What does God expect?

Before we dive into God’s word, I want to share a song that our son shared with us when he was in basic training. He visited a church on mothers day and they did a remix of Casting Crowns’s song “Just Be Held” and called it “Just behave”

https://subspla.sh/w4h3nxb

Pray

Micah’s third sermon

Courtroom scene

mountains or watching world as jury or witnesses

God’s indictment

israels response with insolence - more sacrifice, more offerings?

Micah responds with these famous words…

Micah 6:8 ESV

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

As we meditate on this verse today there are three truths that we should consider. First…

The expectations of God are clear.

“He has told you...”

From the beginning of creation, God has been communicating his expectations for his people.

Adam and Eve were given stewardship and responsibility for creation and were given permission to eat from all but one of the trees/plants of the garden. God was clear about that.

As Moses revealed the moral and religious codes to the people of Israel - the expectations for how they should live and treat one another are clear

Ten Commandments (Ex. 20)

Have only one God (they lived amidst a poly-theistic culture)

No idols

respect the name of God

Rest on the sabbath day - don’t work

honor your parents - respect what they say, obey

don’t murder/kill people

don’t commit adultery - be commited to your spouse and only sleep with that person

don’t take other people’s things

don’t lie

don’t covet or desire other people’s things - be content

Maybe I’m a bit simple minded, but those things seem clear.

Elsewhere in the law, God told his people to

care for the sojourner/visitor/foreigner (Ex. 23:9)

be gracious and generous to the poor - help them out (Lev. 23:22)

Now, you may be thinking - as I often do - “it’s not that simple.” “Life is way more complicated than just these simple commands.”

Remember -these are God’s expectations of His people. These are things we can control - what we do.

Yes there are big issues. There are nuanced perspectives and activities and big things that need careful thought and actions.

For example, here are some thoughts that I wrestle with:

The role of Christians in relation to the government - we should be obedient - until the government urges us to do something beyond God’s laws - but what kinds of laws should we promote?

What influence should christians have on a secular government? Should we fight on the grand scale or focus more intimately on personal - heart to heart - issues and change the nation from the ground up? Or both?

As far as career - does God have a thought in that? Should I be okay working with a defense/government contractor or a technology company or a landscaper?

Based on what I see in scripture, it’s all fair game - what is not - is how we should live - God seems to make that very clear.

I was talking with someone this week about the letter I put in the midweek announcements regarding ordinary vs. extraordinary work.

Whether we are called to extraordinary missional work - we are still called to the ordinary. God makes that very clear.

His ways may be mysterious (how he uses suffering, pain in our lives to shape us; why certain things happen the way they do) but how we live out his expectations are not - God is clear about that.

In addition to God’s expectations for his people being clear, Micah 6:8 reminds us that...

The expectations of God are practical .

In other words, God’s expectations of us are things that can be lived out. God, through Micah, seems to summarize God’s expectations with two characteristics:

“do justly... love kindness” (ESV)

Let’s reflect on these two aspects:

Living Justly or to do justice

What does that mean?

to “do justice” means essentially to defend or stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. To be just or fair - not survival of the fittest. James talks about not showing favoritism. I think living justly would view each person as an image bearer of God.

I think this includes

the poor -

the foreigner - immigrants

the disadvantaged (trip to Grace Harbor)

those different from us - whether by ethnicity or background or religion or political affiliation...

those in prison - Ned Deitrick looking at some ways to get back into prison to minister to people there.

It seems like the point is that we should do what we can to make a level playing field - not to make things easier for us or more difficult for outsiders - or vice versa.

Corporately,

Food ministry: taking what has been graciously made available to us and sharing it with others - every Tuesday and Saturday at 11.

Benevolence: we also try to make space for this with our benevolence/helping hands fund. On the first sunday of each month - or at times when we take communion, we have an extra plate in the back specifically for benevolence. These funds are used to help church members who are in need first (Gal. 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”) but we also make it available to people in the community - those up here in Western Upper MoCo. Frankly, we don’t get many requests and we seem to help whenever we can. We do try to be good stewards and have annual limits. But, let me encourage you -as you have a need or as your friends and neighbors have a need, please reach out. All of these requests are handled with dignity and respect.

There are even things we get to do in cooperation with other churches - both baptist and otherwise:

Rebuilding ministry in order to help people who’s homes have gone into disrepair.

BCMD Ready - Lisa/Vern/Jamie - Leonardtown Baptist, Potomac Association, BCMD disaster relief - working to help a man in need.

But what does justice look like individually?

I think it deals with how we treat neighbors, strangers, family members, friends. There is a fairness or even a benefit of doubt that is granted.

I think it avoids prejudice and preconceived ideas or generalizations - and looks specifically at who someone is, what they are like, and what needs they may have.

Time: Often times doing justice will involve time. It will take time to listen and understand. It will take time to act and speak up for someone. It will take time to help.

I know several guys who have come to the aid of single moms in our community in order to fix doors and windows, paint, and do other odd jobs that seem to be left undone. That demonstration of justice in the form of mercy ministry is a sacrifice of time.

There are some who have stepped up to assist with yard work for the sick or disabled.

Sacrifice: showing justice for others will likely involve some sacrifice on our part. In addition to time, there will be the sacrifice of comfort and convenience. There may be the sacrifice of resources. Their may also be the sacrifice of familiarity

Grace Harbor - people to move, help start churches, be a blessing in “forgotten places.” Proclaiming the justice that God has secured on our behalf to those who are being overlooked.

Overseas - short or long term -

Next door -

As you think about people that God brings in your circle of influence, who needs you to speak up for him or her? Who is the Spirit of God bringing to your mind? If you are the one who is in need of justice/assistance - then speak up. Reach out to a brother or sister in Christ, to a deacon or to an elder.

Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

We can’t fulfill this law of Christ unless we know what the burden is.

In addition to urging just living - God reminds us that we should demonstrate...

Loving Mercy or Loving Kindness or steadfast love

in Hebrew - (ahaba hesed) these words might literally be translated “loving loyalty” or even better to “love steadfast love”

The second word “hesed” is often translated “steadfast love” and is a trait or characteristic that is attributed to God. God’s covenant love is faithful and steadfast. It endures the betrayal of His people. It stands firm amidst the rebellion of his own. While he disciplines his people, he does not disown us.

As God’s people, we are called to exhibit this “hesed.” But we’re also called to “love” it.

How often might we serve someone with a reluctant heart or an attitude of resentment? How often do we become weary in doing good? Yes - steadfast love is draining. It can be exhausting. Some people can make it even more so. But there should be a sense in which we get to demonstrate steadfast love. We love loving.

Now, it would be easy for us to so love loving others that we can put ourselves at risk - that we can serve without any regard for our own health. We do need to rest. We do need to set up healthy boundaries - but we also get to love demonstrating loyal, steadfast love to others.

(story?)

So, we’ve seen that God’s expectations are clear (he has communicated them) and they are practical (we can and should live them out), but finally we can see in this verse that...

The expectations of God are communal.

I’ve heard it said that the difference between the Christian faith and religion is that religion involves what we do for God and the Christian faith revolves around what God has done for us and continues to do with us.

Our faith and God’s expectations are communal because he is with us. He does not call us to act justly or love loving on our own. We get to...“walk humbly with [our] God.”

It’s not as though he is telling us to go and do something and come back and report. Instead, it’s his Spirit within us, leading us, walking with us, encouraging us, giving us words to say, inspiring our thoughts and actions.

(walking hand in hand with Danielle, deference, humility)

There is a hymn that beautifully communicates this communal nature of our walk with God:

Take up thy cross and follow Me," I heard my Master say; "I gave My life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today." He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know, And in that will I now abide, Wherever He leads I'll go. It may be thru' the shadows dim, Or o'er the stormy sea, I take my cross and follow Him, Wherever He leadeth me. My heart, my life, my all I bring To Christ who loves me so; he is my Master, Lord, and King, Wherever He leads I'll go. Wherever He leads I'll go, Wherever He leads I'll go, I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.

He is with us. We get to talk, to abide, to dwell, to walk with him

Closing thoughts

I believe God has given us clear instructions in His word with how we should live our daily ordinary lives. Micah summarizes that with the concepts of doing justly and showing steadfast love.

We get to recognize that God is not calling us to do something that He is not willing to do himself.

His holiness

our sin

in steadfast love - sent his son to die for us. - paying the eternal punishment for our sin with his eternal, perfect life - and rose from the grave

and now, seeing us in our sin, is reaching out his hand saying - “come to me” believe - walk with me and I’ll show you how to live and love the ways that I intended for all of creation.

God lives and acts justly, loves loving you and me - showing us his most clearly in the cross, an then, as he has from the beginning of creation, delights to walk wit’s us.

Let’s pray

Benediction

2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

References:

Prior, David. The Bible Speaks Today: The Message of Joel, Micah & Habakkuk. Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1998.

Um, Stephen. Micah for You. The Good Book Company, 2018.

Waltke, Bruce K. “Micah.” In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 822–833. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/micah/

https://bibleproject.com/explore/category/how-to-read-biblical-poetry/

https://www.hymnlyrics.org/newlyrics_w/whereever_he_leads_ill_go.php

ESV Study Bible