Micah 12/15/24 A.M.
Well, we’re a week and a half away from Christmas. Growing up, my parents never went out too big for Christmas. We would have a nice lunch and my parents would buy us some nice gifts but it was never a big celebration like it is in some families. And I still, even today, don’t go out real big for Christmas. Some of you all might have already figured that out. BAH HUM BUG RIGHT!!! But listen, I’m not going to go into debt up to HERE, to buy gifts I can’t afford, for items that are overpriced, for stuff that people don’t need.
Now this is where I’m going with this. The fact that Jesus CAME the way He CAME, He LIVED the way He LIVED, He DIED the way He DIED, and He AROSE the way He AROSE is something worth CELEBRATING EVERYDAY. I’m afraid the GOSPEL MESSAGE is lost in the CELEBRATION of Christmas. I’m thinking there are a lot of misconceptions about Christmas.
I’m afraid people THINK that Jesus didn’t exist until that Christmas morning when He was born. JESUS IS ETERNAL
I’m afraid people don’t even realize that Baby Jesus grew to become a man who died for the SINS of the world. I don’t know if the average person walking down the street can even TIE Christmas to Easter.
I don’t know if people really get that Jesus was God in the FLESH and HE is an EQUAL PART of the TRINITY.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DO. MOST OF YOU ALL GET IT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
Do they “GET IT”? And here in good old “Buckle of the Bible Belt” Oklahoma, more people probably “GET IT” than in other parts of the country.
This morning I want to look at the Book of Micah. I haven’t preached very many sermons out of this book and here’s why. Micah is kind of DARK. In the first Chapter, we are told that Israel’s false gods and their IDOLATRY show how unfaithful they were to the TRUE and LIVING God, he compares them to HARLOTS. He goes on to say that the pride of each of her cities will become her downfall, and that God will melt mountains when he comes. Going on in the following Chapters we find out about her corrupt leaders, corrupt prophets, corrupt judges. And we see how these corrupt officials have abused the women, children, and families. Micah gives us a very dark description of a nation that has turned it’s back on God.
But yet in this DARK TIME in this DARK BOOK we see Jesus. And even though Micah didn’t know Him by name, we see Him throughout the book. And so this morning let’s go ahead and pray and then we’ll get into the message.
Brother ____, would you lead us in prayer?
Before we get into all of the different places that we see Jesus in this book, I want to point something out. If Jesus had not taken all of the sin of the world upon Himself, how could we accurately say that the God of this universe is a God of LOVE? If God had not given us a way of salvation then He wouldn’t be a LOVING GOD. But He did.
I. First of all we see Jesus as a SHEPHERD who gathers His flock. Let’s look at Micah Chapter 2, Verse 12.
“I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men.
A lot of folks, including me, see this as a PROPHECY that the Nation of Israel would be re-established. Of course we know this happened in 1948. Since then, the Nation of Israel has become one of the most powerful nations in the world.
Now let’s look at Micah Chapter 4, Verse 8,
“And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.”
And then Micah 5, Verse 4,
“And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.”
And so now I want us to look at what Jesus said about Himself. John Chapter 10, Verses 7-11 tells us
“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
Folks, Jesus did come. And I’m so thankful for the WAY that Jesus came. I’m thankful that He WASN’T born into ROYALTY. I’m thankful He began this life as a HUMBLE SERVANT. And I’m thankful that Jesus did live a Sinless Life and He did give His life for His sheep. And if there’s anything that this world needs today it’s a shepherd. It’s a GUIDE. You know they say that Sheep are one of the DUMBEST of all of the farm animals. And so I think that a SHEEP is a perfect description of mankind today. You and I would be TOTALLY LOST without our good shepherd. Because the ALTERNATIVE to our GOOD SHEPHERD is the THIEF. And as John 10:10 tells us, Satan wants to STEAL, KILL and DESTROY you and I today.
I look around and it blows my mind the way that people live. The SIN that is in their lives. And the HEARTACHE that it causes for themselves and their loved ones. And all the while there is a GOOD SHEPHERD who wants to lead them. Micah shows us JESUS as the Good Shepherd.
II. And, I believe, Micah shows us Jesus as the Breaker and the Conquering Warrior. Look at Micah Chapter 2, Verse 13,
“The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.”
This can be read as a TITLE. “JESUS the BREAKER.” I don’t know about you but I kind of like that. As I mentioned earlier, I’m afraid people think of Jesus as just a little baby. Folks, Jesus didn’t stay a little baby. He grew up to be a MAN who was a BREAKER.
He BROKE the SILLY TRADITIONS of the Jewish Talmud and Mishna. Not the commandments but the ORAL LAW, the SILLY TRADITIONS of MAN.
He BROKE the Demonic Bondage in people’s lives. He BROKE SICKNESS and DISEASE that had people bound. He BROKE the BLINDNESS in people’s eyes and He BROKE the shackles of the LAME.
And folks, can I tell you something. I’m glad that my Jesus is NOT a BABY today. Baby’s are cute and cuddly but a BABY is NOT what this world needs. It needs a BREAKER and Jesus is that BREAKER. I like that song He’s a CHAIN BREAKER!!!
He can BREAK the HOLD of SIN in a person’s life.
He can BREAK ADDICTION that gets ahold of so many people. Addiction to Alcohol, Cigarettes, Vaping, Pornography and whatever else may have you BOUND.
