Hope Has A Name...jesus

Hope has a name

Micah 7:1-7

Introduction- if you would turn to Micah chapter 7- Toward the end of Old Testament between Jonah and Nahum. We will be there soon.

As we begin Advent season, my prayer is that the Lord would speak to us. He would meet us where we are and take you where we need to go.

That may sound strange but a lot of people are moving around but not many know where they are going.

Advent is a Latin word that means “coming or arrival”.

For believers it is a time set aside for remembrance of the incarnate Christ, The Son of the living God coming and arriving into this world through a virgin birth to redeem mankind.

Most Protestant churches take this 4 week period before Christmas and preach hope, peace, love, and joy in what Christ has done for us.

It is also a time for believers on the resurrection side of the cross to remember the same Jesus that ascended will descend at the trumpet call of God and return for His church and His bride.

It is all about Jesus. You take Christ out of Christmas and you have nothing left.

The last several weeks I have challenged you with questions to ask yourself.

2 weeks ago, how important is your relationship with God… and how important is it to you that others might have a relationship with Him? Remember?

Last week, I asked you does what you call Thanksgiving line up with the definition of what God would call being thankful?

This week, where do you put your trust and Hope? I know most of us know the correct answer to say but is it the answer that is lived out in our life?

Prayer-

Our text this morning is not a verse often preached at Advent. It is from the book of Micah chapter 7.

Micah 7:1-7Read from the Bible

Pastor how can you go from a message last week of thankfully blessed to a message that exposes who we are as a people and what depth we will go to hurt and destroy each other.

The scenario of Israel described by the prophet Micah is not good.

He says that there is misery everywhere.

He says that to find good would be as impossible as trying to find a cluster of grapes in a vineyard after the gleaning of the field.

The best you are going to find is a few grapes.

Where the once godly people were, there is only bloodshed and the upright cannot be found.

All who lay in wait are the ones ready and waiting to destroy you and cause the wicked to prevail and the upright to vanish.

Even the rulers of the day are taking bribes and you do not even know who you can trust.

You cannot tell even from those who were righteous if they are still righteous in the eyes of the Lord. In some cases, the so called upright are worse that the enemy of old.

Even the ones that once you trusted are no longer trustworthy.

Micah looked over a divided Israel who was far from God.

He did not have a lot of hope to offer up to the nation that was far from God.

There were so called prophets, those that said they spoke for God would come in towns and if they were not paid for a good report would speak curses. Where does Israel turn?

Prophet Micah speaks God’s case against Israel as a court lawyer pronouncing judgment- kind of like the movie “a few good men” where Jack Nicholas says – “You can’t handle the truth”

The author of the book believed to be Micah is crying out in despair…lamenting. Lamenting in the bible is a person addressing God with a petition (complaint) and quickly moving into an outcry of injustice. Proceeding in time with a trust in God and then asking for a divine intervention from God.

Micah

Complains

Cry’s out that there is an injustice

Even with the injustice that Micah sees, he trusts God

Micah ask God to intervene

That sounds like some of my prayer request to the Lord! O God please help. Please intervene. This is not fair!

When I see what’s wrong and I don’t know how to fix it. I cry out to the Lord and ask Him to intervene and change the outcome.

Israel sounds like today doesn’t it?

Uncertainty

Anger/Road rage/ short fuses/ lack of compassion/ no value on others lives

Moral collapse

No loyalty to anything or anyone.

It is easy if you are not dialed into the Lord to get lost in the times.

In a world that seems like there is no hope, we have an opportunity to bring hope.