Faith in God's Word: Treasured Possession for Believers

God's holy book of life shows his loving care for his people.

We can learn from the stories of God's people in the Bible.

God's process of purifying his treasured possession is different for each person.

We must learn to hate the worldliness that dwells within us.

We learn in the story that we read in God's holy book of life. That God Almighty has led and directed his people through every course and direction necessary in order to bring about the so great a salvation for his treasured possession. These vivid and true stories in scripture show the wonderful and merciful hand of God in his providential care and love for the apple of his eye. As Christians today, we can look back through the pages of these awesome and real stories which we base our Christian heritage on and use a pattern and example for our lives in this present time. We see and learn of the care of God and the tender and affectionate love that he has for his church. And we see in these precious accounts that God went to every extreme to preserve the apple of his eye. And we learn also that the great flood did not come upon them and consume them as it did the heathens or the wicked in the days of Noah. He kept them, His special remnant, above the all-consuming waters of His righteous and holy wrath when He executed His judgment upon the whole earth by protecting and providing for them an ark which He had specifically designed for them. And we read and we see that God Almighty miraculously opened up the Red Sea and held it at bay until his people and their livestock were on the other side safely before he commanded the waters to come together and swallow up their enemies who were in hot pursuit of them. and he provided for this treasured possession still by giving them bread and water in the wilderness. Out of the great numbers who wandered in the wilderness and through the desert, there were a faithful few who actually went in and took possession of their promised land. nothing could or would then or now even hinder God from watching over his people who are dear to him as the apple of his eye we can learn much through these stories and see how God as a loving father will lead his people from time to time into places and situations or even trials, where it seems that no matter what the individual tries to do to help himself out of it, or anyone else for that matter tries to help them, it is quite evident that no power of man can free them from the test which God has put them in to test them and try them as though he were the goldsmith who was refining and purifying gold in its many processes that it must go through in order to be made pure without any foreign matter in it. I would like to say here, this is true precious church. This is God's way and there is no other way. But we can know also that certain trials and situations that people get themselves into are the doings of their wrong choices and decisions, either out of ignorance or self-will. But today, for those who God is calling and wooing unto himself with the pure intention of bringing them onto the tried and holy path and straight way, is to make them into the image and likeness of his precious son, Jesus Christ. And so many times the new babe in Christ looks with great sorrow upon his path and wonders if it is possible for a called out child of God to be assaulted, insulted, and harassed by the powers of darkness. They thought this path was going to be a smooth one and all was going to be made level and beneath their feet. He or she says, what happened? I felt like I knew the love and the sweetness of Jesus when I first came to him. I was so happy and I was experiencing so many victories and saw the many miracles and mountains moved out of my way. You see, dear church, so many times we get caught up in the experiences of the past and forget that God's process of purifying his treasured possession is different in each of these levels and progressions of removing the foreign matter out of our lives. We thought these foreign matters, which are the enemies of darkness, were all dead and laid upon the seashore after the waters of divine wrath had consumed them. And this is where so many precious saints let down in their prayers. and neglect their pursuit of God through the word and fellowship with him and yes, even his people. We must all come to the point in our own lives where we learn to hate the worldliness that dwells therein. Funny how we can see it in others, huh? But not so readily within ourselves. You must learn to see what is within your own soul. That is the evil. And then you learn to hate it. God declares in his word to us, you who love the Lord, hate evil. Oh, this is the painful process of purification, of these necessary and needful lessons to build the godly character which God requires of the people he calls his treasured possession. the apple of his eye, or his holy people, or his kingdom of kings and priests. These lessons and trials are painful to our nature, and they are humiliating to our pride. But if we never allow the Lord of our life to try us or to put us through his crucible of testings, then we can never know the worth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father who gave his Son to us through his shed blood upon the cross of crucifixion. This is the mercy of God, and this is his infinite wisdom and is the goodness of God and his faithfulness to his special and treasured possession. he ransoms us from the kingdom of darkness and sets us upon the rock of salvation and then he begins his beautiful process and tender work of love within our hearts to make us and shape us into his holy and dear people he calls his very own hallelujah, hallelujah I would like us to look at a beautiful but revealing book in God's word, which gives us insight to the preparation and care that God in his loving kindness so patiently works out in his very own people. The book of Malachi gives us a peek into this wonderful revelation of God's love for us, his treasured possession. A people he is making into a kingdom of kings and priests. And yes, even in our time, in our generation, yes, his treasured possession. Let's turn to the book of Malachi, please. In Malachi 3, verse 1. Malachi 3, verse 1. See, I will send my messenger who will prepare the way before me. And then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come into his temple. The messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come, says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. And he will sit as a refiner or a purifier of silver. And he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. and then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord as in days gone by, as in former years. So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless and deprive the aliens of justice. But do not fear me, says the Lord God Almighty. Verse 6. I, the Lord, do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers, you have turned away from my decrees and you've not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, how are we to return? Verse 8 Will a man rob God Yet you rob me But you ask how do we rob you in tithes and offerings You are under a curse the whole nation of you because you are robbing me Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open wide the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, says the Lord Almighty. And then the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord. You have said harsh things against me, says the Lord, yet you ask, what have we said against you? You have said it is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? Verse 15. But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper and even those who challenge God escape. Verse 16. Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty. In the day when I make up my treasured possession, I will spare them just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. Verse 18. And you will see again the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve the Lord and those who do not. You see, the Levites were the priests who had the responsibility of the priesthood in offering the burnt offerings and leading the people in worship and confession of their sins. And I would like us to please notice in Malachi 3.16, Then they that feared the Lord spoke often to one another, and the Lord listened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord that thought upon his name. Where the scripture says, they that feared the Lord is saying, there were a few godly people in the land who, hearing the message of the people in that day and seeing others be completely given over to sin, moved this remnant of godly people to conclude that some sign or mark of God's vengeance would fall upon them. And as the corruption increased, The scripture says they hung on all the closer to their maker. And notice in this scripture that there are three characteristics given of this people. One is that they feared the Lord. They had that reverence for God that caused them to depart from evil and to keep his ordinances. And secondly, they spoke often to each other. They kept up the communion of the saints. By mutual exhortation, they strengthened each other in the Lord. They thought upon his name is the next point. His name was sacred to them. It was a fruitful source of profound and edifying meditation. the name of God is God himself in the plentitude of his power, omniscience, justice, goodness, mercy and truth. Hallelujah in mercy and truth. What a source. What a source, dear church, for rejoicing and thinking upon and in his name. Did you notice in this word how God treated or paid attention? to such a people the lord listened to their conversation he heard the meditations of their heart and so approved of it all that a book of remembrance was written before the lord and all of their names were carefully registered in heaven these dear saints are considered the Lord's treasured possession. Verse 17 says, they will be mine, says the Lord Almighty, in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them just as in compassion as a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. You see, this dear faithful remnant in Malachi 3.16 were in a time when Israel was in great trouble because she'd become proud and arrogant and adulterous. And when all around these faithful worshipers seemed to be looking dark and bleak, These dear people threw themselves into the arms of God with even greater desperation. They placed their dependency upon God. And this, dear church, is the best place for us to be. It is where God puts you. And any other place is undesirable because you then have chosen it for yourself. These scriptures tell us, do not worry for tomorrow. Because worrying about things that haven't happened yet is unhealthy for us. God himself will help you day by day. God wants you to trust him. To trust him alone from minute to minute every day in your life. the strength he gives you in one moment is not intended to carry you through into or through the next season this would not be faith we must learn to let God take care of his business just be faithful to what he is asking of you in this time these dear people had to depend on God from moment to moment especially when all was dark and uncertain. And this is called dying to your old self. This is really true dying to your own self. 2 Peter 3.3 2 Peter 3.3 tells us, First of all, you must understand that in the last day scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. and they will say, where is this coming he promised? Since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has from the beginning of creation. Peter is speaking of people who purport to be Christians. And even today, these unregenerate, worldly-minded people who call themselves Christians will scoff or mock at those who are endeavoring to live holy and sanctified lives in Christ. Just as in Malachi's day, so it is in our time, and the scripture tells us in 2 Timothy 3.1. But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, verse 3, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power have nothing to do with them. And also the book of James declares in James 5.1, James 5.1, an exhortation or warning. Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth is rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You've hoarded wealth in the last days. Look, the wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. And the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. And you've lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You've fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You've condemned and murdered innocent men who were not opposing you. Verse 7. Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you'll be judged. The judge is standing at the door. Well, this was a part of the refining process that took place in their lives. And this was a part of the purifying process that they had to go through. And it is necessary for all of us because it brings death to our flesh and it brings humility to our souls. This is God's way for us. This is God's way. And this way is slow and inward. and it is oftentimes hidden from you as well as from others. When God takes something away, you can be sure he knows how to replace it if he deems it so. The story in the Old Testament scripture tells us that when Elijah the prophet was alone in the desert a raven brought him bread every day If Elijah's faith wavered and he wanted to be sure to have enough, he might have prayed that the raven would bring enough food for two days. Do you think that the raven would have come back at all, dear ones? Do you think God would have sent back those ravens? Well, let us learn to eat in peace what God gives us in that day, for tomorrow will surely take care of itself. Matthew 6, 28, the words of our dear Lord himself. Why do you worry about your clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow? They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all of his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and gone tomorrow and is thrown in the fire, how much more will he not clothe you? O you of little faith, do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the pagans run after all of these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Verse 34. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. The offerings spoken of in Malachi 3, 3 and 4 were not only offerings of giving monies But these people were offering up their love, adoration and their worship in reverent fear of the Lord. And the way they lived was also considered a sweet offering unto God just by virtue of the way that they conducted their lives. Loving God does not depend on your feelings. But your will is what God wants from you. And if you live your life in a godly way, that is, you run your household in a godly way, you raise up your children properly according to the word of God and conduct your life in deed and action in a godly way and give up empty pleasures and seek to live a simple, quiet and humble life in Christ, the scripture says, let your life be hidden with Christ in God. And this is what God is after, dear church. Titus 2.14 declares, He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. And also 1 Peter 2.9 says, You were a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you might declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Verse 10. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Verse 11. Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Now you belong to God. That means let your faith in God strengthen you. And when you feel absolutely weak, you will discover a strength that is not your own. You will know that this strength is one that you have never experienced in your own ability. Surrender yourself to God and learn to live by and in Him rather than out of your own strength. Little by little, this learning to live by your beloved strength, which quietly begins to unfold within you, you find that you no longer desire to cling to the things that you can see, but you will cling to God within you as you allow him to strengthen you. And there you will find deep and true fellowship that continually draws you upward. These, dear church, are the mature offerings spoken of in our scripture today in Malachi 3.3. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver and then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness. Righteousness means purity of heart and moral integrity of life, being and doing what is right. It means holy and upright living in accordance with God's standards. And gold represents wisdom, and silver represents revelation knowledge. God will pour out his wisdom and his revelation knowledge in your life as you conform to his standards of righteousness which is his holiness and purity the heart of your life as a Christian is contained in God's words to Abraham walk in my presence and you will be perfect or as the Hebrew translates you'll be mature see God's presence calms your spirit and gives you restful sleep and quiets your mind but you must learn to give yourself completely to him dear one lift your heart to God and he will purify and enlighten and direct you King David said I've set the Lord before me always we must learn from this wonderful example, the one whom God said is a man after my own heart. We grow in depth and understanding from the words of David when he said, Oh God, whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none on the earth I desire that compares with you. God's treasured possession are those who grow in their heart and their will with profound and deep desire to please God because they love Him. It is not a question of knowing a lot, or being talented, or even of doing great and mighty things for God. It is not a matter of how many gifts of the Spirit you operate in, or how many Bible verses you may know, or how many people sit in your membership. Do not take pride in these or think you've arrived in any one of these or others. All that you and I really need is too long to belong completely to God. You must learn to bring your weak will in line with God's all-powerful will for you. And this is where you will find inexhaustible and never-ending joy and peace. peace. Learn to adore and praise and bless God for everything. Give him thanks always, dear ones. Learn to rejoice in your troubles and trials because God uses them to purify your life in these ways. Verse 17 of the book of Malachi declares, they will be mine, says the Lord. They will be mine when I make up my treasured possession. This part of the verse is saying that these people are learning to rest all of their cares in the bosom of the Father. You learn to be content, to follow his will in all things, and to let him bring your will into harmony and oneness with him. Do not resist the Lord as he works within you. Oh, please do not resist him. I encourage you to open yourself to the Holy Spirit without measure. Let his life flow through you like a river. Fear nothing on the road or the path that you are walking. Put your trust in him. God will lead you by the hand and let your love for him cast out the fear you feel for yourself as you learn to walk with him on your Christian journey. Some of you hearing this message today have wonderful testimonies of your own that you could share. And these would encourage others in the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we have shared many of our own touching stories of God's faithful provision and providence in our lives. A wonderful and moving testimony given by a brother and sister in Christ. and the story is called Caleb's Coins. And they write, It wasn't exactly the widow's mite, but it was all that he had left of his allowance. For a six-year-old boy, that was no small amount. Caleb had no way of knowing, of course, about our situation when we ran into him and his dad at the discount store. It was my first day of being officially unemployed and the last paycheck had come the day before. My wife had been laid off from her job several months earlier and was just getting back into the job market. At that moment in time, we didn't know where the money was going to come from to meet all of our bills. And we did know that we had a choice to trust God for those needs and our future day by day if necessary. In the midst of these anxious thoughts while shopping that first day of my unemployment we ran into Caleb and his dad They just finished their shopping in preparation for a father fishing trip that week We chatted for a short time, and it was obvious Caleb was excited about having dad all to himself. As we said goodbye and began to go our separate ways, Caleb quickly placed something into our shopping cart looking at us with smiling eyes and a huge smile and walked away with his dad as we glanced down into our cart there on top of one of our items were two coins a penny and a dime it was all he had left out of his allowance money we learned later having any coins at all would be treasure to a little boy. I can still remember hoarding nickels in a band-aid can as a young boy and feeling rich. While monetary amounts may not mean much to a six-year-old, Caleb would know the difference between having and not having coins in his pockets, and he gave all that he had. As I reached into the basket to pick up these two coins, I heard the Lord's whisper into my heart, I am big enough to meet all your needs, even through the smallest means. It almost took my breath away. How did Caleb know to do that? As the coins went into my pocket, the revelation of what just happened began to dawn upon my heart. We just had an encounter with God, and he looks just like a little boy we know. There was no way to know what prompted Caleb to place those coins in our basket that day. He would not comprehend that what was probably a simple impulse on his part, which he more than likely does not even remember, became a profound lesson that we will recall for years to come. He is too humble and honest to admit that sometimes a little boy's ear is the only thing listening to an angel's gentle whisper and prompting. But his smile that day said it all. Those two coins now sit on my desk at home. They are there as a daily reminder that our Heavenly Father does indeed take care of our needs in ways that he knows best. Since that day, those coins have multiplied as God has faithfully provided for us in many different and amazing ways, all of them larger than 11 cents, but none more valuable to us than Caleb's coins. How faithful God is, dear church. These precious saints truly have been learning to let God lead them through their trying times and to trust in Him for everything. I have been speaking to you today using a book of the Bible, which is placed at the very end of the Old Testament. And the book of Malachi and the first New Testament book, which is Matthew, were approximately 400 years apart. In between this period of time of 400 years, this time was called the silent years. But history has it that it was far from really being silent. The events, literature and social forces of these years would shape the world of the New Testament. And nevertheless, it profoundly is known and proven in Scripture that the Savior was coming forth because God the Father was going to prepare and give his son a promised bride. Jesus, who would become the Lamb slain before the foundation of time, was going to give his life for his bride called the church. And over 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit was sent to convict people of their sin and prepare the bride to receive their bridegroom, who is Jesus the King. Holy Spirit came to live in their temples And to be the purifying fire That would burn up all of the chaff in their lives And he still desires today That people would know him And love him for who he is He is God in you And he is God in me But most people really don't know him They only know about him. They know what they have read or been told. But that is an intellectual knowledge and that lacks true spiritual experience. Most of us grow up being told that there is a God. But I am not sure how much most really believe that. Most people don't act like they believe in God. and others have a relationship based on fear rather than on loving God for who He is and not what He can give. How many of us really love God and want to know Him for Himself? Do you? Are you one of these? I provoke you with this question. All of us are made for God, But when people are told and encouraged to seek God, and that is truly an inward experience, many of them look at you and think that it's like you've told them to go to another planet. I ask, what is farther away and more unknown than the bottom of our hearts? Jeremiah 17.9 declares the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure and who could know it. Verse 10, I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve. Dear Church, I say again to you And encourage you to dwell in the peace and love of God Which comes only by truly knowing Him Your feelings of devotion to your dear Heavenly Father Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit And your enthusiasm to serve Him do not depend on your own ability the only thing that you can control at all is your will. Give God your will without reservation. The important question that you must ask yourself is not, do I enjoy being a Christian? But rather, do I want what God wants and desires for my life? I encourage you to confess your faults. Do not be too attached to the things of the world, but learn to trust in God's provision for you. Love God more than you love yourself. Love his glory and his presence more than you love your life. If you do not have a desire for these things within you, ask the Holy Spirit for them, because they are truly the right things to desire. God will come to you first with His love and then He will outpour His peace within your heart. And Holy Spirit will begin the wonderful process spoken of in the beginning of Malachi 3, verses 2 and 3. He will be like a refiner's fire or launderer's soap and He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the Levites. That is you and me. And remember what Apostle Peter spoke to us in his book in 1 Peter 2.9. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you might declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Oh, once you were not a people. but now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have already received mercy. In the book of Titus, remember it is written that Jesus who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own who are eager to do what is good. Titus 2.14 And also recapping, in Matthew 3.16, Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard, and a scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. Verse 17, They will be mine, declares the Lord Almighty. in the day when I make up my treasured possession, I will spare them, just as in compassion as a man who spares his son and serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. I leave you with these words, dear and precious treasured possession of our Lord Jesus Christ. elect to be one of those who will remain faithful to the end. Do not compromise your belief in Christ and keep your name on the scroll of remembrance by living in the obedience and the submission of God's holy word. Continue and continue, please. Oh, at every level on this beautiful and purifying work of the Holy Spirit to surrender your will to your heavenly Father's will. It is here where the work matures and is perfected, and it is called spiritual union and communion with him who loves you and calls you by name. .

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