Malachi 1:10-14

Transcript

GR 48
2/16/1975
Malachi 1:10-14
Gil Rugh

Malachi chapter 1 and I'd like to begin our reading with the 10th verse, the first chapter. %% 'Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might no 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. 'For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,' says the Lord of hosts. 'But you are profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.' You also say, 'My, how tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it,' says the Lord of hosts, 'and you bring what was taken by robbery , and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?' Says the Lord. But cursed by the swindler who has a male in his flock, and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, 'and My name is feared among the nations.'

We looked last week at verses down to verse 10 and made some comments about verse 10. The week before we had looked at something of the background of Malachi an introductory material. Malachi thrust is really at the matter of formal worship.
Really the book of Malachi comes out to be a strong condemnation as worship that is not offered according to the details that has laid out in His word. And basically and simply what God says, 'If you're not going to worship Me according to the instructions I have given, then you had better not worship Me at all.’
Because worship that is offered contrary to the instructions that He has given is an offense to God. He says, 'it a way of despising Him and thus bring about special judgment on those involved.

Verse 6, the first 5 verse being something of an introduction to the book talks about love for Jacob and Jacob here referring to Israel. He picks out Jacob because Jacob and Esau are twin brothers. Esau being the older, but God in His love selected Jacob. And thus Israel is the object of God’s love and that is demonstrated in God chasing Jacob over Esau.

Now that points the whole background for the whole rest of the book. We are dealing with a people that God loved, but God has manifested His love too. We noted that God can look and back and point to the people, historical manifestations of His love. His love has been manifested in concrete ways and our love as genuine will as well we’re not talking about some feeling. We’re talking about actions on behalf of other people. And God has acted on behalf of Israel in choosing Jacob.

In verse 6 in chapter 1, he picks up a section on the priests and that will go through chapter 2:9. The matter of the priesthood in Israel. It is the pattern of scripture as well as Malachi, old and New Testament, that God deals most harshly with the religious leaders. They are those who are to be responsible for leading people in the way that God has described. Now if they do not lead people in the way God has prescribed and people go the wrong way, the people are still not excused. They are guilty for their sins because they have the word in black and white and could read it for themselves. But the leaders there is special responsibility before God. And so a two-fold or two sided warning when we deal with religious leaders. One: that religious leaders need to be very careful that they are giving directions from the word of God. That is all that is satisfactory for god. Just because a man has a title or a position in the church does not mean that he can provide any kind of heresy that he chooses. He means that he is in a position to provide the leadership that God dictated in his word.

Secondly: it ought to be a warning to every individual to be careful of the religious leaders that you are following. Because they will the first to become degenerate in their religious systems and worship. And if you blindly follow your preacher or your domination or your church leaders of whatever kind, then you're in for trouble. Because when a prophecy comes it will begin with the leaders. It happened in the Old Testament. We’re warned about it in the New Testament and it's true today.

The most degenerate in the church are those who bear the title as pastor or monsignor or preacher or whatever you call them. And they are in the process of leading entire groups of people away from the word.

We ended with verse 10 and God has some strong things to
say. And it's going to get stronger. Some of you think I've been unkind in some of the things I said about other preachers in Lincoln. But I haven't said anything yet! Wait until you see what God has to say. It becomes rather difficult to imagine that it is this blunt. And that's one thing about prophetic writings and that's one reason it's so difficult to preach them. God is so blunt that sometimes we say, 'that would almost be vulgar.' It would except the Holy God has said it. And you get some idea of His attitude towards false religious leaders. You cannot express strongly enough, how repulsive they are to Him and how He despised them.

In those who follow in this worship, verse 10, ''Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not usefully kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you says the Lord of Hosts. Nor will I accept an offering from you.’’

We went over that last week it almost builds to this point and then He continues on, ''It would be better that there was someone in Israel that had the courage to close the gates so that no one could bring an offering again.'' God said I would've admired that in a person. Because he would be standing for My holiness. People today have the idea that worship will be acceptable just as long as a person is sincere. But verse 10 ought to lay that to rest. If you're sincere in your worship and not doing it God's way, it would be better if someone stepped in and prevented you from trying to offer that worship. God would rather have no worship, no offering at all than one that is not in accord with the directions He has given in the word.

