“UNACCEPTABLE WORSHIP”
Dr. Dennis Deese - www.dennisdeese.com
MALACHI 1:6-14
This portion of scripture deals with worship that was not acceptable to God. It’s an astounding thought to realize we can have church and it not be pleasing unto the Lord. Rather than bringing pleasure to Him and grieves Him. When our worship is unacceptable, He wants us to understand what we need to do to make it right.
"If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance!"
What were the contributing factors that lead to God’s rejection of their worship? There are three primary problems - There was an:
I. ABSENCE OF RESPECT 1:6a “where is mine honor?”
DESPISED: bazah baw-zaw’; to disesteem, To consider or reject as beneath oneself
This is where unacceptable worship always begins. We become distracted from the true object of worship (God Himself).
A. Disregarding the Desire of His Preeminent Position
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.
Ps 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: [so] will we sing and praise thy power.
Ps 57:11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: [let] thy glory [be] above all the earth.
Ps 99:5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; [for] he [is] holy.
Ps 108:5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
Ps 118:28 Thou [art] my God, and I will praise thee: [thou art] my God, I will exalt thee.
B. Doubting the Demands of His Holy Nature
Ex 15:11 Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders?
Ps 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God [is] holy.
Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.
Re 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
Re 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] only [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
II. ABANDONMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY 1:6b-7a “O Priests”
1:9 “this hath been done my your means”
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers (they had become those teachers), having itching ears;
1Co 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
They abandoned their responsibility to:
A. To walk with God
Despise: To regard with contempt or scorn: To dislike intensely; loathe: To regard as unworthy of one’s interest or concern:
1Ki 2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
B. To Declare God’s requirements 2:7
1Ti 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
1Co 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
2Pe 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know [them], and be established in the present truth.
C. To Deal with sin
JESUS: Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Eph 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
III. ATTITUDE OF RELUCTANCE 2:13 “what a weariness is it”
WEARINESS: mat-tel-aw-aw’: what a trouble, hardship, toil
A. Admit they were wrong 1:6 & 7
Jer 35:15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them], saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ps 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin [is] ever before me.
Ps 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.
Pr 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.
B. Concern themselves with the consequences of their action 1:14
Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Ps 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me]:
Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.
Isa 64:7 And [there is] none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
C. To give their best 1:7-8 & 13
1. God gave his best:
1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
2. God desires our best:
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
