The 'Say Yes' Kind of Covenant

January 3, 1999

Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the Lord of Hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."

INTRODUCTION

1. Malachi 3:10 is a text that lends itself to manipulation by people who want to raise money for churches. It appeals to a strict cause and effect mentality; it may be used to underscore the mind set the ultra fundamentalist, who sees salvation as a strict contract with the Almighty.

   Actually, there ARE elements of contract, of promise, even hints of cause and effect here. God says, "If you will do thus and so, you can prove Me now! I will do thus and so!"

2. But to be fair we need to see that THE TEXT IS A CLIMAX OF THE [TOTAL] LESSON OF MALACHI; and the whole book reveals God's desire to love and to be loved by His people. God is disappointed when His own people are less than they could be. [The reason God's people do not experience God's full blessing is plain. They have forgotten that real life centers around GOD! One message of Malachi is:]

I. SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE ON ISRAEL'S PART

1. The entire Book of Malachi reveals that religious people who claimed to know all about God and religion were actually in mortal danger because they were so ignorant. A recurrent theme throughout the short book is (1) a statement of fact by God, through His prophet; immediately followed by (2) incredulous statements like "How can that be?" "Why do you say that?" "Where is that a fact?"
   1. (1:2) They were ignorant of God's LOVE to them. (1:6) They were even ignorant of insulting the name of God.
   2. (2:14) They were ignorant of any reason why God should despise their fancy worship, even though they did not act in honesty and love with one another. (2:17) They were ignorant of the fact that God was weary of their empty mouthing of prayers.
   3. (3:7) They were ignorant both of the need to return to God, and the way in which they might return to God.
2. There is no sense of the 'personal' in their dealings with God: [God is "an institution, not a Person with feelings!] How easy to take God for granted! How easy to despise holy things!
   1. (3:8) They have never connected GIVING with LOVING GOD! They are ignorant of the fact that when they withhold their tithes from God they are robbing God.
   2. (3:13) They have become CASUAL about SEEKING and DOING God's will! They are ignorant that when they speak for God without being in touch with God they are actually speaking against God.
3. The call of the prophet is not to condemn, but to re establish true faith. The clear way in which God's people may experience God's grace is practical in nature:

II. THE RE ESTABLISHING OF TRUST IN GOD

1. God is NOT bound strictly by "contract" to us, or we would all be long gone! We are never dealt with as we deserve, but by God's great grace! GOD IS A COVENANT-MAKING, COVENANT-KEEPING GOD! God is faithful to His covenant with His people! He is reluctant ever to write off one of His own!
2. TO LOVE GOD, WE MUST MAKE HIM OUR LIFE'S CENTER

   Our love to Him must not be merely a matter of convenience. Malachi says, sarcastically, to his hearers (1:8): "Try giving what is left over to the IRS! Try paying your bills with left overs– with the things you don't want any more! Doesn't that work?? Well, then WHY GIVE YOUR 'CONVENIENCE' TO GOD?

3. TO LOVE GOD, WE ARE TO SEEK TO LEARN TO GIVE!
   1. The people to whom Malachi was preaching were consumer minded! THEY WERE TAKERS! They asked "What can God and religion do for me?" Malachi (actually God, speaking through Malachi) was seeking to turn around their thinking, to make them covenant minded!

      God always wants His people to be GIVERS! And in God's economy, and in His own currency it is the givers who are rich!

   2. Keying on the areas where Malachi accused the people of ignorance, here is an outline on how we should give:
      1. Our MOTIVE must be love not profit.
      2. Our ATTITUDE must be reverence for God and His church; and faith. (Not cynical, not self serving. The widow woman COULD have saved her two mites, saying "I need it more than those rich Pharisees...")
      3. Our ACT OF GIVING should be sacramental. When the plates go by, the amount you place on the plate is one thing; but the very fact of placing something on the plate can be an act of stewardship, a statement of submission to God's will!
      4. Our METHOD of giving is NOT unimportant! Malachi mentions tithing!

         I think that I have heard most of the arguments againststorehouse tithing: Tithing is legalistic. Storehouse tithing is invented to support institutions. O.T. Law has been eliminated. Give to get preaching has decimated genuine giving.

      The fact is: storehouse tithing is the floor on which to build a disciplined life of stewardship. I do not limit my personal giving to 10% of my income now; but I grew up in the demonstration of what it means to be partners with God, including faithful tithing during the Great Depression. I will testify that it works!

POINTS TO DRIVE HOME: It is possible to give and not be a Christian, but it is impossible to be a Christian and NOT give. Tithing makes us partners with God in the practical world of finances.

CONCLUSION

The end of this short book is like a fork in the road. Ignorance is not excuse when there is light! We can accept what God has to say, and in turn we can SAY YES! To his will and way. Or, we can pursue the way of do-it-yourself religion. One fork in the road is the warning of cursing for those who are arrogant, and choose to remain in ignorance of God's Law and God's LOVE. But the other pathway of renewed covenant and saying YES! To God is full of God's assurance:

(3:16) "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name. "'And they will be Mine,' says the Lord of hosts, 'on the day that I prepare my own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.' "So you will distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him." (4:2)"But for you who revere my Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall."

The beginning of a New Year, the opening week of SAY YES! Month are a great time for us to renew Covenant with our God. As we come to the Table of the Lord and receive assurance of His salvation and blessing, will YOU bring the sacrifice of your own submitted will? Bring your burdens and your problems, yes; but also bring the promise that whatever God asks for He can have— that whatever God tells you to do, you will obey! God loves you! He wants to bless you! He wants to bless US!

The windows of heaven are open, and God's blessing is promised to those who truly seek to love Him, and let Him love through them. I pray for you and me and for us the joy of being GIVERS to the glory of God! Amen.

The Holy Communion

Words of Invitation and Confession

You who do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a godly life, following the commandments of God, and walking in His holy ways; draw near with faith and give God praise [# 67 in Hymnal.] Please read responsively:

We praise You, O God.

We acclaim You as Lord; All creation worships You, Father everlasting.

To You all angels, all the powers of heaven, cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of the apostles praise You.     

The noble fellowship of prophets praise You.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise You.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims You: Father of majesty unbounded, Your glorious, true, and only Son, and the Holy Spirit, Advocate and Guide.

You, Christ, are the King of Glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When You became incarnate to set us free You humbly accepted the Virgin's womb.

You overcame the sting of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that You will come to be our judge.

(All:) Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

Words of Institution

(Let us continue in Prayer)

On this SAY YES Sunday, in this Season of Christmas, and in the dawning days of a New Year in our reckoning of time, we thank You for the Promise of Life Eternal which you have freely offered to us all in the Gift of Your Son.

Your Eternal Son took our flesh, was born of woman, and lived among us to teach us of Your love; He was tempted as we are, yet without sin; He was despised and rejected, and crucified for our salvation; He rose the third day from the dead in triumph over death, in which we may share; He promised us Power from on high, which You have poured out on us in the coming of the Holy Spirit, birthing the Church and establishing a new Covenant by water and the Spirit.

And, on the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

When the supper was over he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we rejoice in the mystery of our faith:

• Christ has died,
• Christ is risen,
• Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood. By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever.

And now with the confidence of the children of God, we are bold to pray as Your Son has taught us:

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen