1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,080 Good morning again. Thank you, thank you. 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:05,760 Good morning. Yes, it is a good morning. 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:08,000 My name is Josh. I'm glad you guys are here with 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,160 us this morning, particularly if you're new. 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:14,200 Thank you for visiting with us. If you are either new or you've 6 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:15,680 been out of Vita Springs for a little while. 7 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,760 We're jumping back into the book of Malachi this morning. 8 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,520 Malachi, as I've been dying to get to say, I won't say it 9 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:26,040 again, I promise. Malachi page 8O2 if you're going 10 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,360 to use one of the Bibles underneath the seat in front of 11 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,320 you, and we're going to be in Malachi chapter 3 verses 6 12 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,680 through 12. If you have been coming around 13 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,080 for the last five weeks or so, we're in week six of eight in 14 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,040 the book of Malachi. Malachi is a serious book, isn't 15 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,920 it? So the people are dealing with 16 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,200 some serious pain. It's written to a people who are 17 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,640 suffering who not, not for the first time in their history, by 18 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,400 the way, they're suffering again, although in this case it 19 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,000 was suffering because of their own sin, just not always the 20 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,120 case. But in this case it was. 21 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,520 They were faithless to the covenant that God had made with 22 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:03,000 them. They were experiencing the 23 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,040 promised consequences of their disobedience and they had grown 24 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,240 weary of following God. It's a book with a serious 25 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,960 message. It's an urgent, loud call from 26 00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,480 God to his people to return to him, to honoring God through 27 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,480 faithful living. That's that's the phrase we've 28 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,720 used to try to encapsulate the book of Malachi's honor God 29 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,040 through faithful living, a serious message. 30 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,120 But we also will see this morning that there's as a book 31 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,840 about a seriously faithful God. He says in chapter 1, I love 32 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,120 you, I love you. I know you're in pain, I know 33 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:36,360 you're suffering, but I love you. 34 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,800 Believe me. We'll see today, despite your 35 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,320 unfaithfulness, I will be faithful. 36 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:44,160 Even though you've been faithless, I want you back. 37 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,520 I want to bless you. We'll see the faithfulness of 38 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,000 God on on full display, even though we'll see that the people 39 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,560 of Israel were unfaithful to God, particularly in their 40 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,360 giving. As a fair warning, in Malachi 3, 41 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:00,040 we will be talking about money today, and thank God that He has 42 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,000 said much in the Bible about our finances and about money about 43 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,240 giving. We're going to cover as much as 44 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,840 we can as is relevant to the text, but it's worth saying 45 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,440 upfront. What God has to say about money 46 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,240 is not ultimately about trying to strong arm you into giving 47 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,680 more. He doesn't need to do that. 48 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,840 It's all his anyway. And please hear from me. 49 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,160 It's not a carefully constructed budget plea. 50 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,520 We're not. We're not aiming to try to get 51 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,080 you to convince, to try to convince you to give more or to 52 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,200 tie 10% of your income to the church. 53 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,880 In fact, that would be aiming too low. 54 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,480 God wants you. He wants your whole heart. 55 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,320 He wants more than 10%. It's all his. 56 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:44,080 He wants all of you. He knows how wealth can grip us, 57 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,160 and so He calls us to give faithfully, actually, for our 58 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,880 own good and for His glory. So on that note, there are three 59 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,040 main truths that I want you to be on the lookout for today and 60 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,760 one key question that will outline how we walk through the 61 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,400 test. The text, first of all, mankind 62 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,760 is unfaithful. It's the first thing we'll see. 63 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,360 We'll see also that God is faithful and that repentance 64 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:08,640 leads to our good and to God's glory. 65 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:13,560 The three key truths and one key question to consider is what 66 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:15,440 does faithfulness look like in our giving? 67 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:18,280 That's what Malachi 3 six through 12 prompts us to 68 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,080 consider. What does faithfulness in our 69 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,040 giving look like? I want to pray for us here 70 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,440 shortly. But before we approach God in 71 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,760 prayer and then through his word, let's pause for a moment 72 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:32,920 of silence to humble ourselves. Job after speaking back against 73 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:35,360 the Lord after doing so good for so much of the book of Job 74 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,960 resolved to continue to honor God seems to seems to say 75 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,600 something against the Lord and actually in chapter 40 says I am 76 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,400 of small account. What shall I answer you? 77 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,200 I lay my hand over my mouth. Or we might say along with 78 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,960 James, God help us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and 79 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,880 slow to become angry. Let's pause for a moment of 80 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,520 silence, and then I'll pray, and then I'll read for us from 81 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:27,950 Malachi 3. Oh God, who is like you, you are 82 00:04:27,950 --> 00:04:30,950 in control, and you do all that you please. 83 00:04:32,030 --> 00:04:34,590 God, that you are also compassionate and gracious. 