We made reference to Isaiah chapter one last week and maybe you could turn back there as we read that--the background for what we're going to move into to. Because it is the contrast that becomes very helpful in verse 10-11. In Isaiah chapter 1 in page 956 if you're using your New American Standard bible. Isaiah, toward the middle of your bible. Isaiah chapter 1 verse 10, ''Hear the word of the Lord You rulers of Sodom; give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.'' And God is not talking to Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah had been destroyed thousands of years previously. He is talking to Jerusalem and as God looks at them in offering their worship, He sees a people that is just a degenerate as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was. So he ties this title to them. ''What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me? Says the Lord. I've had enough of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed cattle. And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath the calling of assemblies--I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate you new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them.

You note verse 14 because we're going to talk about the matter of being weary in worship a little later this morning.
And here God says, He's weary of them. And you're going to find out in Malachi, they're also weary of worshiping God.

So when you spread out your hands in prayer, i will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.'1 So this is the situation 400 years before Malachi wrote. Isaiah lived some 400 years before Malachi. And the situation is just as degenerate. After going into captivity, after losing their land, after seeing God restore them, give them back their city and their temple, they worship has cycled around and degenerated back to the same place it was 400 years previously. You note what God says, 'He doesn't want you praying to Him.’ I mean don't try to cover up the fact your not worshiping in the accord with the word by saying I pray a lot. God says, 'I'm not listening. So don't bother. Go watch television. I won't listen. If you're not worshiping Me in accord with My word, then don't multiply your prayers because I'm not listening.'

We noted last week that Jesus said in John 4, 'He that worships the father, must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. * And the truth is the word of God and Jesus Christ Himself is the truth, and no one will come apart from Him.

Alright back in Malachi chapter 1. We'll pick up with verse 11 which gives a contrast to what he has said in verse 10. God is not giving up, he not I'm done with it, it's over; I suffered a defeat. I cannot get a people who will worship me in purity according to My word. God's ultimate purpose is, will be accomplished inspire of the religious leaders. Inspire of the people who worshiping contrary to the word. Verse 11, For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,' says the Lord of Hosts. This verse refers to a future time. Some people have tried to take this verse and put it in the present tense and say in means, 'that worship wherever it’s offered is acceptable to God and people are pleasing to God.' I don't know how you can read the book of Malachi and come to a conclusion like that in verse 11. So if someone, your liberal pastor or friend tries to take you to Malachi 1:11 and say, ''See anybody's worship is acceptable under the sun,' ' you need to encourage them to read the book of Malachi in its entirety and then to determine the meaning of verse 11.

We're talking about a future time, the time that is oftened talked about in the prophets. The time we call the Millennium—when Jesus Christ shall personally rule on the earth, and then God will be worshiped in purity with offerings that are according to His directions and that are satisfactory to Him. And this will be a worldwide accomplishment.

Why don't we just look at a few verse on the Millennium this morning. I don't know what your background is, you may not be familiar with the Millennium and you may be. The word Millennium means, 'a thousand years.' We'll look at passages that tells us the duration in a moment. And basically the scriptures tells us that in a point time, Jesus Christ is going to return to earth and set up a kingdom on earth over which He will personally reign for a thousand years. And during this 1000 year reign there will be perfect judgment meted out and the peoples of the earth will be required to worship God in accord with His directions.

Look over in the book of Isaiah again, I should’ve just told you to keep a marker there. Isaiah chapter 2, And you'll note some confusion comes because people try to take a passage dealing with this future millennium and apply it to today. And Isaiah chapter 2 is one of them. ''The word of the Lord which Isaiah the son of Armoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Now it will come about that in the last days, The mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.’* A mountain in scripture is a symbol of a kingdom. Established as the chief of the mountain. In other words God’s kingdom ruling over all the kingdoms of the earth.

Verse 3, ''Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go to the mountain of the Lord. To the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.’ For the Law will go forth from Zion And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’’ Which will be the capitol of the world. ''And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not life up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.

We're talking about future time when Jesus Christ will personally rule on earth. And verse 4 has nothing to do about disarmament today, although sometimes it's quotes in such a context.

