When Jesus Lowered the Boom, Part 2

How should we respond when someone commits an egregious offense reason you stand up against something that is going on.Folger or the other way is absolutely the wrong thing to do if you do not go to support those who do go if you do not speak up and stand alongside those Jesus did what was right even though it integrates the leaders yesterday on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll started his message with a personal question. He said can you remember the last time you got really angry for the right reason. It's an interesting question because we spend most of our energy trying to restrain the Bible teaches. There are times when anger is completely justified.

During the next half-hour will follow along as Chuck re-creates the scene in Matthew chapter 21 when Jesus flipped tables in the temple. What offense trigger Jesus unbridled anger titled today's message when Jesus lowered the boom worship is really a human response to a divine revelation. When we pray we are responding to our heavenly father, who was invited us to do so when we teach we are declaring is truth, for his glory so that people might understand, apply it, and live a better life.

When we pray we ask for the Lord to have his way in this situation, whatever it may be some you are facing some real challenges and you're absolutely at a loss to know what you should do.

That's when the best thing you can do is pray. Join me as we together, pray before this offering, which is also an act of worship. A few hours ago our father. There were parents who stood there were graduates who stood in front of us realize each family is has reached a milestone in their lives, and we're all grateful for that.

Thank you for seeing them through the challenges, the joys as well as the hardship, the tough times. Thank you for relationships to grow over time. For the love of a mother and father for a child in the same for young adults looking over their childhood years in teenage years loving and respecting their parents for all the going through together. Thank you father for your wonderful presence and blessing.

There are still unanswered questions we all have. Who knows what the future holds. Who knows if a dream has come from you or from oneself. Who knows what the outcome will be when another graduation occurs in a degree is earned in another phase of life begins. Who knows if we will even be here four years from now, without a thought in mind our father. We acknowledge that without you.

We are awash adrift. We are left to our own devices, and we been there enough to know that's often a dead-end street.

So guard us from going there remind us to lean on you to trust you and to give you what is before us, whatever that may be, and to rely on you when we cannot see what is around the corner of the future minister and a wonderful way today as you address subjects that are unusual to hear in the church. May we hear them they would not misunderstand. Maybe walk out of this place better people than we arrived and may you have your way in the way we carry on our lives for your purpose and glory of father I want to thank you for your forgiveness we all pass through this journey enough to enumerate the things we've done that have been wrong. They often haunt us when we come to a place of worship. We pray will be freed from that we remember that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and righteous to forgive us and to cleanse us. So as clean vessels, prepare our minds for the sowing of the seed and as we give of our gifts today remind us that they will in many ways go to places we will never go they will touch lives, we will never meet. They will ministering ways.

We will never hear about. And so we give confidently that you will use these gifts for those purposes. Bless those in a very special way to represent you in difficult places, some as missionaries, some as warriors, some as those working in secret and those who serve you in very dangerous, difficult circumstances minister through them to them and because of them to others. We give our gifts confidently in the name of Jesus and for his sake alone. We pray, everyone sent a you're listening to Insight for living. Study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck that he titled when Jesus lowered the boom. Jesus is walking into a large worship area called the court of the Gentiles. The temple was a vast bit of architecture temple includes this outer court which covers one of my resources says 35 acres acres of space. When worshipers came they would, unlike today with animals bringing our animals that would be sacrificed and the blood that would be poured out would be a part of the forgiveness process that God would honor over time.

All of this became corrupt and the leaders because of their greed and pride and unaccountability turn the whole thing into well a bazaar, for example, when you came as a visitor from another country to worship at the temple you could bring your animal, but the leaders at the temple would disqualify that animal for this simplest of reasons. The point is you have to buy one of theirs. And when you buy that animal you have to pay 10 times more than the animal would normally cost extortion you would come with money from the country where you were living in you now must exchange the money into the coin of the realm of Jerusalem.

They would charge you 25% surcharge for all the change in that money process is a classic case in point of corruption. What you have to understand is that those who were behind it were their robes a religion. They look so religious they were proud of their robes. All of it is an empty pretense.

