MALACHI 3
5 Outlines
Malachi 3:8-11
GIVING WITH INTEGRITY
We have all met people
who have lacked integrity. Some lack moral
integrity. Others lack integrity in their business dealings. There are even some pastors who lack
integrity because they do not practice what they preach. The Jews of Malachi's day lacked integrity in
the area of giving to God's work. Many today lack integrity in this same area.
Remember, a lack of
integrity is also a lack of honesty.
GOD'S ACCUSATION - Vs. 8
The Jews had robbed God
because they had failed to give as God had prescribed.
GOD'S ACTION - Vs. 9
God had cursed the
nation because of their failure to give.
GOD'S ADVICE - Vs. 10a
The one who is not
giving properly should start to give with integrity. (1 Corinthians 9:6-7).
GOD'S ASSURANCE - Vs.
10b
God will give great
blessing when we give properly.
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Malachi 3:8-12
STOP THIEF!
When we fail to cheerfully give to the Lord's work, we
too, are robbing God.
CHARGE OF ROBBERY Vss. 8-9
CALL TO REPENTANCE Vs. 10
CERTAINTY OF REWARD Vss. 11-12
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Malachi 3:8-11
A REMINDER FROM GOD
God reminds us here of
the importance of giving to His work.
CHARGE OF ROBBERY Vss.
8-9
CALL TO REPENTANCE - Vs.
10a
CERTAINTY OF RETRIBUTION
(OR REWARD) Vss. 10b-11
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Malachi 3:16-17
GOD'S JEWELS
When we want to pay someone
a compliment we might say, "That person is a real jewel!"
We mean the person is
precious or valuable to us because of positive qualities the person possesses.
God has his
"jewels", as verse 17 states.
They are those who are precious to God because they have responded
properly to Him. According to verse 16, God's jewels:
FEAR HIM - This would
include fearing Him enough to trust Christ as Savior. See Luke 12:4-7 and
Ephesians 2:8-9.
FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER
BELIEVERS - The people in this verse talked often to
each other, indicating their agreement about the things of God. They would have
encouraged each other.
We are to fellowship
with each other as Christians. See Acts
FOCUS ON HIM - These
people "...thought upon his name." See John 15:1-7, Psalm 1:2-3 and
Isaiah 26:3.
It is interesting to
note that permanent record is made in Heaven "...for them that feared the
Lord, and that thought upon his name."
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Malachi 3:16-4:6
SUNSHINE
We like the sun! There's
nothing like a bright sunny day after a snow storm to show off nature's beauty.
There's nothing like sunshine to accent the coming out of the leaves and
flowers in the spring. There's nothing like sunshine to highlight a summer day
at the beach! There's nothing like
sunshine to bring out the beauty of fall colors.
Even in life's
relationships we refer to sunshine.
An old song goes,
"You are my
sunshine, my only sunshine,
You make me happy when
skies are gray,
Oh you don't know dear,
how much I love you,
Please don't take my
sunshine away."
We use sunshine as a
spiritual application as well,
Eliza E. Hewitt wrote:
"There is sunshine
in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any early
sky,
For Jesus is my light.
"O there's
sunshine, blessed sunshine,
While the peaceful happy
moments roll;
When Jesus shows His
smiling face,
There is sunshine in my
soul."
The passage before us
deals primarily with prophecy concerning future events in the life of
A FAITHFUL REMNANT -
3:16-17
God always has a remnant
of faithful people who will follow Him no matter what.
A FEARFUL RESULT - 4:1
The Day of the Lord is
coming!
A FUTURE REIGN - 4:2-3
See Isaiah 11.
A FINAL REMINDER - 4:4
Those waiting for Jesus
to come are to remain obedient.
A FORTHCOMING RESTORER -
4:5-6