092. Final Words | Studies In Malachi Part 8: The Covenant Of Levi Sermon Snippets With Max Taylor podcast

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Malachi 4:5-6 In John the Baptist, we learn the encouraging lesson of how to deal with our struggles and doubts. And he may not be the entire fulfillment of this prophecy, the tribulation will tell whether Elijah will be one of the two witnesses in the final days. The alternative to heeding the message of repentance and the hope of the gospel is the curse, which is the last word of the Old Testament. May we heed the law spoken by God’s servant Moses and turn to Christ instead!…

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103. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 19: The Doubts of John the Baptist 15:00

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Malachi 4:5-6 John the Baptist came up back in Episode #97, or Part 13 of this study, where we mentioned his birth, life and ministry, and message of judgment. Today we see him mentioned again (as a type of Elijah) at the end of Malachi. This brings us to Matthew 11:1-15, where we see his doubts of Christ. Jesus lovingly responds by telling the people about John the Baptist and how he fulfilled the prophecy of the coming of Elijah. To those who might be struggling with doubts, this passage teaches us to deal with doubts by (1) looking to Christ - whether it be in the still small voice as with Elijah or in seeing the miracles and teachings of Jesus as with John, (2) not being offended at Christ- Paul said I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, we are called to endure hardness, and (3) quietly serving God where He has you, even if that is in waiting.…

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102. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 18: Dawn of a New Day 15:00

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Malachi 4:1-3 The day is coming when we will be tried by fire to see what will really last. And at that time, all that we will have done in this life will be over. The opportunities past. Time will be up. There will be only two outcomes—being consumed away by God’s holiness, or being cherished as a tender calf. The wicked have their day coming, but those who follow God will be refreshed with the healing presence of the Son of Righteousness.…

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101. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 17: Crown Jewels of Jesus 15:00

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Malachi 3:16-18 We didn’t quite get to these final verses last time, but that’s okay because I would love to spend the whole episode today looking at them! This is an interesting passage that mentions such things as God’s book on the righteous and important matters related to end times doctrine, but the greatest reward is being with God. Be mindful of Christ’s imminent return throughout this week. We are trophies!…

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100. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 16: Accusations, Apathy, and Awards 15:00

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Malachi 3:13-16 We look at our last accusation today, statement #8 in which the children admire the works of the wicked. It might seem like a long way away from where we are, but this progression starts small. Don’t get to the point where you are apathetic in your walk with God, it leads to departure from Him altogether. Thankfully, we don’t have to be part of that crowd, we can be the faithful who are described at the end of chapter three, who receive rewards for staying true to God.…

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099. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 15: God’s Promises to Us and Israel 15:00

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Malachi 3:10-12 We are challenged here to give God the little bit that we have (rather than trying to keep it for ourselves) and then see how He will bless us. There is nothing more fulfilling than living for the Lord and trusting His promises. This does not mean life will be easy, but we can depend upon God’s promises to meet our needs, just as Israel can trust God’s promises to make them a blessing and cause the land to be fruitful.…

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098. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 14: Back-to-Back Questions 15:00

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Malachi 3:7-10 We’re covering questions six and seven in our episode today. And we are learning that when we are not close to God, we are often confused, accusatory of God, and stubborn in our ways. Rather than resorting to these reactions, we should return to the Lord, and we will find that in humble and simple obedience to Him, He will richly bless us with spiritual sustaining grace.…

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097. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 13: Preparing People for the Lord 15:00

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Malachi 3:1, 4-6 This is the first of two times we will look at John the Baptist in our study through the book of Malachi. John is really a near type of messenger of God and Christ is the ultimate messenger sent from the Father. When Jesus began His earthly ministry, John was subordinate to Him in every way, shifting the focus and the attention onto Him. That is exactly how we should be.…

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096. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 12: Setting the Stage for Hope 15:00

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Malachi 2:17-3:3 After a quick recap of the Lord’s accusations against the Israelites, we zero in on the weariness of God with the people. It is important that we properly understand the indifference and apathy as the backdrop against which God gives hope in the coming prophecy. Jesus shows us God’s faithfulness, justice, and His ultimate desire for restoration. God’s desire is for us to be made righteous so that we can serve Him in a way acceptable to Him. Can’t wait to dig in deeper in the coming weeks!…

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095. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 11: The Magnitude of Marriage 15:00

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Malachi 2:14-17 We close off the chapter by looking at God’s purpose and the beautiful spiritual picture of marriage to represent our union with God made possible through Christ. There are some good lessons on marriage from these verses that we should glean, as well as a warning about divorce or viewing marriage too loosely. Then Malachi closes out with a description of God’s weariness at the people’s apathy and indifference. Looking forward to starting into chapter 3 next week!…

