Malachi 1:6-2:9, Why Is the Church Dwindling?

Malachi chapter 1 from verse 6 to chapter 2 verse 9 hear the word of the

Lord 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 Oh priest? Who despise my name? but you say

How have we despised your name by offering polluted food upon my altar, but you say how we polluted you

Saying that the Lord's table may be despised when you offer blind animals and sacrifice

Is that not evil and when you offer those that are lame or sick? Is that not evil?

Present that to your governor Will he accept you or show you favor says the Lord of hosts and now and treat the favor of God that he may be gracious To us with such a gift from your hand.

Will he show favor to any of you says the Lord of hosts? Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain

I have no pleasure in you says the Lord of hosts and I will not accept an offering from your hand

For from the rising of the Sun to its setting My name will be great among the nations and in every place incense will be offered to my name and a pure offering

For my name will be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts But you profane it when you say that the

Lord's table is polluted and his fruit That is its food may be despised.

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 your offering

Shall I accept from your hand 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

And now Oh priest 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 Then I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings Indeed, I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart

Behold, I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces the dung of your offerings and you shall be taken away with it

So show you know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may stand says the

Lord of hosts My covenant with him was one of life and peace and I gave them to him

It was a covenant of fear and he feared me He stood in awe of my name

True instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found on his lips He walked with me in peace and uprightness and turned many from iniquity

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and people should seek instruction from his mouth

For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts But you have turned aside from the way you have caused many to stumble by your instruction

You have corrupted the covenant of Levi says the Lord of hosts And so I make you despise and abased before all the people and as much as you do not keep my ways

But show partiality in your instruction Make the Lord at his blessings to the reading of his

Holy Word Well earlier this year Gallup released a poll that found for the first time in his 80 -year history

Less than half of Americans were members of a church or some other kind of religious institution They found that only 47 % of people were members down from remaining around 70 % when they first asked the question in 1937 until just as recently about 60 years later in 1999 of course

The first question is is why? Why is the church dwindling at least at the

USA now worldwide over about the same time Christianity has grown rapidly.

It has quadrupled in size over the last century Around the world particularly in Asia in Africa, but in America after remaining steady about 70 % for about three generations now

It's as though the bottom has fallen out Why? What's causing the decline

After all like any good business the church in America has been trying to adapt its product to meet market demands

For some time since the 19th century the so -called second Great Awakening Churches began to focus on getting more people in the door

They geared themselves for that goal after all more foot traffic in the doors means more cash flow in the offering plate

I don't think that's what they all did it for just for the money They wanted to reach people and they thought we've got to meet their their demands what they want

And so the music and the messages were crafted to appeal To more people what the people want psalm singing faded away

The songs became more sentimental of the sermon more emotional or more practical

The end result of that was that churches thought that they were putting out a form of religious entertainment

And it even seemed to work for a while for a long while actually as the Gallup poll reminded us 70 % church membership and as recently as year 2000 earlier than that.

The churches didn't have a whole lot of Quality competition for the entertainment time and dollar but now that's all changed intelligent young people raised in the church

It's all about religious entertainment and nothing about Discipleship nothing about a

God to be worshipped with reverence and awe Such people will correctly see that they can get much better entertainment at home watching their satellite

TVs or online brought the movies or at a concert so the market for the church's product is dwindling

Now some of the newer churches have tried to correct this by making the style of its services more appealing particularly more appealing to young people more contemporary music less formalism more practicality the sermon now feeling either like a motivational speaker or maybe

You know like your friendly neighbor leaning over the fence giving you lawn care tips that kind of style their goal

They say is to be sensitive to what the customers want

What do the people want? But I think they missed the point. The point is that the product the church is supposed to be

Putting out. It's not supposed to be Putting out a a form of religious entertainment at all whether in the old style

With the hymns the gospel songs and all that people go in a man either in the old style or in a new style

It's not like a fast -food place that kind of just lets you have it your way It's the one place where the customer is not

King The Lord is the product we're supposed to be putting out is

God -centered worshipful lives followers of Jesus who show to the world that we have bowed before the greatness of the name of Jesus Why is the church dwindling at least in the

USA Well, we see here in the in the second disputation between the

Lord and his people out of six we see Why the religion here is dwindling

Israel has returned from exile. They have Reformed the Lord is not happy though with the product that they are producing.

