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welcome to everyone just a reminder that there will be no Bible study this Wednesday evening we will recommence the following Wednesday which I believe is January 9th well for our call to worship this morning you can turn with me in your Bibles to psalm 119 psalm 119 i'll read verses 137 to 144 so psalm 119 beginning in verse 137 righteous are you O Lord and upright are your judgments your testimonies which you have commanded are righteous and very faithful my zeal has consumed me because my enemies have forgotten your words your word is very pure therefore your servant loves it I am small and despised yet I do not forget your precepts your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and your law is truth trouble and anguish have overtaken me yet your Commandments are my delights the righteousness of your testimonies is everlasting give me understanding and I shall live amen well please turn with me in your Trinity Psalter your Rebbe Trinity Salter - Psalm 96 Psalm 96 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and Father we gathered together on the Sabbath day to praise you to glorify and to honor you for you are the God who made the world the God who governs the world and the God who has redeemed his elect out of the world you are from everlasting to everlasting your Father Son and Holy Spirit a God worthy to be praised and glorified and exalted we bless you for your mercies to us as we awake this day as we look about us and we see the glory of your creation it does lead us to consider the glory of the creator' and certainly God we reflect on your mercies as the as the prophet said your mercies are new each morning and because of your Compassion's we we are not consumed or because of your kindness rather we are not consumed we rejoice in this goodness we rejoice in the gospel of our salvation and we pray that as we gather together today our hearts would be drawn out in love for father son and spirit that we would reflect upon the the life and the death and the resurrection of our Redeemer that we would stand in awe at your great love wherewith you loved us that you sent your son into this world sinners to save we thank you for his death at Calvary in our place we thank you that he satisfied that the penalty of the law the demands of justice the very wrath of God the Father and he took this in our place God we pray that these things would just continue to melt our hearts in adoration and praise unto you our God we ask that you would forgive us for our sins now when we consider what scripture says concerning your holiness and your majesty and your law we see our own waywardness and our promise to wander and God we trust those blessed promises of Scripture that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so do forgive us now for our transgressions against your holy law forgive us for those sins of omission that we don't do the things that you call us unto that love for God our love for man is so impure and so imperfect and so so far short God we do pray that you would cleanse us afresh and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ your son as the Apostle praised God it was because in Christ we have redemption even through his blood may this indeed encourage our hearts and strengthen us not so that we may continue in sin but that when we do sin we remember that we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous we pray for any and all who've come here this morning Unforgiven those who have yet to make peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ we pray that today would be the day of salvation that the Holy Spirit would work in their minds and hearts and bring that conviction for sin and that demonstration of the excellence of the Lord Jesus in his ability to save to the uttermost God do this for your glory do this for the well-being of sinners in this place and not only here but other churches in our city and throughout this nation and to the uttermost parts of the earth we pray that your word would run swiftly and be glorified and that many from every tribe and tongue and people and nation would come to the God of heaven and earth through the Sun by the power of the Holy Spirit and may this indeed redound to the glory and honor of our great God we asked you would undertake on behalf of the various needs in our congregation think of our dear sister Linda we thank you for the the various reports concerning her progress god we pray that you would continue to look with favor upon her she would bless the means that are employed for the destruction of these cancer cells we know God that you were sovereign even in this and we pray that you would bless our sister very richly and can continue to encourage Chris and help him to be that that source of comfort and stability and and and help to his dear wife we pray for little Jimmy Butler in the hospital still we ask God in heaven that you would be merciful to him we pray that you would aid us lungs that you would bless his body that you had given the physical strength needed so that he may indeed sustain life without this assistance God we thank you for these medical means we thank you for the blessings of living in this particular age 100 or 200 years ago we wouldn't even see such things like these nevertheless God we pray for a fullness of health for him and an ability to return home and do continue to encourage Micah and Chloe blessing and strengthen their hearts at this time and be with our brother dawn we pray for him that you would uphold in give him physical health and strength and give him the grace Lord God in the midst of trial to be looking unto you and for all of us God we come tried we come tempted we come afflicted with the various things living in this world being afflicted afflicted by the devil who roams about like a lion seeking whom he may devour we pray for spiritual health and strength we pray for sanctification and further conformity unto the image of your beloved son that you would help us Lord God to run with endurance the race that is set before us help us always to be looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and may we indeed see the great privilege that is ours the great blessing that is ours has having been called out of darkness into marvelous light sustained us by the power of your spirit and give us the grace necessary to persevere to the very end and God we do pray that you'd be merciful to governing authorities in this land we know that there are many things to complain about but we are called to pray for them for kings and all who are in authority and first and foremost we pray for their salvation we pray that they would kiss the Son of God that they would bow before him and that they would seek by grace to legislate according to that that revealed Word of the Living God and if these men women do not bow the knee we pray that you would restrain them prefer from further lawlessness and God give grace to your people in this land to continue to worship you in spirit and truth and be merciful to many people in other parts of the world that have it far worse than we do God as we are reminded this morning there are many people suffering under the under the oppressive regime of godless governments for the glory of Christ and we pray that you would sustain your people that you encourage your people that you would bless your people not to to shrink back and not to recant from declaring the truth as it is in Jesus do this for your glory and we do pray that you would let the nation's be glad through the missionary enterprise and that more and more people would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior and father finally we pray for the church and Sri bless our brethren there strengthen them on the Sabbath day give grace to Pastor Mike to handle accurately your word of truth and be with the Saints in Vernon as well we pray that as they are in this formative stage we ask that you would supply to them a man that would be called by God equipped by God furnish to do the work of God in that particular city and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me in your Trinity hymnals to him number 324 hymn number 324 will stand as we sing too [Music] [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to the Gospel according to John we find ourselves in John chapter 4 for our scripture reading this morning we'll pick up the latter half of the chapter beginning in verse 27 remember the former part of the chapter the Lord Jesus had dealings with a woman a Samaritan woman by a particular well and she concludes their interaction in verse 25 by saying I know that Messiah is coming who's called Christ when he comes he will tell us all things verse 26 jesus said to her I who speak to you a.m. he will pick up now at verse 27 and at this point his disciples came and they marveled that he talked with a woman yet no