God's Last Words

“The Loud Silence”

Luke 19: 28-40    

Since Easter’s coming up fast I thought I’d give you the “Rules of Chocolate” to help you appreciate all those chocolate covered bunnies and eggs you’re going to be exposed to. 

If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly. 

Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want. 

The problem: How to get two pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. Most obvious solution: Eat it in the parking lot.  

Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less overall. 

A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy? 

If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you? 

If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves. 

Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger. 

Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous? Because no one wants to quit. Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done. 

Chocolate is a health food. Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived either from sugar beets or cane, both vegetables.

And, of course, the milk and cream are dairy. This means eating chocolate meets the dietary requirements for daily vegetable and dairy intake.

I think some folks treat chocolate like a religion and worship it. I’ve seen the altar that CVS and Wal-Mart have set up for chocolate. I’ve been to Olympia Candy Kitchen.

 

Too many people worship material things at holidays, Christmas for sure, and Easter with its Easter Bunnies and things chocolate, as well.  Too many of us have sold out for many material things over God. 

We also know that some people are embarrassed by worship of God but are the first in line to worship at the altar of humankind. Today we’re going to talk about worship and what God thinks about worship. 

There is a quote that says: “There must be some great truth underlying the instinct for worship.” And its clear God agrees! Let’s read the Gospel: Luke 19: 28-40 - 

After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethpage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 

If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, The Lord needs it.” So those who were dent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” 

Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” 

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” 

I think that the Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem was an act of spontaneous worship that few people present that day could have told others why they did it afterward.  I guess it must have been one of those “you had to be there, moments!” 

It gives us the answer to the truth underlying the worship of God.

The passage leading up to this event contains the parable of the master who goes on a trip and leaves his servants with money to work with while he is gone. Upon the master’s return one of the servants has refused to do anything with the money. He says he feared losing it.

The master is not happy and punishes the wicked servant. It is on this note that Jesus begins His entry into Jerusalem and the final week of ministry. 

I want to highlight the part of this passage that centers on Jesus’ response after being asked by the Pharisees to “stop” His disciples’ worship. Jesus tells them it really doesn’t matter if they did because the very creation, the stones, will cry out in praise.  

The Master is back, and the accounting will begin. There is nothing humanity can do to stop it. In humanity’s silence God’s creation will be loud. 

What a message we need to hear! God’s creation confirms and offers praise to its creator. He is due our praise and worship in simple ways. Yet nothing anyone can do to us or His reputation will stop it. God is God, Jesus is Jesus, the Holy Spirit will act, and no one can prevent it. God will not be silenced! 

The atonement that requires a blameless lamb has been set in motion and the universe knows it and approves. 

The Greek word for worship is “pro-sky-neō” which means following, obeying, and praising a God or sacred person or any object regarded as sacred. Worship can be given to God or a “sacred” idea or object that becomes like a god.   

The Pharisees are trying to silence Jesus and God because they recognize that His message is not one they want to be part of. Isn't this the way of our world as well? 

If we look around Christianity today, and those who claim Christ, there are many differences in worship practices, and it is our traditions that determine how we worship.  

Since we are all sinners it’s hard to say what others’ do is wrong, unless the Bible proves it’s clearly not Biblical.

 

We say that God’s truth will prevail – it’s why we place the Bible above tradition, the Holy Spirit protects and promotes God’s truth. 

We see the efforts all around us to suppress God’s Word and Truth. Guess what?

 

It will never be successful. God’s very creation, in the silence of humanity, will be very loud in support of God. 

We must do what we can in our worship and praise, knowing we swim upstream in the strong current of human undertow. 

There was a congregation that decided to have four worship services each Sunday.  

There was one for those new to the faith. One for those who liked traditional worship. One for those who had lost their faith and would like to get it back. And finally another for those who had a bad experience with church who  complain about it. The names for each service: "Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers." 

Or how about this ad for a church across town: 

“Has the heaviness of you old fashioned church got you weighted down? Try us! We are the New and Improved Lite Church of the Valley. Studies have shown we have 24% fewer commitments. We trim off guilt as we are Low-Cal... low Calvin, that is. We feature a 7.5% tithe, a 35 minute worship service with 7 minute sermons. Next Sunday's sermon is on the Feeding of 500.” 

God has told us how to worship. Remember the words of God from the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 6: 4-9 - 

“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children.  

Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” 

This is how we humans are to worship – as often as is practically possible and in all efforts of our lives. God requires no less. Let us become as rocks in our worship! 

Amen.