Refining Fire

Thank you for tuning in to the radio ministry here. Our focus is making Christ is providing worship come check us out at 3485 Oxford Rd. visit us online@ubc.org join us for this week's message by Pastor Albert on shop burnout series to the book of Malachi called counter shopping this morning we come to Malachi chapter 2 verse 17 the message is called refining fire you have wearied the Lord with your words you say in what way have we wearied him in that you say everyone who does evil is good in the side of the Lord, and he delights in them. Where is the God of justice. Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me in the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come into his temple, even the messenger of his covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Verse two. But who can endure the day of his coming. And who can stand when he appears, for he is like a refiner's fire and like launderers so let me ask you this morning before we understand what that truly means. Are you going through some fire in your life meaning. Are you going through a tough time maybe physically maybe a tough time mentally, relationally, could it be that God is using that fire that trial to refine you. Could it be that you are in that fire that God has allowed to make you more like Christ. The book of Malachi has a fascinating literary style. Many of y'all have told me that ever since we began the series.

Two weeks ago that you have been reading up on Malachi and you have realized how amazing this book is it has so much truth in so much imagery in it that some people some scholars have given it all kinds of names, some call it a judicial speech pattern. Somebody else called it a disputation speech or a dialectical style. Bottom line, what they're saying is that it reads like a courtroom drama God's people are on trial there accusing God of not being faithful to them what they didn't realize is that in that courtroom, God is there to judge not only that God is also there prosecuting attorney. Not only that God is also their witness. Not only that God is also their executioner didn't realize that when they accuse God of being unfaithful that God owns that court Malachi 217. You have wearied the Lord with your words, what does that mean wearied you have worn God out with your talk, you have tired him out with your words. What were these people saying you see the people of Israel were bringing that rejected offering to the Lord.

They were giving what was left over.

There were giving them lame, the sick, the stolen to God, which is wrong. But as they were doing these things they were also murmuring under the what were they murmuring listen to 17 you have wearied the Lord in your words, yet you say in what way have we wearied him in that you say everyone who does evil is good in the side of the Lord, and he delights in them, or where is the God of justice or were these people saying you see bad things had happened in their lives. They had been through a tough time in their lives. Instead of saying God we love you we trust you were grateful for what you've done for us whatever you need to do.

Please continue doing our lives, they began to compare themselves to their ungodly neighbors never comparing themselves to others and saying things like this, they don't go to church and yet they don't get sick with cancer. Don't give their hard earned money and time but they seem to have money all the time to buy a new house a new car, a new boat always on vacation. They don't raise their children in charge, but somehow, for some reason their kids seem to be happy and they get married they have grandchildren and look at all the pictures on Facebook and here we are serving God and obeying God in bringing are tied to the Lord and and trying to raise our children the way of the Lord and yet were the ones who seem to be cursed when the say and he delights in them. It seems that God loves them. Where is the God of justice means God is not fair.

They were calling God's character into question.

I've been there.

Have you been there, having been there where where you begin to look at your neighbors when you begin to look at the lost people and he asked the question why is it that they seem to be doing better than we are. We are God's people and we are suffering. Let me warn you, if you look at life only to naturalize your talk like that to.

If you compare yourselves to your neighbor, only by earthly standards. You will also become bitter towards God. By the way, that's the worst thing you and I can ever do is start comparing ourselves to other people. You see a family across the street. They don't care about God right this moment when you left to come to church and they were just waking up and have a good breakfast they can have a wonderful time today that the whole day laid off and here you come to church in your back is hurting in your head is hurting you got bills to pay and you just got news that your kids are not acting right. You are wondering why in the world am I doing all this, let me warn you again.

Don't fall into the temptation of comparing and not just with the loss. Don't compare yourself even to the Savior never know what they're going through.

These people were comparing themselves and they were falling into Satan's greatest temptation which he uses against believers get what Satan does constantly. He will come and he will whisper in your ear something like this you know God is holding out on the best for you.

If God really loved you. Would he allow you to go through all this mess.

Doug is a lucky you know he is a same liar from the beginning he did that with Adam and Eve open when he came to tempt them when you tell him after trying this and that and the other, he said, listen, you know why God doesn't want you need that fruit for God knows that in the day you eat of for your eyes will be open and you will be like God.

God doesn't want you to be like him was a truer was alive. I was alive.

God made us in his image and everything he does. He wants us to be more like him and he sent Jesus into this world to adopt is in his family.

And guess what. He also wants to share his glory with us. Go figure. And yet Satan lied to them. He even lied to Jesus even tried that with Jesus. He said look your fathering to give you enough, but if you fall down and worship me. I'll give you all the kingdoms of this world are you comparing yourself to someone.

Maybe someone growing up. Maybe someone on Facebook. Maybe someone across the street. Or maybe someone in charge have you allowed bitterness to come into your life and what happens when you allow bitterness to come into your life is not that you stop coming to church or you stop reading the Bible you stop praying, or you stop serving in charge, you begin to go through the motions, but inside, you say it doesn't pay to follow God's.

It was the solution.

What I gotta do very simple.

You have to humble yourself before God and tell him God forgive me. There is no secret to that old. Let me give you another message on how to handle bitterness know what you need to do is say God I have sinned, I have sinned against you. I need to repent and I need your forgiveness in God. There are there's a list of things that I need to be grateful for how to not answer the false accusation, listen to chapter 3, verse one. He said, behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord, whom you see. Have you ever been to a restaurant or someplace where you know that in ring if you ride that into something right and you ask a question. Hey, who's in charge reads the manager. These people are saying, where is the God of justice. Where is your manager God says oh you want a manager you want to see the owner. I'll send the owner but you and I do like it. Listen to what he says, behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me in the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, you know you really want to see me all right, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts civilian usual answer. But before we can understand what it means we need to understand the different individuals in that passage. Who are those people that God is talking about. To begin with. Let's read the passage again carefully. Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me know who is this I who is the me who is speaking these words. This is God the father goddess speaking to his people. The father is speaking to his people. Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.

Who is the messenger who was the one who will prepare the way before God. Well, if you go to Malachi 45 which we can look at a couple weeks.

It tells us, behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, the messenger is Elijah the prophet, does that mean that before God comes he is going to resurrect Elijah the prophet from the Old Testament out of the grave and he's gonna calm and straighten up everything not really what it means. This someone like Elijah the prophet is going to come before God shows up just like I need to see a manager before the manager comes the shift supervisor first comes and says you need to see the manager. Would you come over here please have a seat. The manager will be with you shortly.

The manager is not the messenger. Listen to the next passage in the Lord, whom you see will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant which should be who is also known as the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming out who is this person is about three different individual in the passage, the one speaking is the father.

The messenger will prepare the way, is actually someone like Elijah but who is the Lord who is coming who is also known as the messenger of the covenant. Well, if you look at that carefully. The word Lord there in Hebrew is how the loan I deny is a title for God means the one who will be coming will be God over them is a father coming is another. Don't confuse that because he is not me. He is also known as the messenger of the covenant. Don't confuse this with the messenger will prepare the way. By the way, the word messenger is the word Malec, which means my angel vision of the book of Malachi. The prophet's name is actually my angel same work, messenger of the covenant angel of the covenant means father is speaking before he comes in messenger is going to come and straighten the path but he is like Elijah the prophet until the real God comes but he is not to be the father he is going be the one who is also known as the messenger of the covenant, not who is the messenger of the covenant is none other than the angel of the Lord who is the angel of the Lord, we if you study the Old Testament.

I preached on this several years ago angel of the Lord was the one who led the people of Israel out of Egypt, angel of the Lord. It tells us was the one who went before them as they crossed the Red Sea angel of the Lord was also the one who led the people through the wilderness angel of the Lord is also the one who filled the temple with his glory. Who is the angel of the Lord. He is the pre-incarnate Jesus. Jesus was born 2000 years ago, but he always existed, why because he is God, and many times in the Old Testament he came and he was called the angel of the Lord and the Bible says he is the angel of the covenant what covenant covenant was the promise that the angel of the Lord had made many times throughout the Old Testament. He made the promise to Eve to sham to Abraham to Moses to David and then he renewed that promised to Jeremiah. In fact, Hebrews chapter 1224 says that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. This is Jesus Christ.

