Text: Matt 21:12-17, Title: Concealed Weapon, Date/Place: NRBC, 4/10/11
1. Opening illustration: Tell about the Deut 28:63 thought
2. Background to passage: this is the final week of Jesus’ life. After having made a circuit up through Galilee, across the Jordan, down to Jericho, Jesus has gone up to Jerusalem for what would be His last time. The people received him on Palm Monday, and Mark tells us that he then went home to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus for the night. Then the next morning his righteous indignation took control in the Temple Mount “cleansing the temple” for a second time. All this was in preparation for the crucifixion and resurrection.
3. Main thought: What the high priest had done in affect was the weapon that Satan was using (in the name of “religion”) to keep people from walking with God. And often we follow the route of the Jewish leaders, and place stumbling blocks in our own way to keep people from seeing the real meaning of Easter. So today we are gonna have a little temple cleansing of our own.
1. Greedy (v. 12-13)
1. The area around the court of the Gentiles was filled with little shops that were authorized and licensed by the Sanhedrin. It was called the “Bazaar of Annas.” They sold sacrificial animals and changed money so people could tithe. And the high priest receives a portion of all the proceeds. So most of the religious leaders in power looked forward to the Passover not for the religious emphasis, but because of the money that they will make. It may be that those leaders got into the ministry with good intentions, but the money and the love of it had corrupted their ways and motives. It was said that you could pay up to 10X the actual value of the animal. And the priests (and their authorized agents) were the ones who determined whether the animal that was brought for sacrifice was good enough.
2. Matt 6:24, 1 Tim 6:10, Mal 3:8-9
3. Illustration: me getting greedy with the turkeys, Savages at Christmas: I’m not talking about some 3rd world nation now. Jdimytai Damour, 34, had been hired by an employment agency as a temporary worker at the Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream and had been on the job about a week when he died. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound man died of asphyxiation after being crushed by a crowd the Friday after Thanksgiving. They broke down the electronic doors in frantic pursuit of bargains. At least four other people were treated at hospitals, including a woman who was eight months pregnant. Take a look at your own heart, and you will soon find out what has stuck to it and where your treasure is. It is easy to determine whether hearing the Word of God, living according to it, and achieving such a life gives you as much enjoyment and calls forth as much diligence from you as does accumulating and saving money and property. - Martin Luther, testimony of 90-day challengers,
4. In the wealthiest nation on the earth, we have a problem with money. We are willing to steal from the government, the insurance industry, banks, God, and each other. And even though we think that we are better than these moneychangers in the temple, we are not, because all our stealing is from another. Taxes and insurance rates go up because of people who don’t pay. Families split in marriages and relationships, neighbors don’t speak because someone “stole” my money. Banks go under and have to be bailed out by your tax dollars. Businesses suffer because of unpaid bills. The poor suffer because of legalized stealing with the lottery. And people don’t get ministered to in Tifton and the globe because you have robbed God. If statistics hold true here as in other churches, there are bunch of you who don’t tithe. Some leaders in church, some long time members, and some new believers. This doesn’t have anything to do with needing money here, it has to do with your own spiritual state. You can’t love God and not give. One pastor said, “Don’t tell me you love God if you don’t tithe.” If I as a pastor don’t confront you where the sin lies, I am doing you a disservice. And if you persist in your greed, you will forfeit spiritual growth, blessings, and invite evil and suffering into your life. Do you not fear God? Jesus is attempting to cleanse your heart this morning from your lust and materialism, so you can experience Easter!
2.
Casual (v. 12-13)
1. The sin that is beneath greed in the lives of these religious leaders who were profiting at the expense of worshippers was a casual attitude about faith. The temple was a place of holiness, a place of worship, a place where sin was atoned for, a place were repentance and contrition of heart was supposed to be present. But it didn’t bother the people that they had turned the faith of their fathers into a money-making scheme of religious tradition. There was no fear of God in them. Their priorities of making money trumped the real purpose of the temple. They missed the whole point of their faith! MacArthur says of the temple, “It was not meant to be a combination marketplace, stockyard, and bank where hucksters and charlatans carried out their greedy enterprises under the guise of serving the Lord.” And the scary part is that was probably gradual rather than sudden. First it had simply become religion, rules, and tradition. Then the rules were bent a little, but tradition and religion were maintained. Then real devotion was pushed further away as their hearts hardened a little, and the temptation of a little money on the side reared up. In fact, they may have started it to help others with genuinely good intentions.
2. Matt 23:14, Deut 28:20-22, 47-51
3. Illustration: Barna defines these folks as those who perceive their Christianity as "faith in moderation. It allows them to feel religious without having to prioritize their faith. Christianity is a low-risk, predictable proposition..., providing a faith perspective that is not demanding. A Casual Christian can be all the things that they esteem: a nice human being, a family person, religious, an exemplary citizen, a reliable employee and never have to publicly defend or represent difficult moral or social positions or even lose much sleep over their private choices as long as they mean well and generally do their best. From their perspective, their brand of faith practice is genuine, realistic and practical. To them, Casual Christianity is the best of all worlds; it encourages them to be a better person than if they had been irreligious, yet it is not a faith into which they feel compelled to heavily invest themselves." If that’s not disturbing enough Barna says that this represents about 66% of the adult population in the U.S. woman on Dr. Phil who was different at home than she was at church,
4. One of my deputies defined casual Christianity as believers who only desire a “get out of hell free” card, and have not desire for fellowship, discipleship, holiness, or devotion. Are we slipping away from repentance, mercy, contrition, and true worship? What is “church” to you? Do you come to worship or to appease your conscience, or someone else’s conscience? Do you prioritize faith in your life outside of church? Are you having the best of both worlds? Do you have a real relationship with Christ, or is in only form? Is one hour a week really a relationship? Do you yell and scream at your spouse and kids? Are you stepping on others at work? Are you serving in ministry or occupying space? Are your thoughts under His reign? Do you enjoy inappropriate jokes or use a few choice words in front of the coworkers? And with some of this we will struggle, but the question is are we comfortable and complacent, or are we pursuing holiness, for He is holy! But not only is He holy, but He is wonderful, satisfying, worthy, beautiful, desirable; and those who have tasted His goodness, desire to pursue it, and are not satisfied with less than intimate fellowship with Him. Easter can’t be Easter with a casual, Easter bunny faith.
3.
Unbelieving (v. 15)
1. The sin that underlies both of these sins is unbelief. The young boys in the temple voiced the same cry as the adults the day before: Hosanna, Son of David. Hosanna means “save now.” In both instances the religious leaders became indignant (furious and wrath), because they knew the people were calling Jesus the messiah, and they did not believe. They were very religious, very spiritual, very conservative, very traditional, sang the right songs, voted the right way, knew their scripture, prayed, tithed, and attended faithfully, but…Persistent unbelief leads to no faith, or casual faith, which leads to the dominance of greed, lust, and pride.
2. Luke 10:16, John 7:28
3. Illustration: good kids vs. godly kids,
4. Easter cannot be Easter without the heart knowledge and faith that Jesus is who He says: the ruling, reigning, risen great I AM! To believe is to receive, and to receive is to follow, and to follow is to take up your cross, to put your hand to the plow and not look back, to let the dead bury their dead, to forsake all you have, to hate your wife and kids, to treasure Him enough to sell all your stuff, to love Him enough to count all things a loss, to be willing to die for Him not counting your life dear, as he died for you! He bore our sins on the cross, not so we can have a nice American dream, casually Christian, pie in the sky, bed of roses life, but to that we might die to sin, and live to righteousness. You can be religious, spiritual, faithful, and not believe to the point of repentance and following Christ. Some of you need to be born again, shirking off your unbelief. Some of you are believers, but are so caught up in unbelief that you don’t evangelize, give, serve, pray, read, or grow. You may be a wonderful person, but are you saved, and following Him?
1. Closing illustration: Marin Luther: The sale of indulgences was just one of many issues that I had with the church, and with whom I disagreed. Of course, church leaders tried to get me to recant my positions and teachings. I stood in front of several hearings to make my case and present my argument. The one that stands out in my memory happened at a city called Worms in Germany. It was a trial of sorts in which church and government leaders were present, most of whom wanted me to repudiate my teachings. I was asked this question: “Do you or do you not repudiate your books and the errors which they contain?” To this question I said this: “Since your Majesty and your lordships desire a simply reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience is capture to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”
2. Recap
3. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
* Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
