We Still Need a Good Ruler

corrupt leadership, justice not for the poor, but only for the wealthy.

The culture had left its origins in God's word.

Those who were supposed to be teaching God's word had sold out.

Whatever you wanted to hear, you could hear,

and you could buy it as long as you had enough money.

The middle class, the poor, are being squeezed out.

They were being ripped off.

Their houses, their properties were being stolen.

There was war.

There was fighting from outside and inside,

leaving some to ask,

why won't the leaders do something to help the people that they are in charge to help?

I'm not talking about anything happening in Australia.

I'm not talking about anything happening in the last hundred years.

I'm talking about Micah the prophet's time.

He was around hundreds of years before Jesus was born.

There was a leadership crisis in Judah.

Those in leadership were failing God's people,

and there were devastating consequences.

People were yearning for a good leader.

Someone that wasn't corrupt to lead them.

A leader to stand up in God's strength.

Because leadership always faces corruption because we are sinful people.

It's not just the cry of Micah's generation.

It's actually every period in history, including our own,

that we are people who are heavily influenced by those who lead us.

The reality is Micah's time is not that different to our time.

New South Wales is on fire.

Our interest rates are hurting many people.

People question whether our education system is failing our children.

Housing is hard for the next generation to buy into.

And Sydney is divided into ethnic backgrounds and social preferences.

So sometimes when we look at the leaders around us,

it can lead us to question,

why won't the leaders do something for the people?

People in all levels of leadership are susceptible to accusations of corruption,

infighting, bribery, and being influenced by outside parties.

It makes us yearn for good leadership.

Someone to lead us out of this mess for a leader who can't be bought and corrupted.

Now, in one sense, it can be easy to blame those in leadership at higher levels.

But the reality is that many of us are leaders too,

whether we are parents or older siblings, a boss at work,

even if we are just influential in our friendship group.

Many of us are leaders.

And we can desire to influence and lead in the right way.

Now, you might be thinking,

didn't James just get up after a little Christmas video asking,

why do we still need Christmas?

Isn't this supposed to be a Christmas talk?

But we will see that Jesus is, of course, the leader that we are longing for.

Even though we don't often see Jesus as a leader,

far more often we consider him, at this time of year,

Jesus is the cute little baby.

He's a person.

He's a saviour.

But Christmas is going to help us understand what kind of leader Jesus is

and how important he is.

And we're going to see that as we go through this prophecy from Micah.

So Micah, he was a prophet to God's southern kingdom,

the southern kingdom of Judah.

This is after the time of King David and King Solomon.

In King David and King Solomon's time, Israel was united,

but then it was divided into the north and into the south,

the northern kingdom of Israel, the southern kingdom of Judah.

And the northern kingdom was attacked and enslaved by the Assyrians.

We just saw reference to the Assyrians in the Bible reading.

And during this time, the Assyrians have come down.

They've attacked and enslaved the northern kingdom.

And the southern kingdom is there shaking in their boots.

The king, Hezekiah, at the time, he is worried.

He is not trusting God.

Instead, he decides to find some allies.

He's going to go and find the Egyptians,

find some other armies to bolster,

because Hezekiah, the king of the southern kingdom of Judah,

wasn't trusting that God would protect them.

It wasn't just that the king was fearful and not trusting God,

but the whole fabric of society was being torn apart.

The land of Judah was the promised land.

This is where God's people would be blessed when they followed God,

and when they obeyed him,

when they cared for the widow,

when they looked after the orphan and the oppressed.

And Judah had been richly blessed.

They had grown rich.

And as they grew rich,

it led to a callousness of heart,

to theft and a disregard for God's law.

And so they start to rip each other off.

As the leaders become corrupt,

so too the people.

Instead of working against a commercializing of culture,

they give in,

and they, just like today,

become all about material possessions.

So the fabric of society was being destroyed.

Society that was built on the care and protection of God's people,

people just like them,

it's being destroyed.

They're eating one another.

Compassionate generosity because of God's generosity to this people

who He's saved out of Egypt,

brought into this land,

built them up.

Instead of responding out of compassion and generosity to that,

it just becomes,

I'm the most important.

I've got to build up my little kingdom.

And so the rich get richer,

and the poor get poorer.

It starts with those in leadership,

the prophets,

the priests,

and the rulers.

Let me read from a little earlier in Micah,

from chapter 3, verse 11.

Her leaders judge for a bribe,

her priests teach for a price,

and her prophets tell fortunes for money.

How could a weak or poor person ever get justice,

if justice can be bought?

