The King We Didn't Expect: A Message from Pastor David Gutierrez

Good morning, Passionate Life Church. For those of you who don't know me, my name is David Gutierrez. I am your Care, Missions, and Community Pastor, and it is my privilege to speak with you this morning. And I promise I am not going to preach for sixty minutes because we have a potluck after this. Although now that I think about it, I just got implicit permission. Praise God.

Before I get into the message, I want to give you some updates on two missionaries that this congregation supports, because every time I preach for the rest of the year, I am going to be sharing what God is doing through your faithfulness and generosity.

First, Uganda. Just in the past week alone, we have purchased six baby mattresses with waterproof covers, twenty-four pairs of bed sheets, and twelve baby blankets. I want to tell you why that matters. Some of these babies were sleeping on the floor on soiled cardboard. Because of this church and because of the investment we have made in that nation, we were able to send money and they were able to purchase these items. These kids are not only having their physical needs met. They are being ministered to. They are getting saved. They are growing up in Jesus. And just so you know, we are the only congregation, the only one, supporting this work in Uganda. That is the fruit of your giving.

Second, Boulder. I know. I know. If you are from Boulder or watching from there, I apologize in advance for what I am about to say. Boulder is a wild place. I have been there twice, and both times were wild. And yet Joshua and his wife are out there ministering at CU. Just since January, two thousand one hundred and eighty-two students have had the gospel shared with them. Four hundred and twenty-two have expressed interest in a Bible study or church. They are now averaging one hundred and twenty-two Bible studies on one of the most liberal campuses on the planet. Fifty-two new students in church. And the reason it is happening is that a church in Littleton said yes, we are going to get behind that. If he can do it in Boulder, he can do it anywhere. Hallelujah.

I also want to recognize today as Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. I had dinner last night with a Vietnam veteran. These men came back and did not get the hero's welcome they deserved. I just want to say this morning, thank you for your service. Thank you for keeping our country safe.

Now let me pray before we get into the message.

Father, thank you for this congregation and for this time that you have ordained for us to be here. I pray that you open our hearts and our minds to the word you have for us. Cause us to leave changed and challenged. Let this message land with your people this morning in Jesus name. Amen.

The Expectation: A Warrior King
The title of my message this morning is The King We Didn't Expect. And I want to open in Matthew chapter 21, verse one.

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them and he will send them right away.
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: say to the daughter of Zion, see your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

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.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred, and they asked, " Who is this? The crowds answered, this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

Now I want to give you the background of what is actually happening in this passage, because sometimes the king we expect is not the king that comes. And we can get twisted and hurt and upset because Jesus did not do what we thought He was going to do.
The people of God had been under Roman rule for approximately two hundred years. They had no freedom of religion. They were oppressed. The Romans were hostile to their faith and their way of life. And it is into this environment that Jesus comes to Jerusalem. The people are excited. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna. But here is what I want you to understand about that crowd.

They were not simply excited to see Jesus. They were excited because they thought they were getting warrior Jesus. They expected Yahweh, the warrior God, someone who would ride in and overthrow Rome and set the people of God free from their oppressors. They wanted a literal conquering king.

And Jesus rode in on a donkey.

Have you seen a donkey? They are not exactly a symbol of military strength. A donkey is a symbol of peace. A symbol of humility. Jesus did not come in on a white horse. He came in low to the ground. And that should have told the crowd everything they needed to know. I am not here to make war with Rome. I am here to save a generation upon generation upon generation. But they could not see that because they were locked into what they expected.

We Welcome Jesus With Conditions
Here is the line that I feel this morning in my own heart. We do not reject Jesus outright. We welcome Him with conditions.

We put God in a formula. We say a plus b plus c equals d, and when God does not follow our formula, we get confused, hurt, and sometimes angry. The crowd that was shouting Hosanna on Palm Sunday was shouting crucify him just days later. These were the same people. And the reason they shifted so dramatically is that their praise was never surrendered. It was conditional. It was built on the expectation that Jesus would do what they wanted. When He did not, their worship collapsed.

That same temptation is alive in every one of us today. Are we praising Jesus because He is doing what we want, or because of who He is? Those produce two very different kinds of faith.

A Personal Word: Three Years and an Eye
I want to share something personal with you this morning. Most of you know about my eye situation. I have had multiple surgeries on my right eye, and I am going back in May for another eight rounds of laser therapy over four days. It is intensive, and it is not fun. They put green dye in my eye, and I see green for the rest of the day. It is a rough experience.
Three years ago, I woke up and could not see clearly out of my right eye. I am a guy, so naturally I assumed it was stress or too much coffee or not enough coffee. But when the reality set in that I might lose my vision, I began to pray. I cried out to God to heal me immediately. I expected an immediate answer.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I were praying together in our living room. I cried out to God and said, I know you can heal this eye. I have seen you do it from this very altar. And God spoke to me. And what He said hurts, and is vulnerable, and I am going to share it with you anyway. He said, David, I have not healed your eye because you have prayed more in the past three years than you ever have, and I wanted your heart. I could have fixed your eye a long time ago, but I wanted your heart, David. I wanted community with you. I wanted to hear from you. And if this is what it takes, then this is what it takes.

