The Age of Zealots

Intro – Age of ZealotsGood morning! For those of you who I haven’t had a chance to meet my name is Brian Baughman. I’m a husband, a father, a Life Group leader, and we’ve been attending the church for roughly 6 years.Today’s message is titled Age of Zealots, and we will be in John chapter 2.Maccabean Intro2200 hundred years ago a group of men packed into a room with only a few flickering lights. Times were tough in Jerusalem, and the leader looked around and said, “Guys, you know why we are here. Zeus in the temple, pigs on the alter, the outlawing of Jewish tradition and our way of life…we aren’t going to stand for it!” The Jews were looking to overthrow the ruling Greeks. Revolts are high on optimism and low on results. Generally speaking they fail. This group faced long odds. High probability of death. Low probability of success. Insane amounts of testosterone. The revolt would later be knowns as the Maccabean rebellion. They won. They rededicated the temple. Today when a menorah is lit in December of each year the Jewish people remember their bravery. Later in our message we will circle back the Maccabees, and why I used this illustration.But first, let’s go 150 years after the Maccabean victory, into the future, we find ourselves right here, in John 2. A lot has changed, but let’s think about three things:1.The Romans reign over the JewsHerod the Great has built an amazing templeAnd a carpenter from Nazareth has just begun his earthly ministry.Here’s a picture of the temple: Herod’s temple was huge, 37 acres. It’s hard to do justice with this photo. But to put things into perspective, after the city was destroyed numerous times since the time of Christ, one wall is standing: This wall is over 60 feet tall. It’s called the Western Wall, or the wailing wall. It’s where Jews stick little pieces of paper with prayer written on them and pray to God. Today it’s considered one of the holiest Jewish places.The temple and an outer court and an inner court, which including the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. That will be important for later. The farther into the center of the temple, the more sacred the worship.So John 2 reads:The Passover is a huge deal. They would have hundreds of thousands of worshippers pour into the city to offer a sacrifice. Jesus is going to the temple with his disciples. He sees folks selling animals and exchanging money. Both of these things were necessary. They needed to sell animals because people would travel a long distance and then purchase a temple sacrifice, or they would show up and their animal would not be spotless. Often if they came from another country, they would need to exchange currency upon arriving. Jesus sees these folks, in the outer courts of the temple, and passion filled his heart.So imagine these vendors selling their wares, “Who wants a spotless lamb? Currency for sale!” only to have Jesus, at that time some random guy, get so upset he makes a whip and starts cracking it. Can you imagine? What makes a person go from a normal day, to taking aggressive action? Action that would cause a huge stir.This is the part of the shows Cops when things get crazy and they have to bleep out the swear words because people would have been ticked. “I’m just here trying to feed my family, what’s your problem?”  “Hey dude, the high priest and all of Israel is being served through what we are doing. This is a ministry, not a business.” Imagine how mad the accountants were, with every penny lined up and then the table gets flipped over. It’s like having your QuickBooks deleted, and there is not backup on the cloud.Here’s the problem: the temple, even the outer courts where they were situated, was not a place to be conducting business, but especially not this business. There was a crooked, manipulated system in place where the high priests could disqualify an offering, and then folks had to buy their sacrifice at a higher rate.You might think: Jesus really hates corruption. That’s true. You may be expecting me to talk about preachers on TV that get rich by manipulating donations, or churches you’ve seen the past that fleece their congregations for financial gain.It’s easy to imagine practical things he’s mad about, but if you think about it more, he is fighting for the purity of worship. Gentiles who converted to Judaism were forced to worship in these outer courts, which turned into Best Buy on Black Friday, it was a mad house. He even calls the temple his father’s house. The Holiness and purposes of God should be very important to us. Throughout the Bible God says “for the sake of my name” I do these things. God’s name and his worship is something worth fighting for. And so, verse 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” After he has cleared out the temple, the disciples, see his actions and realize that he driven by a zeal for God.  We will address zeal more in depth later, but for right now, what I’ve said is summarized in point #1 is:Buddy, it’s just a few animals and some tables with money. Is it a big deal? Yes, to Jesus it was. And the purity of worship is still something we should be zealous for. And point #1 is feeding right into point #2:Let me explain. The Jews demand a sign. Like Moses who parted the Red Sea, or Elijah who called down fire from heaven. The religious temple authorities said, “Whoever you think you are – prove it, and give us a sign.” Later in this chapter, we see in verses 23 Jesus would do signs, that very weekend, but wouldn’t perform on demand.When asked for a sign, He goes over their heads. They are like, “What? It took 46 years, including for the first ten years, in which 18,000 men worked full time.” Verse 22 tells us, when he was raised, not right away but after his crucifixion and resurrection, they realized he meant his own body. Here is something I found really interesting: the Greek word that gives us ‘destroy’ means “to dissolve a life by killing, or to set free something that is bound.” The way he phrases this, which doesn’t come across super clearly in an English translation is: If you even dared to try and break this temple up, I’ll bring it back in three days.This is critical: in verses 14 and 15, setting up the narrative, the Greek word for the temple refers to the temple structure. When Jesus says temple, and when the Apostle Paul later uses that word he is referring, not to the structure, but the holy of holies. Maybe you think, “This is all old stuff, we don’t have a temple to clear, or sacrifices or any of that, how does it apply to me?” Think about this, remember this temple?Once a year the high priest would offer sacrifices in the holy of holies. The glory of God would appear. There was a veil protecting this small, inner part of the temple, not a bathtub curtain, it was four inches thick of woven fabric, almost like a super thick blanket. The High Priest would pass through this veil to get into the presence of God, once a year on Yom Kippur. If you watch any of the old Indiana Jones movies, and they are searching for the Arc of the Covenant, because even Hollywood people know of its power, that Arc, was in the holy of holies, where they made this annual sacrifice. One sacrifice, once a year, in the presence of God.So we have a temple and sacrificial system, but it’s going to change. “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,” (Matthew 27:50-51). From the top to the bottom. From heaven down to earth.What once was only for the high priest to do once a year, was now accessible to all. Now the ultimate sacrifice had been made, for all time, by the ultimate high priest. Jesus was replacing the temple. Destroy this temple, and I’ll rebuild it. And, I’ll be greater than the temple. The temple was so important to Jewish life. But it was going away. Jesus even boasted that this would happen when he said in Matthew 12:6, something Greater than the temple is here. He is saying I’m greater than what you think is the purest worship you could ever have.People, who confess their sins and cry out to God for forgiveness, no longer need a temporary sacrifice, now can go boldly to God’s throne, not as strangers, but as children of God.Jesus, before his crucifixion, told his disciples, he would send a comforter, who would guide and teach them. This comforter is the Holy Spirit. Very much a complete part of the Godhead. The holy spirit of God would now reside in a new temple. Friends, if you a believer today, the temple, the place where God dwells, has changed and you are that temple. Don’t believe me? Check out what the apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians says:Jesus is zealous for worship. But the dwelling place of God was going to look significantly different when his ministry was completed. If you are a Christian today you are a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God, and a representative of the mission of the Jesus, which we carry on. This brings us to point #3: Zeal comes from a place of humilityZeal must be honest and transparentZeal … needs a sparkWhen I think of zeal, I think of person who is just really passionate about something. That’s not totally wrong, but it is not what I would initially think.Zeal is rooted in humility Godly zeal is rooted in humility. The Old Testament verse the disciplines remembered when they thought of Jesus comes from Ps 69: 9, “For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.”That word consumed means eaten up. Zeal has totally overtaken me. What’s interesting to me, is how this Psalm is not a really fired up person ready to take over the world, but a really humbled person, crying out to God. That zeal is motivated by seeing God clearly and crying out to Him. Consider these phrases from that Psalm:  The waters are up to my neck, my eyes are weary with crying, my prayer is to you, answer me in your steadfast love. Zeal in the way Jesus used it, was a clear understanding when God’s name is profaned then your name is profaned. Let the dishonor of God be something that we cannot abide.Remember our introduction story? We are right back at the start. The Maccabean rebellion was legendary. And during the time of Jesus, men young and old would have said “our forefather rose up and fought off the Greeks, why can’t we do the same with the Romans? What is stopping us?Imagine this: What if China took us over, and was ruling over us? What if they were here saying, “Pay us taxes, carry my pack for a mile any time I ask.” The Maccabees were legendary to the people of the time of Christ. Friends, if you have caught your passions raging recently this is a feeling you could relate with.But when Jesus walked the earth, an even grittier band was rising up. This group was called the Zealots, who heroically battled, and lost to the Romans. According to Josephus, Zealots, "agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord." They were so zealous; that they lost themselves a little