Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading 1 John 4:7-21

Good morning church family and friends.

Let us look at the Catechism question this morning.

Q.

Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ (1Ti 2:5-6); Who, being the eternal Son of God, became man (Joh 1:14; Gal 4:4), and so was and continueth to be God and man in two distinct natures, and one person forever (Rom 9:5; Luk 1:35; Col 2:9; Heb 7:24-25).

Pastoral Prayer

Health of the Church, Janie, People Exploring god’s will for their lives.

Let us Pray

We are continuing in chapter 4 of Malachi this morning.

So go ahead and turn in your bible to Malachi chapter 4. As you turn there we are continuing from last weeks message on the day of the lord.

We looked at the different judgments that are in the scriptures and then looked at what was going to happen for the arrogant and those that commit wickedness.

For those who have rejected the covenant of God.

But today we will see what the end looks like for those that will be redeemed by Jesus.

Open you bibles to Chapter 4. Stand as we read God’s Word.

Malachi 4 (CSB)

1 “For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble.

The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches.

2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.

4 “Remember the instruction of Moses my servant, the statutes and ordinances I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel.

5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible 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.

Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

When the day of the Lord comes verse 1 tells us what it will be like for the wicked and verses 2-3 tells us what it will be like for the redeemed.

Today we will be looking at verses 2-3

Malachi 4:2–3 (CSB)

2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall.

3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.

In contrast to the arrogant we have a group of people that are described as those that fear the name of the Lord.

These were a minority of the people who were so called “followers of God”.

Do you notice that there are no title distinguishing between those that will be saved and those that will be destroyed.

It does not say republican or democrat, it does not say conservative or contemporary, it does not say elder or child.

It simply says those who fear the name of the Lord.

Titles are not what will distinguish those that are consumed and those that are saved.

Just the heart.

It comes down simply to those who are arrogant or that have decided that they can live with out God and those who sit in reverent fear of his name.

Remember from a couple of weeks ago, that when the bible says they feared his name or spoke on his name that the name of God was used to describe his character.

I mean those that seek to understand and submit to the character of God, that have decided that they need God, and that they are in need of a savior.

This is not those that do religious activities or the people of Israel would have been ok and the Pharisees would not have been rebuked by Jesus.

This is the end for the believer.

The Sun of Righteousness

Malachi uses this image that only appears in this book.

Malachi 4:2 (CSB)

...the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, ...

Wings is used in in the bible many different ways.

It is used as a metaphor for protection,

Psalm 91:4 (CSB)

4 He will cover you with his feathers; you will take refuge under his wings.

His faithfulness will be a protective shield.

A Metaphor for judgement

Jeremiah 48:40 (CSB)

40 For this is what the Lord says: Look!

He will swoop down like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab.

Wings can symbolize many other things but this is a picture of the wings of the sun rising at dawn.

Of the rays of light that come over the horizon and then cover the land.

I love camping.

How about you?

Who here has ever experienced one of those trips where the night was so cold.

That you just did not have enough blankets or sleeping bags to be warm.

You are shaking and miserable.

Who has been there?

Maybe some of you have been in survival training or active duty in the military and have had to sit in the darkness waiting.

The longer the night goes, what do you start to long for?

You long for the sun.

You look out and you start to wonder if it is actually getting lighter as the dawn comes and then all of the sudden the light comes over the horizon or mountain and everything changes.

You feel comfort, heat, hope, strength.

We take it for granted but think of what this image ment for Isreal.

They did not have the same modern convenience that we have.

They would have had many cold nights just waiting for the sun to rise.

Does this image resonate with you.

How many here have had an experience of the hope that comes with the morning?

Malachi is using the rising sun to figuratively describe the coming of the righteous one.

So who is the righteous one?

Romans 3:10–12 (CSB)

10 as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.

11 There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away;

all alike have become worthless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.

No one is righteous on their own merit.

Yes people have acted in a righteous way when they have obeyed God through faith.

But a person does not have the attribute of righteousness.

So this verse in Malachi must be pointing to someone else.

Romans 3:21–26 (CSB)

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets.

22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.

26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Jesus is the sun of righteousness and the bible uses light and the coming of dawn to communicate and describe many aspect of God and his work.

We see John describe his purity.

1 John 1:5 (CSB)

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.

In Zechariah’s speech after he was able to speak he said

Luke 1:76–79 (CSB)

76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.