Looking in the Right Places Makes Us Faithful with God's Gifts based on Malachi 1:6-14

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes young children do not want to share things. A young child will be playing with a toy and a brother or sister wants to play with that same toy. The child with the toy might become angry and say that the toy is “Mine!” The child with the toy is not willing to let a brother and sister play with his or her toy.

Sometimes adults do not want to share either. Many adults also like to think of what he or she has as being “Mine.” Adults might say that other people can buy that car, home, or some other thing if they want that thing so bad. Adults might get angry with others if they want them to share what they have.

Today we begin a three-week series of special worship services and sermons on the topic of generosity. What is generosity for a Christian? Generosity is a way of life for a Christian who believes God is the giver of all things and who responds to God’s love in Jesus Christ in ways that serve God by serving others. We will look at the last book of the Old Testament in the Bible, Malachi. Malachi 1 especially points out that God is the giver of all good gifts to His people. God the Father through His prophet Malachi helps us to understand that thinking of everything as “MINE” is not the best way to live. Either we manage our money wisely or our money will manage us. Either we control our desire to consider everything as “MINE” or everything in life will cave in on us in the end … our relationships, our health, and even our walk with Jesus.

Jesus knows all about “MINE”. Jesus talks about money and possessions in one third of His parables. About 1 out of every 10 verses in the Gospels in the New Testament refer to money and possessions. The Bible has 500 verses about prayer—500 verses about faith—and over 2,000 verses about money and possessions.

The prophet Malachi wants us to look in the right places for us to faithfully make use of God’s gifts to us. The eyes of generosity in Christian giving ...

I. LOOK UPWARD. Malachi 1:6 reminds us, “‘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.” Jesus taught us to pray with the words, “Our Father who art in heaven ….” As we look upward in prayer, we can think of God as being like a Father to us. Our God is like a father who takes care of our needs. God also can help us in life.

My earthly father came to help me a number of times when I was younger. I remember a time when my brother and I were playing basketball at the school playground across the street from our house. We were about 11 and 13 years of age. Two high school students that were bigger than us came along and interrupted our game. They took away our basketball and kicked the ball into a nearby irrigation ditch. My father was looking out the window at the time and he jumped in his car and drove over to the playground. He was not happy with the way those two bigger boys had taken our basketball and kicked the ball into the ditch. He showed his anger at those two boys and they never bothered us after that. At least, the irrigation ditch was empty at the time.

The eyes of a generous Christian giver also ...

II. LOOK OUTWARD. Malachi 1:8 states, “‘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.”

Maybe you can identify with these thoughts. One man confessed, “I remember when I used to give offerings like this. I was in college and the offering plate would come down my row. I’d do a quick inventory of my financial empire. Let’s see; a twenty, two fives and a one. I’d tell that twenty, “You’re safe pal. Don’t sweat it.” And the fives, “Guys, you’re in good hands.” But the one, “See ya latter pal, you’re out of here!”

There’s little doubt that same kind of attitude is still in our country. The Barna Research Group reports that the average American wants $10,000 more per year to rest easily. Someone once asked Howard Hughes (one of the richest men in the world), “How much money is enough?” And his answer? “Just a little bit more.”

Someone once said that you need three books to worship Jesus; God’s book, the hymnbook and the checkbook.

The eyes of a generous Christian giver ...

III. LOOK FORWARD. Malachi 1:11 tells us, “‘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.”

“For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.” (Malachi 1:14) Look what’s ahead for the people in Malachi’s day? God’s name will be known all over the world—from the rising of the sun to its setting, God’s name will be great among the nations. Why? Because God is a great King? How great?

God’s Son is so great a King that He was willing to be crowned with thorns and die upon the cross. This was no useless offering like Israel’s offerings of animals that were blind, lame, crippled, diseased, injured, and blemished. He was the perfect offering. The perfect and holy Son of God. He shed His blood for the nations. He shed His blood of complete, total, and eternal forgiveness for you and for me. This is a great King, indeed!

A story is told: [Years ago a Sunday school in Philadelphia was overcrowded and a little girl was turned away. She began to save her pennies to help the Sunday School have more room. Two years later she died. People found a pocketbook by her bed with 57 pennies and a little scrap of paper with a note saying that she wanted to help the church build a bigger Sunday School.

The local newspaper picked up the story and people began to give; and give they did. You can see the results today at First Presbyterian Church in Philly. The church seats 3,300 people; the Sunday School is huge; Temple University and Good Samaritan Hospital also stand as a result of this little girl’s 57 pennies.]

That’s what happens when “MINE” turns into “YOURS.” From “ALL MINE” to “ALL YOURS, LORD. TODAY. TOMORROW. AND FOREVERMORE.” Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.