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good evening welcome back to free grace Baptist Church and nice to be back in the house of the Lord please turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 40 7 Psalm 47 to prepare for worship Psalm 47 beginning at verse 1 to the chief musician a psalm of the sons of korah oh clap your hands all you peoples shout to God with the voice of triumph for the Lord Most High is awesome he is a great king over all the earth he will subdue the peoples under us and the nations under our feet he will choose our inheritance for us the excellence of Jacob whom he loves Sayla god has gone up with a show the lord with the sound of a trumpet sing praises to god sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises for god is the king of all the earth sing praises with understanding god reigns over the nation's God sits on his holy throne the princes of the people have gathered together the people of the God of Abraham for the shields of the earth belong to God he is greatly exalted a man well in response to that police turning him books to him number 210 210 Alaska please stand [Music] well let's go to God in prayer and ask his blessing to be upon our meeting time here tonight that's great our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father would once again come into your holy presence through your son the Lord Jesus Christ we're grateful Father for the fact that we have this privilege to come and worship you in the in the second service of this the Lord's Day we thank you Lord that you've blessed us in this nation in which we live in where we can without without harm and without aggravation from those who are in authority over us that would stop us from worship we truly gave you our grateful thanks father for this place as you've given to us to do coming out of the world in and and to rest them and to begin to and to to hear from you to hear from your Holy Word and to worship You Lord truly you are worthy of all worship we pray the Lord Jesus Christ we've magnified here in this place this night we thank you for your son the Lord Jesus Christ and we do pray Lord that you would be pleased to cause the things of Christ we lift it up from this pulpit this night and we do pray that you would that you would draw a praise to yourself all adoration to you and father we desire to be amongst those people that would sing in and and and we speak glorious things of our of our heavenly father our God and our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ how great for our Father for the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ left his throne in heaven to come to this earth to to live as a as a perfect as one who was perfect before the law and how we praise you that he lived and died as a perfect sacrifice not for his sins but rather for our sins and how grateful we are father that we are your sons and your daughters you have adopted us we we get to call you Abba Father truly what a privilege that is so we consider that that that we came into this world at enmity with you we had not no interest in you we truly what were rebels and how we praise you Father that you arrested our hearts and our consciences and caused us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and for the forgiveness of our sins Lord surely it is a miracle we consider the new birth and for that we give you our praise and our adoration we pray lo that you would be pleased to to be lifted up by the praises of your people here this night we thank you for pastor Kirkpatrick we pray Lord your blessing to be upon him this night as he brings the word we pray a law that you would bless that word and cause that word to be spoken with unction with healthman Heian we know Lord that's if the word of God is preached and truly it was a blessing and we pray Lord that you would take that word and plant it in each person's heart here this night in each person's mind for those who perhaps may be unsafe robbed you would save them for those who are saved that you would sanctify us and cause us to live out our lives in this lore world seeking to be made into the image of your son the Lord Jesus Christ father we we confess that we still remain to have that remaining corruption that remaining sin in each one of us but how we pray law that she would cause that the Spirit of the Living God to take the word of God and to bless that word and cause it to to root out though that remaining corruption within us and we know Lord that we look forward to one day when we will be in heaven with you forever and ever worshiping around the throne around the Lamb and we will be no longer with sin remaining in us but we will be in a place where there is no sin we will be in a place where there is no pain no suffering where we will be around that throne room of God cause this Lord to to live on this earth but that's ultimately to keep one eye firmly upon that the end of the race that is set before us cause us Lord to to run with endurance yet always realizing that that there is a prize for all those who are in Christ Jesus and Lord we do praise you would encourage our hearts this night through your word and what we pray for ourselves we pray for other churches here in Chilliwack as well we know Lord that there are many who seek you and we do pray for in this local community we pray that they would know your strength your help those pastors encourage their hearts this night in the Word of God and in by the Spirit of God and we do pray though that they would be encouraged to continue on in and to not to not draw to not grow weary but rather to continue in the things of God and we pray Lord that you would just continue to cause your word to be to be known throughout this community and throughout this nation Lord will you pray for those who govern over us and watch over us and we do pray Lord that you would be please to to strengthen the hand of the righteous cause Lord those who are in high places to to fear you and we do pray Lord that you would be pleased to to cause your will to be done in this nation as it is in heaven where we know there is no abortion where there is no there is no sodomy whether there there there is no euthanasia where where we seek to we would seek to see the righteousness of Christ come to come to this nation father we we can only pray that you would be merciful to us as a nation because everywhere we look we see nothing but but sin and debauchery and and it would appear as though things are are winding down in a sense at father we take great courage in you and we know that the during the times of Israel in the Old Testament times we're very low at periods throughout their history yet father you were still the same yesterday today and forever and so learn our hope is not in governing in our governing authorities as much as we we do pray for them that they would be given wisdom and that that things would be corrected yet father our faith our hope is in you and how we pray that in these things we would be that we would be most hopeful as your children thank you Father for pastor Butler strengthened him this night as well as he is in the pulpit in Surrey we pray your rich blessing upon that that congregation we pray they would know a word from the Lord this night as well they would be encouraged in the things of God we prayed you'd bless him as he travels home and bless Pastor Mike as he travels back this evening we pray that they might know safety along the roads and so Lord we just commit ourselves your hands knowing and acknowledging that Lord this is your church and it is your kingdom that we were about seeking to be about and so Lord we pray that you have blessed this night on this night on the worship and we pray that we would do it with a with a single