Take Heed to Your Spirit - Malachi 2:15-16

TAKE HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT

Malachi 2:15-16

The Holy Spirit is a unique part of the union of husbands and wives; just as we saw last week that the Holy Spirit is a unique and dynamic aspect of our relationship to God, our Father. How does Malachi use the phrase in verse 15 “The rest of the Spirit” or “residue of the Spirit” in his argument?

Verse 15 is notoriously tricky to translate. All the various meanings are centered on the same basic theme of men being "faithless" to their wives, through divorce. In contrast, God sees marriage as a joining of spirits, according to His will, which can't be broken without spiritual damage. God desires for His people to portray a proper sense of oneness and grace. God has specific purposes for marriage, which are thwarted by divorce.

Malachi’s challenge to the people of God of old still needs to resonate in the halls of our churches. In our weak and failing churches, in our wholesale succumbing to the perversions of this sex crazed culture, we need to TAKE HEED TO OUR SPIRIT (v.15-16). One of the mighty fruits of the Holy Spirt is SELF CONTROL. I could ask, where is it? We need it. We should pray for it.

Twice in this text we are told to take heed to our spirit.  We are told to exercise a life of self-control and maintain a fidelity and faithfulness in our covenant marriages. We must exhibit a life under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and in our sexually perverted world and church, this should be the clarion call. TAKE HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT.

5 very important truths in regard to the Holy Spirit.

1.      I believe that we as God’s people, as the Church of Jesus Christ here in Wallowa County or anywhere else in the world, will NOT be left as orphans; BUT will be given the Helper Jesus promised. John 14:16-18 (grace, guard, gift, guide and glorify). Jesus’ high priestly prayer echoes all these sentiments.

2.      I believe the Holy Spirit is supremely capable to handle every pressing need in every age of Church history until Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom on earth. The whole armor of God is empowered by the Holy Spirit through prayer.

3.      I believe the assistance, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit is available to every single Christian, weak or strong, ignorant or astute, simply upon request. John 14:15 (He must be received). There is no academic requirement, no social status requirement. No liturgical ceremony, no outburst in tongues is needed to unleash His power. We simply need to pray in sincerity (Lk.11:13; Matt. 7:7-8).

4.      I believe, however, that Christians can and often do resist the Holy Spirit’s influence - to the degree that we can end up forsaking the grace that could have been ours, hardening our hearts by turning from the living God.  Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19; Acts 7:51; Hebrews 3:12 Balance is needed here- We are never to isolate any one member of the Trinity from the other.

5.      I believe that we don’t wait to “get fixed” by the Holy Spirit, we don’t get “rebaptized” by the Holy Spirit, we don’t come forward and receive some quantity of the Spirit during a revival meeting. I believe we simply obey. We “walk”, we “keep in step with the Holy Spirit” only because He has commended us to walk, and “Keep in Step”.

Paul used the idea of “walking”  six different times in Ephesians- walk in good works 2:1; walk worthy 4:1; walk differently than the world 4:17; walk in love 5:2; walk in the light 5:8;  walk wisely 5:15.

ALL this necessary walking that needs so desperately to be done in our churches, in our marriages is only done in, by and through the Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION

WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH

•          Peter walking on the water:                           Matthew 14:22-32

•          The woman with the issue of blood:               Mark 5:34

•          The 10 Lepers:                                               Luke 17:11-19

•          The man at the pool of Bethesda:                  John 5:6-9

We take God at His word and WALK.  We take our broken lives and move forward. In doing so, we shall find the needed strength to take the next step. We take our broken marriages, repent and move forward, and as each of you obey God, YOUR MARRIAGE WILL BE HEALED, as you go.

This is set forth all through the New Testament, as well as in the old. Our faith in God, our experience of God’s grace and power in our lives is only available by use. Faith must be at work. We walk by faith; we step into our troubles by faith. We realize the power of God through His word and Spirit only by exercising our faith.