They were studies in hypocrisy. In fact, the one who was behind it is a man named Annis a double NAS the whole courtyard seemed to be known as Annis bazaar.

It was a joke and what was meant originally to be acts of worship turned into well. This accretion when Jesus walks in on the scene and he lowered the boom and it was a side of him. They had not seen before.

Interestingly, Jesus does it all alone. You don't read a word about the disciples helping out to get involved in this matter.

After all, anise is a powerful man by the way.

He's one of the reasons Jesus was later arrested. He never forgot. It's is the Godfather of the religious establishment, and he despises Jesus tables are turned over doves or flying animals are rushing here and there, and while Jesus is doing all of this, verse 13. He's quoting verses and he doesn't remember he quotes from Isaiah and 56 in Jeremiah chapter 7, he says Scriptures declare my temple will be called a house of prayer and you have turned it into a den of thieves yells not at the worshipers would come, but at the leaders who were behind all of this corrupt activity but interesting as soon as the if you will please the place out. Of all of this corrupt activity.

But what happens verse 14 the blind, and they receive site. The lien come and they are healed and children come and they are shouting praise to God for the son of David, a messianic statement and the leaders watch all of this, and though the miracles were true and real and life-changing. And though the children's songs were innocent songs sung in praise.

The reaction of the leaders in the verse 15 look for yourself. They were in the word he has in mind if they were they were livid they were angry beyond words. Why for all the wrong reasons. That's an anger that surround anger he had done what is right, but because he messed up their religious playground and the income they had counted on for that day and he is expose the wrongness of their activities. They hated him for it with ideas of the presence of mind to say to these leaders who were staring him down and do do you do you hear what the children are saying.

Have you heard their words. They asked him that and then he says yes.

Haven't you read the Scriptures for they say, you have taught children and infants to give you praise right on Psalm 80 verse two that he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight before I go further. I really have to add something of a practical nature. We live in a corrupt world that nobody died and left one of us in charge of this corrupt world will never be able to clean it all up. We can't, we pray, we do what we feel we should be doing as we live our lives as good Christian people, but there were times when it is only right for you or me to step up and step out had a man say to me, following our first morning worship services E said just sort of riveted during the message I talk to him later on never seen him before but he said to me, I want to thank you for what you said I am right now and our home dealing with something that is an absolute mess.

He didn't tell me what it was but he said you you gave me encouragement without realizing because I need to be standing where I'm standing standing against what's going on around me, and if it continues, it will ruin our family what you think about that statement.

Each one of you says one thing to one of you and is something else altogether different to someone else but your great tendency because of whatever reason, the insecurity what people will say the boss may call you when you may look foolish or you may not have all the facts. Or it could get dangerous or whatever the reason, I want to encourage you at those times when you really should speak up to speak up because our forefathers did at certain times we are today free because David did the right time a giant was killed but is this uncircumcised Philistine mocking the armies of the living God and the women talk to him about what he thought about doing usually go slay the giant. He simply said, is there not a cause and we all centuries later admired this this this young shepherd who was selling in stone killed the giant because there was a reason for the reasons for you to stand up against something that is going on. That will stop in rather recent years some of had the courage to stand against human trafficking and because they have dangerous though it is. And believe me it is dangerous.

They have rescued.

Who knows how many young ladies from those who would ruin them, use them, and ruling. I'm so grateful for that kind of courage and when you do that I want to assure you it is the right kind of anger to fold your arms and to look the other way is absolutely the wrong thing to do if you do not go then support those who do go if you do not speak up and stand alongside those who will Jesus did what was right even though it is enraged the leaders, remember he's wanted in the city there were those disciples who said you were to go to Jerusalem, knowing that he was a marked man and here he is cleansing the temple got it Myron. These leaders were thinking of the money they lost the embarrassment they felt when he said to them, and do not even read the Scriptures. They who were so supposed to be such scriptural giants of the children are shouting praise.

Do you not realize they are the ones who were in the right and these men are indignant there so covered with their hypocrisy. They cannot see themselves as they really are corrupt to the core. So if the civil way to Bethany a little quiet village outside Jerusalem. By the way, before I go there, let me add that the reason it incenses them. So when the children use these messianic words because he wasn't the kind of Messiah they wanted, they were looking for one who would come with political power and and and with military might and with economic prosperity and overthrow role get the swine out of our lives and bring Israel back to its own rightful place with authority and power. We didn't come for that reason he came to die. They didn't get that fact didn't want that. That's not the kind of Messiah we anticipate he knew that, but he pressed on and now we wait we get to the little village and and this is the part that you have to really think to understand and I wrestle with it for hours. He gets up in the morning and is hungry see that in verse 18. Another characteristic of humanity.

God's never hungry, but as a man is hungry so is hunger kicks in and and as they are making their way to Joe Jerusalem, the disciples around him on their way. He comes to a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any fates obviously was going to eat some of them for nourishment and he saw that there were only leaves a pause here because what we just don't with has nothing to do with figs are leaves unless you see this figuratively.

Often Jesus's response in words and explanations have figurative things in mind and you have to realize that to understand them. He doesn't explain all of he saw only leaves you see this and then he said to the tree talks to the tree but you never bear fruit again immediately.

The fig tree withered up. What's that about what he do that. Frankly, I think there is a symbol here that we shouldn't miss it just been dealing yesterday with those who are only leaves result fruit in their lives with all the roles of religion. They love the leaves of hypocrisy cover their lives, they weren't interested in spiritual things they were interested in making a profit and lining their own pockets remaining in power carrying out their corrupt activities. All leaves, Jesus uses the tree as an example of that. I like the way one man puts it, listen to these words.

Good expositor says it this way, Jesus point regarding the fig tree. Was it Israel as a nation had an impressive pretense of religion represented by the leaves, but the fact that the nation Bordeaux spiritual fruit was positive proof that she was unredeemed. It and cut off from the life of the power of God. He goes on.

If you religion almost invariably has many outward trappings in the form of clerical garments, investments, ornate vessels involved rituals and other such physical accoutrements is also typically characterized by repetitious prayers cited by rote and offered at prescribed times suffer the meaningless repetitions of the Pharisees who Jesus said were actually praying to themselves. Having seen hypocrisy on parade the day before. He uses the fig tree as an example so they might take the disciples not sure they got. In fact, they said to him, as they were amazed out of the fig tree with her so quickly he doesn't really answer the question I kept looking for that answer, but it's not here because that's the wrong question. The question is why would you cause it to whether what was it about this because you don't respond like that, not how could it wither the obvious answer the how is it he's God we can do anything. Matthew 21 contains a sequence of stores that attract her attention. A skirmish in the temple Jesus healing the sick, and even a strange encounter with the fig tree, listening to Insight for living, Chuck titled today's message when Jesus lowered the boom and to learn more about the resources we have available for today's topic, please visit us online@insightworld.org over and over in Scripture we see that our God is just, he's fair and he's compassionate and yet nothing stirs his wrath quite like injustice while in light of these issues today were pleased to point you toward a book trucks recommending is written by a fellow pastor who has keen insight on cultural issues of our time voting Baucom has written a thought-provoking book titled faultlines that helps Christians understand the nuances of the social justice movement like a fault line. These matters threaten to divide us. Whether you're a layperson is trying to engage in grace filled conversations on race or pastor who wants to address these important topics with the compassion of Jesus you want to read faultlines. You can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/let me add that when you give a donation to Insight for living your gift is channeled directly toward reaching other people trucks Bible teaching so they can benefit from life lessons just as you have in your gifts are truly making a difference to your fellow listeners like this, said the study of Matthew is fantastic and another said I've been going through a difficult time and I find myself strengthened as I listen bless you for making this ministry available. These moments are sponsored by all those and to contribute right now. Call us if you're listening in the United States: 800-772-8888 or give online@insight.org again that Insight.org you're the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll on Insight for living. The preceding message when Jesus lowered the boom was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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