light focused upon the the the Lamb who was who was who was killed ultimately not for his sin but rather for our sin and he was murdered upon that tree so that we might enjoy life and might joy and enjoy it abundantly in this lore world so Lord caused us to to be taken out with the things of Christ this night and into the week ahead and we pray these things in Jesus precious name Amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to him number 9 be 9b and Alaska understand [Music] it may may be seated and please turn with me your Bibles to Genesis chapter 30 Genesis chapter 30 will read the entire chapter now when Rachel saw that she bore jacob no children Rachel envied her sister and said to Jacob give me children or else I die and Jacobs anger was aroused against Rachel and he said am I in the place of God who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb so she said here is my maid Bilhah go into her and she will bear a child on my knees that I also may have children by her then she gave him Bilhah her mate as wife and Jacob went into her and Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son then Rachel said God has judged my case and he has also heard my voice and given me a son therefore she called his name Dan and Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore jacob a second son then Rachel said with great wrestling's I have wrestled with my sister and indeed I have prevailed so she called his name NAFTA live when leah saw that she had stopped bearing she took the Zilpah her maid and gave her to jacob as wife and Leah's maid Zilpah board jacob a son then Leah said a troupe comes so she called his name GAD and Leah's maid Zilpah bore jacob a second son then Leah said I am happy for the daughters will call me blessed so she called his name Asher now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found Mandrake's in the field and brought them to his mother Leah then Rachel said to Leah please give me some of your son's Mandrake's but she said to her is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband would you take away my son's Mandrake's also and Rachel said therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's Mandarin when Jacob came out of the field in the evening Leah went out to meet him and said you must come into me for I have surely hired you with my son's Mandrake's and he lay with her that night and God listened to Leah and she conceived and bore jacob a fifth son Leah said God has given me my wages because I have given my maid to my husband so she called his name it's a car then Leah conceived again and bore jacob a sixth son and Leah said God has endowed me with a good endowment now my husband will dwell with me because I have borne him six sons so she called his name afterward she wore daughter and called her Dinah then God remembered Rachel and God listened to her and opened her womb and she conceived and bore a son and said God has taken away my reproach so she called his name Joseph and said the Lord shall add to me another son and it came to pass when Rachel had borne Joseph that Jacob said to Laban send me away that I may go to my own place and to my country give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you and let me go for you know my service which I have done for you and Laban said to him please stay if I have found favor in your eyes for I've learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake then he said mamie your wages and I will give it so Jacob said to him you know how I have served you and how your livestock has been with has been with me for what you had before I came was little and it has increased to a great amount the Lord has blessed you since my coming and now when shall I also provide from my own house so he said what shall I give you and Jacob said you shall not give me anything if you will do this thing for me I will again feed and keep your flocks let me pass through all your flocks today removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep and all the brown ones among the lambs and the spotted and speckled among the goats and these shall be my wages so my righteousness will answer for me in time to come when the subject of my wages comes before you everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and brown among the lambs will be considered stolen if it is with me and Laban said oh that it were according to your word so he removed that day the mill goats that were speckled and spotted all the female goats that were speckled and spotted every one that had some white in it and all the brown ones among the lambs and gave them into the hand of his sons then he put three days journey between himself and Jacob and Jacob fed the rest of Laban floss now Jacob took for himself rods of green poplar and of the almond and chestnut trees peeled white strips in them and exposed the white which was in the rope which was in the rods and the rods which he had peeled he set before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs where the flocks came to dream so that they should conceive when they came to drink so the flocks conceived before the rods and the and the flocks brought forth streaked speckled and spotted then jacob separated the lambs and made the flocks faced towards the street and all the brown in the flock of Laban but he put his own flocks by themselves it did not put them with Laban the flock and it came to pass whenever the whenever the stronger livestock conceived that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters that they might conceive among the rods but when the flocks were feeble he did not put them in so the feebler were Laban and the stronger jacob's thus the man became exceedingly prosperous and had large flocks female and male servants and camels and donkeys well as a lot of information that I remember pastor brother he's taught through that he's teaching through currently Genesis and remember when he read this passage he certainly didn't claim and I don't claim to be any expert in all the details of what was going on here but I think one thing is very clear from this chapter and from the successive chapters that that we read here in Genesis not is ultimately that the twelve tribes they they did not come about through great character or or he even human merit nothing of this kind is true here in what appears to be a very dysfunctional family I think we can say that up Jacob and and the family you're very dysfunctional but what we can say is of a truth that is the grace of God is what shines forth in this chapter the grace of God is on every page of Scripture of course but I think it particularly shines through if God could could bring out of this family the person of Christ then truly our glory goes to Christ glory goes to God that he is able to to bring greatness that he's able to bring his own son out of such a dysfunction as this that we look to God and that that it's his grace and it's his sovereignty that we look to in in in in times like this and and just to see the history of the people of Israel coming from such such a history as this as pastor brother has been has been working us through the books of Genesis it truly is clear that the grace of God is just so evident and I think for that we we can praise God this night well let's pray our gracious that our loving Heavenly Father truly is with with thankful hearts father we see that that out of the out of the crooked ways you make straight pathways and sometimes when we in this more world I always understand the circumstances situations that we find ourselves in as your children yet father you or you are the first cause of all things and for that we truly gave you our grateful thanks and pray Lord that your grace might be magnified in the pages of Scripture as we