1. The Problem Of Indifference
Malachi 2:1-9
The Problem Of Indifference

2. The Problem Of Indifference
Read Malachi 2:1-9
Let’s look at 5 fatal flaws that caused the spiritual slide of the Levites
They’re in verses 2-3 and verses 8-9
Then we’ll finish with some leaderships lessons in verses 4-7

3. 5 Fatal Flaws
First – they dishonored God’s Holiness (verses 2-3)

4. What you think about God is the most important thing about you.
A.W. Tozer
What you think about God is
the most important thing about you.

5. 5 Fatal Flaws
In the 1st part of verse 2, “If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My Name…”
“Listen” means “to hear intelligently” with obedience

6. 5 Fatal Flaws
“Take it to heart” means that an active choice of the will has been made
We know from chapter 1 that they didn’t honor God because they were giving Him garbage for sacrifices
We see that God refers to Himself as “Lord of Hosts” 4 times in these 9 verses
He is the “self existent One” with a host of Angelic Armies to do His bidding

7. 5 Fatal Flaws They didn’t care They were bored with it all
They yawned in the face of Yahweh
Notice the 1st word of verse 2 –”If”
God gave them a chance to repent
If not – judgment as in Jeremiah 13:16

8. Give Glory to the Lord your God Before He Brings Darkness
And before your feet stumble
On the dusky mountains
And while you are hoping for light
He makes it into deep darkness
And turns it into gloom
Jeremiah 13:16

9. 5 Fatal Flaws Ok – now it gets a little graphic
If they don’t get a handle on their indifference three things will happen
1 – Rebuke
2 – Rejection
3 - Removal

10. 1 - Rebuke 2nd half of verse 2 – they will be cursed
A curse is an inherent power of doom and destruction
“Sent” implies that God will “hurl” or “let loose” His curse upon them

11. 1 - Rebuke God will curse their blessings
Sin and rebellion cannot be washed away by some benediction or religious service
They can’t bless themselves out of their mess
They need repentance

12. 1 - Rebuke
Verse 3 begins with a rebuke against their children and grandchildren
The way they are living – the example they are setting will affect the future of Israel
They aren’t leaving any kind of legacy

13. 1 - Rebuke
Another take on verse 3 is that “offspring” or “seed” could mean that their ministry will bear no fruit
Their ministry is so useless is corrupts the present and the future

14. 2 - Rejection
“I will spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it…”
The Levites were going to get “manure makeovers”
The word “refuse” refers not only to the intestines and the parts of the animal that were thrown away, but the feces that were in them

15. The yucky parts

16. 2 - Rejection
God is going to take the excrement from the sick and lame animals and smear it all over the priests
As in Nahum 3:6 Indifference is worthy of humiliation

17. 3 - Removal
When the Levites cleaned the animals for sacrifice, they were to throw it over the wall to be burned with all the garbage
They will be discarded just like the entrails and feces and burned with fire
Jesus called this place “Gehenna”

18. Valley of Gehenna

19. 3 - Removal Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you says the Lord”
God loved them too much to let them continue living in indifference
They needed to come back to a proper understanding of God’s love

20. 5 – Fatal Flaws 1st Flaw – they dishonored God’s holiness
2nd Fatal Flaw – they had “turned aside from the way” (verse 8a)
They were following their own path
Once a leader stops walking with God – his ministry is over

21. 5 – Fatal Flaws
3rd Fatal Flaw – They were destructive to others (verse 8 b)
Their half hearted teaching lead the people astray
They grew cold and in turn the people grew cold
1 Corinthians 15:33 – “Bad company corrupts good morals”

22. 5 – Fatal Flaws
Isaiah 9:16 –”For those who guide this people are leading them astray; and those who are guided by them are brought to confusion”

23. 5 – Fatal Flaws
4th Fatal Flaw – They had desecrated the covenant (verse 8c)
God had a special rapport with the family of Levi
They were to represent God’s love to the people
They let that relationship decay and dissipate

24. 5 – Fatal Flaws
5th Fatal Flaw – They were despised by the people (verse 9)
They didn’t take their relationship with God seriously – neither did the people take them seriously
They accepted substandard sacrifices from the people – they didn’t want to “offend”

25. 5 – Fatal Flaws
They paid more attention to the people than they paid to God
With the ironic result that the people rejected them

26. At This Point One Might Ask…So
What!

27. We’re Not Levites!

28. We Are Under The New Covenant!
Why Would We Be Going Through This?

29. Levites Set apart to do 2 things 1st – To sacrifice animals
2nd – To serve God
Under the New Covenant, Jesus offered Himself as the Final Sacrifice
The sacrificial office has been fulfilled

30. Jesus Our High Priest Hebrews 4:14- 16 – Would someone please read
Hebrews 7:23-25 – Volunteer please
Hebrews 7:27 – “who does not need daily, like those High Priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because This He did once for all when He offered up Himself”

31. The Sacrifice Is Finished
That leaves the office of serving God
1Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession…”
John put it this way…
Revelation 1:9 – “and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father

32. We Are Priests Every believer is a priest
We are set apart for worship and service
We are to lead others to Christ

33. Unfortunately… We forget our function as followers of Christ
We end up seeing our service as drudgery rather than a delight

34. consequences of Jewish indifference?
What were some of the
consequences of Jewish indifference?

35. What are some of the consequences of our own indifference?

36. Would you Pray with me?

37. Prayer Lord, you are a Holy God, help us to never forget that
Lord you are the creator of all things, You and You alone are worthy of all praise and glory and honor, forever
Lord were we have left your path, please direct our way back

38. Prayer
Lord forgive my indifference, I pray I have not lead others astray or discouraged anyone from believing in You
Mold us into effective ministers of Your Word
Lord forgive me for violating Your New Covenant

39. Prayer At times, I have placed myself before You and others
Lord, help me to humble myself before You and ask for forgiveness
Lord fill us with Your Holy Spirit and guide us as we fulfill our priestly office
Does anyone else want to speak out

40. Heading For Home

41. Leadership Lessons 1st Respond to God in obedience (verse 2a)
James 1:22 – Be a doer, not just a hearer
1 Samuel 3:10 – “Your servant is listening”

42. Leadership Lessons 2nd Revere God as awesome (verses 4-5)
Just as God longed for His Covenant with Levi to continue in verse 4, God wants us to revere Him and set our lives apart for Him

43. Leadership Lessons Let’s be honest
Sometimes we play church games, compromising, disobeying whenever we feel like it, right in the face of a Holy God
If we would revere God as awesome, how our lives would change

44. Leadership Lessons
Understand who God is and you won’t get bored with Him
If we don’t honor Holiness, we risk losing sight of what’s really important

45. Leadership Lessons 3rd Resolve to lead yourself (verse 6a)
Let God’s word penetrate your personhood
Focus on your walk with Him
Unless we are squared away internally, we have little to offer others

46. Leadership Lessons 4th Repel people from sin (verse 6b)
James 5:19-20 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,  let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins
How is my example to others

47. Leadership Lessons 5th Represent God to others (verse 7)
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel
Do people come to you for answers

48. Leadership Lessons
1 Peter 3:15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence

49. Let Us Pray!