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Sunday Worship 鈥� Palm Sunday 鈥� 10th April

Kings Community Church, Southampton

Music: Crown Him with Many Crowns (Praise is Rising 鈥� Celebrating 140 Years of Keswick聽 Worship 鈥� published by Essential Christian)

Good Morning 鈥� that was Crown Him with Many Crowns from the Keswick Convention.

Welcome to Kings Community Church, Hedge End, Southampton, on Palm Sunday.聽 I鈥檓 Alice Treacher one of the youth workers here.

On this first day of Holy Week we remember Jesus鈥� triumphant entry to Jerusalem, where he was greeted by adoring crowds.

During Lent we鈥檝e been reflecting on A Passion for Hospitality and today we continue that theme with 鈥淲hat you didn鈥檛 do for the least of these you didn鈥檛 do for me.鈥�

As we look ahead to Easter, we look at the fickleness of hospitality.聽 聽The crowds make a big fuss of Jesus when he makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week, but abandon him less than a week later.

Here at Kings Community Church we鈥檙e a Church family drawn from across the Solent, from the edges of the New Forest to Portsmouth

We began life some 35 years ago, as a handful of people meeting in a village hall, but now we鈥檙e a community of around 1,000 from over 30 nations. We鈥檙e made up of people of different ages, backgrounds & walks of life but, together, we鈥檙e a Church family, encountering Jesus and looking to see communities across the Solent transformed by the love of God.

I鈥檓 so pleased that you鈥檙e able to join our worship on Palm Sunday as we anticipate the events of Easter and celebrate and worship Jesus as King of the nations.

Music: Yet not I but through Christ in me (Recorded by the Kings Community Church Worship Team)

Father God, we declare this morning that your Son, Jesus, is King of kings and Lord of lords. We exalt you this morning! We ask that you would come and make yourself known to us today. Come and fill our vision, the god who is both King of the nations and King of our lives. Stir our faith as we fix our eyes on you in worship.聽Come and meet with us we pray.聽Amen.

Our first reading this morning is taken from Matthew鈥檚 Gospel Chapter 21, beginning at the first verse.聽 It鈥檚 read by Maurice Redmill.

Bible reading 1 鈥� Matthew 21:1-11

Music: Lord I Need You Instrumental (Rivers and Robots 鈥� Album: Still, Vol 1 - published by Integrity

Music: Be thou my vision (Eoghan Heaslip 鈥� Album: Hymns for Worship, Just as I am 鈥� published by Integrity)

We hear now from two members of our church family here in Southampton.聽

We鈥檒l hear from Wayne about the impact meeting members of the Church family had on him, and how it led him to faith in Jesus.聽聽

But, first we hear from Emily about the hospitable welcome she and her family have recently received since arriving in the UK from Hong Kong.

Testimony 1 鈥� story of transformation (Emily)

Testimony 2 鈥� story of transformation (Wayne)

Music: In Christ alone (Recorded by the Kings Community Church Worship Team)

Our second reading this morning is from Revelation Chapter 7, beginning at verse 9.聽 It鈥檚 read聽 by Abisola Badejo.

Bible reading 2 鈥� Revelation 7:9-12

Address: Andy Johnston

When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He is both accepting and redefining the notion that He is King of the Jews.

He confirms that Messianic hope by fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy of Zechariah 鈥�

鈥淭ell the people of Jerusalem, Look, your King is coming to you鈥�

Jesus was three years into His ministry

He had attracted a large popular following

Crowds were assembling in Jerusalem, the capital city

Israel was an occupied country

Nationalistic fervour was growing year on year

The Old Testament was full of promises that a new King would arise, descended from Israel鈥檚 greatest King, David, who would build a lasting royal dynasty and an enduring Kingdom

So many hopes, aspirations and dreams had been invested in this religious teacher, this Rabbi, Jesus

Even His name, which meant Saviour carried connotations of a divine rescue mission

The disciples of Jesus nurtured political ambitions, not for themselves, of course, but vicariously, for Jesus

Just a few weeks earlier, Jesus had asked the 12 鈥淲ho do people say that I am?鈥� They responded by saying that He was recognised by many as a prophet, a messenger from God

But Jesus then asks the Apostle Peter, 鈥淲ho do you say that I am?鈥�

Peter gets a divine revelation that Jesus is the Christ, God鈥檚 anointed King. Jesus accepts Peter鈥檚 verdict but quickly redefines it 鈥� 鈥淵es, I am a King, but I am the sort of King that is going up to Jerusalem to be executed鈥�

But Zechariah鈥檚 prophecy - 鈥淭ell the people of Jerusalem, Look, your King is coming to you鈥�

-聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 carries an ambivalence 鈥� the King of Israel rides into His capital city not on a war horse but on a donkey, speaking, of course, of His humility. Jesus is a King, but He is not the King of the popular imagination

He comes not to rule by political or military force but to lay down His life just a few days later outside the city gates, on a cross by the local refuse heap

Jesus further accepts the adulation of the crowds 鈥� they spread their clothes on the ground in front of Him & wave branches

These two items 鈥� cloaks and branches 鈥� carry significance. Spreading garments out for someone to walk on was more than an act of chivalry. Spreading garments out before someone was an act of submission paid to royalty. It happens in the Old Testament when Elisha the prophet appoints Jehu as Israel鈥檚 King.聽 The people also cut down branches to lay before Jesus. In John鈥檚 Gospel, these branches are specified as 鈥減alm branches鈥�. 聽聽Again, this is no accident. 聽In our second reading from the Book of Revelation, John describes a vision in which he sees a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 鈥楽alvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!鈥欌�� 聽But palm branches also take us back to the Jewish Feast of Booths or Tabernacles 鈥� a feast which reminded Israel of God鈥檚 rescue out of Egypt. To celebrate this feast the people would 鈥渢ake palm branches鈥� in celebration of God鈥檚 saving power.

The entry into Jerusalem for many observers at the time had a decidedly political and nationalistic flavour to it

This is reinforced in the story immediately after the entry into Jerusalem, the cleansing of the Temple

In making it difficult for non-Jews to worship at the Temple, the religious authorities had made the Temple, instead of being a place to encounter God, a 鈥渄en of thieves鈥�

In Mark鈥檚 Gospel, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah, the Temple was intended by God to be 鈥渁 house of prayer for all nations.鈥�

In the Apostle John鈥檚 vision of Heaven, Jesus鈥� declaration is finally fulfilled

The Gospel is so much bigger than the narrow boundaries of nationalism 鈥� it always has been and always will be.

God鈥檚 heart is for all people 鈥� it both transcends and includes

Heaven is populated with every nation, people group, and language

Right now, we must remember that, in our broken world where the power and potential evil of nationalistic fervour is often evident.

But the events of Palm Sunday point us beyond such things

Jesus receives the worship of His own ethnic group, the Jewish people, but He also emphasises that His heart is so much bigger and includes every nation

Ultimately, all the nations will wave their palm branches, not to celebrate simply the birth of a nation out of slavery in Egypt as in the Feast of Tabernacles, but to celebrate an even greater rescue

At the Cross, on Good Friday, Jesus brings salvation for every people group by destroying the captivity and slavery that sin brings.

The Church declares this morning, on Palm Sunday, that Jesus is King

He is not a political or military ruler 鈥� no, Jesus transcends nationalistic fervour in all its shapes and sizes.

Sadly, over the last 2,000 years there have been times when Jesus has been portrayed as a political or military sovereign, which doesn鈥檛 help portray Christ聽 in the ways, Christians, would hope.

Jesus comes to root out injustice, corruption and brutality on a truly cosmic scale

Palm Sunday points us forward to Good Friday & Easter Day because 鈥� as we heard in our testimonies earlier - Jesus really does destroy the power of sin & of evil and, in doing so, He destroys the power of death itself

聽Kings Community Church, as a people representing over 30 nations today, gets to worship to celebrate what Jesus achieved. In this, our worship anticipates the worship of Heaven

He has won for Himself the worship of every, language, people group and nation

He has won the worship of Heaven and the worship of the Church across the globe and down through the centuries

He is the King, not merely of Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, but He is King of the whole world!

Music: 聽I see the King of glory (Hosanna) (Recorded by the Kings Community Church Worship Team)

Nif and Hannah who are part of our Church Youth will now lead us in prayer.

Music: Crown Him With Many Crowns Instrumental (Keswick Reflections 鈥� published by Elevation)

Prayer 鈥� Hannah

Father God,聽 I thank you that you are sovereign over our world, over the nations and over our circumstances. Lord, we lift up and stand with the people of Ukraine, who are facing the horrific reality of war in their homeland, and we ask that you would shelter them under the shadow of your wings, and protect them in all their difficulties. Lord, I thank you that you are our provider, and I pray that you would miraculously meet the needs of all those in Ukraine today, whether it is food, shelter, water or other necessary resources. I pray that you would make a way where there seems to be no way for the evacuation of those who are trapped in their cities, and for the necessary aid to reach those who need it most. Lord, we are so grateful that you are the God who sees us, even in the midst of our deepest need, and I pray that you would strengthen your people in Ukraine today as they know you closely walking with them in all they face. Would you bring a peace upon their hearts that passes all understanding as they trust in you. Would you be glorified even in this circumstance, Lord, and would your faithfulness and abounding love be evident to all the nations as you intervene even now. Amen.

Prayer 鈥� Nif

Father God,聽 I thank you for your amazing love for your creation, and especially for us as your dearly loved children. Your love is better than life. Thank you that you are a God who is faithful to all your promises and the fullest extent of your faithfulness is in sending Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus, as we anticipate Easter this coming week. Thank you that you died on the Cross for our sins and rose again to defeat the power of sin and death.

Thank you, Jesus for bringing us into relationship with the Father.

Amen

Nif and Hannah 鈥� Lord鈥檚 Prayer

Music: All Hail King Jesus (Recorded by the Kings Community Church Worship Team)

Thank you Jesus that you are King of the whole world. But Lord, we are conscious that we do not yet see your Kingship in all its fulness. There is so much pain and brokenness in our world 鈥� so we pray 鈥淵our Kingdom come, your will be done.鈥� We pray that we will see more and more of your rule and reign in our lives, in our communities and across the nations. Amen