What will he do when he comes. Listen to verse two.

But who can endure the day of his coming.

Not the messenger will clear the way. Like Elijah, but who will then do more when the angel of the Lord we know as Jesus is going to come who can stand before him when he appears in other words, is can be unbearable when he shows up it's going to be judgment time. Let's put it all back together, the people of Israel were murmuring against God.

They were bringing rejected offering. Like many of us do we give all that is left over to God left over time left over talents left over money and as they were giving the left door to God. They were still complaining and murmuring under their breath safe doesn't pay to obey God. Anyways I'm doing all this for what will I could buy new shoes for my kids. We could go on a vacation with this money to them across the street they don't go to church and yet everything is fine. Where is the God of justice, God says you want to see me alright I'm coming. But before I come. My messages go to come and clean the way and he will be like Elijah and then my son is coming.

You know my son. Oh you love my son you delight in him.

He is the angel of the Lord, he is coming he made your promise.

But guess what we need crimes, you won't be able to stand before him. 2000 years ago. The messenger showed up who was at messenger John the Baptist.

John the Baptist came as a voice crying in the wilderness. What was he saying prepare the way of the Lord make straight his path was Elijah know when it asked him John, are you Elijah he said that Elijah is he John knew what the angel had told his daddy even before he was born.

What did the angel tell his daddy he said listen, he would also go before the Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah, which means this the same Spirit in the same power that energize Elijah in the Old Testament is going to energize their son John the Baptist and John the Baptist been preaching and teaching and preparing the way of God having her John the Baptist message I want you here.

Matthew chapter 3 verse 11 listen very carefully to the message that the messenger preached to prepare the way for the real deal to come.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry to John the Baptist. New Malachi chapter 3 is saying I am here to help you repent. I am here to prepare the way. But there's someone coming behind me who is so amazing, so powerful I cannot even pick up a sandal seat.

John the Baptist knew that was coming behind him was God, but I don't stop there. Keep reading what he says and he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire that you know that Jesus Christ when he came the first time he came to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Don't stop there. Listen to verse 12. His winnowing fan is in his hand billing fan was eight agricultural in instrument something they used to harvest to thresh the grain to separate the grain from the chaff. His winnowing fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and what they would do the ring all the crops in the threshing floor and the guys will start beating on beating on whether doing there trying to get the husk separated from the grain.

John the Baptist said the one coming after me is gonna beat those crops is going to clean out the threshing floor, something else is going to do this and what it says and he will gather his wheat what is weed. Weed is a good stuff. Weed is what's going to later become flour and you gonna make bread out of it is going take the lead and gather into the bar, but he will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire means those things that are rejected those things that are no good. The husk the shell this one coming behind me is going to take and throw it into a fire see what we think is Jesus came as a little baby in the manger and the shepherds came in the Wiseman camera.

How sweet how beautiful that was, and then he grew and then he began to preach and teach and feed the hungry and sick and he was so wrong. They took him and nailed him to the cross.

But I praise God he is. He is God he rose from the grave and there he is right now at the right and the father interceding for them. I look forward to seeing him face-to-face.

That is true in great but did you know that he also came to tear down. He also came to refine. He also came to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

In fact, in Matthew chapter 23 verse 15 he looked at the scribes and the Pharisees, the religious leaders and he says want to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, and what he was doing he was separating the wheat from the chaff. I want to hear very carefully to what he said in John chapter 939 listen listen listen.

He said for judgment.

I have come into this world, people said Jesus came to save the world way. He also came to judge the world. Are you man in the second coming know he did that in the first coming for judgment.

I have come into this world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be made blindly.

If you pretend that you can see like the Pharisees describes the high priest, Jesus called him blind guides whitewash to want to hear me very carefully.

The mistake we make is in thinking that all Jesus came to do the first time was to be our Savior. He also came to refine his people. He also came as our judge and ever since then he has been working not just to save you, but also to refine you.

