Beacon Sunday Service December 17th 2023

All right. Grace and peace to you. And if we can just make our way back to our seats here. We'll begin. Let me just offer up a prayer to the Lord this morning. Lord, we thank you so much for just your goodness, your graciousness, and even in this season of Christmas, just being able to remember the true meaning of why we even celebrate it. It's your birth. We thank you so much that God, you would humble yourself to become into the form of a helpless babe, Lord, to live that perfect life.

Lord, we don't deserve any of that grace, and yet you did that, Lord God, and we're just so grateful for the great mercy you have shown. And you have shown us victory over death and sin through your resurrection. And so we worship you and we give you all the glory. And we know, Lord, just in this season that you will come again. And so we just look forward to that day, Lord, when we will see you face to face. So may we just uh give you all the glory with our all our souls, bodies, minds, and everything that we do. May you get get all the glory on the honor. Thank you, and in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Let's all rise for our call to worship this morning. Uh it comes from Revelation twelve ten.

And the response, if you would respond with me from Isaiah nine, six. It says this. Now the salvation and the power in the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come. And together, for to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Amen. And that's who we worship. Joy to the world. Joy to the world, the Lord is God. Let her see her king. Let every heart prepare him room. And heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature.

Joy to the earth, the Savior. Let men their song template. While feel them.

No more lessons. No more lessons and sorrow not worth in death the ground He comes to make his blessed. As far as curses found far as a curses found as far as the mercy He rules the world and He rules the world with true and nation's to glory in thy castness and wonders of love and water joy unity joy Christ He is God in flesh and well He brings joy Unending joy Perfect He flow He its joy to the world Joy to the world Let her see in heaven and nature see Oh come are you faithful Joyful and try Oh come ye to help Come and behold him King of angel Oh come let us adjourn Oh come let us join him Oh come let us adore him I smash holy I disposed Light of light eternal Now in let us pay Oh come let us adore him Oh come let us adore him Oh come let us adore him Lord Amen singles and singers of angels sing oh see all these sitters in Glory in the eyes Oh come let us Oh come let us join Oh come let us adore Him and Yeah, Lord, yeah, Lord, we greet thee for this happy morning, Jesus to thee.

We are glory, word of the father now in flesh, oh come, oh come, let us come, let us come, let us come, oh come, let us come, let us come, let us a lot.

We give you all the glory, we give we give you all the morning. We will confess our faith using the Heidelberg Catechism. In this question and answer, we will confess how the birth of Christ benefits us. And here's the question. How does the holy conception and birth of Christ benefit you? And together, he is our mediator, and with his innocence in perfect holiness, he removes from God's sight my sin. Mine since I was conceived. Amen. And that's what Christ has done when he was born, lived, and died, and resurrected first.

Here I am to say that you're my God. You're all together love me, we're all together worthy, we're all together waterful to King of all days, King of all things, oh so high salt, glory to the earth you created, all using be king. Here I am to worship, here I am to bow down.

Here I am to say that you're my God, you're all together love me, you're all together worthy, all together wonderful. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that. You're my God. You're all together love. We're all together word. All together wonder for me. I'll never know. I'm never how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross.

I'm never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross. And numbness.

And I shall cause my sin upon cross. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that. You're my God. You're all together lovely. We're all together worthy. All together wonderful me. Now it's time to here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that. You're my God. We're all together lovely.

All together. All together. All to be. Morning, everyone. At this time we're gonna have our confession of sin. As we stated in our confession of faith, um, we were born to sin. Um, and the process of salvation is a process. There is struggles that we go through on a daily basis, and if you look back at your week, um you know that you've had struggles with pride or lust, or um just the things that continuously drag you down and try to pull you away from this our Lord, but the Lord welcomes us to be honest and forthright to him. So let's do two things. First, we're gonna have our confession of sin corporately. We're gonna say something together, and then afterwards we're gonna have a personal time of prayer where you will just have your personal confession uh to the Lord.

So together let's say, Oh God, we know our transgressions and our sin is ever before us against you, you only have we sinned and done what is evil in your sight. You're justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, we were brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did our mothers conceive us, purge us with Christ's blood, and we shall be clean. Wash us, and we shall be wider than snow. Amen. Please be seated. We're not going to take in our personal confession of sin.

Here's your assurance of pardon. But the Lord takes the light in our broken spirits, a broken and contrite heart. God will not despise.

Amen. Today's prayer topic is one that is fitting for the season. It's Christmas time. And what better time for us to pray about the gospel? Christ's coming was just a fulfillment of what was promised to us by the Lord. But more importantly, as we would want the gospel message to be prevalent in the world and even in the state as it is right now, I see all of our young faces, our children, and how easily it is for them to be confused about what Christmas is about. And so Lord, and so let's ask the Lord specifically for their salvation, that as they learn more about Christ, that today they're going to be receiving things. And the purpose of that isn't just so that they can have something, a gift from us.

It's also a reminder that God gave us a greater gift. And so let's pray over two things. First thing is that the gospel message would be prevalent during this time. And two, for the salvation of our children, that they understand, even if it's just a seed planted, that the season, the reason that we celebrate Christmas, is because of Christ. So let's pray.

What was promised to us, Father. You are a promise fulfilled as just our Savior, the Messiah, one who would conquer sin on our behalf. And Lord, we just recognize this that the gospel message is so important to us in our faith. This isn't just about your birth. This is about what comes because of your birth. So, Lord, we we lift you up high and we recognize and we celebrate you as our King. We also pray for our children, and just that that message, just even a tidbit of a seed would be planted in their young lives, that they would grow and to their understanding of what salvation means. Um, what true and honest salvation means about you being coming as a Lord and Savior and dying and resurrecting, Father, we just pray, Father, that that would just stay with them and just grow within them.

And that as they celebrate today, the words and songs that they say today, as innocent as they might be, that eventually it will grow into true worship to you. So, Lord, we thank you, and um in Jesus' name we pray, man. I'm gonna at this time let's dismiss our children for Sunday school. Uh as the children are being dismissed, let's have a time of announcements. Uh today, after service, we're gonna be going over to the Huang's house. They've prepared a very fun Christmas party for our church. Um is the office themes. So if you didn't know, um you it's not too late to just put on your best office clothing. Uh and um there was a sign-up sheet, but if you don't if you weren't able to sign up, just let Howard or Sarah know what you're gonna be bringing.

Um, and if you need their address, please go to Howard himself and he'll just give it to you. Um it's not it's not on there, but we are still having service next week here. Uh, we're gonna be meeting the same time, 10 30 for Christmas Eve. It'll be a smaller service, knowing that a lot of you will be out of town. Uh, but please still come and let's have a nice intimate worship together. Um children's ministry sign up sheet is still on the back. Um please sign up. It's more for you to double check that you can actually help out on the Sunday that you're signed up for. If you are unable to, please let Tiff know and then uh sign your name on the backup column where you'll be able to kind of make up your day.

Last but not least, uh we have our offering options as Zell, Van Will Kashinchek. If you're visiting today, we don't ask that you give only as the Lord is leading you, but if you're a member of the church, we ask that you give faithfully as the Lord has blessed you in your lives. Um I have the honor and privilege of welcoming today's uh guest speaker. His name is Joey Lopez. Uh and he comes from us from our friends in Riverside. Uh he was born and raised in Riverside, currently enrolled uh at the Reformed Baptist Seminary. Uh he was saved and began attending RBCR in 2012 at the age of 12. And he entered under a brother Robert Elliott beginning in 2018 and was ordained as a deacon of RBCR in February of 2022.

Uh he was married this year to his lovely wife Erica in May, and uh they are currently working on a parachurch ministry based in Riverside. So let's give him a warm welcome. Well, good morning, everyone. It is a great privilege for me to be here with you today and to be able to uh see what the Lord is doing here in the middle of downtown LA. And this is a great encouragement to us. Just want you to know uh that I send greetings from Reformed Baptist Church in Riverside. We pray for you often and are very grateful for what the Lord is doing here and pray that he would send you all a pastor to shepherd you and to lead you. And yet it's a tremendous blessing for us to be able to send some of our men here to preach to you and encourage you and uh hopefully encourage you to press on in hope.

I've noticed from talking to your deacons, you're a very hopeful people, and that's a good thing. Uh, you're in a season right now the Lord is using, and it's my hope and my prayer that uh on the other side of this, when the Lord does supply you with the pastor, you can look back and uh see how good God was and how faithful he was, even in this season. With that, if you would please turn with me to the book of Micah, chapter 7. We'll be in Micah chapter 7. We'll read from verses 1 to 10. And if you would, please, if you're able to stand with me for the reading of God's word. Micah chapter 7, beginning at verse 1 from the English Standard Version. Woe is me, for I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, and when the grapes have been gleaned, there is no cluster to eat, no first ripe fig that my soul desires.

The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind. They all lie and wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil to do it well. The prince and the judge asks for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul. Thus, thus they weave it together. The best of them is like a briar, and the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of your watchman, of your punishment has come. Now their confusion is at hand. Put no trust in a neighbor, have no confidence in a friend. Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms, for the son treats the father with contempt. The daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother in law.

A man's enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy. When I fall, I shall rise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I shall look upon his vindication. Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? My eyes will look upon her, and now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets. This is the word of the Lord. Maybe see it in.

Father, we are humbled and honored by the fact that you, being a righteous and holy God, who is angry with the wicked every day, would in love and mercy give us your Son. Father, we thank you for sending the perfect holy Son of God to live in our stead and to die in our place and to rise again, securing an everlasting hope that we get to enjoy. Lord, the world is dark around us. We see sin piling up all around us. We even see sin within ourselves. And we pray, Father, that now as we open your word, that your Spirit would come, that your presence would be known among us, that you would instruct us in your words, that we might be equipped for every good work you're calling us to, Lord. Please bless this people as they hear your word preached.

Be with me as I am fickle, and Lord, may all that we do and all that we are bring glory to your name today. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Well, as we have read, these are tremendous words of lament. And yet they're also tremendous words of hope. It's my prayer that today we will find satisfaction in the great rescuer, our God who saves. He saves us out of this world and out of our sin and invites us to walk in fellowship with him. So let's prayerfully dig into this passage and find peace with and in Jehovah, which will give us the grace and strength we need to endure, no matter the darkness around us or within. Now I will warn you stick with me, we'll see a great cause for joy that Micah had and that the Lord invites each of us to have.

So let's dig into our text. First and foremost, who was Micah? Who was the prophet Micah? His name is an abbreviated form of the name Micah Yehu, which is translated, Who is like Jehovah? Who is like Jehovah? I want you to remember that for the end of our study today. Who is like Jehovah? His book is a heavy book filled with judgment, and yet every prophecy of judgment is coupled with the promise of forgiveness and restoration, whether it be immediate or in the age to come. Micah uses vivid language and does not beat around the bush. Things were in a bad way for his people in this time. Lest they repent, they would receive serious judgment from the Lord. And Micah did not cower away from that reality.

Yet, after levying serious charges against Israel, the twilight of Micah shines with the promise of a coming Messiah, of a Savior, naming the actual city from which he would come in chapter 5. A Messiah who would establish final and lasting peace for his remnant, who would be scattered among the Gentiles. However, Micah knew the day of the Messiah would not be in his lifetime. So as we approach our text in chapter 7, we open with a heavy word of lament. A heavy word of lament. Micah, as it were, turns his head to the left and to the right, and everything he sees around him disappoints. It breaks his heart and brings him to a point of wailing.

