Opening Text: Malachi 4:1-6 The book of Malachi is the very last book of the Old Testament.

The book ends with a curse. That curse hung in the air and it wasn't until hundreds of years later that Christ the Savior was born. Jesus brought blessing and removed the curse. How did those generations endure until Jesus removed the curse. How do we endure as we wait for judgement day. How did Adam and Eve endure after falling into sin.? Believers of every age live in faith. A faith that comes to us and sustains us by the living and enduring Word of God. It is the very Word of God at preserves all things from creation and into eternity. Let's back up for a moment and give some background to the text. Israel was actually at a high point in their history. They had returned from slavery and captivity. The

temple in Jerusalem has been rebuilt. But, there was more than the present circumstance to consider. Malachi lays out a warning and a promise. He clearly describes the last day, the day of judgement. God's fiery judgement will consum everything and everyone on the earth. There will be no earthly future for the arrogant, the unbelievers. No "root or branch" will be left. However, for the believers, the coming of The Lord on the last day will bring victory, joy, and blessing. The sun of righteousness is God's Son of Righousness. Jesus our Savior is now our Judge. Therefore, believers can respond to the day of judgement day with great joy. "Surely the day is coming". This is the message that God wants us to remember. No one can or will escape the fact of judgement day. "Surely the day is coming". You and I are much closer to that judgement day than when Malachi

mentioned it. We are much closer than when John the Baptist preached on the banks of the Jordan River. There will be a judgement day. Believers will go to heaven, unbelievers will end up in eternal torment. There are many today that will deny the existence of hell or eternal punishment. They rationalize it by saying no loving God would do that to people. What they fail to understand is that Jesus did die for all, but there will be many that by their own unbelief reject the gift of forgiveness. He'll does exist as Matt 3:12 states "his winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire". "Surely the day is coming". This is the truth of God's message yesterday, today, tomorrow, and up to the last day. Some do not want to hear it, many will deny what God clearly proclaims. However, mankind's denial or rejection does not

change the truth or the outcome of God's promise. Those who in their unbelief reject God, will be rejected by God. In the end, every unbeliever will be separated. From God's love and mercy forever. 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 "he will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of The Lord and from the majesty of his power." Surely the day is coming. Notice that Malachi does not point to himself, but rather to God's own words. He does this in verses 1 and 3. In those verses we see the words "says The Lord of Hosts". These are not Malachi's dreams or visions, but God's very own words. Look again at verses 4 and 5. Malachi refers to Moses at mount Sinai where god gave Moses the law. God also gave Moses the first 5 books of the bible. He gave Moses and us these 5 books that contain

both God's law and gospel. In verse 5 he references Elijah, but Elijah was long gone., so what is he talking about? Is Elijah going to come back to life? No, God would appoint someone to be like Elijah. This new Elijah would be John the Baptist. The priest Zechariah was carrying out his appointed duties in the temple. An angel of The Lord told him that he and his wife would have a child. This was a hard message to believe. Zechariah and his wife were beyond normal child-bearing age. But, the Lord's angel continued to tell Zechariah about the importance of the birth of his son. Luke 1:17 "And he will go on before The Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for The Lord". John was the way-preparer for Jesus. How did he do this? John preached sin and repentance. Today, the hardened hearts of

many often turn away from God's truths of sin and repentance. Fewer and fewer churches point to Christ. Too many selfappointed pastors point to themselves, their teachings, their dreams. Hopefully we know better. Hopefully we know to look to Christ and Christ alone. John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." There were those that thought that John was the Christ, but he always pointed back to Jesus. Surely the day is coming. So, to answer the question that I asked earlier, How do we endure. We endure by living each day in our baptism. Each day we recognize our sin, repent and receive the forgiveness that we first received in our baptism. The forgiveness that Jesus won for us on the cross. This is how we endure. This is how we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child during this advent season. This is how we prepare for his second coming and

the day or judgement. Surely that day will come. Hymn 332

Prayer Soon will com that hour when with mighty power Christ will come in splendor and will judgement render. With the faithful sharing Joy beyond comparing. Come, then Lord Jesus. From ours sins release us. Keep our hearts believing, that we grace receiving, ever may confess you, till in heaven we bless you. Amen