Message Notes - Westwood Community Church

Message Notes
The Just Church #1
Walk Humbly
January 11, 2015
Joel K. Johnson
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Worship in Song
Introduction
WALK humbly with your God.
Worship Center: Ben Rosenbush
Woodside Room: Ben Garrett
FaithStory
Zach Wilkinson
Community Life
AM Worship Center: Dave Trautmann
AM Woodside Room: Brian Suter
PM Worship Center: Rebecca Petersen
Offering
Like An Avalanche
Message
“Walk Humbly”
Pastor Joel K. Johnson
Closing Song
10,000 Reasons
Walk HUMBLY with your God.
Walk humbly WITH your God.
Walk humbly with YOUR God.
Walk humbly with your GOD.
The Ascension
Open Up the Heavens
All That I Am
The Just Church #1 Walk Humbly
1. Can you think of time when you were treated unjustly? How did it make you feel? How
did you respond to the injustice?
2. The theme verse for this series and year is Micah 6:8 (NIV). Pastor Joel talked about the
pyramid effect of this text. The base includes act justly and love mercy and the pinnacle
is to walk humbly with your God. Why?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
3. Can your group recite the pledge of allegiance together? Where do we say this pledge
today? Why is it important to give credit to God and not our nation for the pledge of
liberty and justice for all? What is the risk of leaving God out as the source of our call to
justice?
4. 2700 years ago the nation of Israel was in trouble. God was increasingly fed up with their
pursuit of sin and unjust ways, their empty sacrifices and shallow devotion to God and
His ways. That’s when God through the prophet states what He requires of them in Micah
6:8. The broader context is very important. What is the only sacrifice God cares about?
How are we today similar to Israel in this way? What happens when we make the call to
act justly our primary focus without grounding it in walking humbly?
5. Pastor Joel walked through each word of Micah 6:8 and specifically the line to “walk
humbly with your God?” Answer the question that follows each word.
a. WALK humbly with your God.
Why is the verb “walk” so important. Read Psalm 23:1-4. Can you recall what Pastor Joel
said about the verb “walk” and it’s implication in times of need or trouble? When you are
going through a dark valley why is walking so difficult? Why is walking helpful?
b. Walk HUMBLY with your God.
What does the word “humbly” mean? Dallas Willard had a personal three-­‐step plan to
help nurture humility in his own life:
a. never pretend
b. never presume
c. never push.
Do your best to describe what each phrase means and how it nurtures a humble way of
living? Which one might you struggle most with?
c. Walk humbly WITH your God.
The preposition ‘with’ means Side by side; in close friendship and adoration. Do not put
God in a corner of your mind; rather, make him your constant traveling companion. DO
YOU walk ‘with’ God and how do you know?
d. Walk humbly with YOUR God.
The pronoun implies your personal relationship with God rather than living your faith
through parents or others. What helps you most live in vital union with Jesus Christ?
What keeps you from living in vital union with Jesus Christ?
e. Walk humbly with your GOD.
In the time of Micah every nation had its own god. When Israel was doing well it was
popular to identify with Israel’s God. But when frustration with God was high or when
say, Assyria threatened conquest of Israel did it not seem like a good time to swear
allegiance to Assyria’s gods? Many did. When modern Christians commit to Jesus and
then lose jobs, go broke, get sick and face deep discouragement, does it seem like time to
find another savior? When America’s politics are polarized, economics are declining
and threats are abounding, are we tempted to give up on the God in whom we profess our
trust? How do you keep trusting in God when temptations to follow other gods is so real?
Review Volume 1 and the Justice offerings this month. What one thing can you do this month to
deepen your awareness and engage more personally in addressing injustice in the world? Choose
one or have your group choose one and share your progress through this month and year.
Will you memorize Micah 6:8 and join Pastor Joel in praying “we will do something beautiful
for God?”