It's Worth It to Trust God

Oh, grab your Bibles and let's go back to Malachi. We're in Malachi chapter 3. If you're visiting today, we are. Journeying through this Old Testament book and um I was just thinking, if I had known Malachi was going to be so rich.

So rewarding.

Sometimes when I'm studying, I'm hopeful, I'm prayerful that you will get. half as much out of it as I have gotten out of the study.

So, what a wonderful drudgery my job is to study and prepare to preach and preach God's word. Malachi is uh the last book. of the old testament Four hundred years before the advent of Christ. And the children of Israel have returned back from Babylonian and Persian exile. They're back in the promised land.

And they made some presumptions in their minds and in their hearts about how it was going to be. When they got back from exile, when they got settled back in Israel, in Jerusalem. And it wasn't that way. They had some sort of notion that the Messiah would rise, that promised Redeemer, deliverer, peacemaker for Israel, that he would arise and everything would be wondrous and good and prosperous and blessings for everyone. But they got back, and it wasn't that way.

Things are really tough. Crops aren't doing so well. prosperity of the people in the nation is actually in decline in some ways. And they are To put it very lightly. Disappointed with God.

God, we did not expect it to be this way. God, we thought it would be like this or like that. Let me ask you something this morning, sinner. What does God owe you anyway? Every breath you take, this side of divine judgment is a grace.

It's a gift. Yet we find ourselves, and that's one of the things that's jumped out to us. Malachi, is it not that it speaks so clearly and freshly to us? Where we are today. I thought as I read through this, I thought, is Malachi pastoring a bunch of Baptist folks here?

And so they are disgruntled. They are embittered. They may be just angry. At their predicament. And they're taking it out on God as if they might win that challenge.

So look at it with me, if you will. I haven't given this a title. When I study, I study and study, then I do my outline, then I do a title. And I just don't have one. I didn't get that far.

Malachi chapter 3, verses 13 through 15. Let me say this first of all, when you get to verses 16 through 18. Things shift over. A new group, a new part of the nation is addressed. It is so glorious.

So make sure you come back and get it on the wonders and the glories of verses 16 through 18. But this morning we're going to look at verses 13, 14, and 15. I'm reading now. Your words have been arrogant against me, says the Lord. Yet you say What have we spoken against you?

They're talking to God. What have we said against you, God? Verse 14. You have said it is vain to serve God. And what profit is it that we have kept his charge?

And that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts. Let me just pause there for a moment. I think they're saying some stuff they know is not true. They're not living that well. They're not walking around in mourning humility before the Lord to honor him.

That's not what they're doing. They're just sort of spinning it the way they want to spin it before God, as if he doesn't know their thoughts even before they say them. Verse 15.

So now we call the arrogant blessed. And not only are the doers of wickedness built up, But they also test God and escape.

So I call this section of these three verses the ranting of a rebel. Probably plural, the rantings of a rebel would be even better. Yeah. God says to them through the prophet Malachi up in verse 13, you are arrogant. Against me.

The idea there is, it's actually the Hebrew word that you could translate, you're murmuring. Remember that? You're murmuring. against me. We remember that well from the wilderness wanderings as Moses and Aaron are leading the nation of Israel.

They've already led them out of Egyptian bondage, headed to the promised land. And it was kind of a difficult season there for a number of years, actually. And they begin to grumble and complain. They begin to murmur, the Bible says. Against Aaron and against Moses.

Exodus sixteen, too, reminds us of this. The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled. You could say murmured. I guess the King James does say murmured. against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

So This has been quite a common pattern. Griping. Complaining. Disputing Murmuring Now who comes to your mind? Ha ha ha.

Can I just say this this morning? I'm preaching to Jeff this morning. But I would bet if we had an honest poll of all of our hearts when it comes to. Griping. And complaining.

and criticizing This text probably speaks to about 99.9% of us this morning.

Now, there's a righteous correcting, there's a righteous criticizing. I understand that. But I think the most serious, even though, let me say this first, even though the Bible does speak to employers. Do not be harsh. Grumbling against your employees.

That's not the exact verbiage, but that's the spirit of the text. The Bible does tell parents, fathers in particular, don't be too harsh and critical and correcting even on your children. Though that is your role.

