Last Words First-Malachi

MARRIAGE: COVENANT OR BREAKING FAITH

Malachi 2

A PASTORAL LETTER

Dearest family,

Embedded in the text we looked at on Sunday, Malachi chapter 2, are at least two key references that are each repeated several times. They were:
1. Covenant: vs. 4, 5, 5, 8, 10, 14
2. Breaking faith: vs. 10, 11, 14, 15, 16
In other words this is all about an evaluation of how God’s covenant people, are living up to their commitments to a covenant-keeping God. The faithfulness of God is exposing the faithlessness of God’s people. So…how are we doing when it comes to what we have covenanted to be and do for God? How faithful are we? How are we keeping our part of the covenant we made? If you are a Christian and a reader of scripture you will be more than familiar with the meaning and significance of covenant. To quote one OT scholar, (Dryness) “It is at the heart of the biblical notion of history…it is the core of the Hebrew understanding of their relationship with God.” Confirming this, another OT scholar (Harrison) writes that the Hebrews were unique in the way that they interpreted “the whole of their national existence in terms of a solemn covenantal agreement” with God. But it is also the fundamental nature of our understanding as NT Christians of the work of Jesus and our relationship with Jesus, who inaugurated a new covenant in his blood. The ultimate consummation of this covenant is presented as the marriage supper of the lamb. All spiritual relationship, all relationship with God, all of God’s relationship with us, is about a covenant.

So what is a covenant? It has been defined as agreement between two parties based on a promise. It includes at least these four elements:

ο an undertaking of committed faithfulness made by one party to another
ο the acceptance of that undertaking by the other party
ο public knowledge of such an undertaking and its acceptance
ο the growth of a personal relationship based on and expressive of such a commitment.

In scripture this is best summarized in the oft-repeated formulation: “You will be my people and I will be your God.” (Jer.30:22) In Malachi, there is specific mention of the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Equally, God presents his relationship with men and women as a marriage covenant. Throughout scripture there is an interplay between these two covenant marriages as one irradiates and informs the other. This similarity is seen in the common constituent elements they share, and has been well summarized by someone (Dunstan) like this:

1. An initiative of love creates the relationship and invites a response
2. The covenant is made sure by an oath, a vow that guards against the fickleness or fitfulness of just a temporary emotional bond
3. The covenant requires faithfulness to certain obligations
4. Blessing is promised as a fruit or reward of faithfulness to these covenant obligations
5. Sacrifice is involved as the covenant demands of the parties a willingness, determination and commitment to pay the price for its perpetuity and success.

Nowhere is this more graphically expressed than in Ezekiel 16:8 where God says to Israel, “I passed by and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the border of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you a solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the sovereign Lord, and you became mine…I will remember the covenant I made with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.”

From Genesis to Revelation, God expresses his relationship with his creation in covenantal terms. When it comes to covenant, God makes it, remembers it, establishes it, keeps it, is ever mindful of it, commands it, confirms it. Sadly, in opposition to all those positive verbs, man is constantly breaking it, forgetting it, forsaking it, transgressing it. Malachi is an illustration of all of this. Chapter two is:

ο An investigation of the state of the people’s covenant commitment;
ο An indictment of covenant breaking in their personal and national life;
ο An invitation to respond to God before the curses of the covenant are enacted.

It’s not enough to talk vaguely and generally about one’s relationship with God. We can all airbrush it sufficiently to come out sounding reasonably OK. Was this not exactly what Israel was doing in Malachi’s time? Attending the temple? Sure. But attendance at worship did not mean the same as attentiveness to God. Giving offerings? Sure. But God saw that what was being given was the left-overs, not the first-fruits. Hanging out with the others? Sure. But God comments on their broken relationships. Coming to the altar and weeping? Sure. But God says that their tears were for self not for sin. How does God throw a light on the true nature of their covenant relationship with Him? By putting the spotlight on some other subordinate covenant relationships. Someone has wisely said, “You test the reality of your commitment to live in covenant with God by evaluating the level of commitment to the lesser covenants of your life.” This goes along with what John wrote in his first epistle, 4:20 – Anyone who does not love his brother who he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

This is exactly what Malachi does. He looks at covenantal commitments in three areas of relationships: with the priests, with the people, and with partners in marriage. You will have to get the tape/CD to get the details as space is running out here. In summary:

Priests: they are not loyal to God, not committed to God, not fulfilling their ministry obligations. Clearly this is a charge against spiritual leadership, particularly those who bear the public face of pastoral ministry, yet in Malachi’s words, fail on two counts: they fail to listen to God and therefore fail to speak for God. Their original call, to example a godly life, and to exhort the people through their teaching, had long since been abandoned. They were meant to be marked by: reverence, revelation and righteousness. And lest you feel too comfortable and say that it’s all the leaders’ fault, let me remind you of the NT’s presentation of the priesthood – the priesthood of all believers – so it is not enough anymore for the ministrations that God requires, to be expressed by a few but by all. So how are all of us, as NT priests, fulfilling the covenant? What is the example of your life? What is the state of the word in you, and your capacity to exhort others in the ways of God? What is the state of your devotion, your study, your sacrifice, your sexual purity? Someone commenting on this chapter has said that it is a terrifying picture of how a church can do more harm than good: when there is a failure of its members to personally listen to the Lord, when there is no presentation of biblical truth, when people do not seek instruction, or get weary of it, where there is no personal engagement with the ministry of Jesus to others. In Malachi, the breaking of the covenant, the breaking of faith, is seen in the dereliction of priestly duty and service.

People: they are not loyal to each other, to the responsibilities of the spiritual family, to fellowship. When it comes to the worship service, they’ll show up to worship but they’re not into service. Malachi talks about the “covenant of the fathers.” Their covenant was with THE Father. “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?” If they have a common father then they should have a common DNA of commitment. So why then is there such a lack of unity and consistency, such variations of passion and commitment, such a range of involvement? How can people who claim the same father bear so little family resemblance when it comes to spiritual commitment? How can a common covenant produce this situation where some are sold out but most are part-timers. How did the covenant ever become about what was convenient. Are they really related to the Father? Malachi is clear, almost in a NT sense, of the way that those who fail to live covenantally, fail the whole covenant community, sin against the entire fellowship. They think that spiritual life is solo, without responsibilities, without obligations, and without consequences, and don’t realize that such attitudes and behaviors actually put the community at risk. No, the covenant has obligations! But Malachi also makes another serious charge against the people, in his reference to their mixed marriages. They were marrying outside their faith – “marrying the daughter of a foreign God.” Admixture was the beginning of a process of backsliding. It is about a call to holiness. It is not about being exclusive but about being clean. It is not about being a social separatist but about being spiritually separated from what God has clearly said you should not carry on with. Again, Malachi points out that personal sin is viewed by God as “desecrating the sanctuary the Lord loves.” The breaking of faith, the breaking of covenant is seen in the way that personal sin, personal lack of wholeheartedness for God, admixture, has affected the effectiveness of the community and spoiled fellowship and brotherly relationship.

Partners: marital partners are not loyal to their spouses, not committed to their covenantal marital vows and obligations. The zoom lens has moved from priests, to people to what is going on behind closed doors in marriages. Once again, it is the strength of divine communication here that is so gripping and confrontational. The breakdown of the marriage covenant among God’s people is presented as the final straw – the ultimate factor that explains why God is not responding to the nation. The focus seems to be very much on the men, as no less than four times they are addressed: the wife of your youth (v.14); your partner (v.14); the wife of your marriage covenant (v.14); the wife of your youth (v.15) The situation is that men are abandoning their wives for younger women, and mostly non-Jews at that. These are divorces that are happening in the second or maybe even the third decade of marriage. God’s attitude to divorce, and His revelation about the nature and effects of it, are blunt and radical. So many points are made in this passage. Marriage is a one-flesh creation (in keeping with Genesis text) God only gave “one” spouse. It was not that he ran out of “breath” in creation! The Hebrew text here implies the idea of a residue of spirit, as if God could have made another woman but did not. The point is that “one-man / one-woman” is divinely ordained. God had a desire for godly marital relationship because he was also committed to the generations and longed for “godly offspring.” This text alone conveys the holocaust of pain and suffering that is reaped by a generation that is born into marital breakdown and anarchy – where the kindness and goodness and faithfulness of God is no longer reflected and exampled and exhorted in the relationship of the marriage. (What is your marital relationship teaching your children?) God is opposed to divorce and expresses his feelings about it in the strongest emotional language ever associated with divine feelings. All attempts to rationalize, familiarize, marginalize scriptural teaching about marriage or divorce, have to do so with an accountability to these divine responses, and to God’s description of the violations and violence that it causes. We learn that despite the number of reasons given for divorce, (and I’ll deal with these and scriptural “exceptions” later) the root issue is a matter of the spirit, not the spouse. If something is amiss in the relationship, regardless of how it is being expressed, the spiritual nature of the problem needs to be addressed. “Guard your spirit… and do not break faith.” Failure to guard the inner life is an invitation to be vulnerable to break faith, first with the Lord, then with your partner.

As I shared at the end of the teaching, thank God that he is a covenant-keeping God, and that in and through the new covenant with us in Jesus’ sacrifice, covenant-breakers can once again be covenant-makers! May the Lord encourage our covenant relationships this week and may they especially be a source of much thanksgiving to God. Happy Thanksgiving!


Pastorally yours,

Stuart

http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download MP3 audio of sermon)

For Prayer

Fastina Calderone, our dear nursery “grandma”, has died. Please pray for comfort for her family and all the children she cared for who loved and miss her.

Announcements

You are invited to Corrie Remembers, Monday, December 3, 7:30pm at COSC. An offering will be taken. This moving and inspirational one-woman drama will be performed by Susan Sandager. She portrays Corrie ten Boom, a Christian woman who hid Jews in her home in Nazi occupied Holland during the Holocaust. Listen as Corrie relates the story of her extraordinary family and their allegiance to the Jewish people.

Silent Auction for Costa Rica Trip: The COSC Youth are organizing a silent auction to raise funds for the 2008 mission trip to Costa Rica. If you are interested in supporting the event by donating auction items or helping to organize it, contact John Stofer (johnfstofer@yahoo.com; 202-834-2311) or Scott Herbert (scottherbert5@yahoo.com; 202-550-3299). The auction will be at COSC on December 15, from 7:00pm—9:00pm.

Ladies — You’re invited to a Women of the Word Advent Evening Tea - 7:00pm - Monday, December 10, 2007 Bring an ornament to exchange.

You are invited to a Peace Bazaar Saturday, Dec 1 from 9am-3pm at COSC. You can help support organizations that are improving the quality of lives at home and internationally by purchasing handicrafts — great for gifts!

