Evangelism And The Praise March

The March for Jesus has become a worldwide means of witnessing to the love of Christ. It intends to portray to the onlooking world the joy of offering praise to God. This article describes the March for Jesus and suggests how praise is essential to it.

The March for Jesus is not a protest, not a publicity stunt, not a program, not a public church service. It is the act of declaring Jesus Lord of all the earth under the wideness of the heavens and the perplexed glare of unbelievers. It is a way of seeing the city differently. The city is God's city. It is a way of welcoming the entire city to love God. It is a way that evangelism seems less a matter of selling fire insurance and much more an invitation to glory. It is a way of seeing whole cities filled with an increasing extravaganza of affectionate adoration, adorned by a sturdy obedience in all dimensions of life. And if whole cities are the scene of such a knowing of God, then why not whole peoples and nations? Ultimately, what can restrain at least some from every people and tongue from joining this kind of procession of obedient worship? Palm Sunday The event of Palm Sunday provides the best vantage point from which to understand the astounding phenomenon of God stirring his people all over the world to assemble by the thousands and proclaim his truth in praise along the streets of leading cities. What happened on what we call Palm Sunday? Somehow it lies tucked away in the church calendar almost entirely eclipsed by what became for Christians the larger affair: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Admittedly, the dying and rising of Jesus is central to everything, but look again at this marvelous crowning event of Jesus' earthly ministry. Jesus nearly fled from most other crowds, but the biblical writers find it important to show Jesus was the organizer of the event. He ordered the colt which had never been ridden. He had made his destination known for weeks ahead of time. His launching point was where he had done his most amazing miracle. He seemed to plan whatever could be planned. And whatever poured out spontaneously he refused to restrain. Leaders wanted the crowd rebuked. Jesus' reply? "?If these become silent, the stones will cry out!?" (Luke 19:39–40). Priests and scholars demanded that the continuing praise of children be hushed. Jesus deferred saying that they were doing just what God had intended from of old (Matt. 21:15–16). Without question, this is Jesus' most public act. What did he want people to see then? What does he want people to see now? The disciples who were there soon saw that it was a prophetic event, fulfilling previously given words by Zechariah and others But certainly Jesus didn't go through his life with along list of prophecies to "?fulfill?" in a perfunctory way. Can you imagine him thinking "?I better get the donkey ride in here soon; I've only got a week to live. Might as well get it over now.?" What then was Jesus saying to his followers and to the world? Was the act itself a prophecy? The praise procession that Jesus led abides as a presentation to the world of the welcome of which he is worthy, giving an early echo of the crescendo of worship that will someday soon fill the earth before he concludes his work in history. If there is any warrant to believe that there will be explicit worship rendered to God from every tribe and tongue and people within history (and there is plenty of biblical basis for such a hope), then Jesus' own praise march is enormously important for us now. Why? Among other things, we can see something of what the Spirit is moving us to do through the light of this event. We can get an instructive glimpse of God glorifying his church as the church glorifies Jesus, all before the watching worlds of nations and heavenly powers. Praise, Proclamation, Prayer Today's praise march, like the Palm Sunday praise march, is characterized by praise, proclamation, and prayer. Praise: A Celebration before God. The praise march is above all praise directed to God. "?The whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice.?" (Luke 19:37). It was a spontaneous party, but not a milling, aimless mob. They borrowed songs and symbols from a grab-bag of festivals from coronation ceremonies, from military parades, and the holy feasts of Israel. The focus of praise was sheer thankfulness "?for all the miracles which they had seen.?" (Luke 19:37). The praise looked backward at what God had done, but in a greater way, the praise looked forward to what the people believed they would soon see. They were shouting "?Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!?" (Luke 19:39, Matt. 21:15–16). However mistaken or true their notions of the kingdom may have been, Jesus never once coerced or corrected the praising crowd. Jesus twice refused to shut down the audacious expectations of the crowd that he, in the name of God, was coming to their city, bringing the fullness of the kingdom. And he did indeed bring a kingdom victory surpassing their hopes. The praising crowd was wrong only in that they had not lifted their expectations highly enough. The celebration was a vigorous, loud, extravagant affair. How many garments were ruined as they were trampled, taken up, only to be laid down again? It was an ordered gathering, but quite out of hand in many leaders' view. Jesus did not seem to mind that objecting Pharisees were amidst the crowd (Luke 19:39) or that curious onlookers who knew Jesus only by hearsay were suddenly acclaiming him as their Lord (John 12:9–12). It didn't trouble Jesus. He knew that at the core were his trusted and tested disciples. He also knew that the praise they were offering him was prepared for them. Psalm 8 was on his mind: "?From