The Fourteenth Sunday of the Pentecost Season
Also known as the Twelfth Sunday after
the Festival of the Holy Trinity – August 23, 2026
Major Messages from the Minor Prophets
Note: This morning’s service concludes our summer/fall worship and sermon series on the last 12 books of the Old Testament – which we’ve called “Major Messages from the Minor Prophets.” We have worked through these 12 books of Scripture which rarely – if at all – find their way into the Church’s traditional Sunday worship readings, or even most devotional and Bible study materials. The goal has been to provide us all – from the preacher to those of you in the pews – with an opportunity to learn more about and to Spiritually benefit from these (generally) lesser known portions of God’s inspired Word. We hope that you have found them both instructive and edifying.
Malachi’s Message…..
Our Changeless God’s Gracious Call to His People
To Re-establish Their Faithfulness to Him
It had taken nearly 20 years, starting in 536 B.C. when a 50,000 strong Jewish remnant had returned to Judah from Babylon and worship was conducted in it, for the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt in 516 B.C. During 12 of those 20 years absolutely nothing had been done in the way of work on the temple. The reasons? Discouragement, opposition and threats from neighbors, along with selfish laziness had combined to stall the project until the LORD sent two prophets, Zechariah and Haggai, to Judah with His message to complete the work on His house….and to do it promptly. When that “Second Temple” was finally completed, it was much smaller than Solomon’s original temple (which had been destroyed by the Babylonians), but it was still functional. Sacrifices were once more being offered to the LORD. Believers were gathering for worship. The priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned duties before God and for the benefit of His people.
It was probably with a sense of satisfaction as well as some relief that the temple project was finally finished. But beyond the temple’s reconstruction, so much more needed to be done to rebuild the Jewish nation and especially to rebuild its life of worship and faithfulness before the LORD. That would require – not rebuilding with bricks and wood, but – rebuilding a nation’s heart and spirit through faithful instruction and encouragement from God’s Word.
Regrettably, nearly 100 years would pass between the remnant’s return home in 536 B.C. and a full-fledged spiritual reformation of the Jewish people under the leadership of Ezra the priest, Nehemiah the governor, and Malachi the prophet. In those intervening years, whatever reforms had been instituted in the early years following the peoples’ return from exile either had been ignored or compromised. Spiritual apathy had once more set into the hearts and minds of the people of Judah.
In 458 B.C. the LORD began an intensified process of correcting and strengthening the Jewish community by bringing several thousand more Jewish exiles home from Babylon under the leadership of Ezra the priest. This came about because Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, had granted Ezra permission to return to Judah with a royal mandate to reestablish proper worship practices in the LORD’s temple (Ezra 7:17) as well as to make sure that the law of Moses was being faithfully obeyed (Ezra 7:25–26).
Fourteen years later (444 BC) that same Persian king permitted his trusted cupbearer, Nehemiah, to return to Jerusalem as the territory’s governor with an additional directive: to rebuild the walls of the city (Nehemiah 6:15). As Judah’s governor, Nehemiah spearheaded reforms to help the poor (Nehemiah 5:2–13). He also compelled the people to stop entering into spiritually mixed marriages (Nehemiah 10:30), to keep the Sabbath (Nehemiah 10: 31) and to bring their tithes and offerings faithfully to the LORD (Nehemiah 10:37–39).
After eleven years (in 433 B.C.) Nehemiah had to leave Judah and return to the service of the Persian king. It was disappointing (but not surprising) that during the time following his return to Persia, the Jews once again quickly returned to their previous unfaithful practices. But eventually Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to serve a second term as governor. What he found on his return was that the people were not only disregarding the leadership of God’s priests, they were also failing to bring the proper tithes and offerings into God’s house – as God had commanded in the Law of Moses. In addition, as their disobedient predecessors had done (which resulted in the entire nation being punished by God), these 5th century Jews had become mired in the spiritual quicksand of intermarrying with godless heathen. This was something that the LORD had expressly forbidden, and which centuries earlier had been a major contributor to the nation’s spiritual downfall into the idolatrous practices that would force God to destroy Israel and severely punish Judah. To top it all off, the priests themselves had become corrupt and compromised, and so they were not at all conducting themselves in a faithful manner befitting their high calling as priests before the LORD.
