Sermon Tone Analysis

*What’s Wrong With My Service?* by Tom Osborn \\ \\ Malachi 1:6-2:9 \\ \\ What’s Wrong With My Service? \\ Mal.

1:6-2:9 \\ \\ \\ Intro: Please turn with me to the Book of Malachi, chapter one.

This morning we’re continuing on in a series of messages from the book of Malachi which we’ve entitled, “Questions People Ask.” Malachi - unfortunately - is a book that’s easily overlooked, seldom preached from, and most people probably couldn’t tell you a whole lot about Malachi - who he was - what he said.

\\ \\ While your turning, let’s remember together - from two weeks ago - some of the background on this book and especially why we’re looking at Malachi.

As the Old Testament comes to a close, Malachi was the last of God’s prophecies given to His people for about 400 years.

After Malachi the prophetic voice from heaven ceases - there are no more revelations from God - until the coming of Jesus Christ.

Malachi - bridging this gap of silent years - at it’s core is a love letter from God - a letter of hope, encouragement - a letter in which God calls out to His people - calling them to return to Him. \\ \\ The reason for our series is that in the book of Malachi there are a series of questions that the people ask God.

These are questions that many people are asking today.

Probably, if some of these questions are not questions that you yourself are asking I encourage you to follow God’s answers because there is probably someone around you who is asking these questions and you’ll want to be ready to encourage them with God’s answers.

\\ \\ Two weeks ago we looked at the first of these questions: “How has God loved us?”

This morning brings us the second question.

Malachi 1:6 - God is speaking through Malachi: “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?” \\ \\ God is talking about the honor and respect that He deserves.

Respect and honor that He is not being given.

In response the priests ask, “How have we despised Your name?”

Put another way, “What’s wrong with our service?”

\\ \\ Living for God can become a ritual rather than a relationship!

When it is a ritual it is evidenced by a lack of genuine joy and an unwillingness to live sacrificially.

When it is truly a relationship we experience great joy - even in sacrificing - because sacrificing for those we love is a natural thing.

Israel’s second question to God had to do with their sacrifices and service before God.

It seemed that God wasn’t pleased with either their sacrifices or service and their question basically was, "What’s wrong with our service?"

\\ \\ They were giving sacrifices to the Lord, they were attending worship services at the Temple … so what was wrong?

It wasn’t just WHETHER they gave, it was WHAT they gave … sick diseased animals for sacrifices and ritualistic attendance at the Temple without a genuine joy or thanksgiving in their heart toward God!

They had lost their focus on the purpose of worship and the commitment of the covenant … image was all that counted to them, not substance!

They had lost their focus, and their question revealed how far their heart had strayed from real worship!

The 2nd question people often ask God is "What’s wrong with my service?"

Let’s look at this question in relation to our own relationship with God this morning and see if He has anything to be upset with us about.

But first, let’s, pray.

\\ \\ I. Dishonoring God’s CHARACTER.

1:6-14 \\ A. A LIFELESS Ritual.

1:6-10 \\ \\ Malachi 1:6-10 - "A son honors his father, and a servant his master.

If I am a father, where is the honor due me?

If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the Lord Almighty.

"It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.

"But you ask, ’How have we shown contempt for your name?’ 7"You place defiled food on my altar.

"But you ask, ’How have we defiled you?’ "By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible.

8When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong?

When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong?

Try offering them to your governor!

Would he be pleased with you?

Would he accept you?" says the Lord Almighty.

9"Now implore God to be gracious to us.

With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the Lord Almighty.

\\ 10"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar!

I am not pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.

\\ \\ 1.

As a vital relationship with God slipped into just a weekly commitment to keep at the temple the joy quickly disappeared from worship.

\\ a) Instead of looking forward to getting to the temple for worship they were looking forward to getting out of temple for home!

(ever sound familiar?)

\\ b) The ritualistic attendance had produced a very disgruntled kind of giving for sacrifice … instead of giving their best they gave their worst sacrifices and leftovers!

\\ 2. They had soon forgotten the special place they held in God’s heart, and without joy in who they were they held no honor for God in their hearts!

\\ a) They were reluctant worshippers!

\\ b) They were reluctant givers!

\\ 3.

In their new prosperity they resented what God wanted from them, He wanted their very best and not their leftovers … this is the irony of prosperity, we tend to give better when we have less than when we have more!

\\ 4. They had lost focus on God and got lost in self and the rituals of worship!

\\ 5.

They had taken much pride in calling themselves "God’s sons" yet did not honor God as a proper father!

\\ a) God said, "If I am a father, where is the honor due me?

If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" Mal.

1:6 \\ b) They were good at declaring it, but not good at showing it!

\\ 6. Sure, they still went through the motions, came to temple, brought a sacrifice, said the prayers, did the songs, etc. but their hearts were far from God. \\ a) This was evident by the joyless attendance \\ b) This was evident by the sickly sacrifices \\ c) This was evident by the lousy attitude \\ 7. AND YET … they dare ask God, "What’s wrong with our service?"

\\ 8. God asks them to consider giving the SAME quality sacrifices to their own governor and see how he likes it!

Mal.

1:8 - "Try offering them to your governor!

Would he be pleased with you?

Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty."

\\ 9.

The problem wasn’t a lack of service, it was the quality of service!

\\ 10.

How does this question relate to us today?

How have we defiled the altar of God? \\ a) The counterpart of all these sheep and oxen and pigeons and doves is found today in the words of the Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:1: “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.”

Offering our own lives to God - heart - soul - mind - and strength.

\\ b) While we examine the lives of the men and women of Malachi’s day - it’s appropriate for us to examine ourselves on precisely the same issues.

What is our motivation in worship?

What brings us here on Sunday mornings or keeps us away?

Is our focus in worship on God - or elsewhere?

\\ c) Too often we respond as the people of Malachi’s day responded - giving God less than the best.

We take God for granted - our sacrifice too lightly - offering only a part when He deserves the whole.

Going through the motions as a part of our tradition - our culture - our religion and practice as a people.

\\ d) Do you know people like this? Who’s worship is simply a matter of convenience?

Who go through the motions as a matter of obligation and routine?

Who go on with it because they’ve always done it that way and are bored with the whole process?

People who are indifferent to God? Who say, “We can wear what we want.

We can show up when we want - late - or not at all.

We can give what we want.

We can serve when we want.”

The whole focus becoming what works for us - what pleases us.

\\ \\ B. A FOOLISH Resistance.

1:11-14 \\ \\ Malachi 1:11-14 – “My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun.

In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Lord Almighty.

12"But you profane it by saying of the Lord’s table, ’It is defiled,’ and of its food, ’It is contemptible.’

13And you say, ’What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the Lord Almighty.

"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the Lord.

14"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.

For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.”

\\ \\ 1.

Their resistance to honor God would not prevent God from being honored in the world … God will still be honored by the nations in good time!

\\ a) Their resistance to worship God properly would be THEIR loss.

\\ b) They resisted the true nature of their giving perhaps by justifying that they were at least giving something!

\\ 2. They resisted giving God their best … but they did care about their image, so they did give, but they gave their garbage!

\\ a) It wasn’t that God wouldn’t accept a poor sacrifice … if indeed it came from someone who was genuinely poor, but this was not the case, they were wealthy and had been blessed, but they held the best for themselves while giving God the worst of what they had.

\\ b) God clearly identifies the problem in His comment here, "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord."

\\ c) Notice God calls such a person a "cheat" who can give better sacrifices but chooses not to thought pretending to do so.