January 17, 2021 - Serving God the Leftovers (Malachi 1:6-14)

We sometimes are the walking the other way you're pulling us back, which is your promise to your people. Lord would you continue to teach us day by day? Lord would you help us be faithful Learners? Not not experts. But Learners Church full of Learners that don't ever stop learning how to follow you a church full of Learners that don't ever get to the place where we learned enough that we stop learning. May we learn with our minds maybe we'll learn with our hearts and we learn with our hands. Threat the ways that you have uniquely specifically called and are equipping each one of us for the ministry of the work of the Lord.

Maybe to the praise of your name among the Nations. Until the day that you call us home. In Jesus name we pray. amen A man will ask you to open your Bibles to the Book of Malachi or your Bible app. Now there's two ways you can get there. You can look in the table of contents and look up the page number.

Or you can go to the Book of Matthew the first book of the New Testament and turn back one or two pages and you'll get some Malachi the last book in the Old Testament. It is the last of 12 Minor Prophets and the Lord has a lot for us in here Malachi is a book of accusations that come in the form of of what we called the patient's a legal brief. If you will, you know that there's an accusation and then I'll fit a question that well in this case with lots of questions and then there's support for the argument and that's what the Lord does all through the Book of Malachi in one sense. It makes it a very easy book to follow into organized and so but it's incredibly helpful for us, but what's as important as the content of the questions is it is is mixing the content of a question was sort of the motive behind the question. Why are we asking that we seen the last couple weeks at the Lord says I love you and I like really proving it. floored like okay I saved you. I've called you to myself. I've proven my love for you and then he goes out, you know, sometimes if you have to share something challenging with somebody that you care about right you might start with it was something to go something like this. Hey, listen, we got to sit down and talk and I just need to talk through some things with you, but I want to start with this as a foundation. I love you and there is nothing by God's grace. There is nothing that that you can do or nothing that you can not do that will increase or decrease my love for you because you're mine. Get your my child. You're my wife. You're my husband. You're my brother or sister in Christ in my love isn't perfect. But I love you.

That was talk about a couple things and then the listener is going great what I do but it's very important that Foundation remain through that conversation that we not just move on the defensive and thing called. They don't love me. They don't like me. They're just out to get me know we started with I love you and it's not just filler and that's what the Lord does here. So God's reassured his chosen people of his love for them. And you like I said, they're saying like what the Lord says I have loved you and they're like well how have you loved it proven? So he does now the Lord moves on to a challenge about their worship. It's important that you understand. I forgot to mention earlier. We have Lucas bear one of the missionaries we support in Brazil. He is Stateside and so he'll be here to visit with me with us next week and he'll be bringing the Lord's word and I think we all remember his plank. I sermon maybe from when he was here last year, right? It's pouring remove the plank out of your own eye before the speck out of your brother's eye, right and so he'll be preaching next week, but I Say that to say this week and next week. We're going to be looking at a text Malachi 1:6 through 14, which is directly addressed to the address to the priests. Okay, it's directly addressed to the priest that does not mean everybody else just has to sit by and say hi. Finally the elders got to take one on the chin right now and I was right Alders at Deacon's we need to really be Zone in and paying attention here, but it it's addressed to the priest but indirectly to everyone and then we get he gets a little bit more direct the week after that. So we look at this part this week. We'll look at the beginning of chapter 2 next week and then I'll conclude chapter to the store. I said chapter 2 next week after Lucas is here January 31st will look at that. So and what are essentially says you're giving God the leftovers. If you had a dignitary coming to your house that you knew was coming how offered would it be if they showed up on the front door. We want a dignitaries coming to your house when someone special has come to get maybe a president or a governor or Senator or somebody like that or or maybe you're not feeling it for political people these days but if somebody else that you highly esteemed, right right, I'll tell you even though we're not feeling it for some political people this this this this season. We need to be praying for them. That doesn't ever change. We need to be cautious and how we speak about them. And that's the World War II was there but that's your freezer for the day. But so what we need to make sure that we do okay, the dignitary was coming to house. They would not be the ones knocking on your door right? There would be several cars coming. Somebody would knock on the door. They would make sure they're safe and then they would have showed them to your house to offer that it would it be is as they're preparing to come over here in the backyard your likes. Okay, they're coming over to be here in 2 hours. I've got just enough time to get the lawn mowed. So you run out back the houses, you know, I mean, it's not trash Thursday. So, you know, you're going to have to take care of the yard and until you come in and and you they get here a little sooner than you to see Peyton. And so you're like after all the dignitary come to your house, you know, what do you brush your self off and you go and kind of out of breath. You're like, hey, welcome. Glad you came over. I don't mind. It's just been one of those week and I have no Had any time to get to the yard this week, but come on over and we'll have a meal and we will chat and I'm so glad to be able to to get to talk with you, you know, and I'm sure you're glad and so on and so they sit down but there's no there are no plates on the table. There's no there's there. There's nothing on the table for them to eat. And so you go and you get something out of the fridge and you're like, you know what we can watch a sandwich with a beard on it. Maybe there's a mole on the sandwich, you know, is that mold but it looks like a mole, you know, a hairy mole in your like all that, you know, and and you're looking through I'll show you that I can get an Apple here. We got a pair over here and I'll hear some spaghetti for last week. You can't really ever tell if that stuff is still good or not anyway, and and then you pop it on the table. And you say let's have let's have the most unnatural awkward and disrespectful and inappropriate.

