“From Marketplace to Sacred Space: Restoring Reverence”

 The Book of Mark

Encountering The Miracles and Mission of Jesus Christ

Good morning Eastern Shore Baptist Church. What a delight it is to be here with you this morning. I am overjoyed to be worshipping with all of you this morning. If you are visiting with us, I want to let you know that we are enjoying a series entitled “The Book of Mark: Encountering The Miracles and Mission of Jesus Christ”. Today, we are looking at a familiar story in Scripture. We are looking at a story that portrays Jesus in a very unique and unusual way. Most of us, when we think of Jesus, see Him as meek. We imagine Him as a quiet figure. We imagine Him as a gentle man, possessing a light touch. A man who loved children. A man with a soft stare. You probably picture Him as He has been portrayed in the movies like “Jesus of Nazareth”: you see Him as thin, face sunken in, a sad expression on His face, solemn. 

Interestingly enough, the Jesus of the Bible is much different than those Hollywood portrayals. The Jesus of the Bible would have been a strong man. He would have been healthy. A man of trade. Jesus was a carpenter, a mason, a man who worked with His hands. Jesus would not have been wafer thin. Hardly. Jesus would have been in tremendous shape as He walked everywhere He went. Jesus was able to endure long periods of time without food, without water, and without care. Jesus endured the brutal torture of the cross longer than most men and that was after He had been beaten and pulled toward complete bodily exhaustion before the hours on the cross. Jesus was winsome and attractive. People were drawn towards Him. People who had lives and careers were known to drop everything that they were doing to walk at His side and learn from His teachings. Jesus was funny. He often used humor in His stories and jokes in His parables. One of my favorite all time portrayals of Jesus is a painting entitled “Jesus’ Smile”. When I imagine Jesus this is what I see. A man of joy, filled with love, able bodied, and man of amazing endurance, and the Lord of compassion. 

I don’t know how you think of Jesus, what image pops into your head, but this morning’s story is going to present Him in a manner that is rarely ever discussed. Today we are reading from Mark 11:15-19. It is the story of Jesus clearing the temple of the money changers and business men. Jesus displays unusual zeal for the power and purity of His Father’s Holy Temple. He displays a righteous anger that many, if not most of us, forget that He possesses. Jesus shouts. Jesus not only flips the tables of those who have turned the temple in an ancient version of Times Square, He also beats those who were trying to make a quick buck on the back of God’s worship. He holds nothing back. In my imagination I can see men trying to hold Him back only for Him to throw them off like rag dolls. I can hear their shouts of condemnation, demanding Him to quiet down and stop making such a scene. Their demands fall deaf on His ears. Can you see it? Goats, birds, calves, all running and bleating out the door of the temple. Pigeons flying out the doors by the hundreds and thousands. Men and women running out with whip marks on their heads, strapped across their faces. 

Friends, this is the Jesus of the Bible. Not some weak whip. No sir. Jesus is strong. Capable. Not to be trifled with. 

Today’s message is entitled “From Marketplace to Sacred Space: Restoring Reverence”. That’s what Jesus did! He turned that temple from a marketplace where men were making money into a sacred space where true worship could blossom. 

Today’s Message:

“From Marketplace to Sacred Space: Restoring Reverence”

I wonder what God would think of the state of modern day churches. I wonder what He would think of the state of the church in America. Would He be pleased? Would God think that the world has infected His bride? I see pastors that are marvelous motivational speakers but they are terrible Gospel communicators. I see churches that do a great job of filling their stadium seating but are they building true disciples? When you peer into the Scriptures, what you see is a church in trouble. A church in turmoil. Trust me friends, if it were left up to God and only God, the church would be an exact representation of His Truth, His glory, and His mission. Sadly, it’s not just up to God, He involves humans and when humans get involved, trouble starts. Just look at John’s Revelation. When you read Revelation, you are introduced to 7 churches. Each church has a strength, things that they do well, but sadly all 7 have massive problems. 