That’s part of the reason why the LORD called Malachi into his prophetic office. This last of the Old Testament prophets was supposed to deliver a stern rebuke from the LORD to the Jewish people in the face of their many sins. And Malachi delivered that rebuke….as the four chapters of the book that bears his name show us. That rebuke was accompanied by God’s gracious call to His people to penitently return to Him, as well as for renewed faithfulness on their part. Malachi also encouraged his listeners by sharing with them God’s wonderful promise of everlasting life in heaven through faith in the Coming, Promised Messiah.
Not surprisingly, we know very, very little about Malachi – the person – beyond the fact that his name means “My Messenger.” Because no added information about Malachi is mentioned either in Scripture or elsewhere in ancient Jewish commentaries and texts, there are those scholars who suggest that “Malachi” is not the personal name of the prophet, but rather is a title describing the writer’s purpose – namely, that of being the Lord’s “messenger.” They point for support to the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT (the Septuagint), which translates the term in 1:1 “his messenger” rather than as the proper noun “Malachi.” We disagree, however, preferring the dominant ancient Jewish, as well as the traditional Christian view that the title “Malachi” provides us with the original writer’s personal name. In addition, since none of the other prophetic books of the Old Testament is anonymously written, it is more likely that this final book of the Old Testament also identified by its human author’s name.
The Date and Spiritual Circumstances
Surrounding the Ministry of Malachi
As far as the date of this book’s writing is concerned, nearly all scholars are agreed that Malachi prophesied during the Persian period, decades – perhaps close to a century – after the reconstruction and dedication of the second temple in 516 BC (Malachi 1:10; 3:1,10). The prophet speaks of the people’s “governor” (Malachi 1:8), as do Haggai and Nehemiah (Haggai 1:1; Nehemiah 5:14, 12:26). The social conditions portrayed are unquestionably those also of the period of the Restoration. More specifically, Malachi probably lived and labored during the times of Ezra and Nehemiah. Serious abuses had crept into Jewish life: the priests had become lax and degenerate; defective and inferior sacrifices were allowed to be offered to the LORD on the temple altar; the people were neglecting their tithes; UnBiblical divorce was common; and God’s covenant was forgotten and ignored………the same kind of abuses (as we know from his book) that were common in the day of Nehemiah (see Nehemiah 3:5; 5:1-13). At the same time, it is doubtful that Malachi preached during Nehemiah’s active terms as governor of Judah (there were two such periods: from to 445 BC, and from 432 to BC) for in Malachi 1:8 we’re told that gifts might be offered to the “governor,” whereas Nehemiah tells us that he declined all such offerings (Nehemiah 5:15,18). On the other hand, the abuses which Malachi attacked correspond so exactly to those which Nehemiah found at the start of his second governor’s tenure (which began in 432 BC – see Nehemiah 13:7), that the most reasonable conclusion we can make about the date of this writing is that Malachi prophesied between Nehemiah’s governorships, that is, sometime between 445 and 432 BC.
Some Key Lessons From Malachi:
Malachi’s message has a permanent value for us as well as having had an immediate value for the people of his age. His primary objective was to encourage a disheartened people who were still looking for Haggai’s and Zechariah’s optimistic predictions to be fulfilled. Among the chief, enduring lessons from this book are the following:
(1) That ritual is an important element in religion, but not as an end in itself. Tithes and offerings are necessary, but only as the expression of a gratefully obedient, sincerely moral and committed spiritual life (Malachi 1:11).
(2) That a cheap religion serves no useful purpose, and that any sacrifices given grudgingly are displeasing to God. (Malachi 1:8-10).
(3) That divorce and intermarriage with unbelievers undermines the purpose God has in setting His chosen people apart in order to serve His blessed purposes. In Judah’s case this was the purpose of being the nation through which the promised Savior-Messiah would one day come into the world (Malachi 2:15).
(4) To undermine and undervalue God’s Law is an easy thing to do; to faithfully uphold it and to love is a much more challenging task. That being said, there is a wonderful benefit for the believer when he/she lives a disciplined, faithful life according to God’s Law. In Malachi’s estimation, as was true with Christ Himself (Matthew 5:18), not even one jot or tittle of the Law should ever removed, disregarded, or undermined; every portion of it has value for – and is to be cherished by – the believer.
A Summary of Malachi’s Message
The book of Malachi, for the most part, consists of two extended sermons of rebuke (polemics) – one against the priests (Malachi 1:6-2:9), and the other against the people (Malachi 2:10-4:3). Malachi opens with a clear, sharp statement affirming that the LORD still loves Israel Malachi 1:2-5), and he closes with an exhortation to remember and keep the Law of Moses (Malachi 4:4-6).
After the title or superscription (Malachi 1:1) the prophecy falls naturally into seven divisions:
(1) Malachi 1:2-5……..Here Malachi shows that the LORD still loves Israel, because their circumstances stand in such marked contrast to that of Edom. They had been disciplined temporarily; Edom was punished forever.
(2) Malachi 1:6-2:9……This division consists of a denunciation of the priests and the Levites, who have become negligent in carrying out their sacred office, indifferent to the Law, and indifferent toward their relationship with the LORD.
(3) Malachi 2:10-16…….The message here condemns both idolatry and divorce. The people clearly are being rebuked for putting away their own Jewish wives in order to contract marriage with heathen foreigners (2:15). Such marriages were not only a form of idolatry (2:11), but a violation of LORD’s intention to preserve the nation of Judah for Himself a “godly seed” (2:15), that is, as a faithful people through which the Messiah would be brought into the world.
(4) Malachi 2:17-3:6…….In these verses we have an announcement of coming judgment. Some people had begun to doubt whether there was a God of justice (2:17). Malachi replies that the Lord, Whom the people seek, will come suddenly, both to purify the sons of Levi and to purge the land of sinners in general. The nation, however, will not be utterly consumed (3:6).
(5) Malachi 3:7-12…….Here the prophet presents another concrete example of the nation’s sin: they have failed to present to Him the tithes and offerings which were due to the LORD. Consequently drought, locusts, and famine have come upon Judah. Furthermore, the nation will again prosper and their land will become “delightful “ only as they meet their offering responsibilities to the LORD.
(6) Malachi 3:13-4:3……. As the people had previously doubted God’s justice (2:17), now they complain: “It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge?” The wicked and the good alike prosper (3:14,15). But, the prophet replies, the LORD knows those who belong to Him and He is keeping a book of remembrance. That’s because there is a day of judgment coming when the good (believers) and the evil (unbelievers) will be distinguished; those who love iniquity will be condemned, while those who live for righteousness will triumph.
(7) Malachi 4:4-6……This is the closing exhortation to faithfully obey the Mosaic Law, tied to the promise that Elijah the prophet will first come to avert, if possible, the threatened judgment by reconciling the hearts of the nation to one another, i.e. to reconcile the ideals of the old to those of the young, and vice versa.
Today’s Scripture Lessons
This morning’s Old Testament Lesson also will serve as our Sermon Text. It is comprised of selected passages gathered from the four chapters of the last of the twelve “minor prophets,” Malachi. (Incidentally, these books are described as “minor” only because of the length of their messages….not in the sense that those messages are somehow “less” significant or inspired than any of the messages found in the other books of Scripture). We’ll end up reading and reflecting on about 40% of Malachi this morning. As we do, please note that the LORD, through Malachi, is speaking very firmly and critically to the post-exile Jewish nation (living after 536 B.C…..and most likely the people of about 430 B.C.). First, God confronts disobedient priests who are comfortably bringing Him defective offerings, and who are guilty of deceiving people through sin-permitting false teaching. Next he challenges those Jews who have disobediently married pagan women, as well as those who have pursued unBiblical divorces. Malachi then calls the nation to repent of its inclination to identify as God-pleasing what God calls evil. Tithing also becomes an issue as the LORD rebukes His people for “stealing” His offerings by giving Him only a portion of the tithe and keeping the remainder for themselves. As our collection of readings winds down Malachi notes that a number of Jews did repent and recommit themselves to living faithfully before the LORD. Finally, Malachi prophecies that God will eventually bring about a Day of Judgment, at which time the Messiah – also known as the “Sun of Righteousness” – will judge the sinful world but also deliver His faithful people. In addition, Malachi predicts the coming of a second “Elijah” (the first Elijah ministered approximately 350 years before Malachi’s ministry) whose fiery preaching will lead many souls to repentance. We know, of course, that that second Elijah was none other than John the Baptist. Our Gospel Lesson describes John’s initial ministry along the Jordan as he powerfully preached repentance and prepared the people of his day for the arrival of the Promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Today’s Epistle Lesson is a portion of Paul’s inspired message to the congregation in Rome. Paul here urges these Christians to see themselves as “living sacrifices” for the LORD – that is, that they would commit to living Godly lives by being humble servants, using their God-given abilities to faithfully serve the Lord and others. He also calls on them to love God’s will, to be patient in suffering, prayerful, kind, sympathetic, and peaceable. Finally, in this morning’s Children’s Lesson we’ll talk about how wonderful it is for us to know that Jesus’ love for us, His promises to us, and the way to heaven for us (by grace, through faith in Him), never changes.
Finally…..A Few Thoughts Regarding
God’s Changelessness, or Immutability
Change fills our lives. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously said that you cannot step into the same river twice. Everything changes. Except God.
In Psalm 102:26, 27 we are taught about our changeless God, that while the earth and the heavens will grow old and eventually perish…“You (God) are the same; and Your years shall have no end.” That truth is repeated in Hebrews 1:12. Scripture also refers to God’s changelessness, or immutability, in places like Hebrews 13:8, where it states that Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
God’s changelessness is known, theologically, as His immutability. This term refers to God’s ever-consistent, unchanging nature and character. Unlike His creation, which is subject to change and decay, God remains the same throughout eternity.
“In the beginning,” God had already existed in all the power, wisdom, and goodness by which He created the universe (Gen. 1:1). There is no history of how God was born and grew up (…as might be the case if He had a beginning and was subject to change.) . Instead, in Psalm 90:2, Moses says, “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” What God was, He is now and always will be, because He is eternal.
God’s immutability is foundational to all His other attributes, and it marks a basic difference between the Creator and His creation, including our human race. God says, “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:6). This verse links God’s immutability to his name “the LORD,” or in Hebrew “I Am” (Ex. 3:14). God is the only One Who “is.” His self-existence from all eternity and His changeless faithfulness (Psalm 136). are guarantees to us that our God will not change in any way…..from His promises and blessings (Num. 23:19-20), to His wisdom (Isa. 40:14), to all the truths of His Word (Psalm 119:89; Matt. 5:18; 24:35), to His justice, to His mercy – namely, His love – for us (Ps. 103:17; Isa. 54:7–10), to His plan for our salvation through faith in Christ.
Consequently, in addition to His love for us, God’s changelessness provides us with the basis for our trust and faith in Him, and in everything that He promises us and tells us in His Word.
That’s why, for believers like us, the immutability of God is a tremendous source of comfort and assurance for us. In a world that is constantly changing, as God’s believing children, we can find unwavering stability, total confidence and absolute certainty for today, and for all of our tomorrows all the way to eternal life in heaven, in the unchanging nature of the ever-gracious, perfect, one, true God, Whom we worship.
One particularly notable aspect of God’s immutability that requires the following comment, has to do with His omniscience (that He knows everything). When someone changes his/her mind, it’s often because new information has come to light that was not previously known. However, someone can also change his/her mind because certain circumstances have changed and now require a different attitude or action. Because God is omniscient, He cannot learn something new that He has not already known. Consequently, when the Bible speaks of God changing His mind, it must be understood that the circumstance or situation has changed, not God Himself. So, for example, when Exodus 32:14 and 1 Samuel 15:11-29 speak about God changing His mind, it is simply describing a change in the outward way in which God now chooses to deal with mankind.
In closing this brief discussion on God’s immutability….no matter how difficult life might become for us, and no matter how severely Satan might tempt us, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge” (Psalm 46:7). And – since He never changes – the LORD will be with us forever, just as we will live with Him one day forever in heaven…by His changeless grace, for Jesus sake.
Pre-Service Prayer – Dear Father in heaven, You have brought me safely to the beginning of a new week in my life. Enable me, through Your Holy Spirit, to dedicate my worship, my work, my leisure time, my very life to serving You with all that I am and possess. Responding to the love which You have shown me in Christ Jesus, my Savior, help me to seize every opportunity this morning and every day of this week to grow in Your Word, to spiritually encourage and enjoy the fellowship of those around me today, and to live a life of Christian faithfulness and gratitude to You as the God Who enriches me in so countless ways, and Who – for Jesus’ sake – has granted me the undeserved gift of everlasting life in heaven, by your grace, through faith. In the name of Your Son, my Lord and Redeemer, I humbly offer this prayer. Amen.