We see here four points on a dwindling but supposedly reformed church first corrupted worship second rejected churches third defected preachers and finally

Accepted pastors. Why is the church dwindling? Because of corrupted worship the

Lord begins in verse 6 saying that he is a father He's a master to his people and both fathers and mothers.

They deserve honor. But where's the honor he is due? What he's asking where's my honor? I'll look at your worship.

Where's my honor in it says that instead of honoring him. They have despised him Though back notice how out of touch with reality they are they ask back.

How have we despised your name? They are totally unaware what they're they're doing after all work

They think we're giving sacrifices that the temples rebuilt thinking we sacrifice a lot to get that temple back up and going

We worked hard we paid money We put it as a priority even ahead of building the wall around the city

It would be as if someone today denied that they despise God because after all they think I go to services

I attend church I give to the offering How have I despised your name

God? Notice the unawareness the blind spot That goes along with corrupted worship wherever you find corrupted worship you find people that have no idea that it's corrupted

They think it's great It's meeting their needs they like it why shouldn't

God Today people think that anything they do is worship. God must accept as though we're doing him a favor

Right, we choose our music for what pleases us not what pleases him. Don't we? They'd be surprised people today to hear

God accuse them of Despising him but here God says in verse 8 you're despising me by offering polluted sacrifices

Mangy lambs blind goats sick calves Thinking that you can give

God saying you think you can give me anything In you have whatever leftovers you couldn't sell them anywhere else.

You couldn't sell them in the marketplace So you quote sacrifice them to me in verse 13

He said to them you offer what is about to die of disease. Anyway, it's gonna die Why not offers it quote sacrifice a sacrifice is gonna die.

Anyway, is it or even what's already been killed? you're driving to church instead of giving some real sacrifice you stop but Pick up some roadkill along the way and offer it plop down a dead possum in the basket over there

This is what we brought something that cost nothing That involves no sacrifice

You wouldn't think of offering that to your governor God says to them You know if you want to please the governor you got to give him something really nice But for me you you offer whatever is left over and God says in verse 14

Don't you know you try to please your governor, but you know who I am. I am the great king

They thought they could worship God on the cheap because they had less reverence and all of God Than they had for their governor

Now I wonder many churches today. Do people get the impression that we are coming before someone We regard as the great king

The Lord of hosts notice that curse over and over again and Malachi relatively short book It has that phrase probably is percentage wise more than any other book in the in the

Bible Lord of hosts That is he has armies of angels at his command

Is that who we think we're approaching Do they feel in the air that we really believe this

God is great that his word is to be Trembled at that. He is someone who deserves more honor more careful attention to how we honor him

Then we would if the president himself was to visit us Do people get that impression in our churches today?

Or do we do we seem like a lot like these people here like in verse 13?

Who are saying it what a weariness this is they're going to the temple and think what a weariness this this is

Going to church was so weary boring This is so boring.

When will this be over? There are people today in many churches who snort it biblical worship and preaching

They may have been they may have been going to church all their lives and after 80 years of self -centered church attendance

They still can't discern what is wrong with the shallowest TV preacher.

I surprised and offended an elderly lady once when I Just lady had been going to church all her life and I told her that Joel Osteen was a false teacher.

She was like what? He had no idea. How do you go to church all your life and not and not know that what are you listening to?

Kid no idea they'll regard the real preaching of the word is the most depressing stuff

They want it. No, they'll scored it because they want to go where they can hear how to live their best life now

How great they are. They want their ego puffed and then The the tragic thing is such people won't understand why their kids and grandkids

They aren't interested in the churches they go to Why is church attendance dropping here in America?

I Know people raised in evangelical churches and Baptist families that left their churches and went to traditional liturgical churches

Churches that I would criticize for having a lot of false doctrine for using icons, which are really just idols

But they left their evangelical churches because they got sick of the shallow performances that passes itself off as worship

At least what they left for they think has a sense of awe a sense of something holy something that's beyond them more than just Something that's been crafted to please them as the customer about me getting my way

You see making by us making worship the worship of God Into a show that attracts the crowds.

I mean, that's our focus How can I please these people? When we do that or when we try to make his word all about our success about here's what how's how

I can use this? To help you have your best life now By doing that we've lost that vision of the awesomeness of God someone

Well, so much greater and beyond us that we forget about ourselves And so we ask here where's my honor where's my fear

That is the one thing we cannot be without In worship honor even fear a sense that we stand we stand sinful before a holy

God That his name is great And it's and he has to be it is and to be called by his name is a great honor and an end of duty

It makes an impression on us and we have an impression of the majesty of the

Lord We have that we can have the most reformed theology But glorious building.

