The Dissatisfaction of Christ (Part B)

Moved out of the tavern a little further way to lose outside interfaces. What is this reluctance of God is God sitting on this is not what I had in mind. The backslider knows about that the backslider knows God's is not what I want. I don't want you sliding backwards. I want you moving forward or at least standing your ground. Many backsliders come back to Christ. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Now here's Pastor Rick in Hosea chapter 14 he will begin there and then continue with Mark.

This is part two of his study called the dissatisfaction of Christ. Hosea chapter 14 verse four. I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely for my anger has turned away from him.

God had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the Jews through the prophet Hosea in their day and now he's Hosea sing, but the day is going to come. He continues I will be like the do to Israel. He shall grow like a lily and lengthen his roots in Lebanon is Branson shall spread his beauty shall be like an olive tree fragrance like Lebanon fragrance that Paul talked about in Corinthians to the unbeliever with the fragrance of death.

We wow messages that is unless they repent they are doomed in their sins. And then of course the fig tree the fruitless fig tree, which symbolizes Israel to this very day the Christ rejecting nation and the Jewish nation was formed to bear fruit unto God in the lives of people.

It was supposed to be a spiritual attraction to the Gentile alike to the world.

That is what the prophets said God speaking through them just like the chart. The church is assumed. This duty now, but they could not recognize there was Messiah walking and working amongst them, why not because they were to something else to everything else. Bottom line, to sinful to be interested in being faithful they had reduced faithfulness to tradition, because on the outside, you can get away with it. You can have your ritual bucket. You can have all the communion you want your heart be wrong. You cannot have communion in your heart. Be right brothers and sisters in countries with a can even assemble in church because of the persecution on them. Some of them have never had communion yet their hearts are right with God.

These are the things that God looks at the heart, not the outside wall, the heart should produce evidence of what's on the outside.

That's why God looks at the heart as he knows the heart is right is going to be coming evidence is that going to be leaves, and fruit together verse 15 so they came to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of money changers and the seats of those who sold dogs. I would love to have got the video on that one again. He surveyed verse 11 of this chapter he came in he looked around at all things at the start of his ministry. Early in his ministry.

He did this he cleansed the temple and now at the end of his misery because he survived a week he's doing it again like occasioning the first time in case you missed this lesson.

John's gospel chapter 2 when he had made a whip of cords pause that when you get stuff to make the web the hardware stores right we know they had rock piles everywhere. Well the cords that they used to bind the animals around the temple he take three of them or so and just brayed himself away from. He was a builder by trade. He came up in the house of Joseph, the builder he had skills.

In fact, his creative University to snap his finger and had one, but he does it very deliberately so everybody can see it new. John never forgot it I remember is your find on the minute. Don't be on the wrong side of this John. He continues in John's Gospel. He drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money and overturned the tables that I was early in his ministry, Lord, may you never come to this church and have to bring a chord with you to whip to drive out to overturned tables. May you just always build be very comfortable here and find us in total submission to your rule over our lives.

Church is a big thing not to Chris. Some Christians but to hell.

It's a very big thing is we spend so much time trying to corrupt Christians often times worse than worldly things because they are a higher value target. That's why world is on self-destruct.

You are not your flesh will of course be ready to destroy you but this is why Satan targets believers. This is why churches are problematic and this is what takes away excuses from those who flee. We are not supposed to be shot in the back running away from the battlefield.

We are supposed to be shot in the front, charging the battlefield sounds very glorious right right enough of that is both Lord of the harvest and he is Lord of the house is Lord of all.

Over all, or not at all, and if he is not laudable, then you going to find that he is Lord of all, every knee shall bow every time.

I love talking about Jesus.

I love talking about his Majesty. I hate it when I mess up. I like it more when you mess up and not me this true God who wants to measure what we want to serve it will fall at his feet willing to lay hold of you like Mary Magdalene when it is all Rathbone I love the Lord and I know you do to Psalm 18 in my distress I called upon Yahweh cried out to my God, he heard my voice from his temple. My cry came before him even to his ears. There it is his temple. That's where he is right now. He's going to disown them and is going to bring that out the moment, but this was very deliberate in the early days when he first did it. It is very deliberate.

Now it says here in verse 15, he began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple from rootlessness to corruption goes from a fruitless tree to corrupting churchgoers and other was no church but to make it in Max. Our day. The day we live in. To make it relevant to us.

These were churchgoers. Later, he defies the corrupted pastors shepherds of the people it says here in verse 15 and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold gulfs while they were selling God for sacrifice, and they were being sold to the poor. The poor in the God's word Lord said you can't offer up a sheep or oxen. I'll take Gerald up there everywhere you can you can set a trap for them and catch them but here they were selling them because at a ripoff rate your doves not good enough you've got to buy but I important that have this vintage everyone they didn't do enough of the people, but the money changers, the monetary exchange made necessary and corrupted by Caiaphas and his father-in-law Annis who were the high priests they were getting a cut from this racket.

