A Call to Pure Worship (Revised/Edited)

A grand Cathedral

Insert the grand cathedral picture here. Picture this you enter the back of a great church building a cathedral it is beautifully arrayed with the sunlight coming through the windows and the congregation lifting their voices to the Lord in praise and adoration to King Jesus all together with one voice and the sound is amazing. The prayers offered pierce your heart, the table talk remind you of Jesus sacrifice and the sermon you are on the edge of your seat so you do not miss anything and you are ready for the challenge at the end, and by the close of service you are ready to go be the church in the world. You come back in the not too distant future and this grand cathedral is filled with lots of merchants selling different merchandise, some religious items, some not. The place that there was one voice that sang together in praise and adoration is now drown out by merchants trying to sell their wares. Would you be distracted? Would you be upset? Why did you come to the building, this place? You came to worship did you not? And your worship was distracted by things that were not helping but hindering your worship. That is what this passage is about. The temple was established to be a house of prayer and Jesus calls it something else, a den of thieves now. So, lets look at our passage together and study it out.

But, before we get to our passage we need to finish with a few verses we did not get to last week.

Jesus’ lament: Consequences of rejection

Luke 19:41–42 NASB95

41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.

Luke 19:43–44 NASB95

43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Anything stand out in these verses to you?

So, coming down from the Mt. of Olives He is overlooking Jerusalem what does He do (v.41)?

He saw, and he wept

Why did Jesus weep (v.42)?

If they had known the things that make peace had come,” but they did not for now they were hidden from them.

What is the promise that Jesus tells them in (vv.43-44)?

The days “will come” when enemies will surround, will not leave one stone upon another because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.

What is that a promise of? Do you know when?

What is time of visitation?

In brief, a summary is Jesus wept over Jerusalem foreseeing its destruction that would be fulfilled in AD70 because the people did not recognize the time of God’s visitation, God’s coming in the flesh. He laments their failure to accept Him as the source of peace.

Jesus’ compassion

Despite rejections, Jesus’ tears shows His deep love for the people, even those who oppose Him.

His grief reflects God’s heart for humanity to turn to Him.

The cost of spiritual blindness

Jerusalem’s failure to recognize Jesus as Messiah leads to judgment (the Roman siege in AD 70)

The phrase ‘time of God’s coming’ (visitation) highlights God’s offer of salvation, which they missed.

A warning for all

Rejecting Jesus has eternal consequences , as He is the only source of true peace.

Jesus, His tears call us to respond to God’s offer of grace before it’s too late. For rejection brings consequences. And no choice is a choice, it is the wrong choice.

Application

Recognize Jesus as King (Lord of your life)

Challenge: Reflect on whether you full acknowledge Jesus as King, Lord in your life. are there areas, where you resist His authority?

Action: Commit to one specific area this week where you will submit to Jesus lordship

Respond with Worship

Challenge: Like the crowd we are called to praise Jesus for who He is and what He’s done. Are you praise Him, or are you silent like the Pharisees?

Action: Spend time daily in worship, prayer, singing, gratitude journaling to celebrate Jesus in your life.

Share the King’s message

Challenge: Jesus’ tears show his heart for the lost. Who in your life needs to hear about Jesus’ love and kingship?

Action: Identify one person to pray for and share the gospel with this week, perhaps by inviting them to church or sharing your faith testimony with them.

Avoid Spiritual Blindness

Challenge: Jerusalem missed God’s visitation because of pride and distraction. Are you open to God’s work in your life? Or, are you distracted by worldly concerns?

Action: Set aside time for reflection or fasting to discern where God is moving in your life and respond obediently.

While Jesus entered triumphantly he faced opposition; While he offered peace, he faced rejection. Jesus still offers peace today for those who are willing to accept Him. His tears show His heart, His compassion, His love and His hope for the dying world. His message holds true today that His desire is that all men would come to repentances but the days of ignorance have passed and He has appointed a day, and appointed a judge, so chose today to share the truth of God’s love with others before it is too late.

Our Study Passage

Luke 19:45–46 NASB95

45 Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘And My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robbers’ den.”

Luke 19:47–48 NASB95

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.

What did you notice in these verses today?

