1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:09,400 Mark 11/15. And they came to Jerusalem, and 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,680 he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:16,680 those who bought in the temple. And he overturned the tables of 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,200 the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 5 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:24,000 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,040 temple. And he was teaching them, and 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,040 saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be 8 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,440 called the House of prayer for all nations. 9 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,240 But you have made it a den of robbers, and the chief priests 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,840 and the scribes heard it. And they were seeking a way to 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:46,920 destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:52,800 astonished at his teaching. And when evening came, they went 13 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:58,600 out of the city. Lord, help us, nourish us, 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:03,960 revive us, restore us. Do what you need to do in us, 15 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:07,840 that you may be pleased with those whom you have purchased. 16 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,280 In Christ's name we pray. Amen. 17 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:14,680 Like the cursing of the fig tree. 18 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,680 What you and I just read here, the actions of the Lord Jesus 19 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:24,040 Christ may be startling, may be shocking. 20 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,520 What is commonly known as the cleansing of the temple may be 21 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,520 something uncomfortable for the unfamiliar reader. 22 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,400 This outburst that we just quickly glanced at seems to be 23 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:43,400 out of character for Christ, and even the student of the Gospels, 24 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:48,000 the one who knows the truths of this book, may find difficulty 25 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:53,240 trying to reconcile this Christ with the same Christ who 26 00:01:53,240 --> 00:02:00,560 famously declared learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in 27 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,560 heart. This seems to be a challenge for 28 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:09,280 those who have a concept of who Christ is and what he does, with 29 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:13,760 conflict and with sinners and even with compromise. 30 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,680 But prayerfully, this message that will be expounded before us 31 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:22,560 today will provide enough clarity to silence any claim of 32 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:27,800 contradiction or even contention with what we see here with the 33 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:33,120 Lord in His temple on this morning of Passover week, 2000 34 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,640 years ago. And prayerfully also by the end 35 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:41,160 of this message, I hope that you and I will be reinforcing our 36 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:48,520 belief of just how absolutely vital it is to read and study 37 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,960 and be acquainted with the Old Testament. 38 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,280 If we are to mine the New Testament successfully, if we 39 00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:00,000 are to uncover greater revelations, unearth deeper 40 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:05,000 truths, it's going to demand a commitment and a conviction that 41 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,560 I must know as much of the Bible as possible. 42 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:11,360 I must travel through terrain that I might have been 43 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,360 intimidated by or see no value in, for He will surely reward 44 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,560 those who hunger and thirst for greater light. 45 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,280 I'm not going to make this a lengthy introduction because we 46 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,080 have limited time today and we must break bread together as we 47 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:26,920 always do in the beginning of every month. 48 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:31,680 But I will say that this is a meaty message and it will 49 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,720 require you to have greater focus and me to have a greater 50 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,560 willingness to visit many Old Testament passages if we want to 51 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:40,760 have a greater reward with this text. 52 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,480 And so let's cut this short and get straight into it. 53 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,960 The spiritual meal that has been prepared for us will be divided 54 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,760 into 4 portions, and if you're a note taker, hopefully this will 55 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,400 help Right at the outset of the message. 56 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,920 This text will be divided in four ways. 57 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,680 The first thing that you and I are going to consider is the 58 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:06,040 typology of the cleansing. What's the theme of what's 59 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,080 happening here? Does this fulfil a shadow of the 60 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,960 past? Does this showcase some kind of 61 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,640 fulfilment of a previous revelation or hint of what's to 62 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,720 come? The typology of the cleansing? 63 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,160 And then from there we're going to look at the target of the 64 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,600 cleansing. What is it that Jesus cleansed 65 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,680 the House of God from exactly. And then from there, we're going 66 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:31,800 to consider the teaching of the cleansing. 67 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,680 We just read that Jesus taught them. 68 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,560 After he demonstrated this righteous inignation, he said 69 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,520 some things about why he did what he did. 70 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:44,720 The teaching of the cleansing. Lastly, the threat of the 71 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,160 cleansing. The threat that it posed on 72 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,680 those who were opposers of Christ. 73 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,160 Let's come back again to verse 15 and 16 as we consider the 74 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,960 typology of the cleansing. The deeper significance of this 75 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,840 dramatic scene can only happen if you and I acknowledge 76 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:05,080 something, a very simple fact that some don't hold to, And it 77 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,200 is this. This is Jesus. 78 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,920 A second time of cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem. 79 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,560 The first time was at the beginning of his ministry, and 80 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,440 it was recorded exclusively by John. 81 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,400 John is the only one who writes to us about what Jesus did at 82 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,640 the beginning of His public ministry. 83 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,880 It's found in John chapter 2, and what we see here in Mark 84 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,680 Chapter 11 is Jesus cleansing the Temple yet again, but at the 85 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:31,360 end of his ministry, the final week of his earthly life. 86 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,040 And with Mark you have Matthew and Luke who also give us the 87 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:41,680 same event. And why that is important is 88 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,600 because you have some who who tried to harmonize these two 89 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,880 cleansings and say that there are one in the same. 90 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:53,320 And not only is that a desperate reach, in my opinion, to try to 91 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:59,920 reconcile this, it's also a robbery of the richness of this 92 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,640 cleansing, this two-part cleansing, if you will, that 93 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,760 Christ performs. When you and I see the purgings, 94 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:11,480 the purifications that Jesus does as a pair, it is a powerful 95 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,800 declaration. Listen very carefully to Christ 96 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:22,440 fulfilling his priestly role. And the only way that can even 97 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:26,240 be considered is if you and I have a familiar grasp on a book 98 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,440 of the Bible that is rarely referenced, read, and 99 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:32,880 unfortunately neglected by so many. 100 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:34,440 Can you guess what book I'm talking about in the Old 101 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,840 Testament? Leviticus. 