Modelling Authentic Worship

Intro

Good Morning!

So good to be here again with you in God’s presence this morning! I’m grateful to be able to look at God’s Word with you this morning. Before we get started, would you join me in prayer as we go before our Mighty God?

Pray

After attending church one Sunday morning, a little boy knelt at his bedside that night and prayed, “Dear God, we had a good time at church today—but I wish you had been there!” (Source unknown; https://www.family-times.net/illustration/Worship/200631/)

Oh, out of the mouths of babes! Children takes things so literally: what they can’t see or touch obviously must not be present. So for this little boy, church was fun, but God didn’t show up so that he see Him or touch Him. Must be that God was absent that Sunday, right?

As preachers and leaders, our immediate response is “I sure hope not!” This is because we want God to not only be present, but active in our churches, in worship services, and in the lives of the people who call our church “home.” Why? Because without the Spirit of the Living God moving and active in our midst, our church have as much impact as the local community centre.

Matthew 5:16 is a verse we are all familiar with.

Matthew 5:16 ESV

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

So the question becomes, in worship, who are you focused on? As pastors and teachers, we have the chief responsibility to shepherd the flock of God under the Great Shepherd. We have the responsibility to be examples of how a dedicated follower of God should live. Our calling is to teach, preach, and live by the Word of God. A Christian’s life and service are dedicated to His glory, and His will. Our job as pastors is to be examples of how to live that out. Yet the question is raise, what is the motivation for our worship? Who do people see when they see you in worship?

We are going to be looking at Malachi 1:6-2:9 today. I’ll be reading from the ESV. Would you join as we read the Word of God together:

Malachi 1:6–2:9 ESV

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations. “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”

Malachi is preaching to the post-exilic nation Judah. A precise date cannot be determined for the writing of Malachi, yet we know that it was after the exile, and Malachi is writing to a people who are facing the very pragmatistic society of the Persians. The name of the game now was “Is it good for me and mine?” (McQueen, 2020, p. 702). If it was practically applicable and profitable, it made sense to do it. Reminds me of Vulcans and their logic from Star Trek honestly.

As we get into our passage today, we are going to look at how authentic worship is characterized by singular focus on God’s glory and will.

To do that, we are going to examine three “checks” presented here that help us understand and evaluate our heart of worship. Our leadership is empowered by God’s Spirit, and engage in authentic worship of Yahweh when we are focused on His glory and will. These checks are opportunities for us to come before God and re-align our hearts for service to him. So, as we start let’s look at our first “check.”

Check #1: What is your attitude like?

We start our passage in Malachi seeing God set an indictment against the priests of Judah. These priests are the ones in charge of the temple. They are in charge of carrying out the temple sacrifices and fulfilling the requirements of the Mosaic covenant. However, God says, “where is my honour and fear?” Why? Because the priests despise Yahweh’s name by offering polluted food on His altar! They offer blind animals, lame animals, and sick animals. In verse eight God says “Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor?”

The priests had become lazy and disobedient. Rather than being sensitive to the covenant mission with which they had been tasked, they chose to scorn God’s covenant with Israel. They treated it with contempt (McQueen, 2020, pp. 174-715). It is so bad, the Lord would rather see the doors of his own temple shut and the windows shuttered then let these unholy activities continue (v. 10). Verse 13 tells the story of their hearts - what was flowing on the inside. It says

Malachi 1:13 (ESV)

But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts.

This first check is about attitude. It is a chance for us to evaluate our own attitudes towards God and His Word. Perhaps it would have been wearisome for the priests to continually be sacrificing to God. Then there’s the sheer volume of animals that were needed! How much money would that take? Thinking back to the pragmatistic state of mind in which post-exilic Judah found itself, I wonder if the priests just grabbed whatever they could. “Oh, it will be burned anyway, why sacrifice this perfectly good sheep when we can get rid of that sick one?”

Their attitude toward God was one of apathy and disloyalty (McQueen, 2020, pp. 714-715). How many of us today suffer from the same problem? Or, better yet, how many of us have an attitude that is not in submission to God? As pastors and leaders we are challenged in this passage as we view both the apathy and disloyalty of the priests to examine ourselves. We hold a place of service that naturally brings authority. People look up to us, and follow our lead. Yet if our attitudes more resemble the “what a weariness this is” outlook of the priests, we run the same risks they do of endangering themselves and an entire nation, and being estranged from God.

Our first check is to examine our attitudes toward the will of God in our lives and the life of our churches. If we choose an apathetic and/or disloyal attitude toward God and His Spirit in our churches, we will not be able to effectively lead people to worship the King. Our attitude then must be one of humble service to Yahweh, fully sold-out and willing to do His will. It’s a tall order, but that’s how God’s Spirit flows through us and empowers us for ministry. It’s not on our terms, it’s on His. Therefore, my attitude needs to be one of humble service toward God. If you struggle with that, it’s time to ask God to purge your heart of pride and apathy, and replace it with a zeal for His Word and His Mission.

This first “check,” to examine our attitudes, is not the only one that we can find here. The second we find here is the question of who’s name we lift on high?

Check #2: Who’s Name do you lift high?

Verse 11:

Malachi 1:11 ESV

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

What is this verse? Situated right in the middle of a discourse on the improper actions of the priests and God punishment of them is this proclamation of Yahweh’s Name universally being praised throughout the world. What is this all about? It is one of the most difficult verses to interpret in the OT, and yet is so very important.

