The Lord Will Come

As Malachi nears its end, God finally speaks the promise that names the whole series: “Behold, I am coming.” The people are weary, cynical, and demanding answers—“Where is the God of justice?”—but Malachi exposes the deeper issue: they have been calling evil good while accusing God of doing nothing.

God’s response is both hope and warning. He promises a messenger who will prepare the way (fulfilled in John the Baptist), and He promises that the Lord Himself will come (fulfilled in Jesus Christ). But the next question is the gut-punch: “Who can endure the day of His coming?” Because when God comes near, He comes not only to comfort, but to purify—like refiner’s fire and fuller’s soap.

This sermon calls us to recover the fear of the Lord and the reality of repentance. God’s coming means He will expose sin, confront injustice, and cleanse His people—yet the gospel is that the Judge has also come in mercy. Jesus endured the fire for us, took the judgment we deserved, and invites us to come into the light with honest confession and real repentance. And He is coming again—so the question remains: Are we ready for the God who comes?