WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.259 You are listening to the podcast of Richland 00:00:03.259 --> 00:00:06.700 Hills Baptist Church. We are located in Richland 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:09.919 Hills, Texas. Our desire here is to believe, 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:13.140 live, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:16.600 As you're listening to our podcast today, if 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:18.640 you have any questions, you can find us on the 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:25.489 web at RichlandHillsBC .com. God bless you. All 00:00:25.489 --> 00:00:27.809 right, well, if you have your Bible with you 00:00:27.809 --> 00:00:31.609 this morning, you can open to the book of Malachi 00:00:31.609 --> 00:00:37.250 chapter one. And you can always use the pew Bible 00:00:37.250 --> 00:00:40.590 in front of you or your phone or device or however 00:00:40.590 --> 00:00:43.789 you have God's word. But we'll look at Malachi 00:00:43.789 --> 00:00:47.329 chapter one. We'll start at verse six and then 00:00:47.329 --> 00:00:52.640 we'll go through the end of that chapter. When 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.179 I was in high school, I learned a special skill, 00:00:56.439 --> 00:01:00.439 I'll call it, or a special art. Maybe some of 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:05.939 you did too. It was the art of doing just enough. 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:11.319 Does anybody remember that? In high school, you 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:14.459 know, you learn pretty quickly if you pick up 00:01:14.459 --> 00:01:18.180 on things. What do you need to do to just pass 00:01:18.180 --> 00:01:22.290 the class, right? And you learn pretty fast, 00:01:22.409 --> 00:01:25.609 right, if you do the assignments, if you do the 00:01:25.609 --> 00:01:30.409 homework, maybe if you pass a test or two, that 00:01:30.409 --> 00:01:32.409 you'll get pretty good grades in high school, 00:01:32.469 --> 00:01:36.489 won't you? It wasn't that difficult. I did just 00:01:36.489 --> 00:01:40.090 enough, just enough to not get trouble from my 00:01:40.090 --> 00:01:43.290 parents, just enough to maybe even get a squeak 00:01:43.290 --> 00:01:48.319 out of B, just enough. Now, as you progress in 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.760 your educational life, you learn that just enough 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:55.599 is not good enough. But I look back now and I 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:58.420 sort of shake my head because I realize how much 00:01:58.420 --> 00:02:02.019 did I leave on the table, so to speak, in high 00:02:02.019 --> 00:02:05.659 school by doing just enough? May have left money 00:02:05.659 --> 00:02:09.379 on the table in terms of scholarships or opportunities. 00:02:10.900 --> 00:02:15.759 It was just enough. Then I realized that this 00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:19.360 just enough mentality wasn't just a me in high 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:23.759 school problem. It seems to be a universal weakness 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:28.120 of people, a temptation, if you will. We are 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:33.680 people so often of just enough. Just enough work 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:38.680 to not get fired. Just enough in our marriage 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:43.699 to not make our spouse mad. Just enough in our 00:02:43.699 --> 00:02:47.800 finances to not go broke. Just enough in our 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.099 health to not have to go to the doctor too much. 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:55.639 Just enough. Like we figure out in life what 00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:59.159 is required of me, what is expected of me, and 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:03.500 I'll do just enough. Now it's funny because the 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:06.560 things that we enjoy, our hobbies, we do far 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:10.169 more than just enough, don't we? But the things 00:03:10.169 --> 00:03:13.330 that we're required to do, the duties, the things 00:03:13.330 --> 00:03:16.849 that were expected, so often there's a temptation 00:03:16.849 --> 00:03:22.289 to do just enough. But then we become Christians 00:03:22.289 --> 00:03:26.150 and we're excited and we love God. And maybe 00:03:26.150 --> 00:03:28.689 you become a Christian later in your life. And 00:03:28.689 --> 00:03:31.550 I love God and I want to serve him. And you go 00:03:31.550 --> 00:03:35.629 all out. But then that sort of just enough mentality 00:03:35.629 --> 00:03:41.050 begins to creep in, doesn't it? Just enough praying. 00:03:42.370 --> 00:03:47.210 Just enough Bible reading. Just enough worship. 00:03:47.930 --> 00:03:53.789 Service. Just enough. But this morning I want 00:03:53.789 --> 00:03:58.310 us to consider this idea. As we look at Malachi. 00:03:59.509 --> 00:04:02.370 This idea of just enough or I'm going to call 00:04:02.370 --> 00:04:06.870 it half -hearted worship. Half -hearted worship 00:04:06.870 --> 00:04:11.259 is nothing less. than wholehearted disobedience. 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:16.899 Half -hearted worship is nothing less than full 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:21.500 -hearted disobedience. Let's read in Malachi 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:27.819 chapter 1. A son honors his father and a servant 00:04:27.819 --> 00:04:34.759 his master. If then I'm a father, where is my 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:38.300 honor? And if I'm a master, where is my fear? 00:04:39.050 --> 00:04:43.410 says the Lord of hosts to you. O priest who despise 00:04:43.410 --> 00:04:46.810 my name, but you say, how have we despised your 00:04:46.810 --> 00:04:51.050 name? By offering polluted food upon my altar, 00:04:51.129 --> 00:04:55.610 but you say, how have we polluted you? By saying 00:04:55.610 --> 00:05:00.189 that the Lord's table may be despised. When you 00:05:00.189 --> 00:05:03.529 offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not 00:05:03.529 --> 00:05:07.550 evil? And when you offer those that are lame 00:05:07.550 --> 00:05:12.310 or sick, Is that not evil? Present that to your 00:05:12.310 --> 00:05:17.230 governor. Will he accept you or show favor? Says 00:05:17.230 --> 00:05:20.689 the Lord of hosts. And now entreat the favor 00:05:20.689 --> 00:05:24.149 of God that he may be gracious to us with such 00:05:24.149 --> 00:05:27.170 a gift from your hand. Will he show favor to 00:05:27.170 --> 00:05:33.730 any of you? Says the Lord of hosts. Oh, that 00:05:33.730 --> 00:05:37.569 there were one among you who would shut the doors. 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:41.839 that you may not kindle fire on my altar in vain. 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:47.019 I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, 00:05:47.259 --> 00:05:52.019 and I will not accept an offering from your hand. 00:05:53.100 --> 00:05:56.420 For from the rising of the sun to its setting, 00:05:56.519 --> 00:06:02.319 my name will be great among the nations. And 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:05.980 in every place, incense will be offered to my 00:06:05.980 --> 00:06:09.589 name in a pure offering. For my name will be 00:06:09.589 --> 00:06:11.889 great among the nations, said the Lord of hosts. 00:06:13.029 --> 00:06:16.410 But you profane it when you say that the Lord's 00:06:16.410 --> 00:06:20.329 table is polluted and its fruit, that is its 00:06:20.329 --> 00:06:25.470 food, may be despised. But you say, what a weariness 00:06:25.470 --> 00:06:29.870 this is. And you snort at it, says the Lord of 00:06:29.870 --> 00:06:34.069 hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence 00:06:34.069 --> 00:06:37.300 or is lame or sick. And this you bring as your 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:41.279 offering. Shall I accept that from your hand, 00:06:41.420 --> 00:06:47.139 says the Lord? Cursed be the cheat who has a 00:06:47.139 --> 00:06:50.319 male in his flock and he vows it and yet sacrifices 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:56.740 to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great 00:06:56.740 --> 00:07:01.639 king, says the Lord of hosts. In my name will 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:07.180 be feared. Among the nations. Father may you 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:12.879 honor. Lord the reading of your word. The preaching 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:17.680 of your word. May it not be my words Lord but 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:22.959 your words. Through me. May your words speak. 00:07:23.819 --> 00:07:27.899 Directly to where we are. May it speak to our 00:07:27.899 --> 00:07:32.060 hearts. And father may we not hear this and. 00:07:32.339 --> 00:07:35.439 Think. Oh, I wish so and so would hear this. 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:40.480 Father, may we hear it for ourselves. And may 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:47.800 you do a work in us. In Jesus' name, amen. Malachi 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:53.759 is prophesying to a people, to a people that 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:57.500 had been brought back from captivity in Babylon, 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:07.100 a people who, now had the temple. They could 00:08:07.100 --> 00:08:12.000 worship God. And yet these were also a people 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:18.439 who were disillusioned, disgruntled, disobedient. 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:23.600 These were people that had a just enough mentality. 00:08:25.100 --> 00:08:27.259 Now, depending on when this was written, some 00:08:27.259 --> 00:08:30.800 of them may have grown up now outside of Babylon. 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:33.080 Maybe they weren't in Babylon. Some of them may 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:36.539 have grown up back in this area. Some of them 00:08:36.539 --> 00:08:40.419 may have come, but they are a just enough people. 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:45.940 And God is writing to them. God is prophesying 00:08:45.940 --> 00:08:49.100 to them. He's saying, listen, you're half -hearted 00:08:49.100 --> 00:08:56.179 in your worship. they weren't offering their 00:08:56.179 --> 00:09:00.059 very best to God. They were cutting corners. 