Rotten Blessings

Radio your focus is making Christ is fighting come check us out at 3045 Oxford Rd. visit us online.org join us for this week's message by Pastor Albert on shop sometime back. Someone gave me gave us some Georgia peaches that I had a couple of them and I put two of them in a fruit bowl that sits in our kitchen on the kitchen counter. The next day Nicole went grocery shopping and she got some more fruit and she bought a big bag of oranges that's a heavy bag and one of the inhabitants of our house. I will mention any names that bag and put it right on top of those peaches I reached Arkansas often. You know the skin is easily broken, but they put it right on top of the those beautiful peaches. Now he forgot about them started eating the oranges until he got to the very end and I felt something very slimy and pulpy underneath you know what I'm talking about and I lifted the last two oranges in that bag and sure enough they were rocking. You know they had change color if you know what I mean no light at the Rod, why did that rottenness happen for many reasons. You know to start with those peaches began to die the moment they were plucked from the tree and then when someone put those heavy oranges on top of them.

The skin broke and now the elements began to attack him elements like light and heat, and whatever else you can imagine was on the oranges and then oxygen. It always began to take in oxygen and all those microorganisms came in because it had change color to fit what I mean by changing color that in look peachy look. They had a whole different greenish whitish look to it.

God also blesses us with many blessings. All of us here this morning are blessed beyond measure. You are blessed you so you don't know what I'm going through. You are bless by God.

But when you detach ourselves from him. When you cut off the source of your blessings. Those same blessings become a curse those same blessings turn rocking in your life and that's the message rocking blessings from Malachi chapter 2. If you have your Bibles with you turn there and now all priests. This commandment is for you if you will not hear and if you will not take it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of host. I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have curse them already, because you do not take it to heart jump will reverse nine. Therefore, I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people because you have not kept my ways but you have shown partiality in the law.

The question I would ask you this morning is have your blessings turned into a curse. As I mentioned to you, all of us are blessed with help with marriage with children with Homewood life with job career but have your blessings become more of a nuisance and a burden than a sense of joy and gladness.

Could it be that you have cut yourself off from the source you have taken God's blessings and then said God if I need you: in the very thing that was a blessing now becomes rocking curse.

Have you ever given your heart to Christ. You see, if you haven't given your heart to Christ, you are under a curse.

You are under a curse, and I'm praying this morning that your eyes would be open and that you will see him and receive him and be saved. In our first message in this series on Malachi's call counter shock. We learned that the Jewish people had become ungrateful towards God.

They had become bitter towards God.

They had become cynical towards God, however, the ungrateful, bitter and cynical because they were angry with God.

There was still angry with God because he had sent them into exile, 100 years ago many of their loved ones, their fathers and grandfathers had died there young people had died and so they were still angry with God as much as God was disappointed with his people. He was really angry with the leadership of the people he was really angry with the priests with the Levi's listen to chapter 2 and verse one and now all priests. This commandment is for you. You have to read that with a sense of accusation.

This commandment now is for you. God was holding the priest accountable for the behavior of the people. I don't ever forget all of us who claim to be saved will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, all of us. We will have to give an account for how we lived our lives through Jesus Christ. But having said that those who are in leadership when faced a far stricter judgment. Read James chapter 3 verse one. Not many of you desire to be teachers because you will face a far stricter judgment. You say you are a pastor. Guess what the standard has just risen you say you like the preachers they like to teach Sunday school. You say you want to lead a ministry you are under a much higher standard. Now, be very careful hesitate a little bit before you jump up there and say I want to lead. I want to preach on saying, do these things because there's a judgment coming. Listen to what God says to them, if you will not hear and if you will not take it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of host know what that mean to give glory to God's name. It means priest, if you will not stand there and praise me if you will not stand there and fear me, if you will not represent me with truth and integrity. Something is going to happen to you. I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have curse them already. Why because you did not take it to heart what is that mean when God says that he would curse our blessings. I believe that it has two meanings. The first meeting is this. It refers to the blessings that the priest would pronounce in the temple twice a day, one in the morning second in the evening is found in Numbers chapter 6. Listen to what it says the Lord bless you and keep you in many churches that give the blessing on the way out.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. It would God was saying to these priest, I would curse your blessings. So when you get up in the morning and you stand before the pre-people and say the Lord bless you and curse you, guess what, instead of actually blessing them.

