March 28, 2010
Morning Worship
Text: Matthew 21:12-17
Subject: Jesus in the Temple
Title: The Fountain of Youth
It is good to have our visitors from First Assembly in Hannibal here today. I appreciate the work that they do with the Royal Rangers and the training they have provided for our men in an attempt to get a Ranger program started here.
One thing that I can say about this church – you folks will do whatever it takes to get our children and youth involved in church. Last week we held our first annual chili cook-off to raise money for our kids to go to camp. Last week also saw our National BGMC Day bring in a total of 31 pounds of change, which totaled $183.83. We want our children to know how important mission giving is. And today we recognize Jim and Larry for going through the Royal Ranger training.
I told our youth group Thursday night that they need to understand something, and I think must of you need to be reminded as well. This next generation is not just the future of the church – they are the church now. And it is our responsibility to help them become mature Christians in order to continue the work that many of you began years ago. That is what church is all about isn’t it… making disciples?
Today I want to show you that this is not a church for just your generation or for the younger generation but a church for all generations. But is up to you to make sure that the younger generation grows up in the Lord to make this place a perpetual fountain of youth. For us to do that we must allow Jesus to take control of His house once again and we must teach our young people to do the same.
I want you to turn to Matthew 21. We’ll begin in verse 12 and read through 16.
Lord, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
I. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JESUS IS IN THE TEMPLE? 12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 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.’” You know, I don’t want to sound judgmental, but I believe that there are so-called “Christian” churches around where Jesus isn’t there. I’m not naming names or calling out any denomination. I’m talking about churches in general. The reason I say that is because when Jesus is really present in a church, things begin to happen. 1) When Jesus is in the house sin and anything that distracts from His purpose is purged from the church. 12Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. Ezekiel 20:36-38, 36As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 37I will take note of you as you pass under my rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 2) When Jesus is in the house it will be purified. Isaiah 1:22-25, 22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water; 23 Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them . 24 Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 3) When Jesus is in the house, His word will be proclaimed. Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 18Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. In God’s house His word will always have priority. 4) When Jesus is in the house there will be prayer. My house will be called a house of prayer… Isaiah 56:7, these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” We must teach our young people that this is God’s house.
II. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE TEMPLE THERE IS HEALING 14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. Our young people must understand that the supernatural work of Jesus was the result of the anointing of the same Holy Spirit that is at work in the church today. Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 in Luke 4, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed. 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” In John 14 Jesus told His disciples, 15“If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. If it is the same Holy Spirit that is in us that empowered Jesus then shouldn’t we be teaching our children that, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, because He has anointed you… If we could just get this next generation to not only believe it, but experience it in the way that Jesus intended us to, the church would be in good hands. The belief system that children develop in their early years is the belief system that they will carry with them throughout their whole lives. Kids who grow up in Catholic schools remain Catholic… for the most part. Kids who grow up in Lutheran schools stay Lutheran etc. The reason is because they aren’t just being taught doctrine. They are experiencing it firsthand on a daily basis. But we have the fullness of the gospel with the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit. That is why it is imperative that our children are not just taught about the Holy Spirit, but are encouraged to experience the Holy Spirit. We also must be careful that when they do experience the fullness of God in the Spirit that we don’t quench the Spirit because it doesn’t look or sound like it did when we experienced it.
III. WHEN JESUS IS IN THE TEMPLE THERE WILL BE WORSHIP. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” As I read this passage there were some things that I noticed that I had never thought of before. 1) They also didn’t have a problem with people selling animals for sacrifice and exchanging money for profit. They did have a problem with Jesus pointing out that it was wrong. 2) The “religious” authorities didn’t have a problem with Jesus being in the temple. They had a problem with Him working miracles. 3) They didn’t have a problem with children being in the temple courts. They had a problem with the way they worshipped. If you ever came to a youth service on Thursday night you may not like the music. It might be too loud for you. It might not be the style of music you like. You may not understand the words. But they do. That is one thing that I demand with our worship – whether it is youth, children or adult worship – the songs should be easy to sing and must glorify God. That is one of the reasons I personally like some of the new worship choruses. So many of them are songs that I can close my eyes and sing – not just about Jesus but sing them to Jesus. If we attempt to make the next generation a cookie cutter model of previous generations it will lose its freshness and relativity to them. When we teach them to experience the Holy Spirit’s anointing in their lives, let’s let them experience it in a way that is relevant to them. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:4, Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Teach them to love the Lord and desire everything that God has for their lives – then get out of the way and let them experience it in their own way.
I don’t know of any church that desires its young people to grow in the Lord any more than this church does. But what are we willing to do about it? We have fundraisers so we can send them to camp. We take BGMC collections to show them the importance of missions. We teach them Sunday School and have children’s church. All good things… but are they enou
I want to read an excerpt from Ken Davis’ book, How to Speak to Youth.
