The Faith and Commitment of Cleansing

When I used to fight I Have a Walkman most you kids don't know what that is, but that was the finer acoustical equipment of my generation

I'd have a Walkman with ride the lightning on it, and I'd sit in the toilet and play

Metallica over and over and over again until it was my time to go and And God would come and get me and I'd walk out and I'd be fired up at pales pales in comparison now that when

I praise God I Don't know maybe some of y 'all are still in the mindset that we just sing song up here.

We ain't singing no songs This ain't a worship service or some other stupid colloquialism of modern church

We're praising the name of a risen God I Am thanking God that I am

NOT ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God Let me say that again the power of God to all who will believe first unto the

Jew and then Under the Greek and I hope and praise the day that you got some of that power

Maybe you don't because you're a godless heathen and you've never had the Christ the anointed one

Messiah Come in and change your heart You've looked too much at religion and you haven't felt the presence of the

Holy Spirit of God I promise you this if you are truly saved in the Holy Spirit of God is in dwelling your life

It's more than a religious Sunday morning experience. It'll rock your world and change your life forever son

Mmm, some of y 'all get more fired up over a stupid football game All right

John chapter 2 today, I'm gonna do an exegetical expository on a few verses

Okay from John chapter 2 verse 12 All the way down to verse 22.

I'm just gonna comment. This is called an expository On these verses now, this is a continuation

At least in some logical thought It's a continuation of last week for those of you that weren't here last week.

Well, you missed TV day You missed the VCR on the TV in the classroom and knew it was going to be an easy day.

It was a great We got to watch the videos of the Chosen Show and we looked at The woman with the issue of blood the menstruation that had been going on for 12 stinking years

And we saw Jesus Heal that woman. She had the faith of a thread and that was enough to save her

Say well, this is a continuation of that and this is taking place

Right after that happened read with me John chapter 2 starting in verse 12

It says this after this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his

Disciples and they stayed there for a few days the Passover of the Jews Was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Let's just stop right there in 12 and 13 Let's point out a couple of things. First of all,

I want you to notice after this There is a chronology that is found in Scripture.

And if you are a student even on a lesser mode of History, you will be able to chronologically

Follow what's going on words mean things in Scripture when you see therefore therefore being justified by faith therefore as a connection between what

God has just said previously and That verse so you can't out of context read that one verse and think you're getting an honest interpretation

Well here too Following that chronology. We have an important aspect. We can follow a time frame

We know when Passover was you know, why because they're still celebrating it on the very same day today

So we can look back and we know in that three and a half years that Jesus was in ministry.

We can pinpoint Certain historical aspects of his life like he was not born on zero by the way

There is no zero year in the Gregorian calendar. That's why you're not a crackhead

I thought I was just a crackhead when it was, you know 20th century Fox and it was 1987 and I'm like, how's it 20?

Well, it's because there is no year zero you with me Burnett's explain it to the blondes.

Alright, so after this he went down to Capernaum now when it says went down Please don't think north south east west.

This is not a compass directional. It is a Topographical understanding when it says they went up to Jerusalem It literally means they walked uphill to Jerusalem You got to think three -dimensionally that this is a topographical thing

Capernaum was right at the north part of The Sea of Galilee and I drew a wonderful map in color for you on your notes

All right, I hijacked it off of Google but right there you'll see good Capernaum up there in the northern part of the

Sea of Galilee watch that in the Sea of Galilee That's where a lot of ministries happen.

In fact Capernaum was now the headquarters of Jesus He was forced to leave

Nazareth when all of the Pharisees and Sadducees and all the religious folks got Irritated because he was preaching this new gospel he his mom and his brothers moved and bought a house to Capernaum and You are actually going to be able to go there in a couple of years

We're going to be able to actually see the house Peter lived in with his wife. It's it's huh?

Whatever You're gonna be able to see where Peter lived Okay, it says they went up into Capernaum with his mothers and brothers

Catholics y 'all hang with me. Hey papists out there I love you in the love of Jesus Peter was married.

He was not the first Pope. It's okay to get married Okay, when God made sex he was in a really good mood.

