Value. Micah 6:1-8

I decided to change my plan a little bit today. Because I don’t think I’ve given you enough credit.

I don’t think I need to keep trying to convince you that this Community Life Center we are going to build is a good idea. You all are smart people, and we have discussed it. We have talked about what we love about this church. We have mentioned the added budget costs that this building will require, because of the additional ministry opportunities that this building will make possible. We know all of this.

So, this building is a good idea. Lets put that sentence on the shelf for a little while.

I think the question that is a little bit more pressing on my mind and your minds are:
Should we do this?
And:
Can we do this?

Should we do this?

With everything going on in this church and in our lives, is undergoing a big project like this a good idea? Should we do it? I mean, I would say we are doing okay. We are meeting our budget. Giving is steady and reliable, why risk it to build something? Because in order for this to happen, the leadership of this church is asking that you give beyond what you are already giving to this church. You are going to make a pledge to give, and this pledge will be in addition to what you already give.

Sure, it would be nice, but is it necessary?


Franklin County Schools started on Friday. And so many people have talked to me about how odd it is to start school on a Friday. Why go one day, and then have the weekend after? I remember that is how we always started college. We would come in, and go over the course requirements.

How many papers, tests, quizzes, books, etc, etc.

What was going to be required of us if we wanted to pass the course, how many absences, that kind of thing.

And I know that this is what they do on that one day when school starts, and then they give you a weekend to get your things in order, so that you can come in on Monday, fully understanding and expecting what is required of you.

And I began to think about the word “requirement.” It’s a word that many people run away from. Other people wholeheartedly embrace it. There are some people that when you put a requirement on something, balk at it, claiming that outside forces are trying to gain too much control. There are other people who thrive when there are requirements, because they know that if they meet them then they will be successful. The guesswork is taken out of life when there are requirements.

And in the church, especially, it seems that people don’t want requirements.
Its my theory why megachurches thrive, because they don’t put requirements on people. You can miss worship, and no big deal. You can just come again another time. You can skip giving your offering, and no collecting agency is going to call you demanding that you pay or they are going to ruin your credit score or anything like that. You can ignore the request of a special offering, because another one is always going to come around.

In Micah, God presses charges against the people of Israel. I can imagine them walking into a courtroom, with the Plaintiff being God, and the Defendant being God’s people. And basically what God says throughout the book is that they didn’t fulfill their requirement. They broke the covenant that they made.

It seems to me, that whenever we don’t fulfill a requirement in some aspects of our lives, it has much larger implications than if we don’t fulfill a requirement in others.

I always tend to look to sports. I know a lot of you play and coach or have family members that are involved in sports. When I played soccer in college, we were required to run 3 miles in 18 minutes. If we didn’t, we didn’t play. Period. It was a huge struggle for me. I sacrificed time and sleep to get to the point where I could run three miles in 18 minutes because I wanted to play. It was a requirement.

Or in class, what if you decide to just not turn in a paper? You fail the course. You didn’t meet a requirement.

Those are just a few examples, but what God is bringing up against the people of Israel in Micah is a much larger issue. They are failing to meet their requirement to God. So while many people think requirements don’t belong in the church, I would venture to say, that failure to meet our requirements makes for a lazy faith. And that has bigger implications for our lives, for our everlasting life, than not being able to play in a game or failing a class. And isn’t it sad, that to play in a game or a tournament, we will sacrifice time, sleep, and money; but we won’t do the same for God? We become so satisfied with where we are, that the meaning behind what we are doing is lost, and so we don’t think there are any requirements of us.

It seems that the stronger the implications are in the things that we value most for failure to meet a requirement, the more effort we put in.

So God spells it out for us. He reminds us why our relationship with him is such a big deal. I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery. Remember that you had enemies, and I saved you from them. Remember what I gave you in your life. Remember what I continue to give you. Remember that I saved you. Remember that I called you into existence. Remember that I continue to call you to life. Remember that I lift you up.

