Unexpected Part 2 | Palms, Veils & Donkeys with Chris Schlotterbeck

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and enjoy the message. Hey, good morning everyone.

How's everybody doing today? Well, I am just

thankful that you are here and joining us. If

you're watching from home, thanks for welcoming

us into your space. Now, I know if you're anything

like me, all of us have experienced unexpected

moments throughout life. Sometimes they're as

simple as finding money in your pocket when you

put on your jeans. Isn't that the best feeling

in the world? Especially when it's like 50 bucks.

You think, man, what can I go spend this on?

Or how about when you wake up an hour and a half

early, just subconsciously, only to look at a

clock and realize, I can go back to sleep. I

mean, that's the best ever. Or maybe it's finding

a parking spot right up front, even though the

lot is completely full. Other days, we may experience

the joy. of the unexpected when a friend takes

us out to lunch. Or maybe it's coming to a Sunday

at HCV and you run into a friend you haven't

seen in a few years. In life though, unfortunately,

we also experience the negativity of the unexpected.

Maybe it's an illness to your pet that suddenly

you're spending thousands of dollars on so he

survives. Maybe it's a death in the family. And

in all of these situations, they come at us very

different. But they have two things in common.

They cause anxiety and they have a way of throwing

us off course. It's like suddenly life is spinning

out of control. So we've all experienced these

unexpected moments. Sometimes they're embarrassing.

Sometimes they're gross. While other times they

bring us nothing but joy. Maybe you're here this

morning and you walked into this space and you're

currently living in the unexpected. Maybe it's

a medical report, a relationship that's in turmoil,

a financial crisis, a death in the family. But

there's good news to all of us. Jesus can relate

to the unexpected. The tension that we experience

in the unexpected simply comes down to our response.

How do we respond to the unexpected? How do we

or our life change when the unexpected happens?

Well, today marks Palm Sunday on the church calendar.

And Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week.

And it commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into

Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The week following,

of course, is a time of remembrance and reflection

on his suffering, death, and resurrection. Last

Sunday, we kicked off our Easter series, The

Unexpected, with a talk on the unexpected invitation.

An invitation given to Zacchaeus that he, of

course, received from Jesus to have dinner together

at Zacchaeus' house. This morning, we will continue

our series with a talk on the unexpected king.

See, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on that donkey,

of that event. Everything that happened, in fact,

was unexpected to the people that was gathered.

So as we jump into that story, I want to open

in prayer and invite God's presence to change

us and to mold us this morning. Holy Spirit,

come. God, we're just so thankful that we can

gather together, that we can worship. We invite

you to change us. Open our ears and our minds

to receive all that you have for us, God. Allow

us to be different when we leave this place.

In Jesus' name, amen. Which leads us to our first

thought this morning. You see, Jesus was and

is unexpected. Matthew 21, 8 through 10, a very

large crowd spread their cloaks on the road while

others cut branches from the trees and spread

them on the road. The crowds that went ahead

of him and those that followed shouted, Hosanna!

To the son of David, blessed is he who comes

in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest

heaven. And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the

whole city was stirred and asked, who is this?

Who is this? See, Jesus lived an unexpected life.

Long before this event took place, God's chosen

people, the people of Israel, had been waiting

for a Messiah. longing for a promised redeemer

from God to restore the people back into a relationship

with God, a connection with him. As a nation,

they have been waiting for hundreds of years

in total silence, total darkness, hearing nothing

from God regarding the fulfillment of this promised

Messiah. And throughout the Old Testament, you

and I, we can read today the different prophecies

the people have received regarding this Messiah.

But for more than 400 years, the people of Israel

received no direct revelations from God and found

themselves under the control of the Roman Empire,

no longer a free people. And see, when the Messiah

came and was born a baby named Jesus in a small

town of Bethlehem, this was completely unexpected.

See, the people expected a king to come in glory,

to redeem Israel. Instead, they got a baby born

of a virgin named Mary. The people expected their

Messiah to glorify the law, their precious Ten

Commandments, and to reestablish its importance

in society. Instead, they got the fulfillment

of the law through the person of Jesus who brought

grace and truth. See, what they were looking

for, they did not get. They expected freedom

from Rome's oppression and tyranny. Instead,

they got a king who brought freedom that was

so much more than political. It was freedom from

sin and death. Jesus was unexpected. They were

expecting one to come and judge all the sinners,

to challenge them to change and live righteous

lives. Instead, they received the friend of sinners

who extended grace, forgiveness, and love to

individuals. who were not worthy of it. Jesus

was unexpected. When a person would touch the

hem of Jesus' garment, they would experience

healing. The outcasts and forgotten of society

received invitations to dinner with Jesus. Jesus,

of course, was the unexpected Messiah. See, Jesus

did not fit into the religious boxes. And if

we're honest with ourselves today, quite often,

Jesus does not fit into our religious box. He

is as unexpected today as he was back then. And

for many of us, he is much more than we could

ever expect. See, this unexpected birth to preaching

an upside -down kingdom where those who are great

are those who serve. To be significant in God's

kingdom, we have to learn to wash feet. And all

of that leads us to today. Jesus riding into

Jerusalem on a donkey one last time with the

people not fully understanding the significance

of what was taking place. But we must realize

God did. Jesus knew he would ride into Jerusalem

on a donkey, but he would leave a risen Savior

and King. Ascending into heaven, establishing

hope. healing, and freedom in his name for all

of us that are gathered here today. Jesus was

unexpected, which leads us to our next thought

as we break down Palm Sunday and the different

meanings that was happening in this event. Jesus

rode in on a donkey, which means he brought unexpected

peace. Jesus's entire life had been leading up

to this very moment. Remember, for three years,

he was teaching his disciples. He was sharing

the good news of the kingdom. But quite often

during that time, he would always tell people

that were healed, don't tell anyone. He didn't

want the news to get out because it wasn't yet

time. But now was the time. He was ready to ride

into Jerusalem to launch this kingdom of God

that he'd been teaching about. And this is what

we read in Matthew 21, 1 through 5. As Jesus

and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they

came to the town of Bethpage on the Mount of

Olives. And Jesus sent two of them ahead. Go

into the village over there, he said. And as

soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied

there with his colt beside it. Untie them and

bring them to me. If anyone asks what you are

doing, just say, the Lord needs them. And he

will immediately let you take them. This took

place to fulfill the prophecy that said, tell

the people of Jerusalem, look, your king is coming

to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey, riding

on a donkey's coat. And as I was reading these

verses this week, I reflected on how simple this

entrance was. Think about it, riding on a donkey.

And as I thought about this truth, it would have

been so much more impactful, more powerful if

Jesus was riding in on a chariot of fire, being

pulled by a white stallion. It's as if I pictured

Katniss riding into the Hunger Games on her fire

-blazing chariot. And I just began to think,

why not? He is God. Why a donkey? Why not make

it impressive? After all, Jesus was God. And

if he's a real king, he should have known that

real kings don't ride on donkeys. And what about

the simple fact that this donkey was stolen or

borrowed? Did you catch that in that verse we

just read? It's like they just jumped off the

page at me this week. Oh, just go untie the donkey

and the colt. Bring them to me. And if anyone

asks, say the Lord needs them. Now just imagine

tonight you wake up to your car being broken

into. You run out the front door, and as they're

backing out your driveway, they put the window

down and say, the Lord needs it. I believe that

many of you would quickly call 911 and report

your car as stolen. But we must realize that

donkeys were for the common person, the everyday

working class citizen that could only afford

a lowly donkey in life. Now, historians will

tell us that during this same exact week that

Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, on the other

side of town, there would have been another entry

taking place, and it would have been Pilate,

who was the governor of Rome. And when Pilate

entered town, he would have been riding on a

war horse with soldiers marching beside him and

instruments playing, declaring Rome's glory and

power for all the people to see. So you have

on one side of the town, Pilate arriving on a

large war horse, and on the other side, Jesus

riding in on a donkey. Why? You know, for so

many people, we read this and we just assume

it's just a part of the religious story. Well,

I just need to believe it. But a horse symbolizes

power. A donkey symbolizes peace. And at this

moment, Jesus was doing the unexpected. Remember,

the people expected the Messiah to bring freedom

from Roman oppression through power and strength,

while Jesus was simply fulfilling the Old Testament

prophecy that he would bring peace to the world.

Zechariah 9, 9. Rejoice, O people of Zion. Shout

in triumph, O people of Jerusalem. Look, your

king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious.

Yet, notice, he is humble, riding on a donkey,

riding on a donkey's coat. And for us, Jesus

was declaring that the peace he was bringing

to the world, no one could take away. Not even

the power of Rome, or for us, not even the powers

that want to steal away our peace and our joy.

John 16, 33, I've told you all this so that you

may have peace in me. Here on earth, You will

have many trials and sorrows, but take heart,

I have overcome the world. Ephesians 2, verse

Ephesians 2:14

14, for Christ himself has brought peace to us.

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. Jesus

has brought us unexpected peace. Unfortunately,

though, we're currently living in a world full

of anxiety and depression. 41 % of all Americans

report that they struggle daily with untreated

mental illness. This untreated mental illness

begins as early as 12 years old. And there's

not a day that goes by that if we're honest,

that we do not read through the news or listen

to the news and hear about wars and sickness

and disease and political strife and division

and financial ruin. Right? It's like the world

is constantly spinning out of control. And with

all of this constant information bombarding our

lives, it can be real easy to find ourselves

struggling with fear and worry. Anxiety or depression.

Friends, this morning I'm here to say there's

good news in Jesus riding on a colt on this Palm

Sunday. He is reminding us that a relationship

with him is abundance. Because it's abundant

in peace. So that we don't have to strive or

strive for more in this world. John 14, 27. I'm

leaving him with a gift, peace of mind and heart.

And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot

give. So church, do not be troubled or afraid.

And this isn't a theoretical peace. This isn't

a religious peace. It's not a one -time encounter

peace. It's a peace that we can experience every

single day. Philippians 4, 6 through 7. Don't

worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need. Thank him for all he's

done. Then you will experience God's peace, which

exceeds anything we can understand. His peace

will guard our hearts and minds as you live in

Christ Jesus. Jesus riding in on a donkey speaks

to the peace that Jesus brings to our lives.

And if you're here this morning, And you're not

experiencing peace. You're overwhelmed with anxiety

and worry and doubt. Does it matter your circumstances?

Does it matter if it's financial or relational?

Does it matter if it's your job or health issues?

I believe. I believe Jesus wants to release peace

into your heart this morning. Which leads us

to our next song. The Garments. The garments

that the people removed and threw down is God's

unexpected love. Because see, as Jesus was riding

into town, notice the people's response. Matthew

21, 6 through 8. The two disciples did as Jesus

commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt

to him. And they threw their garments over the

colt. And he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread

their garments on the road ahead of him. Now

garments or cloaks are referring to the outer

garments that the people would have worn. While

they were living their everyday lives in Jerusalem

at this time. It would have been similar to you

and I wearing a raincoat for the last three days

because it's been pouring down rain. Or a winter

coat during the cold months of the year. The

people wore these garments or cloaks because

they lived in a desert. It would protect them

from the sun and the harsh wind and the sand

that blew across the desert. And though it was

sun beating down on them during the day, at night

it could get very cold. So these cloaks, these

garments would protect them from the elements.

And often within this culture, the people would

lay down their garments as a means of honoring

or paying allegiance to a leader or a king that

would come into town. So the people are symbolically

saying that they're laying down their lives or

their allegiance and respect. To this king. And

just imagine this scene. Jesus is riding in on

a donkey. And here you have the people symbolically

laying down their garments for him. Giving him

the same honor. That normally was reserved for

men like Caesar or Pilate. Or generals that had

conquered people. The people. They didn't even

realize. That their symbolic actions. Were actually

the very reason. that Jesus was riding into Jerusalem.

See, Jesus was ultimately coming into town to

lay down his life for them. And this would have

been completely what? Unexpected. Because in

their culture, leaders, they didn't lay down

their lives for the common person in society.

The common person were the warriors. You know,

those that were without were the ones in the

army. They had to lay down their lives for their

leaders. But Jesus taught and lived in an upside

down kingdom. John 15, 13. There is no greater

love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

1 John 3, 16. We know what real love is because

Jesus, he gave up his life for us. So we also

ought to give up our lives for our brothers and

sisters. See again, Palm Sunday is a reminder

to us. That Jesus was riding into Jerusalem to

lay down his life for you and for me. This was

a sacrificial, intentional decision by God to

send his son to die for us. And one thing I want

you to reflect on this morning if you're in a

relationship with Jesus. God challenged me this

week as I was reading these verses. In this scene,

we see two different responses from the people

involved. Notice the disciples. They took their

garments off and they put them on the donkey

for Jesus to sit on, to ride on. While the crowd,

they took off their garments and laid them on

the ground as the donkey would walk over them.

But see, once Jesus passed by, the people in

the crowd, They would have picked up their garments

and walked away, not knowing that in a few days

they would be the ones that yell out, crucify

him, crucify him. While the disciples, they followed

Jesus for the whole procession. Every turn of

the donkey, every step of the donkey, they would

have followed. They would have given their lives

to the unexpected. And then we know their lives

were turned upside down by the death of their

Messiah. And though many of them wavered, they

remained committed to the cause once they experienced

the resurrected Savior. Because that resurrected

Savior would send them on mission to change the

world. So reflect on that this morning. Are you

living on mission? In a vibrant relationship

with God? Or are you walking through life in

your own strength? With the crowd picking up

your garments and going in your own direction?

Which leads us to our fourth thought, the palm

branches. It's Palm Sunday. In most churches,

they give out palms and they ask the people to

wave their palms. And in reality, did you ever

realize that the Bible never tells us the people

waved palms? The Bible tells us that the people

cut off palm branches and did what with them?

Laid them on the ground. Now, I'm not saying

they didn't wave them. I'm just saying that in

the Bible, it doesn't say they did. Matthew 21,

8 through 10. Most of the crowd, of course, they

spread their garments on the road ahead of him

and others. They cut the branches from the trees

and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the

center of their procession and the people around

him were shouting, praise God for the son of

David. Blessings on the one who comes in the

name of the Lord. Praise God. In the highest

heaven, the entire city of Jerusalem was in an

uproar as he entered. Who is this? They asked.

And I believe God is asking us the same question

this morning. Who is Jesus to you? Because see,

in this culture, the people would honor and welcome

a person, especially, again, a king or a figure

of prominence as a sign of joy and celebration.

They would cut off these branches. They would

throw them on the ground as a symbol of victory

and triumph. Now as they laid down the palms,

they were saying, Hosanna in the highest. And

that word Hosanna means save us. And many in

the crowd were crying out for freedom from Roman

tyranny and oppression. They were tired of it.

And they desired Jesus to be the Messiah that

would bring them salvation from Roman oppression.

But see, Jesus came to do so much more. He desired

to bring them freedom from sin, hell, and the

grave. Again, Jesus was bringing the unexpected.

The Jewish people were all coming into Jerusalem

during this time of year to celebrate Passover.

And each family would bring along with them a

lamb that would be sacrificed for their sins.

So I want you to imagine this scene in your mind.

