SHORTCHANGED AT CHURCH

SHORTCHANGED AT CHURCH

MARK 11:15-17

Mark 11:15-17 (KJV) 15  And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16  And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

THINGS WERE HAPPENING IN THE TEMPLE THAT REALLY DISPLEASED JESUS

PEOPLE WOULD BRING THERE SACRIFICES

THE PRIEST WOULD INSPECT THE SACRIFICE AND ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING WRONG WITH IT

IT HAD TO BE FREE OF DISEASE

COULDN’T BE CRIPPLED ETC…

IN OTHER WORDS THEY HAD TO BRING THERE BEST TO SACRIFICE

I STILL THINK GOD WANTS OUR BEST TODAY

I DON’T WONT TO BRING A DISEASED OFFERING OR SACRIFICE

I DON’T WONT TO OFFER HIM PRAISE THAT’S BEEN POLLUTED BY SIN

THE PEOPLE WAS GETTING SHORTCHANGED AT CHURCH.

THE PRIEST WOULD FIND SOMETHING WRONG THEN OFFER:

TO BUY THERE ANIAMAL FOR LESS THAN VALUE

HAD TO EXCHANGE MONEY TO TEMPLE CURRANCY, NOT GIVING THEM A FAIR EXCHANGE

THEN SELL THEM A PERFECT SACRIFICE AT AN INFLATED PRICE

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY THE PEOPLE WAS BEING SHORTCHANGED AT THE HOUSE OF GOD

SOUNDS LIKE THE CHURCH WORLD TODAY, SHORTCHANGING THE PEOPLE

SHORTCHANGED AT WORSHIP

BECOMING PLATFORM PERFORMANCE

SOME CHURCHES NEVER WORSHIP

SHORTCHANGED IN PREACHING!

NEVER HEAR THE TRUTH

I STILL BELIEVE IN CHURCH THAT CHANGES PEOPLE

CHURCH THAT MAKES BETTER MOMS & DADS

CHURCH THAT MAKES BETTER HUSBANDS & WIVES

CHURCH THAT MAKES BETTER CHILDREN

Acts 8:26-37 (KJV) 26  And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27  And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28   Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32   The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

STORY ABOUT A MAN WHO HAS GONE TO THE RIGHT PLACE: CHURCH

HE WAS THERE FOR THE RIGHT REASON: WORSHIP

READING THE RIGHT BOOK: WORD OF GOD

THIS IS A PICTURE OF A LOT OF PEOPLE LEAVING CHURCH SHORTCHANGED TODAY

THIS MAN WAS LEAVING CHURCH DISSATISFIED

HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HE WAS READING

A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY GO TO CHURCH

GO FOR THE RIGHT PLACE

GO FOR THE RIGHT REASON

ON THE WAY HOME THEY STILL DON’T KNOW WHO JESUS IS

NOTICE: PHILLIP READ “AS A LAMB LED TO THE SLAUGHTER”

EUNUCH ASKS “WHO IS HE TALKING ABOUT THERE?”

PHILLIP SMILES “I’M GLAD YOU ASKED, HE’S TALKING ABOUT JESUS”

THAT’S HOW YOU LEAVE CHURCH CHANGED

WILL YOU LEAVE CHANGED OR SHORTCHANGED?

I PRAY WHEN PEOPLE WALK IN THIS CHURCH THEY CAN FEEL REVIVAL

TEXT: JESUS BEGAN TO CLEANSE THE TEMPLE

JESUS WAS RESTORING THE MOST BASIC & SIMPLEST FORM OF WORSHIP—PRAYER!

PRAYER DON’T NEED A CHOIR

PRAYER DON’T NEED MUSIC

PRAYER DON’T NEED A CROWD

YOU CAN PRAY WHILE DRIVING

YOU CAN PRAY WHILE CLEANING

PRAYER IS SO IMPORTANT THAT HE WANTED HIS HOUSE TO BE KNOWN AS A “HOUSE OF PRAYER”

HE DIDN’T WANT HIS HOUSE KNOWN FOR ITS BEAUTY

HE WANTED HIS HOUSE KNOWN FOR THE ACTIVITY ON THE INSIDE

IN EXODUS GOD TELLS THEM HOW TO BUILD AN ALTAR:

Exodus 20:25 (KJV) 25  And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

HE SAID “DON’T BUILD ME BEAUTIFUL ALTARS”

I DON’T WANT THE BEAUTY TO BE IN THE ALTAR

GOD WANTED THE BEAUTY TO BE WHAT HAPPENS ON THE ALTAR

IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING WHEN THE CHURCH PRAYS

GOD SAID “JUST PILE THE STONES UP”

GOD WANTED PEOPLE TO BE ATTRACTED TO HIS AND HIS POWER, NOT THE ALTAR

Isaiah 65:3 (KJV) 3  A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

ALTAR OF BRICK REPRESENTED THEIR WORK AND WHAT THEY COULD DO

WE SHOULD NEVER COME TO CHURCH/ALTAR AND GLORY ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO

WE SHOULD WORSHIP ON ALTARS OF STONE

PILING UP AND SAYING “GOD ITS JUST ME, I’M FLESH”

I JUST WANT TO PRAISE YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR EXCELLENT GREATNESS AND MIGHTY ACTS

TEXT: RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

16  And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

WHY, THERE WAS NO LAW FORBIDING THEM TO DO THIS?