So priests go ahead and get married All right. So listen Jesus Mary was not a perpetual virgin

Okay, that's what some churches teach that she remained a virgin her whole life

She was spitting out kids like a pez dispenser Okay, Jesus had many brothers and sisters and yes, that means

Joseph and Mary Chilled, you know what I'm saying that turn on the Netflix or whatever you'll kids call it today

She was not a perpetual version all only Jesus was born in a virgin birth now

Look at this next part and his disciples and they stayed there a few days now watch verse 13

This is so cool and the Passover of the Jews was at hand Now I have never thought about this before until last week once again

I don't care how long you've been preaching or teaching the Bible was not work written by a guy named

Bob You will continue to learn things until the day you die. That's how I know it was written by God and not

J. R Tolkien Okay It says John kept saying the festival of the

Jews was at hand the festival of the Jews was at hand He says it all throughout the Gospel of John. Well, John was a

Jew Why does he keep saying the festival of the Jews which is called Passover?

He said he actually names the two and connects the two together. You know why? Because through the

Holy Spirit of God as God is the not author But the editor of all of Scripture it is exactly how

God wanted worded He knew that non Jews were going to be reading this

John's not just writing a history lesson here people He's not bored going. Hey, dear pen pal.

Let me tell you what happened today He doesn't have one of those little things little girls right in Yeah, diary.

Listen to my diary This is the sovereign hand of Almighty God in which he is beforehand

Knowing that a bunch of rednecks from Mississippi and Memphis are going to be reading this He wants to explain 2 ,000 years later what festival he's talking about and why now watch this

It says the festival Jews in the hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem Capernaum Jerusalem All right, verse 14 in the temple

He found those who were selling oxen sheep pigeons and the money changers sitting there

Huh, I know this is gonna be hard in our modern society

Okay It's gonna be difficult and a stretch of your intellectual critical thinking

But sometimes Church culture takes a beautiful thing of God and turns it into an economic

Thing like like for Christmas Instead of us worshiping praising

God Like there are some people out there to buy a whole bunch of presents and try to make money off of it, you know

All right In other words if you're like me you get fired up when you start seeing Christmas commercials in October or your wife wants to put up the stupid

Christmas tree in the first week of November. That is sacrilege guys I'm telling you some of y 'all need marriage counseling

It's the day after Thanksgiving and before that you better not see Santa Claus nowhere. Okay, it's ridiculous anyways

So here's what's happening Passover is happening. And if you look at that little picture Well, yeah, well,

I'm not gonna say if you want to know go ask Santa Claus he's somewhere in this room, but anyways if you look at a little picture on your notes,

I stole a picture of The temple. Okay.

Now, let me just give you if I can some historical Context of what this temple is and hopefully someone else besides Evan will like this

The temple complex Was built by a guy named

Herod Herod came to power in about 37 BC He was appointed by the Roman government Okay, and about 20

BC Herod had one job to do during his reign He had one job to do keep everybody chill and Sim Rome the tax dollars

That's all Rome cared about they didn't care whether you worshipped a flying dragon They didn't care all they wanted believe it or not a government.

All they wanted was money and power That's all they wanted. It's O 'Hara trying to keep the

Jews because the Jews were constantly Constantly in rebellion. They were constantly mad about something.

They were constantly revolting They were like going boy, that ain't right and they would you know,

I Didn't stab a stab a Roman and so Herod what he was trying to do is pacify the

Jews So in 20 BC, he started rebuilding the temple, which was the identity of the

Jews Unfortunately, believe it or not. There are people that have more identity with a building than they do the God You know what?

I mean Baptists. I Remember this idiot Baptist one time told me he said pastor. We got to have better stewardship

We really do we need new carpet in our sanctuary We don't need to put carpet up in the fellowship hall

I said, let's talk about stewardship for a second heathen Use that building one hour a week.

