This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God Has His Eyes On Us" , 8/2/2015

GOD HAS HIS  EYES ON US

Isaiah 59:15-21

GOD IS AWARE OF OUR SITUATION

V:15 Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey." The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. "

A. The Lord looked down from His heavenly throne.

     1. He surveyed the situation of man.

     3. He was not pleased with what He saw.

B. This is what He found.

    1. There was no truth.

        a. God's people were not living according to the truth.

        b. There was no life style of righteousness.

   3. Those who were living a righteous life had become the prey of evil men.

   4. There was no justice.

       a. There was no punishment for unrighteousness.

       b. The norm was to mistreat one another as if it was the right thing to do.

       c. The Nation of Israel lived according to their own standards.

V:16. " He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him.

A. God was affected by what He saw.

    1. He was grieved at what He saw.

    2. His prophets, His teachers and His preachers were not interceding in prayer on

        behalf of the righteous.

    3. There was no one to administer justice.

B. God saw that there was no cure for sin.

    1. We were born in sin, shaped in iniquity.

    2. Sin is infectious.

        a. It infects the mind the body and the soul.

    3. Sin is contagious.

       a. It moves from person to person.

       b. A little bit of leaven, leavens the whole dough.

    4. Sin is generational.

       a. It is passed on from one generation to the next.

       b. It is in our DNA.

       c. Except for Noah and his 7 family members, God wiped out the human population

           with a flood.

       d. That did not work because sin was in Noah's DNA.

GOD DEALTH WITH SIN WITH ONE FINAL SACRIFICE

 C. God decided to deal with sin.

    1. The only way to deal with sin was for God to provide a perfect sacrifice for sin.

    2. The sins of man can not be eliminated, but they can be covered with the

        atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

       a. There is none righteous, no not one.

       b. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

       c. The wages of sin is death.

       d. While Jesus was dying on the cross, God was reconciling the world to himself.

 D. It was Jesus Christ that worked salvation into our lives.

    1. It is the righteousness of Jesus that maintains our salvation.

    2. Believers in Jesus Christ have been sealed to the day of redemption by the Holy

        Spirit.

GOD IS  ABLE TO FIGHT OUR BATTLES   

V:17. " He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak."

A. The Lord is our army. He will fight our battles.

    1. No matter what problem we face, God is there for us.

    2. We have to put our troubles in the Lord's hand and trust that He will take care of

         them.

    3. We are no match for the devil and His demons.

 B. The armor of God starts with the protection of the heart.

     1. The breast plate was part of the Roman's soldiers armor that protected the upper

         part of the body.

     2. Out of the heart flows the issues of life.

         a. Out of hearts flows the goodness of life.

         b. Out of our hearts also flows the bad things of life.

     3. Life is found in the Word of God.

     4. God is righteous and all the world is sinful.

     5. It is the righteousness of God that protects our hearts from the lust of the flesh.

     6. The only truth is the Word. Everything else is a perversion that leads us away

          form the path of righteousness.

 C. The helmet is a soldiers armor that protects the head.

      1. Our minds have to be protected by the Word of God.

      2. In our minds, we formulate thoughts and make plans for action.

      3. Our thoughts and our plans must line up with the word of God.

      4. If Satan can corrupt  our minds, he can control what we do.

      5. It is not what people do to us, it is how we respond to them that counts.

      6. The standard for our response is the Word of God.

 D. The Lord says, vengeance is mind.

      1. We don't fully know the enemy nor what he/she is capable of doing.

      2. God knows the thoughts of the enemy before they are formulated in his/her mind.

      3. God knows your enemies and what can hurt them the most.

      4. God may cause your enemy to bless you.

      5. God can make the wrongs of the enemy  work out for your benefit.

 E. God has a zeal to protect His people.

      1. God is in control.

      2. The enemy can not do anything to you that God does not allow.

GOD REPAYS OUR ENEMIES WITH HIS WRATH

V:18. " According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and

  retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. "

A. God knows the enemy and all of his deeds.

     1. Nothing escapes the Lord.

     2. He is omniscience. He knows everything.

     3. God keeps track of the enemy and all of his wrongs against you.

B. God will repay the wrongs done to you by you enemies with His wrath.

    1. God can do more harm to your enemy than you can do or think.

    2. God can use other people to do harm to your enemies.

    3. What goes around comes around.

    4. Whatever your enemy did to you will be repaid to them.

GOD WILL CAUSE OUR ENEMIES TO FEAR HIM

V:19. " From the west, men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along. ".

A. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

     1. Men will know the glory of the Lord from all parts of the universe.

     2. Men will know and fear the Lord from the west to the east.

     3. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.

B. God has a way of making your enemies know that He is the one that causes

     trouble in their lives.

    2. When your enemy get up in the morning they will fear the day before them.

    3. A sinful person is always looking over his/her shoulder to see who is trying

        to catch up with them.

 C. God can use his breath to cause a flood of problems to show up in your

      enemy's life.

    1. One thing about a flood, it can destroy everything in its path.

    2. That being the case, you need to stay out of your enemy's face and let

        God handle revenge.

JESUS IS OUR REDEEMER    

V:20 "The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,"  declares the Lord."

A. We must confess our sins before the Lord and accept Jesus as our redeemer.

    1. As the prophecy states, Jesus came from Heaven and sacrificed Himself

        for the sins of the Jews and the entire world.

    2. Only those who come to Jesus will be saved.

    3. Jesus said,  I am the way the truth and the life.

B. The Lord not only takes care of our enemies, but He also takes care of us.

    1. The Lord reminds us of who we are and whose we are through the power

        of the Holy Spirit.

    1. Even though we are in the Church, we are not all the Church.

    2. Some of us have not committed ourselves to God.

    3. We still have some un-confessed sins.

    4. We cannot serve the Lord and the world at the same time.

    5. The Lord our God is a jealous God and He will not share us with anyone.

V:21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the Lord."

A. God is a God who cannot lie.

    1. God keeps his promises and covenants with us.

    2. Whatever God said He will do, He will do.

B. The Spirit of the Lord dwells in all believers because of death and

     resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

   1. God has given us His word and has preserved the inspiration of it

       throughout time.

   2. The Holy Spirit is our divine teacher of the Word.

   3. The Holy Spirit convict us of our sins by the Word.

   4. The Holy Spirit convict us of the righteousness of the Word.

   5. Jesus said, " Heaven and earth will pass away but my word is eternal."

   6. The copies of the Bible we have are accurate.

   7. In 1952, a Bedouin shepherd  chasing a stray stumbled into the Qumran caves near

       Israel and found fragments of the Bible that have been dated 300 years before the

       birth of Christ.

   8. The fragments they found are word for word accurate with our present day Bible.

       a.122 Biblical Scrolls were found representing every book of the Old Testament

           except for Esther.

       b. Jesus read and quoted from the same scriptures we are now reading.

       c. God maintains His Word so that His people will always have His reference for

           righteousness.

GOD WILL CARRY YOU THROUGH YOUR TROUBLES IF YOU TRUST HIM

Rev. M. Mitchell,

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "God's Mercy In Restoration", 7/27/2015

GOD'S MERCY IN RESTORATION

Micah 7:14 - 20

A PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE AND DIRECTIONS

V:14. " Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands.  Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago. "

 A. Prayer is always in season.

     1. Whenever we are troubled, we should feel free to go to God.

     2. There are some things only God can handle.

 B. When you have counseled someone and they want listen, then you  need to

      put the problem in God's hands.

    1. When interceding on someone's behalf, be specific.

    2. The Word says, we should pray without ceasing.

C. The prophet Micah was praying for Israel's restoration from their sinful behavior.

    1. He prayed that God would be their shepherd.

        a. Our Shepherd is Jesus Christ.

        b. The rod is His Word.

    2. He prayed that God would use the hook on the shepherd's rod to pull Israel

        back in line.

    3. Sometimes, we will not change unless doors are closed on us and we have no

        way to turn but to God.

    4. God locked Israel out of the promise land, before they would long

        for His mercy and crave for the opportunity to worship in the temple.

