Is it time for God to overturn some tables at Beech Grove Baptist Church?

Matthew 21:12–17 “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.”

Jesus was angry at what was taking place within God’s temple. Do you find it hard to believe that Jesus was angry? He did not lose His temper. He was righteously angry.

Now, there are many ways to approach this narrative. One can approach it literally. One can approach it symbolically with the temple representing our personal bodies (BTW, we will look at it from that standpoint one of these days).

Today, however, we are going to look at this narrative as representing the modern church. The question I would ask you is this?

Are there some tables at Beech Grove that need to be overturned this morning? Not tables at Palestine. Not tables at Westside in Halls. Not tables at FBC in Dyersburg, but tables at Beech Grove.

A point that many in the church neglect today is this.

Did you know where two or three of us gather in the name of Christ that Christ is in our presence?

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.””

Too many people, however, come into the church, including this church, too carelessly.

What would Christ do if He literally walked through that front door this morning? What is Beech Grove supposed to do or be?

1. If Christ walked into Beech Grove this morning, would there be some tables overturned?

Matthew 21:12 “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.”

John 2:14–16 “And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!””

There were those in the temple that had turned the temple into a place of business, but the church is not to be a place of the world. It is supposed to be a place of worship.

Two things are specifically mentioned about what was happening in the temple.

A. Money-changers.

The money changers were there to convert various currencies into one standard currency.

Now, that seems innocent enough. There are money changers or money exchanges in most commercial airports today.

The problem with the money changers in the temple was that they were a making a profit. They were not giving dollar for dollar. They were profiting off the temple.

B. The selling of sacrifices.

John 2:14 “And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.”

These people had corrupted the entire sacrificial system. The sacrifice was to cost something personally. The sacrifice was to be without blemish. These people were selling animals that were not up to God’s standards. They were perverting God’s way for convenience.

Now, we do not have money changers, and we do not have sacrifices to sell, so Jesus must be happy with us, right? Let me ask you a question.

We have said that when two or three are gathered in the name of Christ that Christ is in their presence. Is that what we said? Do you believe that?

“Amen, Jimmy!!! That’s right! That’s God’s Word. We believe that!”

I wonder what Jesus would do if He walked in that door as the Holy Spirit is trying to convict someone of his or her need for salvation, and He caught you checking your cell phone?

I wonder what Jesus would do if He walked in that door and caught you distracted and not paying attention?

Believe this or not. I spend hours preparing one sermon. God knows my labor, and if He walked in seeing you taking for granted what He led me to preach, what do you think He would do?

What would Jesus do if He walked in that door and saw you allowing your child to play during service instead of teaching that child to listen?

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Do you know why so many adults are so easily distracted in church today? Because their parents allowed them to “play” in church until they were 10 or 12 years old.

Do you want me to tell you what Jesus would do if He walked through that door and saw people distracted, saw people checking their cell phones, or saw parents letting their children who are old enough to listen to play?

He would make a scourge and go to work. He would take those cell phones and throw them out the window.

Do you know there are people in this church who attend church but never participate or engage in the service because they are too preoccupied with watching the service on their phones to see who is watching? How silly is that?

We are not unlike those Jews in the temple. We have changed the church into something that would ignite Christ’s righteous anger.

2. If Christ walked into Beech Grove, what should He see?

A. He should see a praying church.

Instead of checking your cell phone, you should be praying.

Matthew 21:13 “And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ””

Prayer is our line of communication to our Father.

Can I ask you a question?

How much of your time in church is spent in prayer?

As we read God’s Word, are you praying that God’s will be done? Are you too distracted by your watch, what is for lunch, what one of these babies is doing, or by your phone that you do not have time to pray?

If you and I were in prayerful meditation during service, we would be focused on Jesus instead of Joey-Mac or our phones. I wonder what Jesus thinks. I am up here trying to deliver the message God has given me, and a baby does something and the entire congregation turns their heads to see what is happening. If we do that, are we distracted or in prayerful meditation.

It cannot be both because Jesus said we cannot serve two masters. There are souls to be saved. There are commitments that need to be made. Those deserve your prayerful attention. It might just be that your prayer pushes that person across the finish line.

B. He should see a powerful church.

Matthew 21:14 “Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.”

A prayerful church will be a powerful church. You know we need to be careful what we say.

When I say I believe I can fly an airplane, deep down, I know that I cannot, so I lie every time I say it. In the same way, Christians need to be careful when they say they believe every word in the Bible.

When I say I believe, action usually follows that belief.

Take this verse as an example.

John 14:12 ““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

If the Bible is true, and it is, and Jesus says that we can do greater works than He did, why are we not doing them? Did Jesus really mean what He said?

You and I have the same tools at our disposal that Jesus had, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

When we think of power, we mistakenly think of it in terms of miracles, but that is not what Jesus is telling us.

A church that does greater works than Jesus is the church that is bringing people to the salvation of the gospel. A powerful church is one that is actively sharing the gospel.

Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Leading a lost soul to Christ is a greater miracle than walking on water. Leading a lost soul to Christ brings life to where there was none. If we are a praying church, we will be a powerful church. We will be a church with a strong fellowship. We will be a church working together to reach the lost for Christ, and that is everyone’s responsibility.

Can I say this?

We have had several outreach attempts, where you involved in them? When was the last time in power you shared the gospel of Christ? Do you know what I have to spend most of my time doing? I have to spend most of my time seeing why the people who are supposed to be here every service are not here instead of spending that time sharing the gospel. When that happens, growth becomes stagnant.

If you are saved, you have the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, you should be able to share what Christ has done for you, and you have so many ways available to you to do it.

Is your personal testimony so weak that others cannot even see the power of Christ in you?

C. He should see a praising church.

Matthew 21:15–16 “But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?””

They were singing praises in the temple, pay careful attention, for the wonderful things Jesus did. Guess what? You and I are to offer praises this morning for what Jesus has done for us.

What has Jesus done for you? He has made it possible for you to be righteous in the eyes of God.

If you rely on singing as worship, you are not worshipping. If you are relying on the preacher to lead worship, you are not worshipping. If you are one of these people who thinks it is okay to miss church because the pastor is our, SHAME ON YOU!!!!

Do you know how we are to worship?

John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””

We are to worship God in SPIRIT.

What does that mean? It means that we are to be led by the Holy Spirit in worship. It does not mean that we are to lead the Holy Spirit in worship.

It is the Holy Spirit that teaches all things about Christ, and it is Christ who makes God knowable.

If you are lost, you will never worship God because you cannot know Him. Any attempt to worship outside of the Spirit is not worship. It is religious ceremony.

We are to worship God in TRUTH.

What does that mean? It means when we come to this church, we worship God through His Word. There is no substitute for the Bible.

There are some great songs, but those songs are no substitutes for the Bible. John Yates and his cast of characters are great, but they are not substitutes for the Bible. Podcasts are great. Lectures are great. Journals are great. Books are great, but when we come to this place, worship comes from the Word of God, and unfortunately, in many places, that is not enough. I hope God’s Word is enough for Beech Grove.

Dear friend, I am supposed to preach the Bible.

1 Corinthians 1:21 “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”

If people are going to be saved, they are not going to be saved by life stories and analogies. They are going to be saved through the preaching of God’s Word.

CONCLUSION:

The money changers polluted the temple, and Christ acted. How much have you and I polluted the church? Do you think at the Day of Pentecost people were checking their cell phones instead of listening to Peter?

Did you come this morning in prayer with praise on your heart and in your mind expecting God to act in power?

If you did not, there are some tables in your life that need to be turned upside down.