Don't Get Careless With Your Worship!
Malachi -- Are You Honoring God the Way You Ought • Sermon • Submitted
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· 82 viewsGod must be worshipped on His terms not ours.
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Transcript
In March of 1994 a German tourist checked into a hotel near Miami International Airport. That night in his room he noticed a foul odor. He must have thought travelers must put up with discomforts, so he slept in the bed that night without a complaint to the front desk.
The next morning when he awoke, the odor was only worse. So as he checked out of the hotel, he reported the problem. On Friday, March 11, a maid cleaning the room discovered the source of the odor. Under the bed she found a corpse.
Life is filled with problems, and often it seems the best thing to do is just ignore them. But if we realized how serious and close some problems really are, we would take action.
As we continue in our study of Malachi, our text this morning reveals that Israel, especially the priests, had a huge problem they were ignoring…they had become careless with their worship, …it was a major problem that needed addressed...
As we consider this text, remember the title of this series is Honoring God the Way We Ought…why that title?…because what was happening at the time of this prophetic writing was not honoring to God…there were very specific ways the people of God were bringing dishonor to Him and God was not going to just let it ride!
Remember where Malachi fits historically, the people of God were in captivity in Babylon for 70 years and during that time there was no temple worship…Persia conquers Babylon and then allows Israel to return and rebuild…temple worship is re-established…the book of Malachi takes place approximately 100 years after the return and rebuilding efforts…read Ezra, Nehemiah to gain the historical context…
Just like within any gathered group of sinners, there were some problems, some serious problems that needed addressed…So what we have in Malachi is a dialogue between God and His people addressing these problems...one of the major problems was their worship...
As we learned last week, God wanted them to know that He loved them and still loves them…that should have motivated them to greater levels of worship…but it didn’t…
We have the privilege of listening in on this conversation and the tendency of our hearts is to sit back and criticize Israel for their lackadaisical approach to worship…but the reality is we need to hear what God said to them, as much or even more than they did!
It is not a problem that can be swept away or hidden under a bed…before long it will begin to stink…We are to Honor God in our Worship…
but before you tune me out with “that’s why we are here” let me challenge you to really think through this text with me and consider the truth that we too can be or are guilty of being careless in our worship!
See, many believers today suffer from consumerism of worship when they should be rejoicing in the participation of worship…sadly they don’t know it or worse don’t care because worship is FOR them, NOT GOD!
What do I mean by all that?
Consumerism in worship is about the heart of the person who is more concerned about what they get out of worship or what worship looks or sounds like instead of who they are to worship…there is a greater focus on the music styles and personal preferences of worship instead of the content and object of worship…yes they acknowledge they are there to worship God, but when styles and preferences are not met, when expectations are diminished their response is one of criticism...
The participant of worship humbly comes focused, not on styles or preferences but on the Savior…they are more concerned about who is worshipped and that He is worshipped correctly (God’s way, not theirs)...they come with a heart that is ready to engage in being in the presence of a Holy God, rejoicing by gathering with other brothers and sisters who value Him above all else…there is a desire and anticipation of seeing the glory of God, they are motivated to exalt Christ regardless of what others may think or do, possess a heart that cries out to the Spirit in desperate need of His work in conforming us to the image of Christ…they come with a spirit that is willing to listen to God speak to them...
The Consumer of worship, worships on their terms…the participant in worship worships God on His terms…That is our main point here this morning...
God Must Be Worshiped On His Terms!
God Must Be Worshiped On His Terms!
Read Malachi 1:10…Listen to what God says about their worship and to us about ours…
“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.
God was obviously angry with them regarding how they approached Him in worship…God would rather have no worship from them than for them to continue doing what they were doing.
Our goal here this morning is to examine what they were doing and contrast that with what God expected and then provide a framework to evaluate our worship, both corporately and individually to make sure we don’t get careless with our worship!
Let me go on record here and say there are many churches across our country that have, in my opinion, become careless with their worship…they are driven by the experience of worship instead of the exaltation of worship…people choosing churches, not because God is exalted, Christ is preached, the Word is taught soundly, but because of how attending there makes them feel…they want the unicorns and rainbows...
If we are going to honor God the way we ought, then there is an expectation God has for worship of Him...
We want to answer the question this morning…How can we Honor God in our Worship?...
