RESTORING CONSISTENCY—Mark 11:15-18
Restoring consistency/harmony to a place of worship.
Jesus demonstrated the need for consistency regarding the Temple & its services.
All aspects surrounding worship must be consistent.
What consistencies are to characterize God’s place of worship?
4 expressions of consistency for God’s place of worship.
1—Restoring consistency to worship requires...
Conformity to Preparation(:15) Marketing/Obligations
—Explanation/Argumentation:(:15)
“And they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple & began to cast out those who were buying & selling in the temple, & overturned the tables of the moneychangers & the seats of those who were selling doves;”
a. “Buying & Selling”—Sheep, Oxen
Jn. 2:14—“And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen & sheep & doves, & the moneychangers seated.”
b. “Moneychangers”—
Deut. 14:24-26—““And if the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you, then you shall exchange it for money, & bind the money in your hand & go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. “And you may spend the money for whatever your heart desires, for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; & there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God & rejoice, you & your household.”
Exchange foreign money for the “Shekel of the Sanctuary”—True, honest & standard weight.
c. “Selling Doves”—Sacrificial animals for women & the poor.
Lev. 5:5-7—“ ‘So it shall be when he becomes guilty in one of these, that he shall confess that in which he has sinned. ‘He shall also bring his guilt offering to the LORD for his sin which he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf for his sin. ‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the LORD his guilt offering for that in which he has sinned, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a sin offering & the other for a burnt offering.”
These should all have been taken care of prior to entrance to the Court of the Gentiles.
1Kgs. 6:7—“And the house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, & there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built.”—
*Preparation—Consideration for the sanctity/holiness/character/ sacredness of the sanctuary.
—Illustration:
Cook Fish/Gut & clean fish elsewhere/Fillets only brought into grease or grill/PREPARATION
To Work/Transportation—On time—Uniform on—Frame of mind/PREPARATION before get there
—Application:
?God’s place of worship must uphold a respect for PREPARATION to meet God?
?Are you prepared for this Easter Celebration/Holiday?
2—Restoring consistency to worship requires...
Conformity to PRESENCE(:16)
—Explanation:(:16) Focus
“....& He would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple.”
Transport
Inconsequential building
The Temple grounds were not intended to be taken so lightly as to use them as a crossroads/go-between/conduit for trading goods. The focus thus being upon the business/profit rather than worship. This would be a derailment of its holiness & relationship with God. Thus Jesus Himself stood against any who would abuse the Temple in such a manner.
God met with Moses & the High Priest in the Holy of Holies at the mercy seat—Ex. 25:17-22—““And you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two & a half cubits long & one & a half cubits wide. “And you shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. “And make one cherub at one end & one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. “And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings & facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat. “And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, & in the ark you shall put the testimony which I shall give to you. “And there I will meet with you; & from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.”
*Presence—Consideration for the sanctity/holiness/character/ sacredness of the sanctuary.
—Argumentation:
2Chr. 7:12-16—“Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night & said to him, “I have heard your prayer, & have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, & My people who are called by My name humble themselves & pray, & seek My face & turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, & will heal their land. “Now My eyes shall be open & My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. “For now I have chosen & consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, & My eyes & My heart will be there perpetually.”
—Illustration:
Our mini-van/Driving/Swamps beautiful places/Tendency to slow down & drink in their beauty/Bur I don’t drive into them/Must Conform my driving to their PRESENCE!
Pine Cones in yard/Barefooted/My steps Conform to Cone’s PRESENCE
—Application:
?God’s place of worship must uphold a respect for God’s PRESENCE?
?Are you prepared for this Easter Celebration/Holiday?
3—Restoring consistency to worship requires...
Conformity to PURPOSE(:17)
—Explanation/Argumentation:(:17) Communion/Mediation
“And He began to teach & 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.””
“House of Prayer”—
Quoted from Isa. 56:4-7—“4 For thus says the LORD, “To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 To them I will give in My house & within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons & daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. 6 “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, & to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath, And holds fast My covenant; 7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings & their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.””
“house of prayer”—hlpt(t@phillah)—From llp(palal) —Meaning to to intervene, interpose, pray, mediate, judge, intercede.
One major character of the Temple is to carry a strong sense of intercession/mediation & thus communion with God.
“For all the nations”—All who sincerely/earnestly & rightly call upon the God of the Bible.
—Illustration:
Rifle/Intended for hunting & protection/Misused as murder weapon/Conform to PURPOSE
Cell Phone/Intent for Communication between family members/Abused as gossip tool/Conformity to PURPOSE
—Application:
?God’s place of worship must uphold a proper respect for God’s PURPOSE?
?Are you prepared for this Easter Celebration/Holiday?
4—Restoring consistency to worship requires...
Conformity to THE LORD(:18)
—Explanation:(:18) Authority/Prophet—Priest—King(Lord)
“And the chief priests & the scribes heard this, & began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for all the multitude was astonished at His teaching.”
“the chief priests & the scribes...began seeking how to destroy Him”
Mal. 2:7—““For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, & men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”
“Astonished”—Never heard this before. Priests & scribes had failed & were personally responsible.
—Argumentation:
Zech. 9:9; Mat. 21:5—““Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just & having salvation, Lowly & riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”.....““Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, & sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’””
—Illustration:
Fire Truck/Authority over existing traffic laws/Don’t cross path—they have right-of-way!/Conformity to ‘LORD’ needed
IRS/Tax time-Apr. 15th/Can’t be slack/Non-Conformity means audits—black-balled—distress/Conformity to ‘LORD’ is needed
MD’s/On call at Grady General/Submit to Grady’s authority/Conformity to ‘LORD’
—Application:
?God’s place of worship must must uphold a respect for God’s SON?
?Are you prepared for this Easter Celebration/Holiday?
Take this one step further...
1Cor. 6:19-20—“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? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
The respect shown the OT Temple & the Church Building & grounds, foreshadows the respect due the Temple of the Holy Spirit—Your body.
—CONCLUSION—
Action:
Restoring consistency/harmony to worship requires a conformity to...
PREPARATION(:15)
PRESENCE(:16)
PURPOSE(:17)
THE LORD(:18)
Presented 03/24/02am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
Presented 03/26/02am to:
Cairo City Holy Week Services
At: Eastside Baptist Church
404 5th St, NE
Cairo, GA 31728
