Dear Christian friends:

In the Bible we read "Serve the Lord with gladness." (Psalm 100:2) "Serve the Lord" We call our meeting here in church, "Divine Service." Church worship is one way of serving the Lord and there are many ways to serve God.

But many people think they serve God by certain good works and deeds, but they do not. They misunderstand about service to God. There are many works happening in the world. People say, "It is for God," but these works do not really serve and honor God, they displease Him. From our text we can learn about:

Jesus corrects the false services of men. We read in our text how Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all those who bought and sold in the temple and how He turned over the tables of the money changers.

People often ask: "Why did Jesus become angry with the Jews about that? Not true? That God commanded them to make animal offerings in the temple? These Jews were only making it easy for the people. Now they didn't have to bring their animals from home far away. But they could buy them by the temple. It was very handy. Jesus wasn't displeased about that. But He was displeased because their heart was false.

These merchants were not eager to help in the church worship, but they were eager to sell their animals and earn lots of profit. They didn't care about serving God. They were only greedy to help themselves and get rich. They were using the church for greedy and selfish reasons.

Now how about today? How about us, you and me? Would Jesus be displeased with your service. Why did you join the church? Why do you work in the church? Do you work in the church? Do you use the Church to hide your sins? Do you see the Church for greedy and selfish reasons to get honor and praise for yourself? If you do, your service is false and Jesus is displeased. You are not serving God, but Satan.

Many deaf want their name on a membership list. That makes them feel proud and important. But they don't come to worship. They are displeased if we ask them to pledge and give for God's Work. If they are sick, they want the pastor to drop everything and hurry to the hospital and give them attention. They don't care to hear God's Word about their sin and forgiveness through Jesus' blood.

They don't want to honor and praise God in prayer. They only want the pastor's attention and honor for themselves. These are false and serve not God.

These people, like the Jews, think they can serve God without faith in Jesus. When the children sang, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were praising Jesus as God's promised Savior. Jesus was the Son of God and the Son of David who came from heaven to live and die for us, so that that we could have forgiveness of sins and life with God. But the Jews thought they could get life with God by obeying the Law, without trusting in Jesus of Nazareth. They were displeased when the children sang praises to Jesus.

So, also, the false servants of God. They despise church, Bible Class, the Gospel and the Lord's Supper. They think that they can please God by their own good works and by following their own ideas and ways. True, they may come and sit once in a while. But they think the preaching is dull and are always looking at their time and glad when church is finished.

But true servants of God gladly hear the Gospel of the crucified and risen Savior and then with eager hearts serve God humbly.

Jesus in our text also shows what true service to God is. He told the Jews, "My house shall be called the house of prayer." (verse 13) In prayer we honor God and His Son, Jesus Christ not ourselves. Our service is to be for God's honor and glory. We should seek to do His will not our own. His will often is not our will. He wants to help the blind and the lame. In verse 14 we read how the blind and the lame came into the temple; and Jesus healed them.

Often we don't care for the blind and the lame. We think they bother our life and freedom. Jesus showed mercy for the blind and helped them. This is true service to God.

We have two deaf-blind here in our church, and often you people don't want to help bring them to church in your cars. And you don't want to sign the worship and sermon and Bible Class. But true service to God demands that we do this with love and a glad heart as Jesus our Savior did.

During Convention I heard a lot about Church Welfare Work and World relief for the sick and needy. This, too, is true service to God. What are you doing about that? What is our congregation doing about that?

And finally God's chief will is that we help support the preaching of His Word in home church and in world wide missions. Jesus commands, "Go ye, unto all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

We heard a lot about missions and evangelism (lay visiting) during our district convention last week. Rev. Buege talked about his trip around the world. Japan, India. Handful of rice a day 20 cents out of $1.00 daily wages.

What are we doing? Pledge is $1400. So far $450. Needed $950. by the close of 1960. Too many of us are behind on our pledges and give too little. Let us not say, "It is too hard, we can't." In our text Jesus says we can do great things, if we only believe. Jesus cursed the fig tree because it grew no figs and quickly it died. The disciples were surprised at that miracle. Then Jesus said, "If you have faith and not doubt ye can do more wonderful works than what is done to this fig tree. You can even move mountains." (verses 18-21)

We must believe Jesus' promises in the Bible and ask God to do as He has promised in prayer. "Believing ye shall receive" Jesus says. So true service to God means doing hard things by His power and spirit.

Amen.