Chardon church of Christ

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

And The Walls Came Tumbling Down

Text: Joshua 6:6-20

 

Tom is 71years old and loves to fish. 
Tom was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say, 
‘Pick me up.’
He looked around and couldn’t see anyone. 
He thought he was dreaming when he heard the voice say again,
‘Pick me up.’ 
He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog.
Tom said, ‘Are you talking to me?’
The frog said, ‘Yes, I’m talking to you.
Pick me up… kiss me and I’ll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen.
I’ll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your bride!’
Tom looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully, and placed it in his front pocket.
The frog said, ‘What, are you crazy?

Didn’t you hear what I said?

Kiss me and I will be your beautiful bride.’
Tom opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said,  
‘Nah, at my age I’d rather have a talking frog.’
With age comes wisdom. 

 

“Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho,

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho

and the walls came tumbling down.

 

You can talk about the men of Gideon,

you can talk about old King Saul.

But there's none like good old Joshua

at the battle of Jericho.”

 

Jericho is commonly believed to be one of the oldest cities that had ever been built and it is said to be the oldest known WALLED city ever built.

It was extremely daunting. Heavily fortified. Encircled by 2 rings of walls.

The 1st wall stood between 12 to 15 feet high and the inner wall was 32 to 41 feet in height.

The illusion created by the two walls from ground level, would have seemed to stand nearly 10 stories in height.

Nobody would have thought that anybody could destroy it.

 

But then one day - the walls just came tumbling down.

And the once mighty symbol of paganism was destroyed.

 

Sometimes a building just has to come down, and the bigger buildings require experts who know how to strategically place explosive material in just the right places, and those explosives are detonated in such a way that the structure collapses straight down in a matter of seconds!

 

But when the walls of Jericho fell, Joshua didn’t have a team of engineers. There were no explosive charges. In fact, Joshua didn’t have much to do with what actually brought those walls down.

It was God that destroyed the city – all Joshua and the Israelites had to do was show up.

 

So, here’s a question – Did this really happen?

Was Jericho destroyed the way the Bible says it was?

You know, there are people who scoff at stories in the Bible like this, where something dramatic and miraculous occurs.

 

It doesn’t make any sense to them that the Israelites just marched around Jericho a few times and the walls collapsed.

They just can’t believe that would happen, so they dismiss it as… a myth.

BUT was it?

Was it just a myth … or did it really happen?

 

Back in 1990, Time Magazine had an article that said:

“Jericho’s fall was one of the most dramatic events recorded in the Old Testament.

But for generations scholars have debated whether the Israelites’ assault on Jericho was a fact or a myth….

 

But, Recent discoveries at Jericho have been largely consistent with the Bible story.”

One such article can be found in the March 5^th, 1990 Issue of TIME MAGAZINE.

 

So WHAT did the Bible say that was consistent with the evidence? Well, for one thing, archaeologists found that the walls of Jericho fell straight down in a way that was suggestive of a sudden collapse.

You see, when most cities were conquered – their enemies breached the walls from the outside so that the walls would be caved INWARD.

 

But archaeologists discovered Jericho’s wall FELL DOWN…

not inward. Just as the Bible said.

The Bible ALSO says that the Israelites were told to set the city on fire. Archaeologists found that much of Jericho was covered by a thick layer of soot.

When they used radio-carbon dating on that soot, they found the soot was formed about 1400 B.C.

The date the Bible indicates Israel invaded Canaan.

 

A question: How Long Did It Take Israel to Conquer Jericho?

ANSWER: 7 DAYS.

Now, one way to conquer an ancient walled city was to starve it out. Just surround the city and wait till they ran out of food. But the evidence shows that Jericho had plenty of food. Archaeologists found several jars full of barley throughout the city.

In other words, they weren’t starved into submission.

They had plenty of food to last for weeks.

So, the city fell within days… just like the Bible said.

So, Jericho fell just the way the Bible said it did. It’s a cool story but what did God want to teach us by destroying that city?

Well, first - Jericho was a great city.

It was imposing and it was virtually invincible.

There was no city quite like it anywhere in Canaan.

And yet God told Israel to destroy that city FIRST – BEFORE they did anything else.

 

WHY?

Well, God had Jericho destroyed FIRST because it WAS an imposing and virtually invincible city. It was a little bit of SHOW and TELL.

First, it was a little show and tell for Israel.

If Israel could take Jericho nothing could stand before them. Conquering Jericho was to be a faith builder for them.

 

But, in order to build that faith, Israel had to act on faith. 

Hebrews 11:30 “By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days”.

It was their faith that brought the walls down.

 

Think about it…

God gave Joshua specific instructions for the men of war to march in silence around the city -- once each day for six days. And they were carrying the ark of the covenant as a sign of God’s presence among them.

On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times.

And at the appropriate signal, the priests would blow their trumpets, and the people were to give a mighty shout.”

AND THE WALLS CRUMBLED.

 

In fact, there was ONE OTHER instruction:

 

“You shall not shout or make your voice heard,

neither shall any word go out of your mouth,

until the day I tell you to shout...” Joshua 6:10

 

Now, that was a good instruction, because if I’d been marching around Jericho with the Israelites, I know what I might have been tempted to say:

THIS IS SILLY;

“This doesn’t make any sense”;

“WHY are we doing this?”

 

When Israel FIRST came to the Promised Land, there was a lot of talking going on.

The 1st time they came to the Promised Land, 10 of the 12 spies began to TALK about how they couldn’t take the land.

They TALKED about how big the Canaanites were.

“They brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height… and we seemed liked GRASSHOPPERS’” Numbers 13:32-33

 

“Then, the people began to TALK. They grumbled in their tents saying, “The LORD hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.”” Deuteronomy 1:27

 

You know what these folks did?

They TALKED themselves out of faith.

They TALKED themselves out of the Promised Land.

They even went so far as to say God hated them.

So, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 yrs.

And so, now, at the walls of Jericho, God said:

“Don’t talk. Just do what I tell you to do.”

 

The only way they’d take the city was by faith, because “without faith, it’s impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6

 

You see, when we GRUMBLE – when we TALK about things that annoy us – that’s not a good thing. It shows that we’ve not prayed and not trusted God. It reflects our desire to play God, as if our grumbling could change the course of life.

 

Paul warned the church at Corinth:

“Do not grumble as some of them did and were destroyed…

 I Corinthians 10:10

 

We all tend to grumble when we get upset, get annoyed, get angry because things aren’t going the way we want them to and so we grumble.

I’ve done it!

You’ve done it…

We’ve ALL Done it.

But I’ve decided I’ve got to stop that.

So, whenever I find myself beginning to grumble…

I try to remember that I’m not God.

 

WORDS TO HANG ON THE MIRROR AND LIVE BY:

·         I Will Not Grumble.

·         I will pray ALL that I can;

·         I will do WHAT I can;

·         But I will trust God for ALL that happens

because I have been called to be a Man of Faith.

·         And Men and Women of Faith don’t grumble…

they trust God.

 

When we trust God to lead us in our lives;

in our church;

in our nation.

We’ll begin to see God do mighty things and He will lead us in victory over our fears.

When we determine NOT to Grumble, God will lead us to bring down the walls that challenge our faith. And the walls of Jericho will fall before us.

 

Conquering Jericho was a SHOW AND TELL for Israel

to increase their faith.

But it was also a SHOW AND TELL for the Canaanites to increase their FEAR.

If Israel could destroy Jericho in such a dramatic way, no other tribe stood a chance.

God intended to strike fear into the hearts of His enemies, and from that day on, the other tribes fell like dominos.

And in a few short months, most of Canaan was in Israel’s hands.

 

But why was God so intent on destroying the people in Canaan? What had they done wrong?

In 2 Peter 3:9 we’re told that “The Lord… is patient with us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

 

But apparently, with the people Canaan…

God’s patience had run out.

God told the Israelites: “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” 

Deuteronomy 9:5

 

The Canaanites were a morally corrupt society engaged in practices that were detestable to God, things like child sacrifice, temple prostitution, bestiality, and other forms of sexual immorality.

God basically said “These folks don’t want to repent.

And so God decreed that Jericho was to be destroyed.

And ALL its people were to die. (PAUSE)

Well, not quite ALL of them died.

 

Joshua 6:25 tells us “Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.”

 

Rahab had made a deal with the 2 spies Joshua sent into Jericho. And then she hid Israelite spies. But why would she do that?

Why hide these men?

Well, she hid them… because she had FAITH.

She told the 2 spies:

“I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.

We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts sank and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.” Joshua 2:9-12

 

She believed what she’d been told about the power of God at the Red Sea, and Hebrews 11:31 tells us “BY FAITH the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” She was saved from judgment because she had faith in God.

 

BUT WAIT A MINUTE. Rahab was a prostitute.

She wasn’t a nice person.

She’d been as sexually immoral as anyone else in Jericho, and yet… she received mercy. Why?

Why would she be saved from destruction?

Because she had FAITH in God and she was willing to honor Him in her decision to hide the spies. And when that happened…

her past was forgotten.

She ended up marrying a Jewish man named Salmon and became the mother of Boaz…who married Ruth.

And Rahab the harlot became one of only 4 women who were listed in the Gospel of Matthew as one of Jesus’ ancestors.

Rahab impressed God that much by her faith…

that God honored her memory.

 

Now… here’s the point.

Faith that changes us is all that matters to God.

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done.

All that matters is that you’re willing to have faith in Jesus and be willing to turn your life over to Him.

 

“For God so loved the world

that He gave His only begotten Son

that whosoever BELIEVES (has Faith) in Him

shall not perish

but have everlasting life.”

 

 

 

 

 

Remembering What God Has Done

“Stepping Into the Miracle: Remembering What God Has Done”

TEXT Joshua 3:7–4:11

 

An elderly woman walked into the local country church.

The friendly usher greeted her at the door and

helped her up the flight of steps.

“Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely.

“The front row please.” she answered.

“You really don’t want to do that”, the usher said,

“The pastor is really boring.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman inquired.

“No.” he said.

“I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“No.” she said.

“Good,” he answered as he quickly exited to the back of the building.

 

Back in the 1920’s the US Govt began talking about

controlling the flooding of a river in the West

called the Colorado. They intended to build

the largest dam ever constructed in the US,

and they also wanted this dam to supply electricity

and a stable water supply to the growing population

in the 7 states in that surrounded this river.

 

Thus, in 1928 President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill

authorizing the building of this dam …

and work began in 1931. It took 5 years to build

this huge project, involving 6.6 million tons of concrete

(6.6 million tons of cement would be enough

to pave a 16 foot wide highway from San Francisco to NYC).

They also had to build a city from scratch

just to house the 1000s of workers that were employed

for the 5 years it took to complete the project.

The Dam was such a monumental structure that it

has stood for nearly 90 years and receives upwards

of 7 million visitors every year.

 

I am obviously referring to the Hoover Dam.

Now, remember … it took the US government 5 years,

using 1000s of workers who laid 6.6 million tons of concrete

to stop the flow the Colorado River.

Do you realize, God could have done that in a single day.

In fact, He did do something like that several 1000 years ago … at the Jordan River.

 

Imagine standing at the edge of the Jordan River.

Behind you is the wilderness—years of wandering,

waiting, and wondering. Ahead lies the Promised Land,

the fulfillment of God’s covenant.

But between the two is a river at flood stage. Impassable. Intimidating. And yet, God says, “Step in.”

This is where Israel finds itself in Joshua 3.

And it’s where many of us find ourselves today—

on the brink of something new, something promised,

but something that requires faith to cross.

 

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses.’” — Joshua 3:7

 

God tells Joshua that He will exalt him before the people cross. Why? Because leadership in God’s kingdom is not about status—it’s about trust. God is affirming Joshua’s role

so that the people will follow with confidence.

• NOTE: When God calls you to lead—

whether in your family, workplace, or ministry—

He equips you with affirmation and authority.

But you must be willing to step forward

before the waters part.

 

Just like the priests had to step into the Jordan River

before it parted, we’re often called to move forward

before we see results.

 

In our story today… the Israelites had been led by God

to the edge of the Jordan. We’re told that

when the priests carrying the Ark stepped into

the flooded waters of the Jordan River

the waters coming down from (upstream) stood

and rose up in a heap quite a distance away.

The waters literally stopped. It was as if someone

had built an invisible dam that created a wall of water

towering over the Israelites as they crossed on dry ground.

The waters backed up as far back as a town named Adam

which was about 10 miles North of them

(the distance from here to the Painesville courthouse).

And they walked across the riverbed of the Jordan

like walking on dry ground.

 

For the next few months they’d be fighting Canaanite armies

on their home turf, and Israel needed to be shown God’s power. So, God brought them to the Jordan river…

for a little Show And Tell.

 

In Joshua 3:10- Joshua said, “Here is how you

shall know that THE LIVING GOD IS AMONG YOU

and that he will without fail DRIVE OUT FROM BEFORE YOU

the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites,

the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth

is passing over before you into the Jordan…

and when the soles of the feet of the priests

bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth,

shall rest in the waters of the Jordan,

the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing,

and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

 

The priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant

had to step into the water before it stopped flowing.

The miracle didn’t happen until their feet got wet.

We often want confirmation before commitment.

But God calls us to move in faith.

The waters won’t part until we step in.

What river are you standing before today?

What step is God asking you to take?

 

So, as soon as they’re at the edge of the Jordan,

God leads them into the waters.

The feet of the priests touch the Jordan,

and the waters pile up in a heap on their right.

Then, the Priests stepped out into the middle of the riverbed - and that’s where the priests stood until all the Israelites

crossed the river and reached the other side.

 

 

 

Then a man from each of the 12 tribes picked up a big rock

from the riverbed and carried it out of the riverbed

to be set up as a memorial to God’s power.

And another 12 huge stones were piled at the place

where the priests had stood in the riverbed

and THAT pile of stones was also a memorial.

Then Israel made camp at a place called Gilgal

not far from the mighty city of Jericho.

 

Now, that’s a cool story… but what difference does it make to us? Why should we care what God did there?

Well, Romans 15:4 tells us that

“whatever was written in former days (the Old Testament)

was written for our instruction, that through endurance

and through the encouragement of the Scriptures

we might have hope.”