They demanded that Tyree and Steckel tire would because the Roman money that only 84% silver.

But this Tyree and Sacco had 94% or more of silver and it was worth more. So you couldn't bring cheap stuff wasn't even the Jewish Shekel. You had to bring the good stuff to the temple because they could do more with it so you be getting a loss when you make this conversion.

If you brought money without the umpire come all the way from you know some places Syria. I don't have tie Renee and Shekel will you have to get one at the exchange.

Okay, why doesn't the be at the temple.

Why does it have to be run by the priestly desk. The racket same with the dogs and the sheep.

Why can I go elsewhere and bring one why why don't I can't love one all the way from Spain. Maybe I can pick up one in Galilee know you have to get it here. They had a monopoly Jesus all they weren't serving the people they were serving themselves, and this angered him.

He was hot, make no mistake when he guards the happy puts the table. He stands there is ready for you will like it fired the dissatisfaction of Christ.

They serve themselves Psalms 10. The psalmist says the wicked is in his proud continents does not seek God because you need him in his head. He says this God is in none of his thoughts. You think the true God was in the thoughts of those people while they were ripping off the poor. The rich the middle-class whoever came course, not their heads were elsewhere. His dictionaries, one of the dictionaries, definitions of racket and illegal or dishonest moneymaking scheme involving activities such as bribery, fraud, or intimidation, you can add to that monopoly.

They were the only show in town and and and God is just saying to the church.

I hate this kind of stuff and I'm going to show you I tell you, Yorty know, but evidently that's not enough for some people, someone illustrated I'm going to act it out so if one wanted to draw the wrath of this monopoly.

This priesthood, this cartel of priest all they had to do is what he's doing step onto the temple grounds and define their racket.

Take money out of their pockets.

They license and they controlled it orchestrated. They maintain this racket and he is going to provoke them on purpose. He's going to say what you going to kill me and they are they just going to get up.

Spoil the whole thing for them. Maybe wasted on them but not wasted on others. They center this monopoly at God's house in the New Testament, the stuff still going on, so much so Paul has to tell Timothy Bielby watch out for the stuff in the church. First Timothy six verse five men of corrupt minds, and destitute of truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain from such withdraw yourself is that you you think the prosperity teachers would read that verse and don't know what it may be too greedy to read and agreed to see what the meaning is of the spirit. Okay, that little bit over the top because I got some more. I could hit a little harder. I think it is shameful but you know why did they survive because not only of the greedy and the pulpit degree in the pew. That's why takes two to tango and the people said when I can come in type of this church they go out of business, but they do go to those churches because they think they tied the going to put a seed offering. Anna gets a little baby cash from it.

Well, to each their own, said the lady as she kissed the cow, remembering that way is so my mom made my mom used to say that the relative easy on the legal would kiss a cow whelmed. I'm sure you anyway okay verse 16.

The my mother, not me.

Okay layoff Targum for 16 and he would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. He stood guard. He flips the table you can see them scaring the pick up the money.

Scary to get the birds back in the cage is scurrying to get the lab not as a madhouse. There nobody can stop him.

Welcome to temple authorities didn't come in a deal with him because it's a miracle that's why both times when he deals business out of the temple, it was you, and I couldn't do it and survive. He did twice so their view of the temple had plunged out of the side of godliness became this, this monstrosity no longer holiness to the Lord July priest was pulled the hand that is a matter on his hat holiness to the Lord. When you saw him he was supposed to be impressed by a man that was able to talk to God and places you could not those days are gone instead of holiness to the Lord was profit profane personal gain. Ecclesiastes 51, which was in existence at this time walk prudently when you go to the house of God and drawing near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil that they fulfill. Want to know the Bible talks about fools in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes talk about people who have the aptitude they just opt out well. Again, not a political protest.

This was a spiritual counterattack was a spiritual cleansing.

They were wrong. Not him. He is not wrong. He is not the villain. Again, some five but as for me, I will come into your house in the multitude of your mercy in fear of you. I will worship toward your holy temple that reverence was not present on the highest levels of their religion, their high priest and the deputy high priest those two men will have a big say-so in murdering their own Messiah. Verse 17 then he taught, saying to them, is it not written, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations but you have made it a den of thieves. This is a composite quotation from Isaiah chapter 56 in Jeremiah 7 and he is saying this is the scriptural basis for my behavior. I'm this is not just. They could've just said you know why I make of it it right here right now, but he doesn't do that. He says this is scriptural probably could've said, why haven't one of you done this earlier. Well, that action profits have worded that aware is the man to stand up that would take too much time to go into so he he wants them to understand that there's a connection between all his behavior and all the Scripture said, Luke 2138 says that they got there early in the morning then early in the morning. All the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

I'm connecting that with verse 17 and that he is teaching the people because they wanted to hear. They had an appetite for God's word. They could sit and listen to God's word. Taught by God's man. Many of them did not know the ins and outs of who he was.

