Sermon(Mal 4:1-3): The final victory of the righteous

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025251237

 

 

>> 1 For behold, the day comes, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall. 3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts. (Mal 4:1-3) <<

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If you've played with fire, you'll understand what I'm saying. If you want to enjoy a magnificent fire-play, you must have a lot of wood and a proper wind. When I was a kid, burning the terraces of the rice fields was so fun that I was unaware of the passage of time. Today, after threshing the rice on the fields, people burn the straw, the byproduct of the harvest, for they are useless. They are useless, so must be burnt to be manure. The text is in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. The prophet Malachi saw how the stubbles were burnt after the harvest in the fields, and thought that the wicked would be treated like the stubbles. Now, the place where the plants used to be becomes a good playground. And the cows that have been in the stall are released and run around the fields covered with ashes. So the prophet Malachi thinks, 'Oh! That's it! If people release the cows into the field while plants are growing there, they will eat them off, so they must be shut up in the stall for a while, and be released after the harvest into the fields where they can wander freely. Like this, righteous men now live under behavioral restrictions for some reasons or other, and they will be completely freed and trample on the wicked after God has wiped out all the sinners and the wicked.'

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My brethren, I think the prophet Malachi has found a very suitable parable. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, and Malachi, at the last part of the book of Malachi, says that the wicked will be burnt like the stubble to be ashes and to be trodden down by the righteous. He describes the grand finale very well with a very appropriate parable.

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First, let's think about the prophet Malachi's estimation of the wicked. He says the wicked are like the stubbles. The opposite of the stubble is the grain. The part of the stubble of the plant has the value of existence only until the grain is harvested, but is completely worthless after the harvest. It helps the ears ripen. Brethren, the same holds for the wicked. God allows the worthless wicked men to live until the last judgment for they are useful for some purpose. God uses them to train the righteous who were elected to the eternal life and to make their faith strong. The wicked persecute the righteous, but the righteous keep their faith under such persecution and clearly show their true love for God. The wicked torment the righteous with falsehood and violence, but the righteous become the messengers of truth and peace, revealing the glory of God and showing people that they are really children of God. The longer the wicked people disturb in the world, the maturer the faith of the righteous becomes. But time is never on the wicked people's side, because the lord of the world is the God who created the world. God will punish the wicked with fire. He will commit them to the flames for they are of little worth like the stubbles after the harvest.

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My brethren, how arrogant are the wicked in the world? But the time will surely come when their pride will be broken. It is the day of the final judgment. A man of billion dollars, a man of Harvard Ph.D., a man of charities, even a popular entertainer, all of them must fold the splendid wings of pride and humbly become ashes then. A woman must become a handful of ashes after death however pretty she may be! The day will certainly come when all the successful people in the world who didn't accept Jesus the Savior of all mankind as their Lord will have to become a handful of ashes. God announces to those who have lived haughtily, not relying on the works of Jesus but on their wisdom, money and beauty: "You are stubbles!" In fact, even before the last judgment of fire, we can see indeed how empty our secular wealth, wisdom and appearance are. Look at the men of 80 or 90 years old. They might be quite famous persons when young, but they are not now. Haven't their valuable things that they had when young become ashes already? A man has lived like stubbles who used talents God gave him not for God but for himself, using them as a means to support his pride, when young. He has lived a worthless life. God will burn all haughty stubbles of this kind.

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The prophet says to the proud men that the day like a fierce fire of oven (furnace) will come to them. The fire of furnace is kept by artificial wind. It is very hot. The wicked people like stubbles will be burnt in that fire. leaving only some ashes. The fire is so hot that it will burn even root and branch of the plants. Of course, not the roots in the soil but the roots that were plucked up and withered up together with branches. This shows well how great the wrath of God will be. My brethren, Jesus also said that the wicked would be tormented by the eternal flames in the hell forever. Please turn around from evil to the way of life. Eat the fruits of the tree of life by the river of the water of life and enjoy the eternal life. God who created the world promised to give eternal life to whoever believes in Jesus as the Savior. Throw away your proud heart and come with humble and repentant heart to the God your Creator. He will accept you with open arms. From now on, stop the way of life that depends on the evil, begin the life of goodness and righteousness that depends on the help of God who is omnipotent and merciful. Even a lot of people, who are much less talented than you, believe in Jesus, do many good works, and become good grains, and will live happily in the heaven forever.

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The prophet Malachi says what will happen to the righteous when the wicked are burnt like stubbles. The prophet first says that those who fear the name of God are the righteous. Yes! The wicked do not respect the name of God. An evil man is he who despises his parents; the evilest man of all evil men is he who does not respect the God who created the whole world. God loves and cares for those who fear his name. Of course he does! How does God bless the righteous? God gives them the sun of righteousness that shines healing lights on them to cure their wounds the wicked have inflicted on them. Brethren, have you been much hurt by the wicked? Fear the name of the Lord, and he will completely cure your injuries. Why is it the sun of righteousness? Perhaps its name is the sun of righteousness because it shines the light of God that will expel the power of the unrighteous darkness at once. My brethren, why are the children of God hurt so much? It is because the world is occupied by injustice and darkness. When the sun of righteousness rises and rules the world, all the wounds of the world shall be completely cured at once. The unrighteous powers of darkness become the servants of Devil and persecute the righteous for a while. But Jesus, the righteous sun coming from God, will drive out all the unjust forces of darkness, teach about righteousness and injustice, and call the righteous the righteous, the wicked the wicked. Yes, my brethren! There are many people who have lived righteously but been stigmatized as sinners by artifice of the wicked. Your honor will be restored by the righteous Lord Jesus Christ. An unfair dishonor is a sore wound. The restoration of honor is indeed a recovery of deep injuries. When a righteous man lives in the evil world, he sometimes sins against his will. It is a wound, too. But Jesus, the righteous Lord, puts the garment of his righteousness on us and heals our iniquities forever. Even today, if we look at Jesus Christ, the righteous sun, all our injuries we've received from the wicked will be wholly healed. Those who look at Jesus obtain the panacea, that is, >faith< that enables them to overcome all the sufferings the wicked gave them. Therefore we have already been healed of all illness and wounds by faith! Although it looks like >not yet complete recovery< now.

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My brethren, our Lord Jesus Christ acknowledges us as the righteous, then what more can we hope? Seeing Jesus, we can overcome poverty. We can even rejoice in the poverty if we think Jesus gave it to us for our own good. Considered in Jesus, our illness makes us glad. Even though others misunderstood us and our honor was impaired, Jesus knows our heart. Don't worry too much. Although we suffer thanks to the evils and the sins of the world, we can, if only we look at Jesus our Lord then, understand that all our life is in his plan and can be confident that we'll defeat the evils and the sins in the end. Brethren, if only we look at the righteous sun Jesus Christ, if only we receive his light of truth and righteousness, we will immediately be healed of all diseases of flesh and spirit. Sometimes people feel it like a disease not to have something that naturally must be given. It is a pain that you have only one arm, or are blind or deaf. But Jesus Christ himself will make up for your deficiencies. He will fill you with his comfort, love and special power, and will command his people to bear your burden. Jesus says to you, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Mt 11:28)" When you weep because you lack something very important, look at Jesus, and he will bring it to you immediately.

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The prophet says that the righteous who fear the name of God will tread on the wicked, that the wicked will be like ashes under feet on the day of the judgment of God. Some wicked men actually trample on the righteous in the world. Some wicked men even trample on other wicked men. But my brethren, God-fearing righteous men, be patient a little. God promises that he will make those who have harassed you ashes on the ground. It is God's promise. It is the promise of the mighty God. once the gospel has been preached to the ends of the world, Jesus will come again and judge the world. The wicked people together with the Devil will suffer eternally in the hell, while you will enjoy the eternal rest, happiness and joy in the heaven, a place that is far higher than the hell. Seen from the heaven, the hell is a very low place below the feet. Even while you are living in the world, God will strike the wicked and make them your servants if you endure their wicked deeds just for a while. Darkness is never stronger than light. My brethren, the evil can never beat the good. The wicked people not only kill each other and fall into decline but also can never oppose the good. Let's say there are two groups of equal number. The members of one are all wicked while those of the other are all good. The wicked people lose all their power while killing each other, but the good people get stronger while encouraging each other. So Soviet Union disappeared while the United States remains until now, because there were good people in the U.S. more than in the Soviet Union. Above all, the victory of the good people is forever certain as the mighty God opposes the wicked and takes care of the good people. All the wicked are the footstool of Jesus. >The Lord (God the Father) says to my lord (Jesus): "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. (Ps 110:1)"< The day will come when we also, disciples of Jesus, will make our enemies our footstool.

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I've lived in the country before and seen a calf leaping happily. My brethren who fear the God! You will finally be like that. You will be free from all sickness and suffering, and live forever with God, in good health and perfect freedom. Now you must live in obedience to God and therefore once in a while you have to be trodden by the wicked for they torment you illegally. But my brethren, be patient just a little. You will leap like calves for joy if you live like Jesus now in the world, with patience and unshaken faith. Then the wicked will be judged throughly and trampled under your feet. You will be the final winner, because you love Jesus and Jesus loves you, and because Jesus has already won the eternal victory over the world.

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May you humbly live a life of reverence for the Lord, beat all the wicked in Jesus, and live the life of the eventual winner. May Jesus, the righteous sun, cure all your wounds and diseases, and make you like healthy calves leaping for joy.

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Chong Tack Kim

                                    - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -

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