0:00 Let's turn our Bibles to the book of to the book of Malachi chapter three. We are almost at the end of the book of Malachi. Malachi chapter three beginning in 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.
0:35 What is the profit of our keeping his char or of walking as in mourning before the lord of hosts. And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper, but they put god to the test, and they escape. From the beginning of this book, we saw the arrogant attitude of Israel towards God, their complaints, their murmuring, the lack of appreciation, and and their lack of gratitude for all what he has done, cushioning God's love and and care for them and and living independent from God, being unfaithful and and proud, and and they are happy in their pride and their unbelief. In verse 13, we see, as we read, the seven the seventh question Israel asked God in this book.
1:45 Beginning with the first question, if you remember, in chapter one verses two verse two, when God told him, I have loved you, and the response was, how have you loved us? And here we have the seventh question. How have we spoken against you? These are not questions of someone sincere. Someone wants really to know.
2:19 These are clearly questions that display a heart problem, Doubt and belief, noncontinent, their words are very hurtful. God says, your words have been hard against me. You so I hope you will never live with someone who is always hurtful in his words, always uses harsh words, always complaining, always murmuring, never happy, never thankful. It's difficult to live with such a person. You long to hear the words, I love you.
3:09 I appreciate you. You worked so hard today. Thank you so much. I could not do it without you. You you long to hear these words.
3:21 Maybe a child of yours. You would love to hear from them saying, mom, dad, thank you for your sacrificial love, for your sleepless nights, for giving and giving and giving. Thank you for not abandoning me when I abandoned you. Thank you for not ceasing to pray for me. You hardly hear any of that.
3:51 All of us need words of affirmation, words of encouragement, want to be appreciated and acknowledged for the good things we do, and we need to do the same to others also who do good things to us. Now this new testament says a lot about that. Just let me mention one scripture, first Thessalonians five eleven. Look what Paul says there. He says, therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing, And we urge you brothers, admonish the idol, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
4:48 Now are we following these godly instructions? Now god, our creator, in whose image we we are created once and desire us to be men and women who do these acts of love and service. And always it begins at home. It begins at home with those who are closest to us. It's strange that those closest to us, we hurt often the most, isn't it?
5:32 We are the least gentle and compassionate with. We are the least patient with. It's really hard to believe sometime that our gratitude to God, our praise, our worship is genuine. When at home, words of encouragement, edification, and love are almost nonexistent. And I don't think it's personality issue.
6:05 I think it's a hard problem. I think it's a hard problem. But in our text today, we see the harsh words that we are that that that they were spoken were spoken not against each other. I'm sure that was probably plenty of that, but it was against God Against God. And I have no doubt, as I said, they didn't spare each other probably any of these harsh words.
6:32 Now God's heart is broken. He is hurt by their harsh and unkind words. God longed to hear from them. He longs to hear from us words that express our gratitude to him, words that show our love and honor towards him for all the good things he has abundantly showered us with, words that express our faith and and our devotion. And if we know God as our father and he's a good father, even though we may not understand his ways, we can always be sure that he desires always our best.
7:25 And faith teaches us to submit to his will. Faith teaches us not to complain against him and against his will and against his ways and against his plan that may seem not right sometime in our own eyes because of our lack of understanding, our maybe lack of maturity. It's unbelief. It's unbelief when it raises its ugly head, causes us not to see God's goodness, cause us to to to to doubt God's love and not to submit to his goodwill toward us. It's unbelief that cause us to become dry in our devotion, become less thankful toward our God and toward our closest friends, our spouses, our family, our friends.
8:41 It becomes easier to show gratitude to those who are distant than those who are closest to us, our friends. It becomes easier to be gentle with those who we know very little than our own spouses, our parents, our children. Do you see this in your life sometime? That you are more gentle with those who are distant than those who are very close to you? That your family, you are nicer, you are gentler, you use nicer words, you're not as harsh.
9:24 How can this be? How can this be? I know. I know. But look at the nation of Israel.
9:35 Look at the nation of Israel. After experiencing the wonderful work of God in Egypt and in the wilderness with great signs and wonders that no nation has ever seen. Just like, I don't know, three days later. About three days later. After they have witnessed with their own eyes the Red Sea divided into two.
10:05 They walked on dry land with their own eyes have seen the God's pillars of cloud and of fire. They've seen the bodies of the armies of their enemies there on the beach. They began to complain and murmur against Moses. Why? Because of little thirst.
10:29 Because with the thirst. Now listen. Is the one who divided the waters of the Red Sea before their eyes able to provide water for the thirsty? That's the question. According to them, no.
10:46 We don't believe it. We don't believe it. We have seen our eyes, yet we still don't believe. We don't trust that God will do that. And you see the same thing happening during the ministry of our lord Jesus.
10:59 They have seen hundreds, maybe thousands of miracles, yet they continue to ask for more. Show us some more to believe. We need some more. We need some more. Paul tells us in first Corinthians one twenty two, Jews want miracles for proof.
11:23 And many, many, many others today tell me, show me a miracle for a proof. Yes. Yet Jesus says in the story of the rich man and Lazarus, he says, if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. They have seen with their own eyes miracles as no other nation have seen has seen, yet they continued in unbelief, in doubt. A little bit later, because of lack of meat, not having onion and garlic and parsley and cucumber, they began to complain against Moses.
12:15 Again, when the 12 when the when the 12 spies came from spying the the the land of Canaan, 10 of them gave them bad news because they didn't really believe god. What happened? Again, they began to complain. Why? Because they had no faith.
12:36 They didn't believe what God has said. They didn't believe the promises of God that were true. They had a heart problem. The whole nation, the Bible tells us, murmured against Moses. We see this again and again and again and again, refusing to believe God's words, God's promises, even though having seen firsthand sign and wonders.
13:09 Their callous hearts became more hardened and more stubborn. Now hear the judgment of god on this complaining nation in the book of number chapter 14 verse 11. This is what god says. And the Lord said to Moses, how long will these people despise me, And how long will they not believe in me in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? Verse 11.
13:53 Now what is the root cause of their actions? God says, how long will they not believe in me? Unbelief. Unbelief. Look at verse 12, what god says.
14:10 He says, I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make you make of you a nation greater and mightier than they. And again in verse 26, God says, and the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying, how long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me, say to them, and hear the word, say to them, as I live, declares the Lord, what you have said in my hearing, I will do to you. Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. What did they say in God's hearing?
15:15 What did they say in God's hearing? Look at verse two. Look at verse two of the same chapter. Look what it said. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
15:31 The whole congregation said to them, would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would that we have died in this wilderness? And verse four, they said, and they said to one another, let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt. They wished they have died in the wilderness. That was their wish. But since they did not die in the wilderness, now they wanted to choose a leader other than Moses to take them back where?
16:14 To Egypt. Back to the life of slavery. And what to do with Moses, your leader? And what do I do with Aaron, his brother? Verse 10 tells us what to do.
16:37 Then all the congregation said to stone them with the stones. Let us kill them. This is the appreciation you do to the great man of god, Moses. Kill him? Choose another leader?
17:03 Enough is enough. God's patience has expired. You know, god's patience does expire. His patience expired. I'm giving you your wish.
17:22 What about that? I'm giving you your wish, not your wish to choose another leader. Oh, no. No. No.
17:30 No. This I will not do, but your wish to have died in the wilderness. This I will do. Your bodies, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. It happened.
17:51 It happened. Murmuring, complaining. Never happy. Never thankful. None of that.
18:04 That you may you may have noticed that they were directing their grumbling against who. Again and again, we see they were grumbling against Moses against Moses, but god says it is against me they are grumbling. It is me god says they are despising because Moses was doing god's work. He was god's man. He was god's leader.
18:50 God says, it's me they are murmuring against, complaining against. It's me this nation is despising. So must be really careful, brother and sisters, to honor god, but also to honor his appointed servants. And even to honor everyone who deserves honor. I think the New Testament make it clear that we need to honor all those who deserve honor.
19:19 And as God image bearers, we are to give and to receive from each other what is necessary for our encouragement and building each other in our faith. Now I know for some, this comes automatically. They are encouragers. They are so loving and so sweet. It just comes naturally.
19:47 For others, it's a bit more difficult. It doesn't come naturally to be encourager. But regardless of each other's personality, all of us must learn from our lord Jesus Christ and walk in his steps to be gentle, to be loving and kind, merciful, and patient with everyone. God says, but you say, how have we spoken against you? Now is this a sincere question?
20:29 They don't really know? I I I really doubt that. In fact, I don't think this is a question at all. I I don't put this in the category for questions. This is not a question.
20:42 This is a denial that they have done anything wrong, not acknowledging their own sin, and this is really bad. Have how have we spoken against you? Now it's expected from all of us as we creatures to make mistakes at times, to be wrong, both in dealing with each other and even against God, in our relationship with God. And the solution is never to make excuses, never to deny wrongdoing, but with humility, confess, acknowledge our mistakes, and and and repent toward God. They say, how have we spoken against you?
21:39 Now God answers their lame question. He answers it. He he did not have to do that. He could have said, go figure it out. It's easiest remembered.
21:50 Think about your word. Think about your action. You can see. But he explains to them their latest sin, and he tells them in verse 14, you have said, it is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
22:19 Now this is quite common among people, even among Christians. Now we might not say it loud, but we might be repeating it in our own hearts. Is it worth it to serve God? Is it really worth it to pray? Is it worth it to give or to attend church?
22:46 Does God really answer prayers? Now there are many voices around us from within and from without. Doubts about our faith. Questions about God cross our minds when we don't see things happening. Prayers are not answers answered.
23:07 Promises are not fulfilled. We let Satan, who is the author of confusion and doubt. We let him in our own thoughts. He need just a little hole. He just little it needs a little crack in the wall of our defense, which is our faith.
23:25 That's all what he needs to get his ideas in our mind, and it's under the disguise of maybe reasoning, logic, science, or whatever. And we could become not much different than the Israelites in their unbelief and stubborn hearts. But that's not all. God continues in verse verse 15, and he says to them, and now we call the arrogant blessed. They didn't stop there at their first comment with their first harsh word.
24:11 Is it worth it to serve god? Is it worth it? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper, but they put god to the test and they escape. What they are saying, I believe, is this.
24:34 They're saying the arrogant, the ungodly, the unrepentant, those who are not obedient to the truth of god are blessed. Look and see. The wicked and the unbelievers are wealthy. They are prosperous. It's going very well with them.
25:01 Look look and see. And not only the not only this, but as they continue turning their back to God, indulging in sin and their attacks against God, against his word, against his church, God is not punishing them. They continue to prosper even the more. Isn't that what we see? I mean, they have it better than us.
25:36 Why then should we serve God? Why should we then continue in this path of faith if the wicked seem to be having better than us? How does god response to this argument, to this rude complaint? I think the rest of the book of Malachi answers this very question. Wait and see.
26:16 Look at verse 16 where the answer begins. Then those who fear the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remember remembrance was written before him of those who fear the Lord and esteemed his name. Vin. Vin.
27:00 In response to their trash talk, yeah, the trash talk of the ungrateful and wicked Israelites, in response to that talk, the righteous, the believers, those who feared God, conversed the bible tells in verse 16, they conversed together. What did they say? Then those who fear the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them. What did they say?
27:42 We are not told. We're not told what he said, but god's response provide us with a clear answer. The lord paid attention and heard them. Is this not encouraging? That when the righteous talk, the lord what?
28:06 Peace, attention. The lord hears you. Now remember the thing, maybe you are praying, maybe you're asking God for something, and you're not saying you're not seeing your prayers answered, but remember that. Be sure of that 100% that God pays attention. God hears you.
28:32 He doesn't tell us here what did he convert, what did he say, but God heard it, and God paid full full attention to every word they spoke. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and their words and names were written in a book of remembrance before him, before the almighty god. Every word was written. Every name was written of those righteous ones in a book of remembrance before the almighty God. Now listen.
29:31 Listen. No word of defense of the gospel you have said will ever be forgotten by God. No witness to the truth you have ever witnessed will go ever unnoticed before God. Not just your works, but your words, your prayers. You've been praying.
30:01 God has noticed. God has paid attention. God has heard you. God remembers your prayer. God remembers your cries.
30:12 God has seen your tears. God has seen everything you are going through. He sees that. God remembers, and he will reward you. He will reward you for every abuse you received, every ridicule, every harsh word spoken against you because you stood up for god and for his truth.
30:47 God sees, and he will reward not a single stance of courage, not a single testimony, not a single thought thought of his name will be disregarded. And by the way, regardless of the result regardless of the result, don't worry about the results. You see, you may be disappointed that all what you are met with on regular basis is refusal of the truth you are preaching. Bless me of the god you love. You are stupid, they tell you.
