Introduction
Does God love you and
me? The Bible declares God is love and that He loves His
People, and all people. Malachi tells us about this love.
1.
The . . Dispatch Related To God's Love. 1:1-2
A. The
. . Details Of The Dispatch. 1:1a & 2a
1. The Dispatch
Given By God. 1:1a, 2a
"An oracle: The word of the
LORD. . ." v 1a
".
. . I have loved you," says the LORD." v 2a
2. The Dispatch Given To Israel.
1:1b
".
. . to Israel . . ."
3. The Dispatch
Given BY Malachi. 1:1c
".
. . through Malachi."
B. The
. . Doubting Of The Dispatch. 1:2b
". . .
But you ask: "How have You loved us?"
Illustration
My first Bible Professor in College had been around the world
5 different times. He
told of the one of first times he spoke to a tribal group and he told
them God loved
them. The natives had never heard that concept before, as to them God
is more of an
impersonal force. The Bible tells us God loves us, and it is a personal
quality of love.
2. The . . Demonstration Of God's Love v 2c, 2d 2e
A. The
. . Examination From The Demonstration. 2c
"Wasn't
Esau Jacob's brother?"
B. The
. . Enunciation From The Demonstration. 2d
This is the LORD's
declaration.
C. The
. . Explanation From The Demonstration. 2e
"Even so, I loved Jacob,
Illustration
A brother and sister were playing church. The brother read from
the Bible and said, "God Is
Love." He would turn the page and say, GOD Is Love." His sister argued
that the Bible did not
say God was love on ever page, and they really began to fuss. Finally
she went into the house
and told her mother what her brother was doing. Then she said, "Mother
tell him it does not say,
God Is Love on every page. The Mother thought for a moment,
and said I don't think I can tell
you that.
3. The . .
Distinctions Related To God's Love. 1:6-8a
A. The Distinctions Noted In . . Absence
Of Honor. 1:6
6 "A son honors his
father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is
My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me? says the LORD
of Hosts
to you priests, who despise My name." Yet you ask: "How have we
despised Your
name?"
B. The Distinctions Noted In. .
Abuses Of Honor. 1:7-8a
7 "By presenting defiled
food on My altar." You ask: "How have we defiled
You?" When you say: "The LORD's table is contemptible." 8 "When you
present a
blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a
lame or sick
animal, is it not wrong?
4. The . . Disbelief
Related To God's Love. 1:8b - 10
A. The
Disbelief Caused A Call For. . Comparison. 1:8b
8b Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased
with you or show you favor?" asks
the LORD of Hosts.
B. The
Disbelief Caused A Call For. . Considerations. v 9
"And now ask for God's favor.
Will He be gracious to us? Since this has come
from your hands, will He show
any of you favor?" asks the LORD of Hosts.
C. The
Disbelief Caused A Call For. . Closing. 1:10
10 "I wish one of you would shut the temple doors,
so you would no longer kindle a useless fire on My
altar! I am not pleased
with you," says the LORD of
Hosts, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. HCSB
Mal 1:10 KJV
10 Who
is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye
kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith
the LORD of
hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. KJV
Illustration The Temple was closed in 070AD. It is closed
today.
The American Baptist Convention has
declined more than one church per week for
over 50 years. Sad --- No it is good if they will not stand for the
word. 1 x 52 =52, 50 x 52 = 2,600 Churches.
Rev 3:16 So then, because you
are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit
you out of My mouth.
5.
The . . Declaration Related To God's Love. v 11-14
A. The . . Premise Related To The
Declaration. 1:11a
". . . "For My name will be great among the nations,
from the rising of the sun to
its setting. Incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name in
every place
because My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of
Hosts.
B. The . . Profaning
Related To The Declaration. 1:12-13
12 But you are profaning it when you say: "The Lord's table is
defiled, and its
product, its food,
is contemptible." 13 You also say: "Look, what a nuisance!" "And
you scorn it," says the LORD of Hosts. "You bring stolen, lame, or sick
animals. You
bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?" asks
the LORD.
C. The . . Pretense
Related To The Declaration. 1:14
14 "The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but
sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I
am a great King," says the LORD of Hosts, "and My name will be feared
among the
nations.
Illustration
Do you remember Jim Jones and his escapades in Jonesburg? Did
you ever hear they
used the Bible for toilet paper. Cults always mis-use scripture. Most
try to have their
own version of what they call scripture.
Illustration
Two Ministers were on their way going to a monastery and a bad
snow storm came
up, they came across a traveler who had fallen and was helpless, one
monk said let
him alone, his fate has dealt with him. The other monk loaded him on
his shoulders
and carried him, the weight slowed him down and the other monk went on,
almost to
the monastery the monk carrying the fellow tripped on something , it
was the other
monk as he had fallen and froze to death, but the monk carrying the
fellow had kept
warm by the body heat generated by carrying this fellow. He was ask
afterward what
was the most tragic thing he has seen, and he thought of that and said,
"Not having a
Burden to carry."
Application
Do you have a burden for a
lost relative? Do you have a brother, sister, son, or
daughter, maybe a daughter in law, or son in law, grandchild or
neighbor. There is a
relation to our burden and a person's salvation