Ephesus was missing love.

Smyrna was continually under physical pressure, attack and persecution. 

Pergamum was tolerant. They dabbled in idolatry, sexual sin, and pagan worship.

Thyatira struggled with doctrinal issues. Bad theology. 

Sardis was spiritually dead. 

Laodicia was lukewarm. Serving no purpose. Neither hot. Neither cold. 

Let me tell you a secret that I have discovered in my 25 years of ministry service. If you attend a big church, that doesn’t mean that God is blessing your church. If you attend a small church, that doesn’t mean that your church is more holy. I have seen big churches on fire for God, doing amazing ministry, united in their love for Christ. I have seen small churches ministering in their community with zeal and faith. I’ve seen big and small churches faithful preaching the Word of God. Likewise, I have seen big churches cover up sexual abuse scandals hoping to protect their pastor. I have seen small churches carelessly spend the tithes of their members on foolish projects. What ultimately matters when it comes to your church is not size but the level of sanctification. It is not the depth of their departmental spending rather it is their commitment to the Great Commission and making disciples. 

Today’s Thought:

God’s Church…Pure, Prayerful, and a Place For Praise!

Do me a favor this morning. Fill in the blanks under today’s thought. God’s Church should be a place of purity, a prayer place, and a place for praise. In fact, when Jesus drives out the money changers, listen to what He says, 

Mark 11:17 ESV

And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

“My house shall be called a house of prayer”.

A house of prayer indeed. You see friends, according to Jesus, using His words, the church is primarily a place for man to commune with God through prayer. A house of prayer for all people, all nations, all ethnicities. Churches in America, are they places of prayer or are they places of entertainment? Are they places of prayer or are they miniature kingdoms erected for their pastor’s vanity? Are churches in America houses of prayer or have they been turned into social clubs? Clubs with high walls to keep the undesirables out and the pious, the righteous, the holy in? Oh friends, the church is a place of worship. 

One of the great worship leaders of the 21st century is Matt Redman. I was reading through his book the other day. The book is entitled “The Unquenchable Worshipper”. Listen to what he says about how we communicate and worship God. 

“Worship is about what we love. What we live for. It’s about who we are before God. When we face up to the glory of God, we find ourselves face down in worship.”

Today’s Quote:

“Worship is about what we love. What we live for. It’s about who we are before God. When we face up to the glory of God, we find ourselves face down in worship.”

Matt Redman from “The Unquenchable Worshipper”

Background and Context:

Before we read from Mark 11 this morning, I want to set up the scene for you. I want to provide for you the background and context. What’s really happening here. 

Jesus has just entered Jerusalem in what we know as the Triumphal Entry. This event is celebrated as Palm Sunday, where crowds welcomed Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna!” and laid down palm branches before Him as He rode into the city on a donkey. This act was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, indicating that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

The temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. It was not only a place of worship but also a symbol of God’s presence among His people. The temple was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations, where people could come to seek God, offer sacrifices, and participate in worship.

As Jesus enters the temple courts, He is confronted with a disturbing scene. The outer courts, known as the Court of the Gentiles, were intended to be a place where non-Jews could come and pray. However, this sacred space had been turned into a bustling marketplace. Merchants were selling animals for sacrifice, and money changers were exchanging foreign currency for the temple tax. This commercial activity was not only distracting but exploitative, as it often involved dishonest practices and exorbitant prices.

In righteous anger, Jesus drives out those who were buying and selling in the temple. He overturns the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 to explain His actions: “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.’” 

At the end of the experience, the chief priests and teachers of the law are outraged by Jesus’ actions. They see Him as a threat to their authority and the economic system they benefit from. They begin to plot His death, but they fear Him because the crowd is amazed at His teaching.

Today’s Scripture:

Mark 11:15-19 NLT

When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, [16] and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. [17] He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." [18] When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. [19] That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.

Pastor:

“This Is The Word of The Lord.”

