May it please almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in his holy word. Let's turn to the prophecy of
Malachi, chapter three, and we'll read verse six. The prophecy
of Malachi, chapter three, and we'll read verse six. For I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. These are very simple, very powerful
and very true words. And it would be a great blessing
if all of us are given grace to believe the truth of such
a statement, because I'm sure if we really understand what
it means, it is a very solemn consideration to realize that
everything that is written in the Bible emanates from the Lord
God and nothing will be changed. That which is spoken, has been
spoken, remains true today, as true as when it was written hundreds
of thousands of years ago. And what a blessing it is for
a believer to know that these words are true, to know that
you and I tonight can rely upon the great and glorious promises
that are contained in the word of God. And it is so because
we read here this great statement, I change not. We need sometimes to ponder the
greatness of such a simple statement because to realize that God always
was and God is and God always will be the unchanging God. And therefore we must realise
it is a very solemn and important consideration to realise that
every one of us has to deal with this God who does not change. There is no option, there is
no escape. But what a blessing it is then
to realise that we have a God who doesn't change. And so if
we have the evidence in our hearts that God has graciously called
us, as the Apostle terms it, called by grace, called by the
unmerited favour of God as the darkness of our nature into which
we were born into the glorious light of the everlasting Gospel. And what a wonderful truth that
is. And therefore if we have the
evidence that this almighty God I am the Lord who does not change,
has called us. We know that that cannot be rescinded. It cannot be rescinded. You know, we sometimes refer
to the five points of Calvinism. And the last point is the perseverance
of the saints. That means that in our journey,
in our journey through this world, we will not fail. But by the
grace of God, we shall all come to our heavenly home in glory. And it's God that gives us the
perseverance. And it's God that called us.
And it's God that is with his people right throughout their
life on this earth. and then we are with God for
eternity. It is a wonderful consideration,
a most blessed thought to realise that we are fast passing through
this veil of tears and sin and trouble, and
one day to join with everlasting thronging glory in a place of
eternal peace and happiness, where there is no sin, where
there is no sorrow, where there is no crying, where there is
no pride, where there is no jealousy, but everything is perfect. It's a wonderful consideration. And it is because of words like
this, for I am the Lord, I change not. The truths that the Bible
contains right from Genesis to Revelation, these words that
we read, of course, are in what we term the Old Testament. But
of course, there are very similar words in the New Testament, which
refer to the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the 13th chapter of
the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, And we're told, remember them
which have the rule over you, verse seven, who have spoken
unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the
end of their conversation, the end of their conversation, Jesus
Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. That should
be a word of great strength and stability to the Church of God
as we journey on through life to know that we have a wonderful
Saviour and a wonderful God who does not leave us, who will not
leave us. Indeed, that God who has promised
in those words, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Therefore, we may boldly say
the Lord is our helper. We will not fear what man can
do unto us. And you know, there are some
similar words in the sixth chapter, really, of the apostle, as you
wrote, to the Hebrews. And commencing from verse 17,
we can read this. Wherein God, willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs a promise the immutability of his counsel. That means that which doesn't
change the immutability of his counsel. Confirming it by an
oath that by two immutable things and they've been noted before
firstly his counsel and secondly his oath. They are two immutable
things which will not change in which it was impossible for
God to lie. My friends, God is truth. Do
remember that. There are no liars with God.
