Committed to doing what's right- Micah 3 1 4
Committed to doing What’s Right EBC Sunday School 3/23/08
How often do we fail to do what is best for our own interest? A doctor may prescribe a diet for our health but because some things on the diet we don’t like or because some things we like aren’t on the diet – we do follow the diet.
Many times in the spiritual sense we do the same things. Rom. 7:19. The result is spiritual heart trouble.
To avoid health problems we need to follow the advice of our doctors, we avoid spiritual heart problems we need to follow the advice of our great physician.
Read Micah 6:8- humility seems to be in short supply today. Many strive today to be the greatest. Yet, the Bible tells us that humility comes before honor – Prov. 15:33.
Humility isn’t an occasional choice but a lifestyle.
As we seek to serve the Lord, we should begin each day by asking “what does God expect from me today?”.
Micah is one of the great eighth century prophets of God. This was also the time frame of Isaiah, Hosea and Amos. According to Micah 1:1, we find that he prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Micah’s plea was that God’s people msut realize that if they didn’t seek justice then God would purge them from evil by allowing their destruction.
I. Loving Evil (Micah 3:1-4)
The idea of loving evil is detestable today to many Christians. Evil should describe those other people – the lost. Read 1 Kings 15:26,34; 16:2-
Micah points out two flaws in their thinking:
A. God won’t judge us (1-3)
1. British historian Lord Acton- “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
2. History is full of leaders who thought they were above the law
a. Governor Spitizer-
3. Micah asks them “do you believe you are above the law”.
a. Rev. 6:15-17-
1. This admonition isn’t only for the rich, but for the thief who thinks no one is looking, to those who think they can get by with private sins
a. Num. 32:23-
4. In v.2-3- God describes the leaders have exploited the people. These people are the very ones the leaders should have been protecting.
B. God ignores my evil (4)
1. A difficult reality is that consequences for sins are not immediate. Just because we aren’t struck by lightning every time we sin doesn’t means God doesn’t notice.
2. There are times when God acts with decisive judgment.
a. Eph. 5:6- there will come a time when God’s wrath will be poured out on unbelievers.
II. Loving Justice and Mercy (6:6-8)
Micah balances #1, with this for those who are living lives to please God.
A. Correct action #1- worship God (6,7)
1. In examining our relationship before God, an important starting point is the issue of worship.
a. Worship – to bow down before.
2. Another key aspect is sacrifice. Sacrifice is relinquishing something of value back to God.
a. One sacrifice today may be money, it may be labor
b. In describing these sacrifices Micah starts off small and goes to the unthinkable.
1. The lesson is that God has the right to require anything from us because actually its all his.
c. What kind of gift does it take to demonstrate the value of our love and devotion?
B. Correct action #2 – obey God (8)
1. This is more a list of attitudes than actions. Micah is not teaching anything new but says they have been told this before.
2. The requirements for goodness can be boiled down to three things:
a. Act justly
1. Be righteous in our lives – do that which is right- always. Strive for holy living
2. Treat everybody with love even those who oppose you
a. James 1:27-
b. Love mercy-
1. Our love of justice must be tempered with mercy. As with justice, sacrifices and worship we must also have mercy.
c. Walk humbly before God –
1. Humility demands that we walk right because it is the right thing to do not just to get a reward for it.
a. The humble person will do the right thing every time even when no one is looking.
b. 1 Peter 5:5-
1. As a horse has to be broken to be of value we do too.
A well rounded life is a balance of the above three – do you have a well rounded life?