We Change, God Does Not

September 23, 2026

Reference: Malachi 3:1-6

Tags:Malachi



Summary

Pastor Miles examines Malachi 3:1-6, addressing Israel's accusation that God has changed and no longer judges evil. The speaker explains that God is immutable and will send His messenger (John the Baptist) to prepare the way for the Lord, who will come as both purifier and judge. He emphasizes that God has not changed—rather, the people have changed—and that only God's covenant faithfulness prevents their consumption. The sermon challenges believers to live wholeheartedly for Christ now, share the gospel urgently with loved ones facing judgment, and recognize that God's delay in returning demonstrates His patience, not His abandonment of justice.



Scripture References

Malachi 3:1-6 (primary text)
Malachi 1:10 (God finds no pleasure in their offerings)
Malachi 2:13 (complaint that God does not receive their offerings)
Malachi 2:17 (accusation that God sees evil as good)
Romans 5:12 (sin entered through one man)
Matthew 11:10 (Jesus quotes Malachi about John the Baptist)
Mark 1:1-8 (John the Baptist as forerunner)
Luke 2:30, 38 (Simeon and Anna recognize Jesus)
Luke 22:20 (new covenant in Jesus' blood)
Jeremiah 31:31-33 (promise of new covenant)
Isaiah 56:7 (acceptable worship in the future)
Romans 12:1 (living sacrifice as worship)
Revelation 2:23 (Jesus searches minds and hearts)
Revelation 21:8 (those excluded from New Jerusalem)
Galatians 5:19-21 (works of the flesh)
2 Peter 3:9 (God's patience in His return)
Zechariah 13 (refinement of the remnant)
Genesis 3:15 (promised Messiah)
Genesis 49:10 (Shiloh prophecy)



Main Themes

God's Immutability: God does not change in His character, justice, or covenant promises, even though His people repeatedly change and turn away from Him.
Divine Justice Coming: God answers accusations of injustice by promising to come as judge who will swiftly witness against sorcerers, adulterers, exploiters, and all evildoers.
Purification and Refinement: The coming Messiah will be like a refiner's fire and launderer's soap, purifying His people through affliction so their worship becomes acceptable.
John the Baptist as Forerunner: The prophecy finds fulfillment in John the Baptist, who prepares the way for the Lord as a herald announcing coming royalty.
The New Covenant: Jesus brings the new covenant promised in Jeremiah, written on hearts and sealed by His blood, enabling true worship.
Present Obedience Required: Believers must live wholeheartedly for Christ now rather than presuming they can repent later during tribulation.
Gospel Urgency: The reality of hell and coming judgment compels believers to share the gospel with loved ones who face eternal condemnation.
God's Patience as Mercy: God's delay in returning demonstrates His long-suffering nature and unwillingness that any should perish, preserving the sons of Jacob from consumption.



Key Takeaways

✓The people accuse God of changing and tolerating evil, but God responds by revealing that He is coming to judge and has not changed—they have changed.

✓God will send His messenger (John the Baptist) to prepare the way for the Lord, who will suddenly come to His temple as both purifier and judge.

✓Refinement comes through affliction, like a silversmith heating metal until impurities rise or a launderer beating cloth clean, so God's people can offer acceptable worship.

✓True worship requires presenting our whole lives as living sacrifices to God, not merely external religious performance or shallow rituals.

✓Christians serve as heralds of Christ's coming and must take seriously the privilege and responsibility of bearing the gospel message to others.

✓God's immutability means He will fulfill His covenant promises, and only His faithfulness prevents the complete consumption of His people for their sins.

✓Believers should study and preach about hell's reality because it motivates compassion and urgency in evangelizing loved ones facing eternal judgment.

✓The church must remain vigilant against sorcery in its broader biblical sense, including drug use and practices that undermine God's authority in people's lives.

✓God's patience in delaying His return demonstrates His mercy and provides time for the fullness of the Gentiles to come to salvation.

✓Israel mistakenly expected a political Messiah to free them from Rome rather than the Messiah who would crush the serpent's head and redeem them from sin.



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