Necessary Roughness

Sunday morning I got a rare opportunity to take sermon notes at my own church, Prince of Peace in Columbus, OH. I had forgotten to take into account our pastor’s flowing delivery, which caused me to leave out some good content. I should have taken paper because I couldn’t type fast enough on the Palm’s virtual keyboard. Looking at my notes, I recall that more Gospel was probably said in the first paragraph and the last paragraph than I was able to capture.

Sermon text: Malachi 3:1-5

Malachi prophesies the forerunner to Christ, John the Baptist. In Matthew 11, Christ verifies this Himself. The Good News is that all of the prophesies of the Old Testament came true, including the prophesied death and resurrection of Christ. All of that happened 2000 years ago. Our Christian faith is not just about what happened then, but what is happening now. Today on Rally Day, we rally around Christ who still comes to us today. He reaches out to us, which is more than enough reason to keep coming to Him.

Malachi also calls our attention to the judgment. Much is made of Jesus’s forgiveness and charity, but Jesus not only forgives, He judges. In John 2:13-15, Jesus makes a whip of cords and drove the money changers out of the temple, as well as their sheep, pigeons, and oxen. In Matthew 5:27-28, he condemns adultery even in the mind. In Matthew 23, he states that the pharisees didn’t practice what they preached (v. 2-3). In verse 27 he compares them to whitewashed tombs, “which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanliness.”

In Matthew 16:24, Jesus tells us to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Some people believe a myth of easy grace. This myth is destructive of true discipleship. We need to repent our sins and leave them at the cross. Malachi emphasizes that the Lord will purify us. In a common illustration, when the silversmith does his work, he melts the ore and watches it, taking care to melt the impurities away while not ruining the silver. The refiner knows he is done when the silver reflects his own visage. In our earthly lives we are refined in the fire, and God ensures that the tests we face do not destroy us. After our smelting is complete, we will once again be in His image.

This afternoon there is a community picnic sponsored by Peace Lutheran and Penial Lutheran, a Lutheran Ethiopian mission. Some of these people have felt the heat of a refiner’s fire. One person has been away from his wife and children for 13 months, and this tests his conscience because he takes his responsibility as a head of household seriously. Despite not having a job and missing his family, he said that that he has hope. The only thing that doesn’t change is that God is good.

Long ago Malachi said the Lord comes to his temple. He will enable you to reflect His glory. After our final refinement, our offerings will be pleasing to the Lord, and He will draw us to him.

We didn’t get to go to the picnic; I had to pack and fly.