In this insightful sermon on “God’s Guiding Principles for Gray Areas (Part 2)”, we explore biblical wisdom from Romans 14 and other scriptures about making decisions in morally ambiguous situations. Drawing from Paul’s teachings, we examine 7 key questions to guide our choices: Will it direct or detour us? Build up or tear down? Help or hinder? Free or enslave? Free or violate our conscience? Lead us by faith or feelings? Lift up or weigh down? Learn practical biblical principles for navigating life’s complex moral decisions while respecting others’ convictions and maintaining spiritual freedom. Perfect for Christians seeking wisdom in decision-making and understanding biblical perspectives on personal convictions. Based on Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 10:23, Galatians 5:16, and Hebrews 12:1.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
Romans 14:1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over
doubtful things.
Romans 14:2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats
only vegetables.
Romans 14:3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not
him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.
Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he
stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him
stand.
Romans 14:5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every
day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind..
1. WILL THIS DIRECT ME OR DETOUR ME?
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient;
2. WILL THIS BUILD ME UP OR TEAR ME DOWN?
1 Corinthians 10:23 “… all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
3. WILL THIS HELP ME OR HINDER ME?
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful ….
4. WILL THIS FREE ME OR ENSLAVE ME?
1 Corinthians 6:12 … All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under
the power of any.
Romans 14:1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over
doubtful things.
Romans 14:1 (GWT) Welcome people who are weak in faith, but don’t get into an
argument over differences of opinion.
Romans 14:2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats
only vegetables.
Romans 14:5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every
day alike.
Romans 14:3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not
him who does not eat judge him who eats ….
Romans 14:3 … for God has received him.
Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he
stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him
stand.
5. WILL THIS FREE MY CONSCIENCE OR VIOLATE MY CONSCIENCE?
Romans 14:5 “… Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”
Romans 14:5 (PHILLIPS) Let every one be definite in his own convictions.
Romans 14:5 (GWT) Every person must make his own decision.
Romans 14:5 (MSG) So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
Romans 14:5 (TLB) On questions of this kind everyone must decide for himself.
Romans 14:5 (VOICE) In these matters, all must reach their own conclusions
and satisfy their own minds.
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by
which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
The is not just “Would it hurt you?”
The question is also “Will it hurt somebody else?”
Romans 14:22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God …
Romans 14:22 (NLT) You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing,
but keep it between yourself and God…
In other words, don’t impose your beliefs in gray areas on other people.
Some things are wrong for you that are right for others.
And some things are right for you that are wrong for others.
6. WILL I LIVE BY FAITH OR BY FEELINGS?
Romans 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned … for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Galatians 5:16 “… Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh..
We don’t pray because we are trying to change God.
We pray because we are trying to change ourselves..
7. WILL THIS LIFT ME UP OR WEIGH ME DOWN?
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1 (TLB) “… let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back,
Hebrews 12:1 (VOICE) “… ‘let us drop every extra weight
Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) “… let us lay aside … the sin which doth so easily beset us …”
Hebrews 12:1 (CEV) “… especially the sin that just won’t let go
Hebrews 12:1 (GNT) “… the sin which holds on to us so tightly
Hebrews 12:1 (NET) “… the sin that clings so closely
Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) “… especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress
Hebrews 12:1 (TLB) “… especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around
our feet and trip us up
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
In this sermon, “God’s Guiding Principles for Gray Areas,” we explore the biblical wisdom that challenges the idea that “all things are lawful.” Drawing from scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 10:23 and 6:12, Proverbs 4:7, Romans 15, and Galatians 5, we learn that while many choices may be allowed, not every decision leads to growth, edification, or freedom.
Key questions guide our reflection:
Will This Direct Me or Detour Me?
Discover how to choose paths that lead to constructive outcomes rather than distractions.
Will This Build Me Up or Tear Me Down?
Understand the importance of actions that edify and strengthen not just ourselves, but the community around us.
Will This Help Me or Hinder Me?
Evaluate whether our choices contribute to our well-being or become stumbling blocks in our journey.
Will This Free Me or Enslave Me?
Learn that true freedom is not about indulging every desire but about living under God’s guidance, avoiding the chains of sin and unhealthy habits.
We also address modern challenges—from lifestyle and health issues to societal trends—that echo the timeless struggle between liberty and bondage. Join us as we unpack how living with wisdom and moderation not only honors God but also transforms our lives, ensuring that our freedom truly sets us free.
Tune in to discover a biblical blueprint for making choices that lead to a healthier, more fulfilling life in Christ!
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Notes:
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient;
all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your
getting, get understanding.
