======================================================================== (CLIP) GOD'S MESSAGE FOR TODAY'S CHURCHES by Zac Poonen ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon discusses how Jesus cleansed the temple twice during his ministry, emphasizing the importance of maintaining God's house as a place of prayer and holiness, not a place for financial gain. It highlights the dangers of turning the church into a business, where preachers seek personal profit rather than serving God's people, ultimately leading to spiritual desolation and turning away from God's presence. Topics: "Cleansing the Temple", "Integrity in Ministry" Scripture References: John 2:13, Luke 19:45, Matthew 23:37 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon discusses how Jesus cleansed the temple twice during his ministry, emphasizing the importance of maintaining God's house as a place of prayer and holiness, not a place for financial gain. It highlights the dangers of turning the church into a business, where preachers seek personal profit rather than serving God's people, ultimately leading to spiritual desolation and turning away from God's presence. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jesus went into the temple twice to drive out all the people who were making money there. Once in John chapter 2 at the beginning of his ministry and another time at the end of his ministry. Now I want you to see something that he said there. First of all, right at the beginning of his ministry in John chapter 2 we read there in the beginning that he went to Cana and did the first miracle in the first few verses. And then we read after that, a few days later, he went to the temple, verse 14. Remember, this is the beginning of his ministry. And when he went into the temple, he saw all types of people selling and making money there in the name of God. And he drove them all out. And he said, verse 16, don't make my father's house a house of business. What did they do to the father's house? He said, this is my father's house, but you have made it a house of business. Please remember those words. This is my father's house, but you have made it a house of business. Why am I saying this? Because it is happening today. The church is the father's house. People are making money there in the name of Christ. Preachers are making money in the name of Christ. They are teaching people how to do business. With God. Come and give your tithe to my ministry. God will give you a hundred times more. That is business. Business is, I invest hundred rupees, I get thousand rupees. All the principle of business in the world is like that. I invest one lakh and I make ten lakhs. They used to do it in the market place in the old days. In the last 30-40 years, they are doing it in the church. Come and give your money. You will get ten times back. Somebody will get up and give a testimony. I gave my tithe to this man's ministry and I got a car. All the covetous people sitting there who want a car say, I better do that too. Do you think they love Jesus? Do you think they love God? No. They want more money. And they want to do business. Where? In God's house. This is my father's house and you have made it a place of business. And then at the end of his ministry, we read in Luke chapter 19, this is after he came riding on the donkey. We read in verse 37-38, Luke 19. This is just four or five days before he was crucified. Then he goes into the temple a second time. The first was after turning the water into wine. This is just three or four days before he was crucified. Verse 45. He entered the temple. And those fellows whom he drove out three years ago have all come back. Three years ago he had driven them all out. They all had come back. They were selling over there. And he said, my house is to be a house of prayer. Verse 46. Now see this. It is not a place of business now. It is a robber's den. See how things have gone down. When you go down from keeping it as a father's house, a house of prayer, a place of holiness, a place where you have to serve other people. From there you descend, make it a place of business. After sometime it will become a place of robbers. That's also happening today. Many preachers have become robbers. They say, please give money for God's work. They go to different countries. I am running an orphanage. I am running a bible school. They show all types of pictures. And they collect money. And they go and build a house in the name of their son or daughter. What are such preachers? They are not businessmen. They are robbers. Many years ago they were businessmen. That itself was bad. Now they have become robbers. So what did Jesus finally say? See in Matthew 23. Just before he went to the cross. He said in verse 38. In verse 37 he said, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How many times I wanted to gather your children together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you were not willing. I preached to you so many times for three and a half years. You would not listen. Fifteen hundred years I sent my prophets to speak to you. You would not listen. Now, verse 38, your house is left to you desolate. Did you read that? Whose house is it? Once upon a time it was my father's house. Now? Your house. That is what God is saying to many churches today. This is my father's house once. But you started doing business there. Money became more important to you. Now it is your house. It is not my house. I have left it. God left Israel. And he turned to other nations in the world. That is how we came in. That is how we have come to be God's house. But the same thing is happening in the church that happened in Israel. Jesus hung on the cross for your sins. He rose from the dead. He is coming back. Now, please give me your money. What is this? That is the Christianity people are seeing today. On television, in the public meeting, in the church, everywhere. Jesus will heal your sickness. First, please put the money in the bag there. Isn't this being a witness for Christ? God's house has become a house of business. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/w9s5-cQs5Bg.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/zac-poonen/clip-gods-message-for-todays-churches/ ========================================================================