Politics | Living the Micah Mandate: Kingdom Politics - Part 3

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LIVING THE MICAH MANDATE
Kingdom Politics – Part 3
Springcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
September 8, 2024
#god #realspringcreekchurch #kingdompolitics #kingdom #politics #livingthemicahmandate #micahmandate #actjustly #lovemercy #walkhumbly
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The prophet Micah perfectly summarized what God expects of us, “…and what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6.8). These words are then repeated by Jesus Himself in Matthew 23.23. As we wrap up Kingdom Politics, this final message shows us how God plans to use us to change the world.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. The three parts of the Micah Mandate are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly. Which of the three is most developed in your life? Which of the three is underdeveloped in your life? Why are these three qualities the unique marks of God’s kids? Why is there an absence of these qualities in the world today?
2. Pastor Keith mentioned the most common sociological groupings in the Bible and they are as follows: the poor, the orphan, the widow and the immigrant. What do these various groups have in common? Why is God so concerned with them? Why does God see the treatment of these groups of people as an indicator of the justice or injustice of society? Take a few moments to reflect on Dr. Timothy Keller’s statement, “If you aren’t intensely concerned for the quartet of the vulnerable... it’s a sign your heart is not right with God.”
3. One of the more frequent objections to belief in God is the abundance of suffering in this world that He doesn’t seem to do anything about. But Scripture makes clear that the primary way God extends compassion and help to those who suffer is through His people. If we fail to do our part, it’s God’s reputation that takes the hit. Where has God moved you in the past or present to be involved with others who are hurting, suffering or neglected? What was that experience like for you? What difference did it make in those you helped?
4. We live in a very violent world. But Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, countered conventional thinking by insisting that His followers not mirror the evil of society. How does this teaching challenge you? Why does it seem practically foreign even to Christians today? Is it possible to live in this broken world without returning violence for violence (like what Dr. King modelled in the quest for civil rights)?
5. What does it mean to be a third way people? Why are we so prone to reducing every problem or issue down to just one of two choices? What does it mean to be above the system (in other words, not so caught up in partisanship that you can see other possibilities or choices that neither party can see)? Do you ever find yourself thinking, “I don’t agree with either party on this issue”? If so, have you ever dared to envision a third way of addressing the problem or issue that was not being reflected in the public debate? If so, what was it? How did you see the issue differently? How does our unique Christian perspective and ethic change the way we engage in politics?