✎ According to national statistics Ohio ranked 7th in population in 2000 with almost 11.4 million people. You might expect Ohio to also be one of the leaders in reported crime statistics as well. You should be glad to know that we Buckeyes came in 26th overall (even better for violent crime ranking #30). Ohio is safer than many other places to live. Simplifying the data only about 1 in 25 Ohioans or 4.04% will be the victim of a crime each year.
How about you? Have you ever personally been the victim of a crime? Have you ever been robbed? Have you gone to get into your car and found it missing? If statistics mean anything then about 2 or 3 of us here this morning could expect to be a victim of some type of crime this year. (If no one relates a personal story, share when we had our CDs stolen from our van.)
Did you know that more Ohioans are victims of crime and don’t even know it (and it’s not just limited to the Buckeye state these crimes happen everywhere)? You could be a SPIRITUAL CRIME VICTIM. Satan is a spiritual criminal–a robber, murderer, and vandal. Jesus described Satan as a thief seeking to steal, kill and destroy (see John 10:10).
You don’t have to be a victim! God wants to restore His blessing in your life and mine. Jesus said, “My purpose is to give life in all it’s fullness” (John 10:10 NLT). Satan wants to destroy your life; Jesus wants to have life, and life more abundantly!
As we continue today with our series, “Malachi, The Final Prophet–Godly Insight for Daily Living,” we are going to look at God’s Unbroken Promise: LIFE and PEACE.
As we get started let me give you this reminder. The foundation of Malachi’s message is built upon God’s eternal love: God’s love is sovereign, strong, steadfast, and seeking. Not only is the message grounded in love but it is also a word spoken to us by our Heavenly Father, our Master and our King. This is not merely E.F. Hutton talking. This is a message from the living God who loves us personally.
1. This is a message for us TODAY!
+ Malachi 2:1 "And now this admonition is for you, O priests. (NIV)
Don’t underline “O priests” in your bibles and think you are off the hook. Instead circle “And now this admonition is for you!” God’s message is alive! This message spoken by Malachi nearly 2,500 years ago is not outdated and worthless. Malachi’s words still ring true for you and me today!
Perhaps you are tempted to think to yourself, “I’m not a minister or a priest, so this message is still not for me.” If you are a Christian MALACHI’S MESSAGE IS FOR YOU!
+ Revelation 1:6 He [Jesus] has made us his kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father. (NLT)
Throughout the Old Testament priest were a special class of people who served as mediators between God and man; the priest was the “go between”–you couldn’t talk to God without him. That’s all changed now!
The New Testament teaches the “priesthood of all believers. Jesus’ death upon the cross gives us access to God individually. You don’t need a priest to appeal to God for you; the Bible says you “can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19 (NLT). God’s Holy Place, once reserved only for priests, is now open to everyone who believes in Christ.
+ 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. . . (NIV)
Malachi’s message is not limited to just the priests of his day, or to the professional ministers of today. Malachi’s message is for all of us because we all are “priests of God.”
Satan would like to steal this truth from you; he wants to rob you of the blessing that can be yours as a priest of God. You are a priest, not a puppet or pawn to be manipulated in the game of life. In Christ you are a victor not a victim.
Don’t let Satan rob you. Malachi’s admonition, his message is for you! Hear God’s word for you today, and put yourself in the position to receive the blessing of the Lord.
Why is it important for us to hear God’s message?
2. This is a message of REPENTANCE.
+ Malachi 2:2-4 2If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name," says the Lord Almighty, "I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. 3"Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. 4And you will know that I have sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue," says the Lord Almighty. (NIV)
Does Malachi’s message sound harsh to you? Does it seem razor-sharp and unmerciful? If it does then you’ve missed the real message of repentance.
✎ I wonder, does God ever count to three? If you’re a parent like me, then you have caught your child at some time red-handed; not only is your son or daughter guilty, he or she knows they are guilty! However, before you discipline your child you give him or her the chance to change their behavior–“1. . . 2. . . 3. . .” .
I picture God counting to three; He’s giving us a chance to repent–to change our behavior. God is saying, “If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,” then you will have to face the consequences; 1, 2, 3.
The foundation of repentance is found within God’s covenant with His people. Four times in this brief passage Malachi will refer to the covenant. Malachi’s listeners understood the covenant and repentance connection.
WHAT IS A COVENANT?
Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines covenant simply as a “contract or agreement between two parties.” Covenant comes from the Hebrew word “berith” which means “to cut.”
Many covenants were agreements made with blood. The two parties would either cut an animal in half saying, “May I likewise be cut in half if I should break this agreement,” or the individuals would cut themselves and mix their blood together as a sign of their union. (It is from such covenants that we get the modern idea of “blood brothers.”)
▸ The book of Deuteronomy focuses upon the renewal of the covenant between God and Israel. After being delivered from the Egyptians, and then wandering in the wilderness for 39 years the nation of Israel has returned to the promised land. However, before the people take possession of God’s promises, they need to be renew the covenant with God.
Moses instructs the nation of Israel in the covenant God has made with them. Basically the covenant stated the conditions for the agreement between God and His people. Within the covenant was God’s Law which the people were to obey. Obedience would be followed by God’s blessing; disobedience would be followed by a curse.
God knew the requirements of the Law would be impossible to keep, so God made a provision of His mercy and grace. God would accept sacrifices and forgive the people of their sin.
Moses foretold of God’s judgement that would come, but even as God would punish the people for their sin Moses encouraged the people to return to God and find His mercy.
+ Deuteronomy 4:29-31 29But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. 31For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. (NIV)
God promised to be faithful to the covenant, no matter what. God will not break His promises. However, Israel had been unfaithful. Therefore, Malachi brought a message of repentance. He reminded the people of God’s covenant; seek God and repent!
God keeps His covenant! If the people will repent of their sin and seek the Lord, then He would be merciful and restore His blessing upon the people, but if they persisted in their sin, then God’s curse would be upon them.
Sometimes Satan is falsely accused! Satan has not stolen God’s blessing; God will at times curse the blessing He has given. Look again at Malachi’s message.
+ Malachi 2:2-3, 9 . . ."I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. 3"Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. . . 9So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law. (NIV)
Before we can receive God’s blessings we must be sure that we are not under God’s judgement. That’s the point of Malachi’s rebuke: WILLFUL SIN FORFEITS GOD’S BLESSING. God will not bless sin. If you continue to live in disobedience to His word, then you place yourself under a curse.
+ 1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord--a curse be on him. (NIV)
You and I don’t have to live under a curse. The Bible tells us “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13 NIV). Jesus sets us free from the curse so that we can enjoy God’s blessing!
3. God’s Unbroken Promise–The Covenant of LIFE and PEACE.
+ Malachi 2:5 My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace. (NIV)
Repentance changes everything! When we accept Christ we are recipients of God’s blessings. (See Ephesians 3:1)
+ Romans 8:5-6 5Those who live according to the [flesh] have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. (NIV)
The mind of the natural man can only lead to death. Each of us have had questions which we cannot answer in ourselves. Why am I here? What’s my reason for being alive? What happens when I die. Apart from Christ our answers leave us with nothing; we are empty and lifeless.
Christ gives us life! He said, “I have come to give you life and life more abundantly!” (John 10:10).
+ John 1:4 In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men. (NIV)
Jesus takes us out of the darkness and gives us life.
+ Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NIV)
4. THE STEPS of repentance: How can we receive God’s covenant of life and peace?
+ Malachi 2:5-7 5My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. 7For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction–because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. (NIV)
Reverence–fear same word as in 1:6 This fear or reverence is recognized by fulfilling a vow.
Genuine repentance is to make a vow to God; I will turn from my sin and follow You!
✎ A man boarded a train in St. Louis. He was looking forward to seeing family in California. He talked with other passengers about his family whom he had not seen. Some of his traveling companions told him about their experience traveling through California. When the man was told about the beauty of the mountains and the awesome splendor of the Pacific coast he just could not wait to arrive.
✎ The conductor overheard the conversation and asked the man, “Are you wanting to go to California? Sir you can’t get there on this train; we’re going to New York City.”
✎ Initially the man didn’t believe the conductor. How could he have gotten on the wrong train? Soon he began to notice that the train was in fact heading east. The day was coming to an end and the sun was setting behind him. The man intellectually knew he was heading the wrong way. Soon it hit his emotions and he began to cry, “Oh God, I don’t want to go to New York–I want to go to California!”
✎ The conductor gave the man a ticket for the CA train and told showed him the door at the back of the car. “Sir if you take your ticket and exit through that door, you will be can switch trains and be on your way to CA.”
✎ The will! Make the choice to switch trains!
Proverbs 1:7 (NIV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 3:7 (NIV)
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.
Proverbs 8:13 (NIV)
To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Proverbs 23:17 (NIV)
Do not let your heart envy sinners,but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
verse 6: Levi walked with God finding peace and righteousness. He turned many away from their sin; you can’t lead others in righteousness unless you are living in righteousness yourself! You can’t give what you don’t have.
Malachi delivered God’s message some 400 years prior to Christ’s first coming. God wanted to prepare His people for the promised coming of the Messiah. Now nearly 2,500 years later Malachi’s message is still just as relevant. As each day we are ever closer to Christ’s second coming we too need to hear God’s message of repentance.
God is still a covenant keeper; He will be faithful even when we are faithless. Repent and turn to God while there is still time.