1. God Must Be Revered — 1:6
1. God Must Be Revered — 1:6
Read Mal 1:6 ““ ‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’”
Here is the first problem God addresses with them regarding their worship…Where is My honor? Where is my respect?
A. Honor Him as Your Father
A. Honor Him as Your Father
Honor = also translated as glory = carries the idea of that which is added to something else…when this term was used in relationship to Abraham it indicated he was rich…he was heavily weighted down with wealth…God is more glorious than all the wealth of the world, He is completely worthy of all our praise and worship
God had just told them how much He loved them and the natural response of their hearts should have been to “weigh down” God with glory!
It was a common expectation of their day that a father was deserving of honor from his son…from the time of the Exodus, Israel was known as God’s son...
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.
“So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”
For some people honoring God as a father is difficult because their relationship with their earthly father is strained or non-existent…sin has corrupted every earthly father so that they cannot represent the Heavenly Father perfectly…so let me challenge you to not think about God in terms of your earthly father, but rather think of your earthly father in terms of your heavenly Father.
Here are just two characteristics of our Heavenly Father that can help us honor him...
He is the Author and Sustainer Life…you are alive today because He is sustaining you…every breath, every heart beat is in His hands…James tells us that every perfect gift comes from Him...
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
2. He Loves Completely and Unconditionally — God cares for us perfectly…even though we don’t always love Him the way we ought to love Him, God never stops loving us…go back to our study of Ephesians and consider all the spiritual blessings you have in Christ…why do we have those blessings? Because God abounds in love for us and freely bestows upon us all the riches of a divine life in Him…
You don’t have to be perfect for God to love you, God already loves you perfectly and is progressively sanctifying you to be perfected in His Son.
So Honor God as Your Father...
B. Respect Him as Your Master
B. Respect Him as Your Master
Respect = fear, awe, reverence
This is not simple fear, but reverence, whereby an individual recognizes the power and position of the individual revered and renders him proper respect
This is recognizing God as the Supreme Sovereign Owner of Everything including you!
God reigns supreme over all things…nothing happens outside His knowledge and permission...
Here’s the rub…We are God’s servants but we often live expecting God to serve us!
How do we do that? Let me answer that quickly by asking you to consider what you say to God in the midst of your trials?
“God I thought you loved me, how could you let this happen?” — God serves me and He let me down by letting this bad thing happen to me...
“God I really need you to come through for me in this by...” — God serves me and my expectation is He will deliver on my terms...
Try this instead....God what do you want of me…what do I need to learn in this…who can I minister to through this?…God I serve you…you take the mindset of Isaiah…Here Am I Send Me!!!
C. Don’t Belittle His Greatness
C. Don’t Belittle His Greatness
One of the practices of good Bible interpretation is to notice the terms and phrases that are repeated in a text and throughout the writers entire work...
1. Do not bring harm to God’s reputation
1. Do not bring harm to God’s reputation
Please notice with me how many times Malachi talks about God’s name and His greatness…a person’s name was their reputation…so when God speaks of the importance of honoring His name it is about upholding God’s reputation…
Here is just a sample…you see it here in verse 6..My name (2x), v 11 (3x), v.14 (1x), 2:2 (1x) see it again in 2:5, look at 3:16; and then at 4:2.
“If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.
Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
Therefore, we’ve got to make sure we don’t do anything that harms the testimony of Christ in our life and in our church.
2. Honor Him as Your King!
2. Honor Him as Your King!
Notice with me another phrase that is repeated in this text…we see it also in verse 6, verses 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
Over and over again we read “says the Lord of Hosts”…depending on what version you have it might be “Lord Almighty”
Hosts = military, troops, vast multitude — the idea here is that God commands a huge army of beings as the King who reigns in glory…He is due honor and respect as the Greatest King
Implications
Implications
Notice who God is speaking to here…PRIESTS…God was speaking to the spiritual leaders of Israel…as representatives of the whole they were specifically addressed…they were charged with the responsibility to intercede between the people and God…they did this through sacrifice and worship…they were the ones who taught the Law…for them to fail in this brought judgment upon all of them…this wasn’t just a one time thing...
Despise = participle = it was an ongoing condition…this was a regular action and attitude...
God tells them they were continually showing contempt for His name…and instead of falling to their knees in repentance what do they do?
They had the audacity to question God’s judgment...“how have we done that?” indicating there was no thought given towards even considering what they were doing was wrong!
