What Angers and Saddens God | Wrong Assumptions

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library and free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith. There was this excitement building in the year they thought Rosario was coming to deliver Israel, but he was not going to be a little confused about Jesus mission Pastor Greg Laurie points out, Jesus came to save Jesus, military, political, economic, or social Savior became drawing since their videos on social media will be pulled over. Obviously confused about why God wants open ice cream cone toward the back seat.

Sometimes our assumptions are all wrong today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie points out how wrong the assumptions were about Jesus mission is Messiah is from a series what really ticks you off everybody has a boiling point. Everybody has something that really gets under your skin. I think when you're married to someone you know the buttons right you know what buttons to push up you want a reaction. What makes you mad. What gets you really upset. I'll tell you. For me personally when I am hungry I get cranky. You know sometimes my wife will see me being a little irritable, or a little short, Jesus, you know, you just need to eat supper.

Joe throw a sandwich at me sometimes really hot know she will do that but I don't have enough Vidar get something to it. I get a little irritable, but there are things that took me out so this is my opportunity to unload a little bit. Many of the things that personally your Timmy have to do with driving. Not my driving everybody else is driving okay.

Why is it that people get in the fast lane on go 40 mph while they stay there. They stay there and they they will move if you get behind a flash of rights doesn't matter, they stay there and why is it that there always driving a previous I'm just asking you know and then you drive up by the Menudo given to the thing where you have someone and then you want to look at you don't know. Why would you want to give him a look to the window right so you pull up next to Manila and then we'll look at your good and there always leaning really far forward like the wheel there like this just the windshields is close.

I don't want those people. But anyway, why, why is it that when you're waiting a like your three cars back though I go screen that the person the front always takes her time there like oblivious to what is green mean does this mean I should go now but recently my next subject. So falls. Why is the person at the front of the line when it goes green not going because there looking at their cell phone right and what is it that people with cell phone started to the loudest ring. The most obnoxious ring and then they let it ring like six times before answering it very loudly.

Why is it about this ATM line. Why is it when I go to an ATM machine and I get behind someone that they wait until they get there to find their ATM card. I mean, you're waiting 34 miniature plenty of time. I would guess it's a guy or girl, but you know you plenty of time to look in your purse and get it out then you know you get there and it's like oh yeah that's right I need to find my card there, searching just right and then doubtless talk about travel travel, why is it that I always get seated behind the person that feels they must fully recline for the entire flight.

I'm telling you this happens the meat every time I wipe and I'll be sitting next to each other person doesn't recline at all mine. From the moment the plane takes off full recline from working on my laptop like like this about the flight I'm staring at the top of their head.

Why does this happen to me. I don't know, but these are things I can irritate us.

In fact, there is actually what they described as an anger epidemic happening in America today a lot of books about it. Listen to some of these book titles. The angry man the angry marriage, angry kids, anger and conflict in the workplace angry all the time to be married to someone reading the book right angry all the time, this one the angry Christian, you know, experts tell us that people that are more prone to fits of anger actually have more heart attacks than those that are a study of 256 volunteers determined that bad tempered people are two times more likely to have a heart attack and anger can also make you say or do things you later regret right one expert said, quote the angrier we get the more stupid we become at his soul true. This expert said when our emotional brain is in charge. We see things in black and white, nor likely to make stupid and damaging decision. John talking about get all worked up. Anyone loaded someone you feel so good and then three minutes later, the adrenaline wears off anything. What have I just done. Think about that when you send emails.

By the way, if you get upset, send an email. Here's what I say to you write whatever you want in that email but go ahead and unload get it all in their just don't get to sleep on it and then that's when you wake up you big I was good to send this to my boss and saying, but if you can't send all baby it's out there and then your googling how do we get an email back that I just sent answer you don't, idiots, you let your emotional brain take charge right so anger is generally perceived as something that is negative and in many cases it is, but there are times when it's actually good to be angry. You might even be surprised to know that Jesus himself was angry to see that in the story before us and that brings up the question what makes God angry.

Not only will we see what makes God angry will see what makes God sad. So that brings us to our text before us. John chapter 12. It's a description of the final week in the life and ministry of Christ Jesus ministry there was a sense among everyone that something big was about to happen. There was an air of expectancy and excitement and Mary had already understood it.

Remember we looked at how Jesus was in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and and she broke out that beautiful perfume that was worth $25-$30,000 and reported on the feet of Jesus, and wiped it with her hair. Mary understood that Jesus had come to die. Mary saw something all the other apostles admit she saw that Jesus had been saying what he meant in the admin meaning what he said he was literally going to be betrayed, nailed to a Roman cross, and rise from the dead. That's what he had been talking about it so she wanted to bring some tribute is some way that shows she loved him and appreciated him, and so she brought the most valuable thing she own which was that expensive perfume so there was this excitement building in the air and there was a perception that the kingdom of God was about to appear back over and look 1911.

It says that during this time, as Jesus was getting close to Jerusalem. They thought the kingdom of God would appear, and here's what they were thinking because they misunderstood the role of Christ, they thought the Messiah was coming to deliver Israel in a sense it was true in another sense it was.

It was true that he was coming to deliver Israel from their sin and to the point.

It's also true. It was coming to deliver all of humanity from their sin, but he was not coming to be a militant Messiah, and he was not coming to overthrow the power of Rome, which was occupying a Jerusalem and the nation of Israel at this particular time because the supreme issue for Jesus was not Rome's army, but God's temple because at first he was headed.

He was headed in this what we call the triumphal entry to go into the temple of God and we must remember that's how God sees things. His primary interest in us right now is is in this people you know we talked about the need for a national revival in America and I think it's true, we talk about how much we need a spiritual awakening, but of course when God gives us his prescription for the healing of the nation's second Chronicles 714, which was given originally and contextually to Israel, but in principle it applies to any nation including the United States. God says in second Chronicles 714. I think most of us know it, God speaking says of my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then God promises, I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. That's what we need in America we need our land to be healed, but basically got a saint info nation wants revival and spiritual awakening. It starts with the church… See if the government will humble itself or if Hollywood would humble itself. He says no, my people should humble themselves, so Jesus did not come as a military political, economic, or social Savior became to die for the sins of humanity at his second coming will right the wrongs in our world and their Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. Everybody what are you doing this weekend. I like to hang out with you at harvest and home service syndrome. It is a time of worship and Bible study exclusively designed for people that are doing in from all over the place so you can be a part of our extended congregation at Harvest at Home. Join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for Harvest at Home@harvest.org Pastor Greg continues now with his message called what angers and saddens God. So let's read about what happened. A John chapter 12 starting in verse 12. The next day the music Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem swept the city a large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches out went down the road to meet them and they shouted praise God's blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord paled of the king of Israel. Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it fulfilling the prophecy that said don't be afraid people of Jerusalem look your King is coming riding on a donkey's coal. His disciples didn't understand at the time this was a fulfillment of prophecy, but after Jesus entered his glory. They remembered what happened and realize these things have been written about him. Many in the crowd. He had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead and they were telling others about it. This was the reason so many went out to meet him because they heard about that miraculous sign, then the Pharisees verse 19 said to each other.

There's nothing we can do look everyone's gone after.)

So, the resurrection of Lazarus that was a really big deal about the way this is a classic example of how a good testimony works. People see a man or a woman raised from the dead spiritually. That's what happened. We become Christians. The Bible says we pass from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and it's also true that we pass from death to life. We were dead in our sin and our alive through Christ and so were doing our job as we ought to. We draw people to Jesus a resurrected man was like a magnet to the people to come see the man resurrected him. And if you're living for Christ as you want to.

People will come to you wanting to know your secret wanting to know what happened to you and then you can point them to Jesus. People have heard about Lazarus and they came to see but eventually he saw Jesus but there was a gross misunderstanding here is that people were laying out these palm branches they were missing the point is, I said they thought he was coming to establish his kingdom then and there. Thus, they cried out the word hosanna you know Dort hosanna means means save now so effectively there saying save now Lord deliver us now overthrow Rome now do it now know there's no question that Jesus was doing something very unusual and very deliberate for a good part of his ministry. You can see Jesus in effect flew under the radar a little bit. He would heal people and he would say, tell no man he would say things like my hour has not yet come.

But now he's playing his hand, if you will now is doing something very public, very noticeable, very significant in this what he was doing writing in the city and the donkey was a message being sent to both Rome and to Israel for the Romans they would know that when a Roman general would come back from a war that he had one he would write back in the donkey and the people would welcome him with palm branches sewn away. He was saying I'm coming back to you now as a conqueror and to the Jewish people. It was a fulfillment of prophecy because the Jews according to Matthew 31 knew that the Messiah would come suddenly into the temple and then Zechariah 99 says the king would come to them and he would be on the call the fall of an ass, and so they knew Messiah would come riding a donkey and would go into the temple so the Jews at all. He's declaring himself as Messiah and the Romans are saying oh he's declaring himself as a conqueror. So here he comes now because is our head, add to this the fact that Jesus was a wanted man.