102 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,120 Leviticus. Here's what I mean. 103 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:45,520 In Leviticus chapter 14, you have God providing instructions 104 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,320 for the people and the priest on how to go about two types of 105 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,720 cleansings concerning infectious diseases. 106 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,040 So in the first part of Leviticus 14, you have laws and 107 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,240 instructions and regulations dealing with a person, an 108 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,600 individual who suffers from leprosy. 109 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:03,880 Now the second part is interesting. 110 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:07,440 The second part deals with the cleansing not of a person but of 111 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:13,240 a place, namely the home of an individual and the word that is 112 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,360 used There is also leprosy. If leprosy infects the walls or 113 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,120 the furnishings the interior of a house, there's also protocol 114 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,200 of how the owner of the house, in partnership with the priest, 115 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,600 is to go about investigating and determining the verdict of the 116 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,840 condition of that house. The word there that's used in 117 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:36,560 Leviticus 14 concerning the home is also leprosy. 118 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,480 That that may seem strange. What the houses can be infected 119 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,160 with this contagion? Not necessarily so. 120 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:47,160 The Hebrew word for leprosy is much broader, and it can include 121 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,320 mold or mildew or some kind of decay that even effects 122 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:56,560 materials and what may seem to be irrelevant to us as 123 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,360 Christians, at best to us. Some historical document that we 124 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:07,360 can refer back to is in fact a sign pointing to the Lord Jesus 125 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,160 Christ in one of his offices in some measure. 126 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,080 Don't take my word for it. Take the Bible in your hands and 127 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,280 go to Leviticus 14 with me. And let's look together at verse 128 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:27,000 33 as we consider the introduction to the instructions 129 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,560 for this nation, Israel, about what they were to do when 130 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,200 something happened to their home. 131 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:44,039 In this way, Leviticus 14 verses 33 to 35 the Lord spoke to Moses 132 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:48,800 and Aaron, saying, When you come into the land of Canaan, which I 133 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:54,120 give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in 134 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:58,520 a house in the land of your possession, then he who owns the 135 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:03,560 house shall come tell the priest, there seems to be to be 136 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,160 some case of disease in my house. 137 00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:08,560 Here's the first instruction that the Lord gives. 138 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:14,240 It was the owner of the home who was to call for an investigation 139 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,640 about the suspecting condition of his abode. 140 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:21,400 On a practical level, this protected owners of the home, 141 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,120 having other people pry into their home and try to determine 142 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,560 what's going on in it. And so the one who was to 143 00:09:27,560 --> 00:09:32,680 initiate this process was in fact the owner of the home, who 144 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:36,680 had a concern that this would affect his family, this would 145 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:40,240 affect himself, this would affect visitors to his home. 146 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,800 And so he was to initiate this undertaking. 147 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:48,880 But notice again at the part here, verse 35, he who owns the 148 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,800 house shall come and tell the priest. 149 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,040 So he was not to determine the condition himself. 150 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:00,240 He was not to evaluate the symptoms and make a case in his 151 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,880 own subjective reasoning. He was to call the priest to 152 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,520 come into the house. Now what's interesting is when 153 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,920 you go to John chapter 2 and you don't have to turn there. 154 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,200 When Jesus at the first cleansing enters into the 155 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,760 temple, he makes this comment. He makes this statement to 156 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,600 remind his audience of who really owns the vicinities, who 157 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,840 is the true possessor and the owner of the deed of this place 158 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,680 of worship. This is what Jesus says in John 159 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:35,240 216, and he told those who sold the pigeons take these things 160 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,240 away. Do not make my father's house, 161 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,600 my father's house, a House of trade. 162 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,160 It's clear, isn't it? Jesus declares that the temple 163 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:51,040 is His Father's house. It's not just a holy sanctuary, 164 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:56,560 it's a home. It's the earthly abode of the 165 00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:00,880 Almighty God, and He makes this known in the context of Him 166 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,760 identifying and doing what? Cleansing. 167 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:09,360 Cleansing the spiritual corruption that spread in the 168 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,920 temple in the early days of His ministry. 169 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:18,280 And just like in Leviticus 1435, we see God the Father calling 170 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:21,440 for the purifying procedure to take place. 171 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,000 By doing what? Summoning his Son. 172 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:31,040 Summoning his son, who is what also a priest, to enter into the 173 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:36,920 Father's house, and to evaluate and examine the condition of 174 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,600 that home. And you and I know this about 175 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:41,440 Jesus. And he declared himself 176 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:46,160 confidently in John chapter 5, that he does not do anything 177 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:48,440 unless he first sees the Father doing it. 178 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,720 In other words, he took every marching order of every day, 179 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:57,480 every moment of the day, every second of the day by God's 180 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,800 orchestration by the Father's leading. 181 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,080 And so even when Jesus initially in John Two goes into the 182 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,000 temple, that was something that was instigated by the Father. 183 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,680 So the Father with his house calls the Son, who is the priest 184 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:17,840 into it to investigate it. Which brings us to the next part 185 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:23,080 of Leviticus 14. Look at verse 36 Leviticus 1436. 186 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:28,600 Then the priest shall command that they empty the house before 187 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:33,040 the priest goes to examine the disease, lest all that is in the 188 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,840 house be declared unclean. And afterward, the priest shall 189 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,080 go in to see the house, and he shall examine the disease. 190 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,080 And if the disease is in the walls of the house with greenish 191 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,240 or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the 192 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,640 surface, then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door 193 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:52,560 of the house, and shut up the house. 194 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,880 Seven days. Here's the emphasis in this next 195 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,360 set of instructions. You see it more than once. 196 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,080 The priest is to come, and he is to examine. 