So there's a role in a place for guiding, correcting, even criticizing. But here we have the reversal. Here's the person under authority. Criticising that one. over them in authority.

That gets more serious. We'll try to tie all that together here in a few moments.

So they're murmuring.

So the Jews in Moses' day, wandering through the wilderness, had the same critical. A debating, grumbling spirit.

Now in Malachi's day, coming back from the exile to Babylon and Persia, they're grumbling again and murmuring. And actually, the Hebrew scholars tell us this word here for murmuring, that could be translated as murmuring, is translating being arrogant against me here. It's a word that's actually a variation of the original word, and it's a stronger word.

So here in Malachi, it has a stronger emphasis, which it means to speak against. You're speaking against me. It's almost the idea of an attack. It goes into more of an open rebellion. This isn't just a quiet, more, I should say, disquieted grumbling.

It's not that. It's more of an abrazen, open, getting loud. Criticism Why use the word ranting? The rantings of A rebel. But regardless, now listen to this, anytime.

Someone grumbles and murmurs to whatever degree It's proposing a challenge. Proposing a challenge. In other words, the idea is: if things do not change, there's going to be a price to pay. That's pretty much what the Jews are saying here to God. This is not what we planned.

You're not keeping your side of the deal, God. You're not carrying out the promises we expected you to carry out. You're not fulfilling your word the way we expect it. And if things don't change, there's going to be a price to pay.

Now, here's what usually happens. They take that out on the man of God. Remember what the text said about their wanderings in the wilderness, and they begin to murmur and grumble against Moses and Aaron. It was against God, but they can't get to God. He's too big for them to get their hands on, so they get to God's spokesman.

So I'm very sure. That the accusations are directed to Malachi in this text. or this context, I should say, but really their heart is against the Lord. And we remember that story so well of that time when finally one of the. People among the nation of Israel wandering in the wilderness with Moses and Aaron, and he decided it's gone far enough.

This has been difficult enough. Moses does not want to know what he's doing. We're going to take charge. We're going to take over. I saw a man named Cora.

The Bible calls him a man of renown, and he was among a group of men called the men of renown in Israel.

So they're highly respected, highly esteemed men who rose up to say, This thing's got to change. This isn't what we thought it was going to be. We're going to get this thing fixed. And then you know the story. God rose up.

In behalf of Moses, let me give this addendum thought. It's highly probable. Korah, humanly speaking, was a better leader than Moses. It's highly probable, humanly speaking, Akorah was a better spokesman than Moses. He may just have more practical wisdom of how to organize and lead people than Moses.

But there's just one problem: God called Moses. to lead his people. And so Cora rises up, grumbling and complaining.

So we got to get this thing fixed. We got to get Moses out of here, and I'll take over. Me and my men are renowned. We'll get this nation back on track. We'll get back to a better place to live.

And then God rose up and said, No, you won't. I'm going to kill every one of you. And God did.

Well They're arrogant, they're murmuring, they're grumbling against Malachi and against God.

Now in verse 13, they can continue on. Yet you say, What have we spoken against you?

Now, this is the pattern we're seeing: this disputation, disputing with God. The prophet Malachi will speak for God, then they'll come back and say, Well, no, wait a minute, what's so bad about that? Show us what's really wrong with that. Ever been around anyone like that? I mean, it's as obvious as the nose on your face what they're doing.

And to me, that's one of the most frustrating things: is to have to deal with a person that simply will not deal with logic and reality. They just want a rant. about their point. The Bible kind of calls them or uses the phrase revilers. They just want to revile and rant and dispute.

It's like if I'm loud enough, it's kind of like a three-year-old. If I'm loud enough and long enough, I'll win.

Okay.

So they said, well, just what have we done that's so bad?

Well, it goes down in verse 14. He said, Well, you have said It's vain to serve God. And what profit is it that we have kept his charge? It's interesting, that word vain is the same word that's used in the Ten Commandments: do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. It means it's a waste.

It's a perverse or unprofitable thing.