You use that building 15 hours a week. What's better stewardship? Well, I've never thought about because you're an idiot go away here

They had a building and it was their identity. Now. Here's how Herod had it built along with the

Jews They all agreed to this they had this big it was about five acres. Think of our property

Okay, that was as big as the temple complex Here's our property and most of that property was called the court of the

Gentiles Believe it or not. Even the Jews and Romans back then said everybody is welcome

Even the Gentiles are welcome. We'll let them Gentiles come on up in here But then there was a next spot and that was called the court of Israel or the court of men and that's where only

Jewish men, I'm sorry. I got that backwards. The next court was the court of women. That was the next thing

So you had Gentiles and then the court of women and that's where all the Jew only Jewish women could go in There and that's where they were making sandwiches and so on and then the next room inside of that Was the court of Israel the court of men and only

Jewish men could go in there And then there was another little itty bitty or one

It was the court of priests and only pastors that were licensed or ordained could go up in there

But then in an even smaller room There was called the Holy of Holies and this is where the sacrifice

Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement This is where that took place every year and only one priest the high priest could go in there

And it was kind of cool because you can see all the Legislative works of the flesh that were never going to meet out

It was so beautiful when you think about Jesus Christ dying on the cross that Inner sanctum that Holy of Holies was this carpet this rug and it was like two foot thick and 70 foot tall

It actually took over 300 men to lift it into place and it separated all the world from the

Holy of Holies and When Jesus Christ died Tell to least I father into your hands.

I commend my spirit and he gave up his ghost When he died that temple ripped that carpet that rug ripped right in half

You know why? Because now we have access to God whereas we didn't because that final sacrifice had been made

There is one mediator first Timothy chapter 2 there is one mediator between God and man

It is this man Christ Jesus not a church not a religion Jesus Christ alone so here

Jesus walks into this temple complex and it is the Highlight of that part of the world an ancient wonder you might say of that part of the world

Jesus walks in with his disciples his mother and his brothers And he walks in there and that whole court of the

Gentiles is set up like a carnival There were guys in there selling sacrificial animals

There were guys in there who were money changers. Now, let me explain what this is.

See every year You had to pay a temple tax And that temple tax was actually about two days wages

Okay, so every person had to pay about two days wages every time you came up in that temple

But you see the temple didn't just accept any old money Any money with a graven image of somebody else ie the

Emperor Tiberius or the Emperor Nero or any other? Trajan at this point if there was any money

With the emblem of a Roman Emperor on it that was against one of the commandments

I shall have no graven images blah blah blah blah blah. And so the Jews wouldn't accept that kind of money And so they had to go in and they had to change money now this money changers

They worked this is going to sound weird. They worked for the priests in the temple

So if you wanted to give five bucks and it was five bucks with Abraham Lincoln's face on it

Man, that ain't gonna work because you got to use our money So here you give me six dollars and I'll give you five dollars back, you know what

I mean? Put it in the car, you know what I mean? Some of y 'all never watch history world Mel Brooks This generation

I don't do with you. So they were changing money. Jesus walks in and he says this

This is so sad And he found a 20 -something year old kid

College female Who was an advocate of social justice gave her a megaphone and she started screaming at everybody

Now what he did is he had a prayer service He got a little band in the back

Lady on the piano playing everybody singing just as I am and asked everybody to come forward

Now, let's read. What did Jesus do the little white skin blue -eyed blonde hair?

American Jesus Verse 15 and he made a whip of cords.

Well, Jesus, that's not very nice and he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the auction and Poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned tables

And he told those who sold the pigeon take these things away. Do not make my father's house a house of trade

Well, that's not very nice Actually all three

Gospels the synoptic Gospels and synoptic means Matthew Mark Luke John I'm Matthew Mark and Luke John is a standalone gospel, but in all three

Gospels it records this happening twice Jesus did this at the beginning of his ministry as we're reading here and then he had another

Temper tantrum at the end of his ministry. I mean did

Jesus need anger management? I Mean, you know, did he need to get together and sit down and share his feelings about his mother and his father

He never know his father. I mean, you know on a Freudian scale There was some serious difficult problems with Jesus You know his dog probably ran away or some other thing that happened to him and he had swallowed a whole lot of aggression along with a lot of pizza

Stripes come on guys you eighties people really need to step you game up here.

