The Book of Malachi (5) The Lord is coming to execute Justice 03/20/2022

First Baptist Church Leominster

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:22

And I think because of the time this morning we will not have that New Testament reading but pastor

00:29

Jason will come and pray for us and also at the end of the service before we're dismissed maybe

00:36

You five who are baptized could go back in the narthex so we can greet you as the folks depart

00:42

Pastor Jason, thank you All right. Let's pray

00:49

Gracious Father, we thank you for a wonderful morning thus far. We thank you for your great grace for the salvation that we have in Christ Jesus and the tremendous blessings that that means

01:00

And Lord, we ask now that you would help us as we study your word We pray that we would be mindful of what it says

01:05

We pray that the Spirit would convict us that the Spirit would change us We pray

01:10

Lord that we would walk in obedience to the truth that we hear this morning to your praise glory and grace

01:16

Help us now Father Thank you in Jesus name. Amen Well, let's return to the second chapter

01:31

Malachi This morning in our study of the prophecy of Malachi we read of God's enunciation of Israel For having broken his covenant relationship with him.

01:52

We've seen it in a number of places Set forth in a number of different ways in our study

01:59

God had condemned various groups of the nation. We of course had considered his condemnation of the priests for their corrupt practices in the temple and Then he broadened his condemnation to include the entire tribal

02:15

Levi Levi, of course was one of the twelve tribes of Israel and Levi was the tribe that was dedicated to the service of the temple

02:26

Not all Levites were priests, but all priests were from the tribe of Levi Who were the descendants of Aaron?

02:35

And of course we read of the condemnation of the priests and then last time last week we read of God proclaiming his condemnation of the entire nation of Israel and so the entire

02:50

Country the nation all Israel had broken their covenant relationship with their God they had been disloyal and unfaithful to their covenant and this was

03:01

Evident as we saw last week in the manner that so many Jewish men were divorcing their first wives their

03:08

Jewish wives and then remarrying marrying Pagan women women of who were still worshiping pagan gods and So as a result

03:21

God refused to receive them or accept their worship That that they offered to the

03:27

Lord because they themselves the Jewish people were polluted and so God rejected them for they had violated the terms of the

03:38

Covenant and So they also in divorcing their Jewish wives and having married pagan wives and old

03:45

God's purpose for marriage His intention and desire was to bring forth a holy seed

03:51

Children who would of course Follow him and would be holy and dedicated to the

03:58

Lord. But these Jewish men marrying these Gentile pagan

04:04

Wives these second marriages would result in the children no longer being holy before the

04:11

Lord And so their behavior condemned them in so many different ways But it was their failure to acknowledge wrongdoing and their refusal to respond humbly before the

04:24

Lord and repentance that sealed their fate and steeled the Lord in his purpose and intention to judge them and so God purpose to condemn them and judge them for their failure and refusal to acknowledge him in truth and In the passage before us today

04:43

We read that God purpose to send the Messiah to them Who would administer justice?

04:49

upon them and in so doing the Messiah would both purify some of them, but overthrow the rest of them and So in this prophets words we have the same challenge that had been leveled to the

05:04

Jewish people long before by another prophet that being the Prophet Amos and Here is a portion of his prophecy.

05:11

That was given in the 8th century BC Whereas Malachi was giving his prophecy in the 5th century

05:19

BC. So long before a similar kind of denouncement came

05:25

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord For what good is the day of the Lord to you?

05:31

It will be darkness and not light It will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him

05:37

Or as though he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him There's not the day of the

05:44

Lord darkness and not light is it not very dark with no brightness in it. I Hate I despise your feast days.

05:52

I do not savor your sacred assemblies Though you offer me burnt offerings in your grain offerings.

05:58

I will not accept them nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings Take away from me the noise of your songs

06:05

For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments Will let justice run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream

06:16

Well in examining the prophetic message before us today beginning with Malachi 2 17

06:23

We will not only see a prophecy of the first coming of Jesus as the Messiah to his people

06:29

Which was preceded by John the Baptist John the Baptist is Is prophesied here in this passage it will consider

06:37

But we'll also look forward to the parousia, which is the Greek word for coming the second coming of the

06:44

Lord at the end of history when he comes forth to deliver his people and judge the world and So in both comings of the

06:52

Lord Jesus, he brings judgment Upon his enemies and he brings salvation for his people

06:59

Many think that he only came to bring salvation in his first coming but judgment will not occur until his second coming

07:06

And that's not really accurate In the infancy narrative of Luke's gospel we read of the aged

07:15

Simeon taking the baby Jesus in his arms and then he is a prophet uttered a prophecy concerning this child this baby

07:24

Jesus and This is what he said of the child Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother behold this child is destined and notice for the fall and the rise

07:35

There's judgment and salvation for the fall and the rise of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against yes

07:47

Then he says to Mary a sword will pierce through your own so also So that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed and so at the even when

07:56

Jesus was an infant This Inspired man declared that this

08:05

Child would bring about both the fall and the rise of many in Israel both judgment and salvation

08:12

He didn't come to judge Directly, of course, he indicated that but the result of his coming their refusal to embrace him as their

08:21

Messiah Resulted in God's judgment upon them in the fullest We'll consider that not only were there many at his first coming on whom he had brought forth judgment who professed to know

08:34

God and anticipated the coming of the Messiah We'll also say that this will be so at the end of the age with the second coming

08:42

There will be many who claim to believe on Jesus Christ who look for his coming and presume they will be saved by him at his coming

08:50

But will only then become aware of his condemnation of them for their unrepentant

08:56

Sinful lives and their refusal to submit humbly to him as Lord and Savior When the

09:02

Lord returns he's going to find many sleeping not watching and unprepared for him and Great will be their overthrow and their sorrow these ones who thought that they were safe in their faith in him

09:19

Here's the passage we desire to examine this morning Malachi 2 17 2 verse 5 of chapter 3

09:27

You have wearied the Lord with your words, but you say how have we wearied him?

09:34

By asking Or saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the

09:41

Lord and he delights in them or by asking where is the God of justice Behold I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me and The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and The messenger of the

09:55

Covenant in whom you delight behold he is coming says the Lord of Hosts But who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears?

10:05

For he is like a refiners fire and like fuller soap He will sit as a refiner purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and Refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the

10:19

Lord and Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years

10:28

Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I Will be a swift witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who swear falsely

10:37

Against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages the widow and the fatherless

10:42

Against those who thrust aside the sojourner and do not fear me says the

10:48

Lord of hosts It's a single prophecy again beginning with the 17th verse of chapter 2 and continuing through verse 5 of chapter 3

11:00

Let's first consider how the people wearied God with their speech Which is set forth in Malachi 2 17

11:09

The prophet declared you have wearied the Lord with your words But you say how have we wearied him?

11:17

By saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he that's the

11:22

Lord delights in them Or by asking where is the

11:28

God of justice? We have considered the speech interchange between the

11:34

Lord and his people in the previous two chapters Of this book of prophecy God would charge his people with sin and their response was one of questioning or challenging

11:43

God's accusation Whereby they were justifying themselves in their behavior and so God had

11:51

Previously charged the priest with despising his name back in verse 6 of chapter 1

11:57

But their response to God's charge was this how have we despised your name? They were clueless

12:04

God had accused them of having polluted their sacrificial offerings to him verse 7a the response was denial

12:12

How have we polluted you? Then God announced to them that he no longer accepted their sacrifices to him chapter 2 verse 13

12:21

Their response was to challenge his judgment. Why does he not? Why doesn't he accept them?

12:28

And then here in verse 17, it said to them you have wearied the Lord with your words, but their response was one of Incredulity, how have we wearied him?

12:40

And so the Lord denounced them declared to them their sin and yet in every instance

12:46

They denied it. They didn't see it. They justified themselves these people were clueless of God's true opinion of them even as they vainly thought that he was quite pleased with them

12:59

Worship was going on as usual in the temple They thought that he should at least be favorable toward them

13:07

But God charged him with flagrant sin. Well, they were in blatant ignorance of their sin

13:15

And this is but one more case in Scripture that shows forth the deadening blinding influence of sin upon the thoughts and opinions of people

13:24

They say if Drinking alcohol. The first thing that goes is your perception of how much you have drunk and how it's affected you

13:32

Well, that's the nature of sin in general when people sin they don't realize just how grievous their sin is and the adverse effects that it's had upon their soul and particularly before God They're clueless

13:49

They have a propensity people have a propensity to think quite well of themselves and presume that God must be of the same mind

13:56

Toward them as they have of themselves well, why wouldn't God be in favor of us and Then when confronted with the truth of God's true evaluation of them

14:07

They questioned God's veracity or his capability to make such judgments

14:13

How can you say that God? this spiritual error, however

14:21

And ignorance is not only the result of sin, but it's also a manifestation of the righteous judgment of God God not only opens eyes to understand his truth, but he closes eyes blinds eyes so they don't see the truth

14:38

This is often the case When God is determined to overthrow an individual or a collective group of people, he'll often cause confusion of their thinking

14:48

Or persuade them to believe a lie respecting him and his ways with them and so we read of God's dealing in this way in 2nd

14:56

Thessalonians 2 when Paul warned this church about the arising in Christendom of the man of sin

15:04

Paul wrote the coming of the lawless one the Antichrist is according to the working of Satan With all power signs and lying wonders with all unrighteous deception among those who perish

15:16

Because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this reason

15:23

Because they didn't receive the love of the truth for this reason. God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie

15:34

That they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness It's his judicial action

15:43

This action that God takes is not his judgment upon the ignorant who are teachable and desire to know the truth regarding God and his

15:50

Ways and how he would have them think and believe and act he's merciful to them But this is judicial hardening and blinding in the manner that God deals with those who refuse to hear

16:02

Who refuse to embrace the truth of his word ones who are moved to reject what they hear the