Congregation:

“Praise His Name. Praise His Holy Name!”

Jesus Demands Purity In Worship!

I. A Confrontation vs. 15-16

Oh friends, make no mistake, Jesus demands our worship. Certainly that is what He was demanding when He flipped the tables, whipped the money changers, and threw out the corruption in the courts. 

Let’s look at our first point this morning, a confrontation. We see this confrontation in verse 15 and 16. 

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, [16] and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.

It was not uncommon in Jesus’ day to travel great distances to the temple to worship. Some people would have traveled literally hundreds of miles over incredibly difficult terrane. It would have been hard for them to bring their families, their belongings, and animals for sacrifice over those distances. It was not unusual for people to arrive in Jerusalem, purchase sacrifices there, and offer them to the Lord. Over the years, the business of purchasing sacrifices had moved from outside the temple courts into the interior of the temple itself. Instead of the temple looking like a place reserved for quiet contemplation, worship, and sacrifice, it looked more like an outdoor mall. Lots of money was being traded. Temple worship had become big business. 

To make matters worse, the money changers had driven up the price on their wares and goods. 

Friends you have experienced a similar thing. How many of you have gone to Disney World in the last year? How many of you have been to a college football game in the last year? How many of you have been to a movie in the past year? Most all of you have done something like that. What is your experience when you go to buy a bag of popcorn, a hotdog, or a coke? Are the prices the same at those places or more expensive? They are more expensive right? Much more expensive. 

Why? Why can sporting venues, theme parks, and movie theaters do that? It doesn’t seem right because you can get the same thing at your local grocery store for a fraction of the cost. Why are they able to charge so much more? It sure does feel like we are being taken advantage of doesn’t it?

The reason that they are able to do that is because we are a captive audience. They know, for the most part, that we are not going to leave the venue to go get something cheaper. They control the goods therefore they control the prices. We call this price gouging. We experience price gouging just about everyday. We experience everywhere from the gas pump to the local restaurant. 

We come to expect this in our world. It happens so often that we often turn a blind eye to it.

Now go back to the story. When these men and women traveling to Jerusalem entered into the temple, they were purchasing sacrifices. The money changers, because they controlled the goods, they controlled the prices. They knew that these weary travelers were trapped in an economic system that benefitted their corrupt desires. Therefore, they overcharged, making far more than a simple profit. Worship had just become a money maker and boy let me tell you…business was good. 

It was good until Jesus showed up and confronted the money changers. 

When it comes to worship, God expects better. What may be common practices and practical in the world doesn’t mean that it should be attempted or accepted in the church. There are numerous verses in the Bible where God very much cares about honest dealings, honest practices, and integrity in our daily lives, including worship. 

Leviticus 19:35 ESV

“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, 

What about Deuteronomy 25:13-16,

Deuteronomy 25:13-16:

“You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds or measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

Then there is Proverbs 11:1,

Proverbs 11:1 ESV

“A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.”

 

So ok, Jesus throws out corrupt money changers who were overcharging people for sacrifices. Ok. That’s bad. But how does that affect me today?

Simply put, your body and your life are a temple. Your body houses the Holy Spirit. God wants you to possess character and integrity in all that you do. God wants you to be honest in your dealings. He wants you to be honest in how you treat your spouse, how you give to the church, and how you conduct yourself when no one is looking. God wants your worship, your true worship, not just empty action. That was one of the major problems in this scene. People thought that they were truly worshipping God but their worship was built on a lie and constructed on false pretense. 

Im reminded of what Jeremiah 7:11 states, 

Jeremiah 7:11 ESV

“Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.”

Jesus Demands Purity In Worship!

I. A Confrontation vs. 15-16

II. A Restoration vs. 17

So, Jesus demand our worship. We see this first point illustrated in verse 15 and 16. A confrontation. Our second point is a restoration. We see this when we read verse 17.

[17] He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."

