The Sin of Second-Best

Malachi 1:6–14 (NLT)

6 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’

7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect.

8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

9 “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.

11 But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table.

13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

INTRODUCTION:

A- God’s love declared. (Malachi 1:1-5)

1- God had demonstrated his love for Israel by defeating her enemies and giving her a land flowing with milk and honey.

1- God has demonstrated His love for you and I over and over.

Through His gift of life.

Through His gift of salvation

Through His provisions day-by-day.

B- The big question:

1- How do we treat Him?

2- Notice how Israel responded to God’s love.

3- Let’s take a deeper look at ourselves and see if we are responding like Israel of old.

I- THE PROBLEM: (Malachi 1:6, 13a)

A- Lack of respect. (Malachi 1:6)

Malachi 1:6 (NLT)

6 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! “But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’

kabod (כָּבוֹד, 3519), “honor; glory; great quantity; multitude; wealth; reputation [majesty]; splendor.”

mora˒ (מוֹרָא, 4172), “fear, awe-inspired reverence”

1- Call Him Father, but don’t honor and obey Him.

2- Call Him Master, but don’t respect Him.

3- Call on Him, but hold Him in contempt.

B- Lack of real service. (Malachi 1:13a)

Malachi 1:13 (NLT)

13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

1- Bored with worship - no vitality.

Unlike John’s worship on Patmos. (Revelation 1:9-18)

Revelation 1:9–18 (NLT)

9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.

10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.

11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.

13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.

14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire.

15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.

16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last.

18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

2- Belabored service - No vision.

13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,

(Proverbs 29:18) “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

II- THE PRINCIPLE: (Malachi 1:7-10)

Malachi 1:7–10 (NLT)

7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect.

8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

9 “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.

A- Polluted Altar. (Malachi 1:7-8)

Malachi 1:7–8 (NLT)

7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect.

8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

1- Despised service. (Malachi 1:7)

Malachi 1:7 (NLT)

7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. “Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ “You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect.

2- Desecrated Altar. (Malachi 1:8)

Malachi 1:8 (NLT)

8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

a- The Lord wants a pure sacrifice. (Leviticus 1:10)

Leviticus 1:10 (NLT)

10 “If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the flock, it may be either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a male with no defects.

b- God has given His perfect sacrifice for your sins.(John 1:29)

John 1:29 (NLT)

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

c- God wants you and I to give Him our whole selves to Him. (Romans 12:1-2)

Romans 12:1–2 (NLT)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

B- Prayers of unfaithful hearts. (Malachi 1:9)

1- Refusing to old on to sinful behavior will make for ineffective prayer. (Psalm 66:18)

Psalm 66:18 (NLT)

18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

C- Power of God withdrawn. (Malachi 1:10)

Malachi 1:10 (NLT)

10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.

1- The glory of the Lord departed from the tabernacle. (1 Samuel 4:22)

1 Samuel 4:22 (NLT)

22 Then she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”

2- The glory of the Lord gave way to empty forms of religion. (2 Chron. 7:1-2)

2 Chronicles 7:1–2 (NLT)

1 When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple.

2 The priests could not enter the Temple of the Lord because the glorious presence of the Lord filled it.

3- The glory of God can depart from churches. (Rev. 2:5) (Jeremiah 7:4)

Revelation 2:5 (NLT)

5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

Jeremiah 7:4 (NLT)

4 But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!”

III- THE PROMISE TO THE UNCOMMITTED: (Malachi 1:11-14)

Malachi 1:11–14 (NLT)

11 But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table.

13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

A- Promise for the future. (Malachi 1:11)

Malachi 1:11 (NLT)

11 But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

gadol (גָּדוֹל, 1419), “great.”

1- If we refuse to be used by God, He will find someone who will. (Romans 11:20-21)

Romans 11:20–21 (NLT)

20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen.

21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

2- God will put us “on a shelf” and we will miss out on the blessings of being used by God.

B- Pragmatic commitment condemned. (Malachi 1:12-13)

Malachi 1:12–13 (NLT)

12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table.

13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

1- Giving God the leftovers of our life is sin!

Leftover time

Leftover talents

Leftover offerings

C- Promise of judgment (Malachi 1:14)

Malachi 1:14 (NLT)

14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

1- To give God the leftovers is to cheat God of what is rightfully His.

2- When you accepted Christ as savior and Lord, you pledged to Him your best, your all!

CONCLUSION: