Pentecost 25

TEXT: Malachi 4:1-6

Nov. 18, 2007

                                                The right side is the RIGHT SIDE!

There are some roads because of the curves in the road that make it more dangerous than others.  They may even have the reputation of being called ADead Man’s Curve.@  I remember such a road in the mountains east of San Diego where the mountain roads were very curvy.  It so happens that a small country church put up a billboard right beside the curve.  It said something like this:

AAre you prepared to meet your Lord?  Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.@

Malachi is much like that sign, only the view is nnot from a sudden death in a acar accident, but from the sudden return of Jesus on the Last Day.  For Malachi, this great and terrible day was just around the corner.  It was certain to happen, and Malachi urged the people to prepare for it.

On that day, judgment would be rendered.  People would be separated into two groups, and it’s not Athe good and the bad,@ but Athe ones declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ alone, or the unrighteous those who have chosen to stand before God on their own merit.  Malachi indicates that you are either in or you’re out!

If you were judged wicked and arrogant, and we all would be in that same category without Christ, then, Malachi describes it in terms of a burning furnace.  Not some warm, preheated oven, but fire that would burn everything to ashes.  I don’t know how many of you have been to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, which is a theme park featuring craftsmen from the 1800's.  In one shop you can watch glassblowing demonstrations.  The ovens are hot enough to melt glass with temperatures ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 degrees.  The fires in those ovens are white, yellow and red, with roaring flames billowing and swirling around.  You know that if you stick your hand in there, it would be gone in an instant.  Malachi sees the Last Day as that kind of end, burned to a crisp, for those judged wicked.

But if you are judged righteous through faith in Christ, the Lord will welcome in only those who believe, and that day will be one of joy, wholeness, and victory!  Malachi pictures it like a calf released from its stall.  There is reason to run and jump and play because sin and death do not confine us any more!

On the Day of the Lord, those who are righteous will be so excited, healthy, and whole.  No more Adead man’s curves.  Victory and vindication.  No more ridicule by unbelievers or sin to make us feel as though God is weak and distant from our lives.  As for mud in heaven, that’s qulestionalbe, but we’ll be kickiing up our heels in happiness there.

Do you like to party?  Well, this is one you won’t want to miss!

(PAUSE)

How will God decide who is in and who is out?

Malachi lets us know that too earlier in his book.  He challenged the people of his time in a couple key areas.  First, they had become too enamored with money and possessions.  (Sound familiar?  Sound relevant to our day and age?) 

Malachi could give his prophecy to us, couldn’t he?  Money has become all too important in our society.  There is an attitude of Amaking as much money as you can, and it doesn’t matter how you do it.@  There is credit card debt, which shows us how important it is to keep up with the Jones.  There is decreasing money for charities.  There is increased amounts being spent on gambling and the lottery.  People are so comfortable with gambling that they aren’t even embarrassed, when they say, AIf I hit the lottery, Pastor, I will give a portion to the church.@  (PAUSE)

So, Malachi’s words of warning to his people apply just as much to us.  You are dangerously close to the Awrong side@ of Judgment Day when money means that much to you!       

Second, their worship life was a shambles.  Again (Sound familiar for some?) 

Malachi then turned to the people’s worship life.  He challenged them about halfhearted worship, showing up only part of the time, and giving leftovers instead of their best to the Lord.  He could be speaking to us.  Sometimes we stay up too late on a Saturday night and barely get to church on time, or we’re too tired to pay attention.  It could be that we come with expectations of having things done just a certain way, and when that fails to happen we become upset.  Then, if those expectations aren’t met, we start complaining about what went wrong in the service instead of praising and thanking the Lord for the opportunity to be in worship.  Or we just go through the motions, not really singing or responding or even listening.  Perhaps the hold money has on us keeps us from giving generously, sacrificailly, cheerfully, right off the top.  Our offerings are scraps rather than deep expressions of love for our Lord.

Whatever happened to Aobedience?@

Isn’t that what parents expect of their children; not perfection.  Isn’t that what God expects of you also?  Obedience.

In the inter city mission church in the Kansas City area, the Lutheran pastor commented one time how different their service was; and it was Atraditional@ vires Acontemporary.@  It was the attitude with which the worshipers came.  They came to Agive@ and not to Aget.@  To give to God their thanks and praise.  To give to their God their allegiance and faithfulness.

What about us?  Do we come to get or give?  The one who comes to get will find fault with the worship.  I didn’t get it my way. 

However, the one who comes to give gets more than he or she expected.  God is like that.  The proud go away empty, but the humble receive once again that God loves Me.  They receive once again the assurance that all is well with my soul because God has taken all my sins away.  Yes, the humble get more than they bargain for.

So Malachi’s words of warning to his people apply just as much to us: You are dangerously close to the wrong side of Judgement Day when worship is treated so poorly.

- - - - - - - -

Malachi’s words make the heat from the furnace on the Last Day just too close for comfort.  And that’s the way it would be if he hadn’t mentioned two key figures@ Moses and Elijah.  There are other big, important days of the Lord besides Judgment Day.  The Transfiguration is one of them.

Jesus goes up on a high mountain.  Peter, James and John are with him. He is transformed right before their very eyes with dazzling, bright white light.  They fall to the ground in fear and amazement.  Then who appears but Elijah and Moses?  And Peter says,

Master (or Lord) it is good that we are here (Luke 9:33)

How right he is!

Jesus is brighter than the sun, brighter than a fiery hot furnance, but it’s good to be near Jesus.  It’s safe to be near Jesus.  He doesn’t burn the disciples to a crisp.  Instead, he brings them the the right side of Judgment Day.

How?  Watch as Jesus comes down that mountain and heads straight for another big, important day of the Lord, a judgment day like no other.  This day is called AGood Friday.@   On the cross, Jesus takes the judgment against us on himself.  Our wickedness, love for money, messed-up worship lives, rebellion, and arrogance become his, and Athe sun of righteousness@ gives us his righteousness.  It’s good for us that Jesus is there on that great and dreadful Day of the Lord.

Then comes another important Day.  Easter.  Jesus rises from the dead and his victory becomes ours!  His disciples, the women who come to the tomb, and Christians throughout all time can leap for joy.  Judgment Day, the Last Day, becomes our day of wholeness and health because on Easter Day Jesus is alive and whole, offering healing for all eternity.  It’s good to be near Jesus, because he makes Judgment Day safe for us, just as he kept his disciples safe during his Transfiguration when Elijah and Moses were there with them.