Imagine you were new to America and American Christianity. You walk by your average protestant church and decide to go inside. What do you see? Some are laughing and talking, while others are sitting quietly. Some are scurrying about, trying to find a place to sit or gather children as they come in from another building. Some sit with tablets and phones checking out what is going on with their social media accounts. Others enjoy a cup of coffee or a bottle of water as if they were there to watch a show. Some are waiting for their cue to sing. Finally, someone steps to the mic to welcome and begin the music. If you had never been to an American church, would you wonder what this is all about?
In John 2:13-16 Jesus went to Jerusalem as any person seeking God, He went to the temple. The Passover was at hand, and multitudes were coming from afar to worship and bring a sacrifice for their sins. Since many traveled a long way to be in Jerusalem at Passover, often they would wait until they arrived at Jerusalem to buy their sacrifices. In John 2:14 and 15, Jesus found men taking advantage of the situation. They had made the house of God a marketplace. This was unacceptable to Jesus. He made a whip and drove the animals from His Father’s house. He also overturned the tables dumping the money on the floor. His instructions were to take those things away and not make His Father’s house a house of merchandise.
John 2:13-16 “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”
God is serious about our worship. He gave Moses the commandments in Exodus 20 concerning our relationship with Him. In verse 3 God’s first commandment was “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” He goes on to tell them to keep the Sabbath holy. One day was to be a day of rest from work and focus on worship. In John chapter 2, Jesus had just begun His public ministry. Three years later, just before His crucifixion, Jesus again goes to the temple and throws out those who are using His house for a house of merchandise. In verse 13, Jesus reminds them that His house is to be a house of prayer, yet, because of their desire for money, they have made it a den of robbers.
Matthew 21:12-13 “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
In John 2:17, his disciples remembered the verse in Psalms 69:9, where the Messiah is “eaten up” with the desire to keep God’s house pure and undefiled. I love how the commentator Albert Barnes breaks down the meaning. His description says Jesus’ zeal means it has absorbed Him, engaged His entire attention and affection, and surpassed all other feelings. This is the example we are to follow when it comes to worshiping our God.
John 2:17 “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”
Psalm 69:9 “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”
So how are we to apply this teaching from Jesus? We are to come to worship seeking and being serious. We are to come desiring to meet with God. It is not a time to be flippant and think of other things. It is our time to worship together. We should be serious and revenant, laying aside anything that could distract us from the purpose we are there. I know many use their phones for the bible text, but I also know unless you turn off all notifications, you will be distracted. Can we not do without our phones or electronics for one hour a week so that we can focus on the worship of our Savior? For thousands of years, people have lived without the attachment of a phone, and they still can. There is no need for you to be bothered with a text during church. If your child is in the nursery, they will be fine. Let the workers handle it. Your child will survive and possibly thrive while you worship.
Satan will use any opportunity to distract you that he can. His desire is to sift you and destroy you. If you don’t put God first and worship Him the way He desires, you are falling right into the hands of Satan. We have minds that drift as soon as a distraction occurs. When the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us, it takes a brief moment to turn our attention to something other than pure worship before God. In Exodus 34:14 and Deuteronomy 4:24 we see that God is a jealous God. He will not share us with anyone or anything. He deserves our best in worship. Stop cheating yourself by allowing the idea that you must have your phone to know what is going on every minute. Stop lying to yourself by telling yourself you are worshiping when your mind is somewhere else. Focus and discipline yourself to truly worship when you go to church.
Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:”
Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”
What would others think our church service is all about if they watched you?
