WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.899 Welcome to Ontario Community Church, 00:00:02.899 --> 00:00:04.799 where we're dedicated to encouraging, 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.799 equipping, and engaging lives for Christ. 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:10.000 Located in Ontario, Oregon, 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:11.720 Pastor Patrick Daly preaches 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:13.800 insightful sermons from the Word of God, 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.760 offering practical applications for modern living. 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:19.920 We're delighted to share this sermon with you. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:23.519 All right. Well, good morning, everyone. 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.480 It's good to see all of you. 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.920 It's good to be with you this morning. 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:32.719 Today, as we're heading back to our seats, 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:36.320 we are continuing our sermon series on 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:38.560 Journey to the Major, 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:40.880 Prophets, Promises, 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:43.840 and the Prince of Peace. 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:46.000 This is going to be our second sermon 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.480 as we are preparing the way 00:00:48.480 --> 00:00:50.480 for the season of Advent. 00:00:50.480 --> 00:00:53.320 It's just coming up only in a couple more weeks here. 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.320 You know, Thanksgiving is happening so quickly. 00:00:57.320 --> 00:00:59.320 This next week. 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.320 It's a great way for us to have a sense of gratitude. 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:06.319 It's a time for us to be thankful 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:09.319 for the life that God has given to us. 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.319 It's a time for us to have good food together. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.319 How many of you guys like cranberry sauce? 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:18.319 Or how many of you guys like a good stuffing? 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.319 Mashed potatoes and gravy or a good turkey? 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:24.319 I mean, there's all sorts of green beans, 00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:26.319 casserole, all sorts of things 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:30.319 that we get to have together at this Thanksgiving. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:34.319 And it's also a way for us to not only enjoy this food together, 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.319 but to enjoy time with family and with friends, 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:42.319 to take time to appreciate what God has given to us. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:47.319 It's a way for us to get ready for that season of Advent. 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:50.319 And I always get excited for this time of year 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:54.319 as it's going to be a real winter for my children, 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:55.319 for the family and I. 00:01:55.319 --> 00:01:59.319 I got to tell you, for being in Hawaii for the past two years, 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:03.319 we left in the summer and then there was two years in Hawaii. 00:02:03.319 --> 00:02:07.319 So that's two and a half years of being on summer vacation, 00:02:07.319 --> 00:02:10.319 kind of forgetting what winter is like. 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:12.319 And you know, I got to admit to you, 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:15.319 when I came here, I didn't have a jacket. 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:16.319 So what did I do? 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:19.319 I went to the thrift store and I found a real nice jacket, 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:22.319 you know, a good 20 bucks here, something really nice, 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:26.319 to keep me warm, because I'm sorry, a thin sweater 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:30.319 that you wear in the Hawaiian beaches when it's cold, 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:33.319 it's just not going to cut it. 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:37.319 So I had to find something more suitable for this area here. 00:02:37.319 --> 00:02:38.319 And you know what though? 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:43.319 I kind of miss winter, I miss fall, I miss the cold temperatures. 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:47.319 And Erin, my son, has been one of the only kids 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:50.319 who's really experienced a cold winter before. 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:53.319 So it'll be very interesting seeing the twin boys 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:57.319 and the twin girls, how they experience that cold weather. 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.319 I'm excited when they experience snow. 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:01.319 I'm just waiting for that moment, 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:03.319 when they're going to see it for the first time, 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:05.319 and it's just going to be really great. 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:09.319 But it's definitely been a season where now we're getting 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:14.319 onto a more regulated four season schedule as it were. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:18.319 And so anyways, with the title for this Sunday sermon, 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:21.319 where it's going to be titled, The Preparation, 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:24.319 Repentance and Readiness. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.319 And for our two main passages in scripture, 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:32.319 we're going to be going over what the prophet Malachi has to say. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:36.319 We're also going to be going over the Gospel of Luke. 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:39.319 So let's make sure we all have our notes. 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:41.319 Do we all have a copy of our notes, right? 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:43.319 We have something to write with, 00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:45.319 and I know there's only two lines for notes, 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:49.319 but make sure you have your notes ready and your Bible's ready 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:52.319 as we are going to prepare our minds and our hearts 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:56.319 to open the Word of God, to read what scripture has to say 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:59.319 and what does that mean to us today? 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:03.319 It's important for us to open the Word of God together as a church. 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:06.319 And we ask that God is with us, 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:12.319 that God moves in our life as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.319 And I want us to think about this question. 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:23.319 How can we prepare our hearts for Christ's love and presence in our lives? 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:25.319 Before we go any further, what I'd like to do, 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:27.319 I'd like for us to open in a word of prayer. 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:29.319 Will you pray with me? 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.319 Let's bow our heads and pray together. 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:36.319 And Father, as we are beginning our time here this Sunday for the message, 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.319 we ask that you're with us. 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:41.319 We ask that you help prepare our minds and our hearts 00:04:41.319 --> 00:04:45.319 to hear from your Word, to read from the Word, to learn from the Word, 00:04:45.319 --> 00:04:48.319 to apply the Word of God. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:54.319 We ask that you are with us, that our minds and hearts are being prepared 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:59.319 for your Son, Jesus, the Christ, not just in the spirit of Christmas, 00:04:59.319 --> 00:05:05.319 but to prepare us to receive the gift of salvation and to grow in faith. 00:05:05.319 --> 00:05:10.319 Prepare our hearts and our minds to believe in you, to grow in faith. 00:05:10.319 --> 00:05:14.319 May we appreciate the life that you have given to us. 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:16.319 May we have that sense of gratitude. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:19.319 We pray that as together as a community, 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:23.319 that we can come closer to living and loving like you have. 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:27.319 For Father, you have shown us this unconditional love, 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.319 love that is beyond our understanding. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:34.319 We know God that we are imperfect. 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.319 Oh, we are imperfect and we are a needy people. 00:05:37.319 --> 00:05:40.319 And we are lost without you. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:44.319 But with you, as we are going to learn today, you refine us. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:46.319 You cleanse us. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:48.319 You make us whole in you. 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.319 We pray for healing. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:52.319 We pray for understanding. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:56.319 We pray for transformation in our lives, in our family's lives, 00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:58.319 and in the community as well. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:02.319 We pray that it is you that leads and guide us this morning. 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.319 It is in Jesus' holy name that we pray together. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:06.319 And we all say, amen. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:10.319 It is in this time, in this season, you know, 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:12.319 we think of the word preparation. 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:15.319 The word preparation may come to your mind. 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:19.319 Many of us are going to prepare a meal together for Thanksgiving, right? 00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:23.319 We're going to prepare for a feast as it were. 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:25.319 The Thanksgiving meal. 00:06:25.319 --> 00:06:27.319 It's not something that you can do quickly, though. 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:29.319 Is it something you can just, you know, 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:33.319 I'm going to put the entire Thanksgiving feast into the microwave. 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:36.319 Oh, no, not really. I know you can do that for leftovers. 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:38.319 I know that's a little bit different. 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.319 But when you're preparing the Thanksgiving meal, 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:44.319 it's something that takes time. It takes effort. It takes energy. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:48.319 It takes a lot of preparation in order to have this meal. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.319 You have so many different types of foods. 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:54.319 You have different preparation and things that have to happen 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:58.319 in order for the Thanksgiving meal to take place 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.319 and for it to take place smoothly. 00:07:01.319 --> 00:07:06.319 As a child, I remember many Thanksgiving where I had lots of family come over 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:08.319 and they were all in the kitchen. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.319 And they were all just, it seemed like, what is going on? 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:14.319 They're going back and forth. They're going through the drawers. 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:16.319 They're looking for different cooking items. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.319 And you're like, what are you doing? 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:22.319 But as a child, you don't really know at first, but you'll learn. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:26.319 Oh, you know, Auntie is preparing this. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:28.319 My mom is preparing this. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:33.319 My uncle or my cousins are preparing ambrosia or whatever it is. 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:38.319 So many different pieces that are coming together to make this meal possible. 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:43.319 And it's a great time for family to come together, for friends to come together, 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:46.319 and just enjoy a meal together. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:53.319 And of course, it also makes me think that there are many of us who don't have a family. 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:56.319 Maybe we don't have family or maybe we are alone. 00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:03.319 It's still an opportunity for us to have that sense of gratitude for what God has given to us. 00:08:03.319 --> 00:08:10.319 And I reminded about how Scripture says that every good gift comes from the Lord. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:12.319 To exhibit gratitude. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:16.319 How can we exhibit gratitude for the life that God has given to us? 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:20.319 How can we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ? 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:26.319 It is in gratitude, it is one way that we can prepare our minds and our hearts for Christ. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:28.319 And I love this season. 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:35.319 I love how the community comes together and offers food for those who are in need. 00:08:35.319 --> 00:08:43.319 What a wonderful way for a community to help those who are hungry in a time of thanksgiving. 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:50.320 You know, sometimes you see turkeys or food that's being delivered to those who are in need. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:54.320 So they can partake in a thanksgiving meal. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:57.320 It's just a wonderful thing that happens. 00:08:57.320 --> 00:09:04.320 And I think of how we are exhibiting that same kind of love that Christ has for us. 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:11.320 As we are in this fall season, there is so much preparation that has to happen also for winter. 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:15.320 I know we're in fall, it don't seem like it's fall, but it is fall. 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:20.320 And winter is coming and this is also a time for preparation for winter. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:23.320 And much like how we have to prepare for the Thanksgiving meal, 00:09:23.320 --> 00:09:28.320 it's a good opportunity for us to take moments and be thankful for every moment, 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:33.320 for every gift, for every breath that comes from the Lord. 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:35.320 And ask yourself that question. 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:39.320 How can we be thankful for what God has given to us? 00:09:39.320 --> 00:09:46.320 And I bring up this idea of preparing for the Thanksgiving meal as we're going to read in Malachi and Luke. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:53.320 It's this idea of preparation, preparation of the coming of Jesus Christ. 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:56.320 And what I want us to do, I want us to open our Bibles. 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:02.320 We're going to turn to our first reading and I'm going to put that on the screen here, page 954. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:07.320 It's going to be Malachi chapter 3, verses 1 through 4. 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:26.320 And as a quick reminder, it's right before Matthew. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:32.320 Last book of the Old Testament, that's a great way to remember it. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:45.320 So Malachi chapter 3, verses 1 through 4. 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:52.320 As we turn our Bibles to this, I want you to think of this idea of refinement and cleansing. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:59.320 And think of what areas in your life need refinement or cleansing from the Lord. 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:03.320 Because we're going to read what Scripture has to say. 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:32.320 Let's read together. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:34.320 A refiner's fire. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:37.320 And then what does it say after that? 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:40.320 Like fuller's soap. 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:45.320 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. 00:11:45.320 --> 00:11:51.320 And he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:55.320 And they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 00:11:55.320 --> 00:12:05.320 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and in former years. 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:08.320 So we start off with that first verse. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:10.320 Behold, I send my messenger. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:14.320 He will prepare the way before me. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:21.320 And the Lord who you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. 00:12:21.320 --> 00:12:23.320 He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:30.320 This verse is in reference to John the Baptist. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:38.320 When John the Baptist is saying, prepare the way of the Lord. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:41.320 It's the first verse that's talking about that. 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:47.320 For many of us, we remember that there are other verses that mention not just the coming of Jesus Christ, 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:51.320 but we also think of John the Baptist. 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:56.320 It's interesting when we turn in Scripture and we find references to the coming of John the Baptist. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:04.320 That's very interesting that John the Baptist is going to come and prepare the way for Jesus Christ to come into the world. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:10.320 We remember that in last week, we were talking about Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:13.320 and that Christ is to be out of the stump, right? 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:17.320 The chute, the stump of Jesse. 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:22.320 There is mentioning of the coming of John the Baptist, like I said. 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:29.320 Malachi 3.1 is a great example, and of course, there's the famous verse in Isaiah, chapter 40, verses 3 through 5. 00:13:29.320 --> 00:13:33.320 We're not going to go over that, but that can be found in your notes. 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:35.320 We then go to verse 2. 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.320 Who can endure the day of His coming? 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:40.320 And who can stand when He appears? 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:44.320 For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller soap. 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:48.320 This leads us to the coming of Jesus Christ. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:51.320 I want to put this image on the screen. 00:13:51.320 --> 00:14:01.320 It's actually a very pretty good visual representation of the refiner's fire and the fuller soap. 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:06.320 These are two words that are describing the coming of Jesus Christ. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:12.320 When we think of the idea of the refiner's fire, we can think of how in biblical times, 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.320 making sure that metal was pure. 00:14:15.320 --> 00:14:19.320 You wanted to make sure that there were no impurities in the metal. 00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:24.320 So you had to turn up the heat and make sure that any imperfection was gone, 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:28.320 so that you could make whatever metal work that you were using. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:35.320 Back then, and even in some cases now, you had to separate things, the impurities as it were, 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:38.320 with that which is pure. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:45.320 The language that is used to describe the coming of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of prophecy, the Messiah. 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:50.320 It helps us to understand that Christ purifies us, doesn't He? 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:55.320 Especially when we think of our salvation, when we place our trust in Jesus Christ, 00:14:55.320 --> 00:15:01.320 when we believe in Him, we are refined in and through Him. 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:05.320 And there's that refining process that happens in our lives. 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:12.320 And I want to put this image kind of as, you know, it's just art, right? 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:18.320 I love technology now, how you can give it a prompt and it'll make something. 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:20.320 Sometimes they're not very good and sometimes they're really good. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:25.320 And I think this is kind of a good representation of the heat, right? 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:30.320 How often do we have the heat turned on in our lives to purify us? 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:37.320 And then I want us to go to the next image here and this is this idea of Fuller's soap. 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:44.320 When we think of Fuller's soap, this process had to do with having strong alkali. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:50.320 It was used to remove oil, dirt and other imperfections. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:57.320 This had to do with cleaning wool or other types of linen in order to make it white 00:15:57.320 --> 00:16:01.320 so that you could use color to dye the linen. 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:09.320 This process was done to make it ready, make the linen, make the material ready. 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:13.320 So this image here, you see someone who's really working. 00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:17.320 I mean, I tried to find some images of it and it's very difficult, 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:21.320 but finding software that can make something like it is very good. 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:28.320 If you can imagine the scrubbing as it were, the process to separate the oil and the dirt 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:36.320 and the other imperfections to make the linen suitable is much like how Christ works in our life. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:44.320 It reminds me of Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18 and you'll find that in your note under the Malachi 3-2. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:48.320 You'll see in your notes Christ, refiner's fire and Fuller's soap. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:52.320 Isaiah chapter 1 verse 18 goes on to say, 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:56.320 Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:03.320 Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:08.320 Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 00:17:08.320 --> 00:17:15.320 And this is a great kind of parallel, a connection as it were when we're thinking of our sins. 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:19.319 Because when we come to the Lord and we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:23.319 when we say yes to receive the gift of salvation, 00:17:23.319 --> 00:17:32.319 our sins are washed away as though in this image to be washed away like Fuller's soap. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:36.319 It's such a great representation if you can imagine that big bowl, right? 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.319 And getting the linen ready. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:44.319 And these two verses, well, it helps with our understanding that it is Christ 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:50.319 who takes away the sins of the world and that our sin will be white as snow. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:59.319 What a great image, what a great representation of the forgiveness of the grace that God has for us. 00:17:59.319 --> 00:18:04.319 What beautiful language we're seeing here that's found in Malachi. 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:11.319 And I want you to think of a time in your life or maybe someone you know that has experienced this cleansing. 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:15.319 Maybe they've experienced this purification process. 00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:24.319 Do you know someone that you have seen, you have heard, or maybe you yourself have experienced transformation? 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:29.319 Because God is the God of transformation. 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:35.319 I think of my own life and I think of how I became, how I came to the Lord. 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:39.319 If you knew the man I was before I knew the Lord compared to the man that I am now, 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:42.319 you would think they're two different people. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.319 But I'm just one of many examples. 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:52.319 My story is just another testimony to how God works in our lives. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:54.319 And think of your own testimony. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:59.319 Think of people that you may know could be a friend or a family member. 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:01.319 How has God worked in your life? 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:05.319 Or how has God worked in someone else that you know? 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:10.319 It all goes to show that God works in and through our lives. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:19.319 Yes, he cleanses us of our sin, but he continues to purify us on going. 00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:27.319 It's just a wonderful testimony and it's amazing and it's remarkable to know that our sins are washed away. 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:37.319 It's remarkable to see that once you are saved, once you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will continue to work in your life. 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:41.319 Just imagine the people who you interact with. 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:50.319 Sometimes when we're in a hurry, sometimes when we don't even realize it, we meet someone. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.319 We interact with them. 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:56.319 They might see the love of Christ through you. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:00.319 Do you realize how many people you interact with on a weekly basis? 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:02.319 It's quite a lot. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:05.319 Even if you just go to the store, right? 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:10.319 How you interact with people, exhibiting the love of Christ. 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:17.319 God can work through you even when you're in the everyday interactions. 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:19.319 So I want you to think about that. 00:20:19.319 --> 00:20:21.319 Let's move to verse three. 00:20:21.319 --> 00:20:25.319 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:30.319 He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.319 And they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:37.319 And this is where we're going into verse three and verse four of Malachi. 00:20:37.319 --> 00:20:42.319 Verse three is making mention of how Jesus is Lord. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:46.319 That he is sitting in a position of authority. 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:51.319 That Jesus Christ is king and he sits as the refiner and the purifier. 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:59.319 Some scholars have suggested that this is where the verse is saying that Christ is the judge. 00:20:59.319 --> 00:21:04.319 And is the providing the way of salvation, which would make sense. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:06.319 The purifier, right? 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:09.319 The one that washes away our sin. 00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:13.319 It's very, it's remarkable. 00:21:13.319 --> 00:21:19.319 Jesus is in that position of authority and much how metal gets purified. 00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:22.319 He purifies the sons of Levi. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:28.319 Well, this reference has to do with the Levites that they needed to be refined according to this verse. 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:33.319 They needed this to happen so that they could properly serve God and his people. 00:21:33.319 --> 00:21:37.319 And this is much like how the Lord will purify us in our lives. 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:45.319 That the word of God will work in and through us, that God will work in and through us so that we can grow in maturity. 00:21:45.319 --> 00:21:49.319 Are you the same person that you were when you first came to the Lord? 00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:52.319 Or have you seen transformation in your life? 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:58.319 What better way for transformation to happen than by the word of God? 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:04.319 And in certain moments even, God will work through you. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:09.319 The final part makes mention of bringing offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:14.319 That God will work in their lives to have moral and spiritual purity. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:22.319 Much like how Scripture says, create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:28.319 We need to have a clean heart, a renewed mind and a renewed spirit as it were. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:31.319 Transformation of the law, of the mind. 00:22:31.319 --> 00:22:38.319 We should pray for God to transform us and to work in and through us as we go about our every day. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:44.319 But first and foremost, we must come to believe in Jesus Christ. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:53.319 And we, when we believe in Jesus Christ, we're on this spiritual journey, this walk with the Lord and the footsteps of Christ. 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:57.319 And how God will work in us to make us more like Him. 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:03.319 It's just like that famous song, trust and obey. 00:23:03.319 --> 00:23:06.319 How easy is it for us to trust in God? It's very easy. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:08.319 What about the obey part though? 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:10.319 I know even for me, it can be difficult, right? 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.319 God, you really want me to talk to that person? 00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:15.319 You want me to say this? 00:23:15.319 --> 00:23:19.319 Happens to us all the time, right? But trust and obey. 00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:21.319 And this leads us to verse four. 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:28.319 It's, then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and in your former years. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:33.319 And this comes to our last verse where the offering is made, it's made pleasing to the Lord. 00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:42.319 And it's a reminder. And it's a reminder back then as it is now, that we should worship God with a pure heart. 00:23:42.319 --> 00:23:45.319 We should worship God with all of our heart. 00:23:45.319 --> 00:23:55.319 And in having a relationship with Christ, it means that we must focus on that relationship, heart knowledge, rather than head knowledge. 00:23:55.319 --> 00:24:02.319 When you think of any relationship that we have, we certainly need to focus on matters of the heart, right? 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:04.319 Not necessarily the head knowledge. 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:17.319 And I know a lot of us like to use our minds for logic and reason, but in matters of relationship, how we love in any relationship. 00:24:17.319 --> 00:24:23.319 It's the difference between knowing of someone and actually knowing someone. 00:24:23.319 --> 00:24:31.319 Many of us, we may know of Jesus, but do we know Jesus? 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:39.319 It's just like I can say, hey, I know of Tom Cruise, many of us know of Tom Cruise, or a famous actor, right? 00:24:39.319 --> 00:24:47.319 We read the paper about famous politicians or CEOs or actors and actresses, but do you actually know them though? 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:49.319 See how you think about that? 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:57.319 It's very similar to the difference between, I know of this Jesus guy, he seems like a cool guy, he seems like a great teacher or whatever, 00:24:57.319 --> 00:25:09.319 but to know the Lord and to have a relationship with him is more focused on matters of the heart rather than the things having that head knowledge of him. 00:25:09.319 --> 00:25:13.319 It's a much deeper and much more intimate relationship with him. 00:25:13.319 --> 00:25:23.319 And of course, with Jesus Christ coming into the world, Jesus would change the way things were done from the Levitical priesthood system, 00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:30.319 or the old covenant to the new covenant, where Christ died for our sins once and for all. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:46.319 Do you realize that with Christ dying, being buried and rising on the third day, that was a change from the Levitical system where you had to atone for your sins every year. 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:52.319 It was once, one and done, just like how Christ said, it is finished. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:26:01.319 No longer following the Levitical system, the old way of doing things, but providing a new way, a better way, God's way. 00:26:01.319 --> 00:26:10.319 And I don't know about you, I would much rather trust in God's way than some old way of doing things. 00:26:10.319 --> 00:26:16.319 So that's just a great reminder for us and all we need to do in order to be saved is to believe in Jesus Christ. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:26.319 And as we have read these passages in Malachi, there is preparation not just for John the Baptist, but also for Jesus Christ, right? 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:38.319 In verse one, the coming of John the Baptist, but verse two, verse two through four, the coming of Jesus Christ as the refiner's fire and fuller's soap. 00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:43.319 And this leads us to our final scripture for today, which is found in the Gospel of Luke. 00:26:43.319 --> 00:26:47.319 Let's turn together. It's going to be Luke chapter one, verse 17. 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:55.319 And in this verse, we see that, look, there's prophecy about John the Baptist who's going to be preparing the way. 00:26:55.319 --> 00:27:05.319 It's fulfilled in the Gospel of Luke. John the Baptist is not the refiner. He's not the cleanser, but he is the one who is in the wilderness. 00:27:05.319 --> 00:27:10.319 Prepare the way of the Lord. Isaiah chapter 40, verse three. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:31.319 So we're turning to Luke chapter one, verse 17. That's going to be found in page 1016. 00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:48.319 Verse 17. And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make what? 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:53.319 To make ready for the Lord a people what? 00:27:53.319 --> 00:28:02.319 Prepared, right? Prepare the way of the Lord. And as we read this, we can see that John the Baptist will go before Jesus Christ, right? 00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:08.319 He's making preparations as it were for the coming of the Messiah. 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:14.319 It's in the same spirit and the same power as the same power of Elijah. 00:28:14.319 --> 00:28:22.319 And it means that the same authority that Elijah had, John the Baptist will have that authority. 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:32.319 John the Baptist is a critical person in scripture, and I'm sure you can imagine the revival that was happening in that time. 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:45.319 And some of us know that the prophet Elijah was very important, a well-known prophet. His commitment was to God and calling Israel to have authentic worship. 00:28:45.319 --> 00:28:55.319 So this reference, it speaks of revival and it also speaks of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. 00:28:55.319 --> 00:29:03.319 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, it speaks of restoration within the family unit. 00:29:03.319 --> 00:29:09.319 And that can be even extended to the community. And this is wonderful inspiration. 00:29:09.319 --> 00:29:18.319 This is a wonderful call for us to pray for restoration in the family unit, restoration within the community as well. 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:23.319 We should always pray for those who have fallen away or those who do not know the Lord. 00:29:23.319 --> 00:29:29.319 For those of you who have been to the Bible study, we talked about the fool and the simple one. 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:36.319 Well, it's our prayer that those who have rejected God, that their hearts will be softened to come to know the Lord. 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:46.319 And the simple ones, the naive ones who don't know the Lord, we pray that they come to have saving knowledge of the Lord. 00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:56.319 We pray for those to make their life right with God. And I speak of repentance. I speak of reconciliation coming to know the Lord. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:04.319 When we think of our community, when we think of the city of Ontario and the surrounding communities, we should pray for revival. 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:11.319 We should pray that our community and our leaders can seek God and have wisdom from God. 00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:22.319 John was preparing for the arrival of Jesus. His ministry was one of preparing people to acknowledge and to receive Jesus Christ. 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:31.319 We can think of John's ministry much like today, that we should prepare and receive Jesus Christ in our lives by believing in him. 00:30:31.319 --> 00:30:36.319 Let us think as we're going to have Thanksgiving coming up so soon. 00:30:36.319 --> 00:30:45.319 The things that we are grateful for and ask yourself the question, how will you prepare for Jesus Christ? 00:30:45.319 --> 00:30:54.319 How will you be grateful for the life that you have been given? How can you exhibit thankfulness and gratitude? 00:30:54.319 --> 00:31:03.319 Let us think of how we can prepare not just for the meal, but for the season. Prepare to be ready for Jesus Christ in our lives. 00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:12.319 And maybe this is a call for you to believe in Jesus Christ. Maybe this is a call for you to seek healing and restoration. 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:19.319 Maybe your heart needs to turn to your spouse or your children as we were reading. 00:31:19.319 --> 00:31:31.319 Maybe this is a call for you to seek wisdom from God and to turn to God and allow for God to cleanse, to work, to refine your life. 00:31:31.319 --> 00:31:40.319 It all begins by believing in him. And maybe this is a call for you to have that sense of readiness. 00:31:40.319 --> 00:31:52.319 Call for you to repent even. Focus first on believing in Christ and then allow for God to work in and through you. 00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:58.319 We do this by asking the Lord into our lives and to continue to work in our lives. 00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:08.319 We can also allow for God to work in our lives by praying, opening the word, and exhibiting love to others. 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:14.319 And as we close our sermon for today, I want you to ask yourself this question. 00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:22.319 How can we prepare our hearts for Christ's love and presence in our life? That was the opening question. 00:32:22.319 --> 00:32:27.319 And that is also the closing question. And I want you to think about that today. 00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:37.319 I want you to think of preparation. How can we prepare for Jesus Christ coming in our life? 00:32:37.319 --> 00:32:41.319 Let's pray together. Will you pray with me? 00:32:41.319 --> 00:32:46.319 And Father, we thank you for bringing us here today. 00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:59.319 We learned about preparation, about how you love us so much and that you sent your son as the atoning sacrifice, the sacrificial lamb, the one who forgives us for our sins. 00:32:59.319 --> 00:33:06.319 We pray for those who do not know you, that they may come to have a relationship with you. 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:16.319 We pray for those who need cleansing and refining. We ask that you are with them as they are growing in their faith. 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:22.319 You are always there with us, Lord. You never leave us. You never abandon us. 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:28.319 We pray for this season of thanksgiving right before the season of Advent. 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:40.319 As we approach thanksgiving, may we be grateful and prepare our lives as we are focusing on your son, Jesus the Christ. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:50.319 We ask that you are with us as we go from this place to love you and to live our lives like you. 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:57.319 It is in Jesus' holy name that we pray. We all say together, Amen. 00:33:57.319 --> 00:34:01.319 Thank you for tuning in to the Ontario Community Church sermon podcast. 00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:09.319 For more about our church and how you can get involved or support our mission, please visit ontariocommunitychurch.org. 00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:29.320 May God's blessings be with you.