He's Worthy of Our Best

Read Malachi 1:6-14;

Intro

Finished section in Matthew/Parables on the Kingdom of God

God willing, we will pick back up in the series first of the year.

The last couple of weeks: To be in the Kingdom requires unconditional abandonment.

Means Christ is the treasure and priority of our lives.

Today: The Lord is worthy of our best. I want to encourage us to prioritize Him and serve Him with joy and zeal.

It is only when we prioritize the Lord that we experience all that He has for us.

Are you in a spiritual doubt? Feel far from the Lord? Lack the peace of God? Lack the joy of the Lord?

I would ask you: “Is He the priority of your life?”

Malachi is the last prophet that the children of Israel will know for roughly 400 years, until John the Baptist comes on the scene to prepare the way for Jesus. Machi has the task of addressing the community of Israel following its return from Babylonian exile. They are discouraged in in a bit of disarray. Though the temple has been rebuilt, their worship has become heartless. Malachi is calling them back to covenantal faithfulness to God.

We know how to go through the motions of church, and Bible ready, and prayer, serving others… but are we doing these things primarily out of duty or out of devotion? Are we giving God our best or are we giving Him our leftovers?

(SERVING GOD THE "LEFTOVERS" ) – Several years ago, radio commentator Paul Harvey shared a true story about a woman and her frozen turkey. The Butterball Turkey Company set up a telephone hotline to answer consumer questions about preparing holiday turkeys. One woman called to inquire about cooking a turkey that had been in her freezer for 23 years. The representative told her the turkey would be safe to eat, but did not recommend eating it because the flavor would have deteriorated. The caller replied, “That’s what I thought. Okay, we’ll probably just give it to our church then.”

That woman was guilty of serving leftovers to her church

The priests and the people in Malachi’s day are guilty of serving leftovers to a holy God.

Top down: People have become negligent in their worship

God sends Malachi to confront them about their careless worship.

People are offering defective animals for sacrifice

Priests (responsible for inspecting animals) are accepting un-acceptable sacrifices and half-hearted worship

The Lord is saying that His people are bringing Him gifts that are not even acceptable for human authorities.

I. God is Our Father & Master

Malachi 1:6 (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?’

A) Father

God is the one who created and established Israel as a people.

Deuteronomy 32:6 (ESV)

Do you thus repay the Lord, you foolish and senseless people?

Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you?

As Father, He protects and provides for His people.

As Israel’s Father, He is saying that He must be honored.

Said in context of shame and honor culture. Giving honor where honor is due is highly valued and engrained in Israel’s cultural narrative.

As a son is called to honor his father, so are God’s people to honor Him.

B) Master

God is reminding Israel that tHe is their King

Calls for deep devotion, loyalty, obedience, reverence

God is the Father and Master of Every Believer:

Father

Romans 8:15 (ESV)

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Not everyone is God’s Child. (though they are His creation)

We’ve been brought into the family of God, through Christ.

We ought to honor Him as Father (Obey, be loyal, respect).

God is also our Master

For the Christian, Jesus is NOT just Savior, but He is Lord.

We should fear the Lord (revere Him, Honor Him, Obey Him).

God rules in a way that blesses rather than crushes.

Psalm 1: Blessed is the one who delights in the Law of the Lord

We ought to obey ought of joyful submission, not reluctant obligation.

II. Failing to Honor the Name of the Lord

The people in Malachi’s day are NOT giving honor to the Lord

Priests are Despising the Name of the Lord

Despise: To Disdain or consider something worthless

Instead of bringing God their best, the Israelites are treating Him as insignificant by bringing Him their leftovers.

6b But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 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. 8 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?.

Leviticus 1 3 “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.

Leviticus 22:22

22 Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or ban itch or scabs you shall not offer to the LORD or give them to the LORD as a food offering on the altar.

In Leviticus 22, after discussion of what constituted acceptable sacrifices to God, Moses makes the clear association with God’s name.

Lev. 22:32, 33 - And you shall not profane My holy Name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel: I am the LORD who sanctifies you, Who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

It seems the implication is that to offer unacceptable sacrifices was to treat God’s name as common.

Why did the sacrifices need to be perfect? Warren Wiersbe notes that one reason is that...

these (OT) sacrifices pointed to (were pictures of) the (NT sacrifice of the) Lamb of God who would one day die for the sins of the world (Jn 1:29; Heb. 10:1-14), and if they were imperfect, how could they typify the Perfect Sacrifice, the (sinless) Son of God?

We don’t always understand the “why” behind what God calls us to do. But we must trust and obey!

Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!

A) They Were Bringing the Lord Blind and Lame Animals They Didn’t Want!

Today, people tend to bring God only what they don’t want.

Time: I will fit you in if I have nothing better to do.

Talent: Give my best to my job to bring in a comfortable lifestyle, but I’ll halfheartedly serve the church

Treasure: I just can’t afford to tithe. (translation: I can’t afford to give and buy all the stuff I want).

B) The People Were Bringing Gifts to God that They Wouldn’t Even Give Their Governor

(8b) Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.

We wouldn’t dare treat the people in our lives the way that we treat the Lord.

Application: It is better to bring the Lord nothing at all than it is to fail to bring Him our best.

10 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. He says here that it would be better to close the temple doors than to offer God a sacrifice in vain.

In his compelling book “Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a relentless God,” Francis Chan writes “The priests of Malachi’s day thought their sacrifices were sufficient. They had spotless animals but chose to keep those for themselves and give their less desirable animals to God. They assumed God was pleased because they had sacrificed something. God described this practice as evil. Leftovers are not merely inadequate; from God’s point of view (and lest we forget, His is the only one who matters), they’re evil. Let’s stop calling it ‘a busy schedule’ or ‘bills’ or ‘forgetfulness.’ It’s called evil.”

III. Motivation for Giving God Our Best

Not about earning God’s Love

Not about Merit

Not about giving Him something so that He won’t strike us down.

A) Motivation 1: God Gave Us His Best

John 1:29 (ESV)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

2 Corinthians 5:14 (ESV)

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;

When I think of what He is done… I can’t help but delight/honor/praise Him!

2.2) (Our second motivation for giving Him our best) Divine Favor

Not salvation, but “His divine power and blessing working in my life. “

I don’t just want eternal life… I want to walk in His favor when I am on this earth here and now. Because, I can walk in peace no matter the circumstances.

I want the favor of God on my life!

9 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.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

2 Corinthians 9:

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

If I give sacrificially (of m y time talent and treasure), and I give cheerfully, the favor of God will be on my life!

This IS NOT the PRIMARY reason for giving my best to God:

iii. Because of Who He Is

11 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…

14b…For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

We honor Him, serve Him, and give Him our best… because He is a GREAT KING!

Closing

A) Malachi was calling his people to a renewed Covenantal faithfulness.

I am calling the people of Real Life to the same thing.

Serve God—not out of obligation—but with joy and thanksgiving!

Let’s quite giving God our leftovers and start giving Him our best.

Are we offering God less than our best? Here are three standards of sacrifices to test our worship and service to God:

(1) Are we giving to God first?

(2) Are we giving God our best?

(3) Are we offering God a sacrifice that costs us something?

B) God Gave His Best To Us: Communion