Why Don't You Honor Me? Series

"WHY DON’T YOU HONOR ME?"

TEXT: Malachi 1: 6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear(reverence)?

Living for God can become a ritual rather than a relationship!

A ritual causes a lack of genuine joy and poor quality sacrifices.

When it is a relationship we take great joy in sacrificing.

God asked Israel a Question:

… it seemed that God wasn’t pleased with either their sacrifices or service,

They were giving sacrifices to the Lord, they were attending worship services at the Temple … so what was wrong?

It wasn’t just THAT they gave, it was WHAT they gave … sick diseased animals for sacrifices and ritualistic attendance at the Temple without a genuine joy or thanksgiving in their heart toward God!

They had lost their focus on the purpose of worship.

They had lost their focus on WHO GOD IS.

God expects the best from us because He always gives His best to us

I. DISHONORING GOD’S CHARACTER

1: 6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say Wherein have we despised thy name? 7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say The table of the LORD is contemptible

8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand

Their relationship with God slipped into just a weekly commitment to keep at the temple the joy disappeared from worship.

Instead of looking forward to getting to the temple for worship they were looking forward to getting out of temple for home! (ever sound familiar?)

… Instead of giving their best they gave their worst sacrifices and leftovers!

*They were unwilling worshippers!

* They were unwilling givers!

In their prosperity they resented what God wanted from them, (The deceitfulness of riches)

He wanted their very best and not their leftovers … we tend to give better when we have less than when we have more!

They had lost focus on God and got lost in self and the rituals of worship!

They had taken pride in calling themselves "God’s sons" yet did not honor God as a proper father!

God asked, 1:6"If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?"

They were good at declaring it, but not good at showing it!

They still went through the motions, came to temple, brought a sacrifice, said the prayers, did the songs, etc. but their hearts were far from God.

*This was evident by the joyless attendance

*This was evident by the sickly sacrifices

*This was evident by the lousy attitude

God asks them to consider giving the SAME quality sacrifices to their own governor and see how he likes it! 1:8 "Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty."

The problem wasn’t a lack of service, it was the quality of service!

1: 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say The table of the LORD is polluted and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible

13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn and the lame, and the sick thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

14 But cursed be the deceiver (Cheat) which hath in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen