Pete McKenzie 0:14
Water within reach.
Then sharing some thoughts with you guys about, hopefully that’s relevant to what we’re going through and what’s happening what God is doing in our culture today and your life today.
When the when the crisis comes in, it’s common, it’s not going anytime soon. When the crisis comes in, the reason it’s not going is because there’s a sinful fallen world and we’re always in some kind of crisis. Amen. personal crisis, cultural crisis, city crisis, health crisis, financial crisis, national crisis, world crisis. crisis is the result of fallen people.
And what we’re doing is we’re taking some of the verses that we all know we’re familiar with, if haven’t memorized them, in verses like we looked at last week in Jeremiah 2911. I know the plans I have you declare the Lord’s and what is the context of those verses? what’s what’s
the before and after? What is what what if we break them down in when I was with the navigators is a young man and doing navigator Bible studies before I went on staff with them.
They taught us how to do verse studies, where you take a verse and you just tear it down, you open it up, you look up words, you let that verse really sink in, and it just blows it up. It gives you understanding and inside that you just don’t get when you just corrosively read it. And so I wanted that did that last week with Jeremiah 2911. Today, I want to do it with Micah six, eight, you’re familiar with that? What does the Lord require of you? Oh, man, but you do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with your God.
So let me
grab my glasses.
Let’s break it down.
What do we learn from the book of Micah?
Micah was one of the prophets like Jeremiah was last time that had false prophets. nation had gone into idol worship of the leaders and the false prophets were leading people to astray they were going into prostitution and adultery and then going into the temple and sharing the in the services and preaching the word.
And so they would send a prophet in and the Prophet would pronounce that upcoming judgment. what God did is he never just brought judgment, he brought warning that there is judgment coming. He sent messenger after messenger to them, and they did never listened. Just like Noah for over 100 years. preachers. They were laughing at him and mocking him because they never heard of a rain and never heard of a boat. never needed one. But he was building this boat bigger than twice as big as this room.
And they laughed, and then the flood came and took them away. The Scripture says, and they never knew what hit him.
We’re going to look at what they’re doing here when God seems distant and uninvolved Michael reminds us that he still cares, and offers hope to those who remain faithful to him. Was he everything is a test in the Christian life, we’re saved by grace through faith, but that faith has to be tested. Now the faith has an object. The object is not Congress. It’s not the Supreme Court. It’s not the president united states, the object of our faith is Jesus Christ.
But sometimes you wonder if Christians haven’t decided that the object of their faith is Washington DC, is we the in in the whole effort that’s going on right now by what Tom called the left and we understand what he’s talking about, is to tear down and destroy. We’re going to look at that closer we get to the verse what’s happening in the world at this time. The powerful Assyrian Empire was expanding westward, it was demanding surrender and tribute. When when bullies take over that’s what they demand, surrender in tribute, there is no compromise with them. The northern kingdom of Israel rebelled in the Assyrians destroyed its capital city, carried many index owl, the same thing happened with Jeremiah but 150 years before that Israel was taken, Judah was taken. Nebuchadnezzar took half the nation back to his ex house into Babylon. God gave them 70 years, to deliver them from their idol worship, to get them in a place where they would seek God. And God, we may not have 70 years, you may not or I may not.
But God will give us an opportunity to repent. If my people who are called by my name, if I’ll shut up the heavens so that there’s a drought. And if you can’t grow any more plants, and the plants are all dying, and the rivers are all dried up. Then if my people who are called by my name, those Christian guys,
those men of God, if my people who are called by my name will humble himself for things, humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways. We’ve talked about this many times. How God always starts with humility, everything starts there of humbling ourselves before God. humble ourselves in pray, and that prayer is a prayer of repentance. Somehow, we’ve hear a lot of talk about revival, but not a lot of talk about repentance. We won’t revival without repentance. We won’t revival without turning from our wicked ways. We won’t revival when it’s easy. There’s no cost involved. We want a Christian life. It’s the same way try to get a guy to get in a thing like the two seven that we have in for him and memorize five verses five minutes, the verses that he’s familiar with. And you’ll find a guy that’s looking for the door. sent there have to advertise Bible studies that they’re having these days by saying there’s no homework. It’s not going to cost you anything. So I’m going to be too early in the morning for you or too late at night.
We’re going to try to make it comfortable. You’re a seeker. We’re afraid you leave if we make it too hard. We’re afraid that you won’t want to do it. You’re afraid you go to another church or another group.
So we’re going to make it comfortable for you. Did you ever see Jesus making it comfortable for him? How about the Pharisees, your of your father the devil who I’m sorry, I’m not pouring to hear you guys back there. Have your father the devil. He’s got an Auburn jacket on.
Alright, let’s get back to wherever we were. So he said to the Pharisees, your your father, the devil, who was a liar and a murderer from the very beginning. And when you open your mouth, all you can do is lie because At your native language, they weren’t comfortable with that. They weren’t comfortable when he preached his sermon on the mount. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other. So on would force you to go one mile volunteer to go to
pray for your enemies, bless those who persecute you. That made them real uncomfortable. And then when he got around to saying, if you don’t eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no part with me. When he got around to that, the door starts swinging on its hinges, they start leaving, they would come to him and say, well, we want to follow you. But first I’ve got to go bury my father. Let the dead bury the dead you come and follow me. We got bigger fish to fry than that. What’s bigger than burying my father? The gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news delivering people from their sin, given them mercy and grace,
that’s bigger fish to fry. So what’s Miko focusing on who is he writing to? Micah wrote to the people of Judah to warn them that God’s judgment was approaching? Because they had rejected God in His law. Mike also encouraged the godly few. And I highlighted godly few in my notes. He encouraged the godly few, there’s no they’re never the godly, many. It’s a small gate in a narrow way and few there be that find it. The overwhelming majority of people that are born and live and die will not be in heaven. Only the godly few, only the faithful those who are faithful. Only those who persevere to the end, he encouraged the godly few are sharing them that judgment would not permanently destroy Israel. So with the pronouncement of judgment is coming, it’s appointed under man to die once but then comes judgment. And when you’re sharing the gospel, you start with Romans 323, All have sinned, you’ve seen and I’ve seen all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And then you go to Romans 623, the wages of sin is death, you’re going to die. And that death is not just a physical death. It’s a spiritual death. And your destination if you die in your sins, and they’re unforgiving as hell, and you’re going to spend eternity separated from God in hell. The wages of sin is death, Hebrews 927. It’s appointed on demand to die once and after this comes SWAT. Judgment. So that’s not a pretty pictures should make you uncomfortable sin, death judgment. But God never leaves us in a pile. He gives us john 316. But God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him who believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth, that man will be saved, he gave his only begotten son. What can I give to appease my god? What God do to appease our sin, He gave us only one and only unique son, to down across from me and you that we might be saved. So with judgment came hope, with judgment came forgiveness with judgment came grace, but we have to repent. That’s why he told us in the Sermon on the Mount blesses the poor in spirit bless it are those who mourn, bless it are those who are making humble bless it are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Bless it, are you when you do these things, but cursed are you when you when you don’t confess your sin, when you don’t realize is when you’d pay no attention when you aren’t obedient? When you don’t come when you’re invited? You’re under a curse. So Michael was focusing on that encouraging the faithful viewer and assuring them that there was hope the nation would eventually be restored. And we looked at that last week in Jeremiah, the the x house, I’m going to take you for 70 years in the reason you’re going to be there 70 years is that’s how long it’s going to take for you to be delivered from idol worship to get a new generation that’s worshiping God and seeking Him. And then I’ll bring you back to Israel, restored in holy and seeking God and not not worshipping idols, not following the false prophets. So let’s look at the verse he has told you Oh, man. Now God is faithful to tell us
He’s faithful to warn us. He’s faithful to give us the warning of judgment in our personal lives in our nation. And I think he’s been trying to do that for a long time. As we’ve seen our nation in the last 70 years be infiltrated every powerful seat of influence in our nation has been infiltrated so that we have no And no voice anymore. It’s taken over the judicial system, the Congress, the White House, media, Hollywood, music, papers, school and education, health care, what hasn’t been taken over and infiltrated? What hasn’t been given over to them and you think God was biting his fingers up their fingernails up there wondering what’s going to happen? You think God said, Oh, no, I didn’t mean that to happen. This is God’s judgment. And we can do nothing about it. We have a constitution, but no, they hold water anymore. They don’t need to go back. they trample it under foot, court. fullName takes certain court cases that are where they’re disobeying and corrupting the Constitution. And that’s what happens when the devil is in charge. He has told you God has informed you announced to you declared to you he has explained to you guys, we don’t have