Priests were teaching people whatever the people wanted to be taught,

whatever they could be bought.

Instead of bringing God's word to people's lives,

and calling them to repent and follow God,

they were taking money,

saying,

don't worry,

everything's fine.

You just carry on with the way you're going,

as long as you keep giving me money.

Everything is all right.

And the prophets,

who were there to call kings to account,

to warn people about their actions,

well,

they've become fortune tellers,

reading crystal balls for dollars.

Can you imagine

that if Steve,

our senior minister's absence,

that we,

the staff team,

became just a little corrupt?

Just a little corrupt.

Can you imagine,

who can I pick on?

I'll pick on Soren.

Thank you, Soren.

Imagine if Soren wanted to come up

and confess a sin to me,

and he wanted to be encouraged that God forgives him,

and he wanted some assistance

and help to change his action,

and I said,

don't worry, brother,

the only change you need is a $50 note.

Pop it in there,

and you know what,

God will deal with it.

Don't worry about that.

Just a little bit of corruption.

Don't do that, by the way.

We'll confess your sin.

That part's okay.

And maybe with Nick,

maybe let's just say Nick,

just became a little,

just a little bit corrupt.

Instead of choosing songs

that enable us as a congregation

to praise God

that are connected with

where we're going in the service

and as a church,

glorifying God,

Nick instead started taking donations

to the Buy Nick a New Guitar scheme.

And you know,

do you know what,

you know,

if you want to choose a song next week,

you can just donate to that scheme.

If you want to choose all four of the songs next week,

well,

there's a bumper donation price for that.

I don't see Nick shaking his head.

Imagine if we just became a little bit corrupt.

That would have devastating consequences.

Those in leadership of the church

who were supposed to know the law

and God became corrupt.

And so it's no wonder

that the people of Israel,

of Judah,

become corrupted by riches too.

From chapter 2, verse 1.

Woe to those who plan iniquity,

to those who plot evil on their beds.

At mornings light,

they carry it out

because it is in their power to do it.

They covet fields

and they seize them

and houses and take them.

They defraud people of their homes.

They rob them of their inheritance.

This is a picture

of the rich getting richer.

They're stealing the middle class

and the poor's things.

They're stealing their houses,

their properties,

their fields,

their inheritance.

Those who have something to survive on,

it is all being taken by the rich.

Those who have power.

This whole nation is yearning

for good leadership.

All those who should be leading,

the prophets,

the priests,

the rulers,

they have all become corrupt.

This is a desperate

and terrible situation.

It needs something drastic to happen.

It's not going to be fixed

with an election,

the king dying,

a new king coming in,

or just a protest.

This needs divine intervention.

As I've read about these leaders

who became corrupt

in Micah's time

and seeing the justice system

which favours those who have money,

to see the rich

who are stealing

from the middle class

and the poor,

I can't help but think

of the situation

in many parts of this world,

including Sydney.

Just like in Judah's time,

we too have a heritage

following the Lord.

But I wonder

if our culture

has chased

commercial

and material gain

and we have fled the Lord.

Into this context,

Micah prophesies.

He calls on the people

to repent

with one of the most famous verses

from Micah,

from chapter 6, verse 8.

He calls on people

to act justly

and to love mercy

and to walk humbly

with your God.

And against those

abuses of leadership,

the kings who have been born

into the riches

who have failed,

he prophesies

about a ruler

who would come.

He prophesies

about a promised leader.

From chapter 5, verse 2.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small

among the clans of Judah,

out of you

will come for me

one who will be ruler

over Israel,

whose origins

are from of old,

from ancient times.

Okay,

now it starts

sounding like

a Christmas talk.

We get a word

of Bethlehem.

That sounds familiar.

The new leader

would come from Bethlehem.

It's obviously Jesus.

Many people

have heard of Bethlehem.

What do we think

when we think

of the town of Bethlehem?

Give me some words.

Little, thank you.

Oh, little town of Bethlehem.

What else do we think

about the town of Bethlehem?

Manger.

Sorry, what was the other one?

Manger?

Did three people

just say manger

at the same time?

Manger.

Okay, manger is the food trough

of the animal

that Jesus was placed in.

What else do we think

about Bethlehem?

Yeah, Jesus' birth, sorry.

Shepherds.

Busy.

Busy.

Yep, yeah, it's very busy.

So when the census was taken,

Bethlehem is full of people.

And so we have a picture

of what Bethlehem is.

You know, next week

we'll see a bit more

about Bethlehem.

Come up four o'clock

for our Christmas carols

to find out more

about what happens

in Bethlehem.

