Malachi 3:1-6

[Music] [Applause] we are in the book of malachi if you don't have a Bible we definitely want you to have one so just raise your hand and that way you can follow along with us because I really go line by line verse by verse to the whole Bible we do something little different perhaps because we just don't study from the Bible we've studied the Bible and learn what life comes from it so let's pray it will look up quote father thank you for your word your will your way that's time to be here today thank you God for your great great grace we love you we ask now that Holy Spirit you would come upon us we've got some really good stuff to glean tonight and so prepare our hearts and our minds I pray you would remove just distraction as a whole Lord in any sense of ancing this or whatever help us sister have a merry moment at your feet God and so help me and all of us now to be in your Holy Spirit so spirit come may I decrease and you increase in us and let the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be right in your sight my father my Saviour my Redeemer your name I pray amen all right well you guys still loving Malachi no you keep coming back so all right on so Malachi basically God getting his people together and saying what we need to talk and so as we talked about that last week just that sense when someone says a hum we need to talk and it's just like that oh and we recognize the only reason why a spouse would say that because if you love someone you can't allow wrong just to fester you need to step in and make correction and so that's what God is doing there was things that were hindering the relationship of his people and what God wanted to do in and up and wit through and to them but as we've been seeing Malachi has a rather severe message by coming to his people and saying that their hearts for him has grown luke warm now Bible students what does the Bible say in Revelation that God will do with those who are lukewarm they become a loogie exactly so it's not a good thing to be associated with lukewarmness No so God is saying listen this is it's happening you were once on fire and then you have just by busyness and all these other different things found your passion leaving and so we've discussed Toob us why oh I'm too busy to have my quiet times I'm too busy to be involved in a ministry we're not we've learned Toob us why totally over occupy being under Satan's yoke and he knows that he can't get you to rebell but he can get you just to step back in the midst of love to miss the power to miss the passion that God promised for his people so again why the book because he loves them he loves us first words I have loved you but the whole purpose and I'm gonna remind you this each week the purpose of him stepping into our lives stepping into our faces some weeks it's for this reason so that we can return to him so he can return to us amen so when you understand the intention is love then you can endure some of the pain when I would have a very bad sliver and my father would be taking that knife or that needle that digging in I wasn't going a blessed moment but I knew my dad was doing it to get something out that if it was left it would only make matters worse capisce all right okay so what does all that mean it means there's a part that we have to respond you see in Deuteronomy chapter 30 he says I call heaven and worth to earth to witness against you today says God that I have set before you what life and death notice I've set before you life and death the blessing and the curse so what does God say so choose life that seems it's like a commercial so choose life I've offered you life and death blessings are blasting so you choose but I suggest you choose life in order that you may what live you and your descendants and again we're not talking about just breathe live but live in presence live in his abundance and understanding what that and then of course we all know Joshua 24 and verse 15 he says and if it's disagreeable in your psyche to serve the Lord choose for yourselves today whom you will serve whether the gods which your father's served which were beyond the river or the gods of the amorite syn whom whose land you are living and then he brings it around but as for me in my house we will what ok so my point is is that this study as we go through it is going to be meaningless and pointless if after the service each week you don't make some life-changing choices does that make sense God is calling these things to us but it's not just information it's so that there can be transformation by us when we make the right choices and then let God do what he's going to do so last week we saw a verse 17 of chapter 2 he says you have wearied the Lord you have wearied him with your words and yet you say how have we wearied him what was God weary of remember he was weary of his people saying it's okay calling evil good and again we don't go so far as saying good but when we say not that bad we're saying the same thing right is right and wrong is wrong we love to change things and we want to have an affair rather than adultery we want to soften these words because we want to make it not that bad and yet we know that sin is sin and the wages of sin is it's death so we understand that this is what was wearying God and they were even doing so by saying listen I can prove to you that God doesn't really care because look would you've been able to get away with it this long I mean look if God was really against us he would but look no one's been busting you for what you're watching on your TV no one's been busting you for this you've been doing this thing for so long so God must be okay with it and so they were using this where is the god of justice so obviously it's not as bad as the preacher is making it sound well take a look at this with me sin even if legalized by man is still sin in the sight of God his