Corrupted to The Core - Malachi 2 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Cor 15:33

Corrupted to The Core - Malachi 2 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Cor 15:33 A. Corrupt Priests (2:1-10) 1. Called out (2:1-2) a. They were to be the spiritual examples b. They were to glorify God c. They had no desire to be priests 2. Consequences of being corrupted (2:3-4) a. The epitome of being unclean b. Worthless effort 3. Call to do what you should (2:5-7) Romans 13:12, Ephesians 4:22-24 4. Condemned before God!! (2:5-7)

Corrupted to The Core - Malachi 2 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Cor 15:33 B. Corrupted Land (2:11-13) 1. Violating God s command (2:11) 2. Violators will be cut off (2:12) 3. Vain actions will not restore (2:13) What is wrong is wrong, regardless of your actions to make things right

Corrupted to The Core - Malachi 2 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. 1 Cor 15:33 C. Corrupted Families (2:14-16) 1. Violated your vows (2:14) 2. Violated your own conscience (2:15) 3. Violated God s institution (2:16) D. Corrupted Individuals (2:17) Isaiah 5:20, Romans 1:32 1. Beware of indifference 2. Beware of ignorance 3. Are we grieving God? Hebrews 3:10, Ephesians 4:30

Living For Jesus Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do; Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me; I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne; My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus Who died in my place, Bearing on Calv ry my sin and disgrace; Such love constrains me to answer His call, Follow His leading and give Him my all.

Living for Jesus, wherever I am, Doing each duty in His holy Name; Willing to suffer affliction and loss, Deeming each trial a part of my cross.

Living for Jesus through earth s little while, My dearest treasure, the light of His smile; Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem, Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss Malachi 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. Galatians 6:3

I Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

I. Look For My Messengers (3:1-6) Malachi 3:1-6 1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

I. Look For My Messengers (3:1-6) Malachi 3:1-6 continued 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. 6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

I. Look For My Messengers (3:1-6) A. John the Baptist (3:1a) Matthew 11:9-10 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Also Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27, John 1:23

I. Look For My Messengers (3:1-6) B. Lord Jesus Christ (3:1b-6) 1. He comes to His temple (3:1b) 2. He comes to fulfill the covenant (3:1c) 3. He comes to judge (3:2-3a) 4. He comes to restore (3:3b-5) a. Service b. Holiness 5. The basis of His actions (3:6)

II. You Are Ignorant Of Your Walk (3:7-12) Malachi 3:7-12 7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? 8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

II. You Are Ignorant Of Your Walk (3:7-12) Malachi 3:7-12 - Continued 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

II. You Are Ignorant Of Your Walk (3:7-12) A. Don t even know they are walking the wrong way (3:7) B. Don t even know they are stealing from God (3:8) C. Don t even know that they are cursed (3:9) D. Don t even know what they are missing (3:10-12) 1. God s blessing (v 10) 2. God s protection (v 11) 3. God s approval (v 12)

III. You Are Ignorant Of Your Words (3:13-15) Malachi 3:13-15 13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

III. You Are Ignorant Of Your Words (3:13-15) A. You don t even know what you are saying to Me (v 13) B. You say that serving me is a waste of time (v 14) C. You say that those who reject you are better off (v 15)

IV. The Promise To The Faithful (3:16-18) Malachi 3:16-18 16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

IV. The Promise To The Faithful (3:16-18) A. You will be heard by God (v 16) B. You will be remembered by God (v 16) Psalm 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

IV. The Promise To The Faithful (3:16-18) C. You will be spared by God (v 17) D. You will be gathered by God (v 18)