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me …
All things are lawful for me …
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me …
all things are lawful for me …
1 Corinthians 6:12 (TLB) I can do anything I want to if Christ has not said no …”
All things not unlawful are lawful to me.
1. WILL THIS DIRECT ME OR DETOUR ME?
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are expedient;
2. WILL THIS BUILD ME UP OR TEAR ME DOWN?
1 Corinthians 10:23 “… all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMP) All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive…
1 Corinthians 10:23 (VOICE) “All things are permitted,” they say. Yes, but not all
things build up and strengthen others in the body.
Romans 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.
Romans 15:3 For even Christ did not please Himself;…
The world tears down, so the church better build up.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, …
Let all things be done for edification. ’
3. WILL THIS HELP ME OR HINDER ME?
1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful ….
Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrows and does not repay
Ephesians 5:3 (NIV) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,
or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
4. WILL THIS FREE ME OR ENSLAVE ME?
1 Corinthians 6:12 … All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under
the power of any.
1 Corinthians 6:12 (PHILLIPS) I may do everything, but I must not be a slave of anything.
We are the sickiest country in the world.
In 1960, 6% of Americans had chronic disease, today 60% do.
Our children are the sickest generation in American history.
Our kids have autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, obesity,
300% increase in diabetes
38% of teenagers are now prediabetic
We are on the verge of, at best, a health crisis and, at worst, a societal collapse
with 20% of GDP going to health expenditures.
Jesse Watters quote on The Five on 01/29/25
” I want to tell you a little story about Jimmy. So Jimmy wakes up in the morning
and both parents work, so they don’t have time to make him eggs, so he has
frosted flacks and fruit juice. So he goes to school and he is all hopped up on sugar
and he crashes. And then he does the school lunch program and he does grilled
cheese, cheetohs and cherry coke, so he is hopped up again then he crashes.
The people at the school tell the parents this kid must be bi-polar or ADHD so
you gotta medicate him. So he is medicated. Then he doesn’t do recess because
he is looking at his phone the whole time. And at the after school program he is inside.
Then he goes home and since his parents are helicopter parents, they don’t let
him outside to play in the neighborhood because they are worried about pedophiles.
So he goes inside and plops himself in front of the television until his parents
come home and they are too busy because they are back from work and so they
order ‘take out’ more fried food. And then he sits in front of his ipad before he
goes to sleep and he doesn’t get a good sleep because he has had screen time
all day, no sunlight and no exercise. And this cycle repeats itself for years until
he is single, suicidal, overmedicated, fat, sick, lonely and depressed.”
There are millions of Jimmys out there in this country who have been neglected,
preyed upon and they want to get healthy but they don’t have the knowledge,
the support system or the environment to make it happen.”
Philiippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men.
1 Corinthians 6:12 (VOICE) So you say, “For me, all things are permitted.” Here’s my
response: I will not allow anything to control me.
John 8:32 (ESV) And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed
Galations 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not
submit again to a yoke of slavery
Freedom is not living independent of God, freedom is living dependent on God.
There is no freedom apart from God.
Galatians 5:13 (NLT) … Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature.
Galatians 5:13 (TLB) … You have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong
Galatians 5:13 (TMG) Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an
excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.
Kris Kristofferson quote:
Freedom is just another word for nothin’ left to lose.
Quote from the novel, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”
“And when nobody wakes you up in the morning. And when nobody waits for you
at night. And when you can do whatever you want. What do you call it? Freedom
or loneliness.”
The deceptive power of sin is so great that it makes it possible for a person to be
a slave to something and think they are free..”
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of
sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Romans 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6:8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
In this powerful sermon, Pastor Ed Hamilton takes us through the biblical account of King Hezekiah and his interactions with the Assyrian Empire, exploring the spiritual dangers of making deals with the enemy. Drawing from 2 Kings, Ephesians, and 2 Corinthians, this message reminds us that Satan’s tactics—fear, deceit, and manipulation—are designed to lead us away from trusting God. With practical wisdom and biblical truth, Pastor Hamilton encourages believers to stand firm, put on the armor of God, and refuse to compromise with the devil. This sermon offers vital insights into spiritual warfare and how to rely on God’s strength for victory.
Sermon Video
Sermon Audio
Sermon Notes:
2 Kings 18:5 He (Hezekiah) trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him
was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
2 Kings 18:6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him,
but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
2 Kings 18:7 The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he
rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant
of his devices.
Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 4:27 And give no opportunity to the devil.
Isaiah 32:7 Also the schemes of the schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans to
destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaks justice.
