WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:13.599 practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to the Bible Guys. 4 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:16.039 My name is Chris and I am Wesley, and. 5 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:18.480 We are here today. We are the Bible Guys today 6 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:22.199 because many of you realized that last week we had 7 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:25.120 Kyle as filling in for Jeff, because Jeff is you know, 8 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.839 are out and about throughout the country doing great things 9 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:32.359 in other countries for the Timothy Initiative. Well, anyway, he 10 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:35.479 came back into the States and the weather and the 11 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:37.920 pollen get the best of them. So he's resting up 12 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:40.560 to make sure that he's good for Sunday here at 13 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:44.119 Heritage Church. So Wesley, you are the other Bible Guy. 14 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:46.359 I'm glad to be here, and I just have a question. 15 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:47.679 Can we ban pollen? 16 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:48.359 Yes? 17 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:50.560 I know that the bee people will be angry at 18 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.799 that bless Yes. Yes, my allergies this time of year 19 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:57.240 are not they are not subtle. 20 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:59.600 Let's just say yeah, yeah, you got that right. Yeah. 21 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:01.920 You know what, Having another Bible Guy is a lot 22 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:04.959 like choosing your favorite movie. I believe because you can't 23 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:07.200 do it. It may you can't compare yourself to Jeff 24 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:10.200 or to me or to Kyle. It's like it's like 25 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:13.200 a different genre. You how do you pick a favorite movie. 26 00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:15.359 It's just as good, just different. 27 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:16.120 I would take it. 28 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:19.400 Yes, So thank you for being here. And then also 29 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:21.719 if you're watching a video, you'll notice we're not in 30 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:24.560 our normal podcast studio. That's true. We are on heritage 31 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:27.760 of stage and that's because there was a podcast studio 32 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:31.400 thing that happened, and so we are pivoting, and so 33 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:33.280 we don't know how that long that's going to last. 34 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:38.760 So a lot of explanations today before we dive into today. 35 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.359 So we are going to dive into the book of Malachi. 36 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:44.879 Now that book is the last book of the Old Testament, 37 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:50.040 right before the four hundred years of silence, before the 38 00:01:50.040 --> 00:01:52.599 New Testament, before the Promise. What we're going to discover 39 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:56.560 in Malachi is God's going to say some words. Yeah. Yeah, Yeah. 40 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:57.799 He's a little blunt, isn't he. 41 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:00.799 Yeah, he is very direct in blunt in Malika, Yeah, 42 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:01.480 through the prophet. 43 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:03.879 But before we dive into that, we actually have a 44 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:08.240 segment that Desiree has chosen for us, and it is 45 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:12.120 a stump the pastor question. Okay, and so this is 46 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:14.080 written in by Alison Kyeah. 47 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:14.759 It's awesome. 48 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:18.879 Yeah, Alison kay says this, what do you say to 49 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:24.759 a Christian who feels abandoned by God despite doing everything right? 50 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:28.319 That is a tough question right here. 51 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:30.639 Yeah. Yeah, well I would say, welcome to the club. 52 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:34.520 Yeah, no, that's true. I think we've all been there before. Yes, 53 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:36.840 we've all been there where there were seasons of our 54 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.639 life that were really difficult. I even think of myself 55 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.879 with my daughter and how we had a couple of 56 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:47.680 miscarriages before then. She was born two pounds twelve ounces premature, 57 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:52.479 spent two months in the ICU, had some reflux issues. 58 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:56.439 After that, it was like thing after thing after thing, 59 00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.240 and at a certain point where like can we catch 60 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:01.879 a break here? I mean, it just seems like it 61 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:06.639 was a season of difficulty. But I will say through 62 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:09.400 that entire year. Pastor at the time, Yeah, I was 63 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:10.199 a pastor at the time. 64 00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:10.479 Yeah. 65 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:14.080 Yeah, I still remember being at church when my wife called. 66 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:17.680 The church was in Southfield at that time, and she 67 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:20.439 called and said her water broke. And I'm thinking, you're like, 68 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:24.439 at twenty eight, twenty nine, Wait, that's impossible, now, remember 69 00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:27.759 racing the Saint John Hospital. So, yeah, I'm in church. 70 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:31.080 And when I say in church, I mean i'm a pastor. 