Sermon Tone Analysis

Victory till Kingdom Come

Micah 4:10-13

Introduction

Someone may say: “I don’t want to wait till Kingdom come for you to make up your mind.”

Those words usually spoken with a degree of impatience.

Fact is, for some things we will have to wait till Kingdom comes.

But, There are many activities that we are part of - till Kingdom comes.

Question: Do you want more people to be saved?

Is it your desire to see more of your friends and family come to that place where they meet and follow Jesus?

Any and every Christian would say: “Yes”.

Why would we want our friends and family members to become Christians?

Is it because we want them to have better lives?

Is it because we want to have an improved relationship with them?

Why would you want anyone else to become a Christian?

Good life is better than bad life.

Good news is better than bad news.

To have is better than to not have.

But is that enough, and is having better in this life, what attracts people to Christ?

Let me make the problem bigger:

You may have heard someone say: “Joe is such a nice person, and he is not even a Christian”.

A very popular comment recently is: “Islam is a religion of peace.

It is only the radical part that is bad.”

Upsetting statements for the same reason.

Mahatma Ghandi said: ““I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.

Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Looking at all the good that is done over the world in the name of Jesus makes you wonder why more people do not turn to Him.

Listening to all the miracles that are reported every Sunday, makes us ask: “Why not more Christians?”

But then, some churches claim hundreds and thousands of conversions every Sunday - then we have to ask, where is the proof of the converted lives in society?

Why do we not see more good done by Christians, so that Ghandi can be silenced?

Gift of the Givers, a Muslim based organisation, has “delivered life saving aid in the form of Search and Rescue teams, medical personnel, medical equipment, medical supplies, medicines, vaccines, anti-malarial medication, high energy and protein supplements, food and water to millions of people in 43 countries, South Africa included”.

That is good.

Is it good enough?

Here is another question?

If you know God, and you are not a bad person, is that good enough?

My “good enough” is an open ended question for a specific reason.

Because, that question is the essence of existence.

What is “good enough” for you?

What is “good enough” for a good life?

What is “good enough” for God?

In 700BC Jerusalem, people probably asked that question, but in a slightly different way:

“Am I not ‘good enough’ for God?”

Is our way of life not “good enough” for you, Prophet Micah?”

Micah starts here in chapter 4 with his preparation of the answer to the question: “Am I not ‘good enough’ for God?” by explaining the foundation of the answer.

To help us understand, and because we can “time travel” to a later day than when Micah spoke the words of , let’s read “THE ANSWER”.

Three actions that will get the LORD to respond with: “Well done, (good enough), good and faithful servant, enter the rest of your LORD (Master)”,

In the history of man, only One person ever lived Who were faithful and true to these three actions.

Only Jesus was.

But what about us then?

Micah tells Jerusalem then, and us now, that We can expect three events that will happen to God’s people while they wait for the Kingdom to come.

Destruction (v10a)

Deliverance (v10b)

Victory (v11-13)

Destruction (10a)

If you have read any of the history of Israel, you will know that Micah specifically prophecies here about the Destruction of Jerusalem around 587BC by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.

But, at the same time, in Micah’s world and words he also prophecies about events leading up to the ultimate salvation of God’s people.

As it was for Jerusalem, the church, made up of individual members who are collectively called Christians, must also face destruction.

Why destruction?

Because like Jerusalem, the church, made up of individual members who are collectively called Christians, did not listen to God’s word.

Now, here is the grace of the LORD.

Unlike Jerusalem, the Church is made up of individuals who did not listen to God’s word but relies on The Word of God for deliverance.

But, in Jerusalem, even the remnant faced the destruction.

Their homes and gardens were destroyed.

Their lives turned upside down.

So, how does this warning of “destruction” apply to you, if you are a Christian?

[Warning for us:]

Stray from God’s word, and God may even destroy in order to get you back on track.

God may - not God will.

Some of us can testify that the LORD brought us to destruction before we turned to Him.

And some can testify that the LORD uses trouble, even destruction to turn us back to Him.

Health - destructed

Bank account - destructed

Relationships - destructed

Unless you get to that place where what you worship more than the LORD is not destroyed, you will not be able to worship the LORD fully.

[Everything must be of no value compared to the worship of the LORD]

That is why, you will only be able to worship the LORD fully when everything in this life is destroyed - including your body.

you shall go to Babylon.

Prophetic words of warning in the middle of verse 10.

Till Kingdom comes - you will experience your destructions.

Getting old;

Loosing loved ones;

Loosing loved ones;

Illness,

Poverty,

etc

Now, here is the grace of the LORD.

Unlike Jerusalem, The Church is made up of individuals who did not previously listen to God’s word but relies on “The Word” - Jesus for deliverance.

(,)

More importantly, till Kingdom come, have you been delivered?

Because Micah declares deliverance in the second part of verse 10.

Destruction must and will happen, but God gives deliverance.

Deliverance (10b)

What wonderful words: “There you shall be rescued.”

In your Babylon - out of your trouble You shall be rescued.

God does not promise to give you back whatever you lost.

God makes a promise that the ruler will change.

Your life will belong to the LORD and not the ruler who took you away from the LORD and true worship.

Often - The false prophet is me.

Often the Corrupt thinking is my own selfishness and greed.

Often The hope is in my things and not in my LORD.

If the LORD is most valuable in my life, then I will even be glad if He destroys everything, as long as I can have more of Him.

But, He does not.