197 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:06,760 He's not to be quick to make a determined decision of what's to 198 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,960 take place in this house. He's not to make a verdict. 199 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,840 It's repeated twice here to emphasize the importance of 200 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,760 careful investigation. And this is a decision that the 201 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:21,200 priest would have to make after looking carefully, scanning, 202 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:25,320 surveying, seeing if this is something deeper than just 203 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,640 surface level issues. Ring a bell. 204 00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:32,800 Do you remember not too long ago in Mark Chapter 11, verse 11, 205 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,640 when Jesus, after his triumphal entry, comes into what? 206 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,120 The temple? Mark 1111? 207 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,000 And when he came into the temple, we were told that he 208 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:47,520 looked at everything. Why was he looking to 209 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,720 investigate? What is the condition of this 210 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,760 place? Is this place operating the way 211 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:59,800 it was designed to operate? And what's amazing is that Jesus 212 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,560 does the same in the first time he visits the temple in John 213 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:06,120 chapter two. Let me read this to you in John 214 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,760 214. This is when Jesus comes the 215 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:14,720 first time in the temple he found those who were selling 216 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:18,640 oxen and sheep and pigeons and the money changers sitting 217 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,680 there. One of the definitions of the 218 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:27,120 Greek word for found denotes after searching or to find a 219 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:32,400 thing sought. So when Jesus found the activity 220 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,920 in the temple in the way it was, it wasn't Jesus accidentally 221 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,720 stumbling upon it. It was Jesus knowing that there 222 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,720 was something wrong here, Jesus being led by the Father entering 223 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,480 into it and finding something that he was intentionally 224 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,760 looking for. So Jesus, like the priest in 225 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,200 Leviticus, was careful to search for any legitimate concerns, any 226 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:58,040 signs of corruption that may be deeper than the surface. 227 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,600 And he was not to be quick, as the priest was instructed in 228 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:06,520 Leviticus 14, but to be just to be cautious, to be careful. 229 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:11,880 But there's more. We read in Leviticus 14 that the 230 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,360 priest was to come in, but not just come in, He was to remove 231 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:19,560 the objects and the interior furnishings and then wait for 232 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:23,440 seven days. And after the seven days also we 233 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,200 read that he because we don't have time to read the rest, he 234 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:29,680 was to actually remove the stones from inside of the house 235 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:35,360 and scrape off the plaster on the walls, empty it completely, 236 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:40,960 and then to pause yet again and to revisit the house to 237 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:44,240 determine if that was enough to cleanse it. 238 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,960 And if not, if you see a resurfacing of the disease, then 239 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,520 there must be another approach to make. 240 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:54,400 So let's read this again. You're still in Leviticus 14, 241 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,320 right? Maybe. 242 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:58,920 Yes. Leviticus 14. 243 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:05,560 Look at verse 43. If the disease breaks out again 244 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:09,720 in the house after he has taken out the stones and scraped the 245 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:14,880 house and and plastered it, then the priest shall go and look. 246 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,880 If the the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent 247 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,040 leprous disease in the house. It is unclean. 248 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:28,080 So remember the priest before this went in The first time? 249 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:33,160 He sees signs, he sees problems, he sees flags, So he empties the 250 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:34,680 house. He removes the stones, he 251 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:38,120 scrapes off the plaster, he puts a new stones, fresh plaster. 252 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,360 He was to leave again, and then he was to make a second visit, 253 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,800 And the second visit was to see if what happened the first time 254 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:53,720 worked, if it's sufficed, if it's satisfied, and if he was to 255 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:56,240 come. And this disease resurfaces 256 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:00,240 again, revisits again. Then there's a different and 257 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:06,599 more defined diagnosis. This is a persistent disease, 258 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,280 and it requires a different approach to solve it. 259 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,440 Do you want to know what the approach was? 260 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,920 You don't know what the priest, what to do, would have to do in 261 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,240 order to deal with this? Look at verse 45, analyticus 14, 262 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,720 and he shall break down the house. 263 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:28,800 It's stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he 264 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:32,120 shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place. 265 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,000 Do you see the parallel? Is it? 266 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:38,880 Is it clear? Christ and John 2 enters into 267 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,320 the temple. He removes all the corruption 268 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:43,040 from within, and there is a pause. 269 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:48,400 There is a reprieve, and he revisits the House of God a 270 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,640 second time. And when he revisits it, as 271 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,720 we're about to discover, he sees that the disease resurfaced. 272 00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:00,280 And just like in Leviticus 14, it was deemed A persistent 273 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:05,520 spiritual disease and would require a different solution. 274 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:09,400 Now you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 24 And verse one and 275 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,000 two. Jesus left the temple and was 276 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,520 going away when his disciples came to point out to him the 277 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,880 buildings of the temple, but he answered them. 278 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,040 You see all these, do you not truly? 279 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:24,160 I say to you, there will be not left here, one stone upon 280 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,000 another that will not be thrown down. 281 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:35,240 Jesus in Mark 11 fulfills the role of a priest when he 282 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:39,120 cleanses the temple. And why do I bring that up to 283 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:41,560 you? Yes, to show how Jesus is a 284 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:46,680 greater priest, but to also show you just how much the Bible is a 285 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,000 masterpiece. I did that move. 286 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:51,880 I couldn't stop thinking about it all week. 287 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,080 I had to keep my mouth shut, lest I preach the sermon before 288 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,400 Sunday to so many people. I was so fascinated. 289 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:02,320 This this book humbles me. Does it not humble you? 290 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,200 The more you read it, The more you study, the more you preach 291 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,000 it, the more comfortable you get with certain doctrines. 