one said what do you seek or why are you talking with her the woman then left her waterpot went her way into the city and said to the man come see a man who told me all things that I ever did could this be the Christ then they went out of the city and came to him in the meantime his disciples urged him saying rabbi eat but he said to them I have food to eat of which you do not know therefore the disciple said to one another has anyone brought him anything to eat jesus said to them my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest behold I say to you lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are already white for harvest and he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life that both he who sews and he who reaps may rejoice together for in this the saying is true one sows and another reaps I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored others have labored and you have entered into their Labour's and many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified he told me all that I ever did so when the Samaritans had come to him they urged him to stay with them and he stayed there two days and many more believed because of his own word then they said to the woman now we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world now after the two days he departed from there and went to Galilee for Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country so when he came to Galilee the Galileans received him having seen all the things he did in Jerusalem at the feast for they also had gone to the feast so Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where he had made the water wine and there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum when he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea when he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee he went to him and implored him to come down and heal his son for he was at the point of death then jesus said to him unless you people see signs and wonders you will by no means believe the nobleman said to him sir come down before my child dies jesus said to him go your way your son lives so the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and he went his way and as he was now going down his servants met him and told him saying your son lives then he inquired of them the hour when he got better and they said to him yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him so the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus had said damn your son lives and he himself believed and his whole household this again is the second sign Jesus did when he had come out of Judea into Galilee amen well before we see what happens with the rest of this samaritan village we see jesus dealings with his disciples the disciples are concerned with whether or not he has eaten and Jesus makes this statement in verse 32 I have food to eat of which you do not know and then later on in verse 35 34 he describes that explains that my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work so there's thinking about her speaking about earthly food the Lord Jesus speaks of a different kind of food my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work tonight we're going to at least in small part the doctrine of the active obedience of Jesus Christ well here it is Jesus always did what the father called him Jesus always obeyed what the father told him this is because we do not Jesus is able to say my will or Jesus must say my will is to do the will or my food is to do the will of him who sent me because none of us ever say that that's not our default position all we like sheep have gone astray and in order for us to stand before God we not only need to be forgiven of our sins but we need a righteousness that will avail with God and that was accomplished by our Lord in his earthly ministry so Christ uses this opportunity or occasion to highlight that reality and then he tells them something specifically in terms of his ministry notice what he says in verse twenty thirty five do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest behold I say to you lift up your eyes and look at the fields for they are already white for harvest we know he's not speaking about earthly food he's speaking about sinners to be saved and perhaps he saw Samaritans and perhaps the disciples saw Samaritans remember that the Jews had no dealings with Samaritans this is what the disciples asked Jesus they they wondered why he was talking to this woman why he was talking to this Samaritan woman well Christ is telling them something Christ is teaching that that he's come to save sinners whether they be Jew or Gentile and the Samaritans themselves learned this they meet Jesus based on what this woman had testified and now they spend time with Jesus and they learn that blessed truth that I think John conspicuously sets forth all throughout this gospel notice in verse 42 now we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world you need to understand John 3:16 in the larger scope of John's writings John 3:16 does not mean that every single Center will be saved but it means sinners from every tribe tongue people in Asia the world not just Jews but Gentiles John makes this clear in the book revelation in Revelation chapter 5 verse 9 it's every tribe tongue people and nation that's the significance more often than not of John's use of the world Jesus is not simply the savior of Jewish people but Jesus saves Samaritans Jesus saves Gentiles of all stripes Jesus saves Americans I know that's tough to believe Jesus saves Canadians Jesus saves Africans Jesus saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto Him through all who draw nigh unto God through him that's the blessed emphasis of Holy Scripture throughout so if you have not draw nigh unto God through Jesus Christ do not tarry do not wait do not resist do not say well you know I'll think about it and then when I have a good occasion I'll come to the Father through the son come to the father through the son now as the Bible everywhere declares today is the acceptable day now is the time of salvation well let us pray our Father we thank you for Jesus we thank you that he is the savior of the world we thank you that he has called us to himself and we bless you for this wonderful gospel we thank you that his meat was to do the will of him who sent him we thank you that he always loved to do what the father had called him to do for God when we reflect upon our own lives we know that's not the case even as believers in Christ we know not that's not the case and so how we thank you for that that imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ that that blessed gift that blessed garment that robe that you you clothe us with God made these things encourage our hearts and may they indeed strengthen us in the worship of the the triune God and we ask in Jesus name Amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to number 220 hymn number 220 again will stand as we sing praise to God [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to the Prophet Malachi Malachi is the last book in the Old Testament I want to read beginning in chapter 1 at verse 6 to chapter 2 verse 9 but our focus this morning will be on chapter 1 verses 6 to 14 Malachi the prophet he was a post-exilic prophet so after the the Babylonian captivity when the people of Judah were allowed to return back to their land under the decree of Cyrus the king of Persia Persia the Empire in power at the time that Malachi rights but Malachi wrote a bit later than Haggai and Zechariah which were also post-exilic prophets Malachi prophesied probably around 433 to 425 BC so I want to read beginning in Malachi 1 at verse 6 a son honors his father and a servant is Master if then I am the father where is my owner and if I am a master where's my reverence says the Lord of hosts do you priests who despise my name yet you say in what way have we despised your name you offered a filed food on my altar but say in what way have we defiled you by saying the table of the Lord is contemptible and when you offer the blind as a sacrifice is it not evil and when you offer the lame and sick is it not evil offer it then to your governor would he be pleased with you would he accept you favorably says the Lord of hosts but now entreat God's favor that he may be gracious to us while this is being done by your hands will he accept you favorably says the Lord of hosts who is there even among you who would shut the doors so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain I have no pleasure and you says the Lord of hosts nor will I accept an offering from your hands for from the rising of the Sun even to it's going down my name shall be great among the Gentiles in every place in sin shall be offered to my name and a pure offering from my name shall be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts but you profane it and that you say the table of the Lord is defiled and it's fruit it's food is contemptible you also say oh what a weariness and you sneer at it says the Lord of hosts and you bring the stolen the lame and the sick thus you bring an offering should I accept this from your hand says the Lord but curse would be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished for I am a great King says the Lord of hosts and my name is to be feared among the nation's and now o priests this commandment is for you if you will not hear and if you will not take it to heart to give glory to my name says the Lord of hosts I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings yes I have cursed them already because you do not take it to heart behold I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on their on your faces the refuse of your solemn feasts and one will take you away with it then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you that my covenant would leave I may continue says the Lord of hosts my covenant was with him one of life and peace and I gave them to him that he might fear me so he feared me and was reverent before my name the law of truth was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips he walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from iniquity for the lips of a priest should keep knowledge and people should seek the law from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts but you have departed from the way you have caused many to stumble at the law you have corrupted the covenant of Levi says the Lord of hosts therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people because you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in the law Amen well let us pray father thank you for the written word of the living and true God and we pray now for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit to help us as we consider this passage of Scripture help us to see its relevance to the church today help us to see its relevance in our local church may indeed cause us to to reflect and cause us to contemplate and cause us to consider our place before a holy God again we pray that you would forgive us for all of our sins and our transgressions that you would help us to learn the lesson here of this condemnation of heartless worship and we not enter into this sacred place with with hearts that are divided or distracted or or longing for things that are not of God help us in this we pray by the power of your Holy Spirit and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well in recent sermons I know that I have referred to this particular passage I've certainly preached on this passage before I think it is a most relevant passage to the church in the 21st century essentially what we have is a condemnation of heartless worship now Malachi the prophet prophesied as I said around 440 433 to about 425 this is almost a hundred years after the Second Temple had been finished remember under Haggai and Zechariah they preached and the people built the temple they started in 520 BC and they completed it in 516 BC so not even a hundred years later malachi is dealing with the same sorts of problems that preceded the babylonian captivity in other words bad habits are hard to let go of and that is simply or obviously the case with reference to malachi his contemporaries now in chapter 1 at verse 6 all the way to chapter 2 verse 9 it's a specific condemnation of the priests he identifies that in verses 6 and 7 and he follows all the way through to chapter 2 verse 9 he cites the example of levi as being a faithful and a good priest to him but the people at Malachi's time had degenerated and they had engaged in wickedness now we could follow all the way up to chapter 2 verse 9 but I want to focus on the whole idea of a heartless worship in Chapter 1 verses 6 to 14 now there is a particular pattern employed by the Prophet Malachi essentially what you have is accusation by God then you have question by the people and then you have refutation by God in other words the Lord through the Prophet accuses them or in Deitz them of something in particular and then they essentially say who who has us we did this and then God produces the evidence to show where they have fallen short for example notice here in chapter 1 verse 6 the very end yet you say in what way have we despised your name verse 7 in what way have we defiled you notice as well in chapter 1 at verse 2 I have loved you says the Lord yet you say in what way have you loved us there they're constantly questioning God notice in chapter 2 at verse 17 you have wearied the Lord with your words yet you say in what way have we wearied him rather than we're not supposed to question God money and cute accuses us or indict us we're supposed to repent we're not supposed to get into some dialogue or debate with Almighty God and say what what do you mean when you bring this indictment to us we need to receive the Word of God we need to be reproved and rebuked by it and we by grace are to be corrected notice in chapter 3 verse 6 for I am the Lord I do not change therefore you are not consumed those sons of Jacob yet from the days of your father's you have gone away from my ordinances and have not got them returned to me and I will return to you says the Lord of oats but you said in what way shall we return you see that pattern God accuses or indict them and then they questioned God and then God furnishes evidences as to how they have not returned how they have not done what he calls them to do notice with reference to tithing in chapter 3 verse 8 will a man Rob God yet you have robbed me but but you say in what way have we robbed you brethren it's really incredulous that they would respond in this manner and I think it's incredulous that we respond in this manner we get convicted by the Word of God the answer is not oh no that's not me or how did I offend you God we are to take that reproof and bless God for it and by grace repent that's the response of the godly man of the godly woman of the godly boy and godly girl notice in chapter 3 verse 13 your words have been harsh against me says the Lord yet you say what have we spoken against you you see the pattern involved in the Prophet Malachi accusation by God response by the people and then the Lord furnishes evidences or proofs as to how they fall in short so let's look at this whole condemnation of heartless worship first the accusation by God secondly we'll notice the response of the people and then thirdly we'll draw out some implications concerning unacceptable or heartless worship but note first this lack of honor verse 6 God says a son honors his father and a servant his master notice how that's an axiom that's a first principle that's the way life is supposed to be it is the case kids that you honor your father it is the case servants that you honor your master and God uses that axiom God uses that first principle as an analogy to say if that's the case in the created order then why don't my son's honor me why don't my servants honor me that's the point of verse 6 the Lord has and I say it reverently an axe to grind with his professing people a son honors his father and a servant is master if then I am the father where is my honor and if I am a master where is my reverence says the Lord of Hosts to you priests who despise my name you see brethren this is axiomatic we as God's creatures are supposed to revere him we as God's creatures are supposed to honor him we as God's creatures are supposed to worship Him so if you're not a believer here this morning you can't tune out and say well this has to do with worship I'm not a believer in Jesus Christ so it's really not applicable to me no there's something called the creator creature distinction the creator made you the Creator brought you into being so that you would worse so that you would honor him so that you would glorify him so that you would indeed ascribe good things to his great name with reference to the people of God those who have been called out of darkness into marvelous light those who are believers in Jesus Christ the same analogy holds true if God is our Father where's his reference if God is our Father where is the the honor given to his name you see in church reverence ought to be a priority not frivolity not jokes not hands and pockets not slurping gum not sucking down a latte but reverence before the High King of heaven that's what the text calls us to now notice he highlights the specific the specific sort of characteristic of their heartless worship it is the perversion of sacrifice now remember sacrifice was stipulated by God Israel is taught in the Book of Leviticus that the only way sinful man approaches a holy God is through a bloody knife and a smoking altar that's thanks to Michael Morales I think he summarizes the Book of Leviticus excellently with that statement the way of approach to holy