Now, the pastor is preaching
about this minute out in Franklin, Tennessee, College Grove Baptist
Church, Brother Chris Cunningham. You read that in the bulletin. So let's remember him and them
in our prayers. We're so glad to have Nathan
Howard, Milton Howard's son, with us this morning. We're glad
you're here, Nathan. I want you to turn back in your
Bibles to the book of Malachi. Malachi. This is a powerful scripture. Powerful. I've asked the Lord
to give me some liberty to deal with this portion of God's Word. This is the last book of the
Old Testament, Malachi. And what we find in this chapter
that Brother Gabe read a moment ago, that first ten verses This
chapter is filled with God's rebuke and God's judgments against
the priests and the prophets and the people of Israel because
of their sins. It says a lot in this chapter
about judgment of God against the sins of the people. But the
key thing here, the key thing right here, this word of judgment
is turned towards the priest, and towards the prophets, and
towards the preachers, because they have compromised the Word
of God. The priest, and the prophets,
and the preachers have compromised the Word of God. Look at verse
7, 8, and 9, just a moment. For the priest lifts, should
keep knowledge They ought to tell the truth to people. That
the people should seek the Lord at the mouth of the priest. For
the priest is a messenger of the Lord. And they ought to find
truth from that man's lips. But that's not what they get.
But you are departed out of the way. You have caused many people
to stumble at the law that you preach. You have corrupted the
covenant, the covenant of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, and of
Levi. You've corrupted the covenant,
saith the Lord of Hosts. Therefore, therefore have I made
you contemptible and base before all the people, according as
you have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Oh my. Now then, I want you to
look at verse 17. This is where we're going to
start my message. And the Lord says in verse 17, you have wearied
the Lord with your words. I'm tired of listening to your
words. You've wearied me with your words. You know, God said to Eliapus,
Remember the three fellows that came to Job and spoke to him,
and God said, you know what the Lord said to those three fellows?
This is what he said. My wrath is against you, Eliapus,
and against your friends, because you have not spoken of me the
things that are right. That's what he's saying here.
I'm weary with your words. I'm tired of your words. I'm
tired of all this preaching and prophecy and lies that you tell
the people. I'm weary, weary, weary. You have not spoken of me, the
things that are right. Look at the next line. You've
wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, wherein have we
wearied him? Wherein have we wearied him? What have the preachers and prophets
and priests said that offended Almighty God? Tell me, where
have we offended Him? All right, listen to what He
said. Wherein have we wearied Him? When you search, watch this
now, everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord.
You're telling people who are evil that they're good. Read on. And you're telling people
that they're evil, that they're good, and God delights in them. The Scripture says this, God
is angry with the wicked every day. Unless they turn, I'll wet
my sword and deal with them. But you say God delights in them. God says He's angry with the
wicked. But you say people that do good, that are doing evil,
are good. Also, the Scripture says this,
there's none righteous. There's none that understandeth.
There's none that seek after God. But you say they're good. God says there's none good, and
you preachers and prophets and priests are saying that they
are good. John chapter 3 says this, He that believeth not on
the Son The wrath of God abideth on him. He that believeth not
on the Son, the wrath of God. But here you say, God delights
in them. God delights in them. And most
preachers today, in most pulpits, will finish their message, and
then they'll look into the face of their congregation, people
who are sensual, ungodly, unthankful. And they look into the face and
say, God loves you. God loves everybody. Isn't that
what they say? But God says, they're evil in
my sight, and I don't delight in them, and there's none good,
no, not one. Look at that verse again, 17.
You have wearied the Lord with your words, and yet you say,
Quarian, have we wearied him? He said, here's how you weary
me, when you say, everyone that does evil is good in the sight
of the Lord, and he delights in them. Now I ask you this,
if that be true, where is the God of judgment? Everyone that doeth evil is good
in the sight of God, and he delights in them Where is the God of judgment? That's what he's asking. God
asks here. Where is the God of judgment? Where is the God of
righteousness and truth and holiness? Where is this God? He's not there. He's not in their message. He's
not in their pulpit. Where is the God who says, I
will by no means clear the guilty? Where is he? I'm going to tell
you. Look at chapter 3. Chapter 3,
verse 1. I'm going to tell you the good
news. The good news. I'm going to tell you where He
is, where the God of judgment is, where the God of righteousness
and truth and holiness is, and where the Messiah is. Where the
Messiah is. Behold, now watch this carefully.
