Whatever You Took - Give It Back!

When I read the story of Moses and the Hebrews in Egypt, I am amazed at how easily the Hebrews forgot the power of God. This was despite the fact it was on constant display for them through the plagues in Egypt and all during their migration through The Red Sea, wandering in the desert for 40 years, and finally their entering into the Promised Land!

God sent plagues to torment the Egyptians because Pharaoh wouldn’t release the Hebrews. They walked through The Red Sea, God appeared as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night, they were sent manna every morning so they’d have food, and still, they doubted, complained, and worshipped other gods almost nonstop.

I sure am glad we’re not like the Hebrews from Exodus!

Oh wait…...we’re worse!

We steal from God!

The temple in Jerusalem was built to house the spirit of God - the closest He can get to us here on Earth because of the presence of sin. It is a dwelling place where God and His people could be together and God’s people could offer sacrifices for their sins, learn God’s word, and worship Him there. But, like all things because of the presence of sin, it has been corrupted.

Isaiah 56:7 says, “[T]hese I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

The temple, the church, was always intended to be a holy place. But it’s not just a building. Geography isn’t just a dot on a map - it is also the people who inhabit that space. In Jesus’ time, people had begun to use the temple as a place to buy and sell items for sacrifice. There was corruption and greed. The basic laws of economics: Supply and demand were on full display.

“You need a dove to sacrifice for your sins? That will just be 50 denarii. Oh, that’s too much and you can’t afford it? Well, I guess you CAN afford to go to hell...”

In fact, it was so bad that one day, in a full-on display of righteous anger, Jesus drove them all out of the temple quoting scriptures: “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers,’” (Matthew 21:12-13).

In the geography of the church as a place, we steal from God. We find reasons why we can’t attend Sunday Service or be involved in a Bible Study. We easily tip 20% or more to our waiter or waitress but refuse to give 10% to God. We scroll through Facebook instead of listening to the sermon, we show up late or leave early so we don’t have to hear the music, we refuse to volunteer for church clean-up, Vacation Bible School, or any other ministry because _______. YOU fill in the blank.

We don’t linger to fellowship with each other but instead leave during the Doxology or the Lord’s Prayer so we don’t have to talk to anyone. We hold grudges against each other, talk about each other, and hurt each other. Those in authority allow themselves to be corrupted by the world, and everyone else stays silent. We expect the pastor to do everything, be there for us no matter how late or how often we call, and to do for us whatever we need, yet always refuse to help him or her when they need it because ____. Again - YOU fill in the blank.

When God appeared to Moses, the first thing He told him was, “Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground,” (Exodus 3:5). The place where Moses was standing was in the desert on dirt - not in a marble building - and yet God declared it to be Holy Ground. Because God was there.

Is the church where you attend Holy Ground? Is God there?

If the answer is no, then actions need to be taken to bring Him back. Those actions start with the other geography of the church - us. The people who inhabit it.

The first churches recorded after Jesus’ ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost were full of people who understood this. People brought what they had to share with everyone, and people used what God had given them to further the gospel, support fellow believers, and glorify God. Where are those churches today?

 The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in us. John the Baptist said, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit,” (Mark 1:8). If we accept Jesus and claim to be His followers and disciples, then we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. If we come together as a church, and Jesus is there (“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” (Matthew 18:20)), then wherever we are becomes the Temple, and we must treat it as Holy Ground.

Even more - WE become the temple and therefore Holy Ground.

It is easy to define stealing from the church as a building and institution, but we often overlook the stealing we do from ourselves as the temple and indwelling of God. We steal by denying what the Bible says in favor of the “my truth” of the world. We don’t read our Bibles. We only pray when we need something or are in a dark place. We aren’t prudent in the raising of our children nor do we teach them to be followers of Christ. We come to church with bad thoughts and feelings about others, and take communion without thought for the symbolism behind it. We justify our sin. We condemn the specks in others’ eyes. We use scripture to justify sin. There are so many ways we steal from God in the temple of ourselves.

Are you feeling convicted yet? I certainly am. But evidenced throughout the Bible, God has worked hope into His plan.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

We can be baptized with the Holy Spirit daily through the confession of our sins and turn our eyes toward Jesus with the intention of being just like Him. Every day!

We have to stop stealing from God. Stop withholding from God what is His: Prayer, tithe, worship, praise, ministry, the fruits of the spirit, faith, and our actions. We HAVE to.

“Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord,” (Jeremiah 7:11).

AMEN