Life on Mission

Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 7:1-2; Mark 11:15-19; James 4:17

If you see something, say something.

CIT: Jesus enters the temple and rebukes the Pharisees.

CIS: If you see something, say something. 

SO: The hearer will become more vocal and active in their faith.

Follow along at d1.church/notes.

Intro:  Life on Mission

Last week, we talked about our Co-Mission. It is found in Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

This week and over the next few weeks, we will explore practical applications to expand on how we can live out this scripture in our daily lives. 

I travel a lot in airports, and they make this announcement about every ten minutes in the terminals: “This is a special security announcement. Please maintain control of your personal belongings at all times. Any unattended bags shall be confiscated. If you notice an unattended bag in the terminal, please notify a Passenger Service Agent immediately.” When I hear this, I am internally reminded of a simple saying that I think I learned after the Boston Marathon bomber in 2013 left a backpack that contained an explosive device near a crowd of people watching the race. The young bombers entered the crowd with backpacks, dropped them off, and then walked out of the crowd. In the investigation that followed, many bystanders reported noticing the backpack but did not think it could be harmful or that it might have belonged to someone nearby. Somewhere in the media coverage, this phrase was repeatedly mentioned. “If you see something, say something.”

While this is an incredible piece of information in a world where every day and in every situation it seems can become ugly pretty quickly due to domestic terrorism and evil, this information can help guide us in how to be vocal about Christianity. 

I want to acknowledge that at no time do I believe we should be judgmental about another person’s walk with Christ. Legalism from the Pharisees was consistently rebuked by Jesus. Christ is not about more rules and loss of freedom or autonomy; it is about the opposite, in fact. Jesus warns us not to judge in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 

What I am going to talk about today is walking out Christianity in a broken world. How should the church respond to blatant evil and social issues that we encounter in everyday life? 

1. Jesus at the temple (Mark 11:15-17)

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 

EXP: The story of Jesus flipping over the tables in the Temple court is found in all four Gospels. Jesus enters the Holy City, which is during the Passion Week leading up to his death. Jesus arrives at the temple, and he sees the outer court filled with vendors who have come for Passover week to serve the Jewish community, as many sacrifices are needed for the travelers. They are set up in what is called the Outer court, which is the only place Gentiles can come to witness worship of the Jewish God by his people. One of the accounts states that Jesus made a whip and then, after making it, began to upset the tables and drive out the merchants, preventing others from coming in. He identifies two key points in this scripture that we can understand as the lesson. ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? This is a scripture from Isaiah, where God discusses the temple. Specifically, Isaiah is referring to the day when God will be accessible to Gentiles. And then he contrasts it with  ‘But you have made it a den of robbers.’ This is a quote from Jeremiah 7, which is a rebuke of the priests who are supposed to keep the temple worthy of God’s purposes. 

ILL: It was not a problem for people to exchange money for sacrificial items such as doves or livestock. Jesus was not mad that buying and selling were taking place. Moses commanded Deutoronomy 14:24-26: But if that place is too distant and you have been blessed by the Lord your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the Lord will choose to put his Name is so far away), then exchange your tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the Lord your God will choose. Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine, or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your household shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and rejoice. The law provided for this type of transaction. The custom of doing it inside the temple was not God’s idea, because it caused a couple of problems.

1. The outer court was designed as a place where Gentiles could be. This place was made for foreigners to come to a saving knowledge of God. To allow those who do not know God to see those who do know Him worship God properly. 
2. Led to the corruption of the priesthood. Having it inside the temple most likely was a corrupt money-making scheme by the priests. Selling prime spots, taking cuts. 

So, preventing God’s house from being called a house of prayer for ALL nations, and creating a den of robbers, corrupt priests. We do not have to wonder about Jesus’ points. 

APP: Jesus arrived at the table and saw something, and said something. 

T.S.: Jesus was trying to communicate a straightforward point. There was a teaching and a message that all four Gospel writers wanted us to know. Those present got it.

2. The Reaction (Mark 11:18-19).

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

EXP: After this moment in the temple, the Chief Priests and teachers knew that Jesus’ teaching was a direct threat to their way of life. They were afraid and conspired to have him killed. The crowd thought his teaching moment was revolutionary. All people could come to God through Jesus; no one was restricted. Jesus and his disciples left and went home.

Priests- murder in their hearts

Crowd- Amazed and Blessed

Jesus and Disciples- Continued with the mission

ILL: To be effective in sharing the gospel or any other message, you will need to make your point and allow others to respond. 

When I trained managers for a living, I would encourage them to do this thing if they wanted to be the most effective. I would challenge them with this saying, “If everything you saw with your eye, immediately came out of your mouth, how much more would you get done?” I remember as a younger manager walking by an overflowing trash can and thinking, “I’ll come back in a minute, when I am done with my current errand, and get someone to take this can out.” Then I would come back 2 hours later, and the trash can was even worse. You see, I am forgetful and cannot do it all on my own. But if I had, while still walking, called a nearby person by name and asked them to take out the trash can, they would have done it, and I would have never had to think about it again. 

You see, managers always knew what to do; they just didn’t get it done. However, by communicating what we see, we can encourage others to help us and even effect a real change in our environment.

APP: How much more effective would we be if we just said something and went on to the task at hand? We lose because we are not thinking about he mission properly. We are waiting on someone else, or worse, we are hoping that others will just do the right thing. 

All clearly received Jesus’ message, and then he left. He did not return the next day to do it again. 

T.S.: What can we draw from this story for our lives?

3. Activism (James 4:17)

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

EXP: James encourages the church to take action and not just words. Pretty bluntly, he tells us that if we know what is good and don’t do it, it is sin for us. 

ILL: How can the church be effective at change in the fallen world?

Abortion- 1. We can elect officials who support our values. 2. We can support pregnancy centers that educate mothers. 3. We can pray. 4. We can adopt. 5. We can support mothers who need help. 

Homelessness- 1. We can provide resources for shelters 2. We can help people find resources for mental health support. 3. We can open a food pantry. 

Divorce- 1. We can teach about Godly marriage. 2. We can provide counseling. 3. We can run a small group or seminar on marriage. We can help those in bad relationships get out. 

Food Insecurity- 1. Food Pantry. 2. Open our doors for the Summer Food Program. 3. Buy food for the family. 4. Serve Thanksgiving meal. 

We do not have to do it all; we just have to do something. 

APP: Church, if we want to be effective in Christianity, we must speak out when we see something wrong. “If you see something, say something.” James says we have to do something if we know what is right. 

T.S.: Living a life on Mission means we are activists for our cause. 

I want to pray for three groups today:

1. Some of you have gotten so upset that you started flipping tables and kept flipping tables. Your message got lost. Jesus and his disciples went home at night.
2. I pray that you will speak practically and allow God to spread the word through others as well.
3. Some of you just keep walking past egregious offenses to God and never utter a word. You think you will get back to it, but do not. 
4. I pray you will understand that being effective is being vocal.
5. Some of you are being called to action today. That action may be salvation. 
6. I pray for salvation.