05-05-24 The Second Temple Cleansing

In this Bible study session, the group is studying Jack Hayford's book on the topic of Jesus. They are currently in chapter 9, focusing on the Second Temple Cleansing. They begin by praying for God's guidance and understanding. They read passages from Mark and John, describing how Jesus cleared the temple of money changers and sellers of animals. Jesus was angered by the corruption and greed in the temple. He wanted the temple to be a house of prayer for all nations, but it had been turned into a den of robbers. The group discusses the importance of prayer and how it should be a central part of every church service. They reflect on the impact of a revival experience in Pensacola, Florida, where prayer became a focus in every service. The group acknowledges that many churches do not prioritize prayer in their services. They end the session by discussing the need for everyone in the church to learn how to pray and make it a regular practice. Okay, today is May 5th, Sunday, Disciples Ignited Bible Study, where we are studying Jack Hayford's book on His Name is Jesus. We are now in chapter 9, and here you're using the print books that tell us what page. You need to go to page 109 and it's at the bottom. It's called the Second Temple Cleansing. All right, in the book, we start out and it says, well before we do that, why don't we pray and ask the Lord to guide our Bible study and really speak to us. So, Father, in the name of Jesus, we bring this Bible study to you, Lord, and ask you, Lord, that by your Holy Spirit that you would fellowship with us and that you would teach us, Lord. You said that you would knock at the door of your church that, Lord, those who hear your voice and open the door that you would come in and that you would eat with them and that they would eat with you. Lord, we want to partake of your Word and we want to be nourished by it. So, Lord, speak to us, open up our eyes and may our hearts be truly changed and transformed by the cleansing of your Word in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Carol, why don't you start us out in reading the first paragraph. Okay. On Monday of the final week, Jesus returns from Bethany and goes immediately to the temple. He had stopped there on the previous day, but had only looked around at all things as the hour was already late. It says in Mark 11 11. Let me read that Mark 11 11. It says, Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. Okay. The sorrow he had felt about Jerusalem the day before now turns to wrath as he deals with a gross violation against the Lord God. See John 2 17. Can you look that up please for me, Jerry? John 2 17. And you're actually going to be reading 13 through 17, John 2. This is likely the second such action in the temple. John chapter 2 verses 13 through 17. Now let's remember, because it's been a couple of weeks since we were here. So Jesus has just entered into Jerusalem, you know, with a triumphal entry. And so now we're seeing the aftermath, what happens immediately after that. It's supposed to be the final week of Jesus' life. 2 13. Jesus clears the temple courts. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves, he said, get these out of here. Stop turning my father's house into a market. His disciples remembered that it is written, zeal for your house will consume me. Okay, now it says to read Mark 11, 15 through 19. Can you do that, David? Well, okay, Mark 11, 15 through 19, yes. On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. As he taught them, he said, is it not written, my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers. The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. Okay, so it says, what does Jesus do? Well, he drives out the money changers and the sellers of animals that are in the temple. I don't think this would have been such a bad thing if they had done it outside, you know, because the people did need to exchange their money. I don't know really why. I guess they didn't want them to use Roman money, right, in the temple. They made them exchange it into Jewish money. I believe that's how it was. Okay, back then, of course, Rome was in power and so they used Roman currency, but they would not allow Roman currency to be used in the temple. So if you gave, you had to exchange. It was kind of like you can't spend an American dollar in every country. You have to exchange it. Well, but the Jews saw this as a way of making more money for the temple and, unfortunately, also making more money for themselves. And so in buying sacrifices, you could bring a sacrifice yourself, but that was just laborious. I mean, traveling maybe hundreds of miles, bringing a sheep, you know, to Jerusalem to have it sacrificed, it was so much easier. And also, if you brought your own, you run the risk of them not allowing that to be sacrificed. Oh, this animal is not pure. It's not clean. And so you really need to use an animal that has already been pre-approved. And so it was all just like a scam. Yeah, it was all built up to make money for the temple, but also to make money for those who ran the system. And so what you did, if you wanted to give money, you had to go to the money changers and exchange the Roman currency and they would give you the temple currency. But, of course, and they charged. They probably did have a charge. I would be surprised