Expository Understanding of the Book of Malachi

Man, that's one of those songs, I don't know those songs as good as better, as good as other songs, but that's one of those songs you feel like you could do 10 rounds after that one, you know?

God, that's a good one. You'll have to forgive me today, my computer's acting like an idiot, and we called the tech guy, and he, it's kind of freaky, man, he remote controls my computer, and I knew there was a problem when

I saw the words looking like the old, you know, 1980s, what's it called?

DOS, yeah, that thing, I knew I was in trouble then, it didn't work, so I just rewrote a whole sermon this morning, and we're going to do an expository understanding of the book of Malachi, and it's kind of cool, and sorry, because I don't have my computer notes,

I have to use this stupid thing, because my eyes are going bad, but it's amazing how God worked that out, because Dr.

Asif and some of the other pastors that I've talked to asked me to speak on this, because I am so critical about this stupid prosperity gospel, let me explain to you,

I shouldn't use the word stupid, I should use heretical and satanic, because if you are hearing a pastor week after week, treating

God and His Holy Spirit like the stupid stock market, that is not the message of Jesus Christ.

The message of Jesus Christ is this, repent of your sins and follow

Jesus Christ. That is the entirety of God's word, in fact, you could put the term restoration or reconciliation on the front of your

Bible, and there you would understand the overall theme of what God is trying to do.

Now, here's the problem, here's the problem, it is a fact, and I know some of you ardent congregationalists hate this statement, but unfortunately for you, it is scriptural.

As the one who sits on the throne, so the land shall mourn and weep.

In other words, who you have as your king, that will affect everyone in the country.

When Judah or Israel had a godless, heathenous king, everyone suffered.

When they had a man of God who was trying, although they failed time and time again, like all of us, but they repented and kept trying, the land or the people prospered.

Well it's the same thing about churches today. In the word of God, it tells us, and we're gonna read some of it this morning, the word of God tells us that if you have a godless pig heathen as your pastor, don't expect the people of God to prosper.

Now, you people dragged the bottom of the barrel when you hired me 18 years ago.

This church couldn't afford anything else, so they got an old burned out, washed out redneck for a pastor, shame to you.

But I'll tell you this, even though I'm an old burnout, I will tell you this, I am only educated enough by the word of God that I don't know what else to preach but the word of God.

I don't know how to mix social justice and all this other garbage and prosperity gospel into the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'm gonna let you know something else, I'm scared to do it. You see, I actually believe in God, it's not some theoretical thing to me,

I believe God is a God of love and a God of grace, I've experienced that, but I also know this,

God is a God of justice and a God of wrath, and he does not suffer fools to preach inerrantly the word of the living

God. And so I'm gonna be honest, I'm a chicken. I am scared of God, and I'm not afraid to say that,

I have no shame in saying that. I love having that fear of the Lord, because what that fear does is what

I taught my five children, that fear brings about a level of respect.

We live in a culture and a society where the rule of law, where that which is absolute is now discounted because we don't want to submit to anything but our own feelings and sinful nature, and it's when a nation or a country or a people or a church discard the word of God, when you put aside the objectable facts of what

God said is a must, and you bring about your own feelings, your own thoughts, your own philosophies, or you follow the idiots of someone else's, that's when you, your family, your church, and your nation, your community start falling into disarray.

Well that's what Malachi is about. We're gonna be in the book of Malachi, and I'm gonna be honest with you, and hey brothers,

I'm gonna be honest with you, this is directed at pastors.

This is directed at leadership. But the implications are far -reaching, and you, if you are a believer, will get that as we read the text.

Now, there are no points in this sermon, as I said, I've just created an exegesis out of the four chapters, it's not, it's only four chapters.

So I am gonna go through, and I'm gonna give you the main vein of what is being discussed here.

Look with me, if you will, in Malachi, it's the last book of the Old Testament, not only in the canon in which you're holding, but also chronologically.

After Malachi wrote this book, this is a post -exilic book, sorry I'm getting too, this is a book, this was the last book that God spoke to his people.