Can you tell me when this transpired? It may take a little detective work to figure it out, but I have confidence you can.

Well, (v41) says as He approached Jerusalem, so the same day he came into Jerusalem. After the triumphal entry (vv.28-38); You can look back to chapter (18:31-33) where Jesus told them again He was going to be handed over, mocked, mistreated, spit upon scourged, killed, die, and rise again.

What did Jesus do upon entering the temple (v.45)? And why? (v.46).

He drove out those who were selling

It was to be a house of prayer and they have made it a den of robbers

It was distracting people from the reason for the temple, to pray, to worship.

Who was the He in (v.47)? And how do you know? and who was opposing Him, what were they trying to do to Him? Why could they not do anything to Him (v.48)?

The He is Jesus and it is proved back in (v.45).

It was the chief priests, scribes and leading men that were opposing him and trying to destroy Him

They could not destroy him for “all” the people were hanging on to every word He said.

Digging in

Jesus quotes from Isa56:7 and Jer7:11, what do these O.T. references real about God’s original intent for the temple? How had the people distorted that purpose?

In (v.47) Jesus is teaching daily in the temple despite opposition. what does this teach us about perseverance in sharing God’s truth , even when faced with resistance?

Why couldn’t the leaders act against Jesus immediately (v.48)? what does the phrase “hanging on to every word he said” suggest about the power of Jesus’ teaching?

In what ways might modern assemblies (churches) or our personal lives resemble a “robbers den” rather than a “house of prayer”? How can we “cleanse” these areas to align with God’s will?

This passage before us Jesus cleanses the temple yes, he demonstrates his authority and also the importance of maintaining a sacred space for worship both externally and internally. . He rebuked commercialization and corruption in the temple, emphasizing that it should be a house of prayer.

Our building that God has graced us with, that has made us stewards over has a purpose a place for us to use for gathering in his name to use to fulfill His purposes not for our personal gain. Not a place to sell things. But to pray, to sing, to hear Gods word, to share the Lords supper, to help one another, to help the community to edify one another, to serve one another.

As Jesus cleansed the temple, we need to be a people who allow Jesus to cleanse our temple. as Paul said.- Now I suggest go and read it all back in context but here is part that is really needed. You are His temple and should have full access, free access to clean our His temple, YOU anytime. A call for pure worship.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NASB95

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Purifying a profane place

After coming into town in a humble way, in a peaceful manner on a donkey, he comes to the temple and finds His Fathers house anything but peaceful and in a dramatic fashion goes to cleaning house to restore it to how it should be a house of prayer. A place free from distractions. A place for all nations to come and worship.

God’s desire is for us to have a distraction free pure holy worship space.

Ask Jesus to purify our hearts of any distracts that keep us from distractions that keep us from worshipping Him as we should, what money-changers have we allowed into our temple that distract us from Him? Tell Jesus we give Him authority to cleanse and purify us.

Reflect on your life, are there things you know you need to let go of, that the Lord has already convicted your heart of but you have not opened your hand and let go of yet? Open your hand and let go.

Proclaiming a powerful truth

Jesus authoritative teaching exemplifies the power of divine truth. To transform a profane place back to the original place it was meant to be a place of prayer and worship.

Divine truth has the power to transform things in our lives.

Despite opposition, Jesus word, Jesus teaching captivates people, underscoring the transformative effect of divine wisdom.

Cling to the word, to Jesus teaching, amid a world of distractions and opposition. Search for and live by the truth of God’s word that is why they call it the enduring word, cleave to it, and share it often with one another, and be ready to share the hope that is in you with others if they ask. Live that hope out.

Conclusion

Drawing a conclusion:

This passage calls for us to examine our own temples - our hearts, our homes, our places of worship.

To ensure they honor God rather than serve selfish interests.

Do we cling to His words, to His teachings, resist distractions and opposition?

This is the time we are to worship in spirit and in truth (Jn4:23-24); may we be committed to that.

Commit to making our lives houses of prayer, and drawing others to the transformative power of Christ.

May we be a people who constantly ask ourselves what does Jesus see when He enters our house of worship (our heart) and are church building. Does he find a place of prayer and praise?

Invite The Lord’s cleansing, submit to His authority, and be devoted to prayer and His faithful teaching.