that the Pharisees and Sadducees probably owned some of these, what are you calling them, kiosks. And so they gave money to the temple, that was taken off the top, but then they also took their money for, because this is their business. Well, too, and they were selling the animals. And so they also sold the animals. And so now, but what we need to back up a little bit in our thinking, this is not the first time Jesus has done this. Right. So what does that tell us? They didn't listen. Well, that they're, they're determined. They've got a good, they've got a good thing going. They're making money. The temple's making money of this and they're certainly making money. And but what does Jesus call it? He just calls it what it is. He says, you have made my father's house a den of robbers. So what is he calling them? Robbers, thieves. Robbers, they're thieves. So that shows they really were ripping the people off on whatever they charged for the animals and whatever the exchange fee was. I mean, we know that when we exchange currency, there's a fee, whether you do it here in America or another country, but they must have been ripping everybody off because Jesus wouldn't have called them thieves and robbers. So that bottom line is this. Were they concerned really about the animals being pure and being acceptable to the Lord? No. No. They were really interested in making money. This was a business venture and it was corrupt. So why does Jesus do this? Verse 17. Carol, why don't you read that out? Mark 11, verse 17. Mark 11, 17. Yes, sir. Okay. He said to them, the scripture declares, my temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. It's interesting. He says all nations. They probably thought, yeah, only the Jewish people that live in those nations. He said for all nations. But you have turned it into a den of thieves. Robbers. Supposed to be a house of prayer. I think it's interesting that he said for all nations. I'm sure they're thinking, oh, he just means the Jews that live in Egypt or the Jews that live in this country or that country. No, he was saying all nations. Right. Okay. So the book says, my house, all nations, is quoted from the Greek translation of Isaiah 56, 7, which says, I'll read that. These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. Oh! So that is the Lord's desire. That his house, even way back in the Jewish temple, that his house was supposed to be a house of prayer. Would to God that all Christians would start getting serious about intercession. Carol, many years ago, in fact, probably a couple of decades ago, you went to a revival outpouring in Pensacola, Florida, and it so affected you. The Lord spoke to you and you came back. I wasn't able to go. I had to work. And so you came back and you said, David, I've got to talk to you, because we were pastoring at that time. Why don't you share what the Lord spoke to you. The Lord basically told me that every service in a church, including the Sunday morning service, prayer had to be focused. I mean, it's more than just say a little prayer, like opening prayer for the service start. The Lord said we were supposed to spend prayer like you would in a regular prayer meeting, even on Sunday mornings. And that was kind of a radical idea because churches don't pray on Sunday mornings. You know, they always have a special, they have a special prayer meeting, you know, which very few people go to. But the Lord told me, no, I want that kind of prayer every Sunday morning service. And he told me a good practical reason why. He says it teaches everybody how to pray, not just those that are called to intercession that would go to a prayer meeting of the church, but that way everybody in the church, the children, the teenagers, if you have them in your main service, and everybody will have to pray. So, that's what he told me. So, what do they do? Well, you've been to church services. Do they ever pray like we do? At length, for 30 minutes or more? No, no. Oh, yeah. Nobody does that on a Sunday morning service. They still don't to this day. They listen to whoever preaches. Yeah, yeah. If they pray, it's brief. And they might give you what the prayer requests of the week are on the screen, showing you people in the church that are healing or people that passed away. But I remember specifically, because you were talking to me as the pastor, and you said, David, so this means that preaching the Word, which you love to do, which I do, is not going to be the main focus. It is going to be prayer. And that got my attention, because I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. 