Being Gathered by the King

Posted: October 30, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Discipline, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Lame | Leave a comment

This past summer, our family happened to be in Halifax when the Canoe world championships were occurring. It was amazing to step into the same elevator as these world class athletes with huge upper bodies. I got to talk to a few of them and come to find out, it wasn’t just the competition that the athletes loved at these events, but also the comradery. You see it can be very lonely training every day, lifting weights in the gym for hours and staying focused on the goal of winning. Often athletes would move around the world to train with their fellow competitors from another country to learn and stay accountable. Many of the athletes would postpone marriage and family in order to represent their country in their sport. The other thing that blew me away was that many of these canoe and kayak competitors were paraplegic or missing legs and used prostheses. Their upper bodies were strong, but many of them had a glaring weakness. That did not stop them however. They became faster on the water than many of us ever be could on land. They found hope and it paid off as they gathered with their fellow overcomers.

This gathering of the lame reminds us of a future day when God will assemble all of His lame in the world. It won’t be a gathering for a global canoe competition, but there will be a victory celebration. The victory celebration will be for the Lord and His reign. This is what we will discover from just two verses today that we will be studying from Micah 4:6-7. We are continuing our series in Micah. To give you some background, welearned in the first week in Micah 1 & 7 that we must wait for God to make things right. In the second week we focused on Micah 1:8-16 that we need to lament our losses and the lost. The third week we were warned about wealthy oppressors in Micah 2:1-5! The fourth week we learned about how God’s words do us good if we are walking uprightly.  Then in the fifth week we learned from Micah 2:12-13 that God promises that He will gather His people, breakthrough barriers and lead His people. Then on Thanksgiving weekend, we learned from Micah 3 to be thankful that God deals with bad leaders. Then last week Pastor Jason did a marvelous job explaining the bigger picture of God’s Kingdom from Micah 4:1-5. Notice that the 10 northern tribes of Israel had just been exiled for their idolatry, which is really spiritual adultery or cheating on God. This exile of the 10 northern tribes would have had an effect on the 2 remaining tribes of Israel – Judah & Benjamin. Sure, the temptation is to think that one is better than their brothers, but God allowing the exile of 10 tribes would have cast a long shadow on Judah and Benjamin, especially since Assyria was knocking on the front door of Jerusalem with their siege . And yet God gave the people hope. Miraculously God took out the Assyrian army of 185,000 in one night. 2 Kings 19:35, Isaiah 37:36-38 and 2 Chronicles 32:16 all describe this miraculous rescue. It was such an amazing feat it deserved lots of press. It served as a reminder for God’s people throughout the Scripture that God is our deliverer when we are under siege; when we are desperate. For the interest of time, let’s look at Micah’s contemporary and fellow prophet Isaiah and what he records of the event in Isaiah 37:36-38, “And the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib, king of Assyria, departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammalech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.” I love how God can fix our problems while we sleep. Maybe that is one of the take aways today? When you can do nothing to fix your problem, trust God and sleep on it. See what He does in the night! He is ruling far above us and He is always working (John 5:17). In fact, Pastor Jason showed us last week how God has always ruled from the mountain of the Lord. Mountains are a thread in Scripture that highlight worship. Here is a chart that Jason gave us that explains this theme of worshipping God on His mountain. Notice how Sennacherib worshipped his god in the smaller house of Nisroch, whereas his parricidal sons ran to Ararat, the mountain of worship Noah sacrificed on. They knew of this place of refuge, but they needed more. I believe some of you here know some things about God and have enough religious memory to run to church for refuge from life’s storms, which is great, but there is more. There is hope because a day is coming when God will assemble and rule His people. Let’s read about that day from Micah 4:6-7 to see how we might be considered as part of the lot God will gather and govern. Read Micah 4:6-7! 

If we were to summarize these two verses, it might go something like this: A day is coming when God will assemble and rule His people. Stop right there! Some of you might be thinking, isn’t God already assembling and ruling His people? Unequivocally, the answer is “yes”! God is assembling His people in local churches – micro-expressions of His reign. And you gathered here today are showcases of His rule. Nobody forced you to come – okay, maybe a kid or spouse or two feel a little forced to come to church, but the vast majority of us chose to be here. On self-care Sunday, we came to worship Christ. We recognize we belong to King Jesus and we want to follow Him as His loyal subjects. Every time we follow and love those on our hit list of those who have hurt us, this shows the reign of Christ. Every time we stand up for justice for those who cannot speak for themselves, this shows the reign of Christ. Every time we show compassion for those who are hurting and lost and suffering, that evidences the reign of Christ. King Jesus reigns! Amen? And so, God is assembling His people already, but also not quite yet. This micro-assembling of local churches will pale in comparison to that one day when Jesus gathers all those in His kingdom in one massive assembly. I believe that this gathering will happen when the King of kings, Jesus Christ, comes back again to earth. 