Behold, the Lord says, I will send my messenger. I will send
my messenger. Now, this is the end of the Old
Testament, and the messenger is about to come. I'll send my
messenger. Who is that messenger? It's John
the Baptist. That's who it is. It's John the
Baptist. That's right. Turn to John chapter 1. Just
hold Malachi down. I'm coming back to Malachi. But
look at John chapter 1. Behold, I'll send my messenger,
and here's his messenger right here, John the Baptist. Somebody
said he's the last of the Old Testament prophets. He's the
forerunner of Christ. He's the one that's coming. Here
it is, John chapter 1, verse 19. This is the record of John. When the Jews sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you? Who are you? And he confessed, and denied
not, but confessed, I'm not the Christ.
I'm not the Christ. And they asked him, what then,
art thou Elias? And he said, I'm not. Art thou
that prophet, that prophet that Moses talked about, Christ? No,
I'm not the Christ. I'm not Elias, and I'm not that
prophet. Then they said unto him, Who
art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou thyself? He
said, I'm a voice. I'm a voice. You know, a voice
has something to say. The Lord said, I'll send my messenger
and he'll have something to say. A voice. I'm a voice. I'm a voice. That's right. I'm a voice. And
that voice That voice is to be heard, not seen. John was a man
that didn't push himself forward. This voice was to be heard and
not seen. You know, he never performed
a miracle. He didn't do any miracles at
all. He was a voice. He came to preach,
to prepare the way of the Lord. A voice. That's the other thing
about a voice. That voice After he delivered
his message and the promise, he died. He went away. Thirty-three years old. God,
I send my messenger. He's a voice. Listen to what
John said. He said, I am the voice of one
crying in the wilderness. Not in a building. Not in the
temple. out in the wilderness to all
people. This is a message not just to Israel, not just to the
Gentile, not just to the heathen. This is a message for everybody
in the wilderness. I'm a voice in the wilderness,
crying, make straight the way of the Lord, as saith the prophet
Isaiah. That voice, that voice of God
through John That voice is to be heard. That voice, after it's
delivered the message, he's taken away. And that voice is in the
wilderness to all men. For our Lord said, you go into
all the world and you preach this gospel to every creature. I'm going to send my messenger.
Back to our text in Malachi chapter three. He says, I'm going to
send my messenger. And he shall prepare the way
before me." John the Baptist. He's coming before Christ comes.
God's messenger. John the Baptist declaring who
Christ is. All right. Now turn to Isaiah
40. Isaiah chapter 40. And we'll
read here about John and that message. Here's the message. Isaiah chapter 40. Get it now. Here's the message. I'm going
to send my messenger and here's what he's going to say. Isaiah
40, verse 3. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness, prepare you the way of the Lord. Make straight
in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted. Every mountain and hill shall
be made low. The crooked shall be made straight.
the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together. Christ is coming, for the mouth
of the Lord is spoken in." And the voice, here's that voice,
here's old John's message, the voice said, cry. And he said,
what shall I cry? Tell them all flesh is grass. And all this so-called goodliness,
you say they're good, All this goodliness is as a flower that
feel, and the grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, because
the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is
Christ. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever. Hosan, that
bringeth good tidings, get thee up to the mountain. O Jerusalem,
that bringeth glad tidings, lift up your voice. Lift it up with
strength. Lift it up, don't be afraid.
Say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God. Behold, the Lord God
will come with a strong hand. If Christ is coming, his arms
shall rule for him. And behold, his reward is with
him and his work before him. For he shall feed his flock like
a shepherd. He'll gather the lambs with his
arms and carry them in his bosom And he shall gently lead those
that are with young. There's a voice. I'll send my
messenger. He's coming. And this is his
message right there. All flesh is grass. All the flower
of the field paid in the false spirit of God blows upon it. The Bible says. All right. Read
on now. In Malachi 3. Verse 1, Behold, I send my messenger,
he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek,
the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, our Messiah, the
Lord whom you seek. Everybody didn't seek him. He
was in the world and the world was made by him. The world knew
him not. He came into his own nation.
They knew him not, but Abraham knew him. He says here, and the
Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come. Abraham saw my day and
was glad. Moses wrote of me. Isaiah saw the Lord high and
lifted up. He saw him. He saw him. And Simeon. Old Simeon came there into the
temple and took up Mary's young son in his arms. And old Simeon,
he saw him. He lifted his eyes to heaven
and said, Father, let me die in peace. Mine eyes have seen
thy salvation. Oh, he says, Behold, I send my
messenger. He will prepare my way, and the
Lord whom you seek shall suddenly, shall suddenly come to his temple. Brother Mann, is he talking about
this temple in Jerusalem? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Exactly. Turn to Haggai. About just two or three pages.
Haggai. Haggai chapter two. Chapter two. Yes, sir. This temple
had been rebuilt and the Lord's coming to this temple. This is
what John the Bible said. He's coming to this temple. And
here in Haggai chapter 2 verse 5, according to the word that
I coveted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit may
remain among you, fear you not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts,
yet once in a little while I'll shake the heavens and the earth
and the sea and the dry land And I'll shake all nations, and
the desire of all nations shall come. Who's that? That's Christ
Jesus. And the desire of all nations
shall come. And I will fill this house with
glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, the gold
is mine, saith the Lord. The glory of this latter house
shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts,
and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."
When did Christ come to this temple? Turn to the book of Luke,
chapter 2. Christ himself came to this temple. Luke, chapter 2, verse 25. I told you this a minute ago,
let's read it now, Luke 2, 25. And behold, there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. And that same man was just and
devout, waiting for the constellation of Israel. The Holy Ghost was
upon him, and it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost, he
should not see death till he had seen the Lord's Christ. And
he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when his parents
brought in the child Jesus into the temple to do for him after
the custom of the law, then Simeon took him up in his arms and blessed
God. And he said, Now, Lord, let thy
servant depart in peace. According to thy word, mine eyes
have seen thy son Christ in the temple. That's what he said right
here. That's right. That's right. Behold,
I send my messenger, he'll prepare the way before me, and the Lord
which you seek, Simeon was seeking him, he's going to come to his
temple. Keep that passage in Luke one more time. Luke, when
he came to the temple the second time, here he came to the temple
as an infant in his mother's arms. And our Lord came to the
temple as a 12-year-old boy. still doing to him what the law
required. Look at Luke chapter 2 verse
46. And it came to pass that after
three days they found the Lord Jesus in the temple, sitting
in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking
them questions. And all that heard him were astonished
at his understanding and his answers. This is Christ in the
temple. He came back to that temple again. Turn with me to Matthew 21. He
came to the temple as an infant. He came to the temple as a 12-year-old
boy. He came to the temple as the
Lord of the temple. Matthew chapter 21, Matthew 21,
verse 10. OK, look at it. And when he got it, Matthew 21,
10. And when he was come into Jerusalem,
all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude
said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, of now Galilee.
And Jesus went into the temple, and he cast out all them that
sold and bought in the temple. and overthrew the tables of the
money changers and the seats of them that sold of. And he
said, it is written, my house. We read that in Haggai, didn't
we? This house. My house shall be called the
house of prayer. You've made it a den of thieves. Malachi 3. Isn't this a powerful
scripture? Malachi 3. Behold, I send my
messenger. He'll prepare the way before
me. John the Baptist did, and God took him home. And then the
Lord whom you seek, he shall certainly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant. That's who Christ is, the messenger
of the covenant. Now, this is not the covenant
made with Noah. Remember, the rainbow was put
in the sky, and God said, I won't send another flood. The world
will not be destroyed by a flood. The rainbow will always show
you that's my covenant. That's not what it's talking
about. This is not the covenant made with Abraham when God said,
this land is your land. I'm going to give you this land
and the Jewish people. This is not the covenant of Moses,
the laws and the ceremonies and all of the baptisms and so forth. This is an everlasting covenant.
Hebrews says this, and now the God of peace that brought again
from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. He's the messenger of the everlasting
covenant. And the blood of the everlasting
covenant make you perfect in every good work to do His will
working in you. that which is well-pleasing in
his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever
and ever." Messenger of the covenant. David, last words he said before
he died. King David said, although it
be not so at my house, God has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and sure, and this is all my salvation.
