Bible Text: Micah 6 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship

— Pastor Lou’s Notes —
Intro:
Let me restate a principle that, I believe, we need to hear every so often. We catch our culture in the same way we catch a cold. Not one of us gets up in the morning and says, I going out to catch a cold today. It happens because we are near other people. There are more and more things the culture is putting forth as good and normal that in reality are not good. Can you think of any examples? The danger is that if we are exposed long enough to this thinking and worldview, we start to accept it without comparing it to God’s Word. Then we start to get overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, our faith starts to falter and weaken. May I suggest to you that there are times we need clear hindsight for present and future faith. We need to start with a question:

What are some reasons you and I may feel spiritually dry or disconnected with God?

* Unconfessed sin
* Worship of idols
* Lack of reading, hear, and living the Word
* Drowning out the voice of God

1. Reading the charges chapters 1-5
1. Clear
2. Truthful
3. Direct

2. The cross examination v. 1-5
1. Hear! The crucial hard question by the plaintiff
2. Remember! The truth presented: evidence of God’s grace and goodness and justice
1. Moses: the Passover and the sacrificial lamb and the giving of the Law
2. Aaron: the provision of the priesthood
3. Miriam: her song of worship and her gift of prophecy
4. Balak of Moab and the prophet Balaam
5. Shittim to Gilead- the journey across the Jordan into the Promised Land

3. The call for reconciliation v.6-8
1. Shallow external offers are rejected
1. God doesn’t desire empty rituals and religion that do not come from a repentant heart
2. God can’t be bought or bribed

2. Love from our hearts needs to be rooted in God’s love
1. We must admit sincerely our trust and dependence on God
2. His mercy, grace, and holiness
3. Love needs to be voluntary and authentic

3. Come back in repentance and faith
1. True faith comes form a loving obedience from the inside out
2. Responding to the justice (being fair with others), grace and mercy of God
3. Live with godly integrity e.g. act justly, love mercy (out of compassion serve others), and walk humbly (live in complete dependence and trust in the heart of God, yielding to His will)

Closing:
Where are we today? Is today one of those days where we need to remember God’s past blessings so we can live in present and future faith? Can we name some of God’s blessings that would encourage you and us today? Are we willing to cout our blessings and name them one by one?