Please turn in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 3, the last book of the Old Testament.
We're finishing off Malachi today.
The plan is to begin a series in Acts next Sunday, God willing.
If you want to do some prep for that, maybe read Luke's Gospel and read Acts in preparation for that.
Malachi chapter 3 verse 13, to the end of the book.
Let me tell you some things that I've learnt recently.
I've learnt you can waste a lot of time in traffic on the Xbridge Road, can't you?
I've learnt that trying to get the E1 bus to go faster is a waste of time.
I've learnt that expecting to pass exams without doing any revision is a waste of time.
I've learnt that hoping your park run time will improve without doing any training or any runs in between is a waste of time.
We waste our time, don't we, on lots of things.
We waste our time in loads of things.
I might say to somebody, what a waste of time.
What about serving God?
What about living for God?
Is that a waste of time?
Look at Malachi chapter 3 verse 13.
It's the final kind of dispute argument of the book.
And the pattern we've seen repeated over the last few weeks.
Israel question or challenge God and God responds.
And you see it for one last time in chapter 3 verse 13.
Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord.
But you say, how have we spoken against you?
You have said it is vain to serve God.
It's a waste of time to serve God.
What is the profit of keeping his charge or walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
And now we call the arrogant, blessed, evil doers not only prosper,
but they put God to the test and they escape.
And God rebukes Israel, the people of God, for the harsh things they've said.
They plead innocence before God, but God replies by outlining and showing them their sin.
And on this occasion, the allegation is that serving God is a waste of time.
It's futile.
And those who do wrong things, those who live for themselves and for pleasure,
they seem to get away with it.
And so they say, what's the point?
It's similar to chapter 2 verse 17, isn't it?
Where God says, you've wearied me with your words.
I'm fed up of you.
But you say, how have we wearied you?
By saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and delights in them,
or by asking, where is the God of justice?
It's easy to see this, isn't it, from God's perspective, how offensive it is.
But we need to get inside the head of the people of God at that time.
Why did they feel that way?
They may have seen the world in the same way we see the world.
They saw evil people doing great harm to others and yet seemingly getting away with it.
And they may well have experienced what we often experience as the people of God.
They were doing the things that God had asked them to do,
but it didn't feel like it was a blessed way of life.
It didn't feel like it was all it was cracked up to be.
In fact, it felt hollow.
It felt that God was far away.
When it all boils down to it, it seems as if they felt there was no punishment for doing evil
and no reward for doing good.
So what's the point?
They thought that there was no distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous.
And I don't know about you, but those sentiments are not always that far from my mind.
It's probably not the sort of thing that I say to my Christian friends.
And we wouldn't readily admit it, but I suspect many of us here have, at one time or another,
have thought this, or perhaps we've even said it to God.
It can sometimes feel like there's no distinction between the righteous and the wicked.
It can sometimes feel there's no punishment for evil, no reward for doing good.
It can sometimes feel like serving God is a waste of time.
And we can feel that the Christian life is not all that it's cracked up to be.
We can look, can't we?
And maybe you children and young people do this.
You look at your friends who are from non-Christian families,
and you think, well, they're having more fun than I am.
And God has us working hard and living through maybe difficult things,
and sometimes we feel there's not a lot of reward to go with the sacrifice.
And certainly that's how it felt for Israel.
But not quite all of Israel.
Can you look at verse 16?
It's a beautiful verse.
Those who feared the Lord.
They spoke with one another.
And what did the Lord do?
The Lord paid attention and heard them.
And a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
There's a group of people who refused to believe that serving God was futile.
Here are those who maintained that actually serving God is not a waste of time.
And as such, they shine like a beacon in the darkness of Israel's doubt.
Chapter 3, verse 16 really is a standout verse in the book of Malachi.
Malachi.
These people serve God, and so therefore they fear God.
That is, they want to honour his name.