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094. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 10: When God Denies Offerings 15:00

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Malachi 2:10-13 We see two sad realities concerning the children of Israel in today’s verses, their callousness towards each other and their lack of commitment to God. They took awful advantage of one another and they arrogantly refused God’s love and instead pursued a strange woman as it were. These acts were not taken lightly by God. He denied their offerings and did not regard their cries to Him because of their insincerity. May these things not be true of us. May we worship God supremely and repent sincerely so that our service to Him would be acceptable in His sight!…

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093. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 9: …Which He Ought to Have Loved 15:00

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Malachi 2:10-11 Today we are just beginning to look at these verses, and we are seeing that how we treat one another is directly linked to how we treat God, just as New Testament books like 1 John teach. Their cold treatment of their brethren (brethren in a spiritual sense) was connected to their abandonment of God to pursue their own selfish desires. We will continue to unpack these thoughts next episode.…

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092. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 8: The Covenant of Levi 15:00

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Malachi 2:7-11 This rebuke is relevant for us because as New Testament believers, we are all priests. We have been dedicated to God just as the Levites and the firstborn of the Israelites before them. So when we read this indictment, we ought to read it from the viewpoint that it could be addressing us as priests. What are we doing with the covenant of Levi that we have inherited?…

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091. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 7: Will You Take It to Heart? 15:00

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Malachi 2:1-7 I love that God’s Word is personal, its messages are directed to us individually. And it is also sufficient to meet our deepest needs and speak into our deepest problems. The question is, will we take His Word to heart? The Levites of this time failed that question, but it didn’t have to be that way. We can take God seriously. We can share Him with others and be a mouthpiece for truth in our communities. May we pray for strength to do just that.…

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090. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 6: A Great King 15:00

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Malachi 1:12-14 In the final verses of Malachi chapter one, God contrasts the sad condition of Israel with His own greatness. The people are described as defiling and destroying God’s name, calling the table of the Lord marred, and counting God a weariness, and God will not accept their offering. But then we get a glimpse of Him. Perfect, exalted, loving, holy, a great king. May we fix our thoughts on Him and shift our gaze to Him for the year ahead.…

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089. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 5: Exchanging God for Gain 15:00

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Malachi 1:10-11 As we continue to unpack accusations two and three, God traces the root of their problem to covetousness. It is our love for other things that creep in and redirect our love for God that causes us to offer unworthy service to Him, profane His name, and ultimately question His love for us. God shows His people here that their greed and desire for gain is what caused contempt for the Lord to fester. And as a result, God had contempt for the people. In the end, the Lord will be glorified in the earth, the question is will He accept our worship?…

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088. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 4: Stop Justifying Yourself! 15:00

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Malachi 1:6-9 We cover the next two questions against God today. The people’s offering showed what they really thought about God’s name. Their thoughts of God corrupted their service for God. Because they didn’t appreciate His love, they didn’t view Him as a loving Father, and therefore they did not offer Him their best. Are we offering God less than we would offer someone else? We need to stop justifying ourselves and humbly accept God’s assessment of our lives before Him.…

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087. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 3: Doubting God’s Love 15:00

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Malachi 1:1-5 When God describes you as having a certain attitude, you do. It is so important that we realize it is only by being near to God that we can actually discover ourselves. We must spend time with Him, not only to know His thoughts towards us, but so that He can reveal our true thoughts towards Him. If you are struggling with knowing God loves you (and you might not have even realized it), just think on the cross of Calvary and let God’s love astonish you all over again. He does love you! And He proved it when Jesus died for your sin. If you would like to hear the poem “Let the Stable Still Astonish” by Leslie Leyland Fields, the Breckenhorst Singers have quite a nice version of it. You can listen at the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RIDYrtvn6Y…

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086. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 2: On Questioning God 15:00

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Outline of Malachi There are eight rebuttals against the children of Israel in this short book, and God describes the people as having these views: “Wherein hast thou loved us?” (1:2) “Wherein have we despised thy name?” (1:6) “Wherein have we polluted thee?” (1:7) “Wherefore?” (2:14) “Wherein have we wearied him?” (2:17) “Wherein shall we return?” (3:7) “Wherein have we robbed thee?” (3:8) “What have we spoken so much against thee?” (3:13) It is significant that there are eight of them since the number eight in the Bible symbolizes a new era, which certainly took place during the silence that was implemented after this book. We will get into the details more in our next episode as we dive into the first accusation.…

