Is the righteous life worth living?
Malachi 3:13 - 18 (NIV) 13“You have said harsh things against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against you?’ 14“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? 15But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.’” 16Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 17“They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession.£ I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. 18And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
Malachi 4:1 - 3 (NIV) 1“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the LORD Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. 3Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the LORD Almighty.
Following God, being obedient and living the holy life is what every Christian should be striving for with the intention and motivation being to give glory to God. This we all know. We hear it all the time. It seems to be common sense. But the big question one must ask them selves is living the righteous life worth it? Is it?
Living the righteous life isn’t easy. It takes self control. It takes patience. It takes kindness. It takes Character. Ultimately it takes the power of God living inside each and every one of us. It takes turning the other cheek when someone does you wrong. This isn’t an easy thing to do is it? Jesus famous Sermon on the Mount is a good example how hard it is to live the righteous life. Listen to some of what he says.
He also says.
40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
He goes on to say
41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
If that not hard what is? He says
43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor£ and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies£ and pray for those who persecute you,
Now if that isn’t a long list of things that seem almost impossible he adds
48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
We are asked to be perfect in all we do for the Lord.
Matt 5:38 38“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’£ 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Turning the other cheek isn’t easy is it? Who wants to stand there and allow someone to assault them?
Story: There were four young boys that heard a sermon on turning the other cheek and it got their undivided attention. The minister stressed that no matter what others do to us, we should never try to "get even." That afternoon the youngest boy came into the house crying. Between sobs he told his mother he had kicked one of his brothers, who had kicked him in return. "I’m sorry you’re hurt," his mother said. "But you shouldn’t go around kicking people." To which the tearful child replied, "But the preacher said he isn’t supposed to kick me back."
Some might say that even attempting to do such things is crazy it can’t be done and even if it can it doesn’t seem worth it. Especially when it seems that everyone who isn’t following God and His righteous ways is having all the fun.
Trouble in the text The Israelites thought this way also In Malachi 3:16
1. The Israelites thought this way.
1. The Jews were questioning whether or not it was best to follow God or not
2. They were thinking it was futile and that it served to no end.
3. They were asking what it gained them.
4. All the work it takes They were thinking that the arrogant were blessed, And that evil would prosper
5. What’s the point of following all the laws? And doing all the things God required.
6. They thought to themselves that since they were carrying out His commands it should have been them that were prospering but it was the pagans who were prospering and living the good life. Explain: They had been in captivity twice they had their temple destroyed
It sometimes looks as though living righteously ends up with the short end of the stick.
But as we have all have heard before God isn’t interested in the things we do outwardly.
1. God looks at the heart of the people.
2. He knew that although they were saying they were following His decrees they really weren’t. We see earlier in this scripture that even those that were bringing offerings weren’t truly bringing the right ones with the right intentions.
3. There were many things the Israelites were doing that they shouldn’t have been doing,
Malachi 1:13 (NIV) 13 “When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD.
It also talks about many other things they weren’t doing, such as not bringing a full tithe to His storehouse. Many did not honor God with proper sacrifices or tithes. Some of God’s people divorced their Hebrew wives and intermarried with foreigners. The priests failed to teach the people to reverence God. Some questioned God’s love, and others began to wonder if it really paid to fear God and serve Him.
God knows the deal. Putting one over on Him is impossible. They were blaming God when the problem the whole time was them selves. They weren’t truly following and obeying Him. Their hearts were wrong.
And it’s because their hearts were wrong that they didn’t truly follow God and ultimately ended up question if they should follow Him. Sin will pull us away from God so fast it will make your head spin. We get caught up in pleasing ourselves that before you know it we are blaming God and He becomes the bad guy.
Trouble in the world: The world and sin at times can be very attractive.
1. Sometimes it can be hard sitting at home while everyone is out partying.
2. Watch a commercial for alcohol? Doesn’t it depict them having all the fun, living it all up?
3. Fast cars, fast women.
4. Just living life on the edge seems so attractive.
5. They get to sleep in on Sundays and we have to go to church.
6. They get to keep all of their money and we have to give 10% to God.
7. They get to smoke; curse, steal and do everything and it just seems like that just might be the best way to live.
8. Materialism, is attractive… striving to get as much as you can as fast as you can. The one with the biggest toys wins…
9. Sex is attractive… conquer as many as you can…
10. Fast paced smooth living sells.
11. Let’s see how many boyfriends I can accumulate, regardless of how it will effect my reputation.
12. Then we wonder why when people are confronted with only a partial truth of the gospel it makes following God look boring and restrictive and hard.
