EXPOSITION:

1. Turn to the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi. I would like for us to begin reading at Malachi 3.13. Please stand, and we will read together Malachi 3.13-18: "Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."

2. Malachi was written about 425 years before the birth of Christ, during a very dark period in Jewish history. It had been about 12 centuries since the children of Israel were delivered from Egyptian slavery and brought into the Promised Land. But since then, with the notable exceptions of kings David, Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah, there had been an almost continual national and spiritual downhill slide throughout their history.

3. Almost 200 years before Malachi’s time the Babylonian army had laid siege to Jerusalem, leveling the city and taking almost the entire population of those not slain in battle or starved to death into captivity. What dark days those had been.

4. It had seemed like a marvelous dream for the captivity to end after 70 years, just as Jeremiah had predicted. Psalm 126 records the mood of the people: "When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad."

5. But profound discouragement set in when only 50,000 Jews actually chose to return to the Promised Land. How could they rebuild without more people? The efforts of Ezra, Nehemiah and several others raised up by God helped somewhat, but the situation was still extremely bleak.

6. Things seemed dismal beyond belief in the land. The Temple had been rebuilt, but it was a shabby and cheap imitation of the glorious original Temple built by Solomon. The priesthood had been restored and sacrifices were being offered, but the priests were corrupt and complacent. The people had no respect for them.

7. Any objective observer could tell that the people had already sunk to a depth of sin that exceeded the former iniquities which had brought on the judgment of God by first the Assyrians and then the Babylonians. Would the people learn nothing from the past? It seemed as though they would not.

8. Because the limitations of time prevent me from painting for you a full landscape of the history that lay back of our text, allow me to lift from those verses that we have read four thoughts, the last of which forms the basis of my sermon this morning.

9. First, in Malachi 3.16, mention is made of "those who feared the LORD" speaking often to one another. What an encouragement. In the midst of spiritual apostasy and barrenness God had preserved for Himself a remnant. And they seemed to have an awareness of each other, since they "spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it." I would venture a guess that prayer meetings might be implied by this, and God listened to their prayers.

10. Second, also in Malachi 3.16, we are told that "a book of remembrance was written before him," which is to say before God, "for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name." Mention is oftentimes made of the books God keeps in heaven, in which records are kept of the sins and the wickedness of the unsaved, which will be used to judge them in the end, Revelation 20.12. But here we are told that God keeps records, also, of the deeds of those who are His Own. So, God listens to prayers and God remembers what you’ve done for Him . . . if you are His child. If not, He remembers what you have done against Him.

11. Now look at verse 17: "And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." A quick glance at this verse shows that God is referring to future blessings for the people. And how that must have lifted the spirits of Malachi’s readers in that time of darkness and discouragement.

12. So, in a few short verses, in the middle of this prophet’s writing that shows God’s extreme displeasure with the Jewish people as a whole, we have seen that there is a remnant, that God does remember them, that His reference to future blessing must have rejuvenated them to a degree, and then the narrative changes. Malachi was speaking in verse 16. Then God spoke in verse 17. And now Malachi is speaking again in verse 18.

13. And what does the prophet of God make mention of here? He declares that God will return to the midst of His people. "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."

14. You see, God did dwell in the midst of His people, when His glory hovered over the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies inside the Temple, during that time before the Babylonian captivity. And, yes, He would come back into the midst of His people. He would return. But little did the people realize that to return God, specifically the Son of God, would enter the womb of a virgin named Mary, take upon Himself human flesh, and be born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

15. But that which I want to draw your undivided attention to this morning is the phrase "discern between the righteous and the wicked." My friends, I fully realize that when God discerns between the righteous and the wicked He discerns with infallible insight. First Samuel 16.7 informs us that "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

16. So, we acknowledge that we cannot look upon men’s hearts to discern the righteous from the wicked. But let us not forget that Jesus told us, in Matthew 7.16, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." And moments later, in Matthew 7.20, He repeated Himself, saying, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

17. My friends, I believe it to be a trick of the Devil to convince people that it is not possible to discern between the righteous and the wicked, with some degree of certainty. It is a Satanic lie to assert that there is no discernible difference between the saved and the lost. So, keeping in mind that human beings are not by any means without error in our judgments, my sermon will be on the subject of discerning between the righteous and the wicked.

18. Before my sermon, which will have for its text the words, "discern between the righteous and the wicked," I would like for us all to stand and sing.

INTRODUCTION:

1. "Discern between the righteous and the wicked." This word "discern" translates a very common Hebrew word that simply means to see, therefore to perceive.

2. Though it is an art that has long since fallen into disuse, in my reading I have discovered that it was the common practice of every single Gospel preaching pastor in the English speaking world, before 1800, to take steps to discern between the righteous and the wicked by carefully interviewing professing Christians and questioning them for their views on what truths they believe and how they supposedly got saved.

3. I was surprised to learn that hopeful converts were subjected to scrutiny in an effort to establish some degree of certainty that they really did possess eternal life in Christ. When such a hopeful convert could satisfy his pastor that it was likely that he was, indeed, truly converted, he was then baptized.

4. "You mean you decide whether or not some person gets baptized, or whether or not some person is allowed to join the Church?" That was the question that was put to me some time ago. "Somebody has to decide," I told the startled visitor, "and we’re certainly not going to let you decide."

5. As a physician does not prescribe medication simply because a desire is expressed by a patient, and as a dentist does not drill a tooth just because a patient tells him he needs a filling, so a pastor must engage in the serious task of discerning between the righteous and the wicked, and cannot responsibly baptize a candidate just because she wants to be baptized, or receive into the Church’s membership someone who wants to transfer just because he expresses a strong desire.

6. Attorneys interview and cross examine. Police officers interrogate and investigate. Military intelligence officers gather data and debrief. Physicians and dentists take case histories and examine. Scientists investigate and interview and examine. But in a matter that is infinitely more important than the urgent tasks those professionals are engaged in the pastor is supposed to rely on hearsay?

7. Because I am a fallible man I cannot be absolutely certain when I seek to discern between the righteous and the wicked, but I would be a fool, I would be negligent, I would be unfaithful, if I did not do my very best in dealing with you folks in the best way I know how.

8. This morning I will share with you four truths related to discerning between the righteous and the wicked.

1. Do you believe in coincidences? I do not. I believe in God, "who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."

2. Whether you are a visitor this morning or someone who first came to Church here as a child, you are here by divine appointment. You are here for a reason.

3. My hope is that you are here to be preached to, to be carefully dealt with in an attempt to discern your true spiritual condition, and to really and truly come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, for cleansing, for eternal life.

4. I say this because, if you are lost you are spiritually dead, Ephesians 2.1. If you are lost you are without Christ, without God, and without hope, Ephesians 2.12.

5. But God, Who is rich in mercy, has made it possible for you to come nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ. The preaching is done. The sermonizing has concluded. What is needful now is to listen to sinners who are interested in coming to Jesus, who are curious about salvation, who are burdened to have their sins forgiven.

6. I am no priest. I am not a mediator. I do not reconcile sinners to God. Only Jesus does that, and He does that when a sinner simply comes to Him by faith.