Christ has a way of being in the middle of crisis.

• He was in the fire with the three Hebrew boys.
• He was walking on the water and looked like a ghost.
• He was with Paul on the boat during the storm.

He is not always recognized.

• The disciples didn’t recognize Him.
• The children recognized Him, but the Pharisees didn’t.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK FOR HIM.

1. THIS IS A MOMENT OF CLOSENESS.

• God is always wanting to be close, but there are seasons of refreshing, moments where He draws us to Himself.
• It’s possible to MISS Him — The disciples almost missed Jesus walking on the water in their crisis. Only Peter recognized Him.
• Psalm 27:8 NLT: “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lᴏʀᴅ, I am coming.’”
• What does it look like to SEEK THE LORD?
  • Truly get into His Word.
  • Set aside time to worship and pray.
  • Fast, if He leads you.

2. THIS IS A MOMENT OF CHANGE.

• Christ coming into Jerusalem symbolized change. It was a new covenant.
• Most people hate change. They get super comfortable and don’t like anything to mess with their rhythm.
• This thing has changed everything:
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Education
  • Business
  • Healthcare
  • Arts
  • Media
  • Faith

3. THIS IS A MOMENT OF CELEBRATION.

• It’s time to celebrate FAMILY.
• It’s time to celebrate God’s PROVIDENCE in our lives.
• It’s time to celebrate SALVATION that’s coming.

4.THIS IS A MOMENT OF CLEANSING.

• The first act of Christ after arriving in Jerusalem was to cleanse the temple.
• TESTING — We can look at this moment as being a moment when we are being tested.
• In this time, God is watching our hearts!
  • We must take responsibility over our words.
  • We must take responsibility over our attitudes.
  • We must take responsibility over our faith.
• Let Him cleanse you of all add-ons; let Him cleanse the church.
  • Malachi 3:3 ESV: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lᴏʀᴅ.”

Discussion points:

• In the midst of all the bad news, what good news are you celebrating?
• What are you doing right now that is helping you draw closer to God? How is this different from what you did before the crisis began?
• Which area of your heart is God refining the most during this time? Is it your words, attitude, or faith?