A House of Prayer
Mark 11:15-17
Message #41
In 2003, we did a message (and worship) on this same subject called “True Worship in the True Temple.” And that message and worship had a lasting impact on our daughter, Breezy. And the fact that it had such a lasting impact on Breezy increased its lasting impact on me, and seventeen years later, this subject still moves me deeply. So, I want to pray that this subject would move us all today.
Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, wrote a book called “Fresh Wind Fresh Fire,” which is about our subject today, and which I highly recommend, and some of my inspiration for today comes from Jim Cymbala’s message on this text.
Also, for today, I am skipping over verses 12-14, but we’ll go back and teach them next week.
So, we left Jesus last week at the Triumphal Entry, where he went into the Temple for recon, and then left for the night to Bethany. Today, he comes back into Jerusalem. The echoes of the Hosanna’s cried out by the crowd at the Triumphal Entry are still ringing in the air. The people think that Jesus is going to lead the Jewish Religion and the Jewish People in the overthrow of the Roman rule of Jerusalem. And they were right about the overthrow part, but it wasn’t the Roman rule that Jesus first chose to overthrow – or should we say, overturn. It was the big business of religion that Jesus first went after.
Mark 11:15–16 (NLT)
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem (next day), Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,
16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. (Remember it’s Passover = Huge Crowd/Scene)
Jesus had checked the size of this swap meet yesterday. Today, he comes back with authority and intensity, and he begins cleaning house – his house. He was physically aggressive, and he was angry because the zeal of the Lord was consuming him. He had already done this once at the beginning of his ministry (In John 2), and now, in the final days before the cross, Jesus does it again – just as angry.
Why? What would cause such an intense, angry reaction from Jesus? Mark 11:17 says it all.
Mark 11:17 (NLT)
17 He said to them (to the people he was running out of the Temple), “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
The word the NLT translates “Temple” is literally “house.” The NKJV is the translation many of us are familiar with.
Mark 11:17 (NKJV)
17 . . . “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Since the 1960s, in our culture, Jesus has been portrayed as the “All Accepting, All Peaceful, Universal Good Guy.” But this is the real Jesus!
When Jesus did this same thing the first time, John 2:15 says Jesus made a whip of cords to drive this den of thieves out of the Temple courts. And when it was all over, John 2:17 says,
John 2:17 (ESV)
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (Psalm 69:9)
Zeal for the House of God. Zeal for the Dwelling Place of God consumes Jesus Christ. Jesus is passionately committed to what happens in his house. This is his dwelling place. This is the House of God. And Jesus issues his command to us right here: My house shall be called (My house shall be known as) a house of prayer for all nations (all people.)
Now, this “Den of Thieves” that Jesus was driving out was actually started as a “service” to help the worshippers. The Jewish worshippers would walk for many miles to get to the Temple of Worship, and it would be easier for them to buy an acceptable sacrifice at the Temple than to carry one on the journey there. The worshippers had to use the Jewish coin to pay the Temple tax, and it was easier to get the right coin at the Temple than to find it somewhere on the way.
But, this “service” had become known as the Bazaar of Annas, who was the High Priest who turned this “service” into a full-blown Mafia operation. Multiple levels of the Priesthood were getting their cut from this Mafia-run swap meet. So, the sellers were greatly overcharging the worshippers in order to pay everybody who got their cut.
And so, the worship of God had become big business. Can you imagine a church culture where worship becomes big business? Of course we can, right? And We’re not shocked because we’ve become accustomed to seeing the church as big business. In fact, we give greatest honor to the biggest mega-church business empires.
But Jesus drove all “business operations” OUT of the Temple Courts, which is why we put an abrupt stop to every person who tries selling something here. From candles to MLM’s – if someone sees this group of believers as a “business opportunity,” they get un-invited here, really quick, and sometimes with a similar zeal as Jesus had.
Jesus says, My house shall be called a House of Prayer – not a business opportunity.
Jesus says to the religious leadership then, and to the Church leadership now, this is NOT your house, this is MY HOUSE. And in Mark 11:17,
Mark 11:17 (NKJV)
17 (he says) . . . My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations
This is the point, and Jesus is very passionate about it.
When Jesus says, my house shall be known as a house of prayer for all people it means the atmosphere in the House of God is to be the atmosphere of prayer for everyone who comes in. The environment of the House of God is to be the environment of Prayer for everyone who comes in.
Our culture says prayer is repeating some words to God, even repeating memorized words to God. And certainly, prayer does involve our words. But the picture of prayer in the Bible is much more than repeating words to God. The picture of prayer in the Bible is a conduit of communion and communication with God.
Prayer is being in communion with God, and prayer is being in communication with God.
And Jesus is demanding here that we create an environment where every person who walks in the door has the opportunity to experience communing and communicating with God. Communion means to share life in common, to be united with, to be one with. And prayer is the conduit through which we are united with God. And in this communing with God, there IS two-way communication. But at times, it is much deeper than words. It is a heart-connection with God.
Romans 8:26 (NLT)
26 . . . the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
This is a communion and communication with God that cannot be expressed in words.
And if we will grasp this truth about prayer, that it is a conduit for communing and communicating with God, then we can understand 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
17 pray without ceasing,
This verse means to be in a constant state of connection and communication with God. It certainly does not mean to be repeating a certain set of words all day.
And if we will grasp this truth about prayer, that it is a conduit for connection and communication with God, then we can easily understand Ephesians 6:18.
Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion . . .
Praying in the Spirit at all times means being in an ongoing communion and communication with God at all times.
And Jesus commands us to create an atmosphere in the church where ALL people have the opportunity to make this connection with God. And Jesus says, this is what the church must be known for.
Have you ever wondered why we don’t do a lot of social stuff or business type stuff during church? Because we have always been very committed to obeying this strong command from Jesus. Above all else, we want to make this ninety minutes a time of communion and communication between you and God, and so we do very little of anything else on Sunday morning.
Because Jesus says, this place should be known as a place where any person can come in and commune with God and communicate with God.
And, listen, I’ve made a ton of mistakes in the ministry, but this is one thing we have never wavered on. Since our first Sunday here, we’ve been committed to making this time an opportunity for you to experience connection and communication with God.
And I pray you are glad that when you walk into this environment that you are going to have the opportunity to be in communion and communication with God.
What were the Disciples actually doing when the New Testament church began? Were they at a mega-worship concert? No. Were they listening to the best ever sermon? No. They were in the upper room in communion and communication with God, and while they were in that environment, the Holy Spirit was poured out, and by the end of the day, 3,000 were added to the New Testament church.
In Acts 9, when Saul of Tarsus is knocked to the ground by Jesus and radically saved, we read,
Acts 9:9 (ESV)
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And then the Lord spoke to Ananias, “Go find Saul of Tarsus” and as an assurance that Saul had been transformed, the Lord said to Ananias in Acts 9:11-12,
Acts 9:11-12 (ESV)
11 . . . look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him . . .
The Lord says to Ananias, it’s okay, this Saul of Tarsus is in communion and communication with me, and this atmosphere of prayer transformed Saul into Paul and launched the New Testament church that has reached all the way to us – today.
And then, many years later, Paul instructs young Timothy about pastoring the church.
1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV)
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
First of all – before all things in your church, let there be supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving, all types of communion and communication with God. And Paul says first of all – above everything else, create this environment in your church. Every revival that’s been recorded in modern times has been recorded as starting with prayer. Genuine communion and communication with God. The greatest thing a Christ-follower can learn and the greatest thing a church can teach a Christ-follower is how to have real communion and communication with God – in prayer.
And finally, Hebrews 4:16 says,
Hebrews 4:16 says (NKJV)
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Listen to me please – all that we do here, the worship, the sharing, the preaching, it is all designed to do one thing – and that is to get you to the Throne of Grace. To get you to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, where you will find God’s mercy and grace.
Guys, this church can be as big or as small as God wants it to be – it doesn’t matter. But, what does matter is this. The leaders of this church are going to be judged with this measuring stick: did we create an atmosphere in the House of God where people could commune and communicate with God? Did we lead people to the Throne of Grace, where they could find God? Did we make God’s House a House of Prayer? Or did we make it a den of social events, or… a den of thieves?
Everything we do here must be to make a way for you to enter into communion and communication with God, where you have the opportunity to reach the Throne of Grace, where you will find the mercy and grace you need for today and for every day after today.
