Temple MakeOver

Delete

How many of us have watched one of those transformation tv shows?

I got caught up in them before

House falling apart

things not working

even things are wrong with the house that is dangerous

The Problem is that too many times we let things ago and then we just accept it.

To much in our culture the world tries to normalize what God wants to stop.

and it happens in our lives as well

We make small compromises that don’t seem like that big of a deal, but before you know it, HGTV is showing up to fix the problem that have gotten out of hand.

Pray,

Matthew 21:12–13 NIV

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Lets also look at one more passage dealing with cleansing the Temple

John 2:13–17 NIV

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Someone once asked me “What Would Jesus do?” I very quickly reminded him about this verse.

The actions at the temple were not ok

These people that were selling were not there to help the people, but to take advantage of the poor. we see this in Lev.

Leviticus 5:7 NIV

“ ‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

So these people were making a profit on the poor and they could also not use Roman money to pay the temple tax so there were also money changers that would charge to change out the money. once again taking advantage of the people trying to worship God on the temple grounds.

Jesus cleared out what became accepted that was wrong, to make it right again.

Jesus had the authority to clear the temple because Jesus is Lord. and it was His house

Compromises Over Time Lead To Acceptance Of Sin

most likely this practice did not start this way, but over time it turned into something that went against God and His purpose

What have you let into your life that is something that the world is trying to normalize

Ephesians 4:27 NIV

and do not give the devil a foothold.

I’m on a diet right now, and Karen was out of town, and she tries to keep me accountable so that I can reach my goals, however she was in Atlanta for work this past week and I had lunch at Perkins and they have Cinnamon roles.

when I got it I felt guilty

I said I will give it to Kelty

I said well I will only have a taste of the frosting

I’ll only have one bite

Then a second bite

and then half

A.W. Tozer says this.

God is not in our beings by Himself! He cannot do His will in us and through us because we refuse to put away the rivals. When Jesus Christ has cleansed everything from the temple and dwells there alone, He will work!

A. W. Tozer

Let’s be honest for a minute, as Tozer says we have rivals in our lives that might be keeping us from fulling letting God’s will work in us.

These rivals did not just one day show up and became rivals, but they were given power little by little

We Have To Be Open To Being Corrected

Proverbs 15:32 NIV

Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.

I once heard some wisdom that made me not be able to talk for a moment

I heard someone say, “I have been doing this for 50 years” which the other person said, “Well you have been doing it wrong for 50 years”. he followed up saying just because a person has been doing something for a long time does not mean they know what they are doing.

examples of this

Tic Tac

Foil box

BOBBY PINS

We have to remove the pride of thinking that we are right and allow ourselves to be open to where we might be falling short.

Do Not Wait To Change

All his corrections are sent in love, to purify thee, and to draw thee nearer to himself.

Charles Spurgeon

When we are faced with a sin or short coming in our lives it is meant

Hebrews 3:15 NIV

As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

if you were given a cancer diagnosis would you tell your doc. to wait on the treatment?

Why would you wait to heal your relationship with God

The Temple became out of control, they let in things that were not of God, and Jesus had to go in the hard way and fix His house

We Don’t want to do things the hard way

God is giving you every opportunity to bring these things to Him

Do wait

it’s time to let go of the revivals in your life

Today March 10th is the day to let go and give our lives fully to God.

I remember Jan. 27 2009 so well it was the day I gave up smoking

June 28th 2008 was my wedding day

mark this day Mar. 10th as the day that you took the revivals out of your life and fully devoted yourself to God.