the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have established strength, because of your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.?" (Psalm 8:2, quoted by Jesus in Matthew 21:15–16). There was in this procession, a certain innocence, a core integrity which was protected by God. Of course their statements were radical, outrageous claims. Religiously offensive. Spiritually risky. Politically dangerous. But they were stepping into that which was ordained for them. What can we learn from this? Our praise in public procession must be simple, celebrant, a thankful reception of Jesus, fully expectant that he is about to increase his kingdom in wondrous ways. The simplifying principle is to keep everything focused on the person of Jesus. This powerful focus on Jesus is why the celebration had an incredible power that did not require any hype by the disciples. There is no report of the disciples pleading for the people to give it more volume or to sit closer to the front. With Jesus in view, the people just "?let it rip.?" The March for Jesus challenges the notion that the rank and file of God's people have little interest in loving God. Quite the reverse may be shown true if the spotlight is on Jesus. Acclaim him and love him. Jesus is lovely enough and certainly sufficient to draw to himself his own people without desperate, despotic manipulation. Proclamation: A Statement through the Heaven-lies. They offered praise that fundamentally declared truth. They weren't just being merely honest with their feelings, they were declaring truth, eternal and powerful. They were confessing the very name of God. They didn't think of the words as magic incantations that "?worked?" somehow. They were very much addressing their words to Jesus. They were basically telling God who he was and what he was doing. Can this possibly be necessary? It may seem a bit silly from a distance, but to tell God what he already knows about himself is to "?bless?" the Lord, thus establishing our love for him. As we declare truth with joined voices, we can personally extend to him our creeds and well-crafted songs as a sort of "?truth gift.?" Once again, the simplifying principle is to keep everything relationally focused on the person of Jesus. Of course, proclamation of gospel truth, though directed to God on high, will be heard by onlooking unbelievers, and they will be moved to ask, as they did at Jesus' praise march, "?Who is this??" (Matt. 21:10). This is not the hour to persuade hecklers to accept our views. Truth declared before the living God, unadorned with defense or argument takes on an unassailable fiery force. We can be sure that the declaration of truth is heard as well throughout the heavenlies. The act of following in a procession advises the powers of darkness that they have utterly failed in turning worship away from God. From an earthly view this thing may look like some kind of nutty religious parade. The worldly-wise and self-promoted may lecture us. The outright wicked may scorn us. It doesn't look like we are going anywhere; maybe around the block. What sillies we are. The very fools of earth, yet in fact, the greatest wonder of heaven. Take note of where Jesus took his procession: into the temple. And today, we are going to the house of God to meet him there and to give him the worship of which he is deserving and desirous. Such physical worship, unwalled by church buildings serves notice to the heavenlies that as it is in heaven, so it will be on earth. Let evil powers see their failure. Let them conclude, as some earthly agents of evil did as they watched Jesus go by, that they "?aren't doing any good; look, the world has gone after him.?" (John 12:19). Prayer: Appealing with his Feelings. People prayed at Jesus' praise march. There was the insistent shriek of the blind man named Bartimaeus (perhaps before the main festivity, but there was already a throng following Jesus [Mark 10:46–52]). This man saw the amazing opportunity of the moment and cried out for mercy. His basic prayer should help recalibrate our glib recitation of requests. Some prayer meetings are so earnest in their attempt to be specific that the whole thing devolves to checking items off a shopping list. That is not at all how Jesus approached Bartimaeus. The procession stopped and Jesus asked him, "?What do you want me to do for you??" The March for Jesus is a time to get loud in a general appeal for mercy. In stirring up our hope that Jesus is near to heal our families and cities and the nations, we might find Jesus probing us to discover what it is that we greatly desire. It's a time to request that for which we really deeply long. It would appear that Jesus missed the mood of the event. This was a festive party, was it not? Why did he virtually halt the procession to voice his own grief (Luke 19:41–44)? He wasn't afraid of mixing what is authentic in the human spirit: the profound, surging grief and remorse of wasted hours and lives, together with the brilliant cheer of hope and comfort. Jesus viewed the entire city and let his followers know how he saw it, and the grief he felt. As saints walk through their city with open eyes, is it too much to expect that Christ may open our hearts to sense his grief? What do people do who feel God's grief? It's called "?godly sorrow.?" It can lead to the grand sustained miracle of repentance. Repentance is not merely saying "? Sorry?" for a few mistakes. It's a powerful act of turning. Whole cities can repent (Matt. 11:20). The March for Jesus is the best opportunity, while actually beholding a portion of a city, to see our city with Jesus' eyes, and to grasp the sadness he feels for us. And thus, we can pray with Jesus, not just to him. Once again, the key principle is to focus on the person of Jesus. Our repentance