Chosen By God For Us And Them - A Sought Out City

Sunday morning was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. This week signifies Jesus riding into town on a donkey, according to Zechariah 9:9, preparing Himself to be crucified on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God. God announces to Jerusalem on this day that Jesus was the lamb He selected to be sacrificed for them according to Exodus 12:1-6. Some rejoiced crying out "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the the highest," according to Matthew 21: 9. However not everyone in the city rejoiced that Jesus came to town, especially the Pharisees. Now that the Passover was fulfilled by Jesus, we need to celebrate this week with a different revelation than times past. God tells us to continue to celebrate the Passover forever, which we do. However the question that we need to answer is "who does God want to send into the city now to prepare a people for God's visitation?"

After Jesus rides into town, God has Him do numerous things. Here is what Jesus did according to scripture:

1) He goes into the temple and casts out ALL of them that sold and bought in the temple and announces "His house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." - God is putting His house in order - Matthew 21: 12 - 13

2) He heals the blind and the lame who came to him in temple - Matthew 21: 14

3) He rebukes the Pharisees for the people crying out "Hosanna to the Son of David" - Matthew 21: 16 and Luke 19: 40

4) He beheld the city and wept over it - Luke 19:41

5) He tells the people and his disciples that the Son of Man should be glorified. - John 12:23

6) He explains without death, no fruit will be produced and proceeds to tell the crowd that they to must die to self in order to bring forth spritual fruit.- John 12: 25- 26

As we go into the city this week and thereafter, God declared that our cities Sandusky, Michigan and Elizabethtown, Pa will be a Sought Out City, Isaiah 62: 8-12, because He is the one sending us to the city to prepare the way of the Lord and to life up a standard for the people. "Blessed are the people of BAM, who comes in the Name of the Lord"

Question to discuss this week:

1) How did this message change your perspective of Palm Sunday?

2) Has your heart broken yet for your city? If so, how?

3) What does "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord" mean to you now?

4) Will part will you play in your city becoming Sought Out, a city not forsaken, according to Isaiah 62: 8-12

5) What were some aha nuggets from this message that you are letting become life in your life?

Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord!

Rev. Ryan Welker

Citizen of Sought Out, a city not forsaken