His birth in Bethlehem, things like that, like we do. They were just listening to his teachings and aware of his miracles and he had their undivided attention. My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. At the beginning of his ministry. He called the temple of God, my father's house in John 216.

Would he flip the tables over the first time. This is my father's house here at the end of his ministry when he still says my house but not my father's house. It's my house. She was happening here is departing is withdrawing from such people withdraw yourselves, then finally to the corrupt leaders of Israel. He says your house is left to you desolate your house that's not strict chronology, but that is still the movement of his language.

Where else is this kind of behavior show up in Ezekiel Ezekiel saw the Shekinah of God leave the Temple of Solomon in stages moved out of the tabernacle moved a little further away across the valley until it was out of sight in phases. What is that is the reluctance of God is God thing I want to do this is not what I had in mind. The backslider knows about that the backslider knows God's is not what I want.

I don't want you sliding backwards. I want you moving forward or at least standing your ground. Many backsliders come back to Christ. He says what you have made it a den of thieves. What a corruption this is something that should never have happened is sent matters over the top with Christ. So when he is standing guard again. That's a righteous indignation. He is hot. If you were to walk up at that moment you will not walk up to him at that moment and asking change for a dollar or you will and estimated use of this man is not to be approached right now because again he was hot. It was a righteous and he would not in the flesh, not at all totally in the spirit. When fire and brimstone begin rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. God was no pun intended.

It was hot anger.

It was not casual. It was not something that you could see that smoke from miles away.

You knew that there was something big taking place and it was the judgment of God the disciples as to churchgoers. To this day wondered if it was wise for him to be provocative. Jenny, a provoked establishment pastor. Should you have said that they had dealt with this before Jesus knew it was unwise to provoke God so he didn't care what he did care did not care enough to suppress the righteous indignation that he was going out with at this critical moment, and if we look at these passages carefully. It has an impact on us. Verse 18 vendors and the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him because all the people were astonished at his teaching you that they were astonished at his teaching to you what you know about teaching you wouldn't teach God's word you preoccupied with your greed and your your smokescreen traditions he publicly disapproved and defied the apostate authorities and their word about Rome, how we gonna deal with this public figure and not bring the ire of Rome down on us. This is because all the people were astonished at his teaching, what about us what you belong to Christ for a long time. You've heard teachings on almost every book of the Bible, if not all of them are you still astonished at his teaching through his anointed, or not, one of the protections of pastors get is he doesn't have to be the smartest person in the church. He just has to be the anointed one in the pulpit and that we are supposed to love verse 18 and describe the chief priest heard it and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him because all the people were astonished at his teaching. Verse 19 when evening had come. He went out of the city. Nothing more to do for that day. But he's coming back.

Verse 20 now in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. It's now Tuesday and the tree could not exist. Life could not exist without his maintained blessing and he is the true creator and the sustainer he is not a deadbeat dad who creates children and walks away from them having no good influence them on them whatsoever. God created the universe and he maintains the universe he he upholds the universe.

Colossians 1 verse 17 and he is before all things and in him all things consist. They are held together.

The atoms could he could just let him explode.

You know what would happen that Hebrews chapter 1 verse three who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. Again, the deity of Christ. I don't know if you can say that about no other no created being can have that set about them and not be laughed at to the base who being the brightness of his glory.

The express image of his person upholding all things by the word of his power then connected to his death for us on the cross, but he upholds it. What this big tree stopped upholding and it died verse 21 Peter remembering said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered away. They go by the next day they catch a glimpse of this dead thing that was once just the foliage on it was just robust, inverted, and now this thing is dead trees on bio you country down in the spring and next spring. If the stump is left. They can still sprout this to do but turn green. Still sapping his life steamrolled what was part of life.

They don't died overnight. I don't care what you poor on it.

Adam bomb important just blow it up but it wouldn't well never mind so that I know about physics, they don't died overnight. It is a miracle judgment.

In fact, in Matthew 21 Matthew says the disciples said it's dead so soon as Matthew 21 verse 20.

So when he cursed the tree it was not wasted on these men. They heard him say they probably just dismissed it, but they never forgot it once they saw that tree dad in the Hebrew people had become God's greatest hindrance instead of God's greatest help hello may never be the church make this church may no church that loves the Lord ever move from being a help to God, to becoming a hindrance to God.

There is such a thing as wrath of the Lamb and no one can withstand it. One pastor long ago said if we fail to answer the ministry of his love. We must be blasted by the Ministry of his judgment is coming over what powerful common that is, the tree was simple. The nation was what was on his mind and his eyes on his hard verse 22 so Jesus answered and said to them, have faith in God move thanks for tuning into cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time. As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Reiki on cross reference radio