Malachi 3:16
The sermon emphasizes the two classes of people, those who serve God and those who do not, and the results of serving God, including being acknowledged by Him, spared from judgment, and receiving the sun of Righteousness.
Chuck Smith emphasizes the distinction between two classes of people as outlined in Malachi 3:16: those who serve God and those who do not. He discusses the characteristics of God's servants, including their reverence for God, their conversations centered around Him, and their thoughts on His name. Smith highlights the results of serving God, such as being acknowledged by Him and spared from judgment. Ultimately, he challenges the congregation to reflect on which class they belong to and their desire to serve God wholeheartedly.
Text
"GOD'S JEWELS"
"THE SERVANT OF THE LORD"
Doctor, Lawyer, merchant, chief, rich man, etc.
So man makes his classification. God makes only 2.
I. THE TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE VS. 18.
A. "HIM THAT SERVETH GOD."
B. "HIM THAT SERVETH HIM NOT." - VS. 18.
C. NOT difficult for you to tell where you are in this rating.
1. You know whether you are serving Him or not.
2. "No man can serve two masters."
a. Quite often we try.
b. Just enough righteousness to pass a grade "D"
in righteousness.
c. I'll faithful give God an hour every Sunday
morning, providing something else doesn't come
up.
d. The rest of the week I do my own thing.
II. THE MARKS OF GOD'S SERVANT.
A. "They that feared the Lord" vs. 16.
1. What is meant by fear?
a. Different types of fear, phobias.
b. Reverence, awe.
1. I am awed by power.
a. When I watch those rockets
blast off.
b. When I think of power it must
have taken to put Beltaquese in
orbit super awed.
c. Most every time an angel appeared to a man he
said, "fear not."
1. The type of fear that makes you want to
run and hide.
2. The type that makes you want to stay
and worship.
B. "Spake often one to another," vs. 16.
1. Talking about the Lord.
2. These glorious sessions where Christ is the theme.
a. Some question why honor Jesus all the time,
what about God?
1. Jesus is God.
2. The scripture says John 5:23 "That all
man should honor the Father, for he
who ..."
3. The Lord is not an occasional theme creating
embarrassment. "Spake often."
C. "That thought upon His name," vs. 16.
1. "The name of Jesus."
a. Wherefore God hath highly exhalted...
b. Jehovah is salvation.
2. The power of the name of Jesus.
a. Lame been made to walk, blind to see, dead
brought back to life and devils flee.
b. Power to cleanse you from all your sins.
c. Power to bring you access to the Father.
III. THE RESULTS OF SERVING GOD.
A. VS. 17 God shall acknowledge us as His. "They shall be Mine."
B. God shall spare them vs. 17.
1. From the burning torment that is to come 4:1.
2. From the judgment which is to fall upon the wicked.
C. "The sun of Righteousness shall appear."
1. Unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second
time.
2. "For our citizenship is heaven..."
Two classes: Righteous, wicked.
Those that serve God, those that don't.
Which class are you?
In which class do you desire to be?
Sermon Outline
- The Two Classes of People
- The Marks of God's Servant
- The Results of Serving God
- God shall acknowledge us as His
- God shall spare them
- The sun of Righteousness shall appear
Key Quotes
“No man can serve two masters.” — Chuck Smith
“The type of fear that makes you want to stay and worship.” — Chuck Smith
“The power to cleanse you from all your sins, bring you access to the Father, and bring you the sun of Righteousness.” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- You can tell where you are in the rating of serving God by whether you are serving Him or not.
- Serving God means being faithful to Him every day, not just on Sundays.
- The power of the name of Jesus is to cleanse us from all our sins, bring us access to the Father, and bring us the sun of Righteousness.