Sermon
The Union of the Spirit We Have (Part 6)
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. Amen. I want to thank God for this
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opportunity given to me to bring the Word to
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us. So I want to thank God for the pastors, also
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for this opportunity. Amen. So, on Sunday, we
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were looking at the union of the spirits we have,
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and we stopped somewhere, and we're going to
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continue there. Matthew chapter 28, Matthew chapter
Matthew 28 chapter mention Matthew 28 chapter mention
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28, Matthew chapter 28, from verse 18 to 20.
Matthew 28 chapter mention
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And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All
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authority has been given me in heaven and on
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earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all
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nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
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the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them
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to observe all things that I have commanded you,
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and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
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of the age. And we close on Sunday by, our focus
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was on that word, teaching them, that Jesus had
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a mode of teaching. It's the word, that he was
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talking about a mode of teaching, and how he
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went to even warn his disciples about the mode
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of the teachings of the Pharisees. Praise the
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Lord. the mode of the teachings of the Pharisees.
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Amen. So, we're looking at the union of spirits
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that we have. Now, we said that the first thing
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is that the gospel is for everyone. Praise the
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Lord. The gospel is for everyone. It's not for
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a particular people. It does not discriminate.
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Amen. And the spirit of God is for everyone.
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Right? So if the gospel is for everyone, the
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spirit of God is for everyone. Praise the Lord.
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John chapter 14. John chapter 14, verses 16 to
John 14 chapter mention John 14:16–17
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17. We're going to continue. And he says, I will
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pray the Father and he will give you another
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helper that he may abide with you forever. The
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spirit of truth whom the word cannot receive.
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because you neither see him nor know him, but
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you know him, for he dwells with you and will
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be with you. Praise the Lord. So the essence
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of redemption or salvation is giving of the Spirit.
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Praise the Lord. Exodus chapter 29, from verse
Exodus 29 chapter mention
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44 to 46. So I will consecrate. So I will consecrate
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the tabernacle of meeting and altar. I will also
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consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister
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to me as priest. I will dwell among the children
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of Israel and I will be their God. And they shall
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know that I am the Lord, their God, who brought
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them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may
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dwell among them. I am the Lord, their God. Praise
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the Lord. Still talking about God amongst his
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people, the Spirit of God among his people. So,
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we see Jesus also speaking of the same thing
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across the Synoptic Gospels. Amen. So, we read
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here, when we go back to the John, we read John
John 14 chapter mention
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chapter 14. We will read to you from verse 16
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to 20. It says, I will pray the Father and he
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will give you another helper. that he may abide
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with you forever. The Spirit of truth, whom the
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world cannot receive, because it neither see
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him nor know him, but you know him, for he dwells
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with you and will be in you. I will not leave
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you orphans, I will not leave you orphans, I
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will come to you. A little while longer, and
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the world will not, the world sees me no more,
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but you will see me, because I live. you will
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live also. Verse 20. At that day, you will know
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that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and
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I in you. Praise the Lord. Right? That is, man
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is going to become the temple of God. We saw
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that in Exodus, right? So this place is talking
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about that man is going to be the temple of God.
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That is, that God would dwell, or the Spirit
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of God would dwell in man. Praise the Lord. So
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let's see the promises. Let's see the promise
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of God, of God's temple. Go back to that Exodus
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29, verse 45. It says, I will dwell among the
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children of Israel and will be their God. Praise
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the Lord. He will dwell among the children of
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Israel and will be their God. So this is God's
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promise of the temple. Praise the Lord. Right?
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So God's temple, we looked at also the last time,
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that God's temple is not a place. Praise the
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Lord. God's temple is amongst the people. And
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Jesus came to fulfill that. Praise the Lord.
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God's temple is in man. And Jesus came to fulfill
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that promise. Amen. So let's go back to what
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we have been discussing as well. Matthew chapter
Matthew 21 chapter mention
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21. Matthew chapter 21, from verse 1 to verse
Matthew 21 chapter mention
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12 to 14. Matthew. Then Jesus went into the temple
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of God and drove out all those who bought and
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sold in the temple and overthrew the tables of
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the money exchangers and the seat of those who
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sold those. And he said to them, it is written,
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my house shall be called a house of prayer, but
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you have made it. A den of thieves. Praise the
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Lord. A den of thieves. So let's look at what
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he writes about this same place in the Gospel
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verse 15 to 16. It's very fundamental what he
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writes. He said, so Jesus came to Jerusalem.
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So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into
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the temple and began to drive out those. who
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bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew
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the tables of the money changers and the seat
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of those who sold those. And he will not allow
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anyone to carry waste through the temples. Praise
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the Lord. Verse 17 now. He said, Then he taught
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them, saying to them, It is written, My house
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shall be called a house of prayer, for all nations,
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but you have made it a den of thieves. Verse
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17, he said, then he taught them. Praise the
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Lord. So he was not just saying to them that,
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you know what, people are making a mess of this
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place. Praise the Lord. But then he taught them
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what the purpose of that place was. He said,
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he taught them saying, it is written, my house
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shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.
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We notice a slight difference here. In Matthew,
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he doesn't say, For all nations, right? He says,
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my house shall be a house of prayer, but you've
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made it a den of thieves. But Mark says what?
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For all nations. Praise the Lord. But you've
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made it a den of thieves, right? He taught them.
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Meaning that what he was doing was that he was
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teaching them. So his actions were explaining
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his teaching. Praise the Lord. His teaching.