So we're never to take God's character. Name doesn't mean just the name G-O-D, it means God's very character. You're never to misrepresent God as to his character, after his truth. Listen to me, church. You never misrepresent how God has revealed himself in his word.

We come to the word of God with all of our thoughts, all of our predispositions. All of our pre-established caricatures of who God is, and we throw all of those out and let God speak for Himself. Amen? If not, we're taking his name in vain. We're imposing on God something that's not right and proper.

We would like for God to be a loving version. That's just of us, just a little more powerful. I'm sorry, he's holy. He's radically contrary to us. in so many wondrous and glorious ways.

And so we're humbled before him.

So they're taking and they're saying it's vain, it's not proper, it's a waste. To serve God. What a statement to be making. They go on to say, and what prophet is it that we have kept his charge? We've Been keeping his word, and we've been trying to keep his covenant.

At least that's what they're saying, and it's not working out.

So, this is just brazen disrespect, and it's brazen rebellion. I think what usually happens, and in the balance of biblical truth, we find this over and over again: is what they have become, they've become a law unto themselves. They say, we want to serve God, but God, here's the way we're going to define you, and here's the way we're going to serve you. Uh That's not serving God. That's idolatry of yourself.

That's serving yourself. And that's exactly where they were. Haven't we seen a lot of Baptists who act just like that?

So, in effect, they served God not according to God's nature, not according to God's word, but according to themselves, which is not serving him at all. They set up themselves as God, in effect, and view God as their servant to bless them. As they rebel. Today, many Christians do the exact same thing. You can go in church after church after church.

And they might give word. credibility or word of sent that we want the Bible, we want the truth, and you start to give it to them and they basically say, no, we've already figured out the way it ought to go, and that's not the way we want to go. I've even had men in this church, I've even had men in churches that I've dealt with who would actually say, we don't care what the Bible says. This is what we're going to do. That's pretty much where these folks in Malachi today were.

Just making a law unto themselves, deciding what's right and wrong according to their own understanding, not submitting to and not honoring God. And isn't it amazing how there's just nothing new under the sun? Ancient Jewish flesh is no different than modern Alabama flesh. Will they continue on in verse 14? And that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts.

In other words, it's done no good. We've tried to humble ourselves before Him and honor Him with our lives, and it's not doing any good. I don't think it's true. I think they're just using a bunch of words. I don't think they actually were trying that hard.

They're basically saying, we've kept the covenant as faithful Israelites. But God's not doing his part. Where's the faith of Job? Where's the man who will say with Job in Job 13, 15, though he slay me, yet I will trust him? I don't care if it doesn't look like it's working.

I don't care if it doesn't look like I'm being blessed. I don't care if it doesn't look like I'm prospering. I'm going to strive to do what my God has called me to do. That's where they should have been. And by the way, uh um No, I'll save that for later.

Verse 15.

Continuing on. As the prophet says, here's the kind of things you're doing. You ask again. You disputed once more. They've done that throughout Malachi.

You've disputed with me, God's prophet, and with God. About your guilt. And your rebellion. And here's another part of what you're doing since you asked for me to show you. Verse 15.

So now we call the arrogant blessed. We call the arrogant blessed. The arrogant are those who are opposite of the gospel, humbled. The arrogant are the enemies of the true remnant. The true godly Israelites.

The arrogant are the revilers and the scorners who are full of pride. The word arrogant, again, in this text, is a different word. It means one who is boiling up. He's seething presumptuously and rebelliously. It's like he's just churning to strike back.

I see a lot of that spirit in our our country today. Of just you bring the truths of God's moral code to the public square, and they'll just seethe and boil up. Vengeance against you. There was a day when basically I'm not saying people lived it well, but basically our country had a Christian consensus. Even those who were not Christians believed the morals of Scripture was best for society.

Boy, we've drifted far from that.

So they're saying loud and clear: it's just not paying off. It's just not worth it to serve God. And I thought about Grace Life Church of the Shoals. And I thought about how we Purposed in our hearts. that our existence would be to prove that it does pay.

To be a vessel, very imperfect always, but yet a congregation that proves that it does work to do it God's way. It is blessed to do it God's way.

