What’s God Worth?

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This morning, we’re going to jump right into the text, but I want to share something first. When I was hired at this church, my goal wasn’t to simply maintain what LRBC has been; I was called to lead us toward something greater—something that God is calling us to. I know that this can make some people feel a bit uncomfortable from time to time. Today will be one of those times when you may find yourself a bit uncomfortable, and maybe even thinking, “Ouch… I know that’s what the Bible says, but I’m not sure I like it.”

That being said, if you remember last week we left off with God giving a declaration of love to the Israelites and I said you’d have to come back this week to see how they responded…Well, really all you had to do was keep reading, so that’s what we’re gonna do today. Go ahead and turn over to

Malachi 1:6–14 (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.

Oh man that a whole truck load of wow going on there isn’t it…I mean God does not seem overly happy with what theses folks are doing, does he? Then of course they’re kind of talking back aren’t they. Whew…I am glad I am not them…or am I? Today I want to ask a question.

What is God’s Worth?

What is God's value in your life and practice? Earlier this week, I saw a video graph illustrating how people have spent their time over the last hundred years. Two things stood out to me: in the early years, family was the most important aspect of life, with about 10% of people's time dedicated to church. Today, however, the most important focus is online, and church attendance has dropped to around 2%. Yet, we’re often told we should be grateful for this. So, I ask you: What’s God worth?

Last week, we discussed the different periods of time, and one author suggested that we are currently living in what he calls a "Negative World." While we might not want to believe this has permeated the church, we should still be grateful for those who dedicate 2% of their time to the church and to fulfilling our collective mission. I’d say we are very much living in a Negative World, even within the church, right?

Having a relationship with the Lord is just that—a relationship. The more time you spend with Him, the more you learn, grow, and become intimate with Him. You discover what pleases the Lord and what actions you should take—or avoid—to reflect His love and grace to others. It’s a continuous learning process.

This relationship with the Lord is not unlike the relationship between a husband and a wife. For example, Beth and I have been married for a little over 22 years, and during that time, I’ve learned and grown in my understanding of her. Early in our marriage, I would often buy Beth flowers. I’d visit the store to find interesting blooms in various colors, choosing unique vases, all because I knew she appreciated them.

There was a time in our marriage when I stopped getting her flowers—not because I didn’t want to, but because we couldn’t really afford it. At one point, she even told me she didn’t want flowers anymore. But now I know that’s not true; she still likes flowers.

Get nice arrangement from back

Here’s the problem…after getting her flowers so often, I have come to kind of like flowers too. I mean they have a nice aroma, they bring a little class into the room which makes me seem classy…ya know, which I really need…there’s good in flowers. But…I know that Beth likes flowers. So I think what I’m gonna do because I like flowers too is Im gonna leave these right here. They will look nice here and I will get to look at them this morning, then I can put them in my office.

But…I’m not gonna leave my wife hanging like that…I know how much she really enjoy flowers

Get busted flowers from back

Here ya go…See, I really like flowers, but I know she likes flowers and it’s kind of one of those things you’re supposed to do…So, you know…this is what she requires…I checked it off my list.

Isn’t this what we do with the Lord? We keep the good stuff for ourselves and give Him our leftovers. This is exactly what God is addressing with the Israelites. He’s calling them out for reserving the best for themselves while offering Him the broken, sad bouquet that nobody wanted—the clearance items.

If we’re honest, we often do the same thing, don’t we? We think, “I’d give that, but it looks so good on my table.” What the Lord is saying here is that it isn’t acceptable to hold back from him for ourselves—we can’t do that!

Did you catch what Malachi is saying? He’s holding the people accountable, but he’s also criticizing the priests for allowing this behavior. The priests permit the people to bring in blind, lame, and injured animals. They aren’t upholding God’s truth, and as a result, it’s impacting the culture on a wide scale.

As a matter of fact, there was a lawyer turned evangelist, Charles Finney during the Second Great Awakening. He famously said during a sermon,

“If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it.

If the public press lacks moral discrimination, the pulpit is responsible for it.

If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it.

If the world loses its interest in religion, the pulpit is responsible for it.

If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it.

If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”

—Charles Finney 1873

Why is the pulpit responsible? Because a preacher can easily lead people astray. There are many out there today preaching heresy, leading hundreds of thousands off course. One example is Andy Stanley, who is not only leading his own church astray but also influencing thousands of other pastors to do the same.

