The War for the heart

Good morning rivertree. It is a real joy to be with you today. If you are watching online, at our cove campus or here with me at the downtown campus this morning I want to invite you to go ahead and open your Bibles to Mark chapter 11 and we are goign to start in verse 15 in a moment.

This morning we are going to continue our series the light has come. Over the past few weeks Zach, Ross and Josh have been walking us through this series

esus came as a king ushering in a kingdom. In doing so, He proclaims the Good News of the Gospel. Yet, this news isn’t good news for sin, for death, and for condemnation. His coming then causes something deeper than just friction. It is the cosmic battle we see in Revelation 12 and then we glimpse this cosmic battle when He takes on flesh and walks amongst us.

At His most vulnerable, a king tries to have Him killed. Why? Because Herod doesn’t understand his desperate need for someone to heal his bankrupt heart. Jesus came for Herod, Jesus came for all people. Herod wanted nothing to do with it because he was content with his lust for power. Saying yes to The Gospel means we say yes to our nature as bankrupt and in need of saving. Herold’s heart was hard.

We then see several moments throughout Jesus’ ministry where this battle/war continues to rage.

As Joshua reminded us last week .His hometown, those that knew Him for 30 years reject Him.

and now this morning we move from the unseen cosmic battle in the heavens, from the earthly king commuting infanticide, From those who knew Jesus from the time he was a child and rejected him, To the epi center of the battle on earth.

Jerusalem.

Bottom line: The heart of the war was a war for the heart

Mark 11:15–19 ESV

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.

The first 5 works of verse 15 lead us into the heart of the war. Jesus and his disciples had come to Jerusalem.

That ancient epic city. And in Jesus day Jerusalem was marvouls. It was a fortified city. It was a world class city

and Jesus had entered the city. The king had come to his city. And as he entered the city he rode on a donkey to fulfill the ancient prophecy in Zachariah 9

and has he enters the city he knows he is entering the city to die. This would be his trumphimply entry

This would be the lamb of God coming to die.

He would be met with so much fan fare. People screaming save us, please save us. The people had made up there minds the long awaited messiah had come.

And his entry into Jerusalm takes place at the beginning of the pasover week. The city must have felt so alive.

People from everywhere ready to celebrate the passover.

This part of our text takes place after his trumphila entry. He has left and gone to bethany and nbow has journeyed back into the city

Passover crowds had filled the city. flowing up the steps of the court of the gentiles. Lambs where being sold and offered. To give you an idea on how much was happening one historian Josephus said in A.d 65 around 255,600 lambs were offred

so that would mean around 2.7 million people would have celbrated the passover that year.

As as Jesus entered the city he would have seen a real tradgy taking place in the temple courts. One which would igninte a passion and angry in his heart rarely seen.

People where using the court of the gentiles the outer court as a short cut. The temple which had been holy ground since Solomon had finished the dedicaiton was know a place that was being desecrated.

No longer where the priest kneling praying to see the glory of the Lord descend on the temple taking place. No goods were bieng exchanged.

Sacrifices sold

A large scale of commerical operations taking place.

It might be hard for us to imagine this completly. I’ll illustrate it for you this way.

A few months ago I went to floernce italy. As i was there I walked through an amaizng city. People everywhere. Coffee everywehere, food everyone.

and right outside of one of there most historic churches was a market. It sold all sorts of goods but mainly leather. And it was overwhelming. Even for someone like me who is part italin and likes noise

as I walked through the streets on either side of me there was someone asking me if I wanted to buy something, men from banglisdesh all looking at me and telling me they had a very speical deal just for me.

When I challenged them and said that’s what the last guy said they said mine is better. At one point they took me into a shop and tried to make something for me on the spot.

and I wonder if this is what the temple felt like in the days of Jesus. Maybe you have had a simalr expierence whre you have been in a market, or a country where they barter, or even the mall hallways you know what this feels like

and it’s in the middle of this Jesus has come to once again wage his war. 400 years earlier Malachi had told the people what was going to happen when the king comes.

Malachi 3:1–4 ESV

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

when the messiah comes we see that he is like fullers soap.

Now this seems weird to us today. There's not worship songs being written about the fact that Jesus is like fullers soap.

When I read that in my bible I had to ask the question: Is fullers a brand of soap and where can I get this soap?

But after further study here's what I learned.

Soap like we have today wasn't invited at the time this was written. This is almost more liking a bleaching substance. Something that was a solution made from running water through vegetable ash provided a simple detergent.

