Sermon Big Idea:

Our unfaithfulness to God, will open the doorway for unfaithfulness with others.

Sermon Overview:

 The Spiritual Diagnosis: Apathy

The sermon begins by comparing the process of diagnosing a physical illness (like a cold or abdominal pain, using a symptom checker) to the prophet Malachi's diagnosis of Israel's spiritual health.

• The Symptoms:The people, described as "quiet quitters," are doubting God’s unchanging love and are not fully engaged. Their worship is routine, lackadaisical, and worthless, and they are profaning the sacredness of God's name by "cutting corners."
• The Underlying Cause:This is diagnosed as the "illness of apathy."

Unfaithfulness Manifested: Three Areas of Treachery

Malachi, using a probing Q&A style, exposes the symptoms of this apathy in the horizontal realm—their relationships with one another. The key repeated phrase is "breaking faith" or "faithless" (used 5 times), referring not to lack of belief, but to a lack of loyalty, commitment, and steadfastness (covenant infidelity).

1. Unfaithfulness in Covenant Relationships (Malachi 2:10)

• The Problem:The people acknowledge that they all have "one Father" (God) and were "created" by Him, which implies a covenant with one another. Malachi is perplexed: "Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?"
• The Standard:God’s law provided high relational benchmarks for His people (e.g., Lev. 19:13–17), prohibiting oppression, slander, and harboring hatred. Treating others irreverently is the same as desecrating God's sacred temple space.
• Application:Christ maintains the core standard of love of neighbor. The world should recognize Christ's disciples by their "love for one another" (John 13:34–35). Unfaithfulness to God often appears in broken relationships characterized by discord, bitterness, or unforgiveness.

2. Unfaithfulness to God’s Covenant Ways: Interfaith Marriage (Malachi 2:11–12)

• The Problem:The people are committing an "abomination" and "profaning the sanctuary" by "marrying the daughter of a foreign god." This is a repetition of the sin—interfaith marriage—that was a major cause for their exile, as it opens the doorway to idolatry (Deut. 7:3–4). The prohibition is not against interracial marriage (as Israel had mixed ethnicities), but against joining with those who do not share allegiance to the covenant God.
• The Standard:This OT principle of not marrying a non-believer is maintained in the New Testament. Paul warns against being "unequally yoked" (2 Cor. 6:15–16), which creates tension, strain, and misalignment in the partnership. Marriage is the most influential "yoke."
• Application:Christians must avoid the danger of unequally yoked relationships, especially in dating and marriage. This is not a minor issue, as it is a way of compromising one's faith and moving outside God's design, like tectonic plates moving in different directions, eventually causing a rupture.

3. Unfaithfulness in the Marriage Covenant: Divorce (Malachi 2:13–16)

• The Problem:The people are crying at the altar because God no longer accepts their offerings. The reason is their unfaithfulness to the "wife of your youth... your wife by covenant." God Himself was the witness to the marriage vows. The act of divorce is equivalent to abandoning God Himself, as the horizontal marriage bond is meant to be a "depiction of your relationship with Me" (the vertical).
• The Standard:Jesus affirms the "one flesh" divine union from creation (Mark 10:6–9), stating, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." Divorce is seen as an exception for limited circumstances, not the ideal. Malachi 2:16 states, "For I hate divorce."
• Statistics:In the US, the crude divorce rate is around 4 per 1,000 population (2022 data). It is estimated that 40–50% of first marriages end in divorce, with the rate being higher for subsequent marriages (around 60% for second and 73% for third). This highlights that for many, marriage has become a "contract" (self-seeking and temporary) rather than a "covenant" (other-serving and permanent).
• Renewal:Renewal begins by guarding one's spirit and heart against unfaithfulness.

Hope and Renewal in Christ

The message concludes by pointing to Christ, the "faithful One," who perfectly modeled the covenant faithfulness that the people lacked.

• The New Covenant:Christ's relationship with the church is described as an intimate marriage (Ephesians 5:25–27). He remained faithful, giving Himself up for the church, His bride, to cleanse and sanctify her.
• The Good News:Hope and renewal for unfaithful people are found in the faithful One. Through faith and trust in Christ's perfect faithfulness, believers are cleansed by His blood and not condemned (John 3:18). This allows believers to find hope to mend broken relationships and commit to being faithful to Him.