So that he could get the glory. And that's what it must always be. Can I charge you this morning afresh, honor and serve God as the purpose of your life, that your life might show that God is true and God is faithful to his children. Be the kind of husband that follows the word of God to prove that God's word is best. Be the kind of wife that walks in the truths of the word of God so that you might prove through your life.

That God's word is true and best. Run the kind of businesses that are centered on God and His purposes so that your business might prove that God's way is true and best. And on and on we could go. Verse 15, the last phrase they say there. And they also test God and escape.

Well, let me go to the middle of the verse. Not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also test God and escape. They're saying, why should we honor God's Ten Commandments? Why should we follow Yahweh of Scripture? Why should we honor the teachings that you prophets give us from God?

Because when we look around us, we're seeing all these wicked, vile people.

Now, I think that would include some children of Israel, but also the surrounding pagan nations. You know, often they would grow envious of the nations around them. That's why they were so prone to take up the worship of the idol Baal, because that's what all the nations around them were worshiping. And it looked like the cool thing to do. It looked like the happening thing to do.

It looked like, well, this is the way to get ahead. And so they're saying, We're watching all of these people do these incredible things that God would condemn, but you know what? They seem to be doing great. They seem to be blessed. They seem to be Prospering.

So, why should we walk in justice and why should we have patience? They test God, he says in verse 15. And yet They escape. There seems to be no consequence. To any of this.

You know, from the moment I began looking at this text of scripture, another text of scripture kept just. Come into my heart and mind. I feel like the Holy Spirit does that. He just kept coming to my heart and mind. Matter of fact, The Bible gives us another very thorough description of a person who was right where.

The description of this person is, or this type of person is. As Malachi describes the way their attitude is, how they're envious of the wicked, how they're declaring that the wicked seem to get by with everything and they're doing well, and those who are trying to be righteous are not doing well. But there was a man who very personally went through that whole experience, except. different than this crowd, this man repented his way out of it. He faced it.

He realized he was on the wrong track. And he overcame it. And I call this Romans 2, even though we're going to jump to another chapter of scripture somewhere. And I call this rescue and return. You don't have to stay where they are.

Cynical. Embittered. Grumbling. Disputing about God's goodness and faithfulness because people who don't honor God seem to be doing so well, and you seem to be struggling so much.

Well, this particular man we're going to look at now. Of all things, is a music guy. Brother Tom's on vacation. It'd be a great Sunday for him to be here. A music guy.

Actually, he's a minister of music. He's called a chief musician. Even called a prophet. Serving in God's house. His name is Asaph.

And he wrote Psalm 73. Would you turn there? Look over to the middle of your Bible go back to the left Go to Psalm 73, and here we have. This chief musician, this minister of music. Pouring out before us his own wrestling and struggling with being embittered against God.

His own wrestling and struggling against. Or rather, I should say, about the fact that the righteous seem to be prospering and doing well, or rather, the unrighteous prosper and are doing well. But those of us who are trying to honor God just seem to be punished for it. But He says in this Personal disclosure, this testimony. I went to the sanctuary of God.

I pressed on into God.

Something was in Asaph.

Something God had put in his heart where he could not let himself fall headlong into rebellion and bitterness and disputing with God.

Something was in there that when he was in this trial, he pressed on into God. That's what you've got to do. Press on into God. Strive into the things of God. Fellowship with God.

Run to Him, grab his feet, and say, I don't understand, but I will trust. That's what ASAP did. I will trust you, God.

So Let's look at it here. First of all, we note here in verse 1 of this chapter. Matter of fact, I think all these will be on the screen if that's easier for you. He states what is true as we begin here. It's almost like.

I know this is true, but I don't really feel it's true right now. You ever been there? This is true, but I don't feel it. What he says in verse 1. Surely God is good to Israel.

To those who are pure in heart, to those who are trying to righteously honor and follow God. In other words, it's not working out good for us. I'm having some really hard times in my life, ASAP would say. But no, he's speaking to himself, I think, here. You ever heard that before?

You got to speak truth to yourself. Talk to yourself. That's not crazy. That's wise. Tell yourself the truth.

