John 2:12-22

A turning point of change for the world.

A time when perception of Jesus’

ministry was not understood.

THE HALLMARK OF JESUS’ MINISTRY

Representing the expressions of new life.

He made the gospel fresh.

Wherever Jesus went lives were changed.

Multitudes were attracted.

People were amazed at the way Jesus spoke.

“Not like one of the teachers of the law,

but as one who had authority.” Mark 1:22

I. A SPIRITUAL REFRESHING MEANS

EXPERIENCING A GENUINE WORSHIP

This triumphal entry would break the sacrificial system forever.

Worship takes on many forms and expressions.

A. THE MISSION OF WORSHIP

Worship is a sacrifice and a physical

expression of thanksgiving to God.

“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Romans 12:1, 2

A true spiritual refreshing only comes with a holy sacrifice.

It is an acceptable sacrifice because God can only take and accept what is pure.

MY MISSION OF WORSHIP

If my mission in worship is to get or receive,

then my sacrifice is less than what God wants.

I can live off my emotions for a while,

but it will not last, or be genuine.

My mission is to sacrifice my own flesh

and surrender my life to the Lord.

I am a part of the sacrificial system.

B. THE MOTIVE OF WORSHIP

Sacrifice was a physical and a spiritual expression.

The sacrifice was intended to give something to God that was valuable as an act of gratitude for what God had done

when He delivered them out of Egypt.

True genuine worship is expressing gratitude to God in some tangible form, like the raising of our hands, bowing our heads, kneeling before God, or submitting to order.

OUR WORSHIP

The true motive behind our worship is to thank God for doing for us what we could not do, and

did not deserve, and to except His forgiving power and grace in our lives.

We have to be willing to pay the price

of personal sacrifice to follow God.

As the crowd was shouting “Hosanna” they were saying, “Hooray for salvation.”

STEELERSSTEELERS VSVS VIKINGS VIKINGS

TWO KINDS OF HOSANNASTWO KINDS OF HOSANNAS“Catch him! Catch him!”

“You got him! You got him!”

II. A SPIRITUAL REFRESHING MEANS

EXAMINING AND IDENTIFYING EVIL

Jesus discovers two principles of evil in the outer courtyard of the temple with the moneychangers.

A. EVIL IS SUBTLE

The temple became nothing more than a market place.

The emphasis was on selling, and being dishonest.

Genuine worship was replaced with

a selfish desire and self gain.

The greatest sin is dishonest worship.

Genuine worship must have a genuine heart.

We can be so proud of our works and achievements that we are blind to the truth.

“Speak the truth in love.”Ephesians 4:15

To bypass truth, in the name of love, or to bypass love, in the name of truth is Satan blinding us spiritually.

We are not manifesting love by not sharing the truth in reality we are manifesting self-interest.

Selfishness is a personal thing.

B. EVIL IS SUBVERSIVE

The essence of sacrifice is to give up

something that is meaningful to you.

The moneychangers had made sacrifice easy.

They had stolen the meaning from sacrifice. The righteousness is taken away from the sacrifice.

Jesus came to destroy the unrighteousness

that turned worship into a means of profit.

Worship is not a profit until it is a sacrifice.

Outward change is not going to bring me a spiritual refreshing. Spiritual refreshing can only occur when our standards are high, and our principles are pure, from the inside out.

Worship is only meaningful and fulfilling when we sacrifice and give God the authority to work on our hearts.

III. SPIRITUAL REFRESHING MEANS EXERCISING TRUTH

A. EXERCISING GOD’S AUTHORITY

• The temple has to be clean and pure for others to see Jesus Christ in His true character.

• Jesus had the authority to correct and rebuke the moneychangers, because this was an insult to God’s authority.

• Our business is between God and man first. We have an exchange of repentance for forgiveness.

THE AUTHORITY

The truth that changes our life is allowing the

authority of God reveal the truth about us.

When authority is allowed to function,

it helps to discover healing.

The Jews inquired as to what authority Jesus

had to throw the moneychangers out.

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

B. EXERCISING GOD’S DEITY

The temple was the physical presence of God.

It was the resurrection that brought us truth.

The true refreshing began when

Jesus’ life ended on this earth.

The disciples’ perception changed because they moved beyond the cross the heartbreak, and the empty tomb.

THE WHOLE TRUTH IS REVEALED

The disciples did not get the entire meaning behind Jesus’ death and resurrection until it

actually happened.

If they would have just experienced the pain of the garden, and the cross without the

resurrection they would have lost all hope.

The disciples had to experience the Lord’s Deity.

TO EXPERIENCE A SPIRITUAL REFRESHING

• Examine your mission and motives

• Identify the evil that Satan may be subtle and subversive in your life.

• By faith begin to exercise the truth by letting God reveal His authority and His Deity in your life.