1. Personal Devotion
A man walked up to a vending machine, put in a coin, pressed the buttons labeled, "coffee, double cream, sugar." No cup appeared, but the nozzles went into action sending forth coffee, cream and sugar. After the proper amounts had gone down the drain, the machine turned off. "Now that's real automation," said the man. "This thing even drinks it for you." That is just how some people want their faith. They want to make a deposit of some money and let the rest take care of itself automatically. But, there is no such thing as automated prayers or worship. Following Jesus requires personal devotion.
2. Jesus Demonstrated his devotion to his Father in numerous ways such as Mark 11.15-19
Cleansing the temple is in all four gospels: Matthew 21.13; Mark 11.17; Luke 19.46; John 2.13-17 (either John puts it in early or Jesus does this twice) -- made a whip
3. This seems out of place for Jesus -- "meek and lowly," "Good Shepherd," etc.
I. Purpose in the House
A. The Place of Meeting [Tabernacle and then Temple
1. The Place God Chose to Live
2. The Place God Chose for Prayer
Exodus 25.22 22 There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.
3. Hezekiah; Jehoshaphat turned to God in the temple when threatened -- prayers and answers
B. The People of the House -- Belonged there
1. Those selling the animals -- needed for sacrifices; difficult to transport animals for great distances -- may become blemished; Sadducees kept the flocks near Bethlehem to sell for temple sacrifices
2. Money changers
a. Temple Tax; Had to use Jewish coins
b. Changed money with high profits
C. The Problems in the House
1. Set up business in the Court of the Gentiles instead of the SW corner of the temple mount
2. They gouged the people with high prices [In times of Hurricane Andrew -- [Merchants raised prices on bottled water
3. Jesus used his presence and authority to cast them out
4. Remember the WHY we do God's work, not just the WHAT; why do you do what you do as a Christian; even attending worship right now? We can do right things for wrong reasons --
5. The people Jesus cast out of the temple were in the right place doing right things for wrong reasons -- they were in the temple but not in the spirit of the temple; supposed to help people into God's presence but out of sync with him -- businessmen, not worshipers
D. The Property Owner
1. Jesus' reminder to the people -- this is not your house, it is my Father's house (Luke 2); my Father's house is to be run my Father's way -- not your way
2. Application -- this is not your church/my church -- it belongs to Christ/God; don't run it your/my way -- God's way
a. I am afraid we have so taken over the church that we have driven God out -- certainly true in our country, once founded on God's teachings now we are without him -- church, too
b. We have adopted business practices for church -- and have become marketers/salesmen of what is holy -- 2 Corinthians 2.17
17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
c. What is the answer to the dilemma?
II. Prayer in the House (for the nations) -- Isaiah 56.7
A Key Characteristic of Christian Worship is to be the Aroma of Prayer
A. The aroma of prayer must permeate us and our gatherings -- Preaching, yes but NOT house of preaching; songs yes, not house of singing
B. Have you noticed that the church was not born in the preaching, but in Prayer?
1. Acts 2 preaching and 3000 saved but the beginning of the church was with the 120 in a room, praying and waiting on God -- Acts 1.14-15
14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120)
2. Acts 4 -- arrest of Peter and John -- went back to prayer meeting -- "give us boldness" -- place shook; given HS and spoke in boldness
3. Throughout the book of Acts their instinct was to always prayer -- afraid; intimidated; persecuted; challenged; 1 Thessalonians 5.17)
C. Precious to God -- Revelation 5.8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
[Have you ever received a gift, mail or email from someone you loved and continually used it/read and reread it? God holds our prayers and replays them because he LOVES hearing from us!
III. The Progress in the House Declined
A. Original View of Church Acts 2.42-47 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
B. Our Revised View of Church:
1. One hour of Sunday AM worship/week = "Church" -- not so
We try gimmicks of all kinds to make church easy and convenient because people are busy with important things [My try out in a congregation in MO -- "Don't preach over 30 minutes, people have things to do."
2. Christian fantasy:
* God did some things in the past -- will do some things in the future but we live life and let it pass by without God doing anything?
* Frankly, I am tired of that fantasy --
o I am ready for God to act out of his power; I am ready to put him to the test and see if he answers the prayers we send up -- like he promised;
o I am ready to give him glory and credit for all that he does;
o I am ready to be nothing so that he can be everything
o The worst epitaph on a tombstone: "You have not b/c you ask not."
3. God has chosen prayer to be the one conductor/channel for our blessings
a. Prayer is not a control issue for God -- "Pray b/c I said it." [ACSR Lectureship Open Forum -- Why do we pray? B/c God said to. He won't do anything when we pray; he just wants to see our faithfulness."
b. God wants us to pray b/c HE wants US and wants to bless us!
c. God says to call on him and he will answer, he just wants the opportunity -- Jeremiah 33.3 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
4. Greatest thing we can learn is to pray (disciples' request)
1. God is making us into people of prayer -- he orders our lives so that we see we need him
2. A Powerful Promise -- Hebrews 4.16
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
* Not come to the sermon -- Protestants have made the sermon the centerpiece, God never did -- HE is the centerpiece
* My job is to bring us to the throne of grace through preaching and prayer, where we can obtain mercy in times of need
* Not come to sing -- singing is good, but it needs us to bring the throne of grace, not mere emotion
3. The answer for the dilemmas we face as a church is not in methodology, new and improved marketing efforts
* How often do we make our plans and ask God to bless our mess?
["If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."
* The answer is in the power and grace of God and that comes through prayer
* [We have ego issues and church work is important work so we get entangled in who gets credit/glory for things that happen in our congregation; I like it when you say, "That was a good sermon." I should like it more if you would say, "GOD is good!"