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So he was, he drove them out, praise the Lord,
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right? But at the same time, he was teaching
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them something. His action also was a teaching
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that he was giving to them. So he was teaching
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this, right, from the Old Testament, where he
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says that my house shall be called a house of
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prayers for all nations, but you have made it
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a den of thieves. So his action was an illustration.
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Praise the Lord. His action was illustration
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to drive out the people and to overturn the tables,
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right? It was an illustration of his teaching.
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Praise the Lord. Verse 17, he says what? Is it
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not written, my house shall be called a house
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of prayers for all nations? So he didn't just
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say, oh no, this is the wrong thing to do. But
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he was also reminding them of the scriptures.
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Is it not written, my house shall be called a
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house of prayers for all nations? So we can say
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that Jesus was not, I mean, maybe the movies
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that we watched or some of the things that we
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thought, Jesus was teaching in as much as he
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was driving the people out. Praise the Lord.
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So we can say that he wasn't necessarily like
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coming to the people, very furious and doing
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a lot of things. Praise the Lord. But that he
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was teaching them by his action. He was teaching
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them. So we also look at what John also says.
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2 John 2, verses 13 -16. Now the Passover of
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the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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He founded the temple of those who sold oxen
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and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing
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business. And he said to those who sold doves,
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Take these things away. Do not make my father's
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house a house of merchandise. Praise the Lord.
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Do not make my father's house a house of merchandise.
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Verse 17. And the disciples remembered that it
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was written, zeal for your house has eaten me
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up. Praise the Lord. And verse 18 now. And the
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Jews answered and said to him, what sign do you
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show us since you do these things? Praise the
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Lord. Right? We're going to stay in this John
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for a while. What sign do you show us since you
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do these things? Right? He said, my house, right?
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Can we go back to verse 16? You see here now,
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there's also a bit of slight difference here.
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He says what? Take these things away. Do not
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make my father's house a house of merchandise.
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The other place we saw my house, my house, and
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this place again was saying, my father's house,
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a house of merchandise. And then the Jews asked
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him, in verse 18, what sign do you show us? Right?
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What sign do you show us since you do these things?
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Praise the Lord. Which means that he was doing
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something in line with the scriptures. Praise
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the Lord. What he was doing was in line with
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the scriptures. Right? Which means that Jesus
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was not just saying, why are you selling these
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things? Or why are you buying here? Praise the
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Lord. And we said the last time that there was
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nothing wrong with buying and selling in the
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temple. There was nothing wrong because it was
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permitted by Moses for them to be done. It was
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permitted in scriptures for them to buy and sell.
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So stopping them was a fulfillment of the scriptures.
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I'm going to explain that in a short while. Stopping
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them was a fulfillment. of the scriptures. Luke
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chapter 24 verse 44. Luke chapter 24 verse 44.
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Then he said to them, these are the words which
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I spoke to you while I was still with you, that
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all things must be fulfilled which were written
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in the law of Moses the prophet and in the Psalms
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consigning me. All things must be fulfilled.
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Praise the Lord. Must be brought to pass or must
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come to pass. Praise the Lord. It must be brought
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to pass. So we can ask, what is being fulfilled?
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Praise the Lord. What is then being fulfilled?
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What is the thing that is fulfilling? Right?
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Looking at the question in that John, in verse
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18 of John chapter 2, he said, what sign do you
John 2 chapter mention
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show us since you do these things? And then he
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said to them, my father's house shall not be
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a house of merchandise. Like I said, he was quoting
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the Old Testament. And then he says, what sign?
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Then he says to them in verse 19, verse 19. And
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Jesus said to them, destroy this temple. And
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in three days, I would raise it up. Praise the
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Lord. Destroy this temple. And in three days,
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I will raise it up. This same word that is used
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for resurrection, right? So what is he talking
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about? What does he mean? Destroy this temple.
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It cost them 46, 47, 46 years to build the temple.
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The Jews were wondering. It cost us 46 years
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to build this temple, and you say destroy it,
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and he will build it up in three days. What is
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he talking about? Praise the Lord. Now, verse
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21 and 22, he said, but he was speaking of the
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temple of his body. Praise the Lord. Therefore,
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when he had risen from the dead, his disciples
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remembered that he had said to them, and they
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believed the Scriptures and the word which Jesus
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had said. Praise the Lord. So when he had risen
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from the dead, his disciples remembered that
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he had said this to them, and they believed the
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Scriptures and the word which Jesus spoke to
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them. They believed what? The Scriptures. So
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which Scripture is Jesus fulfilling? Which Scriptures
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is Jesus fulfilling? What Scriptures is Jesus
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fulfilling? Praise the Lord. Or what scriptures
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is he teaching them? Praise the Lord. No, like
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I said, sometimes the event of how Jesus drove
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out the money exchangers, the way it is portrayed
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in movies, is that Jesus came in, he was very
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angry, he chased people away, he made codes and
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beat people out of the temple. Praise the Lord.
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He drove things out of the temple and the people
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that were there. But he was not... beating the
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people praise the lord he he stopped what they
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were doing but he was not beating the people
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praise the lord he didn't go there and he's beating
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people praise the lord he stopped the activity
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that was going on in those places right he didn't
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touch the people praise the lord what he was
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teaching them and doing things he was teaching
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them and doing things look look chapter Then
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he went to the temple and began to drive out
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those who bought and sold in it, saying to them,
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It is written, My house is a house of prayer,
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but you have made it a den of thieves. Verse
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47 now. And then he was teaching daily in the
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temple. But the chief priests and the scribes
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and the leaders of the people sought to destroy
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him. Right? So what he was doing was an illustration
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of his teaching. Praise the Lord. It was an illustration
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of his teaching to drive out the people. Let's
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look at this word, merchandise. Right? Let's
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look at the word. The people were selling and
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buying, right? Like I said, why did they sell
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and buy in the temple? So, like I said, it was
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a permission that Moses gave them for those who
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were coming from afar. Imagine coming from a
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very far place, carrying oxen and sheep to come
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and sacrifice. They didn't have the luxury that
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we have now of driving cars or... you know, cargos,
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things like this, right? So they needed to carry
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those things either by their hands or in horses.
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And so it was very difficult for them to get
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to those places. So there's a permission for
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Moses for them to come and buy the things there.
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Praise the Lord. They should just come, give
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money and take the things they needed for sacrifice
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and sacrifice in the temple. So he told them
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to bring money, right? When they get to the temple,
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They should use those money to buy the item that
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they are using for sacrifice. So the place that
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was used for these things of buying and selling
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was looked at or regarded as the Gentile court.
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Praise the Lord. It is known as the Gentile court.
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So they are supposed to bring their money and
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exchange it for the sacrifice or the animals
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they are going to buy and they are going to come.
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And they're going to use them for those sacrifices.
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So two things we see going on around them. One,
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the use of sacrifice, right? Which is the reason
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for the money that they are coming with, right?
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And then secondly, it happened at the Gentile
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court. So the Jews and the non -Jews were to
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come there and worship in the temple. Praise
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the Lord. So why did he say, You have turned
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his father's house to a house of merchandise.
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Praise the Lord. If there was permission for
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them to bring their money, buy the animals that
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they need for sacrifice and use them for sacrifice.
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It's a place of worship. The animals were not,
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they didn't come to buy animals and take it to
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their houses. Praise the Lord. They brought the
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animals to sacrifice. It's a place of worship
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that they come. So why did he say merchandise?
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Right? You've made a house of merchandise. Praise
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the Lord. Zechariah chapter 14, verse 20. Zechariah
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chapter 14, verse 20. In that day, right, talking
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about the future, right, eschatology, something
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to happen, something that is going to happen
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in the future. Holiness to the Lord shall be
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engraved on the bells of the house. And the pots
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in the house of the Lord shall be like the bowls
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before the altar. And then, right in verse 21
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now. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judea
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shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone
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who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook
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in them. In that day they shall no longer be
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Canaanites in the house of the Lord. Sorry, in
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the house of the Lord of hosts. Praise the Lord.
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Let me read that again. Every pot in Jerusalem
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and Judea shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.
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Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them
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and cook in them. In that day, they shall no
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longer be canonized in the house of the Lord
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of hosts. Praise the Lord. So holiness, right,
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will not just be in the temple. Hallelujah. Holiness.
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will not just be in the temple, right? But will
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be in every house. Praise the Lord. Will be in
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every home. So holiness, as we know, is what
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God does. Is what God does. And where God dwells.
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So holiness will not just be in the temple, it
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will be in every home. Meaning that God is making
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available the temple everywhere. Praise the Lord.
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Meaning that God is making the temple everywhere.
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And then in, so he's saying that he shall no
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longer just be in the temple, but in every home,
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right? He said in that day, there shall no longer
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be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord, right?
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That word Canaanite is a word Canani in the Greek.
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That word Cananite is a word Canani, K -E -N
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-A -N -I. K -E -N -A -N -I. Right? So what does
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the word mean? Right? It is used for trade or
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traders. Praise the Lord. It is used for trade
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or traders. Right? Traders, they sell instruments
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of offering. Remember, the traders, they're the
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people selling the instrument of worship or instrument
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of offering in the temples. So we see two things
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there. That one, there will no longer be need,
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right, for animal sacrifice or animal sacrifice,
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right? But then, not just that, but everybody
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will be qualified. So let's look at more, some
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of the scriptures in this same word for Canaanites.
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Proverbs chapter 31, verse 24. To make linen
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garments and sell them. and supplies such for
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the merchants. Praise the Lord. For the merchants.
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So is that word for merchants there? Praise the
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Lord. Is that word for merchants? Kenani, right?
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Isaiah chapter 23, verse 8. Who has taken counsel
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against Ty, the crowning city, whose merchants
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are princes, whose traders are the honorable
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of the earth? Praise the Lord. It's that word
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that is used for merchants there, those who come
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to sell. So let's look at those things we've
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been reading before. He says what? My father's
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house, you have made it a house of kenani, right?
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To buy and to sell. Praise the Lord. He says
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what? You have made my father's house a house
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of buying and selling. Praise the Lord. It's
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a house of merchandise, right? You've made my
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father's house a house of buying and selling.
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Praise the Lord. You've made my father's house
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a house of buying and selling. But that is not
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the way it's supposed to be. But Moses what?
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Allowed it so that you can buy and sell for worship.
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Right? But then he says it shall be a house of
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prayer. For what? for all nations. What it's
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supposed to be is what? A house of prayer for
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all nations. He said, but you have made it a
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den of thieves. You have made it a den of thieves.
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A house of prayers for all nations. Praise the
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Lord. So, when we read this whole Synoptic Gospels
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account, the book of Matthew 21, Luke 11, Mark
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11, Luke 19, and John chapter 2. So the things
John 2 chapter mention
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we see first, or the things that we see Jesus
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doing, is that Jesus is acting according to prophecy.
