True Worship: Justice, Kindness, and Humility
Summary
In today's exploration of Micah 6:6-8, we delved into the heart of true worship and what God truly desires from us. We began by understanding the historical context of Micah, a prophet during the time of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Micah's message was directed at the leaders of Judah, who, despite maintaining the outward forms of worship, had hearts far from God. They were caught up in rituals and sacrifices, believing that these acts could appease God, while their lives were marked by injustice and a lack of mercy.
The analogy of the dental office mirror and the purple substance that reveals hidden plaque served as a powerful illustration of how Micah's message exposed the hidden flaws in Judah's worship. Just as the purple substance revealed what was missed in brushing, Micah revealed the deficiencies in Judah's worship practices. The people of Judah were like sweet potatoes, appearing similar to regular potatoes on the outside but different on the inside. Their worship looked genuine, but it was not true worship because it lacked justice, kindness, and humility.
Micah's message is a call to genuine worship that goes beyond rituals. God desires justice, kindness, and humility. These are not just actions but reflections of a heart aligned with God's will. True worship is not about what we can offer God to appease Him but about living a life that reflects His character. It is about loving God with all our heart, soul, and might, as reiterated by Jesus in the New Testament.
The challenge for us today is to examine our own worship. Are we merely going through the motions, or are we truly walking humbly with God? Our worship should be a daily walk, characterized by justice and kindness towards others, reflecting the love and mercy God has shown us. Let us strive to live out our faith authentically, allowing God's love to transform our hearts and actions.
Key Takeaways:
- True Worship vs. Rituals: True worship is not about the quantity of sacrifices or rituals but about the quality of our relationship with God. It requires a heart that seeks justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with God. This is a reminder that God desires our hearts, not just our actions. [49:33]
- Justice and Kindness: God calls us to do justice and love kindness. This means treating others fairly and going beyond to show compassion and mercy, even when it is undeserved. Our actions towards others reflect the state of our hearts and our relationship with God. [53:33]
- Walking Humbly with God: Walking humbly with God is a daily commitment. It involves putting God's will first and allowing Him to guide our lives. Humility is key, as it requires us to prioritize God's desires over our own pride and ambitions. [59:11]
- The Danger of Invisible Idols: Judah's leaders were caught up in invisible idols of money and power. We must be cautious not to let our own desires and priorities become idols that distract us from true worship. Our focus should be on what is important to God. [01:03:54]
- God's Unending Mercy: Despite our failures, God continues to pursue us with His love and mercy. He desires a genuine relationship with us and offers forgiveness through Jesus. This is a call to return to Him with sincere hearts and live out our faith authentically. [01:09:52]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:01:00] - Introduction and Personal News
[00:03:30] - Overview of Micah
[00:06:00] - Historical Context of Micah
[00:10:00] - Judah's Worship Exposed
[00:15:00] - The Analogy of the Dental Office
[00:20:00] - Understanding True Worship
[00:25:00] - Justice and Kindness
[00:30:00] - Walking Humbly with God
[00:35:00] - The Danger of Invisible Idols
[00:40:00] - God's Unending Mercy
[00:45:00] - Application for Today
[00:50:00] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Micah 6:6-8
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Observation Questions:
1. What were the leaders of Judah doing that made their worship appear genuine but was actually flawed? [49:43]
2. How does the analogy of the dental office mirror and the purple substance relate to the message of Micah? [37:05]
3. What does Micah 6:8 say about what God requires from His people?
4. How did the leaders of Judah respond to God's accusations in Micah 6:6-7? [49:43]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why does God emphasize justice, kindness, and humility over rituals and sacrifices in Micah 6:8? [53:33]
2. How might the invisible idols of money and power have affected the leaders' relationship with God? [49:43]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that true worship is reflected in our daily actions and relationships? [59:11]
4. How does the story of King Hezekiah illustrate the impact of heeding prophetic warnings? [01:09:52]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own worship practices. Are there areas where you might be going through the motions rather than engaging in true worship? How can you change this? [49:43]
2. Consider a time when you prioritized rituals over genuine connection with God. What steps can you take to align your heart with God's desires for justice, kindness, and humility? [53:33]
3. Identify any "invisible idols" in your life that might be distracting you from true worship. How can you refocus on what is important to God? [49:43]
4. How can you incorporate acts of justice and kindness into your daily routine to reflect God's character more authentically? [59:11]
5. Think of a relationship where you struggle to show kindness. What practical steps can you take to demonstrate love and mercy in that relationship this week? [59:11]
6. How can you ensure that your walk with God is a daily commitment rather than a sporadic effort? What changes might you need to make in your schedule or priorities? [01:03:54]
7. Reflect on God's unending mercy in your life. How can this understanding motivate you to pursue a more genuine relationship with Him? [01:09:52]
Devotional
Day 1: True Worship is Heartfelt, Not Ritualistic
True worship transcends the mere performance of rituals and sacrifices. It is not about the quantity of offerings but the quality of one's relationship with God. The people of Judah, during Micah's time, were caught up in the outward forms of worship, believing that these acts could appease God. However, their lives were marked by injustice and a lack of mercy, revealing a disconnect between their actions and their hearts. True worship requires a heart that seeks justice, loves kindness, and walks humbly with God. It is a reminder that God desires our hearts, not just our actions. [49:33]
Isaiah 1:13-17 (ESV): "Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."
