Who's Destroying the Temple of God ?

2. Who's Destroying the Temple of God ?

3. WHY WAS THE TEMPLE DESTROYED? • 2Ch 7:16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so thatmy Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. • 2Ch 7:19 “But if you turn away and forsake the decreesand commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, • 2Ch 7:20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. • 2Ch 7:21 And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ • 2Ch 7:22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them. The choices of God’s people brought the destruction!

4. GOD’S PEOPLE DESTROYED THE TEMPLE BY CHOOSING TO ABUSE IT • 2Ki 21:4 He (Manasseh) built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” • 2Ki 21:5 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. • 2Ki 21:6 He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. • 2Ki 21:7 He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.

5. GOD’S PEOPLE DESTROYED THE TEMPLE BY CHOOSING TO NEGLECT IT • 2Ch 29:6 Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD'S dwelling place and turned their backs on him. • 2Ch 29:7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. • 2Ch 29:8 Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes.

6. GOD’S PEOPLE DESTROYED THE TEMPLE BY CHOOSING TO DISOBEY WHILE WORSHIPING HIM • Jer 7:9 “ ‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, • Jer 7:10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?

7. GOD’S DISPLEASURE WITH HIS PEOPLE FOR THEIR CHOICES • Eze 8:6 And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—theutterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? • Eze 8:18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them. • Eze 10:18 Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple • Eze 11:9 I will drive you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners and inflict punishment on you.

8. THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE CHOICES OF GOD’SPEOPLE • TO ABUSE IT 2. TO NEGLECT IT 3. TO DISOBEY WHILE WORSHIPING HIM GOD WAS NOT PLEASED HIS PEOPLE MADE CHOICES THAT DESTROYED THE TEMPLE That was God’s view of the temple in the Old Testament.

9. JESUS VIEW OF HOW THE TEMPLE WAS TREATED • Jn 2:14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. • Jn 2:15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. • Jn 2:16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” JESUS WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THE ABUSE OF THE TEMPLE

10. JESUS INTRODUCED A NEW SYMBOLIC DWELLING PLACE • Jn 2:18 After Jesus cleared the temple the Jews demanded a sign that he had the authority to do this. • Jn 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” • Jn 2:20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” • Jn 2:21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. JESUS’ BODY WAS THE NEW TEMPLE OF GOD

11. THE PLACE OF OUR BODIES IN THE N.T. • 1Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; • 1Co 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. • Ro 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. • 1Co 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? • 1Th 4:16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. • Ro 8:23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

12. OUR BODIES ARE A SYMBOLIC DWELLING PLACE OF GOD THE 1ST TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE CHOICES OF GOD’S PEOPLE • TO ABUSE IT 2. TO NEGLECT IT 3. TO DISOBEY WHILE WORSHIPING HIM GOD WAS NOT PLEASED HIS PEOPLE MADE CHOICES THAT DESTROYED THE TEMPLE

13. I FEEL LIKE A PROPHET • Ex 4:10 Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” • Ex 4:13 But Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” • Jer 1:6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” • Jer 1:8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. • Heb 11:36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. • Heb 11:37 They were stoned ; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— So how do we avoid destroying the temple of God?

14. USPREVENTIVESERVICES TASK FORCE • Rigorously reviews 100 interventions to prevent 60 illnesses • Recommendations are independent of U.S. government and based on evidence • Findings: Abundant evidence that the majority of deaths in < 65 y/o are preventable! Levelsof evidence I Prospective trials II Retrospective trials III Expert Opinion (Weak recommendations; likely to change as data becomes available)

15. EPISTEMOLOGY SCIENTIFIC METHOD Hypothesis that accurately predict reflect knowledge that is less often proven wrong Consensus of experts is often proven wrong BIBLICAL METHOD Dt 18:21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. Mt 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

16. OUR CHOICES CAN DESTROY THE TEMPLE OF GOD Exercise Avoid tobacco Limit alcohol Safe sex Screening Medications Diet

17. COMMON DISEASES • Heart attack 28.5% • Stroke 6.7% • Diabetes mellitus 3.0% • Chronic lung disease 5.1% • Influenza and pneumonia 2.7% • Cancer 22.8% • Breast cancer • Prostate cancer • Colon cancer • Lung cancer • Cervical cancer These are common conditions that destroy the temple of God. They can all be prevented, or their effects diminished by choices we make.

18. HEART ATTACK PREVALENCE -28.5% • The leading cause of death – 490,000 • 1.5 million have a heart attack/yr • 1/3 of these die from it • 1-2 million men have CAD but don’t know it (yet) How many can be prevented? Nearly 100%

19. HEART ATTACK PREVENTION • How should you be screened? • A fasting blood test for cholesterol and lipids • How do you lower your cholesterol? • Lose wt if above your ideal • Exercise • Avoid tobacco • Role of Alcohol • Follow cholesterol lowering diet • Medication • Very effective • Safer then high cholesterol

20. CHOLESTEROL DIET • 5 foods that raise cholesterol • Red meat - limit 3 6oz servings/wk • Eggs - limit 2/wk • Dairy - only low fat • Substitute Smart Balance for butter • Limit chocolate • Avoid foods with palm and coconut oil • Avoid animal fat foods • Sausage • Hamburger • Bacon • Gravy

21. CHOLESTEROL DIET • 5 foods that lower cholesterol • Oat bran: 1-2 servings daily • Fish: 3-5X/wk • Carrots: 3-4X/wk • Apples: 3-4/wk • Beans: 3-4X/wk • Also: almonds, walnuts, flax seed Reducing cholesterol below 150 or LDL below 70 can open your arteries If you cannot lower your Cholesterol by these means there are very good medications It is much safer to take these than have high cholesterol

22. STROKE – 6.7% • 3 causes • High cholesterol • Blood clot • High Blood pressure 43 million Americans have high BP • How should you be screened? • Have your BP checked • Above 135/85 - damaging your heart and arteries

23. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE CAN BE LOWERED BY • Weight Loss • Exercise • Avoid salt/sodium • Medications Lowering BP can decrease death from: stroke by 36% heart disease by 25%

24. DIABETES MELLITUS - 3 % • 14 million have it • 50% do not know they have it • How should you be screened • Blood test • How can you treat it? • Weight loss • -91% • Exercise • Special diet • Medications • Pills - Insulin

25. CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE – 5.1% • Do not smoke • Avoidance can prevent 20% of all deaths (chronic lung ds and other diseases)

26. INFLUENZA AND PNEUMONIA • Influenza • Afflicts 4 million/yr • 16 million lost days of work • 40,000 deaths • Flu shot yearly prevents 70-80% • Pneumonia • 30-43% of elderly die • 1 Shot age 65 • Effectiveness not known

27. CANCER INCIDENCE • Breast • Prostate • Colon • Lung • Cervical

28. CANCER DEATHS – 22.8% • Breast cancer 8% • Self and Dr. exam • Mammograms 50% at 5 yrs • 21% at 18 yrs • Prostate cancer 5% ? • DRE • PSA • Lung cancer 31% • Avoid smoking 87% • Cervical cancer 1% • Monogamy 100% • Pap smear 100% • HPV immunization 70% • Avoid smoking 50% • Colon cancer 11% • Screening procedures 66-95%

29. COLON CANCER SCREENING • Any one of the following screening programs (with a digital rectal exam at each screening) may be used, beginning at 50 years of age: • Fecal occult blood testing every year • Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years • Fecal occult blood testing every year plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years • Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years • Colonoscopy every 10 years

30. THE TEMPLE OF GOD IS DESTROYED BY OUR CHOICES • TO ABUSE IT 2. TO NEGLECT IT 3. TO DISOBEY WHILE WORSHIPING HIM GOD IS NOT PLEASED WHEN HIS PEOPLE MAKE CHOICES THAT DESTROY HIS TEMPLE .

31. CHOOSE TO PRESERVE THE TEMPLE OF GOD • Diet • Exercise • Avoid tobacco • Limit alcohol • Safe sex • Screening • Medications • Heart attack • Stroke • Diabetes mellitus • Chronic lung disease • Influenza and pneumonia • Cancer

32. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? • Schedule a physical with your Family Physician or Internist • Have the screening tests they recommend • Follow the diet they advise • Take the medications they prescribe • Do not smoke • Achieve your ideal weight • Exercise • Peoplewho do not do these things are destroying the temple of God

33. CONCLUDING PROPHESY • “If you listen carefully to the advice of the US task force and do what is right in their eyes, if you pay attention to their commands and keep all their decrees, you will not bring upon yourself many of the diseases which plague modern people.” Exodus 15:26 (NMV)

34. WHO’S DESTROYING THE TEMPLE OF GOD? • Dt 30:11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. • Dt 30:19 . . . I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. YOU DECIDE