The portions of God’s that are used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary Pre-service Music
Pre-Service Hymn singing, beginning at 9:25 a.m.
Let Us Praise The Lord
Welcome and Invitation to Worship
after which the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father
Congregation Who gave us our lives through His almighty power.
P: And of the Son
C: Who redeemed our lives with His precious blood.
P: And of the Holy Spirit
C: Who gave us eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus.
P: Amen.
Today’s Psalm Reading Psalm 103
P: Praise the LORD , O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
C: Praise the LORD , O my soul, and forget not all His benefits-
P: Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
C: Who satisfies your desires with good things + so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
P: The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
C: He made known His ways to Moses, + His deeds to the people of Israel:
P: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever;
C: He does not treat us as our sins deserve + or repay us according to our iniquities.
P: For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;
C: as far as the east is from the west, + so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
P: As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;
C: for He knows how we are formed, + He remembers that we are dust.
P: As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
C: the wind blows over it and it is gone, + and its place remembers it no more.
P: But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their
children’s children-
C: with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.
P: The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.
C: Praise the LORD , you His angels, + you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word.
P: Praise the LORD , all His heavenly hosts, you His servants who do His will.
C: Praise the LORD , all His works everywhere in His dominion. + Praise the LORD, O my soul.
after which the Congregation will be seated as we continue with
The First Hymn Hymn 234 “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Let all who hear Now to his temple draw near, Joining in glad adoration!
2 Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning
And, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining.
Have you not seen All that is needful has been Sent by his gracious ordaining?
3 Praise to the Lord, who has fearfully, wondrously, made you,
Health has bestowed and, when heedlessly falling, has stayed you.
What need or grief Ever has failed of relief? Wings of his mercy did shade you.
4 Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew What the Almighty can do As with his love he befriends you.
5 Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen Sound from his people again; Gladly forever adore him!
after which the Congregation will rise as
The Confessional Order of Service
Pastor O LORD, Open my lips.
Congregation – (sung) And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
Pastor Hasten, O God, to deliver me.
Congregation – (sung) Hasten to help me, O Lord.
Pastor The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.
Congregation – (sung) A broken and a contrite heart, O God,
You will not despise.
(sung) Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be.
World without end. Amen.
We Confess our Sins to the LORD
Pastor – I now ask you before God, who searches your heart, do you confess that you have sinned against God and deserve His wrath and punishment? If so, then declare so by saying, “I do confess.
Congregation – “I do confess.”
Pastor – Truly you should confess, for the Holy Scriptures say, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Second, do you, with all your heart, repent of all your sins, committed in thought, word and deed? If so,
then declare so by saying, “I do repent.”
Congregation – “I do repent.”
Pastor – Truly, you should repent, as other penitent sinners have done: King David, who prayed for a contrite
heart; Peter, who wept bitterly; the sinful woman, the prodigal son, and others.
Third, do you sincerely believe that God, by grace, for Jesus’ sake, will forgive you all your sins? If so,
then declare so by saying, “I do believe.”
Congregation – “I do believe.”
Pastor – Truly you should so believe, for the Holy Scriptures say, “God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Fourth, do you promise that with the help of the Holy Ghost, you will, from this time forward, reform
your sinful life? If so, then declare it by saying, “I do promise.”
Congregation – “I do promise.”
Pastor – Truly, you should so promise, for Christ, the Lord says: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Finally, do you believe that through me, a called servant of God, you will receive from God the
forgiveness of all your sins? If so, then declare it by saying, “I do believe.
Congregation – “I do believe.”
Pastor – Upon this, your confession, I, because of my office as a called and ordained servant of God’s Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. And, in the place of, and according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Peace be with you. Amen.
After which the Congregation will be seated
Our Prayer for This Morning ‘
O Almighty God, our Heavenly Father + as we meditate on Your Word today + move us to repent of all our sins + particularly the sins of being worldly, + and selfish, + of being disinterested and ritualistic in our worship; + being weak-willed, + idolatrous, + and indifferent toward Your Word. + Enable us, + through Your Spirit’s aid, + and motivated by the Gospel, + to resist the Devil’s temptations, + the evil influences of this wicked world, + and the deceitful desires and wicked ways of our own sinful nature. + Empower us to grow in our faithfulness to You. + Help us be eagerly attentive to Your Word as we will hear it in a few moments. + And increase our trust in You, O Lord, + that we might daily bring honor and glory to Your holy name. + All this we ask in the name and for the sake + of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior, + Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, + as the One true God, + now and forever. + Amen.
