FBCWest 329 | Jesus Cleans the Temple
Recorded On: 03/24/2019
Bulletin
FBCWest
March 17, 2019
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”
“He Is Exalted”
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 113
“Endless Light”
“More”
“Who You Say I Am”
“Oh My Soul”
GIVING OF SELVES AND OUR OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate
PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
MESSAGE Pastor Joe
“THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS THE MESSIAH”
“Jesus Cleans the Temple”
Time of Reflection
PRAYER TIME –
“Empty Me”
“Only Jesus”
SERMON NOTES
John 2:13 – 17 Jesus’ cleaning the Temple
John 2:18 They question Jesus’ authority
not the legitimacy of it
John 2:19 & 20 Jesus’s responds
John 2:21 & 22 John explains Jesus’ answer
John 2:23 & 24 People believe in Jesus, but He
does not believe in them
Scritpures
John 2:13 - 24
John 2:13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 2:14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
John 2:15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
John 2:16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."
John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME."
John 2:18 The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"
John 2:19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
John 2:20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
John 2:21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
John 2:22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
John 2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.
Transcript of Service
I would say there was a time just a few years ago that everybody knew one of the verses that was contained in the teaching today, so much so that you could go or watch on television certain ball games and you would see.
Gene or John 316, and that was their attempt to be witnesses or whatever to to Jesus.
I am a little more pessimistic now about whether people if you were to say John 316, whether they knew what you would be talking about or not, and there were a number of denominations that classified themselves as Christians and I won't say they are they aren't.
Want to relegate and they say, well, if you believe that you must be born again. Then you must be one of those Eve Angeles tick.
Christians an we're going to see that no that's kind of what everybody supposed to be as a Christian.
But as I go through this first part of this type. This message an we're going to be in John.
For the early part of Jesus Ministry continue because John kind of picked up the early part and then I would say a good quarter, or more of the Gospel of John is just one night.
The Passover in all the teaching but 90persent of what's in the gospel of John isn't found in the other what we call synoptic gospels. So it's unique and John is going to to take a look at a conversation a dialogue between Jesus.
Other man and then next week. We're going to see a dialogue between Jesus and a woman and John is going to pick up these dialogues as essential to understanding. Jess, who Jesus is an in my message. I am sure's going to say that.
To say at least one thing.
Maybe more, but I'm going to say at least one thing that's probably contrary to what you've heard.
So I'm just saying that right out the box don't tackle me when I'm done. If you want to discuss happy to do that, but be happy to tell you why you're wrong.
So, in John Chapter 3 were going to start and it says now there was a man of the Pharisees name. Nick a demas a ruler of the Jews in this man came to Jesus by night. I'm going to stop there. So it tells us a whole lot. In this one kind of short sentence one, it says that.
Academe is that he's a Pharisee now. The Pharisees were a group. I suspect if you will, of the Jews, who believed in hyper technical law. They made sure that you follow the law because that was the way too.
Righteousness you are righteous because you followed the law but they were so hyper legalistic if you will that they made rules so that you couldn't violate the rules so that you couldn't violate the rules so for instance, they would add things like when the scripture says we're not we're to rest on the Sabbath.
Term and how many steps you could take on the Sabbath and that was what's called the Sabbath day journey. And if you walk one more step than that, then you broke the Sabbath even though there's nothing in the law that says how far you can or can't walk just says you're supposed to rest so much so that even in an I have this stuff that I've been there.
A good friend of mine who spent a month and Israel said that on the Sabbath even to this day. If you're in a multistory building be prepared to take a while to get up and down because all of the buttons are pushed because that's work to push a button.
So the Pharisees were those who saw that you got close to God by following the law and not only the law. But the hyper technical rules and regulations that were up on an expanded that they also believe in the resurrection.
This wasn't all that there is to life. Now there was another set called the Sadducees, who didn't believe in the resurrection. They were little more Greek oriented. But they were also part of Judaism. The Sadducees only looked at the Torah as binding.
He's looked at the Torah, the profits and the historical books and the poetry so they've saw the whole scripture.