13. Especially when we see on the surface people partying it up having a good time, enjoying life to its fullest…It doesn’t compare.
14. Just look around at how women are dressing these days. I sometimes wonder why many bother to wear cloths at all. I mean what’s the point I pretty much have a good picture of what you look like as it is.
You know that it isn’t just the Israelites that wonder about this. Many of us may have asked this question before. There might have been a time when this Christian life was just getting to hard and you longed to go back to the “old life; and you asked yourself is it worth it?”
1. Is it worth putting down the cigarettes? Explain how I used to love cigarettes.
2. The booze, the drugs. Explain drinking every weekend. We had a blast.
3. Is it even fair that we live the righteous life while everyone else gets to have all the fun and we get nothing?
This is basically what the Israelites were saying.
1. Hey God I know your there but something is wrong here.
2. We follow your rules and we end up restricted while everyone else is doing what they want and prospering from it.
3. Bill gates, The Kennedy’s, Donald trump.
Illustration or story: How people are killed more by the smoke rather then the fire.
Oh but sin will always catch up to us. Sin kills and destroys. I know we don’t like talking about sin. But we must because its effects are devastating. The worst type of sin is the unrepentant sin. On the surface it might look like it doesn’t do any harm but it does. On the surface it looks like they are getting away with it. But slowly it kills everyone.
Let’s look at sexual immorality.
1. On the surface it looks like fun and good stuff. But ultimately it kills.
2. Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
3. Global estimates for Adults and children
4. People living with HIV 39.4 mil-- New HIV infections 4.9 mil-- Death due to Aids 2004 3.1 mil
Grace in the text (day of reckoning)
You see one day there will be a reckoning. Those that seem to have it all together in this life, living it their own way, will ultimately stand judgment. Everyone will sooner or later stand before a Holy God and give an account. Scripture here tells us that it will be a day like fire. That it will burn like a furnace. But those that faithfully serve God and follow His decrease will be His treasured possession.
Window: Getting caught Have you ever been put into a position where you were busted big time. I know I have. I got kicked out of school. I could remember that burning pit in my stomach and how I had to loosen my collar because it got to hot. This is nothing compared to what it’s going to be like for many on the Day of Judgment.
That day will burn them up. It will set them on fire. We see in scripture later the Jesus even says that He will separate the sheep from the goats. Here we see God telling the Israelites that those that stand firm in His righteousness will ultimately be His treasured possession. That the righteous and those that thought it worth following His way will be His and those that didn’t would be burned like chaff.
It explains basically that one day there is going to be a roll reversal.
1. One day instead of the un-righteous stomping on the righteous.
2. The righteous will stomp on the unrighteous.
3. It says that we will again see a distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous but this time it will be different.
4. This time it will be clear that those that fearfully served Him are the ones that prosper and those don’t stand condemned.
Grace in the world (we have the Holy Spirit now)
You see we think everyone has it made. We think everyone is living the good life. But their not. They are dying on the inside. The sexually immoral are dying of aids and disease. Many of them are looking for love but will never find it because it can’t be found through sexual relations. Many young teenage girls are dreaming of prince charming and will date any Tom, Dick or Harry that asks them thinking that Peace and joy can be found in the relationship but it can’t. It can only be found in God and through seeking after His righteousness.
Story: Tell the story of my dad’s eye doctor. He had everything, money family, and a beautiful wife. But ended up committing suicide.
His word tells us that we reap what we sow
Gal 6:7-9 7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit; from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
If we sow righteousness we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
You see we might think that following righteousness is a waste of time but we couldn’t be more dead wrong.
We have so many precious promises from God if we stay faithful to Him that answering the question is righteousness worth it becomes easy.
Let’s list some of the promises.
1. He promises that we will receive the Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us and enable us to fulfill the righteousness that he requires.
2. Jesus says that He will give us His peace 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.
3. He promises us that 43the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
4. He promises us that. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.
5. He promises us that When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
6. He promises us that And when the Chief Shepherd appears, we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
7. He promises us that we will receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
8. He promises us that If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the £gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great;
So when you add up all the blessing and promises that are being offered to all who will faithfully follow God and the way of the righteous the answer to the question Is the righteous life worth living is a resounding yes.
So If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well…If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles... Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you…Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
