THE LORD HATH A CONTROVERSY

Pastor James J. Barker

Text: MICAH 6:1-8




INTRODUCTION:


  1. Micah 6:2 is a startling statement: "Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel."
  2. The word "controversy" means, "dispute" or "quarrel" or "complaint." According to the Bible, God always has a controversy with those who refuse to obey Him.
  3. In fact, we see this same statement several times in the Old Testament.
  4. Jeremiah 25:31 says, "The LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD."
  5. Hosea 4:1 says, "Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land."
  6. Hosea 12:2 says, "The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him."
  7. And I believe God has a controversy with America today!
  8. Recently a young actor started reading the Bible and attending a church in Los Angeles. Consequently he gave an interview, and he said the show, called "Two and a Half Men" was nothing but "filth."
  9. Sadly, most of the shows on television are filth. Most Hollywood movies are filth. Most hip hop and rap and rock music is filth.
  10. So I believe God has a controversy with America today!

 

I. SOME SAD QUESTIONS (MICAH 6:3).

  1. What a sad question! "O my people, what have I done unto thee?" (6:3).
  2. Oftentimes an ungrateful husband will speak roughly to his loving wife. Some men commit adultery. And the suffering wife will say to her selfish and thoughtless husband , "What have I done to deserve this?"
  3. Or sometimes a disloyal man will talk unkind things behind the back of an old friend. And the friend, deeply hurt and offended, will say, "Why? What have I done unto thee?"
  4. This treachery is inexcusable, but how much worse when the aggrieved friend is the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord who created us, and died on the cross for us.
  5. The Lord who redeemed us, and pardoned us, and saved us.
  6. Our Lord looks down from heaven and asks, "O my people, what have I done unto thee?" (6:3).
  7. Why are you so cold? So selfish? So indifferent? So backslidden?
  8. But that's not all. There is a second question -- "And wherein have I wearied thee?" Another sad question!
  9. If many Christians were honest they would have to admit God wearies them! They find it wearisome to go to Sunday School, wearisome to go to church on Sunday morning, wearisome to come back for Sunday night service. They find it wearisome when the pastor talks about tithing or stewardship or missions.
  10. They find it wearisome to come to prayer meeting, wearisome to go soulwinning, wearisome to pray, and wearisome to read their Bible!
  11. If you find the Lord's work tiresome and tedious you need revival! Or maybe you need to get saved!
  12. Dwight L. Moody said, "I get tired in the work, but I never get tired of the work."
  13. We should be concerned that the LORD is getting weary of our behaviour!
  14. The LORD said to wicked King Ahaz, "Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?" (Isaiah 7:13).
  15. Isaiah 43:24 says, "Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities."
  16. God is weary with our iniquities, our secret sins, our complacency, our excuses, our laziness, our worldliness, our stinginess, and our coldness.
  17. The LORD says in Micah 6:3, "Testify against me."
  18. Who here this morning would want to testify against God?!
  19. We will have our opportunity some day. First Peter 4:5 says, "Who shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead."
  20. We will all have to give an account to God. Who will dare to "testify against" God? Let us consider our ways.
  21. Consider these sad questions (Micah 6:3).

 

II. A FAULTY MEMORY (6:4, 5).

  1. Mark the word, "Remember" (6:5). It is a word found often in Scripture!
  2. In Exodus 13:3, Moses said unto the people, "Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place" (cf. Micah 6:4).
  3. God graciously sent them Moses, the great lawgiver, and Aaron the high priest, and Miriam the prophetess (Micah 6:4). God needed to remind them, but He shouldn't have to remind us.
  4. Deuteronomy 8:2 says, "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."
  5. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, "But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth."
  6. Deuteronomy 15:15 says, "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
  7. John Newton was a British sailor who lived a wicked and godless life. He became involved with the slave trade for a few years, and he himself was even enslaved for a while, until he was rescued by a sea captain who had been asked by Newton's father to search for him.
  8. By the grace of God, John Newton was saved and he went on to become a great preacher and hymnwriter.
  9. His most famous composition was:
  10. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
    That saved a wretch like me.
    I once was lost, but now am found,
    Was blind but now I see.
  11. John Newton never wanted to forget what the Lord had done for him. When he entered the Christian ministry, he printed Deuteronomy 15:15 in bold letters, and fastened it right across the wall over his study mantelpiece.
  12. "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee."
  13. God wants us to remember (Micah 6:4, 5).
  14. First Chronicles 16:12 says, "Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth."
  15. Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."
  16. Psalm 77:11 says, "I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old."
  17. Psalm 105:5 says, "Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth."
  18. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."
  19. Isaiah 46:9 says, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me."
  20. The prophet Habakkuk prayed, "O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy" (Hab. 3:2).
  21. Our Lord said to His disciples in Mark 8:18, "Do ye not remember?"
  22. Abraham said to the rich man in hell, "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented" (Luke 16:25).
  23. Our Lord said in Luke 17:32, "Remember Lot's wife."
  24. Our Lord said in John 16:4, "But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them."
  25. The apostle Paul said, "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
  26. Our Lord said in Revelation 2:5, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent."
  27. In Micah 6:5, the LORD says, "O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD."
  28. God wanted them (and us) to remember how He turned Balaam's curse into a blessing (cf. Numbers 23:11, 12).
  29. The same God who did that for Israel will surely do that for you and me (cf. Romans 8:28-39).
  30. Wednesday night I was preaching from Jeremiah 29. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Let us remember that!

 

III. HOW TO APPROACH GOD (6:6-8).

  1. Many people wonder how to approach God; and how they may seek His favor (Micah 6:6, 7).
  2. In John 6:28, our Lord was asked, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"
  3. Our Lord replied, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29).
  4. Many people think they can approach God through formalism and ritualism. "Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?" (Micah 6:7).
  5. Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
  6. The only blood that can take away sin is the blood of Jesus.

    What can wash away my sin?
    Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
    What can make me whole again?
    Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
    -- Robert Lowry

  7. By the way, the preacher who wrote that song was the founding pastor of the church where we will be going on Friday evening.
  8. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
  9. Colossians 1:14 says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."
  10. First Peter 1:19 says we have been redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
  11. First John 1:7 says, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
  12. Revelation 1:5 says Jesus "loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood."
  13. Most people here assembled here this morning understand that the only way to be saved is by the blood of Christ. Spurgeon said, "Morality will keep you out of jail, but it takes the blood of Christ to keep you out of hell."
  14. Many people have an external religion but there is absolutely no internal reality. Nicodemus was the most religious man in Israel, and Jesus told him, "Ye must be born again" (John 3).
  15. If you are born again; if you have already trusted Christ as your Lord and Saviour, then you can go on to Micah 6:8 -- "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
  16. Only a sinner who has been saved by grace can "walk humbly with God."
  17. Only a born again child of God can "walk humbly with God."
  18. We have to come to God on His terms, not ours.

 

CONCLUSION:


  1. Micah 6:6-8 should not be mistaken as a condemnation of the Mosaic sacrificial system.
  2. God established that system and it was right for Jews to bring their animal sacrifices to God if their hearts were right with God.
  3. First Samuel 15:22 and 23 says, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry."


| Customized by Jun Gapuz |