“All Churched Out” Malachi Series Pt. 3 July 7, 2013
Introduction
A Malachi’s message is addressed to the priests who served/ministered in the Temple under the old covenant.
1 In the new covenant in Christ, all believers are priests!
a 1 Peter 2:9 (NASB) 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Revelation 1:6 (KJV) 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
b One of the cardinal doctrines in the Christian faith is the “priesthood of the believer.”
aa As we see in the sin, actions, attitudes of the temple priests in Malachi, these can also be seen in our modern church.
2 Malachi 1:6-14 (NASB) 6 " 'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?' 7 "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be despised.' 8 "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. 9 "But now will you not entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. 10 "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "nor will I accept an offering from you. 11 "For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts. 12 "But you are profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.' 13 "You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the LORD. 14 "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."
a Last Sunday, we learned that before God gave His people discipline, correction. He wanted them to know He loved them. - “I have loved you and still do!”
Malachi 1:2 (NASB) 2 "I have loved you," says the LORD..
b He is about to discipline/correct those He has chosen to be in covenant with.
aa This kind of love must be open to discipline.
bb This love is not based on emotion, feeling, but on commitment.
cc Discipline is given to the party in wrong, so reconciliation & restoration can occur.
c (IL) Give spouse silent treatment, flair anger, speak your mind... etc.
B The priests being addressed could just as easily be addressed to Worshipers at FBC.
a The priests had played church, religion for so long that v.13 says they approached to serving in the temple with a “Hey, this whole church thing is a drag.”
Malachi 1:13 (NASB) 13 "You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?" says the LORD.
1 God wanted the honor due a father, the respect due a master.
a Honor is an ongoing practice, not a one time event. (DAD)
b Respect is to fear/awe the power/acts of God. (BOSS)
2 Instead of honor/respect, He got contempt. (v.13)
a See pg. 1.
b Despise: careless, contempt, disdain.
c When we don’t know who He is, soon we don’t know who we are, our motivation/confidence suffers.
C His priests/chosen were all churched out.
1 His house as supposed to be a meeting place for Hod & His children/servants.
a (v.10) If this meeting isn’t happening, I’d just as soon somebody close the doors for business, last one out turn off the light.
Malachi 1:10 (NASB) 10 "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "nor will I accept an offering from you.
b They had brought God half-hearted worship / hair-lipped sacrifices / jack-legged offerings & thought they were doing God a favor by doing that!
aa Obviously they didn’t know the God of the Bible very well.
bb God expects our best & a God who doesn’t isn’t worthy of our praise.
2 If going to church, worship, giving, serving is tiring to you, it’s time to do a spiritual check up to check for the warning signs.
I Offering less than your best (v. 7-8)
Malachi 1:7-8 (NASB) 7 "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be despised.' 8 "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts.
A They tarnished (been despicable) to God’s name by allowing/bringing less than perfect, blemishless, innocent sacrifices to the altar in the temple.
1 The sacrifices had to be perfect because they pointed to/typified Jesus; How could they typify Christ and be stained, imperfect?
a The economy was weak, times were tight in Israel, but God was still expecting acceptable offerings.
b The priests allowed the people to bring the blind, lame, sick to be offered as sacrifice to YHWH.
c Jewish Law stated animals like this were to be thrown to the dogs. They were bringing God “dog food.”
2 Malachi wrote (vs. 8) that the local government wouldn’t accept the sacrifices they were offering to Father God!
Malachi 1:8 (NASB) 8 "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts.
a They were expecting God to accept the offerings that the Taxman wouldn’t be content to receive.
b Their offerings were an indication of what was in their hearts.
aa They were sinning, Ignoration, Ungrateful, Indifferent to God’s love.
bb If I cheat on my taxes surely I can cheat on my tithes.
c A symptom because they were all churched out.
B There are two things each of us want more of: money and time.
1 God expects His Children/Servants to give Him the best of both.
a If you have experienced God’s grave (loved, sheep, wheat) Received His undeserved/unconditional love, you’ll have zero problem giving graciously to the one who has loved you so much.
b People who say they love God can easily prove it with their checkbook registry or on-line statement.
aa Matthew 6:21 (NASB) 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
bb Our attitude toward God is revealed by what we offer to Him: OFFER Him. Valuable/Quality or Cheap/Inferior. What we bring to Him reveals our feelings about Him.
2 If He is our kind, our lover, our father, He deserves more than my leftovers, cheap gifts, unworthy offerings.
a What does it say to Christians who spend thousands on cars, homes, gifts, pleasure for family, friends self... give $20 in the plate... sometimes.
b (IL) A $50, $20, $1 bill were set to be destroyed at the U.S. Treasury dept when they began telling of their journeys.
aa $50 had been to Broadway, Las Vegas, Finest restaurants.
bb $20 had been to ball game, movies, Applebee’s.
cc $1, where have you been? I’ve been to church!
c Our God deserves our best, not our left overs.
II Getting less than your blessed to have. (v. 9 - 10)
Malachi 1:9-10 (NASB) 9 "But now will you not entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts. 10 "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "nor will I accept an offering from you.
A Israel was bringing “dog food” offerings to God hoping they’d get T-Bone blessings back.
1 They wanted God’s favor/blessing but their “less-than-excellent” offerings sealed heaven’s blessing from entering their lives.
a God wasn’t “selling” His favor to the highest bidder.
b God was blessing obedient children/respectful servants.
2 Because of His people’s approach to worship/giving, God said two of the saddest statements in Scripture:
a “I am not pleased with you” & “I will not accept an offering from you.”
b He was so displeased He’s just as soon somebody been brave enough to say, “This isn’t working, lets shut the doors, turn off the lights, & go home.”
aa Calling for authenticity/honesty.
bb Your not being blessed, walking in favor, take a look at yourself.
cc Are you in sin? Are you sacrificially giving? Has your spirit for worship grown stale?
c Nobody was willing to admit it so God did it for them.
B God is going to be blessed, glorified, magnified, & He desires to do it through us.
1 We slam the brakes on His favor when we get cheap.
a Worship, giving, fire.
b (IL) Ridge’s cheap watch in French Quarter. Knock-off, not real.
aa God wants us to worship Him in spirit & truth as priests before God.
Revelation 1:6 (NASB) 6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
bb This is the “spiritual-sacrifices” accepted to God.
1 Peter 2:5 (NASB) 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
c If our worship has become stale we need to see what went wrong.
aa I don’t want God to stop talking to me for four years let alone 400 years.
bb This may mean we have to change what we’re doing in worship, offerings, etc.
2 In v. 14, we find a blessing to claim that Israel rejected.
Malachi 1:14 (NASB) 14 "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."
a God’s name is “feared among the nations.”
aa Gentiles, Greeks... us!
bb We have opportunity to secure what Israel spurnned.
b How?
aa Loved by God.
bb Offering Him our best consistently.
Conclusion
A I believe the worshipers/priests Malachi was speaking to were miserable.
1 Went to worship but never worshiped.
a Burned sacrifice, never became sacrifice.
b Heard God loved them, never experienced it.
2 Do you know how to stay happing in church? Chase God.
a Always come looking for what He is doing.
b Be a God-seeker with all your heart!
B Never forget He is our kind & deserves more than our left over time, money, & talent.
1 He’s worthy of the best we have to offer.
2 He deserves our tithe, not a tip.
C Final thought: You can reply on God’s mercy to pardon past failures/sin. Don’t embrace His mercy as an indulgence to sin today.
Acts 17:30 (NASB) 30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
1 Today you know better.
a You know who He is, who you are in Him.
b Start giving/worshiping/serving like you love Him.
2 Pray.
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