16:08

Word of God say because they insist to persist in their unrighteous thinking and living and The Lord will confirm them in their error and their sin to their just certain judgment

16:25

The Lord Jesus thanked his father in this manner of his dealings with people After Jesus denounced the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida for refusing to believe on him

16:34

He prayed to his father these words. I thank you father Lord of heaven and earth that you've hidden these things the ways of salvation

16:43

From the wise and prudent they would be the self -righteous and you've revealed them to babes even so father

16:49

For so it seemed good in your sight God reveals the way of salvation to people who are humble

16:57

Who truly want to know him and know the truth and respond to it but he hides the truth from those who are indifferent or Resistant or defiant with regard to who he is

17:12

So thank God that he has the power to restore sight to the blind But here Jesus Christ thanked his father for causing spiritual blindness to those who continue to believe

17:23

That they saw and understood matters quite clearly and quite rightly Self -confidence is a sure sign of God Self -confidence is not a sure sign of God's favor and Self -confidence may be an indication of God's judicial dealings with impenitent sinners

17:46

Matthew Henry wrote it is a wearisome thing even to God himself to hear people insist upon their own

17:53

Justification in their corrupt and wicked practices and plead their atheistical principles in vindication of them

18:00

And God says in Malachi 2 17, you know, the prophet says you have wearied

18:06

God with your words and He then again identified precisely what words they were a cause of great distress to God Let's reflect on the implication of that statement you've wearied the

18:21

Lord with your words Isaiah had denounced wicked

18:27

King Ahab's Here now Oh house of David. Is it a small thing for you to weary men?

18:33

Will you weary my God also? Later in Isaiah God spoke of all the people of Israel wearing

18:41

God He denounced them for their neglect and failure to seek him and worship him, but you have not called upon me

18:48

Oh Jacob You bet you have been weary of me Oh Israel They were weary of him and he's going to declare he's weary of them

18:57

You have not brought me the sheep for your burnt offerings nor have you honored me with your sacrifices

19:03

I've not called you to serve with rain offerings nor wearied you with incense You've bought me brought me.

19:11

No sweet cane with money or bought me No sweet cane with money nor have you satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices

19:18

But you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities

19:24

And again here in Malachi 2 17 God declared that these people had wearied him with their words

19:32

In their failure to worship him rightly God was worried with these people because of what they were saying

19:41

The Lord is an ever -present ever hearing and listening God it matters to him what you say and how you say it

19:49

The wise man once wrote do not be rash with your mouth Let not your heart utter anything hastily before God for God is in heaven you on earth and therefore let your words be few

20:01

Everything we say We'll give an account of in the Day of Judgment We should always be mindful that God is in every place in his fullness present everywhere we are and He's observing and hearing with interest and concern what we're saying

20:19

And again, this is not only what we speak with our lips, but What we're pondering in our hearts

20:26

Proverbs 15 11 hell and destruction before the Lord how much more the hearts of the sons of men

20:32

And so asked has answered the question is God wearied with your words

20:41

Is he weary with my words As one wrote sinful words are more offensive to the

20:47

God of heaven than they are commonly thought to be We tend to be quite careless with regard to our speech

20:59

We might ask the question. What kind of words wearies God? Well, he told us in Malachi 2 17 again the prophet wrote you've wearied the

21:08

Lord with your words, but you say how we wearied him and Then he says by saying

21:14

Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them Or by asking where is the

21:25

God of justice? and so there are two kinds of speech set forth here that wearies God and Calls forth for his judgment

21:32

The first is when people say that those who are doing evil are nevertheless good in the sight of the

21:37

Lord That he approves of them That God delights in them irrespective of their behavior

21:47

This Week I watched several YouTube videos of body Bachum. He's a sharp guy He's a solid forthright

21:54

Reformed Baptist preacher who happens to be black also and that's pretty unusual for Reformed Baptist But he was exposing popular television preachers both men and women

22:06

Who gave forth this same corrupt message? They were on record as refusing to denounce what the

22:12

Holy Scriptures declared to be sin while continuing to tell these very people That God regarded them with favor

22:21

That they were good in the sight of the Lord to quote Malachi's words Their message is that God delights in everyone no matter who you are

22:29

No matter how you live that he disregarded that he disregards what you think and say for God delights in you.

22:35

It doesn't matter Why God loves you It's often declared

22:44

But this is a misrepresentation of the God of the Bible When people teach this and it's very popular from pulpits and the radio and television

22:54

When when people teach this message you can be living and evil yet God is favorable toward you you stand and in good stead with God They are wearing

23:05

God with their words is what? God reveals through the Prophet Malachi here

23:13

Their message is that God delights in everyone no matter who you are. No matter how you live He delights in you

23:21

This is the precise kind of speaking that worries God and calls forth God to bring forth his judgment and Then a second type of words or speech at where he's

23:31

God is the voice of skepticism That God's going to administer just that God voices get skepticism that God somehow is going to exercise his judgment

23:47

You've worried the Lord with your words But you say how have we worried him by saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the

23:53

Lord He delights him or by saying where is the God of justice? they deny that God was even going to engage them or Intervene in his judgment upon them.

