Delivered July 27, 2008
by Pastor Eric Henderson
My 5 siblings and I were already in bed when my dad called me. Sitting facing each other in the kitchen dad told me he had been talking with my friend's father. I knew why we were having a special one on one session. I knew that I was being called to account for my recent activities with my friend.
Apparently my friend's tender conscience had plagued him to the point of confessing all to his father, including me as accomplice. My father was wondering if the charges were true. As I sat facing my father and the charges, my immediate future was a bit frightening.
Micah has been describing the life of God's leaders and people in the first five chapters. Micah called them to account on God's behalf, for greedily gobbling up land and houses, accepting bribes, idolatry, and prophets being people pleasers. Now Micah asks people to face God and other witnesses to give an account of their actions. Courtroom language calls the people to face the LORD and hear the charges.
Listen to what the LORD says:
Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. Hear, O mountains, the LORD's accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel.
Hearing those verses is frightening for me because I know full well that I sin along with everyone else. I hope that these verses apply to people in the past, not. me.
Last week during Tom Snowdon's sermon based on I John 1.5-7, I heard him say that we should not be afraid of God because God is light and there is no darkness. If we have an image of God that sees God as a man with a frown on his face that's totally incorrect.
These first 2 verses make it challenging, at least for me, to see God's face as open and welcoming. We could glibly say that the Old Testament and New Testament depict God as totally different. But Jesus is recorded as saying in Mt. 12:36,
I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; and later in Mt. 25:31ff When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another ...
Paul in 2 Cor. 5.9&10 agrees with Jesus by saying;
So we make it our goal to please him, ... for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
The Bible claims that we're held accountable for our life. I still see some foreboding in God judging me and hope that Tom's right and maybe we can just ignore this OT passage.
But let's continue my story and to God's message through Micah.
I was being called to account for what had happened in the church building. When it had been discovered by my friend's father, the pastor, he was deeply grieved that anyone would do such a thing. My friend's conscience bothered him and goaded him to confess, more because of his father's response, than the incident. Our fathers were troubled because our deeds did not show kindness to visitors. We had been taught and shown that people are to be welcomed and treated with kindness. Switching the men's and women's bathroom door signs in the church building called for a response.
God is troubled because of His people's behaviour and is calling them to give an account. But now God does a rather strange thing for a judge. God talks about himself saying,
My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counselled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.
God begins the trial by reminding people of their past relationship. They are called to remember God's redemption from slavery. To remember that God had provided the leaders Moses, Aaron and Miriam. God had protected them from king Balak. Balak asked Balaam to curse them, but God had caused Balaam to bless them rather than curse them as King Balak had asked. As the people traveled God had parted the waters of the Jordan River so they could cross safely.
God is judging his people to determine if the redemption, protection, and provision shown to them was bearing fruit.
Moses reminded people that God had brought them out of slavery and shown his love not because they were numerous, or such wonderful people but because
he is a faithful God, keeping his covenant of love-mercy (Dt. 7.7-9)
The prophets often reminded people of the deliverance from slavery and the provision of food and a land that God had provided.
When I remember God's acts towards me in the past, his face is more welcoming and light than dark and foreboding.
According to John 3.16 & I Jn. 3.16 God has shown love for the world in Christ and provided reconciliation. Col. 1.21-2 claims that those alienated by evil behaviour can be reconciled to God. Luke 15 tells 3 stories of God seeking the lost and rejoicing when they are found. I John also has the good news that we can have fellowship with God and fellowship with other believers. God has provided the indwelling Holy Spirit for comfort, counsel, truth, and life. I Jn. 1.9 tells us that God is just by granting forgiveness of sins upon confession
God's face is one of mercy and redemption, not anger and condemnation. God asks for people's response.
My father wanted a response from me to the accusations. I could have pled my case saying that I had been forced by my friend, or that it was his idea, or that the devil made me do it, or perhaps my father could be bribed with empty promises, or extra chores.
Micah speaks for the people who try some plea bargaining in an attempt to appease God.
With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
People were willing to go to great lengths to make a show to God and others their worship. They were willing to spend lots of money for sacrifices, even give their children as sacrifices.
People in our time might bargain for God's favour by promising to pray for one whole hour every day and volunteer one day a week and spend an entire month serving with Mennonite Disaster Service or some other humanitarian ministry. Plus, promise to be on two committees and be a small group leader. If that doesn't please God, we may go so far as to say we're even willing to be a missionary. Or I'll try to please God by tithing not just 10%, or 20% but 70% of my income.
But according to Micah, God does not desire a big show, or big donation to appease, or empty promises. God has shown us something else, and desires something other than big offerings of time or money during a public celebration.
He has showed you, O people, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and
to walk humbly with your God.
God has shown us Justice and desires that we live justly every day. God justly deals with sins through JC. I Peter 2.23,24
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
God sees our sins and our lives through the sacrifice of himself or through Jesus Christ. As Tom said last week, we do not need to fear God because we are assured that he judges justly and we are to deal justly with others. Our entire life, not just what we do one day a week, is to reflect God's justice. In Luke 11.39ff Jesus pronounces woes on Pharisees who perform external acts of piety, but inside
are full of greed and wickedness. Give a tithe but neglect justice and the love of God.
God has shown us love and mercy. Paul sums up God's incredible response to us before we recognized our need of forgiveness and love while we were enemies and alienated from God. Eph. 2.4,5
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus-
We have this amazing love and mercy available to us not because we've done anything, but because that's God's character. And many of us have been shown God's kindness, mercy, generosity through other people or the church.
God has graciously provided the Holy Spirit and has spoken to us through Jesus.
I have been shown God's kindness through kindness of friends in Harrisonburg moving our stuff because someone is buying our house.
I have been shown God's welcome through the welcome of Petitcodiac Mennonite Church and brothers and sisters in many places.
I have been shown God's generosity through your gift of money to help defray recent medical costs.
God has shown us humility in Jesus who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross. (Ph. 2.6-8)
I understand that our lives are like a wheel this bicycle wheel. At the center or hub we are created in God's image (imageo dei). God is loving towards us and at our center is the capacity to love God and others. God is just or fair and right in all ways and at our center is the same capacity to be fair and right. In order for this to be a healthy complete wheel, all parts are connected to the hub, not just one or two parts, but the whole. Our life, all parts such as our minds, our money, our work and play, our bodies, our relationships, all parts are connected to the hub so the outer rim is round or strong, has integrity. Social, physical, spiritual, economic, political, emotional, etc. Not only all parts of our life must be connected and affected by God's image at the center, but all days are to be integrated or dependent on the hub=God's image, God's light, love, mercy, justice, forgiveness, otherwise it's a wheel that is missing something and people are hurt by it.
I talked with someone recently who assured me over and over that every Sunday they were in church. That's great, but I wondered about the majority of his life-the other six days. Two hours on Sunday morning is 1/84th of the 168 hours in a week. Micah reminds us that God desires justice, mercy and humility before God at all times and in all areas of life.
The sermon begins worship today, because this time together reminds us that God is light. That God has shown us boundless mercy. That God has acted justly towards us. This time is our opportunity to respond to God's amazing love for us. This time also reminds us of what kind of people we are to be as God's people every day of the week, not just Sunday.
Our Worship service is a reminder that the core of our being is created in God's image. It is not to appease or impress God or anyone else. It is not to salve our conscience while we go on living unjustly or being hard-hearted towards others.
Our worship reminds us that God has acted justly and with mercy towards us and expects us to humbly live before him and act justly and with mercy towards others.
Let us worship.
Petitcodiac Mennonite Church