292 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,240 The Lord is never short and showing you and revealing to 293 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:17,680 you, You can't exhaust my word. You cannot exhaust it. 294 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,000 The moment you think that you reach the bottom of the well, 295 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:21,640 you realize there's 100 feet to go. 296 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,680 And then when you get there after 10 years, you realize 297 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:28,360 there's 200 feet to go. You cannot wring this thing dry. 298 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,880 It is a supernatural book. It's a glorious book. 299 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:35,240 Yes, you can even benefit from Leviticus chapter 14. 300 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,160 This is God's book. This is supernatural. 301 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:41,320 I have to get that out of my system. 302 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:42,400 I've been holding it in all week. 303 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:46,120 How can you be bored with the Bible? 304 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,440 Impossible. Absolutely impossible. 305 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:55,280 It's life. It vibrates. 306 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:56,800 It speaks. It connects. 307 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,840 It shows. It shines not just to stuff your 308 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,760 head, but to bring you to your knees. 309 00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:05,080 You realize this book is not from earth. 310 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,320 Yes, God moved by the Holy Spirit upon men and spoke and 311 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:11,520 wrote this word. Yes, but it came from heaven. 312 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,160 And it's at your disposal. Don't let it be like a vacuum in 313 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,680 your house, only collecting the the dust on your night stand. 314 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:19,720 Don't let it do that. Open it. 315 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,040 Let it speak to you. Talk to it with other people. 316 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:24,960 See. Struggle with it. 317 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,400 Yes, struggle with it. Wrestle with it. 318 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,760 God, what are you saying here? And that's an exciting life to 319 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,920 live. So we come to now the target of 320 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,560 the cleansing. We looked at the prophetic 321 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,960 significance, the prophetic significance of what took place 322 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:42,640 here on this day. But the student of the Old 323 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,520 Testament still see Jesus's actions here to be unexpected 324 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,160 and unsettling, mainly because of another text in the Hebrew 325 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:53,760 scriptures that seem to conflict with the Lord's decision here, 326 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:58,360 his actions. Here Deuteronomy records a 327 00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:01,000 helpful regulation for those who live the great distance away 328 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,240 from the land. And as we know, 3 * a year, 329 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,000 right. The the the Jewish people were 330 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:14,240 instructed of mandatory immediate physical attendance to 331 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,920 the temple, three particular feasts, and in great part the 332 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:20,680 requirement to come to the House of God. 333 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,040 To worship in those feasts was to bring sacrifices. 334 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:28,280 And those sacrifices generally were animals, some large 335 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,640 animals, some smaller animals, bulls, oxen, goats, sheep, 336 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:35,960 pigeons, also amounts of grain and even wine. 337 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,360 And so the Lord gives a law in Deuteronomy. 338 00:21:38,360 --> 00:21:42,520 And this law was to relieve the worshippers of the difficulty of 339 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:46,120 transporting these animals specifically from great long 340 00:21:46,120 --> 00:21:50,680 ways, from the the House of God. And this is what He gave, this 341 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,320 is what He provided for the people. 342 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,280 Then turn with me to Deuteronomy 14. 343 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:57,920 I gave you a heads up. We're going to be in the Old 344 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,600 Testament a lot. Today in Deuteronomy 14, verse 345 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:07,640 24. I'm reading Deuteronomy and my 346 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,120 personal readings and this chapter came to me early in the 347 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:12,880 week and it was just perfect. It was a reminder for what we're 348 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:18,280 studying and learning today. Look at Deuteronomy 1424 and if 349 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,800 the way is too long for you, pause. 350 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,000 He's speaking to the people who would be placed in different 351 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,240 parts of the Promised Land, and there was 1 central place of 352 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,120 worship. So here is for those who are far 353 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:32,600 from the temple, and if the way is too long for you, so that 354 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:36,160 you're not able to carry the tide when the Lord your God 355 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,520 blesses you because the place is too far from you which the Lord 356 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:43,280 your God chooses to set his name there, then you shall turn it 357 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,160 into money and bind up the money in your hand and go to the place 358 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,840 that the Lord your God chooses and spend the money for whatever 359 00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:55,600 you desire, oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever 360 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:58,840 your appetite craves, and you shall eat it there before the 361 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,320 Lord your God and rejoice you and your household. 362 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:07,920 This passage is rarely quoted. When people teach on the Lord 363 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:12,840 cleansing the temple. Most people read this section of 364 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,440 scripture in the New Testament Mark 11 and other parts of the 365 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,600 people turning the House of God into a business. 366 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:23,560 And that is the point. But the activity here in itself 367 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,280 is not wrong. But you just read it right. 368 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:31,040 If you were from a far place, you could bring money, go to the 369 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:33,760 place of worship, and instead of hauling the beast, you can just 370 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:38,640 buy one right there and then and sacrifice and so how? 371 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,680 If you're reading this, if you're going through the 372 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:43,040 scriptures and you come to this and it's in the back of your 373 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:44,360 mind, now you're in the New Testament. 374 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:46,920 You see Jesus cleansing the temple of people who are selling 375 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,280 animals. How does this make sense? 376 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:52,200 They Didn't God sanction this? Didn't he permit this? 377 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,840 Didn't he allow for travelers and pilgrims and gentile 378 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,680 converts to do this? What is the Lord getting at from 379 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:01,920 here? And here's the point. 380 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,920 It's very simple. According to this text, 381 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:12,240 according to what you read in Mark 11, Jesus here is 382 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,000 correcting what many people do with God's graces. 383 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,040 What was meant to offer relief and assistance to worshippers 384 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:23,080 was eventually abused for personal gain. 385 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,560 What started out as assistance to worship God. 386 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,600 Assistance to worship God? OK, if you're coming from far, 387 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,520 here's some help. Here's some help for you to 388 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,400 worship more effectively and with less burden. 389 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:40,840 What became assistance to worship turned into worship. 390 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:46,880 Assisting the greed of men and the hints to the essence of this 391 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,520 crime is found in back in Mark 11 verse 17. 