05 May 17, 2015, Malachi 1;1-11 True Hope

Sunday School Lesson

1. Malachi 1:1-11
True Hope
May 17, 2015
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?

3. http://eat-art.org/images/uploads/The_Glory_of_God_(1).jpg
The glory of God!

4. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFOtNWjTX5s/UdT_aGKSebI/AAAAAAAAAB0/ieKqL_IsJHg/s960/1031-wallpaper-slide-v2.gif

5. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31
Therefore, whether you eat or drink,
or whatever you do, do all to the glory
of God.

6. May Memory Verse:
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
7
Each of you should give what you
have decided in your heart to give,
not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.

7. http://kazyoung.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Challenge.jpg
We have three challengesthat the
Education
Department has
placed before
us in 2015:

8. http://rejoiceministries.org/images/hiding-gods-word-banner.jpg
1.) Memorize the monthly memory
versesand
know each
month we
are hiding
God’s Word
in our heart.

9. January verse: Romans 10:9
February verse: Ephesians 2:8-9
March verse: Romans 3:23
April verse: I Peter 1:3

10. http://beavercreekchristian.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/becoming-a-disciple-maker.jpg
2.) Share your faith with one person
each monthand build a relationship
with them, so they will not only
become a disciple –but
a disciple maker
themselves.
Luke 19:11-27

11. http://www.tillhecomes.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/God_At_Work.jpg
3). Ask Sunday School class members
to share how they have seen God at
work during the week.

12. http://a5.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Podcasts6/v4/32/5f/79/325f79f3-a0f1-02e5-5382-d8d519585dbe/mza_8884854500008393311.255x255-75.jpg
J. Vernon McGee's
Thru The Bible

13. http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=JN.LHXpNLLW2%2bWUmsfK%2bpeesw&pid=15.1
Ray Stedman
1917-1992

14. http://onedesertrose.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/wiersbe_warren.jpg
Warren Wiersbe

15. http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.JWVXmuXqbP0JVOpltGNYDA&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0
Malachi, the last book of the Old
Testament, is separated from the
book of Matthewby a silent period of
more than 400 years, and yet, these
two books tie together
in a remarkable way.

16. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iA9h-x46ziE/TyiNA1arhiI/AAAAAAAACOA/7QIl-M_2mGg/s1600/timeline+three+returns+from+exile+BKC.gif

17. http://prophecytracker.org/wp/uploads/2013/01/5-2_salvation-old-new-testament.jpg

18. Historically, there was a long, long time
when no voice spoke for God, no prophet
came to Israel.
There were no Scriptures being written.
There was no encouragementfrom God.

19. The heavens were silent.
Still, history was going on, and
remarkable things were taking place
in Israel and among the Jews.

20. New institutionswere being formed
that appear in the opening of the New
Testament, but none of this is
recorded for us in the sacred history.
•Malachi is the last of the Minor
Prophetsand the last prophetic
voice to speak to Israel.

21. http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=JN.YgRG4RvE4%2fPuPV6RxhkznQ&w=227&h=169&c=7&rs=1&qlt=90&o=4&pid=1.1
Malachi means “My messenger."

22. He is the Western Union boy who brings
the last message from Godto the people
of Israel.
•This last book of our Old Testament
centers around the theme of a
messenger of Godand a predictionof
the coming of another messenger.

23. In this, therefore, we have a direct tie
between Malachi and the New
Testament.
Chapter 3, for instance, begins with
this prophecy:

24. Malachi 3:1a NKJV
1a
“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.”

25. http://calvarybaptistjs.org/storage/story-of-hope/22-John%20the%20Baptist%20Proclamation.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1269027162090
As we discover in the book of
Matthew, that
messenger was
John the Baptist.

26. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D2eYlaZe5AU/UBuy6I4-yBI/AAAAAAAACUU/j-rvCd5zVSg/s1600/John-the-Baptist.jpg
John came to prepare the wayof the
Lord and to announce
the coming of the
second Messenger
from God.

