Will You Honor Me?

Malachi: A Conversation With God #3 
Will You Honor Me? 
Malachi 1:6-14

Hebrews 12:28-29– “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Revelation 14:7– He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

Nehemiah 9:5-6– …."Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted.”  You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”

1 Chronicles 29:10-13  … “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.  Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.”

Daniel 3:16-18– Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

~Fear of God – Awe
Psalm 25:14 – “The Lord confides in those who fear him; He makes his covenant known to them.”

~ Love of God - Affection
Matthew 22:37 – He said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.”

~Worship – Enjoying and expressing the greatness of God.
Psalm 47:1-2– “Clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.”

I. Enjoy His love.

Colossians 3:12-13 – “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…forgiving each other...”

Ephesians 1:4-6 –… “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace.”

Lamentations 3: 21-23 – “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.  The lovingkindness of the Lord will never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

II. Embrace His greatness.

Pope Francis   “When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so.”

John Piper   “One indispensable element in worship is GREATNESS, majesty, grandeur.”

Psalm 77: 11-12 – “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, … I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.”

1 Chronicles 16:24-27 – “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. for great is the Lord…for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens… strength and joy are in His place.”

2 Corinthians 4:6– “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

III. God’s promised outcomes.

1. Enjoying and embracing the Lord will keep us from chasing after
    and being disappointed by stuff.

2. Enjoying and embracing the Lord will lead to being less
    captivated with people.

3. Enjoying and embracing the Lord will motivate us to live out our
    identity and purpose as redeemed image bearers.

Faith Sheet     

Transformation Verse (February) - …do not grow tired of doing what is right.  2 Thessalonians 3:13

Main Themes:

~ God is both the sovereign King and a loving Father to His children. He is worthy of full appreciation and honor.

~ His children will fully worship and trust Him if they really know Him. (Deut. 10:14, Psalm 24:1, 86:15, Eph. 2:1-7)

#1 - Reviewing This Past Sunday   
Malachi: A Conversation With God #3
Will You Honor Me? 
Malachi 1:6-14

1. Read Malachi 1:1-14. Discuss Sunday’s message with someone.
2. How do you keep a balance of seeing God as Father and as
    King?
3. Read Psalm 50:9-12 and Acts 17:24-28. What does God “need”
    from us, and what does this mean for us in our daily walk with
    Him?
4. How are we to live since our great King owns every inch of Erie
    and beyond even when it seems like the enemy is winning?
    (Psalm 27:1-14)
5. Pray as God leads.

#2 - Preparing for Next Sunday 
Malachi: A Conversation With God #4
Will You Be My Priests?
Malachi 2:1-9

1. Read Malachi 2:1-9. Who is God addressing?
2. What was the problem in their walk with God? (v.2)
3. What will God “curse”, and what might that look like today?
    (v.2)
4. What are the marks of a faithful priest? (vs.5-7)
5. What unfortunately characterized the priests in Malachi’s day,
    and what effect did it have on the people? (vs.8-9)
6. Pray for yourself and Christian leaders who come to mind to be
    faithful priests where God has planted each of us. (Rev.1:6,
    5:10, and 20:6)