84 00:04:35,110 --> 00:04:39,910 God, you are slow to anger. We need strength to understand 85 00:04:40,150 --> 00:04:42,870 how deep your love and your faithfulness are to us. 86 00:04:42,870 --> 00:04:46,590 They are too wonderful for us that we confess that our faith 87 00:04:46,710 --> 00:04:51,600 has been weak, that our strength has been dried up, that 88 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,800 sometimes the sorrows and sufferings that we experience 89 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,120 are more than we can bear. That even within this past week, 90 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,360 our very own loved ones have suffered through sickness and 91 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,880 trial and financial hardship and loss. 92 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:10,520 And we grieve together. Those pains and sufferings got 93 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,040 to remind us that we're not home yet. 94 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,720 We're citizens of a heavenly Kingdom from which we await our 95 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:21,520 Savior and Lord King Jesus. Lord, we thank you that while we 96 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,040 wait, you know, we know that you have not left us. 97 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,480 We believe you when you say that the Lord of hosts is with us. 98 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,680 God, you are our refuge and strength. 99 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,360 You are a very present help and trouble. 100 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,360 So, Father, teach us. Teach us not to presume upon 101 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,400 tomorrow, but to give our whole heart and life to you today. 102 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:48,080 Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 103 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,360 Lord, satisfy us this morning with Your steadfast love, that 104 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:57,440 we may rejoice and be glad even in these very days of pain and 105 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,120 confusion and evil. God, this morning we declare our 106 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,840 trust and our delight in You. We eagerly await to hear from 107 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:11,160 you and to cherish your words to us in Christ's name, Amen. 108 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,360 So mention we are in week six of eight in the book of Malachi. 109 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,400 The book is constructed in the form of 6 disputes, which is a 110 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:22,960 funny word we don't use that very much. 111 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,560 You might think of them as just arguments, 6 kind of arguments 112 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,360 back and forth between God and the Israelites, whether actual, 113 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,480 verbally or just, you know, He knows their hearts. 114 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:34,200 It's a bad idea to argue with God, by the way. 115 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,480 It'd be better to be on his side. 116 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,360 They've said things like God, you don't love us anymore. 117 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,600 And they were bringing polluted offerings to God rather than 118 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,960 their first and their best. The leaders were leading the 119 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:48,880 people astray. These are just some of the 120 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,560 things we've seen already in the book of Malachi. 121 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,800 The the people were marrying women who followed other gods 122 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:55,880 and divorcing the wives that they had married. 123 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:00,480 They were calling God unjust. And today we'll see that they 124 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:04,840 were actually attempting to rob God through their offerings, or 125 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:07,840 lack thereof. I'm going to read for us Malachi 126 00:07:07,840 --> 00:07:10,440 3, six through 12. And then we'll go back to verse 127 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:16,640 7, verse 6. For I the Lord do not change. 128 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:21,880 Therefore, you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed from the 129 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,600 days of your father's. You have turned aside from my 130 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,960 statutes and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return 131 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,480 to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, how shall we 132 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:36,760 return? Will man rob God? 133 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,400 Yet you are robbing me. But you say, How have we robbed 134 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,360 you and your tithes and contributions? 135 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,520 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole 136 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,480 nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the 137 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,000 storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and thereby 138 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,840 put me to the test, says the Lord of Hosts. 139 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,480 If I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down 140 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,000 for you a blessing until there is no more need, I will rebuke 141 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,080 the Devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of 142 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,040 your soil. And your vine in the fields 143 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,840 shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of Hosts. 144 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:16,520 And then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a 145 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,320 land of delight, says the Lord of hosts. 146 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:24,920 First of all, as I said, we'll see that mankind is unfaithful. 147 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,000 The claim that God is making to the people of Israel in this 148 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:33,559 passage is you've left me. You've been unfaithful from the 149 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:35,559 days of your Father. You've turned aside for my 150 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,080 statutes and you've not kept them. 151 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,520 And they say, so he says, return to me, the people, as if to say, 152 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:43,280 cut return. How can we return? 153 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,720 We haven't got anywhere. God points to their giving will 154 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:52,600 man rob God, you are robbing me. How have we robbed you God, your 155 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,640 tithes and contributions. You're cursed for your robbing 156 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:56,840 me. The whole nation of you. 157 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,880 Here's the the startling reality about the people of Israel. 158 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,640 They they could have been toast long before the book of Malachi. 159 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,640 It says from the days of your father's you have turned aside 160 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,600 from my statute. So the rebellion is 161 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:12,840 comprehensive. It's been going on for a long 162 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,320 time. The whole nation is guilty. 163 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:18,240 Verse 9 and it's not just in one area of life. 164 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:21,360 God, as he's already done throughout the whole book of 165 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,640 Malachi so far has pointed to a lot of different areas of their 166 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:24,720 life where they've been unfaithful. 167 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,760 Here God points to their giving. The practice of the tithe at 168 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,800 this point in Israel's history was tithe just means 10th. 169 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,320 It was to give 10% of their income. 170 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,720 Whatever kind of increase the Lord blessed them with, be it 171 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,080 through, you know, cattle or other types of livestock or the 172 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:40,760 crops that they were able to produce. 173 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,480 They were to give a tenth of all that God gave them back to him 174 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:49,040 as and God says their failure to do so is like robbery, taking 175 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:54,040 from God what is actually his. So they would have benefited 176 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,360 from and we will benefit from a reality check for a moment. 