REFLECT ON WHAT GOD HAS DONE

V:15.  "As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders."

 A. In spite of us, God keeps His promises and fulfills His covenants.

     1. Israel pursued darkness by their worship of idol gods and refusing to follow

         God's commands.

     2. As a result of their sins, Israel lost possession of the promise land

        (for a period of 70 years).

 B. After God brought them out of captivity, and restored them into the promise land,

      they were still under Babylonian control.

    1. God kept His promises to David and Solomon  by sending His Son, Jesus Christ

        as their everlasting king.

    2. While Jesus walked the earth, He performed miracles and wonders before His

         people and  the enemies of God.

    3. Even  though, the Israelites  were in the mist of the light, they preferred darkness.

HOPE FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE

V:16. " Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power. They will lay their hands on their mouths and their ears will become deaf. "

 A. This is a prophecy of the end times that will take place doing the millennium.

     1. Jesus will come back some time in the future (could be soon) and take all believers

         living and dead  to heaven to be with Him.   1 Thes 4:13-18.

     2. There will be a seven year tribulation period.

     3. The Israelites who survive the tribulation will be ruled by Christ their

          King, for a thousand years.  Rev 20:4

 B. With Jesus as King and ruler on earth, all sorts of miracles can take place.

     1. There is no power greater than Jesus.

     2. When Jesus was resurrected, all power over heaven and earth was given to Him.

          Mat 28:18

V:17. " They will lick dust like a snake, like creatures that crawl on the ground. They will come trembling out of their dens; they will turn in fear to the Lord our God and will be afraid of you. "

A. With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Church was established.

    1. The Church is powered by the Holy Spirit.

    2. Faith in the Word of God makes all things possible.

B. The Wisdom of God confounds the wise of the world.

    1. Christians who trust the Lord have nothing to fear.

    2. Those who trust in themselves will eventually find failure in some area of their lives.

    3. God uses the failures in our lives to draw us to Him.

THINK ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD

V:18. " Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

 A. Jesus death on the cross, atoned for the sins of the world.

     1. The shed blood of Jesus covers the sins of the faithful, making them acceptable to

         God the Father.

     2.We are saved by graced through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 B. It is the Word of God that sanctifies us before the Father.

     1. God is not angry with us because His Son has justified us before the

         Him.

     2. Faith in Jesus gives us the inheritance of  eternal life.

V:19. " You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. "

A. Jesus atoned for our sins and the Father does not hold them against us.

    1. Psalms 103:12 states, " As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed

        our transgressions from us."

     2. It takes knowledge of the Word to know that the wages of sin is death.

     3. It takes knowledge of the Word to know that God forgives our sins through

         our faith in His Son.

     4. God had prophets who new His Word and maintained a relationship with Him.

 B. The nation of Israel had no right to expect anything from God.

     1. They had rejected the almighty God in favor of idol gods.

     2. They took advantage of the poor, the widowers and the orphans.

     3. They used unbalanced scales in their transactions.

     4. They changed the boundaries of the land in their favor.

 C. But God gave them prophets that knew the Word.

      1. God gave them righteous men who interceded for them in prayer.

      2. God gave them righteous men who knew the promises of God.

 C. When you have a relationship with Jesus , you can ask Him anything.

     1. There is power in prayer.

     2. There is hope in prayer.

     3. God unleashes His grace and mercy because of our prayers of faithfulness.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

V:20. " You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath

 to our fathers in days long ago."

A. God made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would inherent  the promise

     land  forever.

    1. God does not change His plans because we are disobedient.

    2. God's plan will be fulfilled with or without us.

    3. In Israel's case, a new generations of Israelites would see the God's

        promises fulfilled.

B. What can we learn about God through this text?

    1.God forgives us for our sins if we ask with a repentant heart.

    2. God gets angry, but His anger will work out for our good.

    3. God loves to show us mercy.  His mercy endures forever.

    4. The God we serve is a compassionate God.

    5. God has settle the issue of sin through the death of our Lord and Savior 

        Jesus Christ.