a war here between left and right, we have a spiritual battle. We don’t have a war between men and women, between genders race. It’s a spiritual battle. It’s a spiritual war. And Paul made it crystal clear in Ephesians, six. Your fight is not against flesh and blood, we’re going to spiritual powers and authorities and rulers on high. And when they get in charge, what we’re seeing happen in the world today and in our country today is what happens when you turn it over to them and you don’t keep your stay at your post. That’s what happens when you get comfortable with the lifestyle that we’ve done and get drunk on freedom and our personal rights and our civil rights. Then they will then you see happen what we’re seeing happen now. He has warned you of the consequences of your disobedience. He has made it clear to you. He’s not an unjust father. He’s not a hard, unfair and unfair taskmaster. So you have no defense, not allowed to stand down. You can’t explain your sin away. You can’t vindicate yourself, you have no defense. And when he was given this to the children of Israel, the verse seven before he gets to Micah six, eight, with what shall we come to the Lord and bow ourselves before God and do do? Shall we come to him with burn offerings? He made it clear and David did in Psalm 51. In his repentance, you don’t desire burn offerings, you don’t desire sacrifice, a broken and contrite spirit is what you’re after. But we know and we naturally think, how about burn offerings? What about if we give some yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in 1000s? of rams? We’ll give them in 10,000 rivers of oil, no problem? Shall we present our firstborn for our rebellious acts, give up our first born the honored son, the one who gets all the inheritance, the one who’s named after his father, the fruit of our body, the sin of our soul for the sin of our soul. And then that’s when Micah Kang Minh said he’s told you Oh man, what is good. What is good. God has made it clear what it’s good, the best, what’s most beautiful and the better thing. This is the way walked out in it. He’s been crystal clear on what is good, and fine in the glad thing, the faithful, joyful, kind and loving thing. Those things that give pleasure and prosperity. But he will be like a tree planted by rivers of water. But why? Because he meditates day and night in God’s word. So he’s going to be like a tree planted by rivers of water, God tells us he’s told us what is good. And that tree will not his leaf will not wither and whatever he does with prosper. This is the way walked out in it. God has told us he’s not held it back. We have no leg to stand on those precious sweet things that produce prosperity and welfare, peace and well being. I’ve told you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. You know, do you think it’s unfair that God would require something of us for our salvation.
But you know, when he requires something of us, it’s not like he demands that we act a certain way because we can’t consistently do that. You can’t live the Christian life. He’s given us a Holy Spirit, to give us new life in Christ. And we’re supposed to live that life out. But you don’t have to suppose to. You want to add a guy asked me the other day and I didn’t share in Christ with him and I said, read the first chapter of john nimo talk. So we read the first chapter of john And I said he’s so I’m and he said, I read it. I said, he said, I got some questions. And I said, Okay. Are you saying is this saying that if I believe in Jesus Christ, I’m going to heaven. I said, it’s the scripture says, If you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth, yes, that’s where you’ll go, you’ll go to heaven. Then I have to live all that stuff. So now, you want to live all that stuff. You don’t do it because you have to you do it because it’s a spirit of god in you bearing fruit in your life, and it just pours out of you. You stay faithful in the word, you stay faithful in prayer, you stay faithful in your marriage, you stay faithful and obey God and these things happen. It’s like a tree planted by water that bears its fruit in its season. My brother, who’s a Christian today, but he wasn’t when I became a Christian. And he saw me Stop drinking and gambling and partying and doing all the stuff I did in college. And he thought he thought because I married Susan, she made me quit doing it. She could make me quit doing it. She’s ready to break up with me before she asked me to marry her. Are Mundo famous Armando? What’s the Lord require of you? So what does God ask or seek from me? I looked up require it means to claim are asked by rider authority. Now, if God wanted and needed a rider authority, I think he’s got it in my life. He’s sitting on his throne in heaven, he has the right and the authority to require anything he wants from me What’s he require? He requires that I do justice. I looked up that to do what is right, to have a basis and conforming to factor reason. Now, you know, I’ve told people before when you come become a Christian, you have to check your logic and your rationality and all that at the door. Because it’s a supernatural life is nothing logical about turning the other cheek and going the second mile and blessing those who persecute you. There’s nothing rational about that, as a man gonna make a buck and do that and pray for his enemies and bless those who persecute him. His competitors, his wife, his dad, his neighbor, the guy on the freeway, it doesn’t make sense, you’re going to forgive them and after all they’ve done for you. On the other hand, God made a logical fact base world, God made gravity. It doesn’t matter if you believe in gravity and not just go out and jump off the roof. You believe in it sooner or later. Just try to get a downhill putt in golf.