Chapter 9 of Isaiah. Isaiah 9 in first part of the chapter talks about the first coming of Christ. We'll pick up with verse 6. ''For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us,*' we're talking about Jesus Christ. ''The government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, ON the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forever more. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.'' So you see we're talking about Jesus Christ, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, ruling over a kingdom on the throne of David as the descendant of David over an eternal kingdom. And we noted that this is a 1000 year millennium. But the Millennium is the first stage in the eternal kingdom of God. And scriptures reveals that certain purposes of God are accomplished.

Look over in Isaiah 11, get some of these in Isaiah so it gets a little easier to follow along. Isaiah chapter 11, verse, we'll pick up with verse 4. The chapter begins with the descendants of Jesse, Jesus Christ again. 'But with righteousness He will judge the poor.' And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His kips He will slay the wicked. Also the righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about his waist. And the wolf will dwell with the lamb. And the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together. And the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child will play the hole of the cobra. And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt of destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.''

And again, a picture of conditions in this kingdom, where the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea. There will be no need for me to tell my neighbor about Jesus Christ. Because the world will saturated with the knowledge of Him during His kingdom and the curse will be lifted from the creation. We studied about this in Romans chapter 8, where the whole creation groans together, waiting for the adoptions of the sons of God, when we are placed openly as His sons and the curse is lifted from the creation and thus there will be no more enmity in the animal or between man and animal. Social conditions will be changed. There will be no more poverty, no more famine, and so. So perfect conditions.

There are a number of other passages, but we won't take time to turn to them all. Ezekiel 36 you can jot down. Jeremiah 31 talking about the millennial conditions. We're going to go back to Revelation chapter 20, though, because this is the only place in the bible that we're told that the duration as the first step of the kingdom is 1000 years. Revelation chapter 20, last book in the New Testament. ''And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his had. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.'' The mark of the beast is given out here in the seven years tribulation following the rapture of the church and preceding the millennium.

Verse 5, ''The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released for a short time.1'

We're talking about reigning of Christ on the earth and during this earthly kingdom, God will be worshipped in the purity that He demands.

Back of Malachi chapter 1. Malachi chapter 1 and when you get to Malachi chapter 1, I want you to look at just the closing verses of Zechariah 14, probably on the same page in most of your bibles. Malachi 1 and then the closing verses of Zechariah 14:16, Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.'' That is the families of Egypt of whatever-- the summation is given in verse 20, ''In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses,
''HOLY TO THE LORD.’’ And the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the bowls before the altar. And every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of Hosts; and all who sacrifice will borne take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day.''

So the purity of worship that will be accomplished. So in Malachi 1:11, when God talks about the heathen, he's going to be worshiped by all nations and worship in purity, he is making clear to Israel that his purposes will be accomplished in spite of their disobedience. In spite of the worship that they are worshiping now which is unacceptable. God’s plan will be accomplished. And here’s a reminder to them and a warning as well.

But in verse 12, then the contrast. Israel rather than building to that point in verse 11, that purity in worship and the kingdom, are just in conflict with it in verse 12. ''But you are profaning it,’’ My name. The antecedent here. In that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ ’’ So you're doing just the opposite. I have established as a goal a worldwide reign of My Son with purity of worship from all people. And Israel is to be the heart of this worship system, Christ reigning in Jerusalem. And yet right now, Israel is profaning the table--How? They are offering sacrifices that says the Lord. You note here, I think a connection of two things of very importance. First their attitude and then their worship. Their attitude, 'behold it is weary.’ This a job. And I am getting tired of this system of worship. They continue to go through the motions of sacrifices, but their attitude is all wrong. |To them it has become work and labor and undesirable toil to worship God the way He has said. It makes me weary to have to go to the temple and offer my sacrifices. He says, it’s really a bother to have to interrupt my day and pick out a good animal and take it over there and have it slaughtered to the Lord. I have other things to do. I don't like to take out o£ what I could use for something else and offer it to the Lord.' And their attitude is where the breakdown is. Because from this attitude then they begin to look for sacrifices that will costs them nothing. The Lord desires in having a worship system as all men are that's one thing found wherever there's a people that they have some kind of religious system. Some kind of worship system. But the Jews wanted theirs to be one that didn't cost them anything. But from the attitude of weariness they come to offering worship that is not in accord with the directions that God has given. Because what I'm weary of, what I am tired of I do halfheartedly. I do without any interest or any personal involvement. And they lost sight of the fact a person was never saved by the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. We're told in the New Testament that the blood of bulls and of goats could never take away sin. They we're never saved by what they did in the ritual in the temple. Salvation came as a result of faith in the God who had revealed Himself and they manifested their faith in this God by submission to His word in obedience to what He has said. They lost sight of that. They are weary but they go through the motions. They think God will accept them because they're bring an offering. That's good enough! I'm bring an offering! I'm worshiping Him. And God will accept me! Say's who? Well My God would accept anybody who would worship Him. Now isn't that the crust of the matter? No! The God of the bible will accept anyone who worships Him in accord with the direction He laid down for worship offered to Him. Israel had become weary and thus it affected their conduct.

