The Plowman

Beyond the Tithe [ 38:18 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (42)

Beyond the Tithe: Malachi #6. An exposition of Malachi 3:6-15. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 20, 2015.

Intro:

This morning we come to deal with a very familiar passage of Scripture.  In fact it is the only passage from Malachi most Baptists have ever heard preached.  How many times have you heard a message on “storehouse tithing”?  It’s a favorite passage of the “hunt and peck” method.  That is the method of taking a subject and finding some Scripture passage to justify it.  The problem is that too often – these passages are ripped from their context.  It is interesting to note that this whole section on tithing comes in the midst of a discussion of God’s coming as a refiner and purifier.  Of His coming to refine His people and expose “pretenders.”  And just before discussion concerning the Great Day of the Lord.  This passage is not “primarily” about tithing.  Tithing is the example used but the discussion is larger than mere tithing.  It’s more than just how much you give to the work of the Gospel.

The historical and theological context of this passage is extraordinary.  It is incredible when you think about it.  The people were guilty of great sin.  The people had routinely and repeatedly bowed to pagan gods; the priest regularly offered blemished sacrifices; divorce was common place; marriage to unbelievers was the norm; tithing had all but disappeared and yet they had the nerve to question God’s love for them!  In fact they accused God of loving them half-heartedly as evidenced by His not prospering them.  In essence they were saying, “God, we’ve done our part but you have failed us.  You have not lived up to your end of the bargain.”  If it were not so tragic it would be funny.

But such was the perversion in Israel.  They had not learned from the fall of the Northern Kingdom.  The Babylonian Captivity failed to instruct them.  The grace of God only seemed to embolden them.

Thus God sent His messenger to declare His truth.  Malachi came with his “burden,” his weighty message.  Throughout, Israel sees no wrong on their part – and from their perspective – God gets little right.  Our text this morning is found in Malachi 3.

Text: Malachi 3:6-15

I’m convinced it is easy to allow tithing to so dominate this text that we miss the greater truth reflected here.  A truth that is fundamental to Christian living.

Thesis: The whole of the Christian life centers on the unchanging character and nature of our God.

What is Israel’s problem throughout Malachi’s prophecy?
They misrepresent and misunderstand the character and nature of God.
“I love you” – “How have you loved us?”
“You’ve defrauded Me” – “How have we defrauded you?”
“You’ve robbed Me” – “How have we robbed you?”

Israel doesn’t get it.  Because Israel doesn’t want to get it!

There are two great truths in this passage that have a direct bearing on the whole of the Christian life.

1. The believer’s confidence rests in God’s unchanging nature.  (3:6)
2. The Believer’s transformation demands continuous reformation.  (3:7-15)

Conclusion:

In light of the ever changing allegiance and fluctuating loyalties of the flesh we must set our course by that which never changes.  We must fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith – the Lord Jesus.

It May Not Be the Answer You Want [ 36:16 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (43)

It May Not Be the Answer You Want: 2015 Malachi #5. This is an exposition of Malachi 2:17-3:6. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 13, 2015.

Intro:

Has God ever failed to meet your expectations?  Have there been those times when you were just crushed because it just didn’t work out like you thought it should?  Every child of Adam has had to deal with unmet expectations.  We have certain ideas of what it means to be God and how God should operate.  When things do not add up – we get frustrated.  It is easy for us to stand this side of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and say, “How could the Jews miss it?  It is so clear.”  The problem was they had built up certain expectations of what “ought” to happen and what Messiah “ought” to be like – they missed him when he came!  Today many believe God is obligated to dispense the blessings of health, wealth and other tokens of divine favor.  When this doesn’t happen they create a god that will explain why it didn’t happen.  It seems the thought never occurs, “Maybe I was wrong in what I expected.  Maybe my expectations were of my own making rather than the revealed will of God.”  It seems to me, the entitlement mentality has found a home within the church.

Little is required of me – much is expected of God.

Now we might dress it up a bit.  Most of us would never be foolish enough to state matters so bluntly but it seems an accurate assessment of where we are.  Very little is said of a striving for godliness but an awful lot is said about blessing, provision and happiness.  Even in evangelism, rather than declaring there is hope for hell-bound sinners, fully deserving of the wrath of God – we tout a savior who is good for what ails you!  He’ll be your best friend; he’ll give you self esteem; he’ll make life worth living – so why don’t you “try Jesus?”  “Try Jesus?”  We speak of the 2nd person of the Godhead as if he were the latest version of our favorite toothpaste!

Our self-obsessed, self-absorbed thinking has resulted in a warped perspective of life and a distorted understanding of reality.  The same was true in the 5th century B.C. when the prophet Malachi came with his “burden” from the Lord.  It was a time of political, moral and spiritual corruption.  The people of God had returned home following the Babylonian Exile.  Jerusalem had been rebuilt; the temple was restored; life had pretty well settled into routine.  They had become careless in their worship; indifferent towards the truth; disobedient to the covenant; faithless in their marriages and stingy with their offerings.  Other than that things were fine!  Of course if you had asked the people, they thought everything was good.  They saw no cause for alarm.