We don't really have a practical building, but Even if we did now the most elegant service

The most rich what they call it liturgy But the most eloquent preacher at the most exquisite music, but if we don't have that The honor and fear of God Then we are worshiping

Our worship is corrupt Like theirs even many reformed people that they look for the right formula the right things to do or not do

You know this this sing psalms and just do this of that Simple and they think of you if you keep these steps this formula you do these things

That'll make for biblical worship it won't if your heart is not full of awe and reverence for God Of course worship isn't just about what we do here is in Romans chapter 12 verse 1.

The sacrifice we offer is our entire lives as a living sacrifice

Lived every day as an act of worship to God and the first way we do that is to renew our minds with the

Word of God and then We would learn to think like God does

Not like the world has trained us to So will be changed worship true biblical worship all the time.

It's all of our lives It results in changed lives. So the cheat in verse 14 vows one thing to God and Then he sacrifices something else

Someone cheats God if he or she vows his best bull like here and then offers roadkill

He vows to live for God in a time of zinc great zeal and emotion to to be transformed to live

God's way With tears, you know, take me I'll follow you wherever you go

Exclaims he'll do anything go anywhere give up all to follow Jesus and then after a while He feels its weariness boring

And now he won't give up sinful relationship or much money or time and So he began offering everything that's what he pledged

But now is willing to only give up maybe some spare time some spare change on Sunday morning and after a while not even that and the

Lord calls him in verse 14 a cheat They're cheating

God the result of corrupted worship Maybe of us offering our lives to God a living sacrifice

Lord Take me and then after a while we're tired where we consider weary and we give only a few

Bear coins the result of that is God's saying you cheated me and Then comes

Rejected churches some people that they can't conceive that God actually Rejects churches that there are there are churches that would be better off if they close their doors

Now here Israel has returned from exile They rebuilt that temple and then

God looks at what they are doing in that we built temple and says, you know In verse 10, it would be better if you just shut it down Close the doors to that thing forget about it

Here we see a picture of the rejected Church God does indeed Reject some churches

Their their worship is so corrupt. So Self -centered, you know sappy songs motivational or political speaking.

It's moralistic It's therapeutic It's all about us and our feelings

Maybe about our politics our success And so it's void of honor and fear of the

Lord the Word of God is something they just snored at they just ignore to be bored with that God says

You should be closed close it down. You want to know why churches are declining?

Because God is shutting many of their doors Look at verse 10, it's better to shut the doors to a church than to perpetrate worthless worship

We can have a fine -tuned theology. It can be reformed like these people But if our hearts are like these people in the last sentence of verse of verse 6 chapter 1 verse 6

We're full of ourselves we're so Over up to so unaware of our corrupted worship.

We ask God how we despise your name We like what we're doing unaware of how unsacrificial our worship is then we will be

Rejected to be a rejected Church. God hasn't got his left them even though they may not know it

It's like having left your house and calling back To someone behind you. Could you close the door behind me, please?

That's what God is doing here. He's left that house And he did that temple that or the church.

Could someone please shut the door for me? I'm gone This is about us

We think highly of ourselves for having maybe better doctrine more theologically correct music our psalm singing our expository

Preaching our heads around the Lord's table. That is our proper preparation for the Lord's Supper and and on and on But if we have no fear of God We're just so impressed with ourself.

We got the formula, right? No reverence no trembling at his word then God says in verse 10

I Have no pleasure in you You might be enjoying what you're doing.

God says, but I don't Worship is to be done for an audience of one

That's why we say it's not a show Our slides might be messed up our sound system popping.

I might say um too much Look at my notes too long But if it's done with reverence and awe it produces change lives your lives change

Then it's worship and God would say I have pleasure in that on the other hand if we had the money and We could pay professional musicians.

