God's Place of Meeting and Mercy; Luke 21:5-6

Delivered during the Sunday Morning Worship Service, 4/27/2025. For the third time in Luke's Gospel, Jesus predicts the downfall of Jerusalem. This time His focus is on the Temple-- one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world. When someone pointed out its beauty, Jesus responded with the stunning prophesy that every stone of the majestic compound would be torn down. The burning question in the mind of faithful Jews ever since has been: "Why would God allow His own house to be destroyed?" We will answer that question by analyzing what the Temple meant to God and why its proper use was so important to Him. In doing so, we will trace the idea of the Temple organon throughout its history-- culminating in its consummation in Jesus Christ and His church. As we celebrate this "Temple of living stones", we will realize that even though Jesus will never forsake His church as a whole, He will remove His "lampstand" from those apostate churches that corrupt and pervert the intent of God's place of meeting and mercy. The question, then, for modern churches is: "Will we learn from history, or be doomed to repeat it?"