 

So, what could God possibly have meant to teach us in this story of the crossing of the Jordan. (PAUSE)

 

WE ARE TO ALWAYS Remember What God Has Done

One group of 12 huge stones were picked up from the riverbed and made into a memorial on land…

and there was another 12 stones set up

in the middle of the Jordan – also as a memorial.

And when this 2nd group of stones were placed

IN the waters of the Jordan and the

waters were released by God… those stones

would be buried in water. And that part of the story bothered me.

 

Why would God want 12 stones in the river as a memorial?

You’d never see them there! That didn’t make any sense.

And so that troubled me, until another minister pointed out

that when Israel crossed the Jordan…

they left their past behind them.

All the hardships of their former life were going be buried

in the cold waters of the Jordan… just like those stones.

After the crossing, God commands twelve stones to be taken from the riverbed and set up as a memorial. Why? Because we forget. We forget the miracles, the provision, the faithfulness.

• What are your memorial stones? What moments in your life testify to God’s power?
• The twelve stones taken from the riverbed were a physical reminder of God’s miracle. They told a story to future generations.

 

Years ago, an old time minister baptized a man

in Lake Superior. It was late October and about 9:00 PM.

The minister had been studying with the man and his wife about what the Bible taught about baptism

The man was hesitant for a long time and then finally said, “Yes, I want to be baptized tonight –

RIGHT NOW in Lake Superior.”

 

In case you don’t know… Lake Superior is a cold lake.

Average temperature (year-round) is about 38 degrees

AND this was late October. The waves were running

3 feet high. The water was very cold.

 

They intended to walk out waist deep into the water,

but only made it about knee deep.

The minister laid the man down into the water

as the waves washed over him. And the man

was baptized that night… into Christ.

 

When they got back to the man’s home for hot cocoa

and a hot soak for their cold feet

the minister asked the man why it was so important

that he wanted baptized that night in Lake Superior.

The man boldly answered:

“I was in the army, an officer in the infantry

during the Viet Nam war. I saw and did things

that no man should see or do.

And I wanted my sins buried in the deepest

and coldest place…”

·         That’s what God told us takes place in baptism. 

·         Romans 6:3-4 tells us “Do you not know that all of us

who have been baptized into Christ Jesus

were baptized into his death?

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death,

in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead

by the glory of the Father, we too might walk

in newness of life.”

 

·         When we rose from the waters of baptism,

our sin and shame stayed in the water.

And that’s why the 12 stones were set up

under the waters of the Jordan.

All of Israel’s past REMAINED under the waters

of that mighty river. So that made sense.

That explained why the stones were set up

in the middle of the riverbed and would be buried

under its waters.

 

 

 

 

·         But then (the next question would be)

·         why set up the other 12 stones on land?

·         Well… Joshua told the 12 men who carried these stones: “take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, THAT THIS MAY BE A SIGN AMONG YOU. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel A MEMORIAL FOREVER." Joshua 4:5-7

 

So, what was the purpose of the 12 stones

they brought out of the riverbed to set up on land?

It was a Memorial. A place to remember

what had been done that day at the Jordan.

You know, Jesus gave us a way to REMEMBER

what He had done for us. Paul wrote the Corinthians

and told them that

“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” I Corinthians 11:23-25

 

·         COMMUNION IS OUR MEMORIAL.

·         When we take of it each week, we are REMINDED

of what Jesus did for us. When we eat of the bread

we should remember that Jesus’ body was broken for us.

His body was wounded and bruised, and His flesh and skin were torn.

As Isaiah 53:5 tells us “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.”

And the bread reminds us of that suffering.

 

The priests stood in the middle of the river until everyone crossed. Their obedience created a path for others.

• REMEMBER: Your faith walk isn’t just about you.

When you trust God, you create space for others to follow. Your courage can be someone else’s confirmation.

 

Conclusion:

Joshua 4:11 says, “And when all the people

had finished crossing over,

the Ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side.”

 

The journey ends with God still in the center.

This story isn’t just about a river—it’s about a rhythm.

God calls.

We step.

He moves.

We remember.

 

 

FINAL Questions

• What “Jordan River” are you facing right now?
• What step of faith is God asking you to take?
• What memorial stones can you set up to remember His faithfulness?

 

Closing Prayer

“Lord, thank You for going before us.

Help us to step into the waters with faith,

knowing You will make a way.

May we never forget the miracles You’ve done in our lives.

Let our stories be stones that testify

to Your goodness for generations to come.

Amen.”

 

 

Destroy This Temple

Destroy This Temple

John 2:18-22

 

INTRO: Good morning church. Today we will continue in John chapter 2, John 2:18-22. Last time we saw Jesus had declared that those who were ruling in the temple complex had profaned the temple because of the commerce that they have been conducting there.

 

Jesus has challenged their authority to do this, and He has driven out the animals, sellers, and the money changers from the temple courts. The Jews want to know by what authority Jesus is doing these things and that in and of itself is a pretty sad statement. They do not see Jesus’ cleansing as; Here is the Lord entering His temple, being zealous for pure worship, telling them this is my father's house and clearing out the traders, as we noted was predicted in Zachariah 14:21. Rather than being introspective about this, they want to get back to doing the things they've been doing.

 

They say, “Who gives you the right to do this? “Who do you think you are to come in here and upset things that we've been doing all this time? “Who says that you have any authority to overturn our tables and to drive out these animals?”

 

That's where we are in our text in John chapter 2. Let’s reread starting in verse 13 and then pick up in verse 18 to get the whole scene.

 

John 2:13-22, “13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

 

18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then 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 about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”[ESV]

 

This is an interesting turn of events. The religious leaders say, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”[NAS] In other words, “Who do you think you are? “We need some authority before we believe you.” This is certainly going at Jesus directly. That is why the disciples remember this phrase; zeal for your house will consume me.

The leaders are challenging Jesus’ authority, wanting to justify their own actions, discredit Him, and get back to the ‘worship’ they want to have it in the temple courts. Therefore, Jesus says He will give them an appropriate sign for their problem.

 

I.     The Sign - Jesus’ response is fascinating. Verse 19, “…Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

A.   One of the things that we need to contextually consider is that John has quite a habit of marking out misunderstandings throughout this gospel. In particular he backs up a lot of them right here.

1.    Think about what we saw as a lack of understanding when Jesus performs the miracle of turning the water to wine at the wedding in Cana. Remember the master or steward of this feast had no idea where the wine was from. He said to the groom, “You have saved the best for last.” There we see a misunderstanding. Here again, the people, as this statement is made, do not understand what Jesus is talking about.

2.    When we get to chapter 3, we are going to see Jesus engage Nicodemus. Nicodemus does not understand what it means to be born again or born of the spirit.

3.    When we get to chapter 4, the woman at the well, does not understand what this living water is that Jesus is offering.

B.   I suggest what John is pointing out is that people do not understand. They do not comprehend His purpose. They do not observe Him as the Son of God, yet. People do not understand who He is. We will see this misunderstanding again in chapter 6, and chapter 13. It is going to keep happening in John's Gospel for us to observe. Keep that in mind as we look at this text.

1.    What the Jews say in verse 20 is interesting. “The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”” Immediately they begin to think about the physical temple as Jesus is standing in the temple complex. They think Jesus is talking about this physical structure.

2.    Jesus knew the hearts of men and He knew what was precipitating from the temple cleansing. They think He is talking about the temple itself. Recorded elsewhere Jesus is going talk about the destruction of the temple. That is not the point here. At this point, we are given the picture of them not understanding. They do not realize what Jesus is talking about.

3.    I have read this expansion of the Temple was started around 18 B.C. by Herod the Great. The Temple itself was functional within three and a half years from the start of construction, allowing for dedication and worship.

4.    As an aside, while the main structures were largely completed during Herod's reign, construction at the complex continued for decades, possibly until the 60s AD, as reflected in Josephus' reference to additions under the procurator Lucceius Albinus (c. 62–64 AD). A year or so later the Jewish revolt against Rome begins in Judea. In response Titus leads in the Roman forces around 69 AD. Jerusalem is conquered and the temple (and much of the city) is destroyed in September of AD 70.

C.   This misunderstanding is crucial in what John tells us. Repeatedly, this statement Jesus makes will be the linchpin to get Jesus killed. That's why verse 17, “zeal for your house will consume me”, is a critical, prophetic statement. A prophetic statement made by David in Psalm 69. The disciples are seeing the prophecy here as well and applying it to Jesus.

1.    Let’s look at where we see this; like in Matthew chapter 26, when Jesus is on trial and they're unable to find any witnesses to convict Him and put Him to death. Matthew 26:59f – “59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’””[ESV] That's not what Jesus said, not even close to what Jesus said.

2.    Then we see Jesus on the cross. What are the people saying as they go by Him in Matthew 27? Matthew 27:39f – “39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.””

3.    This statement by Jesus becomes a central peg to what the Jews are going to use against Him. He said the temple of God was going to be destroyed. That's the reason we should crucify Him. Then as the people go by, if you're really the Son of God, then come on down. You said you could do something miraculous like destroy our temple and raise it in three days. Here we are killing you. You're truly not God, are you?

D.   When we look carefully at it, we see that Jesus doesn't say that He would destroy the temple. He said that they would. He says destroy this temple. That's what you are going to do, but I'm going to raise it up three days later.

1.    Jesus is telling the Jewish leaders questioning Him; You are in the destroying process. You are the ones that are destroying the temple. That might have caused them to understand things a bit differently if they had truly listened to what Jesus was saying. Unfortunately, they didn't.

2.    Jesus is prophesying His death and is referring to Himself as John narrates in verse 21, speaking about the temple of His body, and is making this prophetic statement. We see how closely that connects to the prophecy of David, zeal for your house will consume me. He says that to them; You're going to destroy this temple, but I'm going to raise it up in three days.

E.   I strongly think this is the reason why John is so closely connecting this event to the Passover. We saw this in verse 13. John starts this by saying it’s the Passover to show us that this death is not accidental or merely an incident in history. Jesus is the prepared Passover lamb who is going to die for the sins of the world.

1.    His zeal for His Father, His desire for pure worship and a right relationship with God is going to get Him killed according to the plan of God because He is the lamb that is to be slaughtered. It is interesting to see John work this together. Here he is pointing out that Jesus is causing hostility. He is making enemies. They are going to consume Him because of His zeal.

2.    John is subtly saying that this is all according to the plan. He is the Passover lamb. Just because all this hostility is pouring upon Him does not mean that this is outside the bounds of God's purposes. Everything is going according to plan as the Passover lamb is being prepared to be sacrificed for the sins of the people.

F.    I have a question right here. Why does Jesus call Himself the temple? Why does Jesus intentionally bring about this misunderstanding? If Jesus had only desired to predict the resurrection then He could have done so like He did in the other Gospel accounts. Matthew 12:39-40, Jesus answered them – “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” He could have emphasized resurrection alone. He doesn't do that here. He intentionally ties Himself to the temple by calling Himself the temple.

II.    Destroy the temple. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Why is Jesus doing that? Why does Jesus want to connect Himself, His body, to the temple concept?

A.   Let’s look in the Old Testament and put ourselves in the mind of Israel for a moment. Begin to feel the weight and the significance of what the temple meant to those people.

1.    The most obvious thing about the temple of God is, of course, this was where the presence of God was. This was the image of the relationship of God being with His people. The idea of the tabernacle and also of the temple, is that God is with us. His presence is with us.

2.    It symbolized a relationship with God, and that we are in His good graces. When we read those prophetic images, like the one in Ezekiel where God leaves the temple, it is meaningful to say that God is no longer with His people. He's no longer in relationship with them and judgment is due them.

B.   We also should consider what made the temple extremely important is that this is where atonement was made. This is where people came for atonement. We've observed in Acts, and our study of the Old Testament, that there are three times the people had to come to Jerusalem to be able to give their offerings and sacrifices at the temple. Here we have atonement images in all three instances as a reminder of what God was doing for them.

1.    Atonement was made in the Holy of Holies. The high priest would go into that place where the Ark of the Covenant was, sprinkling blood on the mercy seat. This was the place where God was meeting His people, where atonement was being found and mercy would be dispensed.

2.    Consider also the significance of what was in the Ark of the Covenant. That imagery reaches into this as well. There's a reason why there are three things that are contained in that Ark of the Covenant.

a.    The first thing that's always noted is the tablets of stone symbolizing the law of God. This is the memorial of God giving His laws. It is a memorial of the covenant with His people.

b.    Remember also Aaron's rod is in the Ark of the Covenant. It played an important part in the miracles of God's deliverance of the people out of Egypt. It is a reminder of God's powerful hand, the miraculous deliverance that God would give the people.

c.    Third, we also see a pot of manna. That showed God’s provision as they wandered through the wilderness. God miraculously is providing and taking care of His people. These three things were not just idle things in the Ark of the Covenant.

3.    From top to bottom, the temple has all kinds of symbolism. The place where God’s presence is symbolized. It was in there where mercy and atonement are found, where blood was sprinkled. Including what was inside the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing the covenant and the law, and God's deliverance, and God's blessings. The temple was a very important structure. It embodies all of what God had promised for Israel from His presence to His blessings to His deliverance.

C.   Jesus transfers all of that imagery, all of that symbolism onto Himself. It is staggering to think of all that power, of what the temple stood for to Israel, and all that was included in that imagery.

1.    Jesus transfers all that meaning and places it directly upon Himself. This is where we come in contact with the Father and have a relationship with the Father.

2.    What we're going to observe is Jesus showing the irrelevance of the temple altogether. Jesus is saying by referring to Himself as the temple, this is where God is.

This is where you come to the Father.

This is where you learn about the Father.

In Jesus you find a relationship with the Father.

Coming to Jesus now rather than the temple is how one finds atonement.

When you come to Jesus now, there is where you find mercy.

3.    Jesus is the embodiment of the law. The tablets of stone are not relevant and not necessary. Jesus embodies all of the law not only in His fulfillment, but also in His revelation. Hebrews 1:1-2, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

He is the embodiment of the law of God.

He is the place where God miraculously delivers His people.

He is a prophet like Moses who delivers people out of their spiritual bondage of slavery to sin and brings them deliverance and brings them into covenant relationship with God.

4.    It also pictures a pouring out of blessings. A picture Paul would use throughout Ephesians.

Every spiritual blessing is in Christ.

They are no longer tied to the temple.

They are not being tied to a physical structure or being tied to the physical Israel.

D.   Perhaps most important in what John is telling us is the temple was the place where you worship God. That's what this has been about. Their worship is corrupted. That is a warning for us today as well. Somebody once said when asked how to handle corruption in a congregation; “Remember What Would Jesus Do, and then consider—overturning the tables and making a whip of cords is within the realm of possibilities.”

1.    Jesus comes into the temple complex and what's the problem? It's a marketplace. It's not a place of prayer. It's not a place of thanksgiving. It's not truly a place of worship anymore. It's a place of buying and selling, and graft. It's about business.

2.    Jesus is the place of worship. If you're going to worship the Father, you must be in connection with Jesus. He is now that very location. I think that is the significance of what Jesus is doing, what He is driving at, and is so important for us to understand when we see He would be crucified and then raised from the dead three days later.

3.    I marvel at this imagery that the true temple of God is now going to be revealed in Jesus. Yes, they are going to destroy this temple in that they are going to destroy the human body, but Christ is the temple that can not be destroyed. This is the place where we come in contact with God. There's nothing that you can do to get rid of that.

E.   What a contrast that is to the physical temple that would be overrun, rebelled against and destroyed again and again. All the problems that would happen in Jerusalem and the temple, even to what we see today, is completely irrelevant now because that has all been transferred to Jesus. Jesus is the location.

1.    What Jesus is doing is not merely cleansing the temple; He is replacing the whole thing. He is not cleansing the temple and getting the Old Law back on track.

2.    He says what you're doing is wrong. You're out of fellowship with God. Your worship is improper. He's eliminating the whole thing and replacing it and saying you need to come to me.

F.    This is a theme that we will see again as we go forward in our look at John’s Gospel. Let me preview.

1.    Think about Nicodemus in chapter 3. What's He telling Nicodemus about being in the kingdom of God? You must believe in the Son.

2.    What's He telling the woman at the well? You have to come to me. He tells her that worship to God will not be on the mountain nor in Jerusalem. We don’t care about temples in Jerusalem anymore. Christ is the total replacement.

3.    Jesus is the true center of worship. The risen Lord is the place where God is revealed, where forgiveness is found, where the renewal is known, and where God's fellowship is experienced and forever maintained.

G.   Jesus is doing something extraordinary here and we can see why the antagonism would be so great. I suspect, even if they had begun to understand what Jesus was saying, it probably would have pushed them faster to killing him.

Jesus is showing them the true temple.

When you worship Jesus, you're worshiping God.

When you come to Jesus, you find the forgiveness of God.

When you come to Jesus, you find the mercy of God.

When you come to Jesus, you find the deliverance of God.

When you come to Jesus, you find the blessings of God.

When you come to Jesus, you find the covenant law of God.

Zeal for your house will consume me is exactly the point that John observes for us.

 

CONCLUSION:

I’ll mention a few points to consider as we wrap this up.

The first, we see John noting that the Jews ask for a sign. They are asking, what authority do you have to come in here and cleanse the temple? Who do you think you are? The New American Standard says, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”[NASB] Here Jesus uses resurrection as His authority.

That is really important. You need to believe in who I am. When I rise from the dead that settles everything. It does, it proves that He is divine, that He is God, and that everything He said about His relationship with the Father is true. He has the right to say that these people are out of relationship with God.

He has the right to tell people that the only way to come to the Father is through Him.

The only way to worship God properly is through Him.

He has the right to tell people if you seek any other path, you're going to destruction.

The reason why He can do that is the resurrection.

Destroy this temple, and I'll raise it up in three days. The resurrection becomes the proof.

 

We note verse 22. “When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”[ESV] After the resurrection, the disciples now understand this. When the resurrection happens, they think back to this and realize that is the authoritative moment.

 

That gives us great hope. Now if you want to know why you don't have to listen to anybody else, anybody else who claims to be a prophet or somebody sent from God or claiming to have a special revelation or thinks they have something that's worthy of sharing from God, it is because you can't trump resurrection. Matthew 17:5 – “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” You find this also in Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35. The resurrection shows us this is the Son and we need to listen to what He has to say.

 

Second, what's John's purpose in this gospel? So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. These events have that intended effect.

 

Remember what we saw at the wedding in Cana Jesus performs the miracle and verse 11 tells us, and His disciples believed him. Jesus reveals His glory, the disciples then believe in who He is. It does the same thing here, verse 22, when He's raised from the dead, what do they do? They believe the scripture and they believe everything that Jesus said.

 

Third, Jesus is the place where God comes to His people. Jesus is the place that we need to turn to. The more that I study this gospel, the more I am astounded by loose Christianity in the world that declares, you can find any way you want to God. When I hear this I realize they have not studied John very well because John is very adamant, scene after scene, driving home the point that Jesus is the one true way.

 

The only place to find worship in God is through His son, Jesus Christ. It is the only place that we find atonement, mercy, forgiveness, blessings, and deliverance. There's no other.

 

Jesus is that one place. John is placing the supremacy of Christ in our hearts. Teaching us to appreciate who He is, seeing Him as way more than just a man, far more than just a prophet. Not just somebody who did good works.

 

He is somebody to be obeyed, to be awestruck by, to be revered and to follow because He is the only way to God and there is no other.

 

The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.

 

# ???

 

Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

 

Are You an Egg, Carrot or Coffee Bean?

Matthew 5:7-16

A wealthy businessman lay on his deathbed. His preacher came to visit and talked about God’s healing power and prayed for the businessman.

When the preacher was done, the businessman said, “Preacher, if God heals me, I’ll give the church a million dollars.” Miraculously, the businessman got better and within a few short weeks was out of the hospital.

Several months later, the preacher bumped into this businessman on the sidewalk and said, “You know, when you were in the hospital dying, you promised to give the church a million dollars if you got well. We haven’t received it as of yet.”
The businessman replied, “Did I say that? I guess that goes to show how sick I really was!”

 

A few years’ back two guys interviewed thousands of people, and they published their findings in a book called The Day America Told the Truth.
Of those surveyed,

91% said that they lie on a regular basis.
86% said they lie to their parents regularly,
75% said they lie to their friends,
68% said they lie to their spouses.
50% said they regularly called in to work sick when they weren’t

 

Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”
What is your reputation?
Do people see you as someone who has set a good example to follow?
Do they see a correlation between what you profess and how you live?
Is your home, your place of employment, and your community influenced by how you live your life?

 

Listen to what Jesus said about how our relationship with Him should impact those that live around us;
Matthew 5:13 – “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Salt has a number of uses.

It adds taste to food, melts ice, creates thirst.

But in the first century salt was used primarily as a preservative. Jesus’ audience didn’t have refrigeration—when they butchered meat or caught fish they packed the meat in salt to preserve it.

You can still buy country hams that are salt-cured.

When Jesus said that you are the salt of the earth, He acknowledged that decay is inevitable in a fallen world. Left alone, culture will always deteriorate, without Christ the world will rot.

Jesus was saying that your job is to preserve truth and conserve Godly values in society. You permeate the world and help maintain wholesomeness in the culture.

Jesus said that if salt loses its saltiness it’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and tromped on like sand in a path.

Technically, Sodium Chloride cannot lose its saltiness, but the salt mined from the Dead Sea was so polluted with other minerals that it lost its preserving abilities.
If a Christian becomes polluted by the sin and philosophy of the world we lose our preserving ability.

Our job as Christians is to add flavor and create a thirst for God

Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden”
Light does one particular thing: it dispels darkness.
Light illuminates a potentially dangerous path and makes it safe.
Christians are to be luminaries along the path to God.

We’re to be spotlights showing the way to salvation.
The role of God’s people has always been to be light in the darkness

Isaiah 49:6 says, “I will...make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her.

She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed as if one problem was solved, but a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen.

She filled three pots with water and placed each on the stove and soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last, she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

 

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.

She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’

‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ the daughter replied.

 

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.

The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, ‘OK, BUT what is your point?’

 

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. BUT each reacted in a different way.

 

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting.

However, after being subjected to boiling water, it softened and became weak.

 

The egg had been fragile.

Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

 

The ground coffee beans were unique, however.

After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water.

 

‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter.

‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

 

THIS MORNING I WANT TO ASK EACH OF US…

Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

 

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?

Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?

Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

 

Or am I like the coffee bean?

The bean changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.

When the water gets hot, it releases fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity?

 

IN TODAY’s TEXT JESUS TELLS US

A FEW WAYS TO HANDLE ADVERSITY

1^st SHOW MERCY
Matthew 5:7 – “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
One of the best ways to influence the world for Christ is to show mercy to the hurting.

Jesus told a parable about a man who was mugged and left for dead along the Jericho highway.

Two religious men came by, saw his condition, and passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, a man of despised race, came by and had mercy on him.

He bandaged his wounds, took him to a nearby hotel and paid for all his medical expenses.

 

Jesus asked the crowd, “Who did the right thing?”

Everyone in the audience agreed—the one who showed compassion on him.
Even the most cynical skeptic instinctively knows mercy is good.

Mercy is a bridge.
It’s a bridge that God built so He can relate to you and me.
It’s also a bridge we have to build if we’re going to relate lovingly to others.

The greatest example of mercy is found in Jesus Christ at the cross.
It’s a fulfillment of Psalm 85:10 – “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.”

 

2^nd HAVE A PURITY OF HEART
Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
The heart is the center of our being.
It’s the master control area of life
Proverbs 4:23 –“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

 

The heart is the source of all of our trouble
Matthew 15:19 – “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, and false testimony.”

Psalm 19:14 – “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

The world respects people who are genuine and pure in heart.

So, may we strive for a pure heart.
To be pure in heart means to have pure thoughts and genuine motives.
There is a consistency between your beliefs and behavior.
A person who is pure in heart is sincere and authentic.

 

3^rd … Jesus tells us to BE A PEACEMAKER
Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

“Peacemakers release tension, they don’t intensify it. Peacemakers calm the waters, they don’t trouble them.

Do you recall when David and his angry warriors were galloping toward the home of the rancher, Nabal, armed for battle?

Nabal had arrogantly refused to pay David’s men what was due them.
Nabal’s wife, Abigail, sized up the coming bloodshed and took action.
She prepared a catered meal for David and his men; rode out to meet them, fed them, apologized for her husband’s ignorance, and pleaded for forgiveness.

She defused the hostility and war was averted.
David said, “May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day” (1 Samuel 25:33).

Abigail was a peacemaker.

She was perceptive to the problem.

She sacrificed her pride and energy to avoid conflict and she facilitated reconciliation.

David was so impressed that when Nabal died several days later, he asked Abigail to marry him.
Sometimes you make peace by avoiding a potential conflict with someone else.
A peacemaker absorbs the hurt and sacrifices self to maintain a positive relationship.

 

And 4^th Jesus warns us that we should EXPECT PERSECUTION FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Matthew 5:10-12 – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Notice the reason for persecution:

It is for the sake of righteousness.

Sometimes when you’re merciful, pure, and peaceful, your standards tend to incriminate others and that may cause them to attack you.
Jesus was perfect yet the world crucified Him.
If we seek to follow Him we must anticipate some opposition.
All around the world there are people who face life and death because of their faith.

Sometimes when you try to be salt and light, you can be the victim of intense opposition.
Jesus said, “If you are persecuted, don’t whine, don’t holler “foul,” and threaten to sue for every dime.

We are to rejoice and be glad for three reasons:
1. First, you’re in good company—that’s the way God’s prophets were treated.
2. Second, your reward in heaven will be greater.
3. Third, when the world sees us respond with joy instead of anger, they will be attracted to Jesus Christ.

Paul and Silas were arrested in Philippi, beaten by the jailer, and placed in stocks in a damp, inner dungeon.
Instead of complaining to the jailer about their abuse, the Bible says, “Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God.”
And the prisoners heard them.

 

I am sure they had heard all kinds of profanity from the inner dungeon, but never singing and praising.
Then an earthquake shook the entire prison and everyone was freed.
The jailer prepared to commit suicide because he was responsible for them.

But Paul called out, “Don’t harm yourself, we’re all here!

The jailer called out, “What must I do to be saved?”

 

Why was he so receptive to the gospel?

Why did he listen to Paul’s instruction and then be baptized the same night?
Because when Paul and Silas were persecuted, they rejoiced and praised God.

Our reputation is important and it should reflect Christ.

What we have as Christ followers is not because of what we’ve done but because of what Christ has done.
We have salvation and an eternal inheritance not because of anything that we could do but because of the good name of Jesus Christ.
We have a wonderful place to spend eternity because of a Savior who has gone there to prepare a place for us.

 

Zeal for Your House

 

John 2:12-17

 

INTRO: Good morning church. Last week Mark began teaching on the section of scripture we call the beatitudes where Jesus sat down, His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them. Today we will look at Jesus teaching them in a different way.

 

Our text is John 2:12-17. The Apostle John begins this section, that we often describe as the cleansing of the temple, by calling it the Passover of the Jews. He concludes the section in verse 23 by again noting that it's the Passover feast of the Jews. I suspect that John noting this is the Passover twice indicates there's something important we should look for. There is some critical symbolism here in this observation that it is the time of the Passover.

It is important to keep in mind that John's gospel is not in chronological sequence. That is not his purpose. This gospel is in theological sequence, in that John is choosing signs and events to argue a particular theological point. His focus is that all would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He's not just telling us about the life of Jesus, and not just recording various events. He's selecting events and selecting signs that will validate his point in this theology of who Jesus is as the Son of God.

 

That is important for a number of reasons. First of all, it is sometimes argued based upon John's gospel, that Jesus cleansed the temple twice. It has been suggested that what we see here in John 2 is an early cleansing, and then in Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19, we read about a cleansing that occurs near the end of His life. I am not sure about that. Instead I suspect what has occurred is that John has moved this event into the front of his gospel for some reason.

 

One reason for my thinking this is that none of the gospels record two of these events. If there had been two, the other gospels would probably have recorded them. We would expect to find two events in the gospels that describe a more chronological sequencing of Jesus' life. I note though, the other gospels only record a cleansing once.

 

I suspect John is pulling it forward and sticking it after the wedding at Cana and before the discussion with Nicodemus for some reason. Let’s start thinking about what John is doing here. What is his purpose? Keep that in mind.

