Malachi 3:13-18 "Your words have been harsh against Me," Says the LORD, "Yet you say, ’What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ’It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’" 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. 17 "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him." 18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
Does it pay to serve God? The people in the day of Malachi had decided it doesn’t. God says the peoples words toward Him had been harsh as they suggested is was useless to serve God (vs.14).
The peoples words had been …
· Wrong …offering lame sacrifices (1:8)
· Weary … saying doing evil is good. (2:17)
· Wayward … saying it’s useless to serve God. (3:14)
What is the use? I have been guilty at times by stating … "What good does it do to preach the Word? I mean look at the lives of the people!"
The very reason I gave myself not to preach is the reason to preach the Word of God!
The question of the day is … "Where’s the service?"
· The basic theme of the passage is "Serving God."
· The passage closes with those who do and those who don’t serve God.
· Those who do not serve God … saw little benefit.
· Those who do serve God … enjoyed the benefits.
Serving God Questioned
· Skeptics argued … "What are we getting out of it?"
· Skeptics see serving God as a mere duty.
Malachi 3:14b What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts?
· Mourners … outward show only of being remorseful.
· They believed God was obligated to pay them something in return for them showing up and going through the motions.
· Their expectations were not met so they questioned God’s pay off.
· Their conclusion was … "We’re no better off!"
· How are you doing … in your serving?
· Feeling it is useless … with little reward?
· Are we serving out of duty or out of love?
"Lord, I need You to help me to see satisfactions in service, to enjoy partnership with You, to delight in studying, seeking, and speaking for You; and rescue me from the prison of merely doing my duty. Amen." - H.B. London
Psalms 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Serving God Explained
What is involved in serving God?
Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.
· Right Attitude … reverence and respect for God.
· Right Heart … fear the Lord to honor who God is.
· Right Results … humility, obedience, and worship.
· Rather than complain, the righteous talked to each other about their love for the Lord and His goodness toward them.
· Fellowship of the remnant who served God.
Luke 16:13 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
· Let our hearts attitude be to see God’s results in our lives and church.
Serving God Rewarded
Does it pay to serve God?
Malachi 3:116b-17 So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. 17 "They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him."
· God remembers those who fear and honor Him.
· God makes them His treasured possession. (2 Pt 2:9)
· God spares those who serve Him.
"Righteousness in God’s sight is more than a profession of faith; it must be a faith that serves Him." - Jim Harvey
Colossians 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
God makes a clear distinction between the righteous and unrighteous. The righteous serve Him, while the unrighteous do not.
"Godly people take God seriously and ungodly people do not take God seriously."
Malachi 3:18 Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.
Such an authentic faith is abundantly rewarded. Yes, it always pays to serve God!
Amen!
This sermon was preached by Robert AuBuchon at Trinity Baptist Church in 2001. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
