1. Those Pesky Idols – Malachi 3:6-12

3. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John 5:21

4. Idols Entertainment Food Possessions Status Leisure Sex Money

5. Mo Money, Mo Mo Problems

6. Hard truth How we spend our money is a good barometer on how much we love Jesus.

7. Outline Why they were in trouble How they could get out of trouble What’s their incentive?

8. I the L ORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them… Malachi 3:6-7a

9. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the L ORD Almighty. Malachi 3:7b “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ Malachi 3:7b Why?

10. “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.” Malachi 3:8a “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’” Malachi 3:8b

11. “In tithes and offerings…” Malachi 3:8b They were spending His money on themselves. Why were they in trouble?

12. “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘MINE!’” Abraham Kuyper

13. You are under a curse —your whole nation— because you are robbing me. Malachi 3:9 Obedience brings blessing Disobedience brings none

14. How can they get out of trouble? Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house… Malachi 3:10a Take a BIG RISK!

15. Incentive Test me in this,” says the L ORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw Test me in this,” says the L ORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10b Restoration

16. Peter said to him, “We have left all we had to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:28-30

17. Incentive “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the L ORD Almighty. Malachi 3:12 World-wide witness

18. Remember Return Take a BIG RISK Watch