Way to welcome a guest and they'll God and God says. I am the great king remember that's how we closed out the previous section introduction. He says your own I shall see this and you shall say great is the Lord be on the border of Israel. God is the great king and he says Israel.

church if you will

You giving me leftovers?

Malachi 1:6 through 14 read with me a son honors his father and a servant to his master. It's been I am a father. Where is my honor? And if I'm a master, where is my fear? Says the Lord of hosts To You O priest who despise my name?

But you say how have we despised your name?

By offering polluted food upon my altar. Do you say how have we polluted you? By saying that the Lord's table may be despised when you offer blind animals and sacrificed his that not evil.

What do you want for those that are lame or sick? Is that not evil?

You said that to your Governor? Will he accept you or show you favor says the Lord of hosts? And now and treat the favor of God that he may be gracious to you 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 from an offering from your hand. From the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the Nations and it every place incense will be offered to mine a panda pure offering. From my name will be great among the Nations says the Lord of hosts. but you profane it when you say 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.

Set the Lord of hosts you bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or is sick and this you bring as you're offering. So I accept them from your hand says the Lord cursed be the cheat who has a male flock and he vows it and yet he's sacrifices to the Lord that which is blemished for I am a great king. Says the Lord of hosts and my name. Will be feared. among the Nations

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father

in many ways. We are blind to our own.

send

we are blind to the evil. That is in our own hearts.

Or we don't believe you when you call it evil.

Today we need to hear. These hard truths from you knowing that they flow from the great king whose heart is full of love. for your children for a world that is in desperate need of solid Eternal. Hope that won't fade.

Would you help us today? Not think about the person next to us? In front of us behind us. Preaching would you help us? Examine our own Hearts this morning.

Would you rid our minds and hearts or at least father would you help us catch it early? The rationalizations that are just there their they're in the shoots ready to go. The justifications are ready to go. Would you help us? Keep the door closed.

Would you help us as individuals and their for families and therefore a church and therefore churches?

Live in such a way that we declare that you are name is great. In our own hearts and among the nations in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

brothers and sisters God's purpose is to make his name great among the Nations and therefore we are to honor God by giving him our best in every area of life.

Know as the Lord talks about this he starts off right out of the gates by saying son honors his father and a servant his master. He's arguing from the Lesser to the greater. He's arguing arguing with this with this coming. That's a language you saying I am your father.

Your ear your my children. I'm your master. I'm a good Master see that's hard for us to hear because we have this negative history or negative language in our mind. When we think of Masters. We also have this desire not to be Mastered by anybody our nation celebrates it and we live in such a way that says I'm not that I don't need to be dependent on other people course, we know that that's not a reality but we we don't like to submit ourselves to others unless we have to and the Lord says I am your father and I am your master. Where is my honor? How are you honoring me in your service not want to pause because one of the things I've been considering all week is there's this this just sort of central objection to the the the days or the times that we're living in now to say Pastor isn't this a day and a time when people need to be encouraged with how much God loves me with how solid God's sovereignty and control who is in the world that I don't need to fear what's coming because I need to trust in the Lord and I would say yes, and amen but God loves us by calling us back to repeatedly by calling us back to being wholly devoted followers of Christ. That is The affirmation of God's love because he what happens is God who is best and who knows? What is best says I want to eat is best for you. To Worship the Great king exactly as I've told you now we know it will be with imperfection. Who God says this is the very best solution for you. This is really the best way to endure difficulty is by prioritizing the Lord worshipping the Lord which certainly involves trusting the Lord, but if we're not going to trust the Lord in the day-to-day of how to worship Him How does that prepare us for? persecution give the four not going to win the little things. We think we're going to get this ultimate courage from all of a sudden. Where do we think? We're going to say? Oh, well, I did not the Lord here, but he's really talkin about don't do it in this way. The Lord says no you got to start right here right now in my house and I'm judgment begins in the house of God. So I'm coming to my people with a heart of love. I have loved you says the Lord will where's my order if I'm your master, where's my phone? That wasn't we live in red reverential respectful fear before the Lord the brothers and sisters. There is fear we've done

really sort of plain and entire portion of our relationship with God by saying that we're not really supposed to fear Him. Actually, that's not true. We are supposed to fear God. He is the great king. He's The Sovereign what he's the one who controls the world things are going to fly down from heaven one day and and Destroy many many people is on the earth. We need to fear the lord and that is often until the fact that our heart is growing in the right manner fear of the Lord is a legitimate motivator to serve God to grow in godliness.

Places. Where is my order says the Lord are where's my fear says the Lord of hosts To You O priest who despise my name?

That's what I say. Everybody is a leader in some sort in some capacity. Here he is directly addressing us leaders in the church. Right, but but by extension and it's not a very long extension, he's addressing the people so elders and deacons and and and those who aspire to serve a God church and lead in God's church. We need to listen carefully. We need to listen carefully because it means some hard decisions that made some difficult conversations at times and he says, oh priest who despise my name, but the priest say your name by offering polluted food on my altar

that wasn't in the Old Testament when God speaks about his name when God speaking about keeping his name revered what God is saying is my name is my character.

You would feel this if somebody was was was gossiping about you and maligning how a certain situation happened or if someone was just outright slandering you write the begin to talk about some general person and and you're sort of listening in because that's our our sinful nature is kind of looking into those things were curious about and it's not about from the my life with somebody else. I didn't do that. Stop talking about me. You're maligning my character cuz that my name is my character. And the Lord says you're pulling my name you despising my name.

I offering polluted food on the altar. I letting it happen by welcoming it by encouraging people to bring their leftovers. People come in and come into the temple. Now. I realized our church today is a very different context than the Old Testament. But let me just explain in a matter of seconds here.

the Old Testament ritualistic system Was incredibly detailed even in the that the Tabernacle the curtain in the holy of holies, just how they sewed. It was very ornate. It was very expensive. It was very, very time-consuming is very inconvenient.

Asbury challenging the required you're all it required your best and a ritualistic system for the fries to it. It would intercede and human sense between God and man went through entire cleansings. They did went through their own ritualistic system before they would receive the gifts of the people and before they would Slaughter and skin and burn these offerings on the Altar and it would go to this is very ritualistic sent them and they were doing it all they were going through these rituals and and and and and remember it's not necessarily with this kind of Fist of the Lord like I'm angry at the Lord, but they were just generally the kind of a an angry frustrated people right religion or a lot of people coming through the Tabernacle open a lot of people coming in to church if you will. and they would let it happen and what would happen if people would come and they would bring they're pragmatists.

In their days rather than rather than figuring out how much they owed from their check and doing the math and writing out a check. They would give either from their crops or they would give from their animals from their herds and it would give to God the best out of that as God required. That's what God requires why because God is Holy and God says You must, you must give me your best and all of it is foreshadowing to Jesus. All of it points to Jesus who would be the perfect lamp the perfect sacrifice for sin, but see they just got into a rhythm. They were just kind of saying like what you know, what is good enough?

Good enough. Is the enemy of worship?

We don't say it.

We might think.

You know, I'm busy.

Thought you'd be glad for anything I give him. Church show me to serve I got all these important things in my life. Got to be glad I gave you an hour a week.

When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, isn't that evil? Yeah, I got these couple animals that I can give to Lord this one. I mean this was pure it. It's got great vision from everything. I can tell it's a pure animal. God says give me your best, but honestly, it's just going to get killed and burned on the altar. That's not practical. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to offer this one. It's blind not good for much anyway, and got to be happy with it. So I'm going to go and what happened the priests are like, okay great. Thanks. I heard something my Hazmat very very very loose paraphrase. But hey will take your perfect lamb. And you know what? pretty choice offering and set it aside and substitute one of their own blemished lamps. And the Lord says I won't have it. The best thing for you is to give your all of all that you are to me to the Lord. And when you offer those that are lame or sick is that not evil friends. He doesn't say, you know, what I really would make a different suggestion to you. I really think you ought to consider something else. What is that word again? Everybody? Say it with me is that not? So you can't even say the word say it again it is that not. Four of you. Hello. This is a group participation project here. Is that not one more time? Is that not what in your life in the way that you go to Worship the Lord? Might be evil. evil

It's never about the dollar amount. It's never about. Innate skill it's never about how well a person does in striving to build up the body of Christ. It is always about value. It is always about effort. It is always about priority.

And when we have a great king in our midst and we KO, you know, I think I'm done with all I'm going to eat today and we scrape off the rest. We were here. You're gone Lord.

Blessings god with your presence bless us with church growth bless us with wonderful things.

Be back next week There's no way. I'm going to eat all that food again. and now I mean like He's sarcastic. He's is taking him to the Woodshed in verse 9. And now as a preset present that to your Governor will let you will he accept it. They're going to take that meal, right? You're going to try to prevent someone else. Of course, they're not going to accept it. Of course, it wouldn't be reasonable or or an acceptable offering to them and now bring it to me and come ask me for favors. Bring it to me and asked me to bless you.

It is no wonder that the world around us is going tell me what's so great about your Jesus.

You don't believe the Bible enough to really read it. Some of us leave our Bibles in our cars or where we get home from church. And we we set it down if we brought it. I'm not knocking you a few years about hit Bible app. Okay, I say that frequently, but but but we said our Bible down and then next Saturday we get our Bible back and we bring it to church. Just leave it in the car and I'll just save me the energy.

We laugh. I'm not knocking those if you have I said it as a joke, but we should wait. You will not grow up as a nurse child of God on one hour a week of Bible.

You will not grow up nearest on something that someone else has chewed up and then spit out and then you eat it.

The Lord says and now and treat the favor of God that he may be gracious to us with such a hand from your gift. I'm such a gift from your hand. Will he show favor to any of you says the Lord of hosts?