Now some of you might not be familiar with the fact that Jesus Christ came the first time. That was actually one of the first fulfillments of Micah’s prophecy. God’s Son in the form of baby, came to earth, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on a cross and rose from the grave. His name is Jesus! Jesus, when He came the first time, gathered His people, but that was only the first wave of gathering. Have you ever been thankful to God that His prophecy has not been fulfilled yet? I am! You see, if God had fulfilled His promise of gathering all His people when Jesus came the first time, you and I wouldn’t have been born yet and be counted as part of that lot. Heaven’s doors would be closed and Jesus would be literally reigning in the new heaven and new earth. But God, in His mercy, fulfilled His promise partially and is fulfilling it today and will fully fulfill it someday. God’s patience is great! Amen? Maybe it would be helpful to add the words: A day is coming when God will assemble and rule all His people! Are you looking forward to that day?

But how do you know whether you will be gathered and governed by God? Who are God’s people? Is it just ethnic Israel? Is it those who go to church? How about those who teach or are taught at Heritage College & Seminary? You may be surprised at the answers from this text! God’s people are those who He has made … 1) Lame (v. 6). What are we talking about with the word lame? “The word ‘lame’ is used rarely in the Old Testament.”[1] I am not talking about lame in the sense of being uninspiring and dull. I am also not just talking about cripples. We are talking about somebody who recognizes they have impairment mentally, physically, emotionally and most importantly, spiritually. We are talking about walking with a limp.  Lame means walking with a limp. To use the language of our mission statement of “We are on mission with Jesus to turn broken people into whole people who multiply Christ-followers.”  The lame know they are broken. Broken people have a need only God can fulfill. To understand the emphasis on being lame or broken, we need to understand who Israel was. It goes back to their founder. He has been repeatedly mentioned in Micah. His name is Jacob and he is referred to 11 times in Micah. Recall Micah 1:5 and the “transgression of Jacob” mentioned twice and again in Micah 3:8. Jacob is also mentioned in 2:7 & 2:12. He is associated with the bad leaders or “heads of Jacob” in 3:1 & 9. Jacob means “deceiver.” But this deceiver also cared enough about God and His promises that he pursued them when his brother Esau profaned them. God then associates Himself with Jacob. This is why in Micah 4:2 we read, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.” What an amazing God that He would associate with Jacob and all who are like him who sin, but then turn to God. Jacob was a man on the run, but had time to wrestle with God. We read about this in Genesis 32:22-32. Let’s pick up the account in Genesis 32:24-28, “And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day has broken.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ And he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then he said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with me, and have prevailed.” Verse 31 goes on to say that Jacob walked at the break of day, but limping. Notice that God asked Jacob his name, not because God didn’t know it, but so that Jacob would have to admit he was a deceiver. He had to admit his transgression! And this is still true for all of those today who are the true house of Jacob. They have to admit their sins and transgression to God. They have wrestle with God, not physically, but to the point of surrender and seeking blessing from God. Yesterday we learned at S.K.I.L.L.S. training about the findings of The Sports Institute, “The longer you are in competitive sports, the lower your morals.”[2] Age is no guarantee of greater morals. If your identity isn’t found in Christ but something else, you are more likely to cheat. Instead, we need to acknowledge our moral failure. Those who do will walk with a limp here on earth and yet, walk perfectly when that day comes – the return of the King! Do you admit you walk with a limp? Are you okay with saying that Jesus is carrying you? He is like your crutch! When people tell me that Jesus is my crutch, I actually take that as a compliment now because they see how badly I need Him and how much I am relying on His power. 

To reiterate this point, in Matthew 11:28-30, when Jesus talks about taking His yoke upon you because His yoke is easy and His burden is light, He is essentially saying, “You are unequally yoked. You walk with the limp and I will do the heavy lifting. You would never make it without Me, so walk beside Me and do the little that I let you and empower you to do.” So, who are God’s people? Those that are lame – walk with a limp!

But not only those who are lame, but those who are 2) rejected. Now let me be clear. Certainly, God cares about you, especially if you have been rejected by those closest to you. But that is not who we are talking about here in this passage. We are actually talking about those God has driven away, cast off and exiled. In short, rejected! Some of you immediately don’t like that thought. God rejects His people? Let’s remember that God’s rejects people because they first rejected Him. We know we loved God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). But the converse is true: God rejects people because they first reject Him. And on the eternal scale, this is why God created hell. To have a place for people who want nothing to do with Him. It is a place of rejection and separation because humans have first rejected God. He made them and surrounded with all that was good in the garden of Eden, because He loved them. And yet, they rejected Him and His rule over a bite of fruit. Have you rejected Him? Remember people had rejected God by committing idolatry – spiritual adultery. And so, God chases off even His people who chasing after other gods. He puts His people into exile because He loves them and is jealous for their affections. He wants them to experience a little isolation to see what is like to live without Him and His blessings. He wants His people to see first-hand from their captors what is like to commit unabated idolatry and the wicked fruit it produces. This is similar to when at times I have had to send one of my children away from the dinner table because they have been so unkind and disruptive to the fellowship of the family. Thank God that is in the past. Listen up all you young parents who are struggling with family harmony at the dinner table. Help your kids know that you love them, that their identity is partly found in being your child and more importantly, being God’s child. Remind them that their standing with you will never change, but their state might. They may have to be disfellowshipped for a season if they are rebellious. This is until they repent and reconcile. Disciplining your children will pay off in time. We know because God does this with us! This is what is meant in Micah 4:6 in describing those who have been driven away. “What will happen to all these people who suffer and are taken captive to places far away? In Micah 4:6-8, Micah assures his listeners that God has not forgotten any of them.”[3] We know this because a day is coming when God will assemble and rule His people – those He has made lame and rejected. 

