What God Requires

The so many of the events in our world past year caused us to look around and wonder why is there so little harmony in our world will be part of a lasting solution. We need to answer that question correctly today on Truth for Life Alastair big terms to Micah chapter 6 to explain our only hope for true peace and harmony. What if we have attached for this morning and I suppose we do, would be the eighth heiress of the passage that we read. He has told you old 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.

Let me begin in this way by asking a question, do orchestras really need conductors if the conductor were to be deposed by then in some kind of coup and the members decided that what they were going to do was simply go with their feelings at play whatever they felt at any particular time and whatever volume they chose, and so on.

One of course.

Clearly, the end product would be chaotic and would be unappealing to ask a second question, how are we to accountant for the absence of harmony in our world and one way of answering that end, it is the Bible way of answering that is to acknowledge that we have deposed the conductor that the Bible tells us we have been created by God and for God and yet we have been separated from God and we have been scattered in the imagination of our hearts, one who needs a score. We can make the plays up as we go along, we can just play whatever children we like. Furthermore, people might say, the idea of a conductor. The idea of one who oversees us, and so on is just so far away from all that we now hold to affirm that in this you, you may not agree but there are a few people that I meet at the moment who would be prepared to deny the fact that our world is out of kilter is a world that is not only fractured but it is fearful. It's a fearful place inhabited by people who are themselves increasingly filled with fear and were dealing X actually at the moment. It would seem that with a three headed monster were dealing with it pandemic.

Our lives have been completely changed as a result of this virus which has swept the world not only pandemic we but also economically is not for me to give any kind of instruction in this regard. I like you just simply read what I find day today but it would seem obvious that we have been confronted now by levels of unemployment by mountains of dad that we are told will take more than time to relieve or to repay and then racially our nation has been fractured and is brokenness has been violated in the demonstrations that have come in the aftermath of the unspeakably brutal and cruel death of George Floyd and again fear grips the nation which is the worst of the viruses we would find ourselves saying it's almost impossible to come to Micah chapter 6 and verse eight. Without is certainly in these days, saying something along these lines to observations one.

I've chosen to use the more old-fashioned term ratio prejudice or racial discrimination and the reason for that is because language is now so abused the word racist is now been so abused that it is virtually lost its meaning. So I say the issue we deal with is racial prejudice just one observation.

The second observation is this that with the events of the last few days, objective morality has no made a reappearance.

What I mean by that. What matters now are immediately identified as being either right or wrong. As I drove here this morning.

One of the signs read racism is wrong, which of course it is however you want to define it. We know what were talking about today, but the thought that occurred to me was isn't it interesting that it doesn't say something like racism is a bad idea or my personal view is that it is this now. It simply says it is wrong because every honest person knows that it is wrong and from a biblical perspective clearly so, because when we turn to the Bible, we realize that the Bible says there is only one God and that is only one reality which is that man has been made men and women made in the image of divinity in the image of God and as a result of that, there is only one morality and that that morality emerges from God himself.

Therefore God is a God who says I'll tell you what's right and I'll tell you what is wrong. Now, in light of that, it is impossible to say nothing matters in all matters.

It matters for more than we know because it matters to the creator it matters to the lawgiver and for this reason black lives matter, it is impossible to be otherwise. In fact, in this we will not delve into this morning. These issues of such brutality and murder matter far more than our culture is prepared to accept the sanctity of human life is bound up in the fact that man was made in the image of God he was put together purposefully. His genetic code was written by the creator himself and that is why the Bible says that if you take a man's life. You forefeet your own life and the recognition of the sanctity of life is revealed not only in the way we care for those in the fragile elements of life, but in the way that we are prepared to acknowledge that capital punishment for such murder is not only legitimate, it is divinely ordained, then we care about life. We don't care about life enough. God cares God made us God loves those who have been so tragically believed in our great need in all of these discussions is to have a solid does of theological realism. All of us have emotional attachments. All of us of backgrounds that are unique to ourselves, and so on.

But the real question is, are we going to gain an understanding of things by looking to the Scriptures themselves. My opinion is as valid as the next person's opinion.

Perhaps it's true. If it's good, but by and large we all are in need of being taught by the one who knows the answers to all the questions and that is essentially the role of the prophet.

