God’s Temple Became a Hideout for Thieves.

Class Outline:

Wednesday September 17, 2025

 

Main idea: The Lord’s authority restores the Father’s house to a house of prayer, and this is how our own temple is to be. 

 

Intro: Psa 8 asks “What is man?”

 

Man was made to worship God.

 

House of prayer - (in this context) all forms of legitimate worship in the Temple) and the fellowship of the worshipers with God and one another.

 

We are shown that Christ has all authority.

 

House of prayer, ISA 56:7.

 

It is written: perfect tense always = binding authority from God.

 

The temple, at the time, is the presence of God.

 

In the presence of God: prayer, worship, fellowship.

 

Now the temple of God is the individual believer.

 

The church is the local assembly of believers and so has a level of sacredness. Not a marketplace, but a place of prayer, worship, fellowship.

Jesus, the King, has authority over both the individual and the church (local and whole body) and He will both give them grace and judge them.  (JOH 14:23)

 

False ideas of the house of God. JER 7:11 “Robbers den.”

 

In Jer 7, Israel saw the temple as a sin bath house - live however you like and then go get a spiritual shower in the temple.

 

Today, the local church is not a place to only comfort sin. It is to comfort and challenge believers to holiness, teaching how.

 

Caiaphas, the high priest, moved the markets into the temple area in order to corner the market and make millions.

 

ISA 1:12-13

 

Jesus has all authority as King.

 

Jesus exercises His authority as King as Scripture. His cleansing of the temple is foretold (warned); ZEC 14:21; MAL 3:1-5.

 

Power of His word. No whip is mentioned. He did overturn tables, but no one was struck or likely even touched. Even if He did, there are 33 acres of Gentile Court to clear and He expels them all. I think it is the power of His word. PSA 33:6; HEB 1:3; JOH 18:6

 

Do not mistake His power over you because He is kind and patient.

 

Do not mistake the power of His word in you when you learn and submit to it.

 

COL 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom;

 

COL 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 

You are the temple of God - you should be a house of prayer.

1CO 6:19; 2CO 6:16.

 

Are you a house of prayer or a house of consumerism?

 

You do have to consume, buy, sell, pay taxes etc. but that is all external. Jesus said that it is not the external that defiles the man.

 

EPH 3:14-20 Prayer by Paul.

 

Fellowship of prayer - we agree and pray the same. Phil 2:2 being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

 

Pray for and with one another seeking always God’s will and plan.

 

Consumerism within causes competition; GAL 5:13-15.

 

GAL 5:16 walk by the Spirit. GAL 5:20 - the majority of the fruit of the flesh is personal conflict.

 

Use your freedom to serve not to get. You are the temple of the living God.

 

Consumerism is give and take. Worship is to give.

 

Acts 20:33-35 "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. 34 "You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 

Live to give. Worship God, pray, serve, fellowship. Be convinced that you were designed for this by your King.