Micah 1-7

Introduction

• Micah means “who is like Jehovah.”

• Micah was contemporary with Isaiah, which we can see by comparing the kings mentioned in both books.

• Micah primarily prophesied to the poor and downtrodden, from about 735 B.C.

God’s judgment on Samaria and Judah with a ray of hope for salvation for a remnant (Micah 1-3)

• Micah 3:2 – Truth is the most hated thing in the world!

Messianic hope (Micah 4-5)

• Micah 4:1-3 – Compare Isaiah 2:2-4.

• Micah 4:3-5 – God’s kingdom would be peaceful, not defended with carnal weapons. II Corinthians 10:4-5

• Micah 4:4 – Christians have more power than Satan. We can resist him!

• Micah 5:2 – Jesus would come out of Bethlehem and be eternal (deity – see John 1:1).

• Micah 5:7-9 – We should be as dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass. This is referring to the positive influence the righteous should have on those around them.

• Micah 5:8 – See Proverbs 28:1. The righteous will be bold like a lion, standing in truth. II Corinthians 10:4-5.

God has a controversy with Israel (Micah 6)

• Micah 6:1-5 – Israel had no gratitude for God’s blessings.

• Micah 6:6-8 – It is possible to do the right things in worship and still not be saved. God wants a right life, not ritual.

Penitent prays and the divine promise (Micah 7)

• Micah 7:1-6 – Confession of the people’s guilt.

• Micah 7:14 – Prayer for God’s blessings.

• Micah 7:15 – God would show them marvelous things!

• Micah 7:16 – Nations will be confounded at the might of the righteous. Proverbs 28:1; II Corinthians 10:4-5

• Micah 7:18-20 – God delights in mercy and will pardon iniquity. Hebrews 8:12

Lessons for us:

• God requires us to live righteously. We must be merciful and walk humbly with God.

• The holiness of God and righteousness of God must be stressed today.

• Ritualistic keeping of commandments is not sufficient for salvation.

Next up: Zephaniah

I Thessalonians 3:1-13

I Thessalonians 3:1-5 – This is still needed today: older Christians encouraging new Christians. Timothy is a good example of how we can each take on different roles and help the cause of Christ. I Corinthians 3:5-6

I Thessalonians 3:6-8 – Paul was connected to the Thessalonians. He rejoiced and grieved with them (3 John 1:3-4). Are we connected to others like this and concerned for their souls?

I Thessalonians 3:9-13 – Paul wanted them to be complete. They had a good start, but there was more for them to do. II Peter 1:5-11; Luke 18:18-23. Spiritual growth is about forsaking that one hardest sin you struggle with!

• Acts 15:36

• Is the Bible setting us up for failure? Can we ever reach the standard God sets?

  • Psalms 130:3-4; I Thessalonians 4:1, 10, 18; 5:8; I John 1:6-9; Revelation 2:4-5

  • It’s not about being perfect! It’s about striving to grow closer to God. Jesus blood makes us perfect.

I Thessalonians 4:1

Leaving our first love

• Ephesus timeline

  • Paul’s second journey: Acts 18:19-21

  • Paul’s third journey: Acts 19

  • Paul’s farewell: Acts 20 (trouble brewing)

  • Paul’s letter: Ephesians

    • Ephesians 4:31-32

  • Timothy in Ephesus: I Timothy, II Timothy

    • I Timothy 1:3-4; II Timothy 2:17-18

  • John’s letter: Revelation 2:1-7 (left first love)

• The church in Ephesus started so strong and had years of teaching from both Paul and Timothy, but they still left their first love! If it can happen in Ephesus, it can happen anywhere!

• John 14:15-23

• I John 5:3

• I Corinthians 13:3

• Acts 19:10 – Ephesus was the center of the gospel in Asia at one time!

• Acts 20:36-37 – What happened to this passion?

Forming cliques (Galatians 3:27-28)

• Possible cliques:

  • More money; less money

  • College students; non-students

  • Florida College; non-Florida College

  • Members; visitors

  • Older folks; younger families with kids

• Acts 11:19-20, 26, 29

• Matthew 13:53-58 vs Acts 2:9, 46-47 – They were unified spiritually despite their different backgrounds!

• Romans 12:10, 16

• There is no reason for any of these cliques!

Hosea 1-14

Introduction to the book

• “Hosea” means salvation.

• Hosea was roughly contemporary with Amos.

• The book was written about 750-722 B.C., just before Israel was taken into Assyrian captivity.

• The primary message of the book is doom.

• Within the book, the God’s relationship to Israel is compared to Hosea’s relationship to his wife, Gomer.

Hosea 2:23 – See Romans 9:25-26; I Peter 2:10. These passages in the New Testament directly connect Hosea’s prophecy of the restoration of the people to Christ. God had a plan!

Hosea 3 – Hosea redeems his wife.

Hosea 4 – God’s controversy with Israel.

Hosea 8 – Israel would reap as it sowed.

Hosea 11 – God’s love for Israel.

Hosea 12-13 – Israel went further into apostasy.

Hosea 14 – Compare Amos 4:12. This is a plea to return to God.

Lessons for us:

• The great love God has for fallen man.

• Internal apostasy is more dangerous than external enemies.

• The folly of trying to direct your own ways.

• God always desires to show mercy.

• The great blessings from God for those that obey Him.

• Lack of knowledge is destructive.

• It is now time to seek the Lord!

• Hosea 14:9 – The ways of the Lord are right and the upright walk in them.

The concept of denominations is not present in the New Testament.

Organization: We are not part of any earthly hierarchy.

• Ephesians 5:22-24

• Church in the universal sense:

  • Ephesians 4:4 – There is one body – the group of people saved by Christ.

  • Matthew 16:16-19

  • Hebrews 12:22-23

  • The Bible often describes the church in the universal sense – all those that are saved in Christ.

    • I Corinthians 16 – This includes dead Christians.

• Church in the local sense:

  • Romans 16:16

  • I Corinthians 1:2

• What’s not in the Bible: denominations

Doctrine: We simply try to study and obey the Bible (not a creed book, statement of beliefs, tradition …)

• Matthew 7:21-23

• John 17:17-23 – We should be unified on truth – not separated by creeds and traditions.

• Ephesians 4:5, 11-14 – Let’s just read the Bible!

• Failure to be unified leads to church-shopping to see whose beliefs you like best, rather than searching for truth. We should only be comparing to the Bible, not our own desires.

Identity: We are simply Christians, not a type of Christian.

• Romans 6:3

• Galatians 3:27

• We have no Bible authority to identify ourselves as any type of Christian.

• I Corinthians 1:10 – Paul tried to stop this sort of division.