Healing Love, Part 2

Today on Summit line challenging message from Jeannie Greer.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading your lifestyle. There's nothing wrong with saving for the future.

The problem is when you do those things. First, God's people there first thing the baby with their money is the type the God is their primary source of joy and security again everybody ties to something and that thing is there God so what time Summit life after Jeannie Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly minutes, you know, many times after hearing a powerful sermon will get all pumped up and passionate and ready to take on the world right we make all kinds of promises to God about how we can exchange and be more like Jesus. But every time we lose that focus and our excitement begins to wane. If you've ever been there. You are not alone and I think we've all had that experience today. Pastor Jenny talks about a time when the nation of Israel had drifted away from God.

We discovering the only cure for our wandering hearts as we wrap up our study of the minor prophets titled come back to me.

Be sure to stay tuned until the end of the program as we introduce a brand-new book from Pastor JD don't want to mess for now. Let's join today's message in the book of Malachi, Malachi 37 what sums up the message of the whole book of matter sums up the entire Old Testament is what it says. Since the days of your fathers you return for my statutes all the way back in Genesis going all the way back to Bob Abraham your program.

I statute you have not kept them returned to me, says the Lord, that I will return to you. Malachi's book is the last thing that God says to Israel for 400 years.

The very next time God speaks to them is when Jesus comes to what Malachi says in this book is going to reverberate in Israel's harsh 400 years and this book will give us a first the charge against Israel then really see. Secondly, the problem of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness and then lastly were to see God solutions… But jump right in the charge against Israel is got four components to it. They are, they were these people were religious but they were self seeking jumper one Malachi's going to talk about their offerings and say to them you made all kinds of offerings are always in search, but secretly in your heart when you're making is offering secretly you say what a burden, and you bring stolen lame or sick animals you bring this as an offering. And I can accept that from your hands. I am a great King says the Lord of armies and implication is I deserve a great offering and my name will be feared among the nations. In other words, their worship was consistent. It was regular but it was half hearted. Secondly, they were religious, but B.

They were self-centered. Religious was self-centered, rather than God centered. This is demonstrated by their behavior in marriage. Watch this. This is the second thing you do. He said you cover the Lord's altar with tears, weeping and groaning, because he no longer regard your offering and you say, why does he not regard her offering because the Lord was with us between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you been faithful as though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did you not make them one with a portion of the Spirit in their union didn't he put his Spirit in the best one he'd won by mess up what was the one God seeking godly offspring. The man who does not love his wife but divorces her says the Lord God of Israel, that man covers his garment with injustice. Here's what's happening. What was happening. If you read back a few verses earlier jumper to see that many of the Jewish men had taken a fancy to foreign women. But these women they worship other gods and so a lot of these Hebrew men were divorcing. And God confronts them about this in two ways. Listen verse 15 he says. First of all, your marriage was a covenant that you made before me. And that covenant was supposed to reflect my love for you. Secondly, says one of my primary intentions in your marriage was to raise up godly children, but you you he says you have started to look at marriage as if it were all about you.

You sort of look at marriage is a poor about fulfilling your needs and wants and desires divorce. You see, listen, is often the result of a life that has completely turned in the wrong direction. Divorce is a lot of times not the problem it's the fruit of the problem and that problem is a self-centered approach to life that you want in the marriage with that self-centered approach the marriage. It affects how we think about children they think of it in terms of what they want or what will add enjoyment to their lives. That's what he said your self-centered match shows up in your marriage. Thirdly, there were religious C there were unbelieving peers number 17 jumper to you have wearied the Lord with your words. You ask how have we wearied him weary and when you say where's the God of justice is spoken arrogantly against me, says Lord.

