God Remembers Those Who Serve Him
Pastor Tan Thai · Oct 3, 2021
This sermon, based on Malachi 3:13-18, presents two main parts: the people's question about serving God and God's answer. The pastor reminds the congregation that God remembers those who fear and faithfully serve Him, treasuring them as His precious possession on the day He acts.
This sermon was delivered on Sunday, October 3, 2021, during the month dedicated to honoring those who serve God in Baptist churches across the United States. Drawing from Malachi 3:13-18, the pastor reminds the congregation that the two most important decisions in life — receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and living for God — carry eternal value that far outweighs any material choice in this brief earthly life.
The first part of the sermon analyzes the attitude of the people during Malachi's time, who secretly concluded that serving God was futile and brought no profit. The pastor explains two key words, 'vain' and 'profit,' revealing that the people viewed service as a transaction with God — work for God in exchange for material blessing. He carefully distinguishes between questions born of sincere seeking, like the author of Psalm 73, and the resentful conclusions drawn by the people of Malachi's day. Using the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, the pastor emphasizes that all talents, time, material goods, and opportunities are entrusted by God and are to be invested for His glory.
The second part presents God's answer to those who genuinely fear and love Him. These faithful people not only serve with integrity but encourage, support, and pray for one another in the face of hardship. God pays careful attention to their words and records their names in a book of remembrance before Him — a book that will be opened on the final day of judgment, as described in Revelation 20:11-12.
The climax of the sermon centers on the promise in Malachi 3:17, where God declares that those who love, fear, and serve Him will be His 'special possession,' His 'precious treasure,' His 'jewels' on the day He acts. The pastor notes that while it is difficult today to distinguish the truly faithful from the outwardly religious, that day of reckoning will make everything clear. The sermon closes with a personal appeal to each listener: Do you want your name written in God's book of remembrance? Do you want to be His treasure? It concludes with the Master's commendation to the faithful servant in Matthew 25:23.