You can picture it. Quite often when this story

is taught and when we read it, we see the people

doing all of the actions. But as Jesus was riding

into town on this donkey, the people laying down

the garments, the palm branches, as he was riding

by us, the people were crying out, Hosanna, save

us. It wasn't just the people. See, historians

tell us that this road would have been full of

lambs running everywhere. Remember, each family,

and we're talking millions of people here, would

have been coming into Jerusalem, bringing along

a lamb with them to be sacrificed for their sins.

Remember, this is the Old Testament sacrificial

system. See, the people, they were crying out

freedom from Roman oppression because that's

what they thought they needed. The lambs that

were with them running all around the road, that

was for their sins. So in their mind, their sins

were taken care of by the Lamb. Jesus was their

way to freedom. But Jesus' mission wasn't just

for the people of Israel. It was for all of humanity.

John 1, 29. The next day, John saw Jesus coming

toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God who

takes away the sins of the world. I mean, here's

the reality that many of us miss on this Palm

Sunday. As Jesus is riding on this donkey and

he has all these lambs around him, Jesus, right,

is the lamb of God. He was the one that would

be sacrificed once and for all, for all of us.

Eliminating the Old Testament system. Because

without Jesus, our world and the people in it,

they're lost. But Jesus rides in bringing salvation

to all people. John chapter 3 verses 16 through

John 3:16–17

17. For this is how God loved the world. He gave

his one and only son so that everyone who believes

in him will not perish but have eternal life.

God sent his son into the world not to judge

the world but to save the world through him.

Who is this? The people asked. Who is this? See,

on Palm Sunday, we learn Jesus riding in on the

donkey reveals God's peace that's available to

us every single day. The garments laid down reveal

God's sacrificial love for all of humanity. And

the palm branches thrown down reveal God's salvation,

right? A triumphal entry, if you will, for all.

people, which leads us to our final thought.

See, Jesus isn't always what we expect, but he

is what we need. See, he is what we need. The

next day, Monday, we find Jesus in the temple,

Matthew 21, 12 through 13. Jesus entered the

temple and began to drive out all the people

buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He

knocked over the tables of the money changers

and the chairs of those selling doves. He said

to them, the scriptures declare my temple will

be called a house of prayer. But you have turned

it into a den of thieves. And see, at this time,

there was a hierarchical system established in

the temple courts. with different barriers in

place that prevented people from experiencing

all of God. Women, outcasts, the unclean, Gentiles,

they were not permitted to enter into the temple.

They had to stay on the outside, on the outer

courts. I mean, now think about this. Only the

chosen priests could enter in to the inner courts

of the temple, and only one chosen priest could

enter the Holy of Holies, which is God's presence,

in one year. Jesus overthrowing the tables, clearing

the temple, was a sign that he had come to remove

all the barriers. between God and humanity. See,

Jesus was establishing a new system with full

access to the Father. And how do we know that?

Well, in Matthew 27, 51, we read, at that moment,

the curtain in the sanctuary of the temple was

torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook

and the rocks split apart. And again, please

understand this temple veil, right, which separated

the outer courts from the Holy of Holies. And

again, reminder, Holy of Holies, it's just God's

presence. Picture this. It was 60 feet long,

30 feet high, and it was described as being about

four inches thick. Therefore, when this veil

was torn in two, It was completely unexpected.

And why? Why was it torn in two? Well, Hebrews

Hebrews 10:19–20

chapter 10, verses 19 through 20 answers this

question for us. Dear brothers and sisters, we

can boldly enter heaven's most holy place because

of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened

a new and life -giving way through the curtain.

into the most holy place. Now think about this

today, friends. With this free access, with this

ability to walk in to God's presence at any moment

that we choose, do you take advantage of it?

Would people describe your life as a person That

is walking in and experiencing God's presence.

Because see, for many of us, we live our lives

with a veil. We try to hide ourselves from God.

Just like last Sunday when I shared about Adam

and Eve hiding. Where? In the trees. But Jesus,

right, clearing the temple courts. Jesus' death.

destroying, ripping the veil into, look at this,

all of the barriers that we placed before God

are gone. They're gone. See, Jesus did all the

work for us, but why is it that with him doing

all the work, we don't take advantage of what

has happened? Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice.

