THE HARDEST RETURN IN THE

WORLDMalachi 3:7

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed

tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all

uncleanness.Matthew 23:27 NKJV

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY?”I. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR

WAY" WE LEAVE GOD ON OUR TERMS

I. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE LEAVE GOD ON

OUR TERMS

A. You Are Gone Away

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his

servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children

of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at

Jerusalem.

II Samuel 11:1 KJV

Then his father and his mother said to him, “Is there no woman

among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people,

that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she looks

good to me.”

Judges 14:3 NASB

I. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE LEAVE GOD ON

OUR TERMS

B. You Have Not Kept My

Ordinances (Or Laws)

They continue this day according to

Your ordinances, For all are Your servants.

Psalm 119:91 NKJV

Your first father sinned; those I

sent to teach you rebelled against

me.Isaiah 43:27 NIV

And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the

children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has

rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have

transgressed against Me to this very day.

Ezekiel 2:3 NKJV

I. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE LEAVE GOD ON

OUR TERMS

C. You Have Done This From

The Days Of Your Fathers

And those of you who are left shall waste away in

their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; also in their

fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall

waste away.

Leviticus 26:39 NKJV

For the Lord loves justice,And does not forsake His

saints; They are preserved forever, But the

descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:28 NKJV

You will not be joined with them in burial,Because you have destroyed your landAnd slain your people. The

brood of evildoers shall never be named.

Prepare slaughter for his childrenBecause of the iniquity of their

fathers,Lest they rise up and possess the land,And fill the face of the world

with cities.

Isaiah 14:20-22 NKJV

Our fathers sinned; they no longer exist, but

we bear their punishment.

Lamentations 5:7 HCSB

you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those

who hate Me,but showing mercy to thousands, to

those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Exodus 20:5-6 NKJV

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY?”II. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR

WAY" WE RETURN TO GOD “OUR WAY”

II. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE RETURN TO

GOD “OUR WAY”

A. You Return Unto

Me

III. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE RETURN TO

GOD “OUR WAY”

B. I Will Return Unto

You

You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say,

“In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say,

“Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them,” Or,

“Where is the God of justice?” Malachi 2:17 NKJV

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and

refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring

offerings in righteousnessMalachi 3:3 NKJV

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY?”III. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR

WAY" WE LIVE A LIFE OF FRUSTRATION

III. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE LIVE A LIFE OF

FRUSTRATION

A. But You Say, Wherein

…?

III. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE LIVE A LIFE OF

FRUSTRATION

B. Wherein Shall We Return?

III. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS "OUR WAY" WE LIVE A LIFE OF

FRUSTRATION

C. These People In Malachi’s Day Were Outwardly

Spiritual

Turn us O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger

toward us to cease.

Psalm 85:4 NKJV

Turn us back to You, O Lord, and

we will be restored; Renew

our days as of oldLamentations 5:21 NKJV

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’

and not do what I tell you?Luke 6:46 NLT

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY?”

I. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY” WE LEAVE GOD ON OUR TERMS

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY?”

II. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY” WE RETURN TO GOD “OUR WAY”

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY?”

III. WHEN WE ARE RELIGIOUS “OUR

WAY” WE LIVE A LIFE OF FRUSTRATION