Long ago - in a ministry far, far away… One of the expectations I’ve ministered under - in past ministries - is that I’ve needed to wear this robe. I wore this robe this morning to illustrate that sometimes what we wear covers what’s really going on in our lives. Coming to church - we feel the expectation to somehow be different here than elsewhere - to be more put together - more sanctified. We place these expectations on each other. But what’s the value in being here if we’re just meeting the expectations of others?

Years ago I experimented with wearing this shirt with the clergy collar. I was involved in a number of activities where I was in ministry side-by-side with priests and - at the time - it seemed like a good idea to wear clothing that identified me - like them - as a member of the clergy.

Some day you should try this. Borrow the shirt and go walking around the Merced Mall and see how people treat you. People treat you different. The worst was when people would come up and try to kiss my ring. He’s got a collar. He’s a priest.

Do we expect others to conform to what makes us comfortable? An expectation of what kind of people we’d like to see in our church? Our kind of people - with a few token nuts thrown in? You can figure out which one you are.

I have an acquaintance who pastors a large church in another city. The bongo player during worship wears cut-offs and sandals. He looks like he just stepped off his surf board. Over the last year - some of you have being trying to get me out of my suit and tie and into more casual clothing. Maybe this morning I’ve gone too far. Hey, what were you expecting?

There are other expectations - lifestyle - participation in church ministries - and so on. All of which change from congregation to congregation - generation to generation - ethnicity to ethnicity. What should we expect of each other? What should we expect of ourselves?

Thinking about all the religions in this world one of the common threads that runs through each of them is “expectation.” How do I fulfill the expectations of my god or my belief system? What’s expected of me? Is it possible to know that I’ve done enough - to reach nirvana or heaven or wherever I’m trying to get to? Every person who believes in a god asks the same question. “How do I approach Him? What pleases my god?”

Over the last few Sundays, as we’ve been looking through Micah, we’ve been seeing that our God is the only God who’s honest with us about our relationship with Him. He’s showing us the condition of our heart - calling us to repentance - desiring to bless us. Today - coming to Micah 6 - we want to look at how God has blessed us with His expectations.

The uniqueness of our God - in how He deals with us - is that our God tells us what He expects of His people. God isn’t some impersonal deity that has a set of unwritten laws that if we unknowingly break one He’s going to send us off to hell. The Book of Micah in part is God laying out His expectations before His people and lovingly calling His people to return to Him - to the kind of relationship that He expects with them.

Micah 6:1 - verses 1 to 7 are an examination of the relationship of God and His people. How well have they met His expectations?: Micah 6:1: Hear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Listen, you mountains, to the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, because the Lord has a case against His people; even with Israel He will dispute.

God - the judge - enters a courtroom with His people. God’s people are on trial. Have they lived before God as He expects them to live? The jury is made up of all that God has called into existence. His Earth and hills that have stood silent from the beginning - silent and watching the actions of God’s people.

Verse 3: My people... Notice the intimacy of that. Imagine - Almighty God coming down to earth to speak with His people. My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Answer me.

God asks, “Why? What have I ever done to you that you should reject Me?” Has God mistreated His people? Ignored them? Rejected them? And yet - as we’ve been seeing as we’ve gone through this book of Micah - God’s people had rejected Him. They’re worshipping other gods - abusing people God told them to show mercy to. From the priesthood to the civic leadership - the whole nation is corrupt and rejecting God. God asks, “Why? Present your case before the jury.” But there is no case - no justification for Israel’s behavior.

On the other hand God presents His case - three examples of how He has loved and cared for His people. First example: Salvation - verse 4: Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam.

God - instead of abandoning His people in Egypt - delivered them - lovingly saved them. The very existence of the nation is owed to God. God gave them spiritual leaders to guide them and maintain the relationship of the people with God. Moses the prophet - Aaron the priest - Miriam the prophetess.

Verse 5 - second example: Protection: My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered him,

We talked about this a few Sundays ago. During the Exodus - Balak king of the Moabites wanted Balaam the prophet to curse Israel so Balak and the Moabites could wipe out the Hebrews. Balaam the prophet - at God’s command - Balaam blessed the Hebrews instead of cursing them. (Numbers 22-24) God is reminding His people that while they wandered around in the desert during the Exodus - wandered around in unbelief, ingratitude, and sin - God protected His people.