392 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:55,120 But you have made it a den of robbers, your thieves, your 393 00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:59,360 crooks, and it's most likely what Jesus is getting at. 394 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,200 The heart of the matter is that there's extortion here, there's 395 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:05,360 unfair exchange rates that was being implemented here. 396 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,360 And what you had is these pilgrims who came from so far, 397 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,440 and you had also these other gentile converts with Roman 398 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,480 currency who came and had no choice, had no choice but to 399 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:20,120 submit to the strategize inflation of these wicked men. 400 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,960 There's no other option. So they upped the price they 401 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,680 made. Ridiculous price is there for 402 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:31,680 people to give in and then they stuff their pockets. 403 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:35,480 That's what Jesus is cleansing. Here you had these merchants who 404 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:38,840 took advantage of the genuine need of worshippers in order to 405 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:44,520 satisfy their own bank book. And the fact that Jesus cleansed 406 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,480 the temple twice, twice, twice that he had to do this again 407 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:52,480 reveals that humanity faces the ever present temptation to 408 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,760 exploit the name of God, the House of God, and the people of 409 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:00,160 God for personal profit. It was true then. 410 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:06,240 It's true today. It is a dangerous game to play 411 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:12,720 to leverage the House of God or the people of God, and to treat 412 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:18,880 it as a lucrative business or as a pool of social and political 413 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:22,920 opportunities. You know what you do when you 414 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:25,800 play that game with God's house then and today? 415 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:31,920 You risk God doing something to you, or the leadership that 416 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:36,480 tolerates it, or eventually shutting down the whole ministry 417 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:41,680 that hosts such activity. Jesus doesn't display much 418 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,000 righteous indignation in the Gospels, but when he does, it 419 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,280 reveals what really touches his nerves. 420 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:52,640 And this is one of them Taking the House of God and doing 421 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,640 something with it that was not intended to do, to satisfy your 422 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:58,600 ambitions, your selfish pursuits. 423 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:03,160 And Jesus here does something in Mark 11, verse 16. 424 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:07,760 Mark alone adds this detail. No other synoptic gospel does. 425 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:09,920 Look at verse 16. This is something that's unique 426 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:14,840 to our study of this book. And he being Jesus and he would 427 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:19,640 not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple 428 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:24,760 that's not in Luke, it's not in John, it's not in Matthew and 429 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:27,680 Mark's Gospel. It's highlighted that what Jesus 430 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:30,720 also did, after he flipped tables and the coins rang 431 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:35,000 through the Plaza and the animals were running out of 432 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,600 their places, Jesus also found people walking through and he 433 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,400 stopped them. You can't walk through here like 434 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:44,400 that. Go back to where you came from. 435 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:48,400 What's happening here? Evidently, the temple also 436 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:53,120 became something else. It became a detour for 437 00:27:53,120 --> 00:27:56,640 commuters. It became a place for carriers 438 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,520 of vessels and goods to travel by. 439 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,600 Why? Because if you look up just how 440 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:04,760 big the temple was after Herod renovated, it was massive. 441 00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:09,200 You can fit multiple football fields in it, and for people 442 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,120 they realize well to go around, the temple makes our journey 443 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:13,920 much longer. And so they would use the 444 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:18,640 courtyards to cut corners and they would use the House of God 445 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:24,520 as just a convenient place for transportation to make their 446 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:28,800 journey a little shorter. And Jesus saw this. 447 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,720 He saw these individuals desecrating the sacredness of 448 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:37,800 his house, treating as just as a shortcut through their GPS. 449 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:42,680 And he even stopped that. You realize what this place is. 450 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,320 You realize where we are. You realize that this is a place 451 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,600 for worship, not a place for convenience. 452 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,000 How does happen? How do you have these people 453 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,960 taking advantage of others? How do you have other people 454 00:28:57,960 --> 00:28:59,680 around? We're taking advantage of the 455 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,440 House of God for although and he's I mean it went from selling 456 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:09,400 beasts at a upscale price and the corruption trickling down to 457 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,280 people who were just walking by the House of God like it was a 458 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,720 front lawn instead of walking around on the sidewalk. 459 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,400 I'll tell you how it happens. This all began with a gracious 460 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:23,400 law that aim to relieve worshippers in the pursuit of 461 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:27,800 honoring the king. And like many truths about God's 462 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:35,840 grace, man is not slow to apply them to justify irreverence and 463 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:43,120 justify carelessness and justify selfish ambition, even through 464 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:47,760 spiritual means. Can I tell you what God's grace 465 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:49,920 really should do when somebody really tastes it? 466 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:55,480 One's enjoyment of the grace of Jesus Christ provokes greater 467 00:29:55,480 --> 00:30:00,120 reverence, not less of it. And a person who is not 468 00:30:00,120 --> 00:30:04,680 stimulated to greater awe and fear of God, even when you drink 469 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:10,280 from the cup of salvation and grace and mercy, is 470 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:14,000 questionable. And I learned something about 471 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,640 Jesus. Here are Jesus. 472 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:20,800 My Jesus, your Jesus, gentle Jesus, loving Jesus, praying for 473 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,360 babies. Jesus healing the sick. 474 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,600 Jesus visiting those who need visits. 475 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:27,560 Jesus. That Jesus. 476 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,080 You know what? I learned something about Jesus 477 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:31,960 here. Precious Shepherd, The Lamb of 478 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:37,080 God, the Bridegroom. Irreverence irritates him. 479 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:48,200 Irreverence irritates Jesus. And John explained it this way 480 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,560 with Jesus's first visit to the temple in John 2 verse 17. 481 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:56,640 His disciples remember that it was written zeal for your house 482 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,200 will consume me. When they saw Jesus doing this 483 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:04,720 in John chapter 2A, scripture came to mind from Psalms. 484 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:07,880 Zeal for your house will consume me. 485 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:12,280 Do you want to be like Jesus? I want to be like Jesus in every 486 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:17,600 way, not in some ways zeal for his house. 