At the Throne of Grace is where you can taste and see that the Lord is good, and when you do get there, the Lord will lead you and guide you for His Name’s sake, he will direct your steps, he will hem you in on all sides, and he will set your path according to his good and perfect will.
Jim Cymbala, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, wrote a book called “Fresh Wind Fresh Fire,” which is about our subject today, and which I highly recommend, and some of my inspiration for today comes from Jim Cymbala’s message on this text.
Also, for today, I am skipping over verses 12-14, but we’ll go back and teach them next week.
So, we left Jesus last week at the Triumphal Entry, where he went into the Temple for recon, and then left for the night to Bethany. Today, he comes back into Jerusalem. The echoes of the Hosanna’s cried out by the crowd at the Triumphal Entry are still ringing in the air. The people think that Jesus is going to lead the Jewish Religion and the Jewish People in the overthrow of the Roman rule of Jerusalem. And they were right about the overthrow part, but it wasn’t the Roman rule that Jesus first chose to overthrow – or should we say, overturn. It was the big business of religion that Jesus first went after.
Mark 11:15–16 (NLT)
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem (next day), Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,
16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. (Remember it’s Passover = Huge Crowd/Scene)
Jesus had checked the size of this swap meet yesterday. Today, he comes back with authority and intensity, and he begins cleaning house – his house. He was physically aggressive, and he was angry because the zeal of the Lord was consuming him. He had already done this once at the beginning of his ministry (In John 2), and now, in the final days before the cross, Jesus does it again – just as angry.
Why? What would cause such an intense, angry reaction from Jesus? Mark 11:17 says it all.
Mark 11:17 (NLT)
17 He said to them (to the people he was running out of the Temple), “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
The word the NLT translates “Temple” is literally “house.” The NKJV is the translation many of us are familiar with.
Mark 11:17 (NKJV)
17 . . . “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Since the 1960s, in our culture, Jesus has been portrayed as the “All Accepting, All Peaceful, Universal Good Guy.” But this is the real Jesus!
When Jesus did this same thing the first time, John 2:15 says Jesus made a whip of cords to drive this den of thieves out of the Temple courts. And when it was all over, John 2:17 says,
John 2:17 (ESV)
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (Psalm 69:9)
Zeal for the House of God. Zeal for the Dwelling Place of God consumes Jesus Christ. Jesus is passionately committed to what happens in his house. This is his dwelling place. This is the House of God. And Jesus issues his command to us right here: My house shall be called (My house shall be known as) a house of prayer for all nations (all people.)
Now, this “Den of Thieves” that Jesus was driving out was actually started as a “service” to help the worshippers. The Jewish worshippers would walk for many miles to get to the Temple of Worship, and it would be easier for them to buy an acceptable sacrifice at the Temple than to carry one on the journey there. The worshippers had to use the Jewish coin to pay the Temple tax, and it was easier to get the right coin at the Temple than to find it somewhere on the way.
But, this “service” had become known as the Bazaar of Annas, who was the High Priest who turned this “service” into a full-blown Mafia operation. Multiple levels of the Priesthood were getting their cut from this Mafia-run swap meet. So, the sellers were greatly overcharging the worshippers in order to pay everybody who got their cut.
And so, the worship of God had become big business. Can you imagine a church culture where worship becomes big business? Of course we can, right? And We’re not shocked because we’ve become accustomed to seeing the church as big business. In fact, we give greatest honor to the biggest mega-church business empires.
But Jesus drove all “business operations” OUT of the Temple Courts, which is why we put an abrupt stop to every person who tries selling something here. From candles to MLM’s – if someone sees this group of believers as a “business opportunity,” they get un-invited here, really quick, and sometimes with a similar zeal as Jesus had.
Jesus says, My house shall be called a House of Prayer – not a business opportunity.
Jesus says to the religious leadership then, and to the Church leadership now, this is NOT your house, this is MY HOUSE. And in Mark 11:17,
Mark 11:17 (NKJV)
17 (he says) . . . My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations
This is the point, and Jesus is very passionate about it.
When Jesus says, my house shall be known as a house of prayer for all people it means the atmosphere in the House of God is to be the atmosphere of prayer for everyone who comes in. The environment of the House of God is to be the environment of Prayer for everyone who comes in.