31:43 You are crazy. You are not intelligent. You really believe in that? You really believe that old, old, old ancient book? You might have heard all of that.
32:00 Lot of insults. Rejection is what you have experienced day after day. Rejection of the salvation that is in Jesus Christ that you boldly declared, don't be discouraged. It is not the results of your conversation with a sinner. It's not the results that you're going to what that you're going to be rewarded for, but it is your faithfulness to uphold God's truth, your obedience to his commandments, even your thoughts, every thought of him.
32:50 Now all of us love to see positive results. Oh, we love to see people coming to faith through us, don't we? All of us desire that. But just remember, it is the results are his results. It it is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart that changes people.
33:16 Convert sinners. Transform lives. Not me and not you. We can change anyone. Listen.
33:29 We can change even ourselves. You know that? We can't. We can't change ourselves. How can we think we can change others?
33:37 It is the work of the holy spirit. And when you stop thinking about your results and trusting in the holy spirit, trusting in God that he will produce fruits in his own timing, then you can be at peace. You can just rest in Christ. God, I'm gonna do your work. God, I'm going to declare your gospel.
34:03 God, I'm going to speak your truth. God, I'm going to stand firm because I know it's true. I'm not going to worry about the results. If a person believes, let it be. If don't if they don't believe, let it be.
34:16 I trust in you. I trust that the Holy Spirit will do his work in the hearts he has prepared to work within. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him. Now I don't think this is a literal book. This book represents god's omniscience, god's full knowledge, god's perfect memory, god who never forgets anything we do for him.
35:07 Now as we talk about books, there are several references in scripture to to to to similar books such as the one mentioned in Revelation twenty twelve. Now I'm going to go into only this one single reference, Revelation twelve twenty verse 12, because, I love Revelation, especially chapter 20, and, I love this part. John says Revelation 20 verse 12, and I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books according to what they had done. There are books.
36:15 Many books were opened, and there is the book, the book of life. Many books. There's another unique book different than all the other books. It is what what's that? It is the book of life.
36:41 Now the books seem to contain the names and the deeds of those wicked unbelievers, even maybe the worst, the worst of the ungodly. And the Bible tell us there are many books. The wide road has many, many, many travelers. The narrow road has much smaller number, but yet the Bible tells us myriads and myriads and thousands and thousands whose names are written in that book, the book of life. Why their names were written in that book?
37:33 Why your name is written in that book, dear believer? It's not because of work they have done, not because of souls they have won. I've said earlier, we love to see people come to faith through our testimony as we converse with them and pray with them. But your name written in the book, not because of work you have done, how many people you have won to Christ, not because of temptations you have overcome, but because they believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and they were washed by his precious blood, and their right Christ righteousness was imputed to them. And now they stand righteous before god.
38:34 Their names are written in that book. Verse 17. This shall be mine, says the lord of hosts. May I have may I have the water there, please? Verse 17.
39:23 They shall be mine, says the lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured position, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more, you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves god and one who does not serves him. Now at this present age, the chaff is mixed with the wheat, the believers with the unbelievers, the sheep with the goats. And sometimes it's really difficult to differentiate between them. This person claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, But his words and deeds seem to tell another story.
40:35 This person's appear to be gentle, so sweet, doer of good, but his wife will tell you a different testimony. Now we may not be able always to differentiate between the chaff and the wheat who is a lamb and who is a goat, but god always does. He knows even the hearts and the thoughts of every man and woman. And he will make his judgment. His distinction will be clear to all at the coming day, and no one will be able to dispute his judgment.
41:28 He has the evidence. He has the book. He has the books. Now Matthew twenty five thirty one speaks of that coming a future day When the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
42:13 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the king will say to those on his right, come. You who are blessed by my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. How does he know him? How does he know them?
42:39 He ill he is the all knowing god. A book of remembrance is ever before him. He saw every work they have done. He heard every testimony. He heard every cry.
42:59 He heard every prayer. He read every thought of him. Those are, he tells us here, his treasured position. You are believer Christ's, God's treasured position. Those whom he loved so much and gave his life for, Those are the ones he saved and he will preserve to the end.
43:36 Those are the ones that no power on earth, nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things presence, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation can snatch him from his hands or separate them from god's love. Brother, sister, be encouraged that you are one of those. You are part of this company that he has died for, and he will preserve you to the end. And no power can snatch you from his loving hand. You are his treasure, that treasure he spoke about in Matthew 13.
44:36 You are that pearl of a great price. You are that pearl of a great price that he give all for you. Aren't you glad to be god's preferred position? Loved now, unloved forever, and with Christ, you will ever reign. And he says he will spare them.
45:15 He will spare them. Now in the flesh, they may suffer. Now in the flesh, you may suffer. You may be suffering. Many of us are suffering.
45:33 Reached the age of 40, 45. Just wait and see. Now you may suffer. Now you may go unnoticed by anyone. Your your work and sacrifices may go unacknowledged, unknown, unappreciated, even hated by many, even hated by your loved ones.
46:08 Yes. The ungodly may prosper very well. The ungodly may be in lack of nothing, living the American dream. But Proverbs twenty four nineteen tells us this. It tells us, fret not yourself because of evil doors, and be not envious of the wicked, for the evil man has no future.
46:42 The lamp of the wicked will be put out. They may prosper today. They may accumulate wealth more than you can imagine. They may hold into power and authority, fame and name recognition, but all all is for a moment. They may live to be 100 years old, but then what?
47:17 They will die like everyone else. All their earthly accomplishments will benefit them nothing in eternity. They may cry out there in Hades, father Abraham. Oh, they may have heard about Abraham, and they may call him father. Father Abraham, have mercy on us.
47:41 Have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said, child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things. You're wealthy, maybe even healthy. You prospered. You are doing very, very, very well.
48:11 Oh, your fame went beyond your borders. People acknowledged you. You were on the stage. You received in your lifetime your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things, but now he is in he is comforted here, and you are in anguish, and forever, you will be in anguish there. What a terrible ending.
48:40 What a terrible ending to a person who had everything on earth but not Jesus. Found all the pleasures the world can offer but rejected Jesus, the author of life. I love these songs, this song that says, take this world. Take this world and give me a Jesus. Take this world and give me Jesus.
49:11 Aren't you glad that you have a Jesus? Aren't you glad you have the author and the lord of life? Those who are his. Those who have rejected the world are in Jesus' abiding. Those, he says, he will spare as a man spares his son who serves him.
49:38 Now this is beautiful. I'm almost done. This is beautiful. God did not spare his own son in order to spare you and me. He gave his only begotten son to be crucified in order that we may live.
50:06 This is the awesome, majestic love of God toward me and you. But listen, this is not all. It's not all. To live is not all. To be spared eternal judgment and condemnation, that's not all what we are promised.
50:24 No. It's not. It is joyful, eternal life with Jesus. It is the blessings of heaven. It is eternal communion and fellowship with our Lord is unending, a joyful worship with all the saints in heaven.
50:47 Oh, it's much more than that. It's much more than that that no word can express. And what we know, by the way, is very little of the glories of heaven. What we know is very, very little. This is the final distinction that God is going to make.
51:18 It's not now. It's then. This is the final distinction. This is the final separation God will make between the believer and the unbeliever, between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him. This is the final distinction.
51:37 One in Hades and one in eternal communion with Christ forever and ever and ever. I pray I pray that all of us who are here this evening, all of us who listen to me are part of this company of the redeemed. And if one hearing me today is not, I beg you to come to Christ. Come to Jesus. Tell him, tell God, take this world with all its pleasures, with all of its entertainment, and give me Jesus.
52:26 That's all what I need, all what I want. Let's pray. Lord, we just thank you, our precious god. We thank you that you loved us so much, and you died for us on the cross. Lord, we thank you that your promises are true.
53:02 Your words are true. You never lie. Lord, we believe your promises. We believe your words. We believe that what you said is true, and you will accomplish what you have said.
53:24 Lord, we pray that you forgive us all our doubts, all our complaints, all our murmurings, all we see things not going our way, when we go through difficult times, difficult circumstances, when our words are not respected, when we are not respected and not honored, when we are rejected, when your word is blasphemed, Lord, we might complain. We might murmur that our prayers are not answered immediately or not answered the way we want. Lord, forgive us. We know that you are a loving God, and you always want our best. Lord, we may not understand your ways, your plan.
54:17 Your timing might not be what we want, but Lord, help us have that spiritual mind, the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ to know that you are a loving god. And when you delay, you delay for our best and for your own glory. And when you don't answer, you don't answer for our best or your own glory. Lord, help us be thankful today and forever.
54:52 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