This is the messenger of the covenant. What's this now? Whom
you delight in? Who delights in him? I do. Don't
you? That's what, uh, look at, look
at 1st Peter, 1st Peter. Somebody's going to delight in
him. Those who know him and love him, they're going to delight
in him. Look at 1st Peter, chapter 1, verse 8. Whom have he not
seen? whom having not seen you love,
delight in him. In whom though now you don't
see him, yet believe in him, you rejoice with joy unspeakable,
delight in him, full of glory, receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your soul. Yes, we delight in him. Now look at verse two. in verse
2 of Malachi 3, verse 2. He's coming. He came. He died. He went back. He's coming
again. But look at verse 2. But who, who, who may abide,
that word, receive Him, rejoice in Him, abide, believe comprehend
him, understand. Who's going to do that? Who's
going to abide the day of his coming? When he comes to tell
why he came, who he is and why he came and what he did and where
he is now, who's going to rejoice in that? I'm going to tell you.
Turn with me to John chapter 1. I'm going to tell you about
all these folks that are going to abide with him, going to believe
in him, going to rejoice in him, going to comprehend what he says. John chapter 1 verse 10. I'll tell you who's going to
do it. I'll tell you who. John chapter
1 verse 10. Now he was in the world, the
world was made by him, but they didn't know him. He came into
those, He came into those His own, that is, Jewish nation,
Jewish people. They didn't receive Him, but
as many as received Him. To them gave He the power to
become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, which
were born. Not of blood, not of natural
genealogy, not of the will of the flesh, Not the will of man,
but the will of God. Who's going to abide? Who may
abide, receive, rejoice in Him the day of His coming? Who's
going to comprehend and understand? I tell you, these people right
here. Right here. And then he asks
this question. Who's going to stand? Who's going
to stand when He appears? Who's going to stand when he
appears? Who's going to dwell in his presence? Who's going
to continue to stand and continue to dwell in him? I'll tell you
that. Turn to Psalm 1. Psalm chapter
1. I'll tell you who. Who's going
to comprehend? Who's going to understand? Who's going to rejoice in him?
Delight in him? Psalm chapter 1. And who's going
to stand out here? Blessed is the man. Psalm chapter
1. Blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of scornful, but his delight is in the law
of the Lord. And in his law does he meditate
day and night, and he should be like a tree, the planting
of the Lord. He should be like a tree planted
by the rivers of water, and bring forth his fruit in his season.
He's going to stand a long time. He's going to bring forth his
fruit in his season. His leaf is not going to wither,
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. But the ungodly are
not so. They're like the chaff which
the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly is not
going to stand in the judgment The ungodly sinners
are not going to stand in the congregation of the righteous,
for the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way
of the ungodly shall perish. Back to the text. I'm going to
work on this just a few minutes more. Just a few minutes more. Who's going to abide? Who's going to stand when He
appears? He is like the refiner's fire. The old fellow that works with
gold and silver, he has a fire. He sits for the fire, and he
puts the gold and silver in the fire. He doesn't get very far
away from the fire, either. He knows how hot to make it,
and he knows it's got to be done. It's got to be done, the refiner. The refiner's fire separates
the gold from the dross. That's what happens when he puts
it in the fire. It separates the gold. It makes
the gold purer and the dross it throws away. The refiner's
fire separates the wheat from the chaff. He said they were
so weak and they were so tired. Well, the refiner would get rid
of that. He'd get rid of the chaff. The
refiner's fire separates truth and error. always separates truth
and error. And the refiner's fire separates
what you preach to true faith and pretense. It's not going
to hang together. Now say, whom do men say that
I, the son of man, am? Well, some of them say you're
John the Baptist, and some of them say you're Elias, and some
say you're one of the prophets. But whom do you say that I am? He didn't say He asked them,
he said, whom do the men say the Son of Man is? He said, whom
do you say I am? That's a different, different
question. Whom do you say I am? And they
said, Darth the Christ, Son of the living God. That's separate.
They were refiners of fire. They were refiners of fire. That's
what it is. And you know over here, let me
show you a scripture in 1 Corinthians. Hold Malachi down. 1 Corinthians
chapter 3. I want you to look at this. 1
Corinthians 3 verse 11. Watch this right here. 3 verse 11. I'm saying the refiners'
fire separates the gold from the dross, wheat from the chaff,
truth from error, faith from pretense. Now watch this. Other
foundation, 1 Corinthians 3, 11, can no man lay than that
is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this
foundation, gold, silver, stone, precious stone, wood, hay, and
stumple, but every man's work shall be made manifest. Father,
they shall declare it because, watch this, because it shall
be revealed by fire. The refiners, that's his fire.