You're actually cursing them nominee if you would love to sit in this place and keep listening to me if God tells you that everything that man is saying is actually a curse. Now I guarantee you'll be trampled over each other. Make a way out of here, but I want to hear Pastor shining before I made everything you says man.

My crops are failing my animals are dying, but my children are getting hard. It's a curse, but there's a second meeting behind it. It refers to what the priest and the Levites considered to be the blessings, Pastor. If you asked me what is your blessing will my blessing is number one. I have a wonderful wife. What a blessing.

Number two I have four wonderful kids. Sometimes there blessing I blessing I wonderful place that I serve people who love me. My needs are met.

Your food on the table. We have shelter overhead. We have more transportation we have education we have all these think what a blessing it is God's. As I've curse them you marriages curse.

Your children are curse your houses curse your your wealth.

This cursed your food is cursed.

Everything is a curse your blessings are now a curse to illustrate this. I'm going to turn to Dr. Donald Gray Barnhouse. He was a pastor of 10 Presbyterian Church when my favorite preachers of yesteryears. I read all his books. I've heard many of his message. I agree with everything he said but he gave a perfect illustration of this passage in the illustration is in our modern day America.

Our nation was founded upon biblical values.

Do you believe that if you don't believe that.

Come join me I'll take you to other countries the country I grew up with was not found upon biblical values. There is a stark difference. This nation was founded upon biblical values and bottom on that subject limits say something very quickly. There are elements in our country right now who are working very hard to tear down the biblical foundations of our nation post is not about the flag of the national anthem.

You do know that right.

It's about taking everything from the patches of there's bad stuff in the past.

Of course there is but is also good stuff that this nation was found upon Judeo-Christian principles and the attempt is to completely wipe that out wine so you can re-create a completely secular nation where anybody and everybody can do whatever they want to do.

You can have the lifestyle of your choice. There is no right or wrong, whatever makes you happy folks. That is the real effort and here I miss it is very quickly. On September 11, 2001 we saw the planes attacking the building and as bad as it does. That was the worst attack is going on right now because we cannot see anything but is happening from the inside. The foundation is being ripped away one of the foundational values of our nation. Was this Sunday was a day of rest where we get that from some Bible right.

Sunday was a day of rest day set aside to worship God, which means six days you can do whatever you want to, but on the seventh day you were to go to church.

It was the Lord's day as our country departed from God, Saturday and Sunday became known as the weekend if you go back hundred 50 years ago there was no weekend it became Saturday became a day to just relax, retire/golf and boring. What I mean by party Saturday became the party. Nine and Sunday became the day to sleep in because you have a hangover, not other kids a year.

You have no I do what a hangover is going tell you that let your parents deal with that one. But you have a hangover and so you sleep in on Sunday.

Going back to the illustration by Barnhouse after our Navy was destroyed in Pearl Harbor. Our Congress held several hearings of the joint commission to investigate the attack as many as nine joint commission's.

There are several books out there on it. One of my favorite ones is at Dawn we slept, and our people went into the war department in Tokyo and the began to go through their files in the folders and interviews and all those things and this is what they found there found that the Japanese were spying on America for years and the mastermind behind the attack was Adm. Yamamoto. You know World War II history. You know what I'm talking about and what this master man had fun my mind had found was this that Sunday would be the perfect day to attack America. You say why for several reasons. Number one, the ships would be in the docks in Honolulu. Most sailors would be out on leave because of it was a joint payday so people are getting drunk there relaxing. They're having a good old time.

Number three the determined if America was attacked early Sunday morning. Most people would be down with a hangover on December 7, 7:48 AM the plane started coming in the God who was at the radar saw them and he reported it to his superior officer. But guess what, he still had his hangover and he did absolutely nothing about it. The bombs kept dropping and our ships were being destroyed. You say well I see that's what you mean that God curses no less than what happened is not that God caused the Japanese to come and destroy us know we took God's blessing of the day of rest, turned it into a day of hangover and are blessing now became a curse. You see, this is exactly what God is saying to each and every one of us today every blessing, folks, comes from God. Every blessing comes from him when you take God out of the blessing that same blessing. Now is a nuisance.