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085. Final Words | Studies in Malachi Part 1: My Messenger 15:00

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Background to Malachi Welcome to the last words of God before the coming of the Messiah to the world. These writings precede over four hundred years of silence from God before the He broke the silence with the glorious announcements that the promises of the Messiah (and of this prophecy) were being fulfilled. Today we lay the groundwork for this book and introduce the theme of these special words from God to mankind.…

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084. 10x Consolation 28:58

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2 Corinthians 1:3-7 The words “comfort” and “consolation” appear ten times in this short passage. In today’s bonus episode, we are going to pause and reflect on Christ’s consolation in the midst of our suffering in this life. And we also remember the imminent rapture of believers which will end all suffering for the followers of God.…

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083. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 26: Suffering—the Challenge to Endure 15:00

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1 Peter 5:5-14 Hope is the thread that runs through the entirety of this epistle, and it goes all the way to the end. In the concluding statements, Peter instructs us believers to continue in the daily disciplines listed here, to understand the duration of our suffering, and to keep our eyes on the final destination. May we be able to say as Paul did that none of these things move us when we are faced with suffering. When we have the hope spoken of here, we will surely be filled with peace as he wishes in his final verse.…

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082. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 25: Suffering—the Command to the Elder 15:00

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1 Peter 5:1-4 When it comes to pastoral qualifications, many of us turn to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, however I have grown to treasure this section in 1 Peter 5 as one of the best passages on God’s expectations for a pastor. Unfortunately, many pastors have “cared more about the mission than the people. And they [don’t] realize that the people are the mission (July Roys Report Podcast ‘The Body of Christ Keeps the Score,’ 28:10).” We need far fewer superhero pastors and far more pastors who are willing to be servants. May we all learn to follow Christ in servanthood, even in our suffering as He did.…

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081. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 24: Suffering—the Call to Everyone 15:00

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1 Peter 4:12-19 The end of chapter four and the majority of chapter 5 contains some of the best condensed teaching on suffering, in my opinion. We have already mentioned suffering several times as we have gone through this book, and I think that is one of the major themes God had in mind for this book. Chapter four closes with some helpful reminders and straightforward charges on how to handle suffering. Next week we will look at the pastor’s role in helping people walk through suffering.…

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Taking a Short Break 1:33

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We are taking some time to both reflect back and also plan for future episodes. We plan to be back next week with our regular episode as we study through the book of 1 Peter. Thank you for listening to the weekly Bible study!

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080. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 23: The Stories of Suffering 15:00

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1 Peter 4 There is suffering all around us in real, bitter, even sickening ways that make our hearts sink and our stomachs turn. And there are disappointments and hardships and sorrows that we all carry with us. I don’t have the answers to all of the heartaches people face, but I do know that God gives us hope in the midst of all of it. Look to Him in your suffering, He is the source of hope. “Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:19-26…

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079. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 22: Blessings of Suffering 15:00

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1 Peter 4:1-11 Before we get into how to handle and deal with suffering, the text takes a look at some benefits to suffering. This in no way minimizes or marginalizes the suffering and pain that it brings, but it does help us to see that God works all things out for good according to His will. May these verses help our outlook and inspire us to live holy separated lives for the glory of God!…

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078. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 21: A Theological Prelude to Suffering 15:00

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1 Peter 3:18-22 The last several verses in 1 Peter 3 are tricky because they involve some deeper theological topics such as (1) Penal Substitutional Atonement, (2) Christ preaching to Spirits in prison, (3) the days of Noah, (4) the figure of baptism, and (5) the authority and power of Christ. We will touch on each of these only briefly in order to get an overview of how the theology ties into the overarching theme of suffering. This episode really lays the groundwork for what we will be getting into in chapter 4. It is also important to note that hope really begins with theology and doctrine. So if we want to learn how to endure suffering, we must start here.…

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077. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 20: Compelled to Live for Christ 15:00

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1 Peter 3:13-17 Here we see a compelling case to live for the Lord in righteousness, joy, holiness, and the peace that comes from a pure conscience. As believers, we can expect suffering and persecution, but we can still remain joyful and experience God’s peace through the rough times. Though these trials are hard and painful, suffering for well-doing produces sweet fruit unto the Lord. Our responsibility is to maintain a good conscience, keeping God preeminent, and sharing our hope with others irrespective of what we are going through. This is acceptable with God. May we learn to handle suffering graciously, allowing it to sanctify God in our lives and point others to the hope that is found exclusively in him.…

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076. Our Living Hope | Studies in 1 Peter Part 19: Commitment to Christ & Courtesy for Others 15:00

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