Open Windows – Part 1

Malachi 2:10-17 “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another by profaning the covenant of the fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the Lord’s holy institution which He loves: he has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob the man who does this, being awake and aware, yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts! And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them,” Or, “Where is the God of justice?”

Last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued his Sermon series through the book of Malachi, focusing on the passage above and relating the biblical application of life today. The passage above spoke to three main points: (1) marrying unbelievers, (2) improper offerings, and (3) neglecting and disregarding of wives that leads to God not hearing us.

He pointed out that we live in a culture today that when the going gets hard, you go elsewhere ... that when the person that we are with stops fulfilling us, we have the right to go find someone else ... that when the feelings go, we’re gone. But, the challenge is to choose a different path and do what we did in the beginning to keep the window of God’s blessing open in our lives. When a window is open, air moves in and out (in both directions), but when a window is closed for a period of time, the inside air gets stale and fowl. 

Similarly, spiritual passion without action is a waste of time; publically proclaiming faith, but doing nothing about it. Think about this in these terms: Do you passionately want people to come to a “saving” knowledge of Jesus Christ? Then, when was the last time that you invited and brought someone to church with you? When is the last time that you told someone who does not know the gospel of salvation about living a life in accordance with the holy Word of God? We need to make sure that our passion for God matches our actions toward God and others. Does our walk match our talk, our heart and our Lord's desire?

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

We’ll finish Pastor Kyle’s godly message for our lives tomorrow.

In Christ, Brian