A Promise Keeping God

Malachi 3:1-12 A Promise Keeping God 1. A Promise Keeping God Promised the . . Messenger. 1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: A. A . . Preaching Messenger. "Behold, I send My messenger, . . . " Matt 3:1-3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. B. A . . Preparing Messenger. and he shall prepare the way before me: Matt 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Everybody knew what John the Baptist preached about; REPENTANCE 1. The Necessity Of It W.P Nicholson on Hell 2. The Nature Of It. 3. The Nobility Of It God Sought It. God Taught It, God Wrought It. Acts 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: It was a heavy message. His message was called a "burden. It was a heavenly message. His message was called "the Word of the Lord." His message was God's Word It was a hard message. The message was "to Israel." The message was not sent to comfort, but to convict. It was not a message of commendation, but one of condemnation. It was not a message that delighted the people, but discomforted the people. C. A . . Promising Messenger. and he shall prepare the way before me: Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 2. A Promise Keeping God Promised the . . Messiah. 1 and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. A. A Surprising Messiah. the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, Surprising - in its Moment - (unexpected), in its Manner, in its Meaning B. A . . Scriptural Messiah. even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in 1. Jesus did His work by the Book John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 2. Jesus will do His work by the Book. Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

C. A . . Sure Messiah. v 1 behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

The Revelation - "behold",

The Proclamation - "he shall come",

The Declaration -"saith the Lord of hosts" D. A . . Sincere Messiah. v 2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: Matt 11:2-5 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Everybody knew Messiah was coming but they expected a Political Messiah..

3. A Promise Keeping God Promised the . . Message. v 3-5 A. A . . Purifying Message. v 3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, B. A . . Purging Message. v 3 and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness C. A . . Pleasant Message. v 4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. D. A . . Persuasive Message. v 5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. 4. A Promise Keeping God Promised . . Mercy. v 6-7 A. A . . Changeless Mercy. v 6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. B. A . . Conditional Mercy. v 7 a Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. The English firefighter scaled a latter three stories up "She wouldn't let me save her."