And because of this story. Because this is such a big deal, and the implications are enormous if you fail to meet the requirements of our covenant. Let me remind you.

You see, the Israelites confused the requirements. You may think, that this was one of the times described in judges or Kings where the people followed other gods, but that’s not the case. In fact, the temple was thriving when Micah was written. But people began to think that their faith was a transaction.

That they could give to the temple, and depending on what they gave, they could almost receive “sin credit.” As long as they sacrificed a certain kind of animal, they could continue to exploit the poor for their own financial gain. As long as they poured enough oil or said enough prayers, they could live their lives however they wanted. As long as their sacrifice was big enough, they were protected and didn’t have to worry about anybody else.

They could buy their relationship.

In my line of work, it is all about relationships. And one thing I have learned in my few years in ministry is that relationships can never be bought. It is never a transaction. When it becomes a transaction, is when the essence of the relationship is lost.

I’ve seen it a few times especially in the naming of people in wills. When you put a dollar amount on how much someone loves is when your relationship is lost. And those that operate that way make me very sad.

Christmas gifts can become that way too.

But when you are in a relationship with somebody, and it becomes a transaction, you aren’t fulfilling your requirements.

Say you have a friend that only calls you. And you never initiate contact. Eventually, that person is going to stop calling. Because what are the requirements of friendship. Trust, respect, effort…all of those things and more. And when someone loses this, and it becomes a friend transaction, the relationship is broken.

I’ve seen it happen in marriages. Where time spent with one another, or chores done in the house, or time spent with each other’s families becomes a transaction rather than a relationship.

And I think it comes down to what we value.

Because we give to what we value. We fulfill the requirements of the things that have the most value to us. We put effort in the things that we value.

Last Saturday, Doug and Linda took me over to Athens to do the watermelon cutting for the Georgia football team. It was a lot of fun, I got to meet and talk to the players and had a take pictures and all kinds of things. But we also got to tour the new football training facility.

And I want to tell you, it is impressive. The weightroom is beautiful, with every weight marked with the iconic Georgia “G.” Every fourth quarter comeback victory is prominently displayed on the columns throughout the room.

Every position meeting room has huge murals of past Georgia greats. The Defensive End room has David Pollack looming over it. The Defensive Backs room has Champ Bailey sprinting past, with Jermaine Philips ready to take your head off as you enter. The running backs doorway sends chills down your spine as big number 34, Herschel Walker, lets every player who enters that room know that you are stepping into the tradition of Georgia football.

And adorning the walls are the trophies, the names of guys who made it in the NFL, the championships won. Inspirational quotes.

And also prominently displayed are plaques…or businesses and individuals who gave money to have the place built.

And I looked at those plaques and wondered how much money was given to get a plaque up there. Thousands? Millions?

The names of the businesses and individuals on those plaques value Georgia football. So they give and try their hardest to fulfill the requirements that it takes to be a supporter of Georgia football.

And what Micah is telling us, by bringing God in to charge us with what is required of our relationship with God is simply this, “value your relationship with God.”

What does the Lord value? Justice, Kindness, and Humility. So what is our requirement; to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.

So should we do this? Should we pledge to give to this project? To this community life center? Can we do it?

And I think we can answer those questions with another question, “what does the Lord require of you?”

Does this building help us put value in this place, in this church? Does this project help us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God? We will do justice by welcoming all of God’s children into this place. We will show that we love kindness by being hospitable and welcoming to all, and seeking ways to be in mission for God’s people. And we will walk humbly with God, walking in faith that God will bless us in our giving to this project, and we will walk with God trusting in his promises.

If the answer is yes, and for me, it is, then that is all we need. We will meet our requirement, because it is what has value and worth for us. That is our faith. It is not a transaction, but it is a relationship. A relationship that calls us to give to what we value the most; justice, kindness, and humility. As we walk with God, and receive life.

I believe God is calling us to something here. And if we follow up our words with action, when we promised to be God’s disciples. We will listen to God, and do what is required of us.