    6. God is true and faithful to His Word.

    7. It is by God's grace through His son that we obtain Heaven as our final destination.

LET US KEEP OUR FAITH IN JESUS AND OUR HOPE IN HIS PROMISES

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

This week's Sunday School Lesson, "What Is My Problem" 7/19/2015

WHAT IS MY PROBLEM

Micah 6:3-8

WHATS WRONG WITH ME?

V:3. "My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. "

 A. The Lord is asking the question, What is our problem?  Why is it that we can't

       serve the Lord and worship Him in spirit and truth?

     1. The nation of Israel grew up in slavery in Egypt.

     2. There were huge stone monuments to the Egyptian gods.

     3. Engrained in their culture were these Egyptian gods who the Egyptians believed

         controlled every aspect of human existence.

 B. When the Israelites were freed from slavery, they came with these visible images of

      Egyptian gods engrained in their minds.

      1. They did not abandon these images, they brought them into the promise land in the

           form of carved images. Ex 23:24

       2. It was hard for them to abandon what they could see for a spiritual being they

           could not see.

           a. It was hard for the Israelites to get out of their minds idol gods who had temples

               and statues built for  worship.

           b. It was hard for them to replace the idol gods they could see for  the Almighty

               God they  could not see.

  C. That is our problem today.

      1. We have the visible monuments to success and fame all around us.

      2. We have the mansions and limousines, parties and fashions for the rich and

           the famous all around us.

      3.  The world has defined success as how much stuff you have and how much

            money you have in your bank account.

      4. What's my problem you ask? I have seen too much.

      5. What is my problem you ask?. I have tasted too much and been involve in too

          much stuff to lay it all down and wholly embraced the Almighty God.

C. God Help Me.

     1. That's why I need a prayer life.

     2. That's why I need intercessory prayer.

          a. I need somebody praying for me, because I am slipping down the toilet .

          b. Thank God for the Holy Spirit, that has sealed me until the day of redemption.

MY HISTORY WITH GOD

V:4. " I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam."

A. The Israelites had a long history with God.

    1. He was with them before they were a nation.

    2. He was making promises and covenants with them before they existed.

    3. God promised Abraham 430 years before they existed  that his

        descendants would be born in slavery and freed to enter the promise land.

B. When the Israelites came  out of Egypt, God gave His people His commands.

    1. He  gave them Moses, their commander in chief and shepherd.

    2. He gave them Aaron, their High Priest.

    3. He gave them Miriam their worship and praise leader.

    4. God gave Israel at Mount Sinai His commands.

    5. They had all the ingredients to have some Church.

C. But they had this image in their minds of what gods they wanted to serve.

     1. They had this image in their minds of what gods they wanted to trust.

     2. They had the essence of God's glory all around them.

          a. They had the evidence of God's love all around.

          b. They had the Almighty God's protection and provisions daily.

     3, But they couldn't see God because the image of the idol gods was behind them,

         in them and before them all the time.    

     4. What was their problem? Their lust for idol worship.

REFLECTING ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD

V:5. " My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember [ your journey] from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord."

A. The Lord reacts to Satan's attack on our lives.
    1. God is working in the background when we are not aware of what is happening.

    2. Balak, King of Moab counseled with Balaam's son to curse Israel.

    3. While Balaam son was trying to curse Israel, God forced word of blessings out of

         his mouth.

 B. We really never know all that God is doing to protect and provide for us.

     1. We know about the trials and tribulations that we have faced.

     2. We know what God has brought us through.

     3. But what about what didn't happen because God stood between us and the evil

         forces of Satan.

     4. What's my problem? Just not grateful enough for the presence of God in my life.

NOT THE CHURCH BUT IN CHURCH

V:6. " With what shall I come before the Lord  and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? "

A. God wants our hearts first before we ever give Him a sacrifice.

    1. The Israelites were religious in keeping God's ceremonies.

    2. They knew when, why and how to make the required sacrifices for

        atonements of sins and worship.

 B. Their problem was, that while they were going through the motions, their hearts

      were not being changed.