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:03.080 They were doing what they thought was required, 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:06.639 but God says, no, that's not what you're supposed 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:12.899 to be doing. They're just enough. And I want 00:09:12.899 --> 00:09:16.100 us to see this morning again that this half -hearted 00:09:16.100 --> 00:09:20.620 worship, this half -hearted worship was nothing 00:09:20.620 --> 00:09:23.080 less than fool -hearted disobedience. This was 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:27.919 not what God One of the first things that we 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:31.379 see is that they were offering worship that was 00:09:31.379 --> 00:09:36.259 polluted. Worship that is polluted. Now, the 00:09:36.259 --> 00:09:39.720 system of worship in the Old Testament was remarkably 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:44.500 clear. I mean, God laid out exactly how they 00:09:44.500 --> 00:09:48.620 should worship him. God even laid out, these 00:09:48.620 --> 00:09:50.159 are the people that are going to lead you in 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:53.009 worship, the priests. Here's where you're going 00:09:53.009 --> 00:09:55.490 to worship me, in the tabernacle, in the later 00:09:55.490 --> 00:09:58.470 of the temple. Here's what you're going to offer 00:09:58.470 --> 00:10:02.710 me in worship. And God, if you've read in Leviticus, 00:10:02.769 --> 00:10:05.389 you know that God laid it out very clear, right? 00:10:07.110 --> 00:10:11.149 Here's what you do. I mean, it was not a mystery. 00:10:11.330 --> 00:10:13.850 It was not something that they had to figure 00:10:13.850 --> 00:10:16.549 out on their own. God said, here is what you 00:10:16.549 --> 00:10:21.909 do in worship. But God has a complaint. Remember, 00:10:22.149 --> 00:10:25.149 in the book of Malachi, it's listed as six different 00:10:25.149 --> 00:10:29.370 disputes that God has with his people. And this 00:10:29.370 --> 00:10:33.129 is the second. And he says, listen, a son honors 00:10:33.129 --> 00:10:39.350 his father, a servant his master. In that time 00:10:39.350 --> 00:10:42.250 period, it was expected a son would honor his 00:10:42.250 --> 00:10:45.309 father, a servant the master. That was the proper 00:10:45.309 --> 00:10:50.840 order of things. He says, listen, if a son does 00:10:50.840 --> 00:10:54.559 that, if a servant does that, and if I'm the 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:59.840 father, then where is my honor? He says, I'm 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.659 your father, and you're not honoring me. I'm 00:11:02.659 --> 00:11:07.799 your master, and you are not honoring me. He 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:11.340 said, you are not doing what is right. Where 00:11:11.340 --> 00:11:17.659 is my honor? Where is my fear, he says. And so 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:21.519 often when we talk about fearing God, we understand 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:26.620 that it's that full respect. It's understanding 00:11:26.620 --> 00:11:31.120 who God is. They're not respecting God. They 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:37.340 have no fear of him. And then he says, you despise 00:11:37.340 --> 00:11:42.759 my name, oh priest. I want you to make note that 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:45.980 right away God is speaking directly to the priest. 00:11:47.179 --> 00:11:51.639 The people that were for God, the people that 00:11:51.639 --> 00:11:54.899 were supposed to lead people in worship, these 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:59.059 priests were ordained to lead people to worship 00:11:59.059 --> 00:12:03.720 a holy God. He said, where's my honor? Where's 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:08.860 my fear? You despise my name? Whenever you see 00:12:08.860 --> 00:12:11.620 that idea of the name of God, you understand 00:12:11.620 --> 00:12:16.600 that a name is more than just a name. The name 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:20.799 of God represents his character, his position, 00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:25.320 his work. And so when it says you have despised 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:30.159 my name, he's saying you have despised me. You've 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:36.620 despised me. You have no fear of me. You can 00:12:36.620 --> 00:12:41.059 hear the people kind of bristle at this. They're 00:12:41.059 --> 00:12:44.990 offended. How have we done this, God? How have 00:12:44.990 --> 00:12:48.990 we despised your name? How have we done this, 00:12:49.129 --> 00:12:52.730 God, the priest or saint? He says, you offer 00:12:52.730 --> 00:12:57.509 polluted food. You bring polluted food. He said, 00:12:57.549 --> 00:13:00.529 how have we done that, God? How have we brought 00:13:00.529 --> 00:13:05.090 polluted food? He says that you say that the 00:13:05.090 --> 00:13:08.690 Lord's table may be despised. You bring blind 00:13:08.690 --> 00:13:14.159 animals. You bring animals that are blind and 00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:20.960 lame. Is that not evil? You bring animals that 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:25.600 are sick. Is that not evil? Now, some of us may 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:27.980 see that and say, well, you know, what does it 00:13:27.980 --> 00:13:31.120 matter if what sort of sacrifice they bring, 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:33.440 right? As long as God says bring a sacrifice. 00:13:33.659 --> 00:13:36.360 Well, it matters because in the book of Deuteronomy, 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:42.440 it says this. Speaking of your sacrifice. But 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:45.980 if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind 00:13:45.980 --> 00:13:49.419 or has any serious blemish, whatever, you shall 00:13:49.419 --> 00:13:56.539 not sacrifice this to your God, to God. He says 00:13:56.539 --> 00:13:59.779 if it's blemished, lame, blind, don't do it. 00:13:59.820 --> 00:14:03.000 This is not an acceptable sacrifice. This is 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:08.309 against God's law. I mean, that's as clear as 00:14:08.309 --> 00:14:11.809 you can get. And God says, this is how you polluted 00:14:11.809 --> 00:14:16.429 the offering. This is how you've brought worship 00:14:16.429 --> 00:14:23.409 that is polluted. And the people, perhaps he 00:14:23.409 --> 00:14:26.269 knows that they need more proof. He says, okay, 00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:31.509 think about it this way. And he lets us think 00:14:31.509 --> 00:14:35.519 about it. Imagine here at Richland Hills Baptist 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.659 Church, we were honored to have a very high -ranking 00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:43.820 official. Maybe a government official or some 00:14:43.820 --> 00:14:48.220 very important person. And we were going to have 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:53.440 a potluck, as it were, that day. And imagine 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:57.559 we come and we sit the official down and I say, 00:14:57.639 --> 00:15:00.480 Earlene, will you heat up the leftover Little 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:07.759 Caesar's pizza? scrounge up what we have? Can 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:12.960 you dust the crumbs off the table there? We would 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:17.039 never do that, would we? We would never treat 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:22.000 someone that deserves honor and respect. And 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.679 God's saying that to these people. He says, listen, 00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:29.549 you try doing that to the governor. And this 00:15:29.549 --> 00:15:31.789 was the Persian governor, the governor that would 00:15:31.789 --> 00:15:34.769 be over the area. He says, imagine doing that 00:15:34.769 --> 00:15:38.289 to your governor. Imagine bringing to the governor 00:15:38.289 --> 00:15:40.669 what wasn't the best and just giving him the 00:15:40.669 --> 00:15:44.690 leftovers, if you were. Imagine giving him the 00:15:44.690 --> 00:15:47.809 leftovers. Do you think that he's going to accept 00:15:47.809 --> 00:15:53.929 that? Do you think that he's going to think that 00:15:53.929 --> 00:15:59.330 that's really good? He goes, no. But he says, 00:15:59.330 --> 00:16:03.409 that's what you do. You're offering this half 00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:07.889 -hearted worship. And now he's saying, you need 00:16:07.889 --> 00:16:11.289 to treat the favor of God that he may be gracious 00:16:11.289 --> 00:16:14.769 to us. With such a gift from your hand, will 00:16:14.769 --> 00:16:18.409 he show favor to any of you? And the answer is 00:16:18.409 --> 00:16:23.669 implied, no, because they're not offering a good 00:16:23.669 --> 00:16:29.909 gift. They're worship. is polluted. Now, as we 00:16:29.909 --> 00:16:33.350 walk through this text, I want you to consider, 00:16:33.450 --> 00:16:39.129 I want us to consider our own lives, our own 00:16:39.129 --> 00:16:41.830 acts of worship. And the book of Romans tells 00:16:41.830 --> 00:16:46.389 us that worship is more than just a place, more 00:16:46.389 --> 00:16:49.809 than just something that we do. It's our very 00:16:49.809 --> 00:16:53.450 lives, isn't it? If you look in Romans chapter 00:16:53.450 --> 00:16:57.690 12, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by 00:16:57.690 --> 00:17:00.230 the mercies of God, to present your bodies as 00:17:00.230 --> 00:17:04.609 a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, 00:17:04.690 --> 00:17:10.509 which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed 00:17:10.509 --> 00:17:12.670 to this world, but be transformed by the renewal 00:17:12.670 --> 00:17:15.430 of your mind, that by testing you may discern 00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:18.750 what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable 00:17:18.750 --> 00:17:22.730 and perfect. He says that we're to present our 00:17:22.730 --> 00:17:25.849 bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, 00:17:25.950 --> 00:17:31.450 our spiritual worship. Are we offering to God 00:17:31.450 --> 00:17:35.970 worship that is polluted? Are we offering to 00:17:35.970 --> 00:17:41.680 God half -hearted worship? Now, I'm asking first 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:45.259 individually, and then we certainly, we make 00:17:45.259 --> 00:17:49.180 that corporately, but are we offering, are you 00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:52.440 offering to God in your life what's left over? 00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:57.880 Hey, God, you can have the leftover time, the 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:00.839 leftover money, the leftover energy, whatever's 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:04.380 left over, God, you can have it. It's all for 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:08.359 you, God, whatever's left over. It's funny how 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:12.039 There's not usually much left over, is there? 00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:18.640 They were offering to God the polluted. But then 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:23.279 we see that this worship is worship that's rejected. 