seek to read your word as we seek to embrace your word that follow that is what we would see the great most greatly and your word the grace of God on every page of Scripture maybe we see that even this night father that that we are that we are trophies not of any good enough but trophies of that grace of God and may we may we live and have our being father based upon the fact that that we are trusting in the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and truly there is there is goodness in that and there we are grateful for the fact that we are saved in the purse of your son the Lord Jesus Christ caused us to live to that high standard we do pray forgive us of all of our sins and cleanses afresh in that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ we prayed your blessing will be upon pastor Kirkpatrick as he brings the word in a few minutes strengthen him Father hedge him in and truth keep him in truth and we do pray that he would have that that unction that felt from on high that holy spirit that would be that would there to empower him tonight to preach your message and they might see that the grace of God in what he has to say so Lord we pray you'd be glorified and and sanctify us we do pray and it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen well please turn with me in your Bibles to him number 215 to 1:5 in Alaska's stand please [Music] well good evening brethren it's good to be with you once again you can turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter one Malachi chapter 1 where we look at verses 6 through 14 this evening Malachi row Awan begin reading at verse 6 and the son honours his father and a servant his master if then I am the father where is my honor and if I'm a master where is my reverence says the Lord of Hosts to you priest who despise my name yet you saying what way have we despised your name you offered 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 offered the blind as a sacrifice is it not evil when you offer the lame and sick is it not evil offer then to offer it then to your governor would he be pleased with you when 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 in 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 and every place in sin shall be offered to my name and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts but you profane it in 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 says the Lord but curse would be the deceiver who has this 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 nations amen will let us pray O God we're thankful that you truly are the most honorable being there is we're thankful O God that you are majestic you are glorious and we ought to reverence you as such we confess O God sometimes we do not think of you biblically sometimes even in our own practice we do not think of you a right we must do what your scriptures say and must recognize who you are Oh God for your God who is infinite eternal unchangeable in your being your justice your goodness your power and your truth we're thankful that we have such a God who is such an impotent being yeah we're also thankful O God that you stooped to our nature that you speak to us in baby-talk you reveal yourself to us in your word but we confess so God that how we think of you is evidenced in how we worship we confess so God that as we seek to do what is right according to your word as we seek to engage in worship in an acceptable way we confess Oh God sometimes you still do not have a right view of you sometimes we didn't have a proper view of who you are forgive us for this sin Oh God forgive us for these things help us to worship you in spirit and in truth help help us to worship you a right Oh God with a proper view of who you are we're thankful for your patience and long-suffering we're thankful that you are the Lord the Lord slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love we thank you for your covenant care and covenant love especially in the New Covenant or thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ who is that perfect covenant keeper that we might be brought into the Covenant through faith so god help us to engage in right worship help us to engage in new covenant worship help us to worship in spirit and in truth we ask o God that we love your word that we would love worship that we love the things that you love and that we would worship you accept ibly so god help us now as we come to your word the the blessed time of worship help us to be awake and attentive help us to know that we are hearing from you help us know that you meet with us in this place Oh God help us to have that expectation that when we come we get to meet with the God of heaven and earth so we ask o God you give us illumination by your spirit once again concerning what your word says prick our hearts we do pray and we pray that we would give you glory and praise and honor we pray these things in the name of Christ amen well in the history of Israel at the time of the Prophet Malachi the people of Israel been vomited out of the land for their wretchedness they've been kicked out of the land by Assyria and by Babylon and the sin Malachi's time there's a blessed return hour after malar before Malachi's time there's a blessed return in 538 this is the post exile this is the Second Temple period the people are been kicked out now the been brought back there's a lot of hope with coming back 538 the decree of Cyrus says the people of Israel can return to Jerusalem 5:16 the temple is rebuilt under the first return under saruba bowl but then after that things seemed to fade the hope of the 500s fades into the 400s yes the temple has been rebuilt but Jerusalem is still in ruins and they only occupy a small portion in the land of Persia what of our God what of Yahweh what of his promises one of his worldwide domination why is it we're still this puny little nation and why should we worship such a god as this for we are so puny our God must be puny as well and so Malachi comes on the scene probably the same time as Ezra same time as Nehemiah perhaps a little bit before same problems we see in Ezra Nehemiah and he comes to deal with their false perception of who God is a false perception of God's covenant love and this false perception of God leads to a false practice especially in everyday life Malachi really is all about everyday life and one of the things that we see in verses 6 through 14 is with respect to their worship see Malachi is separated to 6 disputations each dealing with a specific problem and a specific purpose the first disputation verses 2 through 5 is does God really love us look at where we are look at where we're sitting look our city is in ruins does God really care for us and then this bleeds into that second disputation why worship of God like this or why worship him according to his word why worship him since we get nothing out of it and so the second dispute ation really goes into chapter 2 verse 9 it's it's really focuses say wow so we're just gonna look at the first part this evening and each disputation has four things it has an assurance God asserts something it has a question that people respond to what God says with the question God responds to them then God brings forth an implication we're gonna see all of those in the first part the second part in chapter 2 verses 1 through 9 is all implication and notice we see throughout repeated themes profaning defiling the name of the Lord of Hosts for it is all about worship for that was the problem going on in Israel at this time it was corrupt worship of God they treated worship indifferently mainly because they treated God indifferently and indifference towards God leads to indifference towards worship what you think of God and how you worship