Oh that there would be one of mine you who would shut the doors that you might not offer a Kindle Fire offer an offering 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. Wait a minute. I brought this. It all I had time for it's all I care to prep it and you owe me to take it. naked hooker

If that is your attitude, you are the great king or queen in your life and everybody else circles around you. But it is not that way brothers and sisters of Christ God. Is the Braves game? And God says no you come to me and you worship me. It's actually best for you. Trust me on this. Oh that there were one of monkey who would shut the doors know our goal is to have worshippers in the church will make an impact as they go out Monday through Saturday and God will grow and work in your lies as we're equipping the Saints for the work of the ministry. And God will grow the church and if there's numbers in here grow praise the Lord, I will tell you friends healthy things typically grow but not always. They don't always grow in number or in size. We've seen that over in church history, but God wants us to be healthy first and foremost friends. We need to honor God with your best influence wherever it is. Honor your God Point number to honor God with your best influence. He says yeah. 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 and I want to listen to listen in and 10 and 12 for 11 and 12 year for from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the Nations and in every place worship will be offered in my name and Upshur offering

Why from my name will be great among the Nations. You know, what God is saying I don't need you to make me great. I'm great. I'm a holy. I'm the only one in fact his holy.

Whether it's you. whether it's someone else my name will be great.

one day There will be people who stand before the war.

And it humanly speaking voice guy scratching his head. Ring a bell.

lure We offered sacrifices in your name. We preached in your name. We buy me weed at evangelist and then we did away from me you workers of iniquity evil. I don't know you.

and one day

every name in heaven and on Earth and under the Earth will bow will bend by will or by force. My knees will bend and Proclaim that God is great. And God says to the Church of Ephesus in Revelation.

Get hot or get cold. I'm tired of this lukewarm stuff, and I'm going to spit you out of my mouth language. Do you know why because he's God. He's got brothers and sisters have to tell you this is very difficult sermon to preach because I don't preach this is the guy who's figured this out. I Don't Preach if there's a guy who doesn't still deal with any of this. There are times. I can be in the middle of serving and having evil thoughts in my mind while I'm preaching what that's horrific exactly. And we want by God's mercy and Grace to root out.

When we live for the approval of others when we we don't pursue integrity. We begin to strip the gospel of the meat of the Gospel. We begin to not preach hard truths. I don't talk about that people get angry. The church won't grow. That's God's problem. That's not your problem to worry about now. Listen, they're dumb ways that we can help the church not bro, right we can just be not time. We can just being considerate but generally speaking when we Proclaim God's word God's work through the Holy Spirit does the saving work and the growing work in the church? And so then he says that look we need to honor the Lord with our best service. We need to honor the Lord with our best service. Listen to what he says here. He says but you profane it when you say the Lord's table is polluted and is fruit that is its food, maybe two spies or 13.

But you say what are wearing at this is I got to get up early for practice.

hypodermic Jen

You mean to tell me that I'm supposed to give 10% of my gross yes and more. Oh Pastor, seriously. Stop talking about money money is the greatest indicator or one of them. I say one of the greatest indicators of our heart and would Jesus says where your treasure lies.

Right, but you shouldn't I can't afford it's not in my budget then change your budget. Well, I'm in too much debt, then create a plan to get out of debt.

And start today giving the Lord your best. Not your some. Not your change. This is not a bank or a business's or a grocery stores or Roundup. You know, I don't quite have 10% to give him. So I think I'm going to round up to one and a half percent from your gross would give to the Lord before we give to the government. Best perfect pure why because it represents Jesus sacrifice that he made. Oh, what a wearisome task. This isn't you snore. It literally literally says I look up here for second literally says you lift your nose to it. You just

seriously Lord, I staying at the thought of meeting to give you my best.

He says you bring what's been taken by violence or a flame or sick? And this you bring as you're offering shall I accept that from your hands as the Lord cursed be the cheat who has a male flock and he vows it and yet he sacrifices to the Lord that which has been blenis. He doesn't say inconvenience. He says parsed. You want the blessing of the Lord in your family? Men pick up your Bible and start leading in your home Brothers. You are a spiritual leader. You are the leader in your home when I'm not I'm not actually you are you're just not leading well. But you're teaching your family that this is how we serve God and the Bible says no men.