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Praise the Lord. So when he's coming into the
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temple, the thing he's doing, it is doing according
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to the things that are said, right? It's acting
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according to prophecy, right? Because in Zechariah,
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it says, in that day, praise the Lord, in that
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day, He said, what Mark says, a house of prayer
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for all nations, right? So we can see that Jesus
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was teaching from the text, right? And demonstrating
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it in his illustration of driving the people
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out. Isaiah chapter 56, verse 7. Isaiah 56, verse
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7. Even them I will bring to my holy mountain
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and make them joyful. in my house of prayer.
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Their burnt offering and their sacrifice will
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be accepted at my altar. For my house shall be
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called a house of prayers for all nations. So
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Jesus was acting out a prophecy. Praise the Lord.
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He was acting out a prophecy. Let's look at verse
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4 of that verse. It says, For thus says the Lord
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to the eunuch who keeps my sabbath, who chose
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what pleases me, and hold fast my covenant. Verse
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5. Even then I will give my house and within
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my walls a place and a name better than that
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of the sons and daughters. I will give them an
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everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Praise
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the Lord. Verse 6 to 8 now. It says, Also, the
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sons of the foreigners who join themselves to
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the Lord to serve him, to love the name of the
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Lord, to be his servants, everyone who keeps
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from defiling the Sabbath and who holds fast
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my covenant, even them I will bring to my holy
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mountain and make them joyful in my house of
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prayer. Their bond offering and their sacrifice
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will be accepted on my altar, for my house shall
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be called the house of prayers for all nations.
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Verse 8. The Lord God who gathers the outcasts
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of Israel says, Yet I will gather him other beside
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those who are gathered to him. Praise the Lord.
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This means that he's not talking about just the
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Jews. Praise the Lord. It is not just for the
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Jews. He says those who are not the Jews are
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also part of it. Praise the Lord. So in God's
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plan, those who are not the Jews too are part
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of it. Praise the Lord. So if you read Zechariah
Zechariah 14 chapter mention
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chapter 14, he talks about the house of prayers
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for all nations. So he's saying that all nations
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shall come to a place. or that he will go to
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all nations. So from everything I've been saying,
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does it mean that God is going to, that all nations
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is going to come to a place, right? Just as we
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see in the temple, as what happens around the
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temple, was that God is going to all nations.
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Praise the Lord. So you can read Zechariah chapter
Zechariah 14 chapter mention
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14, Isaiah chapter 56, right? So remember, we
Isaiah 56 chapter mention
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said in that Zechariah, it says what? That the
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house or his temple is going to be in every house.
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Praise the Lord. It's going to be in every home,
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right? He says it's for all nations. Everybody
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is welcome. So Jesus is standing in the temple
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and he's fulfilling the scriptures. Praise the
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Lord. He's standing in the temple and he's fulfilling
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the scriptures, right? He's fulfilling the scriptures.
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That what? This house is a house of prayer for
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all nations. But he says what? You have made
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it a den of thieves. Some other scriptures, as
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we see, we say a den of robbers. Praise the Lord.
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Now, I also mentioned this the last time. Is
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he calling them armed robbers? Praise the Lord.
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Is he calling them armed robbers? When he says
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a den of thieves, is he calling them armed robbers?
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No. He's saying that what they are doing was
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permitted by the law, but it's not the way it's
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supposed to be. It should not be like that. He
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says what? What they were doing was permitted
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by the law, so what was Jesus saying? What does
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he imply by saying the prophet, sorry, we saw
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in Zechariah that talks about a time or a day
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is coming. So he's saying that there will no
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longer be need for offerings here. Praise the
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Lord. There will no longer be need for offering
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here. A time will come. God will be in every
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home. Praise the Lord. So what he's saying is
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that there will no longer be need for offering
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here. A time is coming. God will be in every
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home. God will come. A time will come where there
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will no longer be a need for this house anymore.
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So that means the use of sacrifice in the temple
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and the physical house was temporary. Praise
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the Lord. The use of animal sacrifice or sacrifice
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in the temple and the physical house was temporary.
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So he's saying a house of prayer for all nations,
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but you've made it a den of merchandise. Praise
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the Lord. Let's read Zechariah chapter 14, verse
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20 to 21. In that day, holiness... to the Lord
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shall be engraved on the bells of their houses.
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The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the
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bells before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem
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and Judea shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts.
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Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them
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and cook in them. In that day they shall no longer
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be the Canaanites in the house of the Lord of
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hosts. Praise the Lord. Jeremiah chapter 7 verse
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11. Has this house, which is called by my name,
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become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold,
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even I have seen it, says the Lord. The den of
-
thieves. Praise the Lord. Some other scriptures
-
would use the word robbers. It's the word, I
-
also said it the last time, parit. P -A -R -I
-
-T -S P -A -R -I -T -S It's used for violence,
-
right? Something that is illegal, right? For
-
illegality, right? It's used for violence, illegality.
-
It's the word for, it's also used for the word
-
usurper, right? Like a supplanter. Remember Jacob,
-
right? It's also the word for supplanter, usurper,
-
right? So it's someone who takes power or a position,
-
a title illegally or by force. Praise the Lord.
-
Someone that, somebody that ought not to be there.