And for 400 years after this, this is right before Alexander the Great came on the scene, and God was preparing the world through the one language of Greek and culture to receive

Jesus Christ, to receive the New Covenant, is what we call the New Testament. For 400 years,

God was silent. To put that in perspective, our country's only 200 and, man, y 'all really did civic class well, didn't you?

The Old Testament is only 250, 260 years old. And so for 400 years, the word of God was silent as far as new revelation.

The Old Testament, people say, well they didn't have the word of God, yes they did, they had it in Hebrew, and then a few years after this,

Alexander the Great actually had the Old Testament translated into Greek, and it was spread out throughout the world as well.

So the word of God in the Old Testament was propagated to all peoples. But as Malachi is writing, that last swing of God's word in that Old Testament was directed at the leadership of God's people.

And look in verse 1 -6, there's some rhetorical questions being asked, and it's asking,

Malachi is asking, why are you people not serving God?

God asks, if you look at verse 6, God says this, A son honors his father, and a servant his master.

If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear, says the

Lord of Hosts to you, O priests who despise my name.

But you say, how have we despised your name? Verse 7, read, by offering polluted food upon my altar.

But you say, how have we polluted you? By saying that the Lord's table may be despised.

When you offer blind animals and sacrifices, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame and sick, is that not evil?

Present that to your governor. Will he accept you or show you favor, says the

Lord of Hosts? Now once again, this is rhetorical, Farley. This is totally rhetorical in its context.

But here is what is being said. Here's what was happening. Now I know this is going to be hard for some of you to believe, okay?

So stay with me on this one. The priests that were serving God were in it for the money.

I know, isn't it crazy? It was amazing, man. They wanted to look dripping and pimping up in their little priestly garbs.

If even if they had a congregation of 20 people, they got to have the Bentley, you know? They got to have them $1 ,200 suits when they up there going, somebody stole my

Honda. They could look really regal and powerful. They wanted to understand the mysteries, yet not teach it to anybody else, lest they become intelligent in the word of God, and then sit there and question their own authority.

They wanted to keep the people ignorant. And so they only taught that which they felt was right.

Now here's what they were doing. Here's what they were doing. The priests, they would demand of you, if you bring an offering to the temple, it's got to be without blemish.

You got to bring the best. But here's what the priests would do. He would go down to the local glue factory and find the most ugly, busted, hoofed, blind, good -for -nothing animal, and then he would buy that for a couple of dollars.

Okay, some of y 'all, I forget we got nutbush folk in here. So in other words, he'd say, you got to bring the

Cadillac, but I'm going to bring the hooptie, right? And so the priests would get this blind, stupid sheep or whatever to bring, and he would go, see, there's my offering.

And the animal's like... And God's like, what are you doing, man? Why are you polluting the

Lord's table? Now, some of you folks in here will go, but I ain't got much to offer. If you offer the best of what you got, you ain't going to be in this position.

Say, oh, well, I can't do this, I'm busy. Or, do me a favor,

Whitten. For as long as this church endures, the next time somebody asks you to do something and you say, let me pray about it,

I hope that you get nauseous enough at your codependent little wuss answer that you actually become convicted.

Look, the answer is, James says, let your yes be yes and your no be no. You ain't got to pray for it.

God's already been asking for 6 ,000 years for you to serve the house of God. What you got to pray for?

Right? Oh, but pastor, I come to church every Sunday. What are you serving other than yourself?

Have you sacrificed, as the word of God says, have you served up until you bleed?

That's the standard. Bleed. In other words, you have given so much, it affects you physically.

God, Christian, please, please, please. How are you doing today?

I'm tired. From what? From what?

You're 27 years old. You ain't married, so I have no understanding of why you're tired.

Okay? You ain't got no squeezers. You ain't got a three -year -old running.

What are you tired of? Here's what you're tired of. You've spent so much time in your personal private reflection time doing this that you stay up too late and then actually have to get up like grown adults and go to a job the next morning.

And instead of sacrificing and serving something greater than yourself, you're feeding yourself like off a

Chinese buffet until you a fat pig. Men, when you come home from work, you are not off work.

You're actually beginning to work. You see, your job is a paycheck. When you spend time with your wife and your children, and yes, those annoying why, why, why, why, why.