177 00:09:56,560 --> 00:10:01,080 Who owns the world? God does not girls, Beyoncé, 178 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:04,480 sorry, God owns the world. Thank you. 179 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,240 A little delayed bit of a misquote. 180 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:12,120 God owns the world, the whole world and everything in it. 181 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,560 Psalm 50 verses 10 through 12 say it well. 182 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,520 God speaking for every beast of the forest is mine. 183 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:24,200 The cattle on 1000 hills, I know all the birds of the of the 184 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,240 hills and I and all that moves in the field is mine. 185 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,160 If I were hungry, just comical as if God could be hungry. 186 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,480 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its 187 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:38,200 fullness are mine. Abraham Kuiper is famously known 188 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,920 for saying there's not a square inch in the whole domain of our 189 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,760 human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over 190 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:50,600 all, does not cry mine. Now maybe a piece of this seems 191 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,520 a bit odd. If God doesn't need our money, 192 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,520 then why does he care? Why does he care about their 193 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:58,920 giving? Why does he care about our 194 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,080 giving? Of course it's not because he 195 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,520 needs it. So think about the book of 196 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,040 Malachi as a whole. As we've said, God is calling 197 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,000 back His people to honor God through faithful living. 198 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,520 And all the disputes or arguments so far are areas of 199 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,720 their lives where they have been unfaithful or they've gone 200 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:20,240 astray, but God loves them and he wants them to return to him. 201 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,880 And so we can conclude God cares about our giving because he 202 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:27,840 knows how money quickly exposes what's in our hearts. 203 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,120 Money can quickly expose what or who we worship. 204 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,440 Our budgets, our investments, our spending, our saving, our 205 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,600 giving. All of these reveal what our 206 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,960 hearts truly love. God cares about our giving 207 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,560 because He wanted them and us to see that giving unfaithfully is 208 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:49,200 not a small sin. It's presuming ownership of what 209 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:54,240 belongs to God. And boy are our inner lawyers 210 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,320 really good at what they do. Try to convince us that it's not 211 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,720 so bad if I withhold just a little bit. 212 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,280 But it is. It's deep seated rebellion 213 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:06,960 against God, and we too have rebelled when we withhold from 214 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,680 Him what is rightfully His. It's the creation saying to the 215 00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:14,720 Creator mine. It's my life, it's my career, 216 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:20,480 it's my house, it's my body, it's my money. 217 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:26,120 Those are my clothes, that food in the fridge and the pantry. 218 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,520 It's my food, it's my time, it's my schedule. 219 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,080 God said the world and its fullness are mine. 220 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:38,200 They're his. Speaking to Christians in First 221 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,160 Corinthians 6, God said actually, you are not your own, 222 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:45,080 You were, but at a price. Therefore, honor God with your 223 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,360 body and you might add to that your career. 224 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:51,560 Honor God with your house and your budget and your food and 225 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:53,240 our schedules. They're gods. 226 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,240 God cares about our giving because He loves us and He wants 227 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,760 our hearts. He wants to bring us back into 228 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,120 restored relationship with Him. He wants to save us from our 229 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:10,680 misdirected affections. Strikingly, for the Israelites, 230 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,160 it was their unfaithfulness and giving, the robbery of God, that 231 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:17,120 had led to the sufferings that they were experiencing. 232 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:21,960 Verse 9 says You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, 233 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,680 the whole nation of you. So they were experiencing what 234 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:28,360 God said would happen. If you go back to Deuteronomy 235 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,760 chapter 28, the second-half of that chapter that's organized 236 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,600 with nice little subheadings in our printed Bibles these days is 237 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,200 blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. 238 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,320 There were curses for disobedience and the here's the 239 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,720 difficult reality of verse 9 for us. 240 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,120 And please hear me, it's not always the case. 241 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:50,320 OK, sometimes, not always, but sometimes, your pain and your 242 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:51,720 suffering is the result of your sin. 243 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:54,600 That is what was happening to the Israelites here. 244 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:59,040 And I have a very unflattering personal story to share. 245 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,880 Just at the beginning of this year, Debbie and I were in a 246 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:07,040 pretty tight financial spot. It seemed like like everything 247 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:08,560 was breaking. You know, if that is that ever 248 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:10,600 happened to you, Like it all happens at the same time. 249 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,520 Our foundation underneath our fireplace gives out because 250 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:16,400 armadillos were burrowing underneath it. 251 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,280 So it started to fall. Are you kidding? 252 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,320 The Armadillos foundation issues, we had a plumbing issue. 253 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,720 Thank the Lord we caught it early enough before it got 254 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:25,960 bigger. But you know, plumbing is not 255 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,440 cheap. We owed taxes for the first time 256 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,480 in our lives. We've never owed taxes before. 257 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:32,920 And then we had to start contributing more to taxes for 258 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,040 this year. We had just had a newborn, which 259 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:36,440 we love him, Silas, he's wonderful. 260 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,240 And this was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back. 261 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:40,680 We, we, we were happy with our insurance. 262 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:43,160 So we thought our medical bill wasn't going to be all that 263 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:44,840 crazy for Silas. And then we go and we check the 264 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:49,040 e-mail and it says 4600 dollars. We said like we thought that was 265 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,440 all going to be covered. All of this. 266 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,640 I think what it finally did for me was, you know, this, this 267 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:55,120 text has been on my mind for a while. 