Turkey and All the Trimmings: For those in town this Thanksgiving holiday, we would like to invite you over for Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings! Thursday, November 22, 5:30PM. We will provide the Turkey and cranberry sauce. We would love it if you could come with a favorite side dish to share (hot, cold or dessert). Drop in for desert or stay all afternoon with us watching some of our favorite classic movies. Come eat until you are stuffed. (314 15th Street NE, Washington DC) Happy Thanksgiving! - Karen, Melissa and Emmanuel RSVP: 202-547-8807 or Karen@kidsave.org

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FOR RENT-CAPITOL HILL: Two guys are looking for a third to fill out their two bedroom, two bathroom apartment at 700 F Street NE (corner of 7th and F St). The renter gets their own bedroom and bathroom in this second story apartment located roughly 6 blocks east of Union Station metro. Apartment gets good light and has washer/dryer. No dishwasher (darn!) but brand new sink garbage disposal (nice!). $700/ month plus utils. Water is included. Luke, lukearmerding@gmail.com or Brett, brett.swearingen@mail.house.gov

Invite an IJM intern to your home: International Justice Mission is a Christian law firm that offers free legal services for the poor who live in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each semester, IJM chooses some of the most qualified college students and recent graduates in the nation and world to serve at IJM’s headquarters or at one of our field offices. IJM seeks families and individuals who can support the overall mission by providing these non-paid interns free or reduced rent during their spring semester, or during a one week training session in January. Please email volunteer@ijm.org if you are interested in this or future opportunities.

International student looking for housing while interning in Falls Church January 4 through February 26, 2008. Bridget Tanyi will be interning at: Legal Services of Northern Virginia, 6066 Leesburg Pike, Suite 500, Falls Church, VA 22041. Bridget, bmanyi@justice.com

CARE COMPANY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES:
Righteous Renovations needs workers Dec 1-15: evenings, weekends, daytime, whenever you can!
Little Lights Christmas: buy a child a gift for their Christmas party. (Drop off at COSC on Dec 9)

If you are interested in helping with either of these upcoming ministry opportunities, please contact Monique at the Care Company at (202) 544-8312 or carefordc@yahoo.com

Memorial Service for Brenda Lockard Saturday, December 8 at 11:00am Forcey Memorial Church, 2130 East Randolph Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904

THE ACCEPTABLES

Malachi 1:12-14

A PASTORAL LETTER

Dearest family,

From the outset of Malachi’s prophecy, we noted that the revelation of the compassion of God preceded the reiteration of the commands of God. His love preceded law, His devotedness preceded discipline, His care preceded correction, His forgiveness preceded their confession, His expression of faithfulness preceded the exposure of their faithlessness. Despite the state of the people, from their “blah” indifference to their defensive cynicism and aggressive agnosticism, God just puts his love for them right out there – one might add, in great danger of being rejected and crucified by their arrogance and ignorance. As in the messages to the churches in Revelation, the love of God confirms His people, before it confronts them. We saw on Sunday that the last part of chapter 1 is all about God’s response to their unacceptable offerings. All they were doing was in clear contradiction to the careful instructions that had been given in Leviticus. As a result, God charges them for defiling and profaning the “table of the Lord”, both by their attitude to sacrifice, and by what they actually brought to the table to be sacrificed. Both attitudes and actions came under God’s condemning scrutiny. It is heavy and serious stuff.

If I had been a pastor in Malachi’s time, a priest, listening to this prophecy, then I think I would want to teach the people about what made for an acceptable offering to God. God is clear in his denunciation of the unacceptable stuff, and they should have been clear too. But they were out of touch with the word, particularly Leviticus, as we have already seen. So that’s where I would take them, as I will take you, in order to encourage you about what makes for an acceptable offering of your life, substance and service to God. Leviticus is a book all about holiness, all about pleasing God, doing his will. I want to use the grain offering here as an illustration of how to make a good offering to God.

Of course, before I refer to Leviticus 2, I should say that there are many other scriptural principles that help us to know how to make acceptable offerings. Let me give some examples:

• Willingly – scripture is full of descriptions of “a freewill offering”. Acceptable offerings are not coerced, or reluctantly given, but come from a thankful heart. Does this gratitude characterize how you offer and give of your life and substance and service to God?
• Not holding anything back – in other words not giving to God or serving God like a scrupulous accountant with a calculator and a clock – billable hours for God! Does generosity mark your self giving and life-offering to God in substance and service?
• Without concern for cost – not giving to God what costs us nothing (2 Sam. 24:24) – not giving the “butt ends”, the unwanted, the undesirable, the dispensable, the unsacrificial. Does sacrifice mark the offering of your life and substance and service to God?
• In accordance with God’s word – 1 Chr. 23:31: “serving in the way prescribed.” Ezra 3:4: “They celebrated with the required number of offerings…in accordance with what is written.” Does obedience and adherence to God’s word mark the offering of your life and substance and service to God?
• Without making course adjustments according to preferences – King Ahaz in 2 Kgs.16 went to Damascus and saw an altar he liked the design of, so he ordered the design of the altar in Jerusalem to be reconfigured to conform with it! Same looking, same sounding sacrifices but a totally different altar! He changed the meaning and the purpose of it, to serve personal desires, not necessarily God’s needs and desires. Does integrity mark your offering and giving of your life and substance and service to God?
• Without defect – not giving second best or taking short-cuts. Does excellence mark your offering of life and substance and service to God?

