North Anderson Baptist
On Mission In Anderson & Beyond
June 18th, 2023
Locations & Times
North Anderson Baptist Church
2308 N Main St, Anderson, SC 29621, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
Malachi 3:1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me…”
In an ancient royal procession, the messenger went before the king to announce his arrival, to indicate the route, and to remove any obstacles in the road.
This prophesied messenger is none other than John the Baptist. Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, and Luke 7:27 all show this promise was fulfilled in John the Baptist.
John The Baptist– according to Jesus – no man born among women is greater. What Made Him Great?
Ultimately, his greatness was in the fact that he was Gods messenger.
The hand of the Lord was upon him. He emerges from the obscurity of the
wilderness and rises to prominence quickly. At this point in history, Jesus is relatively unknown. He's been doing carpentry work in Nazareth with His father.
When Jesus appears at the Jordan River and is baptized by John, John says to his own disciples, “Follow HIM not me”. He sought to make Jesus name great
In our text, the Lord says of John, “He will prepare the way before Me". This is a reference to the fact that John clears the way through preaching repentance.
That's the crux of Johns Message: “REPENT for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”
So, in verse 1, The Lord says – “I'm coming but I’ll send a messenger first”
He continues in verse 1
“And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts”
He says here that the King will come TO HIS TEMPLE
The Temple:
- A Highly Exalted Place
- The Connecting Point Between Heaven and Earth
- It's ultimate Purpose – get people ready for Jesus
The Lord says, He'd be coming to His Temple
Interestingly, Interesting- 8 days after He was born, Jesus was dedicated to the Lord at the Temple
At this point, the Prophecy shifts gears
Malachi 3:2 “…But who can endure the day of His coming?”
Like Joel, Malachi blends the first and second coming of Christ together here in the second verse.
He ask some interesting questions. When The Lord comes, who can endure? Who can stand? In the Hebrew language this means, who could fight?
In referencing the second coming of Christ, Malachi points out that The King Is Coming not as a lamb but a lion.
He's Coming For The Church He Will Purify – Verse 2
“For He will be like the refiners fire”
·He's Coming For The Church He Will Clean
“cleansing lye / launderers soap”
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness” 1st John 1:9
Malachi 3:3 – “He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness”
In the first two chapters of Malachi, the LORD spoke out against the corruption of the priesthood. Here, God gave His ultimate answer for that religious corruption – the coming Messiah
He's Coming To His Enemies That He Will Judge
Malachi 3:5 “And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness
against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien—Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts”
In Light Of A Coming King – How Should We Live While We Wait?
1. Confidently
1st Thess 2:1 “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him; we ask you, brothers, do not be easily upset in mind or troubled”
Micah 7:7 “I will look unto the Lord; I will wait upon the God of my salvation”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for The Lord; be strong and courageous”
1st Thess 4:16-17 “The Lord will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the archangels voice, with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise! We who remain will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and will be with Him forever!”
2. Readily
1st Thess 5:2“You yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”
Verse 8 – “we must be sober and put the armor of faith on our chest and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation”
3. Worshipfully
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 “We exhort you brothers; warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone but always pursues what is good for one another and for all”
The Israelites awaited the promise of the Kings first coming to be fulfilled – we confidently, readily, and worshipfully await His 2nd
ONE FINAL NOTE:
Malachi 5:7
“From the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you”
THIS IS one of the sweetest invitations found in scripture
The invitation to those who’ve strayed from truth: Draw Near to God and He will draw near to us.
In an ancient royal procession, the messenger went before the king to announce his arrival, to indicate the route, and to remove any obstacles in the road.
This prophesied messenger is none other than John the Baptist. Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, and Luke 7:27 all show this promise was fulfilled in John the Baptist.
John The Baptist– according to Jesus – no man born among women is greater. What Made Him Great?
Ultimately, his greatness was in the fact that he was Gods messenger.
The hand of the Lord was upon him. He emerges from the obscurity of the
wilderness and rises to prominence quickly. At this point in history, Jesus is relatively unknown. He's been doing carpentry work in Nazareth with His father.
When Jesus appears at the Jordan River and is baptized by John, John says to his own disciples, “Follow HIM not me”. He sought to make Jesus name great
In our text, the Lord says of John, “He will prepare the way before Me". This is a reference to the fact that John clears the way through preaching repentance.
That's the crux of Johns Message: “REPENT for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”
So, in verse 1, The Lord says – “I'm coming but I’ll send a messenger first”
He continues in verse 1
“And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts”
He says here that the King will come TO HIS TEMPLE
The Temple:
- A Highly Exalted Place
- The Connecting Point Between Heaven and Earth
- It's ultimate Purpose – get people ready for Jesus
The Lord says, He'd be coming to His Temple
Interestingly, Interesting- 8 days after He was born, Jesus was dedicated to the Lord at the Temple
At this point, the Prophecy shifts gears
Malachi 3:2 “…But who can endure the day of His coming?”
Like Joel, Malachi blends the first and second coming of Christ together here in the second verse.
He ask some interesting questions. When The Lord comes, who can endure? Who can stand? In the Hebrew language this means, who could fight?
In referencing the second coming of Christ, Malachi points out that The King Is Coming not as a lamb but a lion.
He's Coming For The Church He Will Purify – Verse 2
“For He will be like the refiners fire”
·He's Coming For The Church He Will Clean
“cleansing lye / launderers soap”
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness” 1st John 1:9
Malachi 3:3 – “He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness”
In the first two chapters of Malachi, the LORD spoke out against the corruption of the priesthood. Here, God gave His ultimate answer for that religious corruption – the coming Messiah
He's Coming To His Enemies That He Will Judge
Malachi 3:5 “And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness
against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien—Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts”
In Light Of A Coming King – How Should We Live While We Wait?
1. Confidently
1st Thess 2:1 “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him; we ask you, brothers, do not be easily upset in mind or troubled”
Micah 7:7 “I will look unto the Lord; I will wait upon the God of my salvation”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait for The Lord; be strong and courageous”
1st Thess 4:16-17 “The Lord will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the archangels voice, with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise! We who remain will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and will be with Him forever!”
2. Readily
1st Thess 5:2“You yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night”
Verse 8 – “we must be sober and put the armor of faith on our chest and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation”
3. Worshipfully
1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 “We exhort you brothers; warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone but always pursues what is good for one another and for all”
The Israelites awaited the promise of the Kings first coming to be fulfilled – we confidently, readily, and worshipfully await His 2nd
ONE FINAL NOTE:
Malachi 5:7
“From the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you”
THIS IS one of the sweetest invitations found in scripture
The invitation to those who’ve strayed from truth: Draw Near to God and He will draw near to us.