Loving Kindness

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?

• The fall of the northern kingdom (1:6-7)

• The invasion of Judah by Sennacherib in 701 B.C. (1:9, 12)

• The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (3:12)

• Judah’s Babylonian captivity (4:10)

• Judah’s return from captivity (4:10)

• The exact name of Christ’s birthplace (5:2)

When and where? 735 B.C., from the town of Moresheth, some 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

Why? To warn both Jerusalem and Samaria to repent and turn back to God.

To whom? Both northern and southern kingdoms.

In this chapter for context; Micah is indicting the unjust, oppressive, fraudulent economic practices of the people and how it is destroying the kingdom

How do I Effectively Measure my Love for Kindness?

1. Examine Yourself

1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2. Compare Yourself to Christ

Luke 6:40 ESV

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

It is easy to have the feeling of superiority when comparing yourself to object sinner

And it’s depressing to compare yourself to a spiritual giant - I will never reach that level/

2 things happen when we compare ourselves to Christ

I don’t feel discouraged or proud because Christ is the perfect ideal model when it comes to being a Christian and showing loving kindness.

Why you know exactly where you stand without feeling inferior.

3. Compare Your Purity Level

James 4:8 ESV

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Cannot truly love kindness with my heart is not pure and I am far from God’s purpose.

Refine the acuity of our eyes, ears and heart to filter out the impurity of this world.

Ask yourself “Do I Need To change My Filters”

Goes back to this morning lesson of minimizing the world’s effect on our heart.

4. Ask Others to Rate You

Philippians 2:20 ESV

For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Brother Tony what you just said was not kind.

It’s amazing the wealth of information you receive on the need to change after you get married.

We may not want to do this because we may not like the answer.

5. Demonstrate Your Love for God by Obeying the Gospel

Fish - Water

Tree - Earth

Man - Himself

Take a fish out of water