24:07

Where's the God of justice? It doesn't matter What we say how we say it what we do what we don't do

24:13

Because God is not going to administer justice They were skeptical of that This reminds us of Peter's warnings of scoffers in the last days

24:25

He loved I now write to you this second epistle That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before By the

24:32

Holy Prophets and the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior knowing this first scoffers will come in the last day walking according to their own lusts and Saying where is the promise of his coming?

24:46

for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation and for this they willfully forget that by The Word of God the heavens were of old the earth standing out of water and in the water by which the world that then exist

24:59

Existed perish being flooded with water But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire

25:07

Until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men The world doesn't believe that anymore

25:17

Where's the God of justice? Fact is these people were having their day in the days of Malachi and basically the

25:26

Lord said There's an end to that coming and the Lord himself will have his day the day of the

25:31

Lord These people were presuming of God's love and favor upon them even while they had no basis of hope before God They showed forth a mocking disregarded denial of God ever exercising a judgment upon the wicked

25:49

It has been said the Prophet makes his charge The faithless multitude have as it were worn out

25:55

God's patience by their murmuring and discontent Because of their expectations of prosperity and glory were not at once fulfilled

26:02

They called in question God's justice and holiness and even the future judgment Observe God hears the words of men

26:13

Every syllable enters his ears He understands our thoughts are far off Skeptical words are offensive to him.

26:22

He had wearied the Lord with their words Wearied him with their ignorance their falseness their impiety

26:28

The creating and supporting of a universe does not weary God for he fainted not Neither is weary, but the endless shatterings of skeptical and discontented souls weary him and Yet these ones are ignorant and indifferent to the multitude of offenses before God before whom they must give account of every idle word spoken as The Lord Jesus himself taught but I say to you that every idle word

26:55

That men may speak they will give an account of it in the day of judgment Think about that We ought to be very careful about what we say and not just in public but in private and even to ourselves

27:10

Unless we find ourselves we're in God Well after this indictment

27:18

We see God is Responding. He is the God of justice and so he promises to send his

27:26

Messiah to execute justice and This is what we have in the first five verses of Malachi chapter 3

27:34

God's response to the wickedness of these people was his announcement that he would send forth his messenger Who would both purify his people and bring forth his judgment upon his enemies?

27:46

Now there are two paragraphs in this portion of prophecy. The first is verses 1 through 4 in which the

27:53

South if it work of the Messiah set forth he saves his people and The second paragraph verses 5 verse 5 speaks of the

28:01

Messiah executing justice upon the wicked people Both Of these paragraphs speak of the mission of the

28:08

Messiah here identified as God's messenger His mission was to execute judgment upon the wicked and to purify his people

28:20

Now it would be wrong to attribute one of these actions to Christ's first coming in other words salvation and the other to his second coming in other words judgment for actually

28:30

Jesus Christ administered justice in saving his people and Executing his judgment in his first coming and he'll fully and finally do so at his second coming

28:42

And so let's consider these two paragraphs first The messenger who purifies his people verses 1 through 4

28:56

Behold I send my messenger and He will prepare the way before me and the

29:02

Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and The messenger of the Covenant in whom you delight

29:09

Behold he is coming says the Lord of hosts, but who can endure the day of his coming who can stand when he appears?

29:15

For he's like a refiner's fire and like fuller soap He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the

29:30

Lord and Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years

29:39

We'd mentioned in an earlier week, I don't know how long ago that there are two messengers identified in these verses the first at the forerunner of the second the first messenger is the forerunner of the second the first messenger and Notice probably in your

29:56

English translation you have a lowercase m for messenger He's the preparer for the second messenger the second messenger you notice has a capital

30:07

M Which is the Lord Jesus The prophecy of the coming first messenger is that of John the

30:16

Baptist He was born six months before Jesus and John prepared the way for Jesus Who of course was his relative by family relation?

30:28

Even when John was in the womb With the arrival of Mary who is with child to the home of Elizabeth who was buried

30:36

John in her womb the baby leaped in Her womb by which he the messenger lowercase m testified of the coming messenger capital

30:46

M the Messiah And Then later John was called and commissioned to his baptizing ministry perhaps six months before Jesus was baptized which signaled the onset of his messianic ministry and so here we have a prophecy

31:01

God was going to send first a Messenger to prepare the way for the messenger being

31:08

Jesus Christ Interestingly Malachi 3 verses 1 & 2 is quoted by the

31:17

Lord Jesus referring to John the Baptist in Luke 7 24 and following When the messengers of John had departed he began to speak to the multitude concerning John What did you go out in the wilderness to see a reed shaken by the wind?

31:31

But what did you go out to see a man clothed in soft rape garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury or in Kings courts, but what did you go out to see a prophet?

31:41

Yes, I say to you more than a prophet That was John the Baptist more than a prophet because he was prophesied to come

31:49

This is he of whom it is written and here it is behold I will send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you

31:58

For I say to you among those born of women is not there's not a greater prophet than John the

32:03

Baptist But he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he By the way,

32:11

I included that last statement to reinforce what we've been saying here recently We've emphasized the high status and dignity of every true

32:20

Christian because of who we are and what we've been given in Jesus Christ This statement of our

32:27

Lord affirms this truth There was never one born greater than John But he lived and ministered before the promised kingdom of God had been inaugurated through the life -death resurrection and enthronement of Jesus Christ and so What some might regard as the least citizen in the kingdom of God that is he or she knows

32:49

Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior Anyone even the lowest newest believer is in position higher in God's regard than even

32:59

John the Baptist Before the onset of the kingdom of Jesus Christ the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John Greater than John was

33:10

John's in the kingdom of God now, too, of course But as to John who he was as great a man as he was no other no greater man born of woman than John if you're a

33:23

Christian in the eyes of God positionally You were more privileged and blessed more favored than even

33:31

John the Baptist as a citizen of the kingdom And if God regards us that way we ought to regard one another that way and treat one another that way with with a sense of dignity and royalty in spite of all of our flaws and difficulties and sins

33:52

The gospel of Mark opens with the quotation of Malachi 3 1 the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ Son of God and then verse 2 of Mark 1 as it's written in the prophets behold

34:03

I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you quoting

34:08

Malachi 3 verses 1 & 2 The first messenger prepares the way for the arrival of the

34:19

Lord who is the messenger of the covenant That is the messenger and bringer of the promise new covenant by which his people are brought to enjoy their relationship with God This covenant is based upon and secured by the life death and death of Jesus Christ on behalf of his people

34:35

He is the messenger of the covenant in that he makes known and brings the good news of salvation unto

34:41

God through the new covenant Appreciated Matthew Henry's words here

34:48

He speaking of Jesus Christ is the messenger of the covenant or the angel of the covenant angel is simply another word for messenger or witness

34:59

That blessed one that was sent from heaven to negotiate a peace and settle a correspondence between God and man

35:05

He is the angel the archangel the Lord of the angels Who received Commission from the father to bring man home to God by a covenant of grace?

35:15

Who had revolted from him by the violation of the covenant of innocent sick speaking of the Garden of Eden? Christ is the angel of this covenant by whose mediation it is brought about and Establishes God's covenant with Israel was made by the disposition of angels referring to the

35:31

Mosaic Covenant Christ as a prophet is the messenger and mediator of the covenant nay.

35:36

He is given for a covenant Isaiah 49 8 The servant is the covenant for his people

35:44

Jesus said this is the new covenant in my blood He is the covenant the

35:50

Ten Commandments was the covenant for the nation of Israel Jesus Christ is a covenant for those under the new covenant in Christ That covenant which is all our salvation began to be spoken of by the

36:03

Lord according to Hebrews 2 3 Though he is the prince of the covenant as some read it yet He condescended to be the messenger of it that we might have full assurance of God's goodwill towards man upon his word

36:18

God sent Jesus Christ as a messenger to reveal and teach us of This covenant of grace that we have with God through Christ Now in this paragraph of verses 1 through 4

36:32

Malachi was addressing directly only those who are truly looking in faith for the coming of the Lord Who would save them from their sin notice against the

36:42

Specificity of the prophets words and the Lord whom you seek He's talking about humble broken people now.

36:51

They were sinners, but they were seeking salvation The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight

37:01

See there were people in Malachi's day that were looking for the coming of the Savior and in him they were delighting

37:07

They had their faith. They were anticipating him They were ones who acknowledged their sin and looked in faith for the coming

37:14

Savior that they may be assured that God would send him to secure their salvation through the new covenant and Yet in his coming even those who embrace him will experience a great purging and cleansing of their sin.

37:27

Look at verse 3 But who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears

37:36

It's a rhetorical question saying nobody can Now, of course, it was the purpose and nature of the preparation work of the first messenger

37:46

John the Baptist To prepare the people for the coming of the second messenger the messenger of the

37:53

Covenant He called forth all Israel to repent of their sins and be baptized for the kingdom of heaven was at hand

37:59

Kingdom of God and the certainty of God's judgment was upon all the people John would later declare to them that when some instance insincere and impenitent men came to be baptized that the

38:11

Lord would scrutinize everyone's works and that if repentance from sin was not evident in having forsaken sin and Submitting to the need of cleansing of sin illustrated by baptism

38:22

Immersion in water the wrath of God would be poured out upon them Who can stand?

38:29

even in his coming the first coming and So we read of John the

38:34

Baptist ministry in Matthew 3 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them you brood of vipers

38:43

That's the direct approach who warned you to flee from the wrath to come therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance and Do not think to say to yourselves.

