In this conflicting biblical message, Paul Washer shows us the great privilege God gives us, knowing and serving him in our lives, and how we despise this great treasure and exchange it for temporal and worthless things. More than recommended for everyone’s church, hour.
I am absolutely amazed at the things God has done among you. The Spirit of God here in this church, talking to the pastor and the leaders. Is it a big stimulus? A wonderful encouragement to know that God works throughout the world, works in this church, in this place.
- But it is also a warning: you may be in a church where God acts.
- But God acts in you.
- As an individual.
- Maybe you are in a place where He teaches the truth.
- But Does God teach you the truth?.
Well, this weekend’s theme is “missions,” and I teach missions. On Friday night I spoke about the gospel of Jesus Christ, because we have many missions, and I feel that missions have lost their message.
We become strategists, “myiologists” and forget the essentials: we are theologians and prophets.
And our job is not to do missions. Our job is to bring the truth of God, revealed in the Word of God, into the world; we must be more sensitive to the Bible than to culture; so that where we are going becomes sensitive to the Bible; and instead of being “pragmatic” and doing what we think “will work”; We have to do what, if it’s good, whether it works or not.
This morning I want to talk about an excerpt from the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, in this service I will talk about Malachi and in the second will be another part.
Malachi chapter 1, verse 6 (in 11) 😕 The son honors the father and the servant to his lord; If I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a teacher, where is my fear?, let the Lord of armies tell you, priests who despise my name, and you say: How do we despise your name?You offer filthy bread on my altar, and say, How have we desecrated you?In this you say, “The Lord’s table is despicable. “Why, when you offer a blind animal as a sacrifice, isn’t it so bad?And when you offer the lame or the sick, isn’t it bad?Present it now to your governor; Or will he accept you?”The Lord of armies said. ” Now, then, I plead, ask God to have mercy on us; This came from your hands; Will he accept you, said the Lord of armies. Who’s among you who closes the doors for nothing, too?
And you don’t light the fire on my altar for nothing?”I am not pleased with you, ” said the Lord of armies, “and I will not accept an offering from your hand. But from sunrise to dusk, my name is big. among nations; and everywhere I will offer incense and pure offering in my name, for my name is great among nations, said the Lord of armies.
Let us turn to the Lord in prayer
Father, I come before you, in the name of your Son. I pray that the Lord will glorify in the things to be said here this morning and in the obedience of his people. I pray that Christ will be honest. Lord, I pray that you will act in this place not now, not only tomorrow, but in the years to come. May this church grow more and more in truth; Increasingly in devotion. Always renewing, always evolving, always trying to be nicer to you.
O Lord, we are not aware that even here with us today, there are some who do not know you, those who do not claim to be Christians, and those who know you and yet do not know you, those who have no function in the church and also those who have you and both do not know you Lord, then take His Word in this passage and use it in the heart of man.
In the name of Jesus, amen
You say, brother Paul, what does this difficult passage have to do with missions? This has absolutely EVERYTHING to do with missions. Know that the problem today in the United States, in our churches, is not a lack of zeal for missions. The problem is much more important. Lack of zeal for God and for the glory of God.
If you are jealous of the things of God, if you realize what has been done, the price that has been paid to buy you, in order to save you from your sin and the wrath of God; If you perceive the greatness of the one who sits on the throne, who created the earth and will one day end it; If you realize that absolutely EVERYTHING that exists is dust and rot, then you will start to be zealous for Dieu. When you’re jealous of God, you’ll be jealous of the missions.
Our own lives can testify very easily against us. Our own thoughts on the day of the final judgment will accuse us or defend us, according to the Bible. I do not need to be a prophet or son of a prophet to know who your “God is; Look at your life, when, Jesus Christ?it’s something you do on Sundays, but for the rest of your life, you’re a practicing atheist: I’ll know who your “god” is. And he’s not the one who’s the real God. When you have enough Christianity to do you feel comfortable and morally, I know who your “god” is. If I can see what your mind occupies, I’ll know who your god is.
Yesterday a lot of people came to this city to love her? A balloon. Many people live in this city and love cars, metal objects, wheels, horns and whistles, even the people of this congregation today. Those who love to be here, but not in their whole life, during the week. That’s all you’ll get from your religion. And you should be afraid, because what we see here is that God exposes man’s heart and teaches him to be righteous.