What is Micah the prophet, saying, what is he providing for the people well is not talking about his own ideas. Look at how the chapter begins here. What the Lord says this is the role of the prophet.

This is the role of the preacher of the Bible, not for the for me or for anybody else to stand up and give you our views but to stand up and say listen. Listen now listen to God. That's why we constantly see your sensible people examine the Scriptures to see if these things are so notice that he is speaking to his people and he is reason to contend with them to indict them and the reason for that is because if you work your way back through the text, you will see that they have been devising wickedness.

They have been working evil on their beds. They can wait to get up in the morning to perform it, and it is in there, the power of their hand to do. That's the beginning of chapter 2 and so it goes on and so he is addressing them and he is addressing them with reason for contention.

Also, you will notice that in addressing then, his tone is one of entreaty sensitive tenderness. All this about, like all, all my people when he then dies. Is he reminds them of his righteous act.

She was seated on in verse five the righteous acts of the Lord.

Now that is just giving them essentially a little reminder of history, the redemption that is brought about in verse four in bringing them safely out of Egypt. The leadership that he then gave to them so that they might make progress in Moses and Aaron and Miriam. The way in which in the events of bail I can bail them. God in his great providence turned curses the blessing and in the encounter from shipping to go call me simply reminding them of the events that were there when they cross the Jordan.

These he says are the righteous acts of the Lord and notice that you may know, the anxious rights of the Lord that may doesn't mean that you might be able to rehearse them know the knowledge that he speaking about here is a life transforming knowledge that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord that when you think about what God is done for you. It might be transformative knowledge of the truth of God is the basis then for making sure that our emotions and our feelings are both given full effect and in the same time held in check and so he says I want you to know the righteous acts of God, I don't want you just to be able to say this is what happened and this is what happened and so on. Know that you may know, that's the real question. Do you know God's people had completely lost sight of all that God had done for them. That's why he says them. What have I done to you how high we reviewed answer me it'll all become tedious to become tiresome this and always the same old material. It was routine became irrelevant. It was dangerous and so we call the Council and for the defense. What is the response of the would-be worshiper or you haven't here in verses six and seven and we can read these verses is where you have this progression of expressions of devotion burnt offerings with carves a year old.

Well, what about thousands of rounds 10,000s of rivers of oil. What if I was like Abram and offered up my son in an expression of my desire to have my sin dealt with. Know the way we need to understand this of course is in light of what Scripture tells us we have an illustration of it when we studied in for Samuel many moons ago. If you will remember and and as Samuel the prophet confronts Saul. You will recall, and he says to them. Has the Lord great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices does he have his great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord, and of course that's the point is not saying that the sacrifices were irrelevant or the expressions of devotion are irrelevant, but what God is looking for is obedience. You have it in a parallel passage in Amos which when I read it in Peterson's paraphrase struck me forcibly and this is a similar context where the prophet Amos is taking on the same issue at the people are saying what we can come before God and this will will be of the say we've done a wonderful job on sacrifices we been very self giving, we have been prepared even to go to the extremities of and God says I can stand your religious meetings.

I want nothing to do with your religion projects.

Your pretentious slogans and goals. I've had all I can think of your noisy ego music. When was the last time you saying to me. Do you want to know what I want I want justice oceans of I want fairness rivers of that's where I want. That's all I Ralph Davis is but why do we think we have to be so frantic, why do we think God wants us to organize more Christian things to do as what their answer was God says through his prophet what you guys up to this Fiona. We've got it covered. Finally, the prophet responds and in verse eight and they said this in verse is of course quoted frequently. I'm sure you will live, turned to it in the past few days and understandably so. Interestingly, Newton the hymn writer and the pastor commenting on this said, there is hardly anyone passage in Scripture more generally misunderstood.

Now you've read it, and I have read it and you may find yourself similar seems pretty straightforward to me is essentially only three points number one to do justly, that is to act in such a way that is the reversal level of all that was taking place that it means doing justly in accord with the will and purpose of God, as he has both manifested it and as he has revealed it to us in Scripture.

So within the framework of God's revelation of himself. We want to take seriously these things perhaps far more seriously than we have been giving credence to to this point, but taking that seriously is not the same. I suggest to you as this commentators explanation of what doing justice quotes.

