The Book of Malachi (6) The Lord urges returning to Him 03/27/2022

First Baptist Church Leominster

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:34

For our New Testament reading Pastor Jason Ephesians 2, right? Okay Ephesians 2 the

00:42

Apostle Paul is telling these Christians at Ephesus That although they had come to Christ, of course, and they had salvation.

00:50

He wanted them to know it was actually the God had saved them Even when they were sins and trespasses dead and sins and trespasses

00:59

God issued forth his sovereign grace and causing them to come alive in Christ Salvations of the

01:05

Lord which is of course the emphasis of that hymn We just sang the emphasis of this passage and it's an emphasis in the passage.

01:13

We'll be considering in Malachi 3 Thank you Ephesians chapter 2

01:26

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked Following the course of this world

01:32

Following the prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience

01:40

Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh Carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind

01:52

But God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he has loved us

01:57

Even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and Raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus So that in the coming ages, he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing it is the gift of God Not a result of work so that no one may boast

02:28

For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works

02:33

Which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them Therefore remember that at one time you

02:41

Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision Which is made in the flesh by hands

02:49

Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ alienated from the

02:54

Commonwealth of Israel and Strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world

03:02

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off had been brought near by the blood of Christ For he himself is our peace who made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments

03:20

Expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two

03:26

So making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross thereby killing the hostility and He came and preached peace to those who were far off and Peace to those who were near for through him.

03:43

We both have access in one spirit to the father So then you are no longer strangers and aliens

03:49

But you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God built on the foundation of the

03:55

Apostles and prophets Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together

04:03

Grows into a holy temple in the Lord in him You also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the

04:11

Spirit Let's pray Heavenly Father we thank you for this tremendous passage that speaks of the great work of Christ the great work that he accomplished so that we might have peace with one another and peace with you and Lord, we're thankful for this that we no longer are aliens that we no longer are strangers that we no longer are without hope and Without God, but in Christ Jesus, we have tremendous blessings and Lord, we thank you for this

04:45

And we pray Lord that as we continue to study your word this morning that you would help us Remain focus on the text of Scripture We pray that the

04:54

Spirit would guide us and lead us help us Lord to understand this text and how we can best apply it

05:00

To our lives we pray Lord that we would live for your glory and honor Thank you Lord in Jesus name.

05:06

Amen Well, let's turn in our

05:16

Bibles to Malachi chapter 3 Now when you were handed notes this morning, you probably saw that there were 17 pages and thought and this is really over -the -top

05:29

Too much and I would agree However Our sermon notes actually covered our normal Length which is about 10 pages.

05:42

I included however after page hand from 11 to 17 a a message that Charles Spurgeon gave long ago in defense of Calvinism that was his title

05:56

We were reminded of this article. Oh Some weeks ago. I think Bruce you were the one that brought it up in men's group

06:03

And this is what convinced you of reformed theology, right? How many years ago was that? 1997 okay, and so it's a he's articulated articulate in ways that you know we could only wish we were and but I thought

06:19

I would include that for for your benefit and So here we are in Malachi And we will consider this paragraph that in which the

06:29

Lord urges the people to return to him and This paragraph begins with Malachi 3 6 and concludes with verse 12

06:42

Now in recent weeks, we've read in this portion of God's Word of our Lord's denunciation of this people the

06:49

Jewish people Again that lived about 400 425 BC thereabouts

06:56

Because they had departed from God spiritually even though they had continued to observe formally the religious rituals in the temple

07:06

They wrongly assumed that they were in God's favor That he was pleased with them when he was actually poised to pour out his wrath upon them

07:15

They were completely ignorant in error with regard to God's true assessment of them and what he intended to do

07:24

And there have always been people like this in this spiritual condition.

07:30

It's a sad but common spiritual malady They attend church some occasionally some faithfully

07:38

Thinking and claiming to be true believers in the Lord, but whose lives reveal that their hearts are quite distant from the

07:45

Lord Nevertheless, they persist in their delusion of God's favor toward them when in truth the

07:52

Lord has regarded them as deficient in their devotion and defective in their living before him and yet, they're so often bolstered up by By people giving them a wrong message

08:06

God's wrath abides upon them even while they believe themselves to be the objects of his loving favor

08:14

Thankfully there is readily available a sound strong assurance of salvation thankfully

08:22

Sadly there's also a common but fallacious and fictional false assurance, which may be difficult to detect and diagnose and we might say based on our passage that True assurance is always accompanied with true repentance from sin.

08:39

That's one of the indicators of true assurance in Which we turn back to God and faith and obedience

08:46

So in the paragraph before us today We read that God still had a willingness that these people repented their sin in returning to him in repentance and faith

08:59

Their sin had been great and they were quite near to the Lord bringing his judgment judgment upon them nevertheless

09:05

God promised them that though they had strayed far from him and Had done so for quite some time that he would yet pardon them and restore them to himself if they turn back to him

09:18

And so it is the Lord is a loving and patient God Who will extend mercy to the greatest of offenders?

09:26

Thankfully, so if they but turn to him away from their rebellion to him

09:33

Now the Lord was specific with these people as to their great sin from which they were to repent They had failed to give on to him that which was actually his resulting in failure of his people to live before him and worship him rightly in the temple and Their deficient faith and practice was due to their stubborn and resistant hearts and so here is

09:58

Malachi 3 verses 6 through 12 For I the

10:04

Lord do not change therefore you O children of Jacob are not consumed

10:11

From the days of our fathers you've turned aside from my statutes. You've not kept them return to me and I will return to you

10:20

Says the Lord of hosts But you say how shall we return? Will man rob

10:26

God? Yet you are robbing me, but you say how have we robbed you in your tithes and contributions?

10:35

You're cursed with a curse for you're 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 as the

10:47

Lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven For you and pour down for you a blessing until there's no more need.