Woe is me. This is healthy mourning that Micah's participating in.

Now this was a point of real self-reflection for me in my study. You see, as others look out into the world, they tend to lament. I hear the laments of other people and often can struggle to sympathize with them. And perhaps you're like me, perhaps you're not, but either way, this is a wonderful opportunity to understand what biblical lament looks like. So let's look and see what is true biblical lament. Lament in the Bible is more than what the world calls lament. You see, a spoiled teenager will lament, as I did, over the fact that he doesn't have a cell phone or can't go to a party. The world has officially ended in his mind.

They cry out, Woe is me. Now, beloved, this is self-absorption, and self-absorption becomes self-pity, which is the opposite of what Micah is doing here. Truly, biblical self-lament looks different for the one who was made Jehovah their refuge. What about that person? What about the one who finds refuge in Jehovah? The man or the woman who is trusting in Jesus, yet looks around them and sees a world that hates God, that seeks to dishonor God's name by desecrating all that he has made good. A world that seeks to destroy the family unit, encouraging unnatural relations between the sexes, or encouraging the killing of innocent children through abortion, or the mutilation of their bodies through transgenderism.

Nearly half of the psalms can be categorized as laments. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. Our own Savior wept at the tomb of Lazarus, lamenting the curse of the fall, and looked over Jerusalem and lamented, saying, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. And now Micah, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, mind you, has a great lament. A formidable wail. So what does lament look like in the inner being of a believer? As Micah says, He is empty. There is no more fuel in the tank. He has nothing left to give. He says, I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned. There is no cluster to eat, no first ripe fig that my soul desires.

Beloved, he's barren, impoverished. And it's not for a lack of trying. He says he is as when the fruit has already been gathered, meaning he's given what he has to give. He has sought to fulfill his ministry.

He's put to work the good fruit the Lord has given him, yet he feels it is of no avail. Note, however, that this is not self-pity, because he makes it clear that his soul desires to see his ministry come to fruition in the land. He longs to see the fruit of grace in the world. But behold, this fruit is nowhere to be found. In verse 2, he says, The godly have perished from the earth. He looks for them eagerly, but they are not there. So what does he see? Well, he sees that everything has gone rotten. He sees that everything has gone rotten. It is only good for the compost bin. He continues in verse 2, there is no one upright among mankind. And this is a world-wide problem that he sees.

The people with influence around the globe, but worse than that, in his own land, in the land of Jehovah, are dishonorable and crooked. They are men who seek to advance through domination, eliminating any competitors, as a vicious beast would do. Verse 3 reveals to us that these men make a practice of sin. They make a practice of sin. When our musicians come up here and play for us, they didn't just wake up one day and suddenly know how to play the drums and the guitar and the piano. They had to practice. Practice makes perfect. Intense, deliberate, setting aside of time to become better at a craft. That is what Micah is describing here. The wicked practice their sin. They seek ways to be more wicked, more crafty, to gain more influence and wealth and power.

The men who had been trusted to lead well, the prince and the judges, they've all become corrupt. They long for monetary gain. Even the great man, the man of renown, the one who's meant to be distinguished and noble and honorable, when things go bad, you call the great man. Even the great man utters the evil desire of his soul. The best and the upright fail. Judgment has come upon the men God has called to lead. So perhaps here is where Micah thinks to himself, okay, that's out there. That's the government. Perhaps there'll be rest among my own crowd, my people, my community. Then we come upon verses five and six. Micah looks out his window and comes away with put no trust in a neighbor.

Have no confidence in a friend. Guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms. For the Son treats the father with contempt. The daughter rises up against her mother. The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his house. The most intimate relationships a man could have were eroded by sin. There was treachery, betrayal, their neighbor, the one who lived near, who would have a vested interest in seeing both of their properties do well. An ally, an ally could not be trusted. The community was broken. And why? Because those who love the Lord and those who hate the Lord simply cannot live together in true harmony.

