Blessing Society

Blessing Society
Micah 6:8

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

We are in our Blessed to be a blessing series and today looking at our role in society at large. I want to begin by talking about the social issue of entitlement.

Entitlement: is defined as a sense of deservingness or being owed a favor when little or nothing has been done to deserve special treatment.

Can we talk about examples of entitlement in our culture? It's all around.

How about when you go out to eat and they automatically add a 20% tip? I don’t mind tipping 20%, but only if they deserve it. Or when it seems everywhere you go everyone asks for a tip, as though they are entitled to more of your money. I served myself why am I leaving a tip?? How about believing that we should have constant and uninterrupted Wi-Fi no matter where we go? I'm on a remote island in the Caribbean and it better have Wi-Fi. How about when you order a package and it's there the next day! We used to be amazed that we could order online and get it in a week. Now we are spoiled with next day delivery. How about I should be able to go to college for free? That's right six years of bad decisions should be covered by someone else! And for the church today, let me ask if you are entitled. Do you believe we should have a Christian nation with Christian values and models all around and I shouldn't have to make any sacrifice to bring it about?

Well we are looking at a powerful verse here that speaks to how we are to honor God, and specifically how we are to honor God in the larger society, the public sector, the civil magistrate, the culture. We are to live sacrificially in order to see God honored in society.

Let me first begin by pointing to some Scriptures that highlight our need to be a blessing to society at large.

Scripture calls us to love our neighbors (Matt 12:31). These words help us better understand what it looks like to honor God and love our neighbors. We bless people by showing them love and doing things that enrich their life.

1 Peter 4:9 calls us to use whatever gifts God has given us for the good of others. He actually says in using our gifts we are stewarding the grace of God. So if you are gifted in teaching, in leadership, in computer programming, in cleaning, in organization, in judging, then people will experience the grace of God through your work. We are called to contribute to society at large.

Jeremiah the prophet spoke to people who had been removed from the Promised Land because they turned from the LORD, but he promised God would restore them, and in exile to foreign lands called them to “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Jer 29:7

They were to be a blessing to others in that ungodly society. Blessing them by doing what was right and even praying for them.

Micah 6 is similar to those but gives three specific ways we can be a blessing to society.

Three ways to bless others…

1. Bless with Justice

That they do what is just. It means that you do what is right and fair, conduct self with integrity and ensure that justice is carried out in accordance with God’s standards.

and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

To “do justice” means more than simply believing that justice is important; it means actively doing what is right and fair toward others. Didn't just like a page.

To do justice is to enforce a law, and here what is implied is that it is God’s law we are applying. We are making judgments based on what is right in God’s eyes.

Some of those laws are to not murder, or steal, or lie. To not commit adultery, and to honor others. Those are core elements of the law.

Micah will give a few specific examples later in this passage.

Wicked scales

Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? Micah 6:11

This agrarian society would have scales with balances. You agree on a price per pound and then you have a five pound weight on one side and five pound of grain on the other. That's a fair deal– a just deal.

Deceitful weights would say 5 lbs but actually only be 4.5. They are now misrepresenting themselves. That is not fair– not just. I think it's similar to buying a pound of coffee and you read the bottom saying 12 oz (16 oz to a pound.) That's not fully honest.

They are not fully honest. Pretty close. But holding back some of the truth.

It’s deceitfully weighted in their favor. Misleading others. Saying you are getting one thing when in reality you are getting something else.

I bought firewood for the winter last weekend. The guy told me the price per unit, dropped it off and when I stacked I had half of what he said. That's not justice. It’s the used car salesman saying the car came in great and needed some detailing when in fact it was pulled out of a river. Want to talk about politics. How is it that so many of our senators and representatives get modest salaries and are filthy rich, and this is on both sides of the political aisle. They are not truly representing the people. They have not been forthright, and served themselves and not the American people. Pray that God would raise up civil servants that would change the game.

Violence.

12 Your rich men are full of violence;

Full of violence, that is using force or power to oppress, terrorize or force people into their own ruin. Their elite became wealthy by doing violence and not justice.

Workplace power. A boss uses his authority to retaliate against an employee or keep another from speaking out against them.

Financial exploitation. Charging deceptive fees, taking advantage of someone's desperation, manipulating a vulnerable person's lack of knowledge, or using one's economic position to extract unfair gain. This fits especially well with Micah's immediate context.

Lawfare” against political opponents. Using lawsuits, investigations, regulatory authority as a weapon against an opponent. They are not doing the right thing but rather intimidating others. The wealthy do this because it's a game the poor can't afford to play. People in power wielding their power to stay in power.

c. False speech.

your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth

Justice connects to what we say about others. Is there truth in what you say? People make false claims on social media. Every media company needs to wrestle with this. Are they reporting accurately about their opponents? Did they represent the situation truthfully or did they distort it for their own advantage. Did they weight it for their own advantage.

Justice: means giving a person what is deserved. One of the best definitions is “the constant and perpetual will to render to each his due".

God’s people are to do the right thing. They are not to bend justice. They are to say and do

Proverbs 17:15 “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.”

Too often today people choose personal advantage over social justice.

Before I was a Christian I didn't care about justice. I was only interested in myself. I remember getting a haircut at 13. The barber asked how old I was and I remembered seeing it was half price if you were 12. Without hesitating I told her 12. Small thing but I was more concerned about weighting things to my advantage.

We are to be just people in the midst of an unjust world. We advocate for people to do the right thing, and when they do the wrong thing we advocate for just punishments.

Micah lived among the people of God who rejected God’s plan and were living lives weighted to their personal advantage.

Justice means doing the right thing. It also means punishing those who do wrong.

When I first became a Christian I was overwhelmed at how gracious God was to me. I was surprised to hear that God called us to be just, and if people broke His law they were to accept consequences.

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. Prov 17:15

The African slave trade was an instance of evil people getting away with their evil. William Wilberforce was a British Christian and member of Parliament who spent decades standing against the injustice of the slave trade. His Christian convictions compelled him to use his position and influence to fight for laws that gave justice to the oppressed. He persevered through years of opposition, believing that doing justice sometimes requires courage, sacrifice, and persistence.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. Proverbs 29:2

Advocating for and doing justice is one of the ways that we can bless society. Having good laws. Living in honesty. Enforcing right and wrong are all necessary to flourishing.

2. Bless with Kindness

It is not enough that Christians go around enforcing the law and making sure people are punished.

We are to love kindness. Notice it does say “do kindness.” To do kindness is to miss the point! It means we love to do it. There is a genuine delight in showing love and mercy.

If you are helping people deal with an unplanned pregnancy at Beacon of Hope or painting walls at an addiction center and someone asks “why are you doing that?” then you can't say: “Well, I have to.” That's not the right motivation. That is a perplexing motivation. Kindness is by nature something you don't have to do. You also cannot say “because they deserve it.” They have not merited it. Do you love to help people that don’t deserve it?

The Hebrew word behind “kindness” is hesed, a rich word that can describe God’s covenant faithfulness, steadfast love, mercy, and loyal commitment. “loyal love that contains mercy.” Micah is calling God’s people to reflect that same character in the way they treat one another.

God is faithful to His people. He sees their brokenness and waywardness and He continues faithfully. When they turn to Him He opens His arms. He is faithful to them in their hardship.

-Do justice particularly applies to those who are doing wrong.

-Showing kindness particularly applies to those who are suffering. We execute justice for the lawbreakers. We show mercy to those in hardship.

Proverbs 19:17. “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.”

We are:

Called to be generous to the needy Proverbs 14:31; Lend to the poor. Prov 19:17 give food and clothing to the orphans, widows, and foreigners. Deut 10:18

I recently heard an early church scholar talk about how Christians in the 4th century were the first to establish large charitable institutions specifically for the sick and poor. They were called hospitals and included facilities for the sick, poor, travelers, and others in need and is often described as an early hospital. They did this as charity and not for profit. It was an act of kindness and mercy.

How do we learn to love mercy? This does not come naturally. Justice did not come naturally to me, even less did mercy come. Micah tells us

He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19

Let me tell you how Jesus helps you do this. Micah speaks of God doing something that would show His love to us and also satisfy justice.

God created us to love and serve Him and warned that if we went against His laws we would suffer death. We sinned and death entered into the world. Death is the just punishment for sin. Death is what we deserve. We are entitled to nothing more.

But God because of His great love with which He loved us, had compassion on us. He saw us in our misery. He sent His Son to die for us. Jesus comes and lives perfectly. Jesus actively obeyed all of God’s commands and because He was obedient He earned/merited righteousness. He deserved God’s blessing, but He did the unthinkable. He gave us the blessing He deserved and took the curse that we deserved. That is the greatest injustice ever done.

God punishes Jesus instead of us. Any time there is forgiveness, be it student loans or medical care, it doesn’t mean it is free, it means someone else has paid the cost. We go out to eat and my kids are excited because it’s a free meal. It ain't free. I picked up the tab. In this Jesus pays the cost for us. God’s justice is the backdrop with which we see His mercy.

Extending mercy requires we first understand justice. Can't understand mercy without justice. Justice can lead to mercy.

And this has implications for public life. Christians should not only seek just laws and righteous institutions; we should also be known as people who treat our neighbors with dignity, compassion, patience, and mercy. We pursue justice because God is just, and we love kindness because God has shown us steadfast love.

Challenges Conservatism. Where people often stand up for justice but have no compassion for the hurting. You can't read Scripture, and what Christ has done for you and be indifferent to the suffering of others. The gospel moves you to help others and be a blessing to people in a tough spot.

Challenges liberalism that often wants to give mercy with no parameters. In Christ we are compelled to act justly and mercifully by the command of God and the example of God. This is very different from others today. People call for mercy but in such a way that denies justice and is cruel to the innocent. Calling for mercy to killers who have no remorse. Giving rights and privileges to people who have done nothing to demonstrate an intention to be good stewards of those privileges.

God’s word grounds us, gives us a way to hold together both, and provides the motivation to do so.

The Christian gospel is contrary to other religions. Let me talk about one.

Contra to Islam. Islam is growing and being enabled in our country and you need to understand its ideology. You need to understand what's at the heart and why so many people today say it is contrary to Western society shaped by Christian influence.

We want to love Muslims, but there are also things we need to stand against. People are embracing and even promoting Muslim leaders, and if you understand the heart of Islam you may be slower to do that. The Quran does at times call for charity and good deeds, but it also gives very concerning commands regarding non-Muslims. Islam means to submit and it is for those who have submitted to Allah with Muhammad as the messenger.

If you are a non-Muslim, an unbeliever/infidel the Quran offers you three things:

Convert. If you submit to Allah you are accepted and welcomed into the family. If you do not do that you will be disappointed by the next alternatives. Die. “Wherever you encounter the idolaters, kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post, Surah 9:5

Separate Slide The just retribution for those who fight GOD and His messenger, and commit horrendous crimes, is to be killed, or crucified, or to have their hands and feet cut off on alternate sides, or to be banished from the land. This is to humiliate them in this life, then they suffer a far worse retribution in the Hereafter. Surah 5:33

Kill them. Maim them. Humiliate them. Enslave them. 14 centuries of this theology playing out. In the 16th century almost 3 million Europeans were enslaved from Muslim attacks, far outpacing the slave trade of Africans. Terrible things were done in order to humiliate them. One person said they had never seen piety and debauchery go together.

Be Taxed for your.

9:29 Fight those of the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) who do not truly believe in God and the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden, who do not obey the rule of justice until they pay the tax promptly and agree to submit to it.

This is the jizya, a tax they collect from people who do not convert. It is extortion for letting you live. They seek to gain money in order to grow in power. They get into office and insert policies to tax for their faith. Even seen where Muslims get into HOAs and begin doing something similar.

We need to be aware of this. Be on guard and be wise. A secular culture built on tolerance and acceptance can easily fall prey to a religion that makes comprehensive and dominating claims over truth, morality, and public life.

In 676 Saint John of Damascus said “the only miracle Muhammad performed was to invade, slaughter, and enslave those who refused to submit to him. The prophet put whatever words best served him in God’s mouth, simulating revelation in order to justify his own sexual indulgence.” Ibrahim, Sword and Scimitar, p52.

And this religion is said to be a fulfillment of the Old Testament. Where is mercy, where is justice, and where is the balance of these. It's a very deceptive religion and you ought to be wary of it. Does this seem to be the fruit of people who are following a God who has loved them, had compassion on them, and cast their sins into the sea??

