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ROUTE 66 EP 044

Sermon Summary: Route 66 - Malachi

Date: April 26, 2026

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the sermon, detailing the scripture references, context, and applications as presented by the pastor. The content is organized to follow the order of the sermon for clarity and ease of reference.

Introduction & Pastor Recognition

The sermon began with an introduction that highly praised Pastor Bo Green, who has recently handled the "Route 66" series. Pastor Bo was highlighted for his scholarly nature, faithfulness, and character.

  • Accomplishments: Pastor Bo has authored three books. His most recent, which is currently with the publisher, is an in-depth study of the Book of Isaiah, proposing that each of its 66 chapters corresponds to one of the 66 books of the Bible.

  • Church Discipleship: The church's discipleship process was outlined:

    • Discipleship 1: A sixteen-lesson, one-on-one course covering the basics of the Bible for new believers.

    • Discipleship 2: A deeper, nine-month to one-year group study that puts together the "edges" of the biblical puzzle.

    • Bible Institute: A three-year, collegiate-level Bible study program.

  • Character & Partnership: The speaker emphasized Pastor Bo's character, highlighting his humility in taking ownership of past mistakes. Their pastoral partnership of nearly twenty years was described as a team effort built on mutual accountability, open communication, and intentional weekly meetings for study, planning, and personal connection. Pastor Bo is described as having "grit," working hard to achieve excellence beyond natural talent.

The Danger of God's Silence & The Call to Return

The pastor transitioned to the book of Malachi, noting its placement after a 400-year period of silence from God, a time when humanity sought answers apart from His revealed Word. This silence is a warning for today.

  • When God's Word does not go forth in a culture, "crazy" happens. The pastor likened the moral decline in modern American culture to this period of biblical silence.

  • This is not just cultural but personal. If a believer neglects God's Word, their own thinking can become disordered.

  • The pastor shared a personal testimony that he often approaches God's Word with a bad attitude and God uses His Word to correct and renew his mind.

  • The central call of the book is for God's people to return to Him, with the promise that He will then return to them.

Panoramic View: The Message of Malachi

The overarching theme of the book of Malachi is God's rejection of empty, meaningless religion. God desires worship in "spirit and in truth" (John 4), meaning it must be heartfelt and grounded in the truth of God's Word.

  • Who God Is: God desires genuine worship from the heart, not empty rituals. His heart is for His people to return to Him, and He promises restoration.

  • Who We Are & How to Live: We are warned against spiritual laziness and phony religion. We are called to be honest with God and "put on" His Word, responding to His call to return.

Historical Context & The Lukewarm Church

To understand the book's message, it's crucial to understand its setting.

  • Timeline: Malachi is chronologically the last book written in the Old Testament, approximately 100 years after the Israelites had returned from Babylonian captivity (events of Ezra and Nehemiah).

  • The Problem: The initial zeal for rebuilding the temple had faded. The people had become "lethargic," going through religious motions with hearts far from God. They grew lax, experienced discouragement, and neglected the things of God.

  • Modern Parallel: This spiritual state is comparable to the church of Laodicea.

    • Scripture: Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me."

    • Context: This verse is written to an existing church (Revelation 3:14). Jesus is on the outside of His own church, knocking to be let back in.

    • Application: The message of Malachi is God knocking on the door of His people's hearts, asking to be let back in.

The Problem in Malachi: A People Who Question God

The people’s spiritual lethargy manifested in a pattern of questioning God's character and Word, revealing their hardened hearts.

  • Who God Is: God is a holy God who sees the heart. He directly confronts sin, desiring genuine honor.

  • Who We Are & How to Live: When confronted with our sin, we should respond with repentance, not defensive questioning. Sincere questions for truth are good, but using questions to deflect and justify sin is wrong.

Scriptural Examples of Israel's Questioning:

  • Malachi 1:2: God says, "I have loved you." The people respond, "Wherein hast thou loved us?" This is the attitude of a manipulative "bratty kid."

  • Malachi 1:6: God asks the priests, who are despising His name, "If then I be a father, where is mine honor?" Their response is to question again: "Wherein have we despised thy name?" They offered polluted bread (Malachi 1:7) and then feigned ignorance.

  • Malachi 2:14: After being confronted for divorcing the wives of their youth, they ask, "Wherefore?"

  • Malachi 2:17: God tells them, "Ye have wearied the Lord with your words," and they respond, "Wherein have we wearied him?"

  • Malachi 3:8: God accuses them, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me," and they ask, "Wherein have we robbed thee?" This referred to their failure in tithes and offerings.

  • Malachi 3:13-14: God says, "Your words have been stout against me," and they ask, "What have we spoken so much against thee?"

Pictures of Jesus: The Sun of Righteousness

The primary picture of Jesus in Malachi is found in Malachi 4:2.

The Context of Judgment and Deliverance

  • Who God Is: God is not only a harsh judge but also a deliverer who protects society from destruction. His desire is not to condemn, but for people to return to Him.

  • Scripture: Malachi 4:1 speaks of a coming day of judgment that "shall burn as an oven."

  • Pastor's Example: The pastor shared how a judge taking his license for reckless driving was an act that spared his life, though he was angry at the time. He also saw a judge show mercy to a young gang member who is now in Bible school. God's judgment is for our good.

The Sun of Righteousness

  • Who God Is: God reveals Himself through His creation. He is the Triune God, represented by the sun (S-U-N).

    • Invisible X-rays: God the Father (Spirit, unseen).

    • Visible Light Rays: God the Son, Jesus Christ, the "light of the world" (John 8:12).

    • Invisible Heat Rays: God the Holy Spirit (unseen, but felt - John 14:17).

  • Scripture: Malachi 4:2: "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings..."

  • Who We Are & How to Live: We need the light of God's Word, which is the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians), to illuminate our confusion and break destructive cycles.

The Moon and Eclipses: Pictures of the Christian Life

  • Who We Are & How to Live: Like the moon, we have no light of our own but become beautiful and illuminate the darkness when we reflect the Son.

    • Solar Eclipse (Fleshly Christian): This is a picture of a carnal Christian whose "crappy" life gets between the world and Jesus, obscuring His light. When we block the Son, people die spiritually.

    • Lunar Eclipse (Worldly Christian): This pictures a worldly Christian, where the things of the world get between the believer and their Savior, causing their light to darken.

The Last Prophet and the Curse of the Law

The pastor explained that Malachi is the last book, but not the last prophet, of the Old Testament.

  • Who God Is: God is a promise-keeper who prophesied a messenger and fulfilled it in John the Baptist. He is also our Redeemer who, through Christ, frees us from the Law's curse.

  • Who We Are & How to Live: We must understand that the Old Testament and the Law point to Christ. We are born under a curse of sin and cannot keep the Law perfectly. We must recognize our need for a Savior.

Key Points:

  1. John the Baptist was the last prophet. Matthew 11:13-14 states that the law and prophets prophesied until John.

  2. The New Testament begins with Christ's death. A will (testament) only goes into effect after the death of the testator (Hebrews 9:16-17).

  3. The Old Testament ends with a curse.

    • Malachi 4:6: The final word of the Old Testament is "curse."

    • Galatians 3:13: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us..."

    • The Law's purpose is to act as a mirror, showing our sin and pointing us to our need for a Savior (Acts 13:39). We need a hero, Jesus.

Applications from Malachi for Today

The sermon concluded by applying the specific sins from Malachi to contemporary Christian life.

  • Who God Is: God is a jealous God who deserves our very best—our first fruits, not our leftovers. He desires purity and faithfulness.

  • Who We Are & How to Live: We are to give God our best, be pure, honor the covenant of marriage, give cheerfully, and trust in His process.

Key Applications:

  1. Stop Giving God Leftovers:

    • In Malachi 1:8, the people offered flawed sacrifices.

    • Application: Give God the first and best part of your day and your efforts, not your leftover time.

  2. Honor God in Your Relationships:

    • In Malachi 2:11-14, the people were marrying pagans and divorcing casually.

    • Application: In our sexually disoriented culture, believers are called to be "chaste virgins to Christ," holding to the Bible's standard for purity and marriage.

  3. Give Generously and Cheerfully:

    • In Malachi 3:8, the people robbed God by withholding tithes.

    • Application: Give to God first, not from what is left over, as a cheerful act of worship.

  4. Trust God’s Process, Not Instant Gratification:

    • In Malachi 3:14, the people complained that serving God was vain because they saw no immediate profit.

    • Application: Salvation doesn't make life easy. Spiritual growth requires faith and patience. Don't quit when you don't see immediate results.