Church Service 2021-11-14 A Temple Rebuild

A Temple Rebuild

• Our first night in Jerusalem was staying at the Seven Arches Hotel. The hotel was very close to the Mount of Olives. From there was a perfect view if the Old City Jerusalem. The Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque was in plain view. It was the same view Jesus and his disciples had as he was teaching him these lessons.

• Scholars believe Mark was written between 65 to 75 CE. Many date his gospel later because of his prediction of the destruction of the the Temple. The more conservative scholars who believe in the earlier date insist Mark was well aware of the tensions between the Jews and Romans.
• Mark 13 is called the Little Apocalypse.
• The prophecy in the passage is true about any age in human history.
• Signs of the Times people then are never wrong when they believe Jesus’ return is eminent.

2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

• We are a witness to this reality right now. 2020 to the present has shown us how powerful a virus is to not only kill millions of humans but, also shut down the world economy. Create wider rifts between citizens of our country and others.
• All of the Mighty Stones humanity created came crashing down and shut the world down.
• Does this mean that Jesus is coming soon?
• Some may want to believe that. I do not. Why? Because Jesus never left us. His spirit and presence on this earth after 2000 years is still very strong. I choose to live my life around his stories and teachings.
• “Watch out” is the same Greek word used in last weeks passage about the religious leaders. To be possessed by sight, to have the power of seeing, to look with your mind’s eye.
• Mark maybe thought the end was to come in 70 to 75 CE. It probably felt like it. The followers of Jesus were being persecuted severely. His gospel often uses the word, “Immediately.”
• However, the reality was, his world did not come to an end. We are still here. Fighting one another and serving each other. Some are hell bent to destroy while others are committed to building and restoring.
• Jesus used himself as a metaphor of the corner stone of the temple. Destroy this temple and in 3 days I will rebuild it.
• Jesus was that powerful presence of agape! His spirit, his wisdom, his intuition, his teaching and guidance could not be destroyed.
• How does he rebuild the Temple? God rebuilds the temple of love and grace by people like us who embrace the essence of Jesus. As we become more like him we rebuild what others continue to try to destroy.
• Yes, the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and was never rebuilt. Two Temples were built on its foundation. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
• Buildings, human infrastructure are built, marveled at then destroyed and grieved. For our nation the Twin Towers in NY are an example.
• However, the temples that have at their cornerstone the foundation of agape cannot be destroyed. That kind of love is a very powerful force in the universe. The power of agape is a Divine thing.

How about our temple? Will we rebuild our church?

• Who we were as a church will not fade away. Have we taken a hit in membership and attendance? Yes. Have our financial and corporate structures taken a hit? Yes.
• However, who we are and how we choose to be in this world still stands strong. We love unconditionally because that is who we are!
• We give of our wealth to make a better community and world because we take seriously the teachings of Jesus.
• We love and embrace everyone who enters this sanctuary literally and virtually because we have fully embraced God’s directive, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Remember the story of Chicken Little? The Sky is Falling!!!!!!
• Because he believed it and felt very strongly it was true, the sky did not fall!
• Many may have a variety of fears and concerns that create within us a sense of doom. We may feel it is all coming to a tragic end.
• Because we feel it, because we believe it does not mean our current apocalypse is going to destroy everything.
• We will continue to thrive regardless of what our current infrastructure looks like.
• How can I be so sure? Because we embrace God’s unconditional love. We are apart of the eternal structure of the Temple of Christ.
• It is a God thing, Unconditional Love cannot be destroyed. Who we are and what we create in this world will live on for many more generations. Our love for each other and our commitment to feed, clothe, heal, restore and love unconditionally is indeed an eternal reality.

This temple will never be destroyed!