and are very more what you how you worship and what you think of worship says a lot about what you think of the Lord God Most High how you worship says a lot well you think of Yahweh of hosts and the people were treating Yahweh like he was nothing and problems abounded as the people acted wickedly in worship and they acted wickedly in everyday life now yes the priests are to blame well that's primarily the second part of the disputation tonight we're going to see the worship in general and as a whole I surmised and I don't just surmise I know it's a problem in our day and age as well with respect to the worship of our God people treat God and Jesus indifferently people have a low view of who God is and as such have a low view of what worship ought to look like that's why in Reform circles we emphasize the regulative principle of worship worshiping God on God's terms not on our own terms but I also think there's perhaps still a problem that does enter in into reform Baptist churches as well we grow tired of the mundane we go tired of the everyday sometimes you want a little razzle dazzle sometimes we want those things in life and perhaps we grow a little weary of what God says and so will seek to look at this worship this focus Yahweh's indicted the people for their wicked worship for their low view of him and we'll look at this idea of worship under three headings first of all questionable worship in verses six through eight secondly Gentile worship in verses nine through 11 lastly profane worship in verses 12 through 14 so he's indicted them for their low view of worship and we'll see that with questionable worship Gentile worship and profane worship so its first look at questionable worship in verses six through eight as I said the first disputation does God love us and if he doesn't love us which we view we don't think he does care for us why ought we to love God and so their worship was was wrong their worship was corrupted their worship was not right now again the emphasis is primarily on the priests but includes the people as well the priests can't just blame the people on the flipside the people can't just blame the priests yes the priests should have known what they're supposed to do but so we are supposed to be Bereans to search the Word of God and there probably was a faithful remnant in Israel at that time who searched the Scriptures and knew the Old Testament and should have called out those priests on their wicked worship but the priests and the people are both at fault here and has to do with honoring God and notice in verse 6 we see this assertion God makes a claim and notice he makes an everyday life argument regarding his honor a son honors his father in a servant his master if then I am the father where is my honor and if I am a master whereas my reverence says the Lord of hosts the ancient Near Eastern world in the world at that time honor and respect was more important than love they probably could have gone to pagan nations pagan households and saw that fathers receive respect from their children I'll be at their pagans albeit they're sinners but perhaps there is some common up common grace operating in those nations and some dick kids did honor their father and their mother but that's not happening in Israel you see even theologically in Exodus for God calls himself the father of Israel his firstborn yet if people in other places if pagans and other places honor their fathers where is mine and I'm a far greater father I'm a far more loving father I'm a far more gracious father yet where is my honor where is my reverence he's not just any father he's not just a father Axius hands and stands tall he's a God Almighty was unlike any father he is a holy other being he is to be revered he is to be honor for who he is recognizing God and his attributes his majesty his glory his power all these things he's demonstrated they've seen God's grace in a special way they've seen God's grace in a powerful way yet they still do not worship Him God and his kindness appeared to them God is kindness but dwelt among them yet they do not worship Him or write or give him the proper reverence they don't give him that proper fear especially with respect to the Covenant Lord especially with respect to the Covenant made with Israel and you perhaps notice throughout we've seen Lord of Hosts Lord of Hosts Yahweh of hosts the Covenant name of the Lord is repeated throughout Malachi for that specific purpose Malachi our God through Malachi wants us to see that I am the Covenant Lord who has kept his promises that you still disregard me as your God so he says where is my honor says the Lord of Hosts to you priest who despise my name and then they say they don't see it yet you say in what way have we despised your name again it's with the priest but the people as well they despise his name and the name will come up often in this dispute ation or this part of the disputation namely the name has to do with God's revelation they saw God in a once again a special way Yahweh that special theophany in that burning bush scenario in Exodus chapter 3 where God appears to Moses and said I am Who I am I am Yahweh he appears to them in such a special way and he even in this is not just recounting who he is but what he has done for them he brought them up out of the land of Egypt he saved them from bondage but he also has already engaged in a second Exodus he brought them up out of the land of Babylon the land of purge he bought them up out of that place in a second restoration for them yet they still forget it isn't that egregious isn't that a terrible thing that the people of Israel doing God has done these gracious things but they do not see it they don't recognize it they think everything they're doing is just fine they think everything's acceptable they think God can't be mad with us and as such they do not see that they are defiling and profaning the name of the Lord God most I Oh God you cannot we are God that's a weird thing to think we're just doing what you know what we want to do we do love you God but they're evidencing otherwise don't be so sensitive God is perhaps what they're thinking and yet you say what way have we despised your name then the peep God gives a another assertion in question in verse 7 with respect to profaning that name you offer defiled food on my altar but say in what way have we defiled you again the idea comes up again they still don't recognize what they are doing they still don't recognize that they're defiling the altar of God you offer defiled food on my altar but say in what way have we defiled you there was the old testament regulative principle of worship they had to worship God according to what he says with bulls and goats they had certain things they had to engage and to make sure everything was right and the language here you offer its language typically used especially in Malachi of drawing near and worship you come and worship you offer these things you offer defiled food on my altar you offer vile things on my altar they do not do what God says but they do what they wanted to do and they think that what they're doing is just fine because their hearts in the right place in what way have we defiled you again they still do not see it twice they ask that question according to Malachi they do not see what is going on now I do surmise in a modern con next people probably don't realize what they're doing people don't see what they're doing they have to be told what they're doing they have to be told that what you're doing is an abominable practice I don't deny there are still good churches you have all the big bands and that sort of thing they are more tame they are true churches but there are some churches that really do engage an idolatrous wretched vile