God’s prophet came declaring God’s message – “I love you!”  To which the people responded – “So you say.”  “How have you loved us?”  Even a casual reading of the first 2 chapters reveal the people of God were skeptical of God’s love and believed they had done nothing wrong.  “How have we despised you?”  “How have we polluted you?”

I’m convinced there are a great number of similarities between ancient Israel and modern day America.  The sense of entitlement and the “poor me, I’m a victim” mentality to name just two.  Our text this morning begins in the 2 and extends into the 3.

Text: Malachi 2:17-3:6

I’m so grateful for the grace of God.  God’s grace found me dead in sin and mercifully granted me life.  My sin problem was eliminated by His grace and I will be eternally grateful for that.  But there is more to His grace.  His grace is extended to cover my arrogance and my foolish reasoning.  It is a humbling experience for a pastor to go into his files and pull out old sermons and read through them.  Occasionally there are some good things but there are times when I blush because of what I find.  At times I think, “You are such an idiot and God is so gracious.”

There are strong words in our text regarding God’s coming in judgment of His people and yet there is also a reminder of His grace.  As I look at this text I’m reminded that:

Thesis: God graciously responds to our arrogant and foolish reasoning.

There are three things I want us to note as we walk through this passage.

1. An impertinent charge.  (2:17)
2. A sobering response.  (3:1-4)
3. An unsettling yet comforting truth.  (3:5-6)

Mirrage and Divorce [ 43:15 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (37)

Marriage and Divorce: Malachi #4. This is an exposition of Malachi 2:10-16. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, September 6, 2015.

Intro:

I don’t understand how they can do it.  Why would anyone wish to heap judgment upon his or her head?  Yet regularly I get calls from people who want to get married and they are looking for a church.  They don’t go to church.  They are not involved in a church.  They are not interested in serving God but they do want a church wedding.  My question to them is, “Why?”  “Why are you bothering to ‘get married’?”  “Why don’t you just live together?”  “Why do you want to stand in a church, before witnesses, in the presence of God and swear to do things you have no intention of doing?”  For some reason, I don’t get asked to do a lot of weddings!

It is the most solemn, official commitment a person can make.  What could be more serious or official than the promise to, “love and cherish in sickness and in health, for better or for worse as long as you both shall live…” and swear to that in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?  And yet most think nothing of trashing such vows.  We can point fingers and sneer at the “Hollywood crowd” and bemoan their lack of morals.  Exchanging marriage partners the way most of us change socks.  We can talk of those “secularist” who have no fear of God but the church’s track record isn’t much better.  Alarming numbers of believers are divorcing.

80 years ago, Walter Maier, the first voice of the Lutheran Hour, warned of the coming dangers if the trends of the 1930s continued.  Maier predicted that by 1950 one-fourth of all marriages would end in divorce.  By 1990 one in two would end in divorce.  He was considered an alarmist.  No one believed his “harebrained” hallucination.  In 1920 there was one divorce for every seven marriages.  In 1940 there was one divorce for every six marriages.  In 1960 there was one divorce for every four marriages.  In 1972 there was one divorce for every three marriages and in 1977 (13 years ahead of schedule) there was one divorce for every two marriages!

Of course as of June of this year we no longer believe that marriage is limited to a relationship between a man and a woman.  The definition of marriage has been completely and forever altered.  Beyond that, an increasing number see no validity in marriage to begin with.  Many are saying it doesn’t make any difference anyway.  The results are devastating on society.

But what has brought us to this point?  As with most things, there are a multitude of causes depending on the point of reference.  But like most problems the underlying causes are spiritual.  At the heart of the spiritual cause is the breakdown of faithfulness to biblical standards concerning marriage.

Text: Malachi 2:10-16

Divorce was rampant in Malachi’s day as was “mixed marriage.”
By mixed I mean – believer and unbeliever – not a racial issue (don’t get me started).
It is apparent that this was not just a problem “among the people” but also the priests!

The trend today, like that of Malachi’s day, is to lower the biblical standard.  I believe the Scripture is clear – there are biblical grounds for divorce.  That is God allows it under some circumstances – he does not command it – but allows for it.
Deuteronomy 24 – “some indecency” (sexual intercourse, morally repugnant)
Matthew 19:1-10 – “sexual immorality,” “adultery”
1 Corinthians 7:15 – an unbelieving spouse leaves, abandons

The problem is, these few and carefully qualified exceptions have been used to excuse almost anything and open the door to remarriages that in the vast majority of cases must be judged offensive to God on the basis of Malachi 2:16 and other passages.

Three things to note:

1. Marriage is God’s Idea
2. The Danger of Mixed Marriage
3. God’s Hatred of Divorce

Malachi 2:16 – we often read that God hates sin but rarely is a specific sin named.  This one is.  Why is that?  I can think of three reasons.

• God hates divorce because it is a man or woman’s breaking faith.
• God hates divorce because it is harmful.
• God hates divorce because it distorts and disfigures his image.

Our marriages are to be a reflection of Christ and his church.

It is not enough to decry the moral decay reflected in gay marriage or adultery or fornication.  We must hold high the biblical standard of marriage one man, one woman together for life in a loving, giving, and sacrificial relationship.