Text: Malachi 1:6-14
God addressed the worship that was being offered to Him, saying, “Where is My honor?” (Malachi 1:6). They had not dishonored God by ceasing to worship Him, but they may as well have (Malachi 1:10). Instead, they were worshipping in a way that did not honor Him. We need to learn from their mistakes so we can offer worship to God that honors Him.
Offer Worship That Is Pleasing to God
- They were despising God by offering defiled food on the altar (Malachi 1:6-9) – God gave instructions regarding the offerings they were to present (cf. Leviticus 1:2-3; 22:20-22); yet they despised the altar; to them, it was not worth the effort to do what was right
- God has told us how we are to worship Him (John 4:24) – teaching, giving, Lord’s Supper, prayer (Acts 2:42), singing (Colossians 3:16)
- All of that is doable IF we are willing to put in the effort necessary to offer that worship – barring rare exceptions, EVERY act of worship is something that EVERY Christian can participate in
Treat Worship As Something Special
- They were profaning the name of God through their offering (Malachi 1:11-12) – to profane something was to treat it as common (cf. Leviticus 19:12; Exodus 31:14); His name was to be great, yet they treated God and their worship to Him as if they were nothing special
- We need to approach God with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28) – this describes our attitude in worship; reverence is the idea of thoughtfully and humbly approaching God (cf. Hebrews 5:7); awe or “godly fear” (KJV) is a deep respect for God (cf. Acts 10:34-35; Hebrews 12:29; 10:31)
- We are not to treat worship as if it is no different from anything else we do – remember the imagery of approaching the mountain of God (Hebrews 12:18-24; Exodus 19:9-11, 14-17)
Recognize the Privilege It Is to Worship
- They saw worship as tiresome (Malachi 1:13-14) – to them, it was a chore and not a privilege; the thought of coming together to worship should bring joy (Psalm 122:1); they thought it was a hardship (this is the meaning of the root word), as if God was selfishly demanding it
- We are to exhibit joy in our worship and in our anticipation of worship (Psalm 100:1-2) – Paul expressed this principle in teaching about giving (2 Corinthians 9:7)
- God has given us much more than we can offer back to Him (Acts 17:24-25; James 1:17) – recognizing this should produce gratitude in us; this makes our worship acceptable (Hebrews 12:28)
Conclusion
- We need to avoid the mistakes of God’s people in Malachi’s day regarding worship
- Worship is not about pleasing US, it is about pleasing God
- Worship is not to be treated casually as something common, we are to display reverence because it is something special
- Worship is not a burden or a chore, it is a privilege for us to approach God in that way
- God is worthy of our worship – therefore, let us offer worship that honors Him