It is a curse in your life.

For example, money is a blessing to be able to have money to do things to go places to buy stuff you take God out.

It becomes your master education is a blessing you take God out and it becomes school shootings. Technology is a blessing you take God out and it becomes a distraction, it becomes an addiction. You cannot get up in the morning and pray, but you will definitely scroll down to see what's up. Freedom is a blessing in America is not. We have taken God out and that same freedom has become a liability because we don't know who wears Novartis marriage is a blessing when taken God out and it's become a mystery. Even children are a blessing, but when you take God out and you don't raise them in the fear of God. Guess what, they become a nuisance to begin to do things you go.

I've done everything for them to dance lessons in soccer practices and in music lessons and send them to the best schools what's happening, what's happening is you never give them God in all their burden, and you break your heart and they run right over your feelings and you wonder why don't they care because now there is no God, there is no standard of morality. There is no conscience there. Listen to what God says to them, he says, behold, I will rebuke your descendents and that's sad that the priest messed up. God is saying to them, your kids are going to pay for that one. Now let me ask you this morning is God still the source of your blessings you get up every morning and the first person you talk to is God.

Do you when you go to bed.

The last person you talk to is God. Do you thank him what you just shake your fist at him because he doesn't give you everything you need when you need him to acknowledge him.

You praise him. Do you give glory to you in his name even discharge if we stop glorifying God. Listen, if you take God out of this charge discharge will become a ritualistic meaning less relic will become a museum.

Tell me how many churches you know to raise your hand have become a museum and what people have done that taken those things and turned them into a little club taken God out and now they're sitting there going I don't know why people don't, to do these days people to work with people. God is gone and now people say things like this. I used to go to church but hey what I had that experience.

Your church has become a curse, but God is not through listen to what happens in verse three behold, I will rebuke your descendents as God and spread rescues on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feast and one will take you away with it.

What in the world is God talking about.

To understand what God means here.

You have to understand how sacrifices were made in the temple. You can read the book of Leviticus and tell you exactly how the priest were to make sacrifices for individuals. So if you send it via sin, we would come and bring a lamb before the priest and the priest would look at the Lamb. They would examine to make sure there is no spot.

There is no blemishes, not sick or lame or stolen. By the way, keep in mind, everything was pointing towards the Lamb of God who is Christ risen what Peter says in first Peter chapter 1 verse 18. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, so all this was simply an imagery is symbol of the Lamb of God Tecumseh. Once they were examined than the person who brought the Lamb who send would place his hand on the head of the Lamb, press down on the head.

Imagine this if you are take your thumb and press it down on a document which means now your whole being is in that paper right in the same way you would put your hand on the head of the animal. It's a sentence is a symbol of imputation. It's a symbol of transferring my sins over this animal again.

It's a picture of Christ because Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God who takes away our sins are sins were put upon him him in our sins.

My sins were put upon Jesus Christ. Then the priest would do something he would take the Lamb by the wool and left it on top of the altar which was directly by the front door of that temple and he would have to exactly how to do that in the altar. By the way, if you notice it's sitting north to south. The temple door is towards the north.

I've been to Jerusalem. Believe it or not, the cross is towards the north side of the city of Jerusalem. That's where the crucifixion happened is a reason for that of the priest would do is with one stroke of the knife he would cut the jugular vein of the animals.

Only God Scott grows close listen very carefully. Leviticus chapter 17 verse 11 says, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. God is holy. Every sin any sin has to be punished and the punishment for any sin is. Is it just a white life just its death. Blood has to be shed is ill. That's just too much for me. God is about this and you don't understand how holy God is. This is what it says in Hebrews 922 without the shedding of blood there is no remission knew what remission means cancellation of debt blood has to be shared for sin to be canceled and so once the priest had cut the jugular vein. What would happen is the blood will start scoring and he would catch it in a bowl and place the ball on which side would you think on the north side of the altar which is closest to the holy of holies the priest and would take the blood from the north side and go into the holy of holies he will come to the veil of the temple had availed and he would take that blood and he would sprinkle it seven times. Once he's done sprinkling.