-
Praise the Lord. So he says what? That you have
-
turned his house or his house has become a den
-
of thieves. Right? To bring illegality or violence
-
or somebody that, something that ought not to
-
be there. So the Hebrew word used for Robbers
-
is also the word like insurrection, right? The
-
shopper, like I said. Zechariah chapter 7, verse
-
22. Sorry, Ezekiel. Ezekiel 7, verse 22. He said,
-
I will turn my face from them, and they will
-
defy my secret place, for robbers shall enter
-
it and defile it. So it's the same word there.
-
robbers right chapter 18 verse 10 chapter 18
-
verse 10 if he begot a son who is a robber or
-
a shader of blood what does any of this why does
-
who does any of these things right it's also
-
that same word there for robber so jesus was
-
referring to a den of robbers for example right
-
john chapter john chapter 10 from verse 7 to
John 10 chapter mention
-
8 And Jesus said to them, again, most assuredly
-
I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All
-
who come before me are thieves and robbers, but
-
the sheep did not hear them. Praise the Lord.
-
So he's using that word robbers there, right?
-
Like I said, was he referring to them carrying
-
guns? No, it means that they were not supposed
-
to be there. Praise the Lord. So he's saying
-
that these people that come to the ship are not
-
supposed to be there. He's not talking about
-
that the people came bearing guns and things
-
like that. So my house shall be called a house
-
of prayer, right? For all nations, he said, for
-
everyone. So you are making it, he's saying that,
-
let me say this, just listen carefully now. As
-
we've been talking about what these robbers mean
-
or why he refers to them as robbers. So he's
-
saying, my father's house shall be called a house
-
of prayers for who? For everyone, for all nations.
-
He said, but you are making it a place of come
-
and buy and sacrifice. Praise the Lord. You are
-
making it a place of come and buy and sacrifice.
-
You're saying the Gentile world should bring
-
their money. You will give them the element of
-
sacrifice. Right? And he said, they will offer
-
it. It has become... a den of what not, sorry,
-
it has become a den of what ought not to be there.
-
So what is the thief there? What is he saying
-
thief there? Right? So the thief there, remember
-
we said what Jesus came to fulfill and how is
-
the nation going to be a house of prayer for
-
all nations, right? So, and we read this place,
-
let's go back. to verse 7. And Jesus said to
-
them, Most certainly I say to you, I am the door
-
of the sheep. All who come before me are thieves
-
and robbers, but his sheep did not hear them.
-
So the thieves there that he's using is what
-
they use of what? Physical sacrifice. It ought
-
not to be there. That is not what makes this
-
place or that is not what will make this place
-
become a house of prayer for all nations. Praise
-
the Lord. That is not what will make it a house
-
of prayers for all nations. Let me read that
-
again. So my father's house is a house of prayers
-
for all nations. But you are making it what?
-
A place, a house of merchandise. Remember what
-
we said what merchandise is, right? Remember
-
the word we use for merchandise, right? He's
-
saying what? You've made it what? A place of
-
come and by. or come and a place of come and
-
bring sacrifice or buy or the gentile will come
-
to bring their money and they will give them
-
element that is of sacrifice right and they will
-
offer it it has become a den of what not ought
-
to be there praise the lord so what is the thief
-
there the thief there is the use of physical
-
sacrifice the use of physical sacrifice which
-
Remember, we said in that Zechariah, they said
-
what? In that day, right? On that day. So, the
-
use of physical sacrifice will be anointed in
-
that day. Praise the Lord. The sacrifice of Jesus
-
who do what will anoint the use of physical sacrifice.
-
Praise the Lord. Remember, we said he's coming
-
to do what? To fulfill the scriptures. And he
-
was teaching as well. So, it is not referring
-
to the people as thieves. It is referring to
-
what they were doing. Praise the Lord. It was
-
referring to what? To what they were using. The
-
use of physical elements in worship. Jesus is
-
saying it is insurrection. It is a robbery. He
-
said, all that come before me, he said, I'm the
-
life of the sheep. I am the sacrifice. Praise
-
the Lord. So Jesus is the sacrifice. It is not
-
the animal sacrifice. Praise the Lord. Jesus
-
is the sacrifice. So Jesus is the sacrifice.
-
So he refers to the sacrifice before him as a
-
den of thieves. So the sacrifice that they bring
-
or they bring to offer has become what? A den
-
of thieves. It is not a thing that saves men.
-
Praise the Lord. So the thing that Jesus was
-
doing, Jesus is saying that what? God's holiness
-
is for everyone, right? So there will not be
-
a need for you to bring what? Physical sacrifice.
-
There will no longer be need for anyone to bring
-
what? Physical sacrifice. There will no need
-
for anybody to pay money and buy physical sacrifice
-
in this altar. Right? And like I said from the
-
beginning, that what? That holiness is a gift
-
of God. Holiness is a gift of God. So Jesus is
-
not upset or he's not angry at the people. He's
-
saying that, The day has come. Praise the Lord.
-
So what he was doing in that place, he's saying
-
that that day has arrived. Praise the Lord. That
-
day has arrived. The day has come for fulfillment
-
of the word of the prophecy of the prophets.
-
The day has come for the fulfillment of the word
-
of the prophets. What he was saying, he was teaching.
-
That's what he was saying. He was teaching the
-
scriptures. He was teaching. through the scriptures.
-
And then his disciples will say, because the
-
zeal of thy house has eaten him up. So Jesus,
-
the word zeal there is a word quenal, right?
-
So Jesus is teaching and illustrating his teaching
-
by the things that he's doing. So we said that
-
what? The use of those practices were temporary.
