Delivered August 3, 2008
by Pastor Eric Henderson
Micah preached that God has created our lives to be lived in the image of God the creator. Like this bicycle wheel, at the center or hub we are created in God's image (imageo dei). God is loving and merciful towards us and at our center is the capacity to love God and show love and mercy to 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 well-balanced wheel, all parts are connected to the hub, not just one or two parts, but the whole. In order to have a healthy well balanced life, all parts such as our minds, emotions, money, work and play, bodies, relationships, all parts are connected to the hub so the outer rim is round and strong, or has integrity. 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 which is 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. Micah reminds us that God desires justice, mercy and humility before God at all times and in all areas of life.
But what Micah saw when he looked at God's people, were lives in which greed, idolatry, bribery, cheating in business, violence, lying and other injustices came from their hub or the core of their life. Everyday practices of sin resulted in pain and injury for others. Micah saw people trying to buy God's favor for their sin-infested life by one day a week offering costly sacrifices.
Micah looked around and responded,
What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land; not one upright man remains. All men lie in wait to shed blood; each hunts his brother with a net. Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire-they all conspire together. The best of them is like a briar, the most upright worse than a thorn hedge. The day of your watchmen has come, the day God visits you. Now is the time of confusion. Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful of your words. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-a man's enemies are the members of his own household.
As we look around our world, we could join Micah's misery and loneliness. Throughout the world countries are in conflict with other countries, ethnic groups and religious groups are killing one another, Muslims and Anglicans have major conflicts within their own groups.
Regularly people are killing one another in houses, on the streets and recently on a bus.
Leaders such as and Karadzic accuse other nations or other leaders of corruption, seldom admitting their own. Karadzic is the former leader in Bosnia faced with two counts of genocide arising from the siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica, the single worst atrocity in Europe since the end of World War II. Karadzic also faces other charges, including crimes against humanity and murder, for "ethnic cleansing" and creating prison camps where Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats were killed, sexually assaulted and brutalized.
Monsanto, an American multinational chemical and biotechnology company is being held responsible for some of the most toxic and environmentally damaging products ever sold.
Some have estimated that more Christians are being persecuted in some way for their faith now, than in any other time in history. North Korean believers face imprisonment or worse for praying or owning a Bible.
In 2008, twenty-one pastors of house churches in Shandong Province have been sent to labour camps, which was the largest sentencing house church leaders in a quarter of a century[2]. By some estimations, Chinese authorities are trying to restrict activities of house churches before the Beijing Olympics[2]. The Chinese house church movement developed after 1949 as a result of the Communist government policy which requires the registration of all religious organizations. This registration policy requires churches to become part of the TSPM/CCC set-up, which may involve interference in the church's internal affairs either by government officials or by TSPM/CCC officials, who are approved by the Communist Party of China's United Front Work Department. During the Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976 all Christian worship was forced underground, even the official churches were closed, and the house church movement was solidified as an ongoing phenomenon
Looking around at this church situation might cause despair or misery. Several years ago there was a decline in the number of people regularly attending. Some leaders left. Many suffered the pain of goodbyes and troubled relationships. The patriarchs and matriarchs are aging, gracefully, but there is declining health and energy. Trying to figure out how to be a healthy church is a struggle at times because of being a regional church in which members live at a distance from one another. You're facing an unknown length of time without a pastor and in the past that has resulted in burnout for some. Others may be wondering about the viability of continuing.
After looking around, we may be in total misery and despair wondering if our world, our church, and our life will fly apart and completely collapse.
But Micah makes a significant choice. In v. 7 he says,
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Micah chose faith in God to save rather than total despair that sin and injustice would prevail. We can also choose faith in God to save, or total despair expecting sin and injustice to prevail.
Listen to the difference faith in God makes for Micah.
Do not gloat over me my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
Because I have sinned against him,
I will bear the LORD's wrath,
until he pleads my case and establishes my right.
He will bring me out into the light;
I will see his righteousness.
Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame,
she who said to me,
"Where is the LORD your God?"
My eyes will see her downfall;
even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets.
The day for building your walls will come,
the day for extending y our boundaries.
In that day people will come to you from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
even from Egypt to the Euphrates and from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
The earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants,
as the result of their deeds.
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.
As in the days when you came out of Egypt,
I will show them my wonders.
Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf.
They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you.
Micah's faith created a conviction that someday God would change the current situation.
There is change from
The writer of Hebrews states Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb. 11.1)
None of what Micah hoped or had faith for had yet occurred but he had faith that somehow, sometime God would change things.
Micah wasn't the last person who needed to make a choice between despair or faith when they saw the present situation.