This is chapter 3. You said it's futile to serve God be arrogant or blasting the evildoers prosper after all. They got it done for them. Y'all they were still looking around the world walk around saying God is not fair. God always just to know that you will really love us got even a bear, keep in mind that God had delivered them from a self-inflicted captivity now. Not once but twice. God's is still, still, you doubt my commitment to you. What more what I have to do some a church. I often tell you that it is okay for you to ask questions of God and it is but a persistent failure to trust God wearies him it's like JC Ryle says, in light of the cross. The greatest insult you could ever get to Jesus is to doubt his love for you. Maybe your doubt never drives you by the way all the way into unbelief, but maybe your second-guessing of God dulls your joy in a mutual worship is it's okay to ask your question, but there comes a point at which the doubting has to stop and not trusting God becomes an insult. That's for this. These people were. Lastly, they were religious but D.

They were untrusting specifically with money. Here's God for charge against them is as one man rob God you to Rob and me.

You say how we robbed you in your ties and contributions.

Therefore, you are cursed with a curse bring the full templates of his mother were the time God means that them for what God gives to you into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to the test.

That's a huge word says Lord of hosts, and see about what open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

This is one of the clearest explanations in Scripture of how God feels about something Christians call the time. Todd just means attempt that it means a temp of everything that God gives to you. You give the first temp of that back to him. Clearly, God does not ask for that because he needs it. He has the storehouse of heaven.

You can see that an adverse he's got the storehouses of heaven that he can open up any time he wants use of the poor a blessing on us that we just overwhelm us, but he commands us to give the type to him as a way of our declaring our trust in him. I often say this typing is one of the single best indicators of whether or not we really trust God and whether we really are surrendered to him. And you can see that God here takes it very seriously.

He calls not doing it like robbing him like breaking into his house and stealing from him. Angela please note I'm not bringing this up because we have financial needs in this church. I'm bringing it up because it's in the Bible and would be unfaithful for me not to bring it up when I do a special offering. God brings it up because it is a barometer of arts will give you a couple really bold statements. If you have not yet begun to tide you have not yet really begin boat to begin the walk of faith, you might really talk a big game of faith, but in this area where the rubber actually meets the road you'll actually trust God enough to do what he says something in your life.

Get your first in your best and it's whatever you think gives you the most meaning in life provides the greatest security/yourself the question, what is it that you give your first in your best to with your money. For some it is the first thing they do is they provide themselves a creature comforts and that's because you think that what most brings happiness in life is an improved material station for others. You say, and that's because you're not sure of what might happen in the future and extra money provides that security for the future. Jeremy there is nothing wrong with either of those things. There is nothing wrong with upgrading your lifestyle.

There's nothing wrong with saving for the future. The problem is when you do those things. First, God's people there first thing that they do with them their money as they type the God who is their primary source of joy and security.

Again, everybody tied to something and that thing is there God. So what do you type II what get your first in your best of your paycheck when you have a big financial windfall. What you do first.

With the money God says when you take what belongs to me, your first in your best your robbing me and I will not be robbed failing to give me your first in your best.

He said in fact put you under the curse, they put you under the curse. Is it possible some of you may wonder why things never work out for you financially. Is it possible that you were under a financial curse for failing to trust and to prioritize God. By contrast, he says locomotive. This taught me the test you'll find that phrase much of Scripture that you test me test me take you to the bank, says the Lord of hosts and see if I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour down on you a blessing until there is no more need.

You can't out win me in this. This is a test and if you test me in this, you will see what I am talking about. These are four things are religious people do that indicate that though they are hyper religious.

The Hartsville really don't belong to God. The religious for their self-seeking their self-centered, their disbelieving than they are on trusting. Which brings us to the problem of persistent unfaithfulness. So what's the answer for Israel have a sermon base.

My cinema yell at him again another another national revival. How many times a day need to go through this cycle. Malachi says this problem Israel has had from the beginning when Israel first back in captivity, but 100 years before Malachi, but to the greatest leaders in Israel's history through the greatest preachers, Ezra and Nehemiah led international revival and when they came out of this revival, the nation makes a covenant with God. Nehemiah records the covenant at the end of Nehemiah chapter 9 here's what he says you all this we the nation were to make a binding agreement where to put it right, or leaders, Levites, or priest like the Notary Public's would affix their seals to this is a strong of a book of of a covenant is you can make in Israel.