Does it begin and say in verse 6: Does the son honor the father and the servant to his lord?If I am a father, where is my honor ?, and if I am a teacher, where is my fear ?, told them the Lord of armies, priests who despise my name . . . Now one of the things we have to realize is that it is difficult to understand this passage because the foundations of our society have collapsed. We are a people with very little respect for authority. We have little respect as a nation for our leaders; and you can say, “They deserve little respect!?But still, we were called to respect them.
We have little respect for all kinds of authority, little respect for the elderly, little respect for the parents, little respect for those above us, to guide us, to guide us, but at the time it was written, it was not so. A son must honor his father. It is something that is the basis of society and that is in our consciousness: we must respect those who gave us life, we must honor them as servants. In the same situation as a man who honors his master, as if you, being a son, were?Receiver? From your father’s life. You, getting something good from your master, will want to give something in gratitude. It’s good to know that in Israel it must be like this.
And now He says, “If this is the case, where is my honor?”See? You will take your next breath simply because God has given it to you. Your heart will beat, only because He gave you, your rhythm, and your power. Everything you have good in your life doesn’t come from sweat on your face, your brilliant mind, or the work of your hands. It’s all his!
Even if you are the most violent, wicked and hateful man on the planet; Still, if there’s anything good in your life, it all comes from the same God you hate.
So if we want to honor our father, and if we want to show respect to a teacher, then let us imagine the Lord of armies. The Lord, as the Puritans said, is not the head of a small town or the governor of a province. ; The one against whom you are so indifferent and listless is the Almighty Lord.
He doesn’t need anything from your hands. Even right now, thousands and thousands, millions and millions of fiery creatures – who have so much glory that if we showed up now, he would kill us with his beauty – countless creatures, serve them and love them all the time. He doesn’t need anything from you, so when he calls you to come and serve him, it’s not to satisfy a need, he offers you a privilege.
It’s a privilege!
The greatest act of judgment that God can impose on a people or america is this: it takes away god’s knowledge, shuts down those who are supposed to speak for him, guides us with silly ideas, and we love him. Because we really want our ‘best life now’.
But God, the True God, He knows who He really is, and He knows everything about heaven. And it offers you the privilege of knowing him; Connect with Him; and follow him with your whole life.
He continues and says, in verse 6, addressing the priests, that they “misunderstand their name. “What is the purpose of a priest?A priest of Leviticus received the greatest privilege of all the people of Israel. Of all the tribes of Israel, it is the Levites who have obtained the greatest privilege!
Isachar and the others are getting better!Judah be strong, powerful in battles, sword and steel!
But the Levites! They kept the greatest of all present and that is the Presence of God. Isn’t that amazing?
We’re just like them
We want Isacar’s health more; Judah’s muscles; prosperity that we know we have.
We want to do missions and have ministries more than God, just God.
He takes the greatest privilege anyone has ever known and gives it to you, because you are guaranteed a great privilege. In the New Covenant, they are all priests of God. In the New Covenant, everyone has the Spirit of God. the New Covenant, everyone can be as close as they want.
Now, here, the priests say, “What have we despised in your name?”Isn’t that amazing? We never know what’s wrong with us, we never know what’s wrong with us, we easily report the slightest mistake in another man’s life, but we ourselves can commit the greatest atrocities against God, the greatest crimes, and be totally ignorant of them. Day God reveals his mercy, his attributes, his law, his will;
Then they hit us in the heart and we realize, “Oh, what have I done?What have I become?
They despised His Name and didn’t even know it! You and I do the same when something fills our minds more than God. Your houses, your houses, your cars, your land, your expensive brand clothes, those things that you think like that. A lot about. Christmas was stolen by a fat old man named “Santa Claus”.
All things. His hobbies, golf clubs, pistols, boats, hunting tools, bouncing balls.
All the things you care about so much, just tell us one thing
O priests, who have been called to know Him; How do you despise his name?
I’m not saying that to hurt you. I say that because it’s true. Were you excited about this missionary conference like yesterday with the football game?
They said, “Why do we despise your name?” Bring filthy food to my altar!?And yet they ask, “How can we dishonor you?”
They say, “We never said that, we never said that the Lord’s table was despicable!We’d never do that, we’re good Christians! We would never say that the Lord is not number 1, we would never say that this or that is more important than God, would we never say that !?
God says, “You say this, not with your mouth, but with your life. “
He says it this way: “Why, when you offer a blind animal as a sacrifice, it’s not so bad?And when you offer the lame or sick, isn’t it that bad?What does God ask of us?” All.
