“Has It Not Been Written: My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer?”
Mark 11:17
Rev. Brian Bill
10/28/07
www.pontiacbible.org
A preacher’s young daughter noticed that her father always paused and bowed his head for a moment before starting his sermon. One day she asked him why. “Well, honey,” he began, thrilled that his daughter was paying attention during his sermons, “I’m asking the Lord to help me preach a good sermon.” To which she replied, “Then, how come He doesn’t do it?”
Would you pause and pray with me right now before I begin preaching?
This past Wednesday was Parent Night at AWANA. I enjoyed hanging out with Megan and was very impressed with the caliber of the teaching and shepherding and loving that takes place in this ministry. When I was upstairs for council time Lisa Mayback did a great job communicating the Bible to the girls. While I was sitting next to Megan, I was able to see a girl in front of us as she opened up her Bible and Sunday’s bulletin fell out. I noticed that she had something written on the cover and so I leaned forward and asked her what it said. She held it up and said: A little is always a lot in the hands of the Lord. That was the summary of the sermon last week. I applauded her for writing it down and she said something like: You said it a lot so it was easy to remember. Let me give you today’s sermon in a sentence: Don’t play; it’s time to pray.
Jesus certainly preached some great sermons, didn’t He? The Sermon on the Mount comes to mind. Much of his preaching was done through parables like the one about the prodigal son and the teaching about talents. People admired Jesus and as we learned last week, they often ran to greet Him so they could hear more questions like this one: “How many loaves do you have?” His compassion led Him to feed the 5,000 and His tenderness caused children to flock to Him. Most of us picture Him as gentle and kind, and He was, but there’s another side to the Savior. We tasted this two weeks ago when Jesus asked this convicting question from Mark 12:24: “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?”
We need the complete picture of Christ, not just the caricatures that we like. He was the perfect embodiment of grace and truth, of mercy and holiness, of love and zeal. And in our penchant for promoting only the characteristics of Christ that we like by emphasizing the utilitarian aspects of what works for us, we have marginalized His majesty. We would rather avoid those passages where He seems untamable and unpredictable, especially when His words make us wince and His actions make us uncomfortable.
Today we’re going to study a sermon that Jesus preached and a question that He asked that will smash some of your images of Him. The timing is the day after Palm Sunday, in the last days before He was crucified. The setting is Jerusalem, specifically the Temple. Please turn in your Bible to Mark 11:11. After hearing the cheering and the hosannas, “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.” The phrase “looked around” means that He examined everything closely. This reminds me of what Nehemiah did in Nehemiah 2:13: “examining the walls of Jerusalem.”
God’s people actually had three different Temples.
1. Solomon’s Temple. Almost one thousand years earlier, Solomon constructed the first Temple and we read that God’s Shekinah glory filled it so full that the priests couldn’t get in (see 1 Kings 8:10-11). The Temple was where God dwelt and where His people could meet with Him. It was the holiest place in the land and the focal point of their worship. Hundreds of years later, this Temple was destroyed and God’s people were sent to Babylon.
2. Zerubbabel’s Temple. When they returned seventy years later, a second Temple was constructed, which was nothing compared to Solomon’s. It’s been called Zerubbabel’s Temple (see Haggai 2:3) and it lasted for about 500 years.
3. Herod’s Temple. This was an amazing edifice and was built as a grandiose gift to the Jews and as a tribute to Herod’s haughtiness, taking 46 years to finish. To give you a feel for the size, the columns were so mammoth that it took three people with their hands outstretched to surround a column at its base. [Demonstrate] Everything in the Temple symbolized something and was used to help communicate God’s power and purposes. For example, when children would ask about the meaning behind the pillars, parents would answer: “Our God is so great that He upholds the heavens and the earth.”
