“MICAH 6:8”

(NO RESTROOMS/PDA/AIRPODS)

(YOUVERSION NOTES)

>>>Ending the school year/last regular YG.

>>>How would you define your relationship w/Jesus? What would be your evaluation of spiritual growth this past year outside of YG/church/chapel?

>>>Looking at Micah 6:8 (will be hearing more from the prophets in the coming year).

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>>>The prophecies of Micah can be very complicated to understand.

>>>The prophet Micah (“Who is like Yahweh?”) speaks to Israel/Judah about their forsaking God.

*Choosing to follow false gods/pagan practices

*Rulers/judges/priests/prophets are not leading as God would want them-corrupt/neglecting the poor.

*God would raise up a righteous Ruler from the town of Bethlehem (Jesus).

>>>The “setting”/“tone” of Micah is one of a court setting-the LORD is a “witness” against His people for violating covenant (Micah 1:2).

>>>Chapter 6 is the LORD “indicting” Israel, reminding them of all He did for them.

>>>Micah plays the role of Israel seeking how to come back to God-offerings? Calves? Rams? Firstborn?

Micah 6:8 “He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

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>>>Micah says the LORD has already told them what is good/what He requires from them.

*“adam” means “mankind”. This is for everyone.

*“require” means “demand”. God is demanding something from all His people.

*God had already made clear what He wants from His people/what He says is good to Him-contrasting w/religious sacrifices.

GOD DETERMINES WHAT IS GOOD.

>>>The people of Israel were thinking they were “good” w/God if they just made sacrifices of all these different things, but God had a different view of the good He’d accept.

>>>We do not determine what is acceptable to God. Good things we do might be done to cover up/excuse what is wrong.

*We think religious actions is what gets blessing from God even if we really are trying to do the right thing.

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>>>The first thing that God demands is to “do justice”.

*This was something very in line w/Micah’s overall prophecy to the people and what they needed to hear.

*“Justice” is “righteousness”. Doing justice is spreading righteousness-in every way in every aspect of society.

DOING JUSTICE IS SPREADING RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jeremiah 22:3 ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do justice and righteousness, and save one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. And do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”

>>>Jeremiah’s examples of justice/righteousness is rooted in how to treat other people-both relationally and socially.

*relationally-not mistreating/harming others

*socially-saving others/speaking up for them and what’s right/stepping into to bring justice to wrong.

*This is not just for rulers/religious leaders but all of God’s people.

>>>Justice/righteousness is also a characteristic/attribute of God. He defines justice/righteousness, and His people are to live out His character in their lives.

>>>If we mistreat/harm others (physically, emotionally), we are not living righteously-doing justice. We are as corrupt as Israel and its leaders were.

>>>If we keep silent/don’t stand up for what’s right, we also are not living righteously.

>>>God is just/righteous, and we are to spread that justice/righteousness-how God feels about how we treat each other and feels about wrong.

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>>>The second thing God demands is to “love kindness”.

*“kindness” is not just being kind but being faithful. It is a faithful/loyal love to God and others.

*Same word used to describe God’s faithful love in Psalm 23. God faithfully loved Israel/Judah and required them to love Him/others back.

LOVING KINDNESS IS LOVING FAITHFULLY.

Hosea 6:6 “For I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice, And the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

>>>God is faithfully loving, holding up His end of the covenant w/His people, and He wants His people to return that love to Him.

>>>God demands that we love Him back-just like a husband demands of his wife. He does not want other things to pull us away from loving Him (loyalty).

*What do religious rituals/meetings/words mean if not coming from a place of love?

>>>God doesn’t just want this kind of love for Him but for those around us as well. Loving others comes from loving God and should be just as faithful.

*Mercy, loyalty, honesty, compassion are all descriptions of what faithful love for others looks like.

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>>>The third and final requirement from God is to “walk humbly w/Him”.

*“humbly” is “with humility”-a proper view of one’s self in relation to God/submission.

WALKING HUMBLY IS LIVING SUBMISSIVELY.

>>>People cannot come to God thinking they are equals. They have to come in submission, humble, broken in heart.

Isaiah 57:15 “For this is what the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 66:2 “For My hand made all these things, So all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But I will look to this one, At one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

Psalm 24:3–4 “Who may ascend onto the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? One who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to deceit And has not sworn deceitfully.”

>>>The command to walking humbly w/God also shows God’s desire to walk w/His people. But their hearts must be in the right place.

Genesis 5:21–24 Now Enoch lived sixty-five years, and fathered Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he fathered Methuselah, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

>>>Enoch walked w/God. This wasn’t just following/obeying God but communion w/Him-true relationship.

*Enoch was not (found), because God took him to Heaven.

>>>The relationship God wants w/us is not one of control and forced submission, but true community-one that recognizes/reveres Who He is but also one that is personal.

*God was calling people back to how He first created them.

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>>>Israel’s religion would not fix their country. They neglected justice, dismissed compassion and faithfulness, and were unfaithful to God rather than walking w/Him.

>>>God did not want their “good things”. He wanted them. If they turned back to Him, their land would once again be blessed-there would be justice, kindness, and being led by God. This is what was good.

DO WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF YOU.

>>>God wants nothing else from us if He does not have our hearts and lives.

>>>We need to do what He requires-what is actually good-and to do all of it (cannot have just one or two-not showing love/true justice/obedience).

>>>Ending the school year/final regular YG, what would this really look like in your life? What if you were defined as someone who did the right thing, was faithful, and had an obvious walk w/God?

*Nothing else matters if not rooted in this.

>>>God’s faithfulness/justice/desire to be w/us was fulfilled in Micah’s prophecy about Jesus. He made a way for us to do what God wants from us and modeled for us how to do it.

*Micah would end His book asking who was like God to forgive sins-showing His just and faithful character.

*We can be forgiven/restored into a relationship w/Him.

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SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.) Coming out of the message, what are some things that stood out to you?

2.) Main Point: DO WHAT GOD REQUIRES OF YOU.

*What’s been your favorite thing about youth group this year?

*Read Micah 6:8 again. Do you find what God requires to be simple or complicated? Why?

*In light of this verse, how would you describe what your relationship with Jesus is today?

Small Group Accountability: How has spiritual growth been this week?/(Small Group Challenges)