emerges from Jesus' own anguish: first, sorrow that "?the things which make for peace?" in our families and cities have been rejected (Luke 19:41–42). Won't we find faith to petition him with the same breath that God would infuse us with wisdom, righteousness, and faithfulness for a bonafide outbreak of heaven's peace in our cities? The agenda from Jesus' own heart continues with his word about visitation. If we at all sense Jesus' deep disappointment, we'll be moved to cry out that God would be merciful and avert the tragic blast of wrath awaiting our cities; that our cities would recognize the hour of their visitation. Saints might find faith to cry out for a greater visitation of God to come upon whole cities and peoples! The cry "?Hosanna!?" itself is a deep anguished cry for God to come and rescue. It was a recognition that Jesus had come. It can be for us an appeal for God to come all the more. Two Areas of Activism: Evangelism and Spiritual War God has stirred believers as never before to evangelism and spiritual war. It is only natural that we would take note of the praise march as a wondrous endeavor of both evangelism and spiritual war. But the praise march would not be viewed as if God were just now rolling out a secret weapon. The great mistake, easily made, is to regard the March for Jesus as a weapon; to somehow see worship as a method or an instrument in our hands to be used; to touch men in love, or take a whack at demons. March for Jesus as Spiritual War. The war we fight has no scoreboard. We are not trying to merely depopulate hell or to beat up on some spiritual bad guys. The war is a fight for worship. Which way will the affections and loyalties of people be turned? Who will they love? These humans—created in the very image of God most high, for a short season made lesser than angelic hosts, yet destined to judge them—just who will these people serve and love? See for a moment the stakes of both evangelism and warfare, not so much as who is saved or damned, but in terms of what happens unto God: does God get the worship which he wants, of which he is utterly worthy? Or were potential worshipers, so dear to his heart, turned to eternal waste? Worship is not an eternal time-filler. We are redeemed for one express purpose: "?Let my people go, that they may worship me.?" The battle is for worship. Worship is not, ultimately, a weapon. Satan is defeated as we do it, but it is not so much a stroke against him, as it is an abiding delight to God. There are many intricate dimensions to spiritual war. This is not an attempt to be simplistic. Any March for Jesus is best preceded, surrounded, and followed by every kind of fight that we can put on against evil. But appropriate warfare for the rank and file of the gathered believers is to declare the truth of God boldly, exalting Jesus. As such, the praise march becomes entry-level spiritual war for everyone. Dread things happen in the underworld as we simply follow the captain of the host to the very throne of God, exalting him. The March for Jesus as Evangelism. Some have been troubled that evangelistic opportunities are being squandered. The juices star to flow in a preacher who sees 10,000 people who appear to not have anyone to listen to. We must be careful at this point. The March for Jesus is not a mere gimmick to rally the town into the revival tent. Perhaps some find it hard to value something without a direct, immediate impact on the people or communities. It's easy to see the value of getting people saved, or getting people served. But just what is the point of getting them sung to? Look up. The praise march is for God. The fundamental value is the joy of God's great heart. He is so very worthy. Some have objected that the ordinary pew sitter won't be interested in something that doesn't have immediate impact on our world. Supposedly, the people will lose interest. I have another idea. God will succeed in getting a people who love him lavishly and earnestly, willing to be fools and spiritually minded, tethering their souls tightly to the hope of glory before the very throne of God. If he's going to get such a people, why not us? Why not now? There are two ways the March for Jesus yields evangelistic fruit. The praise march prepares God's people for evangelism. A shame complex is broken. That beleaguered feeling of embarrassment of mentioning Jesus publicly is shaken up. The praise march can prepare a big city for evangelism, changing the spiritual climate. Just following Jesus' own praise march, it says "?all the city was stirred, saying, '?Who is this??'?" (Matt. 21:10). Let's allow the event itself to give testimony to our love for Jesus and spend following months explaining why we would be so foolish as to love God right out in front of everyone. There is prophetic significance to the quest of Greeks, out-and-out Gentiles, who sought out Jesus (John 12:21). Is this an important part of the nations coming to see and know and worship Jesus with his people? The standout feature of the Palm Sunday praise march was that they marched with Jesus, not just for Jesus. And Jesus is an excellent teacher and leader. The Spirit of God will indeed get Jesus loved by millions of ordinary people who are now almost bored by the programmatic, antiseptic church life we have lived. Certainly a growing throng of God-lovers will soon become a global affair, involving the distinctive obedient worship of every nation, joined with one voice. If we listen well as we march our streets, we will hear the promised voice of the Son of God himself, singing amidst the nations, drawing every single one of them (Rom. 15:5–13) to hope in God. If we follow well, we'll find many of us serving as priests to the nations (Rom. 15:15–21), helping them bring their love to God as a gift.