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IT PAYS TO SERVE GOD Introduction: May this passage help us to be more positive about serving God.
Let us look at two groups of God’s people living in the same period of time but had a different perspective about serving God.
One group did not feel like it was worthwhile serving God, and it was vain serving God, while the other group was just the opposite because this another group felt like it was worthwhile serving God and not vain to serve God.
I - THE JEWISH REMNANT THAT DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT IT PAID TO SERVE GOD
A. The stout words that disturbed God
1. The Painful Remarks – v.13a
Malachi 3:13a “Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord.”
Notice the words of this one group of Remnant Jews were painful remarks to the ears of our Lord. Their remarks disturbed our Lord to hear his people use stout, strong, and accusing remarks against Him.
Did you know that it bothers God when we make critical, complaining remarks against our Master.
2. The Puzzled Reply – v.13b
Malachi 3:13b “Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?”
It seems that this Jewish remnant did not even realize or not aware that their painful strong words really bothered their Lord based on what their question implies. Most of the time we hurt God’s heart of the painful words we said to Him.
3. The Problem Revealed
a. The cause of the Problem
This group of remnants have problem with their remarks because they were basically saying that God was not good. Why? Because they are looking on the people in world side then evaluating them and then think about God that come to that conclusion that God was not good to them.
1.) Their evaluation was based upon the wicked seeming to be prosperous
Malachi 3:15b “yea, they that work wickedness are set up”.
Sometimes, if you look around and see this lost world living in homes that exceed a million or more, it would seem that it is unfair being saved and barely getting by. You have a tendency to belittle yourself and forgets who you are as a child of God.
However, this is a tool of the Devil to get us to think that way, in order to get us down and cause us to be pessimistic. You are now focusing on those people who live on this earth prosperously without I centavo to bring with him when they perish on eternity.
2.) Their evaluation was based upon the wicked seeming to be happy
Malachi 3:15a “And now we call the proud happy;”
Notice that this negative thinking Jewish remnant people were talking about the proud. Who were these proud people? The PROUD were the ungodly, arrogant people who did not respect God, and it seemed to this negative thinking group of remnants that the ungodly were happy.
Notice the particular words that they have said “and now we call the proud happy. The Bible does not say they were happy, it just appeared that way to this negative group because they were seeing some prosper on these ungodly people of the world, who worked hard for their money who aimed and supposed that happiness is through prosperity in this present temporary world only.
Being prosperous does not automatically make you happy!
3.) Their evaluation was based upon the wicked seeming to be delivered
Malachi 3:15c “yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.”
In other words, to this skeptical group of Jewish remnants, God was letting them get by with their ungodly lifestyle and not doing anything about it. This negative thinking remnants accusing God of ignoring those people of the world doing everything evil and corrupt and still being happy, and not being judged.
That is the way that it seemed to them, that is the way this group of negative thinking remnants that God is unfair and doing anything to stop this ungodly world, but they did not realize that God is good to the lost, to lead them to repentance.
Romans 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
b. The consequences of the Problem
Three consequences from skeptical remarks of Jewish Remnants:
1) Their reward for service was lost
Malachi 3:14a “Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance,”
Beware of selfish motive of this skeptical group of Remnants. They were serving God with the wrong motive; they were serving from the spirit of greed or what they could get out of God.
2) They were not happy in their daily life
Malachi 3:14b “and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?”
The Bible says, Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
3) They had no witness in the world
When Christians go around with a skeptical attitude about God and make strong, critical remarks against God, they will not have a good witness, they will not be a good testimony before the unsaved sinners, and not even to other fellow believers that love God. This skeptical group of god’s people are not effective witness for Christ.
B. The sinful words that disturbed God
The words that these negative thinking Jewish remnants spoke were sinful words, because they were not words of faith. Romans 14:23 “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
They were basing everything they said from what they were seeing in this lost world.
