This section continues the message of Malachi 1:6–14, forming the second part of God’s dispute with the priests over the worship of His name. The priests had abandoned their sacred responsibilities, allowing the people to present blemished sacrifices while pretending they were unblemished. Furthermore, the priests failed to faithfully teach and guide God’s people according to His Word. In response, God directly confronts them for their failure to lead (Malachi 2:1).

Who were the priests? The priests were descendants of Levi, one of Jacob’s twelve sons. Under the Mosaic Covenant, they were responsible for overseeing the offerings and sacrifices of the people. Additionally, they were charged with teaching and instructing God’s people from His Word. However, in this passage, the priests are failing in both roles.

Their failure was not due to inactivity. They were busy performing sacrifices and teaching, yet their efforts were deeply flawed. They had become complicit in half-hearted worship, and their instruction was no longer rooted in God’s law. Their motivation was misplaced, driven not by a proper fear of the Lord but by lesser, self-serving motives.

Main Point of the Sermon – Our love for God’s Word falters when our fear of Him fails.

Outline

1. God’s Loving Caution (vv. 1–3)
2. God’s Longstanding Covenant (vv. 4–7)
3. The Priests’ Dishonorable Corruption (vv. 8-9)

Study Questions

1. Who were the priests? Use Scripture references to aid your response. Why are they held responsible for the worship and instruction of the people?
2. What does this text suggest about God’s intention for His Word to be declared rightly? How should this shape our understanding of preaching and teaching?
3. Why are the priests failing to rightly worship and instruct the people?
4. Define the fear of the Lord. What Scriptures come to mind to help you understand this concept?
5. How can you cultivate a heart posture of reverence and fear of the Lord daily? How can this posture be nurtured during corporate worship?
6. How does Jesus perfectly fulfill Malachi’s picture of the ideal priest in vv. 5–7? Find passages from Hebrews to support your answer. How is this good news for us?

In Malachi 1:6-14, God confronts the priests for offering unacceptable sacrifices, reflecting their lack of reverence and the people’s flawed worship. He accuses them of despising His name by offering blemished animals, a violation of the sacrificial system meant to symbolize atonement and honor. Instead of repenting, the priests respond with defiance and weariness, further demonstrating their disregard for God. This attitude trickles down to the people, who also offer inadequate sacrifices, highlighting how the leaders’ actions corrupted the community’s worship. God declares He will not accept these offerings, emphasizing the need for sincere reverence and obedience. Ultimately, this passage underscores the importance of approaching God with a heart transformed by grace, leading to genuine worship that honors Him.

Main Point of Sermon: Reverential worship is internally and externally concerned with honoring God.

Key Terms to Know:

Reverence – Proud sense of awe and respect.

Worship – see Romans 12:1

Sermon Outline:

1. Reverential worship is grounded in grace
2. Reverential worship is purposeful in its practice (v.6-8a)
3. Reverential worship seeks the Lord’s favor. (v.8b-10)
4. Reverential worship regards service as a privilege not a pain. (v.11-14)

Study Questions:

1. How does Malachi 1:6-14 demonstrate the connection between internal reverence and external acts of worship?
2. What is the significance of the progression of personas used to describe God in Malachi 1:6-8 (father, master, governor)?
3. How does the sermon connect the Old Testament sacrificial system to the person and work of Christ?
4. According to the sermon, how does Hebrews 13:20-21 support the idea that reverential worship is grounded in grace?
5. What is the role of the church in cultivating and expressing reverential worship, according to the sermon?

Application Questions:

1. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of awe and respect for God in your daily life?
2. In what ways might you be “playing at worship” rather than engaging with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength?
3. How does your participation in the church community reflect your love for God and your understanding of worship as a privilege?
4. What are some practical ways you can offer your “living sacrifice” of service to God this week?
5. How can you ensure that your worship is not merely external observance but flows from a heart transformed by grace?

The people of God have grown weary of waiting. It has been over 60 years since the temple was rebuilt, and the words of Zechariah, the last prophet to speak promises of hope, now feel distant and fading. For this discouraged remnant, life is marked by economic hardship, ongoing drought, and the continued reign of a foreign king. In their despair, they begin to question God’s faithfulness. Their doubts lead them down a path of complacency and compromise.