When your old fleshly heart and your old fleshly mind begin to dispute with God. Surely that's true. He'd been struggling with sinful unbelief and was close to falling headlong into a pattern of bitter, sinful behavior against God. Look at verse 2. That's what he says.

But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling. My steps had almost slipped. I almost let this temptation pull me into the pit. The Nikata Spells out his heart. Specifically in verse 3.

For I was envious of the arrogant. As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. That's exactly what Malachi says. the Jews in his day were doing. They test God and seem to get away with it.

They seem to be doing good. He's venting? Can I just challenge you to vent to the Lord? Quit venting to your wife and vent to the Lord. It's Father's Day.

Wives, quit venting to your husbands. Invent it to the Lord because here's what you're saying: God, I'm coming to you, and I'm full of frustration, I'm full of fear, I'm full of bitterness. But I've got to run to you. What did Peter say? Where shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life. Your shipwrecked on God and stranded on omnipotence. Press into God. Psalm 73, 4 through 9, for there are no pains in their death. This is the wicked.

This is the way he's thinking right now. It's not true, but it looks true. It feels true. And their body is fat, and they're not in trouble as other men. Nor are they plagued like mankind.

Therefore, pride is their name. They go around just with full of cock, full of themselves and their pride, pay no attention to the things of God. And they seem to do fine with that. The garment of violence covers them. They live unjustly around their neighbors and run over those who are vulnerable.

Their eyes bulge from fatness. It means they're wealthy in that day. You're wealthy, you are fat. If you're poor, you are skinny.

So you didn't have enough to eat? The imaginations of their heart run riot. They just sit around and think about sinful things to do. And that it looks like it's working for them. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression.

They speak from on high. They've set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue parades through the earth. What an arrogant, brash, godless crowd this is. And they seem to be doing good. Esau said, I'm looking at this and I'm struggling with it.

Verse 10, he watched. His fellow Israelites fall into the same thinking. Psalm 73, verse 10. Therefore, his people returned to this place, this place of having this attitude, having this perspective. And waters of abundance are dropped by them.

They just drink it in. They just drink it in like getting a drink out of a spring. They go along with it all. Then he says something interesting. He says, in effect, if I had remained on that track.

If I had stayed in that grumbling, complaining, disputing. Anti-God, bitter at God state. I would have betrayed the whole following generation of God followers. I would have misled them.

Well, that's a good word for fathers today. Fathers. what you do could be misleading the next generation. Psalm 73, 13 through 15. He says, surely in vain I've kept my heart pure.

And wash my hands in innocence. I've tried to live godly and righteously, but it's in vain. It doesn't seem to be doing any good. For I've been stricken all day long and chastened every morning.

Now notice there's a change coming. If I had said I will speak thus, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. He's saying, I've held myself back from letting this out. Because I don't want to mislead those who ought to be following you by them saying, well, ASAP, One of God's ministers, one of the chief musicians, believes these things. He has these attitudes.

Then he pressed on into God, Psalm 73, 16 and 17. When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight. Until I came to the sanctuary of God. Sanctuary is the idea of set apart. He said, I just had to run to God and get away from everything else.

That's what you do every Sunday when you come to church. Every Sunday when you come to church, in effect, You should be saying, they're saying this, and they are saying that, and the world's pulling me this way, and the world's giving me this attitude to have, and this self-centered approach, and it will not pay to serve God. I need to get back to God. That's what the psalmist says. I came back to the sanctuary of God.

And when he got to God, you know what God did? God turned the lights on.

So he could see the truth. Psalm 119, 105, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. How many times have you walked into church on Sunday morning and the pastor gets up to preach and he shouts at you and preaches to you the word of God and it jolts you back into the truth and the light? With the right heart and the right attitude and the right viewpoints. You know why you need that every week?

Because you leak it back out every week. You remember the silly old illustration of the man that would come down in the revival meeting and kneel down here at the steps? These are not altars, by the way. Catholics have altars. We don't.

There's only one altar, and that's Calvary, and that's where we go. He comes down to the steps, the old man did, and he'd just cry out, Oh God. Revive me, bless me, fill me, fill me, fill me. And one of the little old ladies got tired after him doing that meeting after meeting and said, God, don't do it. He leaks.

