Malachi 1:1-10

Transcript

GR 47
2/9/1975
Malachi 1:1-10
Gil Rugh

We direct your attention to the book of Malachi. The book of Malachi. The last book in the Old Testament. I'd like to begin reading with the first verse as you follow along in your bible, Malachi chapter 1. ''Thee oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. 'I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say 'How have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob's brother?’ declares the Lord. 'Yet I have loved Jacob; but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.’ Though Edom says, 'We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the the ruins'; thus says the Lord of hosts, 'They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever.’ And your eyes will see this and you will say, 'The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!’ 'A don 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, 0 priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised They name?’

'' 'You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled Thee?’ In that you say, 'The table of the Lord is to be despised.’ ’’

'' 'But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it no evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?
Why not over it your governor? Would he be pleased with? Or would he receive you kindly?’ says the Lord of Hosts. *'

%' 'But now will not not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?’’ says the Lord of Hosts.’’

'' ’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.’ ’’

The book of Malachi in your bibles. We began our study of this book last week with basically a consideration and introduction and background material. And there was a chart in the bulletin last week on something of an historical survey of the books of the Old Testament and also a chronology of the prophets. And if your were not here and didn't get one, why there are some on the literature rack as you go out and pick that up and just look over it to help put the Old Testament books in their order, historically, chronologically. Then also the prophets, since we are dealing with one of the prophets, why you can see the order of the prophets and to whom they prophesize what was the basis of operation in the Northern Kingdom or the Southern kingdom.

Malachi is the last of the Old Testament prophets until John the Baptist. Malachi will speak the last word of God to the nation Israel for 400 years. And the next time a prophet appears in Israel it will be to announce the presence of a Messiah, and John the Baptist is that prophet, he himself being the last of the Old Testament prophets.

Malachi is writing some one hundred years approximately after the last writing prophet, Haggai, and Zechariah-- prophecize almost 100 years before Malachi prophecize. So some time has elasped and the theme of the book really is degenerate worship or formalism in worship. Because Israel had cycled back to their old ways. They had returned from captivity in 536 BC. They had seen the temple completed 20 years later in 516 BC.
Now approximately a 100 years later their zeal and enthusiasm has degenerated to a dead, cold formalism in worshiping God. So God’s last word to the nation Israel is one of condemnation and judgment for the condition of their worship.

We noted last week, it is a pertinent book for us because it speaks to the degenerate condition of all formalized worship today--that we should claim to be worshiping God, but in reality are offending Him.

We looked at the first verse last week, 'the oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.’ We noted that the word 'oracle' is really the word 'burden'. It makes something imposed on and inferior. A load imposed by a master on a slave or by a God on a subject. And this burden imposed on Malachi is God's word. It's a burden because it's a message of judgment. It's a message of condemnation. We spent some of our time last week talking about God's revelation of Himself. If God has spoken through a man, Malachi makes this little portion very important. It's not just a brief four chapters of a man writing what he thinks. But a man writing what God thinks and what God has to say about religious condition of the day.

We’re going to pick up with verse 2 this morning. And in verses 2-5 really form an introduction in a background of the
book basic to everything else that goes on. Then beginning with verse 6 and beginning into chapter 2 verse 9, you’ll find there will be a consideration of the priesthood in Israel.

As we pick up with verse 2, we pick up with a common way that Malachi is going to present his material. And that is with a question or controversy. Where God says one thing, Israel responds. And this happens 8 times in the book. And I just draw those to your attention now. The first being in verse 2, ''I have love you says the Lord. But you say, 'How have You loved us?''

In verse 6, ''A son honors his father, and a servant his master.’’ And so on and down to the verse, ''and if I am a master where is my respect,’’ says the Lord of Hosts to you, 0 priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Thy name?’ ’’ God says one thing and Israel responds with their question.

Verse 7, ''You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled you?’’ And then down into chapter 2:14, the fourth of these controversies. Verse 13, the end statement of verse 13, ''you no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 'Yet you say, 'For what reason?’ ’*

Verse 17, ''You have wearied the Lord with your words.
Yet you say, 'How have we wearied Him?’ *’ Chapter 3:7.
''Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts, 'But you say, 'How shall we return?’ ’’

Verse 8, ''Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me,
But you say, 'How have we robbed you?’ '• Verse 13, and this sums it up and you get the idea and that feeling just from what we've read, ''Your words have been arrogant against me,' says the Lord. 'Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against Thee?' '*

So you see something of the condition in the nation Israel that Malachi uses this form of controversy to introduce his material and bring to the fore the debate that God has with Israel. If God would say something and then man would have the audacity to question God. Prove it! Now we make that statement among ourselves, someone will say something to us and we'll say, 'Prove it!'

