SPRING CLEANING IN GOD’S HOUSE

Matthew 21:12-16

INTRODUCTION:  Have you ever considered cleaning your house from a spiritual standpoint?  According to the Word of God there are four houses that God has lived in and cleaned!  The first house was Adam, a product of God’s creation.  That was God’s first house until sin separated man from God and then God moved out.  The second house of God was the Tabernacle and the Temple of God.  That house also became polluted by man’s sin and God moved out.  The third house of God was Jesus Christ Himself and He was a perfect house: John 2:19.   However, when Jesus took on man’s sin on the cross God moved out of that house also: Matthew 27:46.  The fourth and final house of God is His permanent house and that is every Christian: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  When God moves into a Christian’s heart He has promised to never move out!  So, what does God do when sin moves into His permanent house?

THE HOUSE OF GOD POLLUTED!

Matthew 21:12-13: When Jesus walked into the House of God the Temple of God He found it polluted!  What caused the pollution?  For one thing, there was the dishonest business that was being conducted.  The money changers were making a fortune exchanging foreign currency for Jewish currency to pay the Temple tax.  They also sold doves for the “poor man’s offering at a markup of almost twenty times the regular price.  And even worse, these doves were imperfect and not acceptable to God for offerings.  In the Temple of God were there should have been reverence there was robbery going on.  The same might be said for the Church of God today and for many Christians today: 1 Corinthians 6:20.

THE HOUSE OF GOD PURGED!

Jesus purged the Temple of God in three ways: 1.) He drove the polluters out! Matthew 21:12; John 2:13-15.  Jesus still drives out the pollution of each true Christians life: Hebrews 12:5-8.  Our God is Holy and He has promised to keep His house holy!  2.) He turned it over!  Matthew 21:12: The God of order turned His house into a place of disorder!  If your life is full of disorder could it possibly be God who has caused your life to turn over because you will not clean out His house?  3.) He tidied it up!  God will not allow His house to stay unclean!

THE HOUSE OF GOD PERFECTED!

God’s House was to be a house of prayer: Matthew 21:13.  Every Church and every Christians is to be a house of prayer!  God’s House is to be a place of power!  Matthew 21:14.  Once Jesus cleaned His House it once again became a place of healing and power!  God’s House is to be a place of praise!  Matthew 21:15.  When we get right with our God and clean house, He will once again make us people of prayer and people of praise:  We believe that Jesus has the power to save us but we do not want His power to sanctify us.  Do you desire to have your house clean so that once again you can be filled with the Spirit of God and have the power to live for His glory?  2 Timothy 1:7: If God must clean His house it is only because as a church or as an individual Christian we will not seek to have Him keep us clean for His glory!