He never tells us anything which is false. That's why we can rely
upon the blessed word of God, that by two immutable things,
which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation, something which is a great support to us as we
journey on in this changing world. All around us changes, but God
is the same yesterday, today and forever, who have fled for
refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Well what a blessing
it is if you and I have fled for refuge to the Saviour. That one who we are told is that
strong tower whereunto we may continually resort and the shadow
of a great rock in a weary land. Yes, there are so many encouraging
truths for the true church of God and so such a word as this
is so appropriate we might have a strong consolation who have
fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which
hope we have It's good if you and I have a hope, a hope that
God has had mercy upon us, a hope in his salvation. And so we're
told here, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both
sure and steadfast, and which entereth in to that within the
veil. Our anchors cast within the veil,
in glory, in the holy place, It's a secure place. What a blessing
it is. And then we read the last verse
in this sixth chapter. Whither the forerunner is for
us entered. Who is the forerunner? I hope
you all know. The forerunner is even Jesus. Made an high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Such words should be an encouragement
to us when we read in High Priest forever. He doesn't fade away. He doesn't change. He doesn't disappear, but forever. And to think that the whole Church
of God will, by the grace of God, one day be forever with
the Lord. It is a wonderful prospect. And
I hope it's something we can look forward to. We've sung in
our first hymns of the night some very positive statements.
But it's good if we can desire to be able to sing such positive
statements. Let's be clear. True religion
is positive. False religion is negative. We do not want to rely upon a
false religion. We want to rely upon the promises
of God And to realize, therefore, the glory of such a promise as
this, for I am the Lord, I change not. It's a wonderful consideration,
isn't it? To think that this God doesn't
change. And this is the God, therefore,
that gives the great and wonderful gift of eternal life. I hope you do consider sometimes
the wonder of eternal life in glory. And on the other hand,
the terrible situation of eternal life without God in hell forever
and ever. Titus is quite a short epistle.
It's a very wonderful little epistle. And it starts off in
the beginning and the The Apostle Paul tells us, a servant of God
and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. And as I often refer to the Apostle,
he doesn't suffer from mock humility. He knew, he tells us, I know
who I have believed. And he's able to testify, therefore,
by the grace of God, not because of what he was in himself. He
knew only too well how he was. the chief of sinners, how he
was the least of all saints. He's able to confess he was a
servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God's elect. Every true believer possesses
the faith of God to believe. What a mercy that is, what a
blessing it is, and how wonderful if you and I have the wonderful
evidence of it, according to the faith of God's elect and
the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness, in
hope of eternal life. Well, tonight, do you have a
hope of eternal life in glory? Don't settle down. Don't pass
it over. unless you have the blessed hope
of eternal life. Because none of us know how quickly
our life will be taken from us. Frank didn't know, did he? On
that time when he commenced to go into the cellar, that that
would be his last breath. We don't know. We don't know. But it's very clear that one
person will be the next. to leave this earth in our congregation
today. And what a mercy it is then if
we have this hope, this good hope of eternal life, which God,
that cannot lie, promised before the world began. Gives us a little
insight into the greatness of God who, before the world began,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the glorious and blessed Trinity,
agreed completely as to who would live on this earth, who would
be saved, who would be known of God and know God, And who
would receive the great and glorious gift of eternal life? Well, it's
a wonderful blessing then if you and I have the evidence that
we are born again of the Spirit of God. And my friends, let us
not turn away from the truth of it, but let us acknowledge
what God has done and not to deny his truth not to deny his
favor toward us. It's a great blessing isn't it
if we have the evidence of it and you know that evidence of
