Christ Second Advent: Hell or Healing? Malachi 4:1-6

Populus Zion - Second Sunday In Advent                         5-December-21
Sermon Text: Malachi 4:1-6
Sermon Theme: “Christ Second Advent: Hell Or Healing?” By Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. The messenger shouted, “Fire! Fire!” The plains farmer scanned the horizon. At first he didn’t see anything except his golden crop waving in the brisk wind. The messenger insisted that fire was coming. Lightning ignited a field miles away over the hills and downwind of the farmer’s homestead. Now was the time to prepare. Make ready to face the fire. The farmer and his family quickly dowsed their barn and home with as much water as they could carry from the well. They tried to gather all their livestock into safety. Smoke was appearing on the horizon. Soon they could smell its burning. Then blinded by the smoke they retreated into their dampened shelter. The conflagration roared through their fields consuming their ripe crop. It roared through their homestead driven by fierce winds. The family emerged to snuff out any small flames licking at their farmstead blackened buildings. Instead of the golden fields of wheat, black is what they saw. It seemed all was lost, as the farmer walked out into the farm yard.
    Wild fires. Once plagued plain farmers from Kansas to Southern Minnesota. Often ignited by lightening they were devastating. Just as devastating as wild fires caused in our western states this past summer. Many false messengers preach fear of climate change. Certain man can save the earth by reducing the life gas of carbon dioxide. Other messengers preach pandemic fears and are certain that man can save himself through his own wisdom.
      The prophet Malachi, whose name means “Messenger”, preaches the truth - “Fire is coming! The Day of the Lord is coming! Judgment Day! King Jesus’ Second Advent when He returns visibly and in all His glory! The court will be seated and the books will be opened!” Listen to the last Messenger of the Old Testament: “Christ’s Second Advent: Hell or Healing?”
    The nation of Israel no longer existed. It was taken captive by the Assyrians in 722B.C. and exterminated. Judah didn’t listen to the prophets sent by the Lord calling her to turn from idolatry to the only true God. The Lord allowed the Babylonians to take them into captivity for 70 years in the land of modern Iraq/Iran. Still the Lord preached His Word through the prophet Ezekiel. He carried for them through godly government officials like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He preserved them through Mordecai, and queen Esther. Then the word Jeremiah had preached and recorded through the scribe Baruch was fulfilled. A small number, a remnant, of the people of Judah returned to the land of Judah. They rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem guided by Nehemiah. The rebuilt the Temple and began sacrificing only to the Lord God under the leadership of Ezra. Those old enough to remember Solomon’s once grand temple weep. Their temple is simple and not ornate. The post exilic prophets preach that the true beauty of the temple is the Lord’s Word and honoring Him with the best offerings. It was 430B.C., Malachi preaches calling the people to repent. Turn away from robbing God by giving Him the left overs and lame of your flocks for offerings. Turn away from covering the altar with tears as you break the covenant with the wife of your youth through divorce. He even calls the priests to turn away from their apathy and teach the people God’s Law and Promise. After Malachi preaches and his word is recorded - no prophet will be sent by God for another 400 years. They will rely on God’s written Word - the Old Testament - to guide and sustain them while they wait for the Messiah.
      Malachi’s last words call us to prepare for the Lord’s Advent! (Vs.1) The Lord’s second Advent will melt all the elements in the conflagration of that day. A fire burning in an oven is intense like the blast furnaces at steel mills. The fire of judgment day will consume all the proud. The fools who inwardly deny God’s existence. Proud of their own inner light that they rejected Jesus the only Light of the world. Proud of their own goodness they didn’t need cross won forgiveness. Proud of their sin - they boasted of their rebellion against God’s Ten Commandments - calling it a right. They did wickedly. Rebelled against authority. Murdered the helpless from the unborn to the elderly. Perverted God’s good gift of sex and marriage. Stole to lay their treasures up on earth. Destroyed others reputations with hateful words. Never been satisfied with what they owned or what they did - always lusting for what the Lord gave to others to be happy.
        The day of the Lord will be hell for all proud wicked unbelievers who reject Christ Jesus as the real Savior for real sinners - like us. Four centuries after Malachi another messenger would echo his word. John the Baptist preached in the wilderness calling the proud Pharisees the spawn of serpents - children of the devil- warning them that the Messiah is coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Tuesday of Holy Week Jesus warns us to prepare for His Second Advent. On that day heaven and earth will pass away. Are you ready for the fire of that day? Do you have fire insurance - the one thing that will not pass away? Listen to King Jesus, Luke 21:33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
        Do not fear dear Christian! Those who do not know the true God who has become our blood Brother Jesus. In Jesus God the almighty Creator is our Emmanuel - God by our side with us sympathizing with us as our brother. Savior in all our trials.
      The farmer walked through the burnt fields. He kicked what he thought was a clump of burnt crop. Little chicks peeped and ran out from under it. It wasn’t a burnt clump of dirt - it was the mother hen. She had faced the fire calling her chicks under her wings for shelter. She willingly sacrificed herself for the sake of her offspring. (Vs.2-3) The Creator - King Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for you. He shouldered your sin through out His entire life. He carried your guilt to the cross. He faced God’s fiery just wrath in your place on Calvary. He endured the fires of hell being forsaken in the darkness for you. He finished it all for you. Reconciled us sinners to our Holy God and Father, then laid down His life into our death and grave to rescue us forever by His resurrection.
      Fear His Name! Jesus is the Name above all other Names. Salvation is only found in His Name. Our help is found in the Name of the Lord - who made heaven and earth - the name of Christ Jesus - King of Creation - our beautiful Savior.
      He is the Sun of Righteousness. He shines forth covering our sinful life with His perfect life and keeping of God’s Law fully as a human being. He clothes you with His righteousness baptizing you with water and His eternal Word. He covers you from the fires of judgment day with His enduring Word of absolution. He quenches your thirst and hunger for righteousness with His enduring Word - “given and shed for you - to take away your sins.” His wings are spread above you as you stand beneath the cross of the Crucified - beneath His out stretched arms nailed to the tree to save you.
    Now He shepherds you - feeding you within the Holy Ark of His Church. Fattening you up with forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation at the feeding trough of His Word and gifts in baptism, absolution, and the Lord’s Supper. Healed by His wounds and preserved by His Holy Spirit through His Word of hope - Christ’s Second Advent will be a day of healing. Freed from all sins and the last enemy death destroyed - you shall leap like a spring calf - on the verdant pastures of a new heaven and new earth where only righteousness dwells and sin, wickedness, and death are destroyed into dust and ashes. You have His Word on it - It is His work to save and heal sinners.
    King Jesus calls, “Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." He repeats the Word He preached through Malachi,(Vs.4) Watch - look honestly into the mirror of God’s Holy Ten Commandments and be honest that you have sinned. Learn from Moses to confess the faith - “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One!” Teach it to your children. Let the Lord bless you by placing His Name upon you daily through His Word. Look only to God’s mercy in Christ Jesus. Learn from Moses - for he testifies of Jesus!
    Listen! (Vs. 5-6) Elijah came - John the Baptizer calling sinners to repent - turn away from sin and their own imagined holiness. Calling us all to look to Jesus. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He echos the words of Isaiah, “Daughter of Zion, behold, surely your salvation is coming!” He is King Jesus.
      Moses and Elijah stood with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus’ divine nature shone through His skin. Salvation had come. God took on our skin not to destroy us in hell, but to rescue sinners through His cross. Moses and Elijah speak of Jesus’ exodus - His crucifixion - which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem by sacrifice. God the Father spoke from heaven, “"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"(Matt. 17:5).   Listen to His Word prepare to meet your God by hearing His Word daily. Read it out loud to your family. Pray it. Meditate on it. Cling to this treasure that will stand even after this creation is consumed in fiery judgment. Repent and let God the Holy Spirit turn your hearts to your children and to your parents - to rejoice to speak Christ’s Word to each other - correcting, rebuking, equipping, forgiving, building each other up in Christ Jesus. Instead of fear - live by Holy Spirit Holy Bible breathed faith in Christ Jesus. His sacrifice and resurrection victory have reconciled you to your True God and Father.
      “Fire!” “Fire!” Do not fear! Christ has fire proofed you with water and His Word. You are baptized into Christ. Forgiven, rescued from death and the devil, given eternal salvation as you stand under the wings of the Crucified upon the Cross! Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Revelation 22:20-21 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.