"Enduring the Day of His Coming"

Sermon Title: "Enduring the Day of His Coming"

Text: Malachi 3:2 (NKJV) "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 launderers' soap."

Introduction

Open with the imagery of a refiner’s fire and launderer’s soap. Share an anecdote about a refining process or cleaning something valuable. Emphasize the theme: God purifies and transforms His people. Transition to the seven key points.

Imagery of a Refiner’s Fire and Launderer’s Soap

1. The Refiner’s Fire: A Picture of Purity Through Heat

Description: A refiner’s fire is a furnace used to purify precious metals like gold and silver. The metal is heated to an intense temperature, melting it and allowing impurities (dross) to rise to the surface. The refiner carefully skims off the impurities until the metal is pure, often measuring its purity by its ability to reflect the refiner's face like a mirror.

Spiritual Application: God’s refining fire represents His holiness and the trials He uses to remove sin and impurities from our lives. It’s not a destructive fire but a transformative one that brings out the best in us.

Illustration:

A silversmith once explained that he knows the refining process is complete when he can see his own reflection in the molten silver. Similarly, God refines us until His image is reflected in us. Share a modern example, like how extreme heat strengthens tempered glass or steel, emphasizing the necessity of enduring hardship to achieve lasting strength.

2. The Launderer’s Soap: A Picture of Cleansing and Restoration

Description: Launderer’s soap in ancient times was a strong, cleansing agent made from alkaline substances like lye. It was used to wash garments thoroughly, often by beating or scrubbing them, to remove stains and restore their brightness.

Spiritual Application: The soap represents God’s cleansing power, which removes the stain of sin and restores us to righteousness. This imagery speaks of a deep, thorough purification, not just surface-level cleaning.

Illustration:

Imagine an old, cherished white garment stained and discolored. The launderer applies strong soap, scrubbing persistently until the fabric is clean and radiant again. This reflects how God’s forgiveness and sanctification work in our lives. Compare it to modern cleaning agents that claim to remove even the toughest stains, underscoring God’s power to cleanse the deepest sins.

Combined Imagery

Together, the fire and soap represent God’s dual work: refining our character through trials and cleansing our hearts through forgiveness. Illustration: Picture an heirloom—a tarnished silver goblet. First, it’s heated to remove impurities, then scrubbed clean to reveal its shine. This is how God restores us to our intended beauty and purpose.

These images not only convey God’s transformative power but also invite us to trust the process, knowing that His goal is to make us pure, holy, and prepared for His presence.

1. The Certainty of His Coming

Scripture: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout...” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Illustration: Share a story about preparing for a sure event, like an important visit. Teach that Jesus’ return is inevitable and transformational. Application: Are we spiritually ready for His coming?

2. The Question of Endurance

Scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10).

Explain the rhetorical questions in Malachi 3:2. Illustration: Talk about enduring extreme conditions, like an athlete training for a race. Application: Only those who rely on God’s grace and live in reverence can endure.

3. The Refining Fire of His Holiness

Scripture: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” (Malachi 3:3).

The fire represents God’s holiness, burning away sin. Illustration: Share a story of a silversmith refining silver—removing impurities. Application: Invite the congregation to let God purify their hearts.

4. The Cleansing Power of His Forgiveness

Scripture: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18).

Launderer’s soap symbolizes cleansing and restoration. Illustration: Compare stubborn stains on clothes to sin in our lives. Application: Trust in Christ’s blood to cleanse us completely.

5. The Transformative Work of Repentance

Scripture: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19).

Highlight repentance as our response to God’s refining and cleansing. Illustration: Use a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly as a metaphor. Application: Turn away from sin and align with God’s will.

6. The Call to Stand Firm in Faith

Scripture: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand...” (Ephesians 6:13).

To stand in His presence, we must stand in faith, clothed in righteousness. Illustration: A soldier standing firm in the heat of battle. Application: Rely on God’s strength, not our own.

7. The Promise of Eternal Glory

Scripture: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8).

God’s refining and cleansing prepare us for eternity with Him. Illustration: The process of restoring an old, tarnished treasure to its original beauty. Application: Rejoice in the promise of seeing God face-to-face.

Conclusion

Reiterate the main points: The certainty of His coming, the process of refining and cleansing, and the promise of eternal glory. Invite personal reflection: Are you prepared to endure the day of His coming? Close with a prayer of surrender, asking God to purify and cleanse us.

Call to Action

Encourage the congregation to seek God’s cleansing daily. Provide an altar call for repentance and renewal. Offer opportunities for discipleship and spiritual growth.