This was like their version of 1/8 graders Tiki swear you swear like a promise and a thought give a promising break my pinky. That's their pinky swear and you say what they promise got what. Yet she tells you Jeff or Tammy tell you the things you promise. God watches your three things a promise them.

This is the covenant they read up. They promise we will Nehemiah 10 will give God our first in our best.

Secondly, they said we will put God's temple, first with our time. Thirdly, they said we will honor God with our marriages were not going to intermarry with unbelievers to this thing. Sound familiar to you as you listen to the first half of the sermon.

These are the very things they promise to the previous trip. They didn't even make it through their generation before Nehemiah was dead.

They don't gone back on these things.

Nehemiah in chapter 13 he talks about how they fold away from all these promises about one of my favorite Old Testament versus says this so I went to them and I confronted them and I curse them and update some of the men pulled out their you better be glad Nehemiah is not your pastor right.

I did get a class on that in seminary, but it sounds awesome, right. This is how is he was the ultimate accountability partner and of course these are the very things that Malachi was confronting them on again 100 years later now know what you say I don't say what is fickle Israelites, but haven't we all at some point in her life said you better here. I need to be a better husband. I need to be a better student. I need to be more courageous. I need to be a better mom or dad.

I need to stop looking at those images, and the Internet. I need to pray more to here's a nominative and you come up with some kind of covenant maybe you put in your mind. It's in your mind mixing your Bible unit accountability partner and you make all these promises and alas for little while.

Then you go back to the point where you're worse off than you were to start.

What's the problem is that you are sincere enough bigger accountability partners not mean that maybe don't wash her hair is not a problem is a problem that that that that you should try harder.

No, the problem listen.

The problem is there is latent sin and you that no promise or resolution on your part can eradicate from Malachi says this problem Israel has had from the beginning she got number seven since the days of your fathers day brand is kept turning for my statutes.

You haven't Member back in Exodus cinema but in Exodus when I gave you the 10 Commandments and you promised all got will be yours forever before the cement was even dry on the stone.

Yorty erected a golden calf and started to chase after it member the greatest king in your history's name is David the high point of David's spiritual life. A second Samuel seven were God appeared to him and said I will make you a house, I will build forever. And David said, always in God good and before the month was out. He was sitting with that sheep. It missed the problem. The problem is not your promises.

The promise is not you resolution the promises you have the power to do what you promised me you not the same way, only will need somebody who's going to come and give us new laws we need is somebody who could give us new life we did need somebody who would step onto the scene of history and call us to reform. We need to somebody who would in our heart and give us the power of rebirth.

You look in your Bible there. If you get a Bible in front of you look at the last word of chapter 4 the last word of the Old Testament is the word curse that ironic got started. The Old Testament creation, blessing, peace, beauty, life like it ends with the word curse God to the printer. Right there could've been me and probably should've in the but one number three God solution. The book ends with the word curse protect in the last chapter my view on those beautiful and clear promises of the Messiah that we have the whole Bible Malachi 41 Shirley Shirley of the day is coming.

It will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, so the Lord Almighty that support we understand and we expect but for you who fear my name the Sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You will go out leaping like cows from the storm. Not really sure what that means but it sounds happy. Here's a dilemma. Human race is a dilemma how dilemmas that we want God to deliver us from evil, but some of the evil we want them to deliver us from is also inside of us in the fair. If I think God and pray God deliver us from evil.

We all said amen and tonight God removed all evil from the world at 12 o'clock which one of you to be here at 1201 role I got a want to go to heaven is no more tears in Heaven. I think Mohammed times I made somebody cry in my life. If there's no more tears and having them 1 cm, no more JD Greer and have, to the limb. Will God deliver us from evil was some of the evil he's got deliver from doctrines out of us is a limit number two. We want God to be a God of justice that we hate injustice, though we hate it when somebody shoot somebody and the judge says no penalty.

We said no.

The victim's life curse little he is God says God's glory matters justice matters. The dilemma is we want God to be just one of God applies just as God's will be destroyed their part of the dilemma, no matter how much we resolve to do better.

