Class Lesson June 10, 2012

Hey Gang,


Last week we began a new series entitled Apathy - Who Cares? There are 4 lessons from this series, all from the book of Malachi: Are You Just Going Through The Motions?, Do You Honor Your Commitments, How Do You Treat God?, and What Is Your Decision?


This series of lessons challenges the spiritual apathy of God's people. It calls for us to repent of any complacency we might have and to experience a genuine revival. Many believers have become apathetic and complacent in their walk with God. Revival is needed in the church today, and it must begin in the hearts of God's people. It's one thing to identify a problem, but it's another thing entirely to find a solution. This series not only looks at the problem but also presents the biblical solution.

Malachi Background

516 BC - Spurred on by the prophetic activity of Haggai and Zechariah, the returned exiles under the leadership of their governor Zerubbabel finished the temple.

458 BC - the community was strengthened by the coming of the priest Ezra and several thousand more Jews. Artaxerxes king of Persia encouraged Ezra to reconstitute the temple worship and to make sure the Law of Moses was being obeyed.

444 BC - Fourteen years later the same Persian king permitted his cupbearer Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls. As newly appointed governor, Nehemiah also spearheaded reforms to help the poor, and he convinced the people to shun mixed marriages, to keep the Sabbath and to bring their tithes and offerings faithfully.

433 BC - Nehemiah returned to the service of the Persian king, and during his absence the Jews fell into sin once more. Later, however, Nehemiah came back to Jerusalem to discover that the tithes were ignored, the Sabbath was broken, the people had intermarried with foreigners, and the priests had become corrupt. Several of these same sins are condemned by Malachi (see 1:6-14; 2:14-16; 3:8-11).

This was the condition of the Christians of Malachi’s day. The city of Jerusalem and the temple had been rebuilt for almost a century, but the people had become complacent in their worship of God. Their relationship with God was broken because of their sin, and they would soon be punished. But the few who repented would receive God’s blessing, highlighted in His promise to send a Messiah. Hypocrisy, neglecting God and careless living have devastating consequences. Serving and worshiping God must be the primary focus of our lives, both now and in eternity.

Last week opened with the question: Are You Just Going through the Motions?

• This was exactly the attitude of the Christians in Malachi’s day. Apathy had taken over their lives and it can happen to us as well.
• If we give God only our leftover time, money, and energy, then we repeat the same sin as the people in Malachi - they didn’t want to bring anything valuable to God.
• What we give God reflects our true attitude toward Him.

This week’s question has to do with our commitments.

Do people take commitments as seriously as they use to? What kinds of commitments do people take the most seriously?

• Marriage and work
• God places a heavy importance on the commitments we make to Him and to each other.
• Today, we look at making and keeping commitments in the way God does!

Is there a responsibility in each relationship that you have? What might that responsibility be?

•  Fulfilling and honoring our commitments

Malachi rebuked the people and the priests for neglecting the worship of God and failing to live according to God’s will.

I. YOUR COMMITMENT TO GOD-GIVEN RESPONSIBILITIES – MALACHI 2:1-9

Warning to the Priests

2 “Therefore, this decree is for you priests: 2 If you don’t listen, and if you don’t take it to heart to honor My name,” says Yahweh of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart. 3 “Look, I am going to rebuke your descendants, and I will spread animal waste over your faces, the waste from your festival sacrifices, and you will be taken away with it. 4 Then you will know that I sent you this decree so My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of Hosts. 5 “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. 6 True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and fairness and turned many from sin. 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. 8 “You, on the other hand, have turned from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of Hosts. 9 “So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people because you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in your instruction.”

Malachi’s concern was that if the priests are unfaithful, how could they lead the people? They were now stumbling blocks instead of spiritual leaders.

How had the priests failed to honor commitments to God?

• Malachi had just delivered a blistering message that focused on the sins of priests in offering unworthy sacrifices. They were offering animals that were blind, sick, or stolen.
• The priests didn’t take seriously God’s priority. How do you do what is most important to God? Begin by loving Him with all your heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). This means listening to what God says in His Word and then setting your heart, mind, and will on doing what He says.

 

What was the warning to the priests?

• God threatened to turn their blessings into curses because they had not taken to heart the need to honor His name. Priests were supposed to maintain the rules about ceremonial cleanliness. When offering sacrifices, they were to carefully treat each part of a sacrificial animal. For example, the animal waste was to be taken outside the camp and burned. (Lev. 4:11-12)
• The sinning priests had only two options: they could “listen” and “take it to heart to honor My name.” (repent and obey)
• Or they could disregard the word of the Lord and suffer His curse.

How would the curse appear?

• Pestilence and lack of rain ruined harvests and left vines barren.
• God may discipline disobedience through tangible difficulty and loss. King David suffered through revolt and civil war, in part, as a result of his sin. (2 Sam. 12:11; 15-18)
• Some Corinthians were sick as a result of abusing the Lord’s Supper. (1 Cor. 11:29-30)
• Suffering is not necessarily the result of one’s own sin (John 9:1-3), but if we disobey God, we should expect discipline.

Who was Levi?

• Jacob’s son Levi.
• When the Israelites worshiped the golden calf, the Levites showed themselves to be on the Lord’s side (Ex. 32:26).

Describe the covenant they were expected to keep.

• To give true instruction and turn away from sin.
• Instead they were disobedience to God’s instructions and they caused many to stumble.

 

Should we expect more from our Christian leaders?

• But to accept any position of leadership or service in the church is to covenant with God.
• Leaders have a special calling to do this.

How is the expectation of Christian leaders the same for each believer?

• The responsibility to be faithful in God-given tasks applies to all believers, not just clergy. "Priesthood of all Believers."
• All people are called to honor the Lord.
• Each believer is a priest and thus should live like one.

 

II. YOUR COMMITMENT TO OTHERS AND TO GOD – MALACHI 2:10-12
Judah’s Marital Unfaithfulness

10 Don’t all of us have one Father? Didn’t one God create us? Why then do we act treacherously against one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the Lord’s sanctuary, which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 To the man who does this, may the Lord cut off any descendants from the tents of Jacob, even if they present an offering to the Lord of Hosts.

Malachi is saying that if the people are divorcing their wives and marrying pagan women, how could they lead their children? Their relationship with God must be inconsequential.

What do my commitments at home and work have to do with my commitment to God?

• Commitment to others is inseparable from commitment to God.
• We’ve all heard and read stories of people who profess deep and fervent faith in God but treat their families and fellow believers with disrespect.
• If we treat fellow believers wrongly, we treat God wrongly.

 

What detestable thing had men of Judah done and why was it so bad? Why should believers marry those who show love for God still today?

• The problem was not marrying cross-culturally but marrying idol worshipers (Ex. 34:15-16)
• See 2 Corinthians 6:14
• A healthy marriage requires common values and purpose in life.
• We are to live out the best of our spiritual heritage.
• We are to avoid profaning the Lord’s name by irresponsible actions.
• Relationships bring responsibility.

 

After the temple had been rebuilt and the walls completed, the people were excited to see past prophecies coming true. But as time passed, the prophecies about the destruction of God’s enemies and a coming Messiah were not immediately fulfilled. The people became discouraged, and they grew complacent about obeying all of God’s laws. This complacency gradually led to blatant sin, such as marriage to those who worshiped idols.

III. YOUR COMMITMENT TO FAMILY – MALACHI 2:13-16
13 And this is another thing you do: you cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands. 14 Yet you ask, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have acted treacherously against her, though she was your marriage partner and your wife by covenant. 15 Didn’t the one God make us with a remnant of His life-breath? And what does the One seek? A godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “If he hates and divorces his wife, ” says the Lord God of Israel, “he covers his garment with injustice,” says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously.

So the people were now complaining about their adverse circumstances when they had only themselves to blame.

Why does God put such an emphasis on how well we honor our marriage commitment?

• The men of Judah were divorcing their wives for frivolous reasons (v. 16), apparently to pursue younger women. God would not accept the worship offerings of those who dishonored Him by violating their marriage covenants (1 Pet. 3:7).
• Uphold God’s ideal for marriage as a permanent commitment (Matt. 5:31-32).
• Shedding tears during times of worship does not always reveal genuine concern.
• Marriage is the most important and most challenging human relationship.
• God’s purpose is for a marriage to be a lifelong commitment of husband and wife.

What does Malachi mean when he says to, “watch yourselves carefully, and do not act treacherously?”

• He means to have the same commitment to marriage that God has to His promises to His people.
• We need passion in the marriage relationship to keep the commitment and intimacy satisfying, but this passion should be focused exclusively on our spouse.

When our relationship with God becomes less important than it should be, we can strengthen it by setting aside our sinful habits, thinking often of our Lord, and giving God our best each day.

Relationships and responsibilities go together. The most important relation is our relationship with God. Think about the various groups of people you have some relationship with and to whom you also have some responsibility. Begin with your spouse. This most intimate relation, marriage, calls for the greatest expression of responsibility. Our parents and our children also are close relationships that exact high levels of responsibilities. Relationships with members of your larger family, friends, fellow workers, and brothers and sisters in Christ also have some level of responsibility. The question asked in this lesson focus on the relationships of one’s life. What responsibilities does each bring? How well are you fulfilling these responsibilities?

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, help me fulfill my covenant responsibilities as appropriate for each one. Amen 

A big thanks to Paul Mahrle for stepping in and teaching for me last week! We missed everyone and look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday as we continue in this lesson series on spiritual apathy.  

See you on Sunday! 

In His Love, 

David & Susan