I hear heard someone say this to me once Violence is never the answer

Wrong Wrong Violence is sometimes the only answer and it's shocking to me

Shocking to me. It's usually church Christian people who are an American said that Then we had this little war called the

Revolutionary War It was violent. We revolted against established government

Wrap your head around that for a second Wrap your head around that it was violent

Violence is never the answer. Well, there are six million Jews from about 1939 to 1945 that would strongly disagree with you

Okay, so take your bowl unload it for a second scrape out the resin flush it and actually listen to something called truth

Violence is Sometimes the answer dare I say this to cement this point into absolute reality.

How do you think you're a Christian? Do you actually believe that a Baptist prayer saved you are you really that stupid?

Here's what saved you the wrath of God pouring out on Jesus Christ the wrath of God Not go stand in a corner

Where Isaiah says you couldn't even recognize him as a man He was beat that violently in that bloody for you

Violence is the only answer you got dummy now you can suffer

You can suffer the wrath and violence of God on yourself

But that's going to mean an eternity in hell Or you can take the vicarious violence that Jesus Christ took for you, which will mean everlasting life violence is an answer

Jesus made a whip of corn a whip of cords, and yes, he struck strucketh people with them

I've heard actually some commentators say well. It was made of a soft fabric, so it didn't hurt

I don't know I wasn't there But there wasn't a whole lot of textile mills of soft fabric and silk in freaking

Jerusalem in 180 okay They dealt in hemp they dealt in rope

And they were all familiar with the context of that hitting someone about the head and shoulders now

I don't I wasn't there I don't know but Jesus kicking off tables and over spilling stuff and driving out animals

I don't know a 200 or 2 ,000 pound ox it wouldn't like all right. Let's go now Okay Sorry, man.

They don't respond to a whole lot of San Francisco mentality man. You got to kick them to get them going Jesus Drove them all out now

Christian. Why am I harping on this point so much? If Jesus If Jesus had that much passion of inclusion for non -jews and non -christians

Who should we say is not welcome in this place? Let me ask that again for you

Fraser folks in other words Should we allow gay people in here? Why not

Should we allow trans people in here? Sure, we only got two bathrooms guys choose appropriately because we do have massive security force

I'm just saying if you a 200 pound day with a beard you go in the women's bathroom You're probably gonna have a really bad day

Okay, but all People should be welcome because let me tell you something.

This is not the house of God This is the house of God People are where God dwells

God doesn't dwell in a concrete gym. Are you crazy? He dwells in the hearts of his people

Everyone should be allowed through them doors. I mean we let Mexicans in why don't we letting by everybody?

We let Mexicans in so everybody else by default is welcome Okay, guys get to a point where you understand the passion of Christ emulate it by knowing the justice and truth of his word

All right, hurry. I know I'm going along y 'all stay with me When he did this verse 17 his disciples remembered what it was written the zeal of your house will consume me

So the Jews said to him what sign do you show us for doing these things? Now here's what's going on.

Jesus does this it's absolute Catastrophe there's pigeon feathers flying people like OMG what just happened tick tocks were flying.

It was absolute pandemonium And then everything kind of settled down a minute and everybody's like going what and Jesus saying they're going

Who next right? And so the

Jews ie the guys that were in charge of temple walk up and go Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are and this was Jesus's answer he sits there and says to him

Jesus answered them destroy this temple, and I'll raise it up again The Jews said then it has already taken 46 years

History timestamp learn it 46 years to build this temple, and you will raise it in three days

Are you smoking crack? But he was speaking about the temple of his body

When therefore he was raised from his dead his disciples Remembered that he had said this and they believed the scripture in the word that Jesus had spoken listen to me real quick It's real simple watch this

Jesus is sitting there the guy recording this down Was there this is an eyewitness account this ain't like third hand from the first cousin second mother's boyfriend removed

John was sitting right there, and he indicts himself Jesus sat there and said you know 600 pound foundation 600 ton foundational stones

Which are still there today some of them Jesus said man you tear this temple down.

I'll raise it up in three days What it's taking 46 years to build this thing and we still ain't finished

What do you mean you're gonna raise it up and John writes down the disciples ie me?