268 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,160 So it prompted me to consider God, have I been faithless? 269 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,440 Have I been stingy in any way? Is there anything I've promised 270 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,640 to give to you that I've not yet given to you? 271 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,920 Just like who knows? It was it was their their 272 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:10,760 disobedience that led to their pain and suffering. 273 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:15,200 Is could that be the root cause? Lord, I did some digging. 274 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,920 We had a small increase that we had planned to give towards our 275 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,320 regular monthly giving that we hadn't started doing yet. 276 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,360 There was a an offering we had intended to give. 277 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,360 We had the money sitting in a savings account and for whatever 278 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,520 reason, we hadn't given it yet. Perhaps it just feels good to 279 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:30,720 have the money in the savings account. 280 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,320 Like we'll get to that eventually and so quickly. 281 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,480 I was like, all right, take it, you know, to increase the 282 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,720 giving, give the money we already committed to give. 283 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:43,320 No joke. The very next day I pulled up 284 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:46,840 that same e-mail where the bill in the e-mail says $4600 a click 285 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:51,840 view bill and takes you to my UF health and it says $200 said 286 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,200 Lord, pay that right now before they can chase their mind. 287 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,680 Look, I need to be careful with with stories like this. 288 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:05,640 I'm we'll talk a little bit more about prosperity teachers later 289 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:07,680 on. I'm not saying that just give 290 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:09,960 more and all your pains will go away. 291 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,600 I'm not even saying that every single time we repent. 292 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:17,120 Your life is just free and clear of pains and sufferings 293 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:18,800 automatically. That's not what I'm saying. 294 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,280 In fact, who knows, maybe it was a glitch in their system and 295 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:23,520 they're going to hunt me down for the rest of the money. 296 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:25,640 I don't know. It doesn't matter. 297 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,720 God convicted me of sin, of my unfaithfulness and giving, and I 298 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,000 had to repent, admit, and now my heart is free. 299 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:38,120 That's what God wants for us. He loves us, He wants our 300 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,560 hearts, He cares about our giving because He knows that 301 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,280 money and wealth and stuff can pull us away from Him. 302 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,880 And so He will allow pain in our lives. 303 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,240 He'll even sometimes send pain into our lives for the sake of 304 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:54,160 bringing us back to Him so that we can have restored 305 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:59,240 relationship with Him. Before we move on to away from 306 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:01,480 our unfaithfulness and talk about God's faithfulness, there 307 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,920 might be a natural lingering question in your hearts, which 308 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:11,480 is I'm not like you, Josh. I don't think I'm in sin to the 309 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,800 best of my ability. I'm I'm living faithfully, but 310 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,760 I'm still in pain. I'm trying to do everything 311 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,040 right and life is still really hard right now. 312 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:24,160 What then? There are a few things I think 313 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,359 the Bible tells us could be the cause of pain and suffering, and 314 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,680 the first of which is not a comfortable truth. 315 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,440 It's what we see right here in Malachi that, and that's the 316 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:34,880 truth that I had to deal with. We might not be actually living 317 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:36,280 as faithfully as we think we are. 318 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,600 It might be there is some unfaithfulness in your heart 319 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,240 that you need to to probe into and ask God to reveal. 320 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:47,280 We see the whole book of Job is a is a book of testing. 321 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:52,120 And whether that test comes from God or even from evil spirits, 322 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:55,720 right, or evil forces or evil world, it could be a test. 323 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,800 It could be simply that we live in a broken and sinful world. 324 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,880 David was a man after God's own heart, and yet Saul was 325 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:05,240 constantly pursuing him, trying to kill him. 326 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,160 So what do we do with that? How do you respond if that's 327 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:11,840 you? Well, what do dependent people 328 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:13,280 do? We pray. 329 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,200 God says that he is close to the broken hearted, and he saves 330 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:19,560 those who are crushed in spirit first. 331 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,360 Peter 57. Cast all your anxieties on him, 332 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:26,880 because he cares for you. A good prayer might be, Lord, is 333 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:28,360 there any way that I'm living unfaithfully? 334 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:30,160 It doesn't have to just be giving, by the way, but is there 335 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:31,720 any way that I'm living unfaithfully? 336 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:33,760 Expose it so I can repent of that. 337 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:37,160 Maybe a good prayer would be what David says in Psalm 139 on 338 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,360 the screen. Search me, O God, and know my 339 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:42,680 heart. Try me and know my thoughts. 340 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,920 See if there's any grievous way in me and lead me in the way 341 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,800 everlasting. That would be a good humble 342 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,960 prayer for all of us, really at any point in life. 343 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,360 If it's a test, Lord, if this is a test, give me faith, give me 344 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:59,280 patience to endure the test. God, grow me how you want to 345 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,680 grow me. Produce in me what I need. 346 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,920 I praise you and thank you for the opportunity to be stretched 347 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:09,160 in this way. Or if it's simply the sin, 348 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,760 sinful world we live in and the evilness of men. 349 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:16,120 Lord, don't pray as as as what Old Testament prayers would like 350 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:17,480 to do, which is curse my enemies. 351 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:19,360 Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. 