TITLE: “Pull The Plug”
#5 in the SERIES: “Empty”
MAIN TEXT: Mark 11:11-18
Good Morning! I hope that you have been enjoying this series! In it, we have been learning a lot about ourselves and our need for more of God in us! Together, we have walked through the Scriptures learning more about becoming EMPTY. Remembering that the goal is all about being EMPTY, so you can be filled with the fullness of Christ! (Our theme verse is Philippians 2:7)
Today, we are jumping into the fifth sermon of the six. You guessed it! We will conclude this series together next week on RESURRECTION SUNDAY! I encourage you to make it here next week and invite someone to join you! Let’s pack this place out and fill this Sanctuary with the praises of God as we celebrate our RISEN, LIVING Savior!
Now, as I said last week about this series, we are either dealing with portions of our lives where we are FULL, and need to EMPTIED. Or, we are finding places where we are EMPTY, that need to be FILLED by Christ! Last week, my wife helped me bring a word that spoke to our EMPTINESS. But, this week we are going to delve into what needs to be EMPTIED…
TITLE: “PULL THE PLUG”
Our Goal: To Be Filled with the Fullness of Christ!
Take note that these are the happenings following the celebration of Palm Sunday…
Mark 11:11-18, Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” 18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
PRAYER:
INTRODUCTION:
Obviously, this is Palm Sunday. The day we take note of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Where we recognize how the people praised Jesus so enthusiastically, and rightly so!
Here is the story from the Scriptures. Mark 11:7-10, They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!”
But, we know now that while the people were crying out for Jesus to “save them,” that it was more about Him saving them from the dominance of the Roman Empire! They wanted a champion to ride in to set them free from their oppressor, namely Caesar and the whole Roman Government!
Jesus wanted to be their savior, yet not in the external way, but in the internal. Jesus riding a colt into Jerusalem was His signal, trying to tell them that He was this kind of Conquering King for their SPIRITUAL CONDITION! He would be a humble servant. But Jesus, being a Spiritual Champion for them, was not on their radar. The people wanted a Messiah that would free them politically! Jesus wanted to bring them release from their bondage of sin! The people were looking for a revolutionary who would overthrow the rule of Rome! But Jesus was bringing them a revolution in their Spirit man! Jesus was coming with a completely different Kingdom in mind!
Now, that is the obvious here that most of us have been familiar with for a long time, but what I find more interesting is what Jesus does after this event on Palm Sunday. Because while the people may have expected Jesus to take a left after his procession through Jerusalem and go into the Capital Building to set the politicians straight or even over-throw them. However, Jesus takes a right and enters the Temple for a moment! What that reveals to us is Jesus’ true priority! To deal with those things that matter most, the Spiritual condition of the hearts of His people. AND it also reveals to us just WHO did needs to be dealt with the most! -Those who are religious and would claim to be labeled by the name of God!
Which leads me to my first thought for us…
POINT ONE: JESUS IS LOOKING…
Mark 11:11, Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
How many of you believe that God is still LOOKING around today? Do you believe that God still searches the hearts of men?
Now, after riding through town on Palm Sunday and hearing the celebration of the crowds, one could assume that this town must be great! And that everyone in it has the right priorities. After all, the people gathered to celebrate Jesus! You don’t see that every day. It must have been like the Boston Red Sox coming back to town after winning the World Series, you would assume that the whole city is full of Red Sox fans, but you know there has to be a Yankee fan somewhere there… And Jesus knows better too! That is why He LOOKS around and searches deeper.
Jeremiah 17:9-10, The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind…” You see, God is ALWAYS LOOKING around at our hearts and lives. Seeing the true intent and motivations we have. You might think you have everyone fooled about you, but God isn’t!!!
LOOKING! That is what Jesus is doing here when He takes a peek into the Temple that day after all the celebration. He is LOOKING at the condition of the hearts of people there. In fact, I see it like this! Jesus is LOOKING behind the masks of the celebration to see the true heart of the people in Jerusalem. In particular, the “religious” people who claim to know God.