10:56

I Will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil and your vine and the field shall not fail to bear says the

11:05

Lord of hosts and Then all nations will call you blessed For you will be a land of delight says the

11:13

Lord of hosts now if you've Been around a while and been in many churches to any degree over time.

11:22

You're probably aware the vast majority of sermons preached from Malachi Focus on this passage about tithing

11:31

Particularly Malachi 310 is often called upon to promote giving to the Lord's work

11:39

Well, we avoid doing that here we don't give great emphasis when we're gathered together to this matter of giving

11:48

We avoid doing so not because it's wrong for its biblical. Of course financial stewardship is very important a

11:55

Very important aspect of our Christian life. In fact, it's a matter in which much instruction and exhortation is needed

12:02

But because we live in days when the perception of most people Is that pastors and their churches are only interested in their money?

12:11

We've avoided preaching on the subject unless we encounter in a study of a passage or a book

12:16

Which we've of course are doing this morning We do address the matter of stewardship in the course of the ministry but generally we do so privately and personally only when an individual approaches me and Asked me a specific question about this subject

12:32

But as far as preaching on the subject of financial stewardship we have done so rarely in fact,

12:41

I was looking over my record and Was reminded that I did give forth a series of four sermons in January of 2000.

12:49

All right 22 years ago and I only did then because it was a direct request of the church leaders at that time and Since January of 2000

13:02

We've only given three other sermons in the last, you know, 22 years in which

13:10

Stewardship has been addressed and that's only been when it's arisen within a passage of a book that we've been expounding

13:18

And so we affirm very strongly. Our concern is not for your money. Our concern is for your soul and That's the concern of this church

13:28

But we do read in our passage before us that their poor stewardship was a major problem that the Lord chose to address

13:35

Through Malachi and so we'll explain the text and the passage and attempt to make some application to us

13:43

As we look over this paragraph we see first a declaration of the unchangeable nature of God The chapter 3 verse 6 this is this is a profound statement one that is quoted frequently in systematic theologies under the category of the immutability immutability of God Malachi 3 verse 6 is commonly cited

14:12

We next read the Lord's indictment of this people's failure to keep God's laws in verse 7a

14:18

The Lord then exhorts the people to turn back to him and repentance in faith after charging them with theft for they've been robbing

14:26

God of what was rightfully his that's in verses 7b through 9 and Then God assures them of his great blessing upon them if they heed his word verses 10 through 12

14:38

We'll first attempt to consider these matters in detail within the context and then we'll make

14:45

Application for us who relate to God through Christ under the new covenant for we're not under the old covenant

14:53

And so the message of the passage to its original recipients in the opening words of this paragraph

15:00

We first read of the unchangeable nature of God and of the blessing that this attribute of God brought to his people

15:08

We read in the openings first sentence again verse 6 for I the

15:13

Lord do not change Consider that statement Here God described himself as having an attribute that is commonly referred to as immutability

15:25

God does not change It simply means that God is unchangeable

15:31

God declared I the Lord do not change Now when we list the attributes of God What God is like and what he does perhaps his immutability is not often pondered or thought through very clearly carefully

15:48

But this attribute of God is a highly distinguishable trait of God In fact this attribute of God his immutability is one that distinguishes

15:57

God from everything else in the universe It is that aspect of God's nature that sharply distinguishes him as the creator

16:08

From all that he has created The creator creature distinction is in sharp relief in the immutability of God Everything that God has created is changeable is mutable

16:26

With the passage of time everything changes due to either forces within or forces without Things are either being built up or wearing down They're speeding up or slowing down they're growing greater or they're becoming weaker

16:39

They're growing hotter or becoming cooler. Everything is changing and is subject to more change except for God He changes not

16:50

He declared I the Lord do not change People, of course are certainly changeable and capricious

16:58

God sets himself in contrast to fallen people in numbers 23 19

17:03

God is not a man that he should lie neither the son of man that he should repent God alone can say

17:11

I the Lord do not change Because God has no beginning and no ending he's infinite he's not subject to change

17:22

God is a perfect infinite being and therefore he cannot change If he were changing in any way whatsoever, he could not have been perfect before the change goody

17:35

If he's always been perfect, which is true, then he could never become less so He's unchangeable

17:43

He's as James wrote the father of light with whom is no no variable in this no change

17:50

Neither shadow of turning there no suggestion of it whatsoever Arthur Pink wrote that God is unchangeable in three arenas

18:01

He is immutable in his essence his attributes and in his counsel

18:08

Let's consider each of these first God is unchangeable in his essence Pink wrote of God there never was a time when he was not there never will come a time when he shall cease to be

18:20

God has neither evolved grown nor improved All that he is today he's ever been and ever will be

18:28

I am the Lord and I change not see Arthur Pink quotes Malachi 3 6

18:37

I the Lord I change not is his own unqualified affirmation He cannot change for the better for he's already perfect and being perfect.

18:46

He cannot change for the worse And although unaffected by anything outside of himself improvement or deterioration is

18:54

Impossible. He is perpetually the same. He only can say I am that I am

19:04

Secondly God is unchanging in all of his attributes He is infinite in all of his being and in all of his ways.

19:13

His power has never been greater For he is infinite in power That means to create the universe required no exertion on his part and that his power is not diminished in the least

19:26

When he created the worlds and the great expansion of the universe he spoke and they came into existence

19:36

He is omnipotent infinitely powerful his wisdom is on display in his creation

19:42

But his wisdom was not exhausted in all of his creation and because God is unchanging in his truth and righteousness

19:49

We can have confidence in the abiding relevance and truthfulness of his word That he had written set before us

19:57

God is immutable Therefore the words he spoke and the words that were penned 3 ,000 years ago are just as true today because God is immutable

20:09

His love and his purposes and grace are immutable this assures us that if he declared

20:15

I've Loved you with an everlasting love. We may be assured that it is infinite love

20:20

That has never increased or diminished on whom he has set his love in eternity

20:29

We're changeable we who believe on Christ came to love him in history. There was a time we did not love

20:36

God. We love God now But there was never a time where God did not love his own

20:43

Infinitely so we can't even comprehend that and yet it's a truism And so there's nothing that you can do or not do that changes the nature of degree of love that he has for you in Christ Jesus I Remember back in the 70s,

21:01

I was an associate pastor just a kid in 22 or so and I was teaching in a number of bus workers in North Dallas area

21:14

Richardson, Texas and I was in a legalistic church some of you know what that's all about and I remember

21:25

Teaching this to the gathered group there. God loves you from eternity He's never loved you more.

