From Temple to Heart: Embracing the New Covenant

"Jesus affirms for his listeners what he has made clear already namely that nothing is out of control nor will anything get out of control that God is sovereign over all the affairs of history he is the one according to Isaiah the prophet who brings princess to naught and who reduces the rulers of this world to nothing and it is the same God who is in charge of the unfolding sequence of events that Jesus is about to describe for his listeners to these events he says there is a plan and there is a purpose and behind that plan and purpose stands none other than God himself." [00:02:58]

"Jesus here in this particular section is concerned that his followers will neither be disheartened nor deceived he does not want them to be disheartened by the chumults that are about to come upon them nor does he want to be deceived by the people who will begin to move among them making all kinds of spurious claims and we'll see in the weeks that follow that whenever you have the potential for tumult for chaos whenever you reach peculiar events in the stage of human history it does not take very long at all before somebody writes a book explaining exactly what's going on." [00:01:56]

"Now just as the real significance of the structure lay in its religious purpose and not in its architecture so the real significance of the demolition is not ultimately physical but it is rather spiritual and religious and this is the point that I need you to get it is a staggering thought from a purely physical perspective that such a magnificent building would come crumbling down anybody who loves wonderful architecture is going to say what a shame that this will all be destroyed." [00:23:39]

"The issue was that this temple was coming to an end the old dispensation in which God had to be worshiped by outward ceremonies and sacrifices in the temple was coming to an end all of the focus of the people of God on place and ritual and ceremony and circumstance was coming to an end everything that represents represented security to them in terms of what they knew about God and what they knew about where they could meet him and what they knew about how they could approach him was all coming to an end that's what Jesus is saying." [00:24:43]

"Jesus had moved among the people he had declared himself to the religious leaders the people rejected him and in their rejection they're essentially desiring to retain the temple as the center of their own religion that's why incidentally fast forwarding in our minds in the moment of Christ's death you remember that the temple the the curtain in the temple is torn in two it's like it's like God is saying see what I think about your temple see what I think about your holy of holies see what I think about the way that you keep people away from me." [00:29:20]

"Over the ruins of the earthly temple another temple was being established that was the point the reason that we can speak so categorically about the end of this in architectural terms is because of what Jesus had said I've alluded to it already in John chapter 2 and in verse 20. Jesus said to them destroy this temple now raise it again in three days and the Jews replied it's taken 46 years to build this temple and you're going to raise it in three days and then John editorializes he says but the temple he had spoken of was his body." [00:30:27]

"The temple now is the body of Christ it is if you like the church which is his body and instead of all the Jews heading towards a physical temple in Jerusalem the true Israel of God is gathered into the temple of God in the body of Christ Jew and gentile barbarian and Scythian slave and free man and in order to achieve this end Jesus is taking his disciples remember and he's sending them out into the uttermost parts of the earth so that they will go from Jerusalem to Judea and to Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth." [00:32:58]

"Men and women today throughout all the earth coming to the same person not going to the same place this is our message to our friends you may meet Christ on your Damascus road you may meet Christ in your bedroom you may come to Christ and see it a holy place when you find the reality of who he is and what he's done we are not inviting you to a building we are not introducing you to a rigmarole we are not calling upon you to engage in the externals of religiosity we want you to know that it all crumbled and here says the Lord Jesus I'll meet with you." [00:34:59]

"Now I can meet God directly now the Holy Spirit lives in me now Jesus is with me everywhere my friends tell me yes but that's all going to change and we're all going to go back to a physical place back in Jerusalem to a throne and you're going to have to make an appointment to meet Jesus on his throne back in Jerusalem that's why that is anticlimactic I was hoping for something much better after this age than that but you'll just have to sit on your seats and wait as we work our way through this material." [00:36:16]

"The God who made the whole universe does not dwell in buildings made with hands see so if you're going over here to look for it that's not where he is and some of you your whole life is about your religious heritage and where you went looking for him and like Saul of Tarsus you've been good boys and good girls and done your best and observed the framework and the laws and the rules and the regulations but did you meet Jesus did you know that he came seeking to save you do you know that he loves you do you know that he cares about your circumstances." [00:40:34]

"Because he crumbled the temple his body was raised in order that being raised he may draw all men and women to himself Jew and gentile just people like you and me well that gives us a start doesn't it we'll pick it up here next time father thank you for the bible thank you for the rightful sense of intrigue that it creates in our minds especially many of us who have become so pre-programmed in our thinking that it makes a shudder in our seats to imagine that our view of things could be different from what we've conceived." [00:41:43]

"We want you to help us as we continue our studies to realize that the main things are the plain things and the plain things the main things it seems fairly straightforward from these verses that the disciples were intrigued by the building Jesus was clear about its demise they were then intrigued about the timing and Jesus was then concerned that he wouldn't be deceived draw as then we pray to the Lord Jesus Christ and help us to live for him and may grace mercy and peace from father son and holy spirit rest upon and remain with each one who believes today and forevermore." [00:42:51]