Jesus ends His ministry much like He began it, overturning tables in the Temple. Only this time, Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56 when He says, my House shall be a house of prayer for all nations. It's not our house, it's His House and He wants it to be a house of prayer.

Mark 11:15-18

Mark 11:15-18 ESV

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.

17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

Isaiah 56:1-8 ESV

Thus says the Lord:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

for soon my salvation will come,

  and my righteousness be revealed.

2 Blessed is the man who does this,

  and the son of man who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,

  and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,

  “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;

and let not the eunuch say,

  “Behold, I am a dry tree.”

4 For thus says the Lord:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,

  who choose the things that please me

  and hold fast my covenant,

5 I will give in my house and within my walls

  a monument and a name

  better than sons and daughters;

I will give them an everlasting name

  that shall not be cut off.

6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

  to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,

  and to be his servants,

everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

  and holds fast my covenant—

7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,

  and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

  will be accepted on my altar;

for my house shall be called a house of prayer

  for all peoples.”

8 The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

“I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”

Here are some ways we want to help make sure that this house, God's House remains a house of prayer:

• Sunday prayer group at 9:30am to pray over every area of the building and every chair in the auditorium - for the band, volunteers, pastors and every person who the Holy Spirit brings through the doors.
• We will be utilizing our online prayer wall - found on the website - so you can submit prayers and pray for others all in one place.
• If after the service you could use some extra prayer we'll make this small room available and will be looking for a couple people each week to just be available to pray with anyone who might seek it.

This is how we hope to keep This House a house of prayer for all people. Because it's not our House it's His House and He should get to determine what happens here. 

NEXT WEEK: Living Stones - part 1

with Terry Deaver