It's time to strap in trust God's grace to give you the ability don't reinvent the wheel. Don't make it complex open up your Bible. Read it. Pray trust the Lord to work through his word. For I am a great king. Are you noticing anything? Says the Lord of hosts and my name will be feared among the Nations.

A few questions as we close one. Would you be proud to give the level of your service? To a person you esteem, highly. Hugo Boss that you work for that you want to be impressed with how you work so you make sure you're there a few minutes early right Lombardi time never more than 15 minutes before a meeting starts. Anything that's after 15 minutes before the meeting is late. You would impress some either early. That your attitude to the Lord. Would you go to your boss and serve your boss in the way that you serve the Lord? Is that what that's my paycheck? He's your salvation. Your paycheck is temporary your salvation or lack thereof is eternal. Remember the Lord started with I have loved you. People children. I love you. He's not answering your prayers one of the ways to know if we're walking with the Lord is that the Lord answers our prayers. It doesn't mean he immediately and it doesn't mean important. I mean according to our timeline.

but we sensed God leading through our prayers. It does not I'm not asking if every answered your prayers yet. That's not my question. I'm saying are you sensing we tweet we pray and we sent the Lord leading. We adjust ourselves as we follow the lord. Sometimes we get the sense that our prayers are hitting the ceiling. May God has a word for husband there treat your wife like that. I won't hear your prayers. Is one example number three are you playing church? What do I mean by that? Are you coming to church here in a message? Yukking it up with some friends going home and the next time you invest with your head your heart or your hands in your relationship with the Lord in growing in the knowledge and grace of our Lord. Jesus Christ is the following Sunday. And the Lord says I want more than that. from you and for you Are you bored with worship enter the Christian service?

He said out there is a an evaluator of the service really liked Pastor Mass message today and you got several reasons why I probably agree with you on most of them. That's not the point. You think I'm joking? I'm not.

Now, you know what? I noticed that this happened with the worship team today or And you know something really needs to be fixed in our church with somebody would get on that and we pay people to do that here.

You getting tired cuz you been serving the lord for a long time Elder generation. Can I just say we need you? We need you until the Lord takes you home your ministry may be different. Your energy is different now challenging any of that. We need your prayer your discipling your encouragement. We need you come along some of us younger folks and say keep on following Jesus. Do you don't know how to have a quiet time? Let me show you let's get together. Let's have a quiet time together. Right is your main passion in life to remote God's glory among the nation or do you find more passion for your sports more passion for your team's more passion for your family more passion for your hobbies more financial investment in your hobbies. you see where we're going and the Lord says bring me your

in fact in Romans 12 the Lord says That we are to offer our bodies Our Lives as a Living Sacrifice to the Lord. What we need to do is ask the holy spirit for some introspection to help us see Lord, where am I blind?

Where am I blemished?

Where am I from Rod? Where is there evil in my heart? By your grace and with your power and with the help of the people of God, I want to root it out. Because I want to bring my best to you.

me all of my life

That's how we honor God. And the great king of the Nations. When the world sees you doing that? World seasons doing that don't take notice.

Cuz it'll be propoxy. And we pray for that day Heavenly Father. There's so much in here for each of us. And so I asked you for the one the encouragement that we would not leave here feeling less than we are here. We are accepted because of the work of Christ. We Those whom you have loved stand before you righteous. Holy because we're redeemed. So we don't need to live for your approval for acceptance, but we want to live for your honor. And we could be greatly discouraged as we consider the many ways that we need to grow and so father would you through your Holy Spirit the comforter and our teacher would you help us?

To know the one or two areas that you are calling us to make holy. To be uniquely set apart in our lives for you. Will give you all the praise because you're the great king will give you all of the glory because you not us are the great king. By your mercy, we will strive to honor your name as individuals families and a church. for your eternal

and all that we get to sharing it one day. That will give us the motive and the perspective to endure. Anything that you bring all the way? by your grace For Your Glory in honor of your name in honor of Who You Are