Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the significance of fearing the Lord and the intimate relationship believers can have with Him, as illustrated in Malachi 3:16-18. He highlights that God listens to those who honor Him and keeps a scroll of remembrance for them, showcasing His compassion and care. The sermon encourages believers to communicate with one another about their faith and to cultivate a heart of love and worship towards God, which is essential for true communion with Him. Beach also reassures that through Jesus, believers have direct access to God, and they should press into His presence, finding peace and joy in their relationship with Him. Ultimately, he calls for a revival of love for God, urging the congregation to let their hearts be filled with His divine flame.

Malachi chapter 3 beginning in verse number 16. Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty, in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Beloved, God asked a question in the Old Testament, and he said, Am I a God of far off? Indeed, he may be a God of far off from the wicked, for the Bible says that the face of the Lord stands against the wicked. But beloved, we can be encouraged tonight. The Bible says that God takes notice of those who fear him, those who revere him, those who honor him, those who in humble adoration bow their hearts, their spirits, and their minds before the almightiness of his presence, the majesty of his person. The Lord takes notice of every soul that fears him. The Bible says those who fear him talk one to another. Oh, the speech of those that speak one to another, whose hearts fear the Lord. Let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth, but only that which is edifying to the building up of those who hear. There's the kind of speech that God is looking to produce from our lips. Heaven delights, the Father smiles, the Son weeps with joy, and the Holy Spirit gives peace that passes all understanding when the three, the triune God, begin to zero in on a saint whose heart longs to know him. And the work of purification and refining begins. And oh, how beautiful it is. We enter into the diamond shop, and there the Lord takes his tools and chips. I believe Neil was sensing Sunday morning that he was in the diamond shop. The Holy Spirit is chipping. Anyone else sense you're in the diamond shop? The Holy Spirit is chipping. But what is he doing? He's perfecting the work that he began. The Lord listened and heard. The Lord has a listening ear, beloved. He hears you. He hears your heart. He knows your needs. He understands your woes. He identifies with you. The Lord doesn't have sympathy. He shares in your suffering. For we do not have a high priest that cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities, but one who was tempted in like manner as we, that he may have compassion on us. He hears. He listens. He feels what you're going through. Is that encouraging? Then a scroll of remembrance was written in his concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. You know, beloved, this scroll of remembrance is guarded in heaven by God's great hand. Oh, that God would quicken his word and make it alive. Beloved, try and imagine a diary that you may keep and how cherished it is to your heart. Friends, this scroll of remembrance is a cherished thing to the Lord. It's cherished to him. It's those precious things about his beloved. Oh, that we could know him and understand how precious it is to truly know that he is our Savior. They will be mine, says the Lord Almighty, in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. Was it not Paul who said in Romans, verse number 32, chapter 8, he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? He will spare those that trust in him because he did not spare his own son. He will spare you because he didn't spare his son but laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Oh, the precious blood of Jesus, the sinner's perfect plea. Thank God for his salvation. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, beginning in verse number 3, beginning in verse number 3, we ought always to thank God for you brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. One thing I am sure of, and that is this, God wills that we learn how to love him and to worship him. He longs for us to know how to love him. Friends, the gymnastics of modern religion has robbed the church from the divinely learned skill of loving God. To love God is more than to do something, to sing songs. To love God is a communion with God in the heart and in the spirit that brings supreme joy to God's heart, and this is what the Lord is longing to do. So many times, beloved, we associate loving God with doing something for him, and many times we have a miserable idea of what it is to love God. To love God is not to do something for him, although if you truly love him, you will do something for him as he enables you to do it. But to love God is to have from your heart incense rising up in the nostril of God that makes him say, how lovely. Oh, that the children of God would learn how to allow the incense of adoration and praise and worship. Jesus went into the temple, and he said, my father's house should be what? A house of prayer. Where's the father's house, beloved? It's certainly not this building. Know ye not that ye are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and that God dwells in you by the Spirit? What is rising in your house? Did you know that in the Old Testament, the type of this was the incense, they couldn't go out, they had to be burned 24 hours a day? Oh, that's rich. What does that speak to? What is that telling us? God wishes for his temple, his new temple. See, the old temple made with stones, that's obsolete, the writer of Hebrews tells us. There's a new temple now that God's affection is toward. There's a new ark, Jesus, and he abides in the temple of God, and in it is the manna, and the law, and Aaron's rod that budded. See, it's all found in Jesus. All of these things are abiding right now in the temple. You know, they say the ark's been lost. No, it hasn't. It's been found, beloved. Jesus, Jesus, he's in the temple, and every piece of paraphernalia is right where it should be. Right in the bosom of Christ is that manna. Right in the bosom of Christ is the holy law, which is his incredible love, for we know that perfect love totally fulfills all the obligations of the law. Love cannot transgress the law, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. He that loveth his brother, and loveth God, perfectly fulfills the law, and stands perfectly righteous before God. It's not the law-keeping of legalism, beloved, but it's the heart being inflamed by the fire of God. That dear saint of God, Charles Wesley, prayed, saying, O God, fill my heart with thy divine flame, so that nothing but thy love abideth. There's the secret right there. Having a heart so filled with the love of God, it cannot err, it cannot transgress, it cannot displease the Father in heaven. And this is what Paul said, brought great joy to his heart. Incense, how to love God. I believe the Spirit of God is saying, light the incense once again in my temple, so that the fragrance begin to rise. Beloved, it's an attitude. It's a state of heart. It's giving thanks in all things, finding the ability in Christ to do so. The veil's been removed, beloved. We can enter right into the Holy of Holies. You don't need an advocate but Jesus. Preachers don't have to go in for you anymore. The dark ages is past, beloved. The Word of God is open. It's for you. It's for me. Have you entered in to the Holy of Holies and there find mercy at the mercy seat? You know, the mercy seat's been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus. Our sins have been atoned for. We've been declared righteous before a holy God. You know, in the Old Testament, the high priest, when he went in once a year, they tied a string onto his ankle, a rope. Guess why they tied a rope to his ankle? In case he dropped dead. They had bells and they knew if they heard the bells start making noise, uh-oh, it's over with for him. And if they heard the sound of bells hitting the floor, they pulled him out. You say, well, why didn't they go in? God forbid. Nobody could enter into the Holy of Holies. My God. God says, you can't come into my presence. You're flesh. So they pull him out, trembling. But now, beloved, Jesus sprinkled his blood and he atoned for our sins. We can go right into the Holy of Holies, right where the high priest went, and there find grace and mercy and help in time of need. You see, it's in the Holy of Holies where you find the manna. So many Christians are walking outside the temple. They haven't pressed in. That's the call right now in this hour. Press in, beloved. Press in to where the Ark is. Abide in Him. Walk in Him. The inner Holy of Holies, then there was the outer court. And there are the candles, illumination. So many Christians, just glory and getting a little revelation here and a little there. But there's so much. Beloved, I don't want to stop until I've put my tent right under the mercy seat. And my eyes are ever before that manna. I don't want to stop. I don't want to settle for anything less. It's not God's will that any Christian, this is what the book of Ephesians is all about, the holy high calling. What is the high calling? It's to be saved and then camp at the feet of Jesus. Therefore, verse 4, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. And this is evidence that God's judgment is right. And as a result, you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering. God is just. He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven. Jesus is coming back, beloved. Don't let the devil rob you from that doctrine. Jesus is coming back. He came the first time to bear the sins of many, and he's coming the second time to be the king of kings. And he's going to take his beloved with him. So you be encouraged. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be admired at among all those who have believed. Now remember what we read in Malachi? And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. My friends, there's a day coming when all men will see that beloved church without spot or wrinkle, and they'll see the righteous. They'll see the righteous one in and through all of them. This is the hope that we have. So the encouragement that the Lord is giving us tonight, beloved, and he truly confirmed it by his Spirit, is love God. Learn to love him more and more. Learn to commune with him. Let the incense be burning. Look for the manna and always remember the blood is on the mercy seat. Your sins are atoned for if you believe. You can have peace. You can have joy. Cast your cares on him. He careth for you. Give him that concern of your heart. Let him take care of it. Thank you, Jesus. It's 835. Time always slips away. I just seem to think the Holy Spirit is just confirming over and over again tonight we have access, beloved, to him. Take advantage of it. Go through the blood. Don't go in yourself. Go through the blood. Let's pray. Let's join our hearts together. You who have a burden, you who are troubled in your heart, let's pray. You don't have to raise your hand or anything. You just join with me in your heart. Lord Jesus, you know the troubles that we can bear. You know the griefs that we can go through, but you understand. Lord, we ask that you would draw near to the troubled in heart tonight. By a miracle of grace, Lord, please comfort, relieve that troubled heart. Be anxious for nothing. Help us not to be anxious, Lord, but help us, Lord, to cast our cares on you that we may have that perfect peace. That passes all human understanding. Direct our paths, Lord. Direct our path, Lord. Lead us and guide us, Lord. We ask for that special touch tonight, Lord. Thank you for your word that encourages us, that instructs us. We don't need anything in addition to it. It is sufficient. Thank you for the Holy Spirit, the water, and the word. We love you, Lord. Give us a hunger for your word and a thirst for the water that we may not drown without the solid foundation of the word. But on the other hand, Lord, help us not to choke on the word without the water of life to quicken it. Do this fine balance, Lord, in our lives. Just in the assembly, Lord. It's not the assembly. It's the individual Christian relationship. Lord, give us a hunger for thee. Hallelujah. Does someone have a special need that you'd like prayer for? Anyone.