But God’s people aren’t just the lame and rejected, they are also 3) afflicted. Look at the end of verse 6 again, “those whom I have afflicted.” God loves enough to discipline us. Sometimes it hurts us, but it never harms us. Our intern Seth Vincent reminded us this week as we discussed this passage as a pastoral team that when somebody works with metal – they heat it up and bang on it. They “hurt” the metal until it is formed into some beautiful and useful. God does the same with us. Permit me to explain further by using what Bible Scholar Russell Meeks states, “Notice how God shows His love by taking responsibility for the suffering His people experienced. The pain God’s people experienced came from His own Hand. It happened under His watchful care; God Himself disciplined them. He was in control the entire time. They did not suffer under the hand of an unpredictable tyrant, nor did anything happen to them that God did not ordain. That reality may be difficult to process, but it also comforts God’s people to know that our heavenly Father disciplines out of love. God’s discipline is always just and always is intended to direct us back to a right relationship with Him.”[4]

How do we know all this? Not only because Jesus came to set up His Kingdom and he literally gathered the lame and healed them as Matthew 11:5 and Matthew 21:14 says, “And the blind and lame came to him in the temple, and He healed them.” But God made Jesus lame by letting Him be beaten so badly that He couldn’t carry His Cross. God let nails be driven into His feet. God rejected His Son when Jesus became sin for us. And God afflicted Jesus by taking our punishment. But the good news is that a day is coming when God will assemble and rule His people. They will no longer be lame and cast off, but become a strong nation. We won’t just be overcomers and gather for a yearly competition like the athletes in Halifax for the canoe world championships this past summer. Instead, God will gather His people at Mount Zion and His Son Jesus will rule over them. So, are you lame – walking with a limp but coming to Jesus? Have you been driven away by God because of legalism and licentiousness? Are you afflicted because God loves you enough to discipline you?  

CONCLUSION: ACTION POINT – A Day is Coming when God will assemble and rule His people! Is He gathering and governing you?

[1] Bruce Waltke, Obadiah, Jonah & Micah (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1988), 175.

[2] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.618507/full. Accessed October 29, 2022.

[3] Gary V. Smith, The NIV Application Commentary on Hosea, Amos, Micah (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 510.

[4] Russell Meek, Today in the Word – Volume 34, Issue 11 (Chicago: Moody Publishers, November 2021), 18.

Be Thankful that God Deals with Bad Leaders

Posted: October 9, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Abortion, Assisted Suicide, Authority, Cannibalism, Communion, Discipline, Euthanasia, God, Jesus, Justice, Leadership, Oppresssion, Prophets, Spiritual Gifts, The Lord's Supper | Leave a comment

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?  __________, how would you finish this statement? God, I am thankful for …

This year I am thankful for something new. My gratitude comes from Micah 3! We know from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that we are to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in you.” So in Micah 3 we are going to learn to be thankful that God deals with bad leaders. Maybe you have never thought about this before? But to be thankful that God deals with bad leaders is an act of faith and justice. It actually produces hope when in you are oppressed or at very least, discouraged with the way things are going in your country, in your company or in your church. Please turn in your Bibles to Micah 3! We are continuing our series in Micah. We learned in the first week in Micah 1 & 7 that we must wait for God to make things right and in the second week we focused on Micah 1:8-16 that we need to lament our losses and the lost (and this goes beyond the Blue Jays losing yesterday and being bounced from the playoffs). The third week we were warned about wealthy oppressors in Micah 2:1-5! Two weeks ago, we learned about how God’s words do us good if we are walking uprightly. Last week from Micah 2:12-13 we learned that God promises that He will gather His people, breakthrough barriers and lead His people. God made these promises because He loves us and because it would form an apologetic. “How could the nations think Jehovah to be a merciful God if He gave His people over to the hands of their enemies?”[1] This week we are going to learn to be thankful that God deals with bad leaders. We are not thankful for bad leaders. We are thankful that God is a higher authority and He holds leaders accountable. Some of you might be asking can’t we go back to Micah 2:12-13 and all the good promises of God instead of focusing on bad leaders on a holiday weekend? However, isn’t this how life works and why the Bible is so relevant? You go from joys to sorrows all in one day and you can’t plan for every injustic. The Bible speaks to both. Let’s read Micah 3. Read Micah 3! 