    1. While they were participating in the ceremonies they were not being convicted.

    2. What is my problem? I like Church, but I don't always act like the Church.

GIVE YOURSELF TO CHRIST BEFORE YOU GIVE AN OFFERING

V:7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  

  Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my

  soul? "

 A. It don't make no difference how much you offer to Lord in goods and services,

     if you don't do it with loving respect and the fear of the Lord.

   1. The Israelites came out of Egypt, rich with much livestock and gold that God

        commanded the Egyptians to give them.

 2. Everything the Israelites had to give, came from the Lord.

 3. God is not interested in our stuff. He wants us.

 4. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, Holy and acceptable to the Lord.

B. Sin is sin, worthy of death.

  1. Only a sacrifice of you is acceptable to God.

  2. God wants your life dedicated to Him not your stuff.

  3. Once God gets your life, you will readily give Him your stuff. 

HOW SHOULD I ACT?  IT'S IN THE WORD

V: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. "

 A. Religion ought to change your lifestyle to be in tuned with God.

    1. The Word of God is designed to convict out hearts.

    2. Faith come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

 B. What is my problem you ask?

    1. Not enough hearing to know the Word of God.

    2. Not enough hearing to know the mercy of God.

    3. Not enough hearing to know the Grace of God.

    4. Not enough hearing to know the Love of God.

    5. Not enough hearing to trust God.

    6. Not enough hearing to know the forgiveness of God.

    7. Not enough hearing to be grateful to God for His long suffering and

        kindness.

   8. Not enough hearing to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

C. God gives us three requirements to get right with Him.

    1. Live Justly.

        a. Do the right thing.

        b. Treat everybody right.

   2. Love mercy.

       a. Be kind to others.

       b. Find something to do to help someone else.

       c. Have a forgiving heart.

       b. Be tolerant of others.

  3. Walk humbly with God.

      a. God hates the proud.

      b. See yourself as nothing and God as everything.

      c. See others as more important than yourself.

What's My Problem?   I am listen to the wrong voices.

THE SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM

V:9 "Listen! The Lord is calling to the city —  and to fear your name is wisdom — 

       "Heed the rod and the One who appointed it. "

  A. God called us out of the world, freed us from the slavery of sin to worship Him.

       1. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation to draw men and women to His Son,

            our redeemer.

       2. We have to give ourselves to Christ to serve Him.

 B. What is the solution to my problem?

     1. Give up me and accept Christ.

     2. Give up what I want for what God wants for me.

     3. Let Christ be my role model.

     4. Let the Word of God be my guide.

     5. Serve the Lord with all your mind, your heart, your soul, your strength,

        and be grateful to Him.

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church.

This Week"s Sunday School Lesson, "What Would Happen If There Is No God", 7/12/2015

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS NO GOD?

Micah 3:5-12

V:5. " This is what the Lord says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him."

A. If there is no God, there would be no Word from God.

     1. Every man would be for himself.

     2. You would have false prophets telling you what you want to hear.

     3. You would have to pay someone to tell you that there is hope.

     4. I believe that there are people who chose a church based on the message that

         the preacher brings that is agreeable to them.

B. If there is no God, there would be no peace in our lives.

    1. You would be at  war with your neighbors all the time.

    2. The promise land was designed as a place of rest.  Joshua 1:13

    3. Because of Israel's sins against God, they were always at war.

    4. Much of the conflict in our lives is a result of our disobedient behavior.

    5. When you know God's Word and are disobedient, there is an internal conflict

        between  your spirit and your flesh.   Rom 8:5-8

 C. If a preacher preached to much on sin, he would soon have his congregation rising up

      against him.

    1. We are in the " name it and claim it generation".

    2. We want the milk of the Word which draws us to Christ, but not the meat of the

        Word which grows us in Christ.

        a. The milk of the Word is John 3:16.  This is all about faith in Jesus which brings

            eternal life.

        b. The meat of the Word is Romans 12:1. This is all about growing in Christ.

        c. The meat of the Word is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice which is against

            our nature.