But the truth is we all leak. ASAPH had been leaking a lot. He needed to get back with God. And see the truth. Psalm 73.

Verses 17 through 20. Until I came to the sanctuary of God, here it is, and then I perceived there. End. I wasn't seeing everything yet. There's something coming for those who stay embittered, who stay.

Anti-God who blame God for the bad things in their life and And don't trust God. In the difficult day, there's something bad coming for them. Verse 18. Surely, you set them in slippery places, you cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment.

They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors. Like a dream when one awakes. It's like you'll be dreaming something that seems so vivid and boom, it's gone the moment you wake up.

Sometimes you're glad you woke up and it's gone.

Sometimes you wake up and think, oh man, that was a great fishing trip. I'd like to stay there a little while longer. But immediately it's over. He said, that's what's going to happen to them immediately. God's going to act.

and they will be called to judgment. For the way they've lived.

So, don't be a fool that God's justice is slow, well, seemingly slow. As you struggle striving to serve God faithfully. And you have a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, whoever it may be, who doesn't love God at all, and they seem to be doing better than you're doing. Listen to me. There's a reckoning coming.

There's a payday.

Someday. Last part of verse 20, he says, O Lord, when aroused, you will despise their form. Verse 27, for behold, those who are far from you will perish. And you have destroyed all of those who are unfaithful to you. Then he repented and realigned his heart.

Remember, I tell you, Sunday's a realignment day. You come in here on Sunday to get your heart and your mind back in line with God. And his truth. Are you listening to me? If you're born again.

If you're regenerate of the spirit. Then there's something in you that won't leave you alone until you get realigned. You say, God, get me somewhere. With the people of God under the word of God to get things back in line with you. Because I don't end up like those who will perish.

That you're going to crush, that you're going to destroy, which is what the psalmist just told us. Psalm 73, 21 and 22, Asaph goes on and says, When my heart was embittered. And I was pierced within. Then I was senseless and ignorant like a beast before you. He said, and that this is confession.

He's coming to confession of repentance. He said, It's the most foolish. Unbelievable thing. I begin to think and function just on instinct, like the base, low animals of the wilderness, like a beast. Just and that's the way the world lives.

Listen to these liberals today. Are they not saying we're just another animal? We ought to be free to follow all of our lust? That's what they say. That's beneath the dignity of one made in the image of God.

ASAS says, get me away from those who just follow the next lust, even though it looks like it's working for a season. Get me back to you, God. I don't want to be like a beast because beasts perish. They don't have eternal life, and I don't want that to happen to me. Then he goes on to reflect on God's grace and mercy being way beyond measure.

So here he comes to repentance. He's rescued from that pattern he was on, that path he was on, and he returns to God. Psalm 73, verse 23, Nevertheless, I am continually with you. I love that because I think it emphasizes you never left, even though I was astray. Nevertheless, I'm continuing with you have taken hold of my right hand.

With your counsel, you guide me. You've brought me back to my senses. And then one day, eventually afterwards, you receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you, and besides you, I desire nothing on earth.

Now that I've come to God and I've fought my way back to God and I've fought my way back to joy in God, there's nothing of all the stuff out there that all these people are chasing that can compare to the joy and the happiness I have in God. That's where I want you to get. I want you to enjoy the common graces of this life, but I want you to say none of them compare to the joy. I found in God.

Now, that might take some work. You may have to fight. Are you hearing your pastor this morning? You may have to fight to be wise and find joy in God. But it's worth it.

Oh, it's worth it. And see, that's what Being born again does for you. It gives you a desire to get in that fight. Think John Piper talks about fighting for joy. Yeah.

Some of you think You repeated a sinner's prayer one day, and you became God's child, once saved, always saved, and you're supposed to be slothful around, wallowing around somewhere. Kind of indulging in sin, but maybe nothing too bad, and God's just supposed to bless you. Where did you get that? That's why I love our early Baptist forefathers. They didn't talk about eternal security, they talked about the perseverance of the saints.

A striving to stay faithful, a striving to find joy in God. Which is proof of your genuine conversion. Not that you work to gain salvation, but your striving proves you're one of his saved ones. Verse 73, verse 28. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.

If I've just got God, I'll be okay. I think that's one of the reasons why I said something about this to you.

Well, I've said it a couple of three times that. God in His providence. Put me in a situation in life both materially and socially and familiarly. or I just didn't have anything. But he on And so I started out.

It was easier in that situation for me to start out knowing he's all I need.

Some of you had wonderful parents and wonderful provisions and wonderful material things, and that's nothing wrong with that, but there's a danger in it.

Sometimes it's hard for a kid growing up in all of that to realize God's all he needs, or God's all she needs. I'm not saying I've been perfect at it. Don't misunderstand me, but it is perfect. Helpful, I should say. If God starts you out there.

And he invades your life life like he invaded mine. And then it's just always there. As a reference in the back of your heart and mind, I've always got him. And if everything else goes, I've still got him because that's the way I started, and I was okay then. Are y'all doing okay?

See, I never know if you are or not. I study all week and it's I'm just Full of this stuff, and I'm just so thankful for God's goodness. And here I come at you, and I just run over you like a freight train. And I don't mean to do that. Every now and then, somebody I'll just shout out, Pastor, we're okay.

Now The last part of verse 28, here we come in church. Church Here we come again. to the final all-consuming purpose of God. and that is his own glory. Last Phrase of verse 28: that I may tell of all your works.

I'm going to fight back to you. I'm going to get back in the sanctuary of God. I'm going to repent of this embittered, selfish. Envious of the wicked attitude I've had, thinking that you might be unfaithful, thinking that. Being sinful is the way to go because those sinful people look like they're doing well.

I'm going to turn from all of that. I'm going to get with God. And God, I expect you to show your faithfulness and your greatness and your goodness and your wisdom and your beauty in taking care of me and keeping me that we might tell others the greatness of you, our God. What are you saying? It all comes back, God, to let me glorify you.

Now, are you listening to your pastor this morning? You can take God to task on his own glory. If from your heart it's really about God's glory, you can demand anything that's biblical and expect God to do it. I asked God years ago, help me pastor a church that glorifies you. And I am convinced in my heart the prosperity and the blessings of our last several years are God simply saying, with all of your weakness and failures, at least your heart was pointed right, and I'm going to bless that to prove to others I bless my work when it's done my way.

What about your marriage? What about the way you raise children? What about the way you run your business? Young people, what about the way you live in your school? To honor God and His precepts.

You ought to be praying, God, I'm going to do what's right. I don't feel like it. I don't feel like it's best. Oh, Joe over here seems to be doing great. He's wicked.

Sally over there seems to be doing wonderful. She's so popular and she's not godly. But I don't care. I'm not going to focus on that and get embittered. I'm going to do what's right, God.

Now, as a student in this school, use me to show that you're faithful and good. That good? That's where the psalmist comes to. He was rescued. First, he repented, then he was rescued and returned back to God, which is something I can't say for those in Malakash Day, because as we follow along in the text, Malachi turns his attention not to this group, but to another group in Israel.

The remnant. It's a whole different group. The righteous ones may get off track, but they don't stay off track. They return. like ASEF gave us in this testament.

Aren't you glad ASEP just laid it out there for us? And you didn't have to put your name on it and put it in a book that lasts for all eternity?

So we have this testimony. Rescue and return. I'm just going to say this, and we're going to close some conclusions for practical application. They won't be on the screen. I didn't know if I was going to use them, but let me challenge you with these three.

Thoughts. Number one, thank God for where He has put you. He puts you in that marriage.

Well, I married the wrong person. Nope. When you said I do, God put you in that marriage. Because when you grumble and complain against your spouse, you grumble and complain against God.

Now, there's a place. For respectful correction and guidance. If you're the husband and head of the household, that's a place for that. But it ought to be done with tenderness and love, not harshness and domineering. But overall Thank God for where he put the job you're in.

Thank God for where he puts you. How often do you confess to God? God, this is where you put me, and I praise you for it. whether it's good or whether it's a bad situation from your perspective. I've been counseling a long time.

