Beyond the Weekend

March 10 | Hypocrisy

March 10, 2015

Text: Luke 19.45-48

One of the main reasons people are reluctant to join the church is because of hypocrisy—either real or imagined. Not only did early church leaders deal with this problem, even Jesus was forced to address it.

In one of Jesus’ first encounters in Jerusalem, he enters the temple and sees something which made absolutely no sense: people selling meat for sacrifices and then keeping some of the money for themselves. They had changed God’s “house of prayer” (Isaiah 56.7) into a “den of robbers” (Jeremiah 7.11). These two Old Testament references were a clear attack on the religious leaders, and they knew it.

The stealing of money wasn’t even the worst part of what these moneychangers were doing: they’d set up shop in the “Court of the Gentiles,” the place for God-fearing Gentiles to worship God. The moneychangers were not only taking money from people, they’d completely cut off any opportunity for the Gentiles to worship.

One way you can help Ada Bible Church become a “house of prayer,” where everyone can worship God, is by serving as a volunteer at weekend services. Stop by the Information Center at your campus or go here to learn more.

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