Living on Mission, Cleansed

Living on Mission, Cleansed

John 2:13-22

It started out as a good thing, a helpful thing. It turned into a bad, distracting, unholy thing.

People came from all over the place. The last thing they needed to do was to try to keep track of a bird or a sheep while they walked for miles to the Jewish temple. Enter the helpful people. They were there to conveniently supply travelers with acceptable sacrifices and acceptable currency for the temple – for a price. At first they were outside of the Temple area but somehow eventually wound up inside the temple courts.

Where there was once only the sound of prayer, adoration, and repentance, there was now the cacophony of commerce.

Ouch.

So, one day Jesus said “enough!” and made a scene. He drove the animals out with a whip. He turned over currency exchange tables. He said, in a nutshell, “this should not be, this cannot be.” He cleaned house.

If the temple is the dwelling place of God and we (the church) are now the temple, how are we doing? How many “helpful” things have we allowed into our lives that distract us from the way we were meant to be? Have our voices of praise and repentance and adoration been drowned out by conveniences?

Jesus, please cleanse me. Cleanse us as your Body here on earth. Let us come undistracted to you.

Pastor Angela

P.S.

Our very own Julie Shreves is serving in Ecuador with Extreme Nazarene Missions in just a few weeks. Could we chip in to help fund her time there so that she can go and bring the love of God to these hurting people? The deadline is May 1^st, so please call this number today to donate. Any amount would be really helpful. Thank you!

(800) 326-9235