Fear the Lord. Malachi 3:13-18

Transcription

1 Malachi 3:13-18

2 Malachi 3: Your words have been arrogant against Me, says the LORD. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You? 14 You have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?

3 15 So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.

4 The way the people were handling finances was driven by financial pragmatism, not by their faith in God. The heart of the problem was a problem with their heart.

5 Malachi 3:13 Your words have been arrogant against Me, says the LORD. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You? The people continue to deny, debate, and resist everything God says.

6 Malachi 3: You have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.

7 The people were complaining that they weren t getting anything in return for serving God. This mentality is extremely dangerous.

8 The purpose of corporate worship is to come together, with other believers, to bring all that we are and all that we have and worship the One who paid the price for our sins and provided for us the only possible means of salvation.

9 If you re a follower of Christ, He has already given you more than you deserve, by freeing you from eternal punishment for your sin.

10 Externally, the people were simply going through the motions and pretending to be something that wasn t a true reflection of their heart. The reality was that they were practicing pseudo-worship, offering tainted sacrifices, withholding their tithes, and their hearts were far from God.

11 The people had also deluded themselves into believing that they actually had repentant hearts that were completely turned toward God. Malachi 3:14 You have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?

12 Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? The heart of man excels at selfdeception. And, as part of our self-deception, we often believe we can fool God.

13 Malachi 3:15 So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.

14 Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, How have we wearied Him? In that you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them, or, Where is the God of justice?

15 Most of the people of Malachi s day believed that their suffering and poverty clearly showed that the wicked were the recipients of God s blessings. They also refused to acknowledge that God was correct in His assessment of them.

16 We often consider ourselves to be more righteous than we really are. We tend to compare ourselves to others, rather than measuring our righteousness against the holiness of God.

17 Malachi 3: 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.

18 17 They will be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. 18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

19 Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared (yareʹ) the LORD spoke to one another Yareʹ (yä rāʹ) can mean to fear or to be terrified. It can also mean to show reverence or respect or to stand in awe of.

20 As believers, we don t need to be fearful of being in the presence of God. However, we should always approach Him humbly, and with great respect and reverence, acknowledging that He alone is worthy of praise, honor, and glory.

21 Malachi 3:16 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.

22 The names of those who feared and esteemed God were written in a book of remembrance.

23 Malachi 3: 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.

24 17 They will be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.

25 Those who fear and esteem the Lord will be His people and, as beloved children, they will be spared from His coming judgment.

26 Malachi 3:18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. Apart from God s work in our lives, we re all wickedly sinful and deserve God s judgment.

27 However, God will treat His people in a loving, gracious, and merciful way. Those who stubbornly reject God and trust in their own righteousness, will face God s judgment and suffer His eternal wrath.