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.”
STEELERS VS VIKINGS
TWO 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.