21:32

He's never loved you less if you're in Christ, and there's nothing you can do to Increase or diminish that love.

21:40

It's infinite in nature and My friend who was the other associate pastor in charge

21:48

Pulled me aside afterward. Don't you ever tell those people that again because I won't be able to get them to do anything Horrified You know because some people think that if they do this or that that somehow

22:01

God will love them more than he does now and That's just not biblical. How can he love you more than an infinite love from eternity?

22:11

It cannot be done And so there's nothing that you can do nor not do that change to the nature of degree of the love that he has for you, although there's all kinds of things that you can do to To appreciate and understand that love that he has for you and to increase your own love for him, of course

22:33

It is said of Jesus Christ God incarnate having loved his own which were in the world he loved them on to the end

22:40

Yes, there are things that we might do that we might better understand and experience his love for us

22:45

And we should strive to know those things But there's nothing we can do to increase or diminish his love for us

22:52

We're in Christ whom God loves infinitely and eternally because they are in Jesus Christ In fact,

23:00

Jesus Christ says that God the Father loves his people as much as he loves Jesus Christ Because it's the same love

23:11

He's unchangeable in his attributes all of his attributes and thirdly God is unchanging in his counsel

23:19

This speaks of his decree He works all things according to the counsel of his will

23:25

Ephesians 1 11 and what is meant by his counsel is what his purpose to do in history He accomplishes everything that he decreed before creation that would occur in history

23:35

God declared this of himself in Isaiah 46 9 and following remember the former things of old for I am

23:42

God There's no other I am God. There's none like me Declaring the end from the beginning from ancient times things are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand

23:53

I will do all my pleasure and now he's making a reference to a

24:01

Pagan king out east calling a bird of prey from the east the man who executes my counsel from a far country indeed

24:08

I've spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I will also do it

24:16

Before creation God decreed all that would take place in the history of the world All that occurs is what he has decreed

24:26

We tend to think of a series of decrees infinite number really of every Detail that's ever takes place, but really it was a singular decree in the purpose of God Spurgeon described it in this way as he seemed to Be only be able to do he said

24:49

I believe that the stirring of the dust on the on the on the leaf of a Rose by the feet of an aphid is as much ordained in eternity as the marching of armies to vanquish the world

25:01

And that was his way of saying from the least to the greatest Events in history are all decreed of God This does not take away the responsibility and accountability of every human being that lives within God's creation man's

25:18

Responsible for what he's purposed and chosen to do even though God had decreed from eternity that all would occur

25:25

This is all done in a manner and this is so I'm very important It's all done in a manner that God is not the chargeable author of sin in his world

25:35

That would be blasphemous This is how our confession of faith expresses the matter

25:41

God hath decreed in himself from all eternity by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably all things

25:50

Whatsoever comes to pass yet. So thereby is God neither the author of sin

25:56

Nor hath fellowship with any therein nor is violence offered to the will of the creature

26:03

We're not robots Nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away

26:09

That's how he is not a chargeable authors in but rather established in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things

26:18

Empowered faithfulness in accomplishing his decree. That's what the Bible teaches

26:25

Now fallen man doesn't like to hear that but this is how God reveals himself. I am the

26:31

Lord I don't change Is what God declared? And yet we acknowledge that there are many places in Scripture where we read

26:41

What what is suggested that somehow God changed his mind? For example, you know, but just before Noah's flood in the

26:52

King James I Repented that I made man Did God really change his man a mind and regret that he had made made man?

27:01

No, we understand that in these passages of Scripture God is condescending to us as finite creatures in a manner that we can understand him and relate to him and So when we read that he relented having made man

27:15

He was accommodating himself to our limiting limited understanding in ways

27:22

Another example of this is that he has said to wake from sleep psalm 78 rising from bed early

27:29

Jeremiah 7 and yet the scriptures say that God who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep

27:37

Some might like look at that as a contradiction we do not We would say that this is a

27:43

God if he didn't condescend to make himself understandable to us

27:48

We wouldn't comprehend him at all Because he is so different than we are

27:53

He's the creator. We're the creature and We cannot relate he has to It's like you get down on your knees and talking baby talk to a toddler

28:04

And this is what God has to do to reveal himself to us in a way that we can comprehend

28:11

Arthur Pink wrote it this way Yes, God is immutable in his counsel the gifts and calling of God are without repentance

28:19

Romans 11 it must be so For he is one mind and who can turn him and what his soul desires even that he does

28:27

Job 23 Change and decay and all around we see may he who change it not abide with thee

28:35

God's purpose never alters one of two things causes a man to change his mind and reverse his plans

28:42

Want a foresight you didn't see it coming to anticipate everything Or lack of power to execute them

28:50

But as God is both omniscient and omnipotent, there is never any need for him to revise his decrees

28:58

No, the counsel of the Lord stands forever the thoughts of his heart to all generations Psalm 33

29:04

Therefore do we read of the immutability of his counsel? Hebrews 6 17 herein we may perceive the infinite distance which separates the highest creature from the creator

29:16

Creaturehood and mutability or changeableness are correlative terms They go hand in hand if the creature was not mutable by nature.