Reflection: In what ways might you be going through the motions in your worship, and how can you realign your heart to seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God today?
Day 2: Justice and Kindness Reflect God's Heart
God calls us to do justice and love kindness, which means treating others fairly and showing compassion and mercy, even when it is undeserved. The leaders of Judah were failing in this regard, as their actions did not reflect the state of their hearts or their relationship with God. True worship is demonstrated through our actions towards others, reflecting the love and mercy God has shown us. This is a call to live out our faith authentically, allowing God's love to transform our hearts and actions. [53:33]
Zechariah 7:9-10 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart."
Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience God's justice and kindness through you today, and what specific action can you take to show them this love?
Day 3: Walking Humbly with God is a Daily Commitment
Walking humbly with God involves putting His will first and allowing Him to guide our lives. It requires humility, as it means prioritizing God's desires over our own pride and ambitions. This is a daily commitment, not a one-time decision. It is about living a life that reflects God's character and being open to His guidance in every aspect of our lives. [59:11]
James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to put God's will first, and how can you begin to walk humbly with Him in that area today?
Day 4: Beware of Invisible Idols
The leaders of Judah were caught up in invisible idols of money and power, which distracted them from true worship. We must be cautious not to let our own desires and priorities become idols that take our focus away from what is important to God. True worship involves examining our hearts and ensuring that nothing takes precedence over our relationship with God. [01:03:54]
Ezekiel 14:3-4 (ESV): "Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols."
Reflection: What invisible idols might be present in your life, and how can you begin to remove them to focus more fully on God?
Day 5: Embrace God's Unending Mercy
Despite our failures, God continues to pursue us with His love and mercy. He desires a genuine relationship with us and offers forgiveness through Jesus. This is a call to return to Him with sincere hearts and live out our faith authentically. God's unending mercy is an invitation to embrace His love and allow it to transform our lives. [01:09:52]
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Reflection: How can you embrace God's mercy in your life today, and what steps can you take to live out your faith more authentically in response to His love?
Quotes
Judah could say, we are not like Israel. We still worship God. We still worship God as He has told us to do. They offered sacrifices. They performed the worship rituals at the temple as they were commanded. And here, they are even willing to go above and beyond what was written in the law. [00:51:39] (21 seconds)
So Micah begins with his response by reminding the people, this is nothing new. He says, He has told you already. All right, parents, you ever get that feeling? I've told you this a thousand times. All right, this is the way it goes. All right, Micah is saying that same thing for God. [00:54:44] (19 seconds)
And, of course, Jesus reaffirms this in the New Testament. In Matthew, when He's speaking to a crowd and they're asking Him questions, one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. He says, Teacher, this guy says, Hey, Jesus, which of the law, great commandments, which is the great commandment in the law? [00:56:59] (20 seconds)
Micah here begins with the fruit that was absent in their lives, the way they treated people around them. And that should have been an indicator that their hearts were not right with God. The Lord requires them to do justice, to act justly, meaning to do right by others. [00:58:54] (18 seconds)
They were mistreating the poor. Instead of using their power and position to help people, they were using it to take advantage of them, to steal from them. This past week in our men's huddle, we talked about investment and not like financial money investment, investing in other people. [00:59:56] (22 seconds)
And that's what we talked about. We also actually, at Snow Camp a few weeks ago, we talked about this too with the teens. And I, what I said to your teens, I commended your teens because the teens, the young people in this church are a special group. They actually do invest in others, more so than what I've seen in other churches. [01:00:56] (20 seconds)
And this is what God wanted of his people to treat others right. All right. If you had, if they had, since they had power and position and money, they were supposed to use that to invest in other people. That's what it meant to do justice, to do right by people, to treat people rightly. [01:01:54] (18 seconds)
See, it's one thing to treat people fairly and do justice and do right. It's another thing. It's another step up to go out of your way and love kindness. I love the way it puts it, to love kindness, to love to be kind, to go that step further, to give somebody even what they don't deserve. [01:02:26] (20 seconds)
God is the ultimate example of showing kindness and mercy to those that do not deserve it. Romans 5, 6 through 8 say, For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. So keep going. Let's pray. For one will scarcely die for the righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one might dare to even die. [01:03:24] (21 seconds)
But God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Even when we didn't deserve it, and we don't deserve it, right? If we took an honest look at ourselves, we are all sinners to the core, right? And we don't deserve God's love, God's mercy. [01:03:39] (19 seconds)
And so God, through Micah, says that we are required to walk humbly with our God. Now, we have a dog, a golden retriever named Mia, and she loves to go for walks, all right? I actually end up taking her on a walk about twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening. [01:04:40] (19 seconds)
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