Transcription
Hello and good morning. Welcome to Sunday morning at the First Pentecostal Church. There is no better way to start your week than in the house of God. So, thank you for choosing to spend this service with us.
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My name is Darren Ball. We are so glad you decided to join us at the First Pentecostal Church for a time of worship and the word. We believe setting time aside to worship God and hear the preached word of God is the most important thing you can do each week. The activities at FPC NLR don't stop after service on Sunday and Tuesday. There are opportunities to be involved in the kingdom all week long. If you want to be more involved with any of these ministries at FPC, please contact the church office for more information. Here are just a few things happening this week at FPC NLR.
The activities at FBC NLR don't stop after service on Sunday and Tuesday. There are opportunities to be involved in the kingdom all week long. If you want to be involved with any of the ministries at FPC, please contact the church office for more information. Here are just a few things happening this week at FPC NLR.
Each Sunday, we hold 180 life enrichment program classes at our North Hill campus. These classes include domestic violence class at 4:00 p.m., anger management class at 5:00 p.m., and a drug and alcohol awareness class at 5:00 p.m. Our 180 program continues Tuesday evenings on West Level 3 at 6:00 p.m. with our Be Free Addiction Recovery Program. Monday evening, our ladies Bible study group will meet in West Level 3 at 6:30 p.m. All ladies are invited. Our Spanish speaking service at our North Hills campus is also on Monday evening at 7:00. Wednesday evening, Calvary Academy will be holding a fundraising event from 5:00 to 9:00 at Tacos for Life in Northwood Rock. 20% of proceeds will be given to the school as long as you remember to mention you are with Calvary Academy and would like to purchase to support the school. The Young Mother's Connect group is meeting at Funland in North Little Rock this Thursday morning at 9:30. Admission is free, so bring your little ones and enjoy the great spring weather. The Connect New Believers Bible Study will be held at 7:00 p.m. Thursday. Kingdom Builder service will be in the chapel this Friday at 10:30 a.m. The Connect Juniors and Connect Tai will have a combined event Friday 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at McGee Park in Mil Rock for softball. Bring $5 and money for concessions. Our Friday night connect group will also meet Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 in the cafe for food and fellowship.
We have some incredible events coming up in the near future as well. One of the best outreach opportunities of the year is coming soon. Easter at FPC NLR. Easter Sunday morning is always such a special time. We invite you, your family, and your guests to join us in the rotunda for our Easter morning service for refreshments and photos with FPC NLR photographers. For our Easter evening service, we'll be hosting a concert featuring the FPC NL musicians, choir, soloist, as well as Calvary Academy choirs and band. There will also be several special guests as well. Invite someone to join you. We also want to let those of you who are 65 and older know about a special event the Saturday before Easter on April 19th. Pastors planned this event specifically to be able to spend time with the seasoned saints who have helped make FPC NLR what it is today. Join pastor at Sherwood Forest from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. for a meal, great music, wonderful singing, and uplifting fellowship. We can't wait to celebrate with you.
Hello, my name is Olly Willis. I am a Calvary Academy alumnist and a first grade teacher here at Calvary Academy. I love being a part of the educational ministry of the First Pentecostal Church. When I began to look at career opportunities upon graduation from CA, nothing seemed to be a good fit for me. As I began to pray about the direction for my future career, I felt that I should work at CA. I am so excited to be able to give my time and energy back to CA. If you, like me, are looking for a way to move the mission of CA forward, 10X week is the perfect opportunity. 10X Week will take place from April 27th through May 2nd. There will be several opportunities to give. You can also give leading up to 10X week by simply dropping a contribution by the school office or by placing it in the offering and marking 10X on the envelope. Proceeds from this fundraiser are going to help build the upper campus gym and the lower campus playground upgrades. Thank you for supporting Calvary Academy.
We want to remind you that during every service we provide Spanish interpretation as well as American Sign Language interpretation. The Spanish interpretation center where you can find headsets and audio packs is located at the Westside Sanctuary entryway.
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After service, please return all equipment back to the translation center so that we can clean and maintenance all the components. Thank you. You can also download the Wavecast app and stream the translation directly from your device and headphones.
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Central Wave. North Hills. If this is your first time joining us or if you have never filled out a guest card, please visit fpcnlr.com/guestcard to complete this information so we can keep you updated about all the exciting things happening here at FBCNLR. If you would like to request prayer for yourself, a loved one, a friend, or a specific situation, please visit fpcnlr.com, scroll to the contact us section at the bottom of the homepage, and select prayer request from the drop-down menu. Again, thank you so much for choosing to spend this time online worshiping with us here at the First Pentecostal Church of North Little Rock. Service will begin shortly. Let's worship the Lord together.
Good morning, FBC. Welcome to Palm Sunday. This morning scripture, Matthew 29:21:9. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying, "Hosana to the son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." How many excited to worship on Palm Sunday this morning? Could you lift up your hands? Could you lift up your voice? How many ready to worship on a Palm Sunday? Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Oh, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Lift your voice. Declare him your king. Great I am. Messiah is king. Holy one. All power and praise. All glory and honor belong to his name.
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Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he. Who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he. Who comes in the name of the hosana. Blessed is he. Comes in the name of the Lord. Lift your voice. Declare him your king. Great. I am. [Applause] Messiah. Holy one. All power and praise. Glory and honor belongs to his name. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana. Hosana. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Lift your voice. Declare him your king. Pray. I am. [Applause] Messiah. Holy one. All power and praise, glory and honor belongs to his name. Hosana is Who comes in the name is he who comes in the name of the Lord. I hope you can put your hands together just like this across the building. We come to praise on. Someone ought to lift him up high. Say, we come to bless your name. Blessed who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed blessed is who comes in the names in the name of the Lord. Name of the Lord. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. I wonder if you could just shout that name across the building. I want if you could just lift up your voice and shout in the name of Jesus, the one who takes care of every problem, takes care of all the pain. How many know we serve a God that never fails? Oh, how many really knows that? Who can testify? We serve a God that's never [Music] fail. All of your hearts. All of your pain, all of your trles, you can give it to Jesus. All of your burdens, all of your cares, even your struggles, you can give it to Jesus cuz he won't fail. He won't fail. He won't leave you. No, he won't fail. He won't fail. He won't fail. He won't leave you. No, he won't fail. All of your problems, all of your pain, even your trles, you can give it to Jesus. All of your worries, all of your cares, even your struggles, you can give it to Jesus cuz he won't fail. He won't fail. He won't leave you. No, he won't fail. You [Music] won't. Heat. Heat. You must see my own life. He keeps every promise. Never be more he every every single day. forever. Hallelujah. You keep every promise. I know you're my make way. Make it away. Keep going. Make it away. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. You want me to You want me You want I feel with my He keeps everything with my own. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. I want you to throw your hands towards heaven and that's your story. Is that anybody's testimony? Has God ever kept a promise for you? Has God ever forsaken you? Oh, someone lift up your voice. He's always making it away. I can always make it away. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. with your own [Music] every single Speed testify across the we took a miracle worker. We took a way maker. The same king of kings that rose through the city that day is present in the building. If you need a miracle, if you need a breakthrough, you ought to lift your hands right now. The king of kings is here. The king of kings is here. also going to wave across the building. You want to wave across the building. We serve a way maker. We serve a mountain. We serve a miracle worker. everybody. Everybody everybody Oh, one more time. Can you lift up your voice? Has he been a promiseke keeper to anybody in the room? Has he ever kept his word? Anybody in the building? I wish somebody would take a moment and testify of the wonder working power of the Hosana of the promise keeping ability of the hero. It is every sing you won't fail. He won't leave if you know you won't fail. You won't fail. You won't fail. You won't leave. You No, you won't fail. You won't fail. Can I hear everybody today? You won't. If you know the Lord won't fail you, see it now. And it [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] will wonder if there's anybody in the building who can testify. He won't fail. He'll never let you down. He's faithful. He's the God of his word. He keeps his promises. Well, welcome to Palm Sunday here at FPC NLR. We are so happy that you made it. Whether you're visiting here in person or online, you've made our day by being here. You know, today we're celebrating Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. But he's already here today. He He never left us. He's here all the time. And I'm so grateful that we can praise him here because he is here. And it's our obligation today, our privilege to praise him. And I'm so thankful for that. At this time, we're going to get ready to collect our tithe and our offering. There's a few different ways we can do that. The ushers will be throughout the building. There's kiosk in the back or you can give online or through cash app. After that, if you'll reach across the aisle, find someone, tell them good morning, let them know how happy you are to see them this morning. But let's take this offering and tithe to the Lord. Jesus, we're so grateful for the opportunity to give back to you what you've given to us. We pray you use this tithe and offering for your glory and honor in Jesus name. [Music] Amen. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Praise the Lord. Everyone, would you like to stand and join us as we sing our hymn for today? We're going to be singing Joy Unspeakable and full of glory. Walk in this Christian journey is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Thank you, Jesus. Sing with us, please. [Music] I have found his graces all complete. He supply every need while I sit and learn at Jesus feet. I am free. Yes, free indeed. Joy, unspeakable and full of glory full of glory full of glory is joy unspeakable and full of glory all the has never yet been told. I have found that hope so bright and clear like a river of grace. Oh, the Savior's presence is so near. I can see his smiling face. Oh, it is joy. Sing the Lord and full of glory. Full of glory, full of glory. It is joy. Unseable and full of glory. All I have has never yet been told. I have found the joy. No tongue can tell. How it waves of glory roll. Oh, it is like a great overflowing well springing up within my soul. I enjoy singing and full of glory. Full of glory, full of glory. It is joy. Unspeakable and full of glory. All I have has never yet been told. It is joy. Sing full of glory. Full of glory. Full of glory. It is joy. Unspeakable and full of glory. All the has never yet joy. Unspeakable and full of glory. Full of glory, full of glory. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. All I have has never yet been told. Praise the Lord everybody. You may be [Applause] seated. Anybody thankful to know the king you serve this morning? Hallelujah. I wish I could tell you. Wish I could describe it, but I can't contain it. Can't keep it to myself. There aren't enough colors to paint the whole picture. Not enough words to ever say what I found. Wonderful and beautiful and glorious and holy. He is merciful and powerful. Who we talking about? That's my blessing glory. Give him all the honor worthy. Who we talking about? That's right. There's no one before you. Yes, we will adore you. All of this is for you. We talking about Jesus, you're my king. I'm not letting the rocks run without joining the chorus. There are enough notes to make the harmony. The song of the angels angels of the angels earth and heaven symphony wonderful and beautiful and glorious and holy. He is merciful and powerful. That's why he glory glory. We give him all the honor. Give him all the honor. Oh, you're worthy. Who we talking about? That's my adore. Oh yes, we will adore you. Adore you. All of this is for you. Who are we talking about? That's my firm foundation, my king. That's my God. That's my shepherd, my protector. That's my Jesus. That's my rock. That's my anchor. My defender. That's my king. That's my God. That's my God. My sh. That's my angel. My angel for the glory. Give him all the honor. Give him all the honor. worthy glory glory. We give you all glory honor. Who are we talking about? That's my heat. my you mighty. He's worthy. That's why we live because he's so worthy. He's my soul. Yes. That's my king. That's my king. That's my God. That's my God. That's my shepherd. He's my shepherd. My protector. That's my That's my rock. He's my anchor. That's my my That's my That's my God. That's my God. My sh my [Applause] I talking about we glory give him all the honor. He's so worthy. Who we talking about? That's why your the glory. Give [Applause] [Music] everybody that's my That's my praise. Today clap your hands all you people. Shout to God with a voice of triumph. Let's lift it up. [Music] Come on. Can we lift it up? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Well, so good to see you in the house of the Lord today. Happy Palm Sunday. [Applause] Hallelujah. We're honored to have all of our guests here with us today. If this is your first time here, God bless you for being in the house of the Lord with us today. We're just delighted for you to be here today. We're going to the word of God, Matthew chapter 21. But before we get there, I want us to pray over some specific needs of our church family. We want to pray for Sister Rhonda Clark, Brother Gerald Kennedy, Sister Lisa Phillips, Brother Robert Riley and his family, Brother Jerry Stacy, Sister Sandra Stamper, Brother Tanner Stewart and his family, Sister Renee Stranger and her family. If you've got a need today, why don't you just raise that hand up boldly and let's go before the throne of grace right now. Father, we come to you right now. Lord Jesus, we ask that you would move among your people today. God, you know every need that's in this house today. And Father, I pray that you would touch, that you would heal, that you would deliver, that you would save, that you would comfort. In Jesus' name we pray. Could you just put your hands together again? Come on, give him a thunderous hand clap, a praise. Oh, come on. Give him a praise that only he alone deserves. [Music] Hallelujah. I want to remind us that after the service today, if you're a new or newly returning member, we're going to be having a special lunchon in the chapel. Please join us. We would love to have you. Also, this Tuesday night is going to be a great great celebration and commemoration of the sacrifice that Jesus made on Calvary. We're going to be celebrating communion together. So, please plan to join us here in the sanctuary for Tuesday evening service. And then next Sunday, everybody say, "Next Sunday." Next Sunday. Next Sunday is Easter Sunday. What do you say? Let's pack this place out and let's all come here this coming Sunday and give God praise because he didn't stay in the grave. He came forth victoriously. Anybody thankful for a resurrected savior? Hallelujah. So join with us next Sunday. Matthew 21 verse number 8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way. Others cut down branches from the trees and stra them in the way. And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried, saying, "Hosana to the son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest." And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?" And the multitude said, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." And today I want to preach for a few moments from this thought. Lay it down for the king. Lay it down for the king. Could we just lift our hands right now and ask that the Lord would speak to us from his word? Come on. All over this building. God, I ask you right now, let your word penetrate the hearts of every person in this room, those joining us online. God, I pray you would anoint me that you would give me a word, a timely word for your people today. In Jesus' name we pray. You may be seated. The phrase roll out the red carpet originated from ancient traditions of honoring royalty, dignitaries, and esteemed guests by providing them with a path of distinction both literally and symbolically separating them from the common ground. The earliest known literary use of a red carpet comes from the ancient Greek tragedy in 458 BC. In this play, King Agammnon returns from the Trojan War and his wife orders a crimson carpet to be laid for him to walk on. Red or crimson has long symbolized royalty, sacrifice, wealth, and dignity. In 1821, the United States President James Monroe was welcomed with a red carpet during a visit to South Carolina. And thus from there, dignitaries of our government have stepped on red carpets when exiting planes and cars and entering into official buildings. The New York Central Railroad used red carpets to guide passengers boarding boarding the 20th century limited train. It was a way to distinguish elite service and likely helped popularize the association of the phrase roll out the red carpet with VIP treatment. By the 1920s and 1930s, Hollywood events began using red carpets for film premiieres, cementing the image of the red carpet as a symbolic element of glamour, status, and honor. And while not called a red carpet, the cloaks and the branches laid before Jesus at the triumphal entry formed a symbolic path of honor. The humble version, if you will, of royal protocol. Today, we're going to look at laying it down for the king. As I was studying for this message and in deep prayer, it dawned on me that we shouldn't call John the Baptist, but we should call him John the red carpet. In essence, John the Baptist was the red carpet, not in silk and luxury, but in prophetic humility, bold declaration, and self-facing obedience. His entire ministry was one long act of laying himself down to honor the arrival of another. John the red carpet was the one of whom Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 40:3. The voice of him that crith in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God." John was quite literally preparing the way. He was clearing the spiritual terrain, calling the hearts of Israel to repentance and making space for the arrival of the Messiah. John says this about himself in John 1:23. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord as the prophet Isaiah said. He did not come dressed in fine linen, but Luke 7:25 says he wore the coat of camel's hair and ate locust. He did not come dressed in finery, but he did come with a bold proclamation and a red carpet life. If you will, saying that Jesus is coming. John 1:29 says, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said after me cometh a man which is preferred before me for he was before me." He goes on and says this in verse 28 of John 3. I am not the Christ but I have been sent before him. He must increase. I must decrease. John was the red carpet, if you will, of Jesus Christ. And he understood something that every person in this house today in the 21st century needs to understand. He must increase and I must decrease. We live in a world where self is promoted. We live in a world where there is an entire genre of of writing for self-help. We live in a self-centered world. We live in a world where it's me first and everyone last. But John understood a great principle and I would say spiritual revelation. If Jesus is going to increase, if Jesus is going to be king of kings and lord of lords in your life, you must decrease in order for him to increase. Today, you'll notice the subtitle of my message is red carpets, cloaks, and palms. In ancient times, in ancient cultures, cloaks and outer garments were more than just protection from the elements. They represented something. Your cloak that you wore represented status or position. 1st Samuel 18:4 tells us that Jonathan gave his robe to David understanding that he would never be the king but David would be the king. Cloaks represented wealth or a certain station in life. Luke 16:19 Jesus spoke of a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen. The cloak represented identity. It represented personal covering much like the mantle that Elijah wore and told Elisha, "If you see me when I leave and you grab hold that mantle, you will receive authority and you will receive anointing and power." A cloak was not just an out outer garment worn by a person, but it was also used as a bed roll at nighttime, keeping a person warm during the chilly semi-arid night air. You could use your cloak as a pledge for a loan. And for a beggar, a cloak, no matter how worn or tattered, was an essential thing. He would use the skirt of his cloak to collect the meager benevolence of passers by. I want you to understand today that identity and cloaks were intricately related. The high priest was easily recognizable to the people of Israel by the vestments in which he wore blues and purples, precious gems encased in a golden breastplate, bells at the bottom of his garment, so that everyone heard and saw the distinguished high priest of Israel. You knew a priest, a Levitical priest by the ephod he wore. In Jesus's times, rabbis and Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes wore long, dark flowing cloaks that distinguished them from the general populace of Israel. You could spot a rabbi out of a crowd just by seeing his dark cloak. And we may be living in the 21st century, but I want you to know that we're not really that sophisticated because we still are identified with the cloaks we wear. A doctor's white coat, a policeman's uniform and badge, a judge's black robe, the white tabbed collar of a priest, the stars and the bars on the coat of a military officer, the numbered jersey of a ball player, all indicate and identify a certain person. Everybody in this house today, your cloak was and still is your identity. You are connected to really what you wear. Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8, and Luke 19:36, all three of the synoptic gospels speak about the garments being laid in the pathway. 21:8 of Matthew, a very great multitude spread their garments in the way. Mark 11 says, "Many spread their garments in the way." Luke 19:36, they spread their clothes in the way. So when the people at Jesus's triumphal entry removed their cloaks and laid them before him, it was more than just a gesture of hospitality. It was a symbol a a symbolic act of surrender and submission. When they took off their outer garments, when they laid aside their identity and their cloaks, it wasn't just an act of hospitality, an act of being kind to an important person, but quite literally when they removed their identity, they were indicating that a king was coming. I want you to understand today that there is spiritual significance of removing the cloak. First of all, it speaks of surrendering personal authority. Laying down the cloak says, "You are greater than me. I yield my position to you." Like subjects who laid down their garments at the declaration of King Jahu in 2nd Kings 9:13. A spiritual significance of removing the cloak is when we set aside our self-identity. Cloaks, distinguished individuals, colors, embroidery, the the texture and the fabric was all an indication of who or what someone was. And by laying it down, the people were setting aside themselves to exalt Christ as king. Another spiritual significance of removing the cloak was this. It was making a path for the true covering. I want you to know today that it wouldn't be very many hours later and Jesus would be stripped of his own garments and he would become the covering for all mankind's sin. Their gesture foreshadowed the truth. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. And we so desperately need the garment of salvation that only Jesus Christ can provide. In a world that cherishes identity, in a world that has made identity such an important part of who we are. Let me stand here today in this sacred place and declare to every person in this room today and those joining us online that today is the day we lay it down for the king. We lay it down for the king. All of my accolades, all of my distinguishing characteristics, all of the letters behind my name, all the money in my billfold, we lay it down for the king. 2 Samuel chapter 6 tells the story of the return of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem after attempting to transport the ark on a new cart and Uzza's subsequent death for touching it. The joyous procession was paused. The ark was housed in Obed Edom's house until David and the priests could figure out what to do. I want to give you a side note here today. It never hurts to stop and to read the Bible. You see, David was greatly disappointed. David was upset that Uzza died and the cart was not the optimum way of transporting the ark. And David instructed the priests Abiathar to read and search the sacred scrolls for the proper protocol for transporting the ark. In their search of the scrolls, they discovered that the ark could not be placed on a cart. It could not be touched by common hands. Rather, the ark had to be placed on the shoulders of consecrated priests. And therefore, David assembled the priests, the praisers, and the musicians. And the ark left Obed Edom's house. And the Bible says in 2 Samuel 6:14, "And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was girded with a linen ephod." I wish for just a moment you can imagine with me King David, the one who was courageous, the one who smoked Goliath, the nemesis of Israel, the one who ran from Saul and over three times escaped assassination by the king of Israel. The man who now reigned on the throne of Israel. The man who God promised an everlasting dynasty to. This man, this King David took off his crown, removed his royal vestments, and he put on a priestly ephod. And with that priestly ephod on his shoulders, the Bible says that David danced with all of his might. I don't know what it looked like, but it must have looked like some sight to all the people here. The king of Israel, the exalted and esteemed leader of God's people, the warrior, the royal, this man, King David, danced with all of his might as the ark made its way back to Jerusalem. In other words, David stripped off his identity and in that moment he became like a priest. This most likely is the reason that Michal, the daughter of Saul, greeted David by saying, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today." She looked upon David and despised him. Her heart was filled with contempt as she saw David take off his identity as king and put his identity as a praiser on. And David's response to Michal was this. I will yet be more vile than thus and will be base in mine sight. Now the literal Hebrew translation is this. I want you to get it. David said, "I will shame myself still more than this, and I will be lowly in my eyes." What a contrast from King Saul. King Saul, when you were little in your own eyes, you were great in God's sight, but you became too big for your britches, so to speak. And God said, "Enough with you. I'm going to choose somebody else." And here comes David. He says, "I don't care about the crown. I don't care about the robe. I'll remove it all. I'll discard it all. Give me an ephod and let me lay it all down. I just want to praise him. I don't care how goofy it may look. You can criticize, you can laugh, you can mock, but you just got to understand, I'm making way for the King of Kings. I'm making way for the Lord of Lords, and I'll lay it all down." Oh, I wish somebody clap their hands. Come on, clap your hands. Come on, say, "Lay it down." Lay it down for the king. For the king. Come on, say it again. Lay it down. Lay it down for the king. For the king. Now, I want you to shout it. Lay it down. Lay it down. For the king. For the king. I'll never be too prideful. My suit will never be too expensive. My tie will never be name brand enough for it to ever hinder my praise for the king. I'm willing to lay it down for the king. Oh, I wish I could get some help in here. I said I'm ready to lay it down for the king. At the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the prophetic nature of Psalm 115:1 was fulfilled as the multitude laid their garments down. Last night in prayer, it was like God spoke these words to me. I knew it was a psalm, but I didn't know which psalm it was. It's Psalm 115 verse number one. It says, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake." When the people removed their cloaks and they laid them down on the ground before Jesus, they were, whether knowingly or not, enacting the very spirit of Psalm 115. It was a visual stripping away of self-glory and a humble recognition that unto thy name give glory. In that moment, the words of the psalmist were fulfilled. Not unto us, oh Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name. Receive glory. Be glory. I wonder if there's anybody in the house in 2025 on Palm Sunday right here at 1401 Calvary that could lift their voice and say it, not unto us, oh Lord. Not unto us. We don't want the glory. We don't want the glory. We want you to get the glory. We want you to get the glory. In that moment, the people rid themselves of their identity and they picked up palms and started praising the king who was coming into Jerusalem. You see, King David understood this. You can't worship God if you aren't willing to humble yourself. Let me say it again. You can't worship God if you aren't willing to humble yourself. When their identity was removed, they had the freedom and the liberty to cry out joyfully, "Hosana to the son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest." I wish somebody just shout out hosana. Come on, shout hosana in the highest. Come on, say it again. Hosana in the highest. Hosana in the highest. Let me tell you what we need to do today. Church family, guess who have joined us. We need to take off our self-importance. We need to take off our identity. We need to take off what we pride ourselves in and say, "It's nothing. It's like filthy rags compared to your glory, compared to your righteousness, compared to your holiness. I'll lay it down for the king." I say, "Well, pastor, you understand my identity is so wrapped up. I even identify by certain pronouns." Let me tell you, lay it down for the king. Lay it down for the king. You ain't I don't think you got it yet. Let me say it again. It doesn't matter what your identity is, your last name, how much money you've got in your portfolio, what esteemed position you hold, or how great you may be. When it comes time for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords to come down, I am willing to lay it all down. Say, "Well, that makes me uncomfortable." Well, you're not going to like heaven too good because on the isle of Patmos, John in his old age had a vision. And that vision he named the revelation of Jesus Christ. Do you want to know what John saw? Well, do you want to know what John saw? Let me tell you what John saw in Revelation chapter number four. The four and 20 elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever. You ready for the next part? And cast their crowns before the throne, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power." We could spend all day discussing who the four and 20 elders is, but I'd just rather tell you they were somebody important. Whoever they were, I can tell you this. Even with their importance and their 24 crowns, at that moment when they beheld the man Jesus on the throne, they cast down. They laid down their crown and said, "You get the glory. You get the honor. You get the [Applause] power." John saw some more things. Revelation 7. I'm almost finished. John said, "And after this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne. And before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." down. So, I just want to tell you on this Palm Sunday one more time, it's time to lay it down for the king. Give me those palm branches. I said lay it down for the king. I just want I I want to tell you something. You can praise God a lot better. When you rid yourself of your self-importance, [Music] you can praise yourself a lot better. You can praise God a lot better when you rid yourself of your identity. [Applause] Oh, I know this is a contrary message to a world that tells you you're important and you need to take care of yourself and you if you don't take care of you, nobody else will. But I'm here to reject that sentiment and tell you today is the day the king is coming. The king is coming. It's time. It's time to lay it down for the king. Oh, you ought to stand to your [Applause] feet. I said lay it down for the king. You see, when you lay down your identity, who you are, how important you are, your job title, your degrees, and your pedigree, when you lay it down for the king, it's a lot easier to pick up a palm branch and start praising him and saying, "Hosana, hosana, hosana, hosana." [Applause] I think we have a plumber in here. Come on. Run. Hallelujah. Come on. He's coming, Brother Johnson. Come on. Come on. Come on. What What does that What does that What does that say? What does that say? Complete plumbing, electric and air. I think it's time to lay it down for a palm. Do we have an electrician, Brother Weaver? [Applause] Do we have a fireman, Brother Brandon Codler? Do we have a mechanic, Brother Terry Davis? Do we have a physician, brother Aaron Roberts? Do we have a podiatrist? Brother Ed Sharer. Come on, you lay it down. Lay it down for the [Music] [Applause] king. Come on. Hold it up real big so they can see it before you lay it down. [Applause] [Music] Let's make a [Music] do we have a nurse in here? I think we got a whole lot of nurses. Sister Leah, come on. What about a lawyer? Is there a lawyer in the room? Come on. Come on. Oh, there he comes. He's a running lawyer. [Applause] Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. What about a principal? [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Hey, we got such a we got such a high flutin principal. He's got a custom jacket with the school logo inside. What about it, principal? Can you lay it down for the king? Come on. I know we've got a lot of homemakers, but when I thought of a homemaker extraordinaire, I thought about Sister Heather Wheeler. Come on, Sister Heather. Can you lay it down for the king? What about police officer? Come on. Come on, brother Ruby. Hallelujah. Do we have any HVAC people in the room? Come on. [Music] Hallelujah. Oh yeah. Come on. [Music] Come on, AT&T. We got to have someone to keep the internet going. He ain't alignment anymore. He's bossing everybody around now. Come on, hold it up. Lay it down right there. What about a chef Baker? Sister Glenda. Praise God for Sister Glenda. [Applause] [Music] [Music] Woo! Hallelujah. What about a home builder, Brother Brown? Oh, look at it. He's running like his daddy used to [Applause] run. I know we got some roofers. Can Freily Rubin come? Come on, let's lay it down for the king. What about an [Music] excavator? What about a [Music] pharmacist? Come on, lay it down. Freley Roofing, lay it down. Bigs excavation. [Applause] I know we got a farmer in the room. Come on, Farmer Anderson. What about an IT specialist overseas one of the largest law firms in [Applause] Arkansas? Lay it down, Brother [Music] Atkins. We even got a TSA agent in the crowd. Come on, brother Renie Gonal. Lay it down for the king. How about disaster restoration? Brother resting ground. We can't miss the land, guys. Come on. What about one of you land salesman? Come on, brother H. Hearnman. Come on. They they got to see this. He's got some land he'll sell you along with a lot of other guys and ladies in this church. What about laying it down for the king? Come on ushers, get those palms out. I don't know about you, but today is a good day for everybody in the balcony, everybody in the meine, everybody on the floor to lay it down for the king and pick up a palm and say, "I'd rather be known as a praiser than a doctor. I'd rather be known as a praiser than a fireman. I'd rather be known as a praiser than a preacher. I'm laying it down for the king." Come on. Why don't you just pick your palm [Music] up? Come on, take some steps. If you got a palm, get down to the front and say, "For the next few minutes, I'm laying it down for the king." [Music] We praise your name. Oh, we praise your name. Come on. Oh, not unto us, oh Lord. to us. We praise your name. You got built in the arms right here. We praise your name. We praise your name. Praise your name. We praise your name. We praise your name. We praise your name. [Music] We praise your name. Praise your name. [Music] We praise your name. Come on, church. Everybody in the house. Come on, take a moment and give him great praise. The king of kings, the king prepare ye the way of the Lord. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Yeah. Heat. [Music] here. [Music] We lay down. Come on. I lay down my identity. I lay down myself. Jesus is coming. Prepare ye the way. [Music] [Applause] [Music] One more thing. Now, when those people laid their identity down and picked up a palm, the Bible says they cried out with joy. They were cheerful. They were excited because Jesus was coming. Now, we can't leave this sanctuary today on this Palm Sunday without giving him our most joyful praise. Come on now. I believe we laid it down. Now, it's time to pick up the palm and say, "I'm going to be a praiser. I'm going to be like the psalmist. Not unto us, oh Lord. Not unto us, but to thy name be glory." Come on. All over this house, give him praise. I'll praise you. I'll humble myself. [Applause] Heat up here. [Applause] May we never get so self-important. so put well put together, so dignified and sophisticated that when it comes time to praise him, we can't praise him. But may it be said of First Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ in North Little Rock, Arkansas, that we're going to lay it down for the King and we're going to praise him with every bit of might and strength and power we have. One more time before we leave, I want you to open up your mouth and give him the loudest praise you can give him. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Hallelujah. Turn to someone and tell them I'm laying it down for the king. God bless y'all. See you here tonight. 6:15 prayer service at 7:00. [Music]