The Bible Breakdown

Isaiah 56: Jesus the Church Bouncer

• Brandon Cannon • Episode 634

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Speaker 1:

Well, everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, isaiah, chapter 56, and today's title is Jesus the Church Bouncer. Jesus the Church Bouncer and I don't mean like a bouncy house, I mean the guy that will beat you up if you get out of line. And if you think that I am being heretical and I'm being mean, just hang on. Okay, because it's going to get fun today. If you like what we're doing here, though, before we do anything else, make sure you get your Bible out and while you're doing that, also make sure you are liking, sharing and subscribing to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast. It really does help. Also, make sure that you are. It doesn't cost you anything, but it helps us get the word out. And make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown Discussion on Facebook. There's an amazing group of people who are doing wonderful devotions every day, and then, when we dig, then we'll be fine. Well, if you get your Bible out with me Isaiah 56, remember I told you that one of the great things we get to do in Isaiah because the overall idea of Isaiah is God is our salvation. God's word is not just talking about the salvation God wants to give the nation now, but also about the coming King, the coming Messiah anointed, one that was going to come. We now know it's Jesus, but at the time they didn't know. They just knew that there was a coming King that was going to save them, and so we said we were going to go on this treasure hunt of places that would either talk about Jesus or places where Jesus would quote scripture later. Well, there's a verse here that was quoted about Jesus and about what he did in his life. So here's this moment when Jesus goes to the temple, and there's some scholars that actually think he might've done this two different times in his ministry, so apparently they didn't learn their lesson the first time. I don't know.

Speaker 1:

But Jesus goes into the temple and he sees at the front of the temple there are all these people who are buying and selling different animals for sacrifice. Now, here's the thing what they were doing was not a problem, because people were having to come from Jewish people from all over the known world, because when they were scattered, when eventually Babylon destroys them, because they don't listen spoiler alert they never all come back together to Jerusalem. So some of these people are coming from all over the known world once a year to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices for their sins. Well, if they have to have a sheep that is without spot, without blemish, by the time they get to Jerusalem, that sheep is now blemished and spotted, and so a lot of times what they would have to do is buy a sheep. So it wasn't a problem if they were buying and selling.

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The problem, according to history we now know is, is because they had no choice but to buy there a lot of the temple. Priests and just corrupt people were charging them two and three times what that sheep was worth, because what are you going to do? You can't not do this. So they were gouging the people. That's why Jesus got upset, because he was saying this is supposed to be a house of worship, but you've turned it into a den of thieves. Other translations say a marketplace. And so he was saying they are stealing from God's people, they're gouging God's people. That was the problem.

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And so where did Jesus get this idea of my house will be a house of prayer? Well, first of all, because it's his house. Second of all, he wasn't just saying that, he was quoting from Isaiah, chapter 56. And so, if you're ready, let's read this and think about Jesus the bouncer. He's thinking about this and he's like oh, no, no, no, let me show you guys where the door is. And so we'll talk about that in a minute, but right now let's read Isaiah 56, verse one says this this is what the Lord says Be just and fair to all Remember that was the problem, they weren't being just and to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you. Blessed are all those who are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. Don't let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say the Lord will never let me be part of his people. Don't let the eunuchs say I am a dried up tree with no children and no future. I'm not talking about that today.

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All right, verse four, for this is what the Lord says I will bless the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me. I will give them, within the walls of my house, a memorial and a name far greater than sons or daughters could give, for the name I give them is an everlasting one and it will never disappear. Verse 6,. I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest and who hold fast to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and I will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices here. It is because my temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, for the sovereign Lord who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says I will bring others too, besides my people, israel.

Speaker 1:

And then he talks about, as we finish the chapter, about the bad leaders that are there that are corrupting things. Here we go, verse 9. Come wild animals of the field, Come wild animals of the forest. Come and devour my people For the leadersour my people, all following their own path, the intent of my own personal gain. Come, they say. Let us get some wine and have a party. Let's all get drunk. Then tomorrow we'll do it again and have an even bigger party.

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And so what Isaiah is saying is is there are these corrupt leaders who are doing bad things. Let them be disciplined, but you come and experience the goodness of God and let my house be a place where you can connect with me. That's what prayer is. Prayer is fellowship with God, and so what is happening is is there are these corrupt leaders who are just gouging the people, getting drunk and just wasting away While the people are trying to connect with God and God's saying no, no, we're not going to do that. And so you can see now why Jesus gets so frustrated. It's because the people some of them have traveled for weeks to get to Jerusalem and they're wanting to worship God, and these evil leaders are putting so many of these blocks in their way, and Jesus the Bible says Jesus got a whip and and beat up these people. That's one of the things I don't understand.

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People say that the Jesus of the new Testament is so very different from the God of the old Testament. Can I tell you, no, he's not. No, he's not. Jesus says all this wonderful stuff and if you've been reading the Bible with me, god says all this wonderful stuff in the old Testament as well. But Jesus took a whip and, like a bouncer, busted these guys up because they were taking God's house that was supposed to be good and turning it into gouging the people so they couldn't connect with God. And Jesus said no, not going to do that. And can I tell you, nothing is going to stop God from getting to you. If you seek after him, he'll do whatever is necessary. Now, once again, there's nothing wrong with them buying and selling stuff there. It was the fact that they were abusing the people. And can I tell you once again, god will not let anything stand in your way if you are trying to get to him, and I want to say that to you as we get ready to end our time together.

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Maybe there's times in your life when you've had some bad experiences at church. Maybe you've had some times in your life when you've had bad experiences with people who have called themselves Christians. Can I tell you, if somebody were to play, were to play, going to play the piano, they were going to play Beethoven and they played it terribly you wouldn't blame Beethoven. You would play the person playing Beethoven, right. And so if someone is a bad Christian, we don't blame God. We blame the person trying to be the Christian right. And so there may have been people in your life who tried to hurt you in the name of God. Can I tell you that wasn't God, and God will judge them in his own time.

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But as for you, nothing can stop you from getting to God.

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If you are seeking after him, so don't stop seeking after him.

Speaker 1:

God wants to have fellowship with you, and that's what prayer is. Prayer is fellowship with God. So I want to encourage you today Don't let anybody stop you from getting closer to God, because that's what God's after God is, after restoring the relationship all the way back in the Garden of Eden. And that's why Jesus came was to rescue us and put us back in fellowship with him. And so today, seek after God and he will be found by you. Let's pray together, god. Thank you so much for today. Thank you that you are with us and that you are for us. I pray, god, that you will help us to never stop seeking after you and, as we do, show yourself strong in our lives. In Jesus' powerful name, amen, amen, well, say this with me. God's word says in Isaiah, chapter 12, verse 2, god has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has given me victory. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Isaiah, chapter 57.

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Brandon Cannon

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