The Temple was humongous and it was huge in the eyes of every Jewish person. What Jesus observed during His inspection tour grieved Him greatly. He saw religious ceremonies carried out with no relationship to the Spirit. He saw commercialism, injustice, exploitation, hypocrisy and a disregard for the holiness of His Father. But because it was late in the day He decided to wait until the next day when more people would be there during regular “business hours” before doing anything about it.
This shows the Lord’s patience and reminds us that He waits so that we’ll respond as stated in 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” But the very next verse says that the Day of the Lord will come…and they’re about to experience His wrath on Monday morning. But that night he left Jerusalem and went to the neighboring suburb of Bethany, where he and the disciples spent the night with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. According to John 11:18, Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem. It was no longer safe for Him in Jerusalem and so He did not spend any more nights there, except for His last.
Drop down to Mark 11:15. The next day, Jesus came back to Jerusalem and immediately entered the Temple area. You get the distinct impression that He wasted no time getting there. This was the Messiah on a mission. The Temple area is also called the “Court of the Gentiles,” a place where non-Jewish people were allowed to come to pray and to praise Almighty God. This was a walled, marble-paved section to the south side of the Temple and was about three football fields long and around 250 yards wide. Allow me to show you what it looked like [show PPT slide].
Would someone mind standing up and reading Mark 11:15-19 for us? “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.”
When Jesus got to Jerusalem he made a beeline to the Temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. This word literally means “to eject.” While many wanted Him to attack the Romans and set up His kingdom, Jesus launched a surprise attack against “religion.” Like an Old Testament prophet, Jesus is acting out a parable – only He’s not acting; He’s indignant and irate. I’d like us to watch this brief clip from the Jesus video to help us picture what this must have been like [play clip].
This wasn’t the first time Jesus was angry for we read in Mark 3:5: “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts…” This was also not the first time He had cleansed the Temple. In John 2:14-17, at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus had gone into the Temple area and this time used a whip to wipe out the makeshift market. As the disciples watched Him explode with indignation they remembered this verse from Psalm 69:9: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Before we go much further it’s important to set some background. Please turn to Deuteronomy 14:24-26: “But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep…” Exodus 30:13-16 adds that when people would travel from a long distance to come to the Temple they had to pay an annual temple tax but they couldn’t use Greek or Roman money because of the graven images on it. They would then change their money into Temple money so they could pay the tax. In addition, because most people wouldn’t bring animals with them to the Temple they would have to buy what they needed right there. All of this was acceptable.
What wasn’t acceptable was that the section of the Temple that was supposed to be for Gentiles had been turned into a combination Stock Exchange and flea market. But what was worse is that the exchange rates were exorbitant and the surcharge on the animals was outlandish. While people could buy doves elsewhere in town, the priests would do an inspection and usually declare them unacceptable. They would then receive a kickback from the temple dove-sellers after people would buy their “acceptable” ones. One commentator said that the price for a dove purchased outside the Temple was the equivalent of a day’s wages but inside the Temple it was equivalent to 45 day’s wages. Exchange rates could easily consume half a day’s wage for the average person. Jesus had no tolerance for this. Not only was it wrong but the Temple had been trivialized and people were paying, not praying in God’s holy house.
Jesus then did three things [demonstrate by knocking over tables].
* He overturned the tables of the money changers. There could have been twenty tables of merchants more interested in profiteering than listening to the prophets.
* He overturned the benches of those selling doves. The coins are clanging on the marble floor while feathers are flying everywhere.
* He blocked anyone from carrying merchandise through the Temple courts. This sacred structure had become a shortcut to the Mount of Olives. There’s something else going on. If you study Leviticus and Numbers, you’ll see that the priests were constantly bringing in animals to slaughter on the altar. They would sprinkle the blood on the altar of incense and then they’d have to carry the dead carcasses back out again. In addition, other supplies like firewood, oil for the lamps, and sharp knives would be brought in. Ray Stedman suggests that there was a steady progression of priests through the Temple all day long.