awful things on a Sunday they make this the place where everybody cannot do their special gift and shine on the stage and do their dancing in the aisles and have their pottery and want to show it at the front and their paintings and their sand art remember went to a church and on Easter Sunday this lady was doing sand art while everybody played that's not the place to do your sand art if you want to do your sand art Monday through Saturday that's fine but it's not for Sunday you see people don't realize that what they're doing is actually defiling God's name again perhaps because people have a low view of who God is they don't see that he is the god of heaven and earth and what they're doing is based on the way they feel not based on what God says so twice they question god and he responds again in verse seven the table of the Lord is contemptible they consider God so low that they offer him lowly things they completely have disregarded the Levitical laws on sacrifice Leviticus I know we get to it we get bored in our devotions and we start to glaze over when we read about the entrails and all that sort of stuff but Leviticus is all about drawing near to God it's all about God's holiness or God's holy other nests and there are certain laws they had to engage in when they approached this holy God and they had to approach God with the best with the first fruits which is what the people in Malachi's time were not doing notice verse 8 it shows how they are contemptible against the altar against the table of the Lord when you offer the blind as a sacrifice is it not evil and when you offer the lame and sick is it not evil blind here does not refer to people it refers to animals refers to offering the blind the lame and the sick the priests were supposed to know better they were supposed to accept the best of God's people yet the priests accepted these ones they accepted the ones they were not supposed to be accepted now this isn't a clean versus unclean thing it's a blemished versus perhaps unblemished type of scenario they want to keep the best ones for themselves they want to keep the best goats for themselves they want to get the best bulls for themselves rather than give the best to God Almighty and so they said we don't need the lame one or the sick one or the blind one let's not let it go to waste we'll bring it up to the altar of the Lord and the priests just accepted it they should have said no now maybe they were bullied maybe the farmers were like we eat the blind ones all the time we don't want to let them go to waste maybe they bullied the priests I don't think that's the case verses 1 through 9 God really deals with the priest in that section showing forth how awful and wicked they have actually been so the people come the priests receive it they disregard God by giving their worst rather than giving God their best and then God argues Malachi argues with respect to this scenario once again from the lesser to the greater offer it then to your governor verse 8 would he be pleased with you would he accept you favorably says the Lord of hosts there were governors at that time in the area if you brought a blind or lame one to them they would say get out of here they would say this is unacceptable yet you would bring this to the God of heaven and earth you would bring this to the Lord God of hosts you bring this God who saved you and brought you out of captivity twice you did not love him and care for him you bring these things to him would your governor accept such a sacrifice the people do not worship except ibly with what they're bringing they think everything's fine that you're not see because that's what sin does sin blinds hearts but nonetheless brethren in our day and age we must worship God acceptably and we say except ibly we need based on God's terms that's the regular principle of worship just because it's not forbidden does not mean it is okay we must do what God Pooh prescribes in his word and precipitous word what he prescribes is just his very word we sing the word we pray the word we preach the word we partake visibly in the word with the sacraments those are the word and a means of grace for us that we get to enjoy be present brethren with the baptism that is coming up it is not just for the party baptized but it's for you as well it is a sign and symbol it is a blessed means of grace for all of us that we might see the way God Stoops to our nature in these sacraments of dying and rising again or with the Lord's Supper don't absent yourself from the Lord's Supper God gives us a visible representation of the gospel we do believe in visible things don't we just what God says are appropriate for visible representations of what has happened where worship must be done according to proper regulations or John 4 in truth according to his word but we must also have a proper heart we must also worship Him in spirit as well quickened by the spirit reform people are not against the Holy Spirit we believe very much in the power and the work of the Holy Spirit but it's not always when we sing sha da Dada does or it's not always when we spout off prophecies it's not that in those scenarios that is wrong and not right the Spirit works in ordinary ways in the midst of God's people and he meets with us when we come and worship Him except ibly so we must worship God except ibly and not questionably so that's questionable worship let's then look secondly a Gentile worship in verses nine through eleven again people have a false assumption that what they're doing you see the priests thought they were bringing blessing and they were thought they were seeking God's favor they are think what they're doing is acceptable but God has other plans verse 9 but now entreat God's favor that he may being gracious to us he's taunting them while this is being done by your hands will he accept you favorably says the Lord of hosts now even here verse 9 God is used as the word L it's probably in contrast with the governor but now entreat not the governor but entreat God and see what you may receive and treat this one who is greater and see what shall happen says the Lord of hosts he goes on to speak of their unacceptable 'no saul the more in verse 10 who is there even among you who would shut the doors so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain you know what he's saying there it's better to shut the doors of a corrupt church than to let it go on it's better to shut down the church rather than to continue on in such blasphemy it's better to close the doors of the altar then can to continually offer the blind the lame and the sick it's fair to shut down those things than to let those things continue because it's true many churches have degenerated into synagogues of satan and it would be better if they were shut down would be better if they were closed down because they're brief or they false gospel with a false message leading people to a false hope be better if they were shut down so the only options people had would be good churches that would be far greater and that's not reality but that's what God is saying here it's better to shut down those doors it's better to shut down though the altar because people 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 they knew the laws but didn't practice them they knew the truth but did not keep them perhaps with the sick we don't want to let them go to waste we'll just bring him in we'll take and we'll accept him that's probably what the priest thought they're being pragmatic they're being practical or perhaps even at this time as well there were bribes here we'll give you a lot of money just take this lame one they were sinister people or perhaps as well maybe they had a value deal going on three mamed wines equals one good one