It can't be done. So then we approach the friend, or perhaps better translated here, the best friend. Someone that you sought out, that you wanted to spend time with, not just someone you saw through happenstance. Perhaps there's a history that goes back to childhood. Perhaps they went to Christmas gatherings together. They've been in each other's homes on a regular basis, eating together, fellowshipping, raising their children together. The neighbor had a vested interest in the property's prosperity, sure, but the friend has a vested interest in his friend's prosperity as an individual, as a brother, which does no immediate good for him. Yet even this close relationship is spoiled because of the decay that sin and open rebellion against God brings.

Rather than looking out for one another, the relationship becomes Machiavellian at best. I'll do good for you as long as I get something in return. Worst of all, the decay of Judah's society would affect the most intimate relationship, the covenant of marriage. Not only is the issue with the government and with my neighbor and even with my friend, but sin has crept into the bedroom, sleeping in the bed next to him. The husband dare not disclose his secrets or be completely vulnerable and open with his wife. For fear, for fear that she, like Delilah against Samson, will use this knowledge to maim her betrothed.

And somehow it gets even sadder. The remnant in Micah's day had to worry not only about their spouse, but this decay spread to the next generation. See, the son treats the father with contempt. The daughter rises up against her mother. The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man's enemies are the men of his house. So his wife may be a spy, but his children are his murderers. He must fear the blade from his children, and must fear a double tongue from his wife. The daughter rises up. It's aggressive language. She rises up as if to strike the one that has given birth to her.

Within the home, there is complete degradation and mutilation of the God-designed family structure. Everything, everything that God had originally made good has been flipped upside down and placed on its head. Chaos has ensued. And look at the severity of the term used for the people of his household. They are his enemies.

No. There is an all-out war happening within the four walls of the believer's home. So with enemies all about him, Micah needs somewhere to turn. I can't trust the government. I can't trust my neighbor. I can't trust my friend, my wife, or my children. What am I left with? Where am I to go? He says, but as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. What words of comfort? I don't know that I could muster those words in his situation. He finds that all around him are in sin, failing the Lord and failing him. So he isolates. Now, this is a critical moment for Micah.

He could have turned within and looked for satisfaction within himself. That's what the world would want us to do, isn't it? Seek out your truth. But rather, he has a moment of mature self-awareness. He knows that none are righteous. So he looks and he cries out to the Lord and says, Lord, they need your help. They're broken. But then he has to deal with the man in the mirror. Micah was truly a seasoned believer at this point in his life. He knew his enemies. He ought to. They live with him. He knew they would say, You are no better. And he knew it was true. The beauty of the Savior naturally exposes the ugliness of a sinner in need of redemption. Micah was aware of this. He himself is broken.

But he would look to the Lord nonetheless and find rest and acceptance with him. He says in verses 8 to 10, rejoice not over me, O my enemy. When I fall, think about that. Rejoice not over me, O my wife, O my son, O my friend. For when I fall, I shall rise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light.

Who said to me, Where is the Lord your God? My eyes will look upon her, and now she will be trampled down like the mire of the street. This is a critical moment for Micah. Rather than looking within or around him, he looks up to the Lord, and he is completely at peace. This peace would give him endurance. He says, Yes, I fall into sin, and yes, I fall into despair, but at the end of the day, I have a God who will lift me up out of my sin and rescue me. Not because of what I've done, but because of his all-sufficient merit. The day of the enemy was coming. He had confidence that he was involved in a war that had already been won by the Lord of hosts himself.

He was secure with Jehovah. His friend might not draw him near, his government may come after him, his friends may hate him, his wife may hate him, but he was secure with Jehovah. And that was enough for Micah. I'm sure many of you like me have already thought these words could have been written yesterday. Look back at verse one. Is the first person pronoun here not easily replaced with the church? In this dark day, the church in America is easily the place that appears to be like a vine that has had all of its fruit harvested. Often she is dry or exhausted, sore oppressed by the enemies of this world, and she seems to be few in number, while the ungodly appear to only increase. This can be discouraging.

