Too many people take God casually. Too few people take God seriously in our day.
Too many people’s passion for Christ is like the helium balloons from my son’s graduation party. A few balloons had slipped up to the second floor of our home, some twenty feet up in the air. If you wonder how they would ever get these balloons down, you quickly realize they will come down in a few days. As they lose their helium inside them, the balloons naturally fall back to the ground. The truth is that many of us lose our passion for Christ just that quickly.
Too many people take God casually. Too few people take God seriously in our day.
I invite you to find the book of Malachi 3 with me if you will [page 954 in your pew Bibles]. Malachi is a book that seeks to get you to take God seriously.
Today’s Scripture
“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him” (Malachi 3:13-18).
Jesus had two groups surrounding Him when He walked on the earth: fans and followers. Now, not everyone religious is a follower of Jesus. Pastor Kyle Idleman, in his book, Not a Fan, offers this chilling warning: “The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.” Some people are simply fans of Jesus. You know what a fan is, right? It’s the woman who is a massive fan of some actress who is the latest Hollywood sensation. And this woman not only knows every movie this actress has been in, she knows what high school this actress went to. She knows the birthday of this actress, and she knows the name of her first boyfriend. She even knows what this actress’s real hair color is, something the actress herself is no longer certain of. She knows everything there is to know. But she doesn’t know the actress. She’s a huge fan, but she’s just a fan. She is simply an enthusiastic admirer.
Now, there are a lot of people who are enthusiastic admirers of Jesus, their fans. Again, Pastor Kyle warns: “The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ. They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.”
Again, too many people take God casually. Too few people take God seriously in our day.
I want to ask you a personal question this morning: are you a fan of Jesus or a follower of Jesus?
1. Serving God is Useless
“You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts. 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” (Malachi 3:14-15).
Verses 14-15 are what people were saying to one another. People were saying, “It’s useless to serve the Lord.” “Don’t be a religious fanatic. It doesn’t pay to go all the way with God.” It was as if these people had been to church a few times but then took a long, hard look at the world “as it really was” and concluded: “The arrogant [are]blessed” and “Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.” Some wondered if God took sides with the wicked and the evil.
1.1 It’s No Good to Serve God
This is not the first time we’ve heard something like this from the little book of Malachi: “You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.’ Or by asking, ‘Where is the God of justice’” (Malachi 2:17)?
The complaint is, “You’re being good to the evil people and BAD to Your children.” “You’re blessing the sinners and not rewarding the saints.” “So and so never goes to church, but he has a thriving business making hundreds of thousands every year.” Surely, you have thought this if not said it at some point in your life.
1.1.1 Warren Buffet
Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha and among the wealthiest people in the world, is an agnostic. He is far more into Nebraska football and Bridge than he is religion.
1.1.2 Warren Allen Smith
Then there’s Warren Allen Smith, who landed on Omaha Beach in WW II. Where most soldier’s dog tags had either P or C for religious affiliation, Smith’s had the word “none” marked on his dog tags. He referred to himself as “the atheist in a foxhole” before his death five years ago. He died of happiness in his words and had no use for serving God.
1.1.3 Daniel Radcliffe
You know him as the actor who played Harry Potter; Daniel Radcliffe is a big fan of famed atheist Richard Dawkins. Radcliffe was just over ten years old when he was cast as the lead actor in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001. “Harry Potter,” born to a Jewish mother, said, “I personally am agnostic leaning toward atheism. I don’t expect there to be a God and an afterlife — I would be pleasantly surprised if there was.” There are so many successful people that haven’t served God and don’t care if He exists.
“You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts. 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” (Malachi 3:14-15).
Moving back to Malachi 3:14, the people say obeying God gets you nowhere.
1.2 Something I See
Almost everywhere I look today, I see Christians infected with a kind of malaise. I witness diminishing levels of enthusiasm for the Lord. You have friends like this: their belief in God doesn’t get them to church on Sunday, much less get them in the door of heaven in eternity. Their belief in God doesn’t impact their use of money or their mouth. For so many people, apathy is more contagious than Covid could ever think of being. The unbelief of those outside the church is having an effect on those inside the church. God’s design for His church is that the belief would grow inside of us and inside of our church to impact those around us. Yet, oftentimes it seems the reverse is happening.
1.3 A Pattern in Malachi
If you back up and see the message of Malachi “from a distance,” you see a pattern emerging. Back up for a moment and see “the forest rather than the trees.” There’s a drumbeat beating the same refrain if you listen closely. The people were saying that God did not love them. God was not worthy of the best sacrifices.
Again, there is this pattern throughout Malachi. God was not just, and He isn’t worthy of our praise. God didn’t deserve a whole tithe – keep your money and do whatever you want. Added to all this, people said, “It is futile to serve God. What good is it to follow God at all?” Malachi is battling against a diminished view of God. God isn’t strong. He’s either incapable or disinterested in doing the miracles, such as parting the Red Sea or condemning the wicked as did with Sodom and Gomorrah.
Now, added to all this, you can hear people saying, “All your sweat, your toil, your sacrifice, and your gifts are worthless. All your love and service to the Lord is meaningless.” “It just doesn’t pay to serve the Lord.”
1.4 To Serve the Lord
In verse 14, the word “serve” means to work for the Lord or to accomplish something for God. For example, the term can mean where you till a field, preparing to plant something for growth.
Straight up, think with me a moment: why do you serve God? Why do you lead a Good News Club after school? Why do you teach a Bible study? Why do you welcome people at one of the doors at the church? On one level, you might say, “Well, somebody has to!” I get it, and yes, I agree, “Somebody has to!”