When you honor it, you honor the injustices and atrocities in which it is founded upon and by which it has spread. Be careful of who you select to be in power, be careful of what you read about it. Read histories with the primary sources. We also must stand up for injustice and that means we do not empower people who would use their power for injustice.

The gospel. Charles Spurgeon once told the story of a Saxon king known for being both just and loving. Someone started stealing from his treasure, and the king issued a punishment. When the person was not caught and stealing continued the king decreed increasing punishments until the penalty became forty lashes- which was basically death. Then the thief was caught—it was the king’s elderly mother. The king insisted the law must be upheld. But the punishment would likely kill her. On the day of the punishment, the mother was marched to the post, and when the guard was about to begin. The king walked out, stopped the guard, removed his robe, and wrapped himself around his mother. “Now you may hit her,” he said. Every lash fell upon the king, not his mother. I’m not sure the story is historical, but it pictures the cross: God absorbed our punishment Himself so He could justly forgive us.

We uphold justice but we are also willing to wrap our arms around others that they might know the love of Jesus. Imagine if we all did that. Imagine if our leaders did this. Imagine if families and marriage embodied this.

This is what God requires. It’s not His suggestion or a good idea. It is required. In school you are required to do your homework, required to meet the dress code.

This is not what you are entitled to but what God requires of you. You have a responsibility. You have a work. No entitled spoiled brats in the kingdom of God.

3. Blessed in Humble Walk With God

I was just at a conference in which Ray Ortlund spoke, a well known pastor and writer, and he is old now. He spoke about the political turmoil of the late 1960’s, and said he has never seen anything like today. But he also added,

“We are not those who simply say what is going on in the world, but rather to say "look who has come into our world.” Ray Ortlund

Jesus has come to save. Save us from our sins. Save us from evil. We are not preaching fear of politics but of trust in an almighty and eternal God.

What is our primary calling as Christians? Is it to get Christian candidates in office. I'm not opposed to that. But that would only be good for a few years and then you will need another savior. Our goal is that people would trust in Christ.

We are invited to walk with Christ. Like Enoch who walked with God and then he was not. If you are walking with God He will protect you.

and to walk humbly with your God?

To walk humbly with your God means to live with a continual awareness that God is God and we are not. The word “walk” describes the ongoing direction of our lives—not merely occasional moments of worship, but a daily relationship of dependence, obedience, and trust. Humility means recognizing that we are not the ultimate authority, that we need God’s wisdom, and that our lives belong to Him. We are careful to look to Him, respect Him, honor and obey Him.

We will never act justly or love faithfulness if we’re not walking humbly with God. We put God first. He is our standard. We do what He calls us to. We do not do what He forbids. We live in His love that He mercifully showers on us.

We don't need a Christian culture as much as we need Christians who look like Christ.

Too many who listen to Christian music, get motivated through Christianese messages, but are completely indifferent to furthering justice and mercy in society and the people their life touches.

The pursuit of justice and mercy shapes how we live and its appropriate for us to shape our political ideology.

Josh Howerton: “Muslims have a plan to make America a Muslim nation. Marxists have a plan to make America a Marxist nation. Secular Progressives have a plan to make America a Secular Progressive nation. Christians seem to always have a plan to keep Christianity from further influencing our nation by discipling people into political apathy (“we don’t get political”) or political ambiguity (“Jesus isn’t a Republican or Democrat, neither Right nor Left” = primary application of gospel to culture).

Let me also say this, one of the primary ways we walk with God is in discipleship. We are looking to Him, seeking to know Him and His ways, and as we walk with Him we bring others into a relationship with Him. This is a greater goal than how people vote.

Don't ask what society owes you; ask what God requires of you. The first and most important thing is that you submit to Christ. Stop pushing Him aside. Stop making excuses. Stop telling yourself other things.

We are not entitled to God’s blessings, but He has graciously bestowed those on us through Jesus, and now we have the awesome privilege of sharing these with others. Will you give yourselves to walking with Jesus and following Him. If you do then you will be living to bless others.

Discussion Questions

Where are you more focused on what you believe others owe you than on what God requires of you? Which of the three commands (do justice, love kindness, or walk humbly with God) is most challenging for you right now? What would it look like to live that out in your workplace, neighborhood, family, or community this week?

How should walking with Christ change the way we engage a broken society?