Did not understand what he meant, but he wasn't talking about the stupid building

Baptists he wasn't talking about the stupid building. He was talking about this temple and It says after he died they went ah

I could have had a v8 once again none of the young kids got that all right almost done guys

Verse 19 Jesus answers in sorry this temple blah blah blah blah blah blah blah now I want to just point out two things and I promise we'll be done and some of you in this room

Listen cuz I know you you know me we've talked before and you believe in God But you're struggling with the whole

Jesus being God thing Systematic study and doctrinal understanding is paramount within the

Christian life If not you're gonna be a group of people who are gathered together and all you know is John 3 16

You're an embarrassment to me your embarrassment to yourself, but more importantly your embarrassment to God study to show thyself approved

It's what scripture says and when you get some nerd on the internet who can't get a girlfriend and didn't make the football team

Sitting there on his little keyboard going well. I read this and that's right in those ancient sutra mixing a blah blah blah blah blah

And he sounds really smart. He's really an insecure idiot who doesn't know anything So that's when you in a spirit of meekness

Galatians 6 1 if a brother found a fault you were spiritual store such one in a spirit of meekness You can come not with your subjective opinions of what your mommy taught you

But you can bring the Word of God to bear which will actually change somebody's life not your argument not your debate

But the truth of God's doctrinal word Now here's what's really cool notice what

Jesus said You have to look look down read read

What do you say? Derek destroy this temple and what?

Notice the pronoun How is

Jesus gonna raise himself up from the dead? Huh? But I found some contradictions in Scripture.

I'm just gonna share these with you because I'm kind of concerned about them

And John Jesus said I'll raise again, but in Romans 6 4 in Galatians 1 1 it says

God raised Jesus from the dead Hold on guys. I Hate to admit this to you because of course

I am financially benefiting from filling your minds full of control You that watch the matrix one too many times and dropped acid listen

It also says in Romans verse 1 4 and chapter 8 verse 11

The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead So Jesus says

I'm gonna raise myself up. Jesus said ain't nobody take my life. I Lay it down Huh Jesus stretched out his arms this much and that's how much he loved you now

Jesus stretched out his arms this much because God said this is what you're gonna do Jesus said I got this Okay, you didn't take

Jesus's life. God killed him by God's own will which was Jesus So wrap your little heads around this.

Okay God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit is not the idiot

Joe Rogan's idea that that was made up in 323 AD at the Council of Nicaea Jesus said time and time and time and time again.

I am God you dork If you want this

I can even read it to you in Greek John chapter 8 verse 58 my favorite verse in the whole world

Where the Jews says he ain't even 50 years old. How did Abraham know you he lived 4 ,000 years ago

Jesus said to him dude. Let me tell you something before Abraham was born. I am

I Am remember Moses. Who do I say tell Pharaoh what your name is?

What did God say? I am Eggo and me I am in English It means

I am in Greek it means I am in Latin it means I am in Aramaic It means I am I know all four languages and it means the same freaking thing

God's saying or Jesus saying There we go here we'll put it back here listen listen,

I'm almost done Yeah Yeah, I'll prove it to you music nerds.

Come on Listen can you do me a favor? Listen, just do me a favor real quick You are not in church

Okay, you're not in church. This isn't a church service Okay, it's not a church service

Okay This is the preaching of God's Word that can change your life forever

Now some of you dorks that I'm talking to you're sitting there putting the Bible up because it's time to go eat somewhere stop

Stop your life is screwed up because you keep ignoring the conviction of the

Holy Spirit Suppressing it because you don't want to make a decision that what you actually have to live up to listen

I'm an idiot just like you There is nothing spiritual about me the same spirit of God me is the same spirit of God in you and you

I don't have extra Powers hum somebody stole my Honda. I'm no deus. Oh, that's church bullcrap

What I am is simply this I'm one beggar showing another beggar where the bread line is That's all

I am. That's it Okay, listen to me very carefully What I am sharing with you is absolute truth

It's not based upon opinion or religion or church Well pastor, but I'm not really sure

I believe that I'm sorry you either that stupid or that blind okay,

I But I want to help you with that Okay, because I used to be there

I used to be there I Want you to take that step of faith?