God is very clear here that the only acceptable worship comes from people who revere Him…who honor Him as their father…who respect Him as their master…who proclaim His good reputation…who acknowledge Him as the Great King!
As pastors and elders we want you to know that we take the corporate worship of God very seriously…we do not want God to say to write this about us…therefore, we are going to do everything we can to ensure that when we gather for corporate worship there will be no question about who is being Honored…as your pastor, I assure you, as your pastor, Matthew assures you, all the elders assure you, nothing will take place in this gathered assembly to bring dishonor to our God...
There is only so much we can do corporately…where we as believers get into trouble with honoring God in our worship is relegating worship to strictly what we do on Sunday…the sacrifices were conducted daily and this was something happening everyday...God addressed the priests here and the application of this text applies to all of us…New Testament truth adds this to our understanding of the priesthood…through Jesus Christ being the perfect sacrifice for all the need for sacrifices stopped…the priesthood was absorbed into the body of Christ, the church, listen...
you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
God calls us all to be priests who represent Him to the world…as individual believers you stand before God as a priest who represents Him to your family, your coworkers, your classmates, your neighbors…
...as such you and I bear the full weight of this text upon us!
Don’t expect your corporate worship of God to be any greater than your individual worship of God.
In other words, we cannot expect God to accept our worship on Sunday, if Sunday is the only day we tend to think about Him…Revering God Himself is a life long pursuit, it is a daily pursuit…it is a focus on the totality of our lives pointing towards the greatness of our God...
The second problem God addresses with their worship is their lack of concern for God’s holiness...
God’s Holiness Must Be Remembered — 1:7-10
God’s Holiness Must Be Remembered — 1:7-10
Read Mal 1:7-10
A. Don’t compromise His Word
A. Don’t compromise His Word
God answers their question of how they have despised Him…they despised Him by compromising His Word…as we look into this account let me remind you of what God says in Romans 15:4…God wants us to take note so we don’t fall into the same problems...
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
listen to God’s instruction in Leviticus 22...
“Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy name; I am the Lord.
“You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you,
Sanctified = Holy = set apart
The sacrificial system set them apart from other nations…Israel was the only nation that had access to God…God is holy and he is set apart from His creation…sin created a barrier to God’s holiness that they could not cross…the sacrifices were the means for them to cross that barrier...
Like getting on the base…you have to bring your pass and ID...
You’ll find God’s expectation of the sacrifices and offerings...Leviticus 22:17–22 (NASB95)
‘When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.
‘Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the Lord.
God is very clear about His expectations...no defects…no blemishes…no broken bones…no open sores…why?
“You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you,
who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God; I am the Lord.”
There’s that word — sanctified…holy…God will be set apart among his people…this is how you display my holiness…by offering the best you have…
Look at the terms God uses to describe the sacrifices that the priests allowed to be brought...Defiled, blind, lame, sick, v.13 — stolen, v. 14 blemished.
They knew what God expected and they didn’t care…twice in verse 8 God asked them if they thought that was wrong? They should have said yes, but they didn’t...
They compromised the Word of God by thinking I know what God says, but...their mentality was probably in line with “at least we are bringing something”…look at verse 13…their attitude towards God was it was burdensome to worship Him this way...
B. Make pleasing God your first priority
B. Make pleasing God your first priority
In verses 8-9, God is saying “you wouldn’t dare take these offerings to the governor’s table, so why are you bringing them to mine?”
In Nehemiah, as the governor, he had a banquet where the people brought the food as offerings…how absurd it would be to think the governor would accept these lousy things, yet you think I would still bless you...
Read v. 10 again…God would rather you not worship Him at all than to bring Him your leftovers or undesirables…
How dare you come to me, seeking my favor, when you haven’t taken the time to listen to what I said about the necessity of pure sacrifices…how dare you expect me to bless your endeavors when you’ve not given me the time of day…
you’ve compromised my Word, your worship of me is worthless, I will not accept it
Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
Implications
Implications
The implications of this text are far reaching...
Individually
The ultimate reason the sacrifices were to be pure was because they pointed to the ultimate sacrifice God would make through His perfect Son…that is why God viewed impure sacrifices with such disdain…do you know what the penalty was for bringing contemptible sacrifices/…death…Lev 22:9
Thankfully we don’t have to make sacrifices anymore because what Jesus accomplished on our behalf permanently removed that barrier between our lack of holiness and God’s perfect holiness…in Christ we have direct access to God…we stand before Him positionally as being perfectly holy because his righteousness is imputed to our account...However, the practical truth is we have a responsibility to live out that holiness that has been perfected in us…
but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
God would never command us to do something He doesn’t empower us to accomplish…this side of heaven we cannot be perfectly holy, God knows that…what God is asking from us is that the pattern of our life shows that we have been set apart…remember the meaning of the word, holy…the pattern of the priests was just the opposite...
What this reveals to us is that obedience to the Word of God is the key to holiness…1 Sam 15 22
Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
We don’t have to struggle to know what what it looks like or how to do it...He has given us everything we need for life and godliness…2 Peter 1:3-4
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
As individuals…what does the pattern of your life reveal about you…does it reveal a life that is set apart from sin and to God...
Men — Are you showing you’ve been set apart in your role as a husband…your role as a father…in your work…in your choice of recreation…your conversations…your priorities…they way you lead your family
Women — your roles as a wife…mother…your priorities...
Teens/Children — one of the best ways you can show you’ve been set apart is how you respond to your parents…obey them…at school…with your friends...
Your role as a member of the universal church is to represent God to the world around you…you do that by having evidence that your relationship with God is making a difference in everything you think and do!
The third problem with their worship is they lost sight of their divine purpose...
God’s Purpose Must Be Retained — 1:11-14
God’s Purpose Must Be Retained — 1:11-14
verse 11 is the hinge point…God reveals why He rejects their worship…
God’s greatness will be proclaimed with or without you.
God’s greatness will be proclaimed with or without you.
His name will be great among the nations (2x)…every place…look at verse 14…and My name is feared among the nations.
The priests of Judah were guilty of despising God…God had little value to them…this prophecy of future Gentile worship was an indictment against them…the Gentiles who did not have the covenant promise and history of God’s faithfulness would one day lift up the name of the Lord in praise and honor.
God’s purpose for Israel was to represent Him to the nations…instead God says the Gentiles are going to do it!
We are part of the fulfillment of this prophecy…but this awaits a greater fulfillment when Jesus is revealed.
God is not done with Israel…God’s present means of reaching the nations today is through the church!
God doesn’t need you or me to proclaim His greatness, He doesn’t need Open Door Bible Church…it is a privilege as God’s chosen people to serve Him...as the Lord of Hosts, there exists a myriad of beings that will praise His name…the question before you and me is do we want to be part of the group that experiences God’s blessing in fulfilling His purpose or part of the group that receives God’s anger and rejection?…I assure you the leadership of this church will do everything within our power to make sure we are part of the group that seeks to fulfill His purpose!
We lose our focus when ungodly attitudes are allowed to linger.
We lose our focus when ungodly attitudes are allowed to linger.
God addresses the priests attitude here…their attitude towards God had grown cold and they were doing nothing about it.
v. 12 — Has your heart for worship become polluted? — Profane means to de-sanctify, to make or treat something as unholy, common, insignificant, or worthless— what have you allowed into your life that makes your worship of God a secondary or worse priority? You are here physically this morning, but are you here in heart? Do you come because you feel obligated or forced? Are you coming out of love for God and desire to honor Him?
v. 13 — Have your acts of worship for God become a drudgery? — the priests viewed their service as a burden…the indication here is that the priests had become weary in their duties and were even aggravated by them…as NT priests everything we do is to portray the greatness of our God and how He makes a difference…Remember Romans 12 1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” We are to be living sacrifices…has living for God become a burden to you?
v. 14 — Are you cheating God? — is God getting your best or your leftovers…time, treasures, and talents…does God only get what is left of your time when there is nothing left on the task list or is he at the top of your schedule…your treasures...later in Malachi we will deal with our giving of tithes, but let me ask you would your pattern of giving reveal you as a swindler?…your talents…what has God equipped you to do within the body that you are not doing?
Life Lesson – Honoring God with our worship comes from the heart that is focused on Him, not self.
Life Lesson – Honoring God with our worship comes from the heart that is focused on Him, not self.
Wrap up…everything we see in this text points to the selfish heart that wants to worship God on their own terms and believes it is okay…we must take the time to look within ourselves and confess all the ways we have made honoring God about what we wanted instead of what He wants...
Real worship that is acceptable to God is done on His terms...