Stephen Bailey - Sunday, 11 June 2023
Half-hearted
Scripture References: Malachi 1:6-14, Malachi 2:1-9, Psalms 22:1-31, Leviticus 1:1-10
Gathering Growing Going
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CloseHave you ever been half-hearted about something? Have you ever had the attitude of near enough is good enough? Do you ever think like this about your relationship with God? Today, we see God rebuking his people, in particular the priests, for their half-hearted attitude to their worship of Him. God had proved His love for His people. He had chosen Abraham and the line of Jacob to be His people. He made a covenant with them at Mt Sinai. He continued to show grace and mercy to His people. God loved His people. But they were not showing love back. The people’s half-heartedness was demonstrated through their poor, blemished, shoddy, second rate, dodgy offerings for the sacrifices. They didn’t think God loved them, and so didn’t give God their best. The consequences as we will see are quite staggering and shocking, but God’s grace is even greater!!
Scripture References: Malachi 1:6-14, Malachi 2:1-9, Psalms 22:1-31, Leviticus 1:1-10
Related Topics: Minor Prophet, Worship | More Messages from Stephen Bailey | Download Audio
Tim Baxter
Matthew 14:22-36, Isaiah 40:1-31
Tim Baxter
The Department of Home Affairs has an Australian Values Statement on its website. Visa applicants for residency/citizenship must sign this. And one of its key principles is that we are a ‘fair-go’ country. We would all agree with that. I suspect, too, that we would summarise our ‘fair go’ culture by stating that ‘you get what you deserve/what you work for’. In fact, many of us have established our relational, social and work ethics on this very principle. But is that what the ‘kingdom of heaven is like’? What is its value statement? What is the hallmark of such a kingdom, and its ruler, even its citizenship? Today, after Jesus has assured his disciples that the dependent will be provided for by their king, he now uses the same ideas to issue with them a warning not to abuse, misuse, ignore or become entitled in the face of the kingdom of heaven hallmark—which is grace.
Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
The book of Esther recounts a period where God's people are in exile, aliens in a foreign land. Sounds like our time doesn't it? Even when God seems absent, He is at work. The great reversal of power at the heart of the universe has already taken place. Jesus won victory over death on the cross and in His resurrection. Satan the great enemy of God and His people, has been defeated. We wait in the now but not yet. Waiting for the Lord Jesus to return and give His people relief and rest. But as we wait, we share the good news of the gospel, call people to faith in Jesus, faithfully endure persecution, knowing that our deliverance is assured.
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