Malachi: Does How We Worship Matter?

God of Wonders

WELCOME

The Lord our God has multiplied His wondrous deeds and His thoughts toward us; none can compare with Him! We will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.” (Psalm 40:5)

One of our goals every week is to proclaim the wondrous deeds and thoughts of God towards His people.

We do that through what we sing, what we pray, what we preach, and what we read in God’s Word.

In just a moment we’ll hear a reading from the text for today’s sermon in Malachi 1. Turn there now.

While you’re turning, 4 quick announcements:

1) A word about PBC. We are disciples.

That means we’re not merely those who believe certain things about Jesus to be true. We’re those who have given our lives to follow Him, while helping others to do the same.

One way we do that is through our Bookstall.

Everything sold at cost

Everything curated by the elders and recommended to help you follow Jesus

In our sermon today we’re going to tackle three tough topics, each which show up in the book of Malachi. So I wanted to highlight three books from the bookstall to help you grow in these areas:

Big God by Orlando Saer will help you think about the doctrine of election

What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp will help you fight for your marriage

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn will help you think rightly about giving

You can pick up one of these books, along with many others, after the service. Better yet, grab a friend and study one of these together.

2) Men’s Group-Up on July 24 at 8:00 AM

I’m going to be sharing a few practical tools that have helped me to faithfully lead my family.

So if you’re a husband, a dad, or you want to be one in the future, you’ll learn a way to better lead your family.

Or if you’re a single guy (whether indefinitely or for a season) you’ll learn some skills to better encourage and pray for your brothers,

We are serving breakfast, so PLEASE sign-up on the website or at the blue flag.

3) Special guests next week

IMB Missionaries to Mexico City, Carlos & Lily Llambes

Carlos preaching next Sunday

We’ll hear a special report from the Llambes during TableTalk

Hospitality team is preparing dinner

You can bring a dessert or a two-liter to share

4) TableTalk tonight

Tonight we’ll talk about a Christian response to marijuana in light of new laws in Virginia

If you’ve ever wondered how to think about issues the Bible doesn’t explicitly address, you’ll want to be here tonight.

Now look in your Bibles to Malachi 1:6 as Kathy Proctor comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Malachi 1:6-14)

Prayer of Praise (Kathy Proctor)

Like a River Glorious

Better is One Day

Prayer of Confession (Eli Dowell)

Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer

NEW CITY CATECHISM #28

What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith?

At the day of judgment they will receive the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them. They will be cast out from the favorable presence of God, into hell, to be justly and grievously punished, forever.

PASTORAL PRAYER

SERMON

The story is told of a pastor who, after attending a conference out of town, was flying on a plane back home. Since it had been a busy week, the pastor was fervently working on the plane writing out notes for next Sunday’s sermon.

The man seated next to him was eyeing him with curiosity. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked the pastor, “I hate to disturb you, but what in the world are you working on?”

The pastor introduced himself, explained his profession and told the man that he was working on his sermon for Sunday.

“Ah, religion,” said the man. “I don’t like to get all caught up in the in’s and out’s and complexities of religion. I like to keep it simple.”

In effect, this man was saying, “It matters that I worship God, not how I worship Him.”

The man continued, “‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ The Golden Rule, that’s my religion.”

“I see,” said the pastor. “And what do you do?”

“I’m an astronomer,” the man said. “I teach at the university.”

“Ah, astronomy,” said the pastor. “I don’t like to get all caught up in the in’s and out’s and complexities of astronomy...

Twinkle, twinkle little star..

...that’s my astronomy.” [1]

We might be amused by that story because we know that astronomy is enormously complex, and reducing it to a child’s song is ridiculous.

But the pastor’s point is well taken, isn’t it? If the planets and stars are complex, how much more is the God who created them?

And yet, far too many people—including many Christians—approach this God with little more than a “Twinkle, Twinkle little star” theology of worship.

In effect we say, “It matters that we worship God, not how we worship Him.”

And so we say things like...

“I like the preaching, but what really helps me is the worship”

“I don’t need the church to worship God”

“Worship is between me and God”

“I don’t feel in a worshipful mood right now”

“The only thing that matters in worship is that we’re sincere”

Comments like these reveal just how much we need a book like Malachi

SHOW MINOR PROPHETS TIMELINE

It’s about 460 B.C.