doctrine is not ours to change so culture can change the my new the mentality of the world can change but I'm sticking with the book that was written by the guy who made the earth in the first place and so that's what we have to understand so now they stated where is this god of justice it must be ok chapter 3 is now God's response so now join me now at chapter 3 verse 1 verse 1 excuse me behold I'm going to send my messenger and he will clear the way before me and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the Covenant in whom you delight behold he is coming I want to circle that he is coming says the Lord of hosts so where is this god of discipline where is this god of justice first thing he says behold remember I talked about that a lot that's that's when you're trying to get someone's attention like Phil you'll never walk into work and go behold I am here behold I have something to say to you you know no when it's a behold it's like check it out like me when I go look this way alright that's what he's doing it's a behold moment and what does he say they said where is he and he says I'm sending him I'm sending my messenger now circle that underline whatever you need to do who is this messenger well believe it or not I love it when the Bible answers it for us and it's very simply to understand because Jesus himself explained that it is in fact John the Baptist so you can write in your margin there you can put in Matthew 11 he is connecting John the Baptist with Isaiah okay so Isaiah the prophet John the Baptist all in this office in fact he says this in Matthew 11 verse 10 he says this is in whom it is written behold I send my messenger before your face now listen who will prepare your way before you so he talks about this prophet is the one who will prepare your way be for you now look at verse one it says this and my messenger and what will he do he will clear the way what before me so very clearly we can see he's tying Jesus ties it in about all the prophets where the purpose was and so who this messenger was that came before Messiah and I'll talk about that more in a moment but look at this verse overhead look at Romans true to verse 2 and we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice we talked about that at the men's retreat who practice such things and do you suppose this oh man when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and you do the same yourself that you will escape the judgment of God interesting stuff right there for a second look at me he's saying if you have it so naturally passed judgment oh look at that person look how they're dressed what were there someone and so forth all these things were so quick to pass judgment on anything and everything he says why do you think that that would not that that would just slide right over you you've already said tells me in in Matthew's chapter seven by your standard of measure it shall be measured unto you it's a scary verse you're super critical about everybody everything and I come by gosh that can't be the pastor he doesn't even have pants what's going on you know whatever it is you're sitting there well but Brandon's up here playing you like man this guy does everything he slices he dices he does it all man you know he's just like what random addict yes and you know all this stuff listen he says right here he says you judge you gonna be judged that you will escape that judgment of God verse 4 or do you think lightly check us out Church of the riches of his kindness and that's one that does belong in a pillow the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that the kindness of God leads us what to repentance see this hope how does it say he's gonna prepare the way he's preparing it so that both sides both elements will be covered he is righteous and holy and will not turn the blind eye to sin but recognize he is giving chance after chance warning after warning opportunity after opportunity we call it grace to be able to finally get right to quit struggling to quit judging and let God love you and so he says what's so funny is why are we charging other people blasting other people because I've said a thousand times wounded people wound people so a critical person and somebody themselves they're judging everyone else because they're not happy in their own life and all this stuff and he says and why do you why do you take it lightly that God his own words his kindness forbearance and patience and yet our culture says look everything's going along this crazy I mean God must be cool to AH we're gonna talk about that twice today but don't mistake God's patience for impotence and why God wants you and how God wants you tonight today to come home to Jesus is through his kindness no he wants us to come to him today as father calling prodigal home kindness it's the kindness of God that leads us to repentance it says so he will clear the way before me then it says the Lord whom you seek we'll talk about that more in a moment but the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come where okay now there's a queue who will come into his you want a circle that coming to his temple now Malachi has already been showing us all through chapter 1 in chapter 2 he's been declaring all kinds of problems of what's been going on in the temple service the practice of temporal worship has not been as God has called it to be so when he says that he has come and then he is coming to his temple well guess what that would have an uncomfortable significance to the priest don't you think he said by the way I'm coming to where you work and Jesus as we know did come he did in fact come to the temple didn't he and he came and he exposed all the sins that were in it and he purified its courts so that peoples of all walks could come in and worship in fact in Jesus's ministry we found something consistent that he consistently revealed the sins and the