Founders Baptist

The scene to this point has been one of utter darkness.  Oppression fueled by covetousness is on display all over the land.  There is no help, at this point, from the religious leaders of the people. When a true prophet, like Micah, announces the judgment of God upon their sings, and calls for repentance, the voices of the false prophets are raised and the people are told that such things should not be preached, and that such things should not be preached, and that such a judgment is not coming.  In other words, the false prophets preach a god of love and mercy and patience without judgment. A god who would never allow Israel to go into exile. No imagine yourself as one of the remnant in such a situation. A nation plagued with sins, and religious leaders proclaiming PEACE, when there is no peace.  It’s not hard for us to imagine that is it?  We are living in a nation that has embraced its sin.  We live in a land where sin is not just being excused, it is being celebrated.

Hope in Despair - Micah 2:12-13

How many times have you heard it?  How many times have you said it? It sounds something like this: “Well, this is what I think my heart is telling me to do.” “This is  how I feel about it in my heart.” We are not forbidden to speak about what we think or what we feel, but what we must be concerned about, and what our text warns about, is a kind of person who rejects the revelation of God in favor of their feelings, or in favor of their own point of view. That happens a lot.  When we are done with tonight’s text, I hope you’ll be thoroughly convinced on this truth.

How many times have you heard it? How many times have you said it? It sounds something like this: “Well, this is what I think my ...

Don’t Trust Your Heart - Proverbs 28:26

Here is an amazing fact about opposition to true preaching.  Some of the most vicious opposition you will ever face, when it comes to true preaching, will come from those who claim to represent the same God that you do.  That’s what we are reminded of in our verses.

Religious Opposition - Micah 2:6-11

Oppression matters to God.  I know that we may be tired of hearing about oppression. Let’s face it, we live in a world with a lot of PRETEND oppression.,  We live in a world full of 1st world problems, where spoiled brats act like someone is oppressing them anytime they are told no. We live in a time of many imagined grievances, and even if grievances are real, they are often exaggerated. So-called grievances are turned into instruments of manipulation. But the presence of pretended oppression, exaggerated oppression, or the manipulation of oppression, will not change the fact that God hates oppression.  That is what we see as we begin Micah chapter 2.

Woe to Oppressors - Micah 2:1-5

Why would someone be afraid to confess Christ? 
 
*The fear of persecution 
 
*The fear of faith in Jesus requiring a personal cost 
 
*The fear of rejection, mistreatment, alienation, imprisonment, and even death 
 
*The fear of being disliked, even hated 
 
Why would faith in Christ bring such things? 
 
*Because Jesus doesn’t always represent peace. Jesus represents a sword 
 
*Jesus divides humanity 
 
*And Jesus divided humanity on purpose. Jesus CAME to divide humanity by providing salvation.

Why would someone be afraid to confess Christ?

*The fear of persecution

*The fear of faith in Jesus requiring a personal cost

*The fear of rejection, mistreatment, alienation, imprisonment, and even death

*The fear of being disliked, even hated

Why would faith in Christ bring such things?

*Because Jesus doesn’t always represent peace. Jesus represents a sword

*Jesus divides humanity

*And Jesus divided humanity on purpose. Jesus CAME to divide humanity by providing salvation.

The Sword Jesus Brought- Matthew 10:34-39

Do you have the eyes to see the hand of God in the affairs of the world? Do you know that the God of the Bible really exists and He really judges sin and rewards righteousness? 
 
The book of Micah is a book of sermons, inspired sermons that were delivered during the reigns of three Judean kings. These are sermons that addressed two kingdoms, but with a special emphasis on the kingdom of Judah. Three times the prophet moves from judgement and doom to God’s future covenant promises and purposes and hope. Why the reason for the declaration of judgement and doom? The answer is sin!

Do you have the eyes to see the hand of God in the affairs of the world?  Do you know that the God of the Bible really exists and He really judges sin and rewards righteousness?

The book of Micah is a book of sermons, inspired sermons that were delivered during the reigns of three Judean kings.  These are sermons that addressed two kingdoms, but with a special emphasis on the kingdom of Judah.  Three times the prophet moves from judgement and doom to God’s future covenant promises and purposes and hope.  Why the reason  for the declaration of judgement and doom?  The answer is sin!

Can You See God’s Hand? - Micah 1:2-16

As we look at the end of Hebrews we see three things. We see three things that the writer was concerned about and that WE must be concerned about. (1) We must care about truth (2) We must care about people (3) We must care about spiritual realities. 
 
These are three simple observations, but observations not to be underestimated. To this day we find many, many people failing in these three simple areas.

As we look at the end of Hebrews we see three things. We see three things that the writer was concerned about and that WE must be concerned about. (1) We must care about truth (2) We must care about people (3) We must care about spiritual realities.

These are three simple observations, but observations not to be underestimated. To this day we find many, many people failing in these three simple areas.

Final Words to an Important Letter- Hebrews 13:22-25

Commands lead somewhere. God gives commands in the interest of particular outcomes. In the first verse of this section, believers are commanded to “arm yourselves.” It is an aorist, middle, imperative, 2 nd person plural of ὁπλίζω. The word means to equip, to prepare, to arm. The word ὅπλον means “weapon.” 
“ARM YOURSELVES” 
That fulfillment of that command requires a mindset. It is a mindset that was found in Jesus’ suffering and death on our behalf. But that command — a command to arm ourselves in light of Christ’s sufferings talked about in chapter 3, and with the same way of thinking (the words that follow) — is meant to lead to something. 
We arm ourselves with a particular purpose in mind. “So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” 
THE ARMING OF OURSELVES WITH THIS PARTICULAR WAY OF THINKING (THAT THE PASSAGE IDENTIFIES) IS MEANT TO LEAD US TO DEPART FROM ONE WAY OF LIVING AND TO DEVOTE OURSELVES TO ANOTHER WAY OF LIVING. 
And that new way of living – a way that is to last for the rest of our lives in the flesh – is living for the will of God. 
Saved people are to think in a way where we have come to embrace an entire lifetime that exists for no other reason than to do the will of God. 
That is what I want us to focus on tonight. I want us to think about living for the will of God.

Commands lead somewhere. God gives commands in the interest of particular outcomes. In the first verse of this section, believers are commanded to “arm yourselves.” It is an aorist, middle, imperative, 2 nd person plural of ὁπλίζω. The word means to equip, to prepare, to arm. The word ὅπλον means “weapon.”
“ARM YOURSELVES”
That fulfillment of that command requires a mindset. It is a mindset that was found in Jesus’ suffering and death on our behalf. But that command — a command to arm ourselves in light of Christ’s sufferings talked about in chapter 3, and with the same way of thinking (the words that follow) — is meant to lead to something. 
We arm ourselves with a particular purpose in mind. “So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”
THE ARMING OF OURSELVES WITH THIS PARTICULAR WAY OF THINKING (THAT THE PASSAGE IDENTIFIES) IS MEANT TO LEAD US TO DEPART FROM ONE WAY OF LIVING AND TO DEVOTE OURSELVES TO ANOTHER WAY OF LIV

Living for the Will of God - 1 Peter 4:1-6

True worship includes how we relate to people. The writer of Hebrews calls upon the people to remember, consider, and to imitate their leaders in verse 7. And now in verse 17 he tells them to obey their leaders and to submit to them. 
 
Remember that this section explains how we respond to the truths of the book of Hebrews in a more public and formal way. How we worship our God in the public life of the church. How we respond to the church’s leaders, the church’s doctrine, the church’s persecutors, and the church’s new covenant sacrifices.

True worship includes how we relate to people.  The writer of Hebrews calls upon the people to remember, consider, and to imitate their leaders in verse 7.  And now in verse 17 he tells them to obey their leaders and to submit to them.

Remember that this section explains how we respond to the truths of the book of Hebrews in a more public and formal way.  How we worship our God in the public life of the church.  How we respond to the church’s leaders, the church’s doctrine, the church’s persecutors, and the church’s new covenant sacrifices.