 

We also note that the Gospel of John is probably the Gospel that was written last. The contents and the structure of this Gospel presuppose the reader's familiarity with the three synoptic gospels. According to tradition this Gospel was written at the end of the first century AD. Therefore John has no reason to recap and rehearse what are in the other gospels. He has a purpose. He has a point.

 

John does not have to write this gospel like a newspaper reporter recording all the facts in some particular sequence. He's already told us he has a purpose. John isn't marking Passover so that we would have time markers and know that three years went by.

 

When John mentions a Passover, I suspect he's got some kind of Passover symbolism that he's inserting with this sign or event.

 

With that in mind, let's read the whole story.

I.        Temple Court Scene – John 2:13-17, “13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.””

A.     It is the Passover time that tells us every male Jew from all over the land is coming. This is one of the three appointed times when male Jews had to come for their offering and sacrifices. It would have been a very busy scene.

1.      Verse 14 records that in the temple complex are found those selling animals and birds, and those changing money. These animals and birds were required offerings in the Jewish sacrifices; however, can you imagine a Jew who lived in Rome ensuring that his animal made the trip all the way to Jerusalem without any blemish? It became an element of convenience to purchase the offering when you arrived. I have also read at some point the worshipers were required to purchase them from the temple functionaries and were not allowed to bring their own.

2.      On top of that, the money changers are there because the scriptures describe what would be called a temple tax in first century times. Each person was to give what would be a half shekel as part of their census. You can find that described in Exodus 30:12-14.

3.      Also the only money allowed be used in such purchases or tax was the coinage controlled by the temple. The denarius and other coins were prohibited, probably due to the image on the coin. Thus, with the temple concessionaires having the only supply of animals and a supply of money by which they could have been purchased, there was ample opportunity for graft.

II.      Jesus’ Response - Jesus does not simply scold them and say, you shouldn't be doing this; it is not an appropriate thing to do. This is a pretty ferocious act we see as He takes some cords, binds them together and drives them all out of the temple. Not only that, but He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

A.     This is quite a disturbance, quite a scene that is taking place in these temple courts. I suspect getting the attention of all the Jews coming there. They are looking to purchase these animals and pay their tax, and Jesus comes in like a tornado, completely obliterates the tables and runs the animals off.

1.      What are you doing Jesus? What is going on here? Aren’t they just providing a service of convenience to these people as they try to worship God? I think the description that Jesus gives in verse 16 is important to be able to understand what He is driving at.

2.      Notice in verse 16 He says, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” This is what John records, now let’s compare it with the other gospel accounts. In Matthew 21:13 “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” In Mark 11:17 “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Luke 19:46, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” It appears in the other gospel accounts; the problem emphasized is they are cheating the people.

3.      Apparently in the exchange rate of the coins and the purchasing of the animals they are making unfair profit. In the synoptic accounts it sound like they are taking advantage of this process. We notice that's not the point Jesus makes here as John highlights.

B.     John does not emphasize Jesus’ point that the merchants have made this a den of robbers. Nor is Jesus criticizing not bringing their offerings from home. The issue is clear that the problem is business was being done in the temple courts! That's what He identifies. Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade. You've turned this into a marketplace.

1.      That's the idea Jesus drives at as John points out. What is at stake here is people are no longer focused on worshipping God in this complex. What should have been a place of reverence, a place of prayer, a place of praising God, has now turned into a supermarket.

2.      We can imagine all the hubbub that is going on with this trading. That is Jesus’ point. I think this offers us a reminder about the nature of our worship. I first want to make a caveat that it is important to recognize that the temple, or the church building, is not the point. The point is NOT to say, within these walls God lives and that’s why this merchandising shouldn't be happening. No, that is not the case.

3.      In fact even regarding the temple itself, God didn’t actually live there. Stephen said in Acts 7:48 – “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?”” Stephen referred to the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 66:1f. Even Solomon understood that for all the glory of what he built, God doesn’t actually live there.

4.      The parallel for us is not to suggest that God lives here. The parallel is that this is supposed to be a place of worship. The purpose wasn't for them to set up tables, make money, turn it into a marketplace, rip people off, if that's what they're doing. That's not what is supposed to be going on. This is supposed to be a place of devotion to God; of worship, of prayer, of encouragement, of fellowship, and of learning. It is where hearts are supposed to be turned to God in a focus that is strictly on God!

C.    This is an important message in our day and time especially. In a time where churches are increasingly engaging in selling branded items like apparel, accessories, and study materials, driven by a desire to foster a sense of belonging, promote their activities, and _ generate _ revenue. I'm not kidding. Some are suggesting that selling merchandise can be a way to generate income to support their ministries and operations.

1.      This is a tremendous reminder that our purpose is not to come here and find a way to be comfortable, a way of convenience. That is not why we are here. Our purpose here is not to make money. Our purpose here is not to take your money. It's not about buying or selling. May we never do so.

2.      That's what these Jews had done to the temple courts. It had turned into a kind of marketplace and lost the singular focus of coming to worship God. That's what it should all be about. I believe that worship to God should be in our minds as the clear purpose of why we do the things that we do.

3.      Our singular focus should be worshiping God, and I believe that is what we learn from what John says. It's not about all the peripherals. When we come together, it should be coming to glorify God.

D.    When we come together, let's and avoid focus on anything else. This is what Jesus is criticizing them about. What a massive distraction is going on in these temple courts. Here you are, you have come to worship together and you have this hubbub, this marketplace of buying and selling, vendors calling, animals and birds making racket, this massive distraction from worship.

1.      It is a reminder to us to put aside distractions and come to the fountain of living water. That is what we're supposed to be doing. It is so easy for us to get sidetracked and become distracted with so many other things.

2.      We can do it mentally as well, because we are so concerned about the things of the world and the cares of the world and the schedule of the day or of the week or our phones.

3.      Consider how often and how easy it is to turn the worship of the true and living God into a consumer-driven experience. A funny YouTube video that I've seen is a thing that is called “What if the church was run like Starbucks?” I don't know if you've ever seen it or not. It's quite funny when you start trying to turn church into a business and you recognize the foolishness of what occurs.

4.      This is not about a consumer experience. In fact, coming here is not about our comforts. It's not about our convenience, and it's certainly not about our desires. We come here because we are keenly aware that we want to serve and worship God, and that is our primary focus.

5.      Jesus is indicating that the distractions these Jews were bringing about was an enormous problem because it was turning the hearts of the people and turning their focus away from the worship that should have been going on. We need to take great care that what we are doing is not causing people to no longer be able to worship God in a focused way.

E.     This cleansing of the temple is showing Jesus as the loyal son who has come to set right the worship that has gone wrong, to cleanse it of impure activity, to get people focused on the right thing. He does this in such an interesting way because what He does has messianic implications, though not directly stated. Yet, in the words “… My Father’s house…” we see the indication of the unique sonship of Jesus, and a focus on the messianic import of this event of cleansing. As A. M. Hunter noted, "The cleansing is far more than a Jewish reformer's act; it is a sign of the advent of the Messiah."

1.      Nowhere will we find in the Old Testament the direct statement saying when the Messiah comes, He will cleanse the temple. There are allusions to that idea however. Like In Zachariah 14 where he is talking of “The Coming Day of the Lord” and then in the very last line of Zechariah he says “And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.” Here's Zechariah making a curious prophecy of the wiping out of that kind of activity.

2.      Malachi begins Malachi 3 by speaking of the Lord coming to His temple and they will then begin to offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. What happened is they had allowed chaos to rule here rather than it being the place of coming to worship God.

3.      The church in Corinth was also admonished for letting chaos rule in 1^st Corinthians 14 which concludes “… all things should be done decently and in order.” What Jesus is doing is removing the barriers that are interfering with true worship of the living God.

4.      If we are properly putting our hearts on God and worshiping Him the way that we should, then we can't help but come away encouraged and lifted up. They didn't understand that. They had put the cart before the horse.

III.    The Disciples’ Reaction – John 2:17 - The disciples reaction is interesting. Look at what John says about this in verse 17. “His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”” The reason why I find this fascinating in light of what Jesus does, is they do not remember a scripture about God’s wrath. I find it interesting that it is not wrath that the disciples think of.

A.     It's zeal that comes to their minds. I think that is important for us to observe, because too often this text has been used to suggest that Jesus is in a fit of fury. He went all Clint Eastwood on them… Not from the perspective of His disciples.

1.      They do not perceive what Jesus is doing as wrath, but rather a calculated approach on Jesus part of telling them, look, this isn't the way it ought to be. He is zealous for that. He is concerned about what is going on in the house of worship.

2.      The scripture the disciples remember is in Psalm 69. In Psalm 69:7-12 we see the cause of David’s suffering. King Saul had classified David as an outlaw and is seeking him. In Psalm 69:9 David says, “For zeal for your house has consumed me…” How had it consumed him, eaten him up? It had precipitated the murder of the high priest and his entire family (close friends of David), and it had launched Saul's army in their ruthless hunt to seek out and kill David.

3.      David in a statement of sadness is calling out to God for salvation. He is overwhelmed and this is a psalm of despair. Notice it in Psalm 69:7, “For it is for your sake (speaking of God) For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons.” Why has this happened? Why are you enduring this hostility David? Why are you dealing with all of these reproaches and difficulties? Verse nine is the answer. “For zeal for your house has consumed me…”

4.      David is not saying he has an overwhelming emotion of zeal. That's not the point. David is enduring hostility because of the zeal he has for the Lord's house. The reference here is to the tabernacle of course. Had David been zealous for that? Certainly! Where did he take the sword of Goliath following his God-given victory over the Giant? He took it to the Lord's house, the tabernacle. That action, along with the sackcloth, the fasting, and the other acts of devotion adequately establish the truth that David did indeed exhibit a genuine "zeal for God's house."

5.      That's the point that's being described here by David. He wants others to understand that his zeal for the Lord's house has led to this intense hostility. This is the reason why he feels like he is suffering. This is the reason why he is sinking and has floodwaters overwhelming him. Others don’t seem to understand his commitment to the Lord. They don't understand his zeal and love for God. Because of that love for God, he is being eaten up and consumed by the hostility coming at him. They are trying to destroy him. They are trying to kill David.

B.     That's the backdrop of Psalm 69 brought forward to Jesus and to what John tells us. Jesus in this temple cleansing, is putting things right with God. He is calling for a cleansing of heart and showing a concern for the true worship of God and calling for people to have a right relationship with God.

1.      Because of His zeal and His concern for this right relationship and the calling for the people to have a right heart, He's going to endure hostility. He is going to be consumed. That's the picture that is being offered here. That's what the disciples are thinking. It is going to bring about hostility.

2.      I suspect the hostility is already starting, and that’s one of John’s intentions in pulling this forward. It is for us to see the start of hostility that Jesus is going to receive because of His zeal and His love for the father. It was precisely this manifestation of the Savior’s zeal that set in motion the murderous animosity of the religious apparatus in Jerusalem, which never relented. It is only going to grow and intensify.

3.      Here in John's account the words of Psalm 69:9 are prophetic. Zeal for your house, it's going to consume me. It is looking forward and saying this is what is going to happen. John is putting it together now in this scene. Look at the His love for God; look at His zeal for right and true worship. It will consume Him.

C.    The rest of Psalm 69 is also interesting. I intentionally cut that off the last part of Isaiah 69:9 which says in full, “For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.” God, I know I'm dealing with the hostility toward you because of my love for you, and my devotion for you. Their hatred for you now turns and comes upon me. Thus David expresses this in his love for God. He is enduring suffering and Jesus in His love for God will be enduring suffering as well.

D.    This passage is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 15:1-4. “1. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” 4. For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

CONCLUSION:

There are two fallouts that will occur because of our zeal and our love for God. The first is; if we truly love the Father, then we are going to deal with one another appropriately, graciously and kindly. That's how Paul begins in Romans 15:1-2.

 

Jesus did not please himself. Because of that, we know we are not in the business of pleasing ourselves. We're in the business of watching out for one another. In the process, there will be issues. We will be in second place. We will be concerned about what our actions and what our words mean for other people.

 

My love for God, my zeal for him, will bring that about. We certainly see that in the life of Jesus. We absolutely observe this as we begin to go through the pages of John. We're going to read about His love for the Father that shows the kind of compassion He has for the people, how He could look at people who were going to be His enemies and crucify Him and still be moved with compassion for them and the desire for them to be saved. The reason why, is because of His great devotion to the Father.

 

The other side of that coin is that in our zeal for the Father and our love for the Father, there is an expectation of hostility. There is an expectation of resistance from those who do not understand. The disciples experienced it. Jesus experienced it.

 

That is exactly what the apostle Paul is teaching in Romans 15. When we display that same fervency and devotion to our Lord and in our worship to Him, then just like David, just like our Lord's disciples, and just like our Lord Jesus Christ, we are going to suffer for the cause. We will endure reproach; we will bear with suffering what will come upon us, in our zeal for the things of God.

 

It already occurs in many ways. How often people think you're strange because you came back here because of your zeal for God. They say, well, you know, that's kind of kooky. You just need to go every once in a while, right? You know what? You guys are just kind of over the top. It happens from very subtle levels to very extreme levels where you will stand face to face against someone who's an enemy of the cross.

 

You'll be called upon to stand in your faith and say, I confess Jesus and I love Him with all of my heart. I will not deny Him and I will not cower and I will not hide my faith and love for Him. There is a need for a reminder that when we do that, there is always a strong reaction to it. The world today continues to have a strong reaction to those who profess their faith openly and declare their love and devotion for Jesus. We should not be surprised by this, it was predicted. This is exactly what the prophet is saying. Zeal for our Lord will bring about these kinds of difficulties. I pray that as we wrap up, we all have zeal so that it will bring about right action, and right words with one another.

 

Second, it will firm your foundation to deal with those who will oppose you as you try to do what is right, holy, and good for the sake of Jesus Christ. Lord willing, next Sunday, we'll get to look at the rest of this section where Jesus is talking about the destruction of the temple.

 

The message is yours. The invitation is there for any who have a need to be baptized into Christ, or those Christians who need prayers of faithful people, to come forward while we stand and sing.

 

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Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

 

 

Words To Live By

MATTHEW 5:1-6

"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" With a timid voice and idolizing eyes, the little boy greeted his father as he returned from work.

Greatly surprised, but giving his boy a glaring look, the father said: "Look, sonny, not even your mother knows that. Don't bother me now, I'm tired."

"But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour," the boy insisted.

The father, finally giving up, replied: "Twenty dollars per hour."

"Okay, Daddy. Could you loan me ten dollars?" the boy asked.

Showing his restlessness and positively disturbed, the father yelled: "So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Go to sleep and don't bother me anymore!"

It was already dark and the father was meditating on what he said and was feeling guilty. Maybe he thought , his son wanted to buy something.

Finally, trying to ease his mind, the father went to his son's room.

"Are you asleep, son?" asked the father.

"No, Daddy. Why?" replied the boy, partially asleep.

"Here's the money asked for earlier, " the father said.

"Thanks, Daddy!" rejoiced the son, while putting his hand under his pillow and extracting some money. "Now I have enough! Now I have twenty dollars!" the boy said to his father, who was gazing at his son, confused at what his son had just said.

"Daddy, could you spend with me one hour of your time?"

Time is too precious to spend it all on work! Appreciate your loved ones. Don't take them for granted

Several years ago there was a cartoon depicting a preacher standing at the back door of the worship auditorium shaking hands with people at the conclusion of the worship service. One man is shaking the preacher’s hand and looking very intently into the preacher’s eyes. As he does so, he says, “Powerful sermons, sir. Thoughtful, well-researched. I can always see myself in them ... and I want you to STOP using ME as an EXAMPLE!”

Jesus preached those kinds of sermons
His messages always hit home and people either loved Him or hated Him because of it.
This morning, we start a study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded in Matthew 5-7.
--I’m calling it, “Words of Wisdom for Heavenly Living”

Toward the beginning of His ministry, Jesus took His disciples to a mountain retreat and drilled them in the fundamentals of following Him.

Matthew. 4:23-26 gives us a summary of Jesus’ ministry leading up to this point: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.”

Matthew 5:1-2 – “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying...”

Jesus grabs a teachable moment with His disciples
--There’s one theme that runs consistently through this entire teaching segment:
Christ-followers are to think and act differently than the world around them.
We’re not supposed to be thermometers adjusting to the moral climate of our environment.
--We’re to be thermostats setting the standard for the culture.
Jesus is calling those who claim to follow Him to be an authentic counter-culture (one that is the opposite of) the culture of the world
He is asking us to live distinctive lives
--showing others the joys of being part of the “royal family”
We are to be a viable alternative to worldly living
--So much so that we make goodness and integrity attractive

The Sermon on the Mount is not a complete theology.
--It is, however, practical theology. The message of the Sermon on the Mount is relevant for everyday living as a follower of Christ.
It is not a system of laws for the Christian.
--It’s about submission and obedience to the will of God.

The Sermon on the Mount is not the requirements to enter the Kingdom.
It’s not the plan of salvation
But it is the guidelines to follow once you’re in the Kingdom
The Sermon on the Mount is Christianity 101 for every believer

The Bible reminds us that we’re in a battle between kingdoms: the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God
--We’re told which kingdom ultimately wins the battle.
The important thing is who you chose to serve.

I want this church here in Chardon to not just grow in number but to grow in integrity and character
I want us to grow in maturity and become more like Christ
I want us to be people who, in such a positive way, live differently from the
world that people are drawn to Christ like a magnet

The Sermon on the Mount is actually comprised of several sections
This first section talks about seeking God’s blessing.
It’s made up of short sayings called The Beatitudes
It means to be content, to have an inner joy
The Beatitudes are the right attitudes to have
--They define the right mind set for the believer

The Beatitudes are eight essential virtues to receive God’s blessing.
These virtues should build on each other and become increasingly evident as
we mature in the faith.
They are a series of progressive steps
The first four deal with our relationship with God and the last four with our
relationship to others.
--We’re going to look at the first four this morning

--Mt. 5:3 – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the poor.”
Jesus loved the poor such as the widow who only had two mites and Lazarus, the beggar who ate crumbs from the rich man’s table.

But God doesn’t automatically favor the homeless or the bankrupt.
--The book of Proverbs teaches that poverty is sometimes the result of laziness, drunkenness, gluttony, or indulgence in pleasure.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Blessed are those who recognize that they are spiritually impoverished.
--This is an honest evaluation of ourselves realizing we’re not able to do much on our own.

 

There’s something worse than being broke and that is not knowing you’re broke. People who have no money and keep buying on credit are in deeper trouble than those who have no money and admit it.

The very first step in coming to God is recognizing that you are spiritually broke. You have no resources of value to offer God.
The Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags before God.

Remember the parable of the Pharisee who worshipped next to a tax collector in the temple? The Pharisee boasted of his spiritual riches: “I fast, I tithe, I keep the law. I’m good! I’m better than that tax collector,” he said.

The tax collector just humbly prayed, ”God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Jesus said the tax collector went away justified; the Pharisee did not.
As long as we’re proud of our goodness and feel self-sufficient we’re out of God’s favor. When we see ourselves as spiritually bankrupt we’re ready to turn to God for His help and receive His riches.

Without a doubt, one of the most popular hymns in America is Amazing Grace. I know that you know the first stanza: Amazing grace! How sweet the sound! That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.

One day a minister was addressing a group of men, he took a large piece of paper and made a black dot in the center of it with a marking pen. Then he held the paper up before the group and asked them what they saw. One person quickly replied, "I see a black mark." "Right," the preacher replied. "What else do you see?" Complete silence prevailed. "Don't you see anything other than the dot?" he asked. A chorus of no’s came from the audience. "I'm really surprised," the speaker commented. "You have completely overlooked the most important thing of all ... the sheet of paper as a whole."
Then he made the application. He said that in life we are often distracted by small, dot-like disappointments or painful experiences, and we are prone to forget the innumerable blessings we receive from the hand of the Lord. But like the sheet of paper, the good things are far more important than the adversities that monopolize our attention.
Someone has written: "As you travel down life's pathway, may this ever be your goal: Keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole!"
Yes, rather than concentrating on the trials of life, we should fix our attention upon the blessings being offered. Let us say with the psalmist, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits" (Psalm 68:19)

If you fail to understand the poverty of your spirit, you cannot come to Christ for blessing.
But what blessing we receive when we admit our poverty and depend on Christ’s provision.
When you quit relying on your own goodness and turn to God, He forgives, He saves, He puts His righteousness in you.
Then, and only then are you promised the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
What type of mourning and grieving is Jesus referring to?
Is he talking about acceptable mourning over the loss of a loved one?
Grieving over opportunities that we failed to take advantage of?
Agonizing about things that didn’t go our way?

No. Jesus is talking about mourning and grieving over our sin.
One of the problems of our day is that we have failed to comprehend the
seriousness of sin.
Oh, there are people who strongly speak up against certain behaviors but they fail to examine their own lives.
They’re quick to point to the sins of others but they are spiritually blinded to their own wickedness.
They’re full of the deadly sins of pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, and a judgmental spirit.

The word translated as “mourn” is a word that points to the heart-rending, soul-wracking , eyes- overflowing-with tears kind of mourning.
It’s the strongest of all the words in the original language that refer to grief and sorrow.
It recognizes the loss of something important.
--It understands that there is a hole in the heart that needs to be repaired.
We need to despise sin... so it follows that
--We should especially despise our own sins.
We’re told over and over in Scripture to repent of sin—to recognize how much it offends the heart of God and then grieve over it.

James 4:8-10 – “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”

Does it break your heart when you sin against God?
Or do you superficially and nonchalantly say, “Yeah, I sinned. So what?”

Do you experience a godly sorrow that leads to repentance?
2 Cor. 7:10 – “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Repentance has become a neglected word in the church.
We sit in our pews Sunday after Sunday, thinking that God ought to be glad that we have agreed to bless Him with our presence.

One of the central events in our worship service is the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The Bible tells us that when we do that, we proclaim the death of Christ.
Why did He have to die?
It’s because we are SINNERS!
We aren’t good. We aren’t nice. There’s nothing about us that is lovely or attractive in the spiritual sense.
Rom. 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.”

It has been said: “Repentance precedes the blessing of God. A lack of repentance shuts off the power of God. There will be no revival or renewal without repentance. And there will be no repentance without godly sorrow. Until we come to the place where we truly mourn over our sin,
we will never see the hand of God revealed.”

The great thing is that when we show that godly sorrow and repent, God comforts us.
Oh, what joy to know our sins are forgiven.
We’ve come humbly before God in a godly sorrow that produces repentance.

We want to change our life and God blesses our efforts.
Not because of who we are, but because of what He has done!
Not because of what we’ve done, but because of Who He is!

God is a perfect, compassionate Father.
He is sympathetic toward those who mourn for their sin.
Charles Swindoll: “God loves the broken heart, the bent knee, and the wet eye.”

AN ATTITUDE OF MEEKNESS
Mt. 5:5 – “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
The world encourages aggressiveness

They want to see someone fight for what they get
They teach a culture of “Go for all the gusto you can” and worship the self-made person

Atheist Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Assert yourself. Care for nothing except for yourself. The only vice is weakness, and the only virtue is strength. Be strong, be a superman. The world is yours if you can get it."
What do you think of when you think of a meek person?
You probably wouldn’t consider it a compliment if someone said, “You are the meekest person I know.”
You probably think of someone who is insecure, unassertive, or timid

That’s not what the Bible means by meekness.
Meekness is not timidity or indecisiveness.
The Biblical word ‘meekness’ means “strength under control.”
It was a word used to describe a horse that had been taught how to respond well to the bridle and bit.
When a powerful horse is under control of its rider, it’s a meek horse.
It’s under the authority of the one who guides it.

The meek animal surrenders himself and allows the rider to control him.
Meekness is an inner attitude that results in controlled reactions.
Consider these people whom the Bible describes as being meek:
Abraham
Moses
David
Jesus
They all did brave and courageous things

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek,” He was commending those who had surrendered their strong, self-will to the authority of God in their daily lives.
The meek surrender to God’s will.
They respond to the slightest tug of His rein, no matter how strong or powerful they may be.
Someone: “Meekness is allowing the One who is meek and lowly at heart to rule our lives, our emotions, our behavior.”
Jesus promised the meek would “inherit the earth.”
Jesus was saying that the meek will share with Him as heirs of the Kingdom of God.

We think the assertive – the self-promoting – are the ones who will get ahead.
But Jesus promised that in His kingdom, those who are submissive to Him will inherit the leadership of the earth.

A HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Mt. 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Most of us in the United States have no real concept of real hunger or real thirst.
God has blessed us with an ample supply of food and abundant water supplies.

Is. 55:2 – “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what is does not satisfy?”
What are you hungry for?
What do you crave every day?
If I could read your mind what thoughts would you be most focused on?

Are you hungry for wealth, popularity, status, sex, pleasure, golf, fishing, shopping?
What are you passionate about?
Jesus said that we’re blessed when we hunger and thirst for righteousness. We receive God’s favor if we hunger and thirst to be close to Him and live like Him

When you’re a spiritual child you don’t have much of an appetite for spiritually healthy food.
You want junk food.
You pig out on emotion and excitement.
But when you mature spiritually, you hunger for the worship of God, the fellowship with Christian people, and the study of God’s Word.

1 Pet. 2:2-3 says that we ought to “crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

Ps. 42:1-2 – “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
The Christian is hungry and thirsty to be close to the heart of God.

Jn. 6:35 – “Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”

When Prodigal Son was hungry he turned to the husks that he was feeding the pigs. When he was starving he turned to his father.
Even though Moses had a close relationship to God,
he asks God in Ex. 33:13 – “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”

David in Ps. 63:1 – “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Moses, David and Paul already knew God in a very deep sense
But what they meant was that they wanted to know Him more intimately, personally, and powerfully.
They had a hunger and thirst for God.
They had a passion for Him.

CONCLUSION: A. Do you see how different the Christian is in attitude and spirit?
The world says, “Blessed are the rich, the proud, the self confident, they will get ahead.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The world says, “Blessed are the funny, the light-hearted, the positive thinkers, they will be popular.”
Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are genuinely sorry for their sins; I will comfort them with grace and forgiveness.”

The world says, “Blessed are the independent thinkers, the assertive. They will gain respect from people and be powerful.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek who humbly submit their strengths to my authority; they will inherit the earth.”
The world says, “Blessed are those who are hungry for success, the ‘Type A’
personalities who are ambitious enough to make their mark in the world.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are hungry for a relationship with me; they will be filled.”
Everything the world has to offer you will leave you empty, guilty, but only Jesus forgives, saves, and satisfies.
Ps. 34:8 – “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Water To Wine

 

John 2:1-11

 

INTRO: Good morning church. Little Johnny was watching his father, a preacher, write a sermon. “How do you know what to say?” asked Johnny. “Why, God tells me”, his father replied. “Oh,” said Johnny, “then why do you keep crossing things out?”

 

I feel a bit like Johnny’s father when preparing a lesson from the Gospel of John. It is not that the Lord did not provide valuable information through His apostle nor that it is hard to understand. It’s more like there is so much information in so few words that I struggle at times to express it clearly.

 

Our text for today is John 2:1-11. Keep in mind that John uses the word sign over and over again, and this is going to be the first of the signs that John will give us. As we mentioned at the beginning of this study, John’s Gospel is highly symbolic and highly spiritual. John’s purpose for this gospel is stated toward the end of his writing in John 20:30-31 – “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”[ESV]

 

John does not describe what Jesus does as miracles but as signs, and we mentioned that a sign is something that has a message that goes beyond what we see at first glance. Jesus, in this book, is continually showing us that He is fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament. He wants us to understand John 1:1, “in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the same was in the beginning with God, and all things were created by him.”

 

I’m thinking now of Genesis 1:1, “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Our creator has come to the earth, and these signs are uniquely designed to picture for us God having come down in the flesh to show His glory to man and bring salvation. All of those things then are exciting, and the signs, looking at it that way, are very unique.

 

John chapters 2 through 4 are a introductory section of this gospel because it is a picture of the old passing away and something new that has come. By the way, God is always about a new creation. He created all of us, we sin and when we turn to Christ He makes us… what does Paul says in 2^nd Corinthians 5:17?… a new creation.

 

He's always recreating what we foul up and bringing it to completion and bringing it to where it ought to be. We see this here. There's new wine in chapter 2. There's a new temple that is given later in chapter 2. In chapter 3, there's a new birth, and in chapter 4, there's a new worship.

