Jesus had to tear it all down so that He could restore it. | Week 2 | Indivisible Series
“And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.” ~ Matthew 12:25 NASB1995
“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ”Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” ~ Matthew 12:28-29 NASB1995
Jesus has come to set up His Fathers Kingdom. Jesus was saying I am in Unity with the Father and need nothing else to operate except HIS AUTHORITY!
Revival~ We often talk about revival but revival starts with prayer. Revival begins in your abiding with God. Spending time with God in His word. Having a compassion for Gods people and hurting for the lost.
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. 12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. 15 Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” ~ Mark 11:11-17 NASB 1995
Jesus had to tear it all down so that He can/could restore it. Jesus did what no one else was willing to do! The outer court was the only place where people like you and me were allowed to worship and pray so Jesus came back to tear down a system that was set up to hold back His perfect design from creation.
Do we understand that perfect dominion has been given unto us.? Power & authority we’ve been given dominion not as domination! When we read how God has given us dominion it is not to dominate but rather to use what authority we carry in “connection with Him” by abiding with Him. God is the true King then He can delegate His dominion unto us as sons and daughters.
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. ~ Mark 11:11 NASB 1995
Jesus came to the temple for one thing… to look around and assess. He went to Bethany because Bethany represented a place of rest / a place where he could get away and process with God. In other words he made room/ he made time to ABIDE.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ~ John 15:7 NASB 1995
To ABIDE is to stay connected to the vine.. to make room for intimacy with the father… but abiding in Gods word is how we fuel the fire of prayer!
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ~ John 15:4-9 NASB 1995
Abide with Me! Remain with Me! Dwell with Me! Be present with Me! Stay close to Me! Stay in relationship with Me! Continue in intimacy with Me!
When we Abide, He then becomes our guide! In that place of connection we hear and then we get to speak His truth and do what He is saying. When we abide He makes our ways prosperous/effective.
Once said to abide is to renounce any independent life of our own, to give up, trying to think our thoughts, or form our resolutions, or cultivate our feelings, and simply, and constantly looking to Christ to think his thoughts in us, to form his purposes in us, to feel his emotions and affections in us. It is to renounce all life, independent of Christ, and constantly to look to Him for the flow of His life into us, and the outworking of His life through us. ~ R.A. Torrey in his book How to Pray
12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. ~ Mark 11:12-14 NASB 1995
Let’s stop pretending and start ABIDING! God didn’t curse the tree for not having fruit but for pretending to be something it wasn’t.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB 1995
I’m not just saved.. I’m forgiven! So as a new creation I get to live out a new life! So it doesn’t matter the season because I should always have fruit to eat!
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” ~ John 2:13-16 NASB 1995
He said this is my Father’s house that you turned into a business.. in other words He took ownership (my father’s house) and if it was His father’s house then he had to be a son.
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. ~ John 2:17-22 NASB 1995
Jesus was looking to clean house and so should we. As we get things in order – remove what doesn’t fit and make room for the right things.
- Make room for His presence…
- Make space to Abide…
- Make way for prayer!!!
15 Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. ~ Mark 11:15-16 NASB 1995
Jesus wanted to give us access so much so that he took us out of the outer court, skipped the inner court and placed us right into the Holy of Holies. He gave us direct access to God through the son… if we chose to abide.. And WHEN we do His prayers become our prayers… His heart becomes our heart for the nation. Going after the lost then becomes our passion. Setting people free is part of what we do. Praying for people becomes the natural in His supernatural !
We don’t have to beat people or fight with them. What Jesus did was standup up for righteousness! Honor His Father! Hold the line with His word! Release what you carry! Honor your God! Stand up for truth / righteousness! LOVE THE LORD with all your heart!
17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” 18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. ~ Mark 11:17-18 NASB 1995
To ABIDE is so important. Jesus didn’t just clean the temple He also spoke and taught them. He took authority of the situation and then He spoke truth. Just as we should and boldly when things are not in line with The will of The Father!
God cannot build on what is faulty. He must bring everything down according to the purpose of building and planting on a firm foundation.
9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.” ~ Jeremiah 1:9-10 NASB 1995
Words of Knowledge
- We believe the Lord wants to heal someone suffering with sciatica in both legs.
- We believe we heard the Lord say He is healing broken hearts along with all its side effects: chest pains, shortness of breath, fatigue, joint pain, hormonal imbalances, persistent sadness, panic attacks, hopelessness, nausea, and abdominal pain.