I don't know if there are posters around town wanted Jesus revolutionary. That's what he was. He was a revolutionary in their perception so here he is with a price and then said he comes forth publicly, but there was nothing they could do because God was preserving him in this moment, he did not come as a helpless victim unaware of what was ahead, he comes as a powerful victor marching bravely in the battle so the disciples there still there excited, thinking.

Finally, everybody is saying how wonderful Jesus is. We've known it all along but now everyone's becoming a part of this night crying out hosanna and no, Jesus does something very unusual. He comes in he stops it.

He begins to weep.

Luke's version of the story. Luke 1941, we read that Jesus wept.

So here is a crowd whipped into a frenzy and Jesus is weeping. The crowd is rejoicing. But Jesus is crying. By the way, this is the second time Jesus wept openly.

The other time was at the tomb of Lazarus.

There we read Jesus wept at the shortest verse in the Bible. By the way, Jesus wept.

So you have your say I can't memorize verses in the Bible, can he do that Jesus wept say that Jesus wept. Now you know verse from the Bible. Good place to start.

Why did Jesus weep at the tomb of Lazarus when he was weeping because of death itself. It broke his heart. Lazarus was his friend disabled when a second he was going to raise him from the dead. True. That's why was weeping. Poor guy. I want to drag him from heaven and I would not be a good thing if you can, even for a moment to contemplate the glory of heaven. Imagine the drug from evidence or like dragging your child out of Disneyland. You know, as far as are concerned are leaving the promised land.

You know that the favorite time of the kid when they go to Disneyland is when they walk in the favorite time of Disneyland for an adult is when they walk out. Is that true but you know that's that's so Lazarus probably felt when Jesus said Lazarus come forth and he was called back to this earth again for Lazarus. He had to die twice like it's a bad note did I want you to die twice, but anyway he's weeping at the tomb of lectures because death was never part of God's original plan. If we did not send in the garden. We would've live forever if we had not send in the garden there would never be easy nor sickness or cancer or all the horrible things that come our way online, but because of sin entering into Adam and Eve were all infected by it.

So Jesus wept. Though we did raise him from the dead, but that's an interesting phrase that she was there for Jesus weeping at the tomb.

He wept quietly here. He wept audibly affect the Greek word used to describe his weeping as these riding in the vicinity signifies bitter anguish.

He he was openly weeping. He was sobbing everything that happened. I and the people were dumped out and I wonder if the celebration stop. There is singing and dancing and all of a sudden Jesus is crying. It's like Jesus. What happens why are you so sad you know why you weeping like this. Why was he weeping what we can only guess but maybe it's because his ministry was almost over time was short and yet by large he had been rejected, he healed their sick.

He fed the hungry he raise her dad became the greatest messages ever heard in all of human history deeper gave their sins and now he is left mostly alone and rejected. He knew that one of his own would soon betray him to this he knew. Another would deny him.

Peter he knew Caiaphas and Pilate would conspire against him, and he knew that many of these people crying hosanna would soon be crying crucify him and let his blood be upon us and upon our children.

Not only that he knew their future and it wasn't pretty. Jesus being God being omniscient knowing all things knew that this structure was coming upon Jerusalem in 40 years because we look back now, historically, we know in 70 A.D. Titus in the Roman legions came into Jerusalem after a siege of 143 days and killed 600,000 Jews and took thousands Of the Jewish historian Josephus talked about blood flowing through the streets of Jerusalem and the beloved Temple was burned to the ground so this rope is hard caused him to wean sad Greg Laurie titled today's message. What angers and saddens God is part of a series called life studies based in the Gospel of John. And there's more to come from this study here on a new beginning. You know Pastor Greg sometimes will hear from people who moved to a new community and they want to be able to hear a new beginning on the station in their new area and they'll write to tell us that yeah and would like to make that happen, but it often takes financial resources to make those arrangements. Yes, so we hope our listeners will pray about making an investment today and we want to thank them with an important resource were making available. Yeah, that's right. The reason we offer these quality resources is so we can just help you encourage you and bless you, but also it's a way for you to support our ministry because as you can imagine, it takes money to be on the radio and we want to continue to reach you in your area and going to new areas were not on yet so we put that gift to work to reach more people with the teaching of the word of God and the message of the gospel. Yeah, that's right. So would you prayerfully consider partnering with us today.

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Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us anytime 24 seven at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and then we want to pass along a prayer request Pastor Greg and the team are headed to Boise Idaho soon for the Boise harvest is coming April 23 and 24's will be a huge outreach at the extra mile arena where Pastor Greg will share important gospel messages and he welcomes Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, Andy mimeo and Jordan for lease. So keep Pastor Greg in prayer and also keep this event in your prayers as well.

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