In response, the Lord sends Malachi, a prophet with a message designed to confront and restore. Through a series of disputes, Malachi delivers God’s truth, each one following a pattern: a divine assertion, a question that the people are asking, and a gracious but convicting response. The first dispute focuses on the Lord’s unwavering love. Despite Israel’s doubts, God’s love has never wavered—it remains steadfast, set upon His people despite of their circumstances.

Main Point of the Sermon: God has shown His love to us by sparing us from judgment.

Outline: Four aspects of God’s sovereign love that address our skeptical hearts:

1. The Claim of God’s Love (vv. 1–2a)
2. The Question of God’s Love (v. 2b)
3. The Evidence of God’s Love (vv. 2c–4)
4. The Aim of God’s Love (v. 5)

Study Questions for Groups:

1. Why do you think God begins by reminding Israel of His love? How does this truth encourage a life of repentance and obedience?
2. What circumstances in Israel’s history or present might have led them to question God’s love? How do you tend to evaluate God’s love through your own circumstances?
3. God’s love for Israel is evident in His sovereign grace, choosing them as His people rather than the Edomites. How does the doctrine of election highlight God’s grace? What other Scriptures reveal the beauty of this doctrine?
4. How does the doctrine of election bring comfort to those struggling with assurance of salvation?
5. Who were the Edomites? Knowing we are spared from God’s judgment, how should this deepen our rest in His love? How does it compel us to share the truth of His love with others?

We’ve reached Paul’s final words to the churches in Galatia. In a significant moment, Paul takes the pen from his scribe and writes these closing thoughts himself. While he typically used an amanuensis to compose his letters, it was not uncommon for Paul to personally write the final lines as a mark of authenticity (see 2 Thessalonians 3:17). What sets this conclusion apart is both its length and its focus. Unlike his other letters, Paul offers no travel plans or greetings for fellow workers. Instead, with urgency and conviction, he summarizes his message by contrasting the selfish motives of the Judaizers with his own Christ-centered motives.

Before concluding, Paul exposes the false teachers in Galatia. Their motives are not genuine but driven by selfish ambition. Paul reveals the ugly truth: these traveling missionaries enforce circumcision to avoid persecution and to boast in their influence. Their actions are rooted in fear and pride (vv. 12–13).

In contrast, Paul points to his own motive: a singular boast in the cross of Jesus Christ. For Paul, human effort and achievement hold no value compared to the saving work of Christ. His challenge to the Galatians—and to us—is clear: Can you echo his words and say, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord” (v. 14)?

Sermon Outline

1. The Troubling Problem with the Judaizers (vv. 12–13) 2. The Transforming Power of the Cross (vv. 14–18)

Main Point

Because we are made right by God’s grace alone, our boast must be in the cross alone.

Additional Study Questions

1. Why are we naturally inclined to boast in our own efforts and achievements? How does the gospel crush all human boasting?
2. What were the motivations of the Judaizers? In what ways might we also avoid persecution or let pride fuel our efforts in the church?
3. What does Paul mean by being a “new creation” in Galatians 6:15? What other Scriptures express this reality?
4. In verse 17, Paul uses the word “marks” (stigma), which refers to a branding mark on a slave. How does this deepen your understanding of suffering and persecution as a believer? How might it encourage you in your own moments of suffering?
5. How has studying Galatians encouraged, challenged, or convicted you? How has it deepened your love for and desire to follow Jesus?

As we continue in Chapter 6, Paul gives the Galatians further tangible evidence of the Spirit’s work in their lives. Recognizing the ministry of the Word as central to the church, Paul exhorts the Galatians to ensure that the needs of those who preach and teach the Word are met. He instructs them, “Let the one who is taught the Word share all good things with the one who teaches” (v. 6).

Paul’s primary focus here is financial support for pastors who minister the Word. But why is this so important? Consider the context of Galatians. Paul wrote this letter because the Word of God had been distorted, and he is deeply concerned with the sound teaching of Scripture. To free ministers to study, pray, and faithfully proclaim the Word, Paul emphasizes that the church must meet their material needs. This principle extends beyond Galatia—it is a biblical mandate repeated throughout the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 9, Luke 10:7, and 1 Timothy 5:17-18).

To combat greed, Paul introduces the principle of sowing and reaping. He addresses those who are reluctant to support the ministry of the Word due to selfishness, warning that sowing to the flesh leads to reaping corruption. Conversely, sowing to the Spirit results in reaping eternal life (vv. 7-8). Paul exhorts the church to generosity, recognizing the human tendency toward greed, and calls believers to live out their faith by supporting the ministry of the Word.

Main Point: We are generous people because we serve a generous God.

Outline: Paul’s argument unfolds in four parts:

1. Paul’s Plea (v. 6)
2. God’s Principle (vv. 7-8)
3. Our Perseverance (v. 9)
4. Our Priority (v. 10)

Additional Study Questions:

1. What other Scripture passages clarify the principle of financially supporting those who preach the Word? Why is this principle vital for those who receive the Word?
2. What challenges make it difficult for us to give to the ministry of the Word?
3. When have you experienced encouragement from another believer that helped you persevere through a difficult time?
4. Why does Paul encourage believers to “do good to everyone”? How can your group work together to “do good to everyone”?
5. Why should the household of faith be the priority in our service and generosity? What other passages in Scripture support this idea?

What does it mean to live by the Spirit? In Galatians 6, Paul describes Spirit-led living to the Galatians, emphasizing that it is neither isolated nor self-focused. Life in the Spirit is outwardly directed toward others, with an inward reflection marked by humility.

Paul opens Chapter 6 by encouraging the Galatians to restore those who have fallen into sin. Although the exact situation in Galatia isn’t clear, Paul hints (perhaps from 5:26) that living by the Spirit involves actively pursuing those who have been “caught” in any transgression. The Greek word prolambanō, translated here as “caught,” means to be overtaken or caught off guard. Christians who aren’t vigilant in their battle with sin can be overtaken by it, as sin continually seeks to disrupt and destroy. Spirit-filled believers, therefore, have a responsibility to pursue and gently confront those who are struggling, doing so in the spirit of love and humility—just as Christ gently pursued us when we were lost in our sin.

In verse 2, Paul commands the Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens,” fulfilling the law of Christ. This act of bearing burdens certainly includes confronting others lovingly in their sin, as most commentators agree, but it goes beyond that. Burdens aren’t limited to temptation and sin; they include financial, relational, emotional, and physical hardships. With Spirit-filled love directed outward, we’re called to joyfully care for others by sharing in their burdens. At the very least, this means praying for them, loving them, and serving them in ways that draw them closer to Jesus. We do it all with a posture of self examination, not comparison.

MP – Living by the Spirit is looking outward in love, while reflecting inward in humility.

Outline – 3 outworkings of Spirit-led living

1. Repair Wanderers v1
2. Bear Burdens v2
3. Take Ownership vv3-5

Additional Study Questions

1. What does it look like to “Restore” those caught in transgressions? Whose responsibility is it to initiate this?
2. Why do you think Christians are often hesitant to restore other believers who are walking in sin? How might they overcome this and be brought to a place of loving, gentle confrontation?
3. Why is Church discipline so vital for the health of the body (Use other Scriptures to support your answer)?
4. What are practical ways your community group can begin to bear the burdens of one another?
5. What is the connection between vv3-5 and vv1-2? What sin(s) is Paul combatting and why?
6. Why is comparison so dangerous?
7. What other Scriptures warn us to examine our lives in light of God’s coming judgment?

Coming Soon..

Additional Study Questions

1. What is the difference between gospel freedom and all other types of freedom? Why is gospel freedom better?

2. Why does Paul refer to legalism and idolatry as a yoke? Why is Jesus’ yoke better (see Matthew 11:28-30)?

3. Read v13. How is true, gospel freedom NOT to be used? How is it to be used? How does this mirror the gospel? Use Scripture to support this. 4. Discuss ways you can grow in your service towards others? What opportunities are available in the church and community for your group to serve others together?

Coming Soon..

Additional Study Questions

1. How does Paul classify both idolatry and legalism? Why does he refer to them as “weak and worthless principles of the world?” What does this suggest about the belief systems of the world?
2. Our idolatry may be more sophisticated, but it is still the same. Idolatry is empty and vain. Read Psalm 11:1-8. What idols still need to be crushed in your heart?
3. What practices do you have in place to help you receive God’s Word each Sunday?
4. Read Galatians 4:19. Paul labors for Christ to be formed in the Galatians. What does Paul mean by this? What other passages of Scripture connect sanctification with God’s Word?