71 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:34.560 I'm I'm tithing, doing everything that I know to do 72 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.400 that's right. And even us we go through seasons like that, 73 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.439 So we're not oblivious just because we're followers of God 74 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.240 or pastors or anything like that. But even through that 75 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.919 entire season, I could see glimpses of God where he 76 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.120 was carrying us, where he was holding our hand every 77 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:53.400 step of the way through that whole crazy season. 78 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:55.800 Yeah, yeah, I think I think we've all been through 79 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:59.159 seasons like that. I have a story where in between 80 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:02.240 minister trees, you know, I got burned by my first 81 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:05.800 two churches. I liked serving in church, Okay, I just 82 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:09.199 didn't like working for people. And I had had one 83 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:11.879 pastor had a moral failure. And then I joined another 84 00:04:11.960 --> 00:04:13.759 church worked for that one, and that pastor had a 85 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:16.480 moral failure and no one of that, but like there 86 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:18.279 was a bunch of hardships that came on my family 87 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:21.600 because of those two guys, and so and I just 88 00:04:21.720 --> 00:04:24.959 I said I'm done, like I'm done, and I felt 89 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.000 as if like I'm like, God, throw me a bone 90 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.519 I actually said, I prayed that to God. I said, 91 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:31.040 I said, I said, to throw me a bone. I said, 92 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.879 I feel like I'm in a one sided relationship. Right, 93 00:04:34.040 --> 00:04:36.079 So when I say join the club, I don't say 94 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:39.040 that flippantly. I'm saying I don't. I don't think that 95 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:43.040 the club is that God often abandons his people. I'm 96 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.279 saying that his people often feel as if God has 97 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:50.040 abandoned them. But it's not true because because God says, 98 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:52.480 if he's with us, if we're followers and believers in him, 99 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:55.920 that He's always with us. There's never a time ever 100 00:04:56.240 --> 00:04:58.879 where you are not under God's care. There's never a 101 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:01.600 time where you're out of god It's presence. There's never 102 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:03.560 a time where the Holy Spirit has abandoned you as 103 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:06.319 a believer and follower, as a Christian, which is what 104 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:09.839 the question says, right, And so there are times I 105 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:12.879 believe that we feel abandoned by God. But really it's 106 00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:17.600 a deeper question, isn't it. Because think about this, Nobody 107 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:20.720 ever questions whether God has abandoned them when life is great. 108 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:25.240 Yeah right, yeah, when things are going great, there's never yeah, 109 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:26.360 there's never an issue. 110 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:28.319 Yeah yeah, And you may not even go to church, 111 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:29.680 and you may, you know, you may be a Christian 112 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:31.920 who stopped going to church, but nobody ever says, you know, 113 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:35.079 just because I don't feel God's presence. It's about God's favor, 114 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:37.920 It's about God's blessings. Wow, everything's going great. I have 115 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:40.639 my health, I have money, I have happiness, and nobody 116 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:44.519 ever questions that it is actually a deeper issue. And 117 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:48.839 the deeper issue is it's about being unfair and it's 118 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:53.160 about hardship. So really it's about this question. It's about 119 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:58.319 why would a loving God continue to treat a faithful 120 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:02.360 follower and why would a loving God allow bad things 121 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:04.040 to happen to good people. 122 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:07.279 Yeah, that's what it is. And the Bible talks about 123 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:10.040 how it rains on the just as well as the unjust, 124 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.560 so you know, you can be a christ follower. If 125 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:16.000 you go outside, it's going to rain on you. If 126 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:19.439 you reject God and you want nothing to do with God, 127 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:21.519 if you walk outside, it's going to rain on you too. 128 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.920 So the Bible lets us know that because we are Christians, 129 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:27.360 and I think this is this is helpful for some 130 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.759 people to hear. When you become a Christian, it doesn't 131 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:34.279 mean you become immune to stuff. Right, And I think 132 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:37.560 sometimes people think I become a Christian, I accept Christ 133 00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:41.600 into my life, and then suddenly, poof, like magic, everything 134 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:45.600 is going to be daisies and rainbows and waterfalls and unicorns. 135 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:47.720 And that is not how life works. 