What God Really WantsWhat God Really Wants

Micah 6:1-8Micah 6:1-8

Picturing the SituationPicturing the Situation

You have been:You have been:

Faithfully Attending ChurchFaithfully Attending Church

Giving Generously to the ChurchGiving Generously to the Church

Seeking God’s Favor during a Serious and Seeking God’s Favor during a Serious and Life-threatening CrisisLife-threatening Crisis

Repeatedly Assured by Local Pastors and Repeatedly Assured by Local Pastors and Friends That Everything Was Going to Be Friends That Everything Was Going to Be OkayOkay

Suddenly God shows up!Suddenly God shows up!

And He says:And He says:

““I am not pleased with you or I am not pleased with you or your worship.”your worship.”

Putting God on TrialPutting God on Trial

What have I done wrong?What have I done wrong?

What kind of demanding and What kind of demanding and unreasonable God are you?unreasonable God are you?

What in the world do you want What in the world do you want from me, anyway?from me, anyway?

Setting the Scene: Who is Micah?Setting the Scene: Who is Micah?

An Old Testament ProphetAn Old Testament Prophet

His name means, “Who is like His name means, “Who is like Yahweh?”Yahweh?”

A Spiritual “Outsider” Who A Spiritual “Outsider” Who Denounced the Injustice of the Ruling Denounced the Injustice of the Ruling Class and the Wealthy, as well as the Class and the Wealthy, as well as the False Prophesies of Contemporary False Prophesies of Contemporary Religious Leaders in JerusalemReligious Leaders in Jerusalem

Setting the Scene: Who is Micah?Setting the Scene: Who is Micah?

He is preaching during a time when He is preaching during a time when the Assyrian army is threatening to the Assyrian army is threatening to destroy Jerusalemdestroy Jerusalem

He connects the sin of Israel with He connects the sin of Israel with these recent and disturbing these recent and disturbing international eventsinternational events

He serves as God’s prosecuting He serves as God’s prosecuting attorneyattorney

The The Court CaseCourt Case against Israel (1-3) against Israel (1-3)

Micah brings God’s case against Micah brings God’s case against the Israelitesthe Israelites

He calls the ancient mountains He calls the ancient mountains to be his witnesses for the trialto be his witnesses for the trial

God is the plaintiff and Israel is God is the plaintiff and Israel is the defendantthe defendant

God’s Opening Statements (3)God’s Opening Statements (3)

What wrong have I [God] done to What wrong have I [God] done to you [Israel]?you [Israel]?

How have I burdened you?How have I burdened you?

Different Views of GodDifferent Views of God

Key Question:Key Question:

How do you see God?How do you see God?

1 John 5:31 John 5:3

““This is love for God: to obey His This is love for God: to obey His commands. And his commands commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” are not burdensome.”

A Brief History of God’s A Brief History of God’s Covenantal FaithfulnessCovenantal Faithfulness (4-5) (4-5)

I brought you out of Egypt, I brought you out of Egypt, redeeming you from a life of redeeming you from a life of slavery!slavery!

A Brief History of God’s A Brief History of God’s Covenantal FaithfulnessCovenantal Faithfulness (4-5) (4-5)

I gave you great leaders likeI gave you great leaders like

Moses, Aaron, and Miriam!Moses, Aaron, and Miriam!

A Brief History of God’s A Brief History of God’s Covenantal FaithfulnessCovenantal Faithfulness (4-5) (4-5)

I blessed you through I blessed you through the attempted curse the attempted curse of a pagan king and of a pagan king and godless prophet!godless prophet!

A Brief History of God’s A Brief History of God’s Covenantal FaithfulnessCovenantal Faithfulness (4-5) (4-5)

I brought you through the Jordan and into the I brought you through the Jordan and into the promised land!promised land!

A Brief History of God’s A Brief History of God’s Covenantal FaithfulnessCovenantal Faithfulness (4-5) (4-5)

I fed, watered, clothed, and led you I fed, watered, clothed, and led you through a barren wasteland for forty through a barren wasteland for forty years, miraculously revealing myself to years, miraculously revealing myself to you!you!

Key Question:Key Question:

How has God demonstrated His How has God demonstrated His faithfulness in your life?faithfulness in your life?

Israel’s Israel’s DefensiveDefensive Defense (6-7) Defense (6-7)

How can I [Israel] worship You How can I [Israel] worship You [God] properly?[God] properly?

Israel’s Israel’s DefensiveDefensive Defense (6-7) Defense (6-7)

Shall I bring Shall I bring burnt burnt offerings?offerings?

Israel’s Israel’s DefensiveDefensive Defense (6-7) Defense (6-7)

Shall I bring a yearling calf?Shall I bring a yearling calf?

Israel’s Israel’s DefensiveDefensive Defense (6-7) Defense (6-7)

Shall I bring thousands of rams?Shall I bring thousands of rams?

Israel’s Israel’s DefensiveDefensive Defense (6-7) Defense (6-7)

Shall I offer ten thousand rivers Shall I offer ten thousand rivers of oil?of oil?

Israel’s Israel’s DefensiveDefensive Defense (6-7) Defense (6-7)

Shall I offer Shall I offer my firstborn my firstborn child to pay child to pay for my sin?for my sin?

What It Might Look Like Today:What It Might Look Like Today:

Shall I tithe each month?Shall I tithe each month?

What It Might Look Like Today:What It Might Look Like Today:

Shall I tithe each month?Shall I tithe each month?

Shall I pledge extra money for the Shall I pledge extra money for the church building fund?church building fund?

What It Might Look Like Today:What It Might Look Like Today:

Shall I tithe each month?Shall I tithe each month?

Shall I pledge extra money for the Shall I pledge extra money for the church building fund?church building fund?

Shall I sell my house to help finance Shall I sell my house to help finance an orphanage in Zambia?an orphanage in Zambia?

What It Might Look Like Today:What It Might Look Like Today:

Shall I tithe each month?Shall I tithe each month?

Shall I pledge extra money for the Shall I pledge extra money for the church building fund?church building fund?

Shall I sell my house to help finance Shall I sell my house to help finance an orphanage in Zambia?an orphanage in Zambia?

Shall I give a billion dollars to help Shall I give a billion dollars to help flood victims in Bangladesh?flood victims in Bangladesh?

What It Might Look Like Today:What It Might Look Like Today:

Shall I tithe each month?Shall I tithe each month?

Shall I pledge extra money for the church Shall I pledge extra money for the church building fund?building fund?

Shall I sell my house to help finance an Shall I sell my house to help finance an orphanage in Zambia?orphanage in Zambia?

Shall I give a million dollars to help flood Shall I give a million dollars to help flood victims in Bangladesh?victims in Bangladesh?

Shall I leave everything, including my family, Shall I leave everything, including my family, and become a missionary in the jungles of and become a missionary in the jungles of South America?South America?

God’s View of Such SacrificesGod’s View of Such Sacrifices

““With such offerings from your hands, With such offerings from your hands, will [I] accept you?” says the Lord will [I] accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. “Oh, that one of you would Almighty. “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offerings from your hands.”accept no offerings from your hands.”

——Malachi 1:9-10Malachi 1:9-10

Paul’s View of Such Loveless Paul’s View of Such Loveless Self-sacrifice:Self-sacrifice:

““If I give all I possess to the poor If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”nothing.”

——1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 13:313:3

God’s Closing Statements:God’s Closing Statements:An Invitation to An Invitation to TransformationTransformation (8) (8) I’ve already told you what I really want I’ve already told you what I really want

and find acceptable.and find acceptable.

I want you to enact justice!I want you to enact justice!

I want you to love being merciful!I want you to love being merciful!

I want you to walk humbly and wisely I want you to walk humbly and wisely before Me!before Me!

1 Samuel 15:221 Samuel 15:22

““Does the Lord delight in burnt Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”than the fat of rams.”

Key Question:Key Question:

What do you think God really wants What do you think God really wants from you?from you?

Above all else, God wants your heart!Above all else, God wants your heart!

Everything else will naturally flow Everything else will naturally flow from this.from this.

Will you give Him your whole heart?Will you give Him your whole heart?

Davey’s Sordid StoryDavey’s Sordid Story

Psalm 51:16-17Psalm 51:16-17

““You do not delight in sacrifice, You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”not despise.”