piety of the religious leaders so much so that they eventually put him on a cross for it now think about that with me because now you need to see the second part it says the messenger of the Covenant see this if you're one of those who likes this kind of thing this is the only time this is used in the entire Bible right here it's called the messenger of the Covenant this is not the same as my messenger who's the my messenger it's John the Baptist so he is the for bearer and now I've told you about the one that comes in the one who's coming in to clean house this is the messenger of the Covenant who is he referring to well by context we can tell this is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself again John the Baptist is the one that comes before Jesus basically what is he saying in this first part God is saying all of you that are saying how evil is good good as evil you don't have to do this and it's all fine with that and all these different things are cool he says you have been distorting my word so therefore I will send the word made flesh to straighten things out in the beginning was the hmm not just a clever use of phraseology he's pulling it together and saying you're messing with the word I will send the word you're changing it saying this is that that is this remember this is the last book of the Old Testament before we have Jesus coming in chapter 2 in Matthew understand this with me all we need to know is as it's saying something it's saying something very profound and powerful now if you have been paying attention and if you are paying attention there should have been something that I said in verse one that's been very confusing to you Ranieri says I'm do a dog and then I'll get it huh notice it says the Lord whom you seek the Lord whom you seek and then it also says and in whom you delight these should have caused you a little confusion because have they been seeking the Lord no that's what he's been talking about you're just coming and doing the motions you're going through have they been delighting in him no they're just doing whatever they can in the minimalist as we've seen that the empty words the empty worship the dirty hands all this stuff so why is God saying these words is it contradicting no not at all first of all from the very earliest prophecies from the prophets they spoke about Messiah coming so everyone always had the 40,000 foot level that one day Messiah would come to this day you go to Israel someday Messiah will come they're not sitting on the edge that they're not looking for it but they know that he's supposed to come and not not realizing he has already come the first time so this is generally what is being stated but I believe in you look at specifically God is actually using sarcasm you know the one whom you delight right the one whom you're seeking well check this out even though their hope was superficial he still is coming did you get that church you may not be looking today or whatever around but he still is coming he is coming again and that was what they needed to understand 2nd Peter 3:9 the Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish you need to show this to your friend this is we don't believe it a good God that would send someone to hell neither do i he doesn't want to send anyone you're gonna send yourself and he gave you so many opportunities including me having lunch with you so that you would understand that God lives God loves and God saves not wishing that any to perish but for all to come to what repentance not coming for a feel-good whatever we need to first recognize what I'm caring and I don't need to be caring repentance verse 10 but the day of the Lord remember revelation study the day of the Lord will come like a thief in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat and the earth and its works will be what okay we're going to see a theme here today about this intense heat things being burnt up he's saying listen right now God has given you another grace another grace and another grace but there's going to be a day in the hour when judgment comes and let me just remind all of us and I'm not trying to be heavy at all you don't know when that moment will come for you don't even bother trying to go with prophecy will it should be this and then that's gonna happen listen Sam Kinison the comedian of the 80s that was known for his vulgar jokes and his vulgar everything he was once a Baptist minister and he just got derailed and walked away from the whole thing and blaspheme God and did all this horrible humor and when that car flipped on the road when get a car pulled out in front of him and his car flipped multiple times his last words as paramedics were running up to him were not now I'm not right I'm not ready not now I'm not right I'm not and he was gone he knew when it came time and so the reason why he says these things as I said before and last week and other many times is to warn caring people care about others he is coming says the Lord of Hosts verse 2 but who can endure the day of his coming now that's kind of a heavy message who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears he's not wonder if churches just painted that on the doors outside of the church how many would come you know beyond their invitation cards who can endure this is in the Bible who can endure the day when he's coming and who can stand when he appears for he is like a refiners fire and like a Fuller's soap now a refiners fire this is basically what it is this melting hot fire that is so hot that it actually melts other metals all around it and specifically gold and silver but other metals as well to be able to pour burn out all of the dross all of the impurities inside the fire had to be so hot that it would burn these things through and then not to leave it just on the hot and cooking then he takes us to the soap he takes us to the Fuller's soap