Passion Week Night 2 2024

Intro

1. Speedy Morris was the basketball coach for LaSalle University in the late 80’s and through the 1990’s. One day Speedy was shaving when his wife told him he was wanted on the phone by Sports Illustrated. He got so excited over the prospect of national recognition that he hurried his shave and nicked himself. Not wanting to delay the caller, he ran out of the bathroom, lost his balance, and tumbled down the stairs. Limping, with blood and lather on his face, he finally got to the phone.

“Sports Illustrated?” he panted.

Imagine Morris’s disappointment when the voice on the other end droned, “Yes it is, and for seventy-five cents an issue you can get a year’s subscription. . . .”

It’s tough to be let down when you think people are genuinely interested in you only to find out they have no more interest in you than what you—or your name—or your money can provide for them.

Imagine how Jesus must have felt that last week of His life—when on Monday he entered into the place that was His house—the place where people were supposed to learn about HIM!

But many of the people had lost the meaning of being in a place where God is worshiped.

Based on what we just read we can know which door of the temple Jesus entered—

He went into the Court of the Gentiles

And there in the court of the Gentiles were stalls were set up under the porticoes by those who sold animals for temple sacrifices and those who changed pilgrims’ money into the special Tyrian coinage which was required for temple offerings, especially for the annual temple tax which was paid just before Passover.

In principle, both these services were helpful.

Maybe even necessary.

For pilgrims, it was a difficult to bring their sacrifices on long journeys from their homes—so this gave them the opportunity to purchase a lamb and give it to the Lord.

But this service which was supposedly for the Lord—had become self-serving as the sellers upsold the worshipers and provided lambs with blemishes as the priests pretended not to notice.

Also a problem was the location of the stalls.

These places of commerce were actually within the temple precinct…it took the focus away from what the purpose of this place of worship was—

As one author has described—

The outer court of the temple was like a vast cattle yard.

With the cries of the animals

and the sharp chinking of coin was mingled the sound of angry altercation between traffickers, and among them were heard the voices of men in sacred office.

The dignitaries of the temple were themselves engaged in buying and selling and the exchange of money.[1]

And Jesus exerts with mighty force a protest of all that He sees

His protest is against the misuse of God’s house for trade instead of prayer.[2]

Matthew chapter 21 and beginning in verse12—

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”[3]

Many people had lost sight of the purpose of coming to worship Jesus—but in this last week Jesus wanted to remind them of the true purpose—

For them, this house of worship had become a place of business—

They justified that business as part of worship—

But it wasn’t really about God—it was about them—

May I ask this question this evening—why are you here, what brought you here tonight?

What is the primary purpose of your worship?

Maybe not just today in this moment—

but every day of your worship—

In the midst of the noise there were voices of true worship—

Three voices—three beautiful voices

The first voice is Jesus’

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’

This statement harkens back first to the original temple of worship for God’s people in Jerusalem—

Known as Solomon’s temple—

When that temple was built, God made this promise—

“if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [4]

Church is a place where people who have done wrong can come and be reminded that Jesus forgives—of course you don’t have to come to church for forgiveness—you can pray in your house—in your car—in your office—on a walk—in an airplane—anywhere—you can pray and God hears and forgives—

But the church should be a place where we are reminded that a part of worship is forgiveness.

The second voice I hear is that of those who are in need of something—some physical need—

Matthew 21:14

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.[5]

We come to worship JESUS knowing only He can heal—only he can meet our needs.

We come to church because we recognize our need for the healer!

Then the third voice, or rather voices I hear, are the voices of children—

And these voices touch me the most!

In Matthew 18:3—I read these words that Jesus spoke:

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.[6]

Children—they have so much to teach us—maybe not in information—but in spirit!

My sons are 15-13-11, and when I come home from a trip—they often still run to me and hug me like they did when they were little boys—

Let me confess—I often have two simultaneous thoughts regarding this—

Aren’t they too old for this?

I pray they never get too old for this!

Children are real. They are sincere—they are faithful.

Unless you turn and become like children…

The children were crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”[7]

If you weren’t here last night, let me remind you of what Hosanna means since that is a word we don’t use often in our modern vernacular—

Hosanna literally means “Lord I BEG you SAVE ME NOW”

Jesus has just turned over the tables—people are scrambling to get away—

People are either angry or fearful

But not the children…

The children get it! They understand.

Only Jesus saves—

We come to worship—because only One can forgive—Jesus

We come to worship—because only One can heal our needs—Jesus

We come to worship—because only One can save—Jesus

Has something else or someone else—maybe even yourself been the reason you worship—But you don’t want to disappoint Jesus when He comes to find His people—you want change—then you are in the right place.

If you need forgiveness from Jesus for wrongs in your life, will you raise your hand now—

If you need healing—if you have a physical need that only Jesus can help you with—please raise your hand now.

If you need a Savior—you can’t save yourself—the world and your money or your job or your family can’t save you—if you need Jesus to save you—please raise your hand now!

Jesus—

Please see

And forgive

And heal

And save

Jesus please find our worship full of these purposes I pray.

Amen.

[1]Ellen Gould White, The Desire of Ages, vol. 3, Conflict of the Ages Series (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1898), 589. [2]R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co., 2007), 783. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 21:12–13. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 2 Ch 7:14. [5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 21:14. [6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 18:3. [7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version(Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 21:15.