Honoring The Ultimate Father Series

Happy Father’s Day to you all. You have to have some “dad jokes on Father's Day,” right? When does a joke become a “dad joke”? When it becomes apparent. What do you call a thousand rabbits walking backward? A receding hairline. My friend was showing me his tool shed and pointed to a ladder. “That’s my stepladder,” he said. “I never knew my real ladder.” What did the daddy spider say to the baby spider? You spend too much time on the web. I’m done – no more ?.

If you have a copy of God’s Word, turn with me to the book of Malachi (page 953 in your pew, Bibles in front of you). Malachi is the very last book in your Old Testament. So find the New Testament book of Matthew and turn left ?.

The Minor Prophets

Your Bible has major prophets and minor prophets. The minor prophets are really small books compared to the others, and they are often neglected by Christians today. Today, I want you to focus your attention on the ultimate Father.

Today’s Scripture

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations” (Malachi 1:6-14).

Malachi lived around 450-500 years before the time of Jesus Christ. Malachi was a prophet, but his audience wasn’t just Sunday School teachers and the choir. Malachi spoke to the callous, the cynical, the dishonest, the one who didn’t care, the skeptical, and the outright wicked. Malachi also spoke to the clergy of his day because they too were callous, cynical, dishonest, skeptical, and just outright cruel.

1. Knowing the Real God

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name’” (Malachi 1:6)?

God wants the honor and the reverence due His name. God says, “I am a father, where is my honor?” God says, “My honor is missing,” and these are the people coming to church! These are the priests who are to lead worship!

1.1 Why it’s Important to Know God

The late Art Linkletter saw a little boy drawing a picture and asked the boy, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” Linkletter said, “Well, I thought no one knew what God looked like.” The boy looked up confidently and said, “They will when I get through.”

Life finds purpose and meaning when you know God. Knowing God intimately means more than having supermodel good looks, losing 20 pounds, or being offered the leading role in the next summer blockbuster film. If you want your life to have ultimate meaning, there’s only one pursuit to donate your life for …, and that is this: knowing God. Knowing God is oxygen to your lungs. Knowing God is water to the soil.