Hello again, and thank you for stopping by. I hope your day has been blessed so far. We have been looking at sermon notes from the book of Malachi. Malachi is found in the Old Testament of the Bible. My pastor preached on the book of Malachi in a sermon series called ‘Summer Shorts.’ In this series, he preached on Haggi and Malachi. Haggai gave us some great stuff. If you missed my sermon notes on Haggai, check out the links below.
So far, we have covered chapters one and two of Malachi. We have two more chapters to go. I don’t know about you, but I glean so much from this little book written long ago.
Let’s dive in and see what Chapter 3 has for us today.
Chapter 3, verse 1, says, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.”
Who is the messenger?
John the Baptist, which we read about in Matthew 11:7-10; Mark 1:2-4. John the Baptist will prepare the Lord’s people.
Notice the people are seeking.
Who is the Lord they are seeking?
It is Jesus Christ. He will confirm and establish the covenant.
Are we seeking the Lord?
Let’s continue.
What covenant is Malachi talking about? The covenant is mentioned in Isaiah 42:6.
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
Malachi announces the Lord’s coming to complete God’s work in history, especially the work he outlines in the rest of his book, the Bible.
We know from the Scriptures in the New Testament that this Messiah, this Lord Malachi spoke of, came. His name is Jesus!
Verse 6 of Malachi chapter 3 says, “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”
Despite Israel’s history of unfaithfulness, God does not change. The people may have thought he changed, but he has expressly said,
“I do not change.” God remains faithful to his covenant.
Check out verse 7, and ask yourself if we as a nation have done this ourselves. Remember from our earlier study of Malachi, chapter one, we are a lot like the Israelites – both devoted and not so devoted.
Malachi 3:7, “Ever since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.”
Here are some other verses related to Malachi 3:7.
Zechariah 1:3, “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.
2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Remember verse 6? “I, the Lord, do not change.”
The Lord says again and again – “Return to me, and I will return to you.”
We want God to move first before we move. We expect him to answer our prayers when we cry out to him, but when God asks us to move in faith and seek him first, we struggle and turn to other things or other people first.
God reminds the people of some things which are hard to swallow.
The Lord says, “But you ask,
“How are we to return?”
“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.”
“How are we robbing you?”
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.”
“What have we said against you?
You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?”
Jesus is coming to refine and clean us. Those who believe in Jesus should have no fear.
Guard your life and seek God’s justice.
A few notes about the tithe mentioned in verse 10. The tithe was an Old Testament mandate for the Israelites, but we’re not under the law. For New Testament believers, give generously, and unexpectedly, and help those around you.
Sow sparingly and reap sparingly. I’m not referring to the prosperity gospel.
Give what you have decided to give.
Give what God has called you to give. Remember what God says in verse 10? “Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Please don’t lose hope, my friend, because Malachi tells us there is a faithful remnant.
16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name.”
Many people today fear the Lord and honor him with their lives.
Let’s finish this up with a promise from God.
17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
Mic drop on Malachi, chapter three.
Come back for the sermon notes on Chapter four. I can’t wait. In the meantime, seek the Lord and ask him to show you where you stand.
Blessings,
Sermon Snippets From The Book of Haggai
Sermon Snippets From The Book Of Haggai – Part 2
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