Building Monuments or Building Momentum? Matthew 21.10-17

1. Building Monuments or Building Momentum?Matthew 21.10-17

9. Momentumis a property that allows moving things to overcome resistance and keep moving in the same direction.

10. Momentum - the power residing in a moving object

11. Momentum is mass Xvelocity To calculate the momentum of a moving object multiply the mass of the object times its velocity. Velocity is different from speed because velocity has a specific direction. If mass = people + velocity . . . . . . Then momentum is human action with direction.

12. Creating momentum 1) By having a goal or purpose • It is not of importance where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. • Never confuse motion with action.

13. Creating momentum 2) By sustaining direction As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9.51

16. Creating momentum 3) By challenging your status quo The biggest obstacle tochange lies within ourselvesand that nothing gets better until we change.

17. Monuments: opposition to momentum "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor . . .” 1 Samuel 15.12

18. Religious Idolatry Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. v.12

19. “We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are”. Max De Pree

20. Spiritual Sabotage But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David, ”they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. vv.15-16

21. Atrophy is the wasting away, withering, deteriorating of a limb or organ. • Once survival has become our supreme goal we have lost our way.

22. “To live outside of God’s will puts us in danger, to live in His will make us dangerous. Erwin McManus

23. Sustaining momentum

24. Turning opposition into Traction • By realizing your identity in Christ which is recognizing that the Holy Spirit momentum inside you is greater than the opposition outside of you. • By practicing the Kingdom of God in the places where you feel the greatest resistance.

25. Counters idolatry by defining who is Israel, who belongs, who is family.“the blind and the lame came to him at the temple and he healed them.” v.14

26. Counters sabotage by speaking Truth

27. “it is written” v.13 • House of prayer Isaiah 56.7 • Den of thieves Jeremiah 7.11 “Have you never read?” v.16 • From the lips of children . . .” Psalm 8.2

28. Jesus did not have a survival mentality.

29. We sustain momentum by . . . • By continually using our lips to declare His praise

30. We sustain momentum by . . . • By keeping our eye on the goal If your position is everywhere your focus will be nowhere. If your position is everywhere your momentum will be zero.

31. We sustain momentum by . . . • By keeping our feet on the ground Traction is the friction between a body and the surface on which it moves. By using resistance to increase our traction, we will increase momentum.

32. Getting Traction

33. Creating Momentum Together

34. Prayer Points for LVC • We need more for the assignments God wants to give us. • Ask Jesus for something that will cost you. • We pray symbolically for our lips, eyes, and our feet. • Can Lavington/Westlands be neighborhoods where Jesus would want to live?