Ø Most People Think Malachi Chapter 3 Only Refers to Money!

[Outline for Overhead] God The Purifier

Malachi 3:1-3 (NKJV) 1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. 2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

Introduction:

 Most people think Malachi chapter 3 only refers to money!

Malachi 3:8-10 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

 Actually, a greater more necessary truth is revealed in Malachi chapter

1. We Purify Many Things Today.

A. Purify = Cleanse, disinfect, sanitize, clean, get rid of impurities…

B. We purify / clean just about everything…

C. We spend a lot of money on cleaning and purifying:

2. Jesus Said Many Purify The Wrong Things Spiritually.

A. Jesus said many spend too much time purifying the “outside things” but do not purify the inside:

Matthew 23:25-28 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Page 2 [Outline for Overhead]

B. Spiritually, if we purify the inside the outside will take care of itself!

3. Malachi Gave Us The Same Message.

A. Malachi spoke of God as the Purifier:

Malachi 3:2(b)-3(a) …He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver….

B. God is like the “refiners fire and the launderers soap”

C. Malachi describes God as one who “sits as a refiner and a purifier of silver.”

D. God, as our purifier, constantly watches over us during the purifying process!

E. Malachi says the offering will take care of itself when purifying has been completed:

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

Conclusion:

1) We need to be purified and refined today!

2) Silver can be purified and refined over and over!

3) Article that inspired this message:

4) Can God see Himself in You?

The next pages include all my notes that I will use while preaching….. God The Purifier Malachi 3:1-3

Malachi 3:1-3 (NKJV) 1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the Lord of hosts. 2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

Introduction:

 When most people hear a preacher mention Malachi chapter 3 they are certain they are going to hear a message about tithes and offerings:

Malachi 3:8-10 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the Lord of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

 Actually, a greater more necessary truth is revealed in Malachi chapter 3

 This truth is revealed in the first three verses – our text today:

1. We Purify Many Things Today.

A. Purify = Cleanse, disinfect, sanitize, clean, get rid of impurities…

B. We purify our food, our hands, our bodies, our clothes, our homes, our cars, our phones, door knobs - we’ll clean anything that needs it…. Page 2

C. We spend a lot of money on cleaning and purifying:

a) Soap and detergents b) disinfectants and sanitizers c) Many even pay to have housekeepers, cleaning services, etc.

D. We do a lot to “purify” the things in our life.

2. Jesus Said Many Purify The Wrong Things Spiritually.

A. Jesus said many spend too much time purifying the “outside things” but do not purify the inside:

Matthew 23:25-28 (NKJV) 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

B. Spiritually, if we purify the inside the outside will take care of itself!

3. Malachi Gave Us The Same Message.

A. Malachi spoke of God as the Purifier: Malachi 3:2(b)-3(a) …He is like a refiner's fire And like launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver….

B. God is like the “refiners fire and the launderers soap”

1) We understand the “launderers soap” - we are always washing!

2) But what about the “refiners fire”

C. Malachi describes God as one who “sits as a refiner and a purifier of silver.”

D. A Silversmith is diligent in the refining process:

 The silver must be held in the center of the fire where the flames are the hottest so the impurities will be burned away.

 The silversmith has to constantly sit and watch the silver the entire time it is in the fire.

 If the silver is left in the fire too long and gets too hot, the silver will be destroyed.

E. God, as our purifier, constantly watches over us during the purifying process!

F. Malachi says the offering will take care of itself when purifying has been completed:

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness. Page 4 Conclusion:

1) We need to be purified and refined today!

2) Silver can be purified and refined over and over!

3) Article that inspired this message:

 A woman visited a silversmith

 She was told that the silver must be held in the hottest part of the fire,

 She was told that the silver had to be watched constantly,

 She was told that if the silver was overheated it would be dedtroyed,

 Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?

 The silversmith responded, “That’s easy, when I see my image in it!”