But on this day, Jesus not only stopped the sales; He stopped the sacrifices. This is highly symbolic because in just a few days, His body would become the final sacrifice for sin, rendering all other sacrifices completely useless. By the way, this act of stopping the Temple worship sealed His death as verse 18 says that the chief priests and the teachers of the law “began looking for a way to kill Him.” This gives me spiritual goose bumps because Jesus was essentially condemning the entire sacrificial system. The Temple would be destroyed because Jesus was now going to become the meeting place between people and God where sins would be dealt with once for all.
After preaching this sermon with tremendous visuals, he once again utilized a question to zero in on the main truth: “Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?” The answer is obvious and yet very unsettling. Of course prayer is what God’s house is for and that’s what it should be for. We see Jesus appealing to Scripture time and again. We would all benefit by quoting the Bible more when we speak. Jesus loved to say, “It is written.” One of our teammates in Mexico once told me that he was trying to share a verse of Scripture in every conversation he had with someone. That’s a goal we should all have. This quotation is directly from Isaiah 56:7 and Jesus is appealing to the purpose behind God’s Temple. I see two main points here:
1. God’s house is for prayer. Prayer must have first place.
2. God’s heart is for all peoples. 1 Kings 8:41-43 establishes that God’s people were to always seek to be a blessing to the people around them. God had made provision for them to come to Him because He is a global God.
Jesus then quotes from Jeremiah 7:11 (He really knew His Bible, didn’t He?) to show that like thieves these men were extorting and stealing and then finding refuge in the temple: “But you have made it a den of robbers.” The word “robber” as used during the time of Jesus meant one who was violent or even a terrorist. Those who should have ushered nonbelievers into the Temple courts were terrorizing them and then seeking refuge in the supposed safety of spirituality. They felt like they could do whatever they wanted “out there” and then would “come in here” to be safe. No wonder Jesus was so worked up! We need to constantly guard ourselves so that we focus on prayer and on all peoples. It’s too easy for us to just seek refuge in our rituals and in our religion while those who don’t know Christ are prevented from coming close to Him.
Prayer Practices
A message like this can invoke feelings of guilt and a spirit of conviction. That can be a good thing if it motivates us to change. If Jesus were to examine our church and our lives like he did the Temple that Sunday night, what would He see? Here are some questions that come to mind:
* Are all nations and nationalities welcome at PBC?
* Do we flee to church to hide from our sins or to confess them?
* Are we just going through religious rituals?
* If Jesus were to show up here, what would He overturn?
I did an inventory this week both of our church and of my personal life. One reason I chose this passage is because of our six areas of emphasis according to our IMPACT statement (Instruction, Ministry, Prayer, Adoration, Caring and Telling others the gospel), I think prayer is our weakest link.
Let me apply this personally. When I interviewed for the position of Senior Pastor here at PBC over eight years ago, someone asked me a very good question about my prayer habits. I remember answering that I have a lot to learn about prayer and that I don’t pray enough. As I look back over these past eight years I wish I could tell you that I’ve turned into a power-prayer. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve improved very much in this area. I confess that to you and ask that you would pray that God would make me more of a man of prayer.
Early this week I watched a video of Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, preaching a sermon called “My House Will Be Called a House of Prayer.” I’ve heard this classic sermon several times but was moved again as I listened. You can access it by going to my blog at www.pontiacbible.org. Here are a couple quotes that struck me: “God’s work must always have the aroma of prayer…the greatest thing you can learn is to learn how to pray.”
We certainly need to make this place a place of prayer…and by God’s grace we will. But God’s house today is not a building, is it? According to 1 Corinthians 3:16, God lives in the lives of believers: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” That means that the house of prayer that God is looking for today is what takes place within born again believers.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your prayer life? Let me encourage you to nudge it up just one notch. If you’re at a 3, don’t feel like you have to be at a 10 by tomorrow. Every one of us can go up one degree.