I still put my hand over my eye every morning and pray, God heal me. Even if just so I do not have to fly to Dallas and spend four thousand dollars on treatment. I am seriously praying that every night. But my heart has shifted. I have come to a place of saying, God, if you choose not to fix this, I surrender my life. I surrender my will. I surrender my desire to yours. Because when we try to fix things ourselves, we usually make them worse. And the place God has brought me to through not healing my eye has drawn me closer to Him than anything else in my life ever has.

God Often Moves Differently Than We Expect
I was studying for this message and came across these statements in a prayer book. I want to read them slowly because they are worth sitting with.

God often moves in ways that do not match our expectations. We pray for healing, and instead He gives us endurance. We pray for a door to open, and instead, He closes it. We ask Him to remove the storm, and instead He meets us right in the middle of it. We expect immediate answers, and He gives us a response on His own timeline. We want a miracle, and God says, let us start with your heart.

These are not statements of discouragement. They are statements of reorientation. They are an invitation to receive Jesus as He actually is, rather than as we have decided He should be.

Just because the crowd is chanting something does not mean it is true. Just because something is being celebrated and lifted up by the masses does not mean it is right. If you are listening to the crowd and not listening to Jesus, you have put yourself in a very vulnerable position. The people of God were shouting, " Warrior King, " and Jesus showed up on a donkey. Which, can we all agree, is the dumbest looking animal on the planet? I am sorry. They are. This is not a symbol of war.

A Father Praying for His Children
I want to share something else personal. My adult children are not yet walking with the Lord. They have had church hurt. They have had pastors do things that were not right. And as a dad, I want the immediate fix. I want them at the altar. I want it now.

My son says he is anti-church, but he still shows up at church and hangs out in my office. I point that out to him. He knows I talk about him from the stage. And recently, during a traumatic situation, he came to me in the living room, sat down, and said, Dad, will you pray for me? Did we pray a salvation prayer? No. Did he get saved that day? No. But God is putting brick on brick on brick.

I tell him, " You know what, Josiah, you are going to be an usher in my church one day. He says no. But then, later, he quietly asks, what is it like to usher? And I think, brick on brick on brick.

One of my children told me something I will never forget. They said that in the dark, crying in bed, they cried out to God. And I said, in that moment, Lord, whatever you have to do to bring them to this altar, I submit my will and my understanding to you. You have your way. I stepped out of the way. And God is doing something I cannot yet fully see.

Praise Without Surrender
The third thing I want to say this morning, I am calling Praise Without Surrender.
How did the crowd go from Hosanna to Crucify Him in just a few days? Because their praise was never connected to surrender. They were lifting up a Jesus who was going to do what they wanted. The moment it became clear that He was not, the conditional praise turned to rage.

This is the danger of placing our expectations above our surrender. When Jesus meets us in the storm instead of removing it, when He draws us into prayer instead of simply fixing what we wanted fixed, we have a choice. We can receive the king He truly is. Or we can turn away because He was not the king we ordered.

There is a time for warrior Jesus. Revelation describes Him returning on a white horse with fire in His eyes, coming back for His church and His people. That is coming. But right now, in this season, the posture is the humble sacrifice. The cross before the crown. The donkey before the horse.

The first time He came, He came to die for us. And He looked past the crowd and past the noise and saw every generation that would need a savior. He chose the cross because you and I needed one. He chose salvation over the throne. And the invitation that flows from that choice is to receive Him fully. Not conditionally. Not with a list of requirements. But with a heart that says, God, whatever you are going to do, however you are going to do it, I surrender.

Closing Invitation
I want to invite anyone this morning who is not yet right with God to respond. If that is you, just raise your hand. I am not going to embarrass you. This is between you and God. If you want to follow Jesus, pray after me.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for this day. I ask that you come into my heart and forgive me of my sins. God, I surrender my life to you. I thank you for the cross. I thank you for the blood shed on Calvary, the blood that redeems me. Thank you for all that you do. In Jesus name. Amen.

We are transitioning into response time. Off to the right is the cross, where you can write down names or situations and leave them there, because Jesus said it is finished. In front of me is the altar, where you can get alone with God and pray whatever is on your heart. And to my left is the prayer cove, where prayer partners are ready to stand with you. We cannot do life alone. That is the motto of this church. Sometimes we cannot pray alone either.

Thank you for being here this morning. Let us worship God.

Watch the full message on the Passionate Life Church media page. If this message stirred something in you, submit a prayer request and let us stand with you in prayer. Connect with others through a life group, explore what we believe, or take your next steps. Reach us through the contact page or call (303) 835-7968. Services are every Sunday at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM at 10393 W Alamo Pl, Littleton, CO 80127.