The picture is giving us is a spiritual cleansing. But the people could not cleans themselves.

If the people themselves attempt to ‘wash the evil from their hearts’ (Jer. 4:14), they will not be successful. ‘ “Although you wash yourself with soda and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me,” declares the Sovereign Lord’ (Jer. 2:22).

They would need someone to cleanse them. They would need someone who was powerful enough to do this. This is what Jesus was able to accomplish because of his work on the cross.

The hymn writer put it this way

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Then in verse 3 we see how this would take place. He was going to provide considerable care for his people as he beginning to mold them....He is not in a rush.

He is going to sit and take the time to purify his people.

The refiners fire is not like a wildfire. A wildfire would destroy but that is not why Jesus came. No jesus didn't come to destroy he came to purify us in the refiners fire.

He would be like a

Silversmiths of the time sat looking into their small metal furnaces to determine from the color of the metal if it was pure.

It was a more technical process then used for gold. The process of purify was complete and the dross all burnt away when suddenly the silver became a liquid mirror in which the refiner could see his own reflection.

This is exactly what Christ does. He purifies "for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good’" as titus 2:14 says

and this process is one in which as christ purifies his people, they become a living mirror in which Christ sees himself in his people.

and this is what Jesus begins to do in the temple this day

He drives out those who sold and bought in the temple

He flips the temples and the money changeers

and he stops everything that is happening.

The baby wrapped in swalding clothes has know come into his temple and turned the tables upside down on what was happening

It is what Jesus had being throughout his whole minsitry. The people where looking for a ruler who would overthrow Rome

Jesus had come to overthrow sin, death and condemnation.

He had a greater purpose.

and in verse 17 where hear his heart as he beginngs to teach. He looks around the temple. The place people where suppose to hear from God. A place wehre there would be worship and prayer for all

and it had turned into a den of robbers. His heart was filled with anger towards this. Sin had so wrecked the human heart and darkness was ruling the land in such a powerful way even the best efforts by mankind where in vain.

What was suppose to be pure and powerful had turned wicked and evil

By doing this, By saying these things Jesus was challenging the relgious elite. He was challenging those in political power. He was turning the worlds systems upside down.

We see what calls the wrath of the lamb

Revelation 6:16 (ESV)

calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,

and we are told in verse 18 for this the cheif preist and scribes were seeking for a way to destryo him.

Jesus leaves but comes back to the temple again in verse 27

Mark 11:27–32 ESV

And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet.

As he returns to Jereuslam again and returns to the temple the religious authorities show up to challenge Jesus. Don’t miss this either they aren’t just the religious authorities they are also the plitical authroties of Jesus day.

There power was enourmus. And they were supersensitve to anything that would challenge there authority

and they ask Jesus in this moment who gave you the authority to do what you’ve done and teach what you’ve taught.

In toher words who gave you the right to wreck havoc in our temple?

Anything that would come agaisnt there power and authority was a threat. And I wonder in some ways if this is something we have in common with the leaders of Jesus day

I wonder if there are moments when something challenges our way, our ideas, our thoughts about how the world should work if it’s not those moments we questions those things or people?

For the religoius leaders it had gone beyond questioning Jesus. They wanted to end Jesus. There were others who had claimed to be messiah or the new leader of isreal and they had ended those people already. And even though Jesus was different they wanted to destroy him.

It’s something the leaders of Jesus day had been doing for all of his public ministry and it’s something Mark highlights early on in his gospel

There is a scene form Mark 2 where Jesus heals a parylazied man and forgives him of his sin.

It throws the leaders into an uproar when he claims to forgive sins because essetial he is claiming he has the authority to forgive sins because he is God.

Tim Keller says the shadow of the cross hangs over the reader in Mark 2

and I’d offer you this if the shadow of the corss begins in Mark chapter 2 then the climax of the cross shows up here in mark 11

This is where the Christmas nativity has been leading. It’s easy at this time of year to only focus on the birth of christ. But we can’t miss what the birth of Christ means. The incarnaiton means Jesus took on flesh. He took a body

what this passage and the passages we’ve been looking a this christmas season remind us of is Christmas isn’t just about a baby. It’s about a body

about A god who took on flesh and had all authority.

Jesus in this body had all authority

He had authority to teach

to Cast out demons

To heal

to Forgive sins

and to ourturn the tables of the worlds systems.

and yet the elite of Jesus day say it’s not enough. he has to prove to them who really gives him the right to do these things

and don’t miss this. They have no desire to actually know who Jesus is. In fact I’d say they already know before they ask this question. But they don’t want to submit to him

They don’t want to come under his authority. They have one goal in HIS TEMPLE. They ahve no interestet in surrendering rule to Jesus.