352 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:22,760 He says, Lord, bring the wicked to repentance and give me 353 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:27,040 strength to endure. If we are honest with ourselves, 354 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,600 we can't acknowledge we are much more like the Israelites than 355 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,920 unlike them. Mankind as a whole is 356 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,880 unfaithful, but praise the Lord, God is faithful. 357 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:45,080 Look at verse 6. For I the Lord, do not change. 358 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:50,240 Therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 359 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,280 I always love the phrase when you see a therefore, what's the 360 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,360 therefore, therefore it makes you pay attention to what comes 361 00:19:57,360 --> 00:19:59,840 before it. You might read it backwards or 362 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,760 children of Jacob, you are not consumed because I, the Lord, do 363 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:06,280 not change. Isn't that music to your ears? 364 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:08,560 Isn't that like water in the desert? 365 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,080 God is faithful to his people and to his covenant, not just 366 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,520 because he's nice or patient or kind. 367 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,080 God's very nature is unchanging. The the theological word for 368 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:23,920 this is God is immutable. He can't be mutated. 369 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:25,920 He's fixed. He's permanent, He's eternal. 370 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,440 From everlasting to everlasting, you are God. 371 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,680 Psalm 90 verse 2 says think of the laws as of physics. 372 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:36,240 Try as hard as you might to defy gravity, you can't do it. 373 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:37,680 You jump down and you're going to fall. 374 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:42,440 It's an unchanging law and interesting, amazing the 375 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,240 contrast how God is unchangeable. 376 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,800 We are so fickle and inconsistent and changing, but 377 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,120 he's not like us. He's completely other There's 378 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,920 there's not a spot for him on the taxonomic ranking system of 379 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,160 all things. The the taxonomy is that he's 380 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,560 the creator and we are the creatures we change. 381 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,600 But he says, I, the Lord do not change. 382 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,160 Now that's very good news, but it would not sound like very 383 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,400 good news. If you think that God is some 384 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:14,360 self-centered or powerless or unpredictable or unjust tyrant, 385 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,440 then that would be very bad news. 386 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:19,920 And maybe you do think that's what God is like. 387 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,280 And if that's so or some variation of that, then I would 388 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,840 just say, friend, please pause and ask yourself what is shaping 389 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:31,320 your view of God? Is it your recent experience and 390 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,080 the way that you interpret what's happening in your life? 391 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,360 Is it what you think God should be like? 392 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,160 Is it are there attitudes or underlying tones and the content 393 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,640 that you consume that are shaping you and what you think 394 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:48,240 of God? It's not right for us to impose 395 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,000 on God our views of Him. We must be careful to think of 396 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,920 God according to who has He, who He has revealed Himself to be in 397 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,080 Scripture. In fact, we cannot have an 398 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,960 accurate understanding of God unless He were to reveal Himself 399 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,560 to us. Praise the Lord, He's done so in 400 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:07,880 Psalm 50, which I quoted earlier, the Lord actually 401 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,720 suggests to the evil people being addressed in that Psalm 402 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,320 that they were flippant in their evil. 403 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:17,880 Because He says you thought that the I am was one like yourself. 404 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,560 He's not like us. How has He then revealed Himself 405 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:24,200 to us? What has He told us about 406 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,280 Himself? To look at Exodus 34, verses 6 407 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,080 and seven, which we'll actually be meditating on these verses in 408 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:31,480 our small groups all summer long. 409 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:36,240 The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed the Lord. 410 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:42,920 The Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and 411 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:45,560 abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 412 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:49,560 This is how God has revealed Himself, keeping steadfast love 413 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:53,480 for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and 414 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:58,160 sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the 415 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,240 iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's 416 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:04,040 children to the 3rd and the 4th generation. 417 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,480 God is amazingly gracious and merciful, but He's also just. 418 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,200 Notice the contrast though there is there is justice that may 419 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,960 continue for three or four generations, but His love 420 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:16,960 extends to thousands of generations. 421 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:23,560 God is gracious and merciful. He's also just Lamentations 322 422 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:27,080 and 23 says something similar to Malachi 36. 423 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,240 It says the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. 424 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:32,760 His mercies never come to an end. 425 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,200 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness or 426 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,560 Numbers 20. Excuse me, 2319. 427 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:43,360 God is not a man that he should lie, nor son of man that He 428 00:23:43,360 --> 00:23:46,000 should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do 429 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,320 it, Or has he spoken and will he not fulfill it? 430 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,760 God is steady and faithful and constant. 431 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:53,960 This is how He has revealed Himself to us. 432 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:57,760 I, the Lord, do not change, and therefore, O Israelites or 433 00:23:57,960 --> 00:23:59,640 children of Jacob, you are not consumed. 434 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:04,520 Friends, God's unchanging nature is good news. 435 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,080 It's comforting to know that that God is constant, He is 436 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:13,000 safe, He's steady, He is just. He is welcoming, He's forgiving, 437 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:18,600 He is patient, He's tender. God is righteous, He is pure. 438 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:24,040 God is powerful or God is trustworthy, and if the idea 439 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,960 that God is good or that his nature is unchanging in fact 440 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,080 feels like bad news to you, they might. 