We are in need of an Assistant Teacher for the Wednesday Night R.A./G.A. K-3rd Grade class. If you can help, please contact Lisa Lapham or Earl Pond. Thank You!
13 And the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise."17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR THY HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."
Jesus Drives Moneychangers from the Temple
Mark 11:15-17 (NASB)
15 And they * came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."
Now that we have completed the parking lot. The ChristianLifeCenter is standing and we are going in and out of it. The landscaping is planted. The playground equipment is set up.
We know there is still more to do. However, we have come to a major accomplishment and success and today is a day of celebration. It is a day of gratitude for all who have given, worked hard, and especially for the Lord’s blessings.
Before we start to look forward to what we still need to do, let us be still and thank the Lord for all He has allowed us to do.
This is also a good day to take a look at Jesus and learn from His passion for the temple.
The scripture says about Jesus:
"ZEAL FOR THY HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."
What does this mean? What is Jesus wanting us to learn from what He did and said?
I.Jesus has a zeal for the House of God and we should too
A.Jesus has a zeal for this house of worship and we probably can not imagine how great His zeal is
B.It is a good thing that we would want the Lord’s House to be the best it can be
C.The best in bringing honor and glory to Jesus.
D.The best cosmetically
E.The best in order and effectiveness
F.The best in ministry
G.The best in faithfulness to Jesus and His Word
II.The Passover – a most sacred time! It would be the time in just three years that the Holy Lamb of God – Jesus Christ – would offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of man
A.Jesus visited the temple many times. However, it is at this specific time that Jesus twice drives out the money changers, and business men, and animals, and those who were selling doves, and anyone who was bringing in goods
B.Jesus wants the House of His Father to be prepared, holy and anointed for the sacred work that God the Father and God the Holy Spirit will do
C.Jesus death on the cross would be the most sacred event ever to take place in the world. It would be God’s greatest work. Jesus was aghast that people would be making this a day of merchandise and money changing and take away from the holy and sacred emphasis of this event.
D.God’s work in our hearts is a sacred work
1.God’s purpose for His house is to be a House of Prayer
E.Jesus has been patient for a long time, but now can wait no longer
1.6 months have gone by since His baptism and the temptation of Satan in the wilderness
2.However, since Jesus was 12 years old, He has seen the corruptness of the temple.
3.18 years He has been consumed with the way people were abusing His Father’s House
4.Now, being commissioned into His ministry role – His purpose now being fulfilled as Messiah, He walks right in and begins to set His Father’s house in order
III.His first “house cleaning” - Stop making My Father’s House a house of merchandise – what does this say to us?
A.The business men of the day had taken over the House of God
1.For whatever reason, business had taken the priority over ministry
2.And this “business” had become corrupt
3.“Money changers” were profiting from the exchange of the “pagan” money to the temple money
4.Those who sold animals had brought them into the holy place of prayer
B.When you come into the House of God you should not be faced with a focus of fund raisers but rather a focus of finding healing for brokenness, encouragement for depression, safety from a world of deception, love, kindness, and especially a place where you can meet God – a “House of Prayer”.
C.We must not belittle the awesome and holy work and purpose God has given us
1.Where can you go today to find genuine mercy and grace?
2.Where can you go today to find love, kindness, compassion, and help for your burdens and needs?
D.The leaders of Jesus’ day had lost the holy purpose of His Father’s House.
1.Yes, there was a need for finances, but finances should never be a distraction to the holy calling of God to this holy place
2.Jesus says “stop it”
E.It is interesting that the next subject to come up was “authority” – the people asked what authority do You have to do these things?
IV.Jesus is our authority and His purpose for the church is the chief purpose that we must carefully focus on and be very careful that we never neglect it.
A.Jesus has all the authority
1.The pastor, staff, deacons, ministry team chairpersons are all servants of JESUS and of this church
2.We are to serve Him and His directives and purposes for this church
3.The decisions in managing the church are through the Body of Christ – the Church. Ministry Management is an important task that we all need to feel responsible for.
4.There seems to be only a few who are willing to step in and help manage our church ministries. Then there are those who stand on the sidelines and complain about who and what is managing. These things should not be.
5.Yes, we are always going to be faced with challenges and needs to meet together to plan out and work through these challenges – but we must all be a part of this
6.We all have a responsibility to the Authority of Jesus.
7.Somehow the money changers and those who sold animals had crept into the temple – someone should have stopped this a long time ago – somebody dropped the ball.
B.Jesus has commissioned us similarly to the commission of Joshua we preached about last week.
1.We have a word from God – “go and make disciples”
2.We have a promise of God’s presence – “I am with you”
3.We have a promise of God’s protection and empowerment – “all authority is given unto Me in heaven and on earth”
4.We have a warning to carefully obey God’s Law – “he who hears My word and obeys”
V.“My Father’s House shall be called a House of Prayer” – what exactly does this say to us?
A.One of the most significant needs we have is to get in touch with God
1.There are those who are hurting and need the Great Comforter
2.There are those who are sick and need the Great Physician
B.What a beautiful picture is painted in Matthew as we see the blind and the lame coming to Jesus after He cleansed it.
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.Matt 21:14 (NASB)
1.There are those who are lost are the ones we need to keep in our main focus the Great Savior
C.The pathway to the throne of GOD is the House of God for many people and it needs to bring honor to this high purpose
VI.As we observe Jesus’ “zeal for the House of the Lord” let us seek to our best…