Look at what Jesus says though in

Matthew 18:7 (ESV)

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

That’s why I take my job very seriously…Of course there is a difference between a modern pastor and an ancient priest, but there are alot of similarities…

For instance, you’ll remember that last week I discussed the positive, neutral, and negative worlds and how pastors have allowed—or even encouraged—certain things into the church during those times. Let me share a couple of examples. Do you know where the term "Sunday Best" comes from? It originated because people saved their best clothes to worship the Lord, not due to a dress code, but out of a desire to give Him their best. Nowadays, however, that phrase means something quite different, doesn’t it?

What about this? We’ve told people over the years to worship in whatever way they feel comfortable. While we understand that worship encompasses our entire lives, I’m specifically referring to the time we gather together for worship. As pastors, we might say something like, “The praise team is coming up, and we just want you to worship however you feel comfortable today. You can sit, kneel, or stand—whatever makes you comfortable.”

Just real quick… can someone show me in the Bible where it says that? Where does it say to worship based on your comfort? Worship is not about your comfort. Yet we’ve taught an entire generation—or maybe more—that it should be. We imply that if you feel like worshiping, go ahead, but if you’re not feeling it today, that’s okay. What!?!

Like, David danced naked in the streets, folks! Now, I’m not saying we need to do that, but Scripture is clear that worship is not about my comfort. We read that we should lift holy hands to the Lord, clap our hands to sing a new song, make a joyful noise, and shout with praise. This is how Scripture calls us to worship—not based on how we feel comfortable.

But pastors have allowed this over the years. Now, just for a moment—men, we are called to lead the way in worship! You see, it’s a tactic of the enemy to get you to sit silently with your coffee while your wife or kids engage in worship. Listen, men, in the Old Testament, the warriors went into battle with their arms raised, singing praises to the Lord. Many times, the enemy was already defeated by the time they arrived, all because they were praising the Lord their God. We face a battle every single day! Go into battle praising and worshiping with your arms held high—if you’re man enough!

I’ve said alot this morning and I said I was going to make people uncomfortable so let me leave you all with some thoughts and challenges real quick…

Challenge for Commitment

Malachi was used by God to challenge the priests of Israel about their willingness to offer polluted and unworthy sacrifices. What does that look like for us today? We’ve discussed this before, and Scripture addresses it here as well. When we fail to give God our first and best, we are not honoring who He is or the sacrifice made through Jesus.

The only appropriate response to God is one of fear—not fear in the sense of being scared, but fear in terms of honor and respect. However, when we give God our leftovers—whether financial or in time—they are still leftovers. This shows a lack of wholehearted worship and devotion. The Israelites' casual attitude toward the altar of God revealed how little they valued their relationship with Him, Kind of like giving the leftover, broken, clearance flowers.

Think about those that made a vow to bring the proper sacrifice, then they brought what they knew was substandard. That’s the same as making a commitment to give a particular percentage of your income, or a particular sacrifice of time…this is your commitment…and then rejecting that commitment by giving less than you said.

I’ll be blunt: Our financial generosity today is similar to their alter worship. People who claim to love the Lord and His work can easily demonstrate it through their budgets. Giving is a gift of God’s grace, and if we’ve truly experienced His grace, we won’t hesitate to give generously to the Lord who has given us eternity, not because we have to…but because we want to.

Next is a

Call to Authentic Worship

God desires genuine worship, not empty rituals. This morning, we were reminded that God would prefer the doors to be closed rather than have fake worship. Just think about that for a moment. When we focus on worship that fits our schedules or our comfort...

This would have struck a chord with the Israelites. King Ahaz had previously shut the Temple doors to pursue idol worship. Remember when, just a few years ago, our own government closed the church doors while strip clubs remained open—all in the name of the idol of science? The times we live in are not unlike those in Malachi's day. Listen to his words and take them to heart.

Fake worship and fake Christianity are useless—that's what God is saying here. They serve no purpose! Our worship should be firmly rooted in humble adoration of God as the source of all goodness and authority. Recently, I spoke with some fellow pastors who seriously claimed that biblical truths can only take you so far and that sometimes you need psychotherapy. Faith can only get you so far? I’m sorry, but Scripture says otherwise. Look at this...

2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

I don’t need psychotherapy, I don’t need a “christian” counselor who is gonna pray with me and then go on giving me the wisdom of the world, I need the wisdom of God through Scripture alone!

Now,

Proclaiming God's Greatness

What does that mean? Last week, we saw how God reminded Israel of His love for them. This week, we witness God reminding Israel of who He is. He tells the nation that all nations will come to know Him—not just Israel. Through Malachi, the Lord contrasts their insincere worship with a future time of true worship through Christ, when Gentiles everywhere will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship Him.

Here’s what is truly sad: God’s kingdom of priests, meant to proclaim His grace to the nations, was now profaning His name. God’s “name” represents His nature, character, and worth as revealed through His words and actions. Those who claim to belong to Him and bear His name are called to reflect His character in their worship and actions. When their worship or actions misrepresent God’s holy character, they profane His name.

I love this conversation about defiling the alter of the Lord. I mean it’s kind of hard, but it’s good at the same time I think. See, God is showing the Israelites, especially the priests that their attitude was one of contempt. The thing is…the priest knew they were defiling the alter…they acknowledged the food was contemptible and they were annoyed at the Lord for pointing it out.

Now, let’s remember that the entire purpose of the sacrificial system was to point to Christ, the sinless Son of God, who would come to save the world. How can these offerings of trash or roadkill symbolize Jesus? That’s essentially what the Israelites were bringing to the altar—animals that were killed by violence, injured, or sick. This is far from giving the best to the Lord.

Even worse were the priests who couldn’t be bothered to do the ministry they were called to—those who failed to set things straight. Offering sacrifices had become a burden to them, and this attitude reflected contempt for the Lord’s name. They were too indifferent to fulfill their sacred responsibilities. They were too busy for their ministry responsibilities.

James 4:17 (ESV)

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

The Lord God is great and greatly to be praised. When worship is fake or lacks sincerity and humility, it profanes His name. This applies to us today as well. If your worship hinges on your comfort, schedule, or financial considerations, you are profaning God's name.

We all know what it means to take the name of the Lord in vain, but profaning God’s name goes a step further. Let that sink in for a moment. You see, many of you would never dream of using the Lord’s name in vain, yet your worship has been fake or non-existent for years.

But there’s good news! I don’t wanna leave here all sad and horrible…The sacrifices that God discusses with the priests point to the coming sacrifice that will defeat sin, death, hell, and the grave. This morning, we celebrated baptism—a physical picture of the spiritual reality that occurs when we accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the living Son of God. Jesus fulfilled the ultimate sacrifice, allowing us to approach Him authentically with our whole hearts. We don’t come to the Lord with a checklist of tasks to make sure we did it right…we simply come to the Lord with everything we have leaving NOTHING behind. That is what true worship looks like today—humble adoration of God with a heart of gratitude, not a sense of obligation. Our worship is shaped by our understanding of His grace and sacrifice.

As we close, I ‘m asking you to take your commitment cards. This morning, I want you to reflect on three final thoughts that I’ll share. The prompts are on the screen for you to consider as you respond and commit to the Lord this week. I won’t tell what you should write; this is a personal conversation between you and God. Once you’ve completed your cards, please turn them during communion in at the baskets near the communion table this morning.

This morning take time to examine your commitment and attitude towards God, are you truly reflecting the honor and reverence he is due?

Are you holding back from what you you have commited to him? are you offering the leftover, or the worthless version of the sacrifice you have been called to offer?

This morning take time to examine your worship of God, is your daily walk reflected through a heartfelt devotion to God and not to your own comfort?

Are you waiting to worship God only if you feel comfortable? If your worship dependent on your comfort or on God’s glory? How have you been holding back what is owed to God?

This morning take a moment to see if your worship is truly reflecting God’s greatness. Choose this week to live lives of genuine honor to God.

What does your daily walk with the Lord look like? Is it marked by little to no Scripture? What about taking time to actually worship the Lord daily? Are you sharing what God has done in your life with others as an outpouring of your worship? Or are you to uncomfortable for those types of things…

However you respond to these prompts know this…Forgiveness is available to all. Listen, if you are a believer and have realized this morning that you have been holding back from the Lord, it’s as easy as repenting of that and giving to God what he deserves. If you are just now this morning wondering what it would look like to surrender to the Lord, its as easy as repenting of your own sinfulness and giving to God what he deserves. If that’s you, I would ask that you would mark your commitment card in some way so that I know how to pray for you best. If you have prayer needs, or other thoughts, please feel free to use these cards to be able to connect with us this morning and know that you will be prayed over this week specifically.

Pray: pray that the Lord will break down any barriers that are holding back any authentic worship this morning.

Now we have Communion.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.