Printer Friendly VersionWe continue today with our Old Testament sermon series of Core
Values from Malachi. There is a nice, sequential flow from Core Value #1:
Love, into Core Value #2: Worship. These two go together like hand in glove.
There can be no separating our love for God, and our worship for who God is.
Let’s review quickly the historical context of Malachi’s
prophecy. Worship services were routine and mundane. People were showing up
for corporate worship but their lifestyle demonstrated a selfish priority.
The prophet used a negative message to emphasize the value of true worship.
Sometimes the best way to learn how to worship God the right way is first
to see what is not acceptable. “‘I am not pleased with you,’
says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will accept no offering from your hands’”
(1:10).
The responsibility of proper corporate worship seems to fall upon the local spiritual leaders: “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name” (1:6). What is permitted from the pulpit will be practiced in the pew. Thus, it is incumbent upon spiritual leaders to model correct worship in word and deed. The simple truth of Malachi’s sermon is relevant to our culture today: If you do not worship God the right way, He will find someone who will! “My name will be great among the nations” (1:11).
Let me be very clear right up front. I know that “worship”
is a hot button word in the church world today. However, this sermon will
not be dealing with the style of worship at all; rather, the substance. Unfortunately
the passion in today’s debate and discussion about worship seems to
lean towards justifying “why we do what we do,” rather than revering
or respecting His name regardless.
The text begins with an illustration: “A son honors his
father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due
me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” (1:6). In this ancient
culture, respect and honor were to be given to fathers even before love and
obedience. Why? That’s just the way it is!
One cannot study this passage, or even begin talking about this
core value, without revisiting objective worship versus subjective worship.
The prevailing mindset of people across the centuries (today is no exception),
has always been slanted towards “What have you (God) done for me lately?”
The emphasis is selfish, directed at the subject, rather than the object of
worship. When pushed, squeezed, or tested, the tendency is to take shortcuts.
Malachi condemned such practice: “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable
male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal
to the Lord” (1:14).
A jealous God demands the totality of our worship. The object of our honor and respect is “great, and greatly to be praised.” The long road, in this case, is the way home. Shortcuts leave the worshipper lacking and bring offense to the Divine. God demands what Aretha Franklin sang about: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Giving is mandatory in our worship. We give God our time, talents,
and treasures. We actually become a sacrifice of praise. Worship must always
be “new” or “fresh.” The idea is to give God our very
best. In fact, if it doesn’t cost us something, it’s probably
not acceptable worship.
Under the Old Testament structure of law and sacrifice, one
out of every 10 animals was marked as it came through the livestock gate headed
for the temple. It was designated for God. However, the people were selecting
sick animals to be marked for sacrifice: “When you bring blind animals
for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased
animals, is that not wrong?” (1:8).
Questions are asked today about paying our tithes: Should I
tithe on my gross income, or on the net result? The question itself suggests
the wrong attitude of worship and stewardship. It should not be how “little”
I can give in order to get by? Rather, how much can I give?
In our scripture lesson, Malachi unmasks hypocritical worship.
The term “hypocrite” finds its meaning back in the Elizabethan
age. An actor would play numerous roles by switching masks. It was the same
person, but a different face. The word “hypocrite” in today’s
vernacular is very negative—a person who talks out of both sides of
the mouth. Someone who goes through the proper motions but has a hidden agenda.
The illustration the prophet uses to emphasize the folly of shortchanging God is incredible: “Try offering them (sick cows) to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” (1:8). Try this stunt on April 15 with the IRS and see what happens to you!
There really is reciprocity in worship. “Give, and it
will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running
over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will
be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). God will react specifically to the
sincerity, or lack thereof, of our worship.
The sad truth of Malachi’s prophecy reveals God prefers
no worship at all over hypocritical worship. “Oh, that one of you would
shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar!”
(1:10).
The message is clear for us today. If we do not value worship
and practice true worship, we should shut the doors of the church. We literally
should “go out of business!” The words to the church in Laodicea
come to mind: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither
hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation
3:15-16). What an indictment against a people who lost their passion for God.
The further we work with this passage in Malachi, the more pathetic the picture gets. It’s one thing to engage in shallow worship for the perceived “what’s in it for me” mindset. But to know how to worship God for who He is, and still not do it? That is sin. God promises specific judgment on those who profane His name by giving “leftovers,” rather than giving our best. “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord” (1:14).
Worship is so much more than singing a few praise choruses on
Sunday morning. It’s a lifestyle of giving our best to God. It’s
“seeking Him first” in all we do. The message of Malachi is still
true today: if we do not worship God the right way, He will find someone who
will. “‘For I am a great king,’ says the Lord Almighty,
‘and my name is to be feared among the nations’” (1:14).
The story has been told of a young student who inquired of the
ancient philosopher Socrates, “O great Socrates, I desire wisdom and
knowledge such as you possess.” The great philosopher led the young
man to a body of water, took him by the neck, and held his head under water
for a considerable amount of time. Finally, Socrates raised the boy’s
head from the water and asked him, “Son, what is it you desire?”
After spitting water from his mouth, the young man shouted, “I want
air!” Socrates said to the student, “Whenever you desire wisdom
and knowledge with the same amount of passion you now have for wanting air,
you will have it!”
Do you have a desperate hunger and a passionate thirst for God today? Let’s practice the core value of worship in our church, and in doing so, witness to our community.