When I read this story, it reminds me of what happens when someone accepts Christ. Some of us have been walking with the Lord for so long that we forget about what our lives were like before Jesus. 

We forget how lost we were. 

We forget about how dark our hearts were.

We forget about how bad our language used to be.

We forget about the things that we once looked at, those images giving us joy and pleasure. 

We forget about how materialistic we were. We forget about how we used to think. We thought that if I can have that thing, live in that place, date that girl or guy, then I will have everything I need. 

Then it happens. We get that thing. We live in that place. We date that girl or guy. Still something is missing. So we continue to search. Nothing fills the emptiness. We drink. We pop that pill. We chase after vapid empty relationships. Nothing works. 

We will our temple with trash. We fill our temple with garbage. We fill our temple with all sorts of dirt, grime and filth. 

Then suddenly, a light shines in the dark. We hear a knocking on the doors of our hearts. We go, we open the door, and there stands the King of Kings. He takes us by the hand and offers us a knew way. 

But what happens? We still feel the pull of the world. We are not sure we can let go. We are not sure that we trust Jesus. 

Jesus looks in our eyes, “Trust me” He says. 

“Give me your heart” He whispers in our ear. 

“Follow me” He invites us to go with Him.

We let go, leaving everything behind. We may have left it behind, but it is still inside our heart. All that sin, all that guilt, taking up residence in our hearts. 

Here is the good news, there has been a change in management and there is a new landlord in town and His name is Jesus. 

We start to read the Bible. We start to pray. We go to church. We start to serve. The more we read, the more we pray, the more we worship, the more we serve, the more Jesus throws out. 

Jesus demolishes.

Jesus renovates. 

He tears out the old walls, the faulty electrical, and corrupt plumbing, all ripped from our spirits, replaced by His newness, His love, His mercy, His compassion. 

Gone is the sin. Gone is the hypocrisy. Gone is the wicked former behavior. 

We are made new. We are given joy unending. 

Do you see it friends? That temple that Jesus cleansed is just a picture of what He does for all of us. He steps into our hearts and rids us of Satan. 

When we have that initial confrontation with Jesus, He renovates us from the inside out. 

One of my favorite stories of transformation is the story of Angus Buchan. Angus was born in 1947 to Scottish immigrants in Zambia. He later moved to South Africa. Angus grew up with a passion for farming. Because of political unrest in Zambia, Angus and his family were forced to move to South Africa. The challenges of establishing a new farm took its toll on Angus. He started drinking and his drinking turned him into an angry, abusive man. His drinking also amplified his already explosive temper. His life was marked with stress, anger, bitterness, and fighting. Everyone in his community, even his family, was afraid of him. Everyone avoided Angus. 

One day, a long lost friend invited Angus to church. It was here that he heard the Gospel message for the very first time. Overwhelmed with a sincere need for Jesus, Angus Buchan accepted Jesus Christ and he was radically transformed. 

Immediately his temper, his abusive personality, the anger, the bitterness, the fighting dissipated. He became more compassionate. So unbelievable was his conversion, people couldn’t believe that this was the same man that they once knew. His friend invited him to lead a small group Bible study for men. Angus didn’t feel worthy so he did the one thing that he knew that he could do, he shared his testimony. There were less than 10 men in attendance at that first Bible study. He taught again next week. There were 50 men at the second gathering. He taught again. There were 200 men at the third gathering. The gathering became so large Angus had to move it to his open air farm. The gathering turned into The Mighty Men Conference where thousands of men met and were radically saved by Christ. 

What a great story of restoration. 

Jesus wants to clean your temple too my friend. He can wash you cleaner, forgive you deeper, and lead you to greater things. 

Listen to the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 56:7, 

Isaiah 56:7 ESV

“These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Jesus Demands Purity In Worship!

I. A Confrontation vs. 15-16

II. A Restoration vs. 17

III. A Retaliation vs. 18-19

Jesus demand purity in our worship. We saw in our first point a confrontation. Our second point was a restoration. You know, whenever I end a message, I try to end it on a high note. I want it to be positive. I want you walking out of here encouraged. Sadly, that is just now how this message is going to go this morning. Our last point is this, a retaliation. 

