Matthew 21:1-11   Zechariah 9:9

On this day all the people of that city were not just being visited by a prophet from Nazareth. They were receiving a personal visitation from the Lord of Hosts. 

Everyone that day should have recognized God in their midst, especially the leaders. 

We've got some churches that Jesus could come in and sit down beside of you and put His arm around you and touch you and you wouldn't even know He was there.

Jesus was presenting Himself in a special light to the people of Israel. He was presenting Himself in a way that anyone that knew the Old Testament would understand who He was saying He was.  

He was presenting Himself as God's anointed King. 

Matthew 21:1-11 Zechariah 9:9

By His actions He was saying "Behold the King cometh unto Thee."

We are naturally built in the human nature to be selfish. To deny ourselves is to give up our passions, it is to give up our lives and to realize that our life its not our own but it is His. Carrying your cross can lead to stuff that you don't want to experience. How far are you willing to go to be that servant of Jesus Christ? When you really choose to follow Christ, you have to realize it's not about you.  Am I really a servant of Jesus Christ?  Luke 23:26  And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian,   coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he  might  bear it after Jesus. John12:26  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am,  there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father  honor. Luke 9 :23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me,  let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For  whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his  life for my sake, the same shall save it.

When we carry a cross physically and spiritually it's a tough thing to do. When it comes to the spiritual cross that I must carry as a Christian, I do my best everyday to be that woman of God I'm supposed to be and to make Jesus proud of me that day. A servant that is truly a servant will not elevate themself, they will not draw glory to themself. They will not require honor and they will not  require recognition of their master. A true servant of Jesus Christ will draw people and talk to people and lead them to the Master.

Luke 23:26  And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian,  coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might  bear it after Jesus.

John12:26  If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.

Luke 9 :23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

There is a time to pray and then there is a time to act.

Faith is an action word. It’s no good unless you have something to back it up with.

Exodus 14 :13-14

And Moses said unto the people, Fear  not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.

14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

Don’t let fear overwhelm you. God will receive honor in your trial.

There is a way of escape but it’s narrow. You have 3 million people in this narrow ravine and one of the largest military powers of that time heading up the rear. Imagine when they lifted up their eyes and they saw they were trapped.

God wants you to understand that when you lift up your eyes and you see the enemy is coming in behind you and there is nowhere else to go you to call on the name of the Most High God.

Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

We must cry out to the Most High God.

In verse 11 we see their lack of faith to back up their request.

11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

Wherever you are in your circumstance today, quit trying to fight your way out of it.

Until you find a relationship with Jesus, life is really never going to make sense.

When you find Jesus, you find the source of all wisdom. You can read a million books and never find the answers to life’s problems but you can find it in one Name. Jesus.

Why would God lead the Israelites into a trap?

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

God will never lead you into anything that He will not lead you out of.

Exodus 14:1-4

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  2Speak  unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before  Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before  it shall ye encamp by the sea.  3For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.  4And  I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I  will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians  may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.

Egypt was coming up on the rear and all these people could do was look around and see the mountains. Have you ever felt like your life gets more narrow as you go along?

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

This is far more than the power of positive thinking.

Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Exodus 14:1-4

Do you realize how terrifying it is for a person to feel like there is no hope?

Exodus 14:1-4

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  2Speak  unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before  Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before  it shall ye encamp by the sea.  3For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.  4And  I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I  will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians  may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.