June 3rd, 2012
MP3 Audio
Youtube video
The One With True Authority (Mark11:15-19,27-33)
A. The house of prayer or a den of thieves
1) The serious sin of turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves (15-17)
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "`My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it `a den of robbers.' " (15-17)
And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 56:6,7)
2) Worldly authority is envious of true authority (18, 19)
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city. (18,19)
B. Living under true authority (27-33)
They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism--was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will ask, `Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, `From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." (27-33)
1) By what authority?
2) Following Jesus
Summary Faith is susceptible to corruption. This problem is not unique to Judaism. We must not let our church become a den of thieves--which is something that the church has been guilty of in its history. Every generation has been tempted by the kind of glory, status, and success that Jesus did not seek. We need to make sure that we remember whose authority we are under. If we are under Jesus' authority, we need to speak and walk as he did.
For Discussion
1) Why did Jesus do what he did in the temple?
2) What does it mean to you to follow Jesus?
A. The house of prayer or a den of thieves
1) The serious sin of turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves (15-17)
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "`My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have made it `a den of robbers.' " (15-17)
And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 56:6,7)
2) Worldly authority is envious of true authority (18, 19)
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city. (18,19)
B. Living under true authority (27-33)
They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?" Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism--was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!" They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will ask, `Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, `From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." (27-33)
1) By what authority?
2) Following Jesus
Summary Faith is susceptible to corruption. This problem is not unique to Judaism. We must not let our church become a den of thieves--which is something that the church has been guilty of in its history. Every generation has been tempted by the kind of glory, status, and success that Jesus did not seek. We need to make sure that we remember whose authority we are under. If we are under Jesus' authority, we need to speak and walk as he did.
For Discussion
1) Why did Jesus do what he did in the temple?
2) What does it mean to you to follow Jesus?