Cleaning House

WHEN GOD CLEANS HOUSE

Matthew 21:12-16

INTRO

As we read of the Temple being cleansed by Jesus for the extortion that was taking place there, we often focus our attention on the temple building. We often forget that once we accept Christ as our Savior, our bodies become the temple of Christ.

BODY

-The Profaning of the Temple

-Selling items in the temple was legal

-The priest were being accused of extortions, not selling goods

-They would not allow people to bring in animals for sacrifice and

say that they had some kind of blemish and could not be used for

sacrifice.

-The priest would then sell them a animal that they said was clean

for sacrifice for a high price. They would then take the blemished

animal from the person and sell it later to someone else to make

more money.

-The priest would only take temple money for offerings

-They would exchange outside money for people, but at an

outrageous exchange rate.

-The Purging of the Temple

-God will not allow sin to stay in His temple for long

-In the past god would leave the temple, when the people made it unclean

(O.T. times)

-God doesn’t leave the temple anymore, He cleans house now

-Hebrews 12

-God will discipline His children in love

-If your not being chastened by God for having sin in your

temple, then you are not God’s child.

-God will take our joy and bring us pain, if he has to in

order to get our attention. If that doesn’t work, then God

will bring us home early.

-If you would not bring alcohol, pornography, lust, foul language, or drugs into

the church building with your brothers and sisters of Christ around you, then why

would you bring them into the temple of God, which is your body.

-The Purpose of the Temple

-Prayer (vv. 13)

-When you are right with God, you will find yourself praying to God

often.

-If you don’t have a passion for prayer, then you have sin in your life and

your temple needs cleaning.

-Power (vv. 14)

-You will see the power of God working in our life and church, that no

one can do or explain.

-Praise (vv. 15)

-Praise will flow easily from a clean temple

-If praise is not flowing, then you are stopped up with sin

CLOSING

Is your temple clean and are you using it for it’s true purpose? Or, is your temple filthy and clogged up with sin? God will not tolerate a filthy temple and He will do what it takes to get your attention to get it cleaned. Where are you today?