Sun Tzu in the ancient Chinese military manual The Art of War (quote)
“Knowing the enemy enable you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables
you to stand on the defensive.”
I. THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE: LET’S MAKE A DEAL.
2 Kings 18:13 And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Se-nnac-he-rib king of
Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
2 Kings 18:14 Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lac-hish,
saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me
I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three
hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
2 Kings 18:15 So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house
of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house.
2 Kings 18:16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the
temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had
overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
2 Kings 16:8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of
the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent it as a present to
the king of Assyria.
The family patriarch grandfather J. Paul Getty refused to pay the ransom price,
famously proclaiming, “If I pay one penny now, I’ll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren.”
II. THE DEVIL’S ATTACK: SCARE TACTICS.
2 Kings 18:17 “Then the king of Assyria sent … a great army against Jerusalem,
to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem.”
2 Kings 18:19 Then the Rab-sha-keh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus
says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust?
2 Kings 18:20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words.
And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?
1. THE DEVIL ALWAYS TRIES TO MAGNIFY OUR WEAKNESSES.
2 Kings 18:22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ Is it not He
whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to
Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?”
2 Kings 18:23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king
of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses–if you are able on your part
to put riders on them!
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater
is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
2. THE DEVIL LIES TO TRY TO DISTORT THE LORD’S WORD.
2 Kings 18:25 Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it?
The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ”
III. THE DEVIL’S APPROACH: DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
2 Kings 18:28 Then the Rab-sha-keh stood and called out with a loud voice in
Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
2 Kings 18:29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall
not be able to deliver you from his hand;
2 Kings 18:30 Nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will
surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ‘
2 Kings 18:31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria:
‘Make peace with me …
Isaiah 36:12 But Sennacherib’s chief of staff replied, “Do you think my master sent
this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when
we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry
and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine.”
IV. THE DEVIL’S APPEAL: A FALSE PEACE TREATY.
2 Kings 18:31 “…‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every
one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one
of you drink the waters of his own cistern;
2 Kings 18:32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of
grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey,
that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you,
saying, “The Lord will deliver us.”
Jeremiah 6:13 “… And from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.
Jeremiah 6:14 “… Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction
comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
IV. RIGHTFUL RESPONSES TO THE DEVIL’S DEALS.
1. SILENCE IS GOLDEN: REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE.
2 Kings 18:36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word;
for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.”
Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
2. SUBMIT TO THE LORD: HUMBLE YOURSELF IN REPENTANCE.
2 Kings 19:1 And so it was, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he tore his clothes,
covered himself with sackcloth, …
3. SEEK THE LORD: GO INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.
2 KIngs 19:1 …. and went into the house of the Lord.
4. SPEAK TO THE LORD: PRAY EMPHASIZING GOD’S GLORY.
2 Kings 19:14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers,
and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before
the Lord.
2 Kings 19:15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel,
the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the
kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
2 Kings 19:16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see;
and hear the words of Se-nnac-he-rib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.
2 Kings 19:17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
2 Kings 19:18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the
work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.
2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all
the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.”
Pastor McGee said, “Fight with us against the enemies that are killing our children.
There is a war going on in the streets of America. Well pls pray for me. Today
hopefully, I am going to rescue my daughter from where she is in Las Vegas.”
Also pray for anyone who tries to get in my way, that I would ‘lay hands suddenly
on them’ & it would [be] quick & productive. Even though I am really good at
hurting people, I do NOT like that, & I have tried to help them since I got
saved @ 17 in Teen Challenge.”
5. SELECT THE PROPER WEAPONS OF WARFARE.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but
against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in
this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
1 Corinthians 9:26 (ESV) “… I do not box as one beating the air.
2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal …
2 Corinthians 10:4 (GNT) The weapons we use in our fight are not the world’s weapons
Zechariah 4:6 …’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
Ephesians 6:10 … be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Pastor Ed emphasizes the contrast between the fate of the wicked and the righteous on this day, using vivid imagery of fire and healing. He discusses God’s judgment on the proud and wicked, while also highlighting the hope and restoration for those who fear God’s name. The sermon incorporates various biblical references beyond Malachi, including Psalms, Romans, and New Testament passages, to reinforce its points. Additionally, Pastor Ed touches on contemporary issues, such as changes in school disciplinary problems over time, to provide context and relevance to his audience.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes
Malachi 4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud,
yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn
them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.
Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
Malachi 4:3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles
of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 4:4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him
in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the
hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with
a curse.”
The Supreme court offered this justification and quoted a psychologist who stated:
“If portions of the New Testament were read without explanation, they could be and
had been psychologically harmful to the child.”