We could we could pay Herbie to be a full -time song leader He didn't have to do his physical therapy anymore. He could just Invest all his time in this

We could have sound technicians to run the sound we could have layout artists to do the slides and We could rehearse everything so it comes off flawlessly

It's just a show maybe it entertains you But it doesn't change you God would say

I have no pleasure in you We think we're offering worship to God, but he says

I will not accept an offering from your hand He wants it shut down because in verses 11 and 12, he doesn't want this

Confusing people that that this is Worship, this is what worship is all about this second -rate entertainment these unchanged lives this sentimental claptrap

Moralism how to be a better person be a nicer person therapy this like a meeting for a counseling this roadkill

Sacrifices that require no sacrifice This spare time and spare change given his so -called service this empty stuff that this

Is somehow worthy of God? No It's not

If your life isn't new And you aren't renewing your mind. You aren't becoming new

You aren't worshiping If we aren't transformed by the greatness of God and see in verse 11 for from the rising of the

Sun to Its setting like in the psalm we sang from the rising of the Sun to its setting.

My name will be great among the nations We don't feel that We aren't worshiping

We want to see with with all that again at the end of verse 11 the name of Jesus he says will be great

Among the nations that he is the great King I used to comment a lot more in race than I do now that some people didn't understand why

I was commenting on race Specifically condemning the racism that used to be so common here in the

South. It wasn't just to make an historical point It certainly wasn't quote, you know virtue signal there were quote woke

It was to make the point that the religion that lives so harmoniously with that racism

You know a whole century after the Civil War when the church grew rapidly in the

South, but at the same time simultaneously side -by -side the culture

Often of the same people growing these churches was so obviously and egregiously disobeying

Jesus a second greatest command to love your neighbor as yourself a Religion that could live with that sin could not denounce it just not expect its members to be different that religion

Had a problem with worship It wasn't producing

Transform lives at least not wholly transformed countercultural lives now

In our day now that that racism has faded somewhat. I think it's I think it has What do you think of the chances that we still have the problem with worship the race and racism might have changed

But has the worship really changed? Now, it's great that there's less racism, but that doesn't necessarily mean that we've changed the root problem with worship that we now have

Suddenly we we have inexplicably we have new churches where our great king is now

Finally getting the worship that he deserves is that's what happening Remember he is majestic and holy and awesome.

He's the board of hosts with armies at his command legions of angels at his beck and call

Planets spinning and stars blazing as he declares his glory.

He he speaks and We're supposed to tremble He says love your neighbor as yourself now if we're

We're real worshipers If we're really giving him the honor that he's do we fear him we tremble at his word

We'll obey We'll change According to his command will be transformed.

Why is the church in America declining? because of defected preachers beginning in Chapter 1 verse 6

God is addressing the priest for most of most of this. He's addressing the priests They are the ones who should know the law

That the law does not allow these mangy lambs and these blind goats and this rogue kill They should know what they're allowing is not allowable by God's law

They should that those aren't proper sacrifices. They know it's wrong But they don't stand up for what's right, you know, they're probably thinking to themselves.

Why should I get mr Deep pockets these rich guys coming in offering their their second rate sacrifices Why should

I get them angry for telling them that their possum? They're off they picked up off the highway is not an acceptable sacrifice in chapter 2 verse 1

The Lord reminds us again that he's addressing first the priest this command is for you for you priests now

Sure, everyone has been in on this shabby worship. They're all in on it But you you priests have been leading the way in the shabby worship

Instead of leading the right way Now I've spent much of my adult life around pastors or pastors and training and some of them are some of the best people you ever hope to meet

Unselfish and caring and kind and giving and generous and godly and serious and committed but there are others that well,

I Just don't want to think about Of all that could be said about the reasons why the church is declining.

I believe the number one reason is The hireling ministry that is those who do it do their ministry for for the money for the career

Maybe some for some maybe not necessarily money for the recognition for the ego boost They get to have people come and listen to them for half an hour 45 minutes every week

They don't carry the burden of the Word of the Lord nor are they really troubled by the troubles of the sheep?

Because they're hired hands They're doing it for themselves Either for their pocketbook or for their ego or both if this flock gets to be too much trouble or too little pay

Well, then they'll go elsewhere Where the grass is greener if the wolves attack

They'll just run away They are defected preachers They are just defective

They have defected They have traded sides They may have begun with some desire to serve

God to see his kingdom grow to be used in that to be for Jesus, but when they saw the price to be paid and When the other side offered better pay a more comfortable lifestyle they defected

Just like Soviet spies or pilots used to defect or still today

Cuban baseball players might defect to the u .s These preachers have defected to the side that used to be their enemy

They may have begun on the side of God's kingdom, but now they just want to protect the old boys network or their pension or their status

They may have begun wanting to declare the whole Council of God, but now they'll skip over those parts

That mr. Deep pockets doesn't like what they know might offend these people Maybe like you saw

I hated like last week John Piper said about such men quote when the glory of God no longer satisfies the heart of a preacher.

He can do two things Leave the ministry or stay and preach for money would that they all left

Would that they all left God despises the fraudulent ministry all about pleasing people

Maintaining the ego or the esteem of the minister or just for the money He despises that kind of spiritual leadership because he loves his sheep

Jesus the true good shepherd died to buy the lives of the sheep that these hireling

Minister so -called ministers his hirelings these people for pay are willing to sacrifice on the alters alters of their career

Notice what he promised it to do to them in chapter 2 verse 3. This is quite bold quite severe

Chapter 2 verse 3 behold God speaking. I will rebuke your

Offspring your children Jesus will later literally rebuke the offspring of these priests

He rebuked the priest of his own day. I wonder For today if a reason why many were

PK's they call him preachers kids have a bad reputation Is that the Lord is the Lord fulfilling this verse?

He rebukes the children of the professional ministry Then notice there in verse 3

I will spread dung on your faces the dung of your offerings

Otherwise, they weren't properly cleaning them and presenting them. And so he's gonna Put it on them Gotta say he's gonna take out the excrement that is in these mangy lambs and blind goats and roadkill

And he's gonna smear it on their faces. He said you want to know what I think of you you're like this and rubs their faces in it and then it says

You shall be taken away Taken away to the dungheap down the sewer where you belong with the rest of the excrement

Chapter 2 verse 3 They so crave popularity and approval or money but in the end of verse 9 the

Lord promises they will be despised Says a based that means humiliated

Before all the people they got into it for their ego God will bring them down They cause many to stumble by their instruction he says in chapter 2 verse 8 they tell the wealthy

That their roadkill is acceptable. They show partiality. In other words the people that can do them favors They tell them all anything they want to hear and then the poor they don't care about Just like today many tell some church attendees that their sins are fine

If they're uncommitted life never really laid down as a as a living sacrifice their worldly ways of thinking

Maybe in the past their racism their now their greed their materialism living forgetting. Well, it's all fine

Particularly if you're influential and can help me out. I'll tell you what you want to hear It's amazing to me today how many otherwise, you know conservative evangelicals who are often many other subjects will will rail about Taking it all of Word of God literally

Some of many of the very same people will pass over Jesus's teaching about money you know

Jesus said do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth and that was often just ignored today a preacher of a prominent preacher today makes or has a net worth of 14 million dollars and They excuse that it's just yeah, he's on my side.

I like him like what he says Okay, never mind. Jesus said Do not lay it for yourself treasure.

Never mind. We'll let it slide Showing partiality he's on my side, right?

Now being naive I once asked why in the past during the long period when the church was growing side -by -side

During the time with slavery and segregation Why ask why? In the why in the

South? Why did white preachers correct the racism? Why didn't they rail against the racism of their church members?

Why didn't they scold them for it and tell them to repent and I was told simply well because they get fired. That's why

Well to the hireling That that ends their argument doesn't it about whether you should speak on that They're paid to say stuff and they say it and they take their pay

And so God promises to strike white right where they live They turn the religion into a business to benefit themselves.

And so God promises in chapter 2 verse 2 to make the product they put out Unmarketable People are going to them going to the temple for a blessing, you know

So they're they're the wife gives birth healthy children and all they have they prosper

They want a blessing from God if they give a sacrifice, but God says he will turn these hirelings blessings into curses

Whatever they ask for a blessing for these priests They will be cursed and people soon get the connection every time I go to this priest and ask for a blessing it turns out that worse than before That'll dry up demand for their product quickly

In verse 2 because the priests won't take the Word of God seriously because they lack the fear of God God promises to ruin their business

He takes his own glory that seriously, but most of all he despises the hiring ministry because that ministry despises

God They are the people in chapter 1 verse 6 who despise God's name by choosing to pander to people's

Self -centered desires to have services are all about them their sentiments their feelings their ego.

Maybe their politics They didn't really believe that the name of the Lord would be great among the nations that the

Lord is the great king they have a lot more fear a lot more respect for Their governor than they do for the

Lord Or maybe today for preachers from for a few powerful agitators who might get them fired than they do for the prospect of standing before God One day and giving account of their ministry.