But quiet your heart for a moment, and once again, think with me a moment: why do you serve God? What motivates you to give a cup of cold water in the name of Jesus? What motivates you to prepare to teach middle school boys’ Bible study? Why do you volunteer at our church? Do you serve the Lord because you think so much of Him? Analyze your motives for a moment, and while you’re doing that…
1.5 Your Time
Each of you has 24 hours a day and 168 hours a week. Each one of us has 8,760 hours each year given to us. How many of those hours are given to entertainment such as Hulu or Netflix? We know social media is big these days, with billionaire Elon Musk backing out of his deal to purchase Twitter. But did you know it was this big? Research shows that average adults spent three hours daily on social media in 2020. This is up from 90 per day in 2012. Now, if you are a follower of Jesus, why do not give an hour or two to serving? Straight up, think a moment: why do you NOT serve God?
I am talking to many of you who have never led a Bible study, never greeted a guest at the door of a church, never sponsored teens at a church event, or given your time to the needy and the homeless. Why is this true of you? Is it because no one has asked you? Or are you like the people in verses 14 and 15 who think it’s not worth serving God because He rewards the arrogant and condemns the godly? Do you think of God so little that serving Him means nothing to you?
But quiet your heart for a moment, and once again, honestly, think with me a moment: why do you NOT serve God?
1.6 Why Not Serve?
Maybe you’re not interested or motivated to serve the Lord because you simply admire Jesus and do not follow Jesus. Could it be that you are merely a fan of Jesus rather than a genuine follower of Jesus? Each of you has 24 hours a day and 168 hours a week. Each one of us has 8,760 hours each year given to us. My friend, how will you answer the Lord on how you used your time?
1. Serving God is Useless
2. Our Lord Remembers His Own
“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name” (Malachi 3:16).
Again, there are two distinct groups contrasted in this passage. Again, Jesus had His fans and His followers when He walked the earth. The same is true today. You may call them the Faithful Few or the Mighty Minority, but God always has a remnant of people who love Him and FEAR Him.
2.1 The Fear of the Lord
The Bible says we are to fear the Lord. Yes, worship includes even fearing the Lord. Fear doesn’t mean cowering in the corner like God is some North Vietnamese dictator and you are a prisoner of war. Fearing the Lord means taking God seriously and not casually. The Bible surveys all humanity and concludes: “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18).
Do you fear the Lord? Fearing the Lord means knowing what the Lord is capable of doing. Let me repeat: Fearing the Lord means knowing what the Lord is capable of doing.
2.2 Talking to One Another
Notice the words at the beginning of verse 16: “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name” (Malachi 3:16).
Compare verse 16 to verse 13 if you will: “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you’ (Malachi 3:13)? Literally, the phrase in Hebrew behind verse 13 is: “you have overruled me” says the Lord. Just as those who said following God is worthless and serving God is a waste of time were talking to one another. In contrast, those who feared the Lord were also talking to one another. God is listening carefully to those who fear Him. This is a warning to us. I love how Pastor John Piper put it: “All of our life is a theater, and we are the actors. Every kitchen, every car, every den, every office, every bedroom, and every bar is on stage! And God is in the front row of the theater and doesn’t miss a single line in the drama of our life — not one! No matter where or when or with whom we speak, God hears our conversations, and he interprets perfectly what they imply about him.”
[Pause]
Shakespeare famously said, ‘All the world’s a stage.” Do you think of your conversations, even your private ones, as on a stage before the God of Heaven? Jesus warned all of us: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).
Do you take God seriously, or do you take God casually? Do you fear the Lord?
2.3 Electricity
Dad, here is a simple illustration to help your children understand what it means to fear the Lord. Fearing the Lord is much like electricity. We all benefit from it, but we don’t stick screwdrivers into the outlet because we respect it. We handle electricity carefully. Again, fearing the Lord means knowing what the Lord is capable of doing.
Malachi is a revival book. Malachi is a book that calls upon the people of God to take God seriously. God is worthy of your praise, your worship, and even your fear. Your god is too small.
2.4 God Sees the Ones Who Fear Him
“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him” (Malachi 3:17). God compares His children who fear Him to a treasured possession. If you want to get the attention of God, then fear Him and praise Him. The Bible says God inhabits the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3). God’s head swings in the direction of those who fear Him and praise Him.
The Bible says, “… without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Our Father sees and remembers those who fear Him. He sees when His followers when they deny their rights for Christ’s sake (Matthew 16:24-27). Yes, our God writes you down in His book of remembrance. God sees you when you show compassion to the needy (Luke 14:13-14). He sees even the smallest acts of kindness. Yes, our God writes you down in His book of remembrance.
2.5 Bill’s Story
Mark was walking home from school one day when Bill, ten feet ahead of him, dropped his books, two sweaters, a baseball glove, and other odds and ends. Mark helped Bill pick up the scattered items, then carried some of them for him. As they walked, Mark discovered a lot about Bill, and when they arrived at Bill’s home, he invited Mark to come in for a Coke. They ended up spending the afternoon together and maintained contact with each other throughout junior high and high school. Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded him of the day five years ago when they first met. Then, Bill revealed that he was on his way home to commit suicide. Mark's kindness turned things around for him.16 He told Mark that when he picked those books up for him that day, he saved his life. God sees you when you show compassion to the needy (Luke 14:13-14).
He sees even the smallest acts of kindness. God even sees you when you treat your enemies kindly (Luke 6:35). God even sees the little girl who lives in an ungodly home and her timid testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, God writes that down in His book of remembrance.
2.6 Conclusion
God makes this bold promise: “Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him” (Malachi 3:18). There’s a day coming when it will be clear who is righteous and who is wicked. God’s people have a brand, and He marks off His herd like a cattle rancher here in Texas. Those who have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, are marked off with the brand of God. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…” (John 10:14). Are you a genuine follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, or are you a simply an admirer, a fan?