So what is Leviticus 2 about? Why would I have taken the Israelites there? Here’s the deal. It’s a lovely picture of an acceptable offering to God, that trustingly and holily responds to his love. This describes what needs to be in the offering and what should not be part of the offering.
What should not be part of the offering:
• Leaven (v.11): This speaks of falsehood and hypocrisy (Leaven of Pharisees – Lk.12:1); of the taintedness of sin (leaven of malice and wickedness – 1 Cors.5:8) Because it ferments it is an image of corruption, of decay and death, of what is antagonistic to life and holiness. So we can’t offer to God anything of ourselves that is tainted, that is unholy or unhealed, pretending that it doesn’t matter or isn’t there. We can’t ask God to bless what his holiness cannot approve and affirm.
• Honey (v.11): This speaks of what we want to look good – a cover-up, an apparent sweetness, a counterfeit fragrance. Honey had a bad history because it was the favorite of the gods – it is the idea of a fleshly cosmetic job, making something that stinks smell good, like cologne on a corpse. Like leaven, honey is subject to fermentation. The appearance of goodness and sweetness soon dissipates.
What should be part of the offering:
• Oil (v.4-5): Of course the oil speaks of the Holy Spirit, so in other words, we give an offering that is a part of the sanctifying work of the Spirit in us – a naturally spiritual outflow of a sanctified life. Oil denoted a consecrated life. But it also speaks of joy (Isa.61:3 “the oil of gladness”) which marks the nature of our offering of life. No reluctance, no regrets!
• Incense (v.2): The frankincense was an image of godliness, of the qualities of deity no less. In other words, how we live and give and serve does not draw attention to ourselves but only attracts praise to the Lord. Our good works will be seen and the only response is that people will glorify our father in heaven – thus the pleasing aroma to God. One thing to note – it is the effect of fire and heat that brings out the fragrance – it is the fire of God’s sanctifying work in us, perfecting holiness, that produces the aroma.
• Salt (v.13): In a way this is the most crucial ingredient because it was necessary for all offerings. It was known as the “salt of the covenant.” Its application is affirmed no less than 3 times in this single verse, underlying its importance. As you know from Jesus’ teaching, the salt represents preservation against corruption, but it speaks of permanence and unity. It represents a commitment to faithful covenant, so our offerings should come from a committed heart that is covenanted to belong to God and not to the things of this world. It speaks of a loyal and undivided heart, a faithful witness. Jesus used the image of salt to suggest the necessary ingredient in disciples that is their holy distinctiveness (Mt.5:13) and their spirit of peace and reconciliation with God and each other (Mk.9:50) To make an offering with salt is to live and give with a binding commitment to God and his work, a dedication that is not subject to whims of choice or changes in personal circumstance.

It is a direct reference to a passage like Leviticus 2 that is in Paul’s mind when he writes to the Romans: “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual worship. Do not conform…but be transformed…” You see, there are unacceptable ways to serve God and acceptable ones. Prove what is acceptable, and approve what God’s will is for your life and service. Don’t take short-cuts with God. Remove all that is dishonoring, all that is defiling. Remember what the Israelites forgot when they made their offerings: no leaven of hypocrisy, no honey of appearance, but lots of the oil of joy, lots of the incense of godliness, lots of the salt of covenant relationship and steadfast commitment. With such a sacrifice God is well pleased!

In 2:10 God says through Malachi, “Shut the doors!” But by 3:10 he is saying he will “open the windows.” Maybe you need to shut the door on something unacceptable and unprofitable in order for a fresh flow of the spirit to come from God’s open window on your life. Do not despise the offering of God for you – Jesus Christ crucified, the lamb of God who takes away all the “unacceptables” of our lives. God changes a message that could have been entitled “The Unacceptables” into one that can be rightly called “The Acceptables.” YEAH!


Accepted in the beloved,

Stuart

http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download audio of sermon)

For Prayer

Mauricio Nieto, recovering from cataract surgery, and Patricia Nieto, recovering from treatment for cancer.

Brenda—please continue to pray for her health and life.

Please continue to pray also for Scott Livingston, Patty Whitnah’s father Charlie Bauer, and for Gracie Mitchell (http://www.firstgiving.net/graciem).

Announcements

Men’s prayer breakfast is this Saturday, October 27 at 8:00am. This month we’re inviting the youth boys to join with us.

The COSC Women’s lunch bunch will meet Sunday, October 28 at 1pm in the Fellowship Hall. Dessert and coffee will be provided. Please bring or pick up something for lunch before 1pm. The topic will be “Looking at Loneliness”. We welcome all women at any stage and situation of their lives. We are exploring the lives of Christian women along with work issues and we welcome the contributions of all.

Youth: October 30, you’re invited to join WCF for their Fun Night at WCF (9th & Maryland NE), 7pm-9pm

Lydia Conference: Nov 1-3 in Houston, TX: We hope you will join us to learn the dynamic prayer principles of meditating in the Word of God, seeking the mind and the will of God for our churches, communities, cities, and the nations of the world. www.newlifechurch.net

The next Night of Prayer will be Saturday, November 3 from 6pm-midnight. All are invited.

Books, videos, resources: If Stuart has loaned you any materials (recently or over the years), from his personal library or the church’s, he is offering complete amnesty, no questions asked, for their return.


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Postings are not officially sanctioned by COSC.

Attention Mom Business Owners: Ladies Who Lunch, DC (LWLDC) is a new networking group for Mom Business Owners in the Washington DC area. If you are a mom and a business owner, then I invite you to learn more about LWLDC. We are dedicated to building friendships while building businesses and having fun doing it! To learn more, please send an email to LadiesWhoLunchDC@gmail.com Chantel Grant

FOR RENT-DUPONT CIRCLE: One bedroom apartment. Available for 1-year lease starting as early as October. Rent approx $950/mo, including heat & hot water, but not other utilities. 17th/P NW, eat-in kitchen, big windows & lots of natural light. Susan, soozshin@aol.com

FOR RENT: Cheverly, MD: 2 story, 4BR/2BA furnished brick house—15 Oct. 1 mile from Metro, near parks/community center. Fully furnished everything from furniture & dishes to linens. Backyard, deck, eat-in kitchen, dining room, living room, office. Cable TV & wireless internet. Whole house $1950/mo plus utils or individual rooms $450-550 plus utils. Karan, karantownsend@gmail.com or 304-702-1872 Jason, Jason@RealEstateinDC.com or 202-415-7400

Dear Church Family, Thank you so much for the gorgeous flowers, calls, cards and other expressions of your love and support on the recent passing of my mother! I so appreciate you all and could feel Christ’s peace and comfort extended to me through you. -Karina Szimonisz

THE GRACE OF GOD

A PASTORAL LETTER

Dearest Family,

We have been understanding why the prophet Malachi begins his oracle with the reference to Esau and Jacob. God reminds them of this as evidence of His love and in answer to their question, “How have you loved us?” We have noted, however, that this serves both as a “wooing” of the people (pointing out God’s faithful love to Jacob over centuries) but also a “warning” (pointing out the tragedy of rejecting spiritual birthright.) The Israelites are very close to Esau’s position. He said, “What good is the birthright to me?” They are now saying, “It is futile to serve God. What good is it to keep all the requirements?” Lest we think that this is only an Old Testament thing, towards the end of the New Testament, we find the same incident being used in Hebrews 12. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.”