God by sinful man is through a bloody knife and a smoking altar that's what Leviticus is all about remember the Book of Leviticus is the answer to the problem at the end of the book of Exodus gods tabernacle is built God Shekinah glory is in the tabernacle Moses himself the holiest man in Israel can't enter in because of the glory of God so how we move from this place where God is to this place where God men can meet with it hence the Book of Leviticus it's the sacrifice it's the bloody knife it's the smoking altar this is the means by which God and men meet together so sacrifice is stipulated all through the Book of Leviticus in fact if you read the first nine chapters most Christians today find it tedious most Christians get to about chapter four and they say I can't keep track of all of these sacrifices but suffice it to say God is identifying the way of approach to him at the end of chapter 9 the people offer up a sacrifice that is sanctioned by the God of heaven and earth and they are blessed by him fire falls down from heaven consumes the sacrifice and the people shout probably for joy chapter 10 nay Dabba now by who offer up strange fire fire comes down again but it doesn't consume the sacrifice it consumes in a DAB and a bye though because they offered up strange fire but when we get to Leviticus chapter 22 the verdict is chapter 22 highlights the acceptable mass of sacrifice that israelites were to bring to god you were to bring the past not the worst see that's what sacrifice is about sacrifice implies necessarily some pinch to the flesh sacrifice implies necessarily some deprivation to the one who's offering the sacrifice or a would it be a sacrifice would it this is why Jesus commands the Widow's mite he condemns the rich man's might there's no pinch there's no hardship there's no sacrifice involved but that Widow throwing in a couple of mite it's not the money it's not the power the ability to buy it's rather what it represents and so God stipulates that it must be a male from your flock it mustn't be blind it mustn't be lame it mustn't be hindered it mustn't be bad it must be the best in the flock now back to Malachi chapter 1 look at what they're doing chapter 1 verse 7 you offered to filed food on my altar but say in what way have you defile we have defiled you by saying the law temple of the table of the Lord is contemptible I doubt that when these priests took the sacrifices they audibly said the table of the Lord is condemnable it was their actions it was their activities now now remember the priests here represent the people the priests are accepting from the people these defective animals so everybody's guilty it's not just the priests its priests and people see if you were a believer back then are you one of the Covenant people back then the way you would worship is you'd get up on Saturday morning you'd go out to your flock you'd find the very best in the flock and you would walk to the tabernacle or you would walk to the temple you would present yourself and your sacrifice to the priest you would cut the throat of the animal then you would give it to the priest who would then burn some and offer it up to God and depending on the sacrifice he might eat some and you might eat some you see that was the way you did it so I don't these priests are saying well the table of Lord is contemptible I doubt any of us are saying Wow worship is terrible but our actions evidence otherwise our conduct expresses something different if we have to be pulled to the worship of God if we have to be harrangue if we have to be nagged we might just be saying the table of the Lord is contemptible if we are not a David in Psalm 122 and one of those songs of the sense when he says I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord now you may be unhappy at a particular church you may be dissin disillusioned with a particular Church find a church where you can have a psalm 122 experience where you were glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord you see these people were evidencing by their actions a statement that God's table was contemptible and then he highlights he describes he evidences he furnishes proof the sacrifice of blind and lame animals verse 8 when you offer the blind as a sacrifice is it not evil and when you offer the lame and sick is it not evil see I think this underscores something else and I have this in the notes for later and we're just gonna put it in right now I guarantee that if you or I went out and committed adultery we would feel evil if you are i embezzled money from our employers we would feel evil Feuer I told a lie in a courtroom we would feel evil how many times do we go through the motions on a Sunday and offer up heartless worship to God and never feel evil how is it the case that we can come not saying not pray not enter and be thinking about a million other thoughts and then somehow conduct ourselves as if we're just is spotless holy and pure as the driven snow I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on you but I'm trying to suggest that we've kind of lost the focus of the church the focus of the church is what to fix the world not necessarily the focus of the church is it to ameliorate the downtrodden and the poor not necessarily the focus of the church is the worship of the triune God that's what we're about that's what Peter says he called you out of darkness in a marvelous light why to proclaim his Excellency's what's Paul say concerning the church in Ephesians 3 the way I read Paul is that angels are looking at churches like this and scanning in awe of the God who save them that's what we're about we're to reflect glory it's not supposed to be about us when we come in here that's a fundamental problem in the church today it's not what does God get not how do I serve him how do i glorify him what's in it for me it's that mercenary attitude and that's probably what's behind the the lame and the blind you send the lame and the blind to the priest because the ones that are fit and healthy are going to garner more money when you sell them right see what's in it for me what do I get out of my flock do I get reasonable acceptable worship that is pleasing to God or do I get more money well if I can grab the mangy one from the back of the flock and pawn him off on the priests and the priesthood is so corrupt that they're going to take it then I'm gonna sell the good ones for even more money at market you see it's all this what's in it for me churches exist to answer that why should we have this for you we have that for you we have this for you we have that for you now brethren I don't wake up on a Sunday morning hoping everybody has a miserable day I really don't I have never in my life woken up on a Sunday morning and prayed to God Almighty that everybody would be bored everybody would be miserable and it would just be just a terrible experience reformed theology is not against emotions and experience reformed theology is against emotions and experience untethered from the truth of God's Word that's the problem that's the issue these people were mercenary their priests were mercenary they were corrupt they took these mangy animals and they took the worst of the flock and they said here you go God that's what we think of you you see how they didn't need to say the table of the Lord is contemptible they didn't need to audibly convey that because their actions demonstrated that so the Lord God has a controversy with that notice God's challenge in verse 8 offer it then to your governor would he be pleased with you would he accept you favorably says the Lord of hosts commentators are divided is this zerubabbel the governor of the Jews remember they don't have a king anymore they've been in Babylonian captivity now they're basically under Persian control it's a little bit nicer but nevertheless they don't have a king so it could have been saruba bel other commentators said no it's probably the Persian governor Persian governor demands tribute Persian governor demands taxes Persian government demands that you pony up every every year or maybe every month no specifically and and what's God's point you paid this kind of stuff to your pagan governor and see if he's going to accept it you go ahead you just offer that up fact do this this coming is in April or May I always get mixed up between the US and Canada but in April or May you get pay you're gonna pay your dues right you got to pay the man you're gonna pay the ferryman tell them you know what here's what here's all you get I know I owe a thousand but I'm gonna give you 400 now those are modest calculations to be sure but but would he accept that would Prime Minister Trudeau say good on you that's a that's a fantastic job that you've done you've slighted me $600 you seek God's point pay that to your governor and see if he accepts it see if he's pleased remember if I'm a father and I'm a master