They want TO ensare him, to embarras Jesus and to Discredit Jesus.

And in doing so they are actually siding with the devil and his mission.

Which is amazing to me. The people who had the most spirtual and political influnece are actaully siding with the devil and not Jesus.

The enemies goal is sitll the same today. He wants to embarrass and discredit Jesus.

and Yet no matter what comes agaisnt king Jesus nothing can stop his rescue mission. Nothing can undermine his authority.

instead of failing into there trap he asked them a question about John the Baptizer

and they realize there is nothing they can say. With eyes shut and ears plugged, I do not want to talk about this anymore. As Abraham says to the rich man in hell in Luke 16:31, “If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.”

Therefore Jesus refuse to answer them and their question and begings to teach those left in the following chapter.

So here is a question for all of us to consider, especially if you have never trusted in Christ and submitted your life to His authority: What is holding you back?

Is it your desire to be the lord of your own life? Is it your refusal to honestly consider His claims?

Is it that you fear men more than you fear God? Is it really that you have not been given good answers to your questions?

Is it really that Jesus is not sufficiently good and glorious and true and kind and loving?

Or is it that you are paralyzed from moving forward for the same reason these religious leaders were?

Be honest with yourself today. How much of your hesitation and alleged doubts and unanswered questions are really a mask to hide your fear of what faith in Christ might cost you socially, culturally, relationally, and financially?

The closer we find ourselves to Gods mission the more opposed we will be on every side of the issue

it alwasy cost something to truly follow Jesus

Look once more into the face of this Jesus. Listen once more to the words He speaks.

Watch once again how He loves the unlovely.

Ponder once more His claim to be God. Be willing to come to Jesus. The end result will not disappoint you.

When I was in florence in the leather market on the last day on the trip I had decided I as going to buy something. I had a set limit and I wanted to test my skills of negationiting.

I walked past each booth and nothing caught my eye. As I was about to walk out of the market one young man stopped me and asked for a chance to show me something in “his shop”

which was just another more expensive place

So we walk over to his shop he starts putting different backpacks and messenger bags on me. I start asking price and we realize we are no where close

as I am walking out empty handed he stops me and says I have an honest face and he wants to help me out. So he grabs a bag from the top shelf and puts it one me and says he will make me a special deal

The special deal was still 100 dollars more then I wanted to spend so I said no.

Then he offered a lower price 3 more times

and then we got there. It was the number I wanted. I said yes but then asked him to tell me some of his story.

I found out he was from bangladesh. He worked in the market to support his family and grew up muslim. When I asked him if he ever heard the story about Jesus he said no.

So I shared it with him. He said he always wanted to hear about Jesus but no one ever told him. and then Jesus turned the tables on both of us in that moment.

After I shared with my new friend I said one last negotiation. He was ready for me to lower the price again. And he said what’s your final offer

I offered him full price I raised the price.

He was in shock and started to tear up and asked me to explain.

I was then able to say this is the gospel. This is what Grace looks like

I told him in the same way I was offered him more then he earned and more then he bargined for it’s what Jesus does for us

He lives the life we could never live

He dies the death we desrve to die

and offers us new life!

At the heart of the war he wins our heart

and my new friend had a story he would enver forget.

2 funny things happened after that. He asked me if we could walk to the closet ATM right away and get him the money. Which I said sure

and then he introduced me to everyone. and told them the story. I thought they would want me to buy stuff from them also. But they didn’t They just wanted to know why.

I end up talking to the main boss of the whole marketplace. An Italian and he had already heard what happened. I got to share the gospel with him

Jesus had truly turned the tables on me in that moment also. He reminded me of what he came for. How when he walked into the temple which had become a den of theives he was wagign war for peoples hearts

and as his follower I got to continue to be part of his victory campiagn.

This morning know Jesus is still waging a war for our hearts and he is still faithful to come into our very lives and turn the tables over on the things which might be robbing us of all he has for us.

And not only is he faithful but he has the authority and right to do this.

As individual temples of his Spirit we are called to holiness. To this end, we are commanded to honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20). Covetousness is at odds with his holiness. Impure thoughts are incompatible with his holiness. Jesus stood (and stands) with his “sleeves rolled up” to rid his people of all unholiness, and the floor quickly cleared. He meant business. and He still means business today