00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:30.440 God does not accept this worship. He says, oh, 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.619 that there were one among you who would shut 00:18:32.619 --> 00:18:35.220 the doors, that you might not kindle the fire 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:38.700 on my altar in vain. I have no pleasure in you, 00:18:38.799 --> 00:18:42.480 says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:47.160 an offering from your hand. God's saying, would 00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:51.000 you shut the doors of the temple? Just stop. 00:18:51.059 --> 00:18:53.140 I don't like it. This wasn't the first time. 00:18:53.400 --> 00:18:56.960 Joseph read one this morning in Amos. We see 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:01.259 this in Isaiah and Jeremiah. What's interesting 00:19:01.259 --> 00:19:05.460 is that there was one time that a king, he shut 00:19:05.460 --> 00:19:09.660 the doors to the temple, but he shut the doors 00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:17.980 to pursue idols. God said, shut the doors. I'm 00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:21.500 not going to accept what you offer me. It's as 00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:25.529 if these people that they... They did not honor 00:19:25.529 --> 00:19:28.750 God. They did not offer him the best. It's almost 00:19:28.750 --> 00:19:31.329 as if they viewed God as some sort of desperate 00:19:31.329 --> 00:19:34.109 deity that was just begging for them to give 00:19:34.109 --> 00:19:38.029 them something. Oh, would you please give me 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:43.650 something? Like a teenager that just wants somebody 00:19:43.650 --> 00:19:48.029 to love him, please love me. Is God some sort 00:19:48.029 --> 00:19:51.849 of desperate deity that just is so needy for 00:19:51.849 --> 00:20:00.750 worship? That's how we sometimes view God. But 00:20:00.750 --> 00:20:07.950 God does not need our worship. God doesn't need 00:20:07.950 --> 00:20:13.450 anything from us. We don't offer anything to 00:20:13.450 --> 00:20:17.869 God that he doesn't have already. We don't give 00:20:17.869 --> 00:20:20.390 anything to God that, again, that he doesn't 00:20:20.390 --> 00:20:25.410 have. God doesn't need us, but God desires us 00:20:25.410 --> 00:20:30.650 to live obedient lives of worship. God desires 00:20:30.650 --> 00:20:35.690 us to be people that desire to love Him, not 00:20:35.690 --> 00:20:38.230 because He needs it, but because when we love 00:20:38.230 --> 00:20:41.430 and worship God, we are living in accordance 00:20:41.430 --> 00:20:44.769 to really fully being people that are made in 00:20:44.769 --> 00:20:48.349 His image. Have you ever thought about that? 00:20:49.130 --> 00:20:54.819 When we worship God, When we live and worship 00:20:54.819 --> 00:20:58.759 and love for him, we are the most real as people 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:02.319 as will ever be. Because when we worship God, 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:05.380 we are living out really truly what it means 00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:10.519 to be made in his image. That's the most human 00:21:10.519 --> 00:21:15.440 we can be. And God says, this is what I want. 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:17.880 This is what I want you to do. But he says, I 00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:24.049 will not accept it. God does not grade on a curve 00:21:24.049 --> 00:21:26.450 like my high school teachers did. I figured that 00:21:26.450 --> 00:21:34.410 out too. God does not grade on a curve. God doesn't 00:21:34.410 --> 00:21:36.910 say, well, you know, I mean, you know what? He 00:21:36.910 --> 00:21:40.269 worked really hard. He had a tough week and, 00:21:40.289 --> 00:21:46.789 you know, he gave what he could. If it's not 00:21:46.789 --> 00:21:53.559 according to God's word, it's not enough. Half 00:21:53.559 --> 00:21:57.400 -hearted worship is nothing less than full -hearted 00:21:57.400 --> 00:22:03.440 disobedience. What are we offering to God that 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:05.660 we think is good enough, but God says, that's 00:22:05.660 --> 00:22:13.779 not what I want? Are we giving God what's left 00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:21.039 over? But then we see that there is worship that 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:25.170 is inconvenient. You see what the people were 00:22:25.170 --> 00:22:31.049 saying here? They were, he says, but you profane 00:22:31.049 --> 00:22:33.890 the, you profane it when you say that the Lord's 00:22:33.890 --> 00:22:37.430 table is polluted and its fruit, that its fruit 00:22:37.430 --> 00:22:40.250 may be despised. But you say, what a weariness 00:22:40.250 --> 00:22:45.210 this is. Hey, this is very weary and the people 00:22:45.210 --> 00:22:51.150 are saying, and you snort at it. The people are. 00:22:51.529 --> 00:22:53.890 They see all this, man, we've got to sacrifice 00:22:53.890 --> 00:22:58.230 more animals? I mean, this is a bloody affair, 00:22:58.549 --> 00:23:01.410 right? I mean, their hands are bloody. I mean, 00:23:01.430 --> 00:23:04.109 how inconvenient would that be, really, if you 00:23:04.109 --> 00:23:08.930 think about it? I mean, perhaps some of them 00:23:08.930 --> 00:23:11.529 thought, we sure could use these animals. I mean, 00:23:11.529 --> 00:23:14.269 this is really inconvenient. We could use them 00:23:14.269 --> 00:23:16.890 in the fields. We could use them for our own 00:23:16.890 --> 00:23:19.829 food. I mean, this is rather inconvenient to 00:23:19.829 --> 00:23:24.079 us. I mean, we got to do this all the time. And 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:27.000 I mean, our time could be better used somewhere 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:37.359 else. And in that, they began to cheat God. They 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:39.440 began to make justifications and say, well, you 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:43.440 know, this isn't really, you know, there's some 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:47.740 better things we could be doing. And they began 00:23:47.740 --> 00:23:50.579 to cheat God. You see, as the priest, as the 00:23:50.579 --> 00:23:53.180 leaders who are supposed to lead God's people 00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:56.900 in worship, as they began to profane God's name, 00:23:57.019 --> 00:23:59.559 guess what happened? It began to trickle down 00:23:59.559 --> 00:24:03.240 to the people. And now the people, they were 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:05.339 out there saying, you know what? Yeah, yeah, 00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:08.359 we'll offer you, we'll offer you what we're supposed 00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:12.059 to offer you. We're supposed to, we'll do that. 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:19.450 But instead, They don't, do they? They cheat 00:24:19.450 --> 00:24:25.849 God. They vow it, and they don't do it. They 00:24:25.849 --> 00:24:27.750 say, oh yeah, we'll give you the right sacrifice, 00:24:27.829 --> 00:24:33.869 but then they give them what's prohibited. It's 00:24:33.869 --> 00:24:39.910 all inconvenient. They began to cheat God. You 00:24:39.910 --> 00:24:45.279 see, in our lives, as we begin to... We're not 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.539 really growing our faith. We begin to live. The 00:24:48.539 --> 00:24:52.380 longer we live, and we begin to cut corners sometimes 00:24:52.380 --> 00:24:57.279 or we're tempted. I mean, maybe if you're a Christian 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.660 a long time, we say, well, you know, I'll just 00:24:59.660 --> 00:25:07.059 do enough. You know, I'll come to church some 00:25:07.059 --> 00:25:12.730 of the time. I mean, I'll sacrifice. Some of 00:25:12.730 --> 00:25:17.529 my resources. I'll serve. I'll serve you, God, 00:25:17.690 --> 00:25:24.029 on some days. God, I'll help people. I'll help. 00:25:25.029 --> 00:25:29.910 I'll help some people, though. You see, we become, 00:25:30.170 --> 00:25:35.710 we have a sort of some worship. We do just enough. 00:25:36.789 --> 00:25:42.240 It's half -hearted. We cut corners. I mean, does 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:46.319 God really expect me to give my whole life to 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:51.319 Him? I mean, I've got things to do, God. And 00:25:51.319 --> 00:25:55.319 we cut corners. And our lives no longer look 00:25:55.319 --> 00:26:02.079 to be living sacrifices. Our lives are no longer 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:07.420 lived in worship. We begin to see worshiping 00:26:07.420 --> 00:26:10.339 God as some sort of Burden or duty is something 00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:15.299 that we have to do. There's no joy in it. There's 00:26:15.299 --> 00:26:25.599 no desire. It's all a bit inconvenient. But here's 00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:30.200 what God is telling them. And there's a passage 00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:32.859 even before. And I'll read that and then I'll 00:26:32.859 --> 00:26:38.279 read the end. God says, for my name will be great 00:26:38.279 --> 00:26:43.619 among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. And 00:26:43.619 --> 00:26:48.140 then at the end, for I am a great king, says 00:26:48.140 --> 00:26:52.259 the Lord of hosts, and my name will be feared 00:26:52.259 --> 00:26:58.259 among the nations. There is a true worship that 00:26:58.259 --> 00:27:03.640 is coming. Worship that is coming. God doesn't 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:08.269 need... The people. God doesn't need them to 00:27:08.269 --> 00:27:11.509 do it. And God says, listen, there I will be 00:27:11.509 --> 00:27:14.289 worshiped. My name will be feared. My name will 00:27:14.289 --> 00:27:19.470 be made great. My name will be made great through 00:27:19.470 --> 00:27:25.029 the whole earth. Everybody will worship me. Now, 00:27:25.089 --> 00:27:27.930 I believe this is a prophecy that's going to 00:27:27.930 --> 00:27:34.220 be fully fulfilled when Christ comes back. But 00:27:34.220 --> 00:27:36.539 we begin to see that fulfilled already through 00:27:36.539 --> 00:27:40.619 Jesus Christ, don't we? Through the death, the 00:27:40.619 --> 00:27:43.099 burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ, and now 00:27:43.099 --> 00:27:47.460 the bringing in of the Gentile people, we see 00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:50.599 that God's name, even now, is beginning to be 00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:54.539 made great through all the nations. There are 00:27:54.539 --> 00:27:57.539 people in every nation on this planet that know 00:27:57.539 --> 00:28:03.420 Jesus Christ, I believe. Or at least, if not 00:28:03.420 --> 00:28:06.579 every single one, very many. There are people 00:28:06.579 --> 00:28:09.720 from tribes and nations and tongues that know 00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:15.039 Jesus. But it's still, it's an already, it started, 00:28:15.220 --> 00:28:19.799 but it's not fully yet complete. Because one 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:23.500 day, in the book of Philippians, one of the most 00:28:23.500 --> 00:28:27.019 beautiful passages in Scripture regarding this, 00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:32.950 saying that one day, Therefore God is highly 00:28:32.950 --> 00:28:36.369 exalted on him who is Jesus and bestowed on him 00:28:36.369 --> 00:28:40.269 the name that is above every name, that at the 00:28:40.269 --> 00:28:43.490 name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue 00:28:43.490 --> 00:28:50.930 confess, in heaven and on earth, that Jesus Christ 00:28:50.930 --> 00:28:55.069 is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 00:28:56.309 --> 00:29:01.690 You see, one day, One day every person will bow 00:29:01.690 --> 00:29:07.589 down before holy God. But some people will bow 00:29:07.589 --> 00:29:10.789 down as believers and they will bow down as people 00:29:10.789 --> 00:29:13.869 that know Jesus Christ and they'll be able to 00:29:13.869 --> 00:29:19.690 bow down and worship as believers. But others 00:29:19.690 --> 00:29:25.109 will bow down not as believers, but as enemies. 00:29:26.349 --> 00:29:29.650 And even those who do not love God, have not 00:29:29.650 --> 00:29:32.789 trusted Christ, they too will recognize how great 00:29:32.789 --> 00:29:40.170 God is. But it would be too late. God will get 00:29:40.170 --> 00:29:48.130 the worship He deserves. But how sad would it 00:29:48.130 --> 00:29:53.319 be? For there to be people in our day, for there 00:29:53.319 --> 00:29:56.259 to be people in our churches that sit in our 00:29:56.259 --> 00:30:01.339 pews that will offer the proper worship to God 00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:08.019 too late. All they're offering now is half -hearted 00:30:08.019 --> 00:30:17.680 worship. So the question for us, are we offering 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:23.549 God our very, Now, there's a temptation when 00:30:23.549 --> 00:30:27.230 you hear a sermon like this where we begin to 00:30:27.230 --> 00:30:32.190 think about other people. Or maybe we begin to 00:30:32.190 --> 00:30:37.509 think about maybe worship styles or things that 00:30:37.509 --> 00:30:40.250 we do here. You see, you're right, Pastor. We 00:30:40.250 --> 00:30:45.480 need to do things a little bit differently. We're 00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:47.819 not really worshiping God, right, Pastor? But 00:30:47.819 --> 00:30:50.000 here's what I want you to do is withstand that 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:53.039 temptation, and I want you to consider your heart 00:30:53.039 --> 00:31:00.160 first. Because when there is a church full of 00:31:00.160 --> 00:31:04.079 people that love God and want to worship Him, 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:10.140 guess what? It will be a church that God blesses. 00:31:11.819 --> 00:31:14.720 If there is a church full of people people that 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:17.000 they just want to honor God and give him the 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:19.039 best. They're not going to be worried about these 00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:21.480 little things and this or that. We just want 00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:27.819 everything we do to honor God. And yes, people 00:31:27.819 --> 00:31:30.700 like myself and Joseph and other people that 00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:33.900 lead in worship, yes, we have a very high responsibility. 00:31:33.940 --> 00:31:37.059 We have a very weighty responsibility. It's true. 00:31:40.059 --> 00:31:44.970 It would be a horrible thing for us to ever offer 00:31:44.970 --> 00:31:51.009 to God that isn't our best. It'd be a horrible 00:31:51.009 --> 00:31:54.609 thing for us to ever lead you or other people 00:31:54.609 --> 00:32:00.849 to not worship God fully. That's a very weighty 00:32:00.849 --> 00:32:07.029 thing. But what about your life? Are you offering 00:32:07.029 --> 00:32:12.059 God the best of your time? Are you offering to 00:32:12.059 --> 00:32:16.220 God the best of your resources? Are you offering 00:32:16.220 --> 00:32:22.420 to God the best of what you can offer? Your gifts, 00:32:22.440 --> 00:32:28.539 your abilities? Or are you offering just enough? 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:35.779 Are you half -hearted in your worship? You see, 00:32:35.819 --> 00:32:41.440 a lot of us have learned the art. Of doing just 00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:48.940 enough. In worship. But just enough. Is not enough. 00:32:50.500 --> 00:32:57.640 Half hearted. Is full hearted disobedience. And 00:32:57.640 --> 00:33:01.759 here's where it all comes together. You see when 00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:06.200 you think about the sacrifices. When you think 00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:10.440 about the temple. We don't have to do any of 00:33:10.440 --> 00:33:15.079 that anymore. We don't have to sacrifice animals. 00:33:15.119 --> 00:33:18.400 We've never had an animal sacrifice in this church. 00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:25.400 Praise the Lord. We've never done that. We don't 00:33:25.400 --> 00:33:29.259 have to do all of these things that God has said. 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:32.500 All of these things, they point forward. They 00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:35.359 were a shadow, if you will. They all pointed 00:33:35.359 --> 00:33:40.730 forward to Jesus Christ. And now you and I, we 00:33:40.730 --> 00:33:44.269 have this privilege, this wonderful thing. The 00:33:44.269 --> 00:33:46.690 people, they were worshiping God. They didn't 00:33:46.690 --> 00:33:49.630 fully understand. We can now fully understand 00:33:49.630 --> 00:33:54.789 because of Jesus. God says, listen, you don't 00:33:54.789 --> 00:33:57.289 have to do all these things. All you have to 00:33:57.289 --> 00:34:00.549 do is you just have to offer your life to Jesus 00:34:00.549 --> 00:34:04.769 Christ. That's worship, really, if you will, 00:34:04.849 --> 00:34:11.239 in Romans chapter 12. You give your life. Put 00:34:11.239 --> 00:34:15.880 your life on the altar. And that's really what 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:20.980 it means to be a Christian. Is to give our lives 00:34:20.980 --> 00:34:23.840 to God. Say, God, you do with my life as you 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:30.280 will. I trust you as my Savior, as my Lord. You 00:34:30.280 --> 00:34:33.019 are the Lord of my life. Now here is my life. 00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:40.650 You take my life, God. Romans says I'll be a 00:34:40.650 --> 00:34:45.010 living sacrifice, which sounds impossible, right? 00:34:47.570 --> 00:34:51.769 Sacrifices aren't usually living. But we are. 00:34:53.610 --> 00:34:57.550 We offer our lives. That's the full worship we 00:34:57.550 --> 00:35:04.409 can offer God. Our lives. And so the question. 00:35:06.860 --> 00:35:14.119 Are you offering God your life? All of you. Every 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:19.639 part of you. Are you offering to God, saying, 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:22.079 God, would you say, God, would you just take 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:25.260 my whole life, use it? God, if it changes my 00:35:25.260 --> 00:35:28.719 desire, so be it. God, if it requires me to... 00:35:29.099 --> 00:35:32.360 to give more or give in a different way, so be 00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:35.059 it. God, if it's inconvenient to my life, it 00:35:35.059 --> 00:35:38.460 doesn't matter to me. You take whatever it is 00:35:38.460 --> 00:35:44.199 in my life and use it for your glory. And God, 00:35:44.219 --> 00:35:47.519 if it causes me problems in this world, I don't 00:35:47.519 --> 00:35:52.539 care as long as your name is praised. If it's 00:35:52.539 --> 00:35:55.800 hard and difficult and it is just tough to do, 00:35:55.880 --> 00:35:59.320 God, it doesn't matter to me because This is 00:35:59.320 --> 00:36:08.539 what I want to offer you my life. But that's 00:36:08.539 --> 00:36:14.659 a lot. That's a lot for us to do. And then God 00:36:14.659 --> 00:36:17.880 even, you know what? God in his grace, he knows 00:36:17.880 --> 00:36:19.739 that that's even a lot for us to do. And you 00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:22.079 know what God in his grace has done? He's provided 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:27.260 his Holy Spirit to help us in that. We don't 00:36:27.260 --> 00:36:29.219 even have to do that in our own strength, our 00:36:29.219 --> 00:36:31.679 own power. God says, you know what? Here's a 00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:33.840 comforter. Here's a helper, the Holy Spirit. 00:36:33.900 --> 00:36:41.079 He's going to help you do it. And yet we even 00:36:41.079 --> 00:36:48.260 struggle to do that. Are you offering God the 00:36:48.260 --> 00:36:56.219 very best? Let us pray. Father, may you. Speak 00:36:56.219 --> 00:37:03.360 to our hearts. God, as we consider this passage 00:37:03.360 --> 00:37:09.599 of Scripture, as we consider the half -hearted 00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:12.420 worship of God's people, may we come to understand 00:37:12.420 --> 00:37:17.840 that it is nothing less than full -hearted disobedience. 00:37:19.860 --> 00:37:22.199 And Father, I pray that we would consider our 00:37:22.199 --> 00:37:27.030 own lives in this moment. Father, if there's 00:37:27.030 --> 00:37:29.429 anything in our heart that's holding us back 00:37:29.429 --> 00:37:34.969 from full worship, if there's anything that's 00:37:34.969 --> 00:37:38.070 holding us back from truly understanding that 00:37:38.070 --> 00:37:44.230 Jesus is the Lord of our life, Father, may you 00:37:44.230 --> 00:37:49.269 do a work in us. And perhaps, Lord, there are 00:37:49.269 --> 00:37:51.710 some people here today that have never put their 00:37:51.710 --> 00:37:54.489 faith in Jesus Christ. They've never trusted 00:37:54.489 --> 00:37:59.369 in the sacrifice of Jesus. The sacrifice that 00:37:59.369 --> 00:38:06.809 was made on our behalf. Father, if there's someone 00:38:06.809 --> 00:38:09.289 here that's never put their faith in Christ, 00:38:09.389 --> 00:38:13.469 I pray, God, today, would they trust Jesus as 00:38:13.469 --> 00:38:17.989 their Savior and Lord? May there be someone today 00:38:17.989 --> 00:38:23.670 that would say, I'm ready to follow Jesus. I'm 00:38:23.670 --> 00:38:29.610 ready to give my life, my heart, my all. Take 00:38:29.610 --> 00:38:35.030 me, Lord, and use me. Father, if there's someone 00:38:35.030 --> 00:38:37.110 here that's ready to start that journey, may 00:38:37.110 --> 00:38:41.570 you speak to their heart. But Father, there may 00:38:41.570 --> 00:38:43.849 be others that realize that they've grown cold 00:38:43.849 --> 00:38:46.630 in their worship. They've, Lord, beginning to 00:38:46.630 --> 00:38:52.650 cut corners. Maybe not offering all of our lives, 00:38:52.710 --> 00:39:00.730 but just enough. Maybe giving him, giving you 00:39:00.730 --> 00:39:05.610 some things, God, but not everything. Father, 00:39:05.849 --> 00:39:08.190 maybe in this moment, you are revealing things 00:39:08.190 --> 00:39:13.079 to our heart. You're revealing those things, 00:39:13.179 --> 00:39:15.579 maybe those hidden things in our life, in our 00:39:15.579 --> 00:39:20.420 heart that we're holding on to. That we're not 00:39:20.420 --> 00:39:25.920 willing to give up. Those little idols that we 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:33.280 keep close. Father, if there's anything that 00:39:33.280 --> 00:39:38.179 will hinder our worship, Lord, may we today lay 00:39:38.179 --> 00:39:45.539 it down before you. May you be glorified, God. 00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:52.260 May we begin to offer wholehearted worship.