Luke chapter 19 today. Luke 19. Jesus had a remarkable way of speaking to people, often using imagery, illustration, example to connect spiritual truth with their daily lives. In Matthew chapter 11, he painted a word picture that resonated deeply with those who heard, and it still speaks to us today. Because just like them, we know what it's like to feel weary, to carry the burdens of the world. And often, our efforts to go it alone to live independently, fall very short, and only add to the weight that we bear. But Jesus gives us this picture. Be up on the screen for you. He connects a truth with something that people of the day knew well. Two oxen yoked together, working in a field. When he gave this invitation, come unto me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Imagine two oxen yoked together, pulling side by side. One ox can pull a load on its own, but when two are yoked together, something powerful happens. Their combined strength doesn't just double, it multiplies exceedingly. Together they can accomplish far more than either could alone. Jesus issues this invitation in Matthew chapter 11. He issues one of the most beautiful promises that he ever gave. Come to me and ye shall find rest. But this isn't just one of Jesus' most precious promises. It's also an invitation. He's to partner with him. Take my yoke upon you. Jesus is not inviting us to take a yoke upon us in an individual sense. You take the yoke, you pull the burden, you do the work. Jesus is actually inviting us to partner with him To yoke up with him And just as is true for two yachts and who not only double but actually multiply exceedingly so when we partner with Jesus when we partner with God and What we find is that our power, our strength, our endurance multiplies exceedingly. As we turn to our text in Luke 19 today, we're going to look at an example and explore how we can respond to this invitation to partner with God in a meaningful way. Luke chapter 19, let's pick up in verse number 28. The Bible says, And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, At the mount called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples saying, Go ye into the village over against you, in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never a man sat. Lose him and bring him hither. If any man ask you, why do you lose him? Thus shall ye say unto him, because the Lord hath need of him. They that were Sent went their way and found even as he had said unto them And as they were loosing the coat the owners thereof said unto them. Why Lucy the colt? And they said the Lord hath need of him And they brought him to Jesus and they cast their garments upon the colt and they set Jesus thereon And as he went they spread their clothes in the way I want you to think with me as we explore this idea of partnering with God in a meaningful way. Number one, we can partner in God's work. We can partner in God's work. As Jesus approaches Jerusalem during the final week before his crucifixion, We find ourselves at a turning point in God's salvation plan from Luke 19 28 Through nearly the end of chapter 4. This is culminating week Jesus approaches Jerusalem for the final time the passage we just read is the introduction into what is often called his triumphal entry and Passover is about to begin. And by the middle of this week, Jesus will be betrayed, arrested, tried, crucified. And then the first day of the next week, he will rise again. And so we're at that climactic time. This is the week that everything changes. And as we see Jesus approaching the city, we see something beautiful in motion. Jesus, the son of God, invites others to partner in God's work. Jesus himself was always focused on God's work, wasn't he? In Luke 19 verse 10, which we find just earlier in this chapter, after his conversation with Zacchaeus, we hear Jesus identify what that is. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save. that which was lost. This was his focus. This is where his attention was. And I love that here in this text, in these moments, as he is drawing near to finishing that work, he is still inviting others to join him in God's work. And this is so important for you and me to understand. God's mission is never a solo endeavor. Throughout the Bible, God constantly invites people to join him in what he's doing. And in this moment, we see the same thing. Jesus, as he's approaching Jerusalem, Tells two of his disciples go into the village go into the city There you'll find this colt tie that no man has ever sat on Lose him bring him to me. If anyone stops you says what are you doing? Then answer them the lord has need and so we see jesus using his disciples We see Jesus inviting the owners. Can you imagine the owners of this cult? Some have supposed that Jesus has pre-planned with the owners to have this take place. The scripture gives us no indication of that. Perhaps it happened, perhaps it didn't. Whatever the case may be Jesus two disciples show up They find this cult that Jesus spoke to them about they begin to untie him and leave the cult away And the owners show up and say hey, what are you doing? It's as if, for you, someone managed to take your car keys from wherever they're laying around, and walk to your vehicle, and unlock the door, and climbed in, and started it up, and about that time, you figured out what was going on, and you said, hey, what are you doing? And they look at you and say, well, the Lord is in need of your car. You probably would not find that too awfully amusing. The Bible tells us pretty clearly in Mark chapter 11 verse 6 that when the disciples told the owners of this cult the Lord has need of him the Bible says They let them go They permitted them they allowed them to take the Colton go on their way. I So Jesus invites the disciples. He invites the owners of this cult. Hey, do you see this? The Lord invites