Good Housekeeping: God’s home is where your heart is
I. The Place of the Temple (Believers, individually and collectively)
II. The Purpose of the Temple (Prayer, Worship, & Ministry)
III. The Purity of the Temple
-Mark 11:15-17 15 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, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 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.’"
-John 2:13-17 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!" 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
Intro: Have you ever wondered what was going on in this passage? Why did Jesus get so upset about this situation? He and everyone else knew there had to be moneychangers during Passover, because many Jews traveled long distances and had a different form of currency with them than was used in Jerusalem. The foreign currency needed to be standardized. Also, Jewish law required people who traveled long distances to purchase the animals for their sacrifices in Jerusalem so their animals would not be worn down or injured from the travel. They were to give God their very best. So, what was the problem?
-Well, the problem was that commerce had taken over the outer courts of the temple, the only part of the temple where Gentiles were allowed to come and worship. Business had crowded out worship. Furthermore, there are indications that the high priest and his cronies were fraudulently making large amounts of money off of the worshipers – cheating them on the exchange rates and only approving the sacrificial animals that they sold right there at the temple.
-In such an environment, there was little or no genuine prayer or worship happening in the outer courts. This is why in Mark 11:17, Jesus said that His Father’s house was to be a house of prayer for the nations – referring to the Gentiles. Where else did they have to connect with the one true God?
-So what do we do with this intense, almost troubling story, where Jesus appears to lose His cool and offends the temple authorities? The Bible makes it clear that God does not live in buildings made by human hands. However, He does live in those who trust Him with their lives and love Him with their whole hearts. Here is the main thought I want to deliver today:
Prop: Since God lives in us, we need to keep His house uncluttered and in line with His purpose.
-How can we relate the temple to our own lives and make Christ feel at home in our hearts?
TS: Let’s look at 4 thoughts about the temple and its relation to us as part of God’s church.
I. The Place of the Temple (Believers, individually and collectively)
-The apostle Paul reminds the Corinthians that as individuals their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and as a group they are the temple of God. In general a temple is a place of worship where God is honored (or gods are). It is a sacred place, set apart for higher purposes than ordinary buildings.
-John 14:23 23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come to live in our hearts or spirits when we begin trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross for us.
-Ephesians 2:19-22 …with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
-Here Paul is not talking about a physical building. He is talking about the men, women, and children who believe on Jesus.
-You might grow weary of hearing me say it, but this building is not God’s church, nor His temple. Those who have put their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and are living in right relationship with Him are God’s church. They are God’s temple.
-A church is a special place because we have set it apart as a place of worship. However, you find no reference in the Bible about the upper room being referred to as a special holy place- yet that is where the Holy Spirit was first poured out. And when the Jewish temple itself was destroyed in 70 A.D. it did not leave God homeless. First of all, He doesn’t live in temples made by hands. He lives in flesh and blood temples- you and me!
-I have many fond memories of going to my Grandma & Grandpa’s house near Sandy, Oregon. As kids we’d ride the little Honda 50 all over, explore the back woods and the creek, snoop through Grandpa’s greenhouse, raid the strawberry and raspberry patches. That is the house where I fell into the fireplace and was in the hotseat for awhile. So many fond memories…. Well, several years later, after my Grandparents had moved to Vancouver, I went back and looked at the house. Somebody else lived there and everything was just different. It was then that I realized, it wasn’t the place that was so special, it was the people. My grandparents made that place special.
-For us, this physical building is nothing unless God shows up here. And the only reason God shows up here is because He comes to church with you and me. No people, no presence. Where is the place of the temple? Wherever those who follow Christ are.
-TS: With that said, let’s look at why temples exist.
II. The Purpose of the Temple (Prayer, Worship, & Ministry)
-In Mark 11:17 Jesus quotes Isaiah saying, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” From OT times, when Israel carried the Tabernacle of God with them as a kind of temporary temple, it was known as a place where God was present. Later, when David had it in his heart to build a temple, God said, not yet. However, they still had the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant, and under David’s rule worship teams were formed so that there was continual praise going on in the tabernacle. Can you imagine having worship going 24/7? That’s better than a Walmart Supercenter! Anytime night or day, come and worship the Lord!
-Well, possibly the most basic purpose of the temple was to provide a place where people could connect with God. As we’ve already established, we are now God’s temple. We can connect with God anytime day or night, and we can help others connect with Him as well. And just as the Biblical temple was a place of prayer and worship, so we should also become people of prayer and worship.
-Again, Jesus specifically referred to His Father’s house as being a house of prayer for all nations – not for the Jews only. God-fearing Gentiles needed a place where they could come and connect with the God of Israel, Creator of all things.
-But many of the religious temple authorities in Jesus’ time were not interested in true worship or providing a place of prayer for Gentile dogs! No, they were interested in making money and fulfilling their sacrificial duties. However, what they failed to realize was that God does not want your sacrifice if He does not have your heart.
-Psalm 51:16-17 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
-So, as you may have heard, God looks on the heart, not on the outer appearance. Why? Because it is where He lives. His home is where the heart is – the heart that truly loves and honors the One to whom it belongs. God is looking for people who desire to connect with Him through prayer and worship. That is the kind of heart He wants to dwell in.
-Jesus showed us another purpose of the temple in Matthew 21:13-14 13 "It is written," he said to them, "’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ’den of robbers.’" 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
-Not only is the temple of place of prayer and worship, but it is to be a place of ministry where we help others connect with God. If they need healing from God, we help them find it. If they need encouragement, hope, or some other form of ministry, God’s Spirit who lives in us can enable us to help them.
-In short, as temples of God, we need to maintain a continual connection with God. Perhaps this is what Paul meant when he said, “Pray without ceasing.”
-TS: One thing that will have an effect on how connected we stay with God relates to our choices and behavior. Let’s look at it in this final point.
III. The Purity of the Temple
-1 Corinthians 3:16-17 16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
-1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
-One would think that it should go without saying that a Christian should keep himself or herself sexually pure. However, in the context of this last verse, there were people in the church at Corinth who were visiting prostitutes and saying that it was okay. They had convinced themselves that what they did with their body did not affect the spirit or heart. However, Paul wrote to correct such faulty thinking. Listen to what he wrote:
-1 Corinthians 6:9-11 9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
-Bottom line: It doesn’t matter what you were, but it does matter what you choose to become! If you are sitting here today guilty of a sexual sin, or dishonesty, of greed, or slander, or some other sin, there is hope for you – if you will come clean before God. However, if you are sitting here today and excusing yourself from God’s righteous standards, then you are on shaky ground. I’m not speaking as someone who has never sinned or been tempted to violate God’s laws. I am speaking as someone who has failed, but has found help. I am speaking as someone who is weak, but has found strength in Christ. If it were not for God’s grace, my life would be filled with vices and bondage and failure. However, God has a different plan for me, and I can tell you for sure – He has a different plan for you!
-So how do we go about cleansing the temple? How do we make our hearts and lives fit for God to live in? The best way I know is found in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God is quick to forgive as often as we need it.
-Now I know that sometimes we struggle with bad habits and repeat offenses. Sometimes we get to feeling so guilty about repeating our mistakes, that we’re sure we have offended God too much for Him to forgive us. But I want you to realize the error of thinking that way. It really sells God’s grace short. “Lord, I’ve sinned so badly against You that I don’t deserve Your grace anymore.” Now wait just a minute! We never did deserve God’s grace! Even the first time we came to God, asking for His help – we didn’t deserve His grace then.
-Please hear me. I’m not trying to cheapen God’s grace or say that we can keep on sinning when we want. What I am trying to do is to show you how great God’s love is for us and how powerful His grace is. I think it was Charles Spurgeon who said, “You could sooner empty the ocean one spoonful at a time than exhaust the grace of God.”
-How much grace do you need today to become the temple God wants you to be? There’s enough grace to do an extreme makeover on your heart, God’s home. God’s grace will help you starve out the appetites you’ve developed for things that are not helpful. God’s grace is sufficient to meet your need and to help you become all He wants you to be.
Conclusion: As we close today, how’s your housekeeping? Is your heart a fit home for the Lord of the universe? He is not looking for perfect hearts, only willing hearts. The Place of God’s temple is in you and in me. The Purpose of God’s temple is connecting with God through prayer, worship, and other ministry. The Purity of God’s temple, your heart, is made possible by the sacrificial death of Jesus. If we confess our sins to God, He will cleanse us and make us holy like He is holy.
-If you don’t know God and haven’t asked Him to be your forgiver and leader, I hope you will choose to take a step toward Him. If I can help you in your journey toward God, please let me know. Let’s close in prayer and ask God to make us into the kind of place He wants to be. Together, we are the temple of God, and He lives in us. We are not our own, but we belong to Him. Therefore, we want to honor Him with our bodies and our spirits, both of which are His.