Third example: Provision - going on in verse 5: and from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

When Israel marched from Shittim to Gilgal they defeated the Midianites. Then from their base at Gilgal they crossed the Jordan river on their way to conquer the Promised Land. While God’s people had been faithless - God - acting righteously - God had kept His promise and given Israel the land He promised them. The very land the people occupied was theirs because God gave it to them.

Three examples of God’s love towards His people despite their rejection of Him - salvation - protection - provision - all in fulfillment of God’s promises. There is no way that we can legitimately come before God and say, “God, we expected more. You really let us down.” He’s been there for us. He’s done what He said He’d do. Time and time again God has demonstrated His faithfulness and loving commitment to us.

In verses 6 and 7 is the rebuttal from God’s people - four questions the people ask in response to God.

First question - verse 6: “With what do I come before God to worship Him?” Put another way, “God, why are you displeased with us? We’re doing all the rites and rituals you asked us to do. What’s wrong?”

Second question - verse 6: Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? In Leviticus God gives His people five offerings that they were suppose to make which were to be their way of approaching God. The question here is, “Is this enough?” Put another way: If I come to church on Sundays and serve on a committee and pay my tithe and live a Christian life - isn’t that enough? How could God be upset with that?

Third question - verse 7: Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? The question deals with generosity. I treat my employees fairly. I give them bonuses at Christmas. I give to charity. I give a large donation every year to the church. Why isn’t God pleased with that?

Fourth question: Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? These people were surrounded by peoples who worshipped their own gods - Molech and Baal - worshipped them by offering human sacrifices. In Judah - King Ahaz and King Manasseh actually sacrificed their own children as burnt offerings. This is a real question for these people. If doing all the ritual and Levitical law and going the extra mile in giving doesn’t work - how about some pagan sacrifice? What more does it take to please God?

Have you ever stood on a balcony on a tall building? With the railing in place it's not so scary. Take away the railing and any sane person would back away from the edge. There’s a tremendous security in knowing where the limits are. Children want the security of boundaries. Despite what they may tell their parents at the time. Parents demonstrate love to their children by giving them firm fixed boundaries to their behavior.

God is displeased. He’s angry. Judgment is coming. We’re staring out into the abyss. Where’s the boundary? What’s God’s expectation of us? How do we respond and please this God who has loved us so greatly?

Verse 8. Here’s the bottom line. What God expects. Verse 8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Three expectations: First: DO JUSTICE.

A couple months ago I parked next to a nice new white car. When I opened my door the wind blew it open and it hit the nice new white car. As I got out I looked - there was a little mark on the door - which rationalized that I may or may not have caused - but no dent or anything too horrible.

As I started to walk away the person in the car got out and said, “That was a pretty hard hit.” So we came back and looked at his nice new white car and the little insignificant mark on the door. And I said, “Did I do that?” Knowing full well that I must have. Not one of my finer moments. As he stood there irritated I bent over and using saliva rubbed and buffed and removed the little mark.

Is there justice today? The new twist on passing notes in class is students - taking tests - pass answers around using cell phones and palm pilots. Today - you can pay someone else to take your classes for you - write you term papers - take your tests. I can do whatever I want as long as I don't get caught. And, how I treat others is not important - unless of course it affects how they treat me. The end justifies the means. Right and wrong are relative.

The same was true in Micah’s day. In Micah’s day people were doing whatever it took to fill their own pockets with money. They didn’t care about what happened to anyone else. Widows were being foreclosed on -being thrown out in the streets - for profit. Those in need were being abused and robbed. Religion had become a profit making business. The civic and religious leadership - everyone who was in a position to do so was taking bribes. Justice was for sale to whoever could pay the lawyers or the court the most money.

Those who know God know that there is right and wrong - and especially in our relationships with God and others. If we love God we will act justly towards others.

Biblical justice defends the rights of those who are weaker and who have been wronged. Biblical justice lives by God's declarations of the worth and dignity of man. Biblical justice is an expression of love which cares for the rights of others with the same intensity as we care for our own rights.

