Sunday, February 26, 2017, Evident Grace Fellowship looked at this Big Picture Question:

Big Picture Question:  Why is God better than the world’s best thing?

We pursued that thought in Micah 6:9-16.

Micah 6.9 The voice of the Lord cries to the city—and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: “Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it! 10 Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? 11 Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? 12 Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. 13 Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins. 14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. 15 You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine. 16 For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.”

We found these 3 answers to our Big Picture Question:

Big Picture Question:  Why is God better than the world’s best thing? 

He is full of wisdom
He is just
He is powerful

Let’s pursue our first answer:

He is full of wisdom.

Micah 6.9 The voice of the Lord cries to the city—and it is sound wisdom to fear your name: “Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it! 10 Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is accursed? 11 Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? 12 Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

The people of Micah’s day were doing their business wickedly. They were overcharging interest in their day to day business dealings and even mistreating widows.  While the market may have allowed that, God called it wicked and even violent.  The wisdom of the world called it good.  The wisdom of God called it evil.  Lots of money could be made, and the people of Micah’s day called that money better than God.  The wisdom of God shows that God’s wisdom is better than what the world has to offer.

He is just.

13 Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow, making you desolate because of your sins.  14 You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword. 15 You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.

God in His justice frustrated the wealth of His people.  He declared that they would work and be hungry.  They would work and not save.  If they did save, it would be taken by the sword.  They would harvest olives and grapes but not have oil or wine to enjoy.

When the world raises something up as better than God, God shows His justice to prove He and His wisdom are best.

He is powerful.

16 For you have kept the statutes of Omri, and all the works of the house of Ahab; and you have walked in their counsels, that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing; so you shall bear the scorn of my people.”

The people of Micah’s day were following Omri and Ahab, a false god and politician.  They put their hope in them and their counsel.  God showed He is better than the world’s best by bringing His people to desolation.  When the world raises something up as better than God, God shows His power.

For us, we must think how we might pursue God as best.  Jesus helps us in Matthew 13.

Matthew 13:45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The kingdom of God, the work of Jesus through believers and the church, is of such value that it dwarfs everything of value in this world.  All that the believer possess, (materially, physically, spiritually, etc…) is to be given over to serve the work of Jesus in this world.

We ended our sermon with this wrap up.

Big Picture Question:  Why is God better than the world’s best thing? 

He is full of wisdom
He is just
He is powerful

Truth: God’s wisdom, justice, and power are better than every one of the world’s best things.

Application:  Live knowing that God’s great wisdom, justice, and power is both your source and purpose in this world.

Action:

 

• Select a place in your life (relationship, task, responsibility, etc)
• Ask yourself how purposefully you think and apply God’s wisdom, justice, and power there.
• Boldly make changes.