Flipping Tables
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Welcome to Insights. This is Pastor
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John. Today we're going to be talking
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about flipping tables.
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So, let's pray. Heavenly Father, we just
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thank you for an opportunity to look at
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your word, to
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open our hearts and spirits to receive
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from you instruction and wisdom. Help us
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Lord to be good stewards with your word
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and to do the things we need to do Lord
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to honor you. In Jesus name we pray.
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Amen. So
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we we all are familiar with
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Jesus going and cleansing the temple
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after the triumphal entry. But
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he actually did this twice. And I want
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to look at both instances and tie this
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all together for you so you have a a
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much clearer understanding
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of why he flipped the tables and what it
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means to us today. So the first time he
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flipped the tables is at the beginning
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of his ministry
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and it takes place 3 years before his
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crucifixion.
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And if you go into the Gospel of John
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and uh
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uh chapter 2,
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this takes place right after Jesus has
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come back from the wilderness. He begins
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to call disciples.
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He calls John and Andrew and Peter and
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James
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and Nathaniel.
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And then uh as as he's he starts his
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ministry going and preaching in the
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local synagogues, he hasn't gone up to
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the temple yet. He hasn't presented
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himself in Jerusalem. He hasn't publicly
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proclaimed his ministry. He's just
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working in Galilee at this time. And
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so to truly understand the first thing
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that happens is after he started calling
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his disciples,
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he gets called to the wedding in Canaa
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of Galilee and uh his mother's there,
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his brethren are there and Jesus comes
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with his disciples
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and Mary goes and asks tells him that uh
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she wants she wants them to provide wine
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for the for the wedding feast. And
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Jesus' response to her was, "Woman, what
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have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not
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yet come."
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And then his mother tells him, tells the
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servants at the wedding, do whatever he
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tells you. Now, the first thing that
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happens here is the fact that we
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understand that Jesus is all man. He's
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all God. But he also honored and
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fulfilled
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the law. And one part of the law was to
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honor your father and mother and to
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honor God. So in obedience to the word,
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Jesus to the scriptures and to the law,
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Jesus goes ahead and he performs this
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miracle. This miracle
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uh
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he precedes anything else that he's
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going to do as far as his ministry goes.
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And it's the beginning of the miracles
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that he performs.
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And uh in verse 11 it says, "This
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beginning of miracles did Jesus in Canaa
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of Galilee and manifested forth his
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glory and his disciples believed on
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him." And as we're looking through this,
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the very next thing is where we're going
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to go. In verse 12, it says, "And after
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this, he went down to Capernaum, he and
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his mother and his brethren and his
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disciples, and they continued there not
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many days.
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And the Jews Passover was at hand. And
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Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now he's
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performed the miracle of turning water
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into wine in Galilee. He goes to
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Capernaum.
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He does many miracles there. His mother
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and his his brothers and sisters and his
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disciples are all with him. And then he
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goes from there. He goes to Jerusalem.
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And this is where we're picking up in
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verse 14. It says, "And found in the
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temple those that sold oxen and sheep
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and doves and the changers of money
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sitting. And when he had made a scourge
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of small cords, he drove them all out of
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the temple and the sheep and the oxen,
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and poured out the changers money, and
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overthrew the tables,
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and said unto them that sold doves, take
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these things hence, make not my father's
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house a house of merchandise." And his
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disciples remembered that it was
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written, "The zeal of thine house hath
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eaten me up." Then Jesus answered the
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Jews, and said unto him, "What sign
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showest thou unto us, seeing that thou
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doest these things?" And Jesus answered
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and said unto them, "Destroy this
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temple, and in three days I will raise
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it up."
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Then said to Jews, 40 and six years was
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this temple and building, and wilt thou
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rear it up in three days? But he spake
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of the temple of his body. Now grab get
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this. This is three years before his
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crucifixion. And he's telling them three
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years ahead of time, I'm going to be
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back and I'm going to die. And three
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days later, I'm going to raise from I'm
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going to raise up from the dead. And
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then therefore he was risen. When
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therefore he was risen from the dead,
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his disciples remembered that he had
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said this unto them and they believed
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the scripture and the word which Jesus
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had said.
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Now when he was in Jerusalem at the
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Passover in the feast day, many believed
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in his name, when they saw the miracles
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which he did.
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But Jesus did not commit himself unto
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them because he knew all men,
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and needed not that any should testify
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of men, for he knew what was in man. So
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Jesus begins his public ministry the
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same way he ends his public ministry, by
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the way. and uh
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he goes in and he's wants he's he's
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showing them how to restore temple
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worship to what it should be. And that's
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what we're looking at. That's the reason
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he flipped the tables. So
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Jesus cleansing the temple, it's a
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profound act that underscored some
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several things about Jesus. It
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underscores his authority. He had all
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authority over the temple. the sanctity
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of worship as it should be and the need
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for purity and religious practices. Now
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remember why the money changers and and
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those that sold sacrifices are there and
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where they're at. They're in the they're
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in the court of the Gentiles. They're
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outside the beautiful gate. Jesus comes
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in to go into the temple and these
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people are they're exchanging money. And
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if you don't know about the money
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changers, what they did was it was a
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temple currency at that time. So if you
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didn't have
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if you didn't have an offering of wheat
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or any of these other things that they
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had, you could use a substitutionary
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offering of temple currency. And so the
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money changers were there because people
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were coming for the Passover and they
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were coming from all different countries
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and they would exchange the currency
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they had for temple currency and then
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give an offering on their way into the
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temple. That's why the money changers
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were there.
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And then for people who weren't farmers
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and who needed to to provide peace
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offerings and different offerings
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uh so that the high priest could and the
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priests could make their offerings for
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them. People who sold the oxen, the
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sheep and the doves were sitting there
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also. And what got Jesus uh and the
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reason he did this is because they were
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doing it in the temple. They weren't
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doing it outside the temple. They were
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in the temple and in and it defiled
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the purpose of the temple. And I want
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you to keep something else in mind at
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this time. All right? The Holy of Holies
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was separated from the rest of the
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temple by the temple veil.
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only one person could enter into there
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and it was the high priest and he could
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only go in once a year and when he took
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in the sin offering for Israel
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the rest of the time they never went
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behind the veil.
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And so
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the first thing Jesus does in this
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process is he's establishing the
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sanctity of worship. Stop and think
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about this.
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When you go to church,
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what is the first thing you do?
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Are you going there? Do you enter into
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church? Do you go into the sanctuary and
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pray before service starts? or are you
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out in the foyer of the church
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uh
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with
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not having your mind on God, but yet
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you're there having fellowship with
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other believers. And so when Jesus goes
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in and cleanse the temple, he restores
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its intended purpose as a house of
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prayer
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by driving out the merchants and money
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changers. He condemned the
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commercialization of worship
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emphasizing that the temple should be a
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sacred space dedicated to God rather
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than a marketplace for profit. And this
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act was a direct challenge to the
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corrupt practices that had infiltrated
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the temple where the focus had shifted
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from genuine worship to financial gain.
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That was the first reason he that's why
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he he dumped out their money, flipped
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the tables, and drove the animals out is
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because God's house, what where we go,
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where we meet, where we congregate
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is supposed to be a place dedicated to
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pray, prayer, praise, and worship and
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hearing the word of God. And so the
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first thing he does is he drives these
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people out who have commercialized the
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worship in the church.
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The second reason he did that was to
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demonstrate that he had divine authority
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even over the temple and by taking a
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decisive action like he did he asserted
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his role as the messiah and the rightful
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authority over the temple. It's this is
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uh is recorded in all four gospels
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highlighting its importance in Jesus
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ministry and his mission to confront and
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correct the abuses within the religious
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system of his time.