Second expectation: LOVE MERCY.

Yasher Ragimov is a Christian pastor in Azerbaijan. As a believer in Jesus Christ, serving in a Muslim country, he’s been arrested and repeatedly beaten and tortured for his faith.

Once, Pastor Ragimov arrived in a small Azeri village just as a funeral for one of the village leaders was beginning. He began to talk with the Muslim leaders - two of the Mullahs that were there - asking them questions about spiritual things and what had become of the deceased. The mullahs had no definite answers.

Ragimov asked, “Why are you here if you don’t know these answers?”

One of the mullahs answered, “If you’re so clever why don’t you speak at the funeral.”

So Pastor Ragimov - standing next to the body of a dead Muslim - in front of 150 Azeris - many of whom would approve of his torture - Pastor Ragimov spoke for two hours about the hope of eternity through Jesus Christ.

Speaking of his persecutors Pastor Ragimov says, “I can’t do anything about them. I just pray.” (1) By any worldly standard this man should hate the people he loves and is devoted to sharing Jesus with. But that devotion is “loving mercy” in action.

Each of us lives in sin. We can't help it. We're born in sin. Our sin will separate us from God for eternity. We're helpless. Worthy of God’s judgment and condemnation. But, God is merciful to us.

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4,5, "But God, who is rich in mercy....even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." God mercifully withholds His punishment so that by His grace He gives us salvation.

Those who understand God’s mercy towards them love to be merciful towards others - co-workers - spouses. To love mercy is to be concerned with the needs of the those whom we would naturally reject. To love mercy is to demonstrate God’s love and to share the Gospel - even with those who have wronged us.

Third expectation: WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD.

When Paul and Silas were in Philippi they were stripped - beaten - placed in the most secure part of the prison - their feet placed in stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were doing what? - singing and praising God . And what happened? There was an earthquake. The doors of the jail sprang open and the chains are unfastened. The prisoners have a “Get Out of Jail Free Card.”

Do you remember the reaction of the jailer? If one prisoner escapes he’ll be held responsible - put to death - probably with torture. The doors are open. The prisoners are loose. He’s a dead man. The jailer takes out his sword and is about to kill himself. Paul yells at him, “Don’t do it. We’re all here.”

The jailer runs in to where Paul and Silas are and falls prostrate on the ground in front of them. Imagine, the jailer throwing himself on the mercy of his prisoners. This is a man who’s realized his situation - the precariousness of his life - held in the hands of Paul and Silas. He’s got no where to go. No one to turn to. In desperation he ask them, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:22-40)

It has been said, "They that know God will be humble, and they that know themselves cannot be proud." (2)

To walk humbly with our God begins with accepting who we are before Him. That’s hard for us. We have to be honest about who we are. There’s no room for pride and ego. To walk humbly with God means we agree with God as to our sinfulness - our desperate need for Jesus as our Savior. We receive what He has done for us - what we could never do for ourselves - our salvation through God's mercy and grace in Jesus. To walk humbly with our God means daily surrendering our lives to God - seeking to live in obedience and complete devotion to Him alone.

In thinking this through for us today - it’s important that we don’t fall into the trap of looking at these three expectations as a “to do” list. Trying to somehow accomplish these on our own in some kind of super spiritual effort to meet God’s expectations.

Do you remember these words of Jesus - the two greatest commandments? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.... (and) You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37,38) This really is the core of what God is saying to His people. Humble devotion to God with all that we are. From this comes justice and mercy to our fellow man. God dealing first with our hearts - the source of our actions towards Him and others.

So many people have that order backwards. The people in Micah’s day - and people of all times - have always asked, “How do I approach God? What are His expectations of me? If I can just do this or that then God will be pleased.” Trying to meet the religious expectations of others or the arbitrary standards of some deity. That’s hopeless.

The bottom line isn’t about what we do for God. The bottom line is about what God has done to establish a relationship with us - what He’s done on the cross through Jesus Christ. Our meeting the expectations of God is found in Jesus Christ - trusting Him to do what we could never do for ourselves.

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1.  The Voice of the Martyrs, October 2002
2.  John Flavel - quoted MBI's Today In The Word, November, 1989 page 20