27. http://saintanthonyofpadua.net/messaggero/upload/foto/0407_10.jpg
That second Messengeris also in this
prophecy in the next phrase of
Malachi 3:1b.

28. Malachi 3:1b NKJV
1b
“And the Lord, Whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In Whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the LORDof hosts.

29. It was the work of the Lord Jesus on
the closing night of His ministry to
take wine and bread with His disciples
and holding the cup up to say, "This is
My blood of the [new] covenant."
(Matt. 26:28) The Messenger of the
covenant is the Lord Jesus Himself!

30. Now the trouble with the people in
Malachi's day was that they had
forgotten the great and central
message of Godand as we go back to
the start of the book of Malachi, we
see that the prophet opens on that
note (chapter 1, verse 1):

31. Malachi 1:1-2a NKJV
1
The burdenof the word of the LORD
to Israel by Malachi.
2a
“I have loved you,” says the LORD.

32. Like Nahum (1:1) and Habakkuk (1:1),
Malachi called his message a
"burden."
•A "burden" is a judgment, a
judgment from God, and it will be a
very strong and rigorous rebuke
that God will give to them.

33. The prophets were men who
personally felt"the burden of the
Lord" as God gave them insight into
the hearts of the peopleand the
problems of their society.

34. http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/1e/9c/6f/1e9c6f4bd0defd8b6471b1d4184404bd.jpg
“Father, break my heartover the
same things that break Your heart.”

35. It wasn't easy for Malachi to strip the
veneer off the piety of the priestsand
expose their hypocrisy, or to repeat to
the people the complaints they were
secretly voicing against the Lord, but
that's what God called him to do.

36. http://newdisciplesministry.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/cleansing_the_temple.109185700_std.jpg
“The task of a prophet," writes
Eugene Peterson, "is not to smooth
things over but to make things right.”

37. Malachi 1:2 NKJV
2
“I have loved you,” says the LORD.
“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You
loved us?’
Wasnot Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the LORD.
“Yet Jacob I have loved;

38. That is always the messageof God's
prophets.
"I have loved you," says the Lord.
Now how do you think that these
people are going to respond to that?

39. The amazing thingis that these people
answer the prophet with the words,
2b “In what way have You loved us?”

40. Remember that they have returned to
the land and although they are
discouraged about the rebuilding of
the walls of Jerusalem, there is a show
of prosperityand they are going
through the form of worshipin the
rebuilt temple.

41. They are going through the ritualof it,
and on the surfaceeverything looks
good.
But, oh, are they a sarcastic,
supercilious, sophisticated, blasé
group!

42. https://darrellcreswell.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/gods-love.jpg
Can you believe that these people
would doubt God and have the
audacity to speak to Him like that?

43. I'm not sure but what there are a great
many people todayin the church who
would raise that same question and
say, "Look at the things that are
happening to us today. How can you
say that God loves us?"

44. Well, God made it very clearto Israel
from the very beginning that He loved
them.
It is interesting that you go a long way
into the Biblebefore you find God
telling anybodythat He loved them.

45. When you get to Deuteronomy you're
out in the wilderness and you've been
out there for forty years, and it is
going to be pretty hardto make
anybody believe that God loves him.

46. But listen to what Moses says in Deuteronomy
10:15:
15
The LORDdelighted only in your
fathers, to love them; God simply had not been
saying that to anyone.

47. From Genesis through the time of the
Flood and afterwards, God never told
anybody that He loved them.
God didn't tell Abrahamthat He loved
him (but He did, of course).

48. The point is that God was in no hurry to let
mankind know that He loved them until He says
in Deuteronomy 10:15.
Deuteronomy 10:15 NKJV
15
The LORDdelighted only in your fathers, to
love them; and He chose their descendants
after them, youabove all peoples, as it isthis
day.