-
We know this, right? From all our teaching. The
-
new covenant was before the old one. So the new
-
covenant is God's promise, is God's word, is
-
what God wants, is God's perfect will. The old
-
one is what was allowed because of the hardness
-
of their hearts. But in the beginning, it was
-
not so. Praise the Lord. Let me read again. So
-
Jesus was illustrating, was teaching and illustrating
-
his teaching by the things he was doing. Right?
-
And as we have been taught, that the Old Testament
-
practice was temporary. Praise the Lord. So the
-
new covenant was before the old, the practice
-
of it, of the Old Testament or the old covenant.
-
The new covenant is God's promise, is God's word,
-
is what God wants, is His perfect will. The old
-
is what is allowed because of the hardness of
-
their hearts. But in the beginning, it was not
-
so. So what is the new covenant? So we said that
-
the use of which we have been taught, we have
-
been taught this everything. The use of the temple,
-
right? The use of the animal sacrifice was not
-
started by God. It was something that was in
-
their culture already. Praise the Lord. It was
-
something that was in their culture already.
-
So God uses as an illustration to remind them,
-
right? Again, that the new covenant is onward
-
and is promised. of his own word and his promise.
-
So God is the new covenant. Praise the Lord.
-
God is the new covenant. So in that Zechariah,
-
it says what? It shall be on that day, he said,
-
holiness upon the Lord in every house, in every
-
home, right? And we said that holiness is what
-
God will do or what God has done or is doing,
-
right? So holiness is not your conduct. Right?
-
Your conduct is inspired by God's holiness. Praise
-
the Lord. Holiness is what God does. Genesis
-
chapter 2, verses 1 to 3. So holiness that was
-
used there is the word kwadash. Genesis chapter
-
2, verses 1 to 3. That was the heaven and the
-
earth and all the host of them were finished.
-
And at the seventh day, God ended his... his
-
work which he has done, and he rested on the
-
seventh day from all his work which he had done.
-
Verse 3. And God blessed the seventh day and
-
sanctified it, because it is the day he rested
-
from all his work which he had created and made.
-
That word sanctified is word holy there. Right?
-
So, I'm going to be a little, let me just skip
-
some parts. So, in the new covenant, God's promise,
-
God's holiness is what he does. Right? God's
-
holiness is by His own Spirit. The Old Testament
-
practices will come and pass. It will no longer
-
be a house of thieves or a house of insurrection,
-
but it should be a house of prayers for all nations.
-
There will not be need to come and buy and sell
-
in this place. There will not be need for buying
-
sacrifice. It is done by the Spirit of God. Praise
-
the Lord. It is done by the Spirit of God. So
-
what we see in Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Zechariah
-
are prophecies of the Scripture. So God's holiness
-
is what He does. If God saves you, that action
-
is holy, right? That action is holy, and you
-
are holy because God saves you. If God calls
-
you, that action is holy. Therefore, you are
-
holy. Holiness is not what you do, though. You'll
-
be affected or you will reflect the holiness
-
of God. Holiness is what God does, right? Because
-
of what he has done in you, you become holy.
-
So Jesus is saying that the temple that is God's
-
holiness, we can say God's salvation, right?
-
God's deliverance is for everybody. In that day,
-
there will no longer be need for sacrifice. You
-
no longer need to come here. That is to the temple
-
anymore. Right? Because God will come to wherever
-
you are, to every home. Praise the Lord. God
-
will go in towards every home, just like the
-
same way he went to Egypt to bring the people
-
out. He's going to every home in that day. He's
-
going to every home in that day. He will come
-
where you are and he will save you and you are
-
holy. So when he says that, or when he sends
-
us out to go and preach the gospel, Who is going
-
to reach men? When we go out to preach the gospel,
-
who is going to reach men? It is God that is
-
going to reach men. Praise the Lord. Because
-
what? You are holy and you are his. So it is
-
an outreach of holiness. So God wants to call
-
people to himself to make them sons and daughters.
-
That means that when we preach the gospel, we
-
are offering the people to be God's residents.
-
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. We're offering
-
them that they should be what? God's residents.
-
God's residents. I don't know if I have time.
-
There's something I wanted to show us about the
-
fig tree. I don't think I will have the time
-
to do that. But I think let's do that and maybe
-
we can stop there. Luke chapter 24 verse 44.
-
So when he was on his way to the temple, right?
-
Two things happened on the way, right? Mark recorded
-
it, Matthew, but we didn't have that in John,
-
right? So Luke chapter 24, and he said to them,
Luke 24 chapter mention
-
these are the words which I speak to you while
-
I was still with you, that all things must be
-
fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses
-
and in the prophet and in the Psalms concerning
-
me. Mark chapter 11, from verse 12 to 14. So
Mark 11 chapter mention
-
Jesus saw a fig tree. Right? We know the story
-
of the fig tree. Right? So when they came, they
-
said, verse 12. Mark chapter 11, verse 12 to
-
14. This is still the same story of the temple,
-
of him going to the temple. So, now the next
-
day when they had come from Bethlehem, he was
-
hungry and seeing from afar a fig tree having
-
leaves, he went to see if perhaps He will find
-
something on it. When he came to it, he found
-
nothing but leaves, for it was not the season
-
for figs. Verse 14. In response, Jesus said to
-
it, Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.
-
And his disciples heard it. Praise the Lord.
