One reason, at least at this point in my life that I have chosen to be on the sidelines but still attend church is the inevitable disappointment of humans. I don’t want to know that only the pastor’s daughter’s jewelry can be sold at the bookstore, that only the pastor’s wife can teach at women’s ministry events, or that the gossip and slander that runs through staff meetings can be seen by anyone who wants to look. I don’t want to know that pastors may not all have the gift of discernment. I don’t want to see power plays behind the scenes. So, I thought if I just went in time to sit in the back and left during the last song, I wouldn’t have to observe any of the above. Sadly, I was mistaken.
In Jeremiah 7, God says, ” 2 j“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord.3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: kAmend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 lDo not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ “For if you truly mamend your ways and your deeds, if you truly nexecute justice one with another, 6 if you ndo not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, mor shed innocent blood in this place, oand if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 pthen I will let you dwell in this place, qin the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever. 8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9 rWill you steal, murder, commit adultery, sswear falsely, tmake offerings to Baal, oand go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, uwhich is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 vHas this house, uwhich is called by my name, wbecome a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord. 12 Go now to xmy place that was in Shiloh, ywhere I made my name dwell at first, and zsee what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and awhen I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and bwhen I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to cthe house uthat is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, zas I did to Shiloh. 15 cAnd I will cast you out of my sight, das I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of eEphraim. 16 “As for you, fdo not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.
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When Jesus flipped tables and was angry – it wasn’t because there was a marketplace, it was because the marketplace was mocking worship and twisting the needs of the people into greed of the marketplace. God wants us to be productive and wise business owners. He does not want his people taken advantage of….I’m again wondering the purpose of of platforms, is it for individuals or is it for the Kingdom? If you are a shepherd and don’t shepherd your people, what are you really?
