Perhaps the greatest danger that you will face in this year is that your heart will grow cold, but here’s the question. When there’s disappointment in leaders, when there’s disruption to worship, and when there are chilling winds of unbelief that are blowing all around us, what do faithful believers do? You’re listening to Open the Bible Today with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. And Colin, when we look around, the world around us does seem to be in a mess, and maybe that makes us feel helpless and without much hope. Yeah, and we’re going to talk about the hope today, but you know, the first thing in my mind is, isn’t it marvellous that the Bible recognises the times of discouragement that come to Christian believers? You know, if you find yourself in a place where you just feel you’ve been punched in the gut, the wind’s been taken out of you, you say, where do I go from here? Well, you are not alone. You are not the first believer to face that kind of difficulty. And in Malachi chapter 3, we have a marvellous statement about what faithful believers did in that kind of discouragement. We’re told that those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. You know, you shouldn’t be going through this alone. There are other believers who can come alongside you and help you. And so we’re going to see today the value of faithful believers coming together and drawing strength from one another. And the wonderful truth is that when we do that, God hears us and helps us. So today’s message is really full of hope for a very practical situation that every believer faces at some time. When you’re really discouraged, how do you press forward in a way that really is faithful to the Lord? Well, that’s what we’re going to be looking at today in the book of Malachi. I hope you’ll be able to join us there in chapter 3 as we continue our message, God Hears. Here’s Colin. If God’s people get sick and get bereaved the same as everyone else, if God’s people lose their jobs the same as everyone else, if God seems to prosper the wicked like he prospers the righteous, what exactly is the point? Now, friends, put all this together and I think that you have a precise description of the challenge facing believers today. Where are we as we begin this new year? Well, believers have endured disappointment from leaders who were called to be examples to the flock, but whose lives turned out to be inconsistent with what they professed. Our normal rhythm of worship has been disrupted. We live in a cold climate in which the chilling winds of skepticism and unbelief are blowing all around us. And in Malachi’s day, that led to a massive falling away from faith. Friends, I am no prophet, but I believe that many will face in this new year precisely the same challenges as were faced in the days of Malachi. That disappointment with leaders and the disruption of worship will lead to the hearts of many growing cold. And perhaps the greatest danger that you will face in this year is that your heart will grow cold. This part of the Bible speaks directly to us, and that’s why we’re beginning the new year in it. But here’s the question. When there’s disappointment in leaders, when there’s disruption to worship, and when there are chilling winds of unbelief that are blowing all around us, what do faithful believers do? That’s what I want us to focus on together here now. What faithful believers do? Notice what we’re told in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 16. Then those who feared the Lord, what did they do? They spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention, and the Lord heard them. Now, when the love of many was growing cold, Malachi tells us that there were some who feared the Lord. What does that mean? Well, to fear the Lord is the opposite of a cold heart. To fear the Lord is so to love him that his frown would be your greatest dread and his smile your greatest delight. To fear the Lord is to love the Lord with all of your heart and soul and mind and strength. Now, in John chapter 17 and verse 26, we’re told the words of Jesus’ prayer to the Father before he went to the cross. And this is what Jesus prayed for you and for me. He prayed that the love with which the Father loved him may be in them, that is, in us, in his disciples. The prayer of Jesus is that the love that the Father has for his own Son will be in us. Think of that. How great is the love that the Father has for his own Son. Jesus says, I’m praying, Father, that the love that you have for me will be in them. You say, how is that possible? Well, God’s love, we read in Romans 5 and verse 5, is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us. And if God pours his love into your heart, you will love what God loves and you will begin to love as God loves. This is why Peter says to faithful believers, though you have not seen him, you love him. And a little later he says, to you who believe, he, Jesus, is precious. Why? Because the Father’s love for his own Son has been poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you. So here are people who live in a cold spiritual climate and yet they love the Lord. Notice what they do. Faithful believers speak with one another. Those who fear the Lord, those who have this blazing love for the Lord in their hearts, they spoke with one another. Now, friends, this is very practical. I want to encourage you as we enter into this new year to move towards other believers. That’s what faithful believers do. In tough times, they come closer together, they turn towards one another. When the chill winds were blowing, they spoke with one another. Now, of course, that was against the trend in Malachi’s day and it will be against the trend today. When leaders fail, it’s very easy for someone to say, well, I still have my faith but I’m done with the church. Or in these days when worship is disrupted, it will be very easy for people to say, well, you know, it’s okay, I can manage on my own. And I’m saying to you today from the Scriptures that if you try to go it alone, your heart will soon grow cold. The more skepticism and unbelief rises around us, the more the chill winds of a cold spiritual climate are outside of us, the more we need one another. And faithful believers speak to each other, they draw strength from each other, they seek out others who share the same love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And here’s what will happen when you seek out others who share the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, Luke tells us at the end of his gospel a beautiful story about two believers and they were walking on a road to a place called Emmaus. And as they walked, they were talking with each other about Jesus. And Luke tells us this, that while they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. It’s so beautiful. You will find the presence of Jesus in the company of other believers. You find yourself saying, where can I find the presence of Jesus? And telling you from Luke chapter 24, you will find the presence of Jesus in the company of other believers. Our Lord Jesus said this, where two or three are gathered together, there I am in the midst. So here’s my encouragement to you in this new year. From the book of Malachi, describing a cold spiritual climate, learn what faithful believers do. They speak to each other. Draw close to other believers. You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and today’s message is God Hears. And it’s part of our series, Encouragement for Faithful Believers, looking at the book of Malachi in chapter three today. And when we come back, we’ll go from looking at how we speak to one another to how faithful believers speak well of the Lord. So I hope you’ll stay with us. And don’t forget, if you ever miss one of our broadcasts, you can always catch up or go back and listen again online. Come to openthebible.org.uk. There you can listen to any of our previously broadcast messages. You can also find us now as a podcast if that’s a more convenient way for you to hear Pastor Colin Smith’s message. And you can find our podcasts on all the regular podcasting sites. Just search for Open the Bible UK and subscribe to the podcast for regular updates. Back to the message now. Here’s Colin. Then there’s something else here that faithful believers do. They not only speak with one another, but, and this is really important, faithful believers speak well of the Lord. Now, we’ve just read that faithful believers spoke with each other. What did they say? Well, if you look at the end of the verse, we get a wonderful description of their conversation. We’re told that those who feared the Lord esteemed his name. In other words, when those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, they spoke in a way that honored the name of the Lord. And that, of course, was very different from what was going on widely in the culture around them. The normal way of speaking about God amongst most of the people was simply to complain about everything that he did and to question everything that he said. Now we all know what it is like to wrestle with questions and with doubts and even with complaints towards God, especially when we suffer. Job knew what it was like to struggle with unanswered questions, and rarely can a man have suffered more than Job did, losing all of his children. But Job spoke well of the Lord. And at the end of the book, God commends Job for this one thing. This is what is picked out. Chapter 42 and verse 7, the Lord said to Eliphaz, my anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken what is right, as my servant Job has. How we speak about God matters. God hears what we say about him. He takes note when people speak well of him in time of trouble. The Lord paid attention. Do you know, friends, this is what believers do. As Karen and I have opened so many kind Christmas cards and letters that many in the congregation have sent to us, time and again a letter that describes difficulties in life, and time and again this one thing in common, speaking well of the Lord. But the Lord helped me. The Lord stood with me. This is what faithful believers do. Whatever we face, we speak well of the Lord because he proves his faithfulness to us in it. So here’s a resolution that I’ve taken to myself for this new year, and I want to commend this to you. Let your speech always be gracious. That’s Colossians chapter 4 and verse 6. Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up others. That’s Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29. Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord. Keep watch over the door of my lips. That’s Psalm 141 and verse 3. O Lord, open my mouth and my lips shall declare your praise. That’s Psalm 51 and verse 15. Others may doubt God’s love. We will declare his faithfulness. Others may regard worship as a mere duty. We will regard it as a delight. Others may become careless in marriage. We will seek to love others well. Others may pour out their endless complaints about God, but we will rejoice with thanksgiving in his mercy towards us. Others may refuse to draw near to God, but we will seek his face. Others may think that it is vain to serve the Lord, but we will be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is not in vain. Faithful believers, they speak with one another. Faithful believers, they speak well of the Lord. And then Malachi tells us that when those who feared the Lord spoke with one another, the Lord paid attention and heard them. They were heard. And that wonderful truth, that they were heard, drew my mind to a remarkable statement in the New Testament about our Lord Jesus Christ, the faithful Son of God, our wonderful, faithful Savior. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 5 and verse 7, we read this, that in the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Remarkable statement. The Old King James Version puts it this way, he was heard in that he feared. In other words, just like those who feared the Lord in the days of Malachi and when they spoke with each other, they were heard, so the Lord Jesus Christ, he knew the fear of the Lord. That is, he loved the Father so much that the Father’s frown would be his greatest dread and the Father’s smile his greatest delight. And so when he came to the garden of Gethsemane, he said, Father, not my will but yours be done. And the will of the Father was that he should bear our sins in his own body on the cross. And Jesus cried out, loud cries and tears. The agony of going through all that hell is was before him. The Holy Son of God bearing your sins and mine. Notice that he cried out, not to the one who was able to save him from dying, he knew that when he came into the world in order to lay down his life, he didn’t cry out to the one who was able to save him from dying, he cried out to the one who was able to save him from death. When our Lord Jesus cried out, he was heard. And the proof that he was heard is that the Father raised him from the dead. And when we come to the Father in the fear of the Lord and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we too will be heard. And we too will share in the resurrection to everlasting life that is ours in him. You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith here on Open the Bible and our message God Hears, that’s part of the series Encouragement for Faithful Believers. And if you’ve missed any of the series or if you want to go back and listen again, don’t forget you can always do that by going online. Come to our website, that’s openthebible.org.uk and you can listen to any of our previously broadcast messages. You can also find us as a podcast. Come to any of your regular podcasting sites and search for Open the Bible UK. Select the message you want to hear and subscribe to receive regular updates. Also on our website and available as a podcast, you’ll find Open the Bible Daily. This is a series of short two to three minute reflections, a new one every day based on the teaching of Pastor Colin Smith and read here in the UK by Sue MacLeish. And you can find that as a podcast, just search for Open the Bible UK and then look for Open the Bible Daily. Also available of course on our website. Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners, that’s people just like you. If that’s something you haven’t done up to this time but feel you’d like to begin doing it, we have an offer for you this month. If you’re able to set up a new donation to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of five pounds per month or more, we’d love to thank you by sending you an Advent devotional. It’s called The Coming of the King and it’s by J.C. Ryle. Now Colin, how might we benefit from reading this book? Well it’s a book to help us prepare for Christmas and Christmas is not only the most wonderful and joyful time of the year, it’s also for sure the busiest time of the year and we all have relentless schedules as we move into these next weeks that lie ahead of us. So if you’re looking for something that would give you in just a very short space of time some rich nourishment to focus your mind and your heart on the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and all the hope that is yours in him, this book by J.C. Ryle, The Coming of the King, I think will be absolutely ideal and wonderfully helpful to you. It gives in just a couple of pages a glimpse of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ for each day leading up to Christmas. You can use it over a period of 25 days. I love reading Ryle. He’s so clear, he’s so warm, he’s so Christ-centred and you will find this nourishing for your soul in the relentless busyness of the season. The Coming of the King by Bishop Ryle. I’m going to be reading it again as we go through Advent and I hope that it will be a blessing and a joy for you as well. And we’d love to send you a copy of this book as a thank you for setting up a new donation to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more. Full details on our website openthebible.org.uk. You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick and I very much hope you’ll join us again next time. Are you ever tempted to think that your work for the Lord is in vain? Find out why it’s not, next time on Open the Bible.