Full Service

A love for God problem becomes a worship problem becomes a family relationship problem becomes an offering problem becomes a service problem.

Five telltale signs that your relationship with the LORD is not healthy…

1. You find yourself regularly questioning his love for you (1:2-5).
“How have you loved us?”
If you can’t see God’s love for you, neither will those you care about—and your love for God will definitely grow cold.

2. You feel like your attempts at worship are not worth your time and your sin is no big deal (1:6-2:9).
“How have we shown contempt for your name?”
“How have we defiled you?”
If you turn your nose up at your salvation and treat your sins as no big deal; if time with God bores you and you have no desire to produce the fruit of repentance, you must reconsider the genuineness of your faith.

3. Your relationships are falling apart because you have no covenant loyalty to family (2:10-16).

• You are contemplating breaking faith with the family of God by considering a marriage to someone who has foreign beliefs.
• You break your marriage covenant with your spouse.

4. You have decided that robbing God is the best way to manage your money (3:8-12).
“How do we rob you?”

• The ancient practice of honouring a superior was to give a tenth (cf. Gen. 14:20).
• God invites you to test him on his promise to meet generosity with generosity.

5. You have decided that it really doesn’t pay to serve God (2:17-3:5, 13-14).
“Where is the God of justice?”
“What have we said against you?”
You are convinced the mourners and repentant are doing without, and the wicked regularly fair better in God’s world.

“HOW ARE WE TO RETURN?” (3:7)
Stop turning away from God’s decrees. Start gazing at our covenant with deep, deep, gratitude.