Is There Any Gain in Godliness?

Morning everyone, lovely to see you.

Let me tell you about two people who've been, I've been reading about this week.

Ready for these? Two people I've been reading about this week. Here's the first man.

His name is Darren Brown.

Okay, if you've not heard of him, he is, and there's a wee Wikipedia quote up there about him.

He's one of the world's top illusionists.

And I never knew this about this man before. I've heard lots about him living in the UK.

But I never knew he was actually a Christian by his own admission in his teens.

But as life went on, and he got more and more into magic and more into tricks,

and he began to understand that he was really good at it,

he began to see how easily people can be duped into believing next to anything.

And so what happened in his mind is that the resurrection of Jesus,

which is the centre point of the Christian faith,

slid into that category of things that people can easily believe,

but cannot be proved to be right.

So in his mind, the resurrection of Jesus becomes just like that.

And so today, not only is he openly sceptical about the Christian faith,

but he's worth a reported $7.5 million.

So this is the first guy I was reading about this week.

Darren Brown. Here's the second person.

Kate Forbes.

I think you can say this week.

She has been the cat among the political pigeons, hasn't she?

And we've watched as she's unashamedly nailed her Christian convictions to the mast.

And I don't know about you,

but as I've watched the flack that she has been prepared to take this week

because of those things,

I have been greatly challenged and emboldened

in terms of my own witness to the risen Lord Jesus.

And we stand with her, don't we,

on the things that she believes and that she's standing for.

But what are people saying about her?

You read the political commentators who are on Twitter

and different social media things this week.

What are they saying to her?

Kate, you can believe whatever you want.

Okay?

Believe whatever you want.

But please just don't share what you believe.

Because if you did that, Kate,

you would be an absolute shoo-in

for the biggest job in our country.

But to quote another famous lady from British politics,

this lady is not for turning.

So here's the thing.

I have witnessed these two people this week,

read about them this week.

And you have to say that one of them

has turned their back on the Christian faith,

has moved on in their own mind from God

and has gone up.

And the other is sticking to her guns

about what she believes about the gospel

and the Christian faith.

And in the eyes of the world,

she's gone down.

And so my heart has watched

and read about both of those individuals this week.

And here's the question that I've asked myself.

Is it really worth it following Jesus?

You ever asked that question?

You've been there.

Is it worth it?

Or here's the question,

put it another way for this morning.

Is there any gain in godliness?

You see, that's where many in Malachi's generation are at.

If you come with me to the text here's verse 14.

What are they saying to themselves?

They are saying,

it is vain to serve the Lord.

Do you see that?

It is vain to serve the Lord.

Verse 15,

not only do evildoers prosper,

but they put God to the test

and they escape.

So God, you don't do anything.

You don't make any distinction

between the people of God

and the peoples of the world right now.

And so they're beginning to think to themselves,

it's not worth it.

It's like that slogan

that some of you might remember

that the atheist bus campaign,

way back in 2008,

that it was doing the rounds in London

on the sides of buses.

The slogan read,

there's probably no God.

Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

Does your heart wonder if they're right?

Is it worth it?

Following Jesus in our world today.

You know, I bought our kids this week.

I bought them a Where's Wally book.

All right, big Where's Wally fans in our house.

Except this one,

when it popped up on Amazon,

I bought it because we got the collection,

but we didn't have this one.

This one is a Spot the Difference edition.

Okay, we've had great fun this week,

but do you know what the kids keep saying?

The line from their mouths,

the line is,

Daddy, we don't see any differences.

We just don't see them.

Are there any differences?

So often what our hearts say

as we look

at the world around us

and the people,

our friends,

how they're living their lives.

Is there any difference?

Is Christianity like a bounty

in a box of celebrations?

Some people like it.

Some people hate it.

But don't worry

because there's other chocolate

that you can choose

from according to your taste.

Is there a difference?

difference?

That is what my heart

has been asking this week.

But this is what my God

has been saying to me this week.

Verse 18.

