Sermon Tone Analysis

*Malachi Part #2*

*Going through the Fire—Dichotomy of the Blessed—World*

*2-24-08*

 

Continue with Malachi

·                    Bird’s Eye View

·                    Story

 

Dichotomy~/Distinctive

·                    Peek at the endgame

o       How it works out ultimately if you follow God and if you don’t

·                    The end of the story

·                    Brother—20’s watching friends as he is faithful—later he’s the hero—switch roles

·                    Mal 3 and 4 get a peek at the ENDGAME

 

Mal 3:18

18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

[1]

 

‘Distinction’

 

Prelim

·                    Chapters 1-2

o       Wires crossed~/wrong power

o       Deadly

·                    Honor~/Dishonor

o       Didn’t bring best

o       Dishonored Name

§        Cursed Blessings

o       Dishonored Marriage

 

It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.

[2]

 

 

Chapter 3

·                    Begins visitation—God shows up

·                    Begins with good thing

·                    Jesus shows up

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.

[3]

·                    Develop—one we DESIRE—long for

 

But as He shows up

·                    Something comes with Him

·                    The *Fire of God*

·                    Fire

2 But who can endure the day of his coming?

Who can stand when he appears?

For he will be like a refiner’s fire . . . . .

.

We all face fires in life

·                    Not saying that all fires~/challenges are from God

o       He will bring his fire in our lives—Malachi

o       Bible talks fire of afflictions~/trials~/testing

o       And God can work GOOD in whatever fire we face

·                    But the question is—what do you want to be like on the other side of the fire

 

Malachi is an amazing book

·                    Picture of how GOODNESS of God is in the midst of your fire

o       We all face fires

o       Malachi about God can use them to advance us~/bless~/Prosper us if we surrender to Him the midst of the fires

o       ALL things work together for good

·                    He works in the midst of the fires of life

 

Maybe At first glance

·                    When you read about the fire of God in Malachi

·                    Think—is God mad at us?  What’s this about?

·                    But when you look below the surface

·                    You see that God is at work for GOOD in the midst of the fires of our lives

 

In fact, there are certain things you can ONLY GET through the fire!

Why is that?

·                    *The Fire Purifies*

o       Gold~/silver

o       Dross

 

How many want the pure gold?

·                    Have to go through fire

 

*Tests~/Reveals*

·                    Fire brings dross~/impurities to the surface

·                    Glibness—I have it together

o       God knows there are issues in your heart that need to be dealt with

o       Otherwise it will bring death to you

o       Brings fire so it can be revealed

 

How many ever been in pressing situation

·                    Fire of challenge on you

·                    Bad attitude

·                    Words come out of your mouth towards spouse

·                    Friends~/child

·                    Not pretty

·                    What’s happening—fires bringing

 

We get shocked

·                    God’s not

·                    But what is His goal???

·                    To set us FREE?

·                    We miss it so many times—try to hide the thing

·                    God says, I have to reveal it—so I can FREE you from it!!

 

How many know

·                    Fire reveals bad attitudes

·                    Weakness~/needs

 

Develop

 

Fire also *Changes Us*

·                    Fine China

·                    Heated up beyond what it thinks it can bear

·                    Internet information—upwards of 2,000 DEGREES! !

!

·                    On the other side—the muddy dirt

·                    Becomes a priceless heirloom

·                    Pretty cool—huh?

God does that with Us in the fire

 

So let’s do an overview of chapters 3 and 4 and see the

·                    Dichotomy between those who serve God—those who don’t

·                    How fire works in our lives

 

 

So what does the fire do?  FIRST: 

*Fire Purifies~/Tests Our Worship*

* *

| *Those Who Serve God **/(FIRST)/* | *Those Who Do Not Serve Him /(SECOND)/* |

| “And he shall purify the sons of Levi so they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”v

*/Levites /*:  who they arev    First thing fire does: target our worshipv    Why Worship?v    Worship is where we ENCOUNTER Him!v    Central Battle of all time—who will you bow knee to?v    Who do you love?v    God targets our HEARTS | 3:5  “So I will come near to you for judgment.