What Does God Require Of Me?

INTRODUCTION

1. CHURCH PLAN

For the last 4 weeks, we have been looking at many of the different parts of church ministry and relating it to the necessary ingredients of becoming not only successful in church but prepared and equipped to live a life outside the church that is available and prepared for God’s work.

1. God is always at work. We simply must learn to recognize that work & join Him

“my father is always at work to this very day and I too am working”

2. God gave the church as the “Training Ground” to prepare us for that work.

“to prepare God’s people for works of service until we all reach unity in the faith”

APPLICATION

But what some mistakenly do is begin to place the wrong emphasis on trying to remain in God’s good grace by observing certain rituals or works or even acts of service for the wrong reasons.

For example, one might link church attendance, tithing, small groups, teaching, Bible Study so forth and so forth as necessary requirements for “making God feel good about themselves”.

3. God is no more or less GOD if we are GOOD PEOPLE or if we are BAD PEOPLE.

- We neither ADD TO GOD nor DIMINISH GOD by our actions.

- Our ACTIONS are either honoring to God or they are not.

- Our LIVES either please God or they do not.

Simply put, God is no more God if we please him or less God if we do not… GOD REMAINS SELF-SUFFICIENT. God does not need our obedience in order to be God.

John 5:26 (NIV)

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself.

SO, if God has NO NEEDS, it is legitimate to ask …

2. WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF ME?

TEXT: MICAH 6:1-8.

The setting is something of a courtroom drama – sort of a dialogue between God and the people. God was angry over the way His “CHOSEN PEOPLE” had been living and is bringing charges against them in court (so to speak).

Micah is the Mediator shares not only the Charges of God but also the remarks of the people.

I. GOD’S CASE AGAINST HIS PEOPLE (1-5)

READ VS. 1-2 – GOD SUMMONS ALL

- Lord Calls on Mountains to Hear His Case

- Against the People of Israel

- His anger and reached a point!

Would the Lord be able to stand and make a case against us?

Would you be sitting in confidence or would you begin to sweat a little?

READ VERSE 3 – GOD’S PROOF

‘what have I done to you’? - ‘plead your case against me’!

- This may not be as absurd as it may seem. Think about it! Does He deserve what we…

READ VERSES 4-5

1. ‘redeemed you’ – from slavery.

2. ‘Moses’ - God’s chosen and trained that he might be their leader and lawgiver.

3. ‘Aaron’ – Their priest - all spiritual matters - offerings, sacrifices, and atonements.

4. ‘Miriam’ – the prophetess - given for the spirit of prophecy – leader of all females.

5. ‘Balak - prophet Balaam’ – requested a curse but received a blessing

6. ‘Shittim unto Gilgal’ – last camp east to first encampment west after crossing…

7. ‘that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord’ – He showed His love!

APPLICATION:

In all God had done, God asks, “How have I burdened you?” “What did I do to cause such disrespect?”

Today, that question could be the same!

- We too have been given redemption. … pastors/teachers/each other/WORD!

- We too have received every tool necessary so that we may ‘know the righteousness of God’ (5b)

II. ISRAEL ANSWERS (Verses 6-7)

READ VERSES 6-7

They seem to instead plead guilty. Notice…

6) Offered the normal types of sacrifices, offerings, and atonement according to the LAW.

7) Micah offering an exaggeration – overstates their condition.

Offering all, they still find no satisfaction in standing up to God’s GOODNESS! There’s NO WAY that we can ever earn God’s Approval based on WORKS or RITUALS or even ACTS!

There seems to be NO WAY OUT!

III. WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE? (VS. 8)

READ VERSE 8

‘he has showed you what is GOOD’ -- YOU ALREADY KNOW!

‘what does the Lord REQUIRE of you?’

A "requirement" is something essential – a condition. It is something that is expected and necessary.

This requirement is NOT something that completes a need in God BUT one that completes a level of spirituality in us.

3 THINGS THAT IS REQUIRED:

1- This is what God REQUIRES: “to act justly”

The phrase “to act justly” means to see with God’s judgment or God’s wisdom. One of the charges God brought against the people in Micah’s day had to do with scheming and conniving to get what belonged to others.