 

What we will find is something new has come with Jesus that outweighs and outshines anything that we saw in the Old Testament. I hope that makes sense.

 

I.        The Context - We will begin at the end of the text, John 2:11 – John records, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

A.     This is the first of Jesus signs. No other gospel writer mentions this miracle. It is the first, and that is significant or else John would not have noted it. Something that is the first is often introductory; it sets the tone for what else is to come. We will need to discover why this was the first sign.

1.      Since John included only a few signs in this effort “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”, I suggest each is very significant and we need to put effort into understanding each of them. John only chooses a few and the changing of water to wine is unique among all the other accounts. We don't learn about this miracle elsewhere, even though it's the first.

2.      I believe John is using this as a message that's going to tell us something deeper about Jesus and His kingdom. Rather than doing, as I have done, and maybe you have as well, reading this quickly and say yeah, Jesus turned water to wine, this is a wedding feast, ok, and then continue reading. Let's realize the significance of this particular sign.

B.     You will notice in verse 11 that the sign “manifested His glory”. Remember, if you want to keep that in context… back at John 1:14, “and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” That is thematic for the book of John. John is constantly talking about Jesus showing His glory.

1.      Well what does that mean? It's Jesus showing us the true attributes of God and who He is. Why would that be important? Again, in context refer back to John 1:18, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” He has made Him known. Jesus makes God known through His identity as the Son of God and the incarnation of God in human form, revealing God's character, nature, and ways, to humanity.

2.      Philip later in John 14:8 will say to Jesus, “show us the Father, and it will be sufficient for us.” Jesus looks at him puzzled, as you can imagine, and says, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” He's showing God. When He shows His glory, He's showing something about Him that is God-like, that only God can do, that cannot happen any other way but God. With that understanding let us look for the meaning of this sign.

C.    Oh, one other thing in verse 11 that's important. The scripture says “the disciples believed in him.” As we read about this sign in a moment, note that not everybody at the wedding feast knew that Jesus had changed water to wine. This is secretive, if you will, this is a secretive miracle. Mary knew about it certainly as did His disciples. The governor or master of the feast perhaps knew about it. The servants who brought the water changed to wine to the master of the feast certainly knew about it. But that's it from what we read.

1.      This is early in His ministry and I suspect He did it just for the disciples. Few others really knew, and we'll see why that takes place in just a moment, but it was important that Jesus do it this way. He's preparing His disciples.

2.      He is not ready to show himself to the world, and He makes that fairly clear to His mother when she told Him about the wine running out. That is the introductory context. Now let's look at the scripture.

II.      The Story - John 2:1-4, “1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”” Cana of Galilee is not far from Nazareth. It's just a little village, and you might imagine that since it is not far away the people who are getting married are known to Jesus, to Mary and the family. We are not told the details but in verse 2 we are told they are invited.

A.     That is interesting to me. With all the things that Jesus has to do with His purpose to go into the world and to show Himself and to try to get the people to recognize Him, yet He takes the time to go to a wedding feast.

B.     These wedding feasts are tremendous occasions. They're quite different from ours. They go far beyond what we do.

1.      All of us here, I'm sure, enjoy weddings. We love the celebration. We love the people there, and we want to see them happy, it's fun, there's a lot of talking, and just great little celebration for, what? Two or three hours? This celebration, this feast lasts for a week.

2.      These people are in a society in which they work hard for everything they have, and they do not have much from our view point. When some couple you know is getting married, and they invite you to their wedding feast it is a big deal. We might think this Saturday night we're going to go to a wedding. No. For them, it’s we're going to spend a week at a wedding. It's a great celebration. It's just the best of the best. It is such an honor to be a part of a wedding, and the feast that's provided there.

3.      Jesus makes reference to weddings several times in the parables. These were significant events, and it was one of the great enjoyments of that age. Jesus took a week out of His life, His short life, His short ministry, to attend a social function. He never forgot His purpose, and the social function lent itself to the purpose that He had.

C.    Place yourself at that wedding now and imagine the beauty of the scene. -- Then suddenly we read these words in verse 3, “… the wine ran out…”. Again that's not like one of our weddings, hey, we're out of punch, somebody run down to 7-Eleven. Nope. This is a one-week feast. A lot of people have come, and wine is a key beverage in the Eastern culture. It was not viewed as we view it today. I have been told that it was common to mix water with wine, typically three parts water to one part wine as mentioned in Talmudic sources.

1.      Not much reading is needed before you discover wine is a big thing in the Bible. After the flood, Noah is described as planting a vineyard. Vineyards feature in parables, stories, history, prophecy, and poetry throughout scripture. That's the picture that we have here. It was an important part of what they did.

2.      The wine ran out, and what's the next thing we know? Mary takes it upon herself to correct the situation. This always brings questions to our minds. She may have been a responsible person at the feast or just a take-charge lady, but she intends to do something about it… Regardless, Mary takes charge immediately, and she goes to Jesus, and says, the wine's run out. The implication I think, is “You need to do something”.

III.    The Discussion (2:4-5) - Jesus' reply is in verse 4 – “…“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.””[ESV] Here we see the discussion between Mary and Jesus. In reading this I would not be surprised if you were not as perplexed as me about what is said.

A.     Mary says, “they have no wine” and you listen to Jesus words, “woman. What does that have to do with me? My hour's not yet come.” Then Mary's fascinating response to this, she turns to the servants and says, “do whatever he wants”. You feel like you've really missed a whole conversation here. Jesus sounds like I'm not doing anything. What do I care? Mary turns around and says he's about to do something.

1.      I suspect we see the key in verse 5 where we have a positive response from Mary. Whatever Jesus said to her, Mary understands it in a positive way.

2.      She tells the servants whatever he says to do, you do. I think that should color how we interpret what is going on in this dialogue. Let's look at what Jesus says now piece by piece.

B.     The use of this word “woman” to address His mother seems a little harsh to us in English, but in the language of the time it was not so. Vine’s puts it this way; “… used in addressing a “woman”, it is not of reproof or severity, but of endearment or respect.” We should note that when Jesus is speaking to His mother from the cross in John 19:26 He uses the same word.

C.    As to the rest of His question Jesus gives an idiom, making translation into English a bit difficult. Literally, the phrase is: “Woman, what to me and to you?” Well, what does that mean? The idiomatic expression asks rhetorically what the two parties in question have in common in the situation, and has the effect of distancing them. I suspect it has to do with Jesus’ action being according to God’s will, His plan.

1.      The rest of this verse has been viewed in various ways such as; "they are not yet completely out of wine," or "it is not time for me to step in yet," or "it is not yet time for me to show my glory," or as Barnes put it, "the proper time for his interposing there had not arrived,". This is all speculation of course, since we are not told.

2.      I submit to you based upon the context that Jesus is distancing Himself from Mary with this problem. Why the formalism of man to his mother, except he is distancing Himself from the request that's being made? Then to say this idiomatic phrase, what to me and to you in Jesus’ response is in effect to say, we don't have a joint effort in this matter.

3.      Next this phrase, “My hour has not yet come” occurs frequently in John’s gospel. Ten times Jesus speaks about “His hour” in this gospel. God works to His own plan.

4.      It seems to me that this sign is limited in who knows it occurred. I note that what Jesus did here is not widely declared. His mother, His disciples and the servants who brought the wine know. Beyond that we do not see it acknowledged. Jesus is operating on God’s timetable.

5.      We note that Mary doesn't argue with Him about it. Verse 5 – “His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”” She just turns to the servants and says, “Whatever He says to do, do it.” Whatever that is, it is in His hands and do whatever He tells you to do. It sounds to me that she knows Jesus is going to handle this in His way. Now let's go on and take a look at the greater story here. Start looking at the significance.

IV.   The Sign (2:6-10) – “6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.””[ESV] Now we can get to the issue, the sign itself. Verse 6 is a critical part that we need to start with.

A.     There are six stone water jars (or water pots in some translations) for the Jewish rights of purification, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. I notice how John clearly explains this detail so it will not be missed. These are not drinking jars, they are not wine jars. They are for ritual and ceremonial cleansing. They are stone jars so that there will not be any defilement.

1.      In the Old Testament, Leviticus 11:29-38 talks about clean and unclean things. In verse 33 you find that if an earthenware vessel (i.e. pottery) becomes unclean it is to be broken. The Jews held that the stone jars used for ritual purification were not susceptible to contamination or defilement in the same way that pottery or other materials were.

2.      These ritual washings were not only the washing of hands and things like that, but also the washing of pitchers and bowls and utensils. That's the setup John records for the sign that Jesus is going to give us.

B.     Okay, with that in mind, there are many observations to make about this sign so let's look at them and then we'll make the appropriate application. First observation we make, the wine has run out and yes, this is a big deal for the wedding, but it’s a way bigger deal than that. It is not the purpose of Jesus to keep people from having social difficulties. That's not the point.

1.      Wine constantly throughout the Old Testament was a symbol of joy and was a symbol of the blessings of God. You can find that all over the place, for example... Psalm 104:14-15 – “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man's heart.” Or Proverbs 3:9-10 – “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” If we have wine, then we have God's blessings and He is with us.

2.      Here we have this very fascinating picture being given to us of these first century Jews being out of wine. When you are out of favor with God, you are no longer receiving the blessings of God. It’s all been taken away—the blessings of God have dried up. Jeremiah 38:33 talks about the judgment on Moab – “Gladness and joy have been taken away from the fruitful land of Moab; I have made the wine cease from the winepresses;” I suggest there is an important symbolism in the very simple statement, “the wine has run out”. It is the end of the line for the Jewish nation.

3.      No more is God pouring out His blessings upon the people. Consider what the Old Testament prophets indicated when they were looking forward to a time when the wine would be restored as symbolism of the blessings of God, the restoration of God's covenant to the people. Isaiah 25:6 – “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” The picture here is of a great blessing that is being given. When God returns and pours out His blessings this is often described as feasts and banquets and pouring of wine.

4.      In his prophecy of a future blessing on Judah Joel 3:17-18 writes, ““So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.” When God is in Zion, God restores the people and restores their relationship, what is going to happen? The wine is going to flow off the mountaintops. We have this imagery of flowing wine as a picture of the coming of the messianic age.

5.      Amos prophesying of the restoration of Israel writes in Amos 9:13-14, “13. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. 14. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. 15. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the Lord your God.” In this restoration imagery is a picture of restoring of fortunes, restoring of blessings.

6.      When the wine runs out, God's blessings have dried up. You're out of favor with God. When the wine is flowing, God's blessings are flowing and you are in favor with Him and you are in a relationship with Him. I suggest this symbolism is here, in this very subtle statement, “the wine has run out”.

C.    Second, Jesus uses the purification jars and thereby removes them from currently being used in ceremonial washing. That is very important to this issue as well. If you would touch something unclean, you became defiled. You then would need to do this cleansing to become clean. Not only yourself but other things that became unclean, dishes, cups and so on. Jesus goes out of His way to use these jars and involve the servants in full view of His disciples.

1.      He could have made wine out of nothing. He could have used common drinking elements or the existing wine containers and kept the wine from running out. No, He intentionally uses these and there is a point to that.

2.      There is no longer a need for this ritual cleansing, Jesus has set that aside. He has eliminated it because He is bringing the true cleansing, true purification. He brings the true cleansing, purification and washing that the people really need. That is the second picture we see in this sign.

D.    Third, the wine runs out, but Jesus brings the wine. I think that is critical to what is going on here. The wine has run out, but Jesus is bringing the blessings of God. We already talked about when the wine runs out as symbolic of being: no longer in favor with God, no longer in relationship with God, no longer receiving the blessings of God.

1.      What does Jesus bring? Jesus brings the relationship with God. Jesus restores the blessings. Jesus is the way to be able to have relationship with God. Here you have a continuation of that imagery.

2.      The wine itself is not the point. This is about the restoration of blessings. God's blessings are found in Jesus, not in the old system, not in the ritual cleansings. He is the one who brings purification. He is the one who brings restoration. Restoration of God’s blessings cannot be found anywhere else.

E.     Fourth, Jesus brings wine that is better. Did you catch that? The statement made by the master of ceremonies here is very important to the story. There in John 2:9-10, “When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first,…”” Look at the last part of verse 10, “… But you have kept the good wine until now”

1.      What is implied here is the wine now being served is better then the wine that was previously served. You have kept the good wine until now. You brought something better.

2.      Here is another forceful illustration by Jesus. The blessings that Jesus brings are better than anything the people had experienced before. They are greater and better.

3.      Anything that the Law of Moses offered is diminished in light of what Jesus brings. His covenant, His blessings, His promises, His restoration is better than anything from the Law of Moses. Better than anything the people had ever experienced up to that point.

4.      The relationship that people can have with the Father through Christ is superior in every way to what existed in the time before Christ. The wine is described as better. Better blessings, better covenant, better promises, a better relationship with our God.

F.     Fifth, Then we notice something else as well, this is something all the commentators go crazy about. When you go back to verse 6, how much wine did He make? Each jar holds twenty to thirty gallons and there are six of these. That is somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of wine. In verse 7 we read, “Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.” The jars were full, no room for anything more. That is a lot of wine!

1.      Jesus offers an abundance of blessings and grace. He brings more. Remember that goes exactly to what John has done at the very beginning of this gospel. How did he begin this great gospel? That in Christ “from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace”.

2.      This is overflowing grace. You received grace and mercy in the Law of Moses, but now Christ has come and you are receiving grace on top of grace. Or as the NIV says, grace in the place of grace already given.

3.      Here is the imagery of abundance. It is the overflowing grace of the kingdom now available to all people.

 

CONCLUSION: John was an eyewitness of the reported occurrences, as he himself writes. As such he was able to give clear particulars as "about the tenth hour" (John 1:39), "six water pots of stone" (John 2:6) and "153 great fishes" (John 21:11).

 

We mentioned before John’s Gospel is highly symbolic and highly spiritual. Consider the points that come from this gospel. First, all of the old ways are being challenged by Jesus, everything about the old covenant, its ritual system, its cleansing system, its tabernacle system, and its temple system. Jesus did not come to tidy up the old system, to get the Law of Moses back on track, to fix it or put a band aid on it. He came to fulfill the old. He came bringing a better covenant with better promises, with better blessings, with an overflowing of grace.