bit, and even started to go after Jews who they felt were not loyal enough. It is a fringe belief that even Paul, prior to his conversion, was a zealot. The name Zealot means “one who is zealous on behalf of God.” Friends, the word zeal is in the name.We don’t have a lot of information on some of the original disciples of Christ. But let’s think for minute about Simon the Zealot. He was known as a zealot. You have “doubting Thomas,” and Matthew the snitch, turn coat, tax collector, and Simon the Zealot. That’s the opposite of Simon the wuss.Forgive for the anachronisms here, but I think it makes a little bit of a point. Imagine Simon rolling with his homies, trying to avoid the Romans, 9 mm strapped to his thigh and a few AR’s hidden in wagon pulled by a donkey. These dudes remembered how valiant the Maccabees were, and said, “We’re not going to let them down.” They said stuff like, “Our founding fathers wouldn’t have put up with this,” or “Paul Revere didn’t ride so that we could have the Romans put their foot our necks.” What would it have been like for Simon’s little band of Zealot to pass Jesus on the road and for their eyes to meet, and Jesus to pause, stare him down in the midst of a busy street and say, “Simon, come and follow me.” Imagine the internal battle, his friends would have said, “We are trying to stay under the radar, how does he know your name?” Simon thought he was following God, only to realize there is a far greater mission to be accomplished. One that is not of this world.Friends, in our current world, just like back then, we are living in an age of Zealots, where passions and tension are running high. Can you be humble enough to put everything else in your life in second place and say, “God you are my priority, and nothing else can get close.” Revolutions will come and go, and you can’t stop them, but you can humble your own heart before God and to be used by him. In the crowed and polarized world that we live in, on the road of life, the King of Kings knows your name, and he still asking you to follow him. If you can be humble, you can move on to the second part of zeal,Zeal must be honest and transparentIf you can be humble before God, then the next step is to be honest and transparent with others, so you can truly get beyond the natural tendencies we all have holding us back. If the Pharisees or other Jewish leaders had been honest with themselves they would have been able to see their own legalism. They were the problem. If the vendors who had moved inside the temple had gotten out of their world they might have realized they should move the shops outside. It’s natural to cloister people who affirm us, often our personal detriment. We start to justify some behaviors and over condemn things that we don’t struggle with. In fact, I want to challenge you to ask ten people, most of whom you aren’t exactly like, “How can I live for God and how can I help you live for God?” You’ll be amazed at the edification that comes from generating conversation like this.Let’s have some real talk. Both of my grandpa’s, one only very rarely, but the other one kind of all the time, used racial slurs. They’ve both passed away and would have been in their 90’s if they were alive today. The use of slur by past generation usually generates two different responses, you’ll lean one way:  That was cultural at the time and that’s just who they were, which is not ok, anti-racism is my idol, and love judging people because I have a better handle on this than they do. We can respect the many good things, while openly and honestly talking about the sins of our past. But rather than look at our past, are you willing to look at you, today? Are you willing to be honest about your own life and your short comings? Do you have people in your life who aren’t exactly like you, that can give you feedback you will take?I hope. I truly hope, that humility and transparency grows in the church of Jesus Christ, that the Spirit of God moves in such a way that my great grandchildren will not just have a few bad things to say about me and this generation. I hope that they are so captured by the holiness and purposes of God that they are disgusted with 2021. I hope they are disgusted with Millennial Generation great –grandparents. They’ll say, “Wait, you gave in, hook, line and sinker, to an outrage culture, distracted by such dumb stuff? Wait, the foster care was overwhelmed with 400,000 kids, and you just watched Netflix like nothing was wrong? Wait, were you just going to pretend the pornography was sweeping across the globe and taking no prisoners? Approaching 100 billion dollar industry. Wait, 40 million people were being held in modern slave conditions and it never crossed your mind? Wait, you had all the free time in the world and you didn’t get to know any of your neighbors? People were crying out for community, signing up for zoom counseling, zoom therapy and even zoom psychics, and you did think to walk next door to even say hi? Wait, people were concerned religious freedoms being eroded, but you weren’t sharing your faith to begin with? Oh my word, what if Big Tech censors us?! What will we do? Were you even sharing your faith when you had all the freedoms in the world?” For many of you, if the government made evangelism illegal your life would have little to no real-world changes. That George Orwell, 1984 type government inspector would come to your house and say, “Oh, you shared your faith once in the