where that means the person who would have that big old bar where they didn't have everything like we do today and machines this bar and they would rub it across the thing and set that bar down and then they would crush the thing up and down and you've seen those washboards before and God is saying God Almighty the Messiah when he comes this keeper of the Covenant he's gonna be like are we fighting fire like a fuller soap now here's where I want us to get something when we hear typical layperson in church someone say like a refining fire and everyone's just like woohoo you get like oh this is such a heavy message refining fire listen the word refining fire and fuller soap what is the purpose the entire purpose I put it here nice and clear for you to clean and to purify not destroy you hear the fire of God you like oh I would God do this kind of so when you come to destroy no the fire and the soap are to clean and to purify what he loves and that good you can understand the whole purpose of even the fire you know and a wish Bowser because that's one of the songs I didn't want to hear to go with him did you go to Fiji one of the songs that was fire fire fire and that's just like there's not like a dancing around and it's really fun because they have usually a fire in front oh but anyways but we hear this and we think you know the Hellfire and damnation sermon hallelujah the purpose of a refining fire is to take care of what is precious and so notice what happens here he's gonna come he's like a refiners fire as a full earth soap and then look at verse 3 and he will what does it say notice that circle that he will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver so often when people have this idea of the refining fire they just seem like blasting out of his fingertips just burning and kinda no no he is sitting and I'll talk about that in a moment as a smelter and a purifier of silver and he will purify circle a word again he will purify not destroy the sons of Levi and refined them like gold and silver big circles so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness now there's a powerful story that has been shared about a young man who went to a refiner and it goes as such a young man happened upon a silversmith could refined silver and gold from raw materials sitting in front of his fire what was he doing sitting in front of his fire why do you heat the metal he asked the refiner answered in order to make precious silver I have to remove all the impurities that make it worth less than it really is the young man thought about his own life and how one time a fiery suffering or another was required to remove some of the junk in his own life why do you sit while you work inquired the visitor the refiner replied I have to watch the fire closely too little heat and the impurities will not be removed too much heat and the precious metal will be destroyed and made worthless the young man reflected in how his life of comfort had brought a sense of complacency that led him to abandon his dreams settling instead for a humdrum life but he had also come through painful fiery times with character and strength that he would not have found elsewhere then the young man asked the refiner how do you know when the silver is at its right temperature the refiner smiled and answered I know the purifying is complete when I can see my reflection in the silver the young man marveled at the answer and thinking that is true with my life my own fiery trials were only to complete when my refiners image could be seen in me the young man left contemplating the aspects of his life still needing to be transformed by the refiner his own selfish desires ambitions and time-wasting activities his tendency to quickly judge others or believe a lie that he never really examined and he gave thanks to God who was the only one able to free him from these impurities and transform him into the likeness of Jesus amen understand this image of one who was sitting carefully meticulously knowing exactly just what we can receive are you there this is what he's trying to speak so that you and I can begin to get this what is the whole purpose of him being a refiner a smelter to clean to purify not to destroy because notice verse 4 it says and then whenever you have a then that means something came before it so that means after the heat then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old as in the former years meaning those hands that were so dirty then when God washes them and cleanses them then we will be able to bring our sacrifice with clean hands and a pure heart amen see on the outside when commentator said your blessings have been taken from you and the exterior pangs you feel are accompanied by the inward agony for what you cannot reclaim but the father has not placed value where we have whereas we longed for that which has been taken the father is overjoyed with what remains could it be that the Lord hides next season's harvest and what we have left your miracle is never in what you lost it's in what you have left if you are down to a handful of meal that's all you need if you're down to two fish and five loaves of bread that's all you need like the widow in the Old Testament you can be down to one last jar of oil but the Lord has created more capacity for you to pour out improve upon and increase what you have what left start looking at what remains and cease grieving over what you have lost folks time experiences whatever it is stop it after all you needed what the excuse me if you needed what the father took from you do you really believe the Lord would have sought to take it Isaiah 26 you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they what yeah the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord good stuff huh see God is saying I'm doing this stuff upfront and you're not liking and it's kind of uncomfortable but the whole