the donkey to partner in his work. Jesus told the disciples, if anyone asks you, say this, and did you catch what he said to say? Read it, would you? The Lord hath need him Think about that for a second The Lord had need of him Now we know that in context there is a prophecy found in Zechariah 9 verse 9 to Jerusalem that their Savior King would come unto them riding upon a colt the full of an ass and A baby donkey, a young donkey. So there is a prophetic purpose that is at play here. But it begs the question, doesn't it? Does God need us? Lord, what do we say to the owners if they wonder why we're stealing their colt? Tell them the Lord has need of him. Does God need us? Have you ever thought about that question? Does God need me? Does God need us? Theologically, the answer would be no. God is self-sufficient. He's independent over all creation. God does not need anyone or anything to exist. God does not need anyone or anything to survive. God does not need anyone or anything to do what he is going to do. Theologically speaking, God doesn't need us. But over and over and over again, all throughout the Bible, He invites ordinary people to join him in his extraordinary work. And that's very meaningful. To me, it is more meaningful that God doesn't need me, and yet he chooses me. It's a blessing this morning to understand that to do his work, God doesn't need me, but he chooses to use me and to partner with me in his work. Think about that, from Adam tasked with tending the garden. to Noah building the ark, to Moses leading a nation, and we could continue throughout the word of God. God doesn't need us, but he chooses us. He invites us to partner with him in his work, and that includes you and me today. Let that sink in. God wants you to partner with him in his work. Paul penned these words in Ephesians 2 in verse 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus under good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. You and I were made for this. You and I were created with purpose, with this invitation from God to partner with Him in the extraordinary work He wants to do in the world, that He wants to do in humanity, that He wants to do in people's lives. You and I have the privilege of joining with Him in that way, to do what He desires to have done. Think about the prayer that Jesus gave an example of in Matthew chapter 6 Our father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever amen right in the middle there Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. How is that done? God chooses to do that through partnering with ordinary people like you and me to do his extraordinary work. Are we walking in the purpose God has for us? Today, God is inviting you, he's inviting me to partner with him in his work. That was part of what Jesus meant when he said, come unto me all ye who weary and are heavy laden and I'll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. He was inviting us to partner with him in his work. Are you walking in that purpose? And then I want you to see a second way that Luke 19 exemplifies that we can partner with God Not only we can partner with him in his work, but we can partner in God's worship pick up in verse number 37 if you would of Luke 19 the Bible declares and when he was come and Nine even now at the descent of the mount of olives the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice And praise god with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen Saying blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the lord Peace in heaven and glory in the highest And some of the pharisees from among the multitude said unto him master rebuke thy disciples And he answered and said unto them. I tell you that if these should hold their peace The stones would immediately cry out And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the day shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee. And they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And he went into the temple. and began to cast out them that sold their inn and them that bought, saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him and could not find what they might do, for all the people were very attentive to hear him. What's the connection? through these verses, this second half of this part of the text. In a way, this text or portion of the text represents a contrast in the way people respond to Jesus. Think about this as it relates to partnering in God's worship. Do you see this truth in the text that we can worship through reception of Jesus as our Savior and King. As Jesus mounts the colt and they begin to descend through the Kidron Valley into and then up to Jerusalem, what are the disciples beginning to do? What did we read there in the text? They're rejoicing. They're crying out, Hosanna! Now son of David who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna to the king. They are worshiping Jesus. And something interesting is at play here as well. If you remember many times throughout the New Testament, throughout the Gospels, throughout Jesus' time in ministry, Jesus will heal a person and then he'll tell them, Don't say anything to anybody. Jesus asked his disciples who do people say that I am? Oh some say you're Jeremiah or one of the prophets some say you're John the Baptist returned from that some say you're Elisha That you're one of these great prophets and Jesus will then say well, who do you say that I am? Oh, well, we believe you're the Christ the son of the Living God. That's great guys. You're true blaster you that no one revealed this to you that you learned it of God himself and Now keep it to yourself don't say anything about this to anybody But now here are jesus disciples who by the way Still have a misunderstanding about his purpose Why they're coming to jerusalem and what's going to take place there? They're rejoicing and