I know these silly little evangelists who say, “Raise your hand and accept Jesus in your heart. “I know these silly little preachers who say, “Come on, say this sentence, is it only 5 minutes?: your life.
His life.
Jesus promised them two things: a cross on which to die and eternal life. It’s all or it’s nothing.
The saddest place on the planet is the “biblical south,” where everyone has enough religion to send them to hell. To alleviate their religious conscience, without knowing that they despise the Lord and that there are so many idols in their lives that the Lord is not the first, nor the second, the third, the fourth?
It’s not giving God “everything. ” All
What do you want me to do, O Lord? Show me your ways, O Lord, whom do I have in heaven besides you?Who do I have on earth besides you?(Ps 73:25) What am I, but dust breathed by the Holy Breath, if the Lord does not convert me?How to live? It was Francis Schaeffer’s question. Knowing who He is, what is the value of our guilt and sin; what he did in the person of Jesus Christ; What discipular requires; “How should we live?
I know we are a people who have man as a center, and we think it’s all about us, but we’re wrong, I like what an old German reformer, Abraham Kuyper, said in the face of humanism and anthropocentrism (the man of the center) so influential in his time, he came close to some men and said, “I want you to know what Jesus will do on the day of his return : you will put your hands on everything that exists and say: mine, mine, mine, MON. It’s all mine. It was always mine. Everything was created for me, for my glory and for my pleasure. ?And whoever enters heaven will be the one who perceives this from the beginning. ?
It’s all about him
For many in America today, Jesus? (Sigh)
What if I see another Baptist church with a plaque on it?Is salvation so easy that a caveman can do it?I think they’re going to put me in jail.
So easy that a caveman can do?Our salvation is so difficult that only God can make it possible!
Do you think God is a “vaccine”? I talk to a lot of Southern Baptists, talk about salvation and say, “Don’t worry about me, I already did. “”Did you do what?” I took care of that a long time ago.
If you don’t face it today, you didn’t do it a long time ago. The proof that he repented for salvation a long time ago is that he continues to repent today and grows in repentance. that you really believed and were saved many years ago is that you still believe today and more. And the proof that He has changed your life is that He continues to do so, and if He does not, it is because He never began.
He said, “Don’t give me these things!?
We have to believe that many people seem to ignore who God is. It’s like he’s a beggar with a little can, standing in a corner, and if we threw a diamond at him, we’d be better than the others. God is not poor. Tozer said and I agree, “If all the men on earth were blind, it would not diminish the glory of the Sun, Moon, and stars. “And if all men became atheists, wouldn’t that diminish God’s glory?It’s not up to you.
Consider an important fact: Satan and the angels fell and God did not send them a Savior; they’ll go to hell. Our father Adam fell, and I want you to know that if God had never sent a Savior and let all mankind go straight to hell, He would always be Righteous, Glorious, and Loving.
You say “I’ve never heard anything like that!” Yes, you did, in this church, I wasn’t paying attention.
He said, “Don’t offer me these things !? and then he said,” Go and offer them to your governor. “If we take it to today, we could say:
Give your boss what you offer Dieu. See how long you’re going to get the job.
“Give your acquaintances what you offer God and see how long your friends will remain.
“Give your family what you offer God and see how long you will have a family. “
Look, you’re excited when we talk about missions, but are you testifying about the guy sitting next to you?You’re anxious to do things all over the world, but are you doing what you should be doing here?Missions start here.
Take a piece of paper now and do this: Each of you, in the first part of this sheet, I want you to write your call to your ministry in this church. In the second part of this page, I want you to write down everything you have accomplished that year, through this church, serving in the ministry. And on the back of this sheet, write your plans for next year about how you will give your life, serving in this church, to serve Christ and nations. From many of you, I’d get a blank page.
Because one thing these kids grow up in the church says is true: 20% of church members do 80% of the job, because 80% of members do nothing.
He’s coming (to the service), look?
Imagine I’m your boss, you come to me and I say, “Okay, let me see this sheet. “And I analyze, and I mean, you haven’t done anything this year, in your opinion!Don’t you have a vocation!? and you say, “Yes, that’s true, but every time the factory doors open, I’ll be there. “I look at the back of the blade and say? You have no goals, you have no plans for next year, you’re not going to produce anything !?,?Yes, he’s a certain boss, but I promise you, every time the factory door opens, I’ll be here. the church mentality today: “I’ll be back when those doors open, at least on Sunday morning. “
He has not been called to meet simply by seeing others serve; He has been called to unite by being nourished by the Word of God, worshipping and using the rest of the week to serve the People of God for the Glory of God.
“Okay, but how can I do these things with all the other activities I have?” If something prevents you from serving the Kingdom of God, even your right eye, take it out. If it’s your right hand, cut it out.
“But I have so many activities!? How did you raise your kids?You teach them how to do these things? You do everything you can to get them to football, and this, and this, and this lesson, and gymnastics. “But you didn’t teach god to serve God!You don’t prepare them for the day you’re in front of him!Believe them to look like you!
You want them to have a good education, titles, you want them to play ball, and this and that?Don’t you know that when your children come before God that day, everything you have taught them will be burned by fire?? They’re going to stay out and it’s your fault, what do you teach them?Your life is so full of activities that you can’t give them anything, you can’t give anything to the Church!
And don’t tell me about global missions, unless you tell me about THIS local church, because The possession of God is not a denomination, it is not a program, it is a MARIE, and this wife manifests heses heses in this church.
Oh my dear friend, every part of your head to your feet is persecuted, every part of your family is busy and tired. How long will you have to do that?
He said (verse 9): “Now I pray, ask God to have mercy on us; came from your hands; Will he accept you?Did the Lord of armies say. ? Look what they’re asking for, pray for us. ?Fix it. ?
That’s what most preachers in America do today: “Peace, peace, when there is no peace. “(Jeremiah 8:11). People always ask me, “You don’t make long calls, you’re a traveling preacher and you don’t call people to come,” and I say, “and I say. “No, I don’t, and I’ll tell you why?
It’s become some kind of psychological “leak,” something like that. Look what we’re doing. ” Does God work in your heart?Oh, we can get rid of that very quickly, just come down here, then go home and don’t change your life. Pray here for five minutes, go home, put it aside and ??
They don’t transform!
I tell people, go home and think about these things for weeks!Be in the Word of God, look at what is said, the gravity of this, the call is made !?
Come on, say a little prayer, think everything’s okay and go home!
Face the fact that you face a gospel that requires EVERYTHING from you, that you face who God is!He doesn’t share, he takes everything! But if your heart has really been regenerated, and you’re not just a carnal member of the church, you’ll say “AMEN,” let it all be!
It’s dignified! A Christian, a real one, never has a problem with that. Only God be glory!
A true Christian never has problems with: “Take my life, and so be it, totally dedicated to Him. “
Now look at verse 10: “Which of you closes the doors for nothing and does not light the fire on my altar?””I am not pleased with you, ” said the Lord of the Armies, “and I will not accept an offering. “of your hand. ?
One of America’s greatest needs is the establishment of churches. Why? Because we have so few churches in America. What do you mean, Brother Paul, do we have a church on every corner!?
No, we have beautiful buildings, with well-kept lawns, on every corner and most of them are apostates, and the word?Ichabod? This can be written at the top of the door, because the Spirit of God left them for a long time. Long ago the chandelier has been removed. You see, he’s starting to believe in this book and it can be radical. You’re not a church anymore!
And do you know why we need so much “church growth strategies” and looking for “experts” and “cultural sensitivity” and this and that?
These are the sighs of death
Since we no longer have the power of the Holy Ghost in our ministries, in our churches, in our missionary activities, do we have to do all kinds of things?To keep a deceased moving. And I want you to know that God can enter a church, even this one, and say, “Oh, as if I wanted you to close the doors!” I’m tired of them lit the fire on my altar for nothing.
It is better to be lay, it is better to be an atheist, not to shout to God and to God, than to shout to God and to do it with a broken heart. “I wish it was cold or hot as well, because you’re hot, and you’re not cold or hot, I’ll throw you out of my mouth. Revelation 3. 15 and 16
He says, “Brother Paul, what do you say?” I’m just saying the app is up to you. But I tell you: the greatest sign of hope in a church (see this, it will be of great use to you), is when the pastor comes and preaches a word that is difficult to understand.
Listen.
One of the greatest signs of hope in a church is when God comes to them and tells them a harsh Word, because it means that they are always His people. The most terrible thing is when you only hear good things!Does this mean God cuts the strings? And get carried away. No need for correction, no need for anything. “These people are stubborn people, will they not listen, will I close my men?Or “I’ll send men, but not mine. “
And he said, “Which one of you who closes the doors at all and does not light the fire on my altar for nothing?””I am not pleased with you, ” said the Lord of the Armies.
You say:? Brother Paul, but I have never been able to offer with a pure heart, I have always fought against sin, I have always fought, I wanted to be better, even this morning, when I worshipped, I fought against thoughts that were evil, they were not of God, it was very difficult to worship, you say that God receives nothing from me ??You get a lot from yourself! For in your own words you recognize: “Blessed are those who weep, why shall they be comforted?,?Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, why shall they be satisfied?”In your heart, you show that you really belong to him, that they want to be more for him, but those of you who sit and listen, cold as a stone, and have no problem with that?
You’re the ones who should be afraid
God does not appreciate the one who does everything correctly. He looks at the one who is broken and contrite because of his Word, and trembles before him. So, in that sense, those of you who are holy, cheer up. Cheer up a lot. ” Who started the good deed in you, finish it?”(Philippians 1. 6). Whoever made you cry will comfort you too.
Now, let’s move on to the main point before we finish. (Verse 11)
For from east to west my name is great among nations; everywhere there is incense and pure offerings in my name, because my name is great among nations, said the Lord of armies.
I attend missionary conferences and sometimes they literally “make me sick. “I see men coming out and saying, “If we do nothing, the whole world will perish, are you desperate?And he’s still talking? I had a vision of God, on his throne, and christ exalted, sitting there. A wooden throne, with a crown of paper mache, rubbing his hands and saying, “I want so much to do in this world, but no one will help me!”
I want you to know that if the Southern Baptist Convention were to end, and if all our missions turned to dust and flew in the wind, and there was nothing left, God would always make his big name among the nations. He doesn’t need anybody. That’ll do.
But he ordered that man do this and preach the gospel
Now this is what you need to keep in mind: don’t think for a moment, that hitting the Indonesian people or elsewhere is up to you, because if that’s the case, I will write a letter right away and tell them that there is no hope. from them.
But I’m telling you. God works, and works through obedient Christians, and invites you to this privilege, to be part of this great work He does. And if you accept this privilege, praise the Lord, how profitable and useful your life will be!you refuse and prefer to serve the idols of your life, do it!But keep this in mind: your refusal does not affect God’s plans. He will raise up a village somewhere, send it to Indonesia, and that people will listen to it. But you will suffer, a great loss.
As Mardocheus said to the young Ester: Ester, this is the time when God resurrected you. Even if you reject this call, God will deliver His people. Even if you decide that you do not want this privilege to be an instrument of the Plan, He will awaken a people and He will notice, but are you the one who will suffer a great loss?
The only word that comes to mind here is the word “privilege. “We’re so privileged! One of the most frightening things for me, about judgment, as a Christian, is this: to see before me, before my eyes on the day of judgment, all the great privilege that has been given to me and which I have wasted on trinkets, which will be burned by fire. I wasted them on the goals of this world, on the ideas of this world and the things of that time. And even with opportunity after opportunity, privilege after privilege, before me, I despised her!
Oh, why are we here?A lot of people live, as they say in Peru, “Do you live because the air is free?””A lot of people only live because the air is free!? They don’t do anything with their lives!And you say, “I do a lot!” but how much do you do how long is eternal?How much will it burn with the fire?
And when we talk about advancing the Kingdom of God, first of all, here in Knoxville, don’t even think about going on a mission there or anything, unless you serve God here, and don’t think about serving God here unless you know how to serve God with regard to your wife and children, and don’t think about going.
Missions are very simple. There are only two departments in the missions, you are called to go down the well by the rope, or you are called to hold the rope of the descending person, in both ways there must be scars on your hands. as a missionary, for the glory of God, and for the great privilege bestowed upon you. You have to die in the missionary field, or you die here holding the rope for those who come down.
How much does it cost you to be a Christian, how much does it cost you to be a member of this church?And global missions, how much does it cost you? Answer me these three questions now, don’t run away. Some of you will walk out that door, there will be someone there who will take that word out of your heart and go to the cafeteria without thinking about everything I said here.
And that will be God’s judgment
How much does it cost you to be a Christian?
How many opportunities in this world have you missed because of your identification with the name of Christ?
How much does it cost you to serve in this church?
How much time, energy, and resources did it cost you to be a member of this church?
And finally, how much did the global missions cost you?