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SCRIPTURE - MATT. 21: 12 -13                                                  AUGUST, 2000

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all of them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew
the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
        And said, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.
SUBJECT - JESUS, IS GOING TO MESS YOU UP, BIG TIME

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This month, I want to look at, what seems to be an action, that is totally out of character for Jesus, and what I believe are implications of things that are sure to come.

Go back with me, to the time when Jesus was here, and lets walk around with Him, and observe Him, at work.

First we see Him, recruiting His disciples, from all sorts of backgrounds. He tells them that they will be, fishers of men, meaning that He wants to use them, to help bring men, back to God.

As He goes about doing good things, He is constantly persecuted and challenged by those that dislike Him, because He is making them look bad. And, through it all, He maintains a peaceful demeanor. He preaches about the Love of God, and how men should love God, and one another. All of His ministry is centered around love, and, peaceful actions.

Then, one day He goes in to the temple (House of God, the church), and He explodes. He begins to chase people out of there, and turning over tables, and just going, what many would say, berserk. After all, we are talking about Church, here.

In the midst of it, He utters the above words, and we see that if you really want to get Him upset, do something that turns His house, the Church, in to something that makes a mockery of God.

Here is a place, where men come to worship God, and to learn His commandments, and to repent of their sins. It is a sacred place, where one can say, Gods presence is. Yet, in the midst of that, it has become little more than one of the street markets, where men buy, sell, trade and cheat one another to make a living.

It is unclear if this is the first time He had been in this particular temple, or if He had, and had just gotten fed up with what was going on, but His actions make it clear, that He does have, what we might call a limit, of tolerance for the foolishness of men, when it comes to the Church.

Now, lets jump back to the present.

Could we make a comparison with what was going on back then, and what is happening today, in the church??? We can, if we think about the church we just visited..

What we had, was a place, that apparently allowed these things to go on, for the sole purpose of getting a lot more people to come in. It didnt make any difference about why they were there, only that they would come in. It is my belief, that this church, had gotten in to the business of making money on the side, because they probably got a cut of all the proceeds of the business transacted, or they charged for space used by the vendors. Money was the name of the game. Does this sound familiar??

Now, while it is necessary for a church to make money, to be able to spread the gospel, and other things connected with providing for the needs of others, its main purpose is to present God to man, in a way that man can realize that God, is Holy, Righteous, and Just. Jesus, came here to represent the God, that no man has ever seen.

If someone is a representative of another person, then their actions, cast either a favorable, or unfavorable shadow on that person, that they are rpresenting. By the same token, if you visit a persons house, the condition of their house, can tell you a lot about them. If you come in, and the house is clean, and neat, you are less likely to sit down and put your feet on the furniture, than if you walk in to, lets say, a pig sty.

Jesus was upset, because His House, the Church, was being made in to something, that was totally casting a disfavorable light, on Him, and ultimately, the Father.

You want to make someone mad, talk about their parents. You will most likely have a fight on your hands.

Any way, the point I want you to see, is that this particular condition of the temple, made light of the issue of atoning for sins, in that doves were sold to those that needed to repent, at so high a price, that many had to sell everything they had, to purchase them. Then there were those that had a lot of money, that were under the impression, that their money, could buy their repentance, without them being truly repentant. As for the doves, they may not have been unblemished, like God required. If that was the case, then, many left, with their sins, not atoned for.

Which brings us back to today.

Many people, including Christians, look at this scripture, and get the idea that it is only talking about, selling things in the church.

Many churches sell things, as a means of supporting itself in its efforts of putting out the gospel. You have tapes of sermons and teachings. You have books, tracts, shirts, cups, and other items, that help, spread the gospel. God, has no problem with this. Even the selling of dinners is no problem.

But, when activities, and traditions, and yes, even doctrines are brought in to the church, under the pretense of Gods approval, which are actually, mans initiative, then my friends, you are setting yourselves up, for Christ to come in, and break up your little show.

Today, the image of the church, is one of, they are just like the rest of us (the world, speaking).

People come to the church to gamble (playing Bingo), they come for the entertainment, (guest artists, that are popular in worldly venues, like blues, rock, jazz, rap and others), singing in the choir, or leading worship, that give the impression that one can have the best of both worlds, with the approval of pastors. Or they come, because the church has totally abandoned talking about sin.

Doctrines of we are right, and everyone else is wrong. If you dont do it, like we do it, you aren't saved. If you weren't baptized the way we say, you aren't saved. If you dont speak in tongues, you aren't saved. Judging the sinner, rather than lifting him up.

Preachers, talking about other preachers (running them down), finding fault with every thing they say. Raking in the big money, not to build up the church, and the needy, but rather to build up their bank accounts. Fancy clothes, jewelry, houses and cars, paid for with the offerings, and some times the tithes of their members.

The ordination of practicing homosexuals, and lesbians, the blessing of these couples, as being married. Supporting candidates for political office, whose agendas, are an abomination to God. All so churches can build their membership, for all the wrong reasons.

No wonder Jesus was angry!!! No wonder He wanted to make it clear, just what the church is about. Jesus told some of the religious leaders about themselves, in a scathing rebuke, that they, would go all out of their way, to get people in to the church, and then turn them in to twice the devil they were, before they joined [MATT. 23:15].

How many of you have seen, supposed to be Christians, carrying on worse than they were, when they were unsaved??? It is because of this type of nonsense going on, in the church. Not all, thank God, but, most.

Now, as we draw closer to the time of the second coming, of Christ, I believe that He, through His Spirit, is going to come in to these churches, and begin to just tear them apart.

Preachers are going to be exposed for what they really are, and their doctrines are going to be torn to shreds.

The bible says, Judgment, must begin at the House of God [1 PE. 4:17], and by the time He finishes with it, a lot of people are going to be saying, My God!!! If God did that, to His own people, then surely, we must be in for it, big time.

There are several instances in the bible, that tell us, that even though God loved His people, He had to let them know, in rather harsh terms, that He had a limit, of tolerance to their foolishness.

Their promised land, and all its wealth, was devoured, by war, famine, disease and pestilence. It was so, messed up,, that the bible says, men were astonished at what happened to them. Time and again, God gave them chances to get right, and when they did, He blessed them, and they would turn around, and fall, or rather, jump, back in to sin again.

Today, many Christians, are in the same boat. God has blessed them so much, that they have forgotten about Him, and taken up doing what they please, rather than what God wants them to do. But, the times, they are achangin.

God is going to raise up, a lot of people, that many churches have looked down on. God is going to start moving, in a mighty way, not in the big cathedrals, that can be seen miles away, but in little store front churches, that only have 10 - 50 or so members.

Just like the greatest Man, to ever walk the face of this earth, came from a little speck of a town, in a forgotten part of Israel, and He, Himself, was a little known carpenters Son, until God anointed Him, then He changed the world.

Jesus is going to turn over your tables of false doctrines, and draw the saints out of their comfort, zone, and run them through the fire, so that they will be, as pure gold, when the time comes.

There was a time when God winked [Acts 17:30-31] at your foolishness, but, that time is passed. Its time to get ready for a Wedding, and the Bride, needs to be about, getting herself together. If She cant do it, then Jesus will.

What condition are you and your church in??? Can it stand the test of the Word of God, or will a lot of you saints, be proven to be aints. When the rubber hits the road, where will you be, in the drivers seat, or run over??? Jesus is coming, and He is going to mess some people, and their religion up, real bad!!!!!