Micah 3 is tough to read! It paints a disgusting picture of what was going on with Israel’s leaders. Essentially Israel’s leaders were performing acts of cannibalism. When we think of cannibalism, what do we think of? Maybe we picture a violent tribe in some remote jungle that uses cannibalism to terrify their enemies? Or we think of a deranged killer like Jeffery Dahmer who killed 17 men and boys and ate all them in Milwaukee area in the 1980’s?  Or we may think about the Uruguayan Air Force Flight # 571 plane crash on a cold Andes mountainside where all the food was gone and so the survivors ate their dead fellow passengers for 2 months, but did so in silence because of the shame?[2] These are the images that comes to mind when thinking of cannibalism, but not God’s covenant people who had all of God’s laws. Theonomies don’t work without a heart change. You would think that Israel would be the last place on earth you would find cannibalism. And yet, this is exactly what we read about in Micah 3:1-3, “And I said: Hear, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice? You who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people and their flesh from off their bones, who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones in pieces and chop them up like meat in a pot, like flesh in a cauldron.” “The Israelite leaders cannibalized God’s people.”[3] They were like the female praying mantis who devours her mate – a femme fatale that benefits from her prey. They were sharks, which can be cannibalistic. One scholar describes the Israelite leaders actions as, “The behaviour of a wild animal that has no conscience, but only a desire to quickly meet its hunger.”[4]  But they weren’t animals; they were to be shepherds. They had the law written on their hearts and scrolls! And even if Micah is using this is a metaphor, it is still horrible. And sadly, not the last time such language was used of God’s people, “A 9th century Christian monk named Abbo, excitedly tells us that the head of his monastery Ebolus ‘was capable of piercing seven men with a single arrow; in jest he commanded some of them to be taken to the kitchen” (in other words, to be eaten for dinner!).’”[5] I say this not to hide our sordid history as God’s people, but to remind us God, Guns, Guts and Glory is not found nor endorsed in the Bible. Might does not make right.

Cannibalism is horrendous and certainly not the image we want on a weekend with turkey and all the fixings as we sit down at the family table. So how can we still be thankful in all circumstances? Instead of evil being covered up, God brings it to the light. This is why there are three blessings we take away from Micah 3. The first blessing is: Be thankful to God who … 1) Sees evil leaders (v. 1-3) God sees evil leaders and this should make us grateful. God does not ignore evil. He does not cover it up. He exposes it. He sees it! And He sees the worst of it. When someone is being abused, one of the turning points in their help and healing is when somebody believes them. God sees the evil. He sees the evil done by you and to you. This has helped me when I have experienced evil. To know that God was there and protected me enough not to die. He knows people’s pain as they are oppressed. He expects leaders to be responsible and treat people right, which is why a pressing question in verse 1, “Is it not for you to know justice?” This is an important question and also helps us to focus in on God’s target audience. When I say that we should be thankful to God who sees evil leaders, you might immediately imagine and apply this to despots like Vladimir Putin of Russia or Kim Jong-un of North Korea or even a government official in our country who has not only allowed, but promoted abortion, euthanasia, and sexual identity confusion. God sees all leaders, evil or otherwise, but He locks in on those who associate themselves with His name while doing evil. God’s prophets and pastors are His primary target audience – not politicians. These Israelite leaders were supposed to represent the character of God and instead they are cannibalizing the community of God. This is unthinkable! They were the religious leaders. They were the pastors, elders, deacons and Sunday School teachers of Micah’s day.

It is sad to admit, but throughout history there have been times that God’s people, the Jews and also Christians, have committed horrendous acts of violence in the name of God. For example, in the 5th century, a famous bishop Cyril cited the church in Alexandria, Egypt to strip, brutalize and then burn the remains of a famous female teacher of philosophy named Hypatia.”[6] I say this not to hide the church’s abuse, but to declare it to be wicked and be thankful that God will deal with evil leaders.

Most leaders if given time will hurt us, unintentionally. Maybe I have, for which I sincerely apologize! However, the leaders in Micah’s day sought to devour those they led. “Instead of being in a theocracy under God’s law, Israel became an oligarchy under tyrants.”[7] God saw them and He still sees evil leaders. God is using the “Church Too” movement to be day of reckoning for those leaders who abuse church goers. They aren’t getting away with it. We too must stand up for justice. As one Bible scholar remarks, “Since God and most people watch what leaders do and have great expectations of their selfless service, it essential to stand firmly on the side of justice if one wants to continue in a leadership position.”[8] I sure want to be on the right side of justice because God sees all my actions. God is my first and foremost accountability partner. God sees all that we say and do. Can we be thankful for this truth? 

Of course, let’s also examine our own lives. Many of us lead others or at least exert influence over them. Are we taking advantage and benefiting off those we are trying to lead in our homes, in our companies, in our schools and even in our churches? Maybe we are not taking a full bite out of people, but we slowly nibble off layer after layer with our guilting and shaming people? Maybe we taking advantage of family members financially? Maybe we are abusing our spouses and children? This may not be physically eating our loved ones, but our anger or harsh words eats away at their souls. God sees this!

 God sees evil leaders, but the good news is that He doesn’t turn a blind eye to it. The second blessing that we can be thankful to God for is that He 2) Silences evil leaders (v. 4-7). These evil leaders had been powering up over their people. They were large and in charge. But there came a time when they recognized their own need for God. What does God do? (BE SILENT FOR 10 SECONDS) Surprisingly, He doesn’t just give them quick mercy. He is silent! Crickets! Verse 4 declares, “Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them; He will hide His face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil.” The people had to hide from their leaders’ abuse, now God is hiding from the leaders, not because He is afraid, but so that the leaders would be afraid. They were to fear God, but they didn’t, so they would go through a crisis without the Lord’s help. 

