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KEEPING THE WONDER IN OUR WORSHIP -- Malachi 1:6-14
By the time we get to the book of Malachi, worship in Israel had been so corrupted that it had become, at best a mere habit and at worst a drudgery. Look at their assessment of it in vs. 13: “What a weariness is it!” Weariness speaks of trouble or distress. (It is from a word that means to tire, or to tire out.) See their attitude toward it, also in vs. 13: “Ye have snuffed at it.” Snuffed means “to puff in order to disesteem.” (They “turned up their noses” at it.) Vv. 7, 12 reveal their animosity toward it. In Vs. 7 they said, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” Contemptible speaks of being despised, disesteemed; to treat contemptuously and proudly; (to make little account of). In vs. 12 they said, “The table of the Lord is polluted.” Polluted means to soil or desecrate; defile, stain; profane, ceremonially unclean. Now, I sincerely pray that this is not and has never been your attitude toward the worship of Almighty God. Listen to what God said about trying to worship Him with the kind of attitude Israel had. In vs. 10 He asks, “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? . . . ” He is (essentially) saying, “I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered!” The greatest malady of our time, I believe, is the lack of true worship. Many people today treat attending church like they’re doing God a favor. They can hardly wait for the services to be over, and when they are they say, “I’ve done my duty again.” (We should NEVER be that way.) For such as these the thrill and excitement are gone; they have lost the wonder and the joy of serving and worshipping God. I will say again, I hope this does not describe anyone here today because an unexcited believer is someone who has forgotten who God is. When you really see who God is, enthusiasm is the result. “Enthusiasm” comes from 2 Greek words) and mean “In Theos,” or “in God.” We cannot believe what we are supposed to believe and be lukewarm about it. I pray that this message will help us restore the wonder, reality, and life in our worship of God if we have lost it and help us understand that we are not here today for the preacher or for any church member but for the sole purpose of giving “unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.” Here are three ways of doing just that:
I. RECOGNIZE THE NATURE OF GOD -- VS. 6.
II. REVERENCE THE NAME OF GOD -- VS. 6.
III. RESPECT THE “NOBILITY” OF GOD -- VS. 14.
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By JWHBy the time we get to the book of Malachi, worship in Israel had been so corrupted that it had become, at best a mere habit and at worst a drudgery. Look at their assessment of it in vs. 13: “What a weariness is it!” Weariness speaks of trouble or distress. (It is from a word that means to tire, or to tire out.) See their attitude toward it, also in vs. 13: “Ye have snuffed at it.” Snuffed means “to puff in order to disesteem.” (They “turned up their noses” at it.) Vv. 7, 12 reveal their animosity toward it. In Vs. 7 they said, “The table of the Lord is contemptible.” Contemptible speaks of being despised, disesteemed; to treat contemptuously and proudly; (to make little account of). In vs. 12 they said, “The table of the Lord is polluted.” Polluted means to soil or desecrate; defile, stain; profane, ceremonially unclean. Now, I sincerely pray that this is not and has never been your attitude toward the worship of Almighty God. Listen to what God said about trying to worship Him with the kind of attitude Israel had. In vs. 10 He asks, “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? . . . ” He is (essentially) saying, “I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered!” The greatest malady of our time, I believe, is the lack of true worship. Many people today treat attending church like they’re doing God a favor. They can hardly wait for the services to be over, and when they are they say, “I’ve done my duty again.” (We should NEVER be that way.) For such as these the thrill and excitement are gone; they have lost the wonder and the joy of serving and worshipping God. I will say again, I hope this does not describe anyone here today because an unexcited believer is someone who has forgotten who God is. When you really see who God is, enthusiasm is the result. “Enthusiasm” comes from 2 Greek words) and mean “In Theos,” or “in God.” We cannot believe what we are supposed to believe and be lukewarm about it. I pray that this message will help us restore the wonder, reality, and life in our worship of God if we have lost it and help us understand that we are not here today for the preacher or for any church member but for the sole purpose of giving “unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.” Here are three ways of doing just that:
I. RECOGNIZE THE NATURE OF GOD -- VS. 6.
II. REVERENCE THE NAME OF GOD -- VS. 6.
III. RESPECT THE “NOBILITY” OF GOD -- VS. 14.