Archive for February 2012
Sermon on Malachi 3:8-12 — who robs God?
Attached is a sermon on Malachi 3:8-12. The sermon is addressed to pastors instead of to a congregation, though it is nothing that would be bad for a church to hear, I just feel that pastors need to consider that if Malachi condemns our congregations, it condemns our leaders as well.
I finish this sermon by offering these questions:
How do we honor God’s image in humanity?
How does our institution serve God and God’s image?
How can we challenge our institutions to better honor God?
malachi3
And, some notes I made when writing: Comments on Malachi 3
The flag
A tattered flag, still flying
Damaged, soon to be removed
Humanity, God’s icon!
To be cleaned, repaired, restored.
Kingdom come
Reading of a kingdom born
New life replacing old death
Resurection taking away the power of death
Heaven stronger than hell
God’s grace is sufficient
God’s desire is redemption
Finite patience, but infinite love
God’s call goes out to humanity
Yet some see the kingdom differently
Warriors defending a small plot of land
The world attacking trying to wipe out the kingdom
The simple command is “hold”
Holding, they know that Christ is coming
Christ will destroy all the enemies
Saving those who held from defeat
A kingdom of destruction
Life and death are the forces shaping the world
Life is given and life is taken away
Is Christ’s kingdom born, or is it taken by conquest?
Is justice restoring what is lost, or punishing those who lost it?
We wait for the kingdom that is to come:
do we wait in hope, or do we wait in fear?
