Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
April 4, 2004 - W0414

Today is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, but what was Palm Sunday all about?  It was about making things right.

When Jesus came down from the Mount of Olives and rode into Jerusalem, He knew that the people who were cheering him that day would be jeering him the next. And the ones who were shouting, ìHosannah!î would be shouting, ìCrucify him!î  The thing is that they thought they were right. What's more, they felt so right that they actually killed Him. They thought that they were doing God a favor by getting rid of this one who called himself the Messiah. They thought they were right!

Have you ever been so convinced you were right only to discover later just how wrong you really were? Itís a humbling experience, but donít feel bad because youíre in good company. We all know the feeling. As a matter of fact, one person in the Bible who thought he was right yet so wrong was none other than the Apostle Paul. (When he was first introduced in the Bible, his name was actually Saul which was later changed to Paul).

Saul was very religious; he was a good Pharisee who knew the Bible and sincerely believed that the Christian movement was dangerous to Judaism. So he hated Christians and felt justified in persecuting them without mercy. In fact, he felt he was doing God a favor by getting rid of these pesky people who talked about a man named Jesus Christ who had risen from the dead.

He felt justified in doing Christians harm until one day, on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus, the following took place: ìI persecuted the followers of this Way to their deathÖand went to bring those people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.  About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ëSaul! Saul! Why do you persecute Me?í ëWho are You, Lord?í I asked.  ëI am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,í He replied.î (Acts 22:4-8).

Well an amazing thing took place after that. God gloriously converted Saul from a condemner to a restorer. God did not waste any part of Saulís background, training, citizenship, mind, or even his weaknesses. God transformed him from a persecutor of Christians to a preacher for Christ. On top of that, God used him mightily to write nearly half of the New Testament. Paul, as he was called after his conversion, is often called the apostle to the Gentiles.

There are many other drastic, even miraculous turnarounds that can be found in the Bible including:

• Prodigal Son
• Samson
• Jonah
• David and Bathsheba
• Moses and the burning bush

Through these examples, the Bible shows how we sometimes believe we are doing the right things; we learn later that our choices were so wrong. Even so, God gives us a chance to turn our lives to Jesus so He can transform us and use us in mighty ways. The great thing is that it doesnít matter how far weíve turned from God or what weíve done, if we turn to Jesus He can use our life in a magnificent way just as He did with Paul. Godís grace is sufficient.

Look at whatís happening in the world today. Itís what terrorism is aboutÖpeople who think they are doing right and doing God a favor with their violence and persecution. But theyíre wrong. Itís almost demonic. In fact, itís a sign of the end times. ìÖthe time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing God a serviceî (John 16:2 NLT).

Sure we may not be international terrorists but in a lesser way, we are sometimes just as debilitating in our own homes, relationships, and even in our churches. Sometimes we think weíre so right that we justify being condescending, condemning, gossiping, or talking bad about one another. And we break peopleís hearts rather than heal them together. Remember, when we see problems, it doesnít necessarily mean that things are bad.  Itís just a reminder that weíre human. We are all fallen creatures trying our best to get back up. You see, it is in the rising that makes all the difference and that is what Easter is all about.

Keep in mind that failure is not when we fall, but when we refuse to get back up. It can also be when we donít help those who have fallen around us to rise again. You see when we have fallen, a helping hand is much better than a pointing finger to help us get back up. And when we surround someone who has fallen, we are then able to play a part in the risingÖor the resurrection.

As a church, we need to be a part of the resurrectionÖhelping people to rise again.  Whether itís from the destruction of their own lives or making poor decisions, we need to help people (as much as we need people to help us) rise again. It does not mean for us to tolerate or endorse sin. However, we must be careful of the extremes. Though we should not condemn those who have fallen, we should neither endorse nor celebrate the things (sins) that have caused them to fall. Instead, we should embrace them so they can be restored. So here are suggestions on what we can do to make things right in our relationships and in our church:

MAKING THINGS RIGHT INÖ

1.      OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

ìIf someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself.  You might be needing forgiveness before the dayís outî (Gal. 6:1 Message).

This passage tells us to give forgiveness and help because you will need the same before long.

ìDo not be over righteous, neither be overwise ñ why destroy yourself?î (Eccl. 7:16 NIV).

When the Lord spoke to Saul on his way to Damascus, God blinded him and knocked him off his horse. It was almost as though God wanted to show Paul physically what he was spiritually.  

God is not always as dramatic with us as He was with Paul by knocking us off a horse, but God will often talk to us in private. He will talk to us about the sins in our lives: stealing, an emotional affair, a gambling habit, pride, our contentious ways, etc. When that happens, deal with it promptly. Donít ignore Him because if we donít allow God to deal with sin in our lives in private, it will come out in public just as He did with Saul.