29:25

It would not be a creature. It would be God By nature we tend to nothing as we came from nothing nothing stays our annihilation

29:34

But the will and sustaining power of God none can sustain himself a single moment We are entirely dependent on the

29:41

Creator for every breath we draw We gladly own with the psalmist thou hold us our soul in life the realization of this ought to make us lie down under a sense of our own nothingness in the presence of him in whom we

29:56

Live and move and have our being The immutability of God is an incredibly important attribute of God But our passage is not simply setting forth the immutability of God for here.

30:12

God sets forth the benefit That his people accrue because of his immutability

30:19

And so what application does God make to his people respecting his immutability

30:25

Again, Malachi is not 6 1 but rather 3 6 Reads for I the

30:33

Lord do not change therefore you O children of Jacob are not consumed

30:39

Think about that God saves his people and preserves them because he is immutable in his nature

30:50

We have read in previous paragraphs to this one of the repeated egregious sins of the people of Israel that they had committed against God God should have destroyed them completely and finally long before and he would have done so Except he the

31:07

Lord changes not The only reason I don't wipe you out is because I'm unchangeable

31:16

He made a commitment. He doesn't change from that He had decreed long before that.

31:21

He would bring salvation to this people even in eternity before creation. He had chosen the people

31:29

Individually and collectively promising to give them to his son to save them from their sin and he would not go back on his promise because he is immutable in his plans and purposes and Moreover he declared his promise to save his people to Abraham and the patriarchs and to Israel through Moses through his prophets including

31:49

King David and so because he's immutable he keeps his words of promise. He keeps his terms of his covenants with his people

31:57

But how unlike him were his people? God had been true to all of his covenant promises.

32:05

Israel had been faithful to none of its covenantal promises Or commitments

32:12

Nevertheless, the Lord was calling upon his people to turn from their sin and return to him What was true of this people, of course is true of you and me

32:23

Not only are we deficient and that we are always changing but we are defective We're always changing for the worse

32:32

Unless the grace of God prevents us from doing so and enables us to live before him

32:39

If it were not for the unchangeable God who uttered a decree in eternity that he would be merciful and gracious to us

32:47

Purposing to save us from our sin. He would have consumed us long ago We're all deserving of hell, aren't we?

32:56

Scriptures clearly teach that Whether we then read the

33:02

Lord's indictment of this people's failure to keep God's laws God declared to this people.

33:08

They'd never been faithful to him Verse 7a from the days of your fathers. You've turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them

33:17

Even when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with those two tablets of testimony the

33:22

Ten Commandments He came down and found the people of course having this wild orgy down there at the foot of the hill

33:30

Even as God was given the law to them and what did Moses do? He cast the two tablets down breaking them that signified the people had already broken the covenant

33:40

It didn't even get into their hands before they'd already broken the covenant Right from the beginning as he stated here

33:49

These people had transgressed their the laws of God their responsibilities to be true and obedient to God's laws

33:56

They were sinners throughout their entire sojourn And God declared that they would have been consumed long before if it were not for the fact that he changes not in his purpose

34:06

To save them from their sin Salvation is of the Lord Holy totally

34:15

Well, then the Lord exhorts them to repentance and faith after charging them With robbing him of his tithes verses 7b through 9

34:25

And so the Lord gave forth this command return to me And I will return to you says the

34:31

Lord of hosts The Lord indicated that they had departed from him when they chose to sin against him if they would have him return to them

34:39

They must first return to him by forsaking their sin You want to come to God in Christ leave off your sin and come to him and he'll receive you

34:51

Now that doesn't mean you need to clean yourself up before he'll accept you you come to Christ as a sinner But you have to be willing to turn away.

35:00

We don't have the power to Turn away Repentance itself is a gift of God's grace, isn't it?

35:07

But we are to when we're coming to him. It's with the intention to turn away from our sins

35:14

God wants declared to Isaiah the prophet seek the Lord while he may be found Call upon him while he is near Raymond that's the verse you can put up on the marquee right there seek the

35:27

Lord while he may be found call upon him while He is near let the wicked forsake his way the unrighteous man his thoughts

35:34

Let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon

35:43

Now Arminians look at this verse and they think that they have a case Arminians are those they may not be aware of it, but they've embraced the teaching of Jacobus Arminius Who At one time was solidly reformed he was a professor in the

36:02

Netherlands in a seminary But he opposed he came to oppose the historic reform doctrine of the

36:09

Protestant reformers He advocated that God is not sovereign in saving his people But rather the sinner comes to salvation of his own free will

36:18

Apart from an inward work of God's sovereign grace Converts a sinner and so Arminius argued that God is passive That he only offers salvation to all men

36:30

But it's up to man's free will to choose salvation for himself If that were the case you and I would have never come to Christ We're sinners.

36:41

That's the problem The result of this teaching is to present

36:46

God as subject to the will of sinful men rather than the sovereign God Of the Holy Scriptures in dispensing his grace and salvation

36:55

They look at the passage before us and reason this way See God will not return to a sinner until and unless a sinner first chooses of his own free will to return to God That's born of ignorance and error

37:09

And that ignorance and error centers in their failure to understand what the Word of God teaches about the manner of salvation and Also of their error and ignorance of what

37:18

Calvinistic reformed Protestants say about coming to Christ Historically reformed people have never denied the necessity and importance of the sinner coming willingly

37:31

To repent of sin and to place faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation We offer

37:39

Christ sincerely to every person that if anyone will turn from sin and believe on the

37:44

Lord Jesus Christ he'll be saved from his sin and So the instruction of Malachi 6 7 does not conflict with the reformed understanding of salvation by God's sovereign grace

37:57

But we do hold to what the scriptures teach of all fallen human beings They will not come to Christ in repentance and faith unless God first calls them and gives them the grace to do so That's what pastor

38:09

Jason just read in Ephesians 2 You were dead in your trespasses and sins when

38:14

God came to you and gave you life There are sinners who love their sin they hate the true

38:22

God God came among us. We'd crucify him if it were not for the grace of God They love their sin hate the true

38:33

God who will not have Jesus Christ to be their Savior and Lord if it entails their total surrender to Jesus Christ the

38:41

Lord We want to be our own gods we want to be the determiner of our own eternity

38:48

That's at the heart of Arminius is teaching In order for the sinner to turn to God and repentance they need to first be regenerated

38:58

Jesus told Nicodemus you can't even see the kingdom of God and unless you're firstborn again and then we have to be illuminated to the truth of our sin and the way of salvation in Jesus Christ and then we have to be given the gift of repentance

39:12

It's grace Which includes an acquired hatred for sin. We're not born that way.

