked about the parable of the virgins, who had the oil in their lamps, there was 10 of them, right? Five of them were ready and prepared, ready. Listen, all 10 were expecting him to come back. All 10 went to the place, the gate, wherever, where they were expecting him to come back. Five were prepared, but five showed up with not enough oil. It was delayed. It took longer for him to get there than they thought, and they weren't really ready. So what'd they do? They left. to go find more oil, they left. And just about the time they left, the king shows up. We are in 2024, and I'm convinced that people who are believers, I'm gonna use that word with some trepidation, are starting to doubt when or if he's coming back. They're the other half, right, of the crowd who ran out of oil. They've run out of stamina. They've run out of patience. They're beginning to rethink theology. Maybe he's not really coming back. Maybe, and this one just drives me crazy. I did this in Sunday school too, but maybe we're in the millennium right now. Maybe we missed it. I'm like, if this is the millennium, I am sadly disappointed, you know? Because the Bible, that's why I use the word literal, right? When Jesus rode in to Jerusalem that day on the colt, it was a literal fulfillment of prophecy. It wasn't just a picture. The prophecy wasn't a picture. Jesus literally had his disciples unloose the colt. He sat on it. He rode in. Coats were on the pathway. People were saying, Hosanna to the highest. That literally happened. There's a historical event that that happened. When Jesus said, I'm coming again to receive you to myself, he's literally coming. When he said, I'm gonna bind Satan for a thousand years and sit on the throne of David, he's literally sitting on it. He's not just sitting on the throne of our hearts, which he is, but he's gonna sit on the literal throne in literal Jerusalem and literally rule and reign. And I've overused the word literally. Importantly there, because it's going to happen. And there's this doubt in theology circles today. Maybe we misunderstood it. Maybe the whole millennium is just the church age and Jesus is ruling the church. And that's what it means. And it's not like, no, no, no, no, no. There were promises made to Abraham, Moses, David, and others. I will rule on the throne of David forever. Not just some figurative thing, Literally, and he's coming back to rule and reign on this earth. We should be getting ready. That's my message today. We should be getting ready. We should be ready, one, to stand before the judgment of Jesus Christ, be able to give an account and say, Lord, this is what I did or didn't do with what you gave me. We should be ready for that, because it's going to happen. And number two, number two, maybe it's time to clean out our temple. It's time to get rid of some stuff. You know that sin that's been hanging on? Now seems like a good time to get it, to get rid of it, to kick it out. Someday I'm going to, no, no, no, today, today, today, because we better be ready because he's coming. The King is coming. He's coming to hold a count. He's coming to call us to order. Are we ready for the return of Jesus Christ? He's gonna come riding in, the Bible tells us, white horses. It's going to be a worldwide event. As a believer, we should be with him. According to scripture, we'll be with him. What we did on earth is already done though. Standing at the judgment seat of Christ, that will have happened by the time we return with him. Are we prepared? Did we clean up the temple? Did we get things kicked out? Are we ready to give an account? That's my message on this Palm Sunday. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the time we've had. Lord, I preached maybe somewhat of a hard message, Lord, of accountability, of being ready, of evaluating, of knowing where we stand with you. Are we ready to stand before you and give an account for what we've done? Lord, the bottom line is, we talked today about the gathering up of the church, the rapture of the church. Well, we don't know when that might happen, but the bottom line is life is but a vapor. It's here for a moment, it passeth away. We have no idea how much time we have left on this earth. Lord, we could be standing in the presence of Jesus Christ today. Are we ready? Have we cleaned things up and gotten things right? Is the house in order? Lord, may we be evaluating ourselves today in that regard. Lord, if there's one here today that doesn't know you as Savior, Lord, I pray today will be their day of salvation. May they put their faith and trust in Christ and Christ alone. Lord, we want to be written in the Lamb's book of life. Lord, I didn't talk about the great white throne judgment, but what a horrendous place to be. There is no hope left if you're standing at that judgment. Lord, may we put our faith in Christ and Christ alone. Lord, you died for our sins. May we accept that free gift of salvation. Lord, thank you for the time we've had today. Lord, begin the work that's begun in us. Lord, may you continue to work in our hearts and minds. May the Holy Spirit continue to convict us and prod us on the things that we need to work on in our lives. We thank you. We ask this in your name. Amen. Let's stand together. Hymn number 386.