The temple has been rebuilt and worship has resumed

But God has a bone to pick with His people

Like the man on the plane, in effect they were saying, “It matters that we worship God, not how we worship Him.”

Malachi comes on the scene like an attorney with several disputes against God’s people, and in those disputes we learn… how deeply God cares about how we worship Him.

Four Characteristics of Right Worship:

By no means an exhaustive list

Just scratching the surface in Malachi as well. Could easily preach a whole sermon on each characteristic.

1) Worship God With Your FAITH

1:2a—“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?”

The temple is a joke, they’re still oppressed by Persia. “How can God really love us?”

We say the same thing when...

Our candidate loses an election

We lose a job

A family member has a chronic disability

Our cancer returns

We bury a child

God will not leave His people doubting His love...

1:2b-3a—“Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated.

What in the world is God talking about, and how is this supposed to be comforting?

First, we need to remember that God’s hate/love isn’t like ours

For us, both hate/love are often very emotional (for God it’s much more!)

For us, we either love or hate (God is much more complex)

He is able to love the entire world in one sense, and yet hate the wicked in another sense

God hates evildoers (Psalm 5:5)

God hates the wicked (Psalm 11:5)

So what does Malachi mean when he says God “hated” Esau?

Romans 9:11-13—Though [Jacob and Esau] were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of Him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Explain: in eternity past, God chose to set His covenant love on Jacob, not Esau. Why? Because He chose to.

“That’s not fair!” You’re right. It’s not fair that God chose anybody. But He did.

Spurgeon— “Whatever may be said about the doctrine of election, it is written in the Word of God as with an iron pen, and there is no getting rid of it.”

The doctrine of election is supposed to fill you with the deepest assurance

John Flavel— “As God did not at first choose you because you were high, he will not now forsake you because you are low.”

What does this have to do with worship?

God is not pleased by suspicious worship.

Hebrews 11:6—And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Are you worshiping God with your faith?

Earlier we sang: “Better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere.” Are you fighting to believe that’s true?

Earlier in our catechism we said that hell is a place where people will be “justly and grievously punished, forever.” Are you fighting to believe that’s true?

What if I’m struggling to have faith?

There’s a difference between struggle and suspicion

Struggling with faith is more like a cold than the chicken pox. It’s not something you deal with once and then graduate. It’s a reoccurring struggle.

If you are struggling to believe that God loves you, the solution is not to look in the mirror but to look to the promises of God!

God cares deeply about how we worship Him. And He’s not pleased if we don’t approach Him with genuine faith.

2) Worship God With Your BEST

1:6a—“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.

If a father deserves honor from his son and a master from his slave, how much more does God deserve honor from His people?

God’s people aren’t honoring God, but they think they are

Honoring God is more than saying that you honor Him. If we truly honor God it will show in what we do...

1:6b-8—But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 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. 8 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.

Explain: the law of God demanded God’s people offer animals without blemish (Lev: 1:10), but they were bringing God their scraps

“Maybe they just couldn’t afford anything else!”

That’s not the issue. God’s law made provisions for those who could not afford a lamb (Leviticus 5:7, 11).

Malachi 1:14 says they had it, but kept it for themselves!

God is not pleased when we worship Him with less than our best.

We know that the whole sacrificial system was pointing to Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice. How, then, do we apply this today?

1 Peter 2:5—You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Explain: writing to local churches, Peter says as we come together we are offering “spiritual sacrifices” to God.

Do you worship God with your best when you gather with God’s people?

Do you offer your best before you arrive?

Do you plan ahead on Saturday nights so Sunday mornings aren’t so hectic?

Do you pray in advance, asking God to speak to you?

Do you read the Scripture for the sermon in advance?

Do you pray for those who will minister the Word to us through preaching, prayer, and song?

Do you offer your best as you arrive?

Do you consistently show up late—not because something unforeseen has happened—but because you’re ill-prepared?

Do you simply rush to your seats without interacting with others, or do you come looking for opportunities to stir one another up to love and good works?

Do you offer your best when we pray?

Do you nod off?

Are you focused, intentionally praying alongside the person leading us?

Are you saying “amen,” voicing your agreement with what was prayed?

Do you offer your best when Scripture is read?

Do you follow along in your Bible if you’re able?

Do you bring your Bible?

Do you offer your best when we sing?

Do you moan and complain in your heart (not this song again!)?

Do you criticize?

Do you only sing out when you like the song?

Do you offer your best when God’s Word is preached?

Do you listen carefully throughout the sermon?

Do you take notes if it’s helpful?

As you listen, do you look for particular truths to discuss with your family or fellowship group?

Do you look for particular applications to focus on in the week ahead? Or are you too busy applying it to someone else?

Do you offer your best when you serve?

Sunday School teachers. Nursery workers. Musicians. Greeters. Preachers. Safety team. Prayer team.

Not serving at all?

Do you offer your best as you leave?

Are you out the door as quick as you can be, or are you looking for opportunities to respond to God’s Word and love the people around you?

You do not honor God when you give Him your scraps.

Careful: I’m asking you to ask yourself if you’re worshiping God with your best. Not someone else’s best.

What do you need to change? Concentrate on one or two areas.

God cares deeply about how we worship Him. And He’s not pleased if we don’t give Him our best.

3) Worship God With Your LIFE

We learned from Amos 5 that God hates hypocritical worship! So it’s not enough to claim that you trust Him, to offer your best if you don’t follow Him with your life.

Malachi accuses God’s people of two hypocrisies...

2:11—Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

Explain: God wants His people to be pure! Not racial purity, but religious purity

This is still true for believers today...

2 Corinthians 6:14—Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?

Singles: don’t even date an unbeliever! Don’t flirt to convert!

What about those of you who already find yourself married to an unbeliever?

If you did so in sin, confess and believe you’re forgiven

Don’t divorce your spouse!

Be a faithful and godly spouse in marriage.

Look at the second accusation God makes against His people in this section...

2:14b—The LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

God’s people aren’t being faithful in their marriages...

2:15a—Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring.

Marriage is unique from all other relationships

It’s the only human relationship that can naturally produce offspring

Contra, homosexual marriage

God’s people have been tampering with God’s design for marriage long before the sexual revolution...

2:15b-16—So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Your translation may look drastically different (e.g., “God hates divorce”)

Problem: the text begins with “if. . . hates . . . sends away” and doesn’t say who’s doing what

No translation ever interpreted this passage as “God hates divorce” until the KJV in 1611 (Including the Greek Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and the earliest English translations)

Here’s why this is important: this verse, wrongly translated, has led many people to feel intense shame for divorce, even when it’s legitimate. Even worse, it’s led some vulnerable women to remain in abusive marriages out of fear of angering God.

We know from other Scriptures that divorce is sometimes permissible

ADULTERY (Matthew 5:32, 19:9)

ABANDONMENT (1 Corinthians 7:12-16)

1 Corinthians 7:15—But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

By saying “in such cases,” Paul seems to argue that the point is any severe, unrepentant violation of the marriage covenant is a grounds for divorce

So I would join those scholars and pastors who also consider...

ABUSE as a legitimate grounds for divorce

But here’s the point in Malachi 2:16—this man is divorcing his wife simply because he doesn’t love her anymore! That is absolutely illegitimate!

Husbands/wives: fight for your marriage! Don’t be faithless!

Zoom out: there is no more intimate space in your life than the person you go to bed with. God says, “if you want to worship Me you must worship Me there too!”

If God cares about that, then He cares about your entire life!

Abraham Kuyper—“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

Even the places nobody else can see...

During the Second World War, the Allied forces created a dummy army. They wanted to were stronger than they actually were, the Allies hired a team of artists and designers to create a fake army—one that would look just real enough to deceive spies snooping around nearby or surveillance flights flying far overhead. So they built planes that were no more than wooden shells and tanks that were merely inflatable rubber.

SHOW INFLATABLE TANK IMAGE

What about you? Are you more concerned about looking holy or being holy?

God cares deeply about how we worship Him. And He’s not pleased if we don’t honor Him with our lives.

4) Worship God With Your MONEY

3:7a—From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.

