There were always children and young people present in these crowds; and the last thing in the world Jesus wanted these children and young people to believe is that God was in any way behind or in favor of or approving of these religious leaders and the way they conducted themselves.

Every difficult situation in society requires leadership – – someone willing to step up and take initiative; someone willing to push against the grain; someone willing to take responsibility; to speak truth; to motivate others to do what needs to be done.

It is my contention this morning that the enemy of our souls, the devil – lives to rob us of the vision and revelation of God and His purposes that we so desperately need . Without a steady supply of this expectation, it is very difficult to please Him and to effectively and consistently resist the temptation to settle for less – otherwise known in scripture as sin and unbelief.

He called them hypocrites because while they told Him that He was “truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one” they were totally rejecting Him and His message and still looking for an opportunity and way to kill Him. (vs. 18) They were like those that David wrote of in Psalm 55, where he said, “His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.”

God is just and God is good and He will never treat any person in any way that goes against His character. But He is the infinite almighty God; and we are finite – born in sin – a people who see through a glass darkly… so we must examine these things with this in mind.

There are about 21 spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. Why do we need them? Because Jesus is no longer here bodily. We are His body – – His mouth, His hands, His feet, ….He wants to continue to do His glorious work on earth through us - made possible by the grace and gifts He bestows upon us through the Holy Spirit.

Everything we long for, but never really find in this sin sick world – – such as satisfaction, fulfillment, security, hope, meaning, etc., is waiting for us in the kingdom of God, both in the now and especially in heaven

Someone once said, “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” And that it is. But delayed obedience is far better than ongoing disobedience. Jesus Christ was grieved and angered that there was not a hint of regret or remorse in these religious leaders………

One of the many reasons why some of us in this nation have been defending traditional marriage is because of what the preponderance of social science reveals regarding the impact a female mother and a male father have on their children.

While this appears to be a great display of worship; in reality it was more likely a self centered display of hope that Jesus was going to finally set them free from their oppressors Jesus Christ is the long prophesied coming King of Kings