487 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,560 You know, you have different extremes here. 488 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:25,520 You have some who have no zeal for the House of God, and then 489 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:28,000 you have those who have zeal in the context of the House of God, 490 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,400 but for the wrong things. I call them legalists. 491 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:33,840 They're very zealous for things that don't matter. 492 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,640 Have you met people like that? Nitpicking and this and that 493 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,320 about every single thing? And they justify it with the 494 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:45,080 zeal for righteousness, zeal for God's zeal for holiness? 495 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,720 No, it's misguided passion. And so you have extremes with 496 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:51,480 anything, right? With any emotion, with any 497 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,880 conviction. You have two sided extremes. 498 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,040 My concern at this point, I touched on the legal list a 499 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:00,800 little bit, but my concern is for those who don't have zeal 500 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,120 for God's house. Where's that? 501 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:10,720 Where's that? You know, something happened to 502 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:12,280 the world a few years ago. You remember what happened, 503 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:13,600 right? The whole world shut down. 504 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,600 And I remember having a conversation with a pastor at 505 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:20,360 the peak of churches not being able to meet and all the 506 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,640 craziness. And he said something to me that 507 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,280 stuck with me to this day still rings in my mind from time to 508 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,800 time. It it, it caused me to stop in 509 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,240 my tracks. I remember I was walking in 510 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,080 front of the house when we were talking. 511 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:41,200 He's like, brother, churches are meeting, Christians are 512 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,240 gathering. He's like, I wonder what 513 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:48,000 Christians would have done 200 years ago if this mandate went 514 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,800 out. He's like, I, I, I think 515 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,720 Christians maybe I'm wrong, would have gathered in their 516 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:57,920 hundreds and cried out to God. Lord, we can't meet here. 517 00:32:57,920 --> 00:32:59,200 Lord, there's something happening. 518 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,080 They're restricting our ability to come and worship you and hear 519 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:04,600 you and give to you. Lord, do something. 520 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,880 He's like he's like, brother, I don't know about your end of the 521 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:13,640 world, but on my end of the I'm not seeing that zeal for the 522 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:21,080 House of God to protect the honor of it, to preserve the joy 523 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:25,200 of it, to stay on track of the intent of it. 524 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:31,720 Zeal for your house consumes me. I can tell you if that zeal is 525 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,760 in your or not by this one simple evaluation of our own 526 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:36,680 hearts. It's Sunday. 527 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:42,880 Just another day to us for the Christian who goes to a Bible 528 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:46,240 believing church, Not a perfect church, a Bible believing, Bible 529 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,040 preaching, Bible submitting church. 530 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,240 Sunday should be the most exciting day of the week, 531 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:55,280 shouldn't it? Shouldn't it? 532 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,040 We get to go to the House of God. 533 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,440 We get to go to the place of worship. 534 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:04,920 We get to go where God said He would meet us and speak to us 535 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:08,480 and honor us and where gifts of the Spirit would manifest before 536 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:10,719 us and through US. God's house. 537 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:15,760 Zeal for your house. This is Jesus consumes me. 538 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:20,320 That zeal for positive rejoicing, Thanksgiving, 539 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,560 gratitude, and also a defensive zeal. 540 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:24,960 A protective zeal. When the enemy or the flesh 541 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:28,280 tries to corrupt it, it does something to your soul. 542 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:33,239 That's Jesus. I love Jesus. 543 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,280 Let's go to the teaching of the cleansing. 544 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,679 And he was teaching them verse 17 and Sanctum. 545 00:34:45,679 --> 00:34:47,320 Is it not written? My house shall be called the 546 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:51,199 House of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it a 547 00:34:51,199 --> 00:34:57,520 den of robbers. Jesus in his teaching quotes 2 548 00:34:57,520 --> 00:34:59,680 Old Testament passages and puts them together. 549 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,600 He quotes one the first part from Isaiah and the 2nd from 550 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,480 Jeremiah 7. We won't focus on the latter 551 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,800 part for the sake of time. It's pretty straightforward. 552 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:09,480 You've turned my house into a den of robbers. 553 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:12,160 You've turned the House of God into a gathering place for 554 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:14,840 criminals. You've turned the House of God 555 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:17,960 into a place where criminals can feel comfortable in corrupting 556 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,320 and manipulating and taking advantage of the people of God. 557 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:21,680 The name of God, the House of God. 558 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:24,760 That's pretty straightforward. But let's look at the first 559 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,800 part, my house. Let me remind you of the intent, 560 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:31,200 the design, the plan, the purpose of my gathering place 561 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:36,000 shall be called, of all things House of prayer. 562 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:40,720 And let me give you that quote. Turn with me to Isaiah 56 and 563 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:43,840 verse 7. Here's where Jesus is getting 564 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:51,570 this from Isaiah 56, verse seven. 565 00:35:51,890 --> 00:35:56,410 These I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in 566 00:35:56,410 --> 00:36:00,290 my House of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their 567 00:36:00,290 --> 00:36:04,880 sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall be 568 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:09,640 called a House of prayer for all peoples. 569 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:15,200 God's intent for His house is that it would be an inviting 570 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,480 place for all peoples of all nations for the purpose of 571 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:25,000 corporately participating an honest, heartfelt prayer in an 572 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:32,200 atmosphere of reverence. Just Just peel through what was 573 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,120 just quoted and and and look for God's heart in Isaiah 56, seven 574 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:40,200 What does it say about God's heart that his longings for when 575 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:43,000 his people gathered they would pray. 576 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:47,880 Well, prayer is a vertical expression. 577 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:54,520 Prayer is US contacting God and that's what God wants from us. 578 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:58,240 The goal of our gatherings is to meet with God. 579 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,840 That's the goal. We meet together, yes, but we 580 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,440 meet together for that purpose, to meet with God. 581 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:10,200 Because that's what prayer is. Prayer is the door in which we 582 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,040 enter into the room of fellowship with with him. 583 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:16,240 And so you know what God designed his house to be like. 584 00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:18,920 You know what should be filling this atmosphere? 585 00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:22,200 Every time we do gather, oh, God longs to hear, please for 586 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,960 forgiveness. God longs to see our honest 587 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:30,960 laments for a brokenness. God longs to hear our needs and 588 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,240 our cries, whether they're small or great. 