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And now, today is week one of our brand new series entry. Today is week one of our brand new series entry and end times. Okay, in this series, we're going to be walking through Matthew, chapter 21 through 25. Okay, in this series, we will marvel at the final acts of Jesus in the last week of his earthly ministry before he departed this world. And we will be awakened at the words of Christ about what is coming for the world in the end times. Okay, our text today is coming From Matthew, chapter 21, verses 1 through 11. Eternal God and of a wise father. Lord, we thank you for the miracles you have performed for us this week. We thank you for your faithfulness to us as a church. And we thank you, God, Lord, for just the opportunity you've given us to come together and to open this sacred book and to proclaim this holy gospel. It shall not be hindered. And I just pray with the minutes I have left that you would help me in my weakness to preach the truth of these scriptures to these your sons and daughters and to the unbeliever. I ask this in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. And amen. And amen. I'll figure out a title later. It's just the beginning of the end. Family. In our human experience, no one actually knows the day or the hour on which they will depart this life. For there is nobody listening to me right now that knows the exact day that they will die. But there are some circumstances in this life when a doctor may tell a terminally ill person that they have a certain set amount of time to live, and they may be able to do that with some measure of accuracy. And it's in those circumstances I just want to lean on your mental faculties for just a moment that if a person knew exactly when they was going to die, how much more significant, significant becomes the final words of that person or the final actions of that person as they knew they was coming to the end of their life. Enter the Lord Jesus Christ, who knew exactly when he was going to die. He knew exactly where he was going to die. He knew exactly how he was going to die and he knew when he would return to the Father. The year is AD 33. Okay? The city or the place is the holy city of Jerusalem. The month is the month of Nisan on the Jewish calendar, April for you and I, the city. Jerusalem is in a time of festival, Passover, at that point in time, the biggest festival on the calendar for the Jews. And it was in that festival where the Jews would remember, listen, or commemorate their great deliverance from 400 years of Egyptian slavery, where the people were crying out for freedom. God is talking to Moses. Side note, they're crying out for freedom. God is talking to Moses. They're crying out for help. God is talking to the answer. They're crying out for help. God is talking to the answer. Not because God is silent, that doesn't mean he's not talking to your answer. And as in their cry, the Lord gives them a word that he will send a death angel through all of the cities of Egypt. And they are to slay a lamb and take the blood of the lamb and put it over the doorpost of their house. And when the death angel passed by that house, the death angel would see the lamb over the house and would pass over that house, symbolizing the coming of Christ. And so every year at Passover, they would slay lambs and spill the blood to remember that time when they were delivered from Egyptian slavery. The Lord now knowing he's coming down to the end of his life, how much more significant are his final words and his final actions? History tells us that on this day in history, in the month of Nisan, in the month of April, in the year AD 33, we know that accurately that there were some 250,000 lambs that were slain that week in Israel. One lamb for every family gives us a number of maybe over 2 million people packed into the city of Jerusalem. Matthew in Chapter 21 records for us the beginning of the end of the public life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Matthew writes for us In Matthew chapter 21, in this small periscope of Scripture, the very first significant event in what we call the Passion Week of the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew writes in Matthew, chapter 21 and beginning in verse one. Now, when they, that is Jesus and his followers drew near to Jerusalem, they is 2 million people there. They came to a town called Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives. I've stood on top of that mountain. Then Jesus sent two disciples saying to them, go into the village in front of you and immediately you will find a donkey tied and a colt which is the baby of a donkey with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, the Lord needs them and he will send them at once. So, family, I just want to draw your attention to this periscope of scripture. Look, it seems very insignificant on the surface, but right here in these verses, we have the beginning of the first major Event in the life of Christ in the final week of his life. Matthew tells us that Jesus and his followers is drawing near to the city of Jerusalem. They stop at a place called Bethphage. And he tells us that the Lord is getting ready to enter the city of Jerusalem. Listen. For the very last time in his life and he tries to enter the city, or he does enter the city. Listen With a special request. He's not going to walk in. He wants to ride in. Now watch. What do we know in history up until this moment? Listen to what we know. We know based on Matthew's records, the Lord has walked with his followers from northern Israel, Net, Capernaum, Caesarea, Philippi, Galilee. Watch. All the way down to the south to Jerusalem. We know from history that The Lord walked 100 miles, stopping every night for rest with his followers all the way down to Jerusalem. We know on his way to Jerusalem, he rolls through a city called Jericho where he wins to the faith. A rich man called Zacchaeus who gave away half his goods. We know as he's on his way to Jericho, he stops at a city called Bethany where he hung out with a few friends. A woman named Mary, a woman named Martha, and a man he had raised from the dead named Lazarus. We know on his way to Jericho, he stops at this town called Bethphage Watch, which is a suburb of Jerusalem, like Henry county, or like fill in the blank county around Atlanta. Now watch. He travels a hundred miles and he stops at Bethphage. And when he gets there, he asked for a donkey to be watch. He asked for a donkey to be given to him. You know where I'm going, Elder? Watch. Watch. The Lord chooses not to walk the last mile into the city. He is surrounded by crowds that have been following him for miles. Now listen to me. We have no record of Jesus ever riding an animal anywhere in the scriptures. So watch. He's not asking for the donkey because he's tired. He's not asking for the donkey watch. Because he's wary. He can't walk the last mile. No. What the Lord does watch this is arrange a public display of him walking into or riding into the city of Jerusalem sitting on that donkey. Everybody around him would see this man riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and he arranges this public display for everybody to see. Now he's being intentional about his entry into the city. He ain't coming into the city on two legs. He's coming into the city on this animal. Now watch. Up until this point, the Lord, who was famous, did nothing to Draw unnecessary attention to himself, like he's operating low key. Why all of a sudden now would the Lord do something like this? Pull off a stunt to draw all this attention to himself? Is he insecure? Is he trying to get likes on social media? Then why would he pull off this elaborate stunt for 2 million people to see him rolling into the city? Well, Matthew tells us why in verse four this took place. To fulfill. Gosh, I like that word. What was spoken by the prophet saying, quote, say to the daughter of Zion, behold, that is watching. Take notice, your king is coming to you humble and mounted on a donkey on a coat, the foal of a beast of burden. Pause, Matthew, in hindsight, now that he's old, is looking back and he remembers that Jesus pulled off this elaborate stunt because he was fulfilling a prophecy from a man named zechariah who lived 500 years before Christ was born. And 500 years. This is so powerful. Watch this. 500 years before Christ was born, a man named Zechariah writes a prophecy. Watch. That a day is coming when the son of God would roll into city of Jerusalem sitting on a donkey. The king is coming to you, Jesus. Now watch this. Knowing biblical prophecy arranges for this elaborate entry into the city so that the words of God does not fall to the floor. Watch. I'm coming for you next. Watch. And the prophecy doesn't stop there. In Daniel chapter nine, there was another prophecy about 70 weeks and 69 weeks. And a man took it upon himself to do the mathematics about those 70 weeks. Talking about years. And there is a prophecy in Daniel 9. Go read it for yourself. When a king named Artaxerxes declared the rebuilding of Jerusalem when it was formally destroyed, that math tells us 483 years from that decree that the son of God, the prince, the anointed one, would roll into the city in the month of Nisan. And according to history, it is believed that. Exactly. Watch this. 483 years to the month and day, Jesus rolls into the city of Jerusalem on this donkey. The Lord now doing this fulfills two major prophecies to make sure the word of God doesn't fall to the floor. And family, when I read that man, three things sticks up in my heart for me, hopefully for you. Number one, God looks after his word to make sure that it is properly performed. Now, y'all don't want to talk to me. You got other religious books that have never said anything about the future. You and I have the only religious writing in the history of the world that has hundreds of prophecies that have been accurately unfolded and that Christ was the only human in history to