The Treachery of Infidelity - Malachi 2:10-16

THE TREACHERY OF INFIDELITY

 Malachi 2:13–16

Context and review--Ezra 9:9,15; Malachi 2:11

A FEW RICH WORDS AND PHRASES

·         Yet, she IS your companion (v.14)- [chabereth]  a consort, a partner. He doesn’t use the word from Genesis 2 “helper”- Sharing in the ONE covenant. It is emphasizing the two-way street aspect of the covenant and the LORD is speaking up for the wives in these men’s treachery. They have an advocate (1 Peter 3:1-6).

·         Did He not MAKE them one? (v.15) Genesis 2:24 And they shall become One flesh

·         And why ONE? (v.15) Good question? For godly offspring. Oneness makes for godly kids, broken marriages don’t.

·         Having a remnant of the Spirit? [remnant, residue, rest] God is in the union, the children are set apart.

·         “Wife of His youth” (v.15) Notice, not youthful wife. He is reminding them when this all started. You share a story; you should share it to the end.

·         Take heed to your spirit- This godly deposit of grace in your marriage lest you squander it away.

THE ESSENCE OF MARRIAGE- Marriage here is described as COVENANTAL COMPANIONSHIP- God has taught us in His word to see our relationship with our spouses in the same way in which He sees our relationship to Him; that is IN a covenant, the New Covenant. You should look at your life from the perspective that you are in a covenant relationship with your partner and that this relationship supersedes your individual needs.

Malachi gives us the Biblical view of marriage; emphasizing the fact that the covenant relationship is more important than the individual's needs.  It isn't the wife or the husband who are the critical component, but the "gracious gift of life" which a married couple have been given. Look at 1 Peter 3:7.

IT WORKS LIKE THIS ---You invest into your wife or your husband and you will reap someone who has grown into your perfect fit. Invest means GIVE- But if you simply take from your marriage; it will soon be bankrupt.  The purpose of marriage IS TO PRODUCE CHANGE through deep friendship. Marriage is putting two broken people together for the glory of God.

Consider Eccl.9:9 “live joyfully with the wife whom you love"  HOW?  SIMPLE-

1. ACCEPT the fact that you and your spouse are incompatible-

2. EXPECT you and your spouse will have conflict-

3. INVEST into your spouse looking at what you are becoming-

Malachi- A Dialogue with God, Pt. 4 - Breaking Faith (Second part)

MALACHI 

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Malachi’s third dispute: BREAKING FAITH part 2

Marriage is the greatest test in the world… It is the operation by which a woman’s vanity and a man’s egotism are extracted without anesthetic. It is said a wife is a gift. She is the best gift; she is a full-length mirror. If there had been a card attached, it would have said, “Here’s to help you discover what you’re really like!”

Dealing with the marriages of foreign women.  It follows that if you don’t have good soil in the covenant community, if the body life of the church is drab (2:10), your marriages will suffer too (2:11-12). Notice (v.11) it says they were profaning God’s holiness, literally breaking apart the “separateness” of God’s relationship with his people, which He loves. This is why he says so strongly in (v.16) “I hate divorce” .

THE PRIMARY ISSUE: "Judah has married the daughter of a foreign God." – (i.e. Ezra 9:1-2)- The women that the men of Judah were marrying did not love, trust or follow Yahweh, the true God of Israel. They were not daughters of the true God; they were daughters of a foreign god. They didn’t want God’s will for their lives.

The church today suffers a similar plight- We have an epidemic in the pews of our churches. Immorality is nothing short of rampant.

·         Today we have foreign women streaming live 24 hours a day on millions of men’s computers and smut phones. America is the greatest user of sex trafficked women- We are a nation given over- We are experiencing the judgment of God.

·         IT’S NOT JUST PORN-- The church has been inundated with sexual perversions of all kinds. From homosexuality to adultery. Always pushing, leaning in. “I haven’t come to that position yet”.

DO YOU WANT TO PUT A FENCE AT THE TOP OF THE CLIFF, OR AN AMBULANCE AT THE BOTTOM?

Here are a few things we must understand and embrace.