But we know the story

of Bethlehem.

We know the nativity scene.

We drive past it.

It's on people's houses

if you've been

Christmas-like looking.

But the people

of Micah's time

didn't really know

anything about Bethlehem.

This is not a picture

that Micah is presenting.

Bethlehem was

a little-known town.

It's not even mentioned

in the book of Joshua

where he lists

all of the towns.

It's not even in the list

of the towns.

This is an unimportant

backwater town

that had little significance.

Even Micah says

that they are small

among the clans of Judah.

But out of this

insignificant,

know-nothing town

would come a ruler.

Not born into riches

like the rest

of Israel's rulers.

He would come

in humility.

And we get this

really interesting phrase.

Whose origins

are from of old.

From ancient times.

This is a really

interesting phrase.

It has connections

with the historic kings.

So it has connections

with King David

who was from Bethlehem.

But it's also used

elsewhere in the Bible

to describe God himself

as God who was

from ancient times

as in from everlasting.

And so Micah

could be alluding

to the fact that

this expected ruler

is going to be

a supernatural leader.

That that is what

is needed

into this corrupt

and desperate time.

God himself

to come and lead.

Micah continues

to describe

what this ruler

looks like

in verse 4.

He will stand

and shepherd his flock

in the strength

of the Lord

in the majesty

of the name

of the Lord his God.

Again,

like King David

he would come

and be a shepherd

for the people.

Strong and fit

unflinching

in leadership

against all of those

who would come

and attack him.

He would stand

under every pressure

and peril.

He will be resolute

making sure that

God's people

aren't fleeced again

but fed.

Cared for

not caged.

And he is fully devoted

to following the Lord.

Verse 4 again

the second half.

And they will live securely

for then his greatness

will reach

to the ends

of the earth.

Under this leader

God's people

will live securely.

Security is not found

in money

or technology

or status.

It's found

trusting in the shepherd

who guides

his sheep.

And his territory

is not just going

to be Israel.

It's not going

to be just

the Middle East.

It is going

to go to the ends

of the earth.

Again,

this is lifting

people's eyes

to a ruler

not just being

the ruler

of Israel

but a supernatural

leader

of the whole world.

And Micah

describes this ruler

as that he would

be our peace.

It's not that he

would bring peace

but that he

embodies peace.

He is

peace

himself.

Micah has

complete confidence

for the future

that when this

ruler comes

all will be well.

When this leader

is in charge

God's people

will find

a new unity.

They will go

from infighting

and corruption

and theft

and bribery

to peace

and security.

Micah

builds up

such an

awesome picture

of this coming

king.

He would be

Davidic

as in he would

be like King

David.

He would care

and protect

and lead

and rule

in purity

in God's

majesty

with God.

This is a

very different

picture

of the leaders

that they had.

A different

humble

king.

People are

yearning for

that.

I think

this is one

of the main

reasons why

Donald Trump

was elected

president.

Now I'm

sure that

there are

many people

here who

are far

more into

politics than

me and

know far

more about

this topic

than me

but it

seems to

me that

one of

the reasons

why Trump

was elected

president

because he

was so

different

and he

certainly

is a

different

person

but he

appealed

to the

working

class

who felt

downtrodden.

He saw

that the

leadership

of the

United

States

was corrupt

and so

when he

came

Trump

was promising

that he

would get

rid of

corruption

and that

he would

make

America

great

again.

No

wonder this

was appealing

to so many

people.

People who

see corruption

in leadership

somebody comes

along and

says you're

going to

get rid of

the corruption

yes I'm

for that

you're going

to make

this country

great well

I've always

wanted this

country yes

let's do

that.

But Trump

is only a

man a

very sinful

man whether

or not he

makes America

great time

will tell but

even if he

does it's

only for a

short period

of time.

In Micah's

time and in

our time we

need more

than just a

strong leader

we need

a good

leader.

And this

is who

Jesus is.

He is the

leader who

came to

not just

make one

country great

he came to

make the

world right

again.

This is why

we need

Christmas because

it shows us

what kind of

leader Jesus

is.

Three things

three characteristics

that this

part of

Micah helps

us to

understand who

Jesus is.

Three things

that he is

humble that he

works from God's

strength and that

he knows our

situation.

Firstly he is

humble.

He doesn't come

like these

expected kings.

He doesn't come

to riches he

comes humbly.

He's born in

that backwater

little town of

Bethlehem.

He's born yes

from the line of

kings but he is

from ancient

times.

He is from

God's line.