But when God says something his word is true. And yet here we have man saying to God, 'Prove it!' You see something of the arrogance that's present in this degenerate religious activity that is being carried on.

Alright picking up then back in chapter 1 verse 2. God begins on a positive note and a word of encouragement.
A prophecy of judgment and condemnation, yet God strikes out by saying to Israel--'I have loved you.' Now that is an encouraging way to start. Remember we are talking about the God who has revealed Himself, and the first thing He say is—'I have loved you!' says the Lord, but you say, 'How have you loved us.' Evidently, God has loved them but they have not responded to His love.
They have not appreciated the love that has been shown to them.

Turn back to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 10 .
Deuteronomy Is number 5 in the old testament books. Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, chapter 10. Just pick up something of how amazing this fact of God's love is. In Deuteronomy 10:14, ''Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.'' So this is the God we're talking about.

Verse 15, ''Yet on your fathers,’ ' addressing Israel, ''did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.'' So back in Moses day, some 1500 years before Christ, God's love was being declared and manifested to Israel. But here eleven hundred years later, 1100 years of being the recipient of the love of God, this nation has the audacity to respond to God's statement of God's love with a quest ion--'How have you loved us?' What has been the evidence of Your love?
And how do I know that you've loved me? And that says something about the spiritual condition of Israel if there was nothing else .

But God answers the question. God responds that there is a valid concrete historical demonstration of the love of God and He starts with a question, 'Was not Esau Jacob's brother,' declares the Lord, yet I have loved Jacob.'' So he goes back to Esau and Jacob.

Now just to refresh your memory. Abraham was the beginning of the nation Israel. We picked that up at the end of chapter 11 again and then into chapter 12. And Abraham had a son by his wife Sarah, his son being Isaac another son by Haggar, Ishmael. But Ishmael was not in the line of promise. Ishmael is from whom the Arabs have descended. There is conflict between the family, but I gave him the land of promise. So Abraham, Isaac, then Isaac had a wife, Rebecca. And Rebecca had twins, the twins being Jacob and Esau.

Now God could've gone back to Isaac to demonstrate His love. He could've gone back to Abraham to demonstrate his love. But He goes back to Jacob because He wants to show how He has chosen Israel. Someone might say, well Abraham, he was a special person. God chose him just because he was special. Issac, well he was unique he was Sarah's son. But what about Jacob and Esau? They both had the same mother. They both were twins and Esau was the oldest! Which meant that he should've received the promises given to Abraham, to Isaac and should've come down through Esau. But God was selective in His love and He chose Jacob. And that is a historical evidence concrete proof that God loved Jacob.

So God responds here in an interesting way to the question of His love. He points to an historical manifestation of His love by contrasting His dealings with Jacob and Esau.

'You want proof of my love, you want evidence of my love, well look!' Now I think it's interesting that God operates this way. Not only in the Old Testament but in the new testament.
As far as God is concerned, love is not some intangible feeling. You know, I love you. That means that I got that...squishy feeling, related to heartburn only different, down inside and that's love. Not with God! Now God is not up there saying,
'Well you know, I got this warm feeling within my spirit
being for Jacob, but there is historical concrete evidence and manifestation of love. The theme carries over into the New Testament where God declares his love and commence it variably with an historical or concrete manifestation of that love. So were not left questioning, 'Does God really love me?1 And there are number of verse we could quote: John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world,’ well it doesn’t stop there. God loved the world. Well how does the world know that God loved it? God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son.’’ So there was historical manifestation of the love of God.

I John 4, we’re told, here in His love, not that we love God, but that God loved us and sent His son to be the satisfaction for our sins.’ So again that love is manifested and there is an historical evidence of His love being shown.
This is the way that love was demonstrated. ''That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,’’ according to Romans 5:8.