purpose is so that we can have a cleaner more powerful more beautiful relationship that you can actually walk and the plans that I have the prosper and not to harm why are you doing all this God why are you allowing is you said not the harm uh-huh we need to get rid of the drawers there's some things that need removing any amens out there Church okay so verse four starts with then verse five starts with then so notice there is this progression here first things first so first we had to have the heat that purifying with fire and then we can now bring purified offerings then now notice what happens next then I will draw near to you for judgment not when you hear that so often people that go remember when you're in a beauty pageant you stand in front of the judges and you want to stand in front of the judges because you want them to critique you want if you're doing something right being in front of the judge you want it to here say yeah we'll bring near to you for judgment and I will be a swift witness against notice now the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who swear falsely against those who oppress the wage-earner in his wages the widow and the orphan and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear me says the Lord of hosts does not remind you of what we talked about last week that love has enemies here it is he said listen I am going to bring judgment against sorcerers meaning those who are seeking power other than mine we think it's just a guy with a pointy hat no no no no other power other sources crystal this whatever and against adulterers and we learned last week that that's not just a physical act of what happens in the mind as well as a man thinks so has he done and then against those who swear falsely half-truths Anna hey I guarantee it whatever or I'll be there next week and you're not and against those who oppress check this out the wage earner and his wages are you holding things over to people are you building people up are you lording over or lifting up you're holding over the widow and the orphan meaning those who are that weak and the vulnerable Jesus says to those who turn aside the alien and why do they do this stuff because they don't fear him where is that god of justice come on I've been doing this I'm making money it all works for us we see the Miami Vice lifestyle and we're like wow seems like the evil people are prospering and here I'm trying to do my business well and I'm just struggling along and barely making my mortgage he's bringing all this out he says those who do not fear me says the Lord of Hosts love is the sworn enemy of sin love fights for what is right and when we change God to excusing sin then we prove that he does not love humanity because love cannot keep a blind eye when others are being wronged amen we talked about that when you see someone who's doing something that can cause them harm or other harm and you have the power to tell them and to intervene and you don't is that love I asked you know and yet in our culture it's actually called tolerance when we do so and if you do speak up and say you know what I don't think that's right that's called hate one more that I couldn't get by Charles Spurgeon this week in my devotions it was like bro he must know exactly where I am in the sermon Psalm 45 7 God says you hate wickedness the psalmist says you hate wickedness a little thorn can cause a lot of suffering a little cloud can hide the Sun little foxes can damage the grape vines a little sins can destroy the tender heart these little sins burry up to the soul and make it full of that which check it out Christ hates a great sin cannot destroy a Christian but a little sin can make him miserable Jesus refuses to walk closely with his people when they refused to drive out known sin in their lives he says if you keep my Commandments you will remain in my love even as I have kept my father's Commandments and remain in his love to be sure some Christians rarely enjoy their saviors presence but how can this be isn't it heart-wrenching for a child to be separated from his father you claim to be a child of God but seems satisfied to go on without seeing your father's face you're the spouse of Christ and yet you are content without his company surely you have fallen into a sad state lukewarm lost your first love what has driven Christ from you his face is hidden behind the wall of your sins and that wall may have been built up with little pebbles just as easily as with great stones if you want to live with Christ and walk with Christ and see Christ and have fellowship with Christ then be careful about the little foxes that spoil the vines for our vines have tender grapes go with Jesus and gather them now this scripture tells us be angry but do not sin and man can hardly be good at all if he can be angry at sin whoever loves the truth must hate every false way our Lord hated temptation when the devil came against him three times and responded get behind me Satan he hated wickedness so much that he bled and died that it might die do you hear that church he hated wickedness so much that what did he do scream out against it put pressure on us no he hated wickedness so much that he bled and died that it sin might die he was buried that he might bury it in his tomb and he rose that he might forever trample it beneath his wings his feet Christ's gospel is opposed to wickedness in every shape wickedness dresses itself in pretty garments and imitates the language of holiness but the teachings of Jesus chase it away amen Wow kind of summarizing where we've been looking and where we've been going you see he ends this section and that will last that we will look at after verse 5 the then-then-then now look at what he says of himself in verse 6 for I the Lord what does it say I the Lord do not change circle that underline that highlight that whatever you need to do put that big and loud and proud there for you O sons of Jacob are not consumed here he's talking about a refining fire of Fuller's soap and all of this process that he is doing and why he wants to hear he says but one thing you can bank on I don't change and so that means what I said yesterday I'm still gonna hold him because I don't change my word doesn't change amen now think about the people a promise is only as good as the person who makes it we all got that friend it says oh I promise and you're like uh huh I'll be there at 6 I promise you don't even bother getting ready till 6:45 see he says why is this so important I the Lord don't change he says will the people be consumed no they won't they won't be consumed why because God said in the very beginning he made a covenant that God would bring the descendants of Jacob all the way through as I spoke about last week all the way to the last days so God has kept his promise now why is that so amazing why is that so exciting to us because now I can look and see that as God was faithful to his word to Israel and there still is in Israel then God is faithful to his word that he says to me and what he says to us because he is the same yesterday today and forever it will not change because like his word he himself is immutable immutable means will not cannot does not change now why is this so important why am I making such a strong case because family this is something you really must grasp today game-changer remember what God says that he's gonna do is he said he's going to refine with the fire you know what's cool about the fire is that whatever it was that needed to be removed is burned up see if I took something off I took my glasses off and I put them over here if I just took it off I could go back to it but if he was burned up there's nothing to go back to I understand why he's using the fire illustration why do you keep thinking going back to your past going back to who you were going back to what you confessed last week last month last year when God says you bring it to me and I'm gonna burn it I'm the refining fire now why again am I making such an emphasis because listen God wants us to know him by how he has acted with others before when he says I don't change we need to understand that by how he has been to others is how I know God will be with me I don't change says God and so when he starts saying that then you and I begin to start going whoa remember in Joshua chapter 1 verse 5 the very first words God comes to Joshua after Moses is dead he says no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life and he says just as I have been with Moses what I will be with you and I will not fail you or forsake you what a power hey remember MO and all those things that I deal with Moses and you were standing Wow he's an amazing leader hey just as I was with Moses I'm gonna be with you I don't change my word I say what I mean I mean what I say and all of a sudden you're like wow I mean he says just as meaning the same power the same consistency now think about this church God wants me to know he doesn't change God wants me to know him and his character and what he's gonna do in my life by what he has done in others so you think about Abraham having to offer Isaac and how sketchy that looked but he knew that even if I killed my son the writer of Hebrews says then God would raise him from the dead Joseph and all the trials that he went through from seemingly going from bad to worse but God was raising up a ruler in Egypt Moses and all of the plagues that he had to stand in front of Pharaoh and then all the miracles in the wilderness Daniel in the lion's den Shadrach Meshach Abednego finding themselves in a fire but who did they find in the fire oh Jesus and one thing about fire it's light so when you're in the fire Jesus is even clearer to see he was always there but even Nebuchadnezzar said hey I see someone in there looks like the face of God and you're on fire folks that's when they can see Jesus all the more in your life David not just fighting Goliath but how many times he fought battles and numbers far greater than his but when God said I will bring victory he went forth and God did Peter and John when they see the lame man they hate silver and gold have I none rise up in the name of Jesus they love Paul all the things we saw in acts bringing back a person to life resurrecting being impertinent acts and schemes in his life and God is saying as I was with Abraham Joseph Moses Daniel David Peter John just as I have been with and you can fill in the blank them the pastor your friends do this that as I've been there with your grandma I'm going to be with you that's how I know I can bank on God because he has a track record that is proven he says when he means he means what he says and he brings out the ultimate good amen hallelujah any of you guys know who SM Lockridge is you know who you and some along the great black preacher men oh this guy when I read this list Mike I just hear him in my head Abraham offered Isaac Joseph in his trials Moses on the plagues I'm sorry I can't fire it up can you tell listen I don't know your fire and trust me you don't know mine but if you got close you will smell smoke but God is large and in charge and here's the thing we just went yeah just as I was with David just as I was at Paul and Peter and Moses and we're looking at all these wonderful things when just as I was with him remember when he says just as I have been that means just as I also disciplined and brought judgment on David in his house and brought judgment and discipline upon Moses upon Isaac just as I have been with them I will also be with you 2nd Peter 2:6 and if he condemned the cities of sodom and gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes having made them what an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter verse 9 says then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation I love it and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment says listen I knew what to do is Sodom Gomorrah remember I took a lot out so trust me there might be things going all around you but I've got my eye on you know I took care of Lord I took care of I'm taking care of you and so you can understand that I am going to bring him because I am a holy God but if you are one who was seeking his word willing way says AHA gotcha I know how to care to rescue the godly he says what is God saying he's saying I'm consistent family never mistake God's patience for approval or impotence everything is going exactly according to his plan [Music] so what do we learn today very simple because Father loves us big : chapter 3 verse 1 behold I'm going to send my messenger and he will clear the way God has continually done so because he loves us God has sent messengers down through the ages not just John the Baptist but friends neighbors pastors you and me God has sent into this world to prepare the way that others might hear and receive that this fire wants to burn the dross not burn you to purify not to destroy and God has sent not just the messengers of flesh but according to the Bible Romans 1:24 since the creation of the world his invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood through what has been made so that they are what without excuse so it's not just the preachers of flesh but creation itself the awe and wonder of what we have and then we've learned in verse 2 that he is like a refiners fire like a Fuller's soap but the whole purpose of his fire is to clean it's to purify not destroy Amen he wants to remove the dross in our lives the things in our lives that aren't healthy that aren't right that are compromised and sometimes the only way he can do that is to turn up the heat but I gotta tell you something I heard this quote and I love it it's not always easy going through that time can I get an amen but it's okay to fall apart every now and then because tacos fall apart and we still love them amen you're like oh that's deep I am writing that one down sometimes you just need to say how you don't I am busts up God is taking me behind the woodshed I am a taco on the plate not in your mouth that God loved you let God love you let God love you let him love you why verse 3 why does he do it so that they may present offerings to the Lord in righteousness I simply put down sometimes God will take you to prison to set you free sometimes God will take you to prison to set you free it's gonna do what he has to do so that we can worship with clean hands and a pure heart and how can I bank and all this being good even though it doesn't feel right it doesn't see it I don't understand it I think it's an injustice upon me verse 6 for I the Lord do not change God wants us to know him to know him by how he has been with others and I closed with Hebrews 12 when you think about how he has been with others in Hebrews 12 3 4 consider him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself so that you may not grow weary and lose heart what is he saying look at all the attacks that came upon him and what did he do he loved them and so what makes you think he's not going to still love you don't lose heart that's what the cross was about he hated sin so much that he died so that sin could die and go away remove its power in your life well we struggled till he calls us home absolutely but it doesn't have to be the power source in your life anymore that God loved you amen hey thank you for spending your time with us today at 1 love ministries and being a part of our program but this invitation that you heard today through the Word of God is directly to you I want you to know if you have not yet made a profession of faith meaning ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior that imitation is available to you right now change transformation all the glorious things that God wants to do are available to you but you got to ask you must personally invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior so if God has been speaking to you during this message your hearts been beaten your hands been cut and kind of sweaty you've been wrestling with things guess what that's the Lord knocking on your heart and I want to lead you right now in a prayer that can allow you to invite Jesus Christ to become your Lord and Savior and open the door for eternity for you and him to be together I want you to pray with me right now it's not a magic prayer but an honest heart that will invite the Lord into your life join me right now dear Jesus thank you for dying on the cross for my sin I ask you to forgive me and to become my Lord and Savior today Jesus I believe that you are God and that you saved me and my faith will be put in you please give me your Holy Spirit to come in and upon me but I might learn how to live as a child of God thank you Jesus for your love and today I come home and your name I pray amen if you prayed that prayer with us we are excited the Bible says the angels in heaven are rejoicing and we want to join them too so would you call this number right here on the bottom of the screen and let us know we want to help you find a church it's in your area get plugged in get fellowship get disciple as the Bible says because we want to grow and God's grace together god bless you he loves you we're excited if you would like to receive a copy of today's message please write down the sermon number on your screen and give us a call at nine fifty five nine three three five four service times and locations check us out on the web at one love org Mahalo for watching

Channel: One Love Ministries

Views: 1,366

Rating: 4.5384617 out of 5

Keywords: Waxer Tipton, 2019, Malachi, One Love Ministries

Id: o0t1b0cg1DA

Length: 51min 31sec (3091 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 04 2019