See it rolled 10 feet past,
you’ll believe in gravity. So God has made a logical rational world. That which is real rather than fiction. Now looked at rational it’s a rational ground or motive. Rational means having reason or understanding involving only multiplication, addition, subtraction, and division. Did you know that the state of Oregon now has got an 86 page manual they’re given to their teachers to do away with math as we know it. In other words, two and two doesn’t equal four anymore. And when the devil is in charge, he does away with all rationale thought he does away with with things that may can’t take common sense two and two is four. But now what they’re telling teachers is that makes Johnny feel bad if he says two and two is five. So let Johnny like to and to be whatever he wants it to be. And also let Johnny be whatever he feels like being because we’re based on feelings today, not rational thought. Not facts. But everything is based on feelings. And that’s a chaos it results from that is total chaos.
Yesterday I heard you can’t they can’t say mommy and daddy anymore. The whole transgender thing and you be in whatever you feel like being today. It tosses everything up in the air. It makes good evil and evil good. It makes truth fiction. So that there’s no steady ground to stand down. God has given a steady ground to sand on a rock. And you better be on the rock today. Because if you’re not on the rock, you’re going to be shaken to the pieces. You better plant your life and your faith in your belief in your understanding your behavior, your attitudes on the rock of Jesus Christ and His Word. That’s all we got that that’s all we need. And if you’re not based on that, you You’re going to walk away, you’re going to leave your posts, you’re going to deny Christ, you’re going to not take up for the righteousness and goodness, you’re going to be intimidated, you’re going to be one of those useful idiots that Lenin called. They’re not communists, but they go along to get along. And they help the communist cause and doing it. And he called him useful idiots. Is that what you aspire to be? I got a feeling it’s not. But that’s what you’ll become if you’re not based on the rock. If you haven’t already played out that scenario of, you know, there’s a lot of things I’ll do it to go along with mandates and things. But what we can’t do is denied Jesus Christ. What we can’t do is deny the Word of God. And that’s what we take our stand. We have to each decide at what point would we be involved in civil disobedience? We know what our flesh says, but what’s the word say? What would Jesus do and what did he do? Jesus went into a culture that was almost the same thing, it wasn’t anywhere near as crazy as what we’re experiencing now. is irrational is insane. And you get you start used to seeing words like that. Rational having reason or understanding logical, relevant relation to the matter at hand and ability to retrieve material, or information that satisfies the needs of the user, connecting relevant facts with truth that makes sense to come to a sensible stable collusion, conclusion or outcome. See, because we don’t put our faith in facts anymore. Now, Bill bryden is for spiritual law booklet had a little train with three cars on it at the back of it. And he was helping people understand that receiving Jesus Christ is not an emotional thing. It can be emotional, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about that engine on the train. And that means the engine is fact. The fact is, Jesus Christ died for your sin. He’s a way the truth and the life and apart from him, you cannot be forgiven and you won’t go to heaven. That’s what the Bible teaches. We accept that as fact. The coal car where you put the coal in the engine to give it energy to run down the track in power, is faith. So you put your faith in the fact your faith is in the object and the fact of Jesus Christ. Now if we throw everything out to be subjective, if we throw everything out to be whatever you want it to be, we have no fact anymore. And that’s what the devil is always trying to do. His greatest underlying reason for all the chaos that we see going on is to undermine the gospel of Jesus Christ, to keep people out of heaven and take them to hell with them. That’s what’s going on here. Don’t get caught up in all the chaos in the mess. It’s happening without understanding. It’s a spiritual battle. It’s a spiritual war for the gospel, the best thing we can do is live the gospel and teach the gospel and preach the gospel. Stay in the word. I don’t care how spiritual you are today, a week from now you should be more spiritual. A day from now you should be more godly. You should to be more a man of God, you should be under the authority of the word. Even more, should be more of a man of prayer. You got to be growing in that area can’t be casual. This is no time to be casual. It’s time to be confident in to be resolute, to be committed to be accountable to each other. That’s why for him is so important. I got three guys that hold me accountable. I got three guys, I can share what I’m struggling with. I got guys that walk through life with me. I got guys, it’ll kick me out of the airplane when we were paratroopers. That will make sure that I do what I’m supposed to do. goes on my own by myself. get picked off by the enemy. It’s that sheet that goes astray. All we like sheep have gone astray. That’s what we do apart from the flock apart from the shepherd. We go astruc Excuse me. We go astray.