39:18

We're born with a love or sin I want to do what I want to do we don't have the desire to be delivered from it that has to be given to us by grace and Understanding embracing the knowledge of Jesus Christ alone can save a sinner from his sin through his own life death and resurrection that has to be shown to us and we have to be convinced of it and so the

39:46

Lord must first turn the sinner before the sinner will turn from his sin and Return to the

39:51

Lord and this is why the Prophet Jeremiah rightly prayed to the Lord turn us back to you

39:57

Oh Lord, and we will be restored in other words, and we will be returned I think it's how the

40:02

King James reads it if I'm not mistaken and Also later in Jeremiah turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the

40:10

Lord my God And so we command all people to repent

40:18

Of their sin return to God through Jesus Christ, and we know that those who do so Are bearing the fruit of God's regenerative work of sovereign grace that he's wrought in their souls

40:33

Well, the Lord Lord charged him with thievery having stolen from him that which belonged to him again verses 7 being 8

40:39

But you say how shall we return? How do we return Lord? Will man rob

40:45

God is the question that's posed yet. You're robbing me Well, you say how have we robbed you?

40:53

God responds in your tithes and contributions or offerings Here we see the same pattern as we've seen earlier in Malachi God first asks a question

41:04

Followed by a question of the people that betrays woeful ignorance on their part

41:09

Which is then answered by God in a specific charge These people have been robbing

41:15

God God told them that they were to repent of this sin and once again do right in this matter and in so doing they would

41:23

Be returning to him Repentance from sin turning to God Repentance isn't just turning from sin.

41:32

It's turning to sit from sin on to God Turning to God that's biblical repentance

41:40

The people were robbing God and their failure to give their tithes and offerings Now the word tithe literally means tenth

41:48

The Lord speaks of tithes plural actually the law of Moses According to law of Moses people were commanded to give one tithe 10 % in support of the

41:58

Levites That was the tribe of Levi and then the Levites were to tie 10 % of that support the smaller number of priests who were also in the tribe of Levi and Then there was another tithe to be given every third year to feed the poor of the land

42:20

If church has fed the poor of the land rather than the government we'd have a lot more people seeking the Lord wouldn't way now

42:33

They were failing to do this and as a result the temple ministry had fallen by the wayside

42:39

These tithes by the way were in addition to the animal sacrifices that they would bring to the temple when they had learned that they had sin

42:47

Now Nehemiah when you read in his book that he had been away from the land for some months upon his return he discovered the people had neglected to pay their tithes to support the priests and The result was that the priests had abandoned their service in the temple in order to support their families

43:03

They went and were working in the fields Nehemiah 13 it's very possible that the

43:10

Lord is addressing this situation here in Malachi 3 It was about the same time frame in history

43:22

Again God accused these people of robbing him. He was declaring these tithes actually belonged to him and By their withholding them.

43:29

They were robbing him. God asserted his ownership of the tithes and offerings of these people. They belonged to God and By not giving them they were robbing

43:39

God Well, God didn't pronounce his judgment on them verse 9 reads you're cursed with a curse

43:45

For you're robbing me the whole nation of you What was the nature of this curse well later we'll read about the nature of his blessing if they return and we can we can

43:58

Conclude what the nature of this curse was by those words. We'll consider that in a bit

44:04

Well, God then assures them that his great blessing upon them would be upon them if they obeyed him

44:11

We read God's command in verse 10 a bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house

44:19

Now It would be wrong to think that somehow in the temple the priests were feeding

44:25

God by the Sacrifices the pagans did that not the God of Israel the priests were fed

44:34

God wasn't fed by the sacrifices The storehouse was a building or buildings that were located on the temple mount where the tithes and offerings of the people including produce and meat

44:45

Were stored for the purpose of feeding the priests and their families God challenged the people promising to bless them greatly upon their repentance of their sin and renewing their bringing their tithes and offerings to the temple storehouse as verse 10b reads and Thereby put me to the test says the

45:04

Lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for You a blessing until there is no more need and so God promised his people that if they would obey him and Giving their tithes and offerings as he'd prescribed for them.

45:22

He would assure them of his blessing them with abundant harvest and accompanying wealth The windows of heaven are mentioned in the context of Noah's Day When the flood came the water the windows of heaven were open the waters flooded.

45:37

He's probably talking about rain here That God would send to enable their crops to grow

45:47

And so God promised these people that his blessing would be poured out in abundance from heaven.

45:52

He would be the source of their blessing But further God would see to it that he would prevent those forces that would destroy their crops from afflicting them

46:03

Verse 11 reads I will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil and Your vine and the fields shall not fail to bear says the

46:14

Lord of hosts here. The devourer may be either locusts That could destroy their crops

46:22

Or it could be invaders of neighboring peoples nations Who would wait until harvest time and then come invade the land take away the harvest pillaging the land

46:31

God would not allow that to take place if they were faithful in Giving these tithes and offerings and then one final blessing would be universal recognition that God favored his people

46:43

Then all nations will call you blessed for you will be a land of delight says the Lord of hosts

46:48

And so God's designation of himself as the Lord of hosts assures That the

46:55

Lord will use all the power necessary to secure the blessings of these promises Well, how do we understand and apply

47:03

Malachi 3 6 to 12 to Christians under the New Covenant? First let's understand the spiritual application of the sons of Jacob In Malachi.

