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Merchandise again. And so this is a few years later. It's very easy to tell that. Just for a moment, think for a minute. We were in John chapter 2. Now we're in Matthew 21. Now I realize that the book of John gets right into the end of Jesus' life very early, but you're not toward the end of his life in John chapter 2. In Matthew 21, you are years later, okay? You're a couple three years later. And it says in verse 12, Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, the sellers in sin and the buyers in sin, okay? And overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold. Now he's throwing chairs, okay? Not only is he flipping chairs, now he's throwing chairs around. Instead of them, it is written. See, he's saying something slightly different. Remember in the first one he said, take these things from hence, made not my father's house and house of merchants. That's slightly different because it's a different event. He says, this is years later, he says, it is written, my house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. So the first time he did it, he called it a house of merchandise. The second time he did it, he called it a den of thieves. Turn to Mark chapter number 11. Mark chapter number 11 is parallel with Matthew 21. This is the same the second time he cleansed the temple. Mark chapter 11. And of course, this is prophesied. I don't have time to go into it for sake of tonight, but this is prophesied in Malachi chapter number 3. In Malachi chapter 3, it says that the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in will suddenly come into his temple. He's going to come into the temple and clean house. That was prophesied in Malachi chapter 3. You can look it up another time. But in Mark 11.15, it says, and they came to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables and the money chains and the seats of them that sold up. See how consistent this is with the one in Matthew 21. And watch this. And would not suffer. He's saying he would not allow that any man, any man should carry any vessel through the temple. What does that mean, a vessel? He's talking about them carrying some kind of a creative merchandise or a box of merchandise or some kind of a container. That's what vessel means. Container. Just to give you the modern day word. The word vessel means container. He's saying you can't carry a container with your goods, your merchandise, your junk. Get it out of here. You can't even carry it. Well, I'm not selling it. Get it out of here. Don't even carry it through here. I didn't want people to see your merchandise. I didn't want people to, I don't even want you to advertise it here, he's saying. Don't even carry it through my house. Get merchandise out of God's house. Okay, what's the definition of merchandise? The word merchandise means anything that's bought or sold. That's what it means. You say, well, what exactly does it talk about? Anything that's bought or sold. If it's free, it's not merchandise. Nothing free is merchandise. But anything bought or sold, and I do mean anything, is called merchandise. You say, I'm not sure that's a good definition. Well, let's flip over to Revelation chapter number 18 and let's see if that's an accurate definition of merchandise. The word merchandise comes from the word merchant, which is somebody who sells. Let's look at Revelation 18 and let's see if that's a good definition of the word merchandise. Revelation 18, the Bible reads in... Excuse my voice tonight, but... Revelation chapter 18, verse 10, the Bible reads, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, thy great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour does thy judgment come, and the merchants... recognize that word? of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore. Okay, let's see some examples of merchandise. The merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all fine wood and all manner vessels of ivory and all manner vessels of most precious wood and of brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odors and ointments and frankincense and wine and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and cherries... Now, let me ask you something. Does it sound like my definition of merchandise is right? Anything that's bought or sold? I mean, we've got food, clothes, textiles, animals, seasonings, spices, ointments. I mean, anything that's bought or sold. That's the definition of merchandise. But look on. This is interesting. And horses and chariots and slaves and souls of men. Think about that for a minute. Selling, making merchandise of the souls of men. Look, if you would, at 2 Peter 2. The souls of men. You see, there are people who make a business of food. They're in the food service industry. There are people that supply people with food. There are people who make their money in the textile business. There are people who make their money in construction. There are people who make their money. They make their money. They make a business of the things of God. Of spiritual things. Let me show it to you. 2 Peter 2.1, the Bible says, But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness, so this is talking about for financial gain. Are you listening? Through covetousness, shall they with fainted words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not in their damnation. So here we see religious teachers, preachers, who will actually make merchandise of you. What does that mean? They're basically abusing you for their own financial gain. Are you following that? I mean, they're using you to make a buck. Now, is it right for the pastor to be paid by the local church? Of course. The Bible says that they that preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But Paul said, I've not used that power, but wrought with my own hands day and night, that I might not be chargeable unto any of you. Nothing wrong in the world with a pastor getting a paycheck from the local church, or deacons getting a paycheck from the local church. Pastors and deacons should get paid by the local church. Now, I don't get paid because it's a small church, started from scratch, but one day when our church is bigger, you know, God willing, if that's God's will, hopefully, I would be working full time so that I could just be out winning the souls and just giving myself 100% to the work of God, rather than turning a screwdriver. But right now, I'm very happy and content to turn the screwdriver. I love my job, and I love working and passing. It's great. No problem in the world. I'm not in a hurry. So I'm not sweating it or trying to, Oh man, I've got to get some more people in here that have money. Not to that. Who cares, you know? But the point is, nothing wrong with that at all. But, do you think there's something wrong for a man to have covetousness in his heart? Isn't that what I'm saying, ma'am? Is thou shalt not covet? Thou shalt not desire thy neighbor's ox or his ass, or his field, or his house, or anything that's your neighbor's? That's wrong. That's covetousness. Desire. What does covetous mean? Well, look up the Ten Commandments. Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. In Deuteronomy 5, it says desire, substitute for the word covet. It's talking about lusting or desiring for someone else's car, somebody else's house, somebody else's wife, somebody else's merchandise, somebody else's goods. And so God is saying here that people who are filled with covetousness will use religion, use the souls of men to make a buck for their own inordinate financial gain. Now, God said that they that preach the Gospel should live of merchandise that they sell in church. Wrong. He said they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. How did God's people pay, if you will, the Levitical priests of the Old Testament who preached to them the word of God? Through tithes and offerings. We pass the play here Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. On the first day of the week on Sunday, people throw in their tithe. They put in their tithe. Other people put in offerings above and beyond their tithe. And they throw in his next money. That's where the money comes from which this church operates on. Tithes and offerings of God's people. That money could go toward food, it could go toward activities, it could go toward salary of the pastor, which is not in our case. It could go toward anything that our church does, any of our operation expense, the camping trip that we're doing. Whatever it is, we use God's money for God's program here at Faith Forward Baptist Church. Now, and by the way, let me just stop and say something right here. Before I move on, there's so much misunderstanding about tithing. Now, tithing is very clearly taught in the Bible. The Bible says that we're to tithe on all our increase. And the Bible says the tithe is the Lord's. It's something that already belongs to God. Ten percent of your income. You're giving it to him not because, oh God, I think I'll give you a gift. Oh, I think I'm going to give you a little extra something. No. He says, you know, you ought to give back ten percent of your income because it already belongs to God.