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And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. And, you know, I love to preach. But it's interesting because, like I told you, the Korean intercessors from South Korea, from Bright Light Church, came here to Miami two years in a row. And last year when they came, they had one lady that did speak enough English that she and I could converse. And she told me that every single service at Bright Light has prayer in it. Even the Sunday school. She says, I teach kids Sunday school. And in that Sunday school class, part of that time we spend in prayer. She says all the children do. All the youth do. She says every single service has a prayer as a major part of it. So they take it seriously that my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. OK, so as the book says, this is quoted, all my house, all nations. This is quoted from Isaiah 56, 7. Din of Thieves, which Jesus says you have made it a Din of Thieves, a Din of Robbers, is an allusion to Jeremiah 7, 11. So why don't you look that up, Jerry. Jeremiah, chapter 7, verse 11. Why can't I find, oh wait a minute, Jeremiah, here we go. Jeremiah 7, 7, verse 11. Has this house, which bears my name, become a Din of Robbers to you? But I have been watching, declares the Lord. Wow, that's frightening. Has this house, which bears my name, become a Din of Robbers to you? And that was spoken literally hundreds of years before Jesus came and went to the temple. And so the Lord says, listen, I'm watching what you're doing. And you know what that tells me? The Lord doesn't always act at the moment. He gave his people hundreds of years to get their act together and to turn his house into a house of prayer. But yet when Jesus came, he found that it was no different than in the days of Jeremiah. And so he cleansed the temples, not once, but twice. This is the second cleansing. And we see that man is just so intent on doing things his way. There's a scripture that says there's a way that seems right unto a man, but its way leads to death. And ultimately it leads to destruction because Jesus said, because you've chosen to do things your way, the whole temple is going to be destroyed. And that's exactly what happens. But isn't it true that when Jewish people, don't they pray? Jewish people pray at their services. I think so. Oh yeah. I think when I've gone, I don't remember any lengthy prayer times though. Have you gone to some that are lengthy? I'm going back years, you know. Yeah. Not that lengthy. Now when they go to the prayer wall in Jerusalem, I think they pray at length. Yeah. They pray at length there. But the bottom line is that the whole temple was just corrupt. He said that, in fact, in the first cleansing, when Jesus cleansed the temple and he used the same argument, you have turned my father's house into a den of robbers and it's supposed to be a house of prayer for all nations. That's what he said the first time. And that's the same message that he gave the second time. But after he cleansed the temple the first time, immediately what happened? True ministry flowed. He began to heal people. He began to teach people. And it shows us that all this corruption was literally getting in the way of Jesus from doing the work of God. And so Jesus is cleansing the temple with purpose. Not only to make it a house of prayer, but also so that true ministry to others could take place. All right. The book says, William Lane points out that the Greek behind the second phrase, den of thieves, stresses that the actions of the priestly authorities are beyond correction and leading towards the judgment of Mark 13, verse 2. Why don't you read that out, Carol? Okay. Jesus replied, look at these great buildings, but they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another. Okay. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Stand at the gate of the Lord. At the bottom, okay. Yeah, there we go. Yeah, your Bible also told us. Mark 13, too. So that's what we were just alluding to when Jesus said that there was going to be... This is prophesying the destruction of the temple. So the purchase are like thieves because they are insensitive to the holiness of the area where they practice their trade. Do we see that in taking place in the church today? Yeah, I think so. I think one of the examples would be when you go into a service and they try this. Like, I want so many people to give $100 each, so many people to give $1,000 each. I mean, that's very similar. It's just raising money, but in a wrong way. Certainly not a biblical way. It's a lot of worship. Yeah. Not giving in worship. Yeah. But it's giving as... Like you're being pressured. Right. A business deal. But what about churches that have stores where they're selling books and paraphernalia? I really don't know. I really don't know how to read that. I think I'd have to leave that in the hands of each church. Now, I know some churches have very strict rules that, you know, 10 minutes before the service, that's it. They shut it all down and nobody's allowed to buy anything. They won't let it be open during the service time, and then they won't reopen it again until the service is completely over. So I guess that's between them and the Lord. It depends, too. Are they trying to rip people off? Are they overcharging? Some churches just sell books because they want their people to grow in Christ, and they want good literature that they believe is solid and, you know, grounded for their people. So I don't know. What do you think? How else would they raise money to keep the church going? Other than donations? I don't think there's any personally anything wrong with it. I don't think that the church should rely upon business to function. The church is supposed to be relying upon the freewill gifts of God's people. Well, what do you do with churches that have daycares and schools? And that's what supports the building and keeps the building running. It doesn't necessarily give them money to run the whole church, but a lot of people do have daycares and schools, and the proceeds go to keeping the building up and the bills on the building like utilities and all paid. I think that's an individual thing. Now, if it just becomes a money thing that that's all it's about, and the church is just trying to make more and more money in an attitude like this, then it would be wrong. But I wouldn't necessarily say that having, you know, a Christian store in your church is wrong. There's always two sides to the coin. I have personally worked in churches that were supported on the daycare kept the church going. But yet I saw in working in that that you were not fully able to utilize the church to function as a church because the top priority was that the daycare had to be using the rooms, Oh, you can't use that because the daycare is going to be using that. Yeah, I've been through that too. Yes, I understand. And so the church is really a church renting space from a daycare instead of the church being the primary focus. Yeah, and we had a lot of conflicts with that when we were in Huntsville because we had a lot of children's ministry. And the people that were doing the daycare, of course, they were renting the space, but they were very strict. No, you can't put anything in those cabinets. You can't put anything on the wall. It made it difficult for us. I thought, wait a minute, this is a church first, and we do own the building. And so sometimes we had to really be diplomatic to try to keep things at peace, you know, with that. And I remember when we went to a very large church in Birmingham, I taught the girls, like the kid girls and teenage girls, they called it missionettes. And they had a big Christian school there. And we couldn't use anything except the chairs and the table. So I had to cart in all my visuals and all my materials and cart it out because all the walls and everything were considered the school. And you can't touch any of that or use it and don't bother any of it. So it can become to where it's an irritation, you know, an inconvenience. It's very interesting. Several months ago when I was in New York, I go to St. Patrick's Cathedral. And of course, you know, if you want to light a candle, you have to donate money. Whatever you have to do. But what was interesting is to get a seat in a pew that's closer, you have to pay for it. You have to pay for it. Right. Right. Well, these are all man's ways of raising money for, you know, for the upkeep of the church. I've been knowledgeable of other churches that they raise money for their upkeep by selling food, whatever. You know, that's their big thing. Barbecue, whatever, whatever. Some churches go so far as bingo, whatever. But you know what the problem is, though? The church has ceased to be a house of prayer. And giving. Yes. You know, it's sad that a church would have to rely on those things to take care of their needs, especially if they're a mid-sized to large church or even a mega church. If you resort to just all those things to make the church's money, then I think the people will say, well, I'll just go and buy the dinners. I'll buy the baked goods. I'll do that. But then they don't give their tithes and offerings, which is against the Scriptures. Jesus said we were supposed to follow the rules of tithing. Well, that's why, you know, I just came back again from Canada. I keep bringing this up because they have the most magnificent churches that are boarded up. Boarded. You see actual boards on the windows. Now, these churches are 300 years old. Nobody goes. Right. Nobody's there. They're not giving. They don't want to know about it. Nothing. Right. Well, I think that it's also planting the seed of bad teaching to God's people. If you have money to buy a dinner that the church is cooking, you know, to raise money, and I know churches, that's how they, that's really how they run is they cook food. And if you're people, if you have money to buy that food, you have money to give. But why are you teaching your people? You only do that what you are going to receive immediate gratification from. And so, you know, you're no longer teaching your people that you give even sacrificially, but you only give if you're going to get. Well, we also know that the stats are that less than 20% of people pay their tithes in the churches, which is terrible. And if everybody was following the laws of giving, because David has done a thorough study of it in the Old Testament, the Jews actually gave 25% of their income averaged out with all the different types because they didn't just tithe. Whenever they had the Passover and all these other things, they were required to get more and more sacrifices. And that costs money. And so actually, David did a thorough study of it and they gave between 20 and 30%. So we just kind of averaged it out to 25%, depending on what year it was. Because, you know, in jubilee years and different things like that, there were different other rules, you know. And so if everybody did follow the laws of giving in the scripture and they are in the New Testament too, because Jesus told them that they were to continue that. He said they were right by tithing everything. So we would have more money than we'd know what to do with. We would have no lax. We certainly wouldn't have to be giving our efforts because, face it, doing a church dinner or a school or a daycare or all these fundraisers, they take a lot of work. They take more work than it would be just for everybody to start giving like they're supposed to. And then we could be a house of prayer, a house of worship, and a house that's going out and witnessing to the lost, you know. I think that we have just messed up all the way around, you know, by not allowing the church to be the house of prayer that it's supposed to be. We've got the conventions to where they're going to have a dinner after the service. But that means that a good group of the people can't go to the service, but what do they have to be doing? Cooking the food, getting ready to serve. Right. So I thought, what is the whole reason for this convention? It's so that we can gather together, pray together, hear from God together when a good crew is not even here. They're cooking the food. I thought I would rather just go out to eat together and whatever, you know, skip having to wine us and dine us and let us meet together at the feet of Jesus. Right, right. So Jesus is making a point here that the house of God is supposed to be a house of prayer. But it's turned into a business. Yes, it really is. Yes. Turned into a business, you know, bringing it back. When I went to Hebrew school, I was eight years old, nine years old, and it was in a storefront. It was not a building. They had rented, this rabbi had rented a space. And that's all we did was teach, you know. I don't even know if, I guess my father must have donated the money, you know. But it wasn't a business. It was an actual teaching facility where we prayed and learned Hebrew and things like that. Right. But it's changed. Everything changed. Yeah. You know, now it's big business. Religion is big business. And that's sad. That's sad. It's not biblical. I mean, Jesus has proven it in this. Yeah, right. Drive the religion out. So at the beginning of his ministry, he cleansed the temple. And now we see the last week of his life on earth before his crucifixion. He cleanses the temple again. So what point is Jesus driving home? Is you've made my house corrupt. Corrupt. And it is supposed to be a house of prayer. But that also tells us that what is the answer to the corruption in the church? Begin to pray. Begin to pray. Begin to pray. It says here, the merchants are like marauders because they were insensitive to the holiness of the area. Right. Bing! There's the answer. That's it. They don't look at the building as holy. They don't look at the place where we meet with the Lord in worship and prayer and study of the word as a holy place. It was just common to them. Right. And they just practice their trade there. They look at it as a place of business where they make money. Yeah. No holiness for the house of God when they have that attitude. So, okay, Jerry, why don't you look up Mark 11, verse 18, and that gives us the answer to the question, how do the scribes and the chief priests respond? Now, what are scribes? Carol, what would the scribes? They would be people that write down the scriptures. Okay. And so they work in the temple precincts. Yeah, writing scriptures. Okay. Mark 11, verse 18. Yes. So this is how they respond. The chief priests and the teachers of the Lord heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Okay, that's going into a different thing. Okay, yes. So, verse 18, the response was? Let's kill him, we're afraid of him. Kill him. He's taking our place here. Do you think that that's kind of an over the top response? I would say so. You want to kill him? It sounds like a mafia thing. But watch this, show us. When you start touching people's money, that riles them to the core of their being, to the point that they're even willing to kill you, take you out. Take a look. God help us. Alright, so that is the second temple cleansing. And it says how did the people respond? It says the people were amazed. They were amazed. Ah, amazed at what though? Not that he cleansed the temple. They were amazed at what? I think his teaching. His teaching. So that means that after Jesus cleansed the temple, what did he do? He must have taught. He taught. So what was in the way? All these secular type thieving businesses. The business. Yep. The business. Oh God help us. God help us. Seems like we keep going around in circles in the same old, same old, right? And it means that, you know, the church has followed suit. I keep on thinking of way back in the day in PPL when they had their big event center and everything. And they were, it was big business. But he said, no, when, on Sunday, people were coming here to find rest and relaxation. We understand that you, like if you're an evangelist and you're in church every single night of the week and you come here for rest and relaxation. So we're going to have everything open for you on Sunday. He said, now some people don't like the businesses being open on Sunday because they said, no, this is a time of when we should be gathered together in the house of Lord. He says, no, we're going to have everything open so that you can enjoy all the things that are available to you at, I guess they call it PTL. I forget what the name of it was. But that just showed how far off we got. You know, that God's house is supposed to be a house of... Prayer. Prayer. Okay. What it shows is it's never changed from good local times. Right. It never changed. People love money. We need money. We use it. It exists, yeah. But when we allow it to overtake our choices, putting it before the Lord, we're messed up. Okay. Three forceful parables. We'll get through the first one. Carol, why don't you lead us in this one? Well, he doesn't read any. Jerry, why don't you read three forceful parables? No. Read one book. Yeah. Tuesday of the final week finds Jesus once again giving instruction in the temple. Mark 11, 27. Okay, I can read that. Okay. Mark 11, 27 says, they arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders came to him. As the confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders nears its climax, Jesus speaks three parables against them, all clarifying who is truly acceptable to God and on what basis. They follow the symbolic cursing of the fig tree. See, have faith in God in chapter 8. Yeah, we did. We already studied that one in the previous chapter. So, now we're going to go into one of the parables that he taught, and that is the parable of the two sons. Matthew 21. So, Jerry, why don't you get Matthew 21, verse 28 through 32? 28. And Carol, you read that first sentence. Read Matthew 21, 28 through 32, and note the following. Who are the main characters in the parable? So, you're going to read it out, Jerry? The parable of the two sons. Right, Matthew 21. 28 through 32. 28. What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, son, go to work today in the vineyard. I will not, he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, I will, sir, but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? The first, they answered. Jesus said to them, truly, I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way out of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Wow. So, who are the main characters in the parable? The two sons. The two sons and the father? Okay. I guess the two sons are the main ones. What is Jesus' personal application of the parable? That's in 31. Carol, why don't you read that out? Verse 31. Which of the two obeyed his father? They replied, the first. Then Jesus explained his meaning. I tell you the truth. Corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you do. Ouch. Okay. So, how is... Explain this parable to us then, Carol. How is he using this parable to teach that? Well, the people that are tax collectors and sinners, in a sense, the Lord called them and they said no. They went on to their corrupt lives. But then Jesus is calling them again, and this time they really have gone. They said no in the beginning, but they changed their mind and then they went out to work in the vineyard. But he's saying the Pharisees and the Sadducees are those that say, yes, we will, but they never really did. They really don't know. They don't know what it means to serve the Lord and be in his vineyard working. It's interesting, though, that the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they felt that they were doing God's work, but yet they were doing their own. Wow. So that means they will get into heaven before? No. Is that what they're saying? No. It's saying that you have the... First of all, you have these people that have been called to go work into... Let's see. In his vineyard. In his vineyard. Yeah. But they're saying no. So who is the first people that are saying no? The sinners. The sinners. Right. Rather than going into the vineyard. Right. And then the second son said, yes. Who does that represent? The Pharisees, Sadducees, teachers of the law. They didn't go. But they didn't go, but they would say... They thought they did. They would say, we did. Because we're religious, we're working in the temple, you know, we're doing everything, we're keeping the law, so forth and so on. So they said that they did, but they didn't. They were just doing their own thing. Whereas the sinners, they knew they didn't, but yet... Later they came. Later they came to follow him. So they'll go to the... They're the ones that are going to be with the Lord again. But him saying they're going to go ahead of you means they're not even ready to go. He's implying you don't even know. You're not even going to the kingdom, because you haven't even chosen me, you know. So in a sense, he's telling them they're not going to enter. Alright, well then the next question is... How do tax collectors and harlots gain interest into the kingdom of God? Jerry, why don't you read verse 32. Matthew 21, 32. For John came to you to show you the way out of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Okay, and Carol, why don't you read Matthew 21, 23-27. When Jesus returned to the temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, by what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right? I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question, Jesus replied. Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? They talked it over among themselves. If we say it was from heaven, he will tell us why we didn't believe John. But if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed because the people believed John was a prophet. So they replied, we don't know. And Jesus responded, then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things. That's what he said proceeding to this parable. Wow. That means that when you ask Jesus a question, you better be willing to receive the answer. Oh, God help us. If you ask him. Okay, the first sign symbolizes the repentant to accept the requirements of the kingdom and endeavor to live them. The second sign symbolizes the unrepentant religious leaders of Israel who only talk obedience. The religious leaders do not recognize the right way to God, even though they saw how others were changed by responding to John's message of repentance. John the Baptist's message of repentance. Jesus is indirectly stating that rejection of John is rejection of him. As with the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is emphasizing conduct over empty confession. Good phrase. That's really good. Okay, Carol, comment on that. That Jesus is emphasizing conduct over empty confession. Well, that goes along with what James says, that faith without works is dead. And James was Jesus' brother that wrote the book of James. He was one of the head people over the church in that day. And he said that faith without works, I'll show you my faith by my works. I believe. And so since I believe, that's going to change my actions, and my actions will show you that I believe. But don't say you believe and have no action to put with it. And that's basically what the Pharisees and Sadducees, they had no real action to put with what they claimed and confessed. But they would say that they did. Their whole lives are full of action. In a religious, legalistic way, you know, but not through life. Well, Jesus said, if you love me, you will obey my commands. And so Jesus is absolutely not against action. In fact, he says your fruit is going to be proof of what's really in your heart. So your actions, your life, is going to be proof of what you really believe. But yet, it all starts with faith. It all starts with, really, repentance and faith. But that always leads to action. Repentance and faith always leads to action. Alright, so we have the Expositors. Why don't you read that, Carol, the Expositors Bible Commentary. Okay, the Expositors Bible Commentary notes that the shock value of Jesus' statement can only be appreciated when the low esteem in which tax collectors were held, not to mention prostitutes, is taken into account. In our day of soft pornography on TV, we are not shocked by prostitutes. But Jesus is saying that the scum of society, though it says no to God, repents, performs the Father's will, and enters the kingdom. Whereas the religious authorities loudly say yes to God, but never do what he says. And therefore, they fail to enter. That's good. Their righteousness is not enough. Jerry, can you read Matthew 5.20, please? Matthew 5.20 Matthew 5.20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. It surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, your righteousness. If it doesn't surpass, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. This next statement, though, is so gripping to me. Thus, the parable makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile, but between religious leader and public sinner. Where did you see that? That's the very last statement in that paragraph. Thus, the parable makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile, but between the religious leader and the public sinner. So those who were considered by society to be the scum of the earth, Jesus says, because they have repented and turned towards me, they're going to be with me for eternity. Whereas you, who spend all your time in the temple, trying to prove yourself, trying to prove your righteousness, you're not going to make it. Oh my God, have mercy on us all. When you think about it, who is Jesus the most harsh with? The preachers! You can call them the preachers, the fivefold ministry, if that's what you want to call it. The religious hypocrites. In my studies about the fierceness of the Lord, the Lord gets angry at wickedness, but his anger is really focused on the religious hypocrites. Those who said that they're righteous, those who said that they see, but yet they're really just doing their own thing for themselves. And that's where his fierce anger came against his people. His fierce anger came against, throughout the beginning of the Israel people and his nation, when they said that they were so righteous, and they were trying to prove their righteousness, but yet they were doing their own thing. That's where his fierce anger really came into play. What do you learn from this, Carol? I think that we've got to be so careful, we have to be so careful as ministers, that it would be so easy to begin to think, well, for one thing, those religious leaders, and many today are the same, they think they're better than the people that they're ministering to, because of their position. But we have got to stay humble, we have got to stay in touch with our people, and we can't ever think we're better than other people. The whole religious thing is just a dangerous thing to be in. It really is. Self-righteousness, criticalness, judgmental attitudes. My husband and I had a dealing this week with someone like that, that's a minister, but they think they're better than everybody else, and that's a terrible, evil place to be, because Jesus called these people sons of the devil. He said they were making hellish disciples that were going to hell with them. You know what I mean? It's a frightening thing. I've never seen it quite like this before. It's very frightening. It's turned into corruption in our society. It's not only religion now. It's ruled our society. So what do you learn from this, Jerry? What just really sticks