where's the reference to for my name now notice this is escalated verse 13 you also say oh what a weariness and you sneer at it says the Lord of Hosts and you bring the stolen if you have the King James that says torn torn and some would suggest the idea being it was torn in a fight with another animal it was torn in the sort of daily rigors of Earth's life or farm life but it means rather to seize by by force it means rather to rob and so the New King James I think lost as well you bring the stolen the lame and the sick thus you bring an offering Sephardi dealt with the blind and the lame he's already dealt with those that are that are mangy he's already dealt with those that are that are that are less than optimal but he's asked awaiting here to the point where he says you bring you bring the stolen you know my illustration Saturday morning you're on your way to the tabernacle example and junior says dad we don't have a sacrifice and we're going to the house of God well that's okay we'll steal one on the way see that whole idea is absolutely utterly positively wrong you don't do that you get that right there's no sacrifice in stealing someone else's property and giving it up as your own we're all agreed there you see what's happening at Malachi's day the priests are indicted but the people are right there alongside of them they're bringing the stolen they're bringing the lame they're bringing the blind they're presenting them to the priests and the corrupt priesthood is all too willing to take them perhaps there's a quid pro quo going on the priests are getting something in return for accepting these mangy beasts but that's the problem and the Lord God is opposed to them now note the response of the people first of all how have we dishonored you verse 6b yet you say in what way have we despised your name now I think there's a point here that we need to appreciate so that we don't fall prey to it I'm gonna argue that this particular sin is common to sinners even redeem sinners we can fall into it and not even really be aware of it right do you mean we're not worshipping you properly we can we come in and we read a psalm and we sing a hymn and and we pray and we we read the scriptures and we preach it but are our hearts here that's the fundamental object with reference to worship if your hearts still in the car or the heart still in the office or the heart still even at home and it's not here it doesn't matter what the former structure is if it's heartless it's become external it's become ritualistic it's become formalistic and that is what's happening here what what do you mean we brought animals to the tabernacle what do you mean we brought animals to the temple what do you mean we've gone through the motions it doesn't matter how good the liturgy is if the people of God have no heart does that make sense the liturgy is only as good as the people of God's hearts no matter what though we can move things around if we wanted what we're inclined to do that or we we have the freedom to do that there's elements of worship those things that are absolutely crucial and commanded by God to be done and then there are circumstances we can meet at 11:00 we can meet at 10:30 we could meet at 10:45 I think it's weird to meet at 10:48 the way some churches do because they're being so counterculture all now but they're still free to do that do you see the point brethren if we have the ritual we have the form we have the external but we haven't got the heart we have fallen prey to what these people had they don't even know it they're shocked what do you mean they were done that with your kids you asked them what do you mean that that's how they are yeah petulant children well what do you mean how we defiled your altar how have we ripped you off how have we robbed God because you don't give to God Chapter three you don't do what you're supposed to do based on God's holy law so that's the point how have we dishonored you how have we preferred it sacrifice for 7.b you offer to filed food on my altar but say in what way have we defiled you by saying the table of the Lord is contemptible and when you offer the blind as a sacrifice is it not evil you see accusation or indictment questioned by the people and then proof see brethren if you try to act against God in a defensive manner he'll always be able to pony up the proof those indictments don't come without omniscience those indictments don't come without absolute knowledge those indictments come to us by His grace ultimately so I think we're messed up in that - somebody tells us something we don't want to hear we get mad at them praise God people tell us things we don't want to hear now there's things we don't want to hear that we can't control well your hair is gray or you're too short or you're to say that we can't control that but brother sister husband wife son daughter father mother you've sinned and and the Bible says you need to repent why do we get so mad at people what's David say David was happy when the righteous smote him David was happy when he was reviewed by those who loved him what's one of the purposes of holy read all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness do we think we're already in a place of perfect instruction and performance that we don't need the reproving function of Scripture that we don't need the correction of Scripture have we actually gotten that proud where we don't see our need for the word of God to reprove us and to correct us instead of getting upset that God would reprove us and correct us we should be thankful what's Jesus say to the worst of the seven churches in Asia Minor as many as I love I rebuke he says that to the Laodiceans as many as I love I rebuke that's the character of our Blessed Savior and brethren we ought to be open to such things and then notice this is just an incredible sort of escalation verses 9 and 10 go up in two different ways in terms of the commentators here's what I think is going on in verse 9 they are actually saying why doesn't God bless us and again I think this is so typical of us we you know half-hearted he in our service to God divided in our devotion to God lacking completely in our attention to God and then we we have the galled say why doesn't he bless us why is it he just opening the channels of heaven and flowing down Nuggets upon us what we have that kind of gall don't we and I think that's what verse 9 is all about but now in treat God's favor that he may be gracious to us while this is being done by your hands will he accept you favorably says the Lord of hosts you think you always bail you think that just putting the animal in the proper place is going to affect the deity in such a way that He pours out blessings you are really thinking like Bayless and you are not thinking like those who bow before the God of heaven and earth and then verse 10 I think is God through the prophet speaking ironically again it's tough there's other - at least one other popular interpretation that could be the case but in my understanding I think verse 10 is God through the prophet saying who is there even among you who would shut the doors so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain I have no pleasure in you says the Lord of hosts nor will I accept an offering from your hands I think this is consistent theologically with the church in laodicea that jesus promises or threatens rather to vomit out of his mouth there neither hot nor cold they're lukewarm and some say well it's better to be a rabid atheist and be I don't think that's what it means cold waters Pleasant hot liquid coffee is pleasant lukewarm bad that's the analogy that's the specifics that's what's going on not saying the Laodiceans it's better to be an all-out atheist you please me more no be hot or be cold but if you're lukewarm if you've got that sort of namby-pamby in out sort of a mindset I'm gonna vomit you out of my mouth and that use of irony is consistent in Scripture and I think that's what's happening here God through the Prophet is saying is there anyone in Israel that'll take two-by-fours that will take nails that'll take cameras and go to the door of the temple and slam it shut so that these people will not continue to go through this charade this perversion this sort of sacrifice I'm not going to accept that I'm not gonna deal with that God says I refuse it and reject it now notice verse 11 is an interesting statement for from the rising of the Sun even - it's going down my name shall be great among the Gentiles now we as Gentiles have come to grips with Gentile inclusion in the covenant of grace we as Gentiles appreciate the promise made to Abraham as involving all the nations of the earth we as Gentiles praise the God of Israel for having sent his son as Messiah for engaging in that work at Calvary to save not only Jews but Gentiles but remember in Malachi's day they weren't quite as advanced in their covenant theology especially the unbelievers believers would have been singing they would have known they would have had in their mind there's a day coming when the the nations of the earth will come to Israel's God but when the Lord says that to them in this context it's probably more indictment upon them for from the rising of the Sun even - it's going down my name shall be great among the Gentiles no remember Jonah what was Jonah's problem we know him as a a preacher on the run Jonah was called to go to Nineveh so he goes the other way right don't dare to be a Jonah Jonah's not a great model and preach this message one time and somebody this was way back somebody came up afterwards and said man I don't know if we should have named our boy Jonah Jonah is a good name Jonah was a prophet of God he was the real deal but he was like all of us he's got issues just just like all of us so God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh Jonah goes the other way then Jonah actually goes to Nineveh and he preaches the Word of God and the Ninevites repent it's a massive revival of true religion to the wakening of true religion Jonah saw glorious things from the hand of a glorious God and at the very end Jonah's upset he's angry he's mad why because Jonah was a nationalist Jonah didn't want non-jews coming into the covenant mercies of God Jonah didn't want men from every tribe tongue people and nation Jonah wanted Jews say thank you very much he didn't want these rotten treacherous Ninevites to come to know Israel's God that's kind of what's happening there at the end of Jonah for God teaches him a lesson to be sure God shows very clearly his his mercy should I not pity Nineveh that has you know this many people and and animals as well I mean of course God should right see Jonah is upset so there was this nationalistic spirit within Israel oh no no you can't come to our God you can't have the the mercies of Yahweh now again there were proselytes there were people that did come in ruth the moabite us we have something that did enter him but by and large you know the religion of Israel and the Old Covenant wasn't really evangelistic didn't really go out conquering the nation's for King Jesus they did let some in but but there was this nationalism so so perhaps Malachi when God through Malachi highlights this it's a bit of a bit of a provocation perhaps Gentiles are gonna serve me Gentiles are gonna offer up sacrifice Gentiles are gonna come to Israel's God Gentiles are gonna bow and and you Jews are not so this is a terrible thing matthew henry made this observation this is a plain prediction of that great revolution in the kingdom of grace by which the Gentiles who had been strangers and foreigners came to be fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God and as welcome to the throne of grace as ever the Jews had been so this idea of of Gentile inclusion and the Covenant promises of God are not isolated to Genesis chapter 12 the rest of the Old Testament amplifies expands and expands upon that promise made to Abraham in terms of Gentile inclusion in the Covenant promises of God so so there's our accusation or indictment by God and the response of the people let's just draw out as I said some practical implications concerning Hart last worship in the first place and I touched on this previously but it bears repetition we need to understand this is evil this is evil it's just bad now I understand brethren the tendency I understand the difficulty there was a Puritan author that that wrote either book or treatise on the subject of dealing with wandering thoughts during the worship of God I understand that I understand tired I understand you know we come in after a long week and the urge to perhaps close our eyes I get that and I'm not here to upbraid you I'm not here to say you terrible specimens of human beings you're just the worst I can't believe it I'm not saying that at all but I'm suggesting that the common garden-variety struggles that we as creatures have is one thing but heartless worship of God I'm not entering in of putting in the time but not doing so from the heart that's not just a small thing that's evil it's identified by God twice as evil in our text verse eight says and when you offer the blind as a sacrifice is it not evil this is an evil thing verse 8 continuing and when you offer the lame and sick is it not evil so earlier when I said if we committed adultery if we purge it ourselves on the on the stand if we we murdered somebody we would feel evil by all means feel evil by all means let that conscience you know brutalize you because you deserve to feel evil if you commit one of those particular sins but the same is true with heartless worship it's evil get up on a Sunday morning and grabbing the main gist from the flock and bringing it to the house of God and just going through the motions so that you can just go through the motions that's not losing to God God's not saying goody on you and I think all of this ought to make us revel in the one who said my meat my food is to do the will of him who sent me what's Jesus say what are the disciples interpret in John chapter 2 after Christ drives out the money changers from the temple they think Psalm 69 zeal for your house has eaten me up that's what they saw when they saw Christ why does Christ have that kind of zeal because none of us do I'm not justifying it I'm not saying it's okay I'm not saying dare to be a better worshiper but I am suggesting that a survey like this ought to make us revel in the blood of Jesus Christ His Son which cleanses us from all sin it is evil John Calvin made the observation few think that they pollute God in his name when they worship Him superstitiously or formally as though they had to do with a child but we see that God Himself declares that the whole of religion is profaned and that his name is shamefully polluted when men thus trifle with him it's evil secondly as mentioned before it's common with sinners you notice that that Malachi is not bringing new information to them oh let me just reinstruct you in the things of the tabernacle or rather the temple worship let me just read or give you some new info they had this in Leviticus chapter 22 specifies what animals are acceptable and what animals are not so the problem isn't that we need new information in order to achieve this place of the worship of God now we need to act upon the information we already have we need to sing the Bible we need to pray the Bible we need to preach the Bible we need to we need to see the Bible in the sacraments of the Church we need to read the Bible it's all supposed to be scriptural so the information is not new that the prophet brings to him in fact one commentator named Stuart says the priests knew these sacrificial laws by heart as was required for their job be similar to the Prophet coming to you and you're a mechanic and you're supposed to do you know change the spark plugs and the prophets leaning over your shoulder take that wrench and turn that plug it and pull that you're looking at it I know this is my job this is what I do well the prophet has come to these priests and said look this is what you're supposed to do it's been specified this is the spirit of Micah 6:8 one of the most popular verses in all of the Old Testament he has shown you O man what's the context Israel's actually say would God be pleased if we sacrificed our children would God be pleased if we brought you know all this oil and the prophets responses he shown you you know what it is this makes it even worse you're culpable you're responsible you're liable to God's wrath because you know better and you're too lazy to do it Stuart says the priests knew these sacrificial laws by heart as was required for their job ignorance was not the problem God was not advising them of considerations that were new to their thinking malachi like all the orthodox prophets was not calling his audience to new standards but back to old ones that's important for the church today you think maybe we should listen to the Bible to tell us how we to worship God yeah I think so as I've said before brethren a lot of us have tough time getting out of bed figuring out what to make for dinner figure out specific things and I are we such that we can put together worship of the living and true God or we better just to listen to what he says and do what he says I opted for the latter listen what he says and do what he says this has been enshrined in the the reformed tradition is the regulative principle of worship Albert and Martin describes it I think very helpfully when he says with reference to worship we do nothing more nothing less and nothing else then God has commanded in his word it's a great compendium a great description Terry Johnson uses that idea pray the word preach the word read the word sing the word see the word the regulative principle of worship God