fulfill these prophecies. It reminds me that when God speaks, he watches over His Word through history to make sure His Word does not fall to the floor. Watch. See, that may not mean anything to you, but that means something to me because it reminds me that everything that God has spoken over me, he's going to watch over his. He's going to watch over His Word to make sure that everything he spoke over you and everything he spoke over me will come to pass away. He tells me, my name is written in the Lamb's book of life. I don't have to be afraid of death because I have confidence in what God has said to me. I'm going to go deeper. Or when you have received, watch a rhema word from a credible source, you can have confidence that the Lord would watch over that word to perform it. It doesn't matter how much time elapsed between declaration and manifestation. I can have confidence in my heart that God will watch over His Word. It's like my son Malachi, when my wife and I were saved for, like two years. We was in a church in North Carolina, sitting on the front row. Malachi, six months old, a prophet, is visiting the church that day. She's up on the platform. She looks down at Lena sitting on the front row. She said, this child right here, bring him to me. We go up there with the child. She takes the child into her arms and she says, this child, six months old, he will be musically inclined, he will be musically gifted. He will write songs, and he will sway people into the kingdom of God. Six months old, Lena and I take that prophecy and we hide it in our heart. We say nothing to anyone. Watch this. We said nothing to the child. 12 years old, Malachi, on the computer in the kitchen, stumbles onto an app called GarageBand. Started making music. He makes his first track. He makes his first beat. He making all this trap music. Okay, no problem. He making all this trap music. Cool. Then he makes a score. Then he makes a worship track, Then a worship instrumental. Then he picks up a guitar, plays it. He picks up a bass, plays it. He picks up a piano, plays it, picks up the drums, play it. Now he's singing all that stuff. Now he's 20 and walking in the manifestation of what God's spoke, what God said over his life. Why? Because God watches over his to perform it. So this is for everybody who God has spoken to you about something that's still sitting in your heart. You buried it somewhere in a journal. You knew it was credible. You knew it in your heart. You're wondering, God, when will this thing happen in my life? I'm telling you that as long as you are obedient and faithful, the Lord will not allow his word over you to fall to the floor. Somebody give a faithful God praise right now. It's gonna happen. I don't even know who this is for. It's gonna happen in Jesus name. Somebody just need to snatch that for yourself. It's going to happen in Jesus. It's going to happen in Jesus name. When I see this text, it also reminds me that the Lord aligned himself with the will of God. He knew about the prophecy, so he hopped on the donkey. What a lesson for you and I, that we are wise when we know the will of God and we align our lives with the will of God. It shows the power of what happens when we read and submit, when we hear and submit, when we have revelation and submit, when we learn to live in such a way where we align ourselves with the word of God. But it also shows me the power of a simple instruction. He tells the disciples, go get that donkey. Now everybody watch. Don't have time to read it to you. John, chapter 12 tells us they did not understand this command. Now watch. The disciples did not understand why he wanted this animal. But the Lord knows, what if they disobey? In that moment, the whole thing falls to the floor. Because you never know the weight of one singular act of obedience. You never know the weight of one instruction. You have no idea what's on the other side of a singular instruction from God. God can speak to you from His Word. He can speak to you from the Holy Spirit. And some of us, we love obedience or disobedience so much. You have no idea what we forfeit when we don't obey the instructions from the Lord. You have no idea what's on the other side of a clear instruction from God. You have no idea how significant is some outcome when you get a clear instruction from God. Move to a city, move to a certain church, take a certain job, don't marry this person, sign that contract. You have no idea what's on the other side of a single instruction from God. That's why if we are wise, we obey when God speaks. And this is for parents watch. We are wise when we train our children to obey when God speaks. You have no idea when you just obey God. What's on the other side of a singular act of obedience? How did the disciples respond to that instruction. Go get the animal. How did they respond? The Scripture tells us they were confused. John 12. But how did they respond in their confusion? Watch the question. How did they respond in their confusion? Verse 6. The disciples watch. This word went and they watch. This word did as Jesus had. Watch. This word directed them. That is. I don't understand why you're telling me to do this, Lord. I don't know why you're telling me to leave the job. I don't know why you're telling me to get out of this bad relationship. I don't know why you're telling me to move to Atlanta and join 2819 Church. I don't know why you're telling me to do this, but I will. Just obey. Now watch. You don't need all the answers to be obedient. You just need submission and faith. Start the business. Write the book. Move to the city. Take the job. Start the podcast. Just obey. Even if you don't understand. The Lord told me, change the name of our church. I didn't understand that. He told me, preach through Matthew. I didn't understand that. He told me, don't preach with outlines. I didn't understand that. I'm just obeying. Verse 7. Almost done. They brought the donkey and their colt and put on them cloaks, and he sat on them. Now, another writer tells us that this donkey had never been ridden. If you know anything about a donkey, they are wild animals. Yet Jesus rode the child of this wild animal with the mother in front of it. Why? He's God. He tamed the animal because he created it. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut down branches. John tells us they were palm branches is where we get Palm Sunday from. From the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds went before him. And that followed him were shouting hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. I want you to see what happens here. Two things I want to draw your attention to. The Lord is riding into the city on the donkey. Almost done. And people take their jackets or their cloaks, pay attention. And they throw them down on the floor for him to pass over. Now, family, this ain't 2025 and this ain't America. This is AD33 in Israel. Pay attention. The average person only had one outer garment that they owned. Clothing was hard to come by, and only wealthy people had exchange of clothing. The average person did not have a closet Full of clothes. Whatever you had on your back, that's all you own. Watch. But when these people see the Christ, they take. Gosh, they take the most valuable thing that they have. Remember when Paul was in prison, he said, bring me my jacket. When they was going to ministry, Jesus said, go sell your jacket and buy a sword. They take the most valuable things they have and they throw it down at the floor. They said, Christ was so worthy, there was nothing I have that I will withhold from him. You want to be stuck with your little 25 cents in an offering. You want to keep back obedience. You want to keep back faithful. They took the most valuable thing they had off their back and they throw it down to the floor. And because it's crowded, they don't even know if they're going to get it back. Watch. Christ was that valuable to them. And they shout hosanna to the son of David, which is a compound Hebrew word that. That means God save us. Now. From Psalm 118, a Hebrew word, save us now it's saying, God save us. As he's yelling, God save us. God save us. This crowd outside the city recognize Christ as the Messiah. And when they see him, they're not asking for stuff, they're asking for salvation. When they see him, they're not asking for stuff, they're asking for the intangible things. That was more important than stuff. God, give me wisdom. God, give me strength. God, give me revelation. God save my soul. It's crazy too, because this crowd outside the city is shouting, God save us. Another crowd just a few days later will say, crucify him. I just want to point this out to you for the Lord's sake and for your sake. That's why you got to be careful not to live in the praises of people. The same people that be loving you one week, be the same people that be hating you the next week. And if you have to find your affirmation from the praise of people, you will be weak and you will be troubled. Because if you live by their praise, you will die by their rejection. This is why we got to get our affirmation from above. Thank you for what you said. I appreciate that. Praise God for that. You did a good job singing that song, Praise God. But if your affirmation is only horizontal, you are in trouble. You better know how to hear, you did a good job and say thank you and we hate you and say, God, praise them anyway. You better know how to find your affirmation from above. And although these are two different Crowds. If you read the text carefully, if any of the people who were shouting, hosanna, God save us, they wanted Jesus to defeat the Roman Empire, realized, man. Wait, he's riding a donkey. Listen. Warriors rode in on horses. A donkey was a symbol of peace. So Jesus is telling, I'm not coming as a warrior king first. I'm coming as a king of peace first. But the next time he comes on an animal, it will be on a horse. I'm done. The next time he comes on an animal and will be on a horse. Because the next