SOME THINGS ARE NOT EASY

MALACHI 1

Pastor Rick Jackson

Someone has said, “If it was easy. Everyone would be doing it.”

Jack Wyrtzen, the man God used to found Word of Life, once said, “We’re not suggesting you move out of the will of God. You be a pastor- you’ve got a fight on your hands. You be a missionary -you’ve got a fight on your hands. It’s going to be rough, tough, don’t do it if you can do anything else! But if the Holy Spirit of God constrains you- don’t do anything else!”

Now here we have the Word of God telling us what to do! And it’s not always easy! But God says it so it’s worth obeying.

I. SOME THINGS ARE NOT EASY TO SAY [v. 1]

1. The “Burden” of the Lord

2. The Recipients of the Burden - Israel [But applicable to us - 1 Corinthians 10:6]

3. The Vessel of the Lord - Malachi - whose very name means messenger

II. SOME THINGS ARE NOT EASY TO ACCEPT [v. 2-8]

1. God Loves Us -even Knowing us [v. 2-4]

Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

2. God is Not Honored by Religion [v. 5-6]

3. God is Not impressed by Man’s Offerings [v. 7-8]

III. SOME THINGS ARE NOT EASY TO HEAR [v. 9-14]

1. Position will not Prevent Chastening [v. 9, Hebrews 11:6]

2. Motives Are Taken Into Account [v. 10]

3. God Expects Our Best [v. 11-14, Mt. 22:37-40]