The Offering
Speaker: Pastor Darin Browne
It’s 2026, a new year. The old has gone, the new has come. We have had some leave our leadership team, but God is already raising new people up, people committed in unity to the vision of Ignite.
Our vision hasn’t changed…Real People, Real Community, Real God. We have always been committed to being real people, reaching our community and sharing a real God with them. I don’t want us to be a fake people, presenting a fake God who does pretend signs and wonders and parlour tricks. God is real to me, and I hope to you, and that’s the basis upon which we will build our community, to reach the people we are ambassadors to here on the Sunshine Coast. The vision has not changed, Real People, Real Community, Real God, but the method will this year, as we move further into discipleship and Life Groups.
AN OFFERING OF REPENTANCE
I love my quiet times. God encourages me, guides me, speaks to me and sometimes even rebukes me. Let me share what He said this week, and let me start this year with honest, heartfelt repentance.
Malachi 1:6-8, 13
“A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the LORD’S table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favour? says the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD.
A CONFESSION
At the start of this year, I confess that, in 2025, I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I was besieged by building regulations and frustrations from outside the church and distracted by attacks from within. I was weary, I fought hard, but at times it was in my own strength. In my overwhelm I failed to give God my best. I confess this to you now and repent of wanting to quit and despising the role God has given me. 2026 is a new year, where I believe we will see incredible Kingdom growth here at Ignite. We will see unity, and righteous offerings to the Lord. This year I pledge to give everything I can towards Kingdom Growth. My question is…
WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING IN 2026?
At Christmas we remembered that God gave the best of Heaven to save the worst of me. Surely, He deserves our complete devotion in return, our complete worship. Will 2026 see you just go plodding on from week to week, month to month, or will you decide to devote yourself to total worship? I am not talking about money here; I am talking about your entire life! Let’s look at what the people of Malachi’s day were offering God…
1: WEARISOME WORSHIP
In Malachi 1, God charged the priests with not honouring him (to the point of showing contempt for his name) and failing to be good spiritual examples to the people. A bit of history…the Temple had been rebuilt in 515 BC by returning exiles, and worship had been restored, but years later the priests were not worshiping God properly – they were not following his laws for the sacrifices. Ezra the priest had sparked a great revival around 458 BC. By Malachi’s time (20-30 years later), the nation’s spiritual leaders had once again fallen away.
The proper worship of God was no longer of highest priority or done from heartfelt adoration. Worship had become simply a burdensome job for the priests. It was boring, drab and just going through the motions.
Malachi 1:13
But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD.
And I fear many of us just find church a burden. We come to fulfil a commitment and go through the motions, and there had been times in the last year when I was so battered and bruised and exhausted that I sometimes offered less than my best to the Lord.
The answer is not to lower God’s standard but to raise our standard of worship. There’s nothing impressive about dunking a basketball after you’ve lowered the rim from ten feet to four, yet Israel had lowered the standard of worship – and they were excited about dunking the worship ball. God was not impressed.
2: IMPERFECT OFFERINGS
Malachi 1:8
When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favour? says the LORD of hosts.
God’s law required that only perfect animals be offered to him as sacrifices, demonstrating the need for a person to offer something of value in exchange for being pardoned for the high cost of their sin.
Leviticus 1:3
“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD.
But these priests were allowing the people to sacrifice blind, crippled, and diseased animals. God accused them of dishonouring him with these imperfect sacrifices, and God was really upset with their half-hearted, second-rate offerings.
Romans 12:1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
If we give God the dregs, the leftovers of time, money, and energy, we are just as bad as these worshipers, who didn’t want to bring anything valuable to God. At Christmas, would you give clothes that are torn and dirty, or things that are broken as gifts to those you love? What we give God reflects our true attitude toward him.
Do you want a first-class God while offering second-class worship? Do you give him your leftover time, talents, and treasures after you have little or nothing left? Are you unwilling to be inconvenienced by involvement in the church? Do you avoid sacrificing for fellow believers? You don’t have to say you despise the Lord: all you have to do is give him your leftover dregs while also asking for his blessings. We all ask for His blessings, His best, but do we offer our best to Him?
3: A DESPISED SACRIFICE
So how do we actual offer second rate sacrifices to God? The people sacrificed to God wrongly through…
A: EXPEDIENCE
When it came to worship, they always looked for the easy way out. What’s the minimum amount I can attend church activities and still be blessed? I’ll go to church one Sunday a month, but no life group, no discipleship, no prayer meetings, nothing that inconveniences me. Worship is such a burden!
James 4:17
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
B: NEGLECT
Being careless in how they offered sacrifices. I won’t tithe; I’ll just chuck a couple of bucks in if I have any at the end of the week. I’ll turn up at church, but I don’t want to sing, or take notes, or listen closely.
Malachi 1:10
Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.
God is not interested in half-hearted, going through the motions offerings.
C: OUTRIGHT DISOBEDIENCE
They sacrificed in their own way and not as God had intended. Our society is full of people who think they are Christians, but they have designed their own version of God, disobeying and even despising His laws and His standards. So, we now have churches who have convinced themselves that God is good with homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion and other things, because that’s the Jesus they have designed for themselves to worship. But Jesus said…
John 4:24
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
D: STINGINESS
We try to worship by being as cheap as possible. We bargain with God. What can I get for the least outlay. God is not a business proposition, He is God, and…
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
The people of Malachi’s day revealed their real attitudes toward God by the way they worship and gave offerings. How about your attitude? Has expedience, neglect, disobedience, or stinginess influenced your giving of your time or your energy?
THE RIGHT SACRIFICE IN 2026
The priests in Malachi’s time offered God their leftovers. They laid injured, worthless animals on the altar and expected God’s blessing. Though Christians today don’t have to abide by the Mosaic law, God still expects us to give our very best; of our resources, gifts, and time – and even our very selves – to Him (Romans 12:1). Do we offer Him our dreams, plans, and loved ones, entrusting them to His providence? Or are we offering Him only what we feel like we can spare?
Today, at the start of the New Year, I am asking you to consider what you are offering to God in 2026. I am asking you to join me in offering true sacrifice to the Lord this year. I am promising, before you, to give everything I have to serve Jesus this year, time, money and energy. I’m asking you to join me, to truly honour Him, to give Him everything, except excuses. David said, when given the chance to offered cheap sacrifice…
2 Samuel 24:24
But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it (the sacrifice) from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”
But what does this mean in real terms? Let me get practical right now. I am going to ask two things of you right up-front for this year. I am asking you to join me, to stay in unity, stay connected, by joining me in these two things. They are not burdensome, they are not impossible, they are not unattainable, and every one of us can pledge this to God right now for this year. Please don’t despise your Lord by offering substandard sacrifices, not now, not when we are on the verge of seeing amazing Kingdom growth.
I ask of you to join me in two things.
1: JOIN A LIFE GROUP
At the end of this month, we are going to launch a brand-new style of life group, or connect group. It will be structured, have clear direction, and be part of discipleship. It will see people saved and brought right through to maturity in Christ. We will launch it in a month, and I am asking you to be involved, for an hour or two, once a week. I’m asking you to not say, “oh I don’t go out at night (we will have daytime ones); I don’t like to drive, or I’m too busy, work is too hard, the family is too demanding.” We make time for what is important to us. If real people, real community, real God is important, I am asking you to please consider supporting a Life Group. It will be fun, not wearisome, and you will see amazing results. Life changing, society changing results!
2: JOIN THE BIBLE READING PLAN
We have designed an interesting, fast moving Bible Reading Plan. It covers the highlights of the Bible across the whole year, only reading two chapters a day. If you don’t read, on the Ignite App you can have it read it out for you. It takes as little as ten minutes a day, but if we do this in unity, God has promised me we will see His provision in every area.
Psalms 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Two simple requests, that are practical ways you can delight yourself in the Lord this year. Please understand, I am not forcing you or guilt tripping you to do these, because that is not going to make for a pure offering. When someone forces or guilt trips you into something, it’s not a proper sacrifice, is it? A teenager putting the garbage out might do it, but not because he loves and honours his parents, but because they make him. They change the Wi-Fi password to “put the garbage out, son”, all one word, no capitals.
CHANGE YOUR ACTIONS
Repentance goes beyond just confession; it is deciding that you will change your actions. As your pastor, I don’t want to offer second rate sacrifice, I want to offer everything in 2026! I have given you two simple actions. Please consider joining me, joining all of us as we seek God together in worship in spirit and truth. The people of Malachi’s day said…
Malachi 1:13
‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts.
But Jesus says to us today…
Matthew 11:30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I’m not here to burden your life but I am here to call you to repentance. Starting with myself.
Lord Jesus, I repent of neglecting You and offering less than my best to You. Please forgive me. I now pledge to give You a true and honest offering of my life this year. I pledge to seek first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness and trust You for Your blessings.
Lord, I give You everything right now. Use me to impact the world for You.