Most of us don’t need additional principles about prayer because we know that prayer is important; what we need are some prayer practices so that we actually pray more. In short we need to learn how to pray. I don’t need to convince you why you should pray; instead I want to give you some ways to pray. In light of that, I came up with 10 prayer practices that I want to list briefly. I recognize that you probably won’t resonate with each one but hopefully a handful will find some traction in your life. Whatever the case, it’s time to stop playing and start praying.
Samuel Chadwick summed up the need to prioritize prayer: “The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. The devil fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. The devil laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”
1. Pray promptly. As soon as someone says, “Would you pray for me?” stop everything and pray right then and there. I love seeing people pray off in the corner on a Sunday or right here in the chairs after the service. Just this week in staff meeting Pastor Jeff asked for prayer for his messages during the fall retreat. I stopped the meeting and prayed for him.
2. Pray for proclaimers. PBC supports around twenty different missionaries. It’s not easy to remember to pray for each one so let me make a suggestion. Either pick up copies of prayer letters in the hallway or contact our missionaries and get on their email list. Then, as soon as you read an update, pray for these proclaimers. Just this week, I heard from Roger and Maggie Bruehl regarding the fires in California, from Larry Thompson about a car accident his daughter was in, Keith and Carol Wilson regarding Egypt and the Varner’s ministry in Russia. As soon as I read the letters I prayed for their requests. By the way, each of our small groups is praying for a missionary when they meet.
3. Pray for your pastors. Many of you pray for your pastors on a regular basis. Thank you and may your tribe increase. Did you know that the first church in Acts started in a prayer meeting? PBC also got its start in a prayer meeting.
4. Pray during the preaching. Several years ago a group of people gathered in a separate room and prayed during the sermon time. I would love to see that get started again. Since we are out of space one place to meet would be in the old kitchen. You could still hear the sermon and if you fall asleep, no one will know. Seriously, prayer is where the power is. Preaching must be wedded to God’s power to get God’s results.
5. Pray to worship properly. The problem that Jesus confronted was a disregard for God’s holiness among His people. They were way too casual and careless in their approach to that which should have caused reverence. When you arrive here on Sundays do so with a sense of expectancy and awe.
6. Pursue all people. God’s people had turned within and had neglected God’s heart for all nations and nationalities and people groups. Everyone, regardless of skin color or background or lifestyle, must be welcome here. We can’t just focus on “us four and no more.” The church must always be open to those who are not yet believers.
7. Pray for the proclamation of the gospel on December 23rd. Please begin praying now for our Christmas Outreach at PTHS the Sunday before Christmas. Pray that God will give you courage to invite your friends, family members and co-workers who are searching for hope. And then pray that we will communicate the life-changing message of the gospel with grace and clarity. Vera Wahls is putting together a prayer team for this event. If you’d like to be a part of this please contact her.
9. Pray the passages of Scripture. One of the best ways to pray is to simply take God’s Word and pray it back to Him. You may want to start with the Book of Psalms or take the prayers that Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-14 and Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21 and make them your own.
9. Find a prayer partner. I know of some women who call each other every day just to pray together over the phone. Other moms meet here for Moms in Touch to pray for the schools in our area. Identify someone and then ask if they would be your prayer partner.
10. Pray for young people. Almost forty teenagers are at the fall retreat this weekend. Please pray for them. As a way to help you remember to pray for a student, there’s a “Prayer Tree” set up in the hallway today that has names of particular high school students on it. Would you stop by and pick a student and then covenant to pray for him or her every day?
In order to practice what has been preached, I’d like you to take a few minutes right now and pray that God will make your life a life of prayer. You may want to take some of these suggestions and turn them into specific requests. Whatever you do, don’t play…because it’s time to pray.
It may help if you get into a posture of prayer. That may mean that you stay seated or stand or kneel or go to the back of the room or out in the aisle or up here at the front. Do whatever you need to do to focus so you can pray fervently.
Closing Song: “Listen to Your Children Praying”