It’s as if Jesus was taking a moment to do some quality testing and taking inventory of what is happening in His Temple. Which is sorely needed! And we need it too! To invite the Holy Spirit to come and take inventory of our heart regularly.
Actually, when we read that Jesus LOOKED into the Temple that day, WE need to be reminded that WE are the Temple of the Holy Spirit today! Listen to I Corinthians 6:19 which says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” If that is so, then Jesus has every right to be taking a LOOK at the condition of our lives!
Maybe a better question is this, “What was Jesus looking for? What does He want to see when He LOOKS at us?”
Well, in keeping with our text, there are TWO THINGS in particular that He wants to see. So let’s follow the text here and watch…
The day after Palm Sunday, Jesus follows through to deal with some things. Admittedly so, these couple things seem strange, even out of character for Jesus and completely unrelated to one another. Out of character for Jesus because He curses something and He gets angry. And unrelated because He was dealing with a fig tree and the people at the Temple. But! The two might not be all that different after all, so let’s watch!
Mark 11:12-14, On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
This is an interesting turn of events that we see happen here. Jesus walks up to a fig tree to find figs, but the Bible says it was NOT the season for figs! So, He turns to curse it for not having fruit. Strange, right?!
But one commentator says that in Palestine, fig trees produced crops of small edible buds in March, followed by the appearance of large green leaves in early April. Now, the early green buds (fruit) were used as food for the local peasants. But, despite the tree’s green foliage, which was an indicator that there would be buds on it, and fruit in the future; this tree had NO buds on it for fruit. Therefore, it would NOT bear any fruit this coming year either.
So, the PROBLEM is that the fig tree gave an appearance of bearing fruit, but in reality it would NOT. And that is just the problem that can be found in Believers as well! We might sing and shout on Palm Sunday, but are we bearing the FRUIT that Jesus is really LOOKING for?! THAT my friends is real question!
So, here is ONE thing that Jesus is looking for in each of us…
POINT TWO: JESUS IS LOOKING FOR FRUIT!
Colossians 1:10, …so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
John 15:16, You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain…
Titus 3:14, Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
Time and again, through the teaching of the Scripture, and Jesus Himself, we learn that FRUIT should come from our lives in Christ!
Do you have fruit growing in your life? Are you bearing fruit that brings glory to Jesus? Or is Jesus LOOKING around for fruit from your life?
Remember that Jesus didn’t just do this to a poor defenseless fig tree for nothing. He was making a statement through this very real illustration. Just like on Palm Sunday, there were people who flooded the streets shouting praises and celebrating Jesus, The King. Yet, it would only be a matter of days before this fickle crowd would go from shouting “Hosanna” to screaming “Crucify Him!” And like the fig tree with its leaves were a promise of fruit being present; yet there was NOT FRUIT. The shouts of praise and celebration on Palm Sunday could lead one to believe that true faith was there, but there was NO FRUIT of that in their lives either.
Church, I am here to tell you this morning that Jesus is STILL LOOKING FOR FRUIT IN OUR LIVES! It may seem old fashioned, but it still rings true! A good tree will bear GOOD FRUIT according to Matthew 7:17. Yet, a bad tree will bear bad fruit. Either way, you will bear fruit of some kind! And Jesus is LOOKING for GOOD fruit!
I wonder if Jesus comes by our lives, yours and mine, and ever desires to see fruit?
Outwardly, we might have all kinds of “leaves…” We are full of Christian activities and we say the proper words for a Christian to say. We look like we have it all together. But we are just “going through the motions!” But after closer inspection of our lives as Jesus takes a LOOK, it is obvious to Him that we lack true fruit!
The FRUIT of the Spirit in our lives… -Galatians 5:22-23
The FRUIT of winning souls to the Lord… -John 4:36
The FRUIT of the works of righteousness… -Philippians 1:22
The FRUIT of giving financially… -Romans 15:28
The FRUIT of praise… -Hebrews 13:15
Christian, is there any evidence of FRUIT in your life? Or is there just a façade of activity, with no fruit? Which do you prefer to have? Remember, Jesus is LOOKING for FRUIT! But He isn’t just LOOKING for FRUIT, because Jesus was also passionate about something else.
Mark 11:15-16, Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.
Now, don’t misunderstand this to be an event where Jesus just went “crazy” and needlessly got angry and lost it. This moment was so much more than that!
1. Understand this… I am sure that this whole thing with selling items at the Temple started out innocently enough. There to meet a need for those who were traveling from far away or to provide a suitable sacrifice for those who didn’t have one. A place to exchange their currency for their Temple tax and such. But like anything that is left unchecked, it can spin out of control. Which is just what Jesus noticed has happened!
2. The other problem was that this “business” was taking place in the Court of the Gentiles. The place where any non-Jew would gather into the Temple. But, they re-purposed the room and crowded out anyone from coming in!
The problem here? This “business” crowded Jesus right out of His rightful place!
Yet…
POINT THREE: JESUS IS LOOKING FOR ROOM!
And if we are honest with ourselves, there are times we have allowed our “business” to crowd Jesus out of His rightful place in us to do the work in us that only He can do! Our hobbies, habits or addictions…
Are there things in your life that have been left unchecked? Items that have crowded out Jesus’ rightful place in you? If you have to answer “yes” to that, then you have to PULL THE PLUG on those things! Turn the tables over and give Jesus His place of honor in your life!
Exodus 20:3 tells us, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The very first of 10 Commandments reminds us that we have to maintain the proper ROOM and place for God in our lives. Not “just enough” ROOM, but the very best and first place ROOM! The challenge in this is that everything else in our lives is fighting for that same ROOM in our lives. That being the case, there are times that we need to take inventory of our hearts and “turn some tables over” ourselves and PULL THE PLUG on the things that squeeze Jesus out of our hearts!
Can you think of something that is taking more ROOM than it should in your life? Are you prepared to PULL THE PLUG on it?!
As you think about it, I don’t want you to minimize the issue either. Jesus saw this dilemma to be so big, that He was willing to bring the events of the Temple to a complete halt! Jesus stopped the people from milling about. He turned over their tables and PULLED THE PLUG on their business. He kicked people out of the place that belong to others. And He wouldn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple. Essentially ALL sacrifices came to end!
Which reminds us of a very important verse that we see a few times through the Scriptures. In I Samuel 15:22 it reads, Samuel said, “Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” Jesus makes this a reality when He brings this travesty happening in the Temple to an end so that the business of the Temple could be re-calibrated and brought back into perspective! To give worship to God!
Friends, there are times in our lives, we need Jesus to stand up in the middle of all the activity we have and PULL THE PLUG on it so we can give Jesus the ROOM He deserves in our lives!
Remember, just like the people that day did, that Jesus has zeal for His Father’s House! -Psalm 69:9 Likewise, He has zeal for your life now, the Living Temple of God.
So, this Palm Sunday and always, remember that Jesus is always LOOKING. He is looking into our lives and knows all things. And what He desires to see when He LOOKS are… 1. FRUIT from your life! 2. ROOM for Him to move!
Now, as I said earlier, these two events, though they are different, are very much related to each other. It is said that the fig tree represented the Nation of Israel nationally, FRUITLESS. And the cleansing of the Temple spoke to the Nation Spiritually, no ROOM for God. Honestly, each of us have had moments like these ourselves.
But, Jesus “cuts to the chase” about all this and does something that is necessary for all of us. In Mark 11:17-18, Jesus begins to teach them… And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” 18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
Because while the “thieves” may feel protected and safe in this environment. The Temple is supposed to be a place of prayer, that is the purpose of that creation, not what they have made it out to be!
