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MALACHI 3:16,17

"GOD'S JEWELS"

I. MAN'S PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD. "THEY THAT FEARED THE LORD."
        A. Different types of fear.
                1. Phobia's which are debilitating.
                2. Fear which is caution.
                3. Fear which is a reverential awe.
                        a. This is the type of fear meant in our text.
                        b. When I look at the universe.
                        c. When I look at a flower.
                        d. When I look at a baby.
        B. "To fear the Lord is to depart from evil."
                1. The Bible equates wickedness to the lack of the fear of
                   the Lord.
                        a. Chapter 4:1,2.
                        b. If I truly fear Him, I will want to please Him.
        C. Paul, in Romans 1, speaks of those who did not glorify God as
           God.
                1. This arises from not having proper respect for God:
                        a. I think I know what is better for me than does
                           He.
                                1. I begin to order God.
                                        a. My morning prayers are His
                                           orders for the day.
                                2. Worse, I begin to demand God.
                                        a. I treat Him as a dog - speak
                                           God, roll over.
                2. If God has enough wisdom to create this world, He has
                   enough wisdom to know what's best for me and the wisest
                   thing I can do is to totally yield my way to Him.
                3. To fear the Lord is to commit your ways, your life
                   completely to Him.
        D. What do people that fear the Lord do?
                1. They talk about Him as they converse with each other.
                        a. The Lord becomes the main topic of our
                           conversations.
                        b. People seem to have general themes:       ,
                           cars, girls, clothes.
                        c. Note, they speak often.
                                1. How often do you talk about God?
                                2. What is your response when the subject
                                   of God is brought up?
                                        a. Oh, I never speak about
                                           religion or politics.
                                        b. That is saying you have no
                                           interest in God.
                2. They think upon His name.
                        a. In that culture, names had meaning.
                                1. Often it expressed character.
                                2. Sometimes characteristics.
                                3. The Lord will give us new names.
                        b. The name, "Yahweh", the becoming one. How God
                           becomes to me whatever I need.
                        c. The name "Yashua", or in Greek, Jesus.
                                1. God has become my salvation.

II. GOD'S RESPONSE TO THOSE THAT FEAR HIM.
        A. Whenever they talked about Him, He eyes dropped.
                1. Have you ever noticed how attuned you are to your own
                   name?
                2. Whenever the Lord is brought up in our conversation, He
                   tunes in.
        B. He keeps records on them.
                1. The Bible speaks about those whose names are written in
                   the Book of Life.
        C. God claims them as His own, "They are Mine."
                1. God said to Satan, "Have you considered My Servant,
                   Job?
                2. How glorious when God says to me, "My son."
        D. We become "His jewels."
                1. Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as a hid treasure in
                   a field.
                2. Do you know how highly God values you?
        E. "I will spare them."
                1. Spare them from what?
                        a. His day of judgment when He shall destroy the
                           wicked.