Because no matter what answer you give, there's always a why after it. I remember Carrie Stanley told me this one time.

She said, when my boys were young, every time they would ask a question, I made it a point to answer them.

Now, she's blonde. You know she didn't understand half the questions they were asking.

But she answered them. You know why? It took time, it took effort, and it took sacrifice.

You see, there's no more respect no more. There's no more honor anymore. I look at men today and they have no idea.

That's the word of God is saying right here. God's saying, where's my respect? Where's my honor? It's you don't have it for yourself so you have nothing to give

God. Honor, men. And yes, I'm sorry you sexist feminists.

There is a difference between the honor of a man and the honor of a lady. There just is.

And if you don't believe that, you probably have a marshmallow son as an offspring. Listen to me.

There is a way that you are to honor God. And it's by giving everything until you die.

I remember teaching my sons, when I tell you to do something, I either want to see it accomplished or your dead body.

That's the only two results. You come to me and say, well, I can't find this or I don't know how to do that.

I don't care. Find it, steal it, make it, I don't care. Get the job done.

Christian, that is what God is saying here. You have no excuse.

Your excuses are irrelevant. Serve God until the day you die. Now watch this.

Watch this. Verse chapter one, verse 10. God is slamming the priest and say, none of you are actually doing anything.

And verse 10, look what it says. How many? Oh, that there were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle the fire on my altar in vain.

Just one. Amen. We have a church on every corner, especially in the

South. We're gonna reach a time where the voice of God's true prophets will be silent.

This verse will come to fruition in this country. Guys, and I don't say this for shock value.

I want you to think for a second. You sit there and rely on the U .S. Constitution and say, oh, religion will always be free.

We live in a day and time where they're arresting people for saying that homosexuality is a sin.

Be it known from Wynton Baptist Church and the power and the authority of God's word, homosexuality is a sin.

But so is your failure to serve. Yeah, you see,

I got you. Down with the facts. Hate them queers.

But I'll live in my hypocritical life all day long. Remember, remember this, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Let us look to our own house first. Let us look to the own log in our own eye before we try to remove the speck in another.

Not one pastor, not one was doing what God told them to do.

Look at this. How many of y 'all ever felt this? Verse 13, chapter one, verse 13.

It says this, but you say what a weariness this is, and you snort at it, says the

Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as an offering.

We good? Do you need medical? Okay. Listen, it's an old woman in a wheelchair, focus.

Listen, there comes a point in every Christian's life where it just gets old, doesn't it?

I'm sorry, there was no response on that one. So I'm sure I'm talking to folks at Bellevue, but I'm gonna be honest with me.

There are days I don't feel like a Christian. On a

Saturday afternoon driving on Germantown Road, you will not feel like a Christian, right?

What you will feel is the absolute need to find an ax handle and go upside somebody's head in a vicarious, military proficient manner.

That's what you will feel like, okay? But I ain't gonna just say that.

I don't even have to have a stimulus either negative or positive. There are some days, I'm gonna be honest with you,

I just don't care. I know this sounds horrible. There are some days

I feel the Holy Spirit going, hey pastor, you don't get in the Word of God today? Yeah.

Lord, please forgive me as I go to sleep at night for not getting in the Word. Maybe y 'all wanna fire me, but I'm just being real.

Some days I have those days. Did any of y 'all? Okay, good. I mean, I thought

I was like going to hell up here, you know? I have them days, man. And you know, if I leave those days without any intentional, purposeful effort on my part to submit myself to the authority of God and obey

His will, those days will turn into weeks, those weeks into months, those months into years, and you'll be sitting there at 40 years old going, why doesn't

God talk to me? Or here's my favorite Baptist, I feel like me and God are this far apart.

Or my prayers don't get further than the ceiling. Or some other colloquialism that you've put up to simply try to remove the stigma of realizing that you're living in sin and failing to repent to the

Word of God. What's wrong? Maybe I need a different Bible study. Oh, if the music was like this, then

I'd get that feeling. Oh, and if that feeling's there, that'll motivate me. You know what would motivate you?

You pray and submit to the Holy Spirit of God and say, convict me every moment, bring me to my knees in my rebellion.

You wanna pray that prayer? I'm telling you, it's a scary thing to pray. It's a scary thing to pray if you really believe.

But I'm telling you, man, you let God set an alarm clock on your life, man, that sucker goes off with a seriousness.

And that conviction will, once again, it's like my wife trying to talk to me about something.

It's just like, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, and it just gets louder. And it doesn't be quiet.

And it just keeps going on and on. You know why? Because God is immutable. But here's another thing that it brings, peace.

How does it bring peace? Because I know He has heard my prayer and I know I belong to Him. Because God does not invest in those whom

He does not love. Man, there's a peace there. Look what else Malachi does, or what he's talking about.

Look here in verse 13 and 14. I know I just read 13, but let me read it again in width 14.

But you say, what is a weariness this is? You snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and you bring this as an offering.

Shall I accept this from your hands, says the Lord? Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the

Lord what is blemished. For I am a great king, says the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.

People in this country that call themselves Christians have more respect for the

IRS and the government than they do the king of the universe. They fear the law more than they fear the righteous of God.

You actually serve that which is temporal and ignore that which is internal? God said this,

Jesus said, be more fearful of he that can destroy both body and soul in hell rather than that can just hurt the body.

Your priorities are jacked up, which means probably your life is jacked up. And you keep trying in your vain philosophy and your understanding and your belief system and nothing changes.

You know why? Because it's not about you. The Creator who created you knows what's best for you.

Here's your job, submits. Obey. Well, pastor, we all sin.

Your justification by including everyone else in your nightmare of a life is not a solution.

It's not a solution. Guys, submit yourselves therefore to God and He will lift you up.

James chapter four. Look what else here. This will make me sick.

And I've been these losers. I've been this pastor. I have been this loser of a guy.

Me, I've been there. And it's a miserable place to be. And now,

O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the

Lord of hosts. Notice it doesn't say baby Jesus in a manger. Notice it doesn't say Birkenstock sandal -wearing hippie

Jesus. It says Jehovah Nisi. It says the Lord of hosts.

Then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings.

Indeed, I have already cursed them. By the way, I'm warning you, but you already jacked.

Watch this. Because you do not lay it to your heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, daddies, fathers, and spread dung on your faces.

Well, that's not very nice, baby Jesus. To put poop on your face.

And dung of your offerings and you shall be taken away with it.

Man, where's that dope -smoking Jesus, man? You know? I mean, usually when

I hear most pastors, God's just this tolerant person. Just, yeah, man, it's cool.

I'm God, but you do what you wanna do. I'll do what I wanna do. We'll just meet in the middle. Big cloud.

Hmm. That's not what the Scripture says. That's not what the word of God says.

And there are people right now being fed this putrefied garbage from religious philosophy and they are causing people to go to hell.

God, I mean, that, I, listen, if any of you in this room are not a

Christian, the stupid Baptist church, the fat, bald pastor cannot save you.

You need to repent and trust in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ for your sins or you are going to hell.

I feel better now. Guys, it's a scary thing to be up here, okay?

You ever have a pastor or a preacher or anybody else who says, man, the weight of the gospel of Christ is just but a feather on my conscience?

You need to go ahead and show them somewhere else. There are days where I wanna puke getting up here.

God, man, it's scary. God tells us in Ezekiel, the blood of those whom you did not warn, if they die in their sin,

I will hold you responsible for their blood. I don't wanna get there.

And God look at me and go, son, you fitting to have a really bad day. I don't want that.

I thank God for my daddy issues because I wanna hear well done now, good and faithful servant boy, go get them.

I wanna hear that. Guys, we're gonna come to a point where pastors and ministers of the gospel are preaching that which will tickle the ears of the people, make them feel comfortable to fill the pews, to fill the coffers so they can have a $1 ,200 suit.

Don't need it, man. I don't mean, I got Charlie's Meat Market. I'm good to go. It's all

I need, man. I got a hunting rifle. I got a place to hunt. I got a woman who can make sandwiches.