These leaders did not watch their life or doctrine closely. Look at verse 5, “Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry ‘Peace’ when they have something to eat, but declare war against Him who puts nothing into their mouths.” These false prophets with an “e” were all about false profits with an “i.” As long as they were fed by robbing from the bellies of their people, their message was “peace.” But when the people could and or would not give the leaders what they wanted, the prophets’ nasty side came out spewing messages of damnation. “These false prophets usually did not give negative messages, but they would give negative messages … when they were not paid.”[9] How much money their hearers gave determined their mood and message! Their message was “Peace” during prosperity and “a declaration of war” during austerity. They guilted people into giving. But God does not want His money to be given back to Him as a guilt offering, but as a thank offering. (Leviticus 7:14-15; 22:29; Psalm 56:12-13; 2 Corinthians 9:7) 

God does not let this manipulation slide. He silences these false prophets and will silence the false prophets of today. Have you noticed that the prosperity gospel preachers did not do so well during the pandemic? Bible Scholar Water Kaiser foretold why, “Placebo preachers are never in high demand when the times turn tough and issues become critical.”[10] Kaiser calls them “placebo preachers” because they give you something you think will bring healing, but has no lasting effect. So God deals with these “placebo preachers.” Look at verses 6-7, “Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets and the day shall be black over them; the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover the lips, for there is no answer from God.” “By taking away their gift, God removes the source of their illicit gain.”[11] It would also serve as a reminder. Imagine Bad Prophet Bob loses his gift and his neighbour comes to him and says, “What are the numbers for the lottery? I’ll give you a 30% cut on the winnings.” Bad Prophet Bob now has to tell his neighbour that he has lost his gift of prophecy. Bad Prophet Bob loses his prophet status and his profit earnings. We need to remember that abusing the gifts of God could mean losing gifts from God (at least temporarily). 

But some of you might be thinking about Romans 11:29 where the Apostle Paul makes this universal statement, “For the gifts and calling are irrevocable.” This verse helps explain why some people who are grossly in sin are still bearing fruit in their ministry. I first learned about this in a little book by Gene Edwards entitled A Tale of 3 Kings: A Study in Brokenness. Edwards uses Romans 11:29 to explain how King Saul started prophesying on the way to kill his son-in-law and future King David. Romans 11:29 explains why some Christian leaders could be leading people to Christ while leading a double life of moral failure. Spiritual gifts still bear fruit because they were a work of God. But here in Micah 3:6-7, God promises to take the gift of prophecy away from the prophets. Notice in verse 7, “they shall cover their lips.” “The very area of their abused gift”[12]is covered over. God silences evil leaders. God does not break Romans 11:29. God as the Giver can do what He likes with the gifts He gives. He still owns them. To put it in the context of what we are learning in Freed Up, think of a credit card. Who owns this credit card? It has my name on it so I own it, right? Actually, the credit card company owns the credit card and loans it to me to use. They hope that I will default on my loan so that I will have to pay interest charges. Let’s be clear: the credit card in your wallet or on your phone is owned by the credit card company. This is why if the credit card company thinks that it is being used fraudulently, they will put a hold on the card and freeze any transactions without asking the cardholder. The company will protect their name and assets. Has that ever happened to you? Now think about this: God owns everything in the universe including your spiritual gifts and loans them to you and I to use for His glory. When they are not being used for His glory or worse, to harm people, He not allow us to use them. He puts a hold or freeze on our gifts. This is especially true if you are spokesperson for God. God silences evil leaders. Are you using the gifts God has given you for doing good and for His glory? This is the second blessing we learn from Micah 3. The first being God sees evil leaders.

There is a third blessing from Micah 3. We need to be thankful to God who: 3) Sends His Spirit to convict and correct (v. 8-12). Look at Micah 3:8, “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.” Micah is filled with the Holy Spirit. Micah is filled with God’s Spirit, not just given a spiritual gift. “Fear does not immobilize Micah and favouritism does not guide his teaching.”[13] He is filled with the Holy Spirit. And one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to convict people of sin. In Micah’s day, the Holy Spirit brought charges of transgression and sin by Jacob (aka Israel). This job of conviction by the Holy Spirit has expanded since Jesus came to earth. John 16:8 records Jesus’ words, “And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness: concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see Me no longer, concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” “Justice has always been a central characteristic of God.”[14] The Holy Spirit runs point for the Trinity on God’s work of justice. We need justice for there to be salvation, otherwise sin and evil would be ignored. God’s justice was most demonstrated at the Cross when He didn’t turn a blind eye to sin, but paid for your crimes and my crimes. Justice was served and mercy took over. Aren’t you thankful to God that He sends His Spirit to convict of sin? Without Him, we would never know forgiveness and mercy; we would still be under condemnation. 

However, there is a theological landmine we must not step on. It is found in Micah 3:9-11, “Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. It heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, ‘Is not the LORD in the midst of us?’ No disaster shall come upon us.” The Bad Prophet Bobs in Micah’s day taught that one can do whatever they want including profiteering and there would be no consequences. They were all under grace.  “It is a common problem for people to presume God is for them and will graciously protect them from all danger, based on some true biblical information.”[15] This is a dangerous doctrine. But trying to abuse grace does not happen today, does it? Sadly, this heresy is still alive. It is why we have an ancient prophetic book like Micah to warn us of this heresy. It is also why we must confront one another when we see sin. It is why we must actively engage with justice issues here on earth. “Unfortunately, it seems the more liberal the church, the more they care about social and political justice issues on earth outside of the church.”[16] Let’s not punt our sense of justice for the new heavens and new earth. Let’s confront evil and wickedness whether it can be found. Otherwise, what could happen to the temple in Micah’s day, could happen to Temple Baptist Church as verse 12 describes, “Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.” “The temple just became simply as structure on a hill.”[17] The Spirit of God had left. Friends, let’s join Jesus on His journey of justice. One Bible teacher encourages, “Our being Christian today will be limited to two things: prayer and doing justice among men.”[18] Let’s join Jesus on His journey of justice. It is the way to be thankful to God for dealing with bad leaders.