you're engaging in pragmatism because they want to appease the people rather than appease the Lord God himself but God will not accept such an offering God will not accept such a sacrifice it would be better to shut the doors of the halt the temple or that I guess the the altar altogether at this time now if do ja if Israel isn't going to worship a right God is still going to receive worship verse 11 this where we see the Gentile offerings coming in or from the rising of the Sun even - it's going down my name shall be great among the Gentiles in every place incense shall be offered to my name and appear offering for my name shall be great among the nations says the Lord of Hosts there's going to be worldwide praise God doesn't need just Israel to be praised yes God can be praised through creation but the Gentiles are going to praise him as well notice the name the name the name my name the revelation of God and who he is will come to them Yahweh will come to the Gentiles and how does that happen how does God appear how does God engage in a theophany with his people you see the people of Israel were wanting and waiting for Yahweh to come in fact the messenger in chapter 3 verse 1 I send my messenger he will prepare the way before me before Yahweh and then mark comes on the scene he talks to at the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ and he brings Malachi he brings Isaiah he brings exodus 20:3 all together who will prepare the way of the Lord John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord John the Baptist prepares the way of Yahweh when Jesus comes on the scene brethren it is a theophany and when we think of theophany it just means God appearing but it doesn't always refer to every time God appears has to have a sensibleness to it the burning bush is a theophany that the Mount Sinai is a theophany and Jesus coming is a theophany as well Yahweh appears Yahweh is here Yahweh dwells among us and because of Yahweh's dwelling because of a pure and righteous Priest because of a pure and righteous messenger the Gentiles shall sing his praises the Gentiles shall offer pure worship in my name Jerusalem is no longer the place to worship great name great God great worship verses demeaning worship now I should say this is not a section that's saying you can worship God in any way you want it's not someone who's we're offering pagan sacrifices I'm seeking God in my own religion that's not what he's saying what does he say in every place incense shall be offered to my name and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts true sacrifice according to what God says will be offered up in worshipped Malachi is pointing a head to spiritual Gentile inclusion even the prophets are anti dispensational I need to throw that in there the prophets are very much against dispensationalism they're looking ahead to a time when Gentiles will be brought in singing the praises of God they will be the true people of God who sing praises to his name Philippians 2:10 when Paul goes into that great hymn of Christ he drives to the point with respect to the Lord Jesus being raised from the dead and what does he say he says that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and on earth and those under the earth that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father and many other places in the New Testament with the Gentiles coming in in acts revelation shows forth the fulfillment of what Malachi says here in Malachi 2:11 so they must worship God and they must not worship Him acceptable but we also must not worship God with false assumptions the people thought everything was hunky-dory the people thought everything was just fine the people thought they were worshipping God oh right there is this pro faith prevailing thought in evangelicalism today which we call the normative principle of worship if it's not forbidden it is okay that's why you have people saying I have a heart for God and this is my gift and this is how I'm gonna glorify God on a Sunday I don't like just standing and singing hams and sitting there while this guide drones on for an hour I don't like those things I want to be involved but I want to be involved in my way I like my own program I like a sewing program I like you know you know children's program I like it this program I like a social program I want all these things to meet my felt needs where I can execute and exercise my gift let's just be honest it's all about us in that scenario isn't it it's the place where I can do what I want to show for how great I am to show forth my gifting everybody wants some ministry for themselves really not for the glory of God we can couch things in holy language we do this all the time people always go I prayed about it I think this is the thing I should be doing well I prayed about it too and I know it's not the thing you should be doing do is don't we use that prayer thing as a trump card I prayed about it therefore I'm right not according to what the Bible says the Bible says we do what God says and perhaps sometimes people might go you know what your regular principle worshiping fringes on my Liberty really infringes on your Liberty you see I actually think the regular principle preserves Liberty you want to know why I used to go to many evangelical church I went to evangelical churches in the past I'm sure many of you have as well do you ever feel like a jerk I feel like you didn't love God very much when someone was standing at the front dancing and all you were doing was just sitting down and just worshiping God in your quiet space you felt wow I must be sub Christian because I'm not dancing like that guy they're not great at it but at least they're dancing for Jesus at least they're getting their selves out there you felt like a a terrible person didn't you see the beauty of the regular principle brethren we stand together we sing together we sit down together we pray together we listen together all together so that our liberties might be preserved you see it's the point of the regular principle of worship that we get to preserve that blessed Liberty that God has given us that we might glorify his name and we must not have false assumptions about worship would have right assumptions about it what pleases God as we search the Scriptures to understand what he says and we should not relax the standards Stewart says when the inspectors relaxed their standards the people can openly relax theirs but God has not relaxed his to defile worship is to defile God and is an evidence of a faithless people that's harsh isn't it to disdain or defy sorry to defile worship is to file God as an evidence of a faithless people Stewart goes on to say disbelief not accidental failure to maintain standards was the priests real fault tradition had replaced the Word of God the vol system of worship had gradually replaced a revealed one we've always done this this is just how we do things this is just the way it ought to be that I can still creep into reformed churches can it not brethren I'm going to tell you something about Sunday school you in Sunday school started 1800s don't know why it started just how it sounds Sunday school not a religious thing but a sunday-school for kids who could not go to school throughout the week because they had to you know work hard to provide for their families and so what someone's stock Emmer the guys name but he started Sunday schools for that purpose eventually pretty quickly 50 years or so it did become a religious thing but it didn't happen till the 1800s yes it's maybe not just a wrong to have Sunday school etc but nonetheless we must understand its place and where it was and how it started rather we must not keep tradition because we've always or we must not always do things because