Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
May 27, 2001 p.m.
More Memorial Day Reminders
Reading - Micah 6.6-8
Micah lived 2700 years ago.
Life in the time of Micah was not that much different than we know it today.
In fact, reading this prophet is a lot like reading the morning paper.
In Micah's time... The Jewish world... The nation of Israel... was characterized by...
Political corruption... Political dishonesty.
By immorality... A general disregard for God and His word.
By violence... Cruelty, one man toward another.
And by a general disrespect for the value of life and living.
Sound familiar?
Indeed... The people of Micah's time had forgotten God.
You see church, if God exists, then this is the most important fact in the universe.
If He doesn't, then nothing really matters... and we are wasting our time here tonight.
But the truth is... God does exist... and He has left His fingerprint all about us.
Paul made this very plain in our text this morning from His Mars Hill sermon... RIGHT?
Notice quickly... Four Memorial Day Reminders In Our Introduction.
First... God's fingerprint is on us.
We are made in His image... And our admonition for Philippians two is for us to become more and more and more like Him in our heart... MIND... Attitudes... and Disposition.
Paul contended in his sermon... The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. (LISTEN NOW!) God did this so that men would seek Him... find Him... and perhaps reach out for Him though He is not far from each one of us.
Second... God's fingerprint is on the universe.
Scientists tell us that every effect demands a cause... Nothing happens without a cause.
The fact that the universe exists demands a creator... Design demands a designer.
This building demands an architect and builder... This watch demands a watchmaker.
You see... There are only two explanations for the existence of the universe... Only two explanations for all that we see and know.
One... It either came about by pure chance... Or... Two... It was created by God.
Now, it is ridiculous to believe that chance was the prime mover... The cause... That all this came about by the power of chance... Listen to me closely...
Chance has no power.
Chance is nothing... Chance is NO-THING.
Chance cannot design.
Chance cannot plan... think... or reason.
Chance cannot create.
Chance cannot cause anything.
Folk... You have never seen anything happen by chance... Because chance doesn't have the power to cause anything to happen... Chance is nothing.
Reminder number three... God's fingerprint is in Scripture.
The Bible contains sixty-six books... Written over a period of fifteen-hundred years... In three languages, by over forty authors, yet the theme is the same from Genesis 3.15 to Revelation 22. Salvation of mankind through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament foretells His coming.
The Gospels are about His coming.
The rest of the New Testament speaks to us of how to live until He comes again.
Who could write such a volume... but an eternal... all-knowing God.
Four - God's fingerprint is on Jesus.
Jesus is God... God in the flesh... God expressed in human terms.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth... No-one has ever seen God... But God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known to us. That's in John 1.1, 2, 14 & 18. Jesus came to exegete God... And show us how to live... die... and be raised to live forever.
If God exists... and surely He does, His existence compels us to ask the fundamental question of life... The most important question of all time...
What Does God Expect Of us?
Read with me Micah 6 verse 8 again... He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what the LORD requires of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Before we get into what God requires of us, let's be reminded of some things He does not require... Some things He does not expect of us.
God does not expect us to earn heaven by our own goodness.
Micah asked... Can I purchase God's favor with sacrifices of young calves or with rivers of oil?. Can I pry cash for God's friendship?
Listen to me church... Salvation is not for sale... God can't be bought.
Not by our giving,
Not by our good works,
Not by our church attendance,
Or even by clean moral living.
There is nothing we can do to place God in our dept.
Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, cannot be earned.
Only one thing can forgive sins... save our souls... and that is the blood of Jesus.
For by grace are you saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Yes, it is true... Sin must be paid for... But God purchased our pardon through the death of Jesus on the cross... We have been bought with a price. Our own righteousness is but a pile of rags in God's sight... But the blood of Jesus purchased our pardon.
All our good works cannot forgive even one single sin.
You see... Good people are not going to heaven... and bad people going to hell.
Saved people are going to heaven... and lost... out-of-Christ people... are going to suffer eternal punishment for their sins.
Reminder number two... God does not expect us to live in sinless perfection.
Aren't we glad that our salvation is not dependent upon our living a perfect life?
If it were, we would all be lost... Because all of us have already sinned... So it would be too late for us... RIGHT?
Paul points out in the Book of Romans that... All have sinned and come short of God's glory, that there is none righteous, no not one.
Scripture teaches that being guilty of one point of the Law makes us a sinner, guilty of it all.
-John put it this way... If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves.
-Paul admits to his struggle with sin saying those things that I should do, I don't... And those things I should not do, I do... O' wretched man that I am... Who will deliver me?
God does not demand we live perfect, sinless lives... Only that we become obedient folk.
If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.... If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness... There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... This is in John 1.7, 9... and Romans 8.1.
Reminder number three... God does not expect us to use abilities that we do not have.
Many people HAVE in the past... And CONTINUE to QUIT the church... Drop out of Christianity... Because they are made to feel guilty for not doing something... That they do not have the ability... the capacity... to do in the first place.
Romans chapter 12 tells that... We all have... different talents... different abilities... different gifts from God... And that pleasing Him... Success in the Kingdom... Is using the gift that He has given.
If you are talented in teaching... Be a good teacher.
If you are blessed with money... Share it... Give liberally.
If you have the ability to lead... Be a diligent and an effective leader.
If you have a nice smile and are cheerful... Smile and spread that cheer.
If you find that you can encourage people... Be a Barnabas... Be an encourager.
Audience... We will find LIFE most frustrating if we are always trying to do something... Or be something other than what God gifted us to do and be.
OK... What does God require of us?
He expects moral integrity.
Micah says... God expects us to do right... to act justly.
God expects us to be fair... moral... honest... upright people in our dealings with one another.
In the following chapters... Micah condemns things like...
Dishonest business practices...
Political immorality...
Lying...
And violence.
God has always expected this of His people.
He expected Cain do right... And not kill his brother.
He expected Abraham to do right... And not lie about Sarah being sister.
He expected David to do right... And not commit adultery with Bathsheba.
God expected the prodigal son to do right... And honor his father and mother.
The second half of the Decalogue... the Ten Commandments from Sinai... dealt exclusively with uprightness... honesty... and moral justice in our relationship with others.
Paul puts it in these words in Titus two... For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions... And to live self-controlled... Upright... and godly lives in this present age... While we wait for His coming.
Secondly... He expects us to be compassionate.
Micah says... God wants us to love kindness.
God wants us to be Gentle... Kind... Loving... Caring people.
Jesus is our example.
Scripture tells us... He went about doing (WHAT?)... Doing good.
One of the identifying marks of Jesus' life... and His preaching was His call to compassion:
The good Samaritan,
The rich man and Lazarus,
The forgiving Father in the narrative of the Prodigal son.
The woman taken in adultery in John chapter eight.
The entire gospel of Luke pictures Jesus as the Savior of this world's little people. He fed the poor, healed the sick, comforted the bereaved and assisted the disabled. Jesus paints a picture of the judgment... Where eternal reward and punishment were dispensed based upon what???... COMPASSION toward others.
God help us to serve Jesus... By making a difference in the lives of those we meet daily...
· No... We can't save all the children... But we can save our own.
· No... We can't feed the world... But we can take food to a shut-in.
· No... We can't visit all the sick... But I can visit some.
· No... We can't give all our paycheck to the Lord... But we can give some.
· No... We can't give a gallon of blood... But we can give a pint.
· No... We can't preach to the whole world... But we can teach a Bible class... or invite our
neighbor to church services.
Will we walk where Jesus walked when He said... I came not to be served, but to serve?
God's challenge... His expectation... His reminder this Memorial Day is... To go about doing good... To be a people and person of COMPASSION.
Thirdly... God expects conversion.
Our text says... And to walk humbly with your God.
What does it mean to walk humbly with God?
Of course it means that we must... in humility... submit our will to His will through His word.
Walking with God demands an alteration of our lifestyle.
Walking with God demands we be changed folk.
Walking with God means we must agree with God on what conversion is.
So, what is conversion?...
What does conversion mean to us?
Conversion is having faith in God.
Jesus said... Unless you believe I am He... You will die in your sins.
There is not conversion without faith in God... and Jesus as His sacrifice for our sins.
Conversion includes repentance.
Jesus said... I tell you except you repent you will also perish.
Peter writes... God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Conversion demands a confession that Jesus is the Son of God.
If you will confess me before men, I will confess you before my Father in heaven... But if you deny me before men, I will deny you before the Father.
Conversion includes baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus said... He that believes and is baptized will be saved.
Annias said to Saul... Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.
Paul wrote... We are children of God by faith... For as many as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ... Have been clothed with Christ.
Then... We must remember that... Conversion is faithfulness.
Jesus told the church at Smyrna and us... Be faithful unto and until death and I will give you the crown of life.
Paul admonishes us from the Corinthian letter... be steadfast...unmovable in the work of the Lord... knowing that our labor for the Lord is not in vain.
Remember this Memorial Day...
He has told you... O man what is good...
And what the Lord requires of you...
To act justly...
To love kindness...
And to walk humbly with God.
What does God expect of you tonight?
Submit to His will totally... As we stand and sing this invitation song.
Will you come?