49. Now God is prepared to provewhat He has said, and
His answer is this:
Malachi 1:2b-3
2b
Wasnot Esau Jacob’s brother?
Says the LORD.
“Yet Jacob I have loved;
3
But Esau I have hated,
And laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”

50. This is a tremendous statement that
God makes to them.
The people were questioning, they
were doubting the love of God, and
God reminds them of the origin of
their nation.

51. http://www.harvestdurham.ca/Content/10442/2011Wallpapers/Malachi_Wallpaper.jpg
This entire book is a series of
responseson the part of the people to
the challenges of God.

52. Seven times you will find them
saying, "How? How does this happen?
Prove it."
As we go through these verses you
can see how they reveal the state of
this people's heart.

53. Here is an outgoing God---God is always
pouring out His love---but yet here is a
callous peoplewho have become so
indifferentand so unresponsiveto God
that in perfect sincerity they can say,
"We don't see this.What do you mean?
Why do You say these things to us?"

54. http://montesanobaptist.com/wp-content/themes/Micah/604x272xthumb.php,qsrc=,hwww.montesanobaptist.com,_wp-content,_uploads,_2014,_05,_Malachi_Featured.jpg,ah=272,aw=604,azc=1.pagespeed.ic.XBwX_aDP1p.jpg
Throughout the book, this is the theme.

55. Now God's answerto their question,
"How have You loved us?" is to remind
them that He loved them even back in
the beginningof their race with Jacob
and Esau.

56. Jacob and Esau were twins.
God made a differencebetween them
at the very beginning (see Gen. 25:22-
23), but it was about fifteen hundred
yearsbefore He stated as He does
here that He loved Jacob.

57. God never said this untilJacob and
Esau had become two great nations
which had longhistories.
Therefore, God said that He loved
Jacob because of the fact that He
knew what was in Jacob's heart.

58. http://livingthescripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/images-72.jpg
Foreknowledgedoes not mean
foreordained.

59. He knewthat here was Jacob who had a
desire for Himand that Esau did not
have a desire for Him at all.
•But it had to be worked out in fifteen
hundred years of historybefore God
was prepared to make the kind of
statement He makes here in Malachi.

60. The difference here between loving and hating
is simply that the life of the nation that came
from Esau, which is Edom, and the life of the
nation which came from Jacob, which is Israel,
demonstrate that God wasrightwhen He said
that He loved one and hated the other and all of
this reveals that if God loves, God also hates --
because you cannot love without hating?

61. http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.4s345xWn3hqVpdZIbAxRag&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0

62. Love and hate are very close together,
if God loves the good, He has to hate
the evil--it couldn't be otherwise --
and that is exactly what we find here.
•The historiesof the nation of Israel
and the nation of Edom are
altogether different.

63. Malachi 1:2-3 NKJV
2
“I have loved you,” says the LORD.
“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You
loved us?’
Wasnot Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the LORD.
“Yet Jacob I have loved;

64. 3
But Esau I have hated,
And laid waste his mountains and his
heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”
Malachi 1:2-3 NKJV

65. He says, "Take a look at the whole race.
Esau's historyhas been one of continual
disturbanceand disasterand trouble
because," He says, "I have loved Jacob
but I have hated Esau. If you want to
understand My love, look at one who
has not been enjoying My love.

66. http://calvarywyncote.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Jacob-and-Esau3-960x350.jpg
Look at Esau and see how different
his story is from yours, even though
Jacob and Esau were twin brothers."

67. The first sin Malachi named was the
people's lack of love for God.
That was the first sin Jesus mentioned
when He wrote to the seven churches of
Asia Minor (Rev. 2:4), and perhaps it's
listed first because lack of love for God is
the source of all other sin.

68. For centuries, the Jews have recited
"The Shema" as their daily prayer:
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the
Lord is one! You shall lovethe Lord
your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your might"
(Deut. 6:4-5, NKJV).

69. But the people Malachi preached to
doubtedthat God even loved them,
so why should they love Him?
•The prophet presented several
evidencesof God's love for Israel,
the first of which is God's clear
statementof His love (Mal. 1:2a).

