Sermon Central
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What Does God Require Of Us?
Contributed by T.j. Conwell on May 5, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: Does the death of one person give us reason to rejoice? This message addresses what God requires of us, and how we should act ... even in the shadow of news that for some brings incredible celebration.
What Does God Require?
Introduction
- I left tonight open not knowing fully that God already had plans for this message
- This weekend, there was what some would call tremendous news across the US
- In the midst of all that was going on, many rejoiced at the killing of OBL
- Chants of “we got him”, “finally”, “thank you soldiers”, “USA” rang out
- But I wonder, if many of our nation heard the other voice that was present
- In the middle of all the chaos believers are challenged to hear the voice of God
- As a former soldier did I rejoice that he has been killed? I did, for a moment
- Then, just as suddenly as I celebrated, I heard God’s grief in that moment
- Another soul, another one of God’s creations, has been damned to hell forever
- When it comes to living the life of a believer, I too fail to measure up
-- I deal with issues in my own life and rage against the flesh daily
-- In this moment, I felt sickened and hurt at what I saw going on around me
- This evening, I’d like to address this issue from God’s Word directly
- There will be no personal opinion, no commentaries, and no clever stories
- Simply, tonight we are going to take God’s Word and examine it alone
- Stand and read Micah 6:6-8 / Pray
Point 1 – What Do We Bring? (6-7)
- We discussed just past Sunday on dealing with hope that we bring nothing
- There isn’t any perfection or gifts that will give us absolution from God’s wrath
-- Paul wrote in Romans 11:30 that at one time, we too were disobedient
-- We lived a life of rebellion and walking away from God just as many others do
- But Paul taught this so that we could learn from it, so we’d grow with knowledge
- Not growing with an inflated ego, but natural growth from God alone
- Micah asks a very relevant question: “… with what shall I come?’
-- APP: What is it that I can bring before a righteous God but myself alone?
- Will whatever I bring please God because I have brought it?
- Notice here, Micah goes from small things to larger to very large and personal
-- Burnt offerings = Vegetation/Plants/Fruit/Etc.
-- Young Calves = They grow older eventually and produce meat/work/ income
-- 1,000 Rams = If I brought every animal in the world will that work?
-- 10,000 rivers of oil = Oil (perfume) is expensive; and very costly to waste
-- My firstborn = Very personal (consider Abraham giving up Isaac)
- I firmly believe that the answer is a resounding “NO”, it is not what we bring
- What matters is that WE come before a righteous God with ourselves
- It is that we would bring ourselves before a righteous God with our lives
- TRANS: To put it simply, God requires 3 simple things of our lives …
Point 2 – Living for God (8)
- God requires that we:
- Act justly – Live a life that is honorable and upright before Him
- Love mercy – Just as we have received mercy; let us show mercy
- Walk humbly – Simply stated, keep our pride in check
- When I consider all that we see in the world today; we really need this more
- We need to grasp the concept of living FOR God, and not WITH God (expound)
- Even when we see the wicked fall down; we should remember to stay humble
- Proverbs 24:17-18 “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from Him.”
- It is an important lesson that I think really shows the heart of a servant of Jesus
-- While it is not always bad to rejoice over victory; we need to have perspective
-- The Israelites rejoiced over victory; because God had won the battle
-- The Disciples rejoiced over victory; because Jesus had risen from the grave
- It is not a matter of rejoicing because of a death of an enemy; but more than that
- It is taking the time to consider what would Jesus have done; what should we do?
- Should we gloat and jump around? Or, (Micah 6:8) … live upright before God
- I’ve read so much in the past week about this I just really felt convicted to share it
- We should never forget that God’s desire is that none should perish (2 Pet 3:9)
- And as we said on Sunday, GOD is NOT a liar! If He says it; that settles it
- I’d like to challenge you this week to consider this deeply; and search Him out
- Find out what it is that God would desire you to do differently; and simply obey
- Pray