One does not need to look at their newsfeed for more than five minutes before they see the similarities between Micah's day and ours today. And it's not just limited to the United States.

The so-called great men of our day seek their own material prosperity. Influencers, so-called influencers. They'll hop on YouTube and say something nice. It's just for your money.

Our families are chaotic at best or completely broken at worse. Divorce is an inevitable reality for 50% of this nation's marriages. 50%.

Yet we should not be surprised that these things are so, beloved. We should not be surprised. Micah was disappointed, absolutely, but not surprised when he wrote these words. Because the Lord revealed these things to him, and our Lord Jesus Christ gave us insight for our day as well. Hear the words of Christ from Matthew chapter 10, verses 24 and 25. The Lord says, A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

If they have called the master of the house beautiful, how much more will they malign those of his household? So Jesus told us the world would be against us. But he went further. He told us that the closest people would likewise turn against us. He continues in Matthew chapter 10. See if this sounds somewhat familiar.

I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a person's enemies will be those in his own household. Huh. Here, Christ directly references the words of Micah today. This was a promise reality for the remnant until Christ returns. So what are we to do, beloved? Our governments betrayed us, our neighbors harm us, our friends are against us. What are we to do? Well, let us follow in Micah's footsteps. Let us look to the Lord. Now, naturally, looking to the perfect one puts our imperfections on display. The Lord has been incredibly gracious to us because he doesn't let us see how rotten we actually are.

However, he is still willing to show us enough to know that our sin makes us an opaque shade of black, like the jeweler's display pillow. Our souls are completely covered in darkness before being redeemed. It has been revealed in Scripture that marriage is the one of the closest pictures of the relationship the body of Christ has with their Savior. If that is so, then perhaps the closest picture of the fall would be divorce. Any of us who have been Christians for more than five minutes know that we're sinners. But beloved, the severity of the separation we once had was incredibly intense. We were completely separated. We weren't on a break with God. It was a brutal divorce, severed from his grace.

And the longer we walk with Christ, the more we realize that Paul was speaking of us when he says in Romans chapter 3, all have turned aside. Together they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips.

Their feet are swift to shed blood, and their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. That was us. Beloved, that was us. That was our state, our standing before a holy God. The darkness was not only around those out there, but was present even in the spirits of me and of you. Even today, if you're trusting in Christ and you are redeemed, this decaying old body we still carry, it sometimes begins to stink. We reopen the grave, we spit venom again, we become bitter, even sometimes against the people we are called to love. We too must be like Micah and recognize that there is no refuge within our own merit.

We must receive help from another.

And it gives us a promise. Look to him, and yes, we're going to sin. But verse eight promises, when I fall, I shall rise. When we fall into sin, whether it's bitterness or betrayal, we are promised that the Lord is not going anywhere. He will cause us to rise. And there is no expiration date on this help either. It's not that the Lord covered the sins yesterday, but tomorrow, eh, we'll see. No, no, no. He is there for us every single day. The verse continues. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. This is dwelling, lingering sin. It's almost like when a pig sits in his own mud.

That's what's being depicted here. When we sit in our sin, our besetting sins, the sins that we just can't seem to shake, he still does not give up on us. If we are his own, he will be with us, lighting the path to our heavenly promise and bringing us into final victory over this darkness, whether it be at the time of death or the return of his Christ. Why does he do this? Because he's made himself one with us. To deny us would be to deny himself, and he cannot do that. So does this mean that the Christian can sin scot free? Is this a get out of jail free card? The text clearly tells us no. Micah admits in verse 9, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me.