“COMMENTARIES SAY “THE PRIESTS HAD BEGAN TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE THE TEMPLE AS A SHORTCUT”

THE TEMPLE WAS SO LARGE THAT YOU COULD CUT THROUGH IT AND SAVE A LOT OF TIME ON TRAVELS

To those, for example, who were passing from the sheep market, Bethesda, into the upper part of the city, the shortest cut was through this court and by Solomon's Porch.

The distance would be greatly increased if they went round it.

So the priests permitted servants and laborers, laden with anything, to take this shorter way through the great court of the temple.

But our Lord hindered them, forbidding them with the voice of one that had authority, and restraining them with his hand, and compelling them to go back.

JESUS STOPPED ALL THE “SHORTCUTS” SAYING EVERY PART OF THE TEMPLE IS HOLY TO GOD

IMAGINE: JESUS (WITH THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY) ASKING “WERE DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING”

“YOUR NOT CASUALLY USING CHURCH TO MAKE A SHORTCUT”

JESUS IS SAYING “IF YOUR NOT SERIOUS ABOUT WHATS GOING ON IN HERE, GET OUT”

NOTICE: THIS WASN’T THE HOLY PLACE OR THE HOLY OF HOLIES

THIS WAS THE COURT OF THE GENTILES

ITS TIME WE REALIZE THAT EVERYTHING AND EVERY PART OF LIVING FOR GOD IS HOLY

PREACH IN TYPE: SHAMMAH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

PHILISTINES HAD GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST HIM, HE STOOD IN HIS BEAN FIELD

I’VE PREACHED BEFORE: SHAMMAH KNEW THE DEVIL DON’T STOP AT THE BEANS

HE KNEW IF I’M TO DEFEND THE MOST IMPORTANT (FAMILY) I MUST DEFEND THE LEST (BEANS)

EVERYTHING IS NOT A HEAVEN OF HELL ISSUE!

WHEN WE GIVE UP OUR DEVOTIONS AND CONSECRATIONS THE ENEMY WILL THEN COME AFTER OUR “HEAVEN OR HELL” ISSUES

1 Corinthians 10:23 (KJV) 23  All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

HE’S SAYING “THERES SOMETHINGS I COULD DO, BUT ITS NOT IN MY BEST INTEREST”

IT WONT BENEFIT ME OR HELP ME

WHEN WILL GET THERE AND SAY “I NO ITS NOT A SIN, BUT IT DON’T BENEFIT ME”

ILLUSTRATE: (I TOLD COREY) I HAVE BEEN MARRIED 23 YEARS. THERE IS SOMETHINGS I COULD DO THAT MY BEAUTIFUL WIFE WOULDN’T DIVORCE ME OVER.

LEAVE MY SUITS LAYING AT FOOT OF BED

LEAVE MY WORK BOOTS OUT

LEAVE MY CLOTHES ON BATHROOM FLOOR

SHE WONT DIVORCE ME

BUT, IT DOSNT MAKE THE LIVING CONDITIONS QUIT AS PLEASANT & MARVALOUS

WHEN I HANG UP MY CLOTHES

WIPE OFF THE SINK ETC…

IT MAKES THINGS A LOT SWEETER AROUND THE HOUSE

THERE ARE SOMETHINGS I COULD DO LIVING FOR GOD THAT I WOULDN’T GO TO HELL FOR

BUT ITS MORE THAN THAT

I DON’T WANT TO JUST MISS HELL

I LOVE HIS SWEET PRESENCE

TEXT: USING THE CHURCH AS A SHORTCUT

USING THE CHURCH AS A PLACE OF CONVIENENCE

JUST ANOTHER PLACE IN THE CITY

NOTHING SPEACIAL ABOUT IT

TEXT: THEY WAS CARRYING THERE BURDENS RIGHT THROUGH THE TEMPLE

WITHIN EYESIGHT OF THE HOLY PLACE

WITHIN EYESIGHT OF THE HOLY OF HOLIES

THEY WALKED RIGHT BY COMPLETELY UNMOVED AND UNCHANGED

IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE GLORY BUT NO CHANGED

BECAUSE IT HAD BECOME JUST A PLACE OF CONVIENENCE FOR THEM.

YOU CANT TREAT CHURCH AS JUST ANOTHER PLACE IN THE CITY

THIS ISNT A PLACE TO PASS THROUGH, IT’S A PLACE TO COME TO!

NOT PASSED THROUGH UNCHANGED

GOD, GIVE US LIFE CHANGING CHURCH AGAIN

CHURCH ISNT A MATTER OF CONVIENENCE FOR ME, ITS LIFE AND DEATH

LOOK WHAT AHAB SAID TO NABOTH:

1 Kings 21:1-3 (KJV) 1  And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2  And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. 3  And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

AHAB WANTED THE VINEYARD FOR A “GARDEN OF HERBS”

HERBS—NOTHING MORE THAN JUST TO SPICE UP FOOD, ADDS A LITTLE FLAVOR

NABOTH SAID THIS IS MY LIFE!

IT TOOK CARE OF MY GREAT GRANDFATHER, GRANDPA, DAD, NOW ME!

TO SOME CHURCH IS JUST FOR A “GARDEN OF HERBS”

A LITTLE ADDITIVE THEY ADD TO THERE LIFE

OTHERS SAY, “THIS IS MY LIFE”

WE PARTAKE OF THE “BREAD OF LIFE, & WATER OF LIFE”

AHAB OFFERED NABOTH A BETTER VINEYARD

NABOTH REPLIED “NO SUCH THING”

AHAB SAID “I’LL BUY IT FROM YOU”

NABOTH SAID “YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY”

DON’T LET THE DEVIL SHORTCHANGE YOU RIGHT IN THE HOUSE OF GOD!