V:6. " Therefore night will come over you, without visions, and darkness, without divination. The sun will set for the prophets, and the day will go dark for them. "

A. If there was no God,  man would constantly be in the dark.

     1. Jesus is the light of the world.  John 8:12

     2. His Word is a lamp to our feet.  Ps 119:105

     3. Darkness is separation from God.

B. Without God there is no vision for the future.

     1. God has given us His Word, which contains His vision for our lives.

     2. God said, "my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge".   Hos 4:6,   Isa 5:13

     3. Life is found only in the truth which is the Word of God.    2 John 2:2

     4. Men are captivated and imprisoned in darkness.

         a. But it is the truth that sets us free.  John 8:32

C. Without the Word, there is no hope for eternal life.

    1. We can't claim Jesus without claiming a sacrifice for Jesus.

    2. We can't claim Jesus without trusting in His Word.

V:7. " The seers will be ashamed and the diviners disgraced. They will all cover their faces because there is no answer from God."

A. Without the true and living God, men make up gods of their imagination.

    1. Since idol gods  are nothing, there can be no answer from them.  1Cor 8:4

    2. Those who claim to know the future without God will, be brought to

        shame.

B. A false prophet will be found to be an imposter when his prediction does not

    come true.

   1. Only God knows the end from the beginning.   Isa 46:10

   2. Without God there is no spiritual insight.

C. Without God, who will answer our prayers?

   1. We have a history with God answering our prayers.

   2. Why pay a fortune teller to give you an answer, when

        only God has the answer?  Eze  13:2-3

V:8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin.

A. It is the job of the preacher to point out to God's people their sins.

    1. God's preachers must speak the truth with love. Eph 4:15

    2. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  1 John 1:8

B. The Word of God is the only thing that can convict us of our sins.  John 16:8

    1. Preachers must speak the truth with conviction through the power of the Holy Spirit.

    2. God's people need to know  the truth to be drawn to repent of their sins.

    3. Sometimes, the truth about our sins is hard to hear, but it is necessary.

    4. People in the dark, must hear about light to be drawn to the light.

    5. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

V:9-10. " Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right." V:10. " who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness.

 A. Justice or injustice starts with the  leaders and the rulers of the people.

     1. Justice and fairness must be enforced from the top.

     2. If the Word of  God is not taught and practice from the top leaders, injustice will

         exist.

 B. The righteous guide for leadership is the Word of God.

    1. People can protest all they want, but if the leaders don't respond with the Word of

        God, no change will be made.

    2. In the US, the needs of the people are not met because powerful well funded

        lobbyists control our leaders with their campaign contributions.

    3. Our elected leaders run  for office  on a platform of justice for the people, but are

        quickly changed to the views of powerful lobbyist.

    4. For example, our Texas state leaders past a bill that allows anyone to carry a gun

        

           openly.

        a. This makes it possible for any upset or angry person to shoot another person

            "just because".  

        b. Who is going to check to see if the person has a permit to carry a gun and is

             mentally stable?

V:11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, "Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us."

 A. There is nothing new under the sun.

     1. Everything that is happening today, happen doing Biblical times.

     2. We have powerful preachers who get rich  preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

         without a need to repent for sins.

     3. Money collected from the members in some cases is spent on luxury living rather

         than promoting the righteousness of God.

 B. The United States was founded on a platform of justice for all.

     1. We even have "In God We Trust" on our money.

     2. We are gradually pushing God out of our lives.

     3. We put the mention of God out of our schools.

     4. Our government have now changed family to include same sex marriages.

        a. God's design for  marriage is one man and one woman.

        b. Our views have changed, but God's Word has not changed.

        c. God is the authority, not the government.

 C. The glory of God is shown in every major disaster.

     1. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes show the unlimited power of God

         to destroy that which He created.

     2. As preachers, we must be careful to preach and teach the Word of God

         without perversion.

     3. Our job is not to make people feel good but to convict them of their sins with the

         Word of God.

V:12. " Therefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets. "

A. We must take the Word of God at face value.

    1. What God says He will do, He will do.

    2. Scripture is the evidence of God keeping His word.

B. Israel has a history of God destroying their cities because of their disobedience.

    1. In the book of Daniel we have the prophecies that the Greek and Roman

        empires would be destroyed they have already been fulfilled.

   2. Why do we not believe and why do we not take God's Word seriously.?

C. God warned the Nation of Israel that they would be destroyed if they did not

     repent. They did not repent and God destroyed their city.

BE FORE-WARNED, GOD IS TRUE TO HIS WORD

Rev. M. Mitchell,   Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Destruction Can Lead To Restoration", 7/5/2015

DESTRUCTION CAN LEAD TO RESTORATION

Micah 2:4-11

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

V:4.  In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: 'We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors."

A. Lack of love for the brethren and the lust for gain will lead to personal destruction.

    1. No corrupt person, will ever see the kingdom of God nor appreciate the glory

        of God.

    2. Self destruction is a voluntary action that begins with the violation of God's greatest

        commands.

        a. Love the Lord God with all your heart,  mind, soul and strength .

        b. Love your neighbor as yourself.

   3. Upon these two hang all of the Law, the writings of the prophets and Psalms.

       Matt 22:39

   4. Upon these two hang the successes and failures of life.

   5. Upon these two hang all the blessings and punishments of God.

B. God set the boundaries of the Promise Land in a covenant with Abraham.

   1. God preserved the Promise Land while Israel grew to be a nation in 430

       years of slavery.

   2. God freed Israel under Moses leadership and gave them His commands.

   3. Israel took possession of the Promise Land under Joshua.

       a. The Promise Land was divided among the 12 tribes of Jacob.

       b. The boundaries of the land of each tribe was set by God and never to be changed.

 C. The Promise Land is Zion, the Holy Land.

     1. Israel is God's first chosen people and were to be an example of God's power,

         glory and supreme Love.

     2. After taking over the Promise Land under Joshua, the whole nation of Israel

         openly and publicly promised to keep God's commands.  Joshua 24:21-24

     3. Israel failed to keep God's commands and they failed God.

 D. Through Micah the prophet, God promised the destruction of Israel for their sins.

    1. The Promise Land was given to the Nation of Israel and not specifically to any  

        particular person. 

    2. The Land was given to all generations of Israelites and to keep the promise made to

        Abraham.

GOD CLEANS HIS HOUSE

V:5. " Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the Lord  to divide the land by lot. "

 A. Sometimes, God has to clean house and start over with a new generation of His

      chosen people who will worship Him.

    1. He made his creation perfect, but it was corrupted by the sin of Adam.

    2. One simple disobedient act affected all generations on earth.

        a. Adam and Eve disobeyed one command; not to eat from the tree of Knowledge

            and  of Good and Evil.

        b. That one sin is infectious throughout all mankind.

 B. God destroyed the earth and all its inhabitants with the great flood.

    1. Noah and his family and all the animals placed in the Ark were saved because

        of one man's faithfulness.

   2. During the prophet  Micah's time, God again promised the destruction of His people.

 C. Sin is really the hatred of God's commands.

    1. Because of their lack of love and respect for God and their neighbors, they

        divided, brought and sold land that was not theirs to sell.

    2. The rich showed no compassion for the poor, the widowers and orphans.

     

THE RESULT OF LISTENING TO THE WRONG VOICE

V:6.  "Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us."

 A. Sin left unchecked is progressive.

     1. One sin will lead to other  sins that are worst than the first.

     2. Our unrighteousness will affect the unrighteousness of generations  to come.

 B. The first generation of Israelites worshipped God according to His commands

     and made sacrifices for their sins.

    1. They worshipped God religiously but not with their hearts.

    2. Generations later, they rejected God, His Word and His prophets,

      a. They rejected the truth and accepted the lies of Satan.

      b. They worshipped the things God created rather than God Himself.

   3. They had a history of God keeping His promises, but they refused to believe the

       promises. They refused to live by God's commands.

V:7 Should it be said, O house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of the Lord angry? Does he do such things?" "Do not my words do good to him whose ways are upright? "

 A. The people of Israel chose false prophets over God's prophets.

     1. False prophets never talk about the consequences of sin.

     2. False prophets tell you what you want to hear.

     3. False prophets never tell you that what you have gained in life belong to God.

     4. False prophets never tell you that you have what you have not just for your benefit,

         but for the benefit of all believers.

 B. A false prophet will never tell you that God is angry with you for your sins.

    1. A false prophet will never tell you that there are consequences for disobedience.

    2. A false prophet will tell you that God wants you to enjoy life.

    3. A false prophet will tell you that God will  continue to bless you no matter what you

        do.

    4. The prosperity message is popular, because it does not offend anyone. 

  

BECOMING YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY

V:8. " Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle."

A. When we go against God's commands, we eventually turn against ourselves.

    1. All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called

       according to His purposes.

   2.  When we mistreat  and abuse others we set ourselves up to be mistreated .

B. Some Israelites made themselves rich by taken from others by ungodly means.

   1. What goes around comes around.

   2. When you fail to show compassion to others, there will come a time when

        you will need that same compassion but will not receive it.

   3. When you mistreat others, there will come a time when you will be mistreated

       in a similar or worst way.

V:9. " You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever. "

 A. Jesus said what you do for the least of these, you do for me.

     1. In reverse, what you do against the least of these you do against God.

     2. God commands us to look after widowers and orphans.

     3. It is our responsibility to take care of our own people in need.

 B. The sins of Israel caused them to be engaged in wars that God did not intend

      for them to fight.

    1. The battle is not yours, it is the Lords.

    2. As a results of the wars against their enemies, many men were killed and their

        families left without a male head of the household.

    3. The rich made it their business to defraud the women of their homes and land.

        a. As a result, the children of the widowers were left without their rightful

           inheritance.

       b. We have to be conscience that any actions we take against one family member,

           affects other family members.

       c. We have to understand that any evil done to another person is a sin against God.

 

RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME

V:10. " Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy."

A. Like the garden of Eden, the Promise Land was designed to be a paradise for the

     Nation of Israel.

   1. As in the Garden of Eden, God intended that His people would worship Him only.

   2. As in the Garden of Eden, God spoke to His people through His Word.

   3. God made the Garden of Eden perfect. He made the Promise Land a perfect

       dwelling place for His people.

B. The Israelite's took what God had prepared for them and defiled it with their worship

     of idol gods made with their hands.

   1. They defiled the Promise Land with their sins against each other.

   2. Instead of being a light to the nations around them, they became the darkness that

       engulfed them.

   3. Their sins were more horrendous than their neighbors, because they had God's

       commands, which they disobeyed.

   4. The Nation of Israel ruined themselves with their sins against God.

   5. Sin can ruin a happy home.

   6. Lasting Joy can only be found in the righteousness of God. 

V:11. " If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people! "

A.  The Nation of Israel rejected God's prophets because they told the truth.

    1. The truth includes promises of God's favor for obedience and promises of

        chastisement for disobedient behavior.

    2. Israel wanted only to hear the blessing of God without the consequences of their

        sins.

 B. Satan came to steal, kill and destroy.

    1. Satan seized the opportunity of the evil desires of Israel and gave them what they

        wanted to hear from his agents; false prophets.

    2. Satan is a master deceiver.

    3. Satan is the father of all lies.

    4. He disguises himself as an angel of light.

    5. If you want to hear a lie, Satan is only a thought away.

DOWN BUT NOT OUT

Even though Israel angered God to the point of their destruction, He still will keep

the covenant He made with Abraham.

In 586 BC, Jerusalem and the Temple was destroyed. Many Israelites were killed and

others taken captive.  70 years later, those taken captive by the Babylonians  were

released by the hand of God and the city and the Temple rebuilt.

In 70 AD, after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Jerusalem and the Temple was

again destroyed. God is now gathering Israel, in the Promise Land for the millennium to

come.

Notice verses 12 and 13 is the promise of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior have already been redeemed  

Micah 2:12-13

12 "I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.

13 One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the Lord at their head."

BY THE GRACE OF GOD WE ARE SAVE FROM OUR SINS

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church