-
Now, let's look at the sequence. Like I said,
-
this is the same thing that was leading to the
-
temple. So, he moves to the fig trees. He goes
-
to the temple. He speaks in the temple. And then
-
he says that the temple, the things happening
-
there are odd not to be happening there. The
-
temple is for all nations, right? It's for all
-
nations, right? So God's word is not in a physical
-
place, it's in the people, right? Verse 19 to
-
21. Verse 19 to 21 of Mark 11. When the evening
-
had come, they went out of the city. And in the
-
morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig
-
tree dried up from its roots. And Peter remembered
-
and said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree which
-
you caused has withered away. And then verse
-
22 now. And Jesus answered and said, have faith
-
in God. Right? Have faith in God. For surely
-
I say to you, whoever say to this mountain, be
-
removed and be cast into the sea. and there's
-
no doubt in his heart, but believes that, believe
-
these things which he says, it will be done,
-
and he will have whatever he says. Praise the
-
Lord. Now, let's pay attention to this thing.
-
He says what? He says, most assuredly I say to
-
you, whoever says to this mountain, what did
-
Peter say to him? Peter was talking about the
-
fig tree, right? He was talking about the fig
-
tree. Why don't you just say to him, whoever
-
says to this fig tree, Right? And they dried
-
up from the root. And it will be dried up. He
-
says what? Whoever says to this mountain, first
-
he said to him, have faith in God. Praise the
-
Lord. Have faith in God. He reminded them of
-
the scriptures, right? That is called the faithfulness
-
of God. Have faith in God. Have faith in God.
-
Sorry. Have faith in God, have faith in the scriptures,
-
which means that yet again, Jesus opened them
-
again to the scriptures, right? Have faith in
-
God, he's saying to them to have faith in the
-
things that God has said. Verse 23. So we said
-
that he was talking about, he said, who's ever
-
said to this mountain, right? But it was Feek
-
3 that they were talking about. Praise the Lord.
-
It was Feek 3 that they were talking about. So
-
how comes the mountain comes here? Praise the
-
Lord. So they're just listening carefully and
-
see. So remember what this was about. Zechariah
Zechariah 6 chapter mention
-
chapter 6 verse... Zechariah chapter 4 verse
-
6. They were building the temple, right? Or they
-
were going to build the temple. And it says,
-
Zechariah was going to build the temple and he
-
said, and he answered and said to me, this is
-
the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, not by might,
-
not by power, but by my spirit. says the Lord
-
of hosts. Do you remember what they were going
-
to build? They were going to build what? The
-
house of the Lord. Right? And he says what? Not
-
by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says
-
the Lord. Now, verse 7. He said, Who are you,
-
O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you shall
-
become a plain, and he shall bring forth the
-
capstone with the shout of grace. Grace to it.
-
Verse 9. The hand of Zerubbabel hath laid the
-
foundation of this temple. His hand also shall
-
finish it. Then you shall know that the Lord
-
of hosts has sent me. Praise the Lord. So Jesus
-
is referring to Zechariah, that God will build
-
a temple. Praise the Lord. So when Jesus said
-
to them, when he was quoting this place, he's
-
saying to them that what? God is going to build
-
a temple. They were talking about the fig tree.
-
He was talking about what? That God is going
-
to build a temple. Who says to this mountain,
-
that whoever says to this mountain, move them
-
and be cast into the sea, right? It will be moved.
-
Praise the Lord. So, the mountain there, let
-
me start by saying, That there are a lot of times
-
in the scriptures where the Israelites or the
-
children of Israel were looked at or were regarded
-
as fig trees. Praise the Lord. They were regarded
-
as fig trees. Let's see some places. But let
-
me just read this before we look at that. So
-
the Old Testament and its practice, right, is
-
what he calls the mountain. Praise the Lord.
-
So be moved and be cast into the sea, right?
-
Sea refers to what happens in Exodus. and does
-
not doubt in his heart, but believe in the things
-
which he says, it will be done. He would have
-
whatever he says, right? And then, see why he
-
said that in the next verse, in chapter 20, in
-
verse 25, where in Mark 11, go back to Mark 11,
-
25. He says what? 25. And he says, whenever you
-
stand praying, and you have anything, and you
-
have anything against anyone, forgive him that
-
my Father in heaven may also forgive your trespass.
-
Right? He says what? That forgiveness, that forgiveness
-
for the people who God has forgiven. Praise the
-
Lord. So we see what is going on. So let's look
-
at the fifth three now. And then let's look at
-
verse 22. And he says what? You should have faith
-
in God. Right? That is have faith. in the scriptures.
-
Hosea chapter 9 verse 10. Let's look at why the
-
Israelites were regarded as fig trees. Hosea
-
9 verse 10. He said, I found Israel like grapes
-
in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as a fresh
-
fruit on the fig tree that is in its first season.
-
Praise the Lord. He says, Lord, I found Israel
-
like grapes in the wilderness and I saw your
-
fathers as fresh fruits on the fig in its first
-
season. So the nation of Israel were called fig
-
trees, right? Jeremiah chapter 24, if you study
Jeremiah 24 chapter mention
-
it, you also find out, right, more about it.