And as we think about Jesus, we see how He is contrasted with these evil leaders. Rather than eat the flesh of His sheep like the evil leaders did, Jesus gave His flesh for our salvation. Recall what Jesus said in John 6:53-56, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise Him up on the last day. For my flesh is true blood and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.” You see, according to Micah 3:10, the evil leaders were building “Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.” Jesus is building His New Jerusalem with His blood and with integrity. As we now have communion where we ourselves eat and drink, the question is: are you thankful and are you eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking His blood? Are you trusting in Christ alone for salvation? He sees evil; He silences evil and He sends His Spirit to convict and correct so that we would be brought to repentance and faith in Him. Before you come to the tables, maybe you need surrender a bad leader or difficult person to God? Or maybe you have been a bad leader and you have abused the gift that God has given you? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you? Confess your sin to God and find mercy! The cross is the where God’s justice and mercy kiss.

[1] Charles Spurgeon, Daily Treasure (Leyland, England: Evangelical Press Books, 2021), 296.

[2] Source: https://www.history.com/news/miracle-andes-disaster-survival. Accessed October 4, 2022.

[3] Russel Meek, Today in the Word – Volume 34, Issue 11 (Chicago: Moody Publishers, November 2021), 12.

[4] Gary V. Smith, The NIV Application Commentary on Hosea, Amos, Micah (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 490.

[5] John Dickson, Bullies and Saints (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, Kindle Edition, 2021), 172-173.

[6] Dickson, 120.  

[7] Bruce Waltke, Obadiah, Jonah & Micah (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1988), 165.

[8] Smith. 446.

[9] Smith, 491.

[10] Kaiser, 51.

[11] Waltke, 163.

[12] Waltke, 162.

[13] Smith, 442.

[14] Smith, 495.

[15] Smith. 448.

[16] Smith, 479.

[17] W. Brian Aucker, ESV Study Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 1701.

[18] Smith, 501.

God Will…

Posted: October 2, 2022 | Author: | Filed under: Breakthrough, God, Jesus, Promises, Sermons | Leave a comment

Who here today needs a breakthrough? Maybe you just feel stuck? Stuck with an impossible job or project? Maybe the breakthrough you are seeking is with a friend or family member that you are now estranged from? Maybe that estrangement occurred over COVID?  Maybe you need a breakthrough with your finances? You are drowning in debt and the higher interest rates feel like an anchor tied to your ankle bringing you down. Maybe you feel stuck because you are caring for family members and you can’t go anywhere because you have to give full-time care as a caregiver? Maybe you feel stuck in a relationship? Maybe you need a breakthrough because you suffer from depression or anxiety? Maybe you need a breakthrough for your kid who is struggling at school? Maybe you need a breakthrough with a stubborn habit or what some call an addiction? Maybe you need a breakthrough because you desperately want your family or classmates or coworkers or neighbours to come to faith? Maybe you have some chronic pain? Maybe you are ministering and just feel overwhelmed with the work and little fruit?

Now there are a number of options for those of us needing a breakthrough. One of the popular ones is to try harder. Author Ryan Holiday encourages his readers to apply the philosophy of Stoicism to our circumstances, “Life is a process of breaking through impediments—a series of fortified lines that we must break through.”[1] “Just don’t give up! You can do it!” Or maybe you have seen the T-shirts, “Stay calm and chive on!” I used to buy into those lines. My public school motto is etched on my brain, “Hard work leads to success.” Is this a good strategy? Can we break through on our own? I have come up against mountains too high to climb, walls too high to scale and bodies of water too large to swim across. There are some things trying harder will not fix. Maybe you are literally killing yourself trying harder? I have hope for you today. Life is not meant to be done alone with a stiff upper lip.

Another option or strategy for needing a breakthrough is to find another person to help you. Maybe it is an expert you seek? A doctor or a counsellor? Maybe it is a financial advisor? Maybe you think that another love interest will do the trick? I am not saying that fellow humans don’t help us. God has used many good people to do good in my life including doctors, physiotherapists, counsellors, and chiropractors. But one can also waste a lot of time chasing the wrong people and even the right person will eventually be shown to have feet of clay. There is another way.

