What Angers and Saddens God | Living God's Way

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This rock that are your driving games or watching the interview, warranting soliciting or watching the soldiers. My question for you. Are you a bridge or a barrier.

People want to come the way we live our lives today. Pastor Greg Laurie wants to know is it helping bring people to the Lord. Every believer is a good one about we start through but if we're so that unbelievers wonder of Christianity wonder if it makes any of someone's life. We got a disservice to the body of Christ himself today and a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie helps us with the way God wants is a message from the Gospel of John is titled anchors. Anger is generally perceived as something that is in many cases it is, but there are times when it's actually good to be angry you might be surprised to know that Jesus himself was angry to see that in the story before us and that brings up the question what makes God angry. Not only will we see what makes God angry will see what makes God sad John chapter 12 start universal. The next day the news that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem swept the city a large crowd of Passover visitor took palm branches out went down the road to meet them and they shouted praise God blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord paled of the king of Israel. Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it fulfilling the prophecy that said don't be afraid people of Jerusalem look your King is coming riding on a donkey's coal.

His disciples didn't understand at the time this was a fulfillment of prophecy, but after Jesus entered his glory. They remembered what happened and realize these things have been written about him. Many in the crowd. He had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead and they were telling others about it. This was the reason somebody went out to meet them because they heard about that miraculous sign, then the Pharisees verse 19 said to each other.

There's nothing we can do look everyone's gone after so disciples they're stoked they're excited thinking. Finally, everybody is saying how wonderful Jesus is.

We known it all along but now everyone's becoming a part of this night crying out hosanna and no, Jesus does something very unusual.

He comes in he stops it.

He begins to weep. Why was he weeping what we can only guess but maybe it's because his ministry was almost over time was short and yet by large he had been rejected, he healed their sick.

He fed the hungry he raise their dad became the greatest messages ever heard in all of human history deeper gave their sins and now he is left mostly alone and rejected. He knew the one of his own would soon betray him Judas he knew. Another would deny him. Peter he knew Caiaphas and Pilate would conspire against him, and he knew that many of these people crying hosanna would soon be crying crucify him let his blood be upon us and upon our children. Not only that he knew their future and it wasn't pretty.

Now Jesus enters into the temple.

That's not your job well, but it's in the other Gospels. He goes into the temple. He walks around he assesses the situation checked it out and he believes so this is preparing us for the moment when he is about to do something quite dramatic.

Mark picks up the narrative. It says and Jesus arrived back in Jerusalem. Mark 11 the end of the double began to drive up the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers in the stalls of those selling God. So let's put it all together here comes Jesus riding in Jerusalem on the back of the donkey fulfilling prophecy. He stops and looks at the city and he weeps over it. Knowing what their future is knowing that these people were going to turn against them. Now he walks into the temple, and he drives the money changers out. He turns her tables over, by the way, it's a violent act to overturn a table to get someone's attention. Turn the table over why did he drive the moneychangers out of the temple because basically you have the Jewish Temple.

First, it was a tabernacle or attempt later to become a building built by King Solomon rebuilt later by King Herod so you have the outer court of the Gentiles in the temple now is you getting closer. There is a special area called the holy of holies and that is where the high priest would walk in once a year to offer a sacrifice of the sins of the people inside of the holy of holies in the original temple with the ark of the covenant, and inside of the ark of the covenant was that Aaron's rod that brought it in a jar of manna right raising so that's the tables on this outer court. The court of the Gentiles, that would be the non-Jews. This is for these guys set up their tables and goals.

So what of the cell and a few souvenirs ogres that they were doing before coming in with their animals. The sacrifice in these men out there, said excuse me only see that animal all that animals plod you can't bring that animal in but he were having to close a deal on special approved glands that you can buy the jack up the price and rip the people off so the people being taken advantage of and instead of praying for the people they were praying on the people. So Jesus walks in, and this angers him. Why, because God welcomes all people into his house. Even though the Jews are God's covenant people. Even though the Jews are God's chosen people. It is also true that God desires a relationship with all people, and even at this point. Historically, before the death of Christ that opens the door to all of humanity are to approach God. I even at this point God welcomed in the Gentiles are the non-Jews like Isaiah 56 says God we can all blessed Gentiles and commit themselves of the Lord and serve him and love his name, and worship him. Well, except their burnt offerings and sacrifices because my temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. And that's what Jesus would think you've taken my father's house, which is a house of prayer and you've turned it into a den of thieves. So we drove the people. It made him angry civil.

That's interesting, but what does that have to do with us today can happen in the church to know. Maybe a nonbeliever comes to one of our services for the first time. Maybe they look a little different than the rest of us. They don't have a harvest T-shirt. In fact there T-shirt says something very inappropriate for church and it never even occurred to them that was inappropriate.