We conducted a three-phase experiment at Rockford College, and used over 100 college graduates who were preparing for youth ministry.
In the first phase: We took a young volunteer from the room and blindfolded him. We simply told him that when he returned, he could do anything he wished. He remained outside the room while we instructed each audience member to think of a simple task for the volunteer to do. When the volunteer returned, they were to shout their individual instructions at him from where they sat. Prior to this, we privately instructed another person to shout a very specific task at the blindfolded volunteer as though it were a matter of life and death. This person was to attempt to persuade the blindfolded volunteer to climb the steps at the back of the auditorium and embrace an instructor who was standing at the door; he had to shout this vital message from where he sat in the audience. The volunteer was oblivious to all instructions and previous arrangements. The volunteer represented our young people, the audience represented the world of voices screaming for their attention, and the person with the vital message represented those of us who bring the message of the Gospel to youth. The blindfolded student was led back into the room. The lecture room exploded in a din of shouting. Each person tried to get the volunteer to follow his or her unique instructions. In the midst of the crowd, the voice of the person with the vital message was lost; no single message stood out. The blindfolded student stood paralyzed by confusion and indecision. He moved randomly and without purpose as he sought to discern a clear and unmistakable voice in the crowd.
The second phase: We told the audience about the person attempting to get the volunteer to accomplish the vital task. At this point we chose another person from the audience to add a new dimension. This person's goal was to, at all costs, keep the volunteer from doing the vital task. While the rest of the audience was to remain in their seats, these two people were allowed to stand next to the volunteer and shout their opposing messages. They could get as close as they wished; however, they were not allowed to touch the volunteer. As the blindfolded volunteer was led back into the room, the shouting began again. This time, because the two messengers were standing so close, the volunteer could hear both messages; but because the messages were opposed to each other, he vacillated. He followed one for a bit, then was convinced by the other to go the opposite direction. In order for young people to hear our message we must get close to them. Even then, there are others with opposing messages who also are close enough to make their messages clear. Sometimes they are peers, relatives...The main lesson: only the close voices could be heard. Even though the volunteer took no decisive action, at least he heard the message.
The third phase: The response to the third phase was startling. In this phase everything remained the same except the one with the vital message was allowed to touch the volunteer. He could not pull, push or in any way force the volunteer to do his bidding; but he could touch him, and in that way encourage him to follow. The blindfolded volunteer was led into the room. When he appeared, the silence erupted into an earsplitting roar. The two messengers stood close, shouting their opposing words. Then, the one with the vital message put his arm gently around the volunteer's shoulder and leaned very close to speak directly into his ear. Almost without hesitation, the volunteer began to yield to his instruction. Occasionally he paused to listen as the opposition frantically tried to convince him to turn around. But then, by the gentle guidance of touch, the one with the vital message led him on. A moment of frightening realism occurred spontaneously as the one with the vital message drew close to the goal. All those in the audience, who up to this point had been shouting their own individual instruction, suddenly joined in unison to keep the volunteer from taking those final steps. Goose bumps appeared all over my body as students began to chant together, "Don't go!" "Don't go!" "Don't go!" So many times I've seen the forces that pull our youth in different directions join together to dissuade them from a serious commitment to Christ. The chant grew to a pulsing crescendo, "Don't go!" "Don't go!" But the guiding arm of the one with the vital message never left the volunteer's shoulder. At the top of the stairs in the back of the lecture hall, the one with the vital message leaned one last time to whisper in the ear of the volunteer. There was a moment of hesitation, then the volunteer threw his arms around the instructor and the auditorium erupted in cheers and applause.
When the volunteer revealed how he felt as he went through each phase, it became apparent that if our message is to be heard, we cannot shout it from the cavernous confines of our church buildings. We must venture out and draw close to those with whom we wish to communicate. If we really seek a life-changing commitment from our young people, we also must reach out where they are and in love, gently touch them and lead them to that commitment. We asked the volunteer why he followed the one with the vital message, the one who touched him. After a few moments he said, "Because it felt like he was the only one who really cared."
Ken Davis, How To Speak To Youth, pp 19-23.
Our church is one generation away from extinction. If just one generation fails to become committed to God for life it’s Game Over! We might as well put up an Out of Business sign. But each of you, regardless of your age, has something to offer to our young people.
You can help the next generation by being and example in and out of the church. Live a life that brings glory to God. Be used by the Holy Spirit in church. Allow God’s grace to flow through you in all circumstances. Purge sin from the church. Experience healings and miracles in the church. Promote worship in the church. Teach them that this is a house of prayer.
“…have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?”