regulates how we are to approach him in Hebrews chapter 12 we're told that our worship must be acceptable acceptable to whom to us is that really the emphasis by the Apostle the Hebrews 12 or is it supposed to be acceptable to God see today it's what's acceptable to us what makes me happy what tunes my emotions what caters to my experience that's not the proper way to to figure out whether worship is successful or not it's about God just as I've been pondering this passage over the last couple of days there the the Southern Baptist Convention one of their I think the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention told people to stay home today been a busy season you know it's the you know between Christmas and New Year's holidays you know these big churches have big production teams and it you know just worship at home today are you kidding me you're gonna just say no to the Sabbath day you're gonna say no to the public worship of the Living God maybe you should say no to your production team maybe you should say no to having more in place than God's ever commanded to begin with brethren it is the privilege of the people of God to have that Psalm 122 experience every Sunday morning I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord again we may be sluggish we may be tired we may need some grace to pray that we may say with that man I believe help thou mine unbelief but brethren the root of the matter is in the hearts of the people of God they don't have to be harrangue they don't have to be nagged they don't have to be browbeaten they want to be where God's people are it's just a fundamental I just praise God that in my Christian life when my brother discipled me he said not just my my physical brother and brother-in-law Matthew truth but there was Richard Barcelos I was a brand new believer didn't know anything they told me some very good advice whenever the church is open go read your Bible every day and pray okay that's just axiomatic that's first principle stuff when I started to grow as a Christian I became a pastor I realized everybody didn't get that same advice so I'm going to give it to you right now read your Bible every day pray every day and never miss Church never i remember the experience of Jeff Gilmore just using a few names here remember when he was at Trinity Western University was an RA and I remember a fellow one time said to him though you know a lot about theology in the Bible did you go to seminary he said no I go to I go to church now I don't say that because it somehow touts Jim Butler know the truth is there first timothy 3:15 the church is the pillar and ground of the truth why don't god's people want the truth why do people say if not verbally in their actions the table of the lord is contemptible when they don't come to where his truth is you see brethren it is common with sinners it is concerned with externals only formalistic ritualistic we got the externals in place we read we prayed we sang but our hearts were still in the car fourthly it reveals boredom with God I mean that's what verse 13 tells us notice you say you also say oh what a weariness it's just I can't be bothered ain't got these good animals to go out and sell right like it can't be bothered with you know offering these things up to the law I can't be bothered with the time necessary to actually grow in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that that means demands on my time so people will put up with a lot let's see God goes right for the jugular he says I want your time I want your money oh wait a minute we don't like they again you can have the worst in my flock you can have that old car but but but my time see that's what the emphasis there is in verse 12 I'm sorry verse 13 you also say oh what a weariness and you you sneer at it I wonder if that's why all the innovation exists in churches today well people will be bored if we just preach to them people will be bored if we just sing psalms people will be bored if we just sing those old hymns from the Trinity huh no I mean brethren that's the complaint I've heard I haven't heard it so much lately but what do you think was the complaint I would hear when people specifically out of charismatic backgrounds would visit our church they'd have no problem telling me your church is boring well I'm sorry maybe we can spice it up a bit for you maybe we can you bring in some ponies maybe we can bring in a trapeze or see that's what some churches are doing they're responding to the goats trying to entertain and amuse them rather than obeying the God who has said preach to them but they won't endure it preach to them they don't like sound doctrine preach to them they want ponies preach to them they want puppets preach to them they want trapeze preach to them they want clowns preach to them you see that's the mandate for the people of God we are not Supra wise we are not better than God we are not more knowledgeable than God and we don't have the right to be innovators or creators when it comes to worship we're not marketing a product we're not selling a thing we are preaching the gospel of the everlasting God we're calling sinners to believe and repent we're calling man to worship God aright through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit whether their emotions are on the hot rise whether their experiences are completely satisfied that's not our concern again I hope you have good emotional experiences both emotional experience I hope you have that but hope it's driven by the truth I say that a man who goes to the emotions who goes to the experience without going through the brain is a man to be guarded against anybody can get up and manipulate a crowd anybody can get up and say enough Rara sorts of things anybody can be a motivational speaker if it is devoid from the truth of God's holy word I would say run from that place run fast from that place but if it's exposition of God's Word you're being instructed in the truth of God's Word however that word may come that's what's important that's what's supposed to stir the emotions that's what's supposed to drive the experience otherwise you get the sorts of nonsense and madness that we have witnessed pervasively within what's called the church over the last couple of hundred years stuff that is just full of contempt for the table of the Lord as well it provokes the judgment of God this is the final implication it provokes them the judge judgment of God the suggestion in verse eight offer it to your governor well what does that suggest it suggests that God has provoked it suggests that God is angry it suggests that God is going to visit them with retribution go ahead offer it here your governor and see what he does with it he'll probably send a band of troops to gun you down because you are stealing from the government that that's how they deal I don't know how bad it is in revenue Canada but IRS an agent once told my mother if you hide money in your backyard the IRS will find it I've never doubted that at all that's how your governor deals that's what verse eight is give it to your governor see if he accepts it verse ten is there one among you that will board the doors close so that we don't go through this rigmarole anymore and then verse 14 a straight out pronouncement of curse upon deceivers notice verse 14 curse curse would be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow you see that was the stipulation it's not saying female animals are bad does it say men are better none of that stuff that would aggravate the snowflakes of our day the stipulation for acceptable worship was a male from the flock again sacrifice a male that the market would garner more money you need to pinch the flash you need to feel it so he says curse said be the deceiver who has in his flock a male and takes a vow but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished why for him a great king says the Lord of hosts and my name is to be feared among the nation's I am a great king and you're gonna bring me this pathetic offering I am the god of absolute sovereignty and majesty I'm the God who brought you out of darkness and a marvelous light I freed you from Egyptian bondage in captivity and you're gonna you're gonna deceive you're gonna swindle you're gonna be that kind of person that takes the mangy and the lame and the blind and the stored and present it up to me God says no way this provokes the very wrath of God Most High well in conclusion we need first good theology so you can have good worship without good theology it's what we believe about God that moves us to worship God remember he called you out of darkness into his marvelous light so that purpose clause you may proclaim his praises you may proclaim his Excellency's you have to understand the system of redemption is biblically defined to fuel worship we need to know God look at that tonight John 17 Jesus says