Our culture says prayer is repeating some words to God, even repeating memorized words to God. And certainly, prayer does involve our words. But the picture of prayer in the Bible is much more than repeating words to God. The picture of prayer in the Bible is a conduit of communion and communication with God.
Prayer is being in communion with God, and prayer is being in communication with God.
And Jesus is demanding here that we create an environment where every person who walks in the door has the opportunity to experience communing and communicating with God. Communion means to share life in common, to be united with, to be one with. And prayer is the conduit through which we are united with God. And in this communing with God, there IS two-way communication. But at times, it is much deeper than words. It is a heart-connection with God.
Romans 8:26 (NLT)
26 . . . the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
This is a communion and communication with God that cannot be expressed in words.
And if we will grasp this truth about prayer, that it is a conduit for communing and communicating with God, then we can understand 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
17 pray without ceasing,
This verse means to be in a constant state of connection and communication with God. It certainly does not mean to be repeating a certain set of words all day.
And if we will grasp this truth about prayer, that it is a conduit for connection and communication with God, then we can easily understand Ephesians 6:18.
Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion . . .
Praying in the Spirit at all times means being in an ongoing communion and communication with God at all times.
And Jesus commands us to create an atmosphere in the church where ALL people have the opportunity to make this connection with God. And Jesus says, this is what the church must be known for.
Have you ever wondered why we don’t do a lot of social stuff or business type stuff during church? Because we have always been very committed to obeying this strong command from Jesus. Above all else, we want to make this ninety minutes a time of communion and communication between you and God, and so we do very little of anything else on Sunday morning.
Because Jesus says, this place should be known as a place where any person can come in and commune with God and communicate with God.
And, listen, I’ve made a ton of mistakes in the ministry, but this is one thing we have never wavered on. Since our first Sunday here, we’ve been committed to making this time an opportunity for you to experience connection and communication with God.
And I pray you are glad that when you walk into this environment that you are going to have the opportunity to be in communion and communication with God.
What were the Disciples actually doing when the New Testament church began? Were they at a mega-worship concert? No. Were they listening to the best ever sermon? No. They were in the upper room in communion and communication with God, and while they were in that environment, the Holy Spirit was poured out, and by the end of the day, 3,000 were added to the New Testament church.
In Acts 9, when Saul of Tarsus is knocked to the ground by Jesus and radically saved, we read,
Acts 9:9 (ESV)
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
And then the Lord spoke to Ananias, “Go find Saul of Tarsus” and as an assurance that Saul had been transformed, the Lord said to Ananias in Acts 9:11-12,
Acts 9:11-12 (ESV)
11 . . . look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him . . .
The Lord says to Ananias, it’s okay, this Saul of Tarsus is in communion and communication with me, and this atmosphere of prayer transformed Saul into Paul and launched the New Testament church that has reached all the way to us – today.
And then, many years later, Paul instructs young Timothy about pastoring the church.
1 Timothy 2:1 (ESV)
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,
First of all – before all things in your church, let there be supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving, all types of communion and communication with God. And Paul says first of all – above everything else, create this environment in your church. Every revival that’s been recorded in modern times has been recorded as starting with prayer. Genuine communion and communication with God. The greatest thing a Christ-follower can learn and the greatest thing a church can teach a Christ-follower is how to have real communion and communication with God – in prayer.
And finally, Hebrews 4:16 says,
Hebrews 4:16 says (NKJV)
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Listen to me please – all that we do here, the worship, the sharing, the preaching, it is all designed to do one thing – and that is to get you to the Throne of Grace. To get you to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, where you will find God’s mercy and grace.
Guys, this church can be as big or as small as God wants it to be – it doesn’t matter. But, what does matter is this. The leaders of this church are going to be judged with this measuring stick: did we create an atmosphere in the House of God where people could commune and communicate with God? Did we lead people to the Throne of Grace, where they could find God? Did we make God’s House a House of Prayer? Or did we make it a den of social events, or… a den of thieves?
Everything we do here must be to make a way for you to enter into communion and communication with God, where you have the opportunity to reach the Throne of Grace, where you will find the mercy and grace you need for today and for every day after today.
At the Throne of Grace is where you can taste and see that the Lord is good, and when you do get there, the Lord will lead you and guide you for His Name’s sake, he will direct your steps, he will hem you in on all sides, and he will set your path according to his good and perfect will.