Sermons
February 2nd, 2025 by Pastor Solley02022025AM Open Your Windows.
Sub. Windows of your life.
Theme: Open them so God can bless.
Text: Mal 3:10
“Open Your Windows” Malachi 3:10
Introduction
I want to speak to you this morning about windows. Not the windows in your home but the windows that are your life. Windows allow us to see out but more to the point this morning windows allow others to see in, allow others to see what is inside.
I. In Malachi 3:10 we find an open window: Mal 3:10 – Most of the time Mal 3:10 is used as a text for a message that message will be about tithing. The Holy Spirit may lead me to speak about tithing, but not this morning. I want to speak to you about your windows.
A. Here we find that it is the desire of God to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon His children: Mal 3:10 That is a powerful statement when you think about the greatness of God and the blessings of God that must be found in heaven. God’s desire is to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings. – Mal 3:10 – The verse suggests to me that there are storehouses in heaven that are full of blessings and windows ready to be opened and those blessings poured out. – Mal 3:10
1. The desire of God to pour out blessings goes beyond Israel: The New Testament counterpart for mal 3:10 is found in Luke six. Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. If you are a child of God today it is the desire of God to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings. Jesus said “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” And in our text we read this. – Mal 3:10 Any that know Jesus Christ as personal savior can not only claim Luke 6:38 but Mal 3:10 as well.
2. God’s desire is to bless His children:
B. But Israel fell far short of the blessings God wanted to pour out upon them: God wanted to bless, God had the windows of heaven open, but God could not pour out those blessings upon those people because the windows of Israel were closed.
1. When those on the outside looked through the windows of Israel they saw nothing that would being them to the Lord: There was nothing in the nation that would suggest to those looking from the outside that they were a chosen nation, chosen of God.
2. If one looked through the windows of the nation they saw a people just like the world: In that sense the windows of the nation were closed to the blessings of God. God could not do what God desired to do. – Mal 3:10 – The windows of Israel were closed.
II. What of our windows this morning? What of your windows, my windows this morning? When people look through the windows of our lives today what do they see? I know what God wants them to see, what God wants others to see in me.
A. Through my windows they are to see within a candle burning brightly for the Lord, they are to see good works that glorify my heavenly Father, they are to see Christ in me: I know by the authority of Scripture what God wants others to see in me when they look through the windows of my life. Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
1. Through the widows of my life my God wants others to see Christ in me: My windows are to be open to allow others to see Jesus Christ in me and be then drawn to Him by my open windows.
2. And when those widows are open the Blessings stored up in heaven and be poured out and in: Mal 3:10
B. Are my windows open so others can see Christ, are they open so God can pour out blessings through the windows of heaven? I want to speak to you about your windows this morning.
PROP: Our windows need to be open to the Lord. TS. So God can pour out His blessings upon us.
Body
I. We can find many examples in the Bible, both Old and New Testament of professing Christians who had windows that were closed: These examples are people who knew the Lord, who had good beginnings in the Lord, people that I believe we will meet in heaven one day, but people who decided to close their windows, black them out, so others could not see within. Consider.
A. Jonah, a prophet of God, closed his windows: Jonah 1:1-9 Jonah decided to close his windows, Jonah decided to become a secret Christian. Jonah was a prophet before this, Jonah knew the Lord, Jonah served the Lord, and Jonah was given a task to do for the Lord. But Jonah decided to become a secret Christian and there is to be nothing secret about our Christianity. How God would have blessed Jonah originally we will never know because Jonah decided to close his windows and become a secret Christian.
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1. Lost people had to pull out of Jonah what he was: Jonah 1:7-9 And there are no blessings that are going to follow. Jonah cut himself off from the blessings of God.
2. Even after Jonah repented, was vomited out of the fish God prepared, preached and people were saved Jonah would keep his windows closed: Jonah 4:1-3 How many people were saved in Nineveh we do not know. 2,000, 20,000, 200,000, we do not know. Heaven rejoices over one who gets saved but not Jonah. – Jonah 4:3
3. Jonah closed his windows and the blessings God had stored up for him in heaven remained there:
B. Saul, God’s choice to be the first king of Israel, closed his windows: Some question if Saul was ever saved, I believe he was because Saul had a very good beginning in the Lord. Most people forget the humble beginning of King Saul and how God changed and blessed him. – 1 Sam 10:1, 6-7, 9 Saul had a very good beginning in the Lord.
1. But as Saul began to be filled with pride he closed his windows toward God: He stepped into the office of the priest which he was forbidden to do. He became so jealous of David he tried to kill him.
2. Finally Saul turned to a witch for counsel instead of God: 1 Sam 28:7 That was the final step away from the Lord and Saul closed his windows toward God and the blessings that God had stored up for him remained in heaven.
C. Solomon, Israel’s richest and wisest king, closed his windows: Few had as good a beginning as Solomon. – 1 Kings 3:5-14 – God’s blessings upon Solomon were evident and even surpassed the way God blessed his father David.
1. But Solomon closed his windows: 1 Kings 11:7-10 To see where this took Solomon all one needs to do is read the book of Ecc.
2. All the blessings God had stored up for Solomon remained in heaven because Solomon closed his windows:
D. Lot closed his windows: I don’t question if Lot is in heaven, the Bible tells me he is. – 2 Peter 2:6-9 The Bible calls Lot both just and righteous and those words do not point to his actions, they point to a heart born again.
1. But when Lot saw the well watered planes of Sodom he closed his windows to God: Soon the people of the city knew Lot more for being one of them than a man of God. Lot closed his windows.
2. Instead of receiving the blessings of God Lot fell under the chastening hand of the Lord: The judgment was severe.
3. Lot could have had the blessings of Abraham but they remained in the storehouse of heaven: Lot closed his windows.
E. Demas closed his windows: 2 Tim 4:8-10 Here was a man who was born again, who was serving with Paul, part of the great missionary team, and one who could have received the blessings Paul received. – 2 Tim 4:8
1. But Demas closed his windows: 2 Tim 4:10 Closed to God and open to the world.
2. All the blessings God had stored up for Demas remained in the storehouse of God: Demas closed his windows.
II. Then we have the many examples of those who opened their windows for all to see in, for all to see Christ in them: Praise God for the many examples of those who opened their windows for all to see Christ in them and the blessings that followed.
A. Joseph was one who chose to keep his windows open: Gen 41:38-44 Joseph had many opportunities to fall away from his God and into the world, but Joseph chose to keep his windows open.
1. Hated by his brothers, sold as a slave: Joseph chose to keep his windows open.
2. Falsely accused and thrown into prison: Joseph chose to keep his windows open.
3. Forgotten by those he befriended in prison and forgotten: Joseph chose to keep his windows open.
5. Finally Pharaoh hears of that Hebrew who had windows open so others could see Christ in him: God then opened the windows of heaven and poured out upon Joseph blessings God had stored up for him. – Gen 41:40-44
B. Moses chose to open windows toward God: Heb 11:23-27 Moses had every opportunity to keep his windows closed toward God, had the riches of Egypt, would most likely have became a Pharaoh, leader of the most powerful nation in the world.
1. But Moses remembered what he learned at the knees of his mother and would rather serve the Lord: Heb 11:23-25
2. God opened then the windows of heaven and poured out blessings upon Moses: Those blessings did not end when Moses died and left this world for we see him on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus.
3. God opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings upon Moses:
C. Esther chose to open windows toward God: Est 4:13-14 At this time Esther had her windows closed as only a few knew that she was a Jew, that she knew Jehovah God.
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1. But it came time to make it known that she knew the Lord: Est 4:14 Would Esther hold her peace or would she open her windows and allow others to see what was inside of her?
2. Esther opened her windows and the blessings began to flow: God opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings upon Ester going well beyond what she had ever imagined.
D. Daniel opened his windows and kept them open: Dan 6:1-11 Daniel went through much in his life.
1. Carried captive to Babylon when just a boy: He would have saw his parents killed, his home burned so he had nothing to go back to. Daniel chose to keep his windows open.
2. Made a Eunuch and forced into the culture of a pagan land: Daniel chose to keep his windows open.
3. Charged to give a message to the king that would have cost the life of most: Daniel chose to keep his windows open.
4. Facing a sure death Daniel chose to keep his windows open: Dan 6:7-10
5. What a testimony Daniel had: Dan 6:4-5 What if the worse thing anyone could say about me, about you, was that we just loved Jesus too much? What a testimony Daniel had.
6. And God did pour out blessings upon Daniel: Dan 6:19-23 God opened the windows of heaven and poured out His blessings upon Daniel. Daniel kept his windows open.
III. It is the desire of God to bless His children: Mal 3:10 ; Luke 6:38 I believe on the authority of the Word of God that it is the desire of God to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon His children. – Mal 3:10 ; Luke 6:38 – That is the desire of God, to pour out blessing stored up in heaven upon His children. If you are a child of God today that is the desire of God.
A. There are certain things that God has not promised us: We have not been promised to be taken out of this world before His time and while in this world we live by the rules down here. Jesus prayed in John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. We must live in this world so there are certain things we are not promised.
1. We are not promised to be kept from trials tribulations: John 16:33
2. We are not promised to be kept from the waters and floods of trials, from the fires and trials of life: Isa 43:2-5 But we are promised His presence and we are promised His blessings. – Isa 43:19
B. It is the desire of God to bless His children: That is Bible.
IV. But we do need to open our windows and allow others to see Christ in us: Col 1:27 Those who are lost in sin need to see Jesus Christ through the open windows of the Christian, they need to see Christ in us. There are to be no secret Christians. God could not bless Israel as God desired to do because Israel did not show Jehovah God to others, Israel kept her windows closed.
A. We noted how Jonah, King Saul, Solomon, Lot and Demas closed the windows of their lives: All of them are found in heaven and all of them cut themselves off from the blessings of God. They all closed their windows.
B. God wants no secret Christians and cannot pour out His blessings upon secret Christians: That is also Bible. God wants others to see Jesus Christ in me and you through the open windows of our lives. – Col 1:27
1. There is to be a light shining out of our hearts today that brings others to Jesus Christ: 2 Cor 4:6 The same light that shined in our hearts bringing us to Jesus Christ is to shine out of our hearts allowing others to see Jesus Christ in us. – 2 Cor 4:6
2. We are the light of the world and that is to shine out: Matt 5:14 There are only two called the light of the world in the Bible, two.
a. Jesus Christ is called the light of the world in John 8:12 and John 9:5
b. And the born again child of God is called the light of the world. – Matt 5:14
c. Is your light shining today?
3. Our lights are to shine out through open windows: Matt 5:14-16
4. If I want the blessings of God to be poured out upon me I need to allow my light to shine so others may see Christ in me:
C. But do we have the courage today to let our light shine out through open windows? Do we have the courage of Joseph, of Esther, of Daniel, the courage to allow out light to shine out through open windows, do we have the courage to do that?
1. Do you know that you are the only light some may ever see? The only source of light that will lead them to Christ they will ever see. Do you know that you are the only light some may ever see?
2. Do you know that you are the only Bible some may ever read? The only source of truth that will lead them to Christ, the only Bible they will ever read is you. What message are they seeing in you?
3. Do you have the courage today to open your windows and let the light that is within shine out for others to see? That will allow God to open the windows of heave and pour out His blessing upon you.
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D. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the sources of light that have touched my life through the years: As I get older I think more and more about them and thank the Lord for them more and more. I would never have been saved, never have served without them.
1. My parents were that first source of light: Praise God for Christian parents who love Jesus and being their children to Him.
2. My grandparents were a source of light: Praise God for Christian grandparents who love Jesus and are faithful to Him.
3. Pastors who have been a source of light for me: Praise God for pastors who shine out for Jesus Christ, who preach the Word.
4. Evangelist who have been a source of light: Men who gave up all to serve Christ bringing others to Jesus and who challenge the believer to give all to Jesus Christ.
5. Christian brothers and sisters who are a source of light: Their lights shine and it encourages me to let my light shine as well.
6. I thank Jesus for a helpmeet He gave to me who is a great source of light for me: I see daily Christ in her and it encouragers me.
7. I thank Jesus for sources of light I have seen this week: (Larry and Jean)
E. Are your windows open today, can Christ pour out the blessings He has stored up for you?
Conclusion
Having looked at windows this morning what can we say?
I. We can find many examples in the Bible, both Old and New Testament of professing Christians who had windows that were closed: These examples are people who knew the Lord, who had good beginnings in the Lord, people that I believe we will meet in heaven one day, but people who decided to close their windows, black them out, so others could not see within. Consider.
II. Then we have the many examples of those who opened their windows for all to see in, for all to see Christ in them: Praise God for the many examples of those who opened their windows for all to see Christ in them and the blessings that followed.
III. It is the desire of God to bless His children: Mal 3:10 ; Luke 6:38 I believe on the authority of the Word of God that it is the desire of God to open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon His children. – Mal 3:10 ; Luke 6:38 – That is the desire of God, to pour out blessing stored up in heaven upon His children. If you are a child of God today that is the desire of God.
IV. But we do need to open our windows and allow others to see Christ in us: Col 1:27 Those who are lost in sin need to see Jesus Christ through the open windows of the Christian, they need to see Christ in us. There are to be no secret Christians. God could not bless Israel as God desired to do because Israel did not show Jehovah God to others, Israel kept her windows closed.