https://youtu.be/gRpiWDjhV30

Turning the Tables

(Mark 11:15-19)

****ALL VERSES IN NKJV****

**We are moving past verses 12-14, “the withered fig tree”. Matt will pick back up there so he can address it along with the explanation of the tree in verses 20-24, because they go together.**

– Sometimes I ask myself, “Am I preaching too soft?” Will my delivery of the Word cut someone to the core, and convince them that they need a Savior? Are they listening?! I hope so.

– I told Pastor Matt that he killed it last Sunday, and, how was I supposed to follow that?

– He said, “It’s okay, they like your preaching. They need a break from getting yelled at.”

– Sometimes we tease Pastor Matt about being a “Hangry” Preacher. (He’s hungry AND angry.)

– He is aggressive and loud, it could be mistaken for anger, but it’s really just zeal for the Word.

– He preaches every sermon like it’s his last, or YOUR last. (He’s not messing around!)

– We can’t just “go through the motions” as a church. We can’t forget what we are doing this for!

*You can hear a dozen sermons, but sometimes the preacher has to “get your attention” to get you to truly listen.

History/context:

– It is now the religious festival season, and many travelers and people are coming to the temple in Jerusalem to make offerings and sacrifices.

– The Laws of Moses had some specific requirements for those offerings. (Temple tax, specific money offerings, unblemished animals for sacrificing, etc…)

– Travelers don’t have the ability to bring this stuff with them on their long journey, so they must by it when they get into town. There are merchants set up in the temple to fill this need.

– People come to honor God, just to be sold the required sacrifices at a huge mark up, basically price gouging them, and profiting off of their religious devotion.

– What they need to honor God gets exploited and loses its meaning. (Ex. Today’s holidays)

– They are a captive audience. (Ex. Disneyland $5 bottles of water. Can’t bring your own in…)

– Jesus shows up for Passover week, and he is ready to get some people’s attention!

Mark 11:15-19, 15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

What is really going on here?

– Jesus has just returned from a 3 year mission, preaching, teaching, and sharing the will of God.

– He enters his “Father’s House” and it is full of salesman making money off of worshippers.

– The priests, the ones who are supposed to lead people to worship, are condoning it all.

– The temple is a place for worshipping and honoring God, not stealing money from people.

– Look at the heart condition of the sellers,