We have to remember friends that Jesus is marching towards the cross. His murder is inevitable. His blood will be shed, His body will die, and He will be buried. His friends will turn on Him, betraying Him. He will carry His own cross. The day will turn to night. Sad days are ahead. 

So, let’s go back and reread verses 18 and 19…

 [18] When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching. [19] That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.

Friends, don’t you wish that the story would have gone a different way? Dont you wish that the chief priest would have been like,  

“You know..that Jesus really has a point. Maybe we need to kick out the money changers. He is right about what Scripture says about His Father’s house being a house of prayer. You know what, we need to write that fella a thank you note”.

Yeah, that would have been great but sadly, that is not how it went. You see, the priests were not allowed to have jobs outside of the temple. They were supported by the offerings and tithes of the people. One of the reasons that the temple had been turned into such a business was BECAUSE of the religious leaders. Most sholoars think that they were letting in these money changers because they were getting kickbacks from the sales. This was a very underhanded way of making a quick dishonest buck and Jesus was calling them out for it.

Oh friends, whenever it becomes more important to protect the institution over protecting the defenseless, the church has lost it way. 

Anytime a protecting the image of an organization becomes more important than guarding the innocent, the church has lost its way. 

You see, Jesus was not just sending a message to the money changers, He was sending a message to the religious people. Jesus was, in a not so subtle way, letting them know that God was displeased with their corrupt dealings. Jesus was letting them know that they had missed the mark. There were poor, hurting people laying just outside the walls of the temple. There were widows and orphans who were starving on the streets. There were people who were broken, suffering, diseased, who were living in desperation. All of these things were happening while the Pharisees, the priests, and the scribes made ill gotten gains hand over fist on the backs of those that they were bragging on helping. 

It was corrupt. 

It was evil.

Now, it was evident.

Now Jesus had to be stopped. At this point, the religious leaders started to plot to kill Jesus.

Again, what is the application point for you this morning. Christ may be working in you, changing you, renovating you, reorienting the way you see the world. This may give you great joy and you may be growing closer to Christ. All of this is good, but that does not mean that everyone will celebrate you.

Friend, wake up. We living a world that says up is down, black is white, good is evil, evil is good, men are women, women are men, traditional marriage is evil and homosexual behavior is good. 

Standing for Jesus is bad and living for the Devil is good. 

If you think for a second that your conversion or your development in Christ is going to be applauded by this world, you are kidding yoruself. 

In fact, that is one way that you can tell that your conversion and your sanctification is true, real, and good…if the world calls it false, a lie and bad. 

If the world retaliates against you for being a Christian, rejoice. On the other hand, if the world never challenges you, never pushes back, then are you really living in a manner that glorifies Christ in the first place?

Make no mistake, one day we will all give an account for how we lived in this world. The words we said. The actions we took. The obedience and the disobedience. It will all come to a reckoning. 

That’s what Paul reminds us of in Philippians 2:9-11…

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Closing Statement:

As we conclude our reflection on Mark 11:15-19, let’s remember the profound lesson Jesus taught us through His cleansing of the temple. His actions were not just about purifying a physical space but about restoring true worship and righteousness. Jesus desires a heart that is pure and a life that reflects His holiness. So, as we leave today, I want to leave you with a question to ponder: Does your worship need work? Are there areas in your life where God is calling you to restore purity and sincerity?

Does Your Worship Need “Work”?

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the powerful message from Your Word today. We ask that You search our hearts and reveal to us any areas where our worship may be compromised or insincere. Help us to clean out the clutter and distractions, making room for a pure and devoted heart before You. Empower us to live out our faith with integrity, justice, and compassion, reflecting Your love and righteousness in all that we do. Guide us as we strive to honor You in our worship and our daily lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.