In Times Like These

In times like these, what are we to take away from this? For years preachers have used this passage to preach against buying and selling on church grounds, but that is not what this passage is talking about. Be that as it may, I have always been opposed to the church selling things to make money. I have done everything I could for the last decade to not charge for musicals or festivals. I’ve tried to show you that bake sells and car washes and banquets don’t really make money at all. I’ve found that they typically overwork the volunteers and make the doners upset. We don’t need fund raisers, I have found no biblical support for them and all we simply need to do is ask for an offering and pray that the Lord blesses you financially and in turn you support needs of the church. However, this passage is about the temple! And the church building is not the Temple! The church building is the place where the Temples meet, 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” This passage is talking about the condition of the heart that even allows things like this to take place. Here is the real issue. The things we do are not the problem. They are merely symptoms of the problem. Jesus has given us a solution when we identify the problem, we have to turn some things upside down. We do the things we do in our day for the same reason the Jews did them in Christ’s day. The Jews treated the things of God like they did because they held a small view of God; as a result, He occupied a small place in their lives. I am afraid that many people in our day also have a small view of God. That is why He comes in second, third, fourth, even if He comes in at all. The whole issue in the Temple was a problem of the heart. The Jews had abandoned authentic worship. The problem in the modern church is exactly the same. People have abandoned authentic worship for something more convenient and in times like these we need to turn it over!

III. THE TEACHING - v48 tells us that something stopped the enemy (chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people) from destroying the ministry of Jesus! It says that they were unable to do anything! Why? The people were very attentive to hear Him! Luke is showing us that what will stop the destroyers in their track is when we are attentive to hear Jesus! I have found that it is the teachings of Jesus that will lead us to salvation! I have found that it is the teachings of Jesus that anchor me and keeps me steady while the world is being blown around by every wind of doctrine. In times like these we need a Savior; In times like these we need an anchor. I have found that you need to be sure, be very sure that your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! You know who I’m talking about! This Rock is Jesus, yes, He’s the One. He’s the only One! In times like these we need the Bible. In times like these O be not idle. Be very sure, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!