we've always done them yes we can think like that we must take everything and test it with the word of God it must be a revealed type of worship because the beauty is when Jew and Gentile brought together under the regular principle of worship we can worship together without worry about what we're doing without worry about offending anyone without knowing that we're doing what God says so that's Gentile worship let's then look thoroughly and finally at profane worship in verses 12 through 14 profane worship verse 12 but you profane it just means there's no consequences we can do what we want we're not worried about what's going to happen but you profane it and that you say the table of the Lord is defiled and it's fruit it's food is contemptible they hate the sacrifice they hate the food the evidence that they do not love what God loves but notice verse 13 you also say oh what a weariness and you sneer at it they don't like the Reagan of principle of worship God this doesn't work look at their surroundings we've worshiped you this way this isn't working or rights our nation's in shambles why should we do what you say rather let's do what the nation's say instead they became whiners grumblers and complainers God your way is just too hard God it doesn't bring the result that we want we want some in worship and really the third dispute ation deals with the fact they marry pagan women so they have these wives that come on the sea and say this is how we worship bail is that we worship Ashtaroth is how we worship Molech was how we worship these other gods let's bring a little bit of that into the worship in Israel they worshiped God and viewed his worship as a weariness God's ways are too monotonous too mundane and they won't work sound familiar why is it that people do certain things or add certain things in fact in this whole sunday-school historical understanding do you know why they did it it was to bring people in it was for the purpose of the fact that they had not just their members engaging in it perhaps it was a tool to bring people in that's why they did Sunday school at that time now I'm not necessarily saying Sunday school is necessarily a bad thing you understand what I'm saying it wasn't it's very very recent thing we must check that at the door with respect to what it is but the point I'm trying to make with respect to the weariness sometimes this can happen to reformed folk the Wregget of principle of worship it is long it is mundane but it's also blessed and glorious because of the Word of God and what it says well that doesn't mean our sinful Minds don't start thinking like you know what I kind of like kickoff Sunday's I think we always like something new right the rest of the life you know phrase scares us you mean we're doing the same thing I'm 30 for the rest of my life yes for the rest of your life you have to marry this person for the rest of my life yes for the rest of your life you have to do this job for the rest of my life yeah to some degree you have to do it to the rep for the rest of your life that scares people that's what the Bible says faithfulness is important faithfulness is key and the people of Israel at this time want to do innovative things rather than what God says brethren it is hard to be a confessional Church it's hard to be a confessional Christian in this day and age because of the long drawn-out monotony that we emphasize the ordinary that we emphasize but brethren even though it is monotonous please remember it's what God says and God meets with us only worship him and such away but the people sneered oh what a weariness and you sneer at it says the Lord of Hosts McKay said it was their highest privilege to serve the Lord who had saved them but because they had lost sight of his love and the blessings he had bestowed on them they had no real desire to praise Him and their worship had become sterile and corrupt and the false worshiper returns in verse 13 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 of hosts says the Lord but cursed be the deceiver who has taken who has anise flog a mail and takes a vow but sacrifices the Lord what is blemished first thirteen thats stolen there another category probably or first that perhaps a goat or a bull that was actually stolen or maybe it was mauled by an animal like that's been mauled we'll use it anyway let's burn it there worship there pragmatic approach still arose in fact Nehemiah deals with this stuff in Nehemiah chapter 13 because really what their worship is saying is it's saying that God is not a good king it's minimizing who God is verse 14 but cursed be the deceiver who hasn't his flock a male and takes a foul you see why are the blind stolen lame and sick when you have the firstborn male again coming back to the idea that God deserves our best it's not like we don't have many good males here they had many wonderful big strong male bulls that they could have given up to God and what makes it worse as they vowed we said yes God we're going to give you this big giant mail bowl for you but they reneged on it instead they gave the one that was awful one that was blemished one that was blind or lame or stolen or sick round the one they said they would give to the Lord God Most High shouldn't God deserve our best this is the problem with Cain and Abel what did Cain do what did Abel do Abel offered the firstfruits doesn't say that about Cain does it Cain probably did not offer the best to his God and as such God did not view his worship a rights these ones in Israel at this time of Malachi were reneging curse would be the deceiver who has this flock a male and takes a vow but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemish doesn't this remind you of Ananias Ananias and Sapphira acts 5 what was their problem there it was that they made a vow we're gonna give this lump sum and they said we're not gonna do that we're gonna keep some back if they hadn't made that vow things probably would have been fine the New Testament doesn't give a number on how we ought to give it just says be generous they said here's the number we made a vow now we're taking it back false wretched awful worship but they did not truly engage in curse would be this one oh what a weariness verse 13 you profane it verse 12 against God the great king verse 14 for I am a great King says the Lord of hosts and my name is to be feared among the nation's God is not just any God he is the God who commands Angel armies well that's not how Israel saw it they saw God as a puny little God because Judah was a puny little nation they forgot Psalm 47 they forgot Psalm 48 they forgot the fact that the Lord God Almighty is king over the earth and his graciousness chose the people of Israel not because they were wonderful not be they were great because he is good because he is gracious he chose them as a special people to where the Messiah would come the loins of the Messiah would come from Israel if they forgot that they forgot all his goodness and mercy and kindness and graciousness and they still worship Him in a wicked way sometimes crises don't always shock people into doing what is right does it the people were vomited out they forgot it they forgot who God was they don't see with a bigger picture they don't cling to the Word of God they don't go okay God Jerusalem's in shambles I still see it but Nehemiah and we know Neum eyes on the way but nonetheless it's still not part it's not its own nation hmm but your word says but your word says but the Bible says bill Hughes says murmuring is a sign of a defective memory and defective sight that is the same true the same thing that we see with the people of Israel they had a defective memory what God had done for them twice Exodus Exodus 2 as well as the many other things