Reclaiming God's Glory

INTRO: We have just spent the last 3 months in a series called “The Healthy Christian.” In this series, we have taken an honest look at ourselves and Scripture. Hopefully, we all have a picture of what healthy looks like.

I want to spend a few minutes just reviewing all that we’ve covered.

We began by looking at what drives us as believers.

- Taking Aim (1 Corinthians 9:23-27)

- God’s Design for the Church - (Ephesians 4:11-16)

- God’s Mission for the Church - (Matthew 28:18-20)

Diagram of a Disciple:

- Internal Components (Matthew 5:2-12)

- External Expressions (Galatians 5:16-26)

- Values (Titus 2)

- Growth (Colossians 1:13-29)

Biblical Strategies:

- Authentically Pursue Holiness (Ephesians 4:17-32)

- Accurately Portray Christ (Matthew 5:13-16)

- Activate Your Prayer Life (1 Timothy 2:1-8)

- Ardently Proclaim Christ (Romans 10:13-17)

Personally, I have enjoyed this study and pray that God has used it in your lives and will continue to do so as we adopt practices and make adjustments to become healthier as Christ’s body in Little River.

I’m under no delusion that a single sermon series would propel us into perfect obedience to God’s Word. Yet, I think that we can take steps. In fact, as we approach the Fall of the year, I hope to introduce some tools and patterns that we can adopt to help us stay on a path of health and growth as followers of Jesus. And just like any journey, we begin with a single step.

Today, we will look at the single step that Jesus took to shake up and shift the hearts and minds of people in Jerusalem. As we have already acknowledged, today is Palm Sunday- the anniversary of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem before He would be glorified through His death, burial, and resurrection.

On this day, Jesus rode a donkey into town to the shouts of people proclaiming Hosanna, which is a cry meaning “save, we pray”- so we can interpret the people to be pleading with Jesus as the promised Messiah to deliver them. This was a right and worthy form of worship as they waved palm branches and laid coats down for the king who was coming to reign.

Now, we know that they were looking for a deliverance from Roman oppression, and what Jesus would accomplish was far greater. But there was a problem in the church on that day. You see, though the prophets had declared His coming and though God had given instruction for how to worship, the practice in the temple was, well, not what God intended.

The worship- the sacrifices and offerings had become transactional. Actually, the priests had worked out a deal with folks to sell doves and lambs to folks who wanted to worship. They would take foreign currency and exchange it at a high rate and then sell a worship experience.

But, this was a scam. Where was the reverence for God? Where was the devotion to His word? Where was the sincere worship and prayer?

Indeed the temple had taken on practices that seemed to function, but in reality had lost the meaning of worship. They were going through the motions, but lives were not transformed. People did not walk in freedom and obedience to God, they left the temple just as they came, only a few dollars less in their pocket books.

What did Jesus have to say? Well, we’re going to find out. But as we ready ourselves to hear God’s word on this matter, let me pose a couple questions:

Are you bored with church?

What would Jesus say about our worship? Is God glorified in us?

Let’s read from Matthew 21:12-16 (READ/ PRAY)

Matthew 21:12–16 NASB95

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.” 14 And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”

In our time together this morning, I want to emphasize that the way to reclaim God’s glory in His church is let Jesus come in. So our message today is titled, Reclaiming God’s Glory. My hope is that we will learn to seek God’s glory and at the end of our time, we will commit to His glory here at LRBC through the taking of the Lord’s Supper.

So, grab your bulletin and use the enclosed sermon guide as we learn together.

How did Jesus go about reclaiming His glory in the temple? First,

Jesus Disrupted the Status Quo (12-13)

I don’t know how many years the temple had been practicing this way. But I’m sure that it was long enough that people did not question it.

Money changers in the lobby- normal. Selling sacrifices - convenient.

Now, in all likelihood, these things were brought in as a matter of pragmatism. People had to travel- carrying a dove or bringing a sheep would be a challenge. BUT, these practices had transformed the temple into a marketplace.

The focus was on a transaction, not acts of genuine worship.

Even well-intended practices can lose their meaning and become barriers to communion with God.

So, what did Jesus do? (READ)

This is a bit radical, isn’t it? Can you imagine? He literally turned the tables over and expelled these folks.

But here’s the thing. This did not belong there. This perverted the purpose of the temple and robbed God of his glory. And Jesus had every right and authority to rid the temple of these things. He intentionally and abruptly disrupted the status quo because the status quo was ungodly.

And church, Jesus has the right to change things in His church too. Are there things in our lives that need to be disrupted? Have we, like the temple in Jerusalem settled for complacent pragmatism when we are called to be fervent worshippers of Almighty God? Have we elevated tradition above devotion?

It’s my prayer Jesus takes a hold of me and a hold of this church and shakes us awake to the mission and purpose for which we were created! He is our Lord! He alone is our portion!