441 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,080 I say as lovingly as I can, that you're not seeing God rightly. 442 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,320 And please make it a point this summer to seek Him for how He 443 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:39,440 has revealed Himself through His Word. 444 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,480 Here are a few ideas and ways that we'd like to help with 445 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,520 that. First of all, prayer. 446 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:47,240 It might be wise. If that's resonating with you 447 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,520 and you feel like that's me, You don't want to raise your hand 448 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:50,920 and say that, but you know that that's you. 449 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:53,840 We pray for each other. At the end of every service, 450 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:58,040 we'll sing a few songs and then there'll be a time for prayer. 451 00:24:58,040 --> 00:24:59,440 Come forward and ask someone to pray for you. 452 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:01,680 You can tell them specifically. We have a whole team of people 453 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,000 who are trained to pray for for one another. 454 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,080 Pray that God would help change that in you and help you to see 455 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,400 Him rightly. Perhaps a dedicated Bible study 456 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,240 on the character of God would be a very good thing for you. 457 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,240 Meditating. As I said, we'll be meditating 458 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,600 all summer long on Exodus 34, six, and seven. 459 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,520 If you're not in a small group, might be a great time to join a 460 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,160 small group. There's a small group wall on 461 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,280 your way out where you can see what day of the week works for 462 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,560 you, meaning all throughout time on different days of the week. 463 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:32,400 But dig into who God says He is, or maybe look specifically at 464 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,600 the promises that God has made to His people and start praying 465 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:41,200 those promises back to Him. Maybe reading a good book would 466 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,360 just be helpful enough. Next step for you, a couple I'd 467 00:25:43,360 --> 00:25:47,360 recommend Knowing God by Ji Packer or Knowledge of the Holy 468 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:49,480 by AW Tozer. We'll be giving away a couple 469 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,080 copies of those at Team Vita next week. 470 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:56,280 Praying the Promises of God by Tom Yeakley, a wonderful little 471 00:25:56,280 --> 00:26:00,720 book. We want to see God and know God 472 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,200 and believe Him for who He has said that He is because He is 473 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,960 faithful and unchanging. We are unfaithful. 474 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,440 He is faithful. Verses 10 through 12 show us 475 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,640 that God makes a way for us to be restored to Him and that 476 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,920 repentance leads to our good and to God's glory. 477 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:22,000 I'm going to read verse 7 first again and then verses 10 and 11. 478 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:28,560 So God says return to me and I will return to you, says the 479 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:30,640 Lord of hosts. So what does that returning look 480 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:32,560 like? That's what I think verses 10 481 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,040 and 11 are showing us is what that returning to God for the 482 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,440 Israelites looks like. Bring the full tithe into the 483 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:42,160 storehouse that there may be food in my house, and thereby 484 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,120 put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts. 485 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,280 If I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down 486 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,960 for you a blessing until there is no more need, I will rebuke 487 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,920 the devourer for you so that it will not destroy the fruits of 488 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,760 your field, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, 489 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,240 says the Lord of hosts. Now sadly, because this passage 490 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:06,480 has been abused by prosperity teachers or Word of Faith 491 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:08,880 teachers, I won't even call them prosperity gospel teachers 492 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:13,240 because it's not good news. I feel the need to start with 493 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:16,120 what this text is not saying 1st and then we'll talk about what 494 00:27:16,120 --> 00:27:20,320 it is saying when it says test the Lord put me to the test. 495 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:24,400 This is not saying test the Lord by giving 7 times what you 496 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:27,560 usually give and it'll be returned 7 times what back to 497 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:28,960 you? That's not what it's saying. 498 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:31,720 That testing sounds more like the testing the devil did when 499 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,720 he tempted Jesus with when he tempted Jesus in the New 500 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,040 Testament. This is not Try me and see if 501 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:41,520 I'll bail you out. Provoking God by demanding that 502 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:43,920 He meet our tests is distrusting and evil. 503 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:47,760 That's not what that means. It doesn't mean God only wills 504 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:50,640 health and wealth and happiness and a pain free life for us. 505 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,880 That's not what this is saying. It doesn't mean that if you have 506 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,880 pain or if you've not received yet what you've been praying 507 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,800 for, that somehow it's because you have too little faith or 508 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:01,200 because you haven't given enough money. 509 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,560 That's not what this is saying. That's what prosperity teachers 510 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,600 or Word of Faith teachers teach. And do you see how far away from 511 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:11,640 the text that teaching is and why it's not good news? 512 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,120 It's missing anything relevant to the truth, The point of 513 00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:17,640 Malachi, which is we want to honor God through faithful 514 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:19,720 living. And it's instead turned it into, 515 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,760 well how do I ensure that I'm blessed and how do I use God to 516 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,200 get what I want? The results of that sort of 517 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,800 teaching are awful. They include self centeredness 518 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,960 and entitlement or disillusionment or worse towards 519 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:37,680 God and we end up with 0 grid for pain and suffering in life. 520 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,000 But in reality, what these verses have to say is very good 521 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,640 news. Again, it's that repentance 522 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,160 leads to our good and to God's glory. 