Malachi 3:6 “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
As I was working on the sermon this week, I looked back at some old pictures and sermons to help in preparing for the message. I was reminded of a story about my friend Laurie Alexander and her Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Tail. I don't remember the year but I remember that she and William came across this bike that for all intents and purposes was a barn find. It had not run for some time and was being stored. They decided to get the bike and set out to get it on the road. Laurie painstakingly cleaned and took off all the old grit but I remember in my mind's eye that William had to do alot of work on the carburetor and fuel pump. If William hadn't cleaned the tank, replaced the fuel pump and filter, it would look good and still not run. Even if it was shined and polished without the work at the carburetor and fuel pump it would sit still like a brick. It had to be restored to a running state to really be a motorcycle. If a motorcycle looks good but doesn't run, what good is it? That bike rode alot of miles with Laurie on it's back.
When I think about how we live in this world and how we face daily shootings, hatred and conflicts, I am reminded that nothing can change until the heart changes and is restored to God's original version. The issue in this world isn't the outward appearance of political correctness and tolerance but the underlying heart issues. Borrowing from Charles Dickens's story, we can look at Ebenezer Scrooge. He made no pretenses for who he was or the love that he had for money. He was honest in his presentation and you can look at that story and see the man he was and the man he becomes. When we espouse Christianity and live like there is no Christ, we are dishonest to others and to our God.
That doesn't mean we will be sin free but it means that when someone looks in at our lives, they can see the God within before they see the man or woman on the outside. Sometimes I hear questions from people like "why are people so mean to each other nowadays or why are we seeing child molestation, rape, murder continuing to rise." People wonder why our kids have no moral code or direction; there is an answer. We have watered down the scriptures and the message of Christ by trying to get everyone to believe in a God who would not condemn wrong and by refusing to hold each other accountable to the standards of God. By creating that false world we have effectively taught there is nothing to fear. In essence, we have removed from our country, our schools and our lives that healthy fear of God as judge. If there is an absolute right and wrong, then it must originate from somewhere and for myself and many others it is the words spoken by God himself in Malachi 3:6, "For I the LORD do not change, therefore you, O children of Jacob are not consumed."
Much love,
Preach
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