CHALLENGES To/For PUBLIC WORSHIP-II—John 2:12-25
DYNAMICS Of PUBLIC WORSHIP
Attention:
Legend of ‘FB’s BBQ & Grill’—
The local Southern Baptist Church(First Baptist) needed to pay off their long-standing indebtedness. The leadership, losing their patience, decided they needed to ‘go public’ as it were, & held a public BBQ. It was a huge success! In fact it was so successful that they began having a yearly BBQ contest which continued to grow exponentially every year. Their debt was quickly paid off & they even began to have surplus money available for the first time since anyone could remember! The growth compelled them to build a series of buildings specifically for the contest. The BBQ eventually came unto its own, with the church fading entirely out of the picture, & the business calling itself, ‘The First Baptist BBQ & Grill,’ later shortened to ‘FB’s BBQ & Grill.’
The Church can be tempted toward many directions regarding the manner & message of its Public Worship. There are real Challenges to bringing about Public Worship!...There are dynamics which, if we deny, will keep our church & the public from being able to fully worship in s(S)pirit & truth!
Need:
Disappointment with your worship experience.
Restoring Propriety/Precedence to Worship
Jesus made it plain that the temple worship had become tainted with improprieties.
Public Worship is to be free from impropriety.
OR
There is to be consonance(agreeability with God) in public worship.
What is consonant with/to public worship?
When is public worship consonant(agreeable/harmonious)?
Some challenges to (consonant)public worship.
Previously we have found a Challenge to (harmonious)public worship is its...
1. OCCASION(:13)
Furthermore...
2—A challenge to (harmonious)public worship is its...
INVITATION(:13-14)
Explanation:(:13-14)Potential
:13—“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, & Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”
:14—“And He found in the temple those who sold oxen & sheep & doves, & the moneychangers doing business.”
Jesus entered the temple grounds. ‘Possibly’...in the Court of the Gentiles, businessmen were selling oxen & sheep & doves for sacrifice, presumably unblemished & without spot.
The sale of these animals was(or rather began as) a true service to travelers. Rather than travel with herds of animals which could be injured on the way—& thus possibly be rejected as an inappropriate sacrifice—it was more feasible to carry currency which would be exchanged for the corresponding appropriate currency required for use at the temple.
There were along with the “sellers” of sacrificial animals, people set up within the temple who would exchange one’s foreign currency for that required for use in the temple. Currency representative of a pagan nation would be an affront to God’s holiness.
Mt. 22:15-22—Then the Pharisees went & plotted how they might entangle Him[Jesus] in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, & teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus perceived their wickedness, & said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image & inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, & to God the things that are God’s.” When they had heard these words, they marveled, & left Him & went their way.”
“In the court of the Gentiles in the temple of Jerusalem were the seats of those who sold such animals for sacrifice as had been selected, examined, & approved, together with incense, oil, & other things needed in making offerings & in worship; & the magnitude of this traffic had introduced the banker's or broker’s business.”—Thayer
*Worship’s Invitation is to honor God!...In the midst of a world that is far too comfortable & careless with God, even to the point of discrediting, or even discarding God.
“Found”—euriskw—2Aorist Active Indicative—1) To come upon, hit upon, to meet with; 2) To find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice & experience; 3) To find out for one's self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary eurw; which(together with another cognate form eurew) is used for it in all the tenses except the present & imperfect; To find(literally or figuratively).
“In”—en—
“Temple”—ieron—1) A sacred place, temple. The temple of Jerusalem consisted of the whole of the sacred enclosure, embracing the entire aggregate of buildings, balconies, porticos, courts (that is that of the men of Israel, that of the women, & that of the priests), belonging to the temple;.... Also there were the courts where Jesus or the apostles taught or encountered adversaries, & the like, "in the temple"; also the courts of the temple, of the Gentiles &/or court of the women, out of which Jesus drove the buyers & sellers & the money changers,. Ierov means sacred, implying some special relation to God, so that it may not be violated. This is the commonest word for holy in classical Greek, & expresses their usual conception of holiness, but it is rare in the N.T. because it fails to express the fullness of the N.T. conception. Strong—A sacred place, i.e. The entire precincts(whereas naov denotes the central sanctuary itself) of the Temple (at Jerusalem or elsewhere).
“Sold”(See :16)—pwlew—1) To barter, to sell; 2) Sellers. Strong—probably ultimately from pelomai(to be busy, to trade); To barter (as a pedlar), i.e. To sell.