He removed all the barriers. But today, unfortunately

for many of us, there's still barriers. But please

understand, these barriers, they're not from

God. They're self -imposed barriers that keep

us from experiencing all that God has for us.

You say, Chris, barriers like religion? Well,

you don't do it right. Barriers like unforgiveness,

they hurt me. Barriers like anger, not being

able to control our feelings and emotions, our

pride, our doubt, our habits. Dare I say our

unbelief. And today, Palm Sunday 2025. will you

choose to remove those barriers from your life?

Because when we remove those barriers from our

life, then we can walk into God's presence and

experience the abundance that he promises, which

leads us to our four simple action steps entering

into God's presence. And I want to encourage

you, sometimes we make this harder than what

it really is. When I say enter into God's presence,

for many of you think, well, how do I do that?

Is that even possible? I'm not sure I've ever

experienced God's presence. To which I want to

say to you, believer or not, if you've been in

part of our Sunday gatherings, you've experienced

God's presence. Pretty simple. If you walked

into this space before, on a Sunday morning,

on a worship night, during community dinner,

you've experienced God's presence. But the struggle

for many of us is not walking into this place

and experience God's presence. It's leaving this

place and doing it outside of these walls. But

I want to encourage you. So many people I hear,

you know, Sunday after Sunday, I just can't wait

to get back on Sunday. I just can't wait to get

back on Sunday. I just can't wait to get into

God's presence. Oh, it just means so much to

be here on Sunday. Make Monday Sunday. Like just

take what happens here to tomorrow when you wake

up. Like when you walk through these doors, you

have this expectation you're going to meet God.

Tomorrow when you wake up, have an expectation

you're going to meet God. And when you have this

expectation as you wake up, begin to then what?

Worship. We worship. We pray. We read the Bible.

We study. We learn. We grow. We pray for one

another. Do you see where I'm going with this?

It's not that hard. We just take what we do here

and what we so look forward to every single week

and we do it tomorrow. And then we do it on Tuesday.

And then we do it on Wednesday. Then we do it

on Thursday. And suddenly, we are experiencing

the presence of God. Step one, just talk to God.

Just talk to God. Don't even use the word prayer.

Just talk to God. The Lord is close to all who

call on Him. Yes, to all who call on Him in truth,

He grants the desires of those who fear Him.

He hears their cries for help and rescues them.

Right? And it sounds easy, but why do we forget

to do it? I know for me personally, there's days

that go by, me pastoring a church, leading a

church, that I spent my whole day and now I'm

going to sleep and I think, did I really talk

to Jesus? Did I talk to God today? It's like

it hits me that I wasn't doing it enough. And

here's the reality. Jesus wants us to talk to

him. He wants us to tell him those details of

our life that we try to hide that's already been

removed. How do you come into his presence if

you don't talk to him? Not only do you talk to

him, but you've got to be real with God. Give

your burdens to the Lord and he will take care

of you. He will not permit the godly to slip

and fall. And see, we hold things back. We put

barriers in front of our lives. And God, He already

knows our lives. He knows our heart. He knows

what we struggle with. He knows our sins, our

anger, our mistakes. He knows what we look at.

Just be real with Him and come clean. It's a

lot easier. It's like when the Holy Spirit convicts

you, fall to your knees and say, God, forgive

me. Talk to Him. It's one thing to experience

his presence here at church. But I tell you,

it's so much better when you experience it outside

of this place in your everyday life. And you

realize you're not alone. Philippians 4, don't

worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need. Thank him for all he's

done. And you will experience God's peace, which

exceeds anything we can understand. Did everyone

hear that? Our next thought, practice gratitude.

Notice what that verse said. You will experience

God's peace, but what, the notice the sentence

before, tell God what you need and thank him.

We gotta practice gratitude, church. Be thankful

in all circumstances, for this is God's will

for you who belong to Christ Jesus. You know,

I did a celebration of life yesterday for Charlie,

who was a part of our community of faith for

years. Got baptized when I was blowing up pools

on Bower Avenue every Sunday because God told

us to fill a pool full of water and to watch

people be baptized. Remember I told you guys

I do things when God tells me to do them? Every

Saturday I would blow up a pool, fill it with

water, and those that have been here for a while,

would attest that every Sunday there wasn't a

person that did not be baptized. It was an exciting

time. Well, anyway, Charlie was one of those

people. And unfortunately got cancer and passed

away. But what was so heartbreaking about the

celebration of life is that his daughter passed

away two weeks later from an overdose. So I had

to do a celebration of life for a father and

a 22 -year -old daughter. And do you know what

that makes me feel like when you're leading a

service like that? I'm grateful for what God

has done in my life. It makes you realize how

important tomorrow is when you wake up and you

take your first breath. It makes you want to

worship and connect and talk to God. Which leads

us to our final step, church. you have to pursue

his presence. Don't be drunk with wine because

that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled

with the Holy Spirit. Now notice how we are filled

with the Holy Spirit. We sing psalms and hymns

and spiritual songs amongst ourselves, making

music to the Lord in your hearts and give thanks

for everything. There's that gratitude again

to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ. See, it's easy to get frustrated when

things don't happen the exact way that we expect

them to. But here's the reality. You can't rush

the Holy Spirit. We have to learn to wait. We

have to learn to expect his presence to overwhelm

us. Okay, so this is how we're going to close

this morning. I'm going to invite you to stand.

And I asked Stacey to come out and play on the

keys for us. Because I want to put this verse.

Could you put Ephesians 5 back up on the Sky

Bible for me? Notice what it says. Don't be drunk

with wine because that will ruin your life. Instead,

be filled with the Spirit. How are we filled

with the Spirit, church? Let's read it together.

We sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs

amongst yourself. We make music to the Lord.

Right? Right? So I just wanted the keys because

I wanted the church to hear. The church, God's

people, sing. Can we do that? All right, so I

believe we're doing King of My Heart, right?

All right, could you put those words up for us?

Because some of us don't know these words. So

we're going to sing a portion of this song. And

I want to encourage you to just sing out boldly

and loudly, okay? Stacy, could you start for

us? Because they don't want to hear my voice.

Oh, you don't have a microphone. Oh, they got

to hear my voice. See, she planned that. She

planned that. All right, you ready? Here we go.

Good. Oh, you are good. You are good, good, oh.

You are good, good, oh. Yes, God. Oh, you are

good. It's beautiful. So if you're here this

morning and you're experiencing any type of worry,

doubt, frustration, I want to pray for you right

now. Can we do that? If you're here and you're

in some kind of anxiety or depression, just slip

your hand up. I just want to pray for you. Yep,

you're just overwhelmed with life. The unexpected

has happened in your life. Is that you? The unexpected.

Well, Holy Spirit, come. You see the hands. You

know the issues. You know the hearts. Come now

and release your peace. Release your joy. Overwhelm

us with your sacrificial love. We're just thankful,

God, for all that you do. In Jesus' name. And

we said together. Amen. God bless you guys. Listen,

hold on. My prayer team or our prayer team is

here on the right. If you have any deep, desperate

health issue, relationship issue, care, concern

in the world and you need prayer, get up here

and get some prayer before you go. Next week

is Easter, right? Take some cards and invite

your family and friends. Why? Why? Because I

believe the unexpected is going to invade people's

lives next week. There's never been a Sunday

where people are not going to say yes to an invitation.

When it's Easter, they're going to want to come.

Amen? So take some cards, invite some friends,

pack this place. I'm so expecting for God to

move next Sunday. I'm going to that door, Frank.

So keep it shut for me so I can say goodbye to

everyone. God bless you guys. Thank you for joining

us online. We love you. God bless.