Act, Love, Walk

Introduction:

· “Court is in session.” A judge, prosecutor, and defendant.

GOD IS CALLING COURT INTO SESSION. THIS MORNING, I WANT TO HEAR THE CHARGES THAT GOD BRINGS, THE RESPONSE HIS PEOPLE GIVE, AND FINALLY THE VERDICT THAT IS HANDED OWN.

I) What does God Say?

A. God’s Heart is Wearied by His People’s Sin

i. God’s covenant has been violated

1. A Contract/covenant is an agreement between two people –

2. Israel has violated God’s covenant with them through their disobedience

ii. God Calls Court into Session (vv. 1-2)

1. Who can be a fair and impartial judge?

2. The hills and the mountains will be the judge!

B. God Accuses His People of Sin

i. Sin is when we get bored with what God has done (vv. 3-4)

1. God had saved Israel from Egypt…but now, they are “weary”

2. EXAMPLE: “God has too many rules; God just wants to ruin our fun.”

ii. Sin is when we forget how God has blessed us (vs. 5)

1. God pronounced a blessing on his people – not a curse! Now Israel forgot

2. How many of us find it easy to complain – rather than to be thankful?

HOW DOES ISRAEL RESPOND?

II) What do the People Say?

A. Can we Satisfy God By Doing Good Works?

i. The “bigger better bash”: (vv. 6-7)

1. EXAMPLE: A game where you trade up from a pencilàa car!

2. Israel will trade up: A cow? A thousand sheep? Ten thousand rivers of oil? Or how about the most precious thing of all: Your firstborn child?

ii. Can WE ever do enough to secure God’s favor?

1. The mindset: If you want God to love you, and take away your sin, and answer your prayers, you have to pay a price

2. EXAMPLE: What would you include on your ladder?

B. We Will Never Do Enough Good Works to Climb up to God

i. God isn’t satisfied with these efforts

1. These are all good things to do –

2. Yet the answer here is that God isn’t satisfied with them!

ii. Why not? Because these are outward actions

1. If we’re doing this to earn forgiveness, we’re putting on a show for God

2. The Problem: Our sin is too big of a problem for us to solve on our own

THE GOOD NEWS OF THE BIBLE

III) What does the Judge Say?

A. God, in Christ, Empowers us to Live the Good life

i. God has given his son for the transgression of our soul! Grace!!

1. The good news: we can’t climb the ladder, but God comes down to us!

2. God gave HIS firstborn for our transgression, the fruit of HIS body for the sin of OUR soul!

ii. God has empowered us with his Holy Spirit

1. Not only this but the Holy Spirit lives in us changing us inside out!

2. This means: we learn to obey God because our hearts are changed – not because we’re putting on a show for God!

B. God Desires the “good” life of... (vs. 8)

i. ...doing justice

ii. ... loving mercy

iii. ...walking humbly with God

Conclusion

asd