1.       ISOLATION IS DEATH -Sin always isolates. Men or women who struggle with sexual sin will not want to be around other Christians. If you’re an isolated Christian, we can be pretty sure what you are up to (James 5:16; Proverbs 28:13; Psalms 32:1-5)

2. THE STUMBLING BLOCKS OF LUST MUST BE ANNIHILATED -Listen carefully to our LORD,  Matthew 5:29, Jesus draws a line of a no-compromise approach in the war against lust: "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” 

3. WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR ANYWAY?  Sex addiction is the search for God’s love and acceptance in lust. There is a “lovingkindness that’s better than life” (Psalms 63:3; Psalms 42:1)  

4. GET SCHOOLED NOT SCOLDED. The devil hates you and will beat you into the ground for your worthless life. But Jesus will school you in grace for your precious life. Learn to live in grace, as Jesus told us in John 15:9 As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  1 John 2:15-

THE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THIS PARTICULAR TEXT-- Don’t date who you couldn’t marry. Singles need to seek God before they seek a girlfriend or boyfriend. What is not IN CHRIST is foreign. If you’re girl crazy or boy crazy, you are making it very clear you are not God crazy. Be God crazy first- He is a jealous God- YBF Psalm 127:1-2- Put God first in your life- Matthew 6:33 and everything else will work out.  Proverbs 7 is a reminder that you can be convinced to sell God out for a little self-gratification. We are capable of being practical atheists. In 1 Thess. 4:1-8, as in Malachi, we should be reminded that we will not get away with our sexual perversions in the church. If you don’t repent of these things, God is an avenger on all who prey on others.

Malachi - A Dialogue with God, Pt. 3 -Breaking Faith with One Another

MALACHI  

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Malachi’s third dispute: BREAKING FAITH WITH ONE ANOTHER

Malachi 2:10 -  In verse 10, it's the general area of personal relationships: "Why then are we faithless to one another?" There was widespread dishonesty. People were not keeping their word. Trusts were being broken. "Why are we faithless [or treacherous] with each other?" That is, why can we not trust each other? Why all this breaking of faith?

The Covenant of Levi was to be “life and peace”.  Malachi's message to us this morning could hardly be more relevant or more needed. Malachi uses the term ‘treachery’ [bagad] five times. He warns us not "to act faithlessly"—or to put it positively, he urges us to make covenant-making and covenant-keeping the fabric of our life together.

THREE REASONS NOT TO BE FAITHLESS TO ONE ANOTHER -The three reasons given in verse 10 are: We have one Father; one God created us; and we have a covenant. Therefore, let's be a people of radical integrity and faithfulness in all our dealings - whatever it costs!

1. We have one Father. "Have we not all one father?" (v. 10).

2. We have one Creator. "Has not one God created us?" (v. 10).

3. We have a Covenant. "Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?" (v.10).

WHAT WAS THIS COVENANT? It was God's commitment to be Abraham's God, to work for him and bless him and give him life and hope—and not only him but all of his true offspring, including you and me, in Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham.

WHEN THE COVENANT COMMUNITY FAILS- Consider how much of the New Testament is directed to this whole subject of treating other saints in trickery and treachery in order to gain prominence or leverage ( 1 Peter 3:8; Phil. 4:2; Gal. 3:11-13, 5:14-15; 3 John3; 2 Cor.8:11; Romans 14:15 ). 

According to 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you…” reminds us that living together in covenant can have serious challenges. REVILED-[loidoria] – to be speared, to be stabbed in the back, or in the front.

5 WAYS TO ENRICH YOUR COVENANT EXPERIENCE- 1 Peter 3:8

1. Be of one mind [homophron]- We may be singing different notes, but humility makes the harmony. We are all standing under the shadow of the same cross.

2. Have compassion for one another. [sumpathes-with feelings] This happens only when our actions are translated as “I care about you”. Does our church have a message that says, “We care about our covenant community”? If not, we have nothing else to say.

