https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Perceptions-of-Gods-Word.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tText: Malachi 3:16-4:3<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. The prophet Malachi declared there would be a distinction between the wicked and\nrighteous\n A. The rising day would burn the wicked like chaff, but serve as healing balm for the\nrighteous.\n
B. The same event produces two dramatically different results. <\/p>\n
C. The result did not depend on the event but on the recipient.<\/p>\n
D. Acts 17:22-34 – Same message yields different responses<\/p>\n
II. The attitude of the righteous to God’s word<\/p>\n
A. It is a light burden<\/p>\n 1. Matthew 11:29-30 – Obligations are incurred, but ones that are easily\nmanaged.\n 2. I John 5:3 – We must keep the commandments of God, which is not\ndrudgery but beneficial to us.\n
B. They are doable<\/p>\n 1. God has never given commands that are out of the reach of men –\nDeuteronomy 30:10-14\n
C. They are enjoyable<\/p>\n
1. Proverbs 3:13-18 – The wisdom of God was given for our benefit<\/p>\n
2. Psalm 19:7-11 – The beauty of God’s law<\/p>\n
D. They bring peace<\/p>\n
1. The words of Christ bring peace to the hearer – John 16:33<\/p>\n
2. His purpose in coming was to guide us to the way of peace – Luke 1:79<\/p>\n
3. Psalm 119:165 – nothing causes them to stumble<\/p>\n
III. The attitude of the wicked to God’s word is quite different<\/p>\n
A. It is foolishness<\/p>\n
1. I Corinthians 1:18 – Yet that foolishness will lead to their destruction<\/p>\n
2. I Corinthians 2:14 – He cannot understand what is spiritually discerned.<\/p>\n
B. It causes them to stumble<\/p>\n 1. Matthew 11:2-6 – Jesus causes people to chose. They ignore him to their\nperil because they will stumble over what they refuse to see.\n
2. His teachings at time offended his audience – Matthew 15:10-14<\/p>\n
3. Christ is a stumbling stone to those who will not believe – I Peter 2:6-8<\/p>\n
4. It is the reason the Jews did not accept Christ – Romans 9:32-33<\/p>\n
C. It does not give them what they want<\/p>\n
1. Some tried following Jesus for the food he provided – John 6:26-27<\/p>\n
2. Jesus told them to desire spiritual food – John 6:59-65<\/p>\n
D. They refuse to listen – Jeremiah 6:16-19<\/p>\n
E. It is too restrictive<\/p>\n 1. The way to truth is narrow and few will find and enter thereby – Matthew\n7:13-14\n
2. Only few will be saved – Luke 13:23-24<\/p>\n
IV. God’s word is both a fire and a rock – Jeremiah 23:28-29<\/p>\n
A. It inspires the believer with passion – Jeremiah 20:9<\/p>\n B. But it destroys the unbeliever – burning him and shattering him – Jeremiah 5:14;\nMatthew 21:43-44\n
V. What is your attitude towards God’s word? Will you accept its teachings?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Text: Malachi 3:16-4:3 I. The prophet Malachi declared there would be a distinction between the wicked and righteous A. The rising day would burn the wicked like chaff, but serve as healing balm for the righteous. B. The same event produces two dramatically different results. C. The result did not depend on the event but on the recipient.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[634,219,238,987],"class_list":["post-25083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-attitude","tag-bible","tag-righteousness","tag-wickedness"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54593,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-malachi-316-18-saying\/","url_meta":{"origin":25083,"position":0},"title":"What is Malachi 3:16-18 saying?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hey Jeffrey, Can you please help me understand what's going on in Malachi 3:16-18? Is this text saying God is pleased with those who think about Him and meditate about Him? Is it saying He rewards those who do so and fear Him? Answer: \"Then those who feared the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36225,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-i-tell-my-friend-that-homosexuality-is-wrong\/","url_meta":{"origin":25083,"position":1},"title":"Do I tell my friend that homosexuality is wrong?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: One of my friends, who has been depressed, is a bit more open-hearted to Christianity than my other friends. I've seen her praying. She's said to me she's going to pray for something a few times. But she is bi, and she's in love with a girl, who's in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62902,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-justice-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":25083,"position":2},"title":"The Justice of God","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 13, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Habakkuk 1:1-4 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The prophet Habakkuk was upset with God \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Wickedness and violence abounded in the world around him. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jeremiah asked much the same question: Why do the wicked prosper? - Jeremiah 12:1-4 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is an old question. Job asked it - Job 21:7-15 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Asaph\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54275,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-burden-of-malachi\/","url_meta":{"origin":25083,"position":3},"title":"The Burden of Malachi","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wesley Key The Minor Prophets","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24727,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-psalms-3728-be-used-to-prove-the-perseverance-of-the-saints\/","url_meta":{"origin":25083,"position":4},"title":"Can Psalms 37:28 be used to prove the perseverance of the saints?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does Psalms 37:28 teach perseverance of the saints and once saved, always saved? (Psalms 37:28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.) The preserved forever part. Answer: \"I have been young\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53359,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/rituals-dont-cancel-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":25083,"position":5},"title":"Rituals Don’t Cancel Sin","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 58:1-14 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Men get into their minds that they need to make God listen to them \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Like a child holding his breath, they believe that if they suffer, then God will listen \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There were false religions based on self-inflicted pain to gain their god\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25083\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}