It also says that Nick a Demas was a leader, which meant he was a part of what's called the San Hedren, which was a group of 70 to 71 men who are in essence kinda like the Super Supreme Court that if you violated the law. If there was some doctor doctrinal issue. This group of men would come together.
I did and that's who Jesus eventually was tried before the San Hedren and they didn't have the authority to put him to death. So they had see pilot for that permission and so not only was this person, a pharisee. He excels he became a member of this sand region this.
Class.
So he comes to Jesus by night and said to him. Rabbi we know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.
Now.
John hasn't told us as far as in Jerusalem, alot of signs in things that it is matter fact. The only miracle that Jesus performed thus far as far as recorded in the gospel of John was the changing water into wine and good wine in Canaan.
Then.
Cleaning out the temple that we see in John Jesus was performing signs and wonders and miracles. But John just hasn't got around to telling us that because again John's purpose in writing. The Gospel is for us to believe he doesn't record every single thing that Jesus does or said.
By implication because their Kadima says we've seen what you've done and it's more than just cleaning the temple. We know that you must come from God, because no one can do what you do and say to see is from God.
I kind of see this as an initial Flattery.
But the Flattery is wrong, 'cause, he didn't just come from God. He is God, so while it may seem to be flattering and he does call him, Rabbi 'cause He's coming to discuss teachings.
But notice this, he doesn't, he just starts off by saying we know that you come from God.
And before you can ask this question or debate what it is that he wants to discuss with Jesus Jesus Energex. This first 3 Jesus answered and said to him truly, truly remember when you hear that what he's about to say is on the test. It's important truly, truly I say to you.
That one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Now this with before we even this has got to be like mind blowing to Nick a Demas 'cause, Nick, a demas his whole life has been to be righteous by following the law. An if he can't even see the Kingdom of God be can't even get to heaven.
With without being boring or wait a minute? What is what I'm doing is ineffective in essence? What Jesus the same, so there nicodim? Is said to him? How can a man be born when he is old he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born can he now I love this.
For I'm a little.
Eccentric you don't have to wait to be old before it's impossible to be born again.
15 minutes after you're born.
Your mom doesn't want you to be born again.
She doesn't want you going back where you came from.
It's just it's automatic just size. It's a matter of degree and so he makes one say, Well wait a minute. You're old and that's probably what is I can't go back but even if you're 15 minutes old you're probably not going to be born again.
But he is saying it seems impossible an when it comes to flesh and blood. He's exactly right. But he misses what Jesus is saying.
So Jesus answered truly, truly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit. He cannot enter the Kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I say to you, you must be born again.
Now, when it comes to this, you must be born of water and spirit there. About 3 views of what Jesus means by water. I'll tell you the 3 views and I'll tell you the first 2 are wrong. The first view is people say, well, water means that it's like.
Baptism that you have to be baptized you have to repent and that's what he thought about the water and the spirit. That's flat wrong because the Scriptures never teach that baptism is a sacrament. It teaches that it's a fulfilling of the law of righteousness, but it does not impart righteousness.
You have been saved through faith and that not of yourself that is a gift of God. All of teach scripture teaches that you are a believer, not by what you do, but by what he has done.
So no action you can take and cause you to be born again. So anybody who says well it's talking about baptism aunt wrong. Second, which comes kind of and it's it's real tempting and that is well when you're born the first time there's a whole lot of amniotic fluid.
Is out as we say her water broke so they're saying in order to be born again. You gotta be born alive and then you gotta be born. Spiritually and wrong? Why is it? I'm so confident that that's wrong because I believe that scripture when in doubt interprets?
Feature.
And if you read ahead just a little bit like in John Chapter 4 Jesus is going to talk about water if you read a little further ahead in Chapter 7, he's going to even identify what water is and he's saying unless you are born with water in less water living water Springs up within you.
In the spirit of God and blows up on you.
You're not born again that it's a matter of not just a spirit blowing but coming in and filling all that you are so Jesus and if you don't believe me check out Chapter 4 and check out Chapter 7 that Jesus is interpreting the water here as the spirit of God.
This is the same not that you must have physical birthday and then spiritual birth, but is saying, You must have spiritual birth to be born again.
So it says do not be amazed. I say to you. You must be born again. The wind blows where wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going so everyone who is born of the spirit.
Which says 2 things?
God does things the way God wants to do things not the way we anticipated.
Your Salvation I'm sure surprise somebody.
And there are people who got saved that I'm sure surprised you his God goes where God goes in God Effects? What God wants to effect and he doesn't depend on you and me to decide oh it's OK.
Which means it gives us great freedom to be witnesses of him?
It is a spirit the spirit moves as a spirit moves and just as we don't quite understand that we knew a little better about high and low pressures and those types of things.
The wind blows and it has this effect and it's kind of a word play.
Because the same word for wind is the same word for spirit.
God breath is God Spirit.
So Nick a Demas in Burstein says needs even said to him? How can these things be?
In essence wait a minute, all my life, I've been taught in all my life. I have lived that it's about the law and now you're saying it's all about the spirit.
And Jesus answered and said to him, are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things.
You see God has been teaching us that we can't fulfill the law. That's the whole point of the whole point of the law was to say we are helpless.
Our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags.
Truly truly I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe how well you believe if I tell you heavenly things. No one has ascended into Heaven, but he who descended from heaven.
And Jesus is saying, I'm not talking about something because I learned it in a book. I'm not talking about something that I think is a matter of philosophy and theology. I am telling you things that I have seen.
'cause I've been in Heaven, I speak if I speak of earthly things like the wind blowing.
And the spirit moving you can understand that wait to get the graduate level of heavenly things. If you can't understand these things? How do I tell you more and these things I don't tell you as a matter of? Well, maybe kind of if but because I've been there.
Then he goes to a narrative in the book of Moses.
To show exactly why he was there.
Verse 14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Even so, must the son of man be lifted up so that whoever believes will in him have eternal life.
Jesus says remember Moses and remember when the children of Israel were wandering in the desert and they were griping and complaining because they were tired of the water in the manner. They were getting and they were describing in group cleaning and so God sent a bunch of servants to bite them.
And now they were they dying they were dying painfully because they were fiery serpents and So what Moses was told to do is make a bronze brass snake stick it on a pole and lift it up and the people who saw that would be healed. But the people who refuse to look at it.
Right.
We.
Wander in our life's journey.
And we've been bitten, but instead of being bitten by fiery snakes and serpents. We've been bitten by what's called sin?
And we're going to die.
Unless.
Jesus says just as the children of Israel looked upon the Serpent and were held that active faith. The active scene, the son of God on the cross and believing why he was there will change his death to our eternal.
And notice that he doesn't say, however, these will it in him have knew life in the sense of well. One of these days after you die? You're going to be living again. Jesus says that you will have eternal life.
So that when we are body ceases to function in is at rest. We are present with him, continuing to live.
And then when he returns we will be reunited with a new body, which the old body was used as they see and reunited in life, eternal forever and ever simply Becaus, not of what we do.
We believe about what he did.
And then now the famous verse.
For God.
Starts off about God, it's not about you, it's not about me for God. So loved the world. He didn't just love. The Jew, which is again going to come as a surprise to Nick, a demas because they were gods people and they were the ones who are going to be in the Kingdom and Jesus says.
Is a Jew? He loves agenta? He loves the world?
Because he created all of us and all of us have his image upon us.
For God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son.
God doesn't love by just saying I love you.
Well, that's nice God's love is shown in action.
He gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him.
No restrictions.
Doesn't matter what ethnic background you come from? What potential background you come from with the word church? Not in Church. Whatever whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
And this is what I want to say some things that you probably not heard before actually the opposite for God did not send the son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him, he who believes in him is not judged he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of.
I'm sure you've heard an evangelist and other people say.
That you're going to hell because you reject Jesus.
You don't go to hell because you reject Jesus.
You go to hell because you didn't believe in him.
It's not a matter of rejection to matter of belief.
Let me just say this to show that it's consistent if it 'cause the scriptures you said. You're already judged you're already condemned it's only when you believe that you're no longer judged or no longer condemn so the natural state of mankind is judgment and condemnation.
Whereas.
Eve Angeles say that the sin is rejecting Jesus then the worst thing we could do.
For the world is to send missionaries to places in the world that never heard of Jesus.
Because then you've given them the name of Jesus with then they would been reject which means that they would go to hell and that's not what the scriptures teach at all the cheat. The scriptures teach you are judged unless you come to believe which means that we should have more missionaries, not fewer that we should be.
In the world understanding, which means because we're so afraid well, I might say the wrong thing.
What can you say to attend in person?
That's the wrong thing.
If they are condemned already.
And it's not about you for God so love the world and the spirit blows where wishes and the water comes within is not about you its for God he just simply asked you to be his witness.
Not his converter.
So those who do not believe are already judged and condemned and those who believe.
And then forgiven and justified.
And made righteous.
This is the judgment that the light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than the light for the deeds for evil.
For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Jesus saying there's a response and there's a reason for the response.
People who refuse to come to Jesus, the light of the world do so because they're totally content doing what it is that they're doing, and they don't want the the light to be exposed to say that's wrong.
How dare you judge me I don't need to judge You you already been judged not my job?
But they refused to come because they're perfectly content with what they're doing.
You're never going to get somebody.
To change what they're doing until they determine is not working for them.
A lot of times will hear people say, Well, when they hit rock bottom.
They'll change.
And I've seen a lot of people where I would consider it rock bottom. But they don't because they don't change because apparently their content with what it is that they're doing.
But he you practice the truth.
Comes to the light so that his deeds may be manifested has been wrought in God.
One group.
Wants to hide what they're doing the other group, wants to be made plain and clear what they're doing, and they're doing, it not for themselves, but for God.
How is it that you can tell whether you're born again?
Does the spirit dwelling you?
How is it that you can tell whether you're born again? What's your motivation?
Is your motivation to do your thing the way you want to do it?
What is your motivation to do gods thing the way God wants it or at least?
To struggle with doing God thing the way God wants to do it. 'cause Lord knows we're not perfect.
That's why we're supposed to pick up our cross and follow him into die daily because we naturally want to do what we want to do.
Struggle to say no, I want to do what it is God wants me to do and lower just kill me.
That I might do what you want me to do as you want me to do that. You might be glorified.
So.
Here's this band, who comes to Jesus at night. I think probably looking to have a theological discussion.
About the law.
Only to find Jesus turning the conversation totally away from what he probably was there for.
To say to him.
Your righteousness does not come from what to do.
But by hose you are.
And the gods in these things.
Because he loves you.
There are a lot of people who say you know, God so love me that he would have died for Maine.
I don't know 'cause the scripture says for God so love the world.
And so maybe if I were the only person lostine. I do know is talks about that. He goes after the one because the 99 are OK, so yeah.
But even if God, so love the world and not just main I'll take it.
Because he loves the world enough.
That his spirit came upon me.
That I might be born again.
And I am so grateful.
That I do not have to live a perfect life.
By my own means.
But that his spirit dwells in Maine seeking to do the will of God seeking to Glorify God.
'cause God does all things well.
I just do a couple.
So if you're a believer.
You're a believer not because of what you have done.
But what he is done to use the example of natural birth versus spiritual birth.
What part did you play in your conception?
Nothing.
What part did you play in your birth you got pushed out?
Your mom pretty much did most of the work.
Similarly, in spiritual matters.
God our father cause the spirit to be born within us to rise up within us to make us and fashionistas fully formed.
By his
Well, of living water springing up within us and his spirit blowing up on us.
To me fashion.
Into a person of God.
So it just says Nicodim is probably as a leader thought well. You know, I'm pretty. I'm pretty good. 'cause I'm not only a Pharisee I'm a leading member of that sect and a ruler.
And Jesus says.
That doesn't impress God at all.
A God being rich in mercy.
Choose to love people like you and me.
And to say.
He or she is my child.
'cause I birth.
I love them.
And I keep them.
Because for God so loved the world.
He loved us.
And gave his son for us.
Our praise in our adoration ought not to be how wonderful I am.
But how awesome and loving is our God.
And all gods people said.