malachi: 2:1-2:9

it's said that when preaching, the goal is to "afflict the comforted and to comfort the afflicted"
this is more of an afflict the comforted moment.

false views of god: idolatry

the old testament is full of criticism of idols as "gods made with human hands"
our current culture doesn't have such a knack for wooden or metal objects to worship;
we make our gods real by writing books about it.

- a god who gives me what i want, if only i make him real in my head.
- a god who overlooks my sin and the sin of people i like, so that we can all go to "a better place" when we die
you know the type...

anyway...that's the business of those outside the church.

false views of god in the church

i'm not calling it idolatry, but we sometimes minimize or ignore parts of who god is.

we're going to talk today about what i think is the biggest area we currently do this in :

- god's anger and judgement of sin committed by god's people -

1. "And now this commandment is for you, O priests.
2. "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.
3. "Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.
4. "Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of hosts.
5. "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
6. "True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.
7. "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
8. "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts.
9. "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.

mal 2:4

5. "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
6. "True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.
7. "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
8. "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts.
9. "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.

note: please be aware that this section is specifically given to the priests...

1. priests received a special warning because they have a special role.

priests had a special job (v7):

"the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge and men should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts."

their failure has broad consequnces (v8):

"But as for you [priests], you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts.

their special role means that they are given either extra honor or extra consequences.

2. this is the case for leaders in the bible generally, new testament as well.

numbers 20:12 - moses strikes the rock to bring forth water...but does so incorrectly (bad motives? in anger?). god is angry with him.

but the lord said to moses and aaron, "becausee you have not believed me, to treat me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.

james 3:1

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

1 timothy speaks of honor for elders and the need to rebuke them publically "so the reste also may be fearful of sinning"

3. (application) neat...what should non-elders do with this though?

a. please pray for jeff and i that we would be innocent and would not "cause many to stumble."
b. those of you who might desire to lead, focus on genuine personal morality.

mal 2:2,3 and 2:8,9

2. "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.
3. "Behold, I am going to rebuke your offspring, and I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.

(jump)

8. "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of hosts.
9. "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction.

note: this is a broader application of the principle specifically applied to the priests here.

1. god has always punished the sin of his people.

- in the desert, the people grumbled and complained due to the lack of meat. god gave them meat and a plague. numbers 11:33:

"while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague."

- in the desert, the people grumble against moses. god sends a plague and 14,700 die.

"while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague."

2. god punishes sin in the the church as well.

in acts, we saw annanias and sapphira killed for their sin (acts 5)
1 cor speaks of some being killed for their sins against the body (1 cor 11)
1 pet 3:7 speaks of prayer being hindered for husbands who don't grant their wives honor as fellow heir's of the grace of life.

3. (application) "the fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge" (prov 1:7)

- currently unpopular ...

a few unpopular beliefs currently:
satan and demons exist and seek your downfall
god sometimes punishes sin on earth

- the fear of the lord is considered virtue throughout the bible

the concept of fear in the bible goes well beyond 'respect'.
fear involves some basic fear.

god is an awesome and holy god.
"our god is a consuming fire"

- believe that god is angry about your personal sin.

- letting ourselves off the hook

we justify our sin quickly - we have reasons.

"i just can't control myself regarding _____" (contrary to 1 cor 10:13)
"i was angry because _____" (sin as justifiable response to other sin)
"i'm not perfect." (sin as not that important; lack of fear.)

- remember that god hates sin

god does not treat sin laxly - we should not either.
we often need to change our beliefs of god away from "mr teddy bear" to correct our patterns.

we must keep the holiness of god in mind and fight satanic attitudes excusing what he hates.

- change habits that lead you to sin

- figure out what areas in life you are allowing sin in

you may not be - fantastic. the bible does not say everyone is.
if you are not, please consider taking a more active role in ministry because that is spiritual maturity.

if you are, be honest about what areas this is in.

- pray for purity

- flee temptation

change circumstances if you find patterns to your sin.
do whatever you need to do for purity.

mal 2:4

"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, **** that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of hosts. ***

god's anger at sin is (for his people) good for his people.

in other words, not only is god holy, but he is also loving.

heb 12:6 quotes prov 3:12, reminding us that god disciplines those whome he loves.
god's discipline of his people is done to purify his people.

this is applied both individually and corporately

god's discipline and desire for purity is applied to us personally and us as a group.
in addition to heb 12, 1 cor 5 also speaks applying church discipline per matt 18 for the purity and health of the church.

purity is god's perfect will for us.

phil 2:13-16

12. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13. for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14. Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
15. so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
16. holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.