It isn't a fear like you might, a fear of the dark,
or a fear of things that go bump in the night.
It's the fear of knowing the all-powerful God,
and how great and how majestic he is.
How awesome he is.
And these people have appreciated God for who he is and what he does.
And how he deserves to be treated.
And Malachi tells us that God commits himself
to remembering those people favourably.
He writes their name on a scroll.
It's a bit of a hint to us about what God is about to say,
but at this point they stand, don't they, as a quiet minority.
They resist the majority view in Israel.
And they force us to ask at this point, well who is right?
Is serving God a waste of time?
There are some that say yes.
There are many that say no.
Is there really a distinction between the righteous and the wicked?
Some say yes.
Others say no.
And verses 13 to 16, they raise those questions.
And we're going to try and answer that question this morning.
And the short answer is, there's point number one, there is a distinction.
There is a distinction.
Verse 17 sees God responding to the faithful group of verse 16.
And this is what he says.
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another,
and the Lord paid attention and heard them.
And a book of remembrance was written before him,
of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts.
In the day when I take up my treasured possession, my jewels,
and I will spare them, these people who fear me,
I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
And God is saying that their future will be shaped by compassion.
They will be part of God's treasured possession.
If you remember back to the start of the book, chapter 1, verse 6 of Malachi,
God's complaint against Israel was that they weren't treating him as a father or a master.
But here we find people who are treating God properly.
And they serve him as their master, and they are his sons.
And so God says they will be spared.
The implication, of course, is that some won't be spared.
Because there's a day of wrath coming.
And on that day there will be those who are spared and those who are not spared.
And that is the great distinction, the dividing line.
Look at verse 18 with me.
Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked,
between one who serves God and one who does not.
And chapter 4 flushes that distinction out.
Chapter 4, verse 1,
For behold, behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven,
when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be like stubble.
That's the future we all have to face.
Those that arrogantly stand against God, instead of honouring him, will suffer punishment.
God's fire will burn and leave them as stubble.
The evildoers will receive justice.
You can see, can't you, how directly this answers the complaints of chapter 2, verse 17,
and chapter 3, verse 15.
Where is the God of justice?
Well, all who do evil,
all who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, it seems.
And certainly the evil do us prosper.
And the answer is no, no.
They will be like stubble, says the Lord Almighty.
The fire of God's anger will burn against them and they will be ruined.
But the future that the righteous face is different, isn't it?
Look at verse 2.
But for you who fear my name,
the sun of righteousness will rise
with healing in its wings
and you will go out leaping like calves from the stall.
Leaping like calves from the stall.
It's bizarre imagery, isn't it?
God wants you to imagine this morning
a sun with wings
and jumping baby cows.
They are very stark pictures, aren't they?
But the meaning is clear.
Instead of the fire of God's anger
that the wicked will face,
the righteous will face
the brilliance and the warmth
of God's righteousness.
Rising like the sun.
And that sun will bring healing and peace
instead of anger and disaster.
God will make his people
whole
and their righteousness will be met
with a far greater righteousness
of God himself.
and they will be
exhilarated.
There will be joy
and there will be freedom.
They will run
and jump around the fields
like baby cows.
Try to think
of a similar metaphor.
I've tried to think of
an illustration that goes along that.
Who runs around
and jumps around like baby cows?
And the description
reminds me
of the kind of
inhibited celebration
of footballers
after they score.
Last week,
Toto Scalacci.
Do you remember him?
Salvatore Scalacci
in the Italian 90
when he scored?
And there's these amazing images
of wide, wide eyes
of him running
to an adoring crowd.
You know what it's like,
isn't it,
when footballers score?
Grown men running around
like school kids.
Some of them
pulling their shirt
over their heads,
screaming at the camera,
kissing the corner post,
diving on the ground
over each other.
It's this kind of
uninhibited celebration
that's being described here.
Or think of the runner,
the sprinter
in the Olympics
who crosses the line first.
What does he do?
Does he stop
and just shake hands
with everyone?
No, he doesn't, does he?
He skips around.
He celebrates.
He dances.
And it's saying here
that the righteous
servants of God
will be like a calf
that's been held back
and hemmed in by its stall
and suddenly it's released
to frolic in the field.
It's like a footballer
scoring a goal
in the last minute.
It's like a 100 metre runner
winning the Olympics.
Irrepressible joy.
Wild celebrations.
And the order of things
will be reversed.
Because in this life
the wicked
often trample
the righteous
under their feet.
But God says
when his day arrives
it will be different.
Justice will be
the vindication
of the righteous
and the humiliation
of the wicked.
There is a day
coming when the tables
will turn.
That's what verse 3 says
isn't it?
Verse 3
you shall tread
down the wicked
for they will be ashes
under the soles
of your feet
and on that day
I will act
says the Lord of hers.
Can you again see
the foolish claims
of verse 14 and 15
of God's people
saying it's a waste of time
are being answered.
God says no
there is a day coming
when the reward of God
for the righteous
will far outweigh
all the sacrifice
and there is a day coming
when the horror
of God's anger
will cause the wicked
to deeply regret
every day
of their so-called fun.
When they lived
with no regard for God.
But point number two
when?
When will this happen?
When will this distinction
take place?
Well according to
chapter 3 verse 17
we will see it
on the day when God
takes up his
treasured possession.
Chapter 4 verse 1
refers to the same day
and simply says
it's coming.
And chapter 4
verses 5 and 6
tell us what will
happen before that day.
Verse 5
Behold
I will send you
Elijah the prophet
before the great
and awesome
day of the Lord
comes
and he will turn
the hearts of the
fathers to their
children
the hearts of
children to their
fathers
lest I come
and strike the land
with a decree
of utter destruction.
He tells you and I
that Elijah will come
before the day of the
Lord.
What does that mean?
Well it's really the
same pattern as
chapter 3 verse 1
there we learn that
the Lord
would come to bring
justice but his
messenger would prepare
the way first.
It's the same thing
here.
We read Matthew
chapter 11
a couple of weeks
ago that tells us
that the messenger
this Elijah figure is
none other than John
the Baptist.
Let me read to you
from Matthew
chapter 11
Jesus says this
Behold I send my
messenger before your
face who will prepare
the way before you
He's talking about
John the Baptist
Truly I say to you
among those born of
woman there is arisen
no one greater than
John the Baptist
yet the one who's
least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater
than he.
From the days of
John the Baptist
until now the kingdom
of heaven has
suffered violence
and the violent
take it by force.
For all the prophets
and the law
prophesied it
until John
and if you're
willing to accept
it he is
Elijah
who is to come.
So John the
Baptist is the
Elijah figure
that Malachi is
talking about.
Jesus is really
clear about that.
Elijah in many
ways was the most
famous of all the
Old Testament
prophets and this
is simply Malachi's
way of pointing to
John the Baptist
as the last
great prophet
to come before
Jesus.
He'll be the
last prophet
before Jesus
himself comes
before the
Lord arrives.
This final
section of Malachi
right at the end
of the Old
Testament is
pointing us
forward to
Jesus Christ.
He's saying
it's with Jesus
that this day
comes.
And when Jesus
comes he will
tell us more
about when that
day will be.
And so you
go to Matthew's
Gospel and
Jesus tells
parables doesn't
he about the
kingdom of
heaven.
You might be
familiar with
this parable
where Jesus
says the
kingdom of
heaven it's
like a net.
A net that's
let down into
a lake and it
catches all kind
of fish.
And when it
was full the
fishermen pulled
it up on the
shore and then
they sat down
and they collected
the good fish in
baskets and they
threw the bad
away.
Jesus says
that's how it
will be at
the end of
the age.
