ARE YOU DENYING GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY?

Malachi 1:6-10 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. | And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? ⁷ Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. ⁸ And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

⁹ And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts. ¹⁰ Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

Divided – 952 BC | Israel captive to Assyria – 721 BC | Judah captive to Babylon – 586 BC | Ezra & Zerubbabel – 538 BC | Nehemiah – 450 BC

The prophet Malachi was a contemporary of Nehemiah (450-400 BC).

•  The worship is restablished; joy and repentance return (Neh 8-9).
• Nehemiah 13:7 And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

Malachi's day corresponds with the Laodicean church of Rev 3:14-20.

Gifts for the Tabernacle | There was a time in Israel, when the Tabernacle was being built, that men worshipped with willing hearts…

·     Ex 35:22 They came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted,...and every man... offered an offering...unto the LORD. [36:4-5] All the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.

A great need in Christianity today is the recognition of the Lordship of Christ.

Recognizing His Lordship means serving Him with a willing heart.

Malachi addressed Israel's problem with accepting the Sovereignty of God. Their loyalty and values had become polluted by worldliness.

Romans 12:1-2 is a superb sections of scripture that summarizes the principal truths concerning the Lordship of Christ.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1.   THE PLEA FOR A WILLING HEART: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (v 1).

The Body Refers To The Physical.

·      The LORD has dealt with our Spirit.

·      Now He desires to deal with the remaining hold out.

The Lord is not satisfied with part of us... He wants ALL!

Exodus 35 Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD;.....²³And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and   every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering... And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted,...

God does not force us to accept His Love, Grace, Mercy, or Salvation. Nor can we force God to accept a Polluted Sacrifice (Cain & Abel).

·      Yet some Christians try to force tainted sacrifices on God.

·      Paul uses the words, I beseech (I desire, entreat, urge, beg).

2.   THE WISDOM OF A WILLING HEART. Psalms 111:1-3 Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. ² The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. ³ His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

It's PROPER! In consideration of the mercies of God (Salvation)

It's POSITIVE! When you consider God's plan is the best plan.      

It's PRACTICAL! When You Consider The Alternative.

3.   THE REWARD OF A WILLING HEART. We become...

A Living Sacrifice! Alive unto God.

Romans 6:6-12 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. ¹⁰ For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. ¹¹ Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

A Holy Sacrifice! Set-apart for God.

          1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready

     always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

An Acceptable Sacrifice! Complete surrender. God wants the whole man,..

·      Body (physical)

·      Soul (mind, will, emotion)

·      Spirit (the quickened man).

4.   THE CHANGE OF A WILLING HEART. There will be...

A MORAL Change! Be not conformed to this world:..

          2 Corinthians 6:14-18 

          The world is the devil’s liar for sinners; his lure for the saint.

A MENTAL Change! Be ye transformed (meta-morpho) by the renewing of your mind,..

A MOTIVATIONAL Change! That ye may prove... (discern, examine).

God's plan is better than your plan!

God’s will is...

·      GOOD! (agathon) = beneficial. Joseph said, God meant it for good.

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

·      ACCEPTABLE! (yoo-ar'-es-tos) = fully agreeable, well pleasing.       When you experience it you know it is right, it fits, its satisfying.

·      PERFECT! (tel-eion) = complete. You cannot improve on God's plan for your life.