The Healing Word

Guest (Male): The healing word ministry on one place is brought to you by the generous donations of people like you. At any time during today's message, feel free to send a prayer request or make a donation using the links provided. Now, I pray you will be blessed as Pastor Jack Morris delivers a message from the word of God that will encourage and strengthen your faith in him.

Pastor Jack Morris: Friend, when I talk about the coming of the Lord, does that frighten you or scare you? Well, then if it does, you need to give your heart to Jesus for he's coming for you to rescue you, to save you, to keep you from anything that's going to cause you to be frightened. Jesus is our savior. That's why we call him savior. He saves us from everything evil and bad that's coming upon the earth. What a savior, what a people. No wonder we're a rejoicing, happy, celebrating people.

Guest (Male): Welcome to the healing word, a radio ministry of the Largo Community Church. Here's Pastor Jack Morris with today's message that will grow your faith in God and lead you to a closer walk with Jesus.

Pastor Jack Morris: Rejoice greatly. You know, Christianity is a happy religion. It's it's an exciting religion, a joyous religion. Its people are a happy and joyous people. Now, there there comes to my mind right now an exception to that statement. You heard the statement, right? You are a happy joyous people, aren't you?

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor Jack Morris: All right. I want to make sure I'm talking to the right crowd today. Christians, I'm talking to Christians, the church of Jesus. But I I have to interject this because there there just there we might call this an exception. In church, you know, church sometimes can be long, not here at Largo Community Church. But it can be long, particularly for a child. Sometimes it seems long to an an adult, but particularly to a child, an hour and 20 minutes is a can be an almost an eternity. Well, this mother and her little daughter were sitting in the congregation one Sunday morning and the service was going on and on.

And little girl began to squirm a little bit and she reached up and she pulled on her mother like this and her mother leaned over and she says, mommy, can we just give him the money and go home? Well, I guess it could work like that. I don't know. But we have come to worship the Lord and to sing his praises and to rejoice in his presence. And the the children, they're going to come along. They're going to be okay. We're going to pray for them and be very supportive of them. But notice the scripture.

It says, as they approached Jerusalem, now this was our Lord Jesus Christ going to Jerusalem for the very last time. Now, think about it. 7 days from now he'll be crucified. He's now on death row. Nobody knows he's on death row, not even the disciples. He's the only one who knew it. And he's there by choice. With all that knowledge, he knows he's going to take your sin and my sin in 7 more days. And he's going to be beaten and scourged and his flesh nailed to a piece of wood. He knows everything that is happening, but his face is set.

His heart has already been set on love to you and me. This is his last visit. Now, he first visited Jerusalem when he was only 8 days old when his parents took him there for the rite of circumcision to bring him under the covenant of Abraham and Moses. Uh the second time he visited Jerusalem was when he was 12 years old. He was now going to be initiated into the son of the law. And his parents left without him. They missed him for 3 days. They went back to the temple and there he was talking to the doctors of the law and the theologians answering questions, asking questions and and sharing.

This would be his last visit to Jerusalem. The fullness of time had come. For this very purpose, he came into the world. I was looking up at the sky the last few weeks and I'm always I always gets almost tingly when I see the the geese coming north. I I I sort of hate to see them going south because I know winter's coming, but it's always an exciting time seeing them come north. And I wonder how do they know when to go and when to come? But they do. And they do it all every year.

Now, how did Jesus know that it was his time? In his heart, God had spoken, the Holy Spirit was leading. He knew it was time to go back to Jerusalem because there he would take upon himself the sins of the world. For this purpose he came. Now, he came to Bethpage, the Mount of Olives, and he paused. And Bethpage is only one Bethpage in in the whole Bible and then this is it. It's just a little village, but it has an it's an overlook. Uh it's on the Mount of Olives and it has a magnificent view of the Holy City, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

And there Jesus paused and he looked ahead and he thought 7 days from now I'll accomplish the purposes of God. For this purpose I came into the world. I'm sure these thoughts must have been going through his mind as he paused and as he reminisced about the time when he was brought there when he was 8 days old. Now, obviously he couldn't remember when he was 8 days old, brought there by his parents, but I'm sure his parents had talked to him about it during his childhood and reminded him over and over that you're a child of the Hebrews.

You are now under the covenant of Abraham. You now belong to the tribe of Moses. Friend, you know, it would be good if we would remind our children from time to time that we brought them to the altar. We gave them to God. They're not for the world. They're they're not for sin. They're for service to the Lord. Parents, we need to remind our children of that on occasion. Uh rather rather frequently. But Jesus did remember when he went to the temple when he was 12 years old and now he reminisces and he looks forward to going there for the very last time to pay our sins and to pay for our debts.

Zechariah prophesied this event 400 years before it was fulfilled. 400 years, that's older than America. Only the Holy Spirit knew what was going to happen. God had this in his mind or he had you and me in his mind all of these ages. He was preparing, but God had a timetable and God was going to do it on time that would bring glory to him and bring eternal salvation to us. Jesus is there at the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives, think of this for just a moment. Zechariah is talking about the Mount of Olives, 400 years before it happened.

400 years passes, Jesus is there. Jesus knew this would be the last time he would be there as a as as a human being in the flesh. This would be the very last time. He is now going to be on the Mount of Olives for the last time in his humility. But not only did Zechariah say that he's coming, he said that 400 years before he came, but Zechariah by the power of the Holy Spirit even went beyond that and said he will come again not in human form, but as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, he is going to come the second time.

And again, he will come to the Mount of Olives and his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. And when his feet touches the Mount of Olives at his second coming, the mountain will split and cleave into and a great valley will be formed. Friend, listen. He came. It was prophesied that he was going to come. The prophecy was fulfilled. The prophecy also says he's coming again. He came to the Mount of Olives. He is coming again to the Mount of Olives. It is all as Isaiah prophesied. Or as Zechariah 14:4. On that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem.

Now, Zechariah said this that there's going to be a rejoicing crowd on that first Palm Sunday. 400 years from now, Zechariah said there's going to be great rejoicing. Friend, when I talk about the coming of the Lord, does that frighten you or scare you? Well, then if it does, you need to give your heart to Jesus for he's coming for you to rescue you, to save you, to keep you from anything that 's going to cause you to be frightened. Jesus is our savior. That's why we call him savior. He saves us from everything evil and bad that's coming upon the earth.

What a savior, what a people. No wonder we're rejoicing, happy, celebrating people. Do you know him today as your savior and Lord? He loves you. You have but to ask him. He'll come into your heart and make you his child and you'll know this this great rejoicing. Rejoice greatly, a joyful kingdom. Now, this kingdom being a rejoicing kingdom, friend, it's not it's not a soft amen, but it's a triumphant hallelujah. Can you say hallelujah?

Congregation: Hallelujah.

Pastor Jack Morris: Oh yes, you are those people who are celebrating and rejoicing not only with palms in your hand given you as you came in, but the praise is in your heart when you cried out just the moment ago, hallelujah, simply meaning praise ye the Lord. Psalm 33:1 says, rejoice in the Lord, oh you righteous. Oh you people who are right with God, rejoice in the Lord. You see what a crown is to a king. Praise is to our God. You and I can put a crown on his head anytime we want to by just lifting his name in praise and in thanksgiving to the Lord.

You know, there there are still Pharisees around today. We don't call them Pharisees anymore, but there are people that would tell us Pastor, your services are too long. Cut them short. Pastor, your sermons are too long. You know, cut them a little shorter. Pastor, your congregation, you sing too loud. Pharisees. So what? Why? Why should I why should I do that? Why should I try to contain myself or contain you? Why should I do that? I see my king coming. I see my king and my heart is overflowed overflowing with gladness. Friend, I'll tell you something.

If you see Jesus in this service today, have you seen him in the anthem? Have you seen him in the praise courses? Have you seen him in the hymns? Listen, once you see Jesus and get a glimpse of your savior, you're going to praise the Lord greatly. You're not going to be able to hold it back. It's going to come out. I see I see my king and I get carried carried away and I cannot recover myself. Is it JFK Stadium where they do football? Well, they used to, right? FedEx Field, is that it? FedEx Field.

All right. I'm just a little bit behind time, but I'm running catch up a little fast. FedEx Field. Now, when the Redskins make a touchdown, do the people just Let's get some popcorn. It would be more easily to contain the people up there in the bleachers, up there in the up there, wherever up there is. I mean, they just they're uncontainable. Their team has made a touchdown. Now, what would it be like to say to the coaches or whoever, contain those people. Cause them to be silent. Listen, friend, that's a touchdown and when it's over, it's over.

You go home and you talk about it a few hours. But you and I have something that is not a few hours, but of an eternity in its duration. We've been redeemed. We rejoice greatly and we can't recover ourselves. We we can't hold back. All hail King Jesus. Crown him king. The king enters. It's the coronation day of Jesus Christ. They began to take down palm branches off the the trees and wave them. Palm branches are symbolic of salvation and joy. Those that couldn't reach the palm band branches or get to them, they took their clothes off, their coats off and put it down for the little donkey to go over.

I mean, those people got with it. That's how God's people they they worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. It is a for real. It's not a flashing a pan touchdown. It it is of an eternal duration. It is Jesus who has come and I have caught a glimpse of my Lord. It's Jesus and I worship him. I get carried. Come on. Come on, get happy. Get carried away. It's triumphant Sunday and tomorrow is going to be triumphant Monday and triumphant Tuesday and triumphant praise to God forever and ever, world without end. It's Jesus.

Behold the king. Behold the king. When I behold him, when I see him, when I get a glimpse of him by faith in my heart, when it first happened, he changed my life and my life has been forever changed and so has yours and it continues to be changed. He's coming. He comes in majesty. He comes in mastery. He comes in ministry. Our Jesus comes now to bless, to minister, to forgive, to answer prayer, to do great and mighty things. And how am I going to respond? I will rejoice greatly with my love, with my affection and with my heart.

