BEING A GODLY INFLUENCE

Mar 2

We hope today’s message was encouraging and helpful. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a Bible/sermon group study. Enjoy!

Main Scripture: MALACHI 2:1-9 NLT

If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read or paraphrase through some of the provided scripture to catch everyone up!

Introduction:

Last week we examined our worship of God throughout the week and on Sunday. The priests had sadly offered very unworthy sacrifices to God and the people followed their leadership. This lack of worthy worship was insulting to God and revealed their true hearts. The trend continues in our message today. To love God is to honor and obey Him. We’ll see in our text today that the leaders were not honoring and loving God in their leadership and the toll it took on the community. Whether we realize it or not, every believer carries a calling to be an influence for God. I pray this message will help you see how important your worship and walk with God is and that you’ll learn how to be a Godly influence.

Notes:

V.1-4 For the second time, God addresses the priests and calls them to make up their minds about serving and respecting God’s name in their role of leadership.

In chapter one, the priests had been neglecting their responsibility to uphold worthy worship. In chapter two, we see they neglected their other responsibility to preserve, teach, and apply the instruction of God to the people. Their neglect had made them already cursed, meaning their worship and work had not been accepted by God and there was no favor from Him. Their land was not producing crops and resources as it should and the people no longer respected the priests. Worship to God is supposed to be a pleasing aroma (such as meat being cooked on the fire) so to be told you will have the “offal” ( intestinal waste of an animal) or manure on your face is in a way saying your worship stinks and is unacceptable. God’s warning about the manure seems harsh but it’s an act of God’s grace and kindness because they are given a chance to repent of their ways. If they choose not to change, their descendants will be removed from the priestly service (levitical covenant) just like the offal or manure is removed and rejected from the place of worship and the camp, entirely.

His purpose in admonishing them was to purify the priesthood so that His covenant with Levi could continue. Blaising, C. A. (1985). Malachi. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1579). Victor Books.
The “offal” was the internal waste of the sacrificial animal that normally was carried outside the camp. But here it is first used as a gross insult to the officiating priests, and then they and it would be carried away. Alden, R. L. (1986). Malachi. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel and the Minor Prophets (Vol. 7, p. 714). Zondervan Publishing House.

V. 5-9 God contrasts these priests with the Levites and shares the purpose of the priests.

The Levites were the sons of Levi, set apart for the specific task of serving with the priests to conduct worship. The Levites were similar to modern-day clergy and were supported for their full-time work by the tithes and offerings the people brought to the temple. The Levites were exceptional at their role. Verses 5-6 spell out how effective and reverent the Levite priests were in leading the people. In short, the Levites were faithful to God in every way. Meanwhile, the priests of Malachi had lived the opposite and even led their people into sin. The priests did not preserve the scripture nor teach and guide the people as messengers of God. They corrupted the teaching and even showed favoritism. Influential and wealthy people were not held accountable for breaking the law because the priests wouldn’t confront those they were dependent on for support. God despised this favoritism because He called priests to use the objective standard of God’s Word across the board, no matter one’s influence or wealth.

In the beginning, the high priest was Aaron, and his sons after him. The Levites first began by setting up the Tabernacle and serving in all the duties surrounding worship, such as collecting tithes and assisting in ceremonies. In post-exilic times like in Malachi’s day, the Levites served as the priests.

Application:

We (believers) belong to the priesthood of all believers

1 Peter 2:4-5
1 Peter 2:9-10
All of God's people, under the New Covenant, are a royal priesthood. The right of free and full access to God, the duty and power of mediating for our fellowmen and being God's channel of blessing to them, is the inalienable birthright of every believer. - Andrew Murray https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/murray_andrew/two/two15.cfm
Believers live in what’s called the shared life of Christ and now share in the priestly office. We share or participate in the life of Christ. Since Christ is the great high priest interceding for us we can go directly to God for the forgiveness of sin and we can minister God’s grace to others like priests. We can read, teach, and apply the Word of God. Then we can take what we have learned with great humility and grace and pass it on to those in our lives. To help guide the priesthood of believers God set apart and appointed elders (pastors) to oversee, care, equip, and mature the believers in their walk and service of the Lord.
Therefore…much like the levitical priests of Old…

All believers possess the sacred responsibility to be a Godly influence

1 Peter 2:11-12 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
Pastors, church leaders, volunteer group leaders, teachers, grandparents, parents, students, and friends. We all are blessed to know the truth about sin and salvation, about life and death, the truth of Jesus, and the reality of those who do not have Jesus. Therefore, we are called to an important role of stewardship and responsibility by the way we live.
A serious question arises then. If we are all people of influence is our influence Godly? What values, teachings, and examples are we proclaiming? What are the truths we speak and live by? We need to acknowledge this sacred responsibility and sincerely consider what kind of influence we are being. Our lives have the ability to lead people toward Christ and eternity…that is an honor and privilege.

Godly influencers revere and worship God, above all else

Your life of worship leads more than you realize. Who or what you worship matters.
There’s nothing more confusing than seeing a Christian profess Christ and then go live like they worship and love everything that God opposes in our world.
Your allegiance to God over your allegiance to others is of utmost importance. We lose credibility when we show allegiance to our friends but betray God. But we earn great respect when we disagree and live counter to the culture in order to be faithful to God.
To truly help others worship God you have to first worship Him. To be a Godly influencer you have to first be influenced by God.

Godly influencers study, preserve, and pass on the truth of scripture.

If all believers have the freedom to read, interpret, teach, and live the scriptures then we should, but we must do so carefully. We need to be students of the Word.
Seven Biblical Interpretation Rules:

1. Context Rules. Every text should be studied in its context.
2. Seek the full counsel of God’s Word. Scripture teaches scripture.
3. We don’t base a whole doctrine on one obscure verse that isn’t clear.
4. Scripture will never contradict Scripture.
5. Genre and Historical Settings Matter
6. Look for the author’s intended meaning not our own.
7. Check your conclusion with reliable Bible resources or a trusted pastor.

We don’t force the Bible to mean what we want. We humbly accept the Bible because it’s what God wants.
We must have pure hearts that long to glorify God and preserve His Word alone. We must guard our hearts against changing scripture or using scripture to manipulate or direct an outcome not intended by God. There is nothing more insidious than a person who uses scripture to hurt, abuse, or take advantage of a group of people. Equally insidious are pastors and believers twisting scripture or not holding its refining standard to a group of people to appease them.

Godly influencers live exemplary lives and turn others from sin.

No one is perfect, but Godly influence can be snuffed out or extinguished in a moment when we fall morally in some way or form. The priests in Malachi’s day had caused people to stumble in sin, but the Levite priests had turned many away from sin.
Your Godly guidance and walk can help turn many from lives of sin.
1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.
James 5:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
Jude 1:20-23 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
To be a Godly influence in this world we must resist the world's influence on us.

Discussion:

What is one thing from the message that resonated with you?
What was the result of the priests neglecting their other responsibility to preserve, teach, and apply the instruction of God to the people?
In what ways were the priests of Malachi different from the Levites?
In what ways have you been influenced by God?
What worldly influences do we need to look our for in our lives and homes?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
What can we pray for regarding the sermon? Do you have any prayer needs?

The most important decision you will ever make!

If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!

We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.