136 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:50.839 Yeah, and so you and I both have Bible degrees, right, 137 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:54.360 And so I have a four year bachelor's degree, and 138 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:59.000 I have credits toward a master's degree in theology. I 139 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:02.079 have read hun hundreds of books. I read the Bible 140 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:06.959 countless times through I've had thousands of conversations. And so 141 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:12.040 my theological stance is this is that crap happens. That's 142 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:14.399 the truth it does. That is my theological stance. 143 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:19.319 And I know sometimes people want to fancy deep theological response, 144 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.399 but sometimes stuff just happens. 145 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:25.879 Well, I mean, take, for instance, had your daughter not survived. 146 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:28.600 You know, she was born premature. Had she not survived, 147 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:32.079 I've actually heard some Christians say, well, that was God's 148 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:35.199 perfect will, to which I would disagree. Had your daughter 149 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:38.720 not survived, and not to mention there's people listening who've 150 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.879 had tragedies like that, I would say, God's perfect will 151 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.279 cannot be attached to tragedies. Like that. And in fact, 152 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:49.600 I would say God's perfect will is the garden of Eden. 153 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:53.079 That was God's perfect will. And when sin entered into 154 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:55.920 the equation, the Book of Romans tells us that you 155 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:59.800 and I live under the curse and the bondage and 156 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:02.720 the decay of sin. And so we live in a 157 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:06.120 broken and messed up world. And all things that are 158 00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:10.720 bad are as a result of sin, including man's bad choices, 159 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:14.600 but including our DNA has changed in our in our bodies, 160 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:18.600 death came into play, cancer came into play, disease came 161 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:23.160 into play, even earthquakes in tsunamis. I mean, the DNA 162 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:26.279 of the earth changed, right, because what the Bible say, 163 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:29.560 no longer will you be given food from the ground. 164 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.480 You have to work for your food, you know, or 165 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:34.480 at least you won't be given it without work or labor. 166 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:39.600 And so the DNA of everything changed. And so you know, 167 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:43.159 when I say that stuff happens, what I'm really saying 168 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.440 is is that every time that you know, we shed 169 00:08:46.440 --> 00:08:49.120 a tear, I believe God sheds a tear. I believe 170 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:52.080 that God is with us. I believe that looking back 171 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.000 we can see God's faithfulness. I believe that God does 172 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:57.840 work in the valleys of our life. I believe that 173 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:02.799 sometimes there's no rhyme or as to why God doesn't intervene. 174 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.639 I believe that there are could be reasons, but we'll 175 00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:09.480 never understand them this side of eternity. But what I 176 00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:12.720 do know is that you can't go wrong being faithful 177 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.080 to God. 178 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:16.080 Yeah, that's true, you can't go wrong. And I would 179 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:19.080 also add on very quickly at the end, that God 180 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:22.600 is with us in near to us, even when we 181 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:25.720 don't feel like he is. The example that I think 182 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.600 of is in a mall when that little toddler runs 183 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.799 ahead of the parents, and sometimes you will see the 184 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:35.360 toddler have that moment of panic, like, oh no, where 185 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:38.720 are my parents? The parents always had their eye on 186 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:42.960 the toddler. Even though the toddler felt separated from the parents. 187 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:45.799 They were really never separated from the parent, even though 188 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.799 they felt they were. So I think that's a thing 189 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:49.799 to keep in mind too. 190 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:53.200 Yeah. So I would just say to Alison K, that 191 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:55.000 was a great question. Yeah, if you're going through a 192 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:58.960 hard time, I'm really sorry for that. But my advice 193 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:05.080 to any Christian Alison is do not walk through this alone. Yes, right, 194 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.960 So there are people for you. And the Bible says 195 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:10.879 that we are made for community, we are made for encouragement, 196 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:13.879 we are made to be helped. We are not made 197 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:17.639 for independence. We are made to be in dependence, yes, 198 00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:19.440 with God and others. 199 00:10:19.639 --> 00:10:21.159 Right, yeah, no, it's good. 200 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.399 So so thank you Allison for asking that. And so 201 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:25.519 we have to move on, and we're going to transition 202 00:10:26.080 --> 00:10:29.919 to Malachi chapter one. And since Jeff does all the reading, 203 00:10:30.679 --> 00:10:32.519 you're going to take on the reading today? 