Brother Matt and I were comparing notes this morning about what we've learned in marital counseling over the years. Can I say this? And ladies, I'm not picking on you, but it is Father's Day. Matt and I were talking, and he said, not he, but I said it, but he basically agreed that. We've seen a lot of mean, vicious women in our counseling.

And I started my ministry thinking only men could be mean and tough and run over the women. I found out: nope, that ain't true.

Some of these Baptist guys can get with it. I mean sinfully harsh and demeaning and critical. Domineering in their spirit, but that's a whole different rabbit. Here's what I'm saying. Have you stopped and said, God, thank you?

For the position you've put me in, maybe this humbling and this difficulty has kept me right with you in ways I would not have been right with you. Are you listening to me this morning? God's not going to remove it until He does in you what He wants done. which is why he puts you in that position to start with. You might as well go ahead and learn your lesson and get out of it.

God's not stupid. He knows what he's doing. I said, I'd just mention it. Number two. Pray for wisdom to see God's purposes.

Ask God, God, I want to glorify you. You know, what's your purpose for this very frustrating, difficult place I'm in? What's your purposes? Member Joseph? Wouldn't too good to have all your brothers hating you.

Wasn't too good to have your brothers. Almost kill you, then sell you into a a a gypsy caravan and You're lost forever from the family and the home, and then you end up in Egypt, and then you end up being the Pharaoh's right-hand man. You end up basically leading the whole world. Then the brothers show up because it's a famine. They don't know Joseph is their brother.

They just came to Egypt to get grain because of the famine in their land. And they come, and Joseph knows who they are. Yeah. They come to him and they figure out who Joseph is, their brother they sold into. A caravan of gypsies, and they're wondering, he's going to have us all killed, and he could have.

But he said, I want you fellas to know something. You're my brothers, and you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. Ask God what his purpose is. I've been through a lot of things as your pastor. for all these years.

And I couldn't figure out why some things would happen. It seems so difficult and painful. And I realized God needed to do a lot of work in Jeff. Perhaps that person attacking me meant it for evil. But God meant it for good.

And somehow in the mix, hopefully you've gotten a better pastor out of the deal. Because he put me through some things I needed to go through to be a better pastor. Because that's what I want to do more than anything. It wasn't fun. And I hope the big stuff's over.

But that journey is a purpose. Ask God, what's your purpose, God? Give me wisdom. One of the most important things that was ever taught to me as a young Christian is to plead with God for wisdom. And I did that.

Ask God to give you wisdom to see what He sees, what He's up to in it. Thirdly. First of all, thank God for where He put you. Secondly, pray for wisdom to see God's purposes behind where He's put you. Thirdly, Light-hearted murmuring is a dangerous slippery slope.

Now, there's a time for teasing and cutting up and different things, and I'm not saying all that's wrong, but be careful.

Song of Solomon said in Psalm 215. catch the little foxes, they're prone to Ruin the vineyard. Little foxes aren't much when you've got a big vineyard. Little foxes run around and they're just kind of cute. They are pretty.

But little foxes begin to dig for moles and for Mass and They dig here and dig there, and they like to chew, and pretty soon they'll ruin the whole vineyard. And you thought they were just a couple of little foxes. The little thing can multiply and become a very dangerous thing. The Israelites in Malachi's day Like many in our day, Took murmuring, complaining, and having a critical attitude to an art form. They didn't start out that way.

Real quick, I remember a lady. I do not remember who this lady is, but I remember a lady telling me about. The lady she worked with. And I think it was during break time at the office or wherever she worked, and she said, you know, it's gotten to where those ladies get in there at break time and it's just bash your husband's time. Just bash him.

Just ha ha laugh laugh about your husband. And she basically said, you know, it didn't really start that way. But it's evolved into that, and she said, I'm not going anymore because that's not pleasing to the Lord. It started a little, but it became something very vicious. and very unrighteous.

Well Did we get 99.9% of us this morning? Push your way back to God. Asaph said, I was messed up in my thinking until I got back to the sanctuary of God. and realize it is worth it. It is best.

It turns out best. Follow the Lord. Because you can't gripe and grumble against your God-ordained authorities without griping and grumbling against God. It all goes together. Remember, they were murmuring against Moses and Aaron.

They're really murmuring against God. Mm-hmm.