And then every chipmunk in the field can have his way with us. Because we’re sheep. Sheep have no class. Sheep have no teeth. Sheep can’t win a race. squirrels and chipmunks. They’re the ones you want to put your money on in that battle.
But that’s not rational
chaos. That’s what the enemy does. Chaos. Chaos means a state of utter confusion. Now if this doesn’t describe what we see going on, I don’t know what does. state of utter confusion the state of things in which chance, which means many outcomes and explanations is supreme? What do you what are you gonna be this morning? What do you feel like? They’re gonna hurt another thing I guess I heard on the radio, that you can’t anymore have men and women sections in department stores, all the clothes got to be all together. Is that not confusion and chaos. about finding your size of pants and that store the inherent unpredictability and behavior in disarray. disorder to arrange our order incorrectly. It means you’re disorganized, it’s just a free for all. It’s havoc, it means wide in general destruction and devastation the action of destroying or damaging greatly shambles and in the dictionary to actually said, hell. Hell on Earth. That’s what the devil does. He’s in family, he’s in charge of this nation, the only nation in the world that ever established its bylaws and amendments in constitution on the Word of God. If you as the devil, you’d be doing the same thing, you’d undermine that you destroy it, you damage it, you’d create chaos. You put people in desperate straits, they’re nothing certain, nothing that if you plan for three days, that might be certain plan for three weeks, that’s a maybe if you plan for three years or three months, that’s fiction, everything is uncertain, get the get the vaccine, but it’s not going to help cuz you still got to wear your mask, and you still got to do this. And you still got to do that. And you can still get the disease. And you can still give the disease. So nothing’s really changed, but get the vaccine. And I’m not saying don’t get the vaccine, I’ve already had my first shot. But I had it because I couldn’t get on an airplane and go the retreat that I want to go to that we’re having. If I didn’t have a vaccination, the rumor is that you’re not going to be able to fly if you don’t have them. I don’t know if that’ll happen or not. But I wouldn’t doubt it. But the point is, everything’s uncertain. You just don’t know. And that’s my plan. But I know. I put my faith in the facts. And I know it’s a facts. And I know it’s true because it changed my life and it changes me every day I experienced a Holy Spirit’s present in my life every day, one way or the other by conviction of sin or by patting me on the head and say Good, good and faithful servant way to go. But He’s faithful in my life, to make himself known is I acknowledge his presence. I’ve told you Oh, man, what is good. To do justice, stay on the rock. Love kindness. Some sent translations say love mercy, or faithfulness or faithful love. That means have a sympathetic or helpful forbearing nature. It’s better to be loving then right is basically what he’s saying here. Be kind, love, kindness, live that kind of life, not just to people that are kind to you, but people who aren’t. That’s what we’re taught. And that’s what the Holy Spirit does in our heart when he’s working in changing us is I can forgive those who don’t wish me well. I can forgive those who have hurt me. I can give grace unmerited favor to those who despitefully use me. I can forgive those who won’t forgive me. I can give grace to those who won’t give me grace. I can go the second mile and turn the other cheek and do it with joy. Do it because it’s a ministry do it because it reveals Christ to them. When he was reviled what he did. He failed a roomful uppercuts. That’s what he did. Now, it’s not what he did. When he was reviled, he revile night when he suffered he under no threats and he says that’s what I want you to be loved that kind of kindness, love that way. He kept interest in himself to him who judges all men righteously. I’m not the judge of these people that are hurting me but they will