So you want demonstrations! You want proof of God’s love, God does it with historical reality. He provided His son Jesus Christ. I take it that it is interesting here, if you just pause for a moment, about this matter of love. That God operates this way. That His love can always be demonstrated and proved. His love is subject to His examination. I take it that this is true of any love that is genuine. It is true of your love for God, my love for God. Your love for other believers, my love for other believers. If it is genuine it is subject to examination. We claim to love God but if there is no manifestation of that love in our practice then that love is not real. We claim to love one another as believers. But that love, if it's real, is subject to examination. It will manifest itself so that you and I as believers, if we are questioned: 'You say you love the brethren, how have you loved the brethren? What is the proof of that love?' I’m afraid many of us as as Christians would say would get in a huff and say, 'well what right do you have to question my love.’ When all we have to say is, 'well here is the evidence of it.’ The concrete manifestation of my love and it can be laid out for observation.

You know I think there is a danger that we think in a situation where we put much emphasis on knowledge. And we do that at Indian Hills as knowledge being essential. That’s why we’re studying the word this morning. We want to gain knowledge and understanding of what God has said. But the danger is--that knowledge becomes a goal in itself. And here we think because and we sit and soak that that is all there is. But you know what Paul said about knowledge, in I Corinthians 8:1,
''Knowledge puffs up--love edifies.’’ Peter wrote
warning in his second epistle and in the first chapter and said, 'You’d better be careful to be adding to your faith. Because if certain things aren't added to your faith, you'll be left unfruitful and barren in your knowledge.’’ And it's possible to have a knowledge which is barren and unfruitful. So the things which ought to be surrounding your knowledge, Peter concludes, with our brotherly kindness and love. There's a great danger that love is excluded because we pride ourselves in knowledge.

We got one well-known speaker preacher, goes about absorbing bible doctrine, I won't mention Bob (?) because I don't want to attack people from the pulpit. But his favorite expression is absorbing bible doctrine. You know that reminds me that downy paper-towel commercial--where you take the two paper towels and you dip them in water and you let them soak and the one that can soak the most and doesn't come apart--that's a good paper towel. And some Christians have that idea, if you can soak as much as possible and not come apart that's the goal. But what good is that soaking, sopping paper towel. What purpose does it serve? Well the goal and the demonstration has been proved. It soaked a lot. So what do you do--it's done! I think some Christians are like that. They think the more I can soak, 'Oh if I could only soak in their knowledge--great--what do we do with all these sopping wet Christians? What good are they? They are barren an unfruitful in their knowledge. And I say this to connect it back to Malachi and you may be a little far as he is, but you as a believer, I as a believer, need to be careful that we don't fall into this pattern. Knowledge is essential, but our knowledge ought to be webbed to love and it ought to be manifested. It's not enough to say, 'well imagine I have love and don't question it.' With that kind of attitude is an indication that you don't have love. But what we're basically saying is, 'I'm worried about me, period. The very
fact that you don't care what someone else thinks, indication that you don't have love. Because love is concern of the other person. And the other person has a concern as a doubt so love necessitates a response to that to at least give the other person a peace about it. So! If God provides the proof,
I take it, His love that faith produced in my life by the spirit, because the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5 will manifest itself. It's not something intangible. I love the brethren.

You know we as Christians have become extra-essential in this area, some of you young people study essentialism. When we make are love extra-essential that means that it is in the realm of my existence. there's no proof for it. Now we say I love the brethren, but we don't feel we have to manifest it. What we are really saying is that I have an extra-essential type of love, which is a non-existent love. The Bible talks about a concrete of real love. It manifest itself and so it's subject to proof. That's the type of love God has.

So back in Malachi chapter 1 verse 2. The proof of My love, 'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?...Yet I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.'' Now a verse like this can make you cringe. You say now that is a big help. That just causes me more theological problems. God's wants to prove His love so He causes me a theological hassle. So you would say, 'He hates Esau? Now how can the God of love, the God of Holiness and Righteousness maintain His integrity and stand up and say I loved Jacob and I hated Esau?' Well a couple of things here.

First remember, that we have to be bringing our conception
of God into conformity of the revelation God has given of Himself. Often we start off with the type of God we have and you'll hear us respond to this and say, 'Say well my God wouldn't hate anyone.' No but your God is just a figment of your imagination. The God who really is, who has revealed Himself. His word hated Esau. Now you say, 'I don't want to believe that about God.' Well that doesn't change reality. Now we try to use this a little bit. 'Well we say that means to love less.' Well that doesn't help much.' If I tell my wife I don't hate her, I just love her less than somebody else’s wife that hasn't really helped a lot. It really hasn't said anything that tried to make her youthifism. The word that's used here means ''to hate.'' It's the opposite of love and God has hated Esau and He has loved Jacob.

Now the amazing thing, having brought out in the passage in which flows through the word, we get caught up with that, ''I hated Esau,'' That's not the surprising thing in this passage.
Esau was a profane person. So there is every reason in the world for a Holy God to hate profane Esau. The amazing thing in this passage is that God has loved Jacob, the deceitful, planner Jacob. Jacob is no more lovable that Esau but God's loved Jacob. A man mandy-pandy mamma1s boy, Jacob. And you can read the account in Genesis. Mommy loved Jacob, Daddy loved Esau and ah, Jacob spent the time putting around the tent helping Mommy, and Esau spend the time out in the field hunting game. And when it all comes down to it, Jacob has deceived Esau and pull some tricks and some fast ones and on and on and on. They go hand in hand because the profane person Esau is willing to be tricked and induced. So it’s not amazing that God hates Esau. Esau is a sinner, deserving of the hatred of God.

And Jacob is a sinner deserving of the hatred of God but the amazing thing is that God has chosen to love Jacob. Now that's a manifestation that these two twin brothers, God had chosen Jacob to be a recipient of His love.

Now going on to verse 3 and 4. That the proof of this,
''but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation, and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.' Though Edom says, 'We have been beaten down, but we will return and build up the ruins'; thus says the Lord of hosts, 'They may build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the wicked territory, and the people toward whom the Lord is indignant forever.’ ’* The desolation of Edom's territory. Edom, later known as Iodmia, Herod, in the New Testament was an Idomeian, he is a descendant of Esau. He is an Edomite. And the territory of Idomia is the area we know now as the Negev in southern Palestine. It seems as though the prophecy has maintained true hasn't it. He had a desolate area. And just as God had said.

When the Babylonians had conquered Israel the Idomians, the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, joined with the Babylonians against Israel. But then about five years later a desert people called the Magacbians moved in a conquered the Edomites—a punishment from God for turning against Israel.


In Ezekiel chapter 35 gives some of the details and prophecy against this region. You can jot them down and read them at your leisure. But God's proof that they laid desolate and people say I'm going to build it. And the Edomites say they are going to rebuild and they're going to have new cities. God says it won't work because I'm against them. And they build it and I'll destroy it. And here we have a confrontation. God says no and they yes. and you look today? What do you see in Idomeia and the Edomite territory--desolation! And a prophecy of God has stand up proof. What do you see in Jacob's territory? People still there, there they are! And just as He promised and we'll have more to say about this a little later in this chapter. But that's proof of God's love. That He has abandoned Esau and stands in opposition to him. And yet he maintains to sustain Jacob. The goal in it all--why? Verse 5, ''And your eyes will see this and you will say, 'The Lord be magnified beyond the border of Israel!.' •' The goal of God is always His own glory. And he functioned with Jacob the way he is. He functioned with Esau with the way he is because God is glorifying Himself. He's totally selfish. And that's the explanation of it. He suited His purposes that He manifested His love toward Jacob and His hate toward Esau. But don't get confused. Don't say that's not fair. It would've been fair if God would've hated both Jacob and Esau. It's fair because God has provided a way for His love to be manifested toward Jacob while His justice is still satisfied. That's ultimately accomplished in Jesus Christ. So he's fair in dealing with Esau; and He's fair with dealing with Jacob. So as far as Jacob is concerned he had been the recipient of a love of God.

We have a break here in the prophecy. That would form an introduction that is necessary to understand the background.
That the people who are now to be condemned are those who are the especially recipients of the love of God. They are those who have been the special object of God's affection and attention. And we would expect that when God has been so narrow and so selective in His love out of all the peoples , all the nations down to all the families to all the people of the brothers and sisters, he chosen one—Jacobi That this people would be responding with a reciprocal love and affection and devotion to God. But now the condemnation.

He begins with the priests and that's the way it
is in our day today. The reason major denominations have gone the road away from the word of God, away from God, is because the seminaries has, but they're not the preachers that lead the people and people become like priests and thus they wander from God.