My kids are grown and out of the house. Thank you, Jesus. I'm good to go. Good to go, man.

Guys, come to a place where you realize that there is consequences for actions, unless you repent.

Here's the cool thing about repentance. If you repent, if you repent, God is always ready to forgive.

Always, always. Couple of things and then we're done. Watch this.

Chapter two, verses 17 through 19. Watch this. Have you ever said to your kids,

I am sick and tired? Verse 17, you have wearied the Lord with your words.

But you say, how have we wearied Him? By saying, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the

Lord, and He delights them. Or by asking, where is God of justice?

Lord, my goodness. I am so sick and tired of you 20 -something -year -old, and it's always females.

20 -something -year -old, college -graduated female who is a social justice warrior.

You are nothing but a self -serving, trying to build your own reputation for the laws and applaud of people that you claim to represent.

I remember some chick came in here and asked me, she goes, how are you feeding the homeless?

I go, I tell you what, are you working with the homeless? Yeah, and that's what I asked her. What's their names? What's their names?

Yeah, that's what I heard. Yeah, we know the names, because they come up here every week, and we give them food.

You see, the arrogance and the hypocrisy of peoples who want other people to feel and think like them, to feel good about themselves, is not the goal of serving

God. Serving God is about glorifying Him, not glorifying yourself.

I'm a fat old bald man. That's all I am. I'm centered just like you. I can't bring glory to myself.

Look at me. I mean, seriously, look at me. People always ask, what's that X on the back of your head?

I wear a CPAP, why? I'm too fat, I snore too much. I stop breathing. Guys, I'm 55 years old.

I have to have a plastic thing with lights to read my Bible, thank you, Bill. Right?

I'm a high school dropout. I'm an idiot, okay? And that's not just self -deprecation.

Those are facts. Reality is, man, I know where I am in the pecking order of heaven, and I ain't worried about it.

I just wanna hear, good job, son. Atta boy. I just, do you understand what

I'm saying? Guys, mm, mm, mm, mm, honey, let's just finish up here.

Now watch this, watch this. Those who want justice yet justify sin.

Can we talk about that for a second? Can we? Here's what I hear. Don't get all up in my business.

It's none of your business what I've had five kids at a wedlock. They didn't take no, don't judge not unless you be judged.

Kids running everywhere and locked up by cops every other day. I want justice.

Oh, you getting it, baby. You're getting justice. You're sitting there ignoring the commandments of God to train up your child in the way of righteousness by being admonished by the word of God, and then you dare blame others for your own failures and blame the systems or police or schools.

Everybody else is at fault except you. You godless, arrogant, heathen.

Repent. Stop blaming everybody else. And please don't start with your war stories.

Start with the story of Christ. I'll tell you what, I'll make you a deal. If your life tragedy can match 39 lashes ripping the flesh off of your back, and here's where someone said, what about slavery?

You ain't never been a slave, nor do you know anybody. So shut up. But not only that, walking and carrying your cross to Golgotha, having nine inch stale spikes driven into your flesh, being crucified, here's the big part, and having no sin and being innocent.

If you can measure up to that, I will sit down and let you come on up here. Other than that, repent.

That's your only two options. Repent, or keep carrying your vain philosophy of self -grandizing and arrogant, narcissistic behavior all the way to the grave, and then you're gonna bypass straight to hell.

And here's the fun part. Your children and everybody in your sphere of influence, you'll be held accountable for their same destination.

Is Malachi getting through yet? Malachi getting through yet? It's not a sermon, guys.

It's a warning from God's Word. Now watch this, last thing. I know, that's the last thing a minute ago, but just listen.

Chapter three, starting in verse six, going to verse 12. I bet every one of you, if you've turned on the

TV or the internet, you've heard some preacher say this. Now watch this. For I, the

Lord, do not change. Therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

For the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them.

Now listen, that's the indictment, but notice the grace of God. I don't change.

The same promise of repentance I gave you 32 years ago, and you're not feeling it.

You feel like you've outstretched the grace of God, that there's no hope for you. God is faithful even when you're faithless.

God's call to repentance and grace is as strong as today is the day you got saved.

