Fellowship was “lit” on Palm Sunday

Luke 19:37-40

Biblical fellowship in one aspect is when people are drawn together for Christ.

Luke’s account of Palm Sunday is people sharing in a onetime experience with Christ.

A gathering of people with their unified focus on Jesus.

They were in fellowship in the sense of being in the same place for the same reason of seeing Jesus.

The gospel of John says that they heard Jesus was coming, and therefore they gathered in fellowship.

Even though there were some there with bad intentions, nevertheless, they are there because of Jesus.

The fundamental definition of fellowship is to share in something with someone else.

This fellowship on Palm Sunday was lit because of the presence of Jesus.

My usage of the word lit is godly excitement of praise and worshiping God.
  • An environment filled with joy and excitement about Jesus.
  • Loud, electrifying and captivating!

Everywhere Jesus went crowds followed him and here he is heading into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

This is his last time walking into Jerusalem to fellowship with his disciples through worship for the cross is waiting.

We’ve come to fellowship and celebrate what Jesus is about to do in this text for our salvation.

Young people and not so young people let us get lit by the presence of Jesus among, He is here in this place.

Let us mimic the crowd on that Palm Sunday for this Palm Sunday 2024!
 
  1. They fellowshipped through rejoicing and praising Jesus- vs. 37.
  2. They fellowshipped through the miracles they had seen- vs. 37.
  3. They fellowshipped in the King presenting Himself- vs. 38.
  4. They fellowshipped through spontaneous praise- vs. 39-40.
Palm Sunday should be lit for Christ, it was lit some two thousand years ago.

The same person who lit the crowd back then is able to light the crowd today.

Fellowshipping through worship is to be filled with excitement about who Jesus is and what he has done and is doing!

I.        They fellowshipped through rejoicing and praising Jesus- vs. 37.

“And when he was come nigh 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.”

  1. The sight of Jesus initiated the rejoicing.
  2. The whole multitude engaged in rejoicing when seeing Jesus coming.
  • Jesus is the joy of my salvation.
  • Jesus is my joy on a rainy day.
  • Jesus is my joy in sorrow and hope for tomorrow.
  1. The whole multitude fellowshipped through praising Jesus.
  • The psalmist declares, God inhabits the praises of his people.
  • It was not quiet praise but loud praise.
Praise is to wake up the sleeper who is sleeping rather than praising.

Praise is to point Christ out to those who don’t know Him.

Praise is to strengthen the praiser to praise more.

The more you praise the more you want to praise Him.


II.      They fellowshipped through the miracles they had seen-vs. 37b.

“For all the mighty works that they had seen.”

  1. There is no greater fellowship than fellowshipping through reminiscing about what the Lord has done in your life!
  2. Somebody in the crowd shared, there was a blind man sitting by the wayside and when he heard Jesus was coming, cried with a loud voice, Jesus, thou Son of David have mercy on me. The people tried to shut him up, but he got louder. But Jesus stopped and healed his sight!
  3. Somebody else in the crowd said there was a man who lived in the cemetery, howling all night, cutting himself and had 6000 demons living in him. But Jesus, having commanded the rain and the waves, peace be still, got off the boat and cast 6000 demons out of the man and saved his soul.
  4. Somebody else in the crowd says I went to Lazarus' funeral and four days later Jesus called him from the dead!
  • On Palm Sunday they were reminiscing about what great things that they had seen Jesus do!
  • Is there anybody here on this Palm Sunday remember any mighty work Jesus has done?

III.     They fellowshipped in the King presenting Himself- vs. 38

 “Saying blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”

  1. When Jesus entered Jerusalem is the exact time that Daniel prophesied that the Messiah, King of Israel would enter Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26).
  2. Riding on a donkey is the fulfillment of Zech. 9:9, which states “Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout behold thy King comes unto thee riding upon a donkey.
  3. Jesus presents and offers Himself as their King.
  • The King that they all were waiting on.

IV.      They fellowshipped through spontaneous praise- vs. 39-40.

“And he answered and said unto them, I tell you, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

  1. There is a time to be quiet and there is a time to praise God.
  • Spontaneous praise is a response to a sudden experience.
  • Spontaneous is not planned but it is a response.
  1. When all of the true disciples of Christ saw and heard him, they could not be quiet.
  • David Crowder sings a song, “We won’t be quiet, no, no, no, you are everything we will ever need, our God is alive, and we won’t be quiet!”
  1. There is a time and a place where God demands his creation to praise him.
  • The Bible says let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
  1. When Jesus presents Himself King of kings and Lord of lord, praise has to ring out!

They were lit on Palm Sunday, 2000 years ago, why aren’t we lit today?
  1. They fellowshipped through rejoicing and praising God.
  2. They fellowshipped through the miracles they had seen.
  3. They fellowshipped in the King presenting Himself.
  4. They fellowshipped through spontaneous praise.