February 15, 2015 | Malachi 1:6-14 |
Pastor Gary Combs continues the sermon series, “A Dialogue with God: An Exposition of Malachi,” with this message from Malachi 1:6-14. In this message three ways are given on how we can offer worship that honors God.
February 8, 2015 | Malachi 1:1-5 |
Pastor Gary Combs begins a new 8-week series through the book of Malachi entitled, “A Dialogue With God.” This first message covers Malachi 1:1-5 and is entitled, “How Have You Loved Us?” In this message, Pastor Gary teaches how God answers our questions about the nature of His love.
December 31, 2014
“And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5 NLT).
“Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:6 NLT).
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised” (Proverbs 31:30 NLT).
As we finish up the OYB readings for 2014, here are verses from each reading from the last books of the Old and New Testaments and the last chapters of Psalms and Proverbs. As I’m sure others have noticed, even though the Bible is made up of sixty-six books, it has an amazing unity. Though it was written over a period of over fifteen hundred years, in three distinct languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) on three separate continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe), by at least forty human writers from vastly differing fields, perspectives, and backgrounds, it still reads as one book. Why? Because they all wrote under the direction of the one Spirit of God.
Notice in the above four verses the unifying themes: Fear of God, praise of God, eternal life, the Lord as our light, eternal reward… Perhaps the Proverbs 31 reading seems a little out of place, until we consider that the bride is often a metaphor for the Church. Taken in this way, the Proverbs reading joins in the harmonious chorus of Christ and His Bride enjoying all of eternity together.
December 30, 2014
Do you ever question God’s love? The exiled Jews that had returned to Jerusalem did. They were happy to be home again, yet they were still under Persian rule and the former glory of their city was a mere memory. They wondered, how has God “loved us?” God’s reply through His prophet Malachi is both startling and mysterious: “I loved Jacob,” but hated his twin brother Esau. In other words, God chose to love them with an exclusive love long before they were even born. Like a groom who chooses his bride, rejecting all others, so God chose Jacob (Israel) and rejected Esau. It is God’s choosing to love us that makes it possible for us to respond. God’s love initiates. As Jesus told His disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). When Paul explained how God has loved us to the Romans, he wrote, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). How has God loved us? By choosing to love us when we were unlovable.
July 7, 2014 | Malachi 2:10-15 |
Pastor Gary Combs concludes the FAIL series with this message from Malachi about God’s wonderful provision for us called marriage. A growing number of people today are choosing to live together rather than commit to marriage. About 2/3 of them say it’s because they don’t want to experience divorce. But God’s Word offers a better strategy, one that offers four words of blessing for us in marriage. These four words are: Creation, Covenant, Celebration and Commitment.
December 31, 2013
“‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).
As the year 2013 ends and so our readings from the OYB, it seems appropriate to quote verses from the last books of both Testaments. In the OT reading from Malachi we read of a coming “Day of the Lord” (Hebrew: Yom Yahweh) that will be preceded by a preparer of the way, Elijah. In the gospels, Jesus taught that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophecy, coming in the spirit of Elijah. This was the first “coming.” In the last book of the NT, the apostle John closes the Revelation with another “coming,” this one has yet to occur. I’m sure the contemporaries of Malachi wondered what year, what day would be the DAY. Perhaps they even doubted it would ever arrive. But it did. I wonder what 2014 holds for us?
December 30, 2012
God was displeased with the priests and people of Israel because their hearts didn’t line up with their worship. He told them to stop bringing blemished offerings and breaking their marriage vows, for these exposed their true idolatrous hearts. Heaven forbid that God would feel this way about our worship, that He would want us to lock the church’s doors until we can enter again in repentance. As 2012 winds down, let us ask God to examine our hearts and strengthen us to live wholeheartedly for Him. Let’s fling the church doors wide open in 2013!
December 30, 2011
Marriage is sacred. God sets it apart as an expression of His Trinitarian Oneness and as the means for raising godly children. Individuals and society experiment with marriage at their own risk. God is passionate about His purpose for marriage.