Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Spiritual Infidelity”*

*Malachi 2.10-3.5*

A couple of people have remarked about how interesting it is that a prophet who wrote thousands of years ago can write a book that continues to be so relevant to us today.

And this is one of the amazing truths of God’s Word.

It contains a timeless and supernatural message that continues to change lives today.

There are several of us who are reading “Dug Down Deep” by Josh Harris.

And the latest chapter was on the doctrine of Scripture.

It was discussed in the chapter the fact that the Bible is unlike any other book.

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit convinces you of its truthfulness and impresses on your heart the nature of this book.

Harris writes, “Scripture speaks to our souls with a depth and intensity that is unmatched.”

When we read it, the Bible opens /us /up.

It reads us and searches us in a very profound way.

And I have found this to be true even when studying a minor prophet like Malachi.

We continue our study in the book of Malachi this morning.

Please turn there with me.

If you haven’t caught on yet, there seems to be an overall message of appropriate worship toward God.

We must recognize that the starting point in such a study is not /our/ feelings toward God, but the nature of God himself and what he expects of us.

Too often we want to bend God to fit us rather than bend ourselves to him.

And this is where Malachi began.

He recorded the Lord’s words speaking of his love for his people when he chose them.

All God’s activity would reveal that “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel.”

As we know from their history, Israel was often faithless to their God – even at the time of Malachi’s pronouncements of God’s indictments.

The priests were offering polluted offerings to their God.

And they were rebuked by him.

And again God reminded them that his name would be great among the nations.

We move on from there this morning and we come to a passage of Scripture that continues the indictments of Israel’s unfaithfulness.

This time we will see how improper worship affects families.

And these will fall under the umbrella of our sermon title today, *Spiritual Infidelity.

*We are in Malachi 2.10-3.5.

Let’s read the text as we get underway.

*READ*

The first point is *Corporate Spirituality.

*We will spend the majority of time on this point and touch briefly on two concluding points.

We see in our day something that has not been so prevalent in past generations.

People today mistakenly believe that one’s spirituality is entirely personal and internal.

You probably know what I am talking about.

We have come to the point where everyone can have a valid claim on what they believe to be true.

So what I believe is truth to me, what my neighbour thinks is true to him or her, etc.

And yet we cannot claim that what others believe to be untrue because that would be intolerant.

And so we’ve lost a sense of objectivity and spirituality becomes completely a subjective experience.

And some of this has impacted the Christian Church as well.

We can have Jesus as a common denominator, but one’s expression of their spirituality and their growth in their faith becomes more self-centred.

Suddenly we have become less accountable to one another because my experience with Jesus is more personalized.

And we continue to lose our corporate identity as “church.”

The church isn’t a building but a gathering of saints – believers in Jesus Christ.

Let’s see how this played out in Malachi’s day with the nation of Israel and how this impacts our thinking as the church body.

Malachi begins in verse 10 with three questions.

The first two expect an answer in the affirmative and explains existing situations.

The third question refers to ongoing activity.

So he asks, “Have we not all one Father?

Has not one God created us?” Obviously, the answer is “yes.”

What Malachi is doing here is reminding the people of Israel of their corporate identity.

He reminds them that they’re on the same team.

“Remember that God has loved us and chosen us to be his people.

We don’t do this so much individually, but together.

Our Father is God himself.”

He is trying to motivate obedience by reminding them of their spiritual and covenantal unity.

They had promised to obey God together.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Isaiah 43:1 (ESV) 1 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

6 I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Malachi asks “Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?”

Why would their identity with God as their Father impact their faithlessness to one another?

The people were not only in covenant with God but also with one another, and every act of unfaithfulness to God weakens and erodes the people of God as a whole.

Remember Achan in the book of Joshua?

Joshua 7:1 1 But */the people of Israel broke faith/* in regard to the devoted things, */for Achan/* the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things.

And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.”

And the people of Israel were defeated in battle.

Joshua cried out to the Lord.

And then in verses 10 and following, “*10* The Lord said to Joshua, “Get up!

Why have you fallen on your face?

*11* Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.

*12* Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies.

They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction.

I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.”

And in Joshua 22:20, “20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel?

And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’

”

We know that the Old Testament is comprised of moral, dietary, and civil laws that God imposed so that he could teach his people about holiness.

And there were strict consequences should such things be broken.

Their obedience or disobedience would result in either God’s blessing or cursing as a nation.

The same is true in the church today.

But we don’t think like this because */our /*spirituality is more private and individualized.

However, who we are in private affects who Squamish Baptist Church is corporately.

One’s propensity to lying, pornography, lust, covetousness, and idolatry affects the collective whole.

I am not referring only to our church, but generally the North American church.

One thing that has not helped in this regard is the absence of church discipline.

And with that, everybody cringes.

I know.

It is not natural for us to think of discipline as a good thing.

But as Scripture reminds us, we are disciplined because of God’s love for us and it confirms us as his children.

Very good news!

As we often tell our own children, it is for your benefit that we carry out discipline because it keeps you in God’s blessing, and not in danger.

But the church today has become overly concerned with hurting feelings and offending one another that we often reap what we sow.

We have conceded to the fear of man over the fear of God.

And this fosters improper worship and an unhealthy church.

Those who write extensively on the nature of the church inform us that church discipline is one of the least obeyed practices of the New Testament.

I think it is often misunderstood and can be carried out in unbiblical fashion.

But when applied faithfully, it can be a beautiful thing that restores fellow believers and grows and purifies the church.

All of this is why it is crucial that we are individually diligent in studying and applying God’s Word.

This is why we are so persistent to encourage Growth Group participation.

It helps us grow together collectively.