There is a third option that I am going to propose today if you need a breakthrough and that going directly to God Himself. He is the One who will breakthrough. He has more strength than your efforts! He has more expertise than the expert you are seeking. And He has perfect character, so He won’t ultimately let You down. This is what we discover in two short verses in Micah 2:12-13. We are continuing our series in Micah. We learned in the first week in Micah 1 & 7 that we must wait for God to make things right and in the second week we focused on Micah 1:8-16 that we need to lament our losses and the lost. The third week we were warned about wealthy oppressors in Micah 2:1-5! Last week, we learned about how God’s words do us good if we are walking uprightly. We must accept God’s Words, protect His people and reject false promises. This week we are going to learn about what God will do. You might be waiting for the “if.” You believe God will do ifyou do your part. Essentially, you hold to the adage, “God helps those who help themselves.” We think that God puts conditions on His actions. Sometimes He does, but today’s message is about God’s unconditional promises. I think you will be encouraged, because if you are like me, there are times when I realize there is nothing else I can possibly do to fix my situation. No amount of effort or creativity or group brilliance will make the difference. It has to be God’s doing. God helps those who know they can’t do it themselves. Apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5)! This is not a “let go, let God” mentality from the Keswick Conference years. Instead, we still must trust God with active patience. Let’s read Micah 2:12-13 to find out what God will do! Read Micah 2:12-13! May the Lord always be at our Head here at Temple!

To give you the context, God has been proclaiming justice for the oppressed through the prophet Micah. And that justice includes judgment against God’s own people and leaders who have been oppressing His people. The theme of Micah is that God’s justice and forgiveness should lead to personal righteousness. He does this through dialogue – a Q & A in confusing and disturbing times. God starts with the bad news but moves to the good news. We can’t truly understand the good news unless we understand the bad news first. And it is the good news and God’s promises that I want to focus on this morning. Notice in verse 12, “The Lord describes what He will do in first person language.”[2] Three times the Lord says, “I will …, I will …, I will …” God will assemble all of you, Jacob. God will gather the remnant of Israel and God will put them together like sheep in the fold. 

Let’s be clear! This is specifically describing the lost and wayward people of ethnic Israel. And God did this! Some wonder whether this gathering of Israel occurred 70 years later after the Jews returned from Babylon. Others point to this fulfillment when Jesus gathered people to follow Him in the first century A.D. Still others point to when Israel came from all the nations to form the modern state of Israel in 1948. And still others point to at the end of the world when God will gather His people. What if God had multiple fulfillments? Maybe He has and will do so to prove how great He is at keeping His promises. God will…! Finish that statement in your life! Write this down: what is the thing you want and need God to do? I think you will be encouraged today. This is the big idea of the passage and the first promise of God from Micah 2:12-13! God will … 1) Gather His people (v. 12). God is good at gathering. I dare say that we see this today at this very moment. Coming out of a time of great isolation across the globe, God is gathering people again. This week I was at a conference of our sister churches across the province and heard story after story from my fellow pastors of how they are seeing people come to church again. Some of those people are from mainline churches, others from churches that have become progressive and bought into the cultural narratives of self-determinism and affirming sinful relationships while still others like some of here today got a wakeup from COVID about your lack of purpose and identity that can only be found in Christ. God will and is gathering His people. It has been a time of sifting and God is keeping what is good and will last. God will gather His people. The question for you is: Are you back? Are you back with God? Has He been gathering you? Are you part of His fold? If you are interested in joining Temple as a member, please talk to one of the Elders at the end of the service or fill out one of the Connect Cards in the pews in front of you. We will want to know whether you are part of God’s people by asking whether you have trusted in Christ alone for your salvation and whether you have been baptized. Did you know that each person here who follows Christ should be sharing the gospel even here at church. Maybe ask the person right now if they are back? Are they part of God’s fold? God’s promises form the basis for our practices. His guarantees form the basis of our good works!

But God will not only gather His people, God will … also 2) break through barriers (v. 13.) That is the sconed promise of God from these two verses. Verse 13 declares in the KJV and NASB, “The breaker goes up before them; they break out, pass through the gate and go out by it. So their king goes on before them, and the LORD at their head.” Who is this breaker? Notice I did not say what is this breaker. It is not a thing like an icebreaker in the artic or an icebreaker at a social or work gathering. No, the breaker is a person. And this breaker never breaks Himself. I think of those TV shows that have contestants forge sharp swords in fire that cut and break things, but sometimes the weapons break themselves when tested. Why won’t this Breaker break? Why does He always pass the test? Bible Scholar Walter Kaiser explains, “The Lord is called the Breaker. This Breaker can be none other than the Messiah Himself,”[3] which is Jesus Christ. “God’s breaking out implies He has great power.”[4] We know this is not the first time God has broken out in Scripture. There was the time when God broke out and delivered His people as “when they up out of Egypt.”[5] But then the people rebelled against God. So God broke out again, but in a different way. He warned at Mount Sinai if they came touched the holy mountain where He was encamped, He would break out in judgment. Exodus 19:22 declares, “Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” In another instance in 2 Samuel 6:8, God broke out in judgment against Uzzah. He was the guy who tried to help God out when the oxen that were pulling the cart that held the ark of the covenant, stumbled. God killed Uzzah immediately. Only the priests were to handle the ark. God’s rules are to be followed. David, the King of Israel at the time, reacted, “And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-Uzzah to that day.” We know that Perez means “breaking out” because after David had been anointed king, Israel’s enemies the Philistines attacked Israel at a time when they thought Israel was vulnerable from being in a celebrative rather than combative mood. But look what 2 Samuel 5:20 declares, “And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, ‘The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” We certainly don’t have to imagine much what a breaking flood looks like after seeing this week what Hurricane Fiona did to the Bermuda and the Maritimes or Hurricane Ian did to Canada’s 11th province Florida. Water is so powerful. It breaks through! How much more the Lord God!

