Sermon Tone Analysis

Text:

A Corrupted Priesthood Leads to a Corrupted People — Malachi

Text:

Theme: A major problem in our nation today is that many spiritual leaders have been corrupted.

Theme: A major problem in our nation today is that many spiritual leaders have been corrupted.

A major problem in our nation today is that many spiritual leaders have been corrupted, compromised, and discredited.

Every generation has had its sad stories of failed ministers.

Names like Jim Baker, Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggart, are names associated with sexual indiscretion.

Robert Tilton, and Creflo Dollar are associated with greed and avarice.

Then there are the outright false prophets like Benny Hinn, and religious phonies like Peter Popoff.

And who can forget Oral Roberts who claimed that God had appeared to him and told Oral that he would smite him dead if he did not raise $8 million within 12 months.

And let’s not forget the Catholic Clergy pedophile scandal that saw diocese across the nation attempting to cover-up thousands of child abuse cases, moving offending priests from one congregation to another where they found new victims, and the eventual unmasking of the scandal.

Over the last fifty years, the Church has paid out $4 billion dollars in costs related to the priest sex abuse crisis.

Is it any wonder that a George Barna survey entitled The State of Pastors (released just three weeks ago) found that 28% of the American public have a negative opinion of clergy.

Another 25% has “little regard” for clergy.

A whole 24% like us — and that’s only because they personally know us.

A major problem in our nation today is that many spiritual leaders have been corrupted, compromised, and discredited.

Every generation has had its sad stories of failed ministers.

Names like Jim Baker, Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggart, are names associated with sexual indiscretion.

Robert Tilton, and Creflo Dollar are associated with greed and avarice.

Then there are the outright false prophets like Benny Hinn, and religious phonies like Peter Popoff.

And who can forget Oral Roberts who claimed that God had appeared to him and told Oral that he would smite him dead if he did not raise $8 million within 12 months.

And let’s not forget the Catholic Clergy pedophile scandal that saw diocese across the nation attempting to cover-up thousands of child abuse cases, moving offending priests from one congregation to another where they found new victims, and the eventual unmasking of the scandal.

Over the last fifty years, the Church has paid out $4 billion dollars in costs related to the priest sex abuse crisis.

Is it any wonder that a George Barna survey entitled The State of Pastors (released just three weeks ago) found that 28% of the American public have a negative opinion of clergy.

Another 25% has “little regard” for clergy.

A whole 24% like us — and that’s only because they personally know us.

As we will see from this evening’s text problems in the priesthood are nothing new.

I. MALACHI’S ACCUSATION OF A DISREPUTABLE PRIESTHOOD

I. MALACHI’S ACCUSATION OF A DISREPUTABLE PRIESTHOOD

1.

I must admit, that the subject matter of these verses is uncomfortable

a. they make, or should make, all preachers do some serious evaluating of their calling to ministry, and practice of ministry

calling to ministry, and practice of ministry

2. Yahweh, speaking through His prophet Malachi, is zeroing in on one of the reasons for the spiritual apathy which hangs over the nation of Israel

the spiritual apathy which hangs over the nation of Israel

a. it rested in the immoral, the irreligious, and the disrespectful attitudes and actions of Israel’s priests

Israel’s priests

1) when the priests of God were faithful, the entire nation was blessed

2) when they were not, the entire nation suffer the consequences

A. MALACHI’S FIRST ACCUSATION — THE PRIESTS HAVE DESPISED GOD’S NAME

A. MALACHI’S FIRST ACCUSATION — THE PRIESTS HAVE DESPISED GOD’S NAME

“A son honors his father, and a servant his master.

If I am a father, where is the honor due me?

If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty.

“It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.”

But you ask, “How have we shown contempt for your name?” (, NIV84)

me?

If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the LORD Almighty.

“It is you, O

priests, who show contempt for my name.”

But you ask, “How have we shown contempt for

your name?” (, NIV84)

1. God begins with a proposition

a. as a general rule, sons honor their fathers, and servants honor their masters

b.

God then poses the question: "If I am a father, where is the honor due me?

If I am a master, where is the respect due me?"

master, where is the respect due me?"

1) who in Israel would dare to dishonor God? — these are God’s covenant people after all

after all

2) of all the people groups in the world, the Levitical Priests are the ones who should know him best!

should know him best!

2. God, Himself, accuses these priests of dishonoring His name

a. in vs. 11 God even predicts that the time will come when His name will be held in greater esteem among the Gentile nations then it is in Israel

greater esteem among the Gentile nations then it is in Israel

ILLUS.

That prophecy has come true.

In Israel today fully 50% of the population of Jewish descent considers themselves "Secular".

Secular Jews are those Jews who consider themselves Jewish by ethnicity, and language, but not by religion.

In fact secular Jews have no religious practice.

They may observe some Jewish holidays such as Passover and Yom Kippur, but do so as many nonreligious Americans celebrate Christmas and Easter.

Most will refer to themselves as nonpracticing Jews.

3. twice in this passage God says, "I am a great God"

a. in Malachi’s day God was neither reverenced nor feared, just ignored, and this disrespect for God was especially prevalent among the priests

disrespect for God was especially prevalent among the priests

b. in Hebrew thought, a name was more than just a convenient way of addressing another person

another person

1) a person’s name represented the essence of his or her character, and parents gave their children names hopping it would give guidance to their personality

gave their children names hopping it would give guidance to their personality

ILLUS.

It’s why in America, after 240 years, you don’t find many young men named Benedict.

Benedict.

2) you’ll remember in the New Testament that the angel told Mary that she would call her son "Jesus" because he would “save his people from their sins"

call her son "Jesus" because he would “save his people from their sins"

3) Jesus in original Hebrew, means Savior

c. God tells the priests that instead of "honoring me you have actually despised my name"

name"

1) the word despised here means to raise the head disdainfully

a) in essence, they had thumbed their noses at God

4. this accusation brings shock and unbelief to the lips of the priests

a. "How have we despised your name?" they retort, "We’ve never said one word against you!"

against you!"

b. their actions have spoken volumes

c. that leads us to the prophet’s second accusation ...

B. MALACHI’S SECOND ACCUSATION — THE PRIESTS HAVE DESECRATED GOD’S ALTAR

B. MALACHI’S SECOND ACCUSATION — THE PRIESTS HAVE DESECRATED GOD’S

ALTAR

“You place defiled food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ “By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible.

8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?