Avonhead Baptist Sermons

This week we turn from the Minor Prophets to Paul's letter to the Colossians. This is quite a move in many ways. The prophets are at pains to stress the need for Israel to repent and turn to God. By the time we get to Malachi God himself declares he has "grown weary" of their falling short. But, in the midst of judgement he offers hope. He has a plan - a plan we know to have been fulfilled in Christ. The scene appears so different in Colossians. Paul can celebrate the Hope grasped and the power of transformation it brings. Nevertheless, the two visions are continuous. Righteousness and lives pleasing to God remain the goal. To the church in Colossae, and to us, Grace has been bestowed. But this is Grace with a Purpose

In the last of our series “Mining the Prophets” we consider the final book of the Old Testament: Malachi. As with all the prophetic writings this is a message of challenge and disturbance. It is no coincidence that Malachi is last in the OT. It is a late book, possibly the last of the 39 to be written. Israel has returned from Babylon. God’s restoration of their possession of the land - promised in Micah, Joel and many of the prophets - has happened. The people had been given a second (or is it third?) chance. Sadly, they have blown it. Again. The standard of religious life had deteriorated. “Why make the effort to honour God?” In Malachi we see the beginnings of a shift in the focus of Hebrew religious practice. More importantly, this book rounds out the Old Testament with a foreshadowing of the New; a new type of restoration – a new covenant.

This weekend, we welcome Richard Brunton, who has brings us teaching in a seminar on Saturday and in Sunday morning’s service. In his booklet The Awesome Power of Blessing Richard writes: “It is God‘s nature to bless and, as creatures made in his image, it is in our spiritual DNA as well. The Holy Spirit is waiting for God‘s people to step out in faith and in the authority that Jesus Christ won for them, in order to transform lives.”

We saw last week that in his opening chapters Joel responds to the crisis facing Israel less by condemning their behaviour, as many prophets rightly do, but by jumping straight to the core of the crisis: the People of God has forgotten the God whose people they were. Repentance means honouring God. It means change too - real change not just displays of change. “Rend your hears not your garments.” God’s voice enters with a promise: that where he is honoured fruitful life is restored. In our passage today God’s promise zooms out, to the biggest picture of all, to that moment when all creation is restored to full life – the age of the Spirit. Joel’s vision unfolds a sequence by which the mighty wind of God’s Spirit blow through all flesh and ushers in the day of the Lord. The NT combines this vision with others into the story of Christ and the revolution at Pentecost. But Joel is not finished. In chapter three he unfolds the consequence of encounter with God. The whole of creation and history is rent. The day of the Lord is terrible, as well as inspiring.

Today we continue “mining the prophets”. Its no surprise that there is a consistency of message among these orators and writers. Their message is, after all, from God, and they are responding to similar issues and events. As a result, on first reading they can seem a bit repetitive. It’s a mistake to see them that way. Just as we have four gospels, with different perspectives, so the variety of the prophets rounds out an otherwise disturbing and complex picture. Isaiah deals with grand themes of history whereas Micah focuses on a challenge to live as you are called to live. Joel explores a different line. With wonderful metaphors he laments the destruction wrought by the invaders but his call to the people if less to behave in a certain way than simply to accept and submit to the sovereignty of God. It is God who has brought this about. Submit yourself to him and he will restore as much as he allowed to be destroyed. And beyond that restoration lies a further promise – a promise of such breathtaking magnificence that it seems audacious even to imagine it….