Message Series // Disappointed With God (Palm Sunday)
Message Date // April 5, 2020 (Scotty Priest)
Big Idea
The events of Palm Sunday are a lesson about expectations. The people of the time expected Jesus would gather an army to overthrow the Roman Empire and set up a new government. But Jesus never said he would do that. And when it became apparent that this was not going to happen, DISAPPOINTMENT took hold. In five days, the people went from CELEBRATION to CRUCIFIXION, But…when the people were disappointed and abandoning Jesus, he was accomplishing his greatest work. What looked like defeat was actually leading up to the greatest victory in history. The truth is that when it seems like we can’t see God’s hand working around us, we need to trust His heart.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” — Matthew 21:10-11
Discussion
Read Matthew 21:1-11 (Palm Sunday story). If we dive into the story, it becomes evident that the people in the story had incorrect expectations of Jesus. The truth is that we also have expectations of God, and often times our current circumstances don’t fit the picture of how we think God is supposed to react. We ask…”Why God?” We don’t understand. It’s confusing. We wondering if God is punishing us. We are disappointed with Jesus because we thought He was going a certain direction, and He doesn’t. Have you ever felt this way? Share any current or past circumstances that have brought you to a place of feeling disappointed in God.
Disappointment with God is a very real and normal thing. You can even see it bleed through different parts of the Bible. Now, it’s in moments like these that we can go a few directions. We can…
- Be Bitter – calloused, angry, resentful, walk away and reject God
- Blow it off – ignore, pretend it doesn’t matter, stick our head in the sand
- Build our Faith – learn, explore, ask, dig deeper, trust God, grow and learn
With everything we are facing globally, how do you see these different reactions expressed? Do any of these responses describe how you have reacted in the past? How do you honestly feel you are responding during the current Coronavirus pandemic?
It’s in times like these that we can realize that Jesus has different priorities than us. Jesus will allow these circumstances to SHAKE us and REMIND us. He will remind us that we are stewards of what He has given us, not owners. We are not the makers, but are mortal and finite. That it’s about God’s glory, not ours. And that we are not in control, but God is. How is God shaking you? In the shaking, what are some of the things God is reminding you of personally?
Next Steps
As we look at the world we live in, what we have trusted in for certainty and security is crumbling before us. We have trusted in our government, money, status, jobs, future planning, relationships, and more. Things are changing, and it’s opened our eyes to this one thing…that God is the only one we can count on. How is God changing you in this time? What next steps is He encouraging you to take? How can your small group help you take those steps?