589 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:35,680 God longs to hear the shouts of Thanksgiving. 590 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:40,200 God longs to see the rejoicing response to his word declared. 591 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:45,080 God longs to hear us. He, He, he wants to fellowship 592 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,240 with us. He wants us to gather with that 593 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:49,200 aim. We're here to meet with him 594 00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:51,960 because he said my house shall be called the House of prayer. 595 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,160 What's another word of prayer? What is prayer really? 596 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,000 Communion. Communion with God. 597 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,840 And this is what God wants. And God must be the goal. 598 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:07,120 And as the owner of his temple, then and now, our relation to 599 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,080 the House of God is very simple, very simple, very, very easy 600 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:15,080 actually, to honor His wishes, Honor His wishes. 601 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,800 None of us, no matter how gifted a ministry, is our ministers, 602 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:25,000 elders, none of us have the right to make the House of God 603 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,440 something other than what God made it to be. 604 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,960 And the reward of honoring His wishes is found in this very 605 00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:33,440 verse. Did you see it? 606 00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:35,840 Look back at Isaiah 56, verse seven. 607 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,480 He said my house shall be called the House of prayer. 608 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:39,640 But look what the Lord would do when it would be a House of 609 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:40,920 prayer. Verse 7. 610 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:45,160 These things I will bring to my holy mountain and make them 611 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:50,320 joyful in my House of prayer. That's the reward for honoring 612 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:52,920 His wishes. When you come to the House of 613 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:56,680 God with the intent and the heart posture and the design of 614 00:38:56,680 --> 00:39:00,600 what I had in mind for it, your reward will be joy. 615 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:08,080 I will make them rejoice. A joy greater than a place that 616 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:11,040 entertains. A joy greater than a place that 617 00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:15,920 puts on things to again maybe help this person in in in there, 618 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:19,320 in that area of of business or politics or social, whatever the 619 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:21,240 case may be. There's a joy greater than you 620 00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:25,080 taking advantage of the place of God for personal profit or gain. 621 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,480 They can only come when we honor it the way he wants it to be 622 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:31,360 honored. For my house shall be called the 623 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:34,480 House of prayer. And when you do that, you'll be 624 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:36,880 joyful. You'll be joyful. 625 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:41,200 Let's come, because of our time here, to the threat of the 626 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,680 cleansing. Verse 18 of Mark 11. 627 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:48,240 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it. 628 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:51,680 And we're seeking a way to destroy him, For they feared 629 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:53,680 him, was astonished at his teaching. 630 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:56,280 And when evening came, they went out of the city. 631 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,400 The chief priests weren't there. The chief. 632 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:03,480 Priests and the scribes heard. It so news came quickly to the 633 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:07,480 leaders of this time. Jesus of Nazareth wiped the 634 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:14,000 place clean today. And we're told here. 635 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:16,600 That they were seeking a way to destroy him. 636 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:18,240 And here's the reason for They feared him. 637 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,400 This is not a God honoring fear. This is not an awe and a 638 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:27,080 reverence that Jesus deserves. This is a fear of what Christ 639 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:31,520 would do to them. Because all the crowd was. 640 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:35,040 Astonished at his teaching, they were fearful that the popularity 641 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,080 was going to Christ. They were fearful that now the 642 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,240 allegiance of the people that once esteemed these religious 643 00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:44,960 figures as the authority of the faith are now shifting towards 644 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:47,440 this Jesus. And that's what they were afraid 645 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,040 of. We have to do something now. 646 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,680 In a way, Jesus, by doing this, really sealed his faith. 647 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,960 No more time to waste. No more games to play. 648 00:40:56,960 --> 00:41:00,720 If he was audacious enough to come to the temple during 649 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:05,600 Passover week and put this on, what else does he have in mind? 650 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:08,160 We. Must deal with him. 651 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:13,240 And they feared him and. I want to make this. 652 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:17,120 Case that there are some who do not believe in Christ, give 653 00:41:17,120 --> 00:41:21,120 themselves to Christ, surrendered to Christ because of 654 00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:25,360 fear. Fear, like these scribes. 655 00:41:25,360 --> 00:41:30,760 And like these elders, that if Jesus is to do what he is to do 656 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:34,800 as Lord, he would. Displace some things in your. 657 00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:36,240 Life. You know what? 658 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:38,240 These guys were worried about our position. 659 00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:41,600 Our power is now at risk. If he cleanse the temple, what 660 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:42,720 do you? What about us? 661 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:45,440 We got to do something. And I'll tell you, there are 662 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,440 people like that who will not come to Christ because they're 663 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:49,600 afraid that if Christ enters into the life, He's going to 664 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:51,920 rearrange everything. Let me tell you confidently, He 665 00:41:51,920 --> 00:41:54,040 will. He will. 666 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,320 He's Lord. He has to. 667 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:00,600 He must. If He loves you, He will. 668 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,560 I've talked to enough Young. People various youth meetings 669 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:08,880 that are honest off after a sermon on giving your life to 670 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,240 Christ, surrendering to Christ, being consecrated to Christ, 671 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:13,840 thinking. They have their whole life. 672 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:15,880 Ahead of them thinking that and their strength and their vigor. 673 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:18,360 All these plans and all these ideas. 674 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:20,640 I don't want Jesus to mess it up. 675 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:23,040 I don't want Jesus. To lead me. 676 00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:24,840 Somewhere I don't want to go. I don't want Jesus to give me an 677 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:26,280 occupation that I don't want to do. 678 00:42:26,280 --> 00:42:29,200 I don't want Jesus to make me marry somebody that I don't want 679 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:31,520 to marry. They're. 680 00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:35,200 Afraid of his. Lordship, Can I tell? 681 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,520 You, whatever fear you. Have in your resistance of 682 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:42,800 surrender Christ is a lie. It's a lie from Satan. 683 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:48,000 It's a lie of the flesh because he is good. 684 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:55,320 You've been Lord of your. Life long enough to realize that 685 00:42:55,320 --> 00:43:02,600 you are a terrible master. You've been subject to other 686 00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:07,200 Lords in your life to realize that they do not satisfy you. 687 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:09,360 Served money for years, right? Are you happy? 