It never lasts the Messiah. He's talking about in chapter 4 the answer all those dilemmas became like a furnace that was the justice and the wrath of God for our sin, he came to give God's justice, but the fire of God's wrath burned into Jesus, not through him to us yet.

So what Jesus wants us is so beautiful, so that this furnace became the son of righteousness as she win of righteousness.

The sun is a furnace is not minutes and exploding ball that would burn you up a bazillion times over, but in your life. It brings life when Jesus will Malachi is saying is there's going to be Messiah who comes he's going to come as the furnace of God's wrath.

Somehow, the furnace of God's wrath is going to become God's healing toward you for hundred years after Malachi talks, Jesus shows up on the scene and he picks up right where Malachi left off his first sermon Mark Chappell won his first or chapter 1 repent versus the memorized reader when start with writer repent is where Malachi left off, but then after Jesus says repent.

He went around reversing the curse that Malachi had ended the Old Testament with, so he went around healing diseases opening blinds eyes walking on water, casting out demons, raising the debt and the reason he could reverse the curse is because he had taken the curse into himself. So now you have to choose what Jesus the Messiah is going to be to you is he going to be the furnace of God's wrath or is he going to be the healing son of righteousness. Malachi talk about this again and maybe even more interesting passage about the Messiah see him in a semi-messenger and he will clear the way before me. That's a reference to John the Baptist as a prophecy about John the Baptist. Then the Lord you seek suddenly come to his templates reference to Jesus and become of the temple and blended who can endure the Davis coming and who will be able to stand when he appears outside fear, but also to changes.

The next verse he will be like a refiner and purifier of silver he will purify the sons of we will refine them like gold and silver, destruction, or semi-purification, then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness prejudicing me from pure motives is out of there. Just being compelled to do what they want to do it in the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord, like in the days of old, will be doing of the way that I've always wanted to do it. How is this going to happen. You see the Messiah that columns will either destroy or purify you to be the son of righteousness bring healing to the furnace of God's wrath.

What's this listen repentance is when you separate yourself from your sin is a God to citizen me and I hated, and I want you to help me destroy rebellion is when you say God I want to hold onto that sin. So God destroys you along with it. Either way it away God to destroy sin. The question is whether you will be destroyed along with that center you will be saved. By the way, few believers.

This shows you what Jesus is doing in your life after you repented after you repented and separated you yourself from your sin. God goes to work refining the process of refining was where they would take metal or parcel silver gold in the brain it will boil at the heavy metals so the lighter things, rise up to the top and then the refiner would just skim off the impurities of the what was left was pure gold or silver and is what Malachi says the Messiah would do. Jesus would come and he would bring your life to a boil and what he was doing was he was purging out all the false confidences and all the false gods of the what will be left in your life is pure beautiful trust in the name of the best pictures of this is Peter. There was a man of big promises when they nevertheless I for Jesus.

God computer sense of like I do not you all die for you in July. I turned the heat up three times in one night, Peter denies Jesus. This is the same Peter who would become the leader of the church you would stand up and asked who would look at an angry crowd and say you kill Jesus but God reason for that. That's the same Peter would never again deny Jesus in his life. The same Peter that will be crucified upside down.

What was the difference.

The difference is God in Peter's failure showed Peter his steadfast love.

Fill me on my going anywhere. And then God put not only steadfast love, but he put his spirit into Peter and after he had boiled off the impurities of his false confidences he put into him the gold and silver of his presence.

That's what he's doing with you. I'm going to tell you it's painful. It is painful when God brings your life will boil, but it's how he puts his power to your life. So let me say a couple of things just enclosing the series. Although all the prophets all the modern prophets point forward you very clearly very miraculously Savior who was to come.

You got to choose. They all say this, you have to choose what you gonna face him as the furnace of God's wrath, or whether you can experience him as the son of righteousness with healing in his wings you got shoes made that choice in your own network you still have questions about what this all means visit us@jdgreer.com find a bunch of different free resources to help you get started in your walk of faith that your first him listening to me take a moment just to say welcome.

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