that life in our souls will indeed be shown And you may say well
how would it be shown? Well we read it in this chapter
in Malachi and it's a wonderful statement which is quoted perhaps
quite often but it's very true and we need to remember the relevance
and importance of it because it says then they that fear the
Lord. Well all those who are born again
of the Spirit of God do fear the Lord. But there will be a
reaction to that. And Malachi tells us what it
is. Then they that fear the Lord
speak often one to another. Now, that's a great blessing,
isn't it? Remember, I am the Lord, I change not. This is the
blessed word of the Lord himself. Then they that fear the Lord
speak often one to another. And it's what it says. It doesn't
say, well, once a year, It doesn't say, well, sometimes, well, when
I feel like it. It doesn't say that at all. It
says, then they that fear the Lord speak often one to another. Well, what do they speak about? They spoke about the things of
God. You say, well, how do you know
that? Because of what comes on. And the Lord hearkened and heard
it. and a book of remembrance was
written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought
upon his name. So the blessed truth is that
the people of God who have received this wonderful gift of eternal
life, who are indeed born again of the Spirit of God, do really
desire to speak often one to another of the things of God,
the things that the Lord has indeed done for their souls. What does it do? What does it
do? It brings honour and glory to
God. It brings honour and glory to
God. And don't listen to the devil
when the devil says, oh well that will just bolster your pride. That's what he often says. He's
a past master at contradicting the truths of God so that he
silences the true Church of God. Well, we should be very thankful
that we have on record such a very clear statement. Then they that
fear the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened
and heard it. And a book of remembrance was
written before him for them that fear the Lord and that thought
upon his name. It's good, you know, to make
a note of what God has done for your soul. Make a note. and be encouraged
then perhaps to go back and read it. That such an experience may
be renewed and may be an encouragement to you. Well then that they that
fear the Lord spake often one to another. Well then in hope
of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the
war began. And those who fear the Lord those
who are born again in the spirit, we're told how they walk and
their conversation and their desires. And in the end of the
second chapter of Titus, we're told for the grace of God, that
means the free unmerited favor of God that bringeth salvation,
bringeth a knowledge that our souls are blessed, our souls
are saved. The Lord has a purpose of love
toward us, teaching us that denying godliness, ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this
present world. It's not an easy world to live
in, in the present day. as much ungodliness. But we should
realise that the Church of God is referred to as the salt of
the earth. And if the salt has lost its
savour, it's of no good at all. What a blessing then if we are
the salt of the earth. And so says the Word of God. Then those who are in this position
are, what are they doing? What are they doing as they journey
on? What are you and I doing as we journey on day by day?
Paul tells Titus, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. That's really, isn't it, what
we sung of in that first hymn tonight. It was very wonderful
to be able to sing a hymn like that. We don't often sing it.
And it's good to be able to realise these wonderful words. The last
two verses were, Lord, how our souls are all on fire to see
thy blessed abode, our tongues rejoice in tunes of praise to
our incarnate God. And while our faith enjoys this
sight, we long to leave our clay and with thy fiery chariots,
Lord, and wish thy fiery chariots, Lord, to fetch our souls away. It really agrees with this statement
that the apostle wrote to Titus looking for that blessed hope
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ. And then it speaks about the
Saviour Himself who gave Himself for us. Just comprehend that,
or at least try and comprehend it. The Saviour Jesus Christ
who gave Himself for us. He died upon that cross at Calvary
in our place. He bore the punishment instead. Almighty God, it's beyond our
comprehension, beyond our understanding to think that Almighty God condescended to give himself
for us. That he might redeem us from
all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Again,
how important it is that you and I note such great statements. Zealous of good works. Zealous of good works. Not zealous
of bad works. Not zealous of sinful works.
but zealous of good works. And then the apostle doesn't
just pass it off, he then says, these things speak and exhort
and rebuke with all authority, let no man despise thee. Well, if we're honest, how often
we fail, don't we, in fulfilling the gracious exhortations of
the word of God. How we should truly desire to
walk in the path which is clearly laid down for us in the word
of God. It's the right way and we're
told The Lord Jesus tells us he led them forth by the right
way that they might go to a city of habitation. And this is the
right way. And what is the right way? The
right way is God glorifying, brings honor and glory to our
God. And what a blessing that is,
and what a mercy it is, and what a favor it is. Well, then let's
remember this great truth that we have here tonight, for I am
the Lord. I change not. I change not. The same yesterday, today and
forever. And then he says, therefore, because of that great truth,
ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Surely we desire, we deserve
to be consumed. We deserve to be cut off. We cannot claim, I'm sure, to
be perfect people. We cannot claim to be sinless
people. We have to confess that we're guilty before a holy God. We've sinned perhaps against
light and knowledge. We've disobeyed the gracious
precepts. We haven't followed the Lord's
commands. We walk contrary to our God. But it's because the Lord changes
not that we are not consumed. And we should be very thankful
for that. As we move on in this chapter,
and we won't go through all the chapters tonight, One or two
points. The next verse tells us, even
from the days of your fathers, you are gone away from mine ordinances
and have not kept them. Well, you and I can answer that
before God, can't we? Have we gone away from the ordinances
of God and not kept them? You answer before God. That's
what Malachi is speaking to the church. Even from the days of
your fathers, you have gone away from my ordinances and have not
kept them. And then the Lord says very graciously
and very lovingly, return unto me. We may have wandered away. We may have got into the broad
road which leads to destruction. We may have thought, well, this
is a bit easier. I don't have to do this and don't have to
do that and I can enjoy myself. It's the broad way. You have gone away from my ordinances
and have not kept them. Return unto me and then the wonderful
promise and I will return unto you. the gracious words of Almighty
God. Well, we perhaps need to pray
that we may return unto the Lord. We may have wandered away in
our heart, perhaps not with our feet, but with our heart. God knows, he looks into the
heart. No one else does, apart from you in your heart and me
in my heart. God looks into our heart and he knows whether we
have turned away. And we hear such a word as this,
return unto me. Remember, I am the Lord, I change
not. This great almighty God, he's
not like one of us. We change, God does not change. And what God says is true and
what God says remains. God doesn't say and then backtrack
on what he's said. Sometimes we may almost appear
to think that some parts of the Word of God, some of the commandments
that he sets before us, we don't have to worry about. Somehow
we can skirt around them. Well, the Word of God doesn't
give us any room to make excuses. And so he says, return unto me
and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But he said,
wherein shall we return? You see, we're always willing
to try and look for excuses, to try and justify ourselves.
But just let us ponder. We are dealing with almighty
God who holds our breath in his hand. And how dare we trifle
with this great God You know, sometimes people pretend that
they're better than they are. And they try to confuse people. And they try to impress people
with their false religion, which they like to think is a good
religion. But you see, we stand before the all-seeing eye of
Almighty God. And so, he says then, wherein
shall you return? Then he asks the question, would
a man rob God? Will a man rob God? You may say,
what does that mean? How can I rob God? Yet ye have
robbed me. And then there's that question,
wherein have we robbed thee? And the Lord then tells us, in
tithes and offerings. You may say, well, surely that's
Old Testament statement. It doesn't refer to us today.
Well I believe it's like this in tithes and offerings. Offerings
really are what we do today. We don't have sacrifices as such. Not in a physical way of sacrificing
animals. But the Word of God tells us
this. There is the sacrifice of our lips. We are to speak
the honour of our God. We are to testify of what He
has done for our souls. And when the Lord has truly blessed
us, truly touched us, truly shown His love to us, surely it is
something we want to speak of for His honour and glory. And
yet you see, the devil says, oh you needn't say anything about
that, that's not very important. And that's not necessary. Just
keep it to yourself. Well, what we're doing, we're
robbing God. And that's a very solemn thought,
isn't it? To think that we detract from what is due to Almighty
God. And then the Lord says, because
of that, you are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed
me, even this whole nation. And he goes on to tell us, bringing
all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine
house. And I believe that has a reference to testifying what
God has done for us to the Church of God. You see, into the storehouse
where the people of God meet to worship and to praise God
that there might be meat, spiritual food in the Lord's house. You know, it's not all one-sided,
is it? people seem to expect God to come and to bless them
with no return what a blessing it is when God touches our heart
and blesses us and we desire to honour our God and the Word
of God encourages us in these words they that honour me I will
honour and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
You don't want to come, do you, to the judgment seat of God and
there realize that you never confessed what God has done for
you. And then surely we should expect
God to say, I never knew you. Depart from me, he cursed. Well, my friends, it's a great
blessing then to have the work of God in our hearts and to think
that we have this great and glorious Saviour who does not change,
who doesn't deal with us as our sins deserve. It's good if we
look into our hearts And we see how we turn our back upon God. We've said really, and I'm sure
all of us have said, that sometime in our life, and we may be saying
that still today, I will not have this man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, to reign over me. I will not confess him as my
king. I will not confess him as my
Lord and my Master. I'm just going to continue as
I want to. I'm just going to enjoy myself
with freedom. But you see, the truth is, what
we're doing is we're turning away from God. We're turning
our back upon this great and glorious Saviour. Further on
in this chapter, He says, Your words Your words have been stout
against me. Well, God knows, and you know,
whether our words have been stout against God. It's a solemn thing
if it is so. Your words have been stout against
me, saith the Lord. Yet you say, what have we spoken
so much against thee? He has said it is vain to serve
God. And what profit is it that we
have kept his ordinance and that we are mournfully before the
Lord of hosts? Well, does that describe us? Does that describe us? The Lord
knows whether it does. You see, these words were spoken
by the prophet Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, the
last book that was written for hundreds of years before the
time of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. They were very
important and very necessary, especially as days got worse
and worse before the time of the Saviour and surely they are
worse and worse now. As we see the world and we see
the professing Church of God so often walking contrary to
God, so often not honouring the Lord, when they should. And yet
these words stand true today, as they always have and always
will. For I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore you son to Jacob
are not consumed. Can you tonight give thanks to
God that you haven't been consumed? I haven't been consumed, we haven't
been consumed, we haven't been cut off. The Bible uses the term
as a cumbra of the ground, that means of someone who is of no
value, what honour and glory have you and I brought to almighty
God? I often say, and I am not ashamed to say it again, our
lives are for the honour and glory of God. My friends, this
God doesn't change Job, knew that in his his life and he tells
us about that and he we read in the in the 23rd of Job and
verses 13 and 14. For he performeth a thing that
is appointed for me and many such things are with me therefore
am I troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of
him, for God makes my heart soft and the Almighty troubles me. Well, you see, the Lord is indeed
in one mind and we must never turn away from that. The 13th
verse in this chapter tells us that very word. For but he is
in one mind and who can turn him and what his soul desires
even that he doeth. And then, for he performeth a
thing that is appointed for me, and many such things are with
him. And Job proved the very truth
of those words. And as perhaps you may have read
through Job, it's not a particularly easy book to read, but as you
begin that, the book of Job, when you see how the Lord dealt
with him and basically took away all his possessions and all that
he had, but yet you see that all is very gracious to him and
very merciful to him. And as we come to the end of
the book of Job, after 39 chapters, we come to the 40th chapter,
and the Lord was speaking to Job. And this is what Job says,
addressing God. Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I will
lay my hand upon my mouth. Once am I spoken, but I will
not answer, yea, twice. but I will proceed no further.
He had some right understanding of his true position before a
holy God. And what a good thing it is if
you and I have a right appreciation of the holiness of our God. And again, we read in the last
chapter of Job, when Job speaks and he says, I've heard of thee
by the hearing of the ear, But now mine eye seeth thee. That's
the eye of faith. He saw the Lord. Wherefore I
abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. It's a good thing
when the Lord brings us to that position, to abhor ourself, because
it makes us look to the Saviour, the great and glorious One, who
has come in a sinful world to redeem our souls. to die for
us upon that cross at Calvary, to take away all our sins through
the shedding of His most precious cleansing blood. Well, my friends,
tonight, may the Lord help us to examine ourselves, to look
into our hearts, to realise where we are in our spiritual life
and whether we are indeed sheltering under that blood. You know, there
was no security in that day in Egypt when the avenging angel
came unless they were under the blood. And my friends, there's
no shelter today to the church of God unless we are under the
blood, unless we have the wonderful evidence that the Lord Jesus
Christ has died in our place and for us upon that cross of
Calvary to take away all our sins, that we are therefore able
to say with the Apostle that we are redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ. Amen.