He has broken through barriers time and time again. Recall how “God broke through Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem as described in 2 Kings 18. Or how God broke through to bring about Judah’s return from Babylonian captivity. Each of these deliverances was but an ‘earnest’ or ‘down payment’ on the great return of the remnant in the final day when Christ returns.” God will gather His people and break through barriers. What does it look like for Jesus to practically breakthrough in your life? How does He do this? It could be that after praying to Him for expertise, He provides the new thought, person or resource. It could be that the breakthrough comes this weekend at your Thanksgiving meal after remembering Christ’s love and forgiveness did for you, then you go to your estranged family member, tell them you love them and want to put the past in the past. Or maybe God will provide a financial breakthrough with a raise or some unexpected provision or even just talking together as a family because of our Freed Up series, which teaches us to be good stewards of our time, our talents, our treasures, our thoughts and our tongues. Or maybe God provides a counselor for you if you are suffering from depression or He gives you a new purpose to live for that causes you to forego seeking escape through addiction? Maybe God provides a tutor for your kid struggling in school? It begs the question, What is God breaking through in your life? God will breakthrough when you feel yourself breaking. He will not leave you alone.

 This is the third promise we find in our passage today. God will gather His people and break through barriers, but God will also 3) Lead His people (v. 13). We see this in the second part of verse 13, “So their king goes on before them, and the LORD at their head.” “Israel’s shepherd-king goes up and breaks open the blockaded gate.”[6] The Breaker will make us into breakers as well. We will break out and join the Lord. “God will properly shepherd His people and not abuse them like the powerful leaders in Micah’s audience.”[7] This was ultimately fulfilled by Jesus. Jesus declared this about Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-16, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own knows me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Jesus is the breaker and shepherd king. He laid down His life for you and me. He broke through the greatest barriers of sin and death. He is gathering His people once again. He will lead us. The question is: Are you being led by King Jesus? Are you letting Him rule in your life? He may still break through, but isn’t easier to cooperate with Him?

However, I acknowledge today some of you here or those listening online have lost hope and wonder does God still break through? Does He still do the impossible? He does! And not just in judgment and not just in defeating our enemies. In the movie Breakthrough starring Chrissy Metz from This is Us fame, the true life story is told about John Smith.[8] Born in Gautemala, John Smith was a 14 year old who loved basketball and his friends. One night in 2015 after a victory, John and his basketball teammates went out onto the ice of Lake Sainte Louise near St. Louis, Missouri. The ice held them no problem. The next day, John and his friends went back onto the ice thinking it was safe. However, it was a warmer day. This time the ice broke and John and another boy went through the ice into the water. Their other friend made it off the ice no problem. Rescuers were able to rescue John’s other friend, but John got trapped under the ice and sank down 10 feet to the bottom of the lake. He was underwater for 15 minutes when finally first responders brought him up out of the water. John was taken to hospital where doctors tried to save his life, but he had no heartbeat for at least 43 minutes. The ER doctor called John’s mother Joyce into the hospital room to say her good-byes. Joyce saw her boy lying there still, cold and blue. She prayed, “Holy Spirit, please come and give me back my son!”[9]Immediately, John’s heart started to beat again. The doctors were shocked, but prepared Joyce and John’s family that John would never regain neurological function. Two days later, John was awake and answering questions. He fully recovered, is studying to be a pastor and is now married.[10] Joyce is quoted as saying, “I have always believed that God’s going to do what He says He will because I have seen it all my life. But this is like the Oscars of faith. The very moment I needed God; He was there instantly. And when John’s heartbeat started right up, it was like, ‘Thank you, Lord, for being so merciful to me,’ which just set my faith forever in bedrock.”[11] John broke through the ice, but God made a bigger breakthrough! Lots of times in our lives, we think we have to try harder or find that special person. What we need to do is trust more in the ultimate special person – trust that God will do what He says He will do. He will gather His people, He will break through barriers and He will lead His people. I so want our faith to be forever in bedrock. I believe God wants that for us too. This is why the ACTION POINT this week is: TRUST THAT GOD WILL GATHER, BREAKTHROUGH AND LEAD YOU!

[1] Ryan Holliday. The Obstacle Is the Way (New York: Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition., 2014), 172.

[2] Gary V. Smith, The NIV Application Commentary on Hosea, Amos, Micah (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), 482.

[3] Walter Kaiser, Mastering the Old Testament – Micah to Malachi (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992), 45.

[4] Smith, 484.

[5] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 690). Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[6] Bruce Waltke, Obadiah, Jonah & Micah (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1988), 160.

[7] Smith, 482.

[8] This story has been fact checked at https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/breakthrough/. Accessed September 30, 2022.

[9] https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a27154125/breakthrough-movie-true-story/. Accessed September 30, 2022.

[10] https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/5-years-after-falling-through-ice-on-lake-saint-louise-john-smith-uses-his-story-to-inspire/63-5733b325-0d3b-4dc4-9363-56abc7ff7048. Accessed October 2, 2022.

[11] https://people.com/movies/breakthrough-mom-credits-power-of-prayer-for-bringing-her-son-back-from-dead/. Accessed September 30, 2022.