Malachi Lecture 3 David Arthur What Is Involved in “Returning To God”?

The Situation “Broken Arrow”: The good and the evil are not being distinguished.

Malachi 3:13-14. Discouragement-The wicked escape. We might as well say, “The arrogant are blessed.” b/c there is no consequence to their rebellion, their pride, their arrogance against God. They are doing just fine.

The Truth God IS paying attention to these, now—He’s writing a Book of Remembrance and those who fear the Lord and esteem His name implied will be in this book of remembrance. 17 “They will be Mine, on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.

The Solution 18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

In Malachi: the people of God are no longer different from the others.

Leviticus 20:26 I want you to be different. I want you to be a holy people set apart from the other nations

How do we distinguish the good from the evil? 1. Notice my offerings, worship: Do I PREPARE for Worship? 2. Notice my relationship to true instruction. Does it keep me on the right path? Does it honor God? OR does it cause many (me) to stumble?… 3. Notice relationship with my brothers. Am I treacherous? Insensitive, overpowering, overbearing? —Not compassionate? --there is something wrong there. 4. Relationship with idols or other gods 5. Relationship with my spouse

The GENERAL Solution Malachi 3:7 ‘Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts. Look, I made you to be this way, but you are living this way—now stop and turn back to Me. STOP your pattern of sin life—stopping your behavior—stopping your rebellion—stop your thinking that is not God’s way—stopping it –but not just stopping it—that’s only halfway. But turning and embracing His ways. Laying down your agenda that is not His and turning and pickup up His agenda.

The SPECIFIC Solution You are robbing Me! … In tithes and offerings. ..10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, [demonstrates my loyalty, my devotion, my priorities - NOT leftovers]

so that there may be food in My house, Test Me now in this: see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Malachi Lecture 3

Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance. Luke 3:8-14— “10 … Then what shall we do? (1) People: Share out of your abundance. The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise. (2) Tax Collectors: Only collect what you are supposed to (3) Soldiers: Be content with your wages. Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely Beware of Every Form of Greed Luke 12:16-21 Parable: … I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” “… ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 “ “For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; (24 “Consider the ravens … 25 “And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? 26 “If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 “For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.

31 “But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Malachi 3—it’s very interesting isn’t it, that when He starts the command of this return to Me and I will return to you that immediately when they say, “How?” He says, “money.” He says, “tithes.” He says, “offerings.” And please—do not try and squirm out of that. Please do not try to de-contextualize yourself and say, “You know what? That’s an Old Testament command and therefore it has nothing to do with me.” I’m telling you that if you go read the New Testament and you look at the treasure like we’ve looked at Luke and you look at Matthew and you look at Corinthians….

1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

Page 2 of 3 Malachi Lecture 3

The Source Malachi 1:2. “I have loved you.” 5 Your eyes will see this and you will say, “The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel!” 11 “… My name will be great among the nations

The Rescue Plan Malachi 3:1 He is going to come through the Messenger and set things right with a purifying fire.

Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.. 6 “He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

Lord I would just ask that You would give each student an opportunity in the days to come to do something with Malachi- that they might share and make disciples of others using Your word. Father, we commit this to You. We ask with expectation that You would have Your will and Your way with our lives… for You are worthy.

Page 3 of 3