3. Love as brothers. [philadelphos] (seeing each covenant member as one for whom Christ died) John 13:35

4. Be tender hearted. [eusplagchnos- good spleen]   Sympathetic- A heart which has been made tender in the fear of God is one which moves as the Holy Spirit works upon it.

5. Be courteous [philophron- friendly minded].

Malachi - A Dialogue with God, Part 2 - The Sad Effect of Playing Church

MALACHI 

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Malachi’s second dispute: The sad effect of playing church (1:6-2:9)

I. STINKING TO HIGH HEAVEN 1:6-14

·         DRAWING THEM OUT (v.6) - In what way have we despised your name? “Where is My honor?” “You despised My name”. How? By literally saying just that- He shows how He is really despised by them. How ugly, how evil is it to cheat God with half-hearted, begrudging worship? They had a “Do we have to?” sort of religion. They were not trying to please God but TO SIMPLY appease Him. It can be a subtle difference, but it is a deep heart issue.

·         A VIVID THOUGHT EXPERIMENT- (v.7-11) -How have we defiled you? Try treating your boss the way you treat your God- You’d be fired. Is there not just one person who will shut the gate; who sees and is willing to stop this charade? Who will stand up against those who calculate just how little self-denial and active labor a person must give in order to reach heaven? Nonetheless, God’s name will be vindicated in the world, even if God’s people trample it in the dirt.

·         THE COLD-HEARTED TRUTH- (v.12-14) This is too much trouble- “God I hate this, you’re messing up everything”. Such a spirit of cold-hearted contempt for God, Christ and religion is something caught by the next generation. “TO SNORT OR SNEER”- [naphach]- to inflate or blow hard. He exposes the deep weariness of their worship and how they ‘snorted’ at the idea of giving their best to God. Remember, we asked the question as we studied the book of Micah, why do God’s people break covenant with Him? The answer was because they stop delighting in HIM. Cursed be the cheat, starting with your priests who do awful things in His presence. They refuse to really give glory to God. To be willing sacrifices- Each week we are reminded that our offerings are a “reasonable service of worship”.

How often do we give GOD the shreds of our time?

How often do we give GOD the weary remnant of our thoughts?

How often do we give GOD the pitiful gleanings of our means?

II. HOW TO STOP THE STINK- (2:1-9)

·         BEWARE OF CURSING YOUR OWN BLESSINGS- (v.1-3) We rob ourselves of blessings that we could enjoy if we would stop just playing church. Blessings is the default mode for all of God’s people, but it is we who squander them. We ‘forsake our own mercy’ (Jonah 2:8). We grieve, quench and resist the Holy Spirit, which is the same thing as shooting yourselves in your own spiritual foot. WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEADERS GONE?  Leaders of homes, or leaders in the churches will give an account. There is no sure succession of faithfulness if there is not a genuine desire to seek and please God.

·         THE LAW OF GOD SHOULD SHAPE YOUR LIFE- (v.4-9) Covenant renewal in the law of Christ is what will keep your face clean.

  So, what will do more to drive the next generation away from following God than a sham of worship?

Malachi - A Dialogue with God, Part 1 - Sovereign Love

MALACHI

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD

Part one- “Sovereign Love”

Malachi calls Israel and Judah to repentance one last time before 400 silent years. This is instructive because none of this is after the fact, but in the middle of the mess. God’s WORD brings the needed hope and renewal, if only they would listen (Zechariah 7:8-11).  This is a wake-up call to spiritual apathy. A dialogue with God.

STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK: The book has six basic disputes, each starting with a claim, then a disagreement, and then a response. The first three expose corruption, and the last three confront that corruption. The book ends with a look to the future and the coming of the Messiah. Using the question and answer method, Malachi sticks his boney finger into their wooly chests, probing deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. The book repeats over and over the phrase- “Yet you say”…and the response “When, or how did we say?” How have you loved us? In what way have we despised your name? For what reason have you not heard our weeping? In what way have we wearied you? In what way shall we return? In what way have we robbed you? What have we spoken against you?

Malachi’s first dispute

YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR FIRST LOVE

God tells His people emphatically, that HE LOVES THEM (1:1-5).  Right out of the gate, this is what He lays down of first importance in bringing His people back.

Note: A burden to Israel- The whole nation was supposed to have returned, all the tribes were merged at the restoration.

Note: Something very touching in the opening message of rebuke. It’s like the words of a weeping parent, who seeks to woo back a prodigal son, by recalling to his memory the love that was lavished on him. God’s love is not sparing the people of God from suffering, but He is removing everything that separates them from Him.

Note: “Jacob I have loved, Esau have I hated”- means I have protected your land and given you a place of peace and prosperity. In doing this God was showing His sovereign mercy toward Jacob, not of works, but of Him who calls. (Romans 9:11-13).

Who can deny that this is the number one thing the next generation of young saints will struggle with. “How have you loved us?” Do we have an answer for them? Do they see it? (v.5) The LORD protected Israel from invading wickedness, and they had seen it with their own eyes. God had sustained their lives. It is a sad reality of man’s sinful heart, that the love of God is often least recognized in the very place where it is most manifest. It is among the generation of Christians who inherited a great blessing of faithful churches that they languish in unbelief. Deut.6:20; Matthew 3:17; (He); Luke 3:22 (You); Exodus 20:1; 1 John 3:1-2; Revelation 1:5, 2:4; Numbers 6:22-26; Romans 5:8

POINTS OF APPLICATION

1. GOD KNOWS YOU BETTER THAN YOU KNOW YOURSELF - Psalm 139:1-4,13-14; Isaiah 49:15-16; Matthew 10:29-31; Genesis 1:27

2. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU – Joshua 1:5-6; Hebrews 7:25,13:5; 1 Corinthians 10:13

3. YOUR EYES WILL SEE AND YOU WILL SAY  “God has been faithful to me”- 1 Thess. 5:18

Living for God in 2020, Part 3 - Suffering "Fits" of Humility Until Humility Fits

LIVING FOR GOD IN 2020

JAMES 4:6-10     Part 3

“SUFFERING ‘FITS’ OF HUMILTY UNTIL HUMILITY FITS”

James uses the aorist imperative, in calling us back to New Covenant renewal. He is asking us to apply a variety of principles, from verses 6-10.  In ten imperatives, he sets forth seven very important principles which are necessary for our spiritual growth.

HE GIVES MORE GRACE…

1. The Principle of Realignment-      v. 7      SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO GOD

2. The Principle of Resistance-         v. 7      RESIST THE DEVIL

3. The Principle of Response-           v. 8      DRAW NEAR TO GOD

4. The Principle of Removal -                       v. 8      CLEANSE YOUR HANDS 

5. The Principle of Renewal-                         v.8       PURIFY YOUR HEARTS YOU DOUBLE-MINDED

Having singular hearts to the glory of God. Both James 1:15 and 4:1-4 are in the context of asking God for help and sustenance.

Purify your hearts- Psalm 86:11- “Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name”.

What causes our hearts to be impure?  Sitting on the fence- double-minded James 1:6-8; 4:1-3

HUMILITY IS SUCH A HARD THING – Yet the condition to this needed grace is humility, and from it alone flows the principles set forth. The greatest obstacle to obtaining God’s grace is PRIDE.  God sets himself against the proud, anywhere, anytime and anyone.  

ONLY AT THE CROSS- The Apostle Paul’s seven key words… (not theological for Paul, but personal)

EFFECT-1 Cor.1:17                   POWER-1 Cor.1:18                 OFFENSE- Gal.5:11

GLORY-Gal. 6:14         RECONCILE-Eph.2:16       PEACE- Col.1:20                SHAME-Phil. 3:18

WHAT DOES A PURIFIED HEART LOOK LIKE?

            Grateful- Gratefulness tends to crowd everything else out, it doesn’t share space.

            Gracious- It lights up all the “just as” passages regarding true emulation, and not mimicking.

            Generous-Materially, socially and spiritually