They do put on their favorite T-shirt and came in. Or maybe there they appear a certain way or they're not dressed in a way that you think they should be dressed as an believer or whoever they are, and why are those people here in the church. I don't want my children seeing that and I don't want them to be affected by the way, we will not let's understand what the church is okay.

The church is a place for us to worship God. We agree. That's what we've done.

A church is a place for us to hear the word of God right a church is a place for us to discover, develop and use our spiritual gifts right a church is a place for us to build friendships and relationships. It's all that and more that the church is that not all the churches for as I've often said the church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for Saints so good church. Let me read stated this church hopefully will always be a place where people can meet God. I don't know why that is but in a lot of churches. Imitations are never extended for people to come to Christ. I think they miss out on a blessing and I think it really other people want to come to Christ, we see that all the time no matter what were talking about her. What's happening in our service we see people coming to Jesus out to be a hospital or how stupid would it be if you went to the hospital because you just broke your arm and they said you can't come in the hospital. What is your arm is broken.

Excuse me. This is not a hospital. Yes it is. That's why I'm here in the hospital because my arm is broken and I need help.

We don't really want people with broken arms.

Here we only want people that are perfect out there. So go I know how absurd would that be, well, that's the same way if it's in a church. We are not dressed appropriately or wait a second. Are you in some kind of a sin, you can't come in here no let's get the cart before the horse. Let's get him in here give them the gospel and their lifestyle will change after they come to Christ they need to be welcomed to Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message just a moment, you know, there's nothing like hearing the word of God worshiping the Lord together.

I will encourage you to join us for something we call Harvest at Home every Saturday and Sunday harvest.or you join Christians literally from around the world as we worship and we study the word of God together.

So join us for Harvest at Home and harvest over talking about how to be a welcoming influence for those who are interested in Christianity. Pastor Greg continues his message now called what angers and saddens God know this one a nonbeliever comes in the church there taken it all in the first time you came to church but I remember so clearly I first went to a church because I was not raised in the church so I had no point of reference.

When I walked in I was like what is going on here is what you know this is in the early days of the Jesus movement over at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa Pl. was filled with people and and so funny because back in those days, after a song was sung.

No one would ever apply, they would all just point up like that point up is called a one-way sign this point up some work in the church and a song was playing on get really popular when just points up on looking up liquids widely. The review there is and I give the glory to God, just interesting opening of that time there were other things that never seen before an internal check and the solid was going on in this place.

But I'll tell you this much I loved what I saw and what I look around I would see an older person next to a younger person next to a person of a different race next to a person that was different than that and I look for that while these are all kinds of people. There's not just people that look like me because you know back in high school. We want to hang around with the cool kids try. We want to be with people that look like us and we look like them.

In all of this to them in this place of diversity. I'm saying this is powerful and I'm watching people participate and then when the music And the worship took place and the pastor spoke. I listen and so when someone comes into our church there. Check it all out. Not just use up your speaking or what worship is happening there checking you out there probably watching you to wonder if you remain interested in this or looking at you got your phone out you let you act like you're using your Bible aperture really plain you know Mario brothers or something. I know what you're doing.

Hopefully your listening or taking notes or whatever, but if you're distracted or you're not engaged there watching that and if you are engage in listening or watching that to.

So here's my question for you. Are you a bridge or a barrier for people that want to come to Christ because it comes out of this every believer as a witness. You either a good one, or about one now in closing, here's an interesting twist on the story. This is the second time the temple was cleansed. The first time Jesus cleansed the temple. He used a wet that's one of my favorite Jesus stories Jesus with a with Dante that tenant did not write the theme song of Indiana Jones. He unaware why he wanted to drive these people out. He made the whip himself so he thought about it carefully. This is not a temper tantrum. He drove all this money changers before now. A little time. As elapsed in the temple is clean and there's no money changers lap and then one guy comes and sets up a stable, then the second guy shows up. Now the third guy shows up now there's open to tables with more their crummy ripoff sacrifices again.

The whole routine is started over Jesus as time to do a little spring cleaning here again is in the true of our lives as well.

You know, we first come to Christ in God changes us. Maybe you are an alcoholic and you're free from the power of booze. Maybe you are a drug addict and you're freed from the power of drugs. Maybe you were in the porn and you are free from that power. Some other sin that you were a slave to your just filled with profanity cussing all the time and you stop that you change the way you spoke, you change the way that you live, you became a different person with a little time passes and you know little compromises are some of those old vices are coming back and next thing you know some of those old vices have a foothold in your life before you know it. Some of those biases are getting a control of you and then much bigger shock you end up in worse shape than you were when you came to Christ the first time the nursing.

How did this happen, it happened a little bit of the time that this a little bit and that's the way the temple got filled with all of these people again. So Jesus had to drive the people out every now and then we need a little housecleaning.