So the first step in making things right is to be mindful of our relationships. Forgive one another instead of pointing fingers. Find ways in helping to restore rather than criticize. The next area we can make a difference and make things right is inÖ

2.      OUR CHURCH.

Did you know that when we attack other churches or Christians, we are attacking God?

In Acts 22:4-8, God says, ìSaul!  Saul!  Why do you persecute Me?î  What God is telling us here is that when we persecute those around us (the church or other Christians); we are in fact persecuting Him.

Remember as Christians, we make up the church and thus are the body of Christ. We are all a part of that same body. Thus, when we attack another Christian, itís like weíre attacking ourselves, but moreover, God.

Imagine for a moment the body of Christ as a man playing a guitar. If the man plays a wrong chord, does he take out a hammer and hit the hand because it fingered the wrong strings? Or would he poke himself in the eye because his eye misread the note? Of course not! Yet in effect, arenít we doing that when we criticize or condemn other Christians?

In this redemptive season of Easter, letís think about that and letís live what we believe.  Letís not destroy ourselves. This becomes even more important when we realize that God will bring people to the church that will need help. They may have some problems and feel awkward. They may even bring some baggage or residue from a past life. Nevertheless, we must remember that theyíre seeking Godís best. Itís so easy for us to condemn or criticize in the name of righteousness (Paul was like this). However, we need to be the church that represents Him well. We are the body of Chirst.

ìI was so zealous that I persecuted the church.  As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the Law, I was without faultÖî (Phil. 3:6 TEV) And in spite of having the right position, doing the right acts, and having the biblical knowledge, we can still be wrong and unjustified if we donít have the right heart. Thatís why God reminds us to be careful and guard our hearts because otherwise we can be like those spoken in this verse:

ì[Those] who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their heartsî (Ps. 28:3).

When you come to church (New Hope), please remember two things:

• IT IS NOT A PLACE FOR HIDING, BUT FOR RESTORING.

The church is not a place to bring your errors and way of life to hide them and have them endorsed or celebrated. Although it is happening in some places (and some church leadershipís may be folding into it), the church is not a place for hiding but rather for restoring. ìBrethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be temptedî (Gal. 6:1).  (See also 1 Cor. 5:7-13). In other words, when people come to church with their wounds, hurts, and problems, we are to help restore them. The church is not a place where people should expect the Bible, its teachings, and God to change in order to celebrate their lifestyle. Thatís idolatry.

The Bible says, ì...you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindlerî (1 Cor. 5:11). In this verse, God is telling us not to associate with anyone who calls himself a brother and continues in their worldly ways. In the same way, it is saying that we should not tolerate sinful behavior but instead help restore people. So while the church is not a place for hidingÖ

• IT IS A PLACE FOR HEALING.

God will bring people to the church, especially in this Easter/resurrection season with all of their issues and baggage. So, there will be a season when those people will be among us. We have a choice, we can be embarrassed and ashamed of them or we can embrace them and help them heal. The Lord calls us to love them. They are lost and we need to help them find their way home. ìBut when He heard this, He said, ëIt is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means, ìI desire compassion, and not sacrifice,î for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinnersíî (Matt. 9:12-13).

Our God is such a gracious God who comes to heal and restore. The Bible is full of examples of people whom God has transformed and was able to use in mighty ways despite their derogatory pasts. In many cases, the people thought they were so right when in fact, they were so wrong. God does not care what our past is as long as we come to Him with a pure heart seeking restoration.

So in our relationships, we have an opportunity to participate in peopleís resurrection by helping them when they stumble and helping them to rise again. As the body of Christ, God calls us to help restore and heal people, not by allowing them to hide their errors, but by embracing them so they can be restored.

In this season of resurrection, Easter, extend your hearts and hands so that you will represent Him well and assist in the conversion of lives for the kingdom of God.  

Happy Easter everyone and God bless us all!

Discussion Topics

1. Describe a situation in which you thought you were right but then later discovered you were wrong.  What did you do when you discovered you were wrong?
2. Talk about a time when God tried to approach you in private and you disregarded Him.  What happened? 
3. What issue has God been trying to work with you on?  How are you dealing with it?  If youíre not, what is preventing you from dealing with it?
4. How can you embrace those that God has brought to church and support their restoration and healing?
5. What kind of conversion or transformation has God done in your life?  What can you share with someone that is struggling as you were about the transformation now that youíve been through it?

Many thanks to our faithful volunteer writer, Jaylene Tsukayama ñ well done!