He can BREAK the CYCLE of DIVORCE. Did you know that some studies show that children of divorced parents are two to three times more likely to get divorced than children of parents who remained married. Jesus can BREAK that cycle.
Listen, no matter what has you bound. No matter what it is that stands between you and God, He can BREAK IT DOWN.
And another thing, Jesus is seen as a CONQUERING WARRIOR, a CONQUERING KING. Look at the last part of Verse 13, “their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.”
Now look at Revelation Chapter 19, Verses 11-14,
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
When the time was just right God sent Jesus to us as a babe in a manger. Galatians 4:4 tells us that. He came as the Savior. It’s what the world needed then and it’s what the world still needs today.
But the time is coming when the world will need a CONQUERING KING and Jesus WILL BE that CONQUERING KING. Look at Philippians Chapter 2, Verses 5-11
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The day is fast approaching when everyone will recognize who Jesus is. All the leaders of the world will bow down before Him. That fat little fellow over there in North Korea, Kim Jong Un, will someday bow down before Jesus. I hope I get to see that. But listen, someday, at the name of Jesus, Adolf Hitler will bow down and he will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Because Jesus will be a CONQUERING KING.
III. Then Micah tells us another thing about Jesus. He will be our ADVOCATE, our INTERCESSOR. Let’s look at
Micah Chapter 7, Verse 9, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.”
Think about this for a minute. At this time Israel had no Intercessor. They had no Mediator between them and God. All they could do is offer a sacrifice for their sins and all that would do is roll that sin forward. There was NO FORGIVENESS for their SINS.
But here Micah tells us that there was coming a day when Jesus would PLEAD their case. When He would speak to the Father on their behalf. And more than that, God would now FORGIVE their SINS. Look on down there in Chapter 7, Verses 18 and 19.
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Jesus would bring FORGIVENESS, COMPASSION and MERCY. He would be OUR LAWYER. Our MEDIATOR.
And sure enough, we see that’s exactly what Jesus did and is still doing today. 1 Timothy 2:5
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Hebrews 12:1 and 2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Micah saw this coming. A time when we could cry out to Jesus and He would MEDIATE for us with His Father. And that’s what we have today. That’s amazing to me. Micah lived around 700 years before Jesus came. It’s been almost 2000 years since Jesus walked on this Earth. That’s 2700 years ago and what Micah said would happen, is happening today. We have these scriptures today. Prophecies fulfilled. Jesus meeting every criteria for the Promised Messiah, but people still doubt.
IV. Micah even told us WHERE Jesus would be born. Look at Micah Chapter 5 and we’ll read Verse 2,
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”
Of all places why Bethlehem? A very small village. Nothing special about it except for two things.
One, it was the birthplace of King David. David who was in the Lineage of Jesus. He was the celebrated King of Israel.
And two, it’s name Bethlehem means in the Hebrew,
“The Place of Bread”. Bethlehem, the City of Bread.
And what did Jesus tell us about Himself? Well in John 6, the people had come to Jesus asking Him questions and in Verse 30 and 31 they ask Him this question.
“They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”
Jesus, show us a sign. We need a sign to believe in you. And Jesus answers them in Verses 32 - 35,
“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
People can doubt today who Jesus was. Some say He was a Good Man. The Muslims say He was a Prophet.
Others say He was a Teacher. He’s even been called a Revolutionist who wanted to lead an uprising against the Roman Government.
But maybe Jesus was the Son of God who offers you and I the Bread of Life. The ONLY WAY to make Heaven our home.
The Prophet Micah described Jesus to us 700 years before His birth.
The Gospels tell us how He came, Lived and Died.
The letters of Paul and the other Apostles tell us HOW we can come to know Him. But what what is Jesus to you.
Is He just a FUN HOLIDAY to EAT a lot and give gifts?
Is He just a reason you get a couple of days off work?
Is He just a Fairy Tale that was made up 2000 years ago?
Or is Jesus your Lord and Savior. You’re going to have to decide that for yourself.
I read something really sad. Japan has gone bonkers when it comes to celebrating Christmas. It has become a major event over there. They put up decorations, exchange presents, send cards, sing yuletide songs, decorate trees, serve special seasonal treats and make a big fuss over St Nick, Rudolph and Frosty. Their Santa is sometimes dressed like a Samurai.
It is very important for single adults to have a date for a romantic dinner on Christmas Eve. And for reasons that can't be determined, a big Christmas tradition is attending a concert of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
But the one thing the Japanese do not do at Christmas is celebrate Jesus. That's because Japan is nearly 99% Shinto and Buddhist. A missionary to Japan was asked if Christmas was Santa's birthday. Only 1/2 of 1 percent of Japan's population is Christian. So where do you think they got this COMMERCIAL VERSION of Christmas? FROM US!!! They are attracted to the glitter and romance of the American version of Christmas, and they have adopted nearly everything EXCEPT JESUS.
Maybe you do celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Day. But what about the other 364 days of the year. Who is Jesus to you.
Micah told us that Jesus was coming as a SHEPHERD. Is Jesus YOUR SHEPHERD TODAY?
He also told us that Jesus would be a BREAKER. Are there things in your life that Jesus needs to BREAK?
He told us Jesus is coming as a CONQUERING KING. Does that SCARE YOU or are you EXCITED for that day.
Micah also told us a NEW THING was coming. Jesus would be our ADVOCATE. Our INTERCESSOR. Is He your LAWYER today.
And have you tasted the Bread of Life that Jesus offers you today? Let’s Pray