Sixty years ago, the top disciplinary problems in schools were:
Talking in class, chewing gum, making noises, running in the halls, cutting in line
That was then, this is now
Disrespect – students speak and act in a disrespectful way to adults and peers
including verbal abuse of teachers and faculty
Defiance – students openly refusing to listen to adults or follow directions.
Bullying – students consistently trying to intimidate others,
Widespread disorder in classroom, cyberbulling & school shooting possibilities.”
I. WHAT A FIERY DAY OF BURNING THAT WILL BE.
Malachi 4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud,
yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn
them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.
Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, …”
Romans 2:5 (NLT) But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin,
you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming,
when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done.
Malachi 4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven,…
Psalm 21:9 You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble, the fire shall burn them;They shall
not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be
warmed by, nor a fire to sit before!
Malachi 4:1 “… And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of
hosts, That will leave them neither root nor branch.
Zephaniah 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them
in the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire
of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land.
Hebrews 10:30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”
says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
Hebrews 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Malachi 4:3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles
of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we
have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord
of hosts?
II. WHAT A FANTASTIC DAY OF HEALING THAT WILL BE.
Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
Malachi 1:14 “… For I am a great King,” Says the Lord of hosts, and My name is to
be feared among the nations.
Malachi 2:5 “My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to
him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name.
Malachi 3:16 “… So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who
fear the Lord
Malachi 4:2 ” …my name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Acts 17:28 For in Him we live and move and have our being …”
John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be exposed.
John 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly
seen, that they have been done in God.”
Malachi 4:2 ” …my name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His
wings, …
Malachi 4:2 “… And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.
III. WHAT A FUTURE DAY OF TESTING THAT WILL BE.
Malachi 4:4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him
in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the Lord.
Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the
hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with
a curse.”
IV. WHAT A FINAL DAY FOR THE PROUD THAT WILL BE.
Malachi 4:1 ” … All the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. ”
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 15:25 ” The Lord will destroy the house of the proud …”
2 Thessalonians 1:8 In flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God,
on those who know not God, and on those who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
1 Peter 5:5 “… God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Join us as we dive deep into the book of Malachi, exploring the profound questions posed to God and His revealing responses. Discover how these ancient dialogues are still relevant today, reminding us of God’s unwavering love and our relationship with Him.
Sermon Audio
Sermon Video
Sermon Notes:
Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have
You loved us?’
Malachi 1:2 “… You say, ‘In what way have You loved us?
Malachi 1:6 “… Where is My honor? Where is My reverence? You say, “In what way
have we despised Your name?’
‘Malachi 1:7 “… In what way have we defiled You?
Malachi 1:13 “…Should I accept this from your hand?
Malachi 2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words;Yet you say, “In what way
have we wearied Him?”
Malachi 3:8 “Will a man rob God? But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?
Malachi 3:13 “… What have we spoken against You?’
This is not what God has said, this is what God is still saying.
I. GOD’S LOVE BURDENED.
Malachi 1:1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, …
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Mark 2:3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
Mark 2:4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered
the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on
which the paralytic was lying.
Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins
are forgiven you.”
Didn’t someone believe for you before you believed?
Didn’t someone pray for us before we knew to pray for ourselves?
Every person’s salvation begins with the burden, interest and influence of another.
II. GOD’S LOVE ANNOUNCED.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.”
Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one Father?
III. GOD’S LOVE DOUBTED.
Malachi 1:2 “… Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’
Catergory #1. We Must Take The Good With The Bad.
Job 2:10 (NLT) Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never
anything bad?”
Catergory #2. Right Place, Right Time, Wrong Place, Wrong Time.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned and saw under the sun that–
The race is not to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor bread to the wise,
Nor riches to men of understanding,
Nor favor to men of skill;
But time and chance happen to them all.
Catergory #3. Be Ready: It Could Happen To You.
Luke 13:4 (NLT) And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in
Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
Luke 13:5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
Catergory #4. Don’t Worry, It’s None Of Your Business.
John 21:18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you
liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go.
But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and
take you where you don’t want to go.”
John 21:19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify
God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
John 21:20 Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—
the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will
betray you?”
John 21:21 Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?”
John 21:22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to
you? As for you, follow me.
Catergory #5. God Is Not Obligated To Explain Himself To Us.
Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…”
Isaiah 45:15 ” Truly you are a God who hides Himself.”
Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,”
says the Lord.
Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher
than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Romans 11:33 “… How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Psalm 139:2 “… You know my thoughts even when I’m far away
Psalm 139:3 “… You know everything I do.”
Psalm 139:4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save
He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