The angels
will come and
they will
separate the
wicked from
the righteous
and they will
throw them
into a blazing
furnace and
they will be
weeping and
gnashing of
teeth.
Jesus uses
the same
language as
Malachi uses.
He speaks of
the separation,
the distinction
between the
righteous and
the wicked.
And he tells
us when it
will be.
He says it
will be at
the end of
the age.
The justice
that Jesus
brings will
ultimately come
when he comes
that second
time to
judge the
world.
It began
when he came
to earth the
first time but
the promises of
Malachi 3 and
4 will
ultimately be
fulfilled when
he returns.
And of course
the critical
question is not
actually when but
point number
three.
The question
is how?
how is this
distinction going
to be made?
How will this
distinction be
made between the
righteous and
the wicked?
We know if
we're honest with
ourselves, isn't
everyone wicked to
some degree?
if you're willing
to be honest
this morning, you
will be willing
to admit that
you fall short
of God's
perfection.
And so who
can be
righteous?
Well in
Malachi's day
the righteous
were described
as those who
honour God's
name.
Listen again to
how Malachi puts
it in chapter 16
the second half.
Then those who
feared the Lord
spoke with one
another and the
Lord paid
attention and
heard them and
a book of
remembrance was
written before
him of those
who feared the
Lord and
honoured his
name.
Chapter 4
verse 2
But for you
who fear my
name the
son of
righteousness
shall rise
with healing
in its wings.
The New
Testament and
the coming of
the Lord Jesus
we are told
more about
what it means
to honour
the Lord.
In that
passage that
Reuben read
for us earlier
from 2
Thessalonians
chapter 1
we read about
the day when
Jesus will
return in
blazing fire
just as
Malachi prophesied.
The day when
God's justice
will be handed
out.
Just as
Malachi said on
that day it
will be handed
out.
And the
apostle Paul
says that
the wicked
will be punished
with everlasting
destruction.
But the
crucial verses
verse 8
of 2
Thessalonians
chapter 1
let me read
it to you.
Chapter 8
of 2
Thessalonians
1
Paul wrote
this
he will
that is the
Lord Jesus
in flaming
fire
inflict vengeance
on those who
do not know
God
and on those
who do not
obey the
gospel
of our
Lord Jesus.
What that
helps you and I
understand is
what does it
mean to honour
God's name
it means to
obey the
gospel of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
The great
distinction on
that final day
will be how
each one of us
has responded
to the good
news of our
Lord Jesus
Christ.
That's the
critical issue
because only
Jesus has
opened up a
way for the
wicked
to become
righteous.
For sinners
like you and
I to be
made right
with God.
Only Jesus
has felt the
full force
of God's
terrifying
wrath
in order
that you
and I
might not
have to
if we
will trust
in Jesus.
Only Jesus
has made
that breathtaking
sacrifice
which is
actually about
others
receiving God's
reward.
That is the
gospel.
That Jesus
was made
sin for
us so
that in
him we
might be
made the
righteousness
of God.
And it
is that
gospel that
the Bible
and the
Apostle Paul
calls you
to obey.
The gospel
that teaches
you and I
that Jesus
is both
saviour
and Lord
and to
obey that
gospel is
not kind of
really try
harder.
It's not
to think
I've got
to do
my best.
It is
to take
refuge in
him as
your only
hope and
obey him
as Lord.
Which means
of course
there's another
question isn't
there to be
asked and
it's in
lots of
ways the
most crucial
question of
all.
More
important than
even what
basis will
the distinction
be made.
but this
question.
Which will
you be
on that
day?
Will you
be one
of the
wicked
or will
you be
one of
the
righteous?
Will you
be one
of those
who have
lived
without the
Lord Jesus
Christ
arrogantly
thinking you
don't need
him?
Or will
you be
someone who
has obeyed
the gospel
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ?
That call
to repent
and to
trust in
him?
Will you
be punished
with everlasting
destruction?
Or will
you be
spared from
it?
Because the
blood of
Jesus Christ
saves you.
Malachi would
put it like
this if he was
preaching.
He would
say will
you be
stubble
or will
you be
one of
the
leaping
calves?
And the
Bible's
message is
crystal clear.
There's
nothing more
important for
you to
understand
that you
will be
one or
the other.
We all
this morning
are one
or the
other.
In fact
you're one
or the
other right
now.
But the
great news
is not
just what
we are
today that
counts.
There is
still time.
There is
still time
for you
this morning
if you
have been
ignoring
Jesus as
your saviour
and as
your Lord.
There's
time for
you to
change
course.
There's
still
opportunity
for those
who are
heading for
stubble
to obey
the gospel
of the
Lord Jesus
and join
with those
who look
forward to
that
uninhibited
and exuberant
calf-like
freedom.
there's
still time
because it
is that
day that
ultimately
counts.
And what
makes it
so urgent
is that
we don't
know when
that day
will be.
It could
be tomorrow.
And so
first and
foremost
before anything
else today
we need to
be clear
how have we
responded to
the gospel
of the
Lord Jesus.
And if
you're not
clear how
you've
responded this
morning
make it a
matter of
urgency to
get clear.
I take it
if we have
understood this
morning that
we are the
calves then
we will do
whatever we
can won't we
for others
so that their
future would be
secure too.
We would
seek to
lovingly
persuade
others to
obey the
gospel of
our Lord
Jesus Christ.
You would
want to say
to others
come and
hear the
gospel of
the Lord
Jesus.
The Bible
paints a
very stark
picture of
the future.
It's one
that's very
unpopular
isn't it?
In our age
but it's
always been
unpopular.
But the
Bible cuts
through our
cultures and
through Satan's
lies with a
clear word
about the
future.
And how
central Jesus
is.
The Bible
uses words
like hell
even if
they're very
very unpopular
today.
But what is
more even
those of us
who believe
it often
live day
to day
like that
reality is
worlds away.
being
and it is
that
which means
that we
sometimes
fall into
the trap
of being
living
thinking
like the
Israelites
did.
You see
if there
never was
going to be
a distinction
between the
righteous and
the wicked
then all of us
would agree
well it's
pointless
serving God.
Serving God
is a waste of
time.
But because
there is a
distinction
to be made
then serving
God makes
perfect sense.
And we may
not see that
distinction all
that clearly
now but we
have God's
clear promise.
And so we
trust that
promise and we
wait patiently
and we serve
God and we
serve God
knowing that
it's not a
waste of
time.
It's not a
waste of time
for you to
live as a
Christian today
even though
it's hard.
It's not a
waste of time
for you to
call unbelievers
to repent
even when they
seem totally
disinterested.
It's not a
waste of time
for you to
diligently and
persuasively lead
a Sunday
school class
and seek to
teach children
the Bible
or to do
the Bible
reading at
the language
class when
there seems
to be little
fruit.
It is not
futile
because the
day is
coming.
The day of
God's justice,
the day when
Jesus Christ,
the judge,
will issue
his verdict
and you
may be
stubble
or you
may be
like a
calf
released
from its
stall.
Either way,
how you
treat God
now
matters.
How you
respond to
Jesus
now
matters.
And so
we've come
to the
last two
words of
the Old
Testament.
After
these words
there was
400 years
of silence.
Can you
see the
two words?
They're
curious to
say the
least,
aren't
they?
God's
parting
shot
ends with
utter
destruction.
there's
a reminder
in verse
5,
verse 4
where God
reminds them
to obey
all the
laws
and Moses
and then
there's a
reminder that
this prophet
Elijah will
come before
the day
of the
Lord.
And
Malachi
says when
the day
comes,
people will
either repent
of their
sins
and renew
broken
relationships
or else
God will
come and
curse
them.
