Scripture: Psalm 73:1-9; Micah 4:9-12

C.I.: Micah: Blessed in Spite of It All

Recently I was talking with a member who was frustrated by the justice they received from our courts.
The prophet Micah was also frustrated with what he saw – I call it, the “It Ain’t Fair” Factor!
Today we will listen - as God speaks to us about the blessings we have received – in spite of it all!

I. The Promised Blessings We have Received (Micah 4:1-5)

A. The People & Purpose for the Blessings (vs. 1-2)

1. The People: (v. 1), “It will come about in the last days - that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains. – it will be raised above the hills, the peoples will stream to it.”
a. “Last days” are NOW - (Heb. 1:1-2), “God in times past spoke to the fathers ….”
b. Many look for physical blessings/kingdom – Jesus promised a spiritual kingdom (Jn. 18:36).
c. So if we identify this mountain & house of the Lord – we will know who God is blessing…
1) (Heb. 12:22-23), “You have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, who are enrolled in heaven.”
2) (I Tim. 3:15), “In case I am delayed, I write so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God.”

2. The Purpose: (v. 2a), “And many nations will say, ‘Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob - that He may teach us His ways – & that we may walk in His paths.
a. The purpose for the church/kingdom – is to teach the nations – the will of God - (Matt. 28:18-20).
b. Since God’s people are today living in the “last days” – we therefore have the responsibility – to be teaching all the nations the ways of the Lord!

B. The Blessed Keynote of the Kingdom: JUSTICE & PEACE (v. 3)

1. Justice: (v. 3a), “He will judge between many peoples – and render decisions for mighty, distant N.”
a. The words of God – are the standard for our future judgment (Jn. 12:48).
b. And they give us His decisions - for how we should live today (II Tim. 3:16-17).

2. Peace: (v. 3b), “Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks – nation will not lift up sword against nation, - and never again shall they train for war.
1) In the O.T. –God’s people were constantly fighting – to receive physical blessings…
2) (Deut. 7:1-2), “When the Lord your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and shall clear away many nations before you; Ht., G., Am., Ca., Pe., Hv., Je., 7 nations greater & stronger than you, and when the Lord your God shall deliver them before you, you shall defeat them, and then you shall utterly destroy them.”

b. Yet in these “last days” - Jesus came so we could - have peace between us & God and each other.
1) We bring peace the same way Jesus did – (Mt. 5:9; Eph. 2:17), “Blessed … He preached P.”
2) Peace with each other - “He Himself is our P. who made Jews & Gentiles into 1,” (Eph. 2:14)
3) Now the only one we fight – is the one who would separate us from God – Eph. 6:12.

C. The Blessed Promise of the Kingdom: PROSPERITY & SECURITY (v. 4)

1. Prosperity: (v. 4a), “And each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree”
a. The wealth of the Kingdom of God – surpasses the riches of any in the kingdoms of men.
1) (Eph. 1:3, 7), “Blessed be … the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches….”
2) True value of earthly riches – is demonstrated by what it cannot purchase – (Matt. 16:26).

2. Security: (v. 4b), “…with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
a. The security of God’s kingdom – is shown by the helplessness of man’s kingdom against us.
1) (Quote: Jn. 10:27-28; Rom. 8:31), “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and not one shall snatch them out of My hand” … “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
b. So, compared to the kingdoms of men – we are far richer & far safer - than they can ever be!

D. The Blessed Lifestyle of Those in the Kingdom: A RIGHTEOUS WALK (v. 5)

1. (v. 5), “Though all of the peoples walk – each in the name of his god, - as for us, we will walk…!”
a. The “walk” of an individual – is the lifestyle that characterizes their life.
1) (Eph. 2:1-2a; 4:17-19), “You were dead…” – “…no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, - because of the ignorance that is in them, - because of the hardness of their heart; - and they having become callous, - have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.”
b. Yet for the believer- the citizen of Christ’s kingdom – our walk is far different…
1) (Eph. 5:1-2), “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.”
2) (I Jn. 2:6), “Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to himself walk in the same manner as Christ walked.”

CONCLUSIONS:

1. The “IT AIN’T FAIR FACTOR” – is only something that is raised – when we don’t see the things God is
doing for us – (PURPOSE – JUSTICE – PEACE – PROSPERITY – SECURITY)! No wonder we are
called to live a righteous lifestyle!!!

1. God tells us who are saved, Phil. 3:20, “Our citizenship is in heaven…” – If you would like to become a
citizen – you can’t be naturalized into it (stick around God’s people, come to church, etc.) – you must be
born into it (Jn. 3:3, 5).