And to this generation,

he says,

you will see again

the distinction

between the righteous

and the wicked,

between those who serve God

and those who do not.

So in the eyes of the Lord,

there is a difference.

And if you are here

and you wouldn't call yourself

a believer,

a follower of Jesus,

I love that you are here.

You are so,

so welcome.

Can I just say

for you to hang around

just for 20 or so minutes

as we go through this,

there is sobering

and there's stunning truth

for you

in this passage today.

And the invitation

I make to you

is to come

and enter

and explore

explore

the Christian story.

And can I just say

it is a story

that might well resonate

with you

and where you're at

way more than you think it will.

As you get to know

who the God of the Bible is,

the God in whose image

you are made.

And if you are here

and you are weary

and you're tired

and you're struggling,

tired as you slog on

in the bog of life

in your Christian faith,

weighed down by worries

and concerns

about what tomorrow

might hold,

so much so

that tomorrow morning

seems like a burdensome

thought to you.

If you are struggling

physically today,

then there is wonderful strength

to be found

in God's

word

today.

And that's why

I want you to listen

to what this is saying

because it's beautiful.

It is stunning.

It is

sobering.

But as we take

in the word

of the Lord

today,

I pray

that we will be

greatly strengthened.

Now here are just

two

takeaways

from this passage

today.

You up for it?

Here's number one.

God sees the difference.

Okay,

he sees the difference

in this day.

Now if you come with me

to the text,

you see

that while there is

a group of people

in Israel

who,

verses 13 to 15,

are set

on leaving God

behind,

right?

They've concluded

it is vain

to serve the Lord.

And just notice

in the description

there that they've

turned the scales

in terms of deciding

what is right

and wrong.

And they've gone

hard against

the Lord

with their words.

Okay,

this is one group.

But,

wonderfully,

there is another

group that we read

about from

verse 16.

And it's hard

to tell whether

this group have

responded to what

Malachi's been saying

or whether they've

just been there

the whole time.

But whatever it is,

they come at this

point in the book

and it's marvellous

because if one group

are marked by doubt,

this group are

marked by faith.

Do you see?

They're marked by faith.

Now,

can we just do a little

bit of work

on that word

for a second?

Because it's been

trending this week

if you've been

following it.

One article I read

in the BBC this week

read,

the perils of mixing

politics and faith.

Clearly,

the whole point

of the article

was they're like

oil and water,

don't mix,

okay?

Can I chuck out

to you a radical

thought on this

Sunday morning?

Particularly if you

are here and you

would not call

yourself a Christian,

if we are defining

that word faith

as truth and values

which we believe,

that which we are

trusting in,

and that which

shape our lives,

then we,

every single human

being,

has faith.

An alternative

heading to that

article,

and I tweeted it

this week,

should be something

like this.

Every human being

has a world

through which

they see the world,

understand themselves,

others,

and by which

they live.

Let's have a loving

discussion as to

what yours is

and why.

We all have ways

of understanding

the world.

All have ways

of understanding

the world.

This group

have faith.

Faith in what

is the question.

Faith in,

and you see it's

wrapped up in that

word fear.

So this group

have faith.

They fear

the Lord.

And what that

word means

is that their

eyes have been

drawn to

magnetically

this God

of blazing

holiness

and

compelling

beauty.

A fear

that doesn't

cause us

to run away

and hide.

It's a fear

that magnetically

draws us into

delight.

This is who

this God is.

And like the

earth's relationship

to the sun,

when we

understand that,

our lives

begin to

orbit around

him.

Trusting what

he says is

true.

Longing what

Gary was saying

right at the

start in our

opening worship.

Longing to

know him

more.

Obeying what

he says is

right.

And what are

this group

doing?

I love this.

What are they

doing?

They're speaking

with one another.

Do you see

that?

Is that not

wonderfully and

beautifully and

profoundly simple?

They're just

nattering.

Right?

I'd love to

have been

getting Amazon

all or nothing

fly-in-the-wall

documentary about

those conversations,

would you not,

at this time?

I'd love to know

what they're saying.

