Challenges To/For Public Worship-5

CHALLENGES To/For PUBLIC WORSHIP-V—John 2:12-25

OR

Some Dynamics Of Public Worship

Attention:

During a worship service, the pastor invites the younger children to join him near the altar for a “Children's Sermon.” He tells them about the ingredients required to make up a church, using a chocolate-chip cookie as an example.

He explains to the children that a cookie needs certain ingredients such as sugar & eggs. And that the church also needed certain ingredients to make up the congregation.

Holding a cookie aloft, he asks, “If I took all the chocolate chips out of this cookie, what would I have?”

A shy six-year-old raised her hand. “Six less grams of fat,” she replied.

Public worship can & does present definite challenges!

The Church can be tempted toward many directions regarding the manner & message of its Public Worship. There are real Challenges to bringing about Public Worship!...There are dynamics which, if we deny, will keep our church & the public from being able to fully worship in s(S)pirit & truth!

Jesus made it plain that the temple worship had become tainted with improprieties.

Public Worship is to be free from impropriety.

OR

There is to be consonance(agreeability with God) in public worship.

When is public worship consonant(agreeable/harmonious)?

Some Challenges to (consonant/harmonious)public worship.

Previously we have found a Challenge to (harmonious)public worship is its...

1. OCCASION(:13)

2. INVITATION(:13-14)

3. PROTECTION(:15)

4. RESONATION(:16-17)

5. AUTHORIZATION(:18-19)

6. REPLACEMENT, RESTORATION & FOCUS(:19)

7—A challenge to (harmonious)public worship is its...

IMPLICATIONs(:20)

Explanation:(:20)

:20—“Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, & will You raise it up in three days?”

“The Jews” reminded Jesus that it took much longer to build the structure of the temple. They couldn’t & didn’t believe Jesus’ claim to raise “this temple” “in three days” because they attributed “this temple” to the physical stone “temple,” which consisted of the temple grounds(ieron) including the temple proper(naov) in Jerusalem. Of course they considered Jesus to be demon possessed & a blasphemer(Jn. 10:19-21), & also possibly a lunatic.

“The Jews” were quick to add that it had taken a full “46 yrs.” to build the temple complex in which they were all now standing.

This was Herod the Great’s temple—the sanctuary(naov) of which was begun ~20/19 B.C.(Josephus) & completed 18 mths. later in 18/17 B.C. “46 yrs.” later places these events at 27-28 A.D., or minus the completed sanctuary(naov), to 29/30 A.D. Thus this Passover took place in 30 A.D.—ECNT

The entire complex of the temple was not fully completed until 63 A.D.—long after Herod’s death in ~ 4 B.C., & also after Jesus death, resurrection, & ascension ~33 A.D.

The temple complex was fully completed a mere 7 years before the entire temple’s(ieron) destruction by the Romans in AD 70. The temple(naov & ieron) was begun in the 18th year of Herod’s reign & thus some 16 yrs. prior to Jesus’ birth.—ECNT, D.A. Carson.

“The Jews” were unable to see beyond their physical accomplishments. They could not see God’s hand at all! They could not see God’s Son!

**The Implication is that their current worship was false worship!...

...And that there is more to Jesus than meets the eye!

**Don’t ever limit Jesus to the cradle...to being a Prophet...to being a Teacher...to being a Priest...to being a King...

...because:

He is the God-man,

The very Word of God,

The perfect Teacher, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge,

The High Priest,

The King of all kings & Lord of all lords!

“Years”—etov—1) Year. Etov denotes a year as a division or sectional portion of time, whereas eniautov[ prolongation from a primary enov(a year); a year] denotes a year as viewed as a cycle or period of time. Strong—apparently a primary word; A year.

“Build”—oikodomew—Aorist Passive Indicative—1) To build a house, erect a building; 2) metaph.—2a) To found, establish, 2b) To promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness, 2c) To grow in wisdom & piety. Strong—To be a house-builder, i.e. Construct or figuratively--Confirm.

“Temple”(See :19)—naov—1) Used of the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice(or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy place & the Holy of Holies(in classical Greek it is used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of gold was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure); 2) Any heathen temple or shrine; 3) metaph.--The spiritual temple consisting of the saints of all ages joined together by & in Christ. Strong—from a primary naiw(to dwell); A fane, shrine, temple.

“Raise...up”(See :19, 22)—egeirw—1) To arouse, cause to rise. Strong—probably akin to the base of agora[properly--The town-square(as a place of public resort); by implication--A market or thoroughfare](through the idea of collecting one's faculties); To waken(transitively or intransitively), i.e. Rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence).