Text: Malachi 2:17–3:5
Topic: What Christians should do about social justice

Introduction
• Contemporary wisdom says effective communicators focus on the positive.
• The Old Testament Prophets largely focused on the negative.
• The Prophets were only responsible for speaking the Word of the Lord.

God cares about social justice.
• God remembers the poor and the powerless, and calls us to remember them as stewards of his justice.
• When the church is experiencing abundance, it is least effective in helping the poor and powerless.
• Illustration: Biblical archeologists have discovered that the Prophets were most active during times of economic disparity in Jerusalem.
• God cares about financial inequities.
• Illustration: Husted highlights several examples of financial disparity, including: Michael Jordan vs. Nike workers, Disney CEO vs. employees in Haiti, and herself vs. the third world.

A lack of social justice will bring about God's judgment.
• Jesus' words reveal how God will deal with his children who do not participate in social justice.
• God's judgment is not meant to destroy us, but to purify and refine us.
     - Illustration: A forgotten verse in "America the Beautiful" demonstrates God's refinement process.

Christians should participate in social justice.
• Only God can bring about true justice, but he uses his church to do so.
• Illustration: The allied military campaign against terrorism was originally named Operation Infinite Justice.
• The church is responsible to help those who are in need of help.
• The church is also responsible to try and fix any system causing people to be in need of help.

Conclusion
• Illustration: A quote from Henry David Thoreau promotes individual participation in social justice.