You know it affect us, I'm afraid, today. You have many people sitting in church today who are weary. They get up and they wink they thought they ought to go. But they don't have any particular interest in it. They're more concerned about getting in and getting back out so they can get about the day than they are worshiping God. But their just sure in their heart that God's accepting them, because they made the effort today. I mean it's so wearisome, God really ought to accept me. You know it was that extra effort that did it. Now....God will accept me for sure. I mean it just that much extra effort. Who says He'll accept you? Who says that God accepts you because you made the effort to come to Indian Hills Community Church this morning? What sanctifies you about sitting in an uncomfortable bench for an hour. What's great about that? You think you ought to get a great reward because the alarm went off and you got up and trudged on over here? God says, 'No! No, it has to be in My way. Worship must be offered according to the directions that I have laid down in My word.’ It’s is wearisome.

You know as a believer, you and I, need to be very careful that this attitude of wearisome doesn't begin to set in on us.
It begins to sells itself in various way. You know pretty soon, you find it too much effort to do this. It's too much trouble to be involved here. It takes more effort to exercise my gift in a given area, than I care to expend right now. You know we find ourselves backing up and chasing ourselves and we use grace as to cover for it--that I'm free, but I'm not free in the sense of (?), I still have responsibility. And that attitude of weariness begins to settle in on us. And in manifest itself in our interest and in our activity. It manifest itself in the very fact that Indian Hills Community Church is packed on Sunday morning at 11:00 o'clock when Gil Rugh preaches, but very difficult to find people to do the mundane jobs that need to be done. And an indication that a very small percentage are function and it's wearisome to do it. If this attitude of weariness is settling over you, you need to catch it right there. You need to get apart and find out before the Lord, 'What is wrong? Why is worshiping this God such an activity of weariness? Why is serving Him in whatever capacity such a burden to me anymore? And Malachi is going catch on the readings in verse in a moment.

And you bring what was taken by robbery, or by violence—can refer to robbery. It could refer to the fact that they bring something that had been killed by a wild animal. In other words if a wild animal killed that sheep, I might as well offer it to the Lord. No good to me now anyway. But the law says—No! An animal that had died by violence was not acceptable as an offering. Why? Just because it's just another way of offering to the Lord that which costs me nothing! I want to offer Him as little as possible as at little expense to myself as it can be. What is lame and sick, they bring the offering. Why? What does it costs to offer a lame animal?

