The Heart Of Worship: Covenant Coming Malachi 4:4-6
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· 40 viewsThose who fear the Lord long for his return where all things will be made right.
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Mal 4:1-6
Mal 4:1-6
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
One message: I love you!
Two Groups: Those who fear the Lord and those who do not ( Reverent & the arrogant)
Two realities: The arrogant wicked seemed to prospering and the frustrated faithful were drifting
The effect: they had lost the heart of worship.
Ex: Two men go fishing
They love to fish! Their fish finder hits on a large school of fish so they stop the boat get out their rods but in the process the guy start talking about the need for a new bigger boat with a better fish finder, bigger live well and of course better rigs. The one guys begin to talk about his fishing vest and all the different lures he has attached to his vest. The other guys remarks on his wicking shirt that pulls away moisture and keeps the sun off his arms.
Question’ what have they lost track of? What they are there to do? Fish? Talking about fishing is not fishing. Not only that, why they are basking in the non essentials they are drifting away from the fish.
See it isnt that these men hate fishing it is that they have become distracted and have drifted away from that which they enjoy.
Goal: Restore our first love and cast our anchor into the Lord of hosts
Those who fear the Lord long for his return when all things will be made right.
Rom 5:9
9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
Four Blood-bought Promises About the Day of the Lord
Four Blood-bought Promises About the Day of the Lord
Those who fear long for the Day of the Lord
The Lord’s Day is coming bring absolute destruction - Mal. 4:1
The Lord’s Day is coming bring absolute destruction - Mal. 4:1
1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
That word day should remind us of the Lord’s appearing.
Fear = Dread or reverence - depends on which group your in.
1 John 4:16-19 - Those who do not abide in love should fear but those who do have no need to dread the day
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.
It is a day when Christ Himself will appear and make all wrongs right.
The sobering new: He starts with the arrogant
Absolute destruction
Burning chaff is often a biblical metaphor for judgment Obad. 18, which God brings by having the coming day itself “set [the chaff of the wicked] on fire,” a verb used elsewhere in such a context ( Ps. 97:3).
18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
and the house of Joseph a flame,
and the house of Esau stubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,
for the Lord has spoken.
Ex: Forest fire
Usually a fire leaves something behind after it dies down, but God’s fiery judgment is so fierce that nothing remains.
New life can shoot up from a remaining root (Job 14:8–9; Isa. 11:1; 37:31).
This highlights the totality of the coming destruction, with its completeness made more evident through the burning even of the roots, which ordinarily do not succumb to a flash fire, being protected by the earth.
On that coming day, the people who asked for justice (Mal. 2:17) will see it, and it will fall on them.
The Lord’s Day is coming bring absolute destruction
The Lord’s Victory will be sure bringing absolute healing - Mal. 4:2
The Lord’s Victory will be sure bringing absolute healing - Mal. 4:2
2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.
This Absolute healing is contrasted with absolute destruction
This Absolute healing is contrasted with absolute destruction
Those who fear YHWH’s name are those who have repented and long to see his cause triumph and right prevail.
When the Lord comes, He will bring perfect, righteous judgment with Him similar to the rising of the sun.
His appearance will be both a blessing and a curse.
Malachi states the sun of righteousness will appear with healing in His garments; that is, His arrival will be associated with the healing and restoring of His people.
Ex: Lee (John) - One day no more sin and no more consequences of sin - If we know this day is coming what sort of people and should we be now
Psalm 10:16-18
16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Yet the healing that Malachi refers to in this passage is not merely physical healing, but a spiritual restoration from sin and from separation from the Lord. Therefore, this sun will come with jubilation and celebration.
The Lord’s vindication will be unmistakable bringing all the wicked to justice - Mal. 4:3
The Lord’s vindication will be unmistakable bringing all the wicked to justice - Mal. 4:3
3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
The Lord will comes to vindicate his name and his people.
Psalm 37:6
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Pride may run rampant now, but there will come a day when all will be humbled on level ground
Isa 54:17
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
The Lord offers Repentance and Restoration so that we all might long for that day - Mal. 4:5-6
The Lord offers Repentance and Restoration so that we all might long for that day - Mal. 4:5-6
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Isa 55:1-3 - The song of restoration
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Psalm 17:15 - the song of the restored
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
V.5 - Elijah’s ministry will be one of restoration and repentance
In Matthew 17 Jesus leads the disciples up to the Mount of Transfiguration, where both Elijah and Moses appear, talking with the Lord. Peter, of course, wants to set up rooms at the Motel 6 for all three of them, but a voice from heaven rebukes his misunderstanding.As Jesus’ face shines like the sun, the disciples are awestruck, understanding Jesus true identity.
The disciples cite this verse in Malachi, to which Jesus replies,
Matt 17:11-12
11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.”
John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah pointing Christ calling for repentance, Christ came pointing to himself calling people to repent, we live pointing other to Christ; his bloody cross and his empty tomb with the same message and the same promise; repentance brings restoration to God
Rev. 22:17, 20
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
So What?
So What?
Three life changing questions to orient our hearts toward the Lord of Hosts
Will I Remember the Lord of host by obeying his Word to His People? Mal. 4:4
Will I Remember the Lord of host by obeying his Word to His People? Mal. 4:4
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.
Remember the law, In the biblical notion of remembering, cognition is not sufficient; it also requires faithful obedience.
To Israel the law wasn’t a state trooper giving you a speeding ticket.
The Law was life - joy - blessing - God’s word to them
Ex: You’re surrounded by three men who mean to harm you and you see blue light coming toward you. - Rescue - Life - Joy
Then & now = Obedience to God is still the pathway to true satisfaction and joy.
Hymn : Trust & obey
1When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
2Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear,
Not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
3Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.
5Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do;
Where He sends, we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Do I need to restore my first love?
Do I need to restore my first love?
Rev. 2:1-7 - v. 4 “abandoned” first love - to give up or to quit
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
First love is a love the precedes and supersedes all others
Good works are nothing without first and foremost love (1 Cor 13)
The Lord cares about quality and quantity
It is possible to do the right things with the wrong love - The Bible calls that vanity.
The Lord does not desire merely to be loved. he deserves and desires. dare we say demands to be our first love.
No your (Grand)kids are not first, no your spouse is not first.
The quality of all our physical relationships are determined by the depth of our covenant love for the Lord of hosts
Do I need to restore my first love?
Hear the word of the Lord - Matt 11:28-30
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Have I thrown my anchor of hope into the Lord of hosts?
Have I thrown my anchor of hope into the Lord of hosts?
Heb 6:19
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
Heb 6:11-12 - Desire = to finish well in fullness of faith to inherit what is promised
11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
How can we have such hope? Heb 6:18 - God cannot lie - Our covenant is established on better ,more sure promises
How can we set our hope firmly in Christ?
Remember where Jesus has gone
Into the holy of holies to offer himself once for all who believe
Into the Presence of the Father where he lives to intercedes for us
Remember he will come again
To heal us from the inside out
To bring us into his presence
Remember by celebrating the Christ -given ordinances: connect to communion & baptism
My hope is built on nothing less - https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/298
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
2
When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
3
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
4
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
In Him, my righteousness, alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
The Lord bids all to come to him repent of your sins and be Restored to your first love and cast your anchor into the Lord of hosts who will hold you fast.
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Prayer focus: Thanksgiving service 6:30 - two opp: Homeless & Bell ringing