The theme of this entire series has been “come back to me!!!”

But where do God’s people start?

3:7b-9—But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you.

“Tithe” means tenth

Malachi says “tithes” (pl.) because there were three commanded tithes in the law

“Contributions” is referring to various freewill offerings God’s people gave, above and beyond the required tithes

God’s people were neglecting some/all of these, and God says they’re robbing Him!!!

Isn’t it interesting when God’s people ask Him how to return, He starts by asking for their wallets. What does this tell us about God? What does it tell us about money?

The history buffs in the room certainly know the name Sam Houston, the legendary general, war hero, politician and namesake of Texas’ largest city.

You may not know that, towards the end of his life, Houston came to faith in Christ. He was so serious about his newfound faith that he was committed to paying at least half the minister’s salary.

When asked about it, he replied, "When I was baptized my [wallet] was baptized, too."

Has your wallet been baptized? Do you worship God with your wealth?

Do I have to give a tithe?

Debated issue

At least one of the tithes is no longer in effect since it was related to the annual Jewish festivals

The tithe for the poor required 10% every three years. But Jesus requires more...

Luke 12:33a—“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy."

The special tithe to care for the Levites seems to be echoed in the NT command to support the work of the church.

1 Corinthians 9:13-14—Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

I encourage every Christian to give at least 10% of your income to support the work of your local church!

Over 20% of your giving here is investing beyond PBC (local outreach, national/global missionaries, residency program, etc.)

These are just training wheels! Look for ways to give more!

[IF THERE’S TIME...] 2 Corinthians 9:6-8—The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

3:10—Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

There’s an old story of a king who went into the village streets to greet his subjects. A beggar sitting by the roadside eagerly held up a bowl, hoping the king would put some money inside it. Instead, the king shocked everybody around by asking the beggar to give him something. Taken aback, the poor man gave the king three grains of rice. The king then dropped something into the poor man’s bowl. When the beggar looked inside the bowl he was astonished to see three grains of pure gold. The poor man lamented, “If I only had give him all I had!”

That’s what Jesus wants. All you have.

God cares deeply about how we worship Him. And He’s not pleased if we will not trust Him with what we have.

As the Old Testament comes to and end, consider...

4:4—“Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

613 laws to obey, and yet the OT is a story of repeated failure...

In the wilderness

In the days of Joshua

When the judges ruled

When David or Solomon was king

When the kingdom was divided

During the exile

Now that they’ve returned

Is there any hope for God’s people?!?

4:5-6—“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Notice, Elijah the prophet isn’t the one who fixes God’s people. He comes before the awesome day of the LORD.

This is the second time Malachi has mentioned this prophet...

3:1a—“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me.

Maybe this is new to you. You didn’t know the Bible said anything about Elijah coming again

Matthew 11:10, 13-14—“[John the Baptist] is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ . . . For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.”

John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah (Luke 1:17) to prepare the way for God Himself. But John wasn’t the point. Jesus is.

3:1-2—“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

That’s our hope. Not being obedient enough, but trusting that Jesus will purify us and wash us clean.

Do you believe Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly?

Do you believe Jesus died for our disobedience?

If no, you can today! [white flag]

If yes, you are now free to worship God rightly!

3:3—He [Jesus] will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

We can present our lives as a righteous offering of worship to the Lord, not because we’re perfect but because we’re purified.

The story is told of a young pianist making his concert debut at Carnegie Hall. His playing was magnificent, and after he left the stage the audience eruted in cheers. The stage manager urged the young musician to go out for his encore, but the young man refused.

The older man replied, “Look out through the curtains. They love you! Go take an encore!”

The pianist answered: “Do you see that old man sitting down in the balcony on the left? I will not give an encore until he stands and cheers.”

The stage manager was flabbergasted. “Just one old man is seated and you won’t take an encore!?!”

The pianist replied, “That is not just any old man. He’s my piano teacher. The crowd’s praise means nothing if my master isn’t pleased.” [3]

The world’s praise means nothing if the Master isn’t pleased.

He cares deeply about how we worship Him. Is He pleased with your worship?

Take My Life and Let It Be

BENEDICTION

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:16-17)