The disciples watched as Jesus had his feet anointed as if in preparation for burial, the tension and conflict with the Jewish religious leaders was growing, some people believed in Jesus and some didn't, one of the disciples was going to betray him another deny him, Jesus told the disciples he was soon leaving them, but calls for them not to be troubled, but Trust in God. Jn. 12-14
When the disciples looked at the present situation they needed to choose to despair or say with Micah, 7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Each of us need to choose despair or faith when we live in this time.
Since 1905 Hispanics have been part of the small prairie town of Newton, Kansas where lots of Mennonites of European origin live. The European Mennonites welcomed Hispanics but expected them to participate in their English speaking community life. For 30 years some Hispanics have been dreaming of a Spanish-speaking Mennonite Church. By faith Norma Stoltzfus and Rosa Flores gave leadership to a Spanish speaking Mennonite church plant in the Newton area. (The Mennonite: July 8,2008. p.23)
They could have despaired that there would never be a Spanish speaking Mennonite Church in the area but chose as Micah had 7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Heb. 11.1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Upon her own admission, Annie had lived a wild and sinful life. From the time she was a young woman, Annie pursued a lifestyle that involved abuse, drugs, multiple infractions of the law and birthed eight children. Christian neighbors had interacted with the family for many years offering help and hoping that Annie and her common law husband would decide to follow Christ and make a long-term commitment to change. Annie finally grew weary of Charles's abuse and eventually left the relationship. Over the years their children acted out in many different ways causing Annie much pain and regret which she realized resulted in part from her own sin.
But Annie made a choice to live by faith in Christ and became a regular part of a church that demonstrated God's forgiveness and mercy. She also discovered and claimed Joel 2.25 I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten ... Then you will know that I am the LORD your God ... Whenever something good happened she acknowledged it as a gift from God who was repaying good for all the things destroyed by a past of sin.
Annie was 52 years old when she died of cancer. The verses from Joel were read at her funeral as a statement of faith that God would continue to bring change to the lives of her children and others affected by her past.
When faced with the troubling choices of her children Annie took the same position as Micah who said, 7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Each of us need to choose despair or faith when we live in this time.
Micah vision of God encouraged his faith that God would bring change. Micah and people of faith know God as described in the last verses of the prophet's sermons.
Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.
Micah has faith that God in mercy and compassion forgives and will be faithful to his promises. Micah didn't have faith in himself, the government or military, the stars, the team effort of people, the stock market, luck, science, medical technology, knowledge, or whatever else you might place faith. Micah had faith in a merciful compassionate and faithful God and that was cause for celebration and hope.
Some of us need corrective lenses such as glasses or contact lenses to help our vision. Our perception of the world is clearer and brighter with corrective lenses.
In the same way our perception of the world may need correcting. We may be looking through glasses that only see the results of sin that causes much suffering and pain. Focusing on the results of sin can lead to despair and hopelessness. The lenses of faith helps us say with Micah, 7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Rom. 1.11,12
I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. 14.1
Accept people whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. Be part of a small group that is active in faith-service, Bible study and application, praise, fellowship, prayer for each other, inviting people to Christ, witnessing, etc.
Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit which gave them faith and boldness to witness and heal and gather for praise, fellowship, mutual aid. Heb. 11.6
Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him just believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Most of Heb. 11 is a list of people who did something by faith. Abraham sacrificed Isaac, Jacob blessed Joseph, Moses' parents hid him, the walls of Jericho fell, and on and on. People acted by faith. James refers to Abraham saying,
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
For centuries, Luiza Mamhoa's ancestors in Mozambique walked to a dry stream bed for water during the seven months of the year when there is no rain. Luiza was doing what others did and didn't have much hope that anything would change. During those 7 months, her family of 11 shared one 5 gallon jug of water each day, barely enough for everyone to drink.
We could despair that there's little hope for change for Luiza and other's like her to make water more available. But Christians like us, send money to Mennonite Central Committee which joined in partnership with the Christian Council of Mozambique to help villagers build a dam. Now with more water families can raise more food and there's water available to survive more easily until the next rains come. (A Common Place: July/Aug., 2008, p. 6-11)
Each fall volunteers are needed to help the Fall Festival Sales at the Petitcodiac TTV. We've been praying individually and as a group that God would provide the needed volunteers which start in late August or September. With about two months remaining and more volunteers needed, the situation was shaky. But we continued to pray with confidence that God would provide and rejoiced with the news that God had provided.
We could have given up but took a similar position as Micah who decided 7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Heb. 11.1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
We watch and wait in hope of God who is merciful, compassionate and faithfully forgives when we confess.
When we consider the present situation of the world, our church, our life we can despair and live in constant misery. But let us be people of faith and join Micah and say and live;
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (NIV)
Petitcodiac Mennonite Church