 

Second, Jesus provides new wine that surpasses anything that existed before. He gives things that are better and it makes everything else obsolete. That is what is so fantastic about how John records the story. Purification will not be found through the Law of Moses. Purification will not be found through these externals or through the ritual washings.

Purification is now found through Christ and He surpasses anything that Judaism could have had or could have understood, all of it being made obsolete.

 

Third, the Messiah, the greatest blessing that God has poured out, has arrived. Why is this the first sign, the beginning? Because this shows the arrival of the Messiah and the blessings that are tied to His kingship and His Kingdom.

 

He has arrived with His kingdom and Jesus came with a new way and a new system calling for people to change. It is a call for radical restoration to God, to turn away from the old way, to turn away from the Law of Moses, a call to receive the abundant grace that is only found in Jesus and can't be found anywhere else. What a way for John to kick off the gospel. After laying this foundation; here is the Lamb of God, here is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the King of Israel, and here is the Word of God, the one and only God who brings grace upon grace.

 

In God’s plan we learn from the New Testament how to be saved. We need to hear the word; believe in Jesus; repent of our sins; we must confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God; and be baptized for the remission of our sins… If we follow these steps, the Lord adds us to His church.

 

Perhaps there is someone in the assembly today with the need to be buried with Christ in baptism. If you have never done this, we urge you to do so today. If anyone has this need or desires the prayers of faithful Christians on their behalf, we encourage them to come forward while we stand and sing.

 

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Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville

 

Letting Go

Matthew 16:24-26

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

I heard a story about a group that went white water rafting on a particularly dangerous stretch of river.
The raft came to a spot known as “the hole,” where a powerful whirlpool threatened to spin and then spill the raft.
Sure enough the raft overturned and everyone inside was sucked down by the current.
One woman clung tightly to the raft, frantically trying to keep her head above water.
What she did not realize was that by doing so she was also in danger of being dragged underneath the raft by the current and smothered by the very thing she was attempting to use to save her life.

Her friends, who had let go of the raft made their way to the security of a nearby rock, they pleaded with her to let go of the raft and let the current and her life jacket do the work.
At first she was unwilling to do so.
Finally, she decided to let go, she released her grip and disappeared under the water.
A few moments later she popped up further down the river and was pulled to safety.

Letting go can be a very difficult thing.
When we let go we become vulnerable.
Many people refuse to let go of things in their life because they are afraid of doing so.
Whether it is a sin, some negative trait, bitterness, pride or worry we are often reluctant to simply let go.

Sometimes we feel much safer holding on, but we do not realize, like the woman holding onto the raft that the thing we are holding onto is a great danger to us.

I am reminded of the story of when the disciples were out at sea and a great storm came.
The Bible tells us that the disciples were afraid, they feared for their lives.
At that moment they became even more afraid because they saw what looked to them like a ghost walking out on the water towards them.
As the figure drew closer they saw that it was not a ghost, but it was in fact Jesus.

Then Peter asked the Lord to allow him to come to Him on the water.
Peter climbed out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus.
Peter is often criticized for his over-zealous moments, but Peter had the faith to let go of the comfort of the boat and come to Jesus.

We all have our boats.  We have those things we are clinging to and refuse to let go of, however before we can get to Jesus we must let go.

What is it today that is holding you back from letting go?
Is it fear of the unknown?
Is it a fear of what others may think of you?
Perhaps some never change because they don’t want others to think less of them.
Is it an unwillingness to change?
Is it your pride?
Jesus taught that anyone who wants to save his life must first lose it.
Before we can find true life, we must deny ourselves.

What Does It Mean to Let Go Of Self?
An old farmer frequently described his Christian experience by saying, “Well, I’m not making much progress, but I am established.”
One spring while he was hauling some logs his wagon wheels stuck down to the axles in mud.
Try as he would he could not get the wheels out of the mud.
Defeated he sat a top of the logs viewing the dismal situation.

Not long afterwards a neighbor happened to pass by and said to the farmer, “Well, I see you aren’t making much progress, but you must be content because you sure are established.”

Letting go of self is more than just being well established.
There may be some of us who are very well established, but who are not growing.
There are some of us who may refuse to let go of self and take up our cross.

Jesus taught that we cannot serve two masters.
A ship cannot fly the flag of 2 different countries.
When we deny ourselves and take up our cross we are allowing Jesus to take over as Lord of our lives.
When Jesus is Lord it means he sets the rules.
It means that we are willing to submit ourselves under his authority.

Jesus taught in Matthew 7 , 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
When Jesus becomes Lord it means we concede control of our lives over to Him.

Romans 6:6-7
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
We learn that at our baptism we not only received the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we died.
We died with Christ and our old self was crucified in Him.

As Christians we do not gratify our sinful desires any longer.
In other words as a Christian there are still things that are sinful that I would LIKE to do.
I am still TEMPTED to do wrong things, however, I REFUSE to do them because I am not going to gratify those desires any longer because I am not living to myself.
I am not living my life seeking to make myself feel good.
As Christians this dying to self ought to be marked by a distinct change in character.

Colossians 3:5-10
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

If we have really died to self then we will not always have to give into those temptations and desires we have.
The new self should be increasingly more like God like in its actions.

Ephesians 4:22-24
22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We No Longer Live To Ourselves
Galatians 2:20
"20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
We need to understand that we no longer live to ourselves.
We have died.
Let us remember that dying to self means that WE no longer live, but it is CHRIST living in us.

Why Is Letting Go Of Self So Difficult?
Mark 10:17-22
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’
‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’
‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’
‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

The idea of Heaven and eternity with God sounds great and perhaps many would volunteer to receive that, however the idea of signing your life away doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?
We love those feel good verses of Scripture, but we begin to squirm a little when we read of the cost of following Jesus.

We love to be in control.
We get a little uncomfortable when we read of denying ourselves and taking up our cross.
That doesn’t sound too appealing.
However, the invitation to be a Christian is totally free, but the call us for us to remove ourselves from the controls.

II Timothy 3:2
William Ernest Henley in his famous poem entitled “Invictus” said, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
Many of us have bought into this philosophy that we are the master of our lives.
We like to be in control.
I would much rather be in control of a situation than have someone else in control of the situation.

I am one of those people that would rather do it myself than entrust it to someone else.
That is not a good attribute.
We need to learn to allow Jesus to be the master of our fate and the captain of my soul.

Perhaps some feel like it is a violation of their freedoms to lay aside themselves and let Jesus take control.
Perhaps they feel that is the sign of somebody that is weak and vulnerable.
Jesus taught that we must lose our lives to really find it.
By that he means that we give up the project of making OURSELVES the ultimate reference point in our world.
We are not number one.
The universe does not revolve around us.

We think we know what is best.
A pirate was returning home from a long journey, he had spent many years lying, stealing, and cheating in a far away land. He has accumulated a great chest full of treasure.
The pirate held on tightly to that chest because he saw in it, something of much more value than just jewels and gold, rather he saw in that chest the fulfillment of his dreams, hopes and aspirations.

He knew that the treasure was the key to his “good life”.
Having already obtained a great fortune the pirate decided to return home and after boarding the ship and having traveled a great distance from shore a storm arose.

It did not take long for the storm to overtake the ship and eventually break the ship into pieces.
Eventually, the pirate and his treasure plunged into the sea. He began to sink holding tightly to his treasure.
As he was sinking all that went through his mind was how he could get his treasure safely to shore.

However, he began to realize that if he continued to hold onto that chest he would not be able to make it to shore, and that same chest which he saw as his life... was now causing him to face death.
Reluctantly the pirate let go of that chest and began to swim towards shore.

We are a lot like that pirate.
We hold on to our agenda and ego thinking that they are bringing us life; however that is not the reality.
They are really pulling us towards our death and at some point we must let go.

Sometimes we think we know what is best for our lives. Sometimes we think that we do not need someone else to control us because we are capable of making those good decisions on our own.

However, I do not think we always know what is best. I believe our idea of good has been tainted by sin.
Jeremiah says, “The heart is exceeding deceitful above all things.”

I believe it is that deception that allows us to think we on our own can know what is best for our lives.
We need to learn plainly that the power of a good and godly life is not in us alone, but it comes from Christ.
We need to trust that Jesus knows what is best for us even better than we do.

We live in a very selfish society. The idea of sacrificing and giving up something doesn’t sound appealing to many people.
We are a people that want to know the price of everything and the cost of nothing.
We want to get as much as we can while doing little to get it.

The idea of delaying gratification seems ridiculous to many.
We live by the philosophy, “if it feels good it must be right.”
We do not like to deny ourselves any pleasure or anything in the world.
We think the more we have and the more we indulge in… the more successful we are.

In Genesis 25 we read a story about two brothers
Jacob and Esau.
The Bible tells us that Esau was a rugged man who loved the outdoors. He was a Daddy’s boy.
Jacob on the other hand was a momma’s boy.
One day Esau came home from hunting and was starving.
Jacob just happened to be cooking up some stew.
He offered Esau some stew under one condition.
Jacob would give Esau a bowl of stew if Esau sold him his birthright. Esau agreed.

Now, the birthright would have been a big deal.
It would have meant an extra portion of inheritance.
Esau could not deny himself anything but could only live for the now.

Many of us are like that today.
Jesus came on the scene and called us to be willing to sacrifice, deny ourselves and give up our fleshly desires.

There is a quote that says “The WISE gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose”.

What Must We do to Let go of Self?
We must step down.
Perhaps we need to have the mentality that John the Baptist had when he said I must decrease and Christ must increase.
We must be willing to step aside and let Him have the glory and honor of all that we do or accomplish.

We must step down from our position of authority over our lives and give him the reins.
There are many tools we can use such as prayer, Bible study, service, worship, and fellowship, but the reality is we must train ourselves to be godly.

We must understand the reward.
Let us understand that the life of denying self and taking up your cross is the good life.
It is a better life to live.

Philippians 3:7-9
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

Paul was able to say looking back on his life that dying to self was the best decision he ever made.
Did he make sacrifices? Certainly!
Did it cost him? Greatly!

However… it was worth it.
He no longer was living based on his righteousness.
When we die to self we lose the righteousness of our own, but we gain the righteousness of Christ.
It is worth the sacrifice because Jesus is Lord no matter what. The reward is great for those who die to self.

Philippians 3:18-20
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

There was a psychology professor who walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students.
As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question.
Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”

Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds.
She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter.
It all depends on how long I hold it.
If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light.
If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little.
If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor.
In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued,
“Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water.
Think about them for a while and nothing happens.
Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed — incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

INVITATION

Every Person

Luke 10:25-37

Good morning. I hope your week went well. My brother, Mom, and I are going to Chicago in a few weeks' time. My brother and I are going to go check out the Comic-Con they have up there. There's cool stuff you can see and do, so we like to go to those. We've gone to one in Pittsburgh and one in Cleveland. We thought we might as well go to Chicago. Mom and Dad are tagging along. They'll be checking out the city while we're there.

One thing I always notice, and I think most people notice when you're in big cities like that, is there's a lot of homelessness. There's a lot of poverty. In a place like that, there are a lot of people. You see people living in the tallest buildings you may ever see. Rich, poor, people just making it, people doing well, everyone alike. You pass by a lot of people every day who, honestly, I'm not sure will make it to the end of that day.

That somewhat brings me to today's lesson. We will be in Luke 10:25-37 for this lesson. If you recognize that, it is the parable of the Good Samaritan. I will start with verses 25 through 27. “On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What is written in the law, he replied. How do you read it, he answered. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. And with all your strength and with all your mind.
And love your neighbor as yourself.”

The lawyer here is referencing Moses' words in Deuteronomy 6:5-6. These are the Lord's commandments to us not just to love our God, but to love our neighbors as well. These are the cornerstones of being saved and the essence of being a follower of Christ. To love your neighbor as you love yourself.

What does this look like? There are plenty of examples in the Bible. Many times Jesus attended to the poor and the weak. In Mark 12:28-31 it says, “One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer. He asked of all the commandments, which is the most important? The most important one, answered Jesus, is this, hear O Israel. The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. And with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this love your neighbor as yourself. There is no command greater than these two.”

These commands are repeated many times throughout the Bible. Constantly, you hear them throughout the entire thing because they are important. That is because we need to understand them, and we need to know them. To make sure that we hear this, and we notice, it's repeated.

Moving on through verses 28 through 29, it says, “You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. Do this and you will live. But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor? The lawyer asked, Who is my neighbor?”

A reasonable question, but one he surely knows the answer to. It is my belief that he just does not want to admit that his neighbor is everyone. He wants it to be only the people he believes it should be. Really, he is asking, who must I treat neighborly? Am I allowed to choose? Can I pick and choose the people I treat like neighbors? Or must I treat everyone like a neighbor even if he does not want to?

In Romans 12.20, we are told, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

In other words, we are meant to treat our enemy like a neighbor because that sounds neighborly, right? Feed him, give him something to drink. If we are to treat our enemies neighborly, then as Christians, we ought to treat everybody as neighbors? If we are supposed to treat the people who are against us, then we should treat everyone that way.

In verses 30-32, it says, “A priest happened to be going down the same road. And when he saw the man, he passed by the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.”

Notice who passed over the man here. Notice who they were. It was a priest and a Levite—the spiritual leaders of the day, the people who had authority and power. These are people who were respected. Notice, they just walked by. They saw the man and did nothing. They were not without reason, of course. They could have assumed that it was a ploy. It was a robber trying to get them in close to take their things, or that there were other people waiting for someone to just come by and help and lead people into a trap. That’s not a bad assumption, but as leaders of their people, as spiritual leaders and representatives of God, They should have known, and done better.

As the lawyer earlier mentioned, you must love your neighbor as yourself. The men here did not even have the decency to ask the man if he was okay, nor to show him the love and compassion of actually taking care of him. It seems like, they didn't even spare him a second glance.

In 1 John 4:20, it says, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen.”
Christ is calling these people out here, not only for not being neighborly, but for not loving God himself. If you truly loved your brother or neighbor, then you would help them in their time of need. Here though, they just pass on. They do nothing. These religious leaders, according to Christ, and what we are told, they do not know God. If they did love their neighbor, they would know God. Here, they clearly do not.

Continuing verses 33-35, it says, “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was. And when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him into an inn, and took care of them. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”

This Samaritan showed this man kindness. It is interesting that Jesus chose to use a Samaritan as the person to show the man kindness. As many know, Samaritans were not looked at kindly at this time. They were a lower class citizen. They were seen as inferior. They were racially mixed people and were looked down upon because of this by society at the time. Jesus uses one here to emphasize that everyone is our neighbor.
Because if a Samaritan man is showing kindness to the man, then so should the Jews of the time as well. If the Samaritan can know God, then so can everyone else. Christ seems to like to use Samaritans in the Bible.

We have him using one in His experience with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. It makes sense though they were looked down on, as I said, during that time. Christ would go out of his way to show that his gift is meant for everyone. You do not need to be of this heritage or this people to be saved or to have salvation. Only you must go through Him. It is a gift anyone can accept, and I think that's why he used the Samaritan man here to emphasize that, and to show that anyone can know God, not just this person or that person.

In Galatians 3:13-14, it says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Christ's gift is for all, for everyone who surrenders themselves unto him. Not just for the Jews, not just for this people, not just for the people living in this nation or that nation or by these parents or that parent, but by everyone who comes to him.

In verses 36-37, it says, “which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers? The expert in the law replied, the one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, go ahead and do likewise.”

Notice how the lawyer didn't say the Samaritan. He actively goes out of his way to not mention his heritage and instead calls him the one who had mercy. This goes to show the prejudice towards the Samaritans at the time. Even with Jesus in front of him giving him examples of a man acting neighborly. He refused to even call him a Samaritan as he was, as Jesus called him. This could be a stretch, but I think this just shows the own arrogance and ignorance in the lawyer himself.

I ask you when you go out into the world do not be like the priest or the Levite. Be like the Samaritan. Be a neighbor to all. Feed the hungry and take care of the sick. First, if we love God, we must love our neighbors as well.

In Mark 12:30-31, it says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength, and with all your soul. Second is this, love your neighbor as yourself.  There are no commandments greater than these.”
Christ loved us more than we can ever imagine. It is our job as Christians to replicate that love. I'm not saying when you go to Cleveland or Chicago to grab every homeless person off the street and build a house for them, but if you see a person, who for some reason got stabbed or shot, take care of them. Call 911. Get the paramedics, and until you are sure they are safe and in better hands than yours, stay with them. If you have a dollar to spare for someone who looks like they might need food, spare them a dollar. If someone looks like they need someone to talk to for a second, maybe sit down and talk. Act neighborly with the people you see. Act neighborly with those around you, not just in the big cities, not just in the extreme circumstances, but every day.

I'll never forget, there was one day I was working at Giorgio's. I was delivering food. It was the last delivery of the night. It was like 10:30. And this man opens the door. I slightly see in his apartment, and it's just a mess in there. The guy was probably a hoarder. It was in the small apartment complex. He just starts talking, and he's talking and talking. Mom's back at the shop. I'm thinking Mom's probably fine. I'll just let this guy talk because it seemed like he hadn't talked to anyone in a while. I leave there 30 minutes later after he was done talking about race cars and this and that. That's acting neighborly. The man wanted someone to talk to. He was obviously lonely.

You can find these situations anywhere. I ask you, if you wish to serve the Lord, act neighborly as the Samaritan man did. Treat not only your physical neighbors, but everyone you come across on as a neighbor. Christ loved all of us more than we could ever imagine, and it is our duty as Christians to try and replicate that love.

If you've not come to Him, if you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins, if you have not confessed to the world that you believe Christ is the Lord and Savior, I ask, be baptized and repent.

Thank you. Please stand up and sing number 596.

A Lesson From A Fearful Heroine

Esther 4: 1–17

As you’re turning to Esther 4 this morning, I want to give you a little background to the story we’ll be reading.
Nearly 500 years before Christ, and about 50 years after Ezra had led the Jews back to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon (they’d been sent into captivity due their sinful and unrepentant hearts) many of the Jewish people still live the land of Persia under the reign of a King named Xerxes.

Now, Xerxes was a pagan who was known to be a cruel and unpredictable man. We’re introduced to him at the beginning of the book of Esther where he has staged a grand festival designed to exhibit the power and wealth of his Kingdom that lasted for over 6 months. And at the end of that festival he held a 7 day feast filled with food and drink.

In his drunkenness he called for his beautiful queen, Queen Vashti, to come and parade before guests.
She is offended by his request and promptly refuses. This in turn enrages the King… and he deposes her.

After he has had time to reconsider his anger he seeks to find a replacement for Vashti. His counselors advised him to hold a beauty contest and from amongst the most beautiful women of the land, to choose a new queen. And that’s how Esther became the Queen of Persia.

Shortly thereafter, we’re introduced to the villain of the story. He’s an ambitious and arrogant noble by the name of Haman. Haman was a favorite of the King and he has apparently done something that has allowed him to be placed in a position of high honor.

The King passes a decree that commands all his officials must bow down and honor Haman whenever he passes by.
But there was one man in the city that refused to do this.
Esther had an uncle named Mordecai who was a righteous man, and he wasn’t going to bow to anyone other than God.

Esther 3:5-6 says that “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.”

Haman schemed about how to carry out this plan, and finally he spoke to the King and told him "There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business." Esther 3:8-9

Because the King trusted Haman’s judgment, the King decreed that all the Jews should indeed be eliminated.
With that much of the story now in our minds, let’s turn to Esther 4:1-17.

OPEN: During the height of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln found refuge going to church services there in Washington, D.C.. He would go with an aide, sit quietly with his stovepipe hat in his lap. He would listen intently as the minister would open the Scriptures and teach God’s Word and lead the congregation in worship.

The war was tearing the nation apart and it tore at his soul as well. He’d just lost his own son, and now Lincoln was grieving, and needing comfort and nourishment for his soul.

The preacher finished his message and the people began to leave.
The president quietly stood up, straightened his coat, took his hat in hand and began to leave.
His aide stopped him and said, "What did you think of the sermon, Mr. President?"
Lincoln answered, "I thought the sermon was carefully thought through, eloquently delivered."
The aide said, "You thought it was a great sermon?"

Lincoln replied, "No I thought he failed… he did not ask anything of us."
The preacher hadn’t asked his congregation to do something great.
He hadn’t challenged the people, or the President of the United States, to do more with their lives. And that disturbed the President, because Lincoln saw his nation in turmoil and saw himself struggling with a deep pain and loss.

Abraham Lincoln understood one central truth out of the Bible… and that was:
• when life is difficult
• and the world is filled with struggles and hardship and pain
…that’s when God calls upon His people… to DO something

It’s a repeated theme throughout Scripture that when God comes into contact with people …
they are MOVED to do things.

Sometimes they’re moved to do great things
• Like Noah building an ark
• Moses leading the people out of the slavery of Egypt
• Joshua taking down Jericho
• Or David taking out a giant

Other times, when people come in contact with God … they do little things that make a big difference because of God’s power.
• A little boy shares his meager lunch with Jesus, and as a result over 5000 people are fed.
• Then there’s the woman who met Jesus at the well and then went back to her village and told them who she’d met… and the whole community came out to see Him and their lives are changed.

Again and again, throughout Scripture, we see people rise up to do great things, or small things. And they all make a difference… because God made a difference in their lives.
Thus, when the occasion arises – and we don’t – something is wrong.

That brings us to our story this morning
Mordecai is frantic.
He has obeyed God.
He has refused to bow in worship of another man.
He has done the right thing.
And his obedience has brought about the threat of annihilation to his people.

They will soon be destroyed… and it is his fault.
So, He tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, throws ashes on his head and makes his way to the walls of the palace where he cries out in bitter tears.

But he’s not allowed into the palace, because no-one in sackcloth is allowed inside.
Now, Esther hasn’t heard about the edict of the King yet and she has no idea what danger her people are in.
But there’s no ignoring the loud cries of her uncle outside her home. So she sends one of her attendants out to find out what is wrong.
Mordecai sends the attendant back - with the news of Haman’s plans along with a copy of the King’s edict.
Mordecai’s is very clear on what he wants:
He expects Esther to DO something about this impending disaster.
He expects her to go and talk to the King.
Because he realizes that she’s the ONLY one who can anything about the problem.

But Esther doesn’t want to.
She doesn’t want to get involved.
She explains that this is NOT a good time to be approaching the King.
In fact, there’s NEVER a good time to approach the King because he’s a dangerous man… and she might be putting her own life in danger if she tried.

Now, why doesn’t Esther want to intercede for her people?
Why doesn’t she want to approach the King?
What emotion is behind her refusal?
She’s afraid

One of the major reasons why YOU and I might not DO something, why we would not want to obey God is because we’re afraid.
Fear comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

A psychologist at Yale once compiled a list of some of peoples’ most prominent fears
Fear of failure...
Fear of commitment...
Fear of trusting others...
Fear of thinking or speaking publicly...
Fear of being alone.
And he could have gone on and on with that list.
Fear is a very real emotion in people’s lives.
It controls us, it limits us, it enslaves us.

And God doesn’t want that.
He doesn’t want fear to rule our lives
And so, repeatedly throughout Scripture,
He tells us “Fear Not”

Someone once noted that this command occurred repeatedly throughout Scripture, and so they did a search of all the places where “Do not be afraid”, “Fear Not” or a similar command appeared in the Bible. What they found surprised them.
They found that the command is found 365 times in the Bible. One for every day of the year.
I don’t believe anything happens in Scripture by chance.
I believe the reason this command occurs 365 times in the Bible is because God doesn’t want a single day of our lives to be dominated by fear.

So… how can I overcome fear?
Well, you and can overcome your fears the same way Esther overcame hers.

The first lie of fear
if you ignore a problem it will go away.
If God brings a problem to YOUR attention…
He probably wants YOU to do something about it.
And that’s what Mordecai was trying to tell his niece

Esther 4:14 states: “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

This verse emphasizes the importance of purpose and courage. Mordecai urges Queen Esther to recognize her unique position and the potential impact of her actions, suggesting that her role may be part of a larger divine plan. It challenges readers to reflect on their own responsibilities and the significance of taking action when faced with difficult decisions.
Mordecai overcame his fear by doing what he could.
And that is what he was telling Esther as well.
So, the first key to overcoming fear is to realize:
If it is to be, it may depend on thee.

The 2nd Key to overcoming fear is knowing that:
If you don’t go… trouble will grow.

If you see a problem and you could have done something about it but you didn’t (you left it to someone else to do) the problem won’t go away.
It might be fixed for a little while, but it will come back.

That’s what Mordecai is telling Esther in verses 13 and 14 when he says:
“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish…” Esther 4:13-14

If God believes something is important enough to bring it to YOUR attention
(and you don’t do something about it) He’s not going to be happy with you.
And you don’t want God unhappy with you.

Isaiah put it this way:
“Do not… fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread” Isaiah 8:12-13

And that’s pretty much what Mordecai is telling Esther:
Don’t make God mad... you won’t like Him when He’s mad.
Oddly enough… it’s fear of God that helps us deal with all our other fears.
Psalms 34 puts it this way:
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them… Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.” Psalms 34:7&9

Now, somehow that seems counterintuitive.
How could adding one more fear to my life help me control other fears I might have?

ILLUS: As I thought about that, I came across this story.
A family had a dog named Lady.
She was collie and was the friendliest and gentlest dog you could have.
Now, dad was a no-nonsense farmer who believed that a dog’s place was outside the home.
The only concession he made was that Lady could be out of the weather if she stayed down in the basement. If Lady ever dared to venture past the basement door into the kitchen, she was promptly punished.
One night there was a terrible storm.
Lightening and thunder filled sky and Lady was terrified.
She ran up out of the basement seeking protection.
But Lady didn’t come to either of the kid’s beds.
She didn’t even seek out the comfort from the mother of the family.
Right in the middle of the night, Lady bounded up the stairs, into the parent’s bedroom and went right up beside the dad.
In her mind, there was only one place that was safe from the dangers of the night… in the arms of the one she feared.

She figured if he was powerful enough to rule the home, he was powerful enough to protect her in her danger.
God’s recipe for conquering our fears is to realize
He is the only one we need to fear.
If we fear Him - if we place His desires above everything else - He has the power and the desire to protect us from anything we might fear.
Esther faced a problem she didn’t know how to handle and so she decided to get serious about her prayers.
She told Mordecai:
"Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do.
When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.
And if I perish, I perish." Esther 4:16

She was saying: I fear the King of Persia… but I fear the God of Israel more.
And so, I will obey God. But first I’m going to get spiritually prepared for the challenge.
Now, I’m not going to tell you the rest of the story.

It is Suffice to say – Esther wins, Haman loses (big time).
But realize that Esther won ONLY because she overcame her fear. And she overcame her fear by realizing
1. It was up to her to deal with the problem.
2. If she shirked her duty, the problem would not go away
3. That in order to meet the challenge, she had to some serious fasting and prayer.

She overcame because she made a choice.
Her choice was between fearing God more… or fearing the unknown

CLOSE: A long, long time ago, in a war that took place in the Middle East, a spy was captured and sentenced to death by a general of the Persian army.
The general was an unusual man and he had adopted a strange and unusual custom in such cases.
He permitted the condemned person to make a choice.
The prisoner could either face the firing squad or pass through… the Black Door.
As the moment of the execution drew near, the general ordered the spy to be brought before him and was asked: "What shall it be - the firing squad or the Black Door?"

This was not an easy decision and the prisoner hesitated but ultimately chose the firing squad - preferring it to the unknown horrors that might wait for him behind the ominous and mysterious door.

Not much later, gunshots filled the air, and the spy lay dead on the ground.
The general, staring at his boots, turned to his aide and said
"You see how it is with men; they will always prefer the known way to the unknown.
It is characteristic of people to be afraid of the undefined.
Yet I gave him his choice."

The aide was curious and asked:
"What lies beyond the Black Door?".
The general smiled grimly and replied,
"Freedom… and I’ve known only a few brave enough to take it."

The one thing that we fear most in our lives is the unknown.
The unforeseen.
The uncontrolled.
This fear has the ability to immobilize us and haunt our dreams. It is when we’re faced with such fear that we most need to make a choice:
Will we trust God, or give in to our fears.
For it is only in trusting God that we can find freedom in our lives.