JMH part 1

Do you like the title of this message? Pretty cool, right?! JMH! 

A week or so ago I heard someone quote Micah 6:8 on the radio and when he did, I felt the Spirit of God quicken it to my heart. I knew it was something the Lord wanted me to share with you. 

JMH is taken from Micah 6:8. This verse contains three significant words: Justice, Mercy, and Humility. In light of the direction our nation and our world is headed, I feel the Lord would have us dive into a week-long study dealing with how we should handle it. 

There is persecution of Christians everywhere, our economy is unstable at best, and from a worldly perspective it could be a little scary. However, we are not to have a worldly perspective. We are to set our affections, our minds, on things above, not on things on this earth.

I would like JMH to maybe become a theme, a sort of a mission, of our church. I would love it if, when someone asks the question, “What is Christian Assembly all about?” that the answer will be Justice, Mercy and Humility. Justice, Mercy, and Humility = JMH. 

You might ask, “Why is that important?” I believe it’s because that’s what the Lord requires of each us. Micah 6:8 “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 

Several years ago (nearly two decades now) the acronym, WWJD was very popular. What Would Jesus Do? I think that would be a great question to ask any time we are struggling with a decision. However, that may not always be the whole answer God wants to give us. It would seem that “What Would Jesus Do” hasn’t really affected us (the larger Church body) much. Would Jesus spend a large part of His budget on worldly entertainment? No! - but we do. Would Jesus use coarse language? No! - but we do. Would Jesus spend most of His day on Facebook? No! - but we do. 

That’s how I know that many Christians have little desire to really live like Jesus would. When we are faced with a decision and ask the Lord, “What would Jesus Do?” what even bother asking that questions if we really are not interested in doing what He would do anyway? So let’s not ask ourselves, “What did God the Father require of Jesus while He was on earth?” but rather, “What does the Lord require of ME? Of us?”

He requires three things of us. Justice, Mercy and Humility - JMH. To understand this better, I want us to look into the first 5 verses of Micah chapter 6. In verses 1-5, the Lord introduces His case against the disobedient people of Israel. He reminds them of the good things He has done for them: delivering them from bondage and slavery, giving them a deliverer in Moses (a type of Christ). He did all these good things similarly to the goodness He has done for each one of us. 
 

Then in verses 6-7, Israel responded with a series of questions beginning with, “With what shall I come to the Lord?” Micah 6:6-7 “… Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Israel’s focus in these verses is on their external religious ceremonies.

Israel’s questions show a progression from lesser to greater, starting with, “Shall I sacrifice an animal to the Lord” to “Shall I sacrifice a human being?” Don’t you think their questions seem almost flippant, sarcastic in tone? “Should I give a calf, or 1000 rams, or 10,000 rivers of olive oil? What else, what more,  do You want? Do You want my firstborn? Would that be enough to cover our sin? Would God be pleased with us then?” 

This is the problem with the Law. It doesn’t include the heart. Obedience without involving your heart is not impressive to Jesus. Israel didn’t come across as longing for a relationship with the Lord. They were more concerned with appeasing God – keeping Him just “happy enough” so they don’t go to hell when they die. 

Continued tomorrow