Randy LeBaron Refill with Randy Blog

“Jesus is Bad for Business” by Dave Good

Good morning!!! Welcome back to another edition of GSM’s “Refill with Randy” Blog. It’s my honor to spend the next few minutes with you. I hope my words are a blessing and bring you closer to the Lord.

Today, I’d like to talk about what happened after Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The gospels of Matthew and Mark give us a few clues of what Jesus did once he was paraded into Jerusalem. In Mark 11:15-18 it says..,

“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.” (NLT‬‬)

When I reflect on the actions of Jesus in the temple I am reminded of the threat Jesus posed to the Jewish leaders. Jesus was truly bad for business. He shined a bright light on the corruption of the Temple and shrewd business practices of the moneychangers and sacrifice vendors. Jesus was disrupting the flow of money into the Religious Leaders pockets and he also seized the power and status from them. Jesus repeatedly called the Temple, “His Father’s House”, completely contradicting the claim of the Elders as rulers and managers of the Temple. In other words, it’s like walking into a store and dealing with the manager who thought he had the final say but the owner walks in and completely overturns the decision. Jesus put His full authority on display and there was nothing they could do about it. Once again, Jesus was bad for business.

This response of the Jewish leaders to the threat and authority of Jesus was simple. They plotted to eliminate him. Over the next few days, the urgency to kill Jesus escalated tremendously. This really was the last straw that sealed the fate of Jesus. A few days from now they would succeed by nailing him to the cross.

As I am sitting here reflecting on the actions of Jesus, I am convinced that this story is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. Today, Jesus is still bad for business in a way. How many people are offended by the name Jesus? How many businesses are avoided because they bare a Christian focus? How many conversations are avoided when the name of Jesus enters it? How many friendships are altered when Jesus enters into someone’s life? These are just a few examples of the impact Jesus has on the world today.

Friends, as we continue our journey through Holy Week, let us hold on to the authority and power of Jesus. To the world, Jesus is a threat. He is bad for the schemes of this world. I am here to tell you today that doing business with Jesus and modeling your life after His example will have a remarkable effect on your life. Jesus came to die and save us from the punishment of our sins but he didn’t come to be a friend of the world. Yes, Jesus may be bad for business… but he is great for our life.

Randy LeBaron Refill with Randy Blog

“Jesus followed God’s GPS” by Pastor Randy

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, and so I want to take a look at not only Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem but also what led him there in the first place. Let’s start by reading…

Matthew 20:1-11 “As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its 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 colt.’” The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all 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 highest heaven!” The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked. And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”” (NLT‬‬)

This seems like a pretty good first day in the city but, as we know all too well, it kind of went down hill from there at least from an earthly point of view. The fact though was that Jesus knew what was coming all along. He knew that even though there were those now crying “Hosanna! Hosanna!” And throwing Palm branches at his feet that a mere five days later others would be crying, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” and pressing a crown of thorns into his head. We know that he knew this because he had already told his disciples as much. If you go back four chapters Jesus says in…

Matthew‬ ‭16:21-24‬ “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” (‭NLT‬‬)

Jesus knew what would happen by going to Jerusalem and yet he kept going in that direction. Why? My friend Pastor Mike Rivera shared in his message yesterday morning that it was because Jesus was heading home and the way was through Jerusalem… through the pain… through the cross. I would argue that you can look back to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry and see that he had been going in this direction the entire time as he followed GPS (God’s Positioning System).

Jesus chose to go to and through the cross for us. On this first day of Holy Week I would encourage you to take some time and consider where you would be willing to go and what you would be willing to do for him, remembering that he said…

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.”