It's not much good for anything else anyway. No one is going to give you a decent price for it. So you offer it to the Lord.
And again, I’m afraid, that’s the way it is on our totem pole.
I want to give Him what costs me as little as possible. It shows itself in our finances. It shows itself in our time and various other areas as well. We want a costless religion. And sometimes equate this again with the matter of grace. We make grace mean no responsibility and therefore I can be a great scholar of the grace of god and have no responsibilities. We try to get buy offering God that which costs us nothing. And I think the analogy of th widows might in the New Testament, Jesus set this clear. It doesn't matter how much a person gives in the financial realm--it’s a matter of what they had to give in the first place. It's the same with my time and everything else. It's not that I spend more time at Indian Hills or more time serving the Lord some place for doing this or that--send someone else. It means how much time I have to give in the first place. We try to get buy with costless religion. God says, 'I don’t accept it!’ I won't accept. And we say, 'well take it or leave it.' Well you can have that attitude--that's fine. Just be sure you understand from the beginning God says He's leaving it and you know where that leaves you? That leaves you under condemnation from God. Because says it's a requirement. And He's the one who is sovereign, not man. He's the one who determines what is required--not man. For if a man chose what is not required, he's going to come under the judgment of God. Verse 14, this judgment is mentioned. ''But curses be the swindler who has a male in his flock, and vows it,
but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. there's a curse that God pronounces on a person that would function like this. He has a male in his flock. This animal was to be offered to God but low and behold he's a blemished animal and so I substitute it. I mean, really, what's the difference? They're going to kill that animal on a altar so what's the difference if it's blemished or it's perfect. But it makes a big deal of difference to me because if it's blemished it's not worth much. But if it is not, I can get a lot of money for it. So this way I can get my worship in and have my money too. God says, Cursed by that man.' And the whole picture is lost when a blemished animal is offered because God's requirement is perfection and that is what is being picture in the sacrificial system. That a perfect sacrifice is what God requires. A perfect animal never met these standards, but it was a picture of the standard that God had set down. And a pictures that was going to take a perfect sacrifice to take away my sins. A perfect sacrifice is being provided by God Himself as we'll note in a moment.

I think the last part in verse 14, gives the reason why worshiping God becomes weariness. We lose sight of who we are worshiping. ''For I am a great King, says the Lord of Hosts, 'and My Name is feared among the nations.' We lose the sight of the one whom we are worshiping. And we focus attention on the worship or the ritual itself. And that's what's going to happen in the study of the word in any system. We begin to
focus attention on what we are doing instead of who we are worshiping. I'm not studying the word so that I can accumulate a great array of facts and knowledge. But I am studying the word so that I can come to know Him and that's a very fine line and it is easy to get off the track. That the study of the word becomes the goal rather than the knowledge of Him. And studying the word to get facts so I can win theological debates, but I'm not really increasing in my knowledge of Him. And that was where the breakdown was. The religious people of the Old Testament and the New Testament: The Pharisees, the Sadducees could have put most of us to shame in their knowledge of the word of God, yet that hadn't come to know God at all. They had a collection of facts that accumulated from knowledge, but they didn't know Him who was the subject of the knowledge that they had. And many believers have an awareness of many facts of this book but their conduct and their attitude evidences that they know very little of the one who is the subject of the facts they're learning. The goal is always Him. He is the object is of my affections. Of my worship and as long as I have that before me then I am worshiping the king of Kings and Lord of Lords. The God who has created it all. The one who is perfect Holiness and that keeps it from becoming a weariness because I am amazed that I am able to worship Him. It becomes the greatest privilege to function in His presence. But then I lose sight of Him and then it becomes mundane. You need to be careful because anything you do on a regular basis could degenerate to the mundane, to the boring, to the wearisome.
You must be constantly checking the attitude. Checking your outlook. Checking where is your attention focused? And with whom are you occupied?

One sacrifice that is acceptable to God and that is per feetion--that's the breakdown. Israel wanted to get by with offering a sacrifice that is less than perfect. And that’s the situation you and I are in today. Men want to come by--by offering a sacrifice that is less than perfect. They want to offer their work, their ease, their doing and they are totally closed to the demand that God says I demand a perfect sacrifice.

You ask a man if he is on his way to heaven and if God has accept him. And he says, Yes! How do you know? So I do my best. And that is an offense to God because God says I demand perfection and yet here are multitude of millions of religious people saying, 'I'm offering to God my best!' And what are they offering? A blemished sacrifice that God says, 'I despise!’ Don’t continue to trample My court in worship with dummy sacrifices. You say well, here I’m doing my best. Look at all the religious things I have done. And there’s not one person in this auditorium who is perfect. There is not one person in this auditorium who has lived a day of perfection in his life. And yet we have the audacity to tell God that we are doing our best.