That's his fire. That's his business. That's his
work. We can't do that. I hear people
say, you think he's saved? Man, I don't know. I don't know. A fellow asked me one time, you
think Martin Luther was saved? I said, I hope so. I sure have. He's been blessed by my ministry.
By his ministry, I've been blessed. I don't know who. It shall be revealed by fire,
by the refiner's fire. And the fire shall try every
man's work of what sort it is. Let me show you this Malachi
3 one more time. Who shall stand? Who shall abide
when he appears? He's like a refiner's fire. He's
going to separate. these things. And he's like Fuller's
soap. Fuller's soap. I'm going to tell
you what that is. I had to look it up. I want you to look it
up too. The women would boil the garments. Most of those people over there
in that hot country wore white garments. And they would boil
the garments in hot, hot water. And then The garments would be
rubbed with fuller's soap to take out the other spots. Fuller's
soap. Alkaline. Alkaline. Which whitened the garment and
took out the spots. And this is what our Lord does
for us in the fire. The refiner's fire. We've got
to be tried. We've got to be tried by fire. And read this. Watch this right
here. Sanctify them. This is what our Lord prayed
in John 17. Father, sanctify them. Sanctify
them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. This is the
fire. This is the fire. Read verse
3 again slowly. And he shall sit. Verse 3. And he shall sit. Who? Malachi
speaks of the Messiah himself, our Lord himself. He'll sit at
God's right hand. He'll sit at God's right hand
to purify the sons of Jacob. He shall sit as a refiner, as
a purifier of silver. And he shall purify the sons
of Jacob, the sons of Abraham, the sons of Levi, and purge as
gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering
in righteousness." You see, such were some of you, but you're
washed, you're sanctified by the Lord, you're justified in
His name, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy
Spirit of God. You see, the refiner who sits
here by the refiner's fire. He'll purify him. He will. He will. He owns the gold and
silver. It's his. And he makes the fire
as hot as he wants it to be made. And he puts the gold and silver
in the furnace. And he knows how long to put
it there. He knows how long. It takes to
purify us. And he knows, thank God, when
to take it out. When to take it out. Because
this is what, this is what Paul said in Corinthians. There has
been, and the pastor talked about this last week, there has no
temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful. who will
not suffer you to be tempted above what you're able to bear,
but he'll make a way to escape. Yes, sir, he owns the gold and
silver. He makes the fire as hot as he
pleases with it. However, he knows how long it
takes to purify us, and he knows when to take it out. And one
of our old writers said this, this third verse of Malachi denotes
the Lord's constant care of his elect, his church, from the cradle to
the grave. He said, I've always known you.
You say, I've just known him since he saved me. No, no, no,
no, no. He's always known you. That's why he saved you, because
he always known you. He has constant care of His elect
from the cradle to the grave. His eye is upon them in all their
ways, and He will purge them, try them, purify them, sanctify
them, that they may worship Him and Him alone, that they may
offer unto Him sacrifices of faith and love and praise and
thanksgiving. Oh Lord, Charles Wesley wrote
this, Oh Lord, thy fire our lives must refine, until we're molded
from above, to bear thy character divine, thy walk of grace and
love. Oh Lord, purify our faith like
gold, the dross of sin remove, Melt me. Melt my spirit and mold
me in perfect faith, hope, and love. He will. He does. And he's the only one
who can. I hope that's a blessing to you.
Our Father, we thank you for your word. Oh, where would we
be without the word? comfort us and teach us and lead
us and guide us. Thank you for your Holy Spirit,
the teacher and comforter of your world. And Father, bless
the pastor this morning as he speaks in Tennessee and your
service everywhere. What we pray for ourselves, we
pray for your service everywhere. All of them. Bless them, Lord. Use them for your glory. We give
thanks for your word. And we pray you give the pastor
and his wife yearning mercies as they come back to minister
to us here. Thank you for this congregation.
Thank you, Lord, for the way you've raised up a people to
be called by your name. We give thanks. In Christ's name
we pray. Amen. Brother Gage is going to lead
us in a closing hymn. Let's turn to hymn number 27
and stand together again. I'm going to do that.