Okay? But now watch. Return to me and I will return to you.

Have you ever had an argument with your wife? That's a silly, stupid question.

Let's start over. Have you ever been in an argument with someone and you're waiting for them to blink?

You know, Rod, I'm sure you and Naisha have never had this, but like, you know, in some married couples, you'll wait for the other person to kind of go,

I'm sorry. And then you'll give some grace. Or some of us sit there and go,

I'm sorry. Ooh, point of weakness, let me attack it again. Well, I've done that. Maybe y 'all haven't, but I have.

You say, well, that's not shouldn't be. Well, that's the way God is in this particular case. You know what

God's waiting for you? He's not waiting for you to fall asleep praying, asking for forgiveness. It says here, watch right here, return to me.

Here's why so many people do not have the power of the Holy Spirit in their life.

Because you're waiting for a feeling rather than a commitment to your submission.

See, it's an action. It's a lifestyle. It's not a feeling.

Oh, I feel that no one cares about your feelings. No one cares about your feelings. But Jesus does.

No, He's caring about your actions. Then He'll care about your feelings. See, well,

I'm a Christian. I don't do nothing, but I'm a

Christian. Faith without works is, let me say that to us all again, shall we?

Faith without works is, you've been a Christian 20 years, you ain't done nothing? Hmm.

Things that make you go, some of you, most of you all are too young. But anyways, watch this.

Watch. How shall we return? Now listen, they ask, how shall we return?

This is God's answer. This isn't from the charismatic church. This is from the

Word of God. Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me.

But you say, how have we robbed you, God? I'm gonna be honest with you.

Read it with me, just so I won't feel all, you know, Benny Hinn up here. Watch this. In your tithes and contributions.

You know, God, I was gonna, you know, walk down to the local mosque, kick the door open and say, Jesus, you know, you bring up tithes and contributions?

Oh man, we gotta talk about money? I mean, seriously?

This is usually when I start feeling sick to my stomach. Because the first church I ever went to that had a big banner that said, building for a new day.

It was one of those churches. You know what I'm saying? Yes, Lord?

Oh, Mike Burkett, obviously, PA system. All right, let's just do this together, seriously.

In your tithes and contributions, you are cursed with a cursed, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and thereby put me to the test, says the

Lord. If I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down a blessing until there is no more need,

I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soul.

And your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the

Lord of hosts. It's not all about money.

I mean, guess what? It's sometimes about money. How is that possible?

I mean, God, really? You want my wallet? I mean, here's...

Man, what you got to steal my thunder for? That's exactly what it's about. Pat, where's brother

Jeremiah? Stand up. Stand up, boy. Say what you said to me up there, because I already forgot.

Y 'all listen. It is more than just finances, but it's not anything less than finances.

Here's the deal. Here's the deal. Here's what he's saying. And here's what I believe the word of God is saying. If you can't be faithful with your money and putting it first to God, don't expect to be faithful with a sexual temptation.

Don't be expected to be faithful to actually speak the word of God. And let me talk to you introverts for a second.

I got some bad news for you. Go ye therefore, didn't have a parenthetical expression except you introverts.

Okay? I know a lady who told me once, well, I can't speak to anybody about Jesus, so I give money to those who do.

You're going to the lowest common denominator. You're trying to assuage the command of God by throwing money at somebody else.

That is not how it works. Do you know the number one person in here?

The number, well, three. There are three people in here who almost have a pass.

The pastors. You know what our job is? Our job is to encourage, bandage you, and teach you so you can go out.

But it's amazing in churches today, we're the ones going out and everybody else is going, we're going to support you, we're going to pray for you, go on with it.

That ain't how the Bible works, man. That ain't how Scripture works. How do

I finish this sermon up? I'm going to say it like this. Chapter four, verse one, verses one through six.

I got to get my thing. For behold, the day of the Lord is coming, burning like an oven, when all of the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.

That day is coming shall set them ablaze. I don't believe in hell. Okay. Set them ablaze, say the

Lord of hosts, that it will not leave them neither root or branch. But for you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.