I'd love to know

what they were

saying.

Tantalizingly,

we're not told.

But I wonder

if it resembled

much of what

we're kind of

doing today.

Right?

Saying to

one another,

do you remember

who the Lord

is?

Remember who

he is?

Do you remember

what he did

in the past?

Do you remember

that this God

has a track

record of

delivering on

his promises?

Do you remember

how this God

promised that

he was taking

us somewhere?

That our story,

because it's

wrapped up in

him, is going

somewhere?

Do you remember

how this God

promised that

he would bring

us back out

of exile?

And he did.

And what did

the Lord do?

They spoke to

one another.

What did he do?

And this ties

into what Florence

was saying there

at the start as

well.

What did this God

do?

He paid attention.

Do you see?

He heard.

And I hope that

greatly encourages

all of us this

morning,

corporately,

personally,

in our prayer

lives,

that this God

hears.

And get this,

a book of

remembrance was

written before

him.

The names of

every single

person of faith,

it's almost as

like it was

right before his

eyes,

written in a

book.

This is not

like when you

order a drink at

Starbucks,

right, and they

write your name

on the side of

the cup,

trying to give

you the impression

that they know

you.

I've heard some

weird and wonderful

spellings of

Graham over the

years, let me

tell you.

My favorite was

G-R-I-M.

Leave that with

you.

But this is not

what's going on

here.

Do you see how

this God

intimately and

personally and

fully knows his

people?

Do you see it in

the text?

Do you see what

God calls them?

He says they are

mine.

And what does

he say they'll

be on that

day?

This is the

day when Jesus

Christ returns.

That we'll come

to in a minute.

They are my

treasured possession.

And we've got to

take in the

language here.

Take in every

word.

There's a reason

that this has been

preserved.

God in his

sovereignty has

allowed this book

to be in our

language at this

time.

So we need to

take in what

he's saying.

God says they

are my treasured

possession.

It's what we used

to do as children,

isn't it?

I remember

Grace when I took

her to school the

other day.

One of her

friends came and

just brought out of

her pocket all

these shells that

she collected on

the beach as she

walked with her

mum and dad during

half term.

She's all bringing

them in.

Bringing them in

for show and

tell.

These are mine.

My precious.

And that's what

God is saying

here.

My people.

And don't miss

God's affection

for and his

commitment to

his people.

And his

declaration that

in a day when

many question

whether there

is a difference,

God says there

is.

And I see it.

And God says,

do you notice

here once more

I will show

it.

That's at verse

18.

Which makes you

ask, doesn't it,

as you read that

through, when has

he done it before?

And the answer

you'll find in the

book of Exodus,

the second book in

the Bible, chapter

nine, during the

plagues that God

sent on the

Egyptians to

convince Pharaoh

to let his people

go.

To let his people

out of slavery

that they might

go into the

desert and do

what?

Worship the

Lord.

It's always the

way salvation

works.

Not just save

to wander

aimlessly.

saved with a

purpose that we

might live for

Yahweh, live for

Jesus.

In chapter nine,

we get those

plagues, and it's

during the fifth

plague that this

same word comes

up.

As a plague

comes on the

Egyptian livestock,

and yet it

doesn't come on

God's people's

livestock.

God's saying,

I'm making a

distinction between

the Egyptians

and my people,

and not one of

the livestock of

God's people

dies.

And yet that is

but a warm-up

act for the

ultimate distinction

that God makes in

that scene in

Egypt.

As God tells his

people to take the

blood of a slain

lamb and put it

above their

doorposts, and

when the destroyer

comes, God almost

will stand in that

doorway and say,

no, they are

mine.

And he will not

kill the firstborn

of the family.

And there's an

outcry.

There's a great

mourning in Egypt

the next day as

this happens.

But the blood of

the lamb is the

thing that saves

God's people.

Park that for

where we're ending

this.

You can be

surprised, okay?

It's the blood

that stands in the

way.

It's the blood

that makes a

distinction between

God's people and

the peoples of

the world.

Just as he did

then, God is

saying to this

generation, remember

pre-Jesus, that

on that day, God

will make a

distinction once

again.

And God would

say to his

people, I see the

difference in this

day.

I see it.

And secondly, he

wants them to know

that he will make

the difference on

that day.

And that's the

phrase that comes

to the fore.

Just as we enter

chapter 4, and

God is talking

about that day

when he will deal

decisively with

all that is evil

in the world.

And he will deal

with all those who

have not, and take

the language from

verse 18, between

those who have

served them and

those who have not

served him.

the day that

will reveal this

God's settled

opposition as the

three times holy

God to all that

is unholy in

this world.

Because if God

didn't, he would

be compromising on

his character.

He cannot do one

without the other.

There cannot be

liberation for his

people without

judgment on the

world.

This is the day

when the God of

light will overcome

and decisively

banish the

darkness.

I think it's

something that we

intuitively know

as human beings.

Can I just say,

I think it's, you

see that because

it's reflected in

the best love

stories that our

culture tells.

Because Aslan, if

he's going to bring

the fullness of

his kingdom, there's

going to be peace,

if there's going to

be life, then the

white witch must

be banished.

She can't still

be wandering

around.

Sauron must be

defeated if there's

to be peace on

Middle Earth.

All evil will be

judged.

It will be judged

as this God makes

every wrong right.

It's why our

culture's desire for

justice, if you've

noticed that,

justice is right.

It is right and

it's there because we

are made in God's

image.

But if a perfectly

holy God is to

judge human sin,

then every single

one of us falls

short of his

glory.

And every single

one of us will

have to answer to

him as to how

we've lived and as

to how we've

responded to Jesus

on that day.

And it's to the

risen Jesus, I

take it he's the

one of whom this

Elijah figure at the

end, who is John

the Baptist as we

come to the New

Testament, has come

to get us ready for.

How have we

responded to him?

And we have to

feel the strength

and the severity of

the picture language

that God gives this

generation.

I take it just to

wake them up.

the arrogant and

evildoers will be

stubble.

That day shall set

them ablaze.

And we've got to

feel the strength of

that language.

And it's a stark

warning for all of

us here today,

particularly if you

are here today and

you would not say

that you have

accepted this Jesus

as your Savior.

Friends, this day is

real.

It is coming.

But here's the

good news of the

gospel.

The good news of

the gospel is that

just like there was

at Passover, that

first one, another

lamb who was

slain, another

lamb has come,

whose blood

sprinkled above the

door of our lives

as we take God at

his word, saves

us.

We are not saved

because we are good

people.

We are not saved

because we've made

decent decisions in

life.

That is not the

case.

We are saved simply

because of the blood

that's above the door

of our lives and

through nothing else.

Jesus, he lived that

perfect life that we

could never live.

He died on the cross

the death that you

and I deserve to die.

And while for one

group his return,

having risen and

ascended, one day his

return, for one group

it will be devastation.

For another group

it will be liberation.

Of all the prophecies

about God's new

creation, and get

those ideas of

clouds and harps

out your mind,

okay?

God's new creation,

his physical world,

this is the one that

stirs my heart the

most.

And God doesn't just

want his people to

know what that will

be like as they're

struggling on in their

Christian lives.

I'd imagine this first

group are laughing at

them.

You're wasting your

time.

Why not just go and

join the peoples of the

world?

God wants them not just

to know it intellectually,

he wants them to feel it

emotionally.

And again, as we've

done justice to the

picture language that's

there, we've got to do

justice to the picture

language that is here as

well.

And on that note, we

need to grasp the

difference between

emotionalism, which I

take it is just cheap

and short-lasting

affections.

and God in the

gospel, by his word

and by his spirit,

awakening in us deep

emotions, affections,

and love as we respond

to Jesus as we see and

hear the gospel.

Do you see if there's a

difference?

We should be marked by

moved emotions as we

consider what God has

done for us in sending

Jesus, that is ours in

him.

As we gaze upon his

beauty, we cannot

help but be moved.

There's a difference

between emotionalism and

gospel-fueled emotions.

And we've got to feel

it as we think about

what's going on here.

As we think about where

this finds its ultimate

climax in Jesus.

And this is where we

tap back into Christmas

and that carol that we

love to sing.

Hark the Herald Angels

sing, Isaac Watts got it

bang on.

You rightly identified

the son of

righteousness.

risen with healing in

his wings.

He rightly identified

him with the risen

Jesus.

Friends, as we

contemplate his return,

feel the language there.

It will be like the kind

of joy that a bird feels

at dawn.

Have you not loved just

hearing the bird sing

again?

Is what is felt just like a

brutal and long and cold

and expensive winter?

You've just heard the

bird sing again.

What does it say?

It says something's

changing.

It's why so many people

use it as white noise on

their phone, isn't it?

Birds singing.

Why?

Because it's just one of

the most beautiful sounds

we'll ever hope to hear.

It's like the kind of joy

that a photographer feels

as he captures a sunrise.

Right?

I love to hear about a

group of students,

trying not to look at

them here, who got up

early a month or so ago

and climbed Blackford Hill

to watch the sunrise

because there is no more

beautiful sight in our

world than watching a sun

come up.

On this day, God is saying

it will feel like the

whole earth is being

healed by the sun's

light.

It will be like snow as

it thaws when the sun

warms it.

Friends, are you feeling

that?

As you read it here,

living in our world where

it so often feels like what

C.S. Lewis captures so

poignantly when one of his

characters described in

Narnia as a place where

it's always winter, but

never Christmas.

You know, I often find as I

meet people who are going

through the mill.

Honestly, all you've got

sometimes is a pastor.

And not just a pastor,

sometimes as a loving

friend.

All you've got sometimes is

that phrase that the other

Christians used to use

frequently.

And you find at the end of

1 Corinthians chapter 16,

1 Corinthians 16 · chapter mention

Maranatha.

Do you know what it means?

It just means come, Lord

Jesus, and make it right.

Sometimes that's all you've

got.

Come, Lord Jesus, and make

it right.

Friends, if you're struggling

with your physical health,

if you just wake up in the

morning and you just think,

I cannot bear another day of

this, I want you to be

greatly heartened by what

this says.

That because of your faith in

Jesus, hear me right, you will

one day be fully healed of your

hardships.

You will be fully healed.

It might not be in this life,

but 100% sure it will be in this

new creation.

We will have new bodies.

I thought about that, making

that a conversation for church

lunch upstairs.

What are you most looking

forward to be free of?

You know, for me, I've just my

eczema in my hands for months.

I just cannot get rid of it.

Cannot wash the dishes.

Cannot change a nappy.

Cannot do anything.

And it just drains me of

energy.

What are you most looking

forward to being rid of?

Physical bodies that God gives

us.

The hope of the Christian

life is not that life might

get better and easier for us

here.

The hope of the Christian

life is that Jesus loves us

and has given himself for us.

And one day he is coming back

to make all things new.

It's why I love that scene that

we get in Acts chapter 3.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

And you can read it in your own

time if you want.

You can look it up if you want.

As Peter and John meet that

lame man.

His ankles are gone.

He's been lame for birth.

All these details that were told

about in Acts chapter 3.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

And he says to them, what have you

got?

Can I have alms?

Right?

Can you give me something?

He's begging.

And what did he say?

And it goes with that kid's song

that some of you might have

grown up singing.

Silver and gold we have none,

but what we have we give you.

In the name of Jesus Christ of

Nazareth, rise up and walk.

Two things were told as he does.

Number one, what does he do

connecting with this passage?

What does he do?

Doesn't give them a high five and

go on his way.

He's leaping.

He's walking and he's leaping

and he's praising God.

God's kingdom arriving in the

person of Jesus.

What else does he do?

He goes to the temple.

Into the temple.

He goes into God's presence.

And it's almost as if we read

that.