come under judgment. Everything we see and everybody we see it doesn’t matter who you are, but you can sit be in the white house right now that Congress you can be in the state legislature. Yours you can be running a meat shop or a hamburger joint. Doesn’t matter though everybody comes under judgment, judgment will be done right will be all the wrongs will be righted, it’ll happen. We just have to make sure that we try to help all those who are headed for hell, we have to make sure we give them the warning that we can save some that some would be moved in influenced to go to heaven, not hell. And we have the message where the messengers, there’s been, they’re getting devastated, they’re killing themselves. Last year 230 something police officers committed suicide. We got to get behind those guys. We got to support them, because law and order breaking down as part of the plan, having no one to protect us. Next thing you know, the red lights won’t work. You know, when they got the lights off, and it’s a four way stop. And there’s three lanes coming from every direction. That’s a little bit of chaos. Well, those are the kind of things we’re talking about. We’re talking about that kind of chaos. And in the middle of chaos is when a man of God thrives when he finds his identity in Christ. He loves Jesus Christ, and he’s spending all of his time and effort, the rest of his life learning to become just like Christ. And if you’re not doing that today, if you’re casual about that the day shake yourself. You can’t afford to be casual today, you can’t afford to be taking it easy. You got to get with some guys that are moving in the right direction. in the right direction is in knowing what is good is the gospel is good. Living the living the Christian life if walking in the Spirit, that’s good. Being a man of the word that’s good a man of prayer that’s good be their husband, you should be I don’t care what your wife is doing or not doing. It’s not that you’re going to stand in judgment one day before God for what you did now what she’s doing or not doing, you won’t be able to point at her and like Adam tried and said, it’s this woman you gave me a done work where God may work with a judge in a court divorce court. But it’s not going to work with God. We have to be the man that God created us to be we have to cover the ground and fulfill the jobs and stay at the post God has assigned us to. And then walk humbly with your God. Love kindness, but to do that, you’re going to have to walk humbly with God. You’re gonna have to bow before him you’re gonna have to be broken and crushed over your sin, you’re gonna have to be hungering and thirsting for righteousness. do justice, love kindness? What other way is there to walk with God than humbly you’re gonna walk the Fargo brothers who used to strut around the wrestling ring when I was a kid. And they were anything but humble. Of course, they just beat the Costco brothers in their midgets. It was quite a show. But that’s the first time I’ve seen someone stretched like that. And I knew that wasn’t humility. I’ve seen some other people straight like that. It always works out poorly for him. Pride comes before a fall won’t come with your guide so you won’t have to fall. So you won’t have to be broken and crushed, while calmly before men. Think of others is more important than yourself. Empty yourself taking the form of a bouncer and being made in the likeness of a man Jesus humbled himself even to the point of death on the cross, Jesus humbled himself. The Spirit of God that came into your heart in life, the first thing he will do is humble you to bring you a place where you don’t want revival without repentance, you repent, and then revival breaks out in your own heart, in your life, in your church, in your forum group in your home. We’re not under challenge today. But I don’t know any period of time in US history that I’d rather be a Christian and right now. We have an honor and a privilege of being Christians today, in the world we’re living in. We just have to show up and get our job done. And you do that in the Spirit. God will tell you what to do and tell you what to say when they drag you before kings and judges. Don’t worry about what you’re going to say I’ll speak to you I’ll give you the words to say.
So don’t be fearful and don’t be anxious. For I am your God. Now I’m going to help you and I’m going to strengthen you and I’m going to oppose you with my righteous right hand. What more do you need? Don’t be fearful. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be worried about what’s going to happen.
Because more is going to happen in more is on its way.
I say well get out of that church and find a church that God’s in.
Well, love kindness, we want to do justice. We want to walk humbly with you. And we want to make a difference in the world we’re living in today. Thanks for letting us live today. We want to get out there and give them heaven in Jesus name. Amen. God, thank him give’em heaven guys.
I think it is yeah, it’s getting bigger every week.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai