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@ PastorGary
2024-11-06 00:55:45Welcome to The Refinery.
“The Christ of John’s Gospel” is the theme for the coming Sunday Morning teachings that focus on John’s unique portrayal of the Christ.
We will continue this series through to the end of the year.
Today we are discussing, When Religion Gets Sick.
John 2:15-16 NKJV
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
Scripture Reading
John 2:13-25 NKJV
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
The Discerner of Hearts
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,
25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
A famous preacher once asked, “What is worse than having no religion?”
Then after a pause, he answered his own question, “Having no religion is bad, but having the wrong kind of religion is even worse.”
I believe having a sick religion may be worse than having no religion at all.
Jesus was concerned with sick religion as indicated by his driving the money changes out of the temple.
Much of Judaism had gotten sick, and the Great Physician Himself had come to bring healing.
What did Jesus see in the temple that caused such aggressive action?
The lost sense of awe and respect for God.
The Jews had lost the profound sense of awe and respect for God.
Look carefully at what Jesus observed when He visited the temple.
Many Jewish patrons were coming and going.
They had little respect for what took place in the temple, namely, communion with God.
They bought and sold animals, and they exchanged money as if the court of the Gentiles was a marketplace.
God had intended the temple to be a meeting place for human beings and Himself.
He had not intended the temple to be a den of thieves.
He wanted it to be a place of prayer.
Christians often lose their sense of awe and reverence for God as well don't they.
As people go about the routine of Bible study and church attendance, they can lose reverence for God.
The Lord, His church, and His book become rather ordinary.
Jesus’ is anger was aroused when He saw a lost sense of awe and reference for His Father.
Religion can get sick when the sense of the wonder of God departs from a person or a group of people.The lost sense of the cost of religion.
The Jews had lost sight of the cost of serving the Lord.
The presentation of the animals in temple sacrifice represented a commitment on the part of the worshippers.
God wanted the Jews to present the best animals out of their flocks.
This would mean that they gave their best to God.
When Jesus walked into the temple, He saw that religion had been made cheap.
People were told, “Leave your animals at home and buy one in the temple.”
Purchasing animals from the temple merchants cheapened the sacrificial system.
And this angered the Master.
Modern Christians have lost sight of the cost of commitment.
Following Christ and belonging to a church have become cheap.
The German Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, during World War Two, said that when Jesus calls a man to follow Him, He calls him to die to himself.
Nothing short of total commitment will satisfy the Saviour.
The lost sense of the outsider.
The Jews had lost the sense of the Gentiles’ need.
The place where the money changers and merchants did business was in the court of the Gentiles.
This was a place within the temple precinct where Gentiles, outsiders, could come and learn of the Lord.
Most of the Jews in Jesus’ time were not concerned for the Gentiles.
They were concerned about their rituals but not for the mission of being a blessing to the nations that God had given them.
Modern Christians can lose the sense of the outsider.
The church can easily become an exclusive club with a preoccupation for its membership.
Religion gets sick when people turn inward and do not look outward for the sinners.
Conclusion.
How is the health of your Christian expression?
If you do not mind, let’s have a checkup.
Is there a great thrill over the greatness and grandeur of God?
Or are you taking shortcuts?
Are you asking for the minimal requirements?
Then what about your concern for others?
Let’s keep our religion healthy and growing.
Until next time
Stay in the Blessings
I really want to encourage you to be diligent with your Bible study time, because God has so much more for us than we can get from just going to church once or twice a week and hearing someone else talk about the Word.
When you spend time with God, your life will change in amazing ways, because God is a Redeemer. Theres nothing thats too hard for Him, and He can make you whole, spirit, soul and body!
You’re important to God, and you’re important to us at The Refinery.
When it comes to prayer, we believe that God wants to meet your needs and reveal His promises to you.
So whatever you’re concerned about and need prayer for we want to be here for you! Or even if you just want to say Hi, you can contact us at www.refinerylife.org
2024 IS A YEAR OF DECISIONS AND OPEN DOORS
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