Jesus was reminding them of their ROOTS. And Jesus reminds us to also…
POINT FOUR: LOOK AT YOUR ROOTS!
To understand, for what purpose were you made. To fulfill the best God has for you. To make ROOM for God and bear FRUIT!
Think back to the fig tree for a moment. Mark 11:20-21, As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”
The ROOTS. ROOTS are the secret place of the tree. They are in a place that no one sees. And the same goes for you and me. There are those places in us that no one sees, but they have so much impact on who we are. They represent the motives we have and the character that reside in us.
How do your ROOTS look? Are they dry and weary? Could they be diseased and withering away? If so, it may not appear above the surface for a season, but it will show up! Just like it did in that fig tree.
Maybe you are sitting here right now, and you are like the people on Palm Sunday. Right now, you are celebrating the greatness of Christ! But soon, you will be shouting “crucify Him!” and will have forgotten these moments here and now. But, it doesn’t have to be that way! In fact, you can change and take control of the EMPTINESS in your life and PULL THE PLUG on those areas of your life that crowd Jesus out and hinder your fruitfulness for Him!
ILLUSTRATION:
Most of us have heard the worship song, “The Heart Of Worship.”
It has an interesting story behind it… In a time when worship was becoming more and more powerful in his Church and it was increasing in quality and response from the people. Matt Redman saw something change because his Pastor made a big decision to “PULL THE PLUG” on it all!
Matt Redman describes… He was one of the first to admit the danger of getting caught up in the quality of sound - the desire to be pleasing to more than simply the ear of God. Several years back, his Church was on the forefront of modern worship, but the pastor sensed that in all the excellence of craft, there was a heart of praise missing from their gathered worship.
“The pastor of our church, Mike, did a brave thing,” Redman recalls, “we stopped using the PA system and projectors, packed away our instruments for a while and gathered in an adjoining room with nothing but our voices and Bibles - and, of course, our hearts. This led us into a whole new season. We stripped away anything associated with style, preference, or performance, and there was a real sense of discovering ‘the heart of worship’ again.”
Matt Redman’s song, “The Heart of Worship,” describes what happened:
When the music fades, All is stripped away.
And I simply come;
Longing just to bring something that’s of worth,
That will bless Your heart.
Redman continues. “It was a song written out of witnessing what God was doing with our worshiping community. As a Church family we’d always given lots of time to responding to God through song. However, we’d lost something of the sense of bringing an offering.” Instead, a sense of consumerism had seeped in. Songs and style and personal volume preferences and so on had crept far too high up the ladder - we’d lost the dynamic of worship being ‘the all-consuming response to the all-deserving revelation of God.’”
In his book The Unquenchable Worshipper, Redman writes, “After a while, the worship band and the sound system reappeared, but now it was different. The songs of our hearts had caught up with the songs of our lips.”
AS WE CLOSE:
I can’t help but think Church, What is the missing dynamic of our worship service? What dynamic of our lives has been lost?
For many Believers, no matter how sincere we are, we have lost our FRUITFULNESS for the Lord because we have made no ROOM for God! So, we are missing the most important DYNAMIC of our lives that brings us the life we really want – JESUS!
Friends, for as “full” as your life might feel, you are still EMPTY without Jesus.
The people shouted “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday, but still missed the point of Jesus. The fig tree had the appearance of FRUIT, but there was none to be found. And the Temple had lots of activity, but still made no ROOM for Jesus. Let’s NOT repeat that history in our lives!
My challenge to you this morning is to EMPTY yourselves and make ROOM for Jesus today! When you do, you will begin to see the FRUIT that you desire to bear for Christ! And He desires from you!
PULL THE PLUG on the useless things in your life so Christ has the priority and the glory!!!
ALTAR CALL:
Salvation…
Make ROOM for Jesus in your life!
Time to bear FRUIT for Christ!
Allow the Lord to heal the condition of your ROOTS!
SONG:
The Heart of Worship