47:17

I don't know why I did that. It's not 6 1 but it's 3 verse 6 Our text of Malachi 3 6 suggests a specificity

47:28

As to the identity of these ones favored by God's mercy and grace God was not addressing everyone indiscriminately saying to all therefore all you children of Adam are not consumed

47:41

And he actually was not making this statement of all physically born Jewish people without distinction For many of them would be consumed by God's wrath

47:49

Upon them if they fail to refuse to repent of their sin No, God addressed more narrowly more specifically a specific people that he loved therefore.

47:58

Oh children who Jacob are not consumed Yes, in a sense he was addressing the entire nation at that time

48:06

But more specifically he was addressing those whom he loved with a special Eternal immutable love shown forth and that he would not have them consumed due to their sin rather than them perishing because of their sin he purposed to save them from their sin and Earlier in Malachi's prophecy.

48:24

We saw God's special love that he had not for all the sons of Isaac But he had for love for one that being

48:31

Jacob back in Malachi the first chapter The burden of the word of the

48:36

Lord to Israel by to Israel by Malachi. I've loved you said the Lord Yeah, you say in what way have we loved you or in what way have you loved us we're not

48:47

Esau Jacob's brother God responds and yet Jacob I have loved but he saw

48:52

I have hated and Laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness so he's not just talking about individuals, but the people's that came forth from Jacob and Esau Charles Spurgeon Whose first sermon preached in London at the

49:12

New Park Street pulpit at the age of 20 used

49:18

Malachi 3 there I did it again verse 6 as his text and Said these words regarding the sons of Jacob and he has a way of saying it that I Wish I had the ability

49:35

Now who are the sons of Jacob who can rejoice in an immutable God? First they are the sons of God's election

49:44

For it is written Jacob. I have loved and Esau I've hated the children being not yet born neither having done eat done good or evil

49:52

Quoting Paul from Romans 9. It was written The elder shall serve the younger the sons of Jacob are the sons of God's election

50:00

Who through sovereign grace believe by eternal destination grace and glory they receive

50:06

Spurgeon was always quoting hymns When he was just a young boy his grandmother challenged him

50:14

Spurgeon, you know, he was like four or five Memorize and recite these hymns and I'll give you money

50:20

And finally his grandmother had said enough enough and through his whole life.

50:25

His sermons were all Insertions of these verses from hymns that he'd memorized when he was a child

50:33

God's elect are here meant by the sons of Jacob those whom he foreknew and foreordained to everlasting salvation

50:40

Then Spurgeon made an application to himself and the Christian sitting in his church in London Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed

50:50

Consumed how how can man be consumed why there are two ways we might have been consumed in hell

50:57

If God had been a changing God the sons of Jacob here this morning might have been consumed in hell

51:04

We can say the same thing of ourselves But for God's unchanging love I should have been a stick in the fire

51:11

But there is a way of being consumed in this world. There's such a thing as being condemned before you die condemned already quoting

51:19

John 3 There is such a thing as being alive and yet being absolutely dead

51:25

We might have been left to our own devices and then where should we have been now? reveling with the drunkard

51:32

Blaspheming Almighty God. Oh Had he left you dearly beloved had he been a changing

51:37

God? You had been among the filthiest of the filthy and the vilest of the vile Cannot you remember in your life season similar to those

51:45

I have felt I Have gone right to the edge of sin Some strong temptation has taken hold of both my arms so that I could not wrestle with it

51:55

I've been pushed along dragged as by an awful satanic power to the very edge of some horrid precipice

52:02

And I've looked down down down and seen my portion. I quivered on the brink of ruin

52:08

I've been horrified as with my hair upright. I thought of the sin I was about to commit the horrible pit into which

52:15

I was about to fall a strong arm saved me I've started back and cried.

52:21

Oh God, could I have gone so near sin and yet come back again? Could I have walked right up to the furnace and not fallen down like Nebuchadnezzar strong men?

52:31

Devoured by the very heat as they were casting the three Hebrew use into the fire Oh, is it possible?

52:38

I should be here this morning when I think of the sins I've committed and the crimes which I've crossed my wicked imagination.

52:45

Yes, I am here unconsumed because the Lord changes not Oh if he had changed we should have been consumed in a dozen ways

52:54

If the Lord had changed you and I should have been consumed by ourselves for after all, mr

52:59

Self is the worst enemy a Christian has Amen We should have proved suicides to our own souls.

53:07

We should have mixed a cup of poison for our own spirits If the Lord had not been an unchanging

53:13

God and dashed the cup out of our hands when we were about to drink it And then we should have been consumed by God himself if it if he had not been a changeless

53:22

God We call God a father But there's not a father in this world who would not have killed all his children long ago

53:30

So provoked would he have been with them if he had been half as much troubled as God has been with his family

53:37

He has had the most troublesome family in the whole world unbelieving ungrateful disobedient forgetful rebellious wandering murmuring and stiff -necked

53:47

Well, it is that he's a long -suffering that he is long -suffering or else He would have taken not only the rod but the sword to some of us long ago

53:57

But there was nothing in us to love at first So there cannot be less now

54:04

John Newton used to tell a whimsical story and laugh at it to of a good woman who said in order to prove the doctrine

54:10

Of election. Ah, sir. The Lord must have loved me before I was born Or else he would not have or else would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards

54:23

I'm sure it is true in my case and true in respect to most of God's people for there is little to love in them after They are born if we had not loved them before then he would have seen no reason to chose choose them after But since he loved them without works

54:38

He loves them without work still since their good works did not win his affection bad works

54:44

Cannot sever that affection since their righteousness did not bind his love to them

54:50

So their wickedness cannot snap its golden links He loved them at a pure sovereign grace and he will love them still

54:58

But we should have been consumed by the devil and by our enemies consumed by the world consumed by our sins

55:04

By our trials and in a hundred other ways if God had ever changed

55:10

Amen, Charles Spurgeon And God's declaration of Malachi 3 6 is a promise and basis of assurance for you if you have repented of your sin

55:20

And have come to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior Not that if you're free from sin, none of us are

55:28

But you've truly turned from I Purpose and intend I will live for my sin.

55:35

That's gone I'm gonna as he enables me live for him He's put that desire in me and he's able to because he's all -powerful

55:45

He's able to do that and give me the power to do so by the Holy Spirit. It must be so or it won't happen

55:52

And So in effect God says to each of his own in Christ for I the

55:58

Lord do not change and therefore you're not consumed He's bound himself in that way

56:05

Let me just say a few words about tithes and offerings in general and then we'll close There are many

56:12

Who do not translate the responsibility of giving tithing or offerings to New Testament Christians? They would argue that these requirements reflected in Malachi were in accordance with the

56:23

Mosaic Covenant Instituted at Mount Sinai and were not under that old covenant, but under the new covenant in Christ And certainly we would grant that we're not obligated to the letter of the

56:33

Mosaic law With regard to civil and ceremonial laws to support a Jewish temple the

56:39

Levites and their priests But to dismiss tithing on this basis is not valid For tithing priest predated the giving of the law

56:51

We read that Abraham gave to Melchizedek a tithe of all they did one in battle that's over 400 years before Moses Abraham's grandson

57:02

Jacob promised God he would give his tithe to God if God promised to be with him and protect him as he was leaving

57:08

Palestine and going to his to to Laban's Property he was there for 20 years

57:17

Jacob told God of all that you give me. I will surely give a tenth to you tithing was a universal practice and is to this day and Furthermore the

57:29

Lord Jesus affirmed the practice of tithing when he was denouncing scribes and Pharisees you hypocrites

57:35

He says you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin They were so careful to separate even 10 % of this

57:43

However, he says you have weight neglected the weightier matters of the law justice mercy and faith

57:49

But then he says these you ought to have done it was right to do that without leaving the others undone

57:56

And so here the Lord Jesus affirmed they were right in that they were tithing but it was not good enough on their part

58:04

You can't buy off God The tithing to God's work as a means of showing that God and Jesus Christ is your master not your money the love of money is a

58:17

Very spiritually corrosive to a sound and faithful life before God the Lord Jesus declared.

58:22

No man can serve two masters For either he'll hate the one and love the other else

58:28

He will love be loyal to the one despise the other you cannot serve God and money mammon Being faithful in tithing is a powerful corrective and Preventive for exalting one's love of money to vie for one's affection and dedication to the

58:45

Lord And besides if the Lord could reason to these

58:50

Jewish people that their tithes belong to him as God's ownership of that tithe then rescinded

58:56

But further the tithing of our increase is to be given first to the Lord and in doing so we're really

59:02

Dedicating and confessing that he he owns and has given all that we have to use and and enjoy

59:08

Just as the first fruits of the crop were brought in and waved in the temple that that offering

59:14

Was consecrating the entire field It was an acknowledgment. It's everything is

59:20

God's And tithing is an acknowledgment of that and And then we read earlier in Proverbs 3

59:29

We just happen to be reading that passage this morning in which God teaches that this should be performed first after the

59:35

Lord blesses with Increase honor the Lord with your possessions with the first fruits of your sacrifice or your increase

59:42

So your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine Well, this causes us to ask the question.

59:49

What about the matter of God blessing faithful stewardship? God promised physical blessing upon the faithful stewardship of these

59:57

Jewish people And of course, this is the ground on which the health and wealth preachers always stand or so they claim

01:00:05

Does the Lord continue to hold forth this promise to his people that he will bless them with Physical riches if they are faithful in their stewardship to him

01:00:14

Well, yes in a sense, but not really in another sense The health and wealth guy say give so you can get you know, that's just so contrary to Biblical principle, it's incredible that they would even think in those terms

01:00:32

Now granted the dividends of church of much of what we do and give to the Lord's work may not be seen until glory right

01:00:41

We're sending ahead that which we cannot take with us The Lord Jesus said don't lay up for yourselves treasures on earth or moth and rust

01:00:48

Destroy where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven that's what we do when we are helping in the

01:00:57

Lord's work and Yet the Lord did say that if we're generous here, we will also be blessed here in this world in this life

01:01:07

Jesus said in Luke 6 give it will be given to you

01:01:12

Implying that God's gonna see to it that people give to you Good measure pressed down shaken together running over will men put into your lap

01:01:20

They would carry grain about in the fold of their Robe perhaps for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you to you there is a reaping and sowing according to the amount that you so and Moreover the

01:01:36

Apostle Paul assured the Christians who are faithful in their stewardship to the Lord's work That the Lord will provide for them.

01:01:42

He told this to the church at Philippi Verse 19 is often pulled out of context and given as a blank promise to everybody to all

01:01:50

Christians But it's not it was given to Christians at Philippi who are faithful in their stewardship in supporting the ministry of the word

01:01:59

Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared he talked to the church in my distress now you Philippians Know also that in the beginning of the gospel when

01:02:07

I departed from Macedonia where Philippi was located No church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only for even in Thessalonica You sent aid once and again for my necessities.

01:02:19

Not that I seek a gift That's not the issue, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account

01:02:27

Indeed, I have all in a bound. I don't need it I'm full having received from Epaphroditus a thing sent from you a sweet -smelling aroma an acceptable sacrifice

01:02:37

See giving to the Lord's work is spiritual sacrifice that we as priests are to render Well pleasing to God and Then he makes the promise and my

01:02:49

God shall supply all your need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus you supplied my need

01:02:55

God's gonna supply your need and He's promised to do so and Then God has also promised he would enable his people by his grace

01:03:06

To receive sufficient money in order to give to his work and his needy people All of a sudden you get a windfall

01:03:14

You know, we should ask I wonder why the Lord sent me this at this time And it might be a few days later a week later.

