God Rewards, Part 2

Malachi 3:18

Pastor Colin explores the unwavering truth that our choices in serving God have both present challenges and eternal reward. For many of us, the road of faith can be rocky, often leading us to ponder whether our commitment holds any true weight. But rest assured, today’s message promises to elevate our spirits and reaffirm the value of perseverance.

Many Christians experience times when following Jesus feels overwhelming; perhaps you’re enduring such a season now. Faced with the hardships along this path, the question “Is it truly worth it?” can surface. We aim to answer that with scriptural encouragement focusing on the anticipated day of God’s great recognition for His servants.

Pastor Colin will guide us through Malachi chapter 3 and the profound promise that those who have dedicated themselves to serving the Almighty will witness clear distinction from those who haven’t–a distinction that will stand glaringly apparent on that ultimate day. Envisioning this future, we recognise the immeasurable worth of our service to the Lord.

One day, the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not, is going to be clearly seen by everybody. Now, on that day, where do you want to be? Well, I want to be, and surely, brother, sister, you want to be in the company of those who serve God. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick, and we’re continuing our message, God Rewards, part of our series, Encouragement for Faithful Believers. And Colin, I think we all know that it can be tough when we’re going through hard times, but today we’re going to hear why we would want to persevere. Yes, and if you are in a position where you are discouraged today, or if you have come to a place where it’s really, really costly for you to follow after the Lord Jesus, and you’ve even found yourself saying, you know, is this really worth it? It’s really costly. This is really, really hard. Well, I want to encourage you from the Scriptures today. You know, we’re going to lift up our eyes. We’re going to look to the future day that is promised, when the Lord will reward all his faithful servants. And the Scripture says you’re going to see the distinction between those who serve the Lord and those who don’t. And when that day comes, you are going to be so glad that you persevered in serving the Lord. I think this is one of the most wonderfully encouraging verses in the Bible for a time when we are asking that question, is it worth it? And, you know, Christian believers do ask that question, but there’s an answer. And we’re going to be encouraged by that answer from the Scriptures today as we look forward to the day of great reward. So today we’re in Malachi chapter 3, so please join us if you can. Here’s Colin. Now, every Christian knows that whatever we’ve done for the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives, we could have done better and we should have done more. The more you serve the Lord, the more you are going to feel and see your own many, many sins and failings. We find ourselves often saying we are unworthy servants. But God says of those who serve him, I will spare them. I’ll spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Friends, that is an amazing statement. Think about this. God created angels who once served him and then rebelled, and he did not spare them. Peter says, God did not spare angels when they sinned. But he cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment. He did not spare the angels who rebelled. And God did not spare the ancient world in its wickedness and in its violence. Peter says he did not spare the ancient world, but brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly. God did not spare angels who rebelled. God did not spare the ancient world. God did not spare his own son. Romans chapter 8 and verse 32, he did not spare his own son, but gave him up freely for us all. But God, who chose in Christ Father and Son together to redeem us, says, I will spare you. I will spare you, Father, like he tends and spares us. Well, our feeble frame he knows. Thank God for that. In his arms he gently bears us and rescues us from all our foes. God says, I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. And on that day when you are spared the judgment of God, brother and sister, then you will see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, the vast difference between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him. And you will say there is all the difference in the world. A day is coming, a day of reward for God’s children, for those who fear him, for those who serve him. And on that day, you’re going to be treasured. You’re going to be spared. And then a third thing, you are going to be healed. Look at Malachi chapter 4 and verse 2. But for you who fear my name, the son of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. Now, I just love the way that God speaks to us in pictures. And here God speaks to us in the beautiful image of a morning sunrise. The son of righteousness shall rise. When our family had the opportunity of visiting the Grand Canyon a number of years ago, we went out in the morning to watch the sunrise. What an unforgettable experience that was. When we got up, of course, everything was dark. And we stumbled around finding our way to the particular area where a marvelous view could be taken in, found ourselves in the dark, a place to sit, a rock to sit on. And then looking out into the utter darkness, began to see a glow on the horizon. The light of another world dawning on ours. And as the light dawned, we saw the beauty of the Grand Canyon. It had all been hidden in the darkness. But when the sun rose, it could all be clearly seen. Now, God takes that beautiful picture that we can all grasp of the sunrise, and he says to those who fear him, Now, this is what it’s going to be like for you. There’s a glorious world that right now you cannot see. But when the sun of righteousness rises, you will see splendors that are beyond anything that you can imagine right now. Eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, all that God has prepared for those who love him. Now, God is speaking to us in a picture here. And of course, the picture is an image, a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the son of righteousness. Light dawned in this dark world when he came, when he was born. And light will shine in all of its beauty and all of its brilliance when he returns in power and in glory. And I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but in the carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, that we sing so often at Christmas, we have absolutely these words that are taken directly from this verse in the book of Malachi. Hail the heaven-born prince of peace. Hail the son of righteousness. Now, maybe you’ve thought when you’ve seen the words on the screen, oh, they’ve made a mistake. It should be S-O-N. No, it’s S-U-N because it comes right out of this verse in the book of Malachi. Jesus Christ is like the rising of the sun, bringing the light and the warmth of a new world. Hail the son of righteousness. Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. And it’s right out of Malachi right here. For you who fear the Lord, the son of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. Now, I want you to notice that when the son of righteousness rises, that is when Jesus comes again, for you who fear him, for you who serve him, that will be the day of complete healing. The son of righteousness rises with healing in its wings. Now, some wounds are so deep that they are never fully healed in this life. And some losses are so great that they can never fully be made up in this life. And perhaps you know what it is to say from the heart, I will never have the life that I would have had if this had not happened to me. Yes, God has helped you, but scars remain. And like Jacob, you walk with a limp. Now, I want you to take this in from the Bible today, that though there are some wounds that are never fully healed in this life, and though there are some losses that can never be fully made up in this life, when Jesus Christ returns, when the son of righteousness rises, he will rise with healing in his wings. And God himself will wipe all tears from your eyes. You will be completely whole. You will enter into his presence with fullness of joy, and you will serve him as you always wished you could. When the son of righteousness rises, when Jesus Christ returns, he will bring healing in his wings. And then you are going to see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not serve God. And you’re going to say, there’s all the difference in the world. And then here’s a fourth thing that is very wonderful. On that day, you’ll be treasured. You’ll be spared. You’ll be healed. And on that day, you will finally be free. I want you to notice what God says in Malachi chapter 4 and verse 2. For you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings, and you shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Now, I just love that picture. Think about what this is like. Here are cows, and they’ve spent the entire winter in a barn. But when the spring comes, they’re let out into the field. Imagine what that’s like for calves that were born in the barn. They’ve never seen a field before. They never even knew that such a thing existed. Their whole life has been winter in the barn. And suddenly, the doors are opened, and they’re released into a whole new world. They’ve been eating dry silage, and now they are eating lush grass. Their only movement has been very limited because they’ve been crammed in the barn. Now they’re released into the open field, and they leap with joy. And they leap with joy because they are released into a new world. Now, God says to those who fear him, this is what it will be like for you. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Now, isn’t that a great promise for all of us today? I mean, we’re tired of living with restrictions. But I want to apply this especially to those who know what it is to feel the restriction, as it were, of life in the barn. See, some of you are restricted by old age, by long-term conditions of ill health. Some of you by a life-changing injury. The world has become smaller for you, and it isn’t easy. Not much scope to do much for the cows in the barn. Now, I want you to hear this promise today and to draw strength and encouragement from it. It’s a promise that’s given to all who fear the Lord. You shall go out like calves leaping from the stall. And then, on that day, you are going to see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. You’re going to see there’s all the difference in the world between those who serve God and those who do not. You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and we’ve been looking at the promise that God rewards. And in the light of that promise, what do we do? We’ll find out in just a moment, so I hope you’ll stay with us. This message is part of a series called Encouragement for Faithful Believers. And if you’ve missed any of the series, or if you want to go back and listen again, you can always do that by coming online. Come to our website, openthebible.org.uk. You can listen again to any of the previously broadcast messages. Back to the message now, it’s in Malachi 3. Here’s Colin. Now, what then are we to do in the light of this marvelous, marvelous promise? A great day, a day of reward is coming. What are we to do now in the light of that? Let me just suggest briefly in closing these three things. First, we must wait patiently. That day has not yet come. And we live in a world that is not as God made it, and not as it will be when God has redeemed it. This world is filled with pain that perplexes the people of God. Evil doers prosper, and they put God to the test. That’s what we see. So, of course, faith lives with questions. Why did God allow this? Why did he not do something to stop it? But when faith is confronted with unanswered questions, here’s what faith does. It waits patiently. Faith recognizes that we cannot yet see what will one day be revealed. Hope that is seen is not hope. Who hopes for what is already seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it patiently. That’s Romans chapter 8 and verse 24 and 25. Faith knows and believes that a day is coming when you will see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. You will see the vast difference between those who serve the Lord and those who do not. On that day, you will be treasured. You will be spared. On that day, you will be healed. And on that day, you will be free. So wait patiently. And as you do, serve faithfully. I wonder, have you noticed as we’ve spent these three weeks in these verses, that actually serving God is the theme that runs right through them? Verse 14, these verses start out with the question, what do you get out of serving God? Some people are saying it’s vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge? What are we getting out of it? Do you notice that in verse 17, the people that God spares on the day of judgment, who are they? They’re the ones who serve him. And you notice in verse 18 that when God reveals the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, another way of saying that is the difference between those who serve him and those who do not serve him. So the righteous person is the one who serves God, and the unrighteous person, the wicked person, is the one who does not serve God, lives for himself or for herself. It’s all about who you serve. And Malachi says, the day is coming when you will see this distinction between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him. So learn to live in the light of that day. Live your life as it were backwards. In other words, start by looking at where you want to be on that day that Malachi describes here. One day, the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not, is going to be clearly seen by everybody, both the righteous and the wicked, those who serve and those who do not. Now, on that day, where do you want to be? Well, I want to be, and surely, brother, sister, you want to be in the company of those who serve God. Therefore, as I want to be in the company of those who serve God then, I will serve God now, and I will seek to serve him every day that he gives to me from now till then. Only one life. It will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last. And then the last thing is this, that as we wait patiently and as we serve faithfully, we look forward joyfully. Jesus said, if anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am there, my servant also will be. Do you see this? As you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus says, it’s inevitably the case that you will follow me. You’re going to be with me where I am. Where I am there, my servant will be. Brother, sister in Christ, what lies ahead of you is absolutely glorious. The sun of righteousness is going to rise with healing in its wings. You’re going to be going out leaping like calves released from the stall. God will wipe all tears from your eyes. Serving Jesus is always worth it. No matter what the cost. And when your faith is tested, remember the day is coming when you will see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve him and those who do not. Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be steadfast. Let us be immovable. Whatever the circumstances, let us always be abounding in the work of the Lord, because we know that in Christ our labor is not in vain. You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and the message God Rewards, part of our series, Encouragement for Faithful Believers. And in the light of that, we’ve been hearing how we should wait patiently, serve faithfully and look forward joyfully. And if you’ve missed any of the series, don’t forget you can always catch up or go back and listen again online. Come to openthebible.org.uk Open the Bible is supported by our listeners. That’s people just like you. And this month, if you’re able to begin supporting us with a new donation in the amount of £5 per month or more, we’d love to send you a free gift. It’s an Advent devotional and it’s called The Coming of the King by J.C. Ryle. Colin, what makes this book so special? Oh, two things. The first would be its theme. It’s all about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Or rather, I should say the comings of the Lord Jesus Christ, because it is both about his first coming that we celebrate at Christmas and about his second coming that we anticipate with hope and with joy. So a book that just focuses us on the coming of Jesus is going to be a blessing. And the second reason that it is a marvellous book is its author, Bishop J.C. Ryle. He was a bishop in the Church of England in the 19th century. He is one of my favourite authors, all-time favourite authors, and especially in regards to the Gospels. He has some marvellous books on the four Gospels. And this little book, The 25 Readings for Advent, The Coming of the King, is selected from Ryle’s writings on the Gospels. They’re simple, they’re clear, they’re beautiful. They shine the light on the Lord Jesus Christ. They’re faith-building, they’re refreshing, and you will enjoy reading this little book during Advent. Well, we’d like to send you this book as our way of saying thank you for your financial support this month in setting up a new monthly donation for £5 per month or more. Full details on our website, that’s openthebible.org.uk. For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick, and I very much hope you’ll join us again soon. Jesus only uses the word church twice in the Bible. But what does he mean by it? Find out next time on Open the Bible.

Details

Sermon Series
Date
Primary Audience

Monthly Offer

Get 3 free copies of ‘Green Pastures, Still Waters’ by Colin Smith, as well as an Open the Bible UK bookmark and pen, when you set up a monthly gift of at least £5, or a one-off gift of at least £50.

Donate

Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

Linked resources

Sermons on Malachi Discover what faithful believers have faced in every generation, and what faithful believers in every generation have done.

Colin Smith

Search

Search

Header Submit Search