Our View of The Church’s Leaders - Hebrews 13:17-19

We are in the midst of the high point of the writer of Hebrew’s argument for the perseverance of God’s people. He has made his case with respect to the preeminence of Jesus and the superiority and sufficiency of the New Covenant. 
 
In making this closing argument he has taken us to two mountains. One is earthly the other is heavenly. One is temporary the other is everlasting. One represents the law the other represents the finished work of Christ. One speaks of distance from God and a fear born out of a sense of condemnation, the other is full of tremendous benefits and there we meet with God’s love and grace. One is Mount Sinai the other Mount Zion. 
 
And now, after presenting these believers with what Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant , has provided by His own blood, the writer gives a call to make the right choice. What do we do with all that he has presented in this book, and all that he has presented in the immediate context?

We are in the midst of the high point of the writer of Hebrew's argument for the perseverance of God's people. He has made his ...

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken - Hebrews 12:25-29

The Christian life is lived out of our thought processes.  It is by the spiritual renewing of our minds that our lives are being transformed. There are specific areas where we must be mentally armed. In our verses today, the writer shows us the courage found in the Savior, a confidence found in sonship, and a comfort found in submission.

God’s Word for the Weary - Hebrews 12:3-11

We consider a perspective of leadership that is pleasing to God, and one that was demonstrated in the life of Solomon, at the commencement of his God ordained service.

A Leadership Perspective that Pleases God - 2 Chronicles 1:1-11

Nathan Ramirez teaches on the importance of growing in maturity as a child of God.

Maturity & the Word of God - 1 John 2:12-14

Humility & The Word of God - Isaiah 66:1-2

We started our series on marriage looking at the creation of the man and woman and the relationship that God designed for Adam and Eve before the fall.  We then learned lessons from man’s fall and we looked at the marriage specific effects of the fall.  And now we look at what marriage can be , and is commanded to be, in Christ.  We listen to God when He tells us what we can know and what we must know because the gospel is true.

A Christian Marriage - Ephesians 5:22-33

The writer of Hebrews in chapter 11 is teaching a lesson about faith.  The Spirit of God is taking us all the way to the foundations of faith’s demonstration.  He is taking us all the way back to the earliest times and walking us forward so that we would have a sense of what it means to belong to the people who have faith in the living God, which means the people who have been reconciled to God by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

This Is Our Father’s World - Hebrews 11:3

The preacher of Hebrews continues to demonstrate a very valuable lesson that is crucial for the time we're living in. The lesson is this: Christians can be, and should be, exhorted with God's strongest warnings.

The preacher of Hebrews continues to demonstrate a very valuable lesson that is crucial for the time we're living in. The lesson is ...

Don't Throw Away Your Confidence -  Hebrews 10:32-39

This morning, we are introduced to a true thought about God that is very unpopular in our day. In fact, it likely has never been popular and there have been very few eras in the history of the church when it has been more UNPOPULAR.   In our text of Hebrews today, verse 30, the writer states: “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will replay.’”  It’s a very interesting way to begin that statement…”for we know him who said…”  It’s a fair question to ask if you can say the same. Do you know this God?  Do you know this god, in the sense that you believe Him, you love Him, you worship Him, and you fear Him?  Is this the God you serve?  Is this the God you preach? Is this the God, along with all of His other attributes, who comes into your mind when you think about God?  If your God is not the God who reserves vengeance to Himself and actually executes that vengeance, then you have the wrong God.  Today’s sermon is about “Getting to Know the God of Vengeance.”

Getting to Know the God of Vengeance - Hebrews 10:28-31

Three exhortations — addressing three areas of responsibility — all serving one goal.  The GOAL is perseverance.  The RESPONSIBILITIES are toward God, toward self, and toward others.  The THREE EXHORTATIONS are to draw near , to hold fast, and to consider one another.  We have looked at the call to draw near. We have looked at the call to hold fast.  Our text calls us to consider others.

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