01:03:21

You find out why? He gave it to you because this purpose that all of a sudden materializes before you

01:03:29

Paul wrote this I say he who sows sparingly he's talking about the miserly person will also reap sparingly

01:03:36

But he who sows bountifully talking about the faithful steward will also reap bountifully

01:03:42

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart Not grudgingly or necessity because you have to for God loves a cheerful giver

01:03:53

But then verse 8 but God is able to make all grace abound toward you In other words, if you have the desire to give to the

01:04:00

Lord's work He is able to make grace abound to you to make sure that you have it to give that's what he's saying

01:04:07

God is able to make all grace abound toward you that you always having all sufficiency in all things may have an abundance for in other words to give to every good work as It's written

01:04:18

God. He has dispersed abroad. He's given to the poor his righteousness endures forever and then being faithful and tithing and generous in giving is the way to be delivered from the tyranny of financial worries and problems

01:04:34

I Could tell you stories Mary and I should have kept a diary You know, we had we had several decades seminary starting churches and whatnot.

01:04:44

They were lean times and I know what it is to be tested about tithing when

01:04:52

You know, Larry Burkett came on the scene with his financial stewardship, you know I'm talking about the importance of making a budget.

01:04:58

We didn't have enough income to make a budget We had we had more expenses than we had income But we were taught early on to to tithe and the

01:05:07

Lord Provided for us in ways I could write a book and I'm ashamed.

01:05:13

I can't recount at all. I Talked about two widow ladies. They were friends.

01:05:19

They weren't even in my church But they were heard of where I was going to seminary.

01:05:24

We started a church I forget how much it was but I think it was a hundred dollars from each of them like every week or two

01:05:31

We lived on that. I Helped a lady one time. I'd go out door knocking.

01:05:37

I helped a lady who was young in the faith Helped her gave her some reading materials and guided her and her husband was so grateful

01:05:47

He came by once a week and gave us a hundred bucks. He did that for months when we were starting a church and you know it the

01:05:56

Lord is the is the provider of his people and when we fail to to Be faithful in our stewardship to him we we cut off that supply as it were when you have to in faith

01:06:13

Fulfill this because it's commanded not because you can reason it out It's gonna you know, the bottom line is gonna work out, but you do it in faith.

01:06:22

This is when the Lord shows himself Wonderfully powerful and in doing so it takes away the worry

01:06:29

The anxiety and the fear The finances that paralyzes so many people

01:06:35

Mary and I have been free from financial worry since about 1978 or 9

01:06:43

We've had some trials but never fear that the Lord's taken that away.

01:06:48

The Lord does not want Money to tyrannize you he wants you to be free

01:06:55

With only him as your Lord as supplier and that you're not a

01:07:00

Prisoner to you know your boss or whatever the government decides to do or the world decides to do but your

01:07:06

Lord is your provider and faithful stewardship is the way that you learn this and you grow and you're delivered as it were from the tyranny of Anxiety and fear and So the

01:07:22

Lord does not want his people to suffer in labor under the tyranny of money difficulties But what about the matter bringing all the tithes into the storehouse?

01:07:31

You go down south and you hear this storehouse tithing preach all the time And it's what pastors are basically saying the storehouse is the local church

01:07:40

Because they don't want their people giving to other ministries and whatnot parent church ministries And so they say the storehouse is the local church

01:07:47

Clearly Malachi wasn't talking about the local church. You're talking about the storehouse in the temple

01:07:52

But having said that we should recognize and I advocate this strongly the local church is the only specific

01:08:01

Christ ordained institution in the New Testament that carries out his work in the world granted he blesses parent church groups and ministries and whatnot, but For ourselves we attempt as best we can to channel

01:08:17

Our stewardship through the local church because I believe that adds blessing and security To it.

01:08:23

That's my own opinion. You can Jettison that if you want makes no difference to me

01:08:30

And so we will not make that claim But the Lord has promised to bless that form of stewardship

01:08:37

That's what we have in Philippians 4 you church at Philippi You've been faithful and giving to the ministry

01:08:44

Paul says my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Christ Jesus and so to it's important to see the

01:08:54

Connection and our relationship with the local church 2nd Corinthians 9 in all of this matter of stewardship

01:09:01

So that we're we're wise so where it's not just me and Jesus my Bible and my wallet out there in the world

01:09:09

Alone that's just not how the Lord would have us live. And so may the Lord guide us and help us in these things

01:09:15

Again, this is not a veiled desire effort to To you know, take money out of your pocket.

01:09:24

I You know the the elders Were not involved in the finance of the church.

01:09:30

I don't know what people give I don't know what people don't give and I don't care and I don't want to know

01:09:37

At all, and this is how we've operated and the God is always blessed We want what's best for you, and this is a biblical principle that can deliver people from tyranny and help them to see the wonderful power and provision of God in their lives and therefore we don't shirk from Declaring it, although we don't do it very frequently

01:10:02

So let's pray. Thank you father for your word and for your grace We pray you'd help us to be faithful in all aspects of our lives

01:10:11

We thank you God perhaps most of all that you are unchanging for if you were a changing

01:10:18

God our God we would certainly have been consumed by now and Yet you are immutable and you have declared our

01:10:26

God that those who come on to Jesus Christ sincerely in faith You will know why is cast out he will know why is cast out and we thank you

01:10:35

God for that glorious promise and That you are immutable you change not and so our

01:10:42

God we come to you afresh again Returning if need be our

01:10:47

God or coming to you initially in faith to Jesus Christ Confessing he is

01:10:53

Lord and Savior and it's our desire And it would be our delight our God to be faithful before you in all aspects of our lives