204 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:35.000 Is that just so I don't have to so you 205 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:37.120 don't have to do all the Old Testament names. 206 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:40.759 I'm gonna be honest. That's my motivation. But the other 207 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:43.720 motivation is Jeff just has a really good voice and 208 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:47.440 he really can read well. And guess what that's you. 209 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.200 You've got the radio broadcast voice. 210 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:54.720 This is WW No, I'm joking right, all right. Malachi 211 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:58.559 first chapter, verses one through fourteen. It says, this is 212 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:02.159 the message that the Lord to Israel through the prophet Malachi. 213 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:07.000 I have always loved you, says the Lord. But you retort, really, 214 00:11:07.559 --> 00:11:10.919 how have you loved us? And the Lord replies, this 215 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.519 is how I showed my love for you. I loved 216 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:17.559 your ancestor Jacob, but I rejected his brother Esau and 217 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:22.360 devastated his hill country. I turned Esau's inheritance into a 218 00:11:22.440 --> 00:11:26.879 desert for jackals. Esau's descendants in Edom may say, we 219 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.240 have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins. But 220 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.960 the Lord of Heaven's Armies replies, they may try to rebuild, 221 00:11:34.200 --> 00:11:37.440 but I will demolish them again. Their country will be 222 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:40.440 known as the land of wickedness, and their people will 223 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:43.720 be called the people with whom the Lord is forever angry. 224 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:47.919 When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, truly, 225 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:52.799 the Lord's greatness reaches far beyond Israel's borders. Verse six, 226 00:11:53.320 --> 00:11:56.200 the Lord of Heaven's Army says to the priest, a 227 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:59.879 son honors his father, and a servant respects his man. 228 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:03.519 If I am your father and master, where are the 229 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.559 honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for 230 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:10.960 my name, But you ask, how have we ever shown 231 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:15.200 contempt for your name? You have shown contempt by offering 232 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:19.960 defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask, how have 233 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:24.039 we defiled the sacrifices? You defile them by saying the 234 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:27.279 altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give 235 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:31.639 blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it 236 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.519 wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try 237 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:38.399 giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how 238 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:42.360 pleased he is, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies verse nine. 239 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:46.200 Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you. But 240 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:48.879 when you bring that kind of offering, why should he 241 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:51.559 show you any favor at all? Ask the Lord of 242 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:55.080 Heaven's Armies. How I wish one of you would shut 243 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:58.919 the temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not 244 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:02.120 be offered. I am not pleased with you, says the 245 00:13:02.120 --> 00:13:05.480 Lord of Heaven's Armies, and I will not accept your offerings. 246 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:09.879 But my name is honored by people of other nations. 247 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:13.080 From morning till night, all around the world, they offer 248 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.519 sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. 249 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:19.600 For my name is great among the nations, says the 250 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:23.080 Lord of Heaven's Armies. But you dishonor my name with 251 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:27.200 your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's 252 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:30.919 all right to devile the Lord's table. You say it's 253 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:33.360 too hard to serve the Lord and you turn up 254 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:37.000 your noses at my commands, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 255 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:40.240 Think of it. Animals that are stolen and crippled and 256 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:44.159 sick are being presented as offerings. Should I accept from 257 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:48.000 you such offerings as these? Ask the Lord? Cursed is 258 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.799 the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from 259 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:54.960 his flock, but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. 260 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:57.279 For I am a great king, says the Lord of 261 00:13:57.320 --> 00:14:01.360 Heaven's Armies, and my name is feared among the nations. 262 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:03.799 There's a lot there. 263 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.919 Yeah, there sure is. The Life Application of Study Bible 264 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.240 has an overview of the Book of Malachi that reads 265 00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:12.799 this way. It says Malachi rebuked the people and the 266 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:16.279 priests for neglecting the worship of God and failing to 267 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:19.720 live according to his will. The priests were corrupt. How 268 00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.840 could they lead the people? They had become stumbling blocks 269 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:27.159 instead of spiritual leaders. The men were divorcing their wives 270 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:30.320 and marrying pagan women. How could they have godly children? 271 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:35.399 Their relationship with God had become inconsequential. If our relationship 272 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:38.720 with God is unimportant, we may need to take stock 273 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:41.679 of ourselves by setting aside our sinful habits, putting the 274 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:45.039 Lord first and giving our best to God each day. 275 00:14:45.960 --> 00:14:49.919 And so it is just a really wild thing to 276 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:53.360 think about. This is the last book before God stopped 277 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:56.080 speaking to his people. There's four hundred years of silence 278 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:58.960 where God the Father and the Old Testament would speak prominently. 279 00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:02.559 You know. So the Old Testament was the Age of 280 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:05.360 the Father, you know, the Age of the Son, where 281 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:09.000 God spoke primarily through Jesus, where the Gospels, when Jesus 282 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:11.519 lived on the earth, and then we lived in the 283 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.360 Age of the Holy Spirit after the Resurrection, where Jesus 284 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:18.639 sends the Holy Spirit, and still today that's how primarily 285 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:22.799 God works in and speaks to us. Right, But back 286 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:27.960 then God spoke audibly, and God the Father oftentimes used 287 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:33.840 his prophets and judges like Malachi here and but listen, 288 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:37.679 my point is this is that it's almost no wonder 289 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:41.480 why God decided to stop speaking to his people, because 290 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:44.720 now even the Church is corrupt to the point to 291 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:49.399 where they have forgotten His decrees, they pay no attention to. 292 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:53.799 In fact, it even says that they don't even understand 293 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:57.279 God's word. The priest don't even know the law, right, 294 00:15:57.320 --> 00:16:00.720 I mean, it's gotten so bad. We're religion itself was 295 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.320 nothing more than just politics and everything. 296 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:06.399 Yeah, going through the motions, I love how it starts off. 297 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:09.679 In verse two. It says, I have always loved you, 298 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:13.159 says the Lord. So the Lord is telling them I 299 00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:14.840 have always loved you? 300 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:17.120 Now't does your mind go to Whitney Houston? 301 00:16:17.559 --> 00:16:22.960 I'm right, I actually go to Janet Jackson? What have 302 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:28.840 you done for me lately? You know what? I think 303 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:29.799 we should cut an album? 304 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:31.159 Is there is? 305 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:35.960 And it says It finishes with saying, but you retort 306 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:40.440 or reply, really, how have you loved us? And I 307 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:43.360 can imagine and I can't speak for God, but I 308 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:48.120 can almost imagine God saying, are you kidding me? I 309 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:51.320 have preserved your life, I have blessed your people, I've 310 00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:56.120 blessed the nation, and you have the audacity to say, 311 00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:58.600 you know, how have I loved you? Really? 312 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:02.720 There's a note here also in the Bible, the Study Bible, 313 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:05.400 that says, unfortunately, many people are cynical about God's love, 314 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:10.480 using political and economic progress as a measure of success. 315 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:14.400 Because the government was corrupt and the economy poor, the 316 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:17.920 Israelites assumed that God didn't love them. They were wrong. 317 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:20.839 God loves all people because he made them. However, his 318 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:23.599 eternal reward goes to only those who are faithful to him. 319 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:27.920 And that's a great message, right because sometimes well, I 320 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:30.079 mean think every day, I feel like I hear about 321 00:17:30.119 --> 00:17:33.599 the economy in our government, like every single day. It's like, 322 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:36.640 come on, give me a break. And you can't necessarily 323 00:17:36.759 --> 00:17:41.960 measure God's favor by the economy or you know, or 324 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:45.880 the politics the political landscape. You know, in third world 325 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:48.519 countries and places developing countries that you and I have 326 00:17:48.599 --> 00:17:52.319 been to, people are happier. And they may not necessarily 327 00:17:52.319 --> 00:17:55.279 be more taken care of than you or me, but 328 00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:58.319 they literally have nothing, and in a lot of ways, 329 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.599 it's better for their soul, right, I mean, it's not 330 00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:04.160 necessarily better for their bodies because they do struggle. But 331 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:06.880 I've been a places where I've been told like this 332 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.119 child only owns a rock and a stick. I've seen 333 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.920 it in villages in Kenya, right where it's just like 334 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:15.400 what and they have nothing on their body and they 335 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.720 literally their only possessions are a rock and a stick, 336 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.599 and yet they are happy and they love God. And 337 00:18:21.640 --> 00:18:24.799 even though I'm more well taken care of, I think that. 338 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:28.240 I think that they're better for it as a person. 