Gods plan for your life

Gods plan for your life

Topic: Godly Requirements

 Application:        There’s a cost in following Jesus

What God requires of us is our whole heart, mind, character

 Have you ever looked around the world around you and felt overwhelmed with all the problems you see?

 When observing so much of the evil in the world, have you ever thought,

 “WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO? WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF ME?”

 The prophet Micah certainly lived in times when much evil was going on the world around him.

 1 The people of his day seemed to spend all their time devising iniquity and planning evil (cf. Micah 2:1-2).

 2 The rulers were oppressing the people (cf. Micah 3:1-3).

 3 Micah adds regarding their hypocrisy, “Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, ‘Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us’ " (Micah 3:11).

4 Furthermore, Micah mentions how difficult it was to find people one could trust:

 “The faithful man has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; every man hunts his brother with a net” (Micah 7:2).

 He adds, “The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge…” (Micah 7:4).

  Things were so bad that one could not even trust his or her family members:

 “Do not trust in a friend; do not put your confidence in a companion; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, daughter rises against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man's enemies are the men of his own household” (Micah 7:5-6).

 Living in such darkness, where could Micah turn for help and support?

 In the midst of such ungodliness, Micah knew that He could still turn to the Lord for support. God would not abandon Micah.

 Micah states, “THEREFORE I WILL LOOK TO THE LORD; I WILL WAIT FOR THE GOD OF MY SALVATION; MY GOD WILL HEAR ME” (MICAH 7:7).

  How did God want Micah to serve Him in the midst of such an evil society?

 Micah wonders if God expects Him do make some great sacrifices: “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:6-7).

 GOD DIDN’T EXPECT ANYTHING LIKE THIS. INSTEAD, AS THE OPENING VERSES ABOVE INDICATE, WHAT GOD REQUIRED WAS SIMPLY

 1 “to do justly, 2 to love mercy, 3and to walk humbly” with God.

 ALSO

 AS ISRAEL GATHERED ACROSS THE JORDAN RIVER FROM THE PROMISED LAND, MOSES PUT A QUESTION TO THE PEOPLE: “Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?” In the same breath, Moses answered: “To fear the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13).

 God’s covenant faithfulness toward His people came with an expectation of reverence, love, and obedience. Yet, these things God asked for were designed for the people’s own good.

   Fear Him

THE CONCEPT OF FEARING GOD IS BEST UNDERSTOOD AS REVERENCE AND AWE.

 In the original Hebrew, the word translated as “fear” means “to regard with feelings of respect; consider holy and exalted, be in awe of.” FEARING THE LORD INVOLVES A KEEN AWARENESS OF WHAT GOD HATES, NAMELY, SIN AND WICKEDNESS (Deuteronomy 12:31; 16:22; Psalm 5:4–6; Proverbs 6:16–19). It includes understanding God’s holiness (Joshua 24:19; Psalm 99:9), His judgment on sin (Isaiah 26:21; Psalm 99:8), and His discipline of believers who sin (Hebrews 12:5–11).

 The apostle Paul described fearing the Lord as hating what is evil and clinging to what is good (Romans 12:9). God wants us to avoid His discipline and live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Walk in Obedience to Him

The word walk in Deuteronomy 10:12 speak of how we live and behave. The phrase walk in obedience to him carries the idea of walking “in all his ways” (ESV) and living “in a way that pleases him” (NLT). God wants us to follow His example in every way—in holiness, love, and service. Jesus explained, “Since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.

I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15, NLT; see also Matthew 10:38).

 The apostle John taught, “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6, NLT). Paul suggested, “You should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NLT).

 Love Him

 God requires our love. Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38). All other requirements and commands flow out of our love for God.

 Scripture says God set His loyal love on Israel (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). He always makes the first move but invites our loving response in return (1 John 4:19). Jesus calls us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Our love for God is not half-hearted; rather, we yearn for Him like a wild deer pants for streams of water (Psalm 42:1).

 Serve Him Wholeheartedly

 Genuine love for God expresses itself through service (1 Corinthians 13:1–13). Jesus Christ, our example, was the ultimate servant (Matthew 20:28). Serving God is not a forced obligation but a free, natural, and joy-filled response to the love God has lavished on us (1 John 4:9–11). Love serves, not as a servant, but as someone who is in love.

Observe His Commands

 When we observe the Lord’s commands, we prove our love for Him (John 14:15; 1 John 5:2–3) and show our faithfulness to Him (1 John 2:3–5). Moreover, the Lord asks us to obey His commands for our benefit: “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8; see also John 13:17).

 The question of Deuteronomy 10:12, “What does the Lord your God require of you?” is very much like the one in Micah 6:8: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Both passages seek to show that a profession of faith that does not come from a heart of genuine love and devotion to God is not faith at all.

 In summary,  What does my Lord expect of me?

 TO LET HIM USE MY LIFE TO SHOWCASE HIS LOVE, HIS FORGIVENESS, HIS PROMISE, HIS SALVATION.

 That’s the summary of what it means to be in ministry. It’s not complicated.

 And maybe that’s why it’s so humbling. He doesn’t want a pianist, hostess, pastoral support system, creative writer, organizer, witty social leader, theological expert, diplomat, exemplary mother, or some other weak attempt at perfection.

 Remember God's Steadfast Love and Compassion

 Mic 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 

 Mic 7:19  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.