And here is God glorifying the

name of Jesus in the eyes of the

watching world in that moment in

Acts chapter 3.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

But it's a picture for everyone

watching and everyone reading

now of the glorious foretaste

of life that what it'll be like

for every single one of us when

he comes to bring in his kingdom

fully and finally when he returns.

That's what it will be like.

Be leaping like calves from the

stall, right?

Living in the city.

I'll be honest, I don't get that

one.

But that's what God is saying to

his people.

Who would have got that one?

That's what it's like.

Friends, in the words of New

Testament scholar and an older

man who's feeling his aches and

joints called Don Carson.

And please hear this reverently,

okay?

He says this when people ask him

how do you keep on going?

He says, listen, I'm not

suffering from anything now that a

good resurrection won't fix.

And so what does God say as we begin

to wrap this up to the people of

faith in this generation?

Paraphrasing verse 4.

What's the call on God's faithful

remnant in Malachi's day?

They're watching all this stuff going

on in amongst their community.

He says to them, keep waiting.

Be faithful.

I love you.

I know you.

And one day I'm coming back.

I will act to make it all new.

I think that's where we've got to

leave it, isn't it?

The application then is exactly the

same application now.

Got to keep obediently, faithfully

waiting and loving and knowing the

return of King Jesus.

You know, as we close, I began by

telling you about two people that I

read about this week.

Can I just tell you about two people

who I met this week?

Two ladies who sat at the table

beside me in Cosa on Thursday.

And after I'd finished my meeting, I

met Mike.

I was just sitting there doing some

emails, but I couldn't help but

overhear their conversation, which is

always a better way than saying you

were eavesdropping, isn't it?

That's what I was doing on Wednesday.

And every so often I would just pick

up an odd word that they were saying

to one another.

Like Jesus.

And forgiveness.

And peace.

And sin.

And grace.

And God's love.

And obedience.

And telling others it was like a

royal flush.

And my pastor's senses began to

tingle.

And they prayed together.

And they stopped praying and they

looked up and I was smiling at them,

which I think freaked them out

slightly.

But I reassured them who I was and

that I followed Jesus as well.

And they begin to tell me how they

go to another church somewhere in the

city.

And that they're doing an alpha

course together, exploring the

things of the Christian faith.

And that life's hard.

Being in the circles that they're in,

different circles.

And so what they do is they just

meet up now and again to encourage

one another in the faith.

And I think that's exactly where we

need to land with this series as we've

gone through it in Malachi.

Wouldn't that be a brilliant legacy

and such wonderful fruit from our time

together in this series?

As God has challenged us on a number of

levels as we've gone through it

together, that the lasting impression

this book would make on us, to nab a

phrase from Hebrews, that we would

encourage one another more and daily

as we see that day drawing close.

That day that is the wonderful return

of Lord Jesus, encouraging one another

about how great he is, about how wonderful

the gospel is, and about how wonderful the

future is, because he died, he rose, he

ascended, and one day he's coming back

to make it all new.

So just think about who can you meet up

with this week?

Who can you encourage?

Who's going through a really hard time?

Who needs the words of Malachi?

Who needs the words of any chapter, any

word in the Bible?

Who can you come alongside this week to

encourage with that single goal?

To bring the grace of Jesus to bear in

each other's lives.

Got a great chance to do that over lunch.

You can think about it.

But this is what we need.

Let's pray together, will we?

Father, we think of the words of the

Apostle Paul, writing in Galatians, who

would marvel at the Jesus who loved him

and who gave himself for him, and who now

he is committed to following with his whole

life.

And so, Lord, that is our one prayer off

the back of this morning.

And Lord, we trust that as your spirit has

been moving in our hearts, there have been

things come into mind that we need to

consider.

There are truths that we need to take in.

There are ways that we're living that we

need to change.

But most of all, Father, that we would know

this Jesus better.

Father, thank you that you have not left us

on your own, that you have given us your

precious Holy Spirit.

And so we pray that he would be moving in our

lives this week, just shining the spotlight on

Christ and his glory.

So we pray all of these things in his name.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.