What Does God Require?
Micah 6:6-8
Introduction
- I left tonight open not knowing fully that God already had plans for this message
- This weekend, there was what some would call tremendous news across the US
- In the midst of all that was going on, many rejoiced at the killing of OBL
- Chants of “we got him”, “finally”, “thank you soldiers”, “USA” rang out
- But I wonder, if many of our nation heard the other voice that was present
- In the middle of all the chaos believers are challenged to hear the voice of God
- As a former soldier did I rejoice that he has been killed? I did, for a moment
- Then, just as suddenly as I celebrated, I heard God’s grief in that moment
- Another soul, another one of God’s creations, has been damned to hell forever
- When it comes to living the life of a believer, I too fail to measure up
-- I deal with issues in my own life and rage against the flesh daily
-- In this moment, I felt sickened and hurt at what I saw going on around me
- This evening, I’d like to address this issue from God’s Word directly
- There will be no personal opinion, no commentaries, and no clever stories
- Simply, tonight we are going to take God’s Word and examine it alone
- Stand and read Micah 6:6-8 / Pray
Point 1 – What Do We Bring? (6-7)
- We discussed just past Sunday on dealing with hope that we bring nothing
- There isn’t any perfection or gifts that will give us absolution from God’s wrath
-- Paul wrote in Romans 11:30 that at one time, we too were disobedient
-- We lived a life of rebellion and walking away from God just as many others do
- But Paul taught this so that we could learn from it, so we’d grow with knowledge
- Not growing with an inflated ego, but natural growth from God alone
- Micah asks a very relevant question: “… with what shall I come?’
-- APP: What is it that I can bring before a righteous God but myself alone?
- Will whatever I bring please God because I have brought it?
- Notice here, Micah goes from small things to larger to very large and personal
-- Burnt offerings = Vegetation/Plants/Fruit/Etc.
-- Young Calves = They grow older eventually and produce meat/work/ income
-- 1,000 Rams = If I brought every animal in the world will that work?
-- 10,000 rivers of oil = Oil (perfume) is expensive; and very costly to waste
-- My firstborn = Very personal (consider Abraham giving up Isaac)
- I firmly believe that the answer is a resounding “NO”, it is not what we bring
- What matters is that WE come before a righteous God with ourselves
- It is that we would bring ourselves before a righteous God with our lives
- TRANS: To put it simply, God requires 3 simple things of our lives …
Point 2 – Living for God (8)
- God requires that we:
- Act justly – Live a life that is honorable and upright before Him
- Love mercy – Just as we have received mercy; let us show mercy
- Walk humbly – Simply stated, keep our pride in check
- When I consider all that we see in the world today; we really need this more
- We need to grasp the concept of living FOR God, and not WITH God (expound)
- Even when we see the wicked fall down; we should remember to stay humble
- Proverbs 24:17-18 “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from Him.”
- It is an important lesson that I think really shows the heart of a servant of Jesus
-- While it is not always bad to rejoice over victory; we need to have perspective
-- The Israelites rejoiced over victory; because God had won the battle
-- The Disciples rejoiced over victory; because Jesus had risen from the grave
- It is not a matter of rejoicing because of a death of an enemy; but more than that
- It is taking the time to consider what would Jesus have done; what should we do?
- Should we gloat and jump around? Or, (Micah 6:8) … live upright before God
- I’ve read so much in the past week about this I just really felt convicted to share it
- We should never forget that God’s desire is that none should perish (2 Pet 3:9)
- And as we said on Sunday, GOD is NOT a liar! If He says it; that settles it
- I’d like to challenge you this week to consider this deeply; and search Him out
- Find out what it is that God would desire you to do differently; and simply obey
- Pray