When Jesus is present in His church, He disrupts the status quo. But He’s not just about tearing down idols. The next thing we see Jesus do in reclaiming his glory is:

Jesus Demonstrated His Power (14)

(READ)

Here in the temple, the lame and blind had long sat at the gates begging for money, food scraps. Their greatest hope was to be taken care of in their immediate need.

But Jesus came and brought a greater hope! The text does not tell us how all this took place, but what we see is that suddenly, the temple where worshippers had gone for centuries to ‘meet with God’ had become the place where God’s presence was manifest!

Jesus came in and demonstrated God’s power! He gave sight to the blind and strengthened the legs of the lame! These folks had never experienced anything like this.

You see, when Jesus is present, lives are transformed.

Can you imagine? Now, let me ask- do you think that a blind man who was healed by Jesus went back to not seeing just because the ‘encounter’ was over? Do you think the guy who could not walk, after having his legs strengthened and healed, just went and sat down because church was over?

NO! These folks were changed and that change remained… they lived the whole rest of their lives transformed because of Jesus- that’s what an encounter with Jesus does.

I think about Paul who encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Tell me he wasn’t transformed!

Have you encountered Jesus? Have you been transformed by His power? Are you a benefactor of His mercy?

It is the power of Christ that delivered me from my sins and failures.

ONLY Jesus cleanses and forgives!

It is the power of Christ that called me to surrender my life to ministry.

In the morning hours, it is the presence and power of Christ that strengthens me for the the day

In the evening time, it is the presence and power of Christ that calms me.

How about you?

Look here, if you are in Christ, scripture says you are a new creation. You’ve been transformed- no longer does sin rule in your life, but Jesus! YOU AND I ARE the temple of the Living God! All authority and power is His!

And our lives must proclaim the glory of Christ. Jesus came into the temple to reclaim his glory- disrupted the status quo and demonstrated his power By transforming lives. Finally,

Jesus Directed Right Worship (15-16)

(READ)

It troubled the priests and scribes that the children - likely boys about the age of 12 - were shouting in the temple “Hosanna to the Son of David” or more literally, ‘save us, we pray oh rightful, anointed king promised through the Scriptures’

The reason this troubled them was because for anyone to wrongfully claim to be the Messiah was blaspheme- it was evil in the sight of God. So, you can imagine that they were very guarded and probably never really expected the Messiah to actually show up. But, here He is.

And it was the young ones who recognized it. It was the youth- the children who offered acceptable praise to Jesus, while the scribes and priests were indignant.

So what was going on? The priests and scribes were so hung up on their traditions and assumptions that they were not looking for God to fulfil His word. The youth took God’s word literally- they anticipated the Messiah and rejoiced in Jesus when they saw him.

I wonder if our lack of faith and our comfort in the status quo prevents us from seeing God’s presence. If we do not come together anticipating God to demonstrate His life-transforming power, do we not rob God of glory by denying the purpose of His church?

I want to speak to our young people for a minute. Many of the major revivals have begun with young people who are earnestly seeking God. College campuses birthed revivals such as what we witnessed at Asbury a couple years ago, the Jesus Movement of the 70’s, the Welsh revival...

Jesus pointed the Priests to Psalm 8 and I too want to read that short psalm to you.

Psalm 8 NASB95

For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David. 1 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Christian brothers and sisters, What I want you to see is that God can use you to help reclaim His glory where it has faded in His church. You may not think much of yourself, but God sees you and cares for you. He created you and positioned you right here so that you would declare the praises of our King in this place.

We cannot accept or accommodate a boring transactional worship. This is not a marketplace, it’s God’s church! This is God’s glory we’re talking about here! Young folks, God wants to use you. He wants to use your energy, your creativity, your talents, and your passion to jumpstart a movement. Can you imagine?

Will you allow yourself to be an instrument of God for such a time as this? Will you commit your life to the mission of Christ? Will you join Jesus in reclaiming His glory right here?

[PRAY]

That God would disrupt our traditions and retake His rightful place of glory

That God would demonstrate His power in our lives and in the life of our community

That God would direct our worship and bring about a revival- especially among our youth!

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We have prepared the Lord’s Supper today that we may proclaim the glory of Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. That we may declare His covenant with us as His people. That we may anticipate the fulfillment of His promise to return and gather His church and judge the world.

The Lord’s Supper is intended for Christians who have been baptized in like faith and who have no unconfessed sin in their lives. As the elements are being served, let us examine ourselves. If you are not a baptized believer, please allow the plates to pass you.

Discuss: In what ways might we be tempted to treat church or worship as something transactional rather than sacred?

Discuss: Why do you think Jesus was so passionate about keeping the temple a “house of prayer”?

Discuss: How do you think Jesus would respond if He walked into a modern-day church?

Discuss: What is one step you can take this week to make your worship and faith more genuine?