You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall and you will tread down the wicked for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when

I act, says the Lord of hosts. Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statues and the rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all

Israel. For behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before that great and awesome day of the

Lord comes and he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers lest I come and strike the land with a decree of uttering destruction.

Well, pastor, that sounds good, but I have a membership letter here at Witten Baptist Church and I've been a member here for 20 years.

I don't remember seeing any of that in there. What I see is sacrifice.

Let me close by saying this. Nowhere in the New Testament does it tell you to tithe.

It doesn't say tithe anywhere, yet churches still preach tithing. Guys, tithing is like Ava.

Tithing is like Naomi with coloring crayons. It's the bare minimum of what you would consider art.

And you only have to be a mama to consider that art. You see, tithing is the infantile elementary principle that gets you to understand the command of God to give it all.

See, remember what Jesus said? If you kill someone in the old law, you're a murderer.

But now I tell you this. If you hate someone, you have already committed murder.

You see, with the grace and the blessing of the revealing of Jesus Christ comes added responsibility.

Who was that great, great philosopher that said, with great power comes great responsibility?

Spider -Man movie one. You want to live in the infantile understanding of what you are to be a

Christian, you sit there and say, I tithe. Tithing is not good enough, guys.

Have you bled? Someone said you can't squeeze blood from a turnip. Give your life over to God and you'll see how big of a turnip you are because He'll squeeze you dry, fill you back up bigger than you were, and then squeeze you again and again and milk you like the tool that you're supposed to be to give glory and honor to God Almighty.

But most of you that sit in this room, according to our statistics, you give sometimes when you feel like it, when it's convenient.

Guys, that, I'm sorry. I wish it was someone else up here preaching this, but I'm here to tell you, that's just not good enough.

You give according to how God has given to you. Right? Some of you people in here, you make minimum wage, which is what nowadays?

Oh, the hippies didn't get to 15? Praise God, praise

God. If you need $15 to flip a hamburger at McDonald's, you are an idiot. Go get a job, man.

Learn how to weld. You know, I'm sorry. Yeah, be a civil servant.

Them people are raking it in, baby. Bunch of sucking off the society of...

Guys, give as God has blessed you. I don't know, I don't want to know.

It ain't none of my business. This is between you and God. I'm just here warning you, don't try to rob

God. And it's not just about money. Where are you in your service?

Poor Miss Carol. Miss Carol is back here. When's the last time you were in worship service,

Carol? I know, baby, but Miss Carol's in charge of our babies.

The little ones. She's been in charge of babies for 30 years? No? Way more?

God, you wonder. She's only 31 years old. Look at her hair. Right?

We got mamas in here who don't ever put a Sunday in the nursery. So everybody else gonna help take care of your kids and you ain't gonna help?

That ain't right. That ain't right. Are you really that big of a lazy bum and don't care about the caring of your children and everybody else?

You think you can skip out while everybody else is working? Have you lost your mind, crackhead? Go to work.

Oh, well, pastor, I can't because I get anxiety. Man, take an Adderall, get your butt in there and go to work.

Stop coming up with excuses and start coming up with solutions. Well, pastor,

God hasn't given me, God hasn't given me the gift of childcare. Then why did he give you kids?

Come on, man. How many of you men in here? I can't do childcare.

Yes, you can. Now, I'll be honest with you. I don't change girl diapers. Don't. There's just too much.

I can't. Can't do it. Can't do it. But I'll find a chick who can. Great birth control, guys.

Trust me. Give yourself a couple of kids, borrow them from somebody else. Man, you will never date again in your life.

You will draw a monistic order and you will be celibate the rest of your life. God, they're so stupid, kids.

Guys, there is no reason. But here's the cool thing. Nursery is one of about 20 something ministries we got.

We got MMA ministry. Pastor, I don't want to fight. Go hold pads for someone who does.

Right? I mean, pastor, I don't know how to witness. Are you saved?

Yes, then you know how to witness. How did God save you? Tell that to somebody else. It worked for Peter, Paul.

Might work for you. I don't know. Pastor, I can't teach. Yes, you can.

You're being lazy. If you've been in this church more than 10 years, you should be thoroughly understanding of systematic theology because it's been taught here for 18 years.

You ain't got nothing but excuses. I know some of y 'all are like bored and you're like, you're supposed to be winding this down.

No, man, we're supposed to be winding up. That's what we're here to do. Now, I just got finished preaching.

Now, in your brain, this is the time for you to start gathering your stuff together because why the freak out holy, holy people come up here, you're looking for the door.

Let me ask you something, Christian. Oh, this chaps my butt. Let me ask you something. You people who claim to be members of this church and the brother and sister in Christ of other people up here crying and in need of prayer and encouragement, you walk out the door because God is done with you.

You listen to the sermon. So it's free time. You can go to old Charlie's or whatever to try to beat the

Pentecostals there to get a good seat. Maybe God is calling you to minister to this person who's hurting.

Maybe that single mom needs a word of encouragement from you. People, I don't know what to tell single moms.

I've never been one. The mom part. I've been single, but I ain't never been the mom part.

This is the, this, guys, you know that the pastor and the music are the idiot halftime show? We're literally the halftime show in the football game.

This is the game right here, right now. So here's what are you doing? If you've robbed

God, it is my strong solution. Somebody, someone go, Artie, Marty, Tim, get a couple of guys with offering plates.

Go stand by that door. If you've robbed God, I don't want to know it. I don't want to hear about it.

You have a chance now to make it right back there, okay? That's between you and God, all right?

You make it right. Here's the other thing. If you are not a believer and you're playing church games, and watch this, if this sermon has offended you by its meaning and its articulation,

I strongly encourage you to repent today. If your high holiness of your

Baptist theological background in history has been daintily singed by the word of God, I'm asking you to repent of that today.

If you're more concerned about tattoos and whether people are smoking and drinking and how short that girl's dress is, you need to repent of the log that's in your eye.

And that doesn't take you silently sitting in a chair. It takes you coming up before God and saying,

I need an attitude change. Wait, and then finding a brother and sister in Christ in this room who will call you every day and hold you accountable to it.

Well, I can't repent. I can't do that. People will know. That pride and arrogance has cashed too much checks for you or your family or your grandchild to cash anymore.

Let that pride go. If you're not sure you're a Christian, please don't look back at your baptism or the little prayer you prayed to receive

Christ. Don't look back at those little feelings when some fat chick was singing some song and it made you cry a tear.

Have you lived your life as a child of the living God, bearing evidence of the fruit of the

Holy Spirit of God that should be evidence in your life? If you have never done that, I ask you today to submit to a holy and righteous

God. If you're in this room today and God is convicting you of a sin in your brain right now that you have been unrepented for, do not sit there and look at that screen or walk out that door in the peril and danger of God, and I quote, cursing you.

You need to repent. Please, I'm begging you. This is the most important moment of some of your lives.

Please, stop playing games with God. Quit playing church. Forget the church.

Repent to the Word and the holiness of God Almighty. If you need to pray for somebody, if you need to pray for something, this is the place to get people around you to encourage you.

I hear people all the time say, well, I never get encouraged. Who knows about your issue besides me?

Only you. Sorry, baby, I'm not omniscient. I'm sorry, I've never walked on water.

I wasn't born in a manger. You might wanna branch out just a bit, okay?

In other words, quit making excuses for your stiff -necked, arrogant, unrepentant attitude and get right with God.

Last thing, again, but this really is the last one. Listen, if you are a born -again believer, listen, if you're a born -again believer, please stop being

Baptist. Some of y 'all are yawning, looking at your watch. You godless heathen, go home and get up outta here.

Seriously, go away. You tire me right through here. If you are a born -again believer in Christ and you know that God is calling you to service, but you don't know what,

I'm about to give you a job right now. As we have this invitation, get outside of your comfort zone and go minister to somebody.

You don't have to have a theological degree. You don't have to be ordained. You don't have to be licensed. You just have to be willing and obedient.

Let's not go to church, let's be the church. Right here, right now, get radical with your faith and start ministering to someone other than yourself.

Let's stand up, music people, come do your thing. Pastors, come up front. Don't wait for the melody of the music.

Go to ministering right now. You go as God has called you to go.