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Text: Maalachi 3:13-15
An eye rolling moment (vs 13)
- Irony of their cynicism is they speak against God while saying they don’t speak against God.
- God says quit arguing. People say, we’re not arguing. God :::eye roll:::
- An hypocritical thing in communication that people will say they are not doing exactly what they are doing; AND WORSE they believe their own argument. God says quit arguing. The people say we’re not arguing.
- I’ve noticed it in conversation. Someone says, I don’t want to gossip or anything, but I’ve got to tell you about so and so. Why do we have to be so self righteous? We put disclaimers on our sin. Or someone calls someone every name in the book and outside of the book then follows up with, I’m not trying to be mean or anything.
Me and God are one, but I don’t like God (vs 14)
- They said it was vain to serve God, but they never served God.
- They said it was vain to keep his ordinances, but they never kept his ordinances.
- They said it was vain to walk lowly and mournfully, but they never walked lowly.
- So these people set up their own standard of godliness. Then when that godliness didn’t pay out the way they thought it should, they blamed God, or the preacher, or the church.
- They hated the religious house they built! The reality is they never served God, so that wasn’t what they were tired of. But they really believed what they had done is served God.
- People you watch ruin their lives do so honestly believing they are doing fine. Worse yet, Christians who have ruined churches do so honestly believing they are serving God. They meet their own standard of righteousness and really believe their opinion is God’s opinion. Just like you this morning. I just want you to be self reflective. Whatever sin has you, selfishness, bitterness, lying, blaspheming and cursing, pornography, pride, fornication, drunkeness, whatever it is, in your mind you are still doing right. And that sin just happens to be the sin that God is OK with because it’s yours.
Serving God is just not worth it (vs 15)
- The wicked ask what’s the point of serving God? We don’t see a benefit. And furthermore, the people that don’t serve God seem to be doing better.
- Compared the strength of god fearing people to godless people and concluded the godless have it better.
- Compared the substance of god fearing people to godless people and concluded the godless have it better.
- I hope you aren’t in this category, but my fear is that many of you debate serving God exactly like these wicked people.
- The rebel’s logic has always been the same, I served God and it got me nowhere. For him or her there was not a reward on this earth they could point to.
- What about your kids who think this way because you’ve taught them to?
- We call the proud happy. That’s exactly it. You call them happy. That doesn’t mean they are. You call them that based on the appearance they want you to see. Ellen is going to interview some reprobate we all worship and chit chat about how happy they are in their mansions as they swap one marriage for another. And happily produce bastard children who will live happily because they have so many things. But Ellen will not interview the drunk at the mission to describe his life lessons. No, what is paraded day in and day out is the happiness of the proud.
- Wicked are better compensated in this life. This is the issue. Do you believe there is a reward coming in Jesus Christ? That’s faith. Or do you not believe that. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
- Those that mock God seem to always be in a healthy and protected position.
- If you’ve come to this conclusion, make no mistake about it. What you’re saying is that wickedness has more benefits to it. And God defines this opinion and attitude as the opinion and attitude of a wicked soul.
Can you just step back for a minute from whatever you think makes you righteous? You say I asked Jesus in my heart. OK, quit throwing up in God’s face. You say I do pretty good. OK, quit throwing that up in God’s face. Let’s deal with what God is calling righteousness here. There are two groups of people in verse 18 – the wicked and righteous. Those that serve God and those that don’t. And there were two responses to God in these verses. The wicked in verses 13-15 have their excuses. The righteous in verse 16 get under conviction. Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
If the Holy Spirit brings up your sin and instead of accepting it you blame it on the Bible, the preacher, the church, your totally justified lifestyle, the Lord says that is wickedness and you are wicked. But if the Holy Spirit brings up your sin and you say I can’t believe I do those things, please help me Lord! And you say, I’ve got to get around other believers to encourage me to do right. You’re going in the right direction. That’s someone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness.
