1. The call of the Levite

people who did not get any land, they were people whose inheritance was God himself. You are going to have access to me that no one else has.

Purpose of covenant they had with God Malachi 2: 5 – 7

  1. Life and peace Malachi 2: 5
  2. They passed on the truth of instruction Vs 6
  3. They did not lie or cheat, but walked with me.
  4. Lived good and righteous lives
  5. Heard instructions from the Lord
  6. People came to them for those instructions
  7. Turned many from lives of sin
  8. over all of this they stood in reverence and awe of God.

Summed up in 1 Peter 2: 5 …But you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”

2. Disfunction defined!

Judges 17 Micah steals 1,100 pieces of silver from his mother. She curses the person who stole it. he comes out and said that I stole it. I dedicated that money to God now I will build an idol to honor my son. (From studying scholars believe that it was a replica of the temple in Jerusalem) He made an idol and installed one of his sons as a priest.!

A Levite leaves Bethlehem.

  1. No longer satisfied with role and wanted to see if there was something better out there forhim.
  2. Came to Micah and became his priest for a 10 pieces of silver and a shirt.
  3. An army from Dan comes by and treats Micah bad taking his idol with them and thenoffering. The levite comes after them and asks what are you doing? They offer him an

    opportunity to be priest of the whole tribe so he leaves Micah and goes with them.

  4. Bible gives his name in Judges 18: 30 Jonathan son of Gershom son of Moses.

God was just a means to an end. Bored with him as my inheritance. Sold out for 10 pieces of silver and a new set of clothes, then left to follow a tribe.

I want to follow God, but there is all this other stuff in my life that is so important.

3. God bored with us

 

Disgusting illustration in Malachi manure on their faces and thrown into a pile of manure.

EXAMPLE: chicken leg retirement, health insurance, children’s activities, house payment. God is all excited that there is still a little meat on it.
We feel we are doing God a favor by showing up and just being here and giving him whatever we have left.

GOD: “The only thing I wish you would do is for one of you to have the courage to go and lock the door to my temple”

WE have broken our relationship to God down to formulas “Pray this way and you will get healed” “Give this much and God will give you this much back” I WILL SERVE YOU GOD AS LONG AS I GET MY 10 PIECES OF SILVER AND A NEW SET OF CLOTHES

4. The rich young man.

 

Luke18 WHATDOINEEDTODO. WHATISTHEMEANSTOGETTOTHEENDTHATI DESIRE sell all you have and give the money to the poor and come and follow me. He went away sad. Realized there was a spirit in him that would follow God until someone offered him 10 pieces of silver and a new set of clothes.

Get rid of it all and follow me because it is all mine!

EXAMPLE; donuts and airport. God asks for his donuts.

 

Disciples. Luke 18: 28 we have left everything to follow you.

ANSWER: you’ll be paid back more than you can even imagine, but more than that you will have me as your inheritance. Vs 30

God: I have called you to have a:

  1. Life of peace
  2. Hear my instruction
  3. Teach others
  4. Live in Awe of me.
  5. Then my spirit will be poured out on you and you will restore sons to fathers and a spirit ofrestoration will come upon you.