time he comes, he ain't coming to make peace. What we talking about? The next time he comes, he's coming to make war. And you better know what side of the battle you on. Do I got any saved people that are thankful that you are on the right side of that battle? I'll finish the verse and verse 10. And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up saying, who is this? And the crowd said, this is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. Family, listen to me. Matthew says, when Jesus. I'm finishing listening. Move. When Jesus rose into the city of Jerusalem, he says, the whole city is in an uproar. Their hearts are stirred. Another translation said, their hearts are moved. Another translation tells us there's pandemonium in the city. They're confused. Who is he? Another writer tells us they're waiting on him. And I just like my prayer, is that what happened in Jerusalem that day? The city stirred because Christ came in, man. I'm praying this would happen in Atlanta. I'm praying this will happen in cities all across America. That through the proclamation of the gospel, even this revival that's being born right here out of Atlanta, that as the gospel rolls in from city to city, state to state, country to country, that the hearts of people will be burned. The hearts of people will be stirred. The hearts of people will be in a frenzy when they feel the power of God coming near them. They are in a frenzy. But John tells us, man, when Jesus approached the city, he wept. Why he's weeping because he knows a lot of them will reject him and they will die in their sins and be eternally separated. The Lord is crying as he rides into the city. And I just want to say to us as a church man, like I would to God, we will shed those tears. I would to God. We would feel what he felt. I would to God. We would drive through Atlanta. We would hop on social media. We would see what's happening all across our country, all across our world is our and we would shed the same tears that the Lord shed. I would to God that we would feel the pain that he felt. That we would see the loss, we would see the broken, we would see those who are going to reject him. And we would weep. And it will move us to tears. It would move us to pray, it would move us to be generous. It would move us to be serious about the spread of the Gospel. Come on man, time is running out. I'm preaching to you about a king who came in the year AD 33. And I'm talking to you about about a king who's about to come very, very soon. We don't got that much time left. And if there's anything we need right now, it is an awakening in our soul, an awakening in America, an awakening around the world that Christ man, watch. He's coming. He's coming. And my prayer for us is that we will shed the same tears he shed. That our eyes would be open. That we would do everything he can to push the Gospel to get Christ as close to as many people as possible while still shedding tears for those who are far away. This is what the Scriptures call the triumphant entry of Christ. This is the first event in what will be the final week of his earthly ministry. And on the heels of that, his powerful words of what is coming for everybody in this country and around the world in these end times. It's not a series for you to miss, it's one for you to pray over. That God would spread it as far and wide as possible. That men will understand, listen to me. That Christ is coming and he ain't coming on no donkey this time. He's coming to make judgment and war. And we pray for people will be on the right side of that battle and that we as a church will get out of our foolishness and rally together for this glorious spread of the gospel of our soon coming King. Amen. Anybody? Eternal God and ever wise. Father, Father, we feel your spirit right now. We know, Father, that your son is coming. And his second coming will not be on a donkey. And Lord God, we pray you would awaken America, you would awaken the nations of the world that they would know the Messiah is coming and that he's going to rule from the city of Jerusalem. And that time is running out. I pray for revival to break out in this nation, to break out in cities all across America and around the world. I pray God their hearts will be stirred as Christ comes near them. And that we as a church would do all we can to spread this gospel. Lord, help us to see the beauty of biblical prophecy and how you keep your word to your children. Let us marvel over Christ, and let us marvel over his crazy, public, powerful entry for the last time into the city and be reminded that he's coming to do it one more time. May we be found faithful when he rides in the second time. Whatever day that is, it could be next week, next month, next year. May we be found faithful when he rides in the second time. I pray this over us in the mighty and the majestic and the matchless. Name our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and all God's people. Say amen and Amen. And Amen. Put your hands together.