70. Malachi was probably referring to
what the Lord said through Moses in
the Book of Deuteronomy,
particularly 7:6-11.
•When God gave the Law at Sinai,
the emphasis was, "Obey My Law
because I am a holyGod."

71. But when Moses reviewed the Law for
the new generation, the emphasis
was, "Obey the Lord because He loves
youand you love Him."
Both motives (God’s holiness and
God’s love) are valid today.

72. God’s hate troublesmany people, but you
also find the explanationin the book of
Hebrews in the N T.
•There we are told that Esau was a
despiserof his birthright and therefore
was one who placed no value on
spiritual matters(Heb. 12:16).

73. Hebrews 12:16 NKJV
16
lest there beany fornicator or
profane person like Esau, who for one
morsel of food sold his birthright.

74. Esau treated God with utter
indifference.
He viewed the things that God
regarded as valuable as if they were
trivial, and he treated them that way.

75. It is because of Esau's attitudethat God
says, “I have loved Jacob but I hated Esau.”
In essence God says,
“I loved Jacob because in the heartof Jacob
is the hunger after the deeper thingsof life;
Jacob wants something more than what is
on the surface.”

76. http://serfvic.com/pictures/12%20TRIBES%20OF%20ISRAEL.jpg
That always draws out the heart of
Godand this is characteristic of the
nationas well.

77. http://rlv.zcache.com/god_loves_israel_poster-p2284057308392359543sku_400.jpg#god%20loves%20israel%27
Another evidence Malachi gives for
God's love is God's evident blessing on
the people of Israel
(v4-5).

78. Malachi 1:4-5 NKJV
4
Even though Edom has said,
“We have been impoverished,
But we will return and build the
desolate places,”
Thus says the LORDof hosts:

79. 4b
“They may build, but I will throw
down;
They shall be called the
Territory of Wickedness,
And the people against whom the
LORDwill have indignation forever.

80. 5
Your eyes shall see,
And you shall say,
‘The LORDis magnified beyond the
border of Israel.’
Malachi 1:4-5 NKJV

81. Like other nations in that area, Edom
suffered during the Babylonian
invasion of Israel, but the Lord didn't
promise to restore their land as He
promised the Jews.

82. The proud Edomites boastedthat
they would quickly have their land in
good shape, but God had other plans.
•The Message says it this way:
“People will take one look at you
and say, ‘Land of Evil!’ and ‘the
GOD-cursed tribe!’”

83. God called Edom "The Wicked Land"
(v. 4, NIV), but Israel He called "the
holy land" (Zechariah 2:12).

84. Keep in mind that the Edomites were
indeed an evil people(see Obad. 8-14)
who deservedevery judgment God
sent their way. (treated Israel badly)
•To the Jews, the Babylonian
invasion was a chastening, but to
Edom, it was a judgment.

85. http://3dmovements.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/punish-discipline.jpg

86. http://focusonthefamily.com/parenting/effective_biblical_discipline/effective-child-discipline/~/media/017532D4D96E4B208761A4B697E40250.ashx?w=457&h=254&as=1

87. Hebrews 12:5-11 NKJV
5
And you have forgotten the exhortation
which speaks to you as to sons:
“My son, do not despise the chastening
of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are
rebuked by Him;

88. 6
For whom the LORDloves He
chastens,
And scourges every sonwhom He
receives.”

89. 7
If you endure chastening, God deals
with you as with sons; for what son is
there whom a father does not
chasten?
8
But if you are without
chastening, of which all have become
partakers, then you are illegitimate
and not sons.

90. 9
Furthermore, we have had human
fathers who corrected us,and we paid
themrespect. Shall we not much
more readily be in subjection to the
Father of spirits and live?

91. 10
For they indeed for a few days
chastened usas seemed bestto them,
but He for ourprofit, that wemay be
partakers of His holiness.

92. 11
Now no chasteningseems to be
joyful for the present, but painful;
nevertheless, afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousnessto
those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:5-11 NKJV

93. Think of how God showed His love to
the Jewish people.
First, He spared the Jewswho were in
exilein Babylon (see Jer. 29).

94. http://eaglesinleadership.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/rebuild_the_temple.gif
Then, He moved Cyrusto issue the
decree that enabled the Jews to
return to Judahand
rebuild the temple.

95. http://ptl2010.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/bible_minor_prophets1.gif
He provided the leadership of Joshua
the high priest, Zerubbabel,
Nehemiah, and Ezra, as well as the
prophetic ministry of
Haggai, Zechariah,
and Malachi.

96. Had His people obeyedthe terms of
the covenant, the Lord would have
blessed them even more–He will
never bless disobedience.
•Yes, they were a weak remnant,
but the Lord was with them and
promised to bless them.

97. Note that the name God uses in
Malachi 1:4is "Lord of hosts" ("Lord
Almighty" in the NIV), that is, "the
Lord of the armies," a name used 24
times in Malachi and nearly 300 times
in the Old Testament.

98. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JQBwxaYs1_Q/UTZ2UXtM5XI/AAAAAAAAADM/cUuQQeLtAMo/s1600/Lord+of+Armies.jpg
This is the "military" name of God, for
"hosts" comes from a Hebrew word
which means
"to wage war."

99. The Lord is the Commanderof the
hosts and Heaven:
the stars (Isa. 40:26; Gen. 2:1),
the angels (Ps. 103:20-21),
the armies of Israel (Ex. 12:41), and
all who trust in Him (Ps. 46:7, 11).

100. Finally, Malachi reminded the Jews of the great
privilegeGod gave them to witness to the
Gentiles(Malachi 1:5).
Malachi 1:5 NKJV
5
Your eyes shall see,
And you shall say,
‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of
Israel.’

101. During the reigns of David and
Solomon, God manifested His glory
through the nation of Israel so that
the Gentiles came from distant lands
to see what was happening in Israel.

102. When God brought His remnant back
to the land, He wanted to bless them
and once again manifest His glory
through them, but they failed to trust
Him and obey His law.

103. Though they had been chastenedby
God and ruined by Babylon, and
though they had lost the esteem of
the Gentile nations around them, the
Jews could have made a new startand
witnessed to the Gentilesof the grace
and mercy of God.

104. Instead, they lapsed into the sinsthat
Malachi attacks in his book, and they
gave but a weak witnessto the other
nations.
They missed their opportunityto
glorify God (as we do today).

105. We need to remind ourselves that the
trials we experience as individuals or
congregations are also opportunitiesto
glorify God before a watching world.
Right now First Baptist Church Jackson
has a unique opportunity!

106. That's how Paul viewed his
imprisonment and possible death in
Rome (Phil. 1:12-26), and that's the
way we must look at the testingsGod
sends our way.
Will we remain unifiedand loving?

107. http://wallpaper.knowing-jesus.com/file/4056/600x338/16:9/philippians-1-12-the-greater-progress-of-the-gospel-brown_359245793.jpg
Philippians 1:12 NKJV
12
But I want you to know, brethren,
that the things which happenedto me
have actually turned
out for the
furtherance of the
Gospel,

108. http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/cb/a8/0a/cba80a3eaef1256d1e87cc98dbf00a91.jpg
Every difficulty is an opportunity to
demonstrate to others what the Lord
can do for those
who put their
trust in Him.

109. http://wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-Aug-2010/106809-Rough_Sea.jpg
No calm sea ever produced a skillful
mariner.

110. Now Malachi directs his message
especially to the priests(1:6; 2:1, 7-8),
who, instead of living exemplary lives,
were guiltyof breaking the very Law
they were supposed to obey and
teach. The waythey were serving the
Lord was a disgrace to His name.

111. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VJZh5tNb38k/TgD8m10GOPI/AAAAAAAAB9k/wv3nrHliMt8/s1600/character-of-god-714838.jpg
Seven times in this section you find
the phrase "My name" (1:6, 11, 14; 2:2,
5; see also 3:16and 4:2), referring to
God's character and reputation.

112. http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.1YGczgssskTWn4K%2bsnYtIA&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0
The priests who were supposed to
honor God's name
were disgracingit
before the people
and the Lord.

113. https://bible.org/assets/pagegrapics/para-1.gif

114. The priests were supposed to be God's
children, yet they weren't honoring
their Father; they were called to be
God's servants, yet they showed no
respect for their Master.

115. Malachi 1:6 NKJV
6
“A son honors hisfather,
And a servant hismaster.
If then I am the Father,
Where isMy honor?
And if I ama Master,
Where isMy reverence?
Says the LORDof hosts
To you priests who despise My name.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your
name?’

116. That is God's charge –You despise My
name.
They said, "Howhave we despised
your name? We don't see this. What
do you mean?" And the Lord answers
(verse 7):

117. Malachi 1:7 NKJV
7
“You offer defiled foodon My altar,
But say,
‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying,
‘The table of the LORDis contemptible.’

118. http://biblestudyoutlines.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/nadab-and-abihu-offered-strange-fire.jpg
"Your attitudeand your actions
toward Me are shoddy.
You are content to give
Me just the trash, the
defiled things."

119. But they pursue it further.
Whenever you ask God how, He will
tell you, and again God makes it very
clear.
God says (verse 8):

120. Malachi 1:8 NKJV
8
And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is itnot evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is itnot evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you favorably?”
Says the LORDof hosts.

121. http://jandsmministries.com/images/message/messe_mar3_08.jpg
These animals had to be perfect;
nothing imperfect (blind, lame, sick)
could be brought to the altar of God
and accepted
(Deut. 15:19-23;
Lev. 22:17-33).

122. After all, these sacrifices pointed to
the Lamb of God Who would one day
die for the sins of the world (John
1:29; Heb. 10:1-14), and if they were
imperfect, how could they typifythe
Perfect Sacrifice, the Son of God?

123. God was telling them that the
offering they offered was really a
picture of the Lord Jesus ChristWho is
the perfect Lamb of GodWho takes
away the sin of the world.
•Any imperfect offering was an
insultto the Lord Jesus Christ.

124. "You people that are contentto be
sloppy about your religious
experience, try living that way in your
business lifeand see if you get by with
it. And yet you say you are honoring
My name. You are claiming to be My
people and to worship Me.”

125. http://pathwayofblessing.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/hypocrite.jpg?w=288

126. For one thing, the priests themselves
weren't giving God their best, so why
make greater demands on the people?
"Like priests, like people" (Hosea 4:9; Jer.
5:30-31), for no ministry rises any higher
than its leaders.

127. So the priests settled for less than the
bestand encouraged the people to
bring whatever was available.
•A sickanimal would die anyway,
and crippledanimals were useless,
so the people might as well give
them to the Lord!

128. http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/79/23/a9/7923a92ddd982a7b3e755de3a3bf981e.jpg
They forgot that "to obey is better
than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams"
(1 Sam. 15:22;
Ps. 51:16-17;
Micah 6:6-8;
Mark 12:28-34).

129. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_I_rRqZjTqu0/TP5iguM1RDI/AAAAAAAAA1A/jg_NHHIMoy0/s1600/pharisee_self-righteous.jpg
The God of reality always cuts right
through all the excuses
and all the flimflam of
hypocrisyright down
to the real issue.

130. Malachi 1:9-14 The Message (MSG)
9
“Get on your knees and pray that I will
be gracious to you. You priests have
gotten everyone in trouble. With this
kind of conduct, do you think I’ll pay
attention to you?” GOD-of-the-Angel-
Armies asks you.

131. 10
“Why doesn’t one of you just shut the
Temple doors and lock them? Then none
of you can get in and play at religion with
this silly, empty-headed worship. I am
not pleased. The GOD-of-the-Angel-
Armies is not pleased. And I don’t want
any more of this so-called worship!

132. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mjqFqGQhnSw/Tp0Y6okZJrI/AAAAAAAACYc/s7k6AvkwxnY/s1600/please.jpg

133. 11
“I am honored all over the world. And
there are people who know how to
worship Me all over the world, who
honor Me by bringing their best to Me.
They’re saying it everywhere: ‘God is
greater, this GOD-of-the-Angel-
Armies.’

134. 12-13
“All except you. Instead of
honoring Me, you profane Me. You
profane Me when you say, ‘Worship is
not important, and what we bring to
worship is of no account,’ and when
you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do
anything for Me.’

135. You act so superior, sticking your noses
in the air—act superior to Me, GOD-of-
the-Angel-Armies! And when you do
offer something to Me, it’s a hand-me-
down, or broken, or useless. Do you
think I’m going to accept it? This is GOD
speaking to you!

136. 14
“A curse on the person who makes a big
show of doing something great for Me—
an expensive sacrifice, say—and then at
the last minute brings in something puny
and worthless! I’m a great king, GOD-of-
the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide,
and I’ll not put up with it!”
Malachi 1:9-14 The Message (MSG)

137. They actually despised Godwhen they
approached worship like that.
•It was Dr. G. Campbell Morgan who
years ago made the statement, “I
am more afraid of the profanity of
the sanctuarythan I am of the
profanity of the street.”

138. http://www.ziondeerfield.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Wonder-of-Worship.jpg
Profane –to treat something sacred
with irreverence or disrespect.

139. When the offeringis taken in the
average church, there is actually lots
more profanitytaking place there
than down in the slums of the city
where the drunkards are.
Why?

140. Because there is a great deal of put-
on, of hypocrisy, taking place in the
sanctuary today.

141. When the One Who was here 2,000
years ago sat by the treasuryand
watched how the people gave, I am
sure that some of them thought,
"What business has He to see how I
give?"

142. He happened to be the Lord Jesus
Christ, and I'm not sure but that on
Sunday morning He looks over your
shoulderas you give.
Are you only givingwhat you give for
a good meal when you eat out?

143. Are you giving as generouslyto the
Lord's work as you do to other things
where it makes a show?
•The old sick cow is still being taken
to church todayand that is the
method that Israel used; and the
Lord didn't let it pass.

144. He is saying here in a very definite
way that you cannot bring Him a sick
cow.
Your givingis supposed to be on the
basis of love.

145. May Memory Verse:
2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each of you should give what you
have decided in your heart to give,
not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver.”

146. The Lord Jesus said, "If ye love Me,
keep My commandments" (John
14:15).

147. You see it again in the charges that
God lays against them concerning
their attitudes in worship.
They were being professionalabout
their worship and they were utterly
bored.

148. Now what is wrong here?
Where has all the excitementgone?
These are always the symptomsof a
people who think God will be content
with something less than love.

149. The great commandment is, "You
shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with allyour soul and
with allyour mind...and your neighbor
as yourself."(Matthew 22:37-39)
Nothing elsewill satisfy God.

150. But here is a people who have been
surrounded by God's love and the
recipients of His grace for centuries
and yet their hearts have become so
blindedthat they cannot even see
how they are offendingHim and
insultingHim with what they do.

151. The reason this is so is that their own
love for Him has died.
The death of loveis always reflected
in a callous attitudeand this is what
you see here.

152. Do you have religion, or do you have
Christ?
Do you come here to truly worship
God or are you just going through the
form of it?

153. http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/45/aa/e4/45aae4bbcc4e16d818eed8c6cdb17d9a.jpg
Are you a “good Christian” on Sunday
morning but
put it asidewhen
you are not in
church?

154. The Gospel According to You
You are writing a gospel, a chapter
each day, by deeds that you do, by
words that you say; People read what
you write, whether faithless or true,
say, “What is the gospel according to
you?”

155. Spiritual worship became wearisome
to the people of Israel because they
didn't love the Word of God.
You have to love the Word of God and
this is one way in which the Bible is
differentfrom any other book.

156. Any other bookyou must read before
you love it, and you must understand
it before you can love it.
But you must love the Word of God
before you can understand it-the
Spirit of God is not teaching lazyfolk.

157. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gBZH07CUtOk/UCltIh6fzaI/AAAAAAAAAaE/G8vlJCfIVqA/s1600/Bible,+Author+Always+Present.jpg

158. http://wordsfromcalvary.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/bible-light-rays.jpg
The Bible is the only Book that reads
you as you read it!

159. http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=JN.qm6xfWg1fOcBFzlWktrlAg&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0

160. The day will comewhen the Gentiles
will worship God and magnify His
great name (v. 11).

161. Malachi looked ahead to the time
when the message of salvation would
be taken to all nations, and beyond
that, he saw the establishing of the
kingdom on earthwhen the Gentiles
would "flow into it" (Isa. 2:2; see also
11:3-4, 9; 45:22-25; 49:5-7).

162. God's call to Abraham involved the
Jews becoming a blessing to the
whole earth(Gen. 12:1-3), just as His
call to the churchinvolves taking the
Gospel to all nations(Mark 16:15).

163. The priests even allowed the people
to cheaton their vows (Mal. 1:13-14).
•If a man promised God a sacrifice
but brought an animal that was sick
or blemished, the priest would
accept it, even though the man had
a perfect animal back home.

164. In the Mosaic Law, vows were purely
voluntary, but once they were made, they
were binding(Lev. 27; Num. 30; Deut.
23:21-23).
If the governor wouldn't accept cheap
offerings (Mal. 1:8), would a great king
accept cheap substitutes (v. 14)?

165. God is a great King and He deserves
the best we can bring Him.
What we promise, we must perform.

166. Why did the priests deliberately
disobeytheir own law, pollutethe
altar of the Lord, and encourage the
people to worship God in a cheap,
careless manner?

167. The priests and their families were fed
from the meat off the altar, and the
priests wanted to be sure they had
food on the table.

168. After all, the economy was bad, taxes
were high, and money was scarce,
and only the most devotedIsraelite
would bring a perfect animal to the
Lord.

169. Verse 14says, "But cursed be the
deceiver, which hath in his flock a
male, and voweth, and sacrificeth
unto the Lord a corrupt thing."
•Here is something else people do:
making vows to God and then not
following through on them.

170. We find it taught both in Leviticus and
Proverbs that God does not want us
telling Him something unless we mean
it.
•If you promiseto do something for
God, you had better go through with
itbecause God means business.

171. He doesn't ask you to make the vow --
it is voluntary--but if you make that
vow, be sure that you go through with
it.

172. There were people in Israel who were
making great protestations, saying,
"It looks like we're going to have a
bumper crop this year. I am going to
give the Lord not onlya tenth, but I'm
going to give some freewill offerings
to Him."

173. But then when the harvest came in
abundance, they decided they would
keep it for themselves.
•They decided they would not turn it
over to the Lord after all.
•Instead, they offered to God the
corrupt, the lame, and the sick.

174. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NKJV
16“
For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

175. Romans 3:23 NKJV
23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a
For the wages of sin is death,
•Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
•Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died
in this life to pay the penalty for our sins.
•The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second
death explained in Revelation 21:8.

176. Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8“
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and
all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns
with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.

177. Romans 5:8 NKJV
8
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7“
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will
be his God and he shall be My son.”
•Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus
as our Savior.

178. Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from
the dead, you will be saved.
10
For with the heart one
believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13
For “whoever calls on the name of the LORDshall be
saved.”

179. If you have questions or would like to know more,
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-
979-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/