Meeting in God’s Home
John 2:13-25
SLIDE 1 – Meeting in God’s Home
SLIDE 2 – Picture of Jesus at the Temple
When someone first thinks of this story, they think of Jesus getting mad. They look at the happy situation in the wedding, and then they see Jesus getting really ticked off in the temple. Some people have noticed the contrast (Jesus happy, and Jesus mad.) I would prefer to show the unity of these two passages.
At the wedding, Jesus acted as a bartender. Here in the temple, Jesus acts like the butler.
SLIDE 3 – Jesus as Butler
The reason I say that Jesus is really like a butler and not an angry man is because He had a purpose for what He did. The disciples did not remember that Jesus got mad. Instead, the disciples remembered a piece of Old Testament that Jesus related to. It was this scripture:
And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for Your house will consume Me.
(John 2:17)
SLIDE 4 – Compare Translations
Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house burns within me."[3]
(John 2:17)
His disciples remembered that Scripture said, "Devotion for your house will consume me."
(John 2:17)
The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, "My love for your house burns in me like a fire."
(John 2:17)
What is this really saying? I could tell you the meaning in the Greek, but the point is this: Jesus was not angry, He was passionate. He was in love with God’s house.
Does this justify anger?
Does this justify anger and action on social issues?
By doing what we do at Mozark, are we violating Jesus’s desire?
God provides for our spiritual needs through His House. God is therefore passionate about prayer. Why is God so passionate about His House being a place of prayer? This is the reason:
SLIDE 5 – The Love of Jesus for the House of God
Jesus is excited about His house because He wants it to be a place where people can come to Him.
SLIDE 6 – Museum
The place where we meet is not:
Museum
Place to visit and see artifacts. Visiting a museum is like visiting your grandparents. You do it on occasion. When you visit a museum you look at things, but you don’t touch. Then you go out the door.
Show pictures of churches in Germany – Lutherstadt Eisleben
SLIDE 7 – Mausoleum
Mausoleum
This is not a place to remember the past and prepare to die. We don’t come here to remember people who have died, and remember times that were better.
SLIDE 8 – Wall Street Stock Exchange
Marketplace
This is not a place where we conduct economic business. It is not a place where we come to consume and trade.
SLIDE 9 – Statues of People
Monument
We don’t even own this building. This place is not a place of honor for us and what we do. This is a place to meet, but more important – to meet Jesus.
SLIDE 10 – Motel 6
Motel
In a motel, you come, you stay, and then you get out and move on. Staying in a motel means that the stuff is not yours. Someone else comes in to clean. The bed is not great, and you just really never feel at home.
What is this place?
SLIDE 11 – Meeting Place
Meeting place
This is just a place to meet God. There was the “Tent of Meeting” in the Old Testament. The temple in the New Testament was also a meeting place. They met in the temple to worship together, and then they met in home to grow and serve together.
So why is Jesus angry? Because people treated the place like it wasn’t His home.
It is not that they didn’t treat the place as holy. When you and I come together as Christians anywhere to meet God, it is a holy, sacred place. The building is not holy. You are – when you take steps to honor God in His house.
Ill: This was like someone barging into Jesus’ house. How would you like it if someone invaded your house and set up shop?
How would my wife think about this? She would go nuts. The place would not get cleaned. People would mess up what we have placed in the house. Things would get broken.
More important, we could never invite guests to come and spend time with us. This is Jesus’ point. People could never come and spend time with God.
SLIDE 12 – Small Group Questions
Q: What is the difference between a house and a home?
Q: How do you treat people who come to your home?
We want to make Mozark a place just as comfortable as your living room – a place where you can feel at home with God. The reason is so that we can fulfill our mission:
SLIDE 13 – Staying on Track
To be a loving, living, growing, serving people of God.
