Sermons by Ken D. Trivette from The Living Word

The Book of Malachi  
HOW TO LIVE IN LIGHT OF HIS COMING  
Malachi 4:4-6  

1. We began the study of Malachi by stating that the great theme of the book was "Getting Ready For A Coming Lord." The burden of Malachi has been a sinful living people and a soon returning Lord. His message has been a call for the people to get ready for the Lord's return.  

2. The book closes with a final reminder and a final call to be ready for His return. Malachi was saying, "In light of His return, here is how you ought to live." 

3. II Peter 3:11: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."  

4. In light of the coming of the Lord, the believer is to: 

5. We often talk about what it will be like when He comes. Malachi talks about what we should be like before He comes. {Cp.Vs.5}  

6. I John 2:28, "And now little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."  

7. If Jesus were to return this very day, would you want to meet Him in the condition you are in at this moment? Would His return be a glad day or a sad day?  

8. How should we live in light of His return? Notice 2 things that Malachi suggests by his words.  

1. WE SHOULD GUIDE OUR LIFE DAILY BY THE SCRIPTURES!

1. Malachi uses the first of two Old Testament personages to call for a ready life for a returning Lord. He takes us back to Moses and the law and tells us to "remember" the Word of God that came by Moses the servant of God. 

2. It was a Divine Word ("Which I commanded unto him in Horeb"). It was a Delivered Word ("for all Israel") 

3. The word "Remember" means to reflect, to reconsider, to think upon and then act on what is remembered.

4. The law spoke of all the commands, statutes, and ordinances that regulated their national, personal, and social life. It was all that God had commanded them to do.  

5. The call to remember suggests:  

A. The Importance Of The Scriptures In Daily Life.  

1. This was a call for constant and daily remembering and reflection on what God had said in His Word.  

2. Joshua 1:8, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shaft mediate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shaft make thy way prosperous, and then thou shaft have good success."  

Psalm 1:1-2, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he mediate day and night."  

3. The Word of God is to have a daily importance in our life. We are not to occasionally remember His word, but daily remember God's word.  

4. A Gallop poll on religion in America showed that 60% of all Americans attend Church at least once a month, but of those only 12% read their Bible.  

5. The International Bible Readers Association reports that 85% of professing Christians have never been through the entire Bible. 

6. In 1987, over 300 pastors in response to a survey said in answer to the question, "Why do you feel is the major reason Christians don't read the Bible?" Their answers:  

9. Someone has written an interesting viewpoint on Bible reading habits entitled "The Bible and the TV Guide."  

On the table side by side,  
The Holy Bible and the TV guide.  
One is well worn, but cherished with pride  
(Not the Bible, but the TV guide.)  
One is used daily to help folk decide  
No! It isn't the Bible; it's the TV guide.  
As pages are turned, what shall they see?  
Oh, what does it matter, turn on the TV.  
The confusion reigns, they can't all agree  
On what they shall watch on the old TV.  
So they open the book in which they confide  
No! It isn't the Bible; it's the TV guide.  
The Word of God is seldom read,  
Maybe a verse 'ere they fall into bed.  
Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be,  
Not from reading the Bible.. from watching TV.

10. There was a man in Detroit, a valiant Christian, who when trapped in a hotel fire was badly burned. Upon recovery and discovering he was blind, his one lament was that he could no longer read his Bible. He requested that he be taught to read the Bible in Braille. When the tips of his fingers were tested, it was discovered that because they were so badly burned and scarred there was no sensitivity in them. His toes, his lips, were tested but the same result. Finally they tested his tongue and he learned to read the Bible with his tongue.

11. How tragic that there is no desire to read the Bible no discipline to read the Bible.. no dedication to read the Bible. The Bible is to be important in our life. We should WEEKLY HEAR THE WORD and DAILY READ THE WORD!

B. The Instruction Of The Scriptures For Daily Life.  

1. There is to be a daily learning of the Bible that there might be a daily living of the Bible. The importance of the Bible is the instruction of the Bible. Our commitment to it is the commands in it.  

2. Someone has said, "Truth is something that must be known with the mind, accepted with the heart, and enacted in the life."  

3. The commands of God are the laws of heaven for life on earth. As it has been stated, "This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book." As we live in light of the coming of the Lord this book should be a daily guide.  

4. Psa.119:33-34: "Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end... Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart."  

1. We Should Guide Our Life Daily By The Scriptures!  

2. WE SHOULD GUARD OUR LIFE DILIGENTLY FROM ALL SIN!  

1. In verse 4, Malachi speaks of Moses and looks to the past. Now in verses 5-6, He looks to the future and speaks of Elijah.  

2. He speaks of a return that is promised. (Vs.5) The Lord is coming. He speaks of a return that is personal. (Vs.6) The believer should return because the Lord will return.  

3. Malachi gives the prophecy of return of Elijah. It is a prophetic statement that the great prophet Elijah will return to this earth prior to the Lord's return. 

4. Jews still look for the return of Elijah. When they observe the Passover they always sit a place at the table for Elijah. A large cup of wine is sat at his place at the table and the door or opened to welcome the spirit of Elijah. 

5. Note: Matt.17:11-13 . . . John the Baptist was a partial fulfillment of this prophecy. John had come in the spirit of Elijah. John's message had been "Prepare ye the way for the Lord." The message of Elijah was, "Be prepared for the coming of the Lord."  

6. It was a call to diligently guard our life from all sin and be ready for the Lord's coming!  

A. The Committed Life Of Those In The Past.

1. (Vs. 6) ... The "fathers" referred to their godly ancestors and the "children" referred to the contemporaries of the prophets.  

B. The Cleansed Life Of Those In The Present.   

1. It was a call for the same standard of life to be applied to their life. They were to return to such a godly walk. They were to repent of their sins and return to a cleansed life.  

2. As we live in light of the Lord's coming we should diligently guard our life from all sin.  

3. I John 3:2-3: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is... And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 

4. Living in light of His coming calls for personal examination .. personal confrontation .. personal restoration. Is there some sin I need to confess? Is there some grudge I need to make right?       Is there some failure I need to repent of? Is there some matter that needs forgiving?  

5. I think of the great Hymn of Charles Tindley, "Nothing Between."  

Nothing between my soul and the Saviour,  
Naught of this world's delusive dreams:  
I have renounced all sinful pleasure  
Jesus is mine, there's nothing between.  

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,   
So that His blessed face may be seen;  
Nothing preventing the least of His favor:  
Keep the way clear, let nothing between.  

6. It was a prayer of George Whitefield: "Lord, If I am going to be like Thee someday, help me to be like Thee today."  

7. We should so diligently guard our lives from all sin as if He were coming in the next 30 minutes.