out to you? How can I say it in words? I have faith in my beliefs, and I try to do what God would want me to do. You know, I would like to live my life the way God would want me to live my life. And real belief. I'm not a hypocrite at all. Not at all. I've learned that. That's what it brings to me. It reinforces what I'm doing. It reinforces where I am at this point in my life. So this is how it affects me. I take it back to the cleansing. The Pharisees and the Sadducees that were directly affected by this, they should have stopped and said, No. Why is he doing this? Because this directly affects me. It directly affects my business. It directly affects my life. It's going to affect the temple. So it should have brought them to a point of reflection and to repentance. Their complete attitude towards this is, We need to get rid of this guy. It makes me think of this. When COVID hit, it certainly did a number on the church. Some churches closed down. Some just ceased to function. And some people just quit going to church altogether and haven't returned yet. Most people look at COVID as just an attack on the enemy. And I don't view it that way. I view it as, sure, it might have come from the enemy, but the Lord certainly used it to show the church where it's really at. That all of its business wasn't really what it was supposed to be. God's house was supposed to be a house of prayer. What should our response have been? I think we did. We did a lot of praying and soul-searching. I've been around too many pastors to say that. No, really? Oh, no. We just need to get back to church as usual. No, no. If church as usual had been effective, had been what it was supposed to be, then I think that the church would never have been effective the way it was. It shows me that we don't always respond to the discipline of the Lord I think that the way that we should. I think that we should have, as Carol said, many people did repent and pray. How are we supposed to respond to this? Whereas I've been around too many pastors that have just said, no, we just need to pray for the Lord to get us back on track to where we were. We're going to build it bigger and better. But I'm thinking, no, the Lord wants us to truly repent to Him. So that leads us to this. Are we more like the sinners who have repented, or are we more like the religious leaders that think that we have it together and we just need to? I definitely know I don't have it together. I desperately need Jesus. Okay, so Carol, why don't you lead us in prayer? Lord, these are very serious, serious things that you did, Lord. And they were in your last week of life, and it seems like you just kind of opened up your mouth and let it be just plain and tough, Lord. Because you knew it was your last chance, your last week to be able to speak to people. And we're glad and grateful that it's recorded in the Gospels for us, Lord. And Lord, the first thing that we hit was that your house was to be a house of prayer. Lord, please, please let us not get caught up in anything, Lord, that doesn't keep a sacred ground where we meet with you and where we will pray and seek your face, Lord. Please help us to do so all the more, Lord. And Lord, do help us to not ever get prideful or critical of others or think that we're better than others, Lord God, because we are not. And you made it so clear, Lord, these were your ministers, Lord God. And most of them, Lord, you said their father was the devil. Lord God, you told them they weren't going to heaven, Lord. That's so serious, Lord. Please help us to not get caught up in that wrong way, Lord. And please help those who are. Bring them to repentance. Have mercy on them. Open up their eyes and shine your light on them, Lord God, before it's too late, Lord Jesus. Lord, we have a lot of shake-up in the church right now, Lord, with false doctrines or ministers accepting the worldly system instead of the biblical truth, Lord God. We are asking you to open up people's eyes. They're going down a road of destruction, Lord, and we don't want to see that. Please help us not to go down that road ourselves, Lord. We pray in Jesus' name. Jesus, we truly believe, Lord, that your word is coming to pass. You said that everything that could be shaken will be shaken. And you also said in your word, Lord, that judgment starts with the house of God. Lord, we are seeing that come to pass in our lifetime, especially in these days that we're living. Lord Jesus, may we truly be gripped by what you're doing and respond to you, Lord, not with an attitude of we're going to make it bigger and better, but, Lord, that we would turn to you and repent to you and say, Oh, Lord, show me where I personally have messed up so that I may properly repent and be changed. Lord, I pray for your church that everything that has gotten in the way of your church becomes functioning as a house of prayer. Lord, that we would see that you are doing your work to cleanse your church of it so that your church will become that which you have made it to be. Lord, I pray that your church is once again going to become a house of prayer for all nations and that it will become a place where you minister with power and authority, with healings and deliverance. Lord, that you're going to fill your house, Lord, with your presence and your glory. Father, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.