PROGRESSION IN A DISCIPLE’S LIFE
- Matthew 21:16
Can you imagine what it was like in Jerusalem, the day Jesus came to town? As Jesus arrived in the city for His final Passover, the people in the city, between 1 & 2 million, filled the streets. It was almost like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. People were everywhere.
As Jesus arrived, word quickly spread through the crowd and people cleared the street to let Him through. As He and His disciples passed through, people lined the road with Palm branches and their clothes, all the while shouting, “Hosanna, Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!” What an exciting day that must have been. After entering the city and greeting the people, Jesus, with His disciples, retired to a nearby town to rest for the evening.
The next morning, He and His disciples arose, and after praying, which was Jesus’ custom, they set out for Jerusalem again. What a sight laid before them as they traveled down the road to the city. There were people everywhere. Jews from every nation of the world had come to the city to celebrate the Passover. Families lined the street. As they drew closer to the city, they could see, standing above every other building in the city, the Temple.
This was Herod’s Temple. It was called that because Herod, the hated ruler of the Jews, had built it to appease the Jews and to leave a monument to be remembered by. It was begun around 30BC, and parts of it were still under construction years after Jesus’ death.
The outermost court was the court of the Gentiles. Surrounding this court on 3 sides were 2 double rows of columns, totaling 162 columns. Each column was made of a single piece of white marble, 27’ high and 10’ in circumference. The isles between the 2 rows of columns were 30’ wide, 600’ long, and over 50’ high. The ceilings were covered with richly ornamented cedar.
Within the columns was the court of the Gentiles. This huge space was paved with stone and was reserved for the Gentiles to worship in.
Inside of this, after climbing several steps, you would find the women’s court. It was reserved for Israelite women to worship in, and around it, carved in stone, were signs, warning Gentiles to go no further on penalty of death.
After climbing some more steps, you would come to the men’s court; the area reserved for Israelite men to worship in. Up another set of steps, and you would come to the court of the priests. That’s where you would see the huge altar, sacrifices were offered on.
Standing there at the back, rising 3 stories in the air, the Temple itself, containing the Holy of Holies. The temple building was covered almost entirely in gold. Along the top of the roof rose sharp gold spikes to keep the birds from landing on it.
It was said in those days that if you had never seen Herod’s Temple, that you had never seen anything beautiful.
But, the people did not treat it that way. The priests used it as a place for merchandise. A good portion of the court of the Gentiles, the part you and I would have had to worship in, was filled with livestock. The priests had a booming business. The high priest regularly sold concessions to venders in the Temple. These folks sold livestock that had been “approved” for sacrifice. In return, the high priest got a cut of the profits. In addition to the merchants, the priest also allowed moneychangers to conduct business there. There was only one temple currency approved and accepted as a Temple offering, and people coming with foreign currency or common money were required to exchange their money for temple money at a cost of 25%.
Imagine. What had been originally planned as a place of worship for God, what had been designed as a monument to His glory and holiness, filled with the noise, confusion, and manure of countless animals?
What kind of worship was supposed to go on in such a place? How could those in the inner portions of the Temple, not to mention those stuck in the outer fringes, worship in an atmosphere like that?
They could not, because the place was contaminated.
That is when Jesus’ passion, joined hands with a holy anger and He cleaned house. He knew that true worship could not happen in a place so contaminated. You see, the Lord’s temple is to be a place of purity.
In a disciple’s life, there must be purity.
I. IN A DISCIPLE’S LIFE THERE MUST BE PURITY
My friends, the Bible says that your body is the temple of the Lord.
> 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.
Tell me, what impurities have you allowed in your life? Jesus said it wasn’t enough to just clean the outside of the cup, but it must be clean on the inside as well. How is your life?
For the most part, the Temple was clean. The inner courts were clean. The priests bathed before entering the inner areas. The Temple building had its gold polished, and the marble floors were smoothed. But there in the outer areas, there in the fringes, there was filth, extortion, noise, and distraction.
Tell me; are there areas in your life that need to be cleaned up this morning? Are there distractions that need to be taken care of?
This morning we are going to share in the Lord’s Supper. The Bible says that we are to examine ourselves before sharing in this Memorial Meal. Would you pause for a moment a do that?
In a disciple’s life, there must be purity.
II. IN A DISCIPLE’S LIFE THERE MUST BE PRAYER
After the cleaning, Jesus said, “My Father’s house is to be a House of Prayer.” All through the Bible, we find again and again, God working through the prayers of His children. We remember the Day Elijah …
We remember Elisha, when he prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened and he saw the armies of God, with flaming chariots and swords of fire, circling between they and their enemies.
We remember when Jesus prayed in the wilderness, and He was given the strength to stand against the Devil’s temptations.
We remember that it was a group of disciples, a group of Christ followers, who were praying in a upper room, when the Holy Spirit fell, and in 1 day 3,000 people were saved.
We remember that the church was praying for Peter’s deliverance, and the Lord answered that prayer by sending an angel to break the chains and open the doors that held him prisoner.
We remember the prayer that was prayed before Paul’s eyes were opened.
We remember the prayers that have been said for Hannah. – Have you seen her running around?
We remember the many prayers that have been said for David Black. …
MP Camp, kickoff party last week.
My friends, around us we have friends, neighbors, and loved ones who have been blinded by the world. Around us are people enslaved, imprisoned by Satan and his tempting sin. There are those who have been hurt many times by the slings and stones of this world, who need healing. Around us are people who have put off the prompting and calling of the Lord for so long, that they are almost deafened to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
These people need our prayers.
Let’s face it, praying isn’t easy, and the Devil will do everything he can to keep you from praying. He will make you tired. He will try to distract you. He will try to discourage you. He will do anything he can to keep you from praying.
But I tell you my friend, if you are not praying and meaning business with God, you will be no further along in your walk with the Lord next year, than you are right now.
If you are going to be a disciple, a Christ follower, there must be purity. If you are going to be a disciple, a Christ-follower, there must be prayer.
But notice in this passage, we also see the great results that follow purity and prayer.
III. THE LORD’S HOUSE BECOMES A PLACE OF POWER
- v14
People healed. Miracles performed. People loving in ways so different than the world.
- John 14:12
IV. THE LORD’S HOUSE BECOMES A PLACE OF PRAISE
- v15 Currently, the church and Christianity is suffering persecution. …
LORD’S SUPPER