That's why the Lord taught us to pray in the Lord's prayer our father who art in heaven how it would be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. Christ taught us to pray on a regular basis to ask the father to forgive us of our sin because I hope this is the news do you use in every day is a night in sin. Today you just send right there saying that because you're so proud he didn't see it all you send today I send today will send today we constantly ask the Lord to forgive us, so there's two ways to clean your life up the grade way in the Kathy way my wife is In case you don't know. Here's a great way of cleaning. It's not a good way. By the way, the great way is let messes build for long periods of time. If there's clutter on the desk and you don't know what to do open up a drawer and throw everything in their no rhyme or reason that there's something on the floor hope the dog will get it. Even if you don't have a dog. Hope some dog will get it's never do today.

Would you go and put off till tomorrow so I didn't messes building up here and there, that's a great way of cleaning. Here's the Kathy way of cleaning always be tidying things up when you make a meal shall make food and she's cleaning up a good thing. She cooked and before shall eat the meal. She's cleaning sleeping all the time putting things away. Organizing the drawers people can find me for two days because she made the bed with me in it tonight knowing new well that's a Kathy way so you can do at the Greg where the Kathy way. I suggest you do the Kathy way, don't put it off till way to the big mess that's all we constantly come and say Lord cleansed me today. Just forgive me of my sin known and unknown, you can kinda let it build one thing becomes another thing in your life is sort of a tangled mess and using all God, what about Don yet even then he'll cleanse you with isn't it better to live constantly being cleansed by God, so let me say in closing, there might be some of you here tonight that have never asked Jesus to come in your life.

II asked you if your visitor maybe you were brought by a friend in your candid check in this thing now. One of these people into what they do what they do that while, but maybe you've heard God speak to you and I just want to remind you, Jesus was coming into Jerusalem to go to a cross and died for the sin of the world he was coming to die for your sin and for my because were all separated from God by our sin, but God loved us so much he sent his only son to die in Our Pl. in Jesus willingly came and died there in the cross and rose again from the dead and now he can forgive you.

Are you under the power of some sin right now that you've tried to break into been unsuccessful. If you want to really change your life and you've tried but you can while you can't do it yourself. But God can do it for you, but you have to call out to him and say Lord help me to forgive you of all of your sin tonight and you can walk out of here a new person on the inside. The Bible says if any man be in Christ is an altogether different kind of person the old things have passed away and behold, everything becomes fresh and new, everything can become fresh and new for you tonight as God removes the barrier that separates you from him called sin. But what you need to do say to God you're sorry for your sin and churn from that sin and then invite Christ into your life and he will come in and forgive you and then you can know from this moment on, that you will go to heaven when you die, but only that you can find the meaning and purpose of life in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If you've not done that yet. I'm in a closing prayer and extend an invitation for you to believe in Jesus.

If you need to do that.

Respond now, as we pray let's hold our heads. Father, thank you for loving us so much. You sent Jesus Christ, your son to die in our place. Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and making the great sacrifice now. I pray for any that have joined us who don't know you yet.

Lord, help them see their need for you and help them become in Jesus name I pray Lord important prayer to close today's study time you're on a new beginning. And if you like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord today. Pastor Greg will help you with that in just a moment.

So please stay tuned and believers want to be praying for those making that decision today and then just a word of thanks to you. If you partnered with us of these daily studies can continue it's only because of listener support that these programs reach out like they do, you're making a difference in people's lives through your generosity and passionate. We really appreciate that partnership away. Yeah, that's right. I know that some of you can't get that much.

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Yeah, that's right. And we want to thank you tangibly was an important new resource. It's a book called don't give the enemy a seat at your table written by Pastor Louis Giglio. He points out where in the battle for the control of our minds and our enemy is trying to push a narrative that will lead to defeat the subtitle is it's time to win the battle of your mind and will send you this book to thank you for your investment and today is our last opportunity to mention this, so get in touch right away. You can make a donation online@harvest.org or call us anytime around the clock at 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 Pastor Greg you spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord.

Someone can enter into that kind of relationship with the Lord.

Right now Kathy yeah they really can.

That's the amazing thing.

I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months.

It doesn't take weeks.

It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness. A prayer where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life. If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I churn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God in friend thank you for loving me and calling me ever giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen man listen. If you have just prayed those words with pastor Greg. The Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible says Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and would like to send you some materials to help you begin to live this new life we call that are new believers growth packet just asked for and will send it to your free of any charge if you prayed for the first time today with pastor Greg, just give us a call anytime at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org flextime pastor Greg continues his series called life from the Gospel of John and answers one of the most pressing questions asked by believers and nonbelievers. Why does God allow suffering.

Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie and everybody thinks her list to beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner. Just go to harvest.org