Look at Hebrews, as we close this morning. Hebrews toward the back of your New Testament and in the 10th chapter. Hebrews 10. All the sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed forward to the one sacrifice that God was going to offer that would be adequate and sufficient to take away sins. The perfect sacrifice without spot without blemish, without any flaw of any kind. God was going to offer this sacrifice to bear the sins of men. In chapter 10, I just picked out a few verses. Look at verse 10, ''By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, 'SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.11

Verse 14, ''For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.* 1 Look at verse 26, Those who reject the sacrifice that God had specified in His word. ''For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. '' In otherwords you had an opportunity; you've heard that Jesus Christ is the sacrifice of God. But you reject that sacrifice. What sacrifice is there that God will accept? Your works, your deeds, your religion? God says there is no sacrifice for sins if you turn from the one He has provided. ''But a certain terrifying expectation of judgment and the FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without dies on the mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of Grace? For we know Him who said, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.1' And again, ''THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.''

The situation has not changed from Malachi's day to ours. God will accept one sacrifice--the sacrifice He has specified-- that which is a sacrifice that is perfect; a sacrifice which is acceptable to Him. Now man has a choice to worship God according to the specification God has set down in His word or to worship Him in his own way. But God has says there is one worship that I will accept, 'that worship that is offered on the basis of the one sacrifice which is acceptable to Me--Jesus Christ! God could put in no clearer to us today than he put it to Jews in the Old Testament. I think Hebrews 10:26-31 says it simply enough that you can read it for yourself and it’s clear. There is one sacrifice I will accept. If you reject this one sacrifice, all the worship you offer will not change the fact that are moving toward a destiny of eternal condemnation and torment in hell and separation from God. Now that's the negative side.

We need to emphasize the positive side of God's love. He has provided the sacrifice. You know God could've been perfectly just to stand up there and required us perfection and then sentencing us to hell for not meeting that standard. But in love He has provided the sacrifice that you and I couldn't.
As hard as I try I couldn't meet the standard of perfection. Every moment every day of my life--I couldn't do it. So God did it for me in the person of His son Jesus Christ. Now God says, 'Do you want to worship Me? You want forgiveness of your sins? Then I have accomplished it for you in the person of My Son.
All you have to do is quit trusting yourself and your doing and trust Him. Take your faith out of yourself and put it in Him. Rely upon Him now instead of your church, your works, your baptism, whatever. Trust Him. Allow Him to be the sacrifice.
I have accepted Him and I will accept You in Him.

Closing reference in Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1, page 308. Talking about the Son, verse 19, ''For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.’1 This is the way God had chosen to reconcile things to Himself. If anything is going to be reconciled to God, is going to reconciled through His Son. ''And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- Much different in the destiny of those who respond in faith to the sacrifice that God’s provided than those who do not. Those who do not respond in faith to Him, their destiny: terrifying certain expectations of hell. For those who have responded in faith to Him, God is accomplishing His purpose in our lives so that we may be presented before Him, holy and blameless and beyond reproach that the Holy God who looks at me and say, 'I can find nothing wrong because He sees me through the righteousness of Jesus Christ and thus He says your perfect and thus he’s acceptable to me.

Where are you this morning? Every person in this

auditorium is in one of two groups. Your in a group we read about in Hebrews or the group we read about in Colossians.
You’re either here offering acceptable worship to God, or your here offering your own worship. Faith in Jesus Christ is the difference. Let's pray together.

Father we thank You again for Your word. That You have revealed Yourself to men. Lord that we have this revelation available to sit down, to read. Lord that we can understand it, so pray that this might be very clear before us this morning, that there is no salvation apart from your Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation is available at no cost to man because You've paid it all. Lord pray for anyone here that going about their own system of religion, their own way of worship--pray that they might see Your great love as manifested in Your Son. That they might respond in faith to Him, that they might receive forgiveness of sin. That they might receive that new life that you give to all those who believe in Him. Lord that they might be among that group that you are preparing. Lord present us in your presence Holy, blameless and beyond reproach. Father pray that our lives will be ordered according to the word. That our worship will always focus attention upon You. That our desire will be to know You better through the study of Your word. Through walking with You day by day in order that we might exalt You in our lives and all that we do. We pray in Jesus name.
Amen.