after which the Congregation may be seated for
We Give Our Attention to God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson Selected verses from Malachi
6 A son honors his father. A servant honors his master. If I am a Father, where is My honor? If I am a Master, where is the reverence owed to Me? This is what the Lord of Armies says to you. The priests are the ones who despise My name. You say, “How have we despised Your name?” 7 You despise My name by bringing defiled food to My altar. But you say, “How have we defiled You?” You defile Me when you say, “The Lord’s table deserves no respect.” 8 When you bring a blind animal as a sacrifice, isn’t that evil? When you bring something lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Try bringing that to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? Would he receive you with favor? This is what the Lord of Armies says.
…….2:1 Now, you priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If you do not listen, if you do not set your heart on giving glory to My name, says the Lord of Armies, then I will send the curse against you. I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already cursed your offerings because you are not putting your heart into it. ….7 The lips of a priest should be guardians of knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth because he is a messenger of the Lord of Armies. 8 But you priests have turned from the way. You have made many people stumble in regard to the law. You have ruined the covenant with Levi, says the Lord of Armies.
…….2:10 Don’t we all have one Father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why then do we violate our vows to each other, polluting the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has acted unfaithfully. A detestable thing was done in Israel and in Jerusalem when Judah polluted the holy place of the Lord, which the Lord loves. Judah is married to the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any man who does this, both the one who is awake and the one who answers, even if he brings an offering to the Lord of Armies!
13 This is the second thing you do: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and crying, because there is no longer any favorable response to your offering, and God is not pleased with anything from your hand. 14 So you ask, “Why is this happening?” This is why—because the Lord is a Witness in the case between you and the wife you married when you were young, because you have betrayed her—though she was your partner, the wife with whom you made a covenant! 15 No one has done this who has a remnant of the Spirit. And why one? He is seeking offspring from God. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not act unfaithfully against the wife you married when you were young. 16 He hates divorce! That is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says. He hates it when a person wears violence as a garment. That is what the Lord of Armies says. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be unfaithful.
17 You have made the Lord weary with your words. You say, “How have we made Him weary?” Whenever you say that anyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s eyes or that the Lord takes pleasure in evildoers. Or whenever you say, “Where is the God of justice?”
3:1 Look! I am sending My messenger! He will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord, Whom you are seeking, will come to His temple! The Messenger of the Covenant, in Whom you delight, will surely come, says the Lord of Armies. 2 But who can endure the day when He comes? Who will remain standing when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like launderers bleach! 3 He will be seated like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver. They will belong to the Lord and bring Him an offering in righteousness. 4 Judah and Jerusalem’s offerings will be pleasing to the Lord as they were in the days of old, in years long ago. 5 I will approach you to judge you. I will be quick to give testimony against those who practice occult arts, those who commit adultery, those who swear false oaths, those who cheat workers out of their wages, those who wrong a widow and a fatherless child, those who turn away a resident alien—all those who do not fear Me, says the Lord of Armies.
6 Certainly I, the Lord, do not change. That is why you, sons of Jacob, have not come to an end. 7 Since the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Armies. You say, “In what way should we return?” 8 Will a man rob God? You are robbing Me! You say, “How have we robbed You?” In regard to the tithe and the special offering. 9 You are being cursed since all of you, the whole nation, are robbing Me. 10 Bring the complete tithe to the storehouse so that there may be food in My house. Just test Me in this, says the Lord of Armies. See whether I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour down blessing on you, until there is more than enough. 11 I will restrain the devouring swarm so that it will not destroy your produce from your soil. Your vine in the field will not be without fruit, says the Lord of Armies. 12 All the nations will call you blessed, because you will be a delightful land, says the Lord of Armies.
13 Your words against Me are harsh, says the Lord. You ask, “How have we spoken against You?” 14 You say, “Serving God is pointless. What have we gained by carefully keeping His requirements and by walking around like mourners before the Lord of Armies? 15 Now we will call the arrogant blessed. Even evildoers are built up. They even test God and get away with it.”
16 Then those who fear the Lord spoke with each other. The Lord gave them His attention and listened. A book of remembrance was written in front of Him for those who fear the Lord and have regard for His name.