On Sunday, we looked at several other NT scriptures that exhort us not to sin against grace: Don’t receive God’s grace in vain. (2 Cors.6:1) Bring also to completion this act of grace on your part (2 Cors.8:6) You have fallen away from grace (Gals. 5:4) They change the grace of God into a license for immorality (Jude v.4) I do not frustrate (set aside) the grace of God (Gals.2;21) Paul acknowledges the many ways that we can render grace of no effect, set it aside, nullify it, frustrate it, misuse and misappropriate it. Someone has said, “Esau becomes the paradigm for a person who treats the honors of an heir lightly.” We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Roms.8:17) of the inheritance of the Father, purchased at the unfathomable price of his blood. Furthermore, the inheritance is God himself. The inheritance is the gospel with all its blessings and promises. Paul talks to the Ephesians about the greatest evidence and experience of this inheritance, the Holy Spirit no less! “A deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.” (Ephs.1:14) The inheritance is the present experience of God’s rule in our lives and the future anticipation of what is to come, described by Peter as “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you.” The ante is high. O the tragedy of sinning against the grace of God like Esau. Why is it so tragic to miss grace? Because to miss God’s grace is to miss everything. “Grace is the sum and substance of NT faith” (Packer) “Everything is of grace in the Christian life from the very beginning to the very end.” Lloyd-Jones) We might also say it is the sum of the nature of the godhead: God of all grace…Spirit of grace (Hebrs.10:29)…the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 15:11) The whole of NT theology is summed up in it. It has been said that what justice is to law, and love to marriage, grace is to Christianity. The fact is, it helps to survey scripture to get a glimpse of the range of grace’s expressions, of the depth of its explanations, of the height of its experience. It will not be confined to being one of a number of things that are helpfully operative in our salvation.

The NT is one long grace-song, and every touch of God by His spirit is a grace-stroke on ungraced, and disgraced hearts. The opening of the Lucan account describes from the very get-go how the grace of God was upon Jesus, and John opens with the declaration that he is full of grace and that from the fullness of that grace we have all received grace upon grace. From the beginning to the end of the NT, Jesus and grace are synonymous. Grace is in Him, grace is of him, grace is through him. Not surprisingly, the evidential and essential mark of the early church was that “great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33) Euphemisms for Christians were grace soaked: they were those who “continued in the grace of God” (13:43); they were those “by grace had believed” (18:27) What they believed was the gospel described as “the grace of God…the gospel of grace…the word of grace” It was a synonym for anything that was good, that was God no less, in his dynamic and delivering, passionate and purposeful, fathering and favoring, birthing and blessing, saving and sanctifying power. As we journey on into the Romans, the mother-lode of explanation of the gospel, we hear expounded the glories of our justification “freely by his grace”(3:24) our access “into the grace in which we stand” (5:2). Grace abounds (5:17)…grace reigns… to bring eternal life. Every aspect of Christian life is sourced in grace. Paul’s calling was “by His grace” (Gals.1:15)…when he taught it “by the grace given me to say” (Roms.12:3) In Acts 15:15 he talks of “the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus”. His testimony was that God’s grace to him “was not without effect.” “I worked harder – yet not I – the grace of God that was in me.” (1Cors.15:10) Grace was the call and commission, grace was the means and the message, grace was the reason for ministry and the result of ministry. Everything that pertained to their lives and ministries was grace pinioned, grace producing. Paul says they conducted themselves according to the grace of God. (2Cors.1:12) and that when they ministered it was “so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to flow to the glory of God.” (4:15) He honored the churches that excelled in grace, and in 2Cors.9:8 expresses the relationship between an experience of abounding grace and one of abounding work. Yes, grace was sufficient in difficult times, but it was also surpassing (9:14) His ministry was “the administration of God’s grace” (Ephs.3:2) Peter saw it similarly when he spoke of being “stewards of the manifold grace” (1 Pet.4:10) Paul’s understanding of worship included “singing with grace” (Cols.3:16) For James the great encouragement for a walk with Christ was simply that He “gives us more grace” (James 4:6) And when it comes to a fundamental understanding of prayer, it is all about the throne of grace where we find grace. Saying grace has more to do than just with a few words before a meal. We say grace every time we pray.

A helpful way to summarize the specific workings of grace, described in these scriptures from the entire NT, would be like this:
1. Saving grace: “saved through grace” (Acts 15:11) Part of this experience of saving grace is the instruction we receive for the totality of our lives. Listen to how Paul describes it to Titus (2:11): “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
2. Securing grace: “this grace in which we stand” (Roms.5:1-2) “…the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.” (1Pet.5:12)
3. Sanctifying grace: growing, maturing, progressing in faith and godliness, pleasing God.
4. Serving grace: enablement to minister – charismata – grace gifts.
5. Sending grace: the callings of God, commending us to the word of his grace. “I commit you to God and the word of his grace.” (Acts 20:32)
6. Speaking grace: grace those who listen (Ephs.4:29) “Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt.” (Cols.4:6)
7. Singing grace: “With psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, with grace in your hearts to God.” (Cols.4:16) the hymnody and psalmody, formal and informal, liturgical and non-liturgical, ancient and modern of grace that must be turned into gratitude in song and antiphon. The range of grace that requires more range of human intonation as our heart wants to give all the keys of its grateful piano to God.
8. Sustaining grace: (strengthening grace) special times of need – sufficiency of grace perfects strength in weakness (2Cors.12:9) – receive mercy at throne of grace in time of need – gives grace to the humble.
9. Staying/stopping grace: I would add this one because the grace of God is not just manifested in what he does do but in what he doesn’t do – for example, delay judgment. Maybe I can stretch something else under this category. God’s grace is manifest in what he gives and allows, in what he provides, but it is also in what he disallows, what he prohibits. The word that commands us not to, is a staying word of grace. Stop! Halt! No further! Do not transgress! Do not move that boundary! (Crucial to understand the law as an expression of God’s love and grace. He loves us so much that he commands us not to engage that which he knows will destroy us and separate us from Him.) Take Genesis for example: all the trees (provision) except (prohibition) These are equally evidences of grace. The fall is fundamentally a sin against grace. There is grace in giving, but also grace in the staying of things, the with-holding, the taking away of those things that are not going to promote spiritual growth in grace.
10. Suffering grace: often brings God’s good grace in a way that doesn’t at first feel good to us. Phils.1:29: “It has been granted (literally-graced) for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in him but to suffer for him.”
11. Suffusing grace: the grace that dwells within – the indwelling spirit of grace that rises within us (better stop there!)

Its power, its penetration, its communication – every expression is proactively an expression of the nature of God ministering to the needs of man. It is strong grace according to the NT. It is a strong brew, and those who experience it are grace intoxicated, but more importantly, God-centered and God adoring. It has to be strong because by our nature we are so ungracious and so ungrateful. This leads me to an important foundational point. A moment ago I said that what grace expressed was the nature of God. If you like, grace is self-effacing. It is the grace OF God! It points away from itself to the giver of grace. What is grace for? In a word, GOD! This is the point of Malachi’s message here. To miss the grace of God like Esau, to receive it like Jacob but in vain, is to miss God! We live in a self-absorbed culture, including Christian culture. Our decisions are suited to what works best for us, suits us, conforms to our preferences, supports our traditions and perceptions, fits our comfort zones. This is true of how we often choose our churches, our missions, our vocations, how we express our spirituality. This raises an important point. Do we need God in order to experience this grace we need, or do we need grace in order to experience the God we desire? Piper has put it this way: “Is the ultimate treasure the grace of God or the God of grace?” We know what it is to mutter “Give me grace O God!” How often do we say, Give me God O grace!” The question Piper is asking has to do with who is at the center. What is the ultimate object and purpose of grace? To gratify me or to glorify God? Is the main issue that I receive grace’s works or that God receives grateful worship? As simple and foundational as this is, it is the most ignored truth. All doctrines start with the doctrine of God. This is true for the doctrine of grace. Piper: “We cherish grace because it brings us to God, rather than cherishing God because he brings us grace.” Every which way you look at grace, any description of grace, whether saving or serving, securing or staying, sanctifying or sending, speaking or singing, sustaining or suffering or suffusing, the ultimate purpose is a revelation of who God is. Grace is utterly God-horizoned, Godfocused, God-centered. Grace’s ultimate homing instinct is the glory of God. (Roms. 11:33-36) “Who has given a gift to God that he should be repaid?” God has no “wants/lacks” so the idea of trying to pay him back is futile and foolish. He is totally self-sufficient so His grace to us is this brilliant overflow of His life. Grace is not rationed or given in small portions – it is always amazing, always huge, always extravagant, always gratuitous. When God’s life and love wash over us, spill over us, soak into us, we call it grace. Grace is not other to himself. We often limit our understanding of grace to the particular provision or answer or deliverance that we get. No, the grace is Himself – for that is always the best that he can give. In any case, God being God, is moved by his nature, his gracious and compassionate and loving nature, to continually show himself, give himself away, reveal himself so he can be known. Because of his grace he gives gifts to men and women, but there would be no deficiency in grace if he gave nothing – graced with his presence is prior to being graced with his presents! Not surprisingly, the primary response that God wants to receive for the manifestations of his grace is our joyous, unbridled, celebratory worship – more than a study group on grace, more than a sermon, more than our doctrinal rectitude. When grace appears to us to be satisfying our needs, what it is really doing is inviting us to be satisfied with God, the grace-giver. Are we satisfied with God, or do we miss the grace because at the end of the day, in Paul’s terms, we still want Jesus-Plus? That does not mean that there is no pain in the offering, but it does mean that we still have grace-grounds to grace-sing “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

Gratefully yours,

Stuart

http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download audio of sermon)

For Prayer

Mauricio Nieto, recovering from cataract surgery, and Patricia Nieto, recovering from treatment for cancer.

Brenda—please continue to pray for her health and life.

Please continue to pray also for Scott Livingston, Charis Whitnah, Patty Whitnah’s father Charlie Bauer, and for Gracie Mitchell (http://www.firstgiving.net/graciem).

Announcements

For the Youth: October 20 will be an all-day youth event: 10AM-9PM at COSC. October 30, you’re invited to join WCF for their Fun Night (7pm-9pm)

Youth Parents’ meeting: Oct 20, 10:30am12:30pm at the Parker’s.

October 20, 9am-4pm, WCF is presenting Walk Thru the Old Testament. Cost is $20/adult, $15 first child, $7.50 additional children (includes lunch & snacks). http://wcfchurch.org/wttb.html or call Donn Northrup or Jesse Johnson (202) 543-1926.

Lydia Conference: Nov 1-3 in Houston, TX: We hope you will join us to learn the dynamic prayer principles of meditating in the Word of God, seeking the mind and the will of God for our churches, communities, cities, and the nations of the world. More info, see www.newlifechurch.net

BULLETIN BOARD

Postings are not officially sanctioned by COSC.

FOR RENT-DUPONT CIRCLE: One bedroom apartment. Available for 1-year lease starting as early as October. Rent approx $950/mo, including heat & hot water, but not other utilities. 17th/P NW, eat-in kitchen, big windows & lots of natural light. Susan, soozshin@aol.com
FOR RENT: Furnished rooms available from Townsend family on month-to-month leases. Includes wireless internet & utilities, linens, microwave, fridge, washer/dryer, shared kitchen. 330 D Street SE $850/mo available 1 Oct 114 Third Street NE $850/mo available 1 Oct Karan, karantownsend@gmail.com or 304-702-1872 Jason, Jason@RealEstateinDC.com or 202-415-7400
FOR RENT: Cheverly, MD: 2story, 4BR/2BA furnished brick house—15 Oct. 1 mile from Metro, near parks/ community center. Fully furnished—everything from furniture & dishes to linens. Backyard, deck, eatin kitchen, dining room, living room, office. Cable TV & wireless internet. Whole house $1950/mo plus utils or individual rooms $450-550 plus utils. Karan, karantownsend@gmail.com or 304-702-1872 Jason, Jason@RealEstateinDC.com or 202-415-7400
VOLUNTEER: Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center is training new volunteers for 6 weeks starting Saturday, Oct 20 from 9am-noon. If you feel called to this ministry or would like more information, please call Ann Wink at 202-546-1018 or chpcvol@yahoo.com
PAGES TOUR 2007: Friday, Oct 12, 7:30PM at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield VA. Shane & Shane, Bebo Norman, and Alli Rogers. Tickets ($18) at http:// www.itickets.com/pages/
MATH TUTOR SOUGHT: young girl needs help with middle school math/long division/pre-algebra. Would need help at least 1 night/wk. Preferably female, but… Karen, karen@kidsave.org or 202-547-8807
In the Arts...William Swetcharnik will give a talk about the artists of the Old Testament and what they show us about service, conscience and celebration. Swetcharnik Art Studio, 7044 Woodville Rd, Mt. Airy, MD 21771. Info: Sara, 301-829-0137 or www.swetcharnik.com

AN ORACLE - MALACHI 1

Malachi 1: 1-5

A PASTORAL LETTER

Dearest family,

The very opening words of Malachi’s message to Israel would have caused them to brace themselves for what was about to come. It reads: “An oracle…” The important original sense does not necessarily come through this translation. It would seem to mean that this was a pronouncement or a declaration. If you knew about the Greek Oracle, the place of exchange with the gods, then you would maybe assume that this was at least a divine communication. It helps to know what it means in this context however. None of the above meanings are true to the root of the word used, which more literally should be translated “burden.” It is the word used in Ps.38:4 describing a burden of guilt. It is the word used in Ezek.23:5 to describe the load put on the back of an animal. The best way to understand it is by reading Jer.23:33 where it says: “What is the oracle of the Lord?...You are the burden, declares the Lord!” Here is a sarcastic and judging response from God with a play on the word. “What is your burden, God?” “You are my burden!” You also need to know that in 27 uses of this word in an OT context, 25 of them carried the idea of something ominous about to happen or be said. In other words it is about the idea of weightiness combined with seriousness. As you know, the idea of weight is intrinsic to the biblical word for “glory”. It has substance. It is not some vague “will o’ the wisp.” It is not “wishy-washy.” God’s presence, God’s character, God’s revelation, God’s word are not ephemeral. Life without God is rightly described by some (like the novelist Kundera) as “the unbearable lightness of being” because it is a life that is not anchored or weighted by a relationship with God. We live in a world of lite-beer, lite-bread, lite-mayonnaise, and as the world goes so goes the church: lite-word, lite-services, liteworship, lite-ministry, lite-conviction. Sometimes it is reduced to liteentertainment. God’s word is not “lite”! This is an arresting, commanding and demanding opening to this prophetic word. As I shared on Sunday, it reminds me of Annie Dillard’s exhortation that ushers should hand out crash helmets to people in the pews after they have strapped them in! Do we have any idea about the God with whom we have to deal. Through Malachi, God is letting them know it is “crash-helmet” time. As for them, so for us in examining this text. God wants us to know that there is a pressing in his presence. There is a holy pressure and weight that his word brings. It is symptomatic of its seriousness, its importance, its priority. You can’t take-it-or-leave-it. It is a burden!

If you were one of those listening to Malachi and chose not to feel the weight of the word, then you would at least have to reckon with the sound that could not be ignored. It also suggests weight of volume. This is about an intensity of emotion within the heart of God for his people that causes him to speak out of that pressure, in a way that cries out. God is crying out! The question is: why aren’t the people? Why aren’t we so moved? Malachi (whose name you’ll remember means “my messenger”) has been drawn into God’s amazing transmission process. “The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.” It’s interesting to me that like the last book of the NT, the last book of the OT begins by stating God’s chosen means of transmission of truth: OF the Lord…TO Israel… THROUGH Malachi / OF Jesus Christ…TO the churches…THROUGH John. Both Malachi and John have messages that mark the end of an era. Similarly, I believe that we are called to be messengers in the late-history of our civilization. This opening verse in Malachi gives us some clues about what it is going to take. Let me emphasize the point by presenting it in the form of questions to determine whether or not you are preparing or prepared for the prophetic calling of the hour. What’s being received from the Lord by you? What’s working itself into your life ? What’s coming through you? To whom are you God’s messenger? Are you connected? Are you articulate? Are you ministering out? Are you a receiver? Are you a transmitter? Are you burdened? Is there a compelling pressure within to share the Lord’s words and to do his works? Do you have an interest in being prophetic not pathetic? Could God name you “my messenger”? Are you burdened by the message? Do you respond to God? Do you serve God out of duty or desire? The prophets were men with a burden! Are we?

Pastorally yours,

Stuart


P.S. So I only covered the first few minutes of the message! For the other “several” minutes order a tape or a CD. Blessings in your homegroups! But get the burden!

http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (and follow links to download audio of sermon)

For Prayer

Charis Whitnah—diagnosed with shingles (an adult variation of chicken pox).

The radio frequency broadcast license application for the Ministry of Jesus in Benin. The Murdocks received word that they’ve passed the pre-selection stage and are now one of 45 applicants for 5 frequencies that will be issued. Please continue to pray for the success of “WMOJ”!

Please continue to pray also for Scott Livingston, Brenda Lockard, Patty Whitnah’s father Charlie Bauer, and for Gracie Mitchell (http://www.firstgiving.net/graciem).


Announcements

Night of Prayer this Saturday, Oct 6, 6pm-midnight.

Need to update your directory listing? Or were you not listed last year? If you plan to make COSC your home for this season of life, please contact the office to be added to our community listing! (202) 544-9599

We need someone to take pictures of the congregation inside the building on a Sunday morning—the lighting is very low. Contact the office if you can help.

Fundamentals of Healing Prayer: What Do They Mean For Me? has begun. If you want to learn about healing prayer, come to the 8:45am-9:45am sessions, Sunday mornings through October 21. Coffee served at 8:30am!

YOU ARE INVITED to...Who are my neighbors, & how do I love them? Come to Ebenezers Coffeehouse (201 F St NE) Saturday, October 6 at 10am for fellowship, teaching and to encourage one another to honor, love and respect the homeless in our neighborhoods. More information: talk to Monique, 202-544- 8312 or carefordc@yahoo.com

Youth events:
OCT 20 All day event! (10am-9pm) at COSC
OCT 30 Fun night at WCF (7-9pm)

Youth Parents meeting:
Oct 20, 10:30am-12:30pm at the Parker’s.

Children’s Sunday School—reminder:
Kids, bring your Bibles to church!

Regeneration of Northern Virginia invites you to their 20th Anniversary Celebration, Oct 5, 7:30pm at Columbia Baptist Church. Come hear testimonies of how the Lord has set men and women free from sexual brokenness. RSVP 410-661-0284.

Stand in the Gap 2007 Prayer Team invites prayer warriors, both men and women, to join them throughout the day Oct 6 to pray for the men who are coming to stand before God. More information is available at http://www.standinthegap2007.org/

Ladies, Capitol Hill Baptist invites you to 2007 Women’s Conference, Oct 12-13, with speaker Noel Piper. Noel will be speaking on “The Psalm 91 Woman: meditations on living as godly women without fear.” RSVP by 10/4 http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/

WCF presents Walk Thru the Old Testament on Saturday, October 20, 9am-4pm and invites our congregation to join them. Cost is $20/ adult, $15 first child, $7.50 additional children (includes lunch & snacks). To register, visit http://wcfchurch.org/wttb.html or call Donn Northrup or Jesse Johnson at (202) 543-1926.

BULLETIN BOARD

Postings are not officially sanctioned by COSC.

FOR RENT-DUPONT CIRCLE: One bedroom apartment. Available for 1-year lease starting as early as October. Rent approx $950/mo, including heat & hot water, but not other utilities. 17th/P NW, eat-in kitchen, big windows & lots of natural light. Susan, soozshin@aol.com
FOR RENT: Furnished rooms available from Townsend family on month-to-month leases. Includes wireless internet & utilities, linens, microwave, fridge, washer/dryer, shared kitchen. 330 D Street SE $850/mo available 1 Oct 114 Third Street NE $850/mo available 1 Oct Karan, karantownsend@gmail.com or 304-702-1872 Jason, Jason@RealEstateinDC.com or 202-415-7400
FOR RENT: Cheverly, MD: 2story, 4BR/2BA furnished brick house—available 15 Oct. 1 mile from Metro, near parks/community center. Fully furnished—everything from furniture & dishes to linens. Backyard, deck, eat-in kitchen, dining room, living room, office. Cable TV & wireless internet. Whole house $1950/mo plus utils or individual rooms $450-550 plus utils. Karan, karantownsend@gmail.com or 304-702-1872 Jason, Jason@RealEstateinDC.com or 202-415-7400
FOR RENT-ALEXANDRIA: fully furnished house, Del -Ray area. Pleasant walk-able neighborhood. Avail Sept. Inquire at kkotopoulos@gmail.com
SEEKING HOUSING: Christian male attending National Community Church, seeking house-share with other Christian men, to move at the end of Sept. Onu, onu.ocholi@gmail.com, 202-486-2455.
VOLUNTEER: Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center is training new volunteers for 6 weeks starting Saturday, Oct 20 from 9am-noon. If you feel called to this ministry or would like more information, please call Ann Wink at 202-546-1018 or chpcvol@yahoo.com
PAGES TOUR 2007: Friday, Oct 12, 7:30PM at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield VA. Shane & Shane, Bebo Norman, and Alli Rogers. Tickets ($18) at http://www.itickets.com/pages/
MATH TUTOR SOUGHT: young girl needs help with middle school math/long division/pre-algebra. Would need help at least 1 night/wk. Preferably female, but… Karen, karen@kidsave.org or 202-547-8807