Worshiping in the Temple of Pleasure

You were created to worship God.

Psalm 150:6
Let every living thing praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

You were created to serve God.

Matthew 4:10
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

You were created to love God.

Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

We can measure what we worship, serve and love by looking at:
- What we spend our money on.
- What we spend our time doing.
- What we are devoted to.

When you look at this three areas of the American culture you will see that what we worship, serve and love is - Pleasure.

The culture says, “If it feels good do it!”
The culture says, “It’s my body I can do what I want with it.”
The culture says, “It’s my life. I can do what I want with it.”
But I hear the worship of pleasure even in the church.
The church says, “I deserve to have that.”
The church says, “I deserve to be happy.”
The church says, “Well, God wants me to be happy.”

We need to move from worshiping at the Temple of Pleasure to worshiping at the Temple of God.

How do we move from the temple of pleasure to God’s temple?

First, let Jesus be your portion.

Lamentations 3:24
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

As your portion He is your provision and security.

Psalm 16:5
Lord, You are my portion and my cup [of blessing]; You hold my future.

As your portion He is your strength.

Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and Portion forever.

As your portion His is your refuge.

Psalm 142:5
I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

If you make pleasure your god then:
- You will be disappointed.
- You will wind up with a lot of hurt.
- You will not find satisfaction.

If you let Jesus be your God then:
- You will never be disappointed.
- You will experience peace.
- You will be satisfied.

Second, let Jesus be your satisfaction.

Jeremiah 25:31
I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary and full refresh the souls of those who are faint.

Jesus will satisfy you by:

His Love

Psalm 90:14
When morning comes, let your love satisfy all our needs. Then we can celebrate and be glad for what time we have left.

His Good Gift

Proverbs 5:18-19
Let your own fountain be blessed, and enjoy the girl you married, when you were young, a loving doe and a graceful deer. Always let her breasts satisfy you. Always be intoxicated with her love.

Jesus will satisfy:

Our Needs

Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you always: He will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strength of your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Our Desires

Psalm 145:16
Opening Your hand and satisfying the desire of every living thing.

When pleasure is your god it leads to:
- Emptiness (not being satisfied)
- Hopelessness (believing we will never be satisfied)

When Jesus is your God it leads to:
- Fullness
- Hope

Ephesians 4:13
Until we all reach the unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Romans 5:5
Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

In 1 Kings 18 Elijah has a country-changing contest with the false god Baal and his prophets. Elijah challenges them to a contest to see who is the true God.

In 1 Kings 18:21 it says, “Elijah stood up in front of all the people and asked them, ‘How long will you try to have it both ways? If the Lord is God, follow Him, if Baal is God follow Him.’” The people didn’t say a word.

Why didn’t the people say a word? They wanted both pleasure and Yahweh.

God wants to bless you.
God wants to pour out His love and grace and mercy and joy and peace and hope.
God wants you and me to experience pleasure.

But God will not bless us when the very things He is blessing us with are His rivals for our worship, service and love. He will withhold His blessing in the very area we lift up as false gods.

Inside the Temple of Pleasure gifts are turned to - Idols.

Following and worshiping those gifts turned into idols (false gods) will lead to pain.

Inside the Temple of God good gifts are recognized as gifts from God and He is worshiped, served, and loved.

Following and worshiping Jesus leads to joy and peace.

You Choose!

In the Temple of God Raising the Roof and Removing The Walls
Joe