My king comes. He comes with as Zechariah said with righteousness having salvation. Now, say those words, righteousness having salvation. Meaning he comes to triumph. He comes to set everything right in your life. If there's anything in your life that is dysfunctional or disarray in disarray, he comes to make things right and he's to he will do it. Notice now I'm saying he will do it. Now, if you read on in Isaiah chapter in Zechariah chapter 9 verse 9, he said, rejoice oh daughter of Zion, rejoice oh daughter of Jerusalem. What is he saying here? In the scripture, daughter of Zion, daughter of Jerusalem, daughter of Israel simply means the virgin daughter who is defenseless.

Here, we are being pictured as a young pure virgin, young without a lot of strength, without a lot of energy. We are defenseless. Evil is coming on. But the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, the daughter of Israel will rejoice greatly because the Lord comes in righteousness having salvation. We, friend, listen, we cannot defend ourselves against sin, against temptation, against evil habits, against bad attitudes and dispositions. Things are going to happen to us that will cause us much grief. We are like the virgin daughter, defenseless. But he comes. The Lord comes. He is our defender.

He is our warrior. He triumphs over. He smashes the head of our our enemies and he gives us victory now, victory today, not victory somewhere sometime, but right now he comes, the Lord Jesus Christ, victory over our wrongs, over our mistakes, over our sins. Friend, listen. There's somebody. There's somebody right now. You think because you know the word of God so greatly, you know the print. You know how to Greek it and Hebrew it. But you don't know the author. You haven't seen Jesus. You are a sourpuss. Until you see Jesus, until you somehow look upon him.

When they saw him coming, friend, we don't come to church just to learn. Yes, we come to church to learn, but we come to church to see Jesus, to worship Jesus and to allow Jesus to triumph over everything that is wrong in our life. He will put a smile on our face. He will put rejoicing in our heart. He will put glory in our soul. Friend, rejoice. Don't be a sourpuss. You're a believer. You have been redeemed. Have you haven't you or have you been redeemed? Have you seen Jesus today? Friend, you'll smile. You'll rejoice.

You'll shake hands. You'll hug. You won't you will not absent yourself from the people of God, but you'll look up for an excuse every time to get with that triumphant crowd on the Jerusalem road. And we're on the Jerusalem road today. And we're going to be on the Jerusalem road Friday night. And we're going to be on the Jerusalem road at the women's fellowship breakfast, on the Jerusalem road at the men's fellowship breakfast. Wherever God's people are gathered, two or three in his name, that's the Jerusalem road and that's where I'm to be. There are some people they act like they're going to a private heaven.

Friend, if you can't get along down here and you don't enjoy the company of the saints down here, you are in a sorry sorry place. I'm on the Jerusalem road today. Hallelujah. And I love the people of God. I'm going to heaven with the people of God. I want to get used to the people of God down here. I'm on that Jerusalem road and the Lord is with me and he's with you. And it's time to rejoice and to glory in the Lord. And whatever the problems are, whatever the difficulties, whatever the troubles, whatever Satan the enemy brings against us, I feel like I'm a daughter of Zion.

I'm just defenseless against evil, against sin, against pride, against arrogance. I'm defenseless, but he triumphs for me. He wins the battle for me. He's my savior. He's my Lord. I I'm defenseless and I'm I'm glad I am because I don't know how to fight evil. I don't know how to fight that invisible force. I do not know how to fight evil and wickedness in high places. But I know Jesus. And I have to thank him. I have to rejoice in him. I cannot do otherwise. I'm speaking of you also. That's your testimony. Handle wrote a great great wonderful wonderful hymn, an anthem.

Handles Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. And he shall reign forever and ever and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Friend, what God has started, his kingdom in you knows no end. It'll never come to an end. This rejoicing must continue on. It will continue on as long as you have a relationship with Jesus, as long as you see Jesus, as long as you know that you are part of the company, the people, the church of the firstborn, the company of the redeemed. As long as you know that that you are one with God's people.

Jesus said, I will build my church. And he puts his church together because he prayed, God, make them one even as we are one. Listen, I can't be one over here and you one over there. Jesus said, Father, even as you and I are one, you bring them together. One of these days one of these days he's coming and his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives and he's just going to bring all of his people together, his bride. That's what he calls them. His bride, his people and bring us together unto one. Friend, I have to close now, but lo, your king comes.

Your king comes to you. Rejoice greatly and shout aloud for joy. Worship him. Worship him. You are his saints. Worship him. Worship him in private. Worship him in congregation. Worship him with fellowship. Worship him when you're alone. Worship him. Praise him. Sing greatly. You're no longer defenseless. You have a savior. He's going to keep you now and someday he's going to come for you. We're on the Jerusalem road in the meantime. Amen?

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor Jack Morris: Amen. Amen.

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