Velocity Requires God's Justice
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Velocity Requires God's Justice
Malachi 2:17-3:5
ILL-- The great American poet Henry Wadsworth echoed this sense of gloomy despair in his poem turned Christmas carol, “I heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”
The first stanza reads, “I heard the bells on Christmas day,
Their old familiar carols play,
And mild and sweet their songs repeat,
Of peace on earth good will to me.”
Two stanzas further, Longfellow writes,
“And in despair I bowed my head,
There is no peace on earth I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
He wrote the poem on Christmas day 1863. It’d been a year of vicious fighting. Battles like Gettysburg, one of the costliest battles of the civil war, had killed tens of thousands of young men.
That summer, his own son was badly hurt at the battle of Malvern Hill in Virginia. Two years earlier, his wife was killed in a fire. Where was justice for Longfellow? Where was hope in a shattered family, a nation torn asunder by boys in blue and grey?
Where was justice>?
However, two stanzas later, he rejects the notion that the only force reigning over his country is one of hopelessness:
“Then rang the bells more loud and deep God is not dead,
nor does he sleep (peace on earth, peace on earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men”
There will be a day of justice.
If you want Velocity in your Christian life, stand for justice which is based on truth.
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
1 “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 covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.
3 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 Lord.
4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “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, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
2 Essentials for Justice
2 Essentials for Justice
1. God's Standards (17)
1. God's Standards (17)
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
Justice is not about what we like. It is about God’s standard.
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
God’s justice is always based on truth.
ILL-- 1995 Michelle Murphy, 17, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her infant son. In 2017 she was released because of new DNA evidence.
Justice is not just getting a conviction. Justice is based on truth.
Wrong thinking: "We all have to find what is right for us." "Just because that is right for you doesn't mean it is right for me."
What do we measure ourselves up to?
2. God's Timing (17b-3:5)
2. God's Timing (17b-3:5)
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”
“Where is the God of justice?”
Israel had decided since they were living in hardship and poverty than God was either unjust or unfaithful.
Weary= losing patience with them.
Parents when they keep addressing the same disobedience.
"I've asked you a thousand times to be quiet."
No wonder God was weary of them!
They believed God existed for their pleasure, not other way around. We have many Christians who believe that God's job is to make them healthy and wealthy. When we have bad health or in financial difficulty we think God isn't living up to his side of the deal.
God sees a bigger picture than we do. He is setting the stage for his ultimate glory. As believers we will get to benefit from that, but only when God is ready.
We suffer for his glory.
Scriptures says that we will struggle because of him, not be healthy and wealthy.
5 Reasons God is Patient
5 Reasons God is Patient
A. God Prepares (3:1)
A. God Prepares (3:1)
1 “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 covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
"prepare the way"= literally "clear the path"
He puts in the work to get things ready.
It is preparation for something greater in the future.
Putting up Christmas decorations (Lights on house). It’s work for something better later.
Prepare the foundation/ prepare the field for planting.
It’s a long way from the finished product but you do it well to make the future better.
John the Baptist came to to clear the way of unbelief.
Where is the God of justice?
There are things that must happen to prepare the way.
B. God Plans (3:1b)
B. God Plans (3:1b)
1 “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 covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
God has a plan for redemption.
A sacrifice to cover the sins of man.
He can see the beginning, middle and end at the same time.
GPS on a phone verse GPS live like our military.
C. God Loves (3:2)
C. God Loves (3:2)
2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.
He waits because he knows what will happen on that day.
No one will be able to stand at this time.
They just think they wanted God's justice.
They wouldn't even be able to stand before him.
He will be the one to refine and clean them.
Fuller's soup= The soup of those who wash clothes.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
D. God Refines (3:3-4)
D. God Refines (3:3-4)
3 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 Lord.
4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
Purification like a refiners fire.
Purity= refers to the quality at the end.
Refining= the process that must be taken to get it to purity.
Refining process takes time.
Endure to the end.
Work out salvation in fear and trembling.
Sanctification after justification.
Process is compared to gold and silver, not diamonds.
Diamonds are already made they just need to be cut and polished.
We are not good and just need to be polished.
We are impure and dirty and need to be purified.
Levi= reference to the priests.
Ability to worship in righteousness.
Priesthood of all believers.
We can approach God because we are righteous.
We are only righteous when we have been made pure through Jesus Christ.
vs 4Then the offering "will be pleasing".
Doesn't accept your sacrifice until you accept The Sacrifice.
E. God Judges (3:5)
E. God Judges (3:5)
5 “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, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
he is patient because he knows that justice is coming.
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.
10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
Revelation 20- Great White Throne Judgement
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
There will be a time to punish all those who refused to repent and follow Jesus.
He is patient, but he is Just. Justice is coming.
Those whose sin has not been covered by the blood of Jesus on the cross will receive "swift" justice.
Swift= when it happens it will happen quickly.
Jesus, "Behold I come quickly."-- when it happens it will happen fast.
52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
CONCLUSION
Are you living for God's glory?
Are you concerned with justice (truth)?
You will not have velocity in you live in God's truth and not your own feelings.
Are you ready for justice?
Are you ready for justice?