Malachi 1:6-13
Rev. 3:15-17
ILLUSTRATION:
Pick someone out of the congregation who you know will be "grossed out" by this. Take a “Snickers” bar, hold it up and say:
“This morning I want to give away this Snickers Candy Bar”.
Then walk over to that person and say:
“Ok, this candy bar is for you. I want you to have it. But, you know, I kind of like chocolate, and boy does that look good.”
Now, I know this will seem gross but, eat the chocolate off the candy bar. Try to do it quickly. Then say:
“Ok, there you go. You can have it now. But, you know, I kind like that nougat part too.”
Again, I know this seems gross but, eat the nougat part off the candy bar and say:
“Ok, now you can have it, Wait, I really do like caramel”
Ok, so this part doesn’t just seem gross, it is gross. Chew the caramel up, and spit the nuts into a paper cup you just happen to have handy. Do this until the only thing left of the Snickers bar is the nuts, and then say:
“Well, you I’ve never really been all that crazy about the nuts, you can have them.”
Then say to the congregation:
I’m sorry if I have offended anyone’s genteel sensibilities this morning but, …
This is what we do to God.
We come to him and say, “here God, here’s my life, You can have it. But, wait God, I like this part, I think I’ll keep that, and Oh, that part I like it too. Then we finally give God what’s left of our lives, not what’s right”.
Turn with me to Malachi Chapter 1:6-14
6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, ’How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 "You place defiled food on my altar.
"But you ask, ’How have we defiled you?’
"By saying that the LORD’s table is contemptible.
8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.
10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord’s table, ’It is defiled,’ and of its food, ’It is contemptible.’
13 And you say, ’What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty.
"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD .
14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Look at verse 8
8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
The priest were giving God what was left. Not what was right. They were giving the “leftover animals” the ones no one would want.
1. Give what’s right.
He wants ALL of your life.
Your heart
Your soul
Your mind
Your strength
2. Not what’s left
Sunday Morning
Wednesday Night
Now, earlier when I chewed up the Snickers bar some of you may have been a little bit “grossed out” by that But, How does it make God feel when we live that, “Part for You, Part for me”, lifestyle? You know,in Rev. Chapter 3 the Bible talks about a people who were living that kind of lifestyle. Part for God, part for themselves. Just kind of in the middle. That chapter calls them, “lukewarm”.
Rev. 3:15-17
“15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
17 You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
Do you know what the Greek word there translated “spit” literally translated should read? It should read VOMIT. God is saying “when I look at your lukewarm, ‘part for you, part for Me life’ it make me sick, you make me want to vomit”, Our luke-warmness is “gross” to God.
Judgment upon this kind of life.
Malachi 1:14
God says "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
Cursed is the cheat who comes to God offering anything less than his all, his whole life.
Rev. 3:17
“But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
This morning don’t wait to give God what’s right.