Here is a heavy truth that the believer will at times suffer the chastisement of the Lord. The displeasure of the Spirit. This is not superstitious punishment we're talking about. I've had many conversations with believers that think because they got into a car accident or a family member died, or simple things as tripping on a step, that the Lord must be punishing them for their sin. This is different. Biblical chastisement looks much different. The displeasure of the Spirit is much more relational than it is transactional. There may be some physical consequences for our sin, especially for those gross sins that do damage to our bodies and to those around us. But more often than not, the chastisement the believer will feel is much more spiritually driven.

The London Baptist Confession of Faith says in chapter 18, paragraph 4. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation, diverse ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted, as by negligence and preserving it, or by falling into some special sin by which the wounds the conscience and grieves the spirit by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and have no light. Yet are they never destitute of the seed of God and life of faith. That love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may be in due time revived, and by the which, in the meantime, they are preserved from utter despair.

It has been said by one local theologian that the displeasure of the Spirit is almost like you walk through life with a dove on your shoulder. You feel his presence everywhere you go. Then suddenly, because of something you've done, you don't feel him there anymore. You don't feel his presence at all. This can be likened to the experience of the believer. Yet, as the confession mentioned, there is always the promise that he has never left us completely. We may not feel his countenance, but that dove is always flying above or in a tree, still watching over us, though we do not feel him.

Micah says in the text that yes, we will suffer punishment for our sin. But this does have an expiration date. We will suffer the punishment for our sin until what a hopeful word. Until he pleads my cause. So what was Micah's cause? Micah's cause or purpose was not himself, but rather his Savior, the Lord Himself, Jehovah. Because Micah had made Jehovah his cause, he was promised to see the Lord's vindication. What is the Lord's vindication? The answer is found in chapter 5 of Micah, verse 2. We're celebrating this today. But you, O Bethlehem, who are too little to be named among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be the ruler of Israel, whose coming is from old, from ancient days.

Beloved, our vindication has a name, and his name is Jesus. Jesus is our vindication, his perfect life, the substitute for our sinful existence, his death, the sufficient atonement for the wrath we deserve, his resurrection from the grave, the seal and promise of an eternity with him, loving and being loved by the one who has set us free. Our vindication is the gospel message itself, that all who would come to the Lord with a broken and contrite heart, pleading no other cause but Christ, trusting him for the redemption of their hellbound souls, that he will gladly welcome us in to his covenant of grace to live and reign with him forever.

So what do we do in this dark and broken age? We look to the Lord. We wait for the God of our salvation, and we stand, knowing our God will hear us. Micah lost everything. Yet he had an overwhelming sense of peace. Not because he voted for the right guy, or mastered systematic theology, or read every Puritan or went to every conference. Rather, because he knew Jehovah, and Jehovah knew him. They walked together in the cool of the day. Come what may. This truth was immutable. It was unable to be changed for Micah. And beloved, it is immutable for you and me today.

It is the solid ground on which we stand, secure, though the earth shakes and the mountains be moved. If you're lost here today, if you've perhaps been sitting in this very room week after week after week, with a different speaker and thinking, ah, I've heard all this before. May the Lord shatter your arrogant heart and show you your standing before him. It is not too late for you. Perhaps you've fought against your believing father and been his enemy. Perhaps you have resisted your loving spouse who longs to go to church. Beloved, it's not too late for you. I don't care if you're eight or eighty. As long as you draw breath, the opportunity to join us in this walk with Jehovah is open to you.

So, friend, walk with him, not against him. God was Micah's righteousness, as he is for all those who trust in him. He is the only hope for this world and for our fickle beings. Only he keeps us from crippling depression. The world may crumble around us, our own hearts may strain and fail, but we look to the Lord, the one who never changes. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the creator and the sustainer of this world and of this fickle sinner, and of each of you that trust him today. As Christ beloved, we can sing these closing verses in Micah. It goes to the end of chapter seven, which have been called a hymn of victory, beginning with the meaning of Micah's own name. You remember it.

Verse 18 reads, Who is a God like you? Who is a God like Jehovah? Pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance. He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.

You will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Jehovah Secenu, God my righteousness is all things to me. Amen. Let's pray.

We are unworthy. Oh, we're so unworthy. We ought to now be dust. And Lord, we thank you that in your mercy and your kindness and your love you've given us your son, and that in the darkness of this world and the darkness of our families, we can look to you and find security. Oh Father, we trust you. Would you help us to trust you more as we go into our separate context now, Lord? Please be with us, we pray in Jesus' holy name. Amen.

Amen.

Just in this darkened world. We look to Christ, our Lord and Savior. He is the one who is all sufficient for us and for our living. So may we just worship him today.

And the things of earth will grow strange lead in the light of his glory and room.

Turn your eyes to the Hills Justice and Mercy and bring the Son of God gave his life for us. In a measure list that was he raised Jesus. To you we lift our eyes. A glory in our pride.

Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to you.

Turn your eyes to the Lord. See Christ the Lion away. What a glory of fear of death is God.

Jesus, to you we lived our eyes.

Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to you.

Turn your eyes to the heavens. Our king will return for his own. Yes. Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout. All glory to Jesus alone. Jesus, to you we lived our eyes.

We adore you, behold you, our Savior ever true. Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to you.

We adore you, behold you, our savior ever true. Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to you. Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to Amen. By way of benediction. From Romans chapter fifteen. And again, Isaiah says the root of Jesse will come. Even he who arises to rule the Gentiles. In him will the Gentiles hope. May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Amen.

All right, it's on. All right, if you guys want to actually even move up closer, if you guys want to uh, you know, for especially for the parents who who uh have children up here, um for for this year we have uh uh a little uh we have two songs prepared by our children's ministry. Uh and so for those of uh of the those of you who don't know, um teacher Tiffany is our is our children's uh director. So if you guys want to just give a round of applause for Tiffany real quick, who's kind of helped organize and coordinate a lot of this here. Um I'm also one of the teachers in our children's ministry, so it's it's great to see you guys. But um, our young ones today have uh a little a little something, something they want to show.

And so if we can give you our undivided attention to the um some of our students in the class, uh Titus Titus and Hazel, you guys want to come up here and then you guys can share the mic.

Christmas Carol, written by Charles Wesley, writer of heart the hair of the angels sings. It is based upon Haggai Two Seven, which says, I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty. And also a quote saying There is a God cheap vacuum in the heart of every person that cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator.

Today we sing this hymn eagerly awaiting our Savior.

Stood by his mother's side.

Oh glorious night. Oh glory hallelujah be a pre saver I'm only looking as Christ Jesus Christ is for Jesus Christ is for the shift as wonder so everyone our mace wins God came down on the glory of night God came down on this glory of night angel preceive the king Jesus Christ is both Jesus Christ is balls Gloria What a glorious night Gloria What a glorious night to see me all the Lord has come Jesus Christ is for the angel save hallelujah save her king and all the love has come Jesus Christ is born after Jesus Christ is born in all is calm now all is quiet star shining in the sky below in Bethlehem is sleeping oh what a glorious night oh what a glorious night so that was great let's give them one more round of applause and some God okay so um her tradition we normally do have something for you kids is that true so I have a question for you do we give you guys kids because you're so cute do we give you guys gifts because you do so well in Bible study do we give you guys presents because you guys might be really really wonderful well behaved kids I know these are confusing because you guys are really well behaved and you guys are really adorable but you know what we don't get you presents for those reasons we give you presents out of love and that's like the gift that we get every day of the year through Jesus.

Is that true or false? True. So who is the king? Jesus. And so we give you gifts to remember the gift that we got in King Jesus. Amen. Amen. Okay, so we're gonna present our gifts. Let's start with close. Yeah, let's go closest first. Okay, so this is for Titus. Can you come up? Titus, whoop. Okay.