2 Corinthians 5:7 – For we walk by faith; not by sight.
Romans 14:23 – For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Galatians 3:11 – The just shall live by faith.
Hebrews 11:6 – Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Now, we want to move from the Jewish remnant that was serving God from GREED, to a group of believers that were serving God from being GRATEFUL. From remnants who think that is was worthwhile serving God to the remnants who think that it was not worthwhile serving God.
II – THE JEWISH REMNANT THAT DID BELIEVE THAT IT PAID TO SERVE GOD
After we discussed from a skeptical, faithless, accusing, negative Jewish remnant, let us go now to a POSITIVE group of believers.
There are three” if’s” that reveal it is worthwhile serving God.
A. It pays to serve God if you had rather be known by God than man – v.16
Malachi 3:16 "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.”
1. The different attitudes and the respect – v.16a, v.16d
We observed two things:
1. This Jewish remnants respected God – v.16a
Malachi 3:16a “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.”
This positive thinking group of remnant had an high reverence toward God, they feared for God is Holy,
2. This Jewish remnant often think and talk about God is good.- v.16c
Malachi 3:16c “and that thought upon his name.
They got to together often to think and talk about God, which had to be good.
In spite that these two groups of remnants lived in the same time period, this positive thinking Jewish remnant was right the opposite of the other group which were negative thinking group of remnants.
The other group was negative in serving God and the other group was positive in serving God.
This group of Jewish remnants have reverence or respected God for they feared God and the other did not.
This group thought about God and talked about God, which had to be good, and the other group didn’t. All they thought and talked about was not good-concerning God.
2. The divine audience and the remembering – v.16b
Malachi 3:16b "and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord.”
The Bible says that the Lord was paying divine attention to their good remarks, and so he had an angel to write it down in a book of remembrance.
You know, man may have not been paying attention or listening, but God was watching and listening.
If you went up to a person on the street and asked if they knew these good, God-fearing Christians, they probably would not have known them. Their name never got put in the paper, but their name was put in a book of remembrance. When the books are open at the judgment seat of Christ, God will reward those who have served Him with a grateful and right motive.
I Corinthians 3:9-15 “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
II Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
B. It pays to serve God if you had rather be a jewel than have a jewel – v.17a
Malachi 3:17a “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.”
The negative, complaining Jewish remnant was more concerned about getting jewels than being a jewel.
It pays to serve God, if you had rather be a jewel in the eyes of God than getting jewels.
It pays to serve God if you had rather be a diadem around the neck of the Lord than having a diadem around your neck.
The Lord describes His children as being jewels, it does mean someone special and valuable to God.
Notice again, there is a very interesting words in verse 17 “in that day when I make up my jewels.”
This words “In that day” has reference to when the Lord comes back to get His jewels and make up his jewel case.
Since God describes us as jewels and being precious and valuable; you need to hold your head up in this world that wants to put you down as a child of God. It worth to serve God, let us show to the world, there is real joy in serving God not aiming the prosperity of this temporary richness of this world.
C. It pays to serve God if you had rather be spared later than now – v.17b- 18
Malachi 3:17b-18 “and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”
The negative thinking complaining group of Jewish remnants, was concerned about God letting the un-godly get by in this walk of life. Well, God does let the lost get by and be good to them in this world to lead them to repentance, but on that day, they will not be spared, but the child of God will. So, it does pays to serve God if you had rather be spared later than now. Just serve God patiently, be a co-laborer of God, and in that accounting day, God will reward you. Be faithful in serving God no matter what. God is watching you and recording all your labor of love.
Now, in this walk of life the child of God may suffer, but on that day, there will be a reversal, and all those that rejected the Lord will suffer the consequences in a eternal lake of fire forever, but the child of God will be spared, and not go through the tribulation, plus have a eternal life in heaven where they will never know what it is to suffer again, for there is no sickness, nor tears, nor death, for God is with us forever. What a joy to serve and worship God in heaven night and day, so let us start serving Him today. Amen!
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