LET’S READ MALACHI 3 VERSES 13-18
Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”
I would like to speak to you today about “When God Writes a Book”
LET’S GO TO THE LORD IN PRAYER
Before I get into the heart of my message, I would like to quickly go over verses 13, 14, and 15. This kind of sets up what Malachi wants us to see in these verses.
I. A. In verse 13 it says “Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?” DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? People who outwardly talk against the God of this universe, but then deny being anti-God.
I have NEVER seen so many people, whether they are politicians or the local guy down at the cafe, who say one thing out of one side of their mouth and then another out of the other side of their mouth. They support freedom of “religion” one minute and then turn-around the next and try to block any expression of Christianity.
Let’s not offend a MUSLIM.
Let’s set aside a special room for them to pray in.
Let’s call this violent, wicked, Godless, religion a “RELIGION OF PEACE”
Your words have been STOUT against me. The rulings of the Supreme Court and other courts across our land have been STOUT against the True and Living God and His WORD. THE HOLY BIBLE.
They have ruled the murder of the unborn to be legal.
They have ruled that marriage is NOT between one man and one woman.
They have ruled against prayer in our schools.
AND ALL THE WHILE THESE SAME PEOPLE SAY THEY’RE NOT AGAINST GOD.
THEY'RE ALL FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
LET FREEDOM RING UNTIL IT RINGS FOR THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD!!!
B. Verse 14 "Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?"
What good has it done to worship God?
What good has it done to obey His commandments?
What good has it done to walk in the way of the Lord?
These were the questions that were being asked in Malachi's time. A lot of the people and some of the priest were asking these questions.
They failed to look at the past and how that God had always taken care of them.
They failed to see His protecting hand.
They failed to see all of the benefits they had received because they had served Him.
In America, I'm afraid we are at the point where we fail to see the importance of serving God. We have forgotten the past.
God's protection for the pilgrims who came from England.
God's protection and help during the Revolutionary War.
God's healing balm after the Civil War that nearly split this country in two.
God's help during WWI and WWII.
C. In Verse 15 it tells us that everything began to get twisted.
They began to call the PROUD-HAPPY.
Those that were wicked were-SET UP, put in a place of honor.
Those that tempted God were-DELIVERED. They weren't held accountable.
Have you ever seen society as TWISTED as it is today?
God tells us in Isaiah 5:20 and 21 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"
Woe unto us today!!!!
The HOMOSEXUAL lifestyle is now an ALTERNATIVE lifestyle.
A person is no longer QUEER he/she is GAY.
An unborn baby is no longer a BABY it's a FETUS and that FETUS has become a CHOICE.
The nations of Israel and Judah had forgotten all that God had done for them and America has also forgotten.
II. Let's look at the first part of Verse 16.
A. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another:" After all of the bad things that the Prophet Malachi had seen, he now says, "But look….
There are still people who have awe and respect for God.
They still show Him honor.
They still meet together OFTEN to talk about God and I believe worship Him.
I believe these people still obeyed His law and His statutes.
B. In this nation that had seemingly forgotten God, there was still hope because of this next part. "and the Lord hearkened, and heard it,"
God looking down upon all that was going on, looked through all the MESS, all the CORRUPTION, all the SINFULNESS, and He saw a group of people who still cared.
He HEARD their conversations.
He HEARD their worship and praise.
He SAW that it wasn't just every once in a while, but was often.
C. God HEARD it and He HEARKENED, He began doing something about it.
HE BEGAN WRITING A BOOK. "and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name."
God began writing down the names of those who remembered Him. Those that honored Him. Those that spoke about Him.
"A Book of Remembrance."
I can kind of envision it. God setting on the throne.
"Write down Malachi. My faithful prophet. He hasn't forgotten Me. He's doing My work." "Write down so and so….." and the list grew longer and longer as God wrote down the names of those who still honored Him.
III. Folks, I have wonderful news today. GOD IS STILL WRITING A BOOK. It's not just any book. It's not a novel or a biography. IT'S A BOOK OF RECORD. IT RECORDS ALL OF THOSE THROUGH THE COUNTLESS AGES WHO HAVE PUT THEIR TRUST IN GOD. It's called the Lambs Book of Life. AS WE SET HERE THIS MORNING THERE ARE NAMES BEING RECORDED INTO THAT BOOK.
You see, God sees all of the JUNK that's going on today, but at the same time, He sees us this morning, gathering to worship Him.
He sees those down the street lifting praise and worship to Him.
He sees those in Africa, Asia, and South America speaking about Him today. Studying His Word.
He sees those that still honor Him.
He sees those that humble themselves before Him.
AND HE WRITES……
He wrote down the name of that little boy who felt the Holy Spirit dealing with him at Church camp in 1979 and he went forward and accepted Jesus Christ as His personal Savior. THAT WAS ME.
He wrote down the name of a young man who started going to the Northside FWBC, back in 1958, just to meet a young lady. The Holy Spirit moved upon his heart and it changed his life. It changed my life also, because that was my daddy who went to church to meet my mama.
Many of you here today can think back to that time when your name was recorded in the Lambs Book of Life. The day that you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
He is writing today all across the globe. All around the world. He is there with pen in hand ready to write.
Revelation 3:20 tells us, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Let me ask you something this morning. Is YOUR NAME recorded in the Lambs Book of Life. Can you remember a time that you humbled yourself and accepted the Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. The Book is open today. There is still room to write your name down.
Imagine this with me if you will.
October 25, 2015 PUT YOUR NAME HERE accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior.
Man that's exciting to think about.
In Closing, I have to tell you this. I would be doing you a terrible disservice if I didn't. Someday, the book will be closed. Time will cease and your opportunity to have your name recorded will be over. What a sad day. John here in the Book of revelation is seeing the future.
Revelation 5:1-9 "And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"
The Book has been closed and seven seals placed upon it. No one is worthy to open the book. No one can look inside to see whose names are written until……..Until the Lamb of God comes forward to open the BOOK. Jesus Christ came and died on the cross of Calvary for the sins of all mankind. HE IS WORTHY TO OPEN THE BOOK. WHEN HE OPENS THAT BOOK WILL YOUR NAME BE WRITTEN DOWN? Or will you be LOST?
Revelation 20:10-15 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Judgment Day is coming. I cannot stress to you the importance of really knowing where you stand with God. In this passage, Revelation 20:10, the devil is cast into the Lake of Fire. In verse 15, all those whose names are not written in the book, will also be cast into the Lake of Fire. This is not something to laugh about. It's not something to joke about. It's serious business. The Word of God has proven itself to be true time and time again. And someday, maybe not too far off, it will prove itself to be true once again. Will you be ready?
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”
I want to be one of God's Jewels someday. I want to be in God's Treasure Chest. He will return and Discern between those that serve Him and those that didn't.
GOD IS WRITING A BOOK, ARE YOU IN IT?
Let's Pray