According to the Bible really means it is he writes, creating a situation and a society where everything is right a society where every last person in it, including the most vulnerable and the weakest can flourish and thrive. My purpose to interact with that for now, but it is to send it out before you so that you like me can be thinking along these lines.

To do justly, to love mercy heart attitude. These actions taken place not as a performance of some demanded Judy, but as a glad and spontaneous action is not only possible for us to really believe that father your love is a faithful love and for us to be faithless in our expressions of love and thirdly, to walk humbly and otherwise, to walk in submission to God's will in New Testament terms its Romans 12 to to offer your body as a living sacrifice, that is an acceptable form of worship to him.

Humility means that I don't take myself too seriously that I don't cherish exaggerated ideas of my own importance that I don't assume that I have everything buttoned down and know how it should be, which is of course one's tendency while you say that's fairly comprehensive and is fairly clear why did Newton say quotes again. There's hardly a passage in Scripture more generally misunderstood what is not here to answer the question, but I think at least this would be true of what he meant. Number one because of how this the nurse is attempted without the gospel it and then it becomes just a display of natural virtue is just another version of a good God of the exist will reward nice people. If they do their best and part of the way of doing your best, involves justice, involves mercy and ended involves being humble about how easy it is for us to attempt this without the gospel.

Also how easy it is for pastors to proclaim it in place of the gospel. If the message that comes across is are you going have a really good we can do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God this album to gestalt that, but you see the inherent danger. Am I wrong in suggesting to my friend that he ought at least to be wary of explaining Micah 68 as quote creating a situation and a society where everything is right that is called the new heaven and the new earth.

We got to read the prophets, in light of the apostles with God interpret the Old Testament light of the new you've got ask yourself of that kind of explanation how it fits within the epistles of the of the New Testament and the emphasis of the apostles who themselves had a prophetic ministry. Time is gone. So let me just tell you the third reason that I think it is one of the misunderstood passages because it needs to be understood that it is only possible by the gospel.

Micah is not here charting a path as a means to acceptance with God. So what is the answer, we see the answer is not in our righteous acts, but in the righteous acts of the Lord. Verse five he has shown you a man what is good. Jesus is good if you're right Bible is open, you just go back a page and you find yourself in the Christmas narrative in verse five, and he shall be there. Peace. You shall be there. Please therefore be adjusted by God by faith we have peace with God orders as we have it in Titus for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.

When Newton preached on this passage, he entitled his sermon on this verse. No access to God, but by the gospel of Christ, and I'm pretty sure that is what he meant when he said this is so misunderstood, so taught or received in such a way as to say you know this is the missing link. This is the key what the passage is saying yes would you come before God and, in the name of Jesus you find acceptance because remember before Jesus left. He said whoever comes to me I will cast out.

And if we don't come by way of that entrance. There is no other way and if were worried about what kind of response we will receive go to the end of the chapter go to the closing verses of the chapter where the provinces whose up pardoning God like you who pardon sins like you who forgives iniquities who cleanses us who fit sense for your presence. You do what is essentially having the RC are the credentials of our justification. Other things that contribute to our justification by the evidences of our justification for loved ones.

We can fix the world but with God's help, we can make a pledge to one another to declare our willingness to live the gospel and expressions of justice and kindness and humility and a strange as it will sound to a nonworking world.

God has provided in the local church.

The genetic blueprint of a broken world remade does an orchestra leader conductor Shirley we need a Savior.

Sure to him about the gospel means that we live lives that are marked by justice, kindness and humility. The commitment we can only make with God's help from today's message on Truth for Life with Alister Bragg if you're a regular Truth for Life list or you know that you can count on hearing Christ focused life changing Bible teaching every day. On this program. That's because we believe the Scripture quality is hemmed by men is authored by God, it's truth is unchanging and without error. Our passion is to proclaim the good news of the gospel as far and as wide as possible were also passionate about providing you with books that can help you grow in your faith. Try were recommending today. A one month devotional title. None else. 31 meditations on God's character and attributes. We want to recommend to you that you request your copy of none else today, when you make a generous one-time donation to Truth for Life.

You can give your gift by tapping the image you see on our mobile app or by visiting Truth for Life.org/donate or call 888588788 about looking for listing join us tomorrow as will confront a difficult question when the world seems to be in social and political disarray. How should the church respond Bible teaching of Alister Bragg is furnished by the truth or lying with the learning is prolific