last 15 years. Oh good, threat level, low.”Oh my, there’s a Democrat in the White House, what are we going to do? Bro, are you a Christian? Jesus said his servants were not of this world, but a lot us sure act like we are. Many people in this country, and some of you, need to take a hard look at what you put on social media, but more importantly the heart behind it. I’m not casting stones unnecessarily, I’ve made a fool of myself many times online, but we can be better. I’m like an alcoholic showing up to AA telling the other guys, this is crazy but if you stop drinking for a few weeks life will be better. If there is a Facebook Hall of Fame for morons, I’m on that list. When they do tours of Facebook, they’ll say, “Here is Brian Baughman, whose peak was really 2010-2015, the Babe Ruth of Facebook dumbness.”But here is why it’s important to me. I know people, who should be involved in discipleship, and I try to connect people, and I’ve said to a friend, “What about that those people disciplining you, getting to know them?” And very humbly, but honestly, the response was, “I’ve seen the stuff they put on Facebook, and I don’t think that will work for us.” Think about it. Could your social media presence, which reveals your heart, be a part of you holding back discipleship opportunities? Do not put your guard up. Ask yourself, “Do I want to be part of what God is doing, in a radical way, by being honest with myself, or do I want to come to church, sit in a pew, and coast through the end of my life?” Friends, this is where the rubber meets the road. Where you are forced to look yourself in the mirror.On a lighter note, I feel bad for those of you who have only been with us for a few weeks, maybe just visiting. Driving home from church “How did you like the sermon dear?” “The bald preacher… he’s mean. Where is the tall, good looking preacher? The one who uses science analogies.” Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon.If you can be humble, and honest, and transparent, desiring to grow, then our third application for zeal can take placeAsk God for a Spark  Ask God to light a tiny spark of zeal in your heart. Light just a tiny spark for zeal. Say, “God, use me. God, take my life and let me make a difference for your name.”Jesus cleared the temple which was both physically aggressive and dramatic, but also displayed zeal for God in ways that were less assuming. Jesus left the comfort of the city and went to the far reaches of the region. He visited leper colonies and people that were outcasts. I know people who are quiet and don’t make a scene, but they are committed to God and getting to know them or hearing of their actions will inspire you. Bottom line: when you see someone acting in zeal, you’ll know.Today, I want to ask some of you wake up and be zealous for God. If you are a Christian the time is now to cry out to God that you would be zealous for his name and his worship, and it starts in your own heart.  What do you need to remove from your life to get back to really focusing on God? What tiny changes might be necessary? What radical changes might be necessary? Some of you should say out loud to your friends, over the course of this week and beyond, “I want to make changes in my life to live with zeal for God, what should I do? What should we do?”   Don’t say, “I’m too old.” In the last few years, I reconnected a friend, a Christian man in his sixties, who had lived for decades, doing just fine. His whole life had changed, God used his story and that lunch circumstances to show me that God can reinvigorate lives, and he wants to. I remember telling my wife, “I had lunch with so and so today and he is like a new man,” and I am totally inspired.Today I want some of you to commit to making changes for God that will rewrite your obituary. I want you live in such a way, that it will reframe what people say and think at your funeral. “Oh Bill was nice and loved to fish and loved his grandkids. No! Bill was a Christian, and he was consumed with God. In big ways and small, he lived for God. He is an inspiration. I want people to say on that day “Everybody knows that this guy was sold out for God. Or, everybody knows that this lady was small is small in stature and a giant in prayer.”Today I want to call some of you to be zealous for God. Unplug your tv, or delete those apps for a while so you can reconnect with God. Walk as Jesus did, with a heart for the marginalized and outcast, not just your own easy life. Join a bible study or start a bible study. Look for discipleship opportunities. Be involved in the foster care system or adoption, or partner financially and prayerfully with families or ministries who do. Some of you need to think about adopting a family in prayer. Imagine starting a prayer legacy. Some of you are older, partner with a younger family and adopt them in prayer.Say you, until I die, I’m praying for your family and your kiddos. Commit to sharing your faith in the next 30 days. Meet your neighbors – they are weird – honestly you’re probably kind of weird too.Friends, the Lord Jesus Christ lived with Zeal that exploded on temple grounds, but never left him throughout his complex and dynamic ministry. It was with him in remote places and when he was dealing with very difficult circumstances. It followed him all the way to the cross. This year’s theme is Life in His Love. So let’s live that life in his love by being humble, transparent, and asking God to light a spark.