Palm Sunday 2005 - Living Well in the Face of Uncertainty

(Data Projector images available upon request

The year was 1914

And the add in the London paper read

"MEN WANTED: FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS. SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON"

Lord Shackleton was mounting what was to be the last of the great polar expeditions

Who would answer such an ad?
These 28 men above, that's who.

The year is about 30 ad

And a rabbi put out an add

“Follow me”

This is what the full text of Jesus invitation to adventure said

34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

And three years latter when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a colt he reminded the crowd

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

The 27 men who joined sir Ernest Shackelton where all up for adventure
But they where not going into this blind
most where veteran sailors and explorers
Some had been on Sir Walter Scott’s unsuccessful attempts to the south pole

All of them knew that the add in the news paper wasn’t a joke
Safe return was doubtful

So it was no surprise when they ran into problems
So they are trapped in the ice pack of the Antarctic
Their ship is going nowhere
And finally is crushed by the ice like so many toothpicks

Many people followed Jesus,
And they heard the words follow me

Many of them where seasoned sailors also
But the idea of taking up their cross…
Could it be…
Whosoever gains their life shall loose it Jesus said
And whoever losses their life for my sake shall gain eternity

So weeks of being trapped in the ice pack has turned into months
And finally the crew are leaving their ship for the last time
Sir Ernest shackelton gathers his men
You may each take 2 pound of personal effects with you
Mostly toilet paper, diaries, knives and spoons

Leading the way sir Ernest takes off his gold pocket watch and leaves it on the ice
He takes out his gold coins and drops them on the ice
His silver shaving kit is left on the ice

And the pile grows
Discarded uniforms, scientific equipment, books, watches, cooking utensils, ropes, tools, flags, and blankets as all the men dumped their nonessential personal effects.

Finally sir Ernest takes the bible given to him by the queen
And he tears out 2 pages
And lays the bible on the ice
The pages he kept where these verses of the book of job

29From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen. Job 38

The other page contained 23rd psalm

And so, together on October 27 1915, 28 men, trapped on a massive island of ice
Stood together and said the shepherds psalm

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Can you imagine saying those words trapped on a ice flow
You ship crushed
And your death almost certain

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

Can you imagine Jesus saying those words
Standing outside of Jerusalem
With only a few days until his crucifixion

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

On palm Sunday Jesus turned and faced into the wind

What is it that causes men to sign up for a polar expedition?
What is it that draws Jesus toward his death?
What is it to take up our cross and follow him

Song

So the story of Jesus entry into Jerusalem gives us the opportunity to think about how Jesus faced a difficult week.

So as people “made in the image of Christ” how do we deal with the trials that look us in the face?
What do we say about God?

The psalmist gives us a different song to sing, a song celebrating Gods goodness.
When we decide that our approach to every situation is worship
When we decide that our approach to every day is worship
Then we gain an incredible sense of destiny.

I am not defined by my circumstances
No mater how difficult they are
I am not defined by my teacher, my boss, my spouse, my parent, or my neighbour
My identity is in Jesus

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

Sure my circumstances are grim
Sure my day is turning out rotten
I am even dealing with people who are only to happy to drag my name through the mud

But I am confident in this

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

I am living psalm 23 already
God’s goodness transcends my circumstances

I am living psalm 23 already
And I know what my purpose and place in God’s plan is.

The psalmist said
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
After he entered Jerusalem on a colt

After he heard the cry blessed is the one who comes in the name of the lord

And Jesus said

27 Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify your name! Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, This voice was for your benefit, not mine
Can you imagine this?

Jesus is facing the most difficult week of his life
A week that will end with the cross

Yet we see a complete confidence

Jesus says Glorify your name

So what do you say when you face adversity?
What do you say when your character is called into question

If you are anything like me
Your back gets tight
Your voice gets strained
You become defensive
You go on the attack

If I am perfectly frank with you

My response is not Glorify your name

My response is not

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

The reason is pretty simple
I am pretty self reliant
My world revolves around me
And so when I face hard times
Its all about me
And when its all about me the only hope and the only future I have is the one I can muster for myself

But when it is all about Jesus
When my confidence is in the creator of heaven and earth
When my trust is in Jesus who saves
Then I can say

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

When we face grim circumstances we can choose a different response

Psalm 23 and Jesus Palm Sunday journey remind us
That when our world really and truly is centered on God
When our attitude is worship in all we say and do
Then we have a different response to our circumstances

In fact we can recognize that our circumstances no matter how grim they might be
Are opportunities where we can name God for who he really is
We can glorify God

When we recognize who god is
When we accept God’s overwhelming love and care for us
Then we have a different sense of the present
A different perspective

And we have a different sense of the future
God’s perspective

WE can say with the psalmist

Surely goodness and love will follow me all of the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

And we can say with Jesus

Father, glorify your name


The song noted above is a medley of:
I Surrender All & Jesus Lover Of My Soul


All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

Chorus 1
It's all about You Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and Your fame
It's not about me
As if You should do things my way
You alone are God
And I surrender to Your ways

Verse 1
Jesus lover of my soul
All consuming fire
Is in Your gaze
Jesus I want You to know
I will follow You all my days
For no one else
In history is like You
And history itself belongs to You
Alpha and Omega
You have loved me
And I will share eternity with You

Chorus 1
It's all about You Jesus
And all this is for You
For Your glory and Your fame
It's not about me
As if You should do things my way
You alone are God
And I surrender to Your ways

All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with your love and power
Let your blessing fall on me


Jesus Lover Of My Soul
© 1995 Thankyou Music
Paul Oakley

I Surrender All
Judson W. VanDeVenter / Winfield Scott Weeden