523 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:50,920 For the Israelites, remember their plight, The pain they were 524 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:53,040 going through was the direct result of their sin. 525 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,160 But here God is saying it doesn't have to be that way 526 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,160 forever. There were specific blessings 527 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:02,800 for obedience and there were and repentance as well. 528 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,560 So again, go back to Deuteronomy 28 and see God's making a way 529 00:29:05,560 --> 00:29:07,520 for them to come back to him. And he says I will forgive you. 530 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,240 You've sinned in giving. So repent by getting that 531 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:13,760 straight and I'll send the rain again until you don't have any 532 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:14,960 more need. That's what this you know, 533 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:17,720 pouring out the opening up the windows of heaven pouring down 534 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,920 for you a blessing until there is no more need. 535 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,120 In this context would be referring to there was a drought 536 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,280 there was in an agrarian society who relies on crops and 537 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,640 livestock. God's saying I'm going to help 538 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,160 you out when you repent. You've been unfaithful in your 539 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:33,880 giving, and per our covenant agreement, you're experiencing 540 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:35,080 the curses that were promised to you. 541 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:37,840 So repent. I'll send those nasty locusts 542 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,280 away, the devourers, and I'll give you reign. 543 00:29:42,720 --> 00:29:46,760 So instead, put me to the test. Can be interpreted as see if I 544 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,040 won't be faithful to my word. See if I won't take the curse 545 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,000 away when you repent. That thing I promised that I 546 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,640 would do. See if I won't be faithful to do 547 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,520 what I said I would do. Isn't God so kind and gracious 548 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:01,000 to have given them that that provision for them, that despite 549 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,040 their their unfaithfulness or their faithlessness, Israel's 550 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:08,480 sin could be forgiven? Their fate was not sealed, even 551 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:10,800 though they were rebellious against a holy God. 552 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,240 They could be forgiven because God made a promise and he 553 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:17,360 offered a way to be restored through repentance. 554 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,920 And isn't God so gracious He's offered a way for you and for me 555 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:27,880 to be restored to him as well? Despite our rebellion against 556 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:31,520 God, He's intent on restoring our relationship with Him 557 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:37,040 because just as he was faithful and patient and holy and just 558 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,480 and gracious then, he is now. He is the same God from 559 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,600 yesterday, today, and forever. From everlasting to everlasting. 560 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,080 The truth is, like the Israelites, we could have been 561 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:50,480 taken out by God long ago, but God made a way. 562 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:54,040 Isaiah 53, six says that we all, like sheep, have gone astray. 563 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,320 Each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has laid on 564 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,200 him, referring to Jesus, the iniquity of us all. 565 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,280 Second Corinthians 8-9 says that though Jesus, he says he that 566 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:08,120 though he, but it's referring to Jesus, was rich, yet for your 567 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:12,600 sake he became poor so that you by his poverty might become 568 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,320 rich. Rich with forgiveness and 569 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:16,720 eternal blessings and brought back into right relationship 570 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,200 with God. God made a way for us to be 571 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,800 restored to himself by sending his own Son to bear the weight 572 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,760 of God's justice and to pay the penalty for our sins on the 573 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:29,480 cross. And if that was not enough to 574 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:33,200 demonstrate his complete victory over sin and death, God raised 575 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,200 Jesus from the dead. And as a down payment, so to 576 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:39,320 speak, God will give His Holy Spirit to all who repent and 577 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:43,320 surrender to Him as Lord, and He will one day return for His own 578 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,040 and raise them up to eternal life. 579 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:50,080 So what are we to do then to be brought back into right 580 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:55,000 relationship with God? In the words of Malachi 3 verse 581 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,680 seven, in a common phrase in the New Testament, the words of 582 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,840 Malachi are return. God calls them and He calls us 583 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,320 to return. God's not OK with continued 584 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,880 rebellion against him. He says if you're going to 585 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:08,840 follow him, then you actually do need to change. 586 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:12,000 You actually do need to turn away from sin and turn towards 587 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:13,840 him. The words of the New Testament 588 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,880 writers are repent and belief. Turn away from your sin. 589 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,280 Put your trust in that work of Jesus for you and receive the 590 00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,040 free gift that he has for you. Forgiveness, a new life with 591 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:25,520 Him. And he says that your humble 592 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,320 repentance will lead to blessing. 593 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,800 It will lead to your good in Malachi. 594 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:32,040 That was again. Turn. 595 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,600 Turn back to Me in your giving. Get that straight and I'll 596 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,920 remove the devourer for US. Turn back to me and receive the 597 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:40,400 gift of your sins being separated from you as far as the 598 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:47,280 east is from the West. Thank you Lord, I mentioned 599 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:50,200 there was one key question to consider. 600 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:53,040 We've seen that God is, that mankind is unfaithful, but God 601 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,320 is faithful and that repentance leads to our good and His glory. 602 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,120 And there's one key question to consider. 603 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:01,520 Now I think would be a good time to consider it before we 604 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,400 conclude. And the question, well, before I 605 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:06,840 get to it, should we consider this passage relevant to our 606 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,560 giving at all today? I think the answer is yes. 607 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,560 And the question just to give it to you now and then make a few 608 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:15,440 comments on it is what does it look like? 609 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:17,200 What does faithfulness and giving look like? 610 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,080 So that's the question to consider. 611 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,160 But before we get there, should we consider this relevant to our 612 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:25,200 giving at all today? This is a passage about how the 613 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,800 Israelites were unfaithful in their tithes and contributions 614 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:29,880 to God. And the message of Malachi once 615 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,280 more is honor God through faithful living in this 616 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,320 particular text, specifically message about their giving. 