Would you turn with me please to Malachi 2? We have one verse remaining in chapter 2, and we're going to get into chapter 3 today. Some of you are aware that our eldest graduated from 8th grade on Thursday. We were excited for her for that, and I'm going to tell a little story on myself to get us thinking this morning, because I think some of you are going to be able to relate to this story. or something like it. The graduation for her 8th grade class was at the community college downtown and they had rehearsal in the room where we were going to have the ceremony prior to it. So Rochelle had to take her and the other kids so that they'd be there, so that Monica would be there on time. And Monica had her rehearsal. And Michelle and the kids went and waited in the holding room. There was a separate auditorium, a big classroom, lecture hall, that they had them wait in. So from 2.30 until 3.30, they waited. And I got there. I got off work and got there. And we waited a few more minutes. And then the people who were organizing and directing traffic came and told us it's time to go. It ended up being three floors up. Go upstairs to the hall where the graduation is. So we Figured out where we were going and eventually got there. And got in the room, and I saw, oh, there are a bunch of seats over this way. We're going to head this way. And of course, those were the seats that were reserved for the graduates. As we started looking around, I thought, all right, well, we won't get to sit together, but that's OK. And started looking around some more, and every available seat was reserved. OK? Now, the room is filled with people, some of whom I hadn't seen downstairs in the holding room. So some of you may already be tracking with me, you know what I was thinking, what was going through my mind, and being transparent, I wasn't happy about it. Because I was thinking, okay, we followed the rules, we waited where we were supposed to, we came upstairs when you told us to, and there are no seats. Finish this sentence with me. That's not fair. And it wasn't. And I had to talk to the Lord about that because my heart was not right for a few minutes there. And eventually one of the middle school teachers saved the day and got Rochelle a chair so that she wouldn't have to stand the whole time. And the kids had the floor. There were plenty of seats on the floor right there. And I stood. So it worked out and we enjoyed the ceremony. It was really very nice. She graduated, so she's finished with eighth grade and moving on to high school. So that's a good thing. But some of you can relate because there are other times that you're working for your job and you're doing the best you can and you're following the rules and you're coming on time and you're working the schedule that they give you. And then what happens? That person that you feel like is lazy and shirking responsibility and never shows up on time and always has reasons that the schedule has to work around him or her, that person gets the promotion. And we think to ourselves, that's not fair. I worked hard. I'm following the rules. It's not supposed to work like that. Or what about my friend in that family gets to stay out later or gets to go here or gets to wear that. That's not fair. We have a problem because we have a sense of justice inside us. and we want the world to be fair. I have a fairly strong sense of justice. It bothers me when things aren't right. I don't know if it's just me, if it's a middle child thing, I don't know. Okay, I get a second, I got an amen on that, that it's a middle child thing. So we want it to be fair, but I'm submitting to you, and what I want you to think about with me this morning is that that's not fair is the same as saying God's not just. And when we get into that territory, we've got to be careful. Very careful, because what we're doing is either doubting God's goodness or doubting God's greatness. Here's what I mean by that. We're doubting that God is ultimately righteous and good, and He's going to do what's right for us. It's fine to memorize Romans 8, 28, God works all things for the good of those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose. That's fine, but that doesn't apply to my situation right now. I don't feel like God is good. He's not being fair with me. Or, we're doubting his greatness. God is good. He has my best interest at heart, but he's not interested in my problem, or he's not able to help me with it. Now, when we have questions, and even when we have complaints, like we read from Asaph earlier, God can take those. It's not that we need to be shy about bringing those kinds of questions to God. He invites us to come. But we do need to come respectfully. He is the authority. He is the creator God of the universe. And He is sovereign. And He is great. And He is good. Now we left off last time in verse 17 of chapter 2. And John MacArthur said that verse 17 is the introduction to the rest of the book. These faithless, disobedient priests and people had worn out God's patience by their skepticism and self-justification, so judgment is on the way. Someone else called their words cynical and skeptical. They said something like, we came back to the land, rebuilt the temple, and restored the worship, and look at the difficulties we're experiencing. Why isn't God keeping his promise? Where are all the blessings he promised through his prophets? It was the age old problem of why do the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper? And we have examples like we looked at from Asaph, or I'm reading the book of Job right now. Job and his friends are struggling through, wrestling through those questions. He went on, but these skeptical Jews had forgotten the terms of the covenant and the conditions laid down by the prophets. If the people obeyed God's law, God would bless them with all they needed. But what were they doing? They were divorcing their wives, like we saw last week. Marrying pagan women. Before that, a few weeks, we saw that they were offering defiled sacrifices. In a future sermon, we're gonna see that they were robbing God of tithes and offerings. And through all this, they were complaining that they had to serve the Lord. They were weary, they were tired back in chapter one. We're tired of serving God. This is hard work. For God to bless people like that would mean approving of their sins. The Jews didn't need justice. They needed mercy. And we're going to see that today and next week as well. Let's read our passage, and then we'll pray together. You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, in what way have we wearied him? in that you say, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them. Or, where is the God of justice? Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming? and who can stand when he appears, for he is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years. And I will come near you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners, and widows, and the fatherless, and against those who turn away an alien, because they do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. For I am the Lord, I do not change, therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers, you have gone away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you said, in what way shall we return? Would you pray with me? Our father. We are told that your word is like a mirror to us, that it shows us what we are like. And so I pray that first off, everyone here this morning would be willing to look in the mirror of your word and see what we look like, what the damage is, what needs to be fixed and combed and cleaned. And Lord, may we not walk away from your word today, from that mirror, without changing. Show us where we need to change and then give us the grace to do that, to repent, to change, so that we would be more like you, that we would be doers of your word and not hearers only. We ask for your help to that end, that we would be able to set aside the cares and distractions around us, that you would help me to be able to speak clearly and to speak your words. Holy Spirit, speak through me and to us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. For those of you who are paying close attention, I read two extra verses, and I didn't really intend to do that then, but I was studying them this week because I was planning to go to verse 7 until late last night and early this morning, and I think we're going to separate those two verses and study them together along with Lord's Supper next Sunday. That's my plan at the moment, unless the Lord changes it another time. But where this is all going is that repentance, we're not going to get to it in our study today, but that's where he's leading them. Both the believers and unbelievers need to repent, to change their mind, to change their heart attitude, Here are the main points that I have for you this morning. First off, the Lord will return. That's in chapter three, verse one. Second, believers will be purified. That's verses two to four. And number three, unbelievers will be judged, and that is verse five. Back in verse 17, the last verse of chapter two, we read this. You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, in what way have we wearied him? In that you say, everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them. Or, where is the God of justice? God says, you've wearied me. And they say, in what way? How? And he says, in two ways. One is a statement, and one is a question. What does this mean to be wearied? We can go to the book of Isaiah and read that God is never weary. He doesn't get tired, and truly he doesn't. He doesn't have a body like we do. So it's not that idea. Someone said, the word weary describes exhaustion from physical labor and is interchangeable with the word annoyed. It also means to be agitated by something or someone. In this case, the people of Israel have aggravated God. How would you like that to be written about you? You have frustrated God. He's tired. He's losing patience with you. That's what he's saying. In the past sections we've studied, they have questioned his love, his sovereignty, his faithfulness, and now they're going to question his justice. And all the while, they have maintained their innocence, and now they're actually accusing God. They've gone that far in their self-deception. Look at these words. Evil. Good. and saying that God delights in that. Everyone who does evil is good. That's how God is viewing it. That's his perspective, and he's happy with that. David Guzik said, The people of God in Malachi's day were depressed and discouraged because it seemed like the wicked prospered and had it better than the godly. This filled them with doubt and unbelief, and they grumbled that everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord. Why did they make this accusation against God? It seemed to them that the evil are prospering and God's not sending the judgment he's supposed to. He's not doing anything about it. And that's causing them to make this rash statement. I'm going to ask you to bear with me, I'm going to share with you some thoughts from James Montgomery Boyce, and this is a longer section than I normally quote, but he develops the argument very clearly with something that we're familiar with, and that is Adam and Eve in the garden when they sin. So you listen, bear with me for a moment. His opening statement is, God is offended that the people accuse him of injustice. Again, would you want to offend God? But that's what's going on here. They say, all who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and He's pleased with them. That is, evildoers prosper materially. The wicked get rich. By contrast, they imply, we who do good, because they consider themselves to be quite good, are evil in the eyes of the Lord, and He is not pleased with us. And what they mean by that is, we are not getting rich. So where is the God of justice? We need to see two things about accusing God of injustice. First, it is horribly arrogant. It demands that the only wise, holy, omniscient, sovereign God of the universe come down to our level and defend himself before our petty human standards of justice. God was managing the universe quite well long before we were ever born. He raises nations up and brings nations down. He imposes judgment on individuals through the inevitable outworkings of sin in their lives and the lives with whom they come in contact. Eventually, he punishes the wicked in hell and brings the redeemed to heaven. God does all this perfectly without our help. Yet when something does not go the way we like, we immediately accuse God of injustice and call him to an accounting. How dare we behave in this fashion? How dare we accuse God of wrongdoing? we get in the wrong line at the grocery store. Because whichever line you get in is going to be the slowest line. Is it not? Or there's construction and there are two lanes going. Whichever one you get in is going to stop. Guaranteed. And we think that's not fair. And as I already pointed out, ultimately when we say it's not fair, we're not upset with the traffic around us. We're not upset with the other grocery shoppers. When we've been out of shape because it's not fair, we are ultimately upset with God. I'm continuing James Montgomery Voices words now. Second, accusing God of injustice is distressingly frequent. It happens a lot. We see this at the beginning of the Old Testament when Adam and Eve sinned and God came to them in the garden asking, have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? Adam replied, the woman you put here with me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it. You can read that later on in Genesis 3 if you want to. In a similar way, when God asked the woman, what is this you have done? She replied, the serpent deceived me and I ate. On the surface, these statements seem to be honest admissions of guilt, but beneath the surface, Adam and Eve were doing their best to shift the blame. Eve tried to implicate the serpent. True, she had eaten, but the devil made her do it, she said. Adam blamed the woman and then hinted that the whole thing was God's fault. The woman you put here with me is to blame. Like the people in Malachi's time, Adam was arguing that the current evil state of things, which was actually the result of his own sin, was God's fault. It's the woman you gave me. It's the serpent you created. He goes on to say something similar to that. Moreover, although the woman did not say so openly, she too was blaming God. Eve blamed the devil. But is that reply any different from Adam's? Not really. We see the similarity of the two excuses when we ask, but who made the devil? Or, who let the devil into the garden? Every attempt to excuse ourselves is, in the final analysis, an attempt to blame God. I'm gonna say that again. Every attempt to excuse ourselves is, in the final analysis, an attempt to blame God. What do you blame for your misfortunes? Is it circumstances? God made the circumstances. Is it other people? God made them and permitted them to come into your life. If you do not admit your own guilt in a matter, or at least acknowledge that God may be delaying the full execution of his justice for reasons that seem both wise and right to him, then you are saying that God acts sinfully. You are saying, as these people did, all who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and He is pleased with them. So you and I probably read verse 17 and think, okay, they have a wrong view of God. But is it possible that some of us have that same wrong view of God, that we have had that same wrong view of God this week? That's not fair. They're getting what they want, and I'm not getting what I want. So as adults or older children, we pitch a little temper tantrum inside. Upset, because ultimately we're mad at God and blaming Him. So how is God going to respond to this impudence? We get to chapter 3, verse 1. Of course, those chapters and verses weren't there, so it just rolls on through. And this brings us to our first point. The Lord will return. He's going to do something about it. He hasn't yet. It's His timetable, not ours. So he says, behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. Who's the messenger? I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this, but if you want to search it down, look at some of the cross references if you have a study Bible, you will find every gospel uses this or a quote from Isaiah to apply it to John the Baptist. That's who this first messenger is in verse one. My messenger is John the Baptist, who's going to prepare the way before me. In ancient times, if the king was going to travel through country, He had a messenger, someone to go before him to make the path clear, the route they were going to take. And it's summertime here, so there will be or there already are road construction projects. They're fixing the potholes from the wintertime, we hope. And that was the idea. If there's a log lying across the road, then the messenger who goes before the king is going to get that out of the way. Even it out. Fill in the potholes. Repave the road if necessary. Make the path straight, smooth for the King to pass by. And that's what John the Baptist did. He came as the messenger, the forerunner to Jesus. And what does it say? He will prepare the way before me. If you have a modern translation, me is probably capitalized there. It's saying, I, God, am coming. How's he going to deal with their questions and their accusations against him? He's coming. He's going to do something about it. We don't know when. because that's not stated here, but he's going to address it. Verse 1 continues, and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, he's coming, says the Lord of hosts. And I separated the verse for you to try to make it easier, because if you read it all at one time, it's a little confusing. There are two different messengers listed there. The first is John the Baptist, and the second is Jesus. with 20-20 hindsight can look back and say, not only do we know that John the Baptist was the first messenger of the verse and Jesus is the second messenger, but Jesus came once and he's coming again. There are two comings, two advents. We have the New Testament to help us out with that. But it says the Lord, the messenger of the covenant, the way one person put it, this second messenger is the Lord himself, Jesus coming to his temple as the fulfillment of the old covenant and to institute a new covenant. He will suddenly come. Does it say he will immediately come? No. If something happens suddenly, that means that when it does happen, it happens quickly. It doesn't have to happen right away. It just has to happen quickly when it does happen. Several commentators suggested that in whom you delight is a sarcastic comment. Because the fact is that these sinless people, these sinful people, were not delighting in God. then, they weren't going to delight in Jesus when he did arrive in the temple. You note takers can jot down John chapter 2 and look at it later when Jesus came and cleansed the temple. He came to his temple, he told him, you have made what is supposed to be a house of prayer my father's house, you've made it into a den of thieves. So they weren't delighted to see him then and the ungodly will not be delighted to see him when we get to Revelation 19 and he comes on a horse to fight against the enemies of his kingdom. Now, I told you that the Lord will return and then he will purify believers. So that's what verses two and four do. And my ESV study Bible was very helpful in pointing out the two different complementary works. The first is to purify some sinners, because we're all sinners, and to judge other sinners. So this purification goes on in verses two through four, and then the judgment comes in verse five. And the images that are used for this purifying work, there are two of them, a refiner's fire and fuller's soap. And that study Bible says that both of those stress the thoroughness and severity of this purification process. The heat of the refiner's fire was intense in order to separate the dross from the molten metal. Similarly, the fuller washed clothes using strong lye soap, and afterward he would place them on rocks and beat them with sticks. If sinners prefer the Lord's cleansing work to his judgment, This is the price that must be paid. And that was a bold statement as well. If we prefer not to go through the judgment for sin, then we must necessarily go through the purification process instead. So believers will be purified. Verse two, but who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like launderers soap. The day of his coming, his refers back to the messenger of the covenant. And we understand this is really talking about the second coming. What's going to happen after the tribulation in the book of Revelation, not when he came and we celebrate his birth at Christmas, the first coming. It will come suddenly and it will be unexpected. Now, I don't know whether you've ever seen liquefied molten precious metals. I looked it up on a YouTube video because I haven't seen it either. Isn't that what you would have done? So I saw silver being melted and it's a complicated process because if you get it too hot you're basically going to vaporize this stuff. If you get it too hot then the ashes will be worthless. But if you get it at just the right temperature then that silver will melt, it will liquefy, it will look more like mercury, if you've ever seen liquid mercury rather than silver. And that's the idea, that the person doing that can actually see a reflection, his own reflection if he wants to, in that. And that's how he knows, he scrapes off the impurities that rise to the top and then it is clear and pure. And the process itself is complicated because it can't be too hot and it can't be too cold. It's a precise process. There are two forms of purification for us. And the first takes place while we're here on earth. You're gonna love this part. Do you know what purifies us here on earth? Pain and suffering. That's what purifies us while we're here on earth. Some of you know Hebrews chapter 12. I'll read you a few of these verses. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons." He goes on later to say, now, no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful. And we all say, amen. Nevertheless, afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So while we're here on earth in this life, that purification process is going to be pain and suffering. It's a fallen world, and God uses the fallenness around us to purify us. Robbie Gowdy said, we are being purged here on earth from impurities, but we will finally be purified at the mercy seat. Every believer will experience testing as through fire before glorification. That's in 1 Corinthians 3. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid. which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear. For the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved. yet so as through fire. Now, I'm 42. I've been saved a long time. I've studied the Bible, read through it for a long time. Until I was looking at this this week, I wasn't really ever computing that everyone's works or life is going to be taken through the fire. If we do not accept salvation as Jesus has offered it in himself, his death on the cross, his resurrection, and we are going to suffer in fire eternally. But even those of us who have trusted Jesus, who have eternal life, our works are going to be judged. If we are just going through the motions of worship, if we're just going through the motions of service of God, checking out the boxes to be in God's house, to do good works for other people, that's the wood, hay, and stubble in this passage, and it's going to burn out. And whatever we have done Out of pure motives, in work and service for God, that will be what endures. This author went on, only that which glorifies our Lord will stand the test of divine fire. The sin nature with which we have been cursed will be destroyed and we will be conformed to the image of Christ. It is important, therefore, to examine daily the landscape of our spiritual lives. Scripture consistently reminds readers to examine themselves. Examination of works today is better than elimination of blessings tomorrow. So praise God for purging us through suffering. The goal of God is to conform us to the image of his son. It is not to make us happy. It is not to keep us healthy. It is not to make us wealthy. it is to conform us into the image of his son. Verse three continues the idea, he will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Notice the subject of the first sentence, first clause in verse three. He will sit. Who's he? God. He's gonna do this himself. Someone said, what a comfort it is that he surrenders this work to no other hands than his own. He may give his angels charge concerning us when we're in danger, but he keeps our purification beneath his special superintendents. He's gonna do this himself. It says he's going to sit. At first you may think, alright, I thought we said God isn't tired, doesn't get tired, why is he sitting? Spurgeon said, I think I see in the sitting down of the refiner a settled patience. As if he seemed to say, this is stern work and I will sit down to do it for it will need care and time and constant watchfulness. It has to be attended to. Some of you ladies or men, you cook. there's a certain temperature at which you have to do something or a certain time at which you have to do something and if you don't it's not going to turn out. I already told you in this metal work you have to get the exact right temperature and if you don't you're going to mess up. You're going to lose some of your product with the dross and that's going to cost you money or you're not going to get it hot enough for the dross to come to the top. What is he purifying? He's a purifier of silver. F.B. Meyer said, if you are just now in the fire, dear soul, be of good cheer. It shows at least that you are silver and are capable of performing more acceptable service in God's holy temple. Remember we read in Hebrews a few minutes ago that if you are God's son, if you are God's daughter, there's going to be chasing, there's going to be correction, there's going to be purification. If you don't have any of that going on ever, then be careful. Because he's going to discipline those he loves. And this author is saying rejoice in that because it's actually a proof that you're a genuine member of God's family. One more quote from Spurgeon. If any of you, my hearers, are seeking the Lord at this time, I want you to understand what it means. You are seeking a fire which will test you and consume much of what has been dear to you. We are not to expect Christ to come and save us in our sins. He will come and save us from our sins. Therefore, if you are enabled by faith to take Christ as Savior, remember that you take him as a purger and a purifier. For it is from sin that he saves us. All these reasons to take comfort. If He's purifying you, if you're in the fire, take comfort because that proves that you are genuine. If you know that you're believing in Jesus as your Savior, and trials just keep coming, billows of waves over you, He is purifying you, He is working in you, in your life. And if you have taken Jesus as Savior, Smirgin is saying, He is a purifier. It's not just to make you happier or make you more comfortable in your sin and save you later. It's to remove you from the sin, to get the dross, to get the impurities out. What's going to happen once that takes place? I will purify the sons of Levi. Again, a reference to the priests, the religious leaders. I'm going to start with them, just as happened in Ezekiel. Start with the religious leaders, just as he's done in this book. And because they're the ones who have led the nation astray, The cleansing's gonna start there. Because then they can offer to the Lord what is righteous. You see it? Offering in righteousness. Now, after the purification has taken place, now you're in a position to offer offerings that are pleasing to me, that are righteous. Verse four, then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord. As in days of old, as in former years. Earlier they accused God of delighting in being pleased with the wicked. And in his answer, God is saying, here's what pleases me, pure offerings, offerings made with a pure heart. Again, we've said it before, but what does he want? He doesn't want their sheep. He does not want their money. He wants them. He wants their hearts. He wants all of them. And then it will be like in the days of old. under Hezekiah and Josiah and Ezra and Solomon. Now I'll move quickly through this last point. But unbelievers will be judged. Verse 5 says, I will come near you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, against those who turn away an alien, because they do not fear me, says the Lord of Hosts. God says, I'm going to call a star witness. Me. I've seen it all. I know it all. And I'm going to convict you of what you've done. The wicked, that is. There were people who were part of the nation of Israel, people who were pretending to be righteous. If you'd asked them, they would have thought they were righteous. and doing this kind of thing, and this is what he's going to come and judge, sin. If you are a child of God, because you've put your faith in Jesus Christ, your sin was judged, the wrath of God was satisfied, when Jesus bore our sins, he was the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross. Our sins have already been judged. But if you do not, by faith, accept that cleansing, that purification, that sacrifice for sin, then he will come and judge these sins of sorcery, which involves occult, demon worship, idolatry, and even has the idea of our modern word of pharmacy, meaning drugs or alcohol. Adultery and lying were clearly forbidden in the Ten Commandments. as is sorcery, because we can't have any gods before him, and we can't make any graven images of any other gods. And then we have God's special concern for widows and orphans. And here they're called aliens, those who are strangers, who are foreigners. Laverers, whose bosses aren't being fair with them. What we might call the oppressed or the downtrodden. Those are the ones God cares especially for. and he will judge those who have been sinful toward those groups. Why? What's going on that these people would do such things? They don't fear the Lord. Psalm 19.9 says, The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. there's a purifying, a cleaning effect of the law, of the Lord, and particularly of fear, a right view of him. So what is the ultimate answer to the question they asked? Where is the God of justice? Here's the answer. The God of justice, when he comes to judge, is going to clean house and punish the sinners. Where does that leave us for today? I told you that the passage goes on. Some people group verse six with this or verse seven with this. Some put it in the next category. We're going to deal with them separately next week. But it's a call to repent. It's a call to change your mind about the sins they had been committing. And there will be proof that they have repented. It will be in the next section about their tithes and offerings. But for now, Do we believe that the Lord is right? Do we believe He's truthful, that He's honest, that He's going to return, that He's going to purify us here and put our works through the fire later, that He is going to judge unbelievers? In the book of Genesis, dealing with Abraham and Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, there's that question, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? It's a rhetorical question. But what's the answer? Yes, he will. Every day, every time, he will do right. Do we believe that? You say, yes, I believe that. I know that. I was taught that in Sunday school years ago. But when we get into the everyday dealings of our week, and life isn't fair, do we believe that the judge of all the earth is doing right? So if you're here this morning, and you You've never trusted Christ. You've never repented of your sins and put your faith in him. You have an invitation waiting for you, and that is to forsake your sin and trust Jesus. Put your faith in him alone for salvation. Don't delay and face his judgment later. And if you've already done that, are you allowing him to purify you now? Does it ever enter your mind to pray and ask God to search you and know your heart and try you and see if there's any wicked way in you and lead you in the way everlasting, the way David did? I realize that's a struggle, and some of you are in the midst of it right now. I told you I'm reading Job. I haven't gotten to this chapter yet, but it'll be probably this next week. He got to the place where he said, I can't sense God. I don't know where he is. I don't know what he's doing. It's in Job 23 verse eight. Look, I go forward, but he's not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him. I can't tell he's there. Where is he? Verse nine, when he works on the left hand, I cannot behold him. And when he turns to the right hand, I cannot see him. But here's the faith that Job had. He knows the way that I take. I can't see him. I can't tell where he is. I feel lost, but he sees me. He knows me. He is with me. He said, but he knows the way that I take when he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Some of you may be in the furnace this morning. You're in the crucible, and it keeps getting hotter. And like I was earlier this week, you have been tempted to object and say, it's not fair. Why is this happening, God? Well, we've just spent 45 minutes talking about why this is happening. Is there anyone this morning who would say, God is speaking to me about an area in my life in which He has been turning up the heat? If you're confessing sin right now and repenting and you want me to pray for you, I'd be glad to. If you are still struggling with that decision, I'd be glad to pray for you as well. Would you simply raise your hand or look up at me and look back down and I will pray for you. Not embarrass you, not call your name out, but I would be glad to pray for you. And is there anybody here this morning you've never put your faith in Jesus? You may be concerned about your soul. We've been talking about eternal punishment and judgment. Because that's what will happen. That's what the Bible teaches. We need to flee to the safety that's in Jesus so that we don't have to endure that wrath. If there's anyone here this morning that you're concerned about your soul, would you do the same? Would you make eye contact with me and look back down? And I'll remember you in prayer as we finish. Father, do what only you can do. through your voice spirit. This is your word. We claim the promise that it's not going to return void, it's going to accomplish what you want it to this morning. And it is powerful, and it is sharp, and it does pierce us sometimes. Lord, for the believers in this room who are going through tests right now, please give them endurance, May the testing drive them back to you, as we'll see next week, to return to you, not to wander away, not to give up. Please work your power in us. We pray these things in Jesus' name, amen.