He who is

eternal has

been made

temporary.

He is in a

physical body

bound by

time.

And so Jesus

comes in

humility.

He didn't

come to

take, to

rule, to

rule and

then fleece

his own

pockets.

He came,

he didn't

come to steal

and take, he

came to obey

God.

And to

become the

king of the

world but

only by obeying

God through his

death and

resurrection.

Jesus knows

who he is, he

knows his

place and

unlike many

other leaders

he's not

grasping for

more and

more power.

He knows

that God

will give

him power

at the

right time.

So Jesus

comes in

humility.

Second,

the second

person of

the Trinity

doesn't come

with all the

pomp and

ceremony of

any other

ruler.

You know

whenever a

foreign

dignitary comes

to a

country, how

much security

and effort

there is that

goes into

making sure

their arrival

is just

right.

I really,

for some

reason,

really enjoy

the royals at

the moment.

Prince Harry,

the whole,

his marriage,

I really enjoy

that.

But that is so

much pomp and

ceremony.

Jesus doesn't

come like

that.

He comes

to a

place that

he would

rule as

a weak

little baby

whose parents

were a

tradie and

an unmarried

teenager.

He is

dependent upon

God's power

and as Micah

prophesied, he

would lead and

shepherd us in

God's strength

and not his

own.

And because he

is trusting in

somebody else's

strength, not

his own,

Jesus is

totally

incorruptible.

He never

sinned, he

couldn't be

bought, he

couldn't be

bribed, he

didn't give in

to sexual

temptation when

offered.

Jesus doesn't

lead to get

rich and to

give in to

those who

could bribe

him.

Jesus leads

in God's

strength and

it just gives

him this

wonderful ability

to be

incorruptible

and be the

leader who

we need.

And finally,

Jesus knows

what our

situation is

like.

He actually

came and

dwelt as a

person.

He knows

our situation.

He came as

a human to

save, to

redeem and

lead us.

He can

empathise with

us with our

pain and our

problems.

He is not a

leader who was

born with a

silver spoon in

his mouth.

He was not

sent to the

best schools.

He was not

on a fast

track to

political high

places.

He was born

in humility

and he

was lifted

high in

his death

on the

cross.

Have you

ever seen

the television

show

Undercover

Boss?

This is a

series of

TV shows

where they

take someone

very high in

an organisation

and they put

them down

working at

KFC,

working drive

through,

and it's

often eye

opening for

the boss

because they

go,

oh, I

didn't really

know the

plight of

my people,

I didn't

really know

how hard

it was to

do this

job,

I didn't

realise what

a terrible

boss I

was,

you know,

I really

like this

show,

often the

bosses become

better and

they get to

help their

people.

Christmas

reminds us

that Jesus

is not a

distant leader

who is ruling

in some

CEO of some

high tower

off in some

business park.

Jesus is not

a ruler who

is ruling

from far

away who

does not

know what

it's like.

He knows

our issues

intimately.

Unlike

Trump,

Jesus has

fulfilled the

promise to

make the

world great

again,

to make it

right again.

Not by

making himself

look great,

but by his

death and

resurrection.

He has

ascended to

the throne

above all

thrones.

He has

brought us

back into

relationship

with God.

Jesus is

the only one

that can be

trusted to

rule.

He's not

able to

be bought,

bribed,

or beaten.

He has

triumphed and

in his

victory he

leads us

and he

feeds us.

And he

is now in

control of

the world.

So how do

we respond

to those

in leadership?

Much like

Micah, we

can call

them to

account for

their behavior

and call

them to

model their

leadership on

something

greater.

for Micah

himself, he

called the

leaders to

repent and

to turn

back.

And for

Hezekiah, the

king of

Judah, Hezekiah

did repent.

He did

not go with

those armies

that he

initially decided

to go with.

He trusted in

God.

And Judah

was saved.

Assyria did

not get through

the gates into

Jerusalem.

But it was

only temporary.

Other leaders

would come and

they failed.

But we

can be

calling our

leaders to

account.

We should be

following Paul's

advice to his

protege, Timothy.

In 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, he

calls Timothy

to do this

very thing.

He says,

I urge then,

first of all,

that petitions,

prayers,

intercession,

and thanksgiving

be made for

all people.

for kings

and all

those in

authority,

that we

may live

peaceful and

quiet lives

in all

godliness

and holiness.

So just

like Micah,

we should be

praying for

those in

leadership.

Because leaders

do have a

great influence

on us and

on the

direction of

our country.

Be praying

for Australia.

Be praying

for what is

happening more

broