Transcript of a published sermon by Josh Hodum, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Palm Sunday at Bethany — Mary at His feet
- It is Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. Just before the entry into Jerusalem, Jesus was at Bethany, where His friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived; Martha prepared a great meal, and a multitude came — many of them not only to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus, who had been raised from the dead.
- While Martha was occupied with preparing the meal and hosting the crowd, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, there only to worship; the crowds did not sway her and the multitude in her house was no bother to her.
- Mary broke the precious spikenard ointment and anointed Jesus. Judas hated that part and could not understand the waste, but Jesus defended her: the poor they would have always, but they would not always have Him in person, and she was doing what she was supposed to do.
- When Martha asked the Lord to send Mary to help her, He would not rebuke Mary or send her away — she had chosen the good part, the good thing, and He defended her for it.
- The preacher applies it to the hearers: there is still a good part of life, and it is when we learn to worship.
Scriptures: John 12
The entry into Jerusalem — a King of peace
- Leaving Bethany, Jesus sent two of His disciples to bring Him the colt of a donkey they would find tied: if the owner asked what it was for, they were to say the master hath need of him.
- In time of war kings rode stallions, big white horses, but in time of peace a king making his entrance rode a colt. Jesus came in making known that He is the King, coming as the King of peace and the King of joy — not to cause battles and wars, but with a peaceful approach.
- They laid their jackets, coats, and cloaks on the road for Him to ride on, and others threw down palm branches. The people of Jerusalem had mostly been hostile before, ruled by the Roman government, which saw Him as a threat; but now the multitudes came out crying "Hosanna," asking Him to save them and expecting Him to set up a kingdom — not understanding that it was not a kingdom of this world or of their country, but the kingdom of the entire world.
- When some asked whether He would rebuke the crying crowd, He said He could not do that: if they held their peace, the stones would cry out.
"He beheld the city and wept over it"
- The preacher comes to the part he will dwell on: when Jesus came near, He beheld the city and wept over it.
- The other place the Scripture shows Jesus weeping is at the tomb of Lazarus — "Jesus wept," the shortest verse in the entire Bible, one every hearer should memorize. He was not weeping there because Lazarus was dead; He knew He was going to call him forth, and that Lazarus would then have to face the struggles of life again.
- He announces his subject: "When Christ Weeps."
- Reading the very next verse: if the city had just known, even in this its day, the things which belong to its peace. Before this, Jerusalem had not welcomed Him and had not been available to receive Him; now, at the end of His journey, knowing what was to come, He wept over the potential the city and its people could have had.
Scriptures: Luke 19:41-42; John 11:35
"If I had just known" — the mirror of missed potential
- The preacher stood that morning and looked in the mirror and thought: God, when You look at me, I pray You don't say, what could you have done, where could you have made a difference? He asks the hearers: what is God looking at when He looks at each of us, and where are you at in your journey with God? Are you living up to the potential God has for you?
- Most of us look back on our lives and see how much potential we missed, and we live with the ifs: if I had just started funding my 401(k) when I was eighteen, I wouldn't have to work until I was seventy-five; if I had just bought this.
- He confesses his own case: the mistakes he has made, the bad choices, all of it — if he could have just been more dedicated, if he could have just learned more of God and less of the things of this world, if he could have just removed himself out of the way and let God have His way, there is no limit to where he could have been today.
The tailor who became President
- A man of twenty was a tailor by trade, making and mending clothes for his living. He was not wealthy, had grown up in a very poor home, and had never gone to school or gotten any education — but he was satisfied being a tailor. A young lady of seventeen fell in love with him and married him, believing there was more potential in him than he had ever reached.
- She began to invest in him: after his work she taught him to read — a struggle, with times of tension and hardship, and times she wanted to give up — but she kept pouring into him, and he, eager for knowledge, worked hard at it. Then she taught him arithmetic, how to do math and use numbers; numbers are a language, and learning what numbers could do opened up a world in his tailoring business, so that he could work for himself instead of for someone else.
- Still ever striving for more knowledge and more information, he became President Andrew Johnson, and was also later elected a senator of the United States — all because somebody saw some potential in him that was greater than what he had ever known.
- The preacher turns it on the hearers: you are not a mistake to life, however many twists and turns life has taken. There was a Man who went to a cross called Calvary and looked down through the echoes of time and saw a young boy He could invest in — he tells of himself — someone He could pour Himself into and make a difference in, hardheaded and difficult to teach and to break as that boy would be. Christ loved you enough that if you were the only person this side of the cross, He still would have gone to the cross for you.
Are you running the wrong direction?
- Christ weeps over you when He sees you and sees what potential there might have been. He loved you enough to give you potential to be a life-changer, a soul winner, somebody fit for the Master's use — not just a vessel, but a vessel of honour; not just something that could exist in life, but someone useful for the kingdom of God.
- It all started with one Person, and the handful of people He went through and picked, saying: I want you to make a difference, carry the gospel, speak the word of love, preach the word of truth. You are not sitting on these pews by accident — it was ordained of God Himself; He has a future and a plan for your life, and it is up to you whether you allow Him to use you.
- He presses the questions: has the devil made Christ feel unwelcome in your life, as he did every time Jesus came to Jerusalem? Have you put up barriers against His will and His plan? Have you run away from Him instead of toward Him, ignored His bidding for your soul rather than accepting it? Is He weeping over where you are today instead of rejoicing? Moses had every excuse under the sun; just imagine what a difference Paul could have made had he surrendered to Christ as a young boy, or David, if he had never run in the opposite direction.
- He tells of the University of California football player who caught a pass, got caught up in the excitement, and ran sixty-five yards in the wrong direction, nearly scoring for the opposing team before a teammate brought him down. At halftime he sat in the silent locker room with a towel over his head, crying like a baby, sure he had cost the coach his job. When the coach said all the first-half starters would start the second half, the player stayed seated: I can't face the crowd, there's too much shame and guilt. The coach took him by the hand: I'm going with you, and your past is over, but we've got another half to play, and what you do in this half will make the difference. He ran onto the field and played the best half he had ever played — all because somebody believed in him.
- Hear the application: your mistakes don't have to determine your future, and a future is always brighter when you have learned from your mistakes. Christ is also weeping with you; there is still a work you can do, still a calling for your life, still a better day ahead. He comes alongside you and says: I'm not here to forsake you or throw you down because of your past; I'm here to join forces with you — let's go make the best of the rest of your life. Don't be one of those whose opportunity fades away: if they had just known.
Mercy for yesterday — surrender it all today
- There is not a person under the sound of his voice who has not made more than their fair share of mistakes — but thank God His mercy endureth forever, thank God His compassion is renewed every morning, and thank God His grace is sufficient to cover a multitude of sins. Whatever caused you to run the wrong direction, don't let it be the definition of the rest of your life: today you can realize He is calling you to a brighter future.
- That same week Jesus went into the city and into the temple and began to clean it out, turning over the tables of the moneychangers, because His house was not going to be called a house of thieves. He wants to change your life, and He will change you if you will give Him the chance. He is not wanting to throw you away because of your mistakes, or to throw your lack of dedication and consecration in your face; He is just looking for somebody who will dedicate and consecrate themselves.
- The preacher confesses his own plan for the morning: he had wanted to preach about the triumphant entry, about Jesus coming in as the God of peace and the Prince of Peace — but God began to redirect his thoughts and the way he was seeing things, until he understood that Christ is still weeping, because so many have not reached the calling, the purpose, the potential God has for them.
- In prayer he thanks God that He does not throw us away for our mistakes and that His mercy has covered us, and asks Him to remind somebody in the room that He is with them right where they are — to take their sins and bury them in the depths of the sea, to separate their mistakes from them as far as the east is from the west, to give them a clean slate and a bright future, and today to purge the past and not let them be defeated over yesterday's mistakes.
- He presses the invitation: is there somebody who will say, God, I'm surrendering it all to You, every bit of it — my past may have been colorful, but my future's going to be brighter? Somebody who says: here I am, come take me, the broken pieces, the fragments, the leftovers — I don't want to be an "if I had only known."
- The recording ends mid-sentence during the altar invitation, before the call is completed.
Scripture index: John 12; Luke 19:41-42; John 11:35.
today is Palm Sunday as we know it throughout the world and it is the Sunday before Easter and it's the time where Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey actually it was a coat of a donkey ah right prior to this we few study the life of Jesus he was he was doing some great things and he had been there in Bethany where his friend who he loved who he cherished their friendship Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived
and there he was there while he was there Martha had prepared a great meal for him and there was a whole multitude of people that came and the Bible tells us if you read this from John chapter 12 you can find it very where it wasn't everybody wasn't there to see Jesus someone was there to see Lazarus who'd been raised from the dead people come it was noised abroad because of the great things that had happened and they wanted to see Mary
Mary sat there and she had known at Jesus feet you understand read the story to knowing at his feet and it bothered Martha first that Mary stayed in there and worshiped fact if you find this story where I'm talking about right now it's in Luke and it said if place he's almost out of the time line but it's in a different place
but bothered Mary said you know I'm out here doing all I can to prepare a meal I'm trying to take care of the crowd I'm trying to take care of hosting and and Martha was no doubt the brother Joey I mean he was she's a great cook and he's great at taking care of meals and getting things in and so here was Martha she was trying to make sure all that was done and Mary said at the feet of Jesus and she was there just to worship just to worship nothing else really mattered the crowds didn't sway her the multitude of people at her house was not a bother to her she was there just to worship
she broke that spikenard she broke that his precious ointment and she anointed Jesus peaked Judas hated that part he couldn't understand why in the world would we waste this and Jesus said hey the poor gonna have always but you're not understanding what's taking place there's a day coming that if you're not gonna have me in person I'm gonna be gone she's doing what she's supposed to do
Martha said Lord can you not get her up and had her help me and I'm using my own words for this and jesus said Martha she's chosen the good thing she's chosen the good thing she's just come to worship
I want to tell you something there's still a good part of life and that's when we learn to worship that's what we really learned to worship and we can get so comfortable that's what he said she you're coming about with all these other things but she's chosen the good part and that good part is she's worshiping me and and and he would not rebuke her he would not send her away but yet he allowed her he didn't even rebuke her in fact he was a very defensive her defending her on the very thought that she would break that spikenard
and then he gets up and he leaves from there and he starts in to Jerusalem and if you study the life of Jesus all the times that he's been Jerusalem most of the time it's been very hostile the people in Jerusalem did not like him because they were ruled by the Roman government at this time and and he was a Jew and the Jews were sort of taken in slavery or bondage and then and the Romans had controlling and that Roman saw him as a threat they saw him as as a threat to their power
and they did not welcome him they did not want him there and and then the Jews they wondered but then after they had heard such great things and what he had done when he came in he had told two of his disciples he said I want you to go over there and you get me you'll find a little coat of a donkey I mean you it would be hooked up there and you lose him bring him to me if the owner says what is this for you tell him that the master hath need for him
now the significant part of this is that during the time of war kingsroad stallions they usually rode a big white stallion or white horse but during the time of peace when a king was making a parade or entrance to a city or are being seen in public he usually rode a Colt
and here was Jesus coming in and said hey I'm I'm making a note in for invitation to everyone to let everybody to know an entrance that I am the king and I'm coming in and it's under the king of peace I'm the king of joy I'm not coming to cause battles and Wars but I'm coming in with a peaceful approach
and as he began to come in they begin to they laid their jackets down for him to ride on then some of them laid coats and cloaks on the street or on the road for him to travel on and the others brought palm leaves and they would throw them there and you find this in John where it talks about the palm tree and this was on the Sunday before Passover
and then as he gets there the multitudes of people came out and they were crying Hosanna Hosanna they were crying to him they were asking for him to save them asking for him to make a difference they were tired of the Roman government and they saw him coming as a king on a coat and they thought he's coming to set up a kingdom but what they didn't understand it was not a kingdom of this world but it was a kingdom of the world it was not a kingdom of their country but it was the kingdom of the entire world and as he came in and they began to cry and said uh Hosanna Hosanna and
then as he kept going the Bible says that they some of them I assume said would you rebuke them would you have your disciples rebuked him he said I can't do that if they held their peace the stones would cry out then we get down to the part where when he came near he beheld the city and this part is the part I'm gonna dwell along today
verse 41 of Luke chapter 19 and when he was come near he beheld the city and wept over it he wept well the place we find in the scripture for Jesus well was when he went to the tomb of Lazarus and this is Saint John 11 verse 35 the Bible says it's some shortest verse in the entire Bible every one of you should memorize if you don't already know it here you go
Jesus well you should have that now st. John 11:35 Jesus well and he was standing there two tomb of Lazarus when he wept and it wasn't weeping because Lazarus was dead he was weeping because he knew that he was not he was they were going he was going to call him forth and it was going to be a time of him having to face the struggles of life again okay and Bible tells us that gee well with Martha and Mary
and then he comes to this CD and as he looks upon this city he beheld the city the Bible says he wept over I'm gonna talk to us for briefly today if the Lord gives me strength and ability I'm gonna talk to us shortly on when Christ weeps when Christ weeps you you read the very next verse verse 42 see if they'll has if they'll just has known even though at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace
I stood this morning and I looked in the mirror yeah it was ugly sight but I thought God when you look at me I pray but you don't say well what could you have done what could you have me what could you have made a difference in because what he did he realized when he come to the city that prior to this he had not been welcomed prior to this he had not been available for for their receiving him they didn't really want him and now they're crying to him said all he's gonna save us he's gonna save us in the time man
it was at the end of his journey he knew what was to come and he was looking at them saying if you had just known all these other things the potential that you had the potential that this city could have had the potential that you as individuals could have had had you just hear me this morning
most of the time that we can find ourselves to looking back on our lives and we see so much potential that we missed we look back and we say man if I had just started this when I was if I had just started funding my 401 K when I was 18 I wouldn't have to work till I was 75
if I had just bought this if we live in us in a world where we can look back with the ifs I when I asked you this morning what is God looking at when he looks at each one of us has ended where are you adding your journey with God if God looked at this city of Jerusalem and he wept because he said if they had just no are you living up to the potential that God has for you are you living up there there wasn't
there was a man and he was 20 years old and he was a tailor but trade he had learned to make clothes and he was probably fairly well at it and he made his living that way he was not a very wealthy man but he made his living that way doing making clothes and and you know there was a young lady that fell in love with him she was 17 at the time and she fell in love with him and
they married the tailor had grew up in a very poor home and had not had a lot of opportunities to to do things that other people did he had never got to go to school he had never got any type of education but yet there was a young lady that believed in him enough to marry him and then she saw that there was more potential in him than what he had ever reached he was satisfied being a tailor he was satisfied mending clothes and making clothes he was satisfied with his career but she said that's not all that you can do that's not all that you can be and so
she began to invest in him he he was her husband now and she began to invest and she would take his time when he got off of work and she began to teach him to read it was a struggle there was times of tension there was times of hardship just like there is with anybody is trying to teach something new and especially trying to teach somebody of age something new there was time that she wanted to give up but yet she kept pouring into him and him eager for knowledge and him eager for grasping new things he worked hard at it
and then she taught him some arithmetic and she taught him how to do some math and use numbers and and I love numbers myself and and we consider it if you're if you're a mathematician you consider it a language and he learned the language of numbers he learned what numbers could do and it made such a difference in his world and in his business and he thought were man if nothing else it's opening up a world of my business of being a tailor that I can work for myself instead of working for someone else
but once he grasped all that that knowledge and he still was ever striving for more knowledge and for more information he decided that you know what there's more that I can do than what I've done and
we know him as President Andrew Johnson he was elected to be President of the United States he was also later elected to be a senator of the United States all because somebody saw some potential in him that was greater than what he had ever known I've come this morning to tell you that you're not a mistake to life and even though life may have taken some serious twists and turns to you and and you may be living in a condition right now where even you
I looked at myself this morning in the mirror and I wanted to cry I wanted to we and and again not just because of the ugly I saw but because of the mistakes that I've made and and the missiles that I've made and and all the bad choices that I've made and I realize is if I could have just been more dedicated
there's no telling where I could be today if I could have just learned more of him and less of the things of this world there's no telling what my potential could have been if I could have just been removed Josh out of the way and let God have his way there's no limit to where I could have been today and but I could come today to tell you that
there's been a man that went to a cross called Calvary and he looked down through the echoes of time and he said I see a young boy that I can invest and I see somebody that I can pour myself together I see somebody that I can make a difference again
he didn't realize how hardheaded this old boy would be he didn't realize how difficult it would be to teach me and to break me but yet he said I'm still willing to invest in him I'm still willing to pour myself into him I'm still willing to go to Calvary on here's my eyes hear me this morning
when Christ was standing there looking over that City of Jerusalem and he began to weep if they had just if they had just hear me I've come this morning to tell you if you could just see what your future holds if you could look behind that person that you see in the mirror of mistakes you can look beyond that person in the mirror of poor choices you could look beyond that person that you see in the mirror of ugly things that life is thrown at you and you could just see the potential I've come this morning to tell you that
Christ has died for your sins and he's loved you enough that if you were the only person this side of the Cross he still would have went to the cross for you he loved you enough that he gave you potential to be a life-changer be a soul winner to be somebody fit for the Masters use he didn't just make you a vessel but he's willing for you to be a vessel of Honor he didn't just make you something that could exist in life but he's made you to where you can be useful for the kingdom of God
amen be Christ weeps over you when he sees you and he sees what potential there might have been what is it that you think I let me ask you this question this morning how many people here could be someone I mean how many people here could be a minister for the gospel of Christ how many people here could help somebody in their time of need how many people here could walk in the newness of life how many people here could make a difference in the way the world is I understand you think well I'm just one person it doesn't really matter let me tell you
it all started with one person he started what shook the world upside down was the handful of people that he went through and picked and said I want you to make a difference I want you to carry the gospel I want you to speak the word of love I want you to preach the word of truth I've come this morning to tell you you're not sitting on these pews by accident but Christ is wont to cross this I heard it and he said I see some potential in each one of you
it wasn't some circumstance that just brought you to church this morning but it was ordained of God himself he has a future for you and he has a plan for your life and it's up to you whether you allow him to use you or not don't let the devil defeat you every time that he had come
every time that he had come to Jerusalem the devil stepped in and made him feel unwelcome as the devil made him feel unwelcome in your life have you put up barriers against his will and his plan listen to this preacher this morning after you ran away from him instead of towards him have you ignored his bidding for your soul rather than accepting his bidding for your soul if he weeping over where you're at today instead of rejoicing over where you're at hear me where
where is your relationship with it's so easy for us once we feel the call and feel the unction of God it's the stirring of God so easy for us to come up with ever excuse
remember Moses had every kind of excuse Under the Sun why he shouldn't but just imagine what could have happened had Paul surrendered to Christ as a young boy instead of waiting till he was old and learned just imagine what a difference David could have made if he had never made the mistake and run away from the opposite direction I sent this morning as I begin to think oh all the mistakes that have me the poor choices it huh what what it was being different if I had to just surrender and just all my sin apart
there's been times that I have felt like I was like mr. Rago who played for the University of California and football he called a pass and he knew what to do but he got caught up in the things of the event excitement and he started running in the wrong direction 65 yards he ran in the wrong direction
thankfully just before he crossed the endzone one of his own teammates tackle paint God one of his own teammates overpowered him and outdistance him and running and brought him down it was like that he was about to score for the opposing team but somebody stopped halftime came
they went into the locker room and he sat there with a towel draped over his shoulders and over his head and his head down between his knees ain't cried like a baby most times 1/2 times the coach is in there yelling and screaming and tell him what they've done wrong what they're gonna do but this time the locker room was silent this was a bowl game there was a lot on the line when the time keeper come in there said three minutes two times go back on the field everybody was sitting there in dead silence
and the coach said all the players that started the first half will start the second even rankle that was what was in everybody's mind he ran the wrong direction he ran for 65 yards in the wrong direction everybody got up and started out of the locker room
except for ragle he stayed there coach said come on I said everybody I started first half his starting second half he looked up with his eyes still was tears coming do it coach I can't face the crowd I'm disappointed the teammates might have cost you your job I can't go out there there's no way too much shame too much guilt on me
the coach went and took him by the hand he said I'm going with you and your past is over but we've got another half to play and what you doing this half is gonna make the difference Rago got up and he ran onto that field and he had best half he's ever played in football all because somebody believed hear me this morning
your mistakes don't have to determine your future a future is always brighter when you've learned from your mistakes and when you may be sitting here this morning and realizing that that Christ is weeping because of why you haven't done more but he's also weeping with you Stu hanhae the future is brighter for you there's still a work that you can do there still a calling for your life there's still an answer for your victory there's still a better day ahead of you you don't have to live in yesterday's defeat you don't have to let yesterday's mistakes define who you are but I'm telling you this morning
he's coming along beside some of you he's wrapped his arm around some of you this morning and he said I'm not here to forsake you I'm not here to throw you down because of your past but I'm here to join forces with you and let's go play the rest of this hat let's go see what God can do for your future let's go make the best of the rest of your life don't allow yourself to be one of those they had just know if they had just he will because
their opportunity is fading away and he was just five days pass over crucifixion and he realized if they had cried and made me King things would have been different I don't know how much life you have left I don't know all the plans that God has for you I know this morning he's reaching for somebody and he is saying you don't have to be hood it had it me you can be used you can make a difference mistakes has plagued over one of us there's not a person under the sound of my voice this morning that has not made more than their fair share thanks well
thank God that His mercy endureth forever thank God that his compassion is renewed every morning thank God that His grace is sufficient to cover a multitude of sins to whatever it mistake you've made whatever whatever's happened that caused you to run the wrong direction whatever's happened that's made you just now realize who you are where you are don't let it be the definition of the rest of your life but today today you can realize that he's calling you to a brighter future
would you stand with if that has snow could almost hear him as he's little shedding tears maybe he was weeping sobbing to just know what the plans I had we do know that he went into the city that week and he began to go into the temple and he began to clean it out turned over the tables of the moneychangers hear me begin to change things because he said my house not gonna be called a house of thieves the house of God hear me I wants to change your life and he'll change you if you'll give him the chance if you just know I mean sure you this morning
God's not wanting to throw you away because you're staked he's wanting to embrace you and carry you to me he's not wanting to to throw up in your face your lack of dedication lack of consecration he's just looking for somebody that will dedicate themselves and consecrate themselves now you see every soul that is here we know that you're there or I'm so thankful that you don't throw us away just because of her mistakes port as
you reminded me this morning Florida mr. mercy is covered i lord i was reminded of what i could have done and where I should have been but you reminded me that you're with me right where I land because I turned to evil God I'm asked you to remind somebody in this room today you'll be with them even today it's Lord that you'll take their
sins and bury them into the depths of the sea you'll take their mistakes and separate them from them as far as the East is from the West to give them a clean slate and that their future can be bright their past give them the purge today today god-given right and not be defeated over yesterday's mistakes Jesus is there one today of a lifetime
I truly feel like this as God was speaking to me throughout this week and I realize it was Palm Sunday and I wanted to really preach about the triumphant entry I wanted to talk more about the code I planned on preaching about how that he come in as as a God of peace and the Prince of Peace and that was my plans and then God began to read array begin to redirect my thoughts and begin to read it read my paths and he began to redirect the way I
was seeing things and I began to understand that he's still weeping over because so many of you so many of us have not reached calling the purpose potential that God has for us today I feel like he's whip over the church we got a great church here you're great group of people your your people that God loves her people that love God but really really get down to the nitty-gritty have you reached that particular for you have you reached holidays for you I don't want judgment becoming him we've been over me because I'm not done what I should today I'm asking
is there somebody that would like to date somebody that says God I'm surrendering it all to you I'm giving every bit of it to you my past may have been colorful but my future's gonna be brighter is there one somewhere that was hard to come and pray it's a god here use Here I am come take me the brokenness of pieces the fragments the leftovers take come on there's somebody who says I want to give every bit of myself to you I don't want to be if I had only known I could have only seen if I could you know if
if I could have only seen what the future holds I would have done a lot of things different with your eyes today you see
Scripture references as spoken: John 12; Luke 19:41-42; John 11:35.