“Oxen”—bouv—1) An ox, a cow. Strong—An ox (as grazing), i.e. An animal of that species (“beef”).
“Sheep”—probaton—1) Any four footed, tame animal accustomed to graze, small cattle(opposed to large cattle, horses, etc.), Most commonly a sheep or a goat—1a) A sheep, & so always in the NT. Strong—Something that walks forward (a quadruped), i.e. specifically--A sheep(literally or figuratively).
“Doves”(See :16)—peristera—1) A dove. Strong—of uncertain derivation; A pigeon.
“Money changers”(See :15—kollubisthv)—kermatisthv—1) A money changer, money broker. Strong—from a derivative of kerma[A clipping(bit), i.e. specially--A coin]; A handler of coins, i.e. Money-broker. Used 1X.
“Doing business/Seated”—kayhmai—1) To sit down, seat one's self; 2) To sit, be seated, of a place occupied—2a) To have a fixed abode, to dwell. Strong—To sit down; figuratively--To remain, reside.
Argumentation:
2Cor. 6:11-7:1—“O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open. Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons & daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
?Why would we choose to be like the world?
Isa. 55:1-7—“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy & eat. Yes, come, buy wine & milk Without money & without price. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, & eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear, & come to Me. Hear, & your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you-- The sure mercies of David. Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader & commander for the people. Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the LORD your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
Rev. 22:8-21—“Now I, John, saw & heard these things. And when I heard & saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, & of your brethren the prophets, & of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” “And behold, I am coming quickly, & My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning & the End, the First & the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, & may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs & sorcerers & sexually immoral & murderers & idolaters, & whoever loves & practices a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root & the Offspring of David, the Bright & Morning Star.” And the Spirit & the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; & if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, & from the things which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
**1Cor. 14:40—“Let all things be done decently & in order.”
Illustration:
Imagine our church with advertising out front for commodities like ‘Billy Bob’s’ Billy Goat Farm or Barber’s Seafood & financial institutions such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America or Centennial Bank setting up shop at our front door! Would that not be a conflict of interest?/Would such a scenario negatively effect our worship?
*In fact if you look at a 1952 bulletin for FBCC, you will find a page of 16 business listings from those who “make this bulletin possible.” And the congregation is asked by the pastor to “Patronize them & tell them that you saw their ad in our bulletin.”
Likewise, the way we accept funds for use by the church is within the guidelines determined thru harmony with the Spirit & the word of God.
?What is our INVITATION to Carrabelle, etc.?...
... To a business venture, or something other than God’s desire, OR to Jesus?
Application:
?What Harmony comes thru your/our INVITATION for Public Worship?
?Does your INVITATION present a righteous or an unrighteous challenge to/for Public Worship?
?Our Church a challenge to, or an advocate of, Harmonious Public Worship?
3—A challenge to (harmonious)public worship is its...
PROTECTION(:15)
Explanation:(:15)Anger-ation
:15—“When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep & the oxen, & poured out the changers’ money & overturned the tables.”
Jesus made a scourge(“whip”) of cords. He used the scourge to chase the merchants & moneychangers out of the temple grounds or precinct(ieron).
He also chased the animals out.
Jesus dumped out the money which was in the moneychanger’s possession & then turned the tables over, that they were using in their transactions.
Jesus was exceedingly angry. ?What makes you angry?
Mal. 3:1-3—“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner & a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold & silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.”
“Made”(See :16)—poiew—1)To make; 2)To do.
“Whip/Scourge”—fragellion—1) A scourge or whip. Strong—A whip, i.e. Roman lash as a public punishment.
Latin=‘flagellum’—RWP
“Cords”—scoinion—1) A cord or rope made of rushes; 2) A rope. Strong—diminutive of scoinov(a rush or flag-plant; of uncertain derivation); A rushlet, i.e. Grass-withe or tie (generally). RWP—Scoiniwn is a diminutive of scoinov(a rush), old word for rope, in N.T. only here & Ac 27:32. Used 2X.
“Drove...out”—ekballw—1) To cast out, drive out, to send out(with or without the notion of violence). Strong—To eject(literally or figuratively).
“All”—pav—
“Temple”(See :14)—ieron—
“Poured out”—ekcew—1) To pour out, shed forth; 2) metaph.--To bestow or distribute largely. Strong—from ek; & cew(to pour); To pour forth; figuratively--To bestow.
“Changer’s/Money changers”(See :14—kermatisthv)—kollubisthv—1) A money-changer, banker. Strong—from a presumed derivative of kollubov (a small coin; probably akin to kollourion); A coin-dealer.
“Money/Coins”—kerma—1) Small pieces of money, small coin, change, money. Strong—A clipping (bit), i.e. specially--A coin. Used 1X.
“Overturned”—anastrefw—1) To turn upside down, overturn; 2) To turn back; 3) To turn hither & thither, to turn one's self about, sojourn dwell in a place; 4) metaph.--To conduct one's self, behave one's self, live. Strong—To overturn; also--To return; by implication--To busy oneself, i.e. Remain, live. Used 11X.
“Tables”—trapeza—1) A table; 2) The table or stand of a money changer, where he sits, exchanging different kinds of money for a fee (agio), & paying back with interest loans or deposits. Strong—A table or stool(as being four-legged), usually for food(figuratively--A meal); also--A counter for money(figuratively--A broker's office for loans at interest).
Argumentation:
Oswald Chambers—“Continually restate to yourself what the purpose of your life is. The destined end of man is not happiness, nor health, but holiness.”
Ps. 69:5-18—“O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You. Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children; Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. When I wept & chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach. I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards. But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, Hear me in the truth of Your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, And let me not sink; Let me be delivered from those who hate me, And out of the deep waters. Let not the floodwater overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth on me. Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily. Draw near to my soul, & redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.”
1Kgs. 18:17-40—“Then it happened, when Ahab[the king] saw Elijah[the prophet], that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you & your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD & have followed the Baals. “Now therefore, send & gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred & fifty prophets of Baal, & the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, & gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, & said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred & fifty men. “Therefore let them give us two bulls; & let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, & lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it; & I will prepare the other bull, & lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of your gods, & I will call on the name of the LORD; & the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered & said, “It is well spoken.” Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves & prepare it first, for you are many; & call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” So they took the bull which was given them, & they prepared it, & called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, “O Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them & said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping & must be awakened.” So they cried aloud, & cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives & lances, until the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; & he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, & laid it on the wood, & said, “Fill four waterpots with water, & pour it on the burnt sacrifice & on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” & they did it a second time; & he said, “Do it a third time,” & they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; & he also filled the trench with water. And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near & said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, & Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel & I am Your servant, & that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, & that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell & consumed the burnt sacrifice, & the wood & the stones & the dust, & it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; & they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; & Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon & executed them there.”
Php. 3:1-3—“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh,”
1Pet. 4:12-19—“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory & of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; & if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly & the sinner appear?” Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”
1Pet. 3:8-17—“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil & do good; Let him seek peace & pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, & always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness & fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
2Cor. 10:1-6—“Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness & gentleness of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, & being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Mat. 13:1-9, 18-23—On the same day Jesus went out of the house & sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat & sat; & the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; & the birds came & devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; & they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, & because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them. But others fell on good ground & yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”.....“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, & does not understand it, then the wicked one comes & snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word & immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Is God’s word important enough for you to seek its Protection?
Why? or Why Not?
**Eph. 6:10-20—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints--& for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Isa. 26:3, 4—“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”
Stand firm in your faith, it is worth protecting!
Illustration:
One area of disharmony among some Churches is music style. We can get all ‘out of sorts’ about the music.
The style of the music becomes the god of the church—either the traditional ‘god’ or the contemporary ‘god’/We can protect our ‘little g’-‘god’ at all costs...making everybody miserable, causing misgivings, discontentment & eventually splits, None of which are harmonious with worship of God...OR....We can go with the flow of God’s anointing & gifting of individuals, allowing them to lead as they can!/PROTECTION
Is your Christian way of life worth Protecting?
Application:
?What Harmony comes thru your/our PROTECTION for Public Worship?
?Does your PROTECTION present a righteous or an unrighteous challenge to/for Public Worship?
?Our Church a challenge to, or an advocate of, Harmonious Public Worship?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
FB’s BBQ & Grill
Action:
Challenges to (harmonious)public worship are its...
2. INVITATION(:13-14)
3. PROTECTION(:15)
1. OCCASION(:13)
Pts. 2-3 presented 10/04/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(SE Ave A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
