Sermon Central
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Cleanse The Temple
Contributed by David Dailey on May 23, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: Junk builds up sometimes a good house cleaning is in order
CLEANSE THE TEMPLE
Having therefore, these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves of all filthiness, of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Notice that God is saying that we are the temple where he chooses to dwell, and he is saying that he wants the temple to be clean.
This exhortation is sent to the beloved, the one who will receive the promise.
Now would you turn with me to II Chronicles chapter 29? This is speaking about the beginning of the reign of Hezekiah. Now before I read the verses I want you to say, so we don’t forget, "We are the temple of the Lord."
Now verses 2-3. I believe that God is calling to us in this hour to open the doors of the temple and clean out the cobwebs and take out the trash.
In verse 5 the call was given to : Sanctify the house of the Lord God of you fathers and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. In plain talk; take out the trash.
Hezekiah began by reopening the doors of the temple. Hezekiah saw the need to get spiritural things in order first. He placed this ahead of the social problems of Judah.
We read in chapter 28 verse 24 that Ahaz had closed up the doors of the temple.
Many people today have closed up the doors to the temple where the Gospel is concerned. The doors to our temple would be our ears and our eyes. And many Christians have closed theirs ears and eyes. They have shut up the doors to the house of the Lord.
A lot of the church world is now in favor of putting homosexuals into the pulpit and in favor of abortion. They have closed the doors on their heart from the truth of God and their heart has become like an old cellar that is closed up from the light; cold and dark with ugly things crawling about.
The good news is that the Word of God has disinfecting power and the blood of Jesus cleans whiter than snow.
Now if you would turn with me to Luke chapter 15 verses 8-10.
The woman had 10 pieces of silver, but she discovered that one was missing.
You know maybe you are still going to church and still hanging on but lately you have discovered that something is missing.
My friend, don’t get satisfied with 9 if God gave you 10.
Look what this lady did. She lit a candle. She swept the house. She sought diligently until she found what she had lost.
Do you know that this is a picture of the church in her finest hour? Turning on the light, cleaning her house, and seeking diligently that which is lost.
Very often in the natural when we have lost something, when we start cleaning house, we find it.
I believe if we would have a spiritual house cleaning and open the doors of our heart to the light that we will most likely find what we have lost.
When we take that old load of discouragement out, we may find our joy again. Find your joy and it will lead you to strength.
If you want to know how to get rid of discouragement, read Psalms 43:5. Hope in God and praise.
In Jesus name cast out that burden of fear and you will find your courage.
The Lord told Joshua, "I will not fail thee nor forsake. Be strong and of good courage."
II Timothy 1:7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Often when we think of a cleaning of our temple we only think in terms of some awful sin, but I want to tell you today that fear,disappointment,grief, loneliness and such are also some items that we can do without.
Dispair, hopelessness, bitterness, and depression: These are things that in Jesus name we can take out of the temple.
Matthew 13:22 says that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches can choke the Word in you and cause you to become unfruitful.
Let me express it to you like this: Once I went to a man’s house to deliver a new riding mower. He had a garage and a building, but both were full of junk. I mean junk! He had boxes of empty 2 liter bottles and stacks of old newspapers, and the new mower had to sit outside. He needed to get rid of some things.
David was beloved of God and in Psalms 51:10-12 David wrote, "Create in me a clean heart O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.