he's done for them and they only saw with their eyes rather than looking with faith at the God of heaven and earth the Lord of Hosts my name is to be feared among the nations see brethren who must not just worship God acceptably we must also worship Him with right assumptions we must also worship Him for who he is again the main idea the reason people worship God poorly in our day is because they have a low view of God God is like us that's how they view God he's got emotions like we do he needs to be stirred up like we do he needs to be entertained like we do we need to worship Him like the world we need to entertain this God we need to be entertained by God he loves the things that we engage in brethren God is holy other than you and I God is a holy different than you and I we must just start there God exists differently than you and I do when we think about the trinny how is it one God three persons we can't we don't know but we can say that God exists differently and how he exists blows our minds because we cannot comprehend who God is the only way we know God is when he reveals himself to us in his word and the people of Israel had a 1st row seat to all the blessings that he engaged in with them and hid the evidences of who he was we have you God in our day and age Israel viewed God in their day and age like he was like us he was an idol made with hands he had eyes but could can see ears that can hear he has emotions like we do he grows and increases God doesn't grow an increase brethren God is love God is wrath he doesn't grow or decrease in them we think God changes like you and I do but the true God the God of the Bible deserves and demands that acceptable worship Jesus deserves and demands acceptable worship John 4:24 we worship Him in spirit and in truth isn't theology proper very practical sometimes we go oh man theology big words I can't understand its simplicity and possibility what brethren study them and learn them read good books God without parts dolezal God without passion Sam Ranahan that'll be a good starting place with respect to the doctrine of God sometimes we feel like we have to water down everything and have to have an analogy for everything not in the doctrine of God just please learn it and I need to keep learning it that sounds arrogant I know I'm an arrogant guy but we still need to learn those things the people in back in the 1600s just knew this and understood it and had it part and parcel for their own parlance with respect of theology proper study it loved it learn it and glorify the God that we study in it when we think about his attributes his infinity his eternality his unchanged this his the faculty is Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit the fact that there's not three gods but one God yet they're three persons that the father is not the son the son is not the spirit the son is not all those things that's difficult for us to comprehend but it caused us to what stop and worship and if we have a big view of who God is a theological view of who God is a right view of who God is hopefully we'll have a right view of what worship is as well how we worship what we think of worship says a lot but what we think of the God of heaven and earth because sometimes for us brethren familiarity breeds contempt same thing I've already been saying familiarity breeds contempt we do the same thing same thing same thing same thing and we get bored we must read study be reminded study God study his word and ask him to meet with us in this place when we do worship Him in such an acceptable way McKay says such honor and respect were missing from the worship of Malachi's day because there was no true appreciation of what the God they professed to worship was really like Jude is not big there's no more king God ain't big nor worthy of true worship let us not have that mindset when we see the world around us we see difficulties around us let's come back to the Word of God and recognize who he is that his ways are not our ways that his plans are not like our plans that he has everything under control as the God of heaven and earth and thankfully the God of heaven and earth does meet with us brethren the flip side of everything going on here yes they worship God in an improper way but the beauty is and the promise is God does meet with his people God does dwell with his people especially when we worship Him on his terms again we freaked out about Leviticus and it isn't just about how we worship God brethren but it's about how God God dwells with us it's about how God meets with his people it's about how this holy other God condescends in these bulls and goats thankfully we live on the other side of Christ coming that he condescended in the Lord Jesus Christ that that second person took on human flesh not the first not the third yet there's no mixture there is no mixture between the divine and the human yet that second person still took on human flesh his like us in every way yet without sin as he dwells among us and the beauty is because he dwells among us and dwelt among us we can dwell with God and we end well with God now yes we can do it throughout the week to prayer and reading etc but the beauty is there's a special sense when we gathered together as God's people God does meet with us in his word might not all be bells and whistles and razzle-dazzle and dancing and all those things but what God meets with us according to what His Word says as we approach him and worship him in an acceptable way how we worship what we think of worship says a lot what we think of the God we worship well let us pray our Lord God we are thankful for true worship that we confess so God sometimes we do grow weary but we ask o God that we would always take every thought captive and make it obedient to your word that we would follow what the Bible does say concerning who you are and concerning your worship we're thankful God for your promises that you do meet with your people we're thankful O God that you're with your church even to the end of the age Christ is with his people even to the end of the age or thankful O God when we gathered together in a special way with worship we're thankful that you do meet with us we pray O God that you would have met with us this evening that you would speak to us concerning who you are concerning what we're ship is and what true worship looks like help us O God to cling to worship help us to love right worship and help us to never tire a grow tired and weary of true worship help us to be faithful Oh God in this life help us to be faithful to the things that you've called us to help us to love the things that you love and to worship you in an acceptable way for you are a consuming fire we're thankful to God that you encouraged us it is a means of grace it is for our growth that we get together with you help us to remember O God that we are singing with the Saints of heaven we are seeing with the Saints throughout the world as well that we get together as your church and come and get a glimpse and foretaste of what heaven will be like we long oh God for that new heavens into Earth when Christ comes back and ushers it in where we get to sing your praises world without end but we're thankful O God for the glimpses and foretaste we see now thank you for your dwelling thank you for your love thank you that Christ dwelt among us and Christ loved us and died for us or a thankful Oh God that we can dwell with you so we ask of God that we would worship you a right we ask o God that we have a right view of worship we ask of God we'd have a right view of you and we're thankful for your word that you reveal these things to us may these things be an encouragement to our souls as we go into the world help us we pray in the name of Christ amen you