this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has said if we don't know this God we're not gonna revere him if we don't know this God we're not gonna fear him if we don't know this God we're not gonna present ourselves as living sacrifices which Paul says is our reasonable or rational service unto God a couple of brothers in a book they wrote called with Princeton ought to book on worship Daryl Hart and John Mather says because of the close connection between good theology an appropriate worship corporate acts of praise and devotion that conflict with reformed theology must flow from unsound doctrine in effect our worship provides a barometer of our theology now that made a bit to be confusing I kind of took it out of context but I think their point is that with the sort of resurgence on Calvinism or reformed theology why don't our churches look like there's a resurgence of Calvinism or reformed theology whence the disconnect we say we worship the God of absolute sovereignty power majesty and glory and we dare to cancel services on the Sabbath day we dare to tell people oh you don't need to really come to church today we dare to introduce strange fire into the worship of God we're Calvinistic or we're a reformed our worship will evidence that fact there will not be a disconnect between the theology and between the worship of God what is Calvinism a reformed theology except the exaltation of God what should our worship be it should be a rehearsal in exalting the God of heaven and earth I'm getting what is ours and again I don't wake up saying I hope everybody leaves defeated and and unhappy and and and let down and that there's nothing for them so I have this zany idea that the Word of God always helps the people of God they may not recognize it immediately but they will the Word of God always helps you that's another sort of piece of advice I can give you always you'll never be locked down by knowing more Bible oh boy I spent all that time memorizing scripture my life's a mess that's not typically what people say I'm so thankful that has been all that time memorizing scripture because my life is a mess and it's that scripture that's the buoy it's the scripture that's the stabilizer it's the scripture that's the security for me in the mess see theology drives worship secondly we need responsible leadership look at chapter 2 remember said it's an indictment of the priests it goes from one sex two to nine to six the law of truth was in his mouth this is when Levi's initially called as sort of the priestly office in Israel and injustice was not found on his lips he walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from iniquity verse 7 for the lips of APRI should keep knowledge and people should seek the law from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts up should understand the qualifications for elders and first Timothy chapter 3 in Titus chapter 1 helps you understand Peters emphasis in 1st Peter chapter 5 you need a qualified leadership you need men that aren't gonna look the other way when somebody brings this this blind or this mangy bees and says oh this is my sacrifice for Yahweh responsible leadership would say that's not acceptable for Yahweh go back home find the best and bring it to God you don't sanction this because you might get something out of it you certainly don't need CEOs you don't need the power sort of guys you need faithful preachers of the Word of God it's another lesson I wish the church corporately not just ours but but the church in general would just get we don't need celebrities we don't need people fawning over leaders we just need guys that get up in the morning and do what they're supposed to do because that's so hard to act for guys that get up and just do what they're supposed to do I think it's getting more and more difficult guys that just get up that would be a great sort of way to examine the fellow for ministry are you gonna just get up every morning and do what you're supposed to do yes alright good welcome welcome to the pastoral ministry it'll be a little bit more involved than that but that's it we don't need celebrities we don't need book tours we don't need cups we don't need t-shirts we we just need men that will take seriously Paul's final admonition to Timothy on the corporate level preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine so Timothy preach the word preach sound doctrine to them we need as well biblical worship the Bible is filled with references to biblical worship Deuteronomy 5/7 attack you'll know what Deuteronomy 5 7 to 10 is we were on imme 5 7 to 10 is the first and second commandment defines the God we are supposed to worship and defines the manner in which we're supposed to worship new tirana me 12 God says nothing more nothing else are nothing less and nothing else do not add to my word we see in 1st Timothy 3 Paul writes to Timothy so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God I already referred to Hebrews chapter 12 and the reference to acceptable worship as I said this principle is enshrined in the great confessions of faith from the 17th century our own says the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself and so limited by his own revealed will that he may not be worshipped according to the imagination and devices of men nor the suggestions of Satan under any visible representations or any other way not prescribed in the holy scriptures that that makes perfect sense doesn't it gotta if we ask the question of the Bible how do you want us to worship you the Bible has a a very clear and candid answer God doesn't say you need to be innovators you need to be creators you need to be the most creative sorts of people so that you can figure out how to come to God praise God he didn't leave it to us to figure it out because we wouldn't have figured it out John Calvin makes this observation with reference to this principle of worship two advantages to worship regulated in this manner he says first it tends greatly to establish God's authority that we do not follow our own pleasure but depend entirely on his sovereignty and secondly such is our folly that when we are left at Liberty all we are able to do is go astray and when once we have turned aside from the right path there is no end to our wanderings until we get buried under a multitude of superstitions you see that it establishes the authority of God and it keeps us in check we need both of those we need to know and understand the authority of God and we need to be kept in chat now if you're not a believer here this morning my encouragement to you is not show up next Sunday with brighter disposition show up next Sunday earlier show up Sunday you know with more of a desire to sing louder my emphasis to you is to look to the sacrifice provided by God for sinners get that I'm not telling you this morning sorry about that not telling you this morning - to fix your life to get better at worship - to put on you know better clothes I think all those things are helpful I think a good night's sleep on Saturday I think dressing up I think all that those are all good things I mean if we went to visit the prime minister we would probably shave we probably do certain things right the point for unbelievers this morning has not fixed up the externals but to look by faith to the sacrifice provided by God John says John 1:29 not John the Apostle who wrote the book but John the Baptist who saw said behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world the answer for unbelievers this morning the answer for sinners this morning now that may offend you you may not like being called an unbeliever or a sinner guess what I'm a sinner everybody in here is a sinner most everybody in here was an unbeliever at one time I'm sorry if the identifier 's of the labels are offensive but the council listened to the council the emphasis is not try to fix yourself up get better at worship the emphasis is on look to the Lamb of God believe on Him who alone can save to the uttermost all who draw nigh to God through him well let us close in a word of Prayer father we thank you for your word and we thank you for the clarity of the prophets and for this passage in particular and we pray that you would help us as we enter into a new year to be committed to the truth of holy scripture to be committed to the things that you've ordained for our good we know these means are calculated for our good for our kin unto the image of our Lord Jesus Christ I do pray that all over the earth today people would behold the lamb of God that all over the earth today people would believe on Him who takes away the sin of the world and I pray specifically for sinners here that they by grace would look unto Him and find salvation through Christ we bless you and we thank you for this time together and we pray that you would go with us now and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed