1. The first book in the world printed with movable types was the Bible. Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, printed about 180 copies of the Bible. It took three years to do it, from 1453 to 1456.

The Gutenberg Bibles were copied from a manuscript of the Vulgate translation and was printed in Latin. Only about 50 copies have been located, many of them in poor condition. One copy, printed on vellum and said to be one of the three perfect copies made, is owned by the Library of Congress and was obtained for $400,000. For anyone interested, a well-preserved two-volume set sold in New York City for $3.2 million.

2. We'd all agree that a copy of the Gutenberg Bible would be a valuable possession and its value only increases day by day.

Yet, I know today that the value of the Gutenberg Bible to many wouldn't be that it's a copy of the Word of God, but due to when it was printed, who printed it, and its rarity, and historical significance.

 The fact that it's the Bible, the Word of God, would be a factor least considered in its value.

3. My attention is drawn to the number of times in the Old Testament someone questioned the value and profit of Divine things.

4.  The people of Malachi's day questioned and doubted the profit and value of serving God.

George W. Truett once said,
 "To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge.
 To find the will of God is the greatest discovery.
 To do the will of God is the greatest achievement."
What was Dr. Truett saying?
 He was simply declaring the profit and value of serving God.

1. In our text we read of how they addressed the matter of serving God. Malachi writes of what they were saying about serving God.

We read in verse 17 that they said, " Ye have said, It is vain to serve God…"

NOW, Notice how they addressed their service.

A. HOW THEY VOICED THEIR OPINIONS.

1. As you read the book of Malachi you find the people saying many things about God and to God.

In 2:17 we read, "Ye have wearied the Lord with your words."

The word "wearied" means being exhausted.

We might say, "Pastor Tim goes on and on. He donesn't know how to stop.  But, when I get away from everyone I'm worn out."

It's the same idea in our text.
You could say God was fed up and worn out from what they were saying.

2. We also read in 3:13, " Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord…"

Malachi not only speaks of how they irritated the Lord with their words but also how they insulted the Lord with their words.
The word "stout" speaks of something that's strong, hard, or harsh.
They were saying some harsh and terrible things about God.
As we would say, they were putting God and the things of God down.
They were both agitating and angering God by what they were saying.

3. Yet, when confronted with what they were saying they denied it. We read in verse 14, " Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?"

The verb "spoken" suggests that what they had said wasn't so much a matter of what they said to God but about God.
The word describes a bunch of people sitting around talking.

4. The people of Malachi's day were having their gossiping sessions.
 They were sitting around talking about God.
 They were saying some stout and harsh things about God.

B. HOW THEY VIEWED THEIR OPPORTUNITY.

1. As God's people they had been given the wonderful opportunity to serve God, but instead they viewed serving God as a vain activity.
They said in verse 14, "It is vain to serve God…"

They were saying, "Serve God, you say. Why? It's vain to serve God."

2. The word "vain" means they thought is was foolish, insignificant, and unprofitable.
 

Instead of looking at service as a favorable matter, they viewed it as a foolish matter.
Instead of looking at serving God as an important matter they viewed it as an insignificant matter.
Instead of viewing service as a profitable matter they viewed it as a profitless matter.

3. Their statement is very revealing.
It reveals among many things a people that knew nothing about serving God.
It was a claim that they'd been serving God and a charge that it was vain to do it.
Nothing could've been further from the truth: neither their claim nor their charge.
First, to the claim that they had been serving God, the book of Malachi makes clear they hadn't been serving God.

4. To say that it's vain to serve God is crazy, anyone who would make a claim like that knows nothing about serving the Lord.
 No one who has served God or serves God would even think of saying that.

5. At the age of 7, on a Thursday evening, sitting on top of a picnic table, I bowed my head and gave my life to God to do whatever He wanted and to be whatever He willed. Was that a foolish act on my part?

For these past 25 years I've been involved in God's work and service. Have those 25 years been foolish and wasted?

At times serving God has required hardships and trials. It's required the leaving of houses and lands, mother and father, family and friends.
Has it all been in vain? Has it been a foolish course of life?

6. I'll answer that by saying that the greatest hour of my life, apart from my salvation, was the night I gave all to the Lord.
The greatest days of my life have been the past 25 years and if I had them to do all over again, I would make the same choice.
As the songwriter put it, "I don't regret a mile I've traveled for the Lord." No reserve, no retreat, no regrets

7. I once came across a tract entitled "Ten Things You'll Never Regret:"
         (1) Showing kindness to an aged person.
         (2) Destroying a letter written in anger.
         (3) Offering an apology that will save a friendship.
         (4) Stopping a scandal that was ruining a reputation.
         (5) Helping a boy or girl find themselves.
         (6) Taking time to show consideration to parents, friends, brothers and sisters.
         (7) Refraining from gossip when others around you like it.
         (8) Refusing to do a thing that is wrong, although others do it.
         (9) Living according to your convictions.
         (10) Accepting the judgment of God on any question.

8. I can add one more to the list. You'll never regret serving God.
 It's never in vain to serve God.
 It's never foolish to follow Him, live for Him, and serve Him.
 Rather, it's foolish not to serve God.

1. In verse 14 they said, "…and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance…"

In these words we see their motive and how they approached the matter of serving God.

A. AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE FOR SERVICE.

1. The word "profit" is very enlightening.
The word speaks of gain and in most cases the word is used to speak of of something that's gained by dishonest and unjust methods.

2. The people were saying that they hadn't got their cut from serving God.
Their attitude was; if we're going to serve God then we expect something in return.
We expect our cut out of the deal.
We expect to be paid for what we do.

3. Their words reveal that they were serving God with an ulterior motive.

They were serving God for what they could get out it.
They weren't serving God out of gratitude but out of greed.
They weren't serving God as a debt they owed but as a means of profit.
Behind their actions was an ulterior motive.

4. They were no different from many in God's work.
 More than we like to admit and confess, we're driven by an ulterior
 motive.
You take the matter of giving. Our giving is often motivated by tax benefits when it comes to filing our taxes.
At other times our giving is motivated by certain promises in the Bible that if I give God will give.
The motive is to give in order to get.

I've often wondered if the only promise we had is that if we gave 10% we would end up with 10% less, would we still give?

5. I think of why we often attend church.
For some it's like some kind of spiritual rabbits foot to keep bad things from happening in their life.
We think that if we get in church and go to church God will bless us and do good things for us.
It's sort of like a sermon a day will keep the devil away.

6 So much that we do has an ulterior motive.
        We sing in order to be applauded.
        We volunteer in order to be approved.
        We teach and preach in order to be acknowledged.
        We work in order to be awarded.
        We want and expect our cut and percentage.

7. Satan accused Job of serving with an ulterior motive.
Satan said to God in Job 1:9, "Doth Job fear God for nought?"
Satan was saying, "God, do you think Job is serving you for no reason at all?"
It was an accusation that Job was serving God because of the blessing it brought into his life.
Satan said in effect, "You take away all that you've blessed him with and you'll see why he really serves you."

B. THE ULTIMATE MOTIVE IN SERVICE.

1. Notice carefully the words, "kept" and "ordinance."

 The words are closely connected in meaning and reveal what the
 ultimate motive in service should be.

The word "kept" literally speaks of a hedge about something in order to protect.

The word "ordinance" means more than a law or command.
 The particular word used speaks of a sentry or post.

Together the words describe and give us the picture of a soldier placed at a certain place or post to guard and keep watch.

2. There's the place of service God has assigned to each of us.

There's our post.
The one thing our Heavenly Commander expects is faithfulness to His assignment.
I believe that the ultimate motive of service is to be faithful to God.
The thing that should motivate us and drive us should be nothing
more than to obey His commands and to be faithful to His call.

3. The reason we give should be for one reason and one reason alone.
He told us to.

The reason we should attend church is because He told us to.
The reason we should serve God is because we want to obey him and be faithful to Him.

1. Since they felt that serving God was both foolish ("It is vain to serve God") and futile ("what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance") their final analysis of serving God is found in their words, "we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts" (Vs.14).

A. WHAT THEY CLAIMED.

1. The word "mournfully" describes how they felt.
    The word literally means, "black."

2. It was a claim that serving God was more of a burden than it was a blessing.

They were saying it was more of drudgery than a delight.
It was a claim that serving God was a mournful experience.

B. WHAT THEY CONCLUDED.

1. Their final analysis and conclusion, as is obvious in what they were saying, was why would someone serve God?

It's in vain,
it's unprofitable,
and when it's all said and done, it's nothing but a burden.

Why would one want to serve God?

2. My final analysis of all they have said is very simple.
    They were completely wrong in everything they said.

The best way I know how to describe them is that they were running off at the mouth about something they knew nothing about.

3. Anyone who would say that it's a burden to serve God has no knowledge or experience of serving God.
    The greatest joy that you can experience is the joy of serving God.
    The most enjoyable thing that you can do is serve God.

4. As someone wrote:
O the sheer joy of it,
Living with Thee,
God of the universe,
Lord of a tree,
Maker of mountains,
Lover of me!
O the sheer joy of it,
Breathing Thy air;

Morning is dawning,
Gone every care,
All the world's singing,
God's everywhere.
O the sheer joy of it,
Walking with Thee,
Out by the hilltop,
Down by the sea,
Life is so wonderful,
Life is so free!
O the sheer joy of it,
Working with God,
Running His errands,
Waiting His nod,
Building His heaven,
On common sod.

5. Is there "profit" in serving God?

Don't listen to the people of Malachi's day.
Listen to those who've been saved and are serving God.
Let them tell you the blessing and joy of serving the Lord.
Let them tell you the value and profit of serving God.

6. Have you discovered the "profit" of serving God?

 Today would be a good day to begin to experience the "profit" of serving God.