688 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,480 Scripture says he who has money, loves money, wants more of it. 689 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:17,080 You've been jumping from. Woman to woman For how long now? 690 00:43:18,280 --> 00:43:19,920 OK, so why is there? A vacuum in your soul. 691 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:23,520 Still, from man to man, relationship to relationship, 692 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:26,240 you've done so many things to your body. 693 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:29,400 You hope that if you posted that you would get this amount of 694 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:32,160 likes and that'll make you good and feel satisfied. 695 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:35,960 Only for what? Another week and there you are 696 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:37,080 in. That week because your latest. 697 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:38,880 Post was less likes than the former one. 698 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:44,720 Here you are depressed for days. Christ deserves. 699 00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:48,560 To rearrange everything Christ deserves to Lord over your life 700 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:53,040 because he knows what you need and in his. 701 00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:54,040 Great love. He's not. 702 00:43:54,040 --> 00:43:56,600 Like Pharaoh, that makes things more burdensome. 703 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:02,680 He is a God who comes to. Take from you and then give you 704 00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:07,280 what you were designed to have. Intimacy with him. 705 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,920 Peace, joy, and the Holy Spirit. Righteousness enabled by his 706 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:14,960 powerful mercies running through your veins as you walk in the 707 00:44:14,960 --> 00:44:18,040 Spirit. If you're a person in here who's 708 00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:21,520 afraid to make Jesus Lord, I beckon you. 709 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:25,720 That's a lie. Come to him and express your 710 00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:27,120 fears. And even if you express your 711 00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:30,360 fears concerning him, he's gracious enough to heal you. 712 00:44:30,360 --> 00:44:35,480 Of that He is. Take it from A. 713 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:40,960 Room filled with people who love to serve Jesus, and I'll tell. 714 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:43,080 You this as a person. Who served Jesus? 715 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:48,440 The longer you serve him, the sweeter he grows. 716 00:44:51,240 --> 00:44:57,200 Today we're coming to this. Table because we. 717 00:44:57,200 --> 00:44:59,680 Realize that he is not. Someone to be feared in the 718 00:44:59,680 --> 00:45:03,040 wrong way, but someone that longs to embrace us and forgive 719 00:45:03,040 --> 00:45:09,000 us and wash us and restore us and redeem us if you're not a. 720 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:11,520 Christian in this. Place we kindly ask that you 721 00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:13,760 observe what Christians are about to do. 722 00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:17,680 Jesus gave his church 2 ordinances, just two. 723 00:45:18,240 --> 00:45:21,320 The first one is believers baptism, where you with your 724 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:25,960 conscious decision decide to get in a body of water after 725 00:45:25,960 --> 00:45:29,640 confessing and repenting of your sin to be identified with him by 726 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:32,840 being buried in that water signifying you being buried with 727 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:36,080 Christ and it coming out of that water signifying new life in 728 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:37,600 Christ. And then what the Bible 729 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,880 prescribes as a pattern is, after you have done that, you 730 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:44,320 then partake in a continual ordinance, which is the Lord's 731 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:47,840 table, where you take the element of the bread and the 732 00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:50,840 element of the cup, and you approach the table, and you 733 00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:53,800 rehearse that you have been forgiven and you've been saved 734 00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:56,200 upon the performance of Christ, not your own. 735 00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,120 And if you have not confessed, Christ believed in Christ, 736 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:01,680 giving your life to Christ. And this is not for you, 737 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:04,640 respectfully, because this is for those who are his. 738 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:08,240 And believer, you're coming to this. 739 00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:11,840 Table also remembering, yes, the body and the blood, but also the 740 00:46:11,840 --> 00:46:15,240 oneness of the body of Christ today that like this one loaf we 741 00:46:15,240 --> 00:46:18,480 are one, we are connected, we are inseparable by the Spirit. 742 00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:21,760 And if in practice that is not true, if in practice there's 743 00:46:21,760 --> 00:46:25,480 divide, there's tension, there's something that's not there, then 744 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,160 you would honor Christ more. And leaving your gift at the 745 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:31,200 altar and reconciling with the Brother, and saying, I can in 746 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:34,120 good conscience say we are one body when you and I have an 747 00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:37,160 issue. And so that's what. 748 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:39,240 This is for it's it's for the church. 749 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:43,800 And it's a sanctifying thing that reminds US1, you're saved 750 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:46,560 by grace. Like you're saved by grace. 751 00:46:46,720 --> 00:46:48,120 Yeah. OK, You had a bad week. 752 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:52,360 Thank God for grace. You're forgiven by faith. 753 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:57,640 And two, am I right with my brother and sister? 754 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:00,360 Am I right? With them? 755 00:47:00,360 --> 00:47:04,320 If not, no one's here to judge. No one has the. 756 00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:08,920 Right to judge, but I'll pause on this and I will do something 757 00:47:08,920 --> 00:47:11,960 that's going to honor Christ more and find that brother and 758 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:13,720 sister and have an honest conversation. 759 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:18,440 Let's prepare our hearts to take. 760 00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:33,040 Together, Lord, we just pause now. 761 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:36,920 And meditate on this holy moment, Lord, if you. 762 00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:38,520 Long for reverence we. Give it to you and. 763 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:46,520 Thank you, Lord, that reverence. Is not in competition with joy 764 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:49,800 for you? Said I will make them. 765 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:54,560 Rejoice in my House of prayer. Lord, we sit and we thank. 766 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:58,080 You for the word that you've provided us and now. 767 00:47:58,080 --> 00:48:00,040 We prepare Lord to. Do what you commanded your 768 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:03,480 church to do that as often. As we eat and. 769 00:48:03,480 --> 00:48:04,800 Drink. We would remember what you've 770 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:09,040 done for us. And so, Lord, as we sing these 771 00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:10,360 songs. To reflect. 772 00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:15,440 And as we even pause to examine our own hearts, we. 773 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:18,720 Pray Lord, that your holy. Spirit would minister to us. 774 00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:24,480 We love you. And we are honored to be invited 775 00:48:24,480 --> 00:48:28,640 to this table. The privileged Lord is. 776 00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:31,360 Ours. And to have this fellowship 777 00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:34,760 means that you've accepted us, and that we belong to you 778 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:37,200 forever. And so Lord in. 779 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:38,320 This moment let. Sins. 780 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:42,440 Be repented of. Let discouragement disappear. 781 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:47,680 Let even if needed relationships be restored, just be glorified. 782 00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:51,840 And Lord, if your house. Shall be called the House of 783 00:48:51,840 --> 00:48:54,320 prayer. Then hear our prayers. 784 00:48:54,720 --> 00:48:57,360 Hear our prayers in Jesus name we pray. 785 00:48:57,760 --> 00:49:01,640 Amen. As the praise team comes. 786 00:49:01,640 --> 00:49:06,480 Up invite you to stand. We're going to sing about the 787 00:49:06,520 --> 00:49:13,880 very truth that you heard me. Explain briefly. 788 00:49:14,600 --> 00:49:17,840 And just I encourage you, please just engage with the Lord, 789 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:20,760 engage with the Lord. Just let this be a precious time 790 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:24,640 between you and him to remember that 2000 years ago he did 791 00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,320 something that would save you forever. 792 00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:28,800 Amen. Would you join me as we stand? 793 00:49:29,240 --> 00:49:29,560 Thank you.