He would walk out but as he walks out. He will apply the blood on this altar and that altar come all the way. Applying the blood. What is he doing he took the blood in to tell God that the propitiation for the sins have been made that no longer was this person under God's wrath because something had died. He came out marking the way because now we can boldly come to the throne of grace.

How because Jesus Christ gave his life on the cross Rossi see how everything is symbol of Christ. Everything is symbolic of what the Lamb of God had done for us. Next, the priest would take the same knife and he would quickly flay the Lamb and what that means he would take the wool the skin off what to do with the wool. The wood was used for clothing. We are closed in his righteousness, where the new with the skin well with the skin but they would curate and ride the tour on it because Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God also became the word of God over the do with the meat. The priest would cook that Meda needed and you and I feed upon Jesus Christ.

We are a kingdom of priest, a man who we feed upon.

We don't feed upon programs we don't feed upon lights and we don't feed upon stuff we feed upon Jesus Christ. That's why the model discharges very simple folks. I hope you get it if you don't I'm sorry is called making Christ visible she can come beat on him feeding upon him means what feeding upon his truth. His life, the priest would then remove the intestines from that animal, which was still filled with unexpressed doll and he would take that and put it in a bowl, but take that bold. He would place it on the south side of the altar member of the north side is what the bowl of blood towards the holy of holies on the south side is the unexpressed doll and then that ball was taken with all the nastiness along with the overflow which is the waste parts of the animal, the head of the animal, the hooves of the animal detail whatever else that that is a waste cannot be burned cannot be used, and they would carry it out towards the south side of Jerusalem through a dung gate here that dung gate and they would walk out there was a valley there known as Gahanna.

It was a big landfill where the trash was dumped and was constantly burning and people come in through the junk and so also they would take this dung and all the waste parts and they will throw it on that ash heap in Mark chapter 9. Listen to what Jesus said if your eye causes you to send pluck it out, it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. The world is not hellfire the word is Gahanna you see that big landfill that was constantly burning was a picture of hell with Jesus was saying is, is better for you to have one, then to be thrown on that Gahanna where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched folks do you really believe there's a hell coming out of in our culture today remit held cool so cool to say hello or to have held in the name not the way the Bible says it is a very stinky messy dirty unquenchable fire.

Replace go back to this verse here. Malachi chapter 2 verse three God says, behold, I will rebuke your descendents and spread rescues on your faces. What is God saying I would take that bowl that sits on the south side of the altar with all that dung, take it and smeared all over your face.

You think God is angry. Of course he is. And by the way, this is not going to be done in private because it will be the refuse of your solemn thesis will be the day of Passover, when the whole world is there to see me put that dung on your face and when the court hides common to take the bowl with all the junk in it and that dung and it in this see you dung on your face because they come on you to and it will take you out and throw you in the lake of fire. It is through Jesus Christ that God sends people to heaven. It is also through Jesus Christ and God sends people to help.

If you receive the blood, which is on the north side of the altar. If you receive Jesus as your Savior.

You don't have to face the dung on the south side.

You don't have to face the judgment and the shame that comes when you reject him, people wondering what your theology was. I don't get into all that stuff I've written studied more than you realize. You send yourself to hell when you choose to be the bowl with the dung and whosoever will may come, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son take the blood and human being said no I don't think so. I'm going to the other side message really.

Do you know what happens when you put that on your face will take you away and throw you in the lake of fire.

The message of salvation is the same from Genesis to Revelation and the only way is through the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, have your blessings become a curse of the things that you consider so personal and so wonderful and so beautiful you're proud of them, probably your health prelude job if I had kids part of your education and all your accomplishments.

Now those very things are become a nuisance. Their burden you have taken the blessing just like that peach you have taken off the source and death has come in and those blessings are now a curse number two. Are you honoring God in your life have you receive Jesus as your Savior, because if you don't you will receive him as a judge rather receive him as my Savior. A man I rather receive him in this life. I want to keep in force.

Many of y'all have put a lot of other things first in your life. Thank you so much for joining us for this message God has blessed each of us tremendously.

We try to enjoy the blessings in our life apart from God is the source of those blessings can quickly turn into a curse on us and those around us. Don't lose sight of God is the source of blessing life. For more information visit us online@clearviewbeseen.org for the sermons, notes, check out Pastor Shah's blog@allbutonshop.com