339 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:33.000 Yeah, their happiness and contentment isn't based on stuff, right, 340 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:35.880 And I think sometimes in the Western world we will 341 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.119 base our happiness on stuff. I'm happy if I get 342 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:42.200 the boat. I'm happy if I get the cabin up north. 343 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:46.440 I'm happy if I get the jet skis or whatever 344 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:49.519 the thing is so or the iPhone. Yeah, maybe not 345 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:50.160 the iPhone. 346 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:53.599 Come on, man, Hey, for our listeners who don't know, 347 00:18:53.720 --> 00:18:56.160 Wesley is one of the few on staff where he 348 00:18:56.359 --> 00:18:58.200 is a he is team sand Sung. 349 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.000 I am I'm and cannot do the iPhone. 350 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:03.920 And Jeff says that they don't get to go to heaven. 351 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:07.359 Yeah, and do I mess up the text messages? 352 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:09.880 Oh yeah, Oh yeah, you're the guy that turns all 353 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:13.160 the group text messages Green, I can't name the text 354 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.160 threat which, by the way, that's iPhone's fault. Yeah, the iPhone, 355 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:19.359 iPhone is punishing everybody who's not iPhone user. 356 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.640 So the funny thing about that is they could make 357 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:25.960 those works seamlessly together if they It's kind of like 358 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.400 the PC and the Mac. Yes, you could make it. 359 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.960 There's if we could put a person on the moon 360 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:34.319 in nineteen, you know sixty, you know at late sixties, 361 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:38.319 did me though, we're not even going bu We're not 362 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:41.799 even going there. You're sticking a malaka. 363 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.039 It's so funny. It's so funny that it's funny. Half 364 00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:48.559 our listeners are like, oh, Chris is a doubt. Yeah right, 365 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:50.359 that's so funny. It's funny. 366 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:52.799 Well, so can we touch on verse seven really quick? 367 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:53.240 Yeah? 368 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:59.119 It says you have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices 369 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:03.359 on my alter. Sure, and that's a good verse right there. 370 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.160 So what they were doing is they didn't want to 371 00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:09.720 give God their best. They would look and say, well, 372 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:11.960 wait a minute, I got a ram that's missing a 373 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:13.440 leg in an eye, or. 374 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:16.039 Somebody that a ram that has a disease. 375 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:18.200 Yeah, or a disease, or I got a good ram. 376 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.839 You know what, Let's sacrifice the one leged, one eyed 377 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:26.279 Ram for the Lord, and then we'll keep the good Ram. 378 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:30.359 What they missed was it wasn't about the sacrifice in 379 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.039 and of itself. It was the heart, the attitude behind it. 380 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:36.920 I use this example. I teach a class here at 381 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:39.519 Heritage called two to one, and we talk about tithing, 382 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:42.440 and I'm gonna make this super easy and simple. Let's 383 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:45.839 say you get paid one hundred dollars, a tithe on 384 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.200 that one hundred dollars would be ten dollars because a 385 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:52.599 tie is ten percent. Let's say you pay all of 386 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.079 your bills and then you have ten dollars left over. 387 00:20:56.599 --> 00:21:00.359 Is that a tithe? The answer would be no, because 388 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:04.160 if you're just looking at the monetary aspect, you would say, well, yeah, 389 00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:08.119 that's a tie. But God said I want the first fruits, right, 390 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:09.640 I want mine off the. 391 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:10.960 Top, which is the faith part. 392 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:14.079 That's that's the point. That's the faith that God was 393 00:21:14.119 --> 00:21:17.079 trying to get to you with the sacrifices, with the offering. 394 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:19.680 So it's not about the money. It wasn't really about 395 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:23.279 the ram. It was the heart which God was after. 396 00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:25.119 So I just think that's interesting. 397 00:21:25.200 --> 00:21:27.079 Yeah, and people do it all the time. I've had 398 00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:29.480 people call the church and say, hey, do you want 399 00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:33.000 these old nineteen seventies books that nobody wants anymore? Yeah, Hey, 400 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.039 I bought a new couch. You want this old nasty 401 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:37.960