And very
cleverly,
what Malachi
has done
in these
last few
verses,
he's really
summarised
the whole
of God's
relationship
in the
Old
Testament
with his
people.
He's
reminded
them of
Moses and
the gift
of the
law.
He's
reminded
them of
Elijah and
all the
prophets.
And he's
reminding us
of the
chilling
reality of
sin.
And the
word really
at the
end of
Malachi,
if you've
got a
different
version,
is the
word
curse.
And what
Malachi is
doing is
he's taking
us right
back to
the beginning
of the
Bible,
to Adam
and Eve
and to
their sin
and the
curse of
God upon
humanity
because of
their
rebellion.
And that
curse has
hung over
God's
people ever
since that
time.
They've
not been
able to
shake
it.
And here
at the
end of
the
Old
Testament,
things
haven't
changed.
They're
still under
God's
curse.
Israel are
still full
of sin
and the
threat of
God's
curse still
hangs over
them.
And it
hangs over
them for
400 years,
from the
end of
Malachi to
John the
Baptist.
But of
course,
the last
word of
the Old
Testament
is not
the last
word,
is it?
when
Jesus
stood on
that
mountain
of
transfiguration,
there were
two
people,
figures from
the Old
Testament,
that came
to talk
with him,
one Moses
and one
Elijah.
And it
was the
sign that
was saying
Jesus is
the one
that Moses
and Elijah
were looking
forward to.
And here
is the
one who
can remove
the curse
from over
Israel's
head.
And so
the last
word of
the Bible
is actually
Revelation 22.
Will you turn
there with
me?
Please turn
there,
Revelation 22.
And the
last word
of the
Bible
is that
there will
be justice.
Heaven
is a
wonderful
reality,
but not
everyone will
be there.
Look with
me at
chapter 22
in verse
14.
Blessed are
those who
wash their
robes,
it's picture
language,
so that
they may
have the
right to
the tree
of life.
Remember
that from
Genesis 1
and 2?
And that
they may
enter the
city by
the gates.
Outside
are the
dogs and
idolaters and
everyone who
loves and
practices
falsehood.
That's the
great distinction.
Those who
have obeyed
the gospel
will be in
and those
who have
rejected or
ignored Jesus
will be out.
And for
those that
are there,
it's because
they will have
obeyed the
gospel of
Jesus Christ.
This is what
it will be
like.
Chapter 22
verse 1,
then the
angel showed
me the
river of
the water
of life,
clear as
crystal,
flowing from
the throne
of God
and of the
Lamb.
And in the
middle of the
street,
the city,
also on either
side of the
river,
the tree of
life,
with its
twelve
kind of
fruits,
yielding its
fruit each
month,
and the
leaves of
the tree
were for
the healing
of the
nations.
Listen to
the echoes
of Malachi
there,
the healing
of the
nations.
Because at
the end of
Revelation 22
there will be
no more
curse.
And for
those of
us who
have been
spared,
that is
our future.
And that
is God's
famous last
word,
no curse.
It's
brilliant.
It'll be
so brilliant
that all
our
obedience
and all
our
labour
will be
utterly,
utterly
worth it.
It will
be so
brilliant
that it
ought to
transform
our
priorities
for this
week.
And from
now on
until the
day we
die or
Jesus
comes
again.
It'll
be so
brilliant
that there
will be
people
just like
us who
will be
so filled
with
excitement
and
delight
and
overwhelming
happiness
that they
will be
like
calves
frolicking
in a
field,
footballers
scoring a
goal,
athletes
doing laps
of victory.
Malachi
says,
surely the
day is
coming,
it will
burn like
a furnace
and all
the
arrogant
and every
evil
doer
will be
stubble
and that
day is
coming and
it will
set them
on fire.
Not a
root or
a branch
will be
left of
them but
for you
who revere
my name
the sun
of
righteousness
will rise
with healing
in its
wings and
you will
go out
and leap
like calves
released from
the stall.
Let's pray.
Amen.