Verse 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, 0 priests who despise My name?' But you say, 'How have we despised Thy name?' '* A father gets honor from his son. He's not making a point here of giving a command, that's just a natural follow through. Sons are to respect their father and by and large do at least until they get a little older. And a little more uppetity. I have that to look forward to, I guess. A servant--his master. Naturally a servant honors his master.

Now if I am a father, God says, where is My honor?' And He is a
father, in exodus 4:22 God said Israel is ray first-born. So in
the analogy God is the father and Israel is the son, but where is the respect and where is the honor—from Israel the son. An obviously if He is God, He is the master, the Lord, the Sovereign, but where is His honor? Even though the breakdown of honor here, respects come from the questions that come. Now naturally we get pious and if you talk to religious people today, people that will be in church this morning, this kind of answer comes directed to the priests here, 'Where is my respects says the Lord of Host to you? 0 priests who despise My name.’
But you say, 'How have we despised Thy Name?’ I mean what a thing to say. You know they are going through the religious ritual, they're making sacrifices and offering, you know they're going through the whole routine, so 'How have we despised Thy name?' We're religious.

Verse 7, '' 'You are presenting defiled food, upon My altar. But you say, ~how have we defiled you? In that you say, 'The table of the Lord is to be despised.' '' Basic problem here is that the priests are no longer worshiping God in accord with the commandments God had given in His word. That is the determining factor whether God is being honored in worshiped or whether God is being despised in worship. He's going to command in a moment in this chapter, Paul's worship, worship that is not in accord with the directions that God has given in His word, is worse than no worship at all. God would rather have no worship than worship which is contrary to His word. Because that is an act of despising God. That God said to do it this way, but I 'rn going to do it this way--is to despise Him. So how have we despised your name? You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. You're not offering sacrifices in accord with the directions that I have given. And when you despise My altar, then you despise Me!

In verse 8, the type of sacrifices they're presenting, ''You present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil?'' Now how do you know is it evil? I mean, maybe that's just good economics. So you have a blind sheep, Oh, well offer him to God. I mean, God's not going to eat him. I mean it's just an act of adoration and worship, I'll offer Him the blind one or the lame one. Why take a good one? Well, the reason is God has directed it. Look over in Deuteronomy 15. Just a word in Deuteronomy, it's also found in Leviticus chapter 22, we won't turn there but go Deuteronomy 15. Now keep in mind that this is 1100 years before Malachi writes and it's down in black and white. Not in English but in Hebrew, but if you had been a Hebrew you would have read the Hebrew. And in Deuteronomy chapter 15 and verse 21, talking about the animals, the herds, the flocks, verse 19. Verse 21, ''But if it has any defect, such as lameness or blindness, or any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.'' There it is plain and simple. Now what are the priest doing in Malachi's day 1100 years later? They are offering the lame and the blind with defects. What are they doing? They are despising God.

Now you see the danger here. There's enough of the truth that sacrifices are being offered by priest who have been appointed by God. But the problem Is they are not in accord with the details of the word. The general all pattern which they find but the details are wrong. They are not like God said. For said, 'You despise me?' They say, 'We’re worshiping You. *

We will see a little bit later in our study that this is even work for them. And here they find out that all this work has only antagonized God. It had been better if they hadn't done it. Now at the end of verse 8, a simple question. ''Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with You?
Or would he receive you kindly?’ says the Lord of hosts.’’ Well just say you offer this sacrifice to the Persian governor of the day. How would he have reacted? What do you think he would’ve thought when somebody carried in this deformed sheep and that he have sacrificed to you, my offering for you. He wouldn't have taken it. He'd have been offended! And God says I'm offended, 'You've despised me.' You offer me what men won't accept.
Better you offer it to men and be rejected by them than you offer it to Me and be rejected by Me.

Verse 9, a little bit of irony and sarcasm here, I think. ''But now will you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us?’’ This is what the people are saying as Malachi is mocking them. Entreat God's favor that He may be gracious to us. This is the way they cry out, you know, 'Go to God on our behalf. Ask for His graciousness.' But nothing can change the fact that what they are doing is unacceptable to God. And there's nothing that Malachi can do with such an offering on your part will he receive any of you kindly says the Lord of Hosts. So if you went to the governor and entreated him, he wouldn't receive you. And now you come and retreat me, I won't receive you either. So it's not a matter that you go through worship in your own way, but you ask someone else to make it right. It's God to be done God's way—period! Or you're not accepted!

