True Profit

Welcome & Opening Prayer

Turn to Mal Ch. 3… V. 13

!! Open in Prayer !!

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I. INTRODUCTION: THE QUESTION OF PROFIT

Whenever someone looks for a NEW JOB, what would you say is one of the FIRST QUESTIONS they HAVE in MIND?

=> SALARY…RIGHT?

HOURS = IMPORTANT

JOB CONDITIONS = IMPORTANT

EMPLOYER/EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP = IMPORTANT

Takeaway: BUT WHAT’S in IT FOR ME?

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B4 LOOKING @ BENEFIT to BRING— WE LOOK @ BENEFIT to RECEIVE

Key Point: TRANSACTIONAL APPROACH CAN AFFECT a LOT MORE than WORKPLACE… EVEN RELATIONSHIPS

Focus: TODAY’S TEXT—PROBLEM REARS its UGLY HEAD…DAYS of MALACHI

IMPACTED RELATIONSHIP THAT MATTERS MOST...

LOOK W/ ME @ PASSAGE… CH. 3 V13-18

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II. Passage Reading

Malachi 3:13–18 (ESV)

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’

14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?

15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ”

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.

17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Church…this is God’s Word for us, this morning.

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III. Context Recap: A Call to Return

PROBLEM—PEOPLE ROBBING GOD! (OFFERINGS)

UNCHANGING GOD —RETURN to HIM—HE’S THERE!

Response: TEST GOD—GIVE & SEE IF HE WON’T PROVIDE...

Idea: GOD’S PEOPLE SHOULD RESPOND to THEIR GENEROUS GOD W/ GENEROSITY

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Transition: ONCE AGAIN— TODAY’S TEXT— WE’LL SEE an AREA PEOPLE WENT ASTRAY.

HERE AGAIN—SPEECH…

LOOK W/ ME @ VS. 13-15

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IV. Exposition:

1. A CHARGE OF VANITY (V. 13-15) 🗣️💨

Malachi 3:13–15 (ESV)

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’

14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?

15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ”

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(v13) HARD WORDS AGAINST THE LORD

The people ACCUSE GOD of MALPRACTICE in RUNNING the UNIVERSE. 😠

Background: SIMILAR to COMPLAINT from 2 SERMONS AGO on GOD’S JUSTICE

Interesting: PEOPLE’S COMPLAINT WAS NOT @ GOD,, BUT ABOUT HIM— GOD STILL KNEW. 🤔

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(v14) THE SEARCH FOR PROFIT

(v14a) Problem: IT’S VAIN to SERVE GOD

“INCONSEQUENTIAL

WORTHLESS

UTTERLY FUTILE

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(v14b) Question: WHAT PROFIT DO WE GET???

TRIED to SERVE GOD (KEEPING HIS CHARGE)

WHEN FAILING, REPENTANT (WALK in MOURNING)

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OBEDIENCE DIDN’T BRING PROFIT

PENITENCE DIDN’T BRING FAVOR

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(v15) Reasoning: Prosperity of the Wicked💰🐍

ARROGANT—CALLED BLESSED

EVILDOERS PROSPER

PUT GOD to the TEST & ESCAPE!

WHY DO I SERVE GOD ANYWAY?!?!

MIGHT AS WELL BE PAGAN—GOD OBVIOUSLY LOVES THEM MORE

WHY BOTHER TRYING to PLEASE HIM.....

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C.C. EVER BEEN THERE? 😬

CHRISTIAN LIFE ISN’T GOING as SWIMMINGLY as YOU’D HOPED??🥺

COME to CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY....

.....& WHAT DO YOU HAVE to SHOW FOR IT??

HASN’T HELPED YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.

FAMILY STILL HAS PROBLEMS

STILL GET CANCER

Personal Testimony: HEALTH CHALLENGES

Think: How come God lets my life stink while the unbeliever has their cup running over??? 😤

WHAT’S the USE?!

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Transition: REST ASSURED — THERE is USE… THERE is PROFIT…

SEE BEGINNING of THIS in V.16…

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2. THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE (V. 16) 📖✍️

Malachi 3:16 (ESV)

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.

A DIFFERENT RESPONSE

Those who FEARED the Lord spoke with one another in REPENTANCE.

APPARENTLY HEEDED the PROPHET’S CALL....

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Exhort: CHURCH… The fear of the Lord is the antidote for feelings of vanity.

THIS FEAR = LIFE-SHAPING REVERENCE…

TRUST in HIM as SOVEREIGN…

👉👉Encourage: WHEN WE CAN’T SEE GOD’S HAND… WE MUST TRUST GOD’S HEART. ❤️

DON’T UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS?? TRUST HIS NATURE.

God’s Multifaceted Nature:

GOD is HOLY, JUST, RIGHTEOUS—HE DOES NO WRONG.

GOD is GRACIOUS, MERCIFUL, LOVING, & KIND...

HE is ETERNAL & FAITHFUL.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (ESV)

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

CAN WE NOT TRUST HE DOES WHAT is BEST?

A JUST GOD WILL HANDLE the WICKED…

A GOOD GOD WILL TAKE CARE of ME…

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(v16b) HERE’S the KICKER: GOD PAYS ATTENTION 👂

WHAT’S the POINT ANYWAY?!?!

LORD PAID CLOSE ATTENTION

LORD HEARD THEM

NAMES = WRITTEN in BOOK of REMEMBRANCE…

Takeaway: ALTHOUGH GOD = ENTHRONED in HEAVEN—HE STOOPS DOWN to SEE THINGS on EARTH🤯

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Omnipresence & Words We Speak

Scary Truth: GOD SEES & KNOWS ALL...😬

Exhort: CONSIDER, FIRST GROUP COMPLAINING && GOD HEARS

2ND GROUP TALKING—FEARS GOD— GOD HEARS…

Matthew 12:36–37 (ESV)

36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

YOU CAN’T ESCAPE the LIVING GOD.

EVEN MORE— WORDS = OVERFLOW of the HEART

COMPLAINT = OVERFLOW of INGRATITUDE!

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APPARENTLY GOD DIDN’T DO ENOUGH.

Exhortation: THE DANGER OF TRANSACTIONAL FAITH ⚖️💥

Transactional relationships breed RESENTMENT.

Marriage Illustration:

CONSTANTLY KEEPING TRACK BREEDS RESENTMENT

I DO THIS

THEY DON’T DO THAT

KEEPING SCORE MAKES YOU RESENTFUL...

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IS IT NOT THIS WAY W/ GOD TOO?

Exhort: DON’T LOOK for HANDOUTS

IF...COME to CHURCH

READ the BIBLE

PRAY

FAST

ANYTHING...

SOLELY to TWIST GOD’S ARM—WE’VE MISSED IT!

Takeaway: We shouldn’t be aiming for brownie points with the Most High. 📌

👣INSTEAD of COUNTING OUR GOOD DEEDS—WE SHOULD BE COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS 👣

WE WORRY ABOUT OUR ACTIONS

GOD WILL BE GOD…

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Transition: BE ENCOURAGED—IT’S NOT ALL in VAIN.

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3. NOT IN VAIN (V. 17-18) 🏆✨

Malachi 3:17–18 (ESV)

17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Focus: WHAT WE DO for GOD = NOT in VAIN—HE SEES… & WE ARE HIS.

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(V17) THEY SHALL BE MY TREASURED POSSESSION

Background: USED of KING’S PRIVATE PROPERTY in CONTRAST to EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST THEIRS

ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING BELONGS to YAHWEH—THEY’D BE HIS SPECIAL PRIVATE PROPERTY… 👑

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(V18) THE COMING DISTINCTION

A DAY was COMING— WHEN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHTEOUS & WICKED WOULD BE MADE PLAIN…

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Transition: THIS DOESN’T CHANGE W/ CHANGING of TESTAMENTS…

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V. GOSPEL CONNECTION: THE BOOK OF LIFE ✝️

SCRIPTURE ENDS W/ THAT FUTURE DAY…

Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

WHERE YOU SPEND ETERNITY ....MATTERS FAR MORE ....THAN HOW YOUR LIFE is GOING TODAY...

EVERYTHING HERE is FLEETING

THE SEEN is TEMPORARY—NOT ETERNAL

WHAT MATTERS MOST is to COME

Ref. RICH MAN & LAZARUS (Luke 16)📜

GOOD & BAD THINGS EXCHANGED in LIFE to COME

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DIFFERENCE COMES— WHETHER OUR NAME is FOUND in GOD’S BOOK.

WE WANT REPAYMENT for OUR GOOD…???

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⚠️Exhort: WE DON’T WANT SALVATION BY WORKS ⚠️

GOD SEES ALL,, KNOWS ALL…

GOD’S PERFECT HOLINESS = STANDARD...

WE NEED GRACE.

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Exhort: LET US REJOICE WE DON’T GET WHAT WE DESERVE—

— BECAUSE CHRIST DIDN’T GET WHAT HE DESERVED!

HE PAID for OUR SINS

TRUSTING in HIM— WE CAN BE SAVED

NO MATTER HOW LIFE is TODAY—

IF YOUR NAME is WRITTEN in GLORY—YOU ARE BLESSED.

Invitation: QUESTIONS—FAITH, ASSURANCE—SPEAK to ME AFTER SERVICE.

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Transition: FOR the BELIEVER...

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VI. APPLICATION & CONCLUSION

Passage Idea:

True profit is found in being God’s treasure.

HARD to UNDERSTAND GOD’S WAYS…

SOMETIMES NATURALLY-SPEAKING— WE AREN’T as PROSPEROUS as NONBELIEVER…

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Responses:

LIGHT MOMENTARY AFFLICTION

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (ESV)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

ETERNITY is of FAR GREATER CONSEQUENCE— THAN TODAY.

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2. GOD DOES a BETTER JOB RUNNING the UNIVERSE THAN WE WOULD

WHEN WE CAN’T UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS—

— WE TRUST HIS NATURE

HE IS JUST…HE is GOOD...

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3. OUR DEEDS/WORKS = “THANK YOU” — GOD is NOT OUR DEBTOR.

IF GOD NEVER DOES ANOTHER THING AFTER SAVING MY SOUL from HELL-FIRE—

— HE’S DONE ENOUGH to DESERVE MY WHOLE LIFE…

I’M HIS DEBTOR—NOT the OTHER WAY AROUND…

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4. BEING PART of GOD’S COVENANT-PEOPLE BY GRACE = ENOUGH.

BEING GOD’S PRIZED POSSESSION = BEST BLESSING.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

SAME GK WORD as SEPTUAGINT in MAL. 3:17!

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Conclusion:

Our service ought to be rooted in:

DEVOTION… NOT OBLIGATION.

THANKSGIVING… NOT INDEBTEDNESS

PRIVILEGE…NOT REQUIREMENT.

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Closing: IF HE NEVER DOES ANOTHER THING FOR ME… HE’S ALREADY DONE ENOUGH,

BY MAKING ME HIS TREASURED POSSESSION…AMEN?

!! Close in Prayer !!