-
So they were looked at as bad figs, right? They
-
were regarded as bad figs. If you read the whole
-
of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 8, if you read Jeremiah
-
24, you see that. Jeremiah 8, 13. Jeremiah 8,
-
13. And I shall... And I will surely consume
-
them, says the Lord of hosts. No grape shall
-
be on the vine, no fig on the fig tree. Their
-
leaves shall fade, and the things I have given
-
them shall pass away from them. Micah 4 .4 Micah
-
4 .4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and
-
under his fig tree, and no one shall make them
-
afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has
-
spoken it. Verse 5 and 6. For the people walk
-
each in the name of his God, but will walk in
-
the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
-
Verse 6. In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble
-
the lame, and I will gather the outcasts and
-
those whom I have afflicted. Which means that
-
when Israel bears no fruit, The day will come,
-
right, when he will bring all the nations together.
-
So the fruitfulness of the fig tree is a sign
-
that every nation, right, is going to come together.
-
Praise the Lord. The fruitfulness of the fig
-
tree is a sign that every nation is coming together.
-
Jeremiah chapter 30 from verse 31 to 32. Jeremiah
Jeremiah 30 chapter mention
-
chapter 30 verse 31 verse 31. Jeremiah chapter
-
31 verse 31 verse 31. Behold, the day is coming,
-
says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant
-
with the house of Israel and with the house of
-
Judah. Verse 32. Not according to the covenant
-
that I made with their fathers. in the day that
-
I took them by hand to lead them out of the land
-
of Egypt, by covenant which they broke. Although
-
I was a husband to them, says the Lord, praise
-
the Lord, the new covenant. So he would dwell
-
with them and walk among them. Praise the Lord.
-
So let's follow the sequence of what we said
-
again. So Jesus was what? He was going to the
-
temple. He sees the fig tree, right? That means
-
that Israel has failed in his walk. Which walk?
-
to bring all nations to God. Israel is to bring
-
all nations to God, but he failed in that work.
-
So he's saying that what? The fifth three, no
-
man shall eat of it forever. No man will eat
-
of this disobedient anymore. No man will take
-
of it anymore. He goes to the temple and he does
-
the same thing. It is not going to be, this is
-
not going to happen anymore in this place. It
-
will not be a house of merchandise anymore. It
-
will be a house of prayer for all nations. Then
-
he comes back and then he sees the fig tree has
-
died in its root. And he says, more assuredly,
-
I say to you, I say to you, whosoever says to
-
this mountain, be removed and be cast into the
-
sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believe
-
that these things he says will be done. He will
-
have whatever he says. Verse 24. Then I say to
-
you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that
-
you receive it. and you would have it. Praise
-
the Lord. So, do not forget what we're saying,
-
that the house of prayers is a house of prayers
-
for all nations. So when, he again talks about
-
prayers afterwards. So he says, when you are
-
standing to pray in this house, forgive, which
-
means that it is a conversation about the temple.
-
God's house will be for all nations. Praise the
-
Lord. So, I'm going to finish up here now. So,
-
So whether it's the fig tree or the merchants
-
or the merchandise, the things that he did in
-
the temple, they were all talking about, or they
-
were all, he was all talking about what? God's
-
new covenant. The Jews and the Gentiles, right?
-
Who have received God's holiness. So what Jesus
-
was doing, right? Is what? Making God's holiness
-
available to all, whosoever, right? Therefore
-
means that whether you're a Jew or Gentile, right?
-
And also, by sending them out, by sending them
-
out in what we read in Matthew 28, by sending
-
them out to all nations, like God sent Israel,
-
He was telling them that His house will no longer
-
be a place. By sending us out today to all nations
-
is that we are having an outreach of holiness.
-
God wants to leave. Here. God wants to live there.
-
Praise the Lord. That's what it means. Right?
-
God wants to live here. God wants to live there.
-
Praise the Lord. Jesus has become a qualifier
-
and qualification for all men. It means that
-
the gospel, right, prequalifies every hearer.
-
Praise the Lord. The gospel prequalifies every
-
hearer. A man only disqualifies himself by unbelief.
-
Praise the Lord. Of the gospel. Right? So the
-
gospel, even though it's a post -resurrection
-
event, it's not a post -resurrection message.
-
Pastor Carson taught us this the last time we
-
met. So who does, who is qualifying, right? Or
-
who is qualified for God's house? Everyone. Who
-
is qualified for God's house? Everybody. Or where
-
is qualified for God's house? Everywhere. Who
-
is qualified for God's spirit? Right? Everyone
-
is qualified. for God's Spirit. Praise the Lord.
-
So when you see somebody who is a drunkard, when
-
you see somebody who does not know the Lord,
-
that is a potential house of the Lord. Praise
-
the Lord. When you see somebody who is doing
-
a lot of things, who is in unbelief, praise the
-
Lord. That is a potential of God's house. That
-
is a potential God's house. Praise the Lord.
-
So you don't say, ah, this person is bad, this
-
person is doing this. That is a potential. Or
-
that is a potential God's house that you have
-
there. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. So, you are
-
in God's house already. You are God's dwelling
-
place already. You are already the house of His
-
work. The Spirit of God is already in you and
-
for you. Right? He wants you, or He wants to
-
be amongst all men. Hallelujah. He wants to be
-
amongst all men. It is no longer a place. It
-
is a people. It's no longer a kind of people,
-
but all people, every nation, including tribes,
-
tongues, cultures, behavior, sociology, everyone,
-
right, has room for God. God has room for everyone.
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Praise the Lord. Let's just rise up on our feet
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and just pray. We appreciate you being here today.
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We hope you carry this word with you throughout
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your week. Don't forget to check the show notes
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for additional insights. stay connected with
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us through our website or follow us on social
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media if you are encouraged share this message
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with someone you care about until next time stay
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blessed