Where is the fear and the awe of God that is lacking in so many churches It's been lost in the cowardice of the defected

Preachers, but not all preachers are defected some are

Accepted pastors here exemplified by by Levi. He's the father of all the priests

God will judge the defected preachers notice in verse 4. He does it as a way of setting them apart that's the defected preachers setting them apart from the accepted pastors, so The purpose of judgment you shall know

Who are the ones he's coveted with? By doing it. I was got other words God is saying by doing what

I'm going to do to them to these defected preachers these bad priests You'll know that there are true

Pastors that I've called I'm gonna be able to separate them here in verses 5 to 7 we see the picture first of Levi father the priest and here a model of the accepted pastor and a type of the high priest that we need

He's like a tree Here first in verse 5 the roots He fears

God Remember how this began? Where's my fear? Where's where's the awe?

Well, the accepted pastor he fears God. He has it. His heart is rooted in reverence of the

Lord He knows that one day he will be judged the accepted pastor doesn't want to go out of his way to offend people

Just go out and just make people unhappy just to make them unhappy Looking for a fight, but he knows that if he holds something of God's Word, he holds it back

Just because it will make some people upset Then he will be judged by God for that He fears

God's judgment more than man's approval Jesus had in John chapter 12 verse 49 that the father commanded him what to say and he spoke it

Think of that. He father commanded him what to say Jesus spoke it and that's why sometimes

What he said got him in trouble got him crucified Then the trunk of his life the accepted pastor the trunk of his life like a tree the trunk of his life is a commitment to the

Word of God to Teach it to defend it and the first part of chapter 6 true instruction

Was in his mouth originally in Levi Now here and their day in the good priest

Accepted pastor true instruction was in his mouth and no wrong Was found on his lips

In verse 7 he guards knowledge He guards he protects it

That's he protects the truth from assaults from false teachers So when the Jehovah's Witnesses are the

Mormons they come around tried to deny that Jesus is God he guards the truth and When someone from inside the church denies sound doctrine he stands up for it rather than just kind of wetting his finger and say

What is this? Should I? So I stand up for the truth here or go with the crowd

See which way the wind is blowing he's a messenger of The Lord of Hosts He gives the message from the

Lord with his with his armies and his under his command God's people hear the voice of God in his teaching

He's bringing him God's message and so like a trunk of a tree that resolve to guard the truth

Makes him sturdy and strong So he holds up Against the the gusting winds of new fashionable

Doctrines so the church is not blown away By them of every wind of doctrine.

The reason the gates of hell won't prevail against the church is because Jesus defends it

Then the branches of his life that is he's like a tree his godliness his personal commitment to the Lord and In the middle of verse 6 he walked with me.

That's what Levi's like a model and a type walked with me in peace and Uprightness as branches of a tree bear the leaves that soak up the energy from the

Sun and so to our personal walk with the Lord With God our life of prayer and Bible reading meditation our hearts inclinations with the presence of God that gives energy to grow

Being a spiritual leaders into just a job. He does from 9 to 5 and once the day's shift is over So is his work.

It's an expression of who he is. He walks with God all the time peacefully righteously

Then comes the fruit at the end of our six that easy turns many from aniquity his life and teaching results over time

Like the true vine. I am the true vine You are the branches bear fruit

Results in time and people fearing God and so forsaking their sin That is the tree of the accepted pastors rooted in reverence with a sturdy trunk of upholding

God's Word Hearts soaking up the sunshine of God's Spirit and the fruit of changed lives. God has made a covenant with his people

That's a commitment to his people that they will have such a shepherd They will have a priest who represents us sinners before him who represents us to God who offers

Atonement that is appeasement payment for our sins. God has made that commitment that we will have that So we can offer our redeemed lives back

As living sacrifices, he's bought them now. We offer them back holy acceptable

Worship, why is the church dwindling? Well, it's dwindling because we've despised

God. We've despised him by thinking our Non -sacrificial sacrifices are acceptable in place of the living sacrifice of all our lives.

We reform by admitting that Admitting that we've not honored him like a great king we've not

Really believe that his name the name of Jesus will be great among the nations That is all kinds of people we reform by admitting

That we need a sacrifice something that our unclean hands

Can't offer up that we can't We can't bring from ourselves we reform by being amazed by the mercy

That has already offered up that sacrifice By being us being transformed by grace we reform by admitting that we desperately need a perfect high priest who turns us away from our sins and Pays for those sins who shepherds us

Who walk perfectly with God when we would not we reform?