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And if you stop and pray about it and
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you truly think about it, we've done the
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same thing today. Churches are no longer
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places of sacred worship. They're no
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longer places where we go to recognize
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who Jesus is. 99% of the time when you
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come in, you're it's a house of
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merchandise. We walk in, we've got
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t-shirts for sale, we got clothes for
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sale, we got books for sale, we've got
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all these kind of things, but there's no
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call to prayer. There's no call to
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action. People come in, they congregate,
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they get their their lattes and and
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their caramel macchiatoos and they're
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standing in the foyer of the church and
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they're drinking coffee and and they're
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having snacks and it's basically a
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social club.
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And I know this might offend a lot of
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people, but that's not why you go to
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church. It's not a social club. It's a
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place you go to show reverence to God.
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And if if we're our focus is not on God,
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it's not on Jesus, it's not on the word,
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it's not on prayer, praise, and worship,
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then we have a deficit. And we need to
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correct that.
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The other thing that Jesus did by going
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in and flipping the tables is he called
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people to righteousness
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by confronting the greed and
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exploitation present in the temple. He
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challenged the religious leaders and the
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people to examine their own practices
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and motivations. Why are you going to
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church?
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And this cleansing serves as a reminder
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for Christians to maintain purity in
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their worship, but to prioritize genuine
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devotion over material concerns.
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It's important that we understand that
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our reason for being a church is Jesus.
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Made this statement last week. There's
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two parts of the gospel that need
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definitely have to be followed. The
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first one
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is evangelism. And evangelism is getting
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the message of the gospel to people
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who've never heard it. In other words,
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bringing new people into u church.
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And then the second part of the gospel
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that is so necessary is disciplehip.
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In other words, bringing people to a
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place uh where they they're maturing in
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Christ and they're able to take and
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effectively use the gospel to reach
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other people. You'll hear a lot of
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pastors make this statement. is a very
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true statement.
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Sheep beget sheep. Pastors lead sheep.
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Church growth depends on the people
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having a vision for their own church of
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reaching the communities where they live
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in. But for them to do that, they have
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to be discipled and led by a pastor who
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understands that.
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So there's some historic
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significance also with what's going on
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here.
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He does this at the beginning of the
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Passover.
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There were pilgrims visiting the temple
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from all over the known world at that
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time. And Jesus's actions were not only
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a response to the immediate situation,
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but also a fulfillment of prophetic
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expectations regarding the Messiah's
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role in purifying worship. His cleansing
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of the temple is seen as a pivotal
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moment
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that foreshadowed
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the ultimate transformation of worship
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through his death and resurrection which
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would establish a new covenant between
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God and humanity. Remember Jesus said,
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"I come not to destroy the law, but in
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me all the law should be fulfilled." And
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while he's hanging on the cross, the
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final thing he says is, "It is
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finished." What was he referring to?
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everything that had been prophesied up
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to that point was fulfilled.
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Uh and so to truly understand this in
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its best way, we need to go over to
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Matthew
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um chapter 21
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and uh starting in verse 12. Jesus now
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to understand this Jesus has come to the
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triumphant entry. He's entered into
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Jerusalem. He's been proclaimed the king
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of the Jews. They have they have uh
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shouted hosana as he went down the
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street riding on the on the colt. And
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now he comes into the temple to teach.
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And as he goes into the temple,
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he ca he once again this is three years
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later. It says, "And Jesus went into the
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temple of God and cast out all them that
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sold and bought in the temple and
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overthrew the tables of the money
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changers and the seeds of them that sold
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doves."
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It's really, really kind of curious here
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when you stop to think about this. Three
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years earlier, he had done this same
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thing. He had driven them out. He had
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come in to restore true worship in the
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temple. And within three years they were
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doing they went right back to exactly
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what they had been doing before.
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And so
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after he flipped the tables of the money
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changers and the seats of them that sold
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doves, he said unto him, "It is written,
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my house shall be called the house of
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prayer, but ye have made it a den of
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thieves." And there's there's a change
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here. When he came the first time and
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flipped the tables, he said, "You have
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defiled my father's house." Now he comes
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back and he says, "You've defiled my
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house and you've turned it into a den of
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thieves."
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And listen to what he does afterwards.
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And the blind and the lame came to him
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in the temple and he healed them. And
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when the chief priests and scribes saw
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the wonderful things that he did, and
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the children crying in the temple, and
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saying, "Hosana to the son of David,"
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they were sore displeased,
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and said unto him, "Hearest thou what
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these say?" And Jesus saith unto them,
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"Yay, have you never read? Out of the
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mouth of babes and sucklings, thou hast
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perfected praise."
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And he left them and went out of the
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city into Bethany and lodged there. And
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why is this so important?
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The religious leaders didn't want to
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change. They got angry. They they were
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offended at Jesus's
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assertion of his authority. Remember,
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he'd already angered them by saying uh
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before Abraham was, "I am." He had
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already proclaimed, "I am God. I am who
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you're supposed to be worshiping." and
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they didn't like it because that meant
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they would have to change and that's he
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was he was inserting his authority.
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And so we have to realize that
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our worship
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is based on Jesus's authority and his
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place. He says, "I am the way, the
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truth, and the life, and no one comes
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unto the father but by me." There's a
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million ways to get to Jesus,
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but there's only one way to get to the
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father, and that is through Jesus. And
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we have to make sure that we keep our
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perspective correct. Now, I want to
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jump over to Matthew 27.
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And um it's it's really amazing when you
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actually allow this to minister to you.
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Jesus is on the cross
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and he
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is being crucified
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and listen to what he says.
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He it says this is verse 50 uh chapter
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27 verse 50. Jesus, when he had cried
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again with a loud voice, he yielded up
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the ghost.
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And behold,
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the veil of the temple was rent and
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twain from top to bottom, and the earth
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did quake, and the rocks rent.
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And this is significant because of what
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it uh signifies. Remember Jesus went
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into the temple, he restored worship
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twice. He restored the sanctity and
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purity of worshiping God to into its
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proper perspective. And he said that no
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man cometh unto the father but by me.
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I'm the way, the truth, and the life.
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And then at when he gives up the ghost,
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in other words, when his physical body
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dies,
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the father rips the temple veil from top
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to bottom.
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And that temple veil separated man from
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God. It was you could not go past the
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veil. God's place. And what that
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signifies is by ripping that temple veil
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from top to bottom, it's like a curtain
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is opened up and man through Jesus is
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now allowed to enter directly into the
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presence of the father. And this is the
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true restoration of proper worship
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through Christ.
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So I want you to keep in mind Jesus
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cleansing the temple is significant for
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its demonstration of his authority.
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It's a call for purity and worship.
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It fulfills prophecy
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and it challenges us as believers to
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reflect on our own practices and to
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ensure that our worship remains focused
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on honoring God sincerely and without
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distraction.
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And that is why it's so important to
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understand what it truly meant for Jesus
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when he what it meant to us when Jesus
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went in and cleansed the temple.
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Remember, he announced his public
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ministry by cleansing the temple and he
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concluded his public ministry by
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cleansing the temple. So, that should
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tell us how important
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cleansing our own temple is to God. We
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need to keep the proper perspective in
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what we're doing. So, as you go through
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this week, stop and think about it. when
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you go to church
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um and when you enter into worship, what
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is the driving force behind you going
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into church? When you go to church, are
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you going there to truly enter into
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praise, prayer, and worship or you going
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there as a social event?
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Because we weren't called social event.
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We were called to prayer, praise, and
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worship to recognize Jesus for who he is
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and enter into fellowship through Jesus
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with the father. So, I'm going to leave
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that with you. Let's pray. Lord, we just
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ask that your word ministers to us and
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ministers to our hearts and minds. You
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help us, Lord, to remember that it is
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because of you and you alone that we
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have access to God.
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Lord, help us to keep these things in
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perspective as we make our way through
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the week. And help us, Lord, to realize
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that that is more important than
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anything else that we can experience.
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And we're careful to give you all the
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glory and all the praise in Jesus' name.
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Amen.

