The House of God

Luke 19: verse 45-48

Q. What do you think about when you come to church

do you look forward to the opportunity to worship God

or is it just another thing that you do.

I remember going to my friends youth group

and all I wanted to do was play basketball.

I spent time at various mega churches in the chicagoland area

Q. Have any of you been to a mega church.

It was the size of port charlotte mall

The goal is to get as many people to come as possible.

They have all of the programs, cafeteria, starbucks,

sometimes the sermons are more interested in entertaining the people than teaching the people

this is not limited to mega churches

many smaller churches do the same thing.

Because you need something more entertaining to keep people in church that do not want to worship God.

often times we see christian ministries try to multiply the people to multiply the tithe.

to sell books.

promote podcasts.

sell merchendise.

The church turns into a million dollar business.

Today we are going to learn why we go to church and how God wants us to worship Him in the setting of His house.

recap

Jesus has been traveling to Jerusalem for the passover

He has just rode in on a donkey

as the people proclaimed hossanna, bleesed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and claiming to be the king over Israel.

He rides in and heads to the temple

as we read we see the righteous anger of the king

Luke 19:45–48 NKJV

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Jesus enters the temple

people in the courtyard were buying and selling

mainly sacrificial animals

Jewish people were required to bring forth unblemished animals for sacrafice to pay for their sin at passover

The priests and merchants were in on it together

like a baseball game or concert

They will sell a pepsi for $8 just because

they are in a ballpark

Its like a business to them

They knew the people needed animals to offer as a sacrifice

some priest would

tell the people who brought a sacrafice --that it was not without blemish...

direct them to the money changers to go buy one of theirs.

There was corruption and greed in Gods house

In Matthews Gospel it says the Jesus flipped the tables

We see from these passages that Jesus was not soft

He was kind, and humble, but He was not soft

true strength can only come from a place of humility..

NArnia--- Is aslan safe

no of course hes not safe ,, Hes a lion,, But hes good.

Jesus became angry

righteous anger

he cleanses the temple

twice

In John 2 : 16-17

John 2:16–17 NKJV

And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

He does this because of His zeal for the house of the Lord

Become Zealous and reverent for the Lord

We can look at Jesus example

not to say we should flip tables everytime we see something wrong

but we should care greatly about the household of God

q. What is zeal

great energy and enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause

Jesus was zealous for the House of God

He saw injustice and mockery

and He chased the evil people out.

Q. Are you zealous for the house of God?

q. Do we look more like the merchants

I am looking what I can get out of the church

or do we resemble Jesus

I am here to worship God

How do you feel about coming to the household of God?

I encourage you to come with reverance

this is a time we get to encounter the living God

(share about Isaiahs vision)

Isaiah 6:1–9 (NKJV)

Andrew read

This is a wonderful picture of reverance

Isaiah was before the Lord and His reaction was

I am Undone----

This points to the holiness of God

This is how we ought to approach God when we come to worship Him at church

However we tend to approach God filipintly

Q. Why do you think that is ?

because we cant see Him.

why cant we see Him

sin entered the world

Story- when God answered my prayer in jail —He heard me …asked for help the next day a guy asked me If I was a christian brother.....heres a bible

if you want to see Him start praying for Him to reveal Himself

If you could get one glimpse into heaven you would never be the same.

A W Tozer said

what comes in our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

What is that thought

is it reverance of the holy creator

or is it a tough rule master

You need to grow in knowing who He is

You need to grow in knowing what He thinks about you

otherwise you will come to church

and miss the entire point

that your here to worship God.

In Verse 46

Jesus says it is written my house is a house of prayer and you have made it into a den of thieves.

This is pulled from

Isaiah 56:7 NKJV

Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

This passage references gentiles-non jews

coming to the temple to worship God.

God has intended His house to be a House of prayer

and what the people did was

turn the courtyards into marketplaces

where crooked men bought and sold

This turned the temple into a circus

preventing anyone from being able to come to Him and pray

They people were excusing their behavior as a spiritual box to check.

we need sacrifices, we will provide them and get rich..

they had no thought to the reason they needed the animal sacrifice, they just knew they had to check the box.

Do you ever feel like your just checking the spiritual box

Q. what are the things that can become spiritual boxes?

all good things

going to church, reading bible, praying

sacrifices were good things but they turned the good thing into something preverted.

Church, prayer, and bible reading are meant for your good to draw closer to God.

but they can get preverted as well

and then your just doing it to make your parents happy..

make sure your doing it because you want to know God.

Jesus was in the temple continuing to teach daily

the people were astounded but the religious leaders where furious

yet they couldnt do anything because the people were interested in Jesus.

Now I want to talk a little bit about the temple in Jerusalem

and our church today

The reasons we go to church

Before Christ died on the cross

Jews would go to the temple and synogouges to worship

they were under mosaic law

one of the big parts of their worship was sacrifice.

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again

He ushered in a new covenant

and He established His church

His church was for all the nations to be blessed.

through the forgiveness of sin by the sacrifice of Jesus

God instituted the church through the apostles

and it is laid out for us in Acts

therefore every nation would have a gathering of believers to worship God

The temple is a picture of the church and the holy spirit dwells in the bodies of believers

In the same way that perverted things crept into temple worhip.

perverted things are creeping into the church

I want explain what Church is and isnt.

acts 2:40-47

Acts 2:40–47 NKJV

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Church- ekklessia --- an assembly of believers

thats what we are

a group of people gathered to worship God.

The church is designed to preach the gospel

usher in salvation to people for the forgivness of sin

apostels doctrine - teaching the word of God

this is why we go verse by verse

fellowship— eating

gathering

The church is to be the family of God

The reason we come is to worship God.

yet it can be perverted

in the same way the money changers were ripping people off and turning the temple into a circus.

Q. how do we see it perverted?

When it becomes about entertainment.

when spiritual gifts are elevated.

when pastors are guilting you into giving more money

prosperity Gospel---false promises

Some of you will stop going to church because its boring to you.

some will find yourselves in a church that will entertain you better.

if the reason your going to church is to be entertained, your not going to last.

The reason you must be coming to church is because you want to know God and worship Him.

When you come to the house of God

Understand it is a house of prayer

A house of Love

A house of worship to God

He is worthy because of the gospel

preach the gospel

so understand the reason we come here

and grow in zeal and reverance for your saviour

For He will grow that in you if you will just come to Him in faith

pray