Malachi: For Me Or Against Me? Series

2. Not only were they MARRYING these women of a FOREIGN god, but they were DIVORCING the

WIVES of their YOUTH to do so- 2:14b (READ and COMMENT).

3. Malachi 2:16a- “‘I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God of Israel....”

ILLUSTRATION:

In my closing remarks of every WEDDING I officiate, I have the couple standing in front of me having just repeated their WEDDING VOWS to each other, and I look them in the eye and say, “Marriage is a LIFELONG COMMITMENT. You are to enter this relationship with no other thought, but that you both will GROW OLD together and STAY together until DEATH separates you. Therefore, don’t even allow the word “DIVORCE” to be PART of your VOCABULARY.”

Not every couple I MARRY stay together, but it’s not because they don’t know what God’s Word says about the importance of the COMMITMENT they make to each other as HUSBAND and WIFE.

C. “The people turned away from God’s commands”- 3:6-7

1. How many times throughout our study of the MINOR PROPHETS have we read about the

Israelites turning away from God’s Word?

a. In fact, God said, “Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my

decrees and have not kept them”- 3:7a

COMMENT:

We are seeing more and more Christians leave the church, and consequently leave the faith. According to the United States Census Bureau records, each year 4,000 churches close their doors, compared to only 1,000 new church starts each year. These records also reveal that from 1990 to 2010 an average of 2.7 million church members every year have fallen into INACTIVITY.

Undoubtedly there are many reasons given for this DECLINE. We can blame PREACHERS, WORSHIP LEADERS, ELDERS, CULTURE, ECONOMY, the NEIGHBORHOOD. But I believe the real issue is a LACK of SPIRITUAL CONVICTION and COMMITMENT to God.

That’s the entire premise of Kyle Idleman’s book: NOT A FAN. There’s a lot of FANS in our CHURCHES, but not FOLLOWERS. The time when Brenda and I left the church in our first years of MARRIAGE, we were mere FANS of Jesus and not true FOLLOWERS. FANS fall away, FOLLOWERS remain!

b. Even so, God says, “Return to Me, and I will return to you”- 3:7b

COMMENT:

Isn’t that like our loving Father? No matter how many times you SPIT on Him. No matter how many times you TURN AWAY. As long as you are willing to REPENT and RETURN to

Him, God says, “I’m here! I haven’t left you.”

c. Even then the people ask, “How are we to return?”

COMMENT:

We do even as King David when he sinned against the Lord and turned away from his Holy commands. Psalm 32:5- “Then I acknowledged my sin to You, and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’—and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

2. THAT’S HOW WE RETURN.

COMMENT:

And like the Father in the parable of “The Prodigal Son” (Luke 15), God will always take us back as long as we are willing to RETURN and COME HOME.

D. The people robbed God of their tithes”- 3:8-18

1. There was an announcement that appeared in a church bulletin some time ago with this caption:

“OUR CHURCH WAS ROBBED RECENTLY.” The story that followed said: