They were deeply religious. They were very faithful in performing the acts of worship, but they were empty and meaningless. They had no affect whatsoever on the character of those who worship and on their daily walk and activities.
As we go through this life serving God, we need to be careful not to let our acts of service become empty and meaningless and void of any real heart. When these people discover how displeased God is with them, they have a suggestion. They ask the question, “How then can we make our worship meaningful?” How then can we please God? What is it then God will accept?
Verse 6-7; is there response to the charge and in verse 8 is what God says to them. This is what the Lord requires: to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.
There was a remarkably interesting study made a few years back. The discovery was this people don’t see people who are in uniform. They only see the uniform.
1. They say the best disguise to be used is a uniform.
2. They fail to see the person who is the most important part of the uniform.
3. Yes, how true in the spiritual realm.
a. This is the problem God is dealing with in this passage.
b. The truth of the matter is most of us have paid so much attention to the uniform of religion. All the dressing, and clothes of Christianity, we really would not recognize true religion apart from the uniform.
4. If I were to ask you how to sum up the Christian life, how to live the Christian life, what would you say?
a. Go to church.
b. Read your Bible.
c. Tithe
d. Sing in the choir.
e. Visit
f. That is really how we sum up the Christian life, but what we fail to realize is that those things are nothing more than the uniform that true religion wears.
5. I am afraid we really lose sight of what it really means to serve God in all the religious riga morrow we go through.
6. What we need to hear from God is that walking, serving, and worshipping is far more than just external acts of worship.
7. What is the real essence of worshipping and serving God?
a. What is a real Christian?
b. Truly serving is more than just a punch list.
8. A word of caution; do not stop doing the things of the uniform but add to it. Make sure it is real.
9. I want to do two things with these three thoughts.
a. Explain them and their meanings.
b. Then see their relationship to each other, their relationship to you and me. Learn how they are to be accomplished in our daily life.
I. To Do Justly
1. If I am going to ever come close to living a life pleasing to God, the most basic thing I can do is to do justly.
a. Ephesians 2:10
b. Titus 3:8
2. What does that mean?
a. To always do in every situation what is just.
b. Do what is right and fair.
3. It is an unconditional thing.
a. Even though the situation might not deserve justice, fairness, or honesty.
b. As I walk with the Lord, I am to size up every situation and do what’s just, right, and honest.
4. Then I am to do what is right.
a. Regardless of the inconvenience to me.
b. Regardless of the cost to me.
5. The first two things have to do with our activities and attitude toward other people.
a. God means this as a standard of measurement, by which you and I can measure our life.
b. This past week, in every situation in every dealing you have had.
c. Did you do that which was just? That which was right? That which was honest?
6. God is a God of justice and I am to act always in accordance with God’s own nature.
7. What every man has a right to expect of me is that I pay what I owe.
II. We are to Love Mercy.
1. It does not say we are to do mercy, but to love mercy.
2. He did not say we are to love justice and do mercy.
a. I know of some who love justice, but never do it.
b. I know of some who do mercy, but they do it out of a hypocritical heart. They really don’t mean what they are doing.
c. God said, “We are to do that which is right, and we are to love mercy.”
3. In other words, mercy ought to be the desire of our heart.
a. Mercy simply means kindness expressed toward another person.
b. It means to cherish good will toward others.
c. It means refusing to nurse a grudge or to harbor revenge or get an even spirit.
d. It involves forgiveness and restoration.
e. It involves reaching out toward those in need.
4. Do justly, love mercy, then:
III. To Walk Humbly with our God.
1. This simply means we are to live in constant, close communion with God.
2. Means I align my life to live in fellowship with God. I submit my will to His will and follow His guidelines. I follow His leadership in every situation. Colossians 3:15
3. It is a daily walk. It is a constant fellowship with God. Amos 3:3
4. Now that is what these three things means. Let’s back up and see their relationship to each other and their relationship to us.
IV. To Do Justly
1. Put yourself in this situation with another person, suppose the other person has wronged you. They have injured you in some way or another. You've been injured physically, emotionally, and financially.
2. God says the starting place and starting point is for you to do justly. God wants you to do right with that person.
3. If we stopped there, we failed to meet the requirements of God.
4. We are to do justly, but also to love mercy.
a. Many times, you and I have been involved in a conflict with somebody.
b. Someone said something or did something.
c. Someone wronged you or ignored you.
d. They deserve justice.
e. It is just what they deserve.
5. If you stop there, there will grow up in you an old root of bitterness.
6. You will lose your fellowship and joy with God.
V. I Must Show Mercy to that Person.
1. I must take it upon myself to forgive him, and to look upon him only in kindness and love.
2. We are to love mercy. Not just do what is right. If you have not done both, what comes to mind when you think of that person?
3. Do you have kind thoughts, thoughts of goodwill, prayers of God's blessings? No!
4. We need to sit down and take a paper and place on it the names of people we have dealt with justly, but not shown mercy. Ephesians 4:32
VI. How Do We Do This?
1. How do we walk humbly with God?
2. This is not natural for men to do. There is something inside that wants to get even.
3. Walking humbly with God only as we do, we can do the first 2. Only as you live in constant awareness of God and communicating with him can you do justly and love mercy.
4. If God would have stopped at justice, you and I would have been in hell. God being a great lover desires for us to love and forgive also.
5. Walk humbly. Humility is 2 things:
a. First, it is a lowly attitude toward our self.
b. Second, true humility is not whipping yourself, but forgetting yourself.
6. The heart of Christianity is to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. The key to do the first 2 is the last one; Walk walking with God. Ephesians 4:1,5; 5:1-15