Man up throw your shoulders back come up here and go I have no idea, but I know something ain't right

And then I've got guys up here Who know I always love it when someone says well,

I'm not really sure about that. We know Okay, now because we're smart because all them lost books the

Bible are up in my office. I've read them all They ain't lost we know how We have the we have the original copies of all the scriptures of God They ain't lost.

There's 25 ,000 of them How do you know that's what the Bible said because? 800 different dudes and a hundred different languages never met each other over a thousand years all wrote the same thing and it matches up 99 .9

% of the time that might be something you want to put in your little Joe Rogan skeptical mind and let that marinate

Pass the THC Okay There is a God you are not him and a little prayer to Jesus will not save you

How you save them pastor? Faith comes by hearing and hearing the

Word of God Romans 10 17 For whoever shall call upon the name of the

Lord Not baby Jesus in a manger who will call upon Kurios the name of the

Lord will be saved I'm gonna ask you a question this morning Do you?

know The reality of Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior listen to me if you don't

Remember, I don't care about your stupid money or your stupid membership in some stupid church.

I Want to stand before God one day and him not look at me and go Shipley. Where were you on that one?

So I want this to be crystal clear If you are not a hundred percent sure you are a born -again

Christian You need to go on try your butt up here ask the questions that you need to ask and let the

Holy Spirit of God Guide you Okay, quit playing games Don't look at the silly screen and try to sing a song or repress it by worrying about where you're going to lunch or work tomorrow any of that other garbage

Focus your mind and heart God are you? Speaking to me and if he is need gone try

Number two if you're in this room today, and you are a Christian, but you're living a weak life

You're living a broken hypocritical life The same faith that saved you is the same faith waiting to cleanse you

It's the same faith waiting to empower you what you need is a level of commitment

Other than a quiet prayer as you sleep at night in the comfort of your bed You need an accountability of a church to sit there and go well yet You hadn't been church in four weeks.

We're yet You need someone all up in your business because you and your business suck

Okay So come on up here and say sign me up coach because I'm ready to start actually living a real life instead of a fake one

Number three if you're not a member of a church Okay You ain't doing me no favors.

I ain't trying to build no mega church, dude. I got 200 people I can't keep up with them all okay.

We're seriously. We're gonna have to start having application forms guys because dude I mean come on man.

I Was walking up to Vicki and asking her about how her transformation surgery was going and it wasn't

Vicki It was brother Tim, and I got the two confused I'm sorry

Teresa Guys you know what a church is for People say

I need to go serve God You know how you serve God by serving each other See if I don't show love to my baby

Roderick I'll never be able to show love to God Do you really think he wants to hear me sing and the perfect falsetto voice?

Arise, or do you think he wants me to wash the feet of my brother which one? Right and if you ain't here you can't do it.

Which is probably why you're living a very weak Christian life You need to join the church because you need accountability and you need an outlet

For what the Holy Spirit is putting in you if not it's gonna build up with you, and you're gonna need to take a little laxative

Okay, and that's what Jesus is he can be a big laxative for you all right He can get all that garbage on up out of you

No, I'm just serious he can't I'm an expert on this So one of those three things and I know some people in your the last thing

I know some people in your little brain. You're like going pastor. Don't be funny because you got people and their emotion

I don't want you to make an emotional decision. I want you to make a real decision a

Commitment you see and you're gonna screw that commitment up. I know it. You know it We all know it God knows it

But that's why he gave us this thing called grace because the next week you come down you make that commitment again

And then it's gonna be about two weeks after that you're gonna mess up Then you make it again, and then by the time you start maturing actually in Christ Well, you'll be a real

Christian. Well. You'll actually start being what God's called you to be you'll be screwing up Yeah, but you won't be screwing up in the same way and not as often.

It's called maturity See and that's why so many of our churches are lacking Are y 'all with me can we do this pastors come up here if God has spoken you today?

I want you to move Christian don't sit in that chair and look around Grasping your hands in your pocket and looking at your watch if you are good to go with Salvation if you're good to go with accountability and church membership find someone who's not and be the church instead of trying to come to church