Verse 11 actually does not stand alone, but stands with verse 14 as an ending to two sections, vv. 6-11, and 12-14 (Smith, 1984, p. 313). Notice the commonality: The Lord says in both verses that His name will be great or fear among the nations. Could it be, particularly in the case of verse 11, that this was some sort of universalist proclamation? It’s been suggested, and certainly not an unpopular view among more liberal scholarship (Bullock, 2007, p. 409). However, the more correct interpretation that fits theology of Malachi and OT theology is to view this verse as an eschatological proclamation (Bullock, 2007, p. 410). It is a statement of how the Kingdom of God is continually moving toward complete fulfillment in the world (McQueen, 2020, p. 716). Malachi proclaims that, while the priest in this time do not have any proper regard for Yahweh and the covenant, the day is coming when everyone, everywhere, will worship Yahweh. This does not say that any worship to any God offered sincerely is the worship of Yahweh, nor does it somehow say that everyone on the earth right now are going to believe. Yet it heralds the day when God’s Kingdom will come in complete fullness upon the world, and the time of “already not yet” reality that they and us live in will be completed.

Why is this here? Because these priests might not care, but they should, and so should we! Malachi envisions a time when the Name of Yahweh will be great from one end of the earth to the other. As pastors, it’s our job to lead the charge in proclaiming that name - the name of Jesus Christ - to a lost a dying world. We empower our congregations to do that, and equip them for it, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

At this point, perhaps you’re thinking, “ok check, got that one.” I would encourage us all not to be so hasty, but instead consider how we are doing at this. Yes, perhaps we stand at our pulpits or in Bible study every week and confess Jesus until we are blue in the face. Yet, do we live it?

I don’t know how accurate the left behind series is, but I recently watched a newer film based on the books. True to story, a pastor was left behind in the rapture. Why?? He’s a pastor! The main character asks the question: “Why? You were here every Sunday and preached here!” He responded, “That’s not what counted. I knew the words… but that’s not enough. You have to believe” (Christian Entertainment, 2022, 1:11).

I’m not suggesting that we all here today don’t believe what we preach, but I am suggesting that our preaching must be more than skin deep. If we truly do believe and confess the gospel and lift up Jesus Christ, we must live it out! If true authentic worship demonstrates this singular focus on God’s will and glory then every area of our lives should be a testament to God. We should lift high Jesus’ Name with our words and actions not just on Sunday, but every day of the week. My question is simple: what are you choosing to hide in your life right now that does not lift up Jesus’ name. I’m going to guess that 100% of us right now have something. We have a choice, give that up and proclaim Jesus’ Name even in this, or choose to lift our own prerogatives up instead. It’s simple choice of who will you choose to praise with every area of your life, you, or God?

The final check is a short one, but enlightens us to the reality of what it means to follow God and authentically worship Him.

Check #3: Will you take this to heart?

Will you take this to heart? Will you take the message of Malachi - the story of priests who’s apathetic attitude and who chose not to lift up God’s name but profane it, and let it work in your life and ministry?

I wish that I could extol the good things associated with taking the message to heart. Certainly there are many. Yet it is imperative that we focus on the last nine verses of the text: 2:1-9. Yahweh says

Malachi 2:2 ESV

If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.

There’s absolutely so many blessings and benefits to following Yahweh. We know this! But there is also a curse that befalls those who will not heed the warmings here. For those who choose to profane God’s Name there is nothing “fun” in store.

I don’t wish to suggest that as pastors we have all utterly failed and will be curse. I want us to grasp the reality and weight of the choice to serve God that we have made, and how seriously God takes this. This graphic imagery that we see here of priests being burned and dung smeared on them demonstrates the severity with which God takes the covenant. Verses on through three are a reversal of the promises made not just to the priests in Number 6:24-27, but also to the nation of Israel’s patriarch, Jacob (McQueen, 2020, p. 717). Those who chose to profane the covenant God had with Israel are put under a curse. Moreover, verse four of chapter 2 tells us that God intends to preserve the covenant with Levi. Those who pollute that covenant are do not share in the blessings of Numbers and Genesis, but are instead cursed.

Let’s pause for a second on the word “heart.” In the Hebrew, this is not just the heart as we think about it today: Some gushy organ, or perhaps the seat of our spiritual experience. This “heart” encompasses the whole person. Body, mind, emotions, will, our whole being should be centred on giving honour to Yahweh’s Name.

Will you take this to heart, and allow true, authentic worship flow from your dedication to God’s glory and honour be your chief focus? This last check asks us to recommit, and allow God access to every part of who we are.

Conclusion

As we draw to a close, think about the apathetic priests of Malachi’s day. Imagine, how could they effectively lead the people into genuine worship of a God who they only marginally served (at best). We, as pastors, have a responsibility as shepherds to model authentic worship. We must be “sold out” for God, committed to His glory and will.

Remember the little boy from the beginning of this message? He didn’t know where God was. Probably because He was young. Yet as he grows as looks to you as the pastors, will He see Christ?

I want to end with encouragement. This may be a passage that addresses the woes surrounding a profaning response to Yawheh, but it also heralds the day when Christ will return, and rule in power and majesty here on earth. God’s heart to restore and even keep the covenant promises can be found, particularly in the first part of chapter two. Though we see the curse of apathetic disloyalty to God, we also encounter the warning God gives. This passage gives us all an opportunity the “check” where we are at in our relationship with God. Out of this relationship flows our leadership, and our modelling of how God’s expects us to live.

As we close, I would like to encourage you to spend some time thinking through these things. I’m going to leave some space for you to pray and talk to God about this. I’ll also be here afterward to pray with you. I encourage you to seek God on how your attitude is aligned with Him, how you choose to lift Him up in every area of your life, and how seriously you take this. Allow the Spirit to align your heart to God’s will, for His glory, so that you may authentically worship God, and model it for those in your flock.