He is not just some galaxies away sitting at the right and the father going. Oh please help my people. He is working in your life in every trial that you face in your life. He is sitting as your refiner if you want to know exactly how much he works and how deeply he is interested in you. Listen to what he will do in the listen to Malachi 3 in verse three he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver he will purify the sons of Levi and purse them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord and offering in righteousness. I don't miss this. There is coming a day when Jesus gonna return another person is going to come who will be just like Elijah John the Baptist was just like Elijah and many said just like Elijah's will come but there will be a just like Elijah write capital letters" and he will prepare the way and then Jesus will come again, and he will complete what he began 2000 years ago, but this time he will work with his people.

The people of Israel.

That's why believe the Jewish people still have a part to play in God's kingdom. He was sent as a refiner and purifier of silver. Let's hang on to that imagery for a moment. Growing up ever so often.

My parents would take me with them shopping and I really enjoyed when they took me shopping for you know ornaments like silver bracelet and silver necklace and those kind of things I was always fun for me to go because it was and still is, there's a long row of shops down this one street that is known as the Silversmith Goldschmidt Street. You would go into the place. The little shop and they would bring out samples and you pick the sample that you would like.

So you would say okay the hoops over here.

I like them only to be little bit bigger but but I want them to have this pattern on it and that in there guy with a will write all this down and they will look at carefully and that will go over it again with you and then if you happen to have some silver but you're not aware any more coins or necklaces of grace little rings that are just sitting there you would say it but I want to use this as well and it was okay the way it out, then they will tell you that look we got purify this first before we can use it because we want to give you something and then you blame us for being impure. We got purify this. These guys will sit on the ground with a small portable furnace in front of them and they would place the silver into this pan and they would begin to stoke the fire and I that this is you know gas powered but where I grew up.

It was cold and there was start pumping air and get the fire stoked and they would hold the pan over the fire and that silver old wood start melting. As the war melted the draw switches the impurity inside that silver would come to the surface and the Silversmith had a scalpel like instrument that he would take scrape it off and put it to the side and then he would stoke the fire even more and more of those impurities would rise to the surface and he would take the scalpel again he was scrape it off and put it to the side.

Occasionally he sits up and he would look inside the pan back again and start stoking the fire you see silver in its purest form turns into liquid mirror.

How does the Silversmith no that the silver is ready when you can look in the pan and see his face what is God doing in our lives.

What is Jesus doing in your life and your mind up trials, problems come sickness, loss of life, health issues, financial problems, job loss, what is God doing as a believer.

He is putting you into that fire and he is melting you and impurities begin to rise to the surface. For example, going through financial problem you're trusting more in money than in God, and the lack of trust comes to the surface and heat takes the scalpel of his word takes that impurity and sets it to the side family problems come arguments in the home. Children are behaving right and bitterness comes to the surface and you say things that you don't mean right and it comes to service God takes the scalpel of his word and scrapes on the bitterness and sets into the society so you know that's a sin you need to repent and he brings it to the service sensor to the side.

One by one those impurities rise to the surface and he begins to scrape it off when are we ready when he can see the face of Jesus reflected in us. Am I ready I can tell you I'm far from ready. Got too many impurities are you ready I don't know that's between you and God.

But to tell you this better today than I used to be. Yesterday, I'm better yesterday than I was five years ago.

What is happening is all those trials in my life God has been purifying me and who is this person, this is Jesus Christ. Listen if you belong to him. He is not gonna sit at some throne at the right hand of the father and say this is where I said until the trumpet sound know he is actively working in every one of our lives is that why is that important. Listen at the end he's gonna have to present you before the father is. I don't know sometimes I feel like I got too many impurities and I run away from it.

Listen, he who has begun a good work and you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. He will finish in what happens when you don't belong to him. When you are not saved you is going to fire there is no goal. There is no looking like Jesus is simply trials for a believer. Praise God refining you so much for joining us for this message. No challenge in our lives is pointless. Every difficulty every trial we face.

God uses to refine and make us more like his. For more information visit us online PC.org and for the sermons, notes, checkup exercise, one of an on shock.