they're worshiping jesus And he's not saying anything He's not telling them hey guys keep it to yourselves Be quiet, don't say that. There are others in the crowd who are not receptive. They speak to Jesus, these religious leaders, and they say, master, your disciples be quiet, rebuke them. Don't you hear what they're saying? Tell them to close their mouths. What does Jesus do? In his response, Jesus identifies his acceptance of their worship. I'm not going to tell them to be quiet. In fact, Jesus looks back at these Pharisees and he says, if I were to tell these to be quiet, then the very stones would begin crying out and praising me. I don't know about you, but I almost would have liked Jesus to tell the disciples to be quiet so they could see that happen. What a sight that would have been to see creation itself begin to cry out in praise and worship Jesus Christ. This whole ordeal is interesting, isn't it? Worship is another way that we can partner with God. We join in in declaring his glory. The stones would have done it had Jesus' disciples not done it. But the Bible tells us that creation already declares the glory of God, doesn't it? The heavens declare the glory of God. The firmament shows his handiwork. But what a wonderful privilege God has given to you and I to join in nature's song, to worship and praise him. So here's a question for you and me today. How does our lives reflect our worship of Jesus? How does your life today reflect worship of Jesus? What we begin to understand here is Jesus is entering Jerusalem as the prophet Zacharias said he would, not only as king, but as savior. He is a savior king. And by accepting him, by receiving him as Savior and King, the disciples partnered in worship. And so let me ask you today, are you receptive of Jesus as Savior and King? Let's begin with Savior. The Bible is clear that Jesus came into this world to live a perfect life that we can't. You understand that, don't you? I'm not perfect. I, many times in my life, have said and done and thought things against God's law, against His will, His word, and so have you. We cannot live perfectly, which is what God requires to enter into his presence. And not one of us can. There is none righteous, no not one, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But Jesus came. the very son of God the God man God himself robed in human flesh and He lived perfectly He did everything right that he should have done He didn't do anything wrong that he shouldn't have done. He lived the perfect life that we can't and then Just later on from this week He died the death that we deserve. For the wages of sin is death. Not just physical death. but also something else that Jesus experienced on the cross. The reason he cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Because death isn't just a physical end of life, it is a separation from God. And while Jesus Christ was hanging on that cross, bearing in his own body, he literally became my sin. He experienced separation from God. Something that those who do not receive Jesus as Savior will experience for all of eternity. And then he died. Was buried. But on the third day, he rose again. to offer you and I something we could never earn for ourselves, eternal life. Have you received jesus? as your savior Recognizing you are a sinner condemned in your sin that jesus died in your place He rose again to offer you eternal life new life In him and you can only receive that gift through faith in jesus and his finished work for you Have you trusted jesus christ as your savior? And if you say yes pastor, I have received Jesus Christ as my Savior Praise God. Are you also receptive of him as your king as? Your sovereign is Jesus the Lord of your life You see friends we need to understand that worship is about our words and but it's a life as a testimony to his greatness. Worship isn't just confined to a song we sing on Sunday or to sitting in a chair or a pew during a service. Worship is a way we live every day. It's every action, every decision, every word declaring Jesus is king. Does your life reflect worship of him? Are you partnering with him in worship in that way? And then Jesus did something shocking. As you continue reading, as we did in Luke chapter 19, he entered the temple and started flipping tables, driving out the money changers. Historians tell us that this took place in the court of the Gentiles. They're in that outer court of the temple where both Jew and Gentile could come to offer worship to the Lord as only the priest could enter the actual building of the temple. The temple leaders allowed there to be businessmen, traders there, selling the animals for sacrifice, but they were doing so. One historian even that I read tells us, That the pigeons which were for the poor people which outside of the temple grounds you could get for about four denarii The business people inside the outer court were selling the same pigeons for 75 denarii almost 20 times The cost you could get it elsewhere Fleecing the people of God, fleecing those who came with a heart for worship. This was the central place of worship, and yet they had made it as Jesus said, a den of thieves and robbers, and he said, my house is a house of prayer. But you've made it this den of thieves and in this we see another way That we can partner in God's worship not only through reception of Jesus as our Savior and King But secondly, we can parse it we can partner with God in worship through respect of his house You see they came to a place where they no longer respected God's house This was the central place of worship for Israel's God. Not an idol made of stone or wood carved by men's hands, but the one true God. This is where he was worshipped. In his response here, Jesus' response to what he found revealed his disappointment with the treatment of God's house by God's people. So let's think for a moment. For us, what does it mean to treat God's house with respect? I can remember when I was younger. seeing or at times being one of the children scolded for running around in the auditorium at church. And often it was said something like this, we need to respect God's house. At times, even parents would be spoken to about the need to teach their children how they should act in God's house. I have to wonder, is kids running around in the auditorium really what God's concerned about? Is he focused on whether children are running around in the auditorium or is it something deeper? We study scriptures, especially Jesus life the Gospels as it's presented to us in the Word of God. We learned something Very quickly Jesus is concerned with the heart There was a day when the Pharisees came to him, and they tried to trap Jesus. They questioned him. They tried to put him in a corner and talk with him about something to trap him in his words. And Jesus immediately flipped the table, and he accused them, saying, you drive not God, with your words, but your hearts are far from him." Jesus quoted Isaiah as he made this accusation and clearly identified he did not wish to be worshipped Through right words, he desired to be worshiped through an attitude and a position of the heart. That is what he is concerned with. He's concerned with why we're here and how we approach him. Are we just going through the motions? Well, I don't run around in the auditorium. I treat God's house with respect in that way, is that really what he's after? Or is he after something at a deeper level? Are we truly honoring him with our hearts, our lives, our actions? Now I want you to remember this truth today. It's not God's house, the auditorium. In fact, the application of the temple in the New Testament Christianity demands our attention. Paul wrote about it in 1 Corinthians chapter six when he said this, what? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. I'm gonna ask you a very pointed question. How are you treating God's temple today? You say, pastor, well, I'm here in the auditorium. I'm dressed neatly. I haven't been running around the auditorium today. I've respected God's house. Friends, can I remind you that God's house today isn't this building. Your body is the temple of God. Because God has given you of his spirit, his very spirit indwells you. You see, it's not just the church building, it's us. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. God dwells in you. How are you treating his temple? In case you're here today and you want to say, you know pastor God really isn't concerned about that I'll call you attention your attention to verse 20 where Paul doesn't just say glorify God in your Spirit glorify God in your heart. He says first glorify God in your body You see God is concerned and with how you and I treat our body, with what we do with our bodies. God is concerned about it. Do we worship God with our entire lives, with every part of our being, recognizing that we are his dwelling place? I think we can think, perhaps, of many different applications in which this could be. Perhaps you can think back to times over your life where you've heard different applications of this. In the direct context of 1 Corinthians chapter 6, Paul is pretty clear what his context is. Verse number 18, what does he say? Flee fornication. sexual sin and immorality. Why? Because your body is the temple of God. But we could extend that application in so many different areas. Your body is God's temple. And as God's temple, The Bible commands us to glorify God in your body and in your spirit because they belong to him. There are so many ways to apply this, how we care for our physical bodies, how we treat others, because others too who are believers in Jesus Christ are also temples of the Holy Ghost. How we manage our time and resources. All could be included in how we are glorifying God in our bodies and in our spirits, recognizing that they belong to him. Are we honoring God with our lives? How is your life a living act of worship? It ought to be. we can partner with God in worship. I want you to take a moment and reflect on the powerful invitation Jesus extended us in Matthew 11. He calls us to take his yoke upon us, to partner with him in our weariness, our weakness, our burdens, our lives, offering us rest, but not the kind that comes from inactivity, the kind that comes from partnering with him in his work and in his worship. We see it exemplified in Luke 19. Disciples, donkey owners, and even the donkey itself being invited into partnering with God in his work. It was a simple task, but it was an essential task. God using ordinary people to help in his extraordinary work. How are you partnering with God in his work? That partnership continues in worship. Jesus accepted the praise and worship of the crowd, knowing that even if they were silent, creation itself would cry out. Worship is not just the songs we sing, it's the lives we live. How are we reflecting God's glory if our worship is genuine? then it will carry out through all of our lives. It won't be just going through the motions, but it will be a heart engaged in honoring and glorifying God. We're also reminded that respecting God's house isn't just about honoring a building. We are the temples of the holy ghost. Are we living lives that reflect reverence and honor to him? The challenge today is to partner with god in work and worship Take jesus yoke upon you because it is there That you can find rest for your soul and remember That kind of work is not burdensome. That kind of partnership isn't burdensome. It's life giving because you don't walk alone. Jesus is beside you. And when that's true, you can accomplish far more than you ever could alone. Let's commit to walking with him, working alongside him, worshiping him. and partnering with Him in every area of our lives.