I want to close with verse 10, we will be picking up here next week. 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.’ •' That verse, I take it, is important. Because says, He wishes that there was someone there that had the courage to shut the temple down so that people wouldn't go on and antagonizing Him and despising Him with their worship. Now note that. Gods doesn't say well it's better to get a lame sacrifice than no sacrifice at all. He says that it is better that there be no sacrifices than people be carrying on worship that is contrary to the directions that I've given in my word.

This is the exact same thing that Isaiah says in beginning his prophecy in chapter 1. God cries out to Isaiah and says, 'Stop offering. Stop bringing those sacrifices to Me. I can't stand it. They're odious to me.' Why? Because He hasn't commanded sacrifices? Yes He has. Read the book of Leviticus. He commanded them, that He has demanded sacrifices in accord with His requirements. And if they're not going to do it that way, it's better that they not do it at all.

I take it the pattern is exactly the same today. People somehow have the idea that God is accepting any worship than man wants to offer. And He is the same God with the same specific requirements laid out in black and white in His word! Jesus said it very plainly and bluntly in John chapter 4 verse 24, ''...and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.’’ I take it the truth would refer to Jesus Christ, Himself, and would refer to the word of God. And if you're not worshipping God in accord with the word and in the direction of the Spirit, then you're not worshiping God at all--it's better not to worship. I take it that means, the average person sitting in a religious service this morning, Sunday morning, would be better off at home in bed that at church someplace following through a worship system in conflict with the word of God. Because they're despising God and God takes that personally. You say, well they don't know that it's despising God. So it’s down in black and white as it was in Malachi's day. All they have to do is read it! Well they say, they don't believe it. That's hardly God's fault. He doesn't change! Because here are the requirements for worshiping Me. No one comes to the father except through the Son. Yet the average person sitting in church this morning in Lincoln, Nebraska, doesn't even know the son Jesus Christ. And yet they're there worshiping God. No they're not. They are there despising God. They are there offending God. Well you say, 'that sound bigotry.' It's very bigotry, but I’m not saying it--God is. Because He says it has to be My way, that's all. My way, that's all! My way...that's all! You know that's part of sovereignty to be able to dictate to someone else and the sovereign God has said, no one is coming to Me accept through the Son. Anyone who would worship Me must worship Me in Spirit and in truth. Says the sovereign God and He has exercised His prerogative to say: 'that's it!' And anyone who worships contrary is in effect despising Him not worshiping Him.

You know we say this about other churches. But it's possible for you to come to Indian Hills Community Church and not worship God. The building is nothing sanctified or Holy. You can walk in one door and out the other and you won't be any more sanctified than if you wandered around the parking lot. It doesn't do a thing for you. Nothing! The difference is the change within you. Have you worshiped God this morning or have you despised Him? You say, 'How do I know for sure?' Well have you come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Have you seen yourself in light of the revelation he has given in the word? Because you are a sinner and unacceptable in his presence as you are. But He has provided cleansing and salvation in the person of His son Jesus Christ. If you’ll simply place your trust in Him, place your faith in Jesus Christ then God will cleanse you from your sins, bring you into a personal relationship with Him and worship can be desired and your worship and your adoration of Him.

I trust you have worshiped Him this morning. If not I trust that you'll come to know what it means to truly worship Him by placing your faith in His Son in your life. Let's pray together.

Father we thank You for your word. Father we thank you for the word that is authoritative and final. For a God who absolutely sovereign. Lord pray that we might see our position as created beings. Lord that in prime areas not lift ourselves up in rebellion against the word determined to follow our own pattern and our own (?) Lord pray that we might be willing to
submit ourselves to you as manifested in the giving of
your son. Lord even as some of what we've considered has sounded harsh and cruel. Pray that your great love might be seen, Love that provided salvation at the cost of Your son.
Pray that they might come to trust Him even now. Father pray for those who have, Lord that our hearts would be open before you. Lord it’s easy for us to degenerate to a cold formalism. Lord that even our worship becomes cold and meaningless. Lord in the pursuit of knowledge we lose sight of love. Lord we pray that we might be those who have the character of God being molded and formed in us, being manifested in all that we do. That we might be a knowledgeable people full of brotherly kindness and love.
That all those characteristics that are produced by the spirit as we submit to Him. So that our lives, individually and corporately as a church might be a testimony to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We pray in His name. Amen.