What Doth The Lord Require Of Thee

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.