617 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:37,640 So be faithful to God in your giving. 618 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:40,160 And what is God going to do? God will meet your needs. 619 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:42,560 Is that taught anywhere else in Scripture? 620 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,480 Absolutely. Matthew 633 is a personal 621 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,560 favorite after a long passage on Don't worry about what you will 622 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,480 eat or what you will wear or where you will live. 623 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,760 Jesus teaches but seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness 624 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,640 and all these things will be added to you as well. 625 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:03,640 Philippians 419 Similarly, the church in Philip I having 626 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,360 already given generously to Paul Paul then writing even out of 627 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:10,040 their their their poverty. They were not particularly 628 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:12,920 wealthy and God says to them to to encourage them. 629 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:14,800 Essentially you've given generously. 630 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,360 My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches 631 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:23,080 and glory in Christ Jesus. The message of our giving 632 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,320 throughout Scripture is give faithfully and God will meet our 633 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:27,800 needs. Thank the Lord. 634 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,880 So what does faithfulness in giving look like? 635 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,480 On a very practical level, I've just put together some biblical 636 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:37,800 principles for giving with a bunch of references. 637 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:38,920 You can take a picture if you'd like. 638 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:40,840 I'll try to walk slowly through them if you're jotting them 639 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,920 down. But first of all, what does 640 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:45,440 faithfulness in giving look like? 641 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,040 Give thoughtfully and prayerfully. 642 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:50,719 And so I'll just pose a question to each one of us after each of 643 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:53,560 these statements. Give thoughtfully and 644 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,639 prayerfully. So do you pray annually about 645 00:34:55,639 --> 00:34:57,800 how much to give? Doesn't have to be every single 646 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,320 week necessarily that you're saying, what do I give this week 647 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:02,200 and what do I give today or what do I give next month? 648 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:05,280 But annually could be fine. God, what, what, what might 649 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,000 you'll be calling me to give to you this year? 650 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,360 If more frequently than that, great for additional giving 651 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:15,280 opportunities, give joyfully. God loves a cheerful giver. 652 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,600 So, so maybe just consider to yourself, what are you able to 653 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,160 give joyfully? And do you pray that God would 654 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,920 increase that amount, that God would increase your ability to 655 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:26,800 give joyfully? He says it's more blessed to 656 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:30,600 give than to receive. Give sacrificially, like we saw 657 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:32,920 from the Church of Philippi in the verse I just quoted. 658 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:35,760 And so the question I would ask is, does it ever hurt a little 659 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:39,640 bit to give, give joyfully, but does it ever hurt just a little 660 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,680 bit, maybe more than just a little bit? 661 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:45,160 Does it ever hurt to give? The principle from Proverbs 69 662 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:49,120 is that we would give our first and our best, not the leftovers, 663 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,320 but give God from immediately upon receiving. 664 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,840 God being quick and ready to give back to immediately. 665 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,040 So who gets your first and your best would be the question that 666 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,360 I would ask. Who gets your first and your 667 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:03,480 best? First Corinthians 16 two talks 668 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,120 about setting aside a contribution at the beginning of 669 00:36:06,120 --> 00:36:09,800 each week, and so the idea being give regularly. 670 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:13,800 Most of the giving we see in the New Testament is towards local 671 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:15,800 congregations, but there are plenty of other giving 672 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,440 opportunities we could give towards. 673 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:21,040 But give regularly. So how regularly do you give? 674 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:22,720 And what do you do when you miss a gift? 675 00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:24,360 Do you try to go back and make up for it? 676 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,480 Lastly, we'll see. God calls us to give to those in 677 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:30,760 need. That could be those in need 678 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,720 within our own church, or just those in need in the world. 679 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:38,080 But God loves the poor. He loves those in need. 680 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:41,920 So I love the phrase being spring loaded. 681 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,440 Are you ready? Are you spring loaded? 682 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:46,960 Are you looking for opportunities to give? 683 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,680 There's just some some biblical principles for what faithfulness 684 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,120 and giving looks like. And the idea being it's not 685 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:56,800 ultimately about dutiful performance, but it's about the 686 00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:59,040 heart. God loves us. 687 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:02,400 And so he cares about our giving because he wants us for our own 688 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:06,560 good to live faithfully in this area for his glory and for our 689 00:37:06,560 --> 00:37:09,920 good. To conclude, look at verse 12 690 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:14,440 where he says, and as a result of this, you know, when you 691 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:18,320 repent of your lack of giving and and instead bring the full 692 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:22,120 contribution that I'm asking you to give, all nations will call 693 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:26,320 you blessed for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord 694 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:30,240 of hosts. Said another way, when God's 695 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:33,880 people obey, there are ramifications that reach beyond 696 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:37,480 our walls. You could say that their 697 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,480 faithlessness and giving was actually slowing down the 698 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:42,440 worship of God among other nations. 699 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:46,080 Or in a more positive way of saying that, you might say that 700 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,040 our repentance and faithfulness, it's not only good for us, it's 701 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:52,680 not only good for us, but it's for God's glory and it's for the 702 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:53,880 blessing of the nations.