17 They will be Mine, says the Lord of Armies, on the day I make them My treasured possession. I will spare them just as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then you will again see the distinction between a righteous person and a wicked person, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
4:1 Look! The day is coming, burning like a blast furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble. The day that is coming will set them on fire, says the Lord of Armies, a day that will not leave behind a root or branch for them. 2 But for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise, and there will be healing in its wings. You will go out and jump around like calves from the stall. 3 You will trample the wicked. They will surely be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I take action, says the Lord of Armies.
4 Remember the law of My servant Moses, which I commanded to him at Horeb to serve as statutes and judgments over all Israel.
5 Look! I am going to send Elijah the prophet to you before the great and fearful day of the Lord comes! 6 He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with complete destruction.
The Epistle Lesson Romans 12
Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy and pleasing to God—which is your appropriate worship. 2 Also, do not continue to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you test and approve what is the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
3 So by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think in a way that results in sound judgment, as God distributed a measure of faith to each of you. 4 For we have many members in one body, and not all the members have the same function. 5 In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace God has given us. If the gift is prophecy, do it in complete agreement with the faith. 7 If it is serving, then serve. If it is teaching, then teach. 8 If it is encouraging, then encourage. If it is contributing, be generous. If it is leadership, be diligent. If it is showing mercy, do it cheerfully.
9 Do not just pretend to love others. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another with brotherly love. Think of others as deserving more honor than yourselves. 11 Do not be lagging behind in zeal, but be fervent in spirit, as you continue to serve the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope. Endure trials patiently. Persist in prayer. 13 Share with the saints who are in need. Be quick to welcome strangers as guests.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who are rejoicing; weep with those who are weeping. 16 Have the same respect for one another. Do not be arrogant, but associate with the humble. Do not think too highly of yourselves.
17 Do not pay anyone back evil for evil. Focus on those things that everyone considers noble. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, maintain peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 But:
If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him a drink.
For by doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Gospel Lesson Matthew 3:1-12
In those days, John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 2 “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven is near!” 3 Yes, this is he of whom this was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight.’”
4 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him. 6 They were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit in keeping with repentance! 9 Do not think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 Already the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance. But the One Who comes after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor. He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Public Confession of our Christian Faith
according to the words of the Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; Born of the virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; And sitteth on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Christian Church, the Communion of Saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
After which the Congregation may be seated for
The Children’s Lesson Hebrews 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Our Wonderfully Changeless Savior!
The Hymn of the Day Hymn 302 “Lord, To You I Make Confession”
Sermon Text Malachi 3:1-18
Our Changeless God’s Gracious Call to His People
To Re-establish Their Faithfulness to Him
The Post-Sermon Blessing
May the God of peace, Who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, now equip you with everything good for doing His will! Amen.
Lord, Receive our Offerings and Prayers
We will be passing an offering plate through our chapel at this point. For those unable to worship with us in person, if you would like to participate in this offering, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to Grace Lutheran Church (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
2) Or, go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
at the Pastor’s invitation the Congregation will rise for
The Prayers for this Day
Included in our prayers this morning is
A Prayer of Intercession on behalf of Merele Dryden
(Abby Merritt’s grandmother), who is currently
hospitalized at Mercy Hospital in Rogers.
In addition
we want to offer this Special Prayer
that God would relieve the severe drought conditions we
have been facing, by sending us adequate amounts
of His blessing of rain
And
We also offer A Prayer of Thanksgiving on behalf
of Mary and Bill Book, whose wedding anniversary is this coming Saturday;
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven + Hallowed be Thy name. + Thy Kingdom come. + Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. + Give us this day our daily bread. + And forgive us our trespasses + as we forgive those who trespass against us. + And lead us not into temptation. + But deliver us from evil. + For Thine is the kingdom + And the power + And the glory + Forever and ever. Amen.
Now Dismiss Us, Lord
Benediction
Brothers and sisters, now go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. And Serve the Lord in gladness.
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The LORD look upon you with favor, and grant you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn Hymn 610 “Now Thank We All Our God”
1 Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, In whom his world rejoices,
Who from our mother’s arms Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love And still is ours today.
2 Oh, may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us,
With ever-joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us
And keep us in his grace And guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills In this world and the next.
3 All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given,
The Son, and him who reigns With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God, Whom earth and heav’n adore!
For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore.
Silent Prayer
Announcements, Post-service Music