38:54

We have Abraham as our father. I Challenge our pedo -baptist friends to deal with this

38:59

John refused to baptize anyone because of who their daddy was even Abraham Just because your dad or mom's a

39:06

Christian doesn't qualify you for baptism For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones

39:15

But notice verse 10 even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every tree

39:22

Everyone every tree, which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire

39:27

I indeed baptize you with water under repentance, but he who's coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals

39:33

I'm not worthy to carry He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire and his winnowing hand is in his hand and he will thoroughly

39:41

Clean out his threshing floor gather his weed into the barn and he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire

39:48

And he did that at his first coming and he'll do it at his second coming The Lord Jesus brought salvation and judgment upon the people in that he either saved them through judgment principally his judgment on the cross

40:02

But also through repentance, which is self judgment Acknowledging sin and its guilt need for God's forgiveness or he pronounced judgment upon the wicked generation that took place in the overthrow of Jerusalem and Judah by the

40:16

Roman armies in 1870 These Roman armies were God's instrument of his righteous judgment upon the unbelieving nation

40:24

They had committed the abomination of rejecting and crucifying their king and the judicial consequence

40:30

Was the desolation of the temple in the city? that took place in 80 70 and So this coming through judgment or conviction of sin that happens to us

40:41

In order to experience forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life can be a very difficult and severe experience

40:51

Coming to saving faith can only occur through the grace of God Sinners resist and resent

40:57

God's way of salvation. We're like we're like the people in Malachi's day Who challenged

41:03

God's assertion? That We're sinners Sinners resist and resent

41:10

God's way of salvation Christ apart from the grace of God that makes them willing in the day of his power apart from God's enabling grace for someone to come to Christ is as Impossible as causing a camel to go through the eye of a needle

41:25

But thankfully with God all things are possible Sometimes that struggle could be very great

41:33

Somebody coming to salvation in Jesus Christ. It was with me. I went through two months of torment saw a video this week's virgin went through five years

41:42

Martin Luther went through seven years a terrible terrible mental anguish under conviction of sin with no relief until they saw the

41:53

Lord Jesus Christ fully and clearly Arthur Pink wrote of this saving work of God and bringing a sinner to repentance and life in Christ He wrote of the difficulty to put forth saving faith.

42:05

So many are presented. It's just an easy thing All you have to do is hear what Jesus is who Jesus is what he did and believe that and you're okay

42:14

Arthur Pink said it right here then are the reasons why saving faith is so difficult to put forth

42:21

First by nature men are entirely ignorant of its real character and therefore are easily deceived by Satan's plausible

42:29

Substitutes for it but even when they are scripturally informed they're on they either softly turn their backs on Christ as did the rich young ruler when he

42:37

Learned his terms of discipleship or they hypocritically profess what they do not possess

42:45

This is what the people did in Malachi's day Second the power of self -love reigns supreme within and to deny self is too great a demand upon the unregenerate

42:56

You have to be born again before you're going to deny yourself Third the love of the world and the approbation of their friend stands in the way of complete surrender to Christ for the demands of God that he should be loved with all the heart and that we should be holy in all manner of Conversation in other words living repels the carnal and the carnal are all unconverted people

43:21

Fifth bearing the approach of Christ being hated by the religious world Suffering persecution for righteousness sake is something which mere flesh and blood shrinks from Six the humbling of ourselves before God Penitently confessing all our self -will is something which an unbroken heart revolts against They did in Malachi's day

43:45

Human nature hasn't changed We do it today and seven to fight the good fight of faith and overcome

43:50

The devil is to artists an undertaking for those who love their own ease multitudes

43:58

Desire to be saved from hell. That's the natural instinct of self -preservation who are quite unwilling to be saved from sin

44:07

Yes, there are tens of thousands who have been deluded into thinking they have Accepted Christ as their Savior whose lives show plainly that they reject him as their

44:16

Lord For a sinner to obtain pardon of God. He must forsake his way according to Isaiah 55 7 no man can turn to God until he turns from idols first Thessalonians 1 9 and Thus insisted the

44:31

Lord Jesus whosoever. He be of you that forsakes not all that he has He cannot be my disciple and a disciple is a true

44:39

Christian The terrible thing is that so many preachers today under the pretense of magnifying the grace of God Represented Christ as the minister of sin as one who has through his atoning sacrifice

44:53

Procured an indulgence for men to continue gratifying their fleshly and worldly lusts

44:59

Provided a man professed to believe in the virgin birth and vicarious death of Christ claims to be resting upon him alone for salvation

45:07

He may pass for a real Christian almost anywhere today Even though his daily life may be so different from that of the moral worldling who makes no profession at all

45:19

The devil is Chloroforming thousands into hell by this very delusion the

45:24

Lord Jesus asked why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say and Insist not everyone that says unto me

45:32

Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven But he that does the will of my father which is in heaven and That's how the people of Malachi's day were and that's how the people today are

45:47

Unless the Lord does a wonderful work of saving grace in the soul Now again that the context

45:56

Matt Malachi 3 2 and following reads, but who can endure the day of his coming?

46:03

Who can stand when he appears? For he's like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap

46:09

He'll sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he'll purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the

46:18

Lord and Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years

46:27

Notice the saving work of the messenger of the covenant is likened to a refiner's fire

46:35

In fact the messenger himself is the fire that's what's first dated But not only is he as the fire he's like a refiner's fire, but he's also the refiner who's watching the fire

46:50

As the metals being refined he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver

46:57

This is not his work of judgment and overthrowing sinners, this is his work of judgment in bringing sinners to salvation

47:06

He turns up the heat a Refiner watches the metal brought to intense heat

47:11

He's looking for a separation of the dross and slag from the pure silver or gold This depicts his work of convicting the heart of the center of his sin and causing him to desire to repent of his sin it depicts the work of convicting the heart of the center of his sin and causing him to Repent and desire to live holy before the

47:30

Lord and the Lord May turn up the heat on some of us more than others of us

47:36

That's what the Lord does Before and after we come to him as Lord and Savior he brings us to an end of ourselves

47:44

That we might look to him alone trust him alone submit fully to him as our Lord and Savior Not only is he likened to the refiners fire and the refiner looking at the fire

47:58

But the Lord Jesus is also likened to fuller's soap This is not like dove soap which is soft at the touch and soothes the skin this is fuller's soap more like lye and a scrub brush

48:12

In fact, I Read a note that this is exactly what's made of it was made of lye and alkaline salt

48:25

It's a borax for the soul Gonna picture that the stains of sin are deep died must be with much time and effort of the fuller be expunged from the heart

48:33

And life he makes that which has been soiled and spoiled and stained into something pure and white

48:40

That's what the fuller did Now there is a statement in these verses and I almost hate to chase this tangent, but I think we'd need to There is a statement in these verses which is of interest and some difficulty to interpret rightly again, verse 3 reads he'll sit as a refiner purify of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and Refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the

49:10

Lord We've read of the wicked priesthood which is a part of the tribe of Levi and although not all

49:17

Levites were priests all Levites did have responsibility to serve the temple and priesthood and here it stated that the

49:23

Lord Jesus the messenger of the covenant Will purify the Levite so that their temple ministry will once again be as it was designed by God Well, there are two ways of interpreting this actually three

49:38

First our dispensational friends believe that this is what the Lord Jesus will do at his second coming

49:45

He will reestablish the Levitical priesthood and they'll continue to offer memorial sacrifices animal sacrifices in a rebuilt temple during a future thousand -year

49:54

Jewish millennium and So I included a few study notes that argue for this position

50:03

They argue there's got to be a rebuilt Jewish temple there has to be a reinstitution of Levitical priests So they can offer these sacrifices in a future thousand -year millennium.

50:12

I totally disagree with this The New Testament is forthright in setting for Jesus Christ is the only true high priest after the order of Melchizedek For the old

50:23

Levitical order the Mosaic Covenant was temporary and incapable of mediating salvation or the true cleansing of sin from the people of God God actually made a change in the law according to Hebrews Hebrews 12 7 12 addressed the priesthood of Christ because he was from the tribe of Judah the whole

50:42

Levitical system was Superseded it fulfilled its purpose, but it's passed now gone.

50:49

It was a type pointing to the anti type of Jesus Christ Besides the

50:57

Lord pronounced the existing Jewish temple or house in Jerusalem desolate and The true temple is

51:04

Jesus Christ himself and his people whom he's forming Which is the eternal temple of God to return to the

51:10

Levitical priesthood in an earthly temple in an earthly millennium in which ethnic Israel is predominant over the nations is not taught in the scriptures

51:18

We would argue Well, how do we understand Malachi 3 3 then and 4 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver

51:28

He'll purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver and they will bring offerings and righteousness to the

51:33

Lord And then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem would be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old as in former years

51:40

How do we understand that? Reform commentators address this in one of two ways first.

51:46

It's common to assert that all true Christians are spiritual priests They are the sons of Levi And so less sons of Levi here is viewed as a type and the anti type is all

51:57

Christians priesthood of all believers in the New Testament this was the position of Matthew Henry Observe who they are that he will purify the sons of Levi all those that are devoted to his praise and employed in his service

52:12

As the tribe of Levi was and whom he designed to make unto our God's spiritual priests a holy priesthood

52:19

Note all true Christians are sons of Levi set apart for God to do the service of his sanctuary and to war the good warfare

52:27

So that's one way that reformed Commentators address that another way in Which this prophecy may be understood is to see this is a prophecy of many

52:39

Jewish priests becoming Christians Who continued to serve in the temple in Jerusalem until its destruction by the

52:45

Roman armies in 1870? in fact, there were many Jewish priests who did come to faith in Jesus Christ and Even though the

52:55

Lord Jesus inaugurated the new covenant through his death on the cross and the Jewish temple service nevertheless

53:01

Continued for a number of decades until it was destroyed in 80 70 And even the

53:07

Jewish Apostles continued to exercise their old covenant Jewish practices in the temple up until the time that they fled from Jerusalem When the

53:14

Roman armies appeared to lay siege to Jerusalem from 80 67 to 70 But in the book of Acts we read this then the

53:23

Word of God spread and The number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

53:32

I Think that's the fulfillment of what we read in Malachi 3 verses 2 and 3

53:41

These Converted Jewish priests no doubt continued to serve faithfully the Lord and his people until the temple was destroyed by the

53:47

Romans in 80 70 We have to close we'll close with the messenger who prosecutes the wicked people and verses 1 through 4 he's dealing with people who receive salvation and Now he's addressing judgment upon the wicked

54:09

The prophecy of this coming messenger of the covenant Concludes with his passing judgment upon all those who fail and refuse to believe and submit unto him.

54:18

They live lives of wickedness Then I will draw near to you for judgment

54:24

I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers against adulterers against those who swear falsely

54:31

Against those who oppress the hired worker at his wages the widow Oppressed the widow and the fatherless against those who thrust aside the sojourner and do not fear me says the

54:42

Lord of hosts Although the

54:48

Lord executes wrath His wrath in history upon evil people and nations It's but a precursor to the full and final judgment that he will exercise at his coming

54:59

When he draws the entire human race before him to judge them for their lives

55:05

According to God's Holy Word and we could cite many passages about that But we'll conclude just reading what our

55:13

Lord Jesus taught about when the Son of Man comes in his glory and I think this teaches a general resurrection and a general judgment of all humanity of all mankind

55:25

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him Then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

55:31

In other words, he's going to take a seat to execute judgment All the nations will be gathered before him and he'll separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats

55:44

He'll set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left Then the king will say to those on his right hand come you blessed of my father and here at the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world and then he gave the reason why they were permitted his favor

56:00

For I was hungry. You gave me food. I was thirsty. You gave me drink. I was a stranger

56:06

You took me in I was naked you clothed me. I was sick. You visited me.

56:11

I was in prison. You came to me probably those in prison for the faith and Then the righteous will answer him saying

56:19

Lord When did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger take you in or naked and clothe you or when did we see you sick or in prison?

56:30

Come to you and the king will answer and say to them assuredly I say to you in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you did it for me and Then he will say to those on the left hand the goats depart from me you curse into everlasting fire

56:48

Prepared for the devil and his angels for I was hungry. You gave me no food. I was thirsty. You gave me no drink

56:53

I was a stranger. You did not take me in naked. You did not clothe me sick and in prison You did not visit me and then they also will answer him saying

57:02

Lord When did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to you?

57:08

And then he will answer them saying assuredly I say to you and as much as you Did not do it to one of the least of these

57:15

You did not do it to me and these will go away into everlasting punishment with the righteous into eternal life notice that this final judgment will be a judgment according to works and The judgment will be primarily on how you regarded and treated the

57:34

Christian brethren Whether you loved them cared for them concerned for them or disregarded them or treated them shamefully

57:44

And so a person's life will either validate That they are true

57:50

Christians on the Day of Judgment or their life Will show forth the reality.

57:56

They were no Christian at all They might have professed to be a believer, but they were hypocrites and God doesn't promise salvation for hypocrites one day the

58:07

Lord Jesus is coming and we don't know when that will be and He's going to call us forth before him in judgment and Our lives are going to be examined

58:20

For the Christian this not should not be regarded as something that should terrorize us

58:26

In fact, the New Testament teaches us that because of our faith in Christ, we will stand on that day

58:33

Exonerated from all charges We'll stand in the righteousness of Christ We'll stand as though we had lived a life of perfect obedience to the law of God because the righteousness of Christ will have clothed us and so our our sinful nakedness and shame will be completely covered and Will only be seen as righteous as Christ But those without the righteousness of Christ Those who did not have

59:02

Jesus Christ who fully fully paid for their sin on the cross they'll have to answer for their sins and it is a woeful consideration when you

59:13

Figure the attorney that is set before them In the Word of God May the

59:20

Lord help us There is no escape Jesus Christ is Lord You're not

59:26

I'm not and Christians are those who've come to understand it believe it and embrace it.

59:32

We don't do it reluctantly We do it because we know what a mess it is when we ourselves are our own

59:38

Lords He is calm. He is the Savior He's the Lord and he leads us in glorious paths of righteousness and peace and joy and that will be for eternity.

59:48

Amen Let's pray. Thank you father for your word We pray you'd help us to take it to heart

59:55

Thank you father for the prophecies of the coming of the Lord Jesus Here in this prophecy of Malachi Help us to take these matters to heart

01:00:04

Lord, we humble ourselves before you Asking that you would graciously deal with us and take away the stubbornness and the resistance

01:00:12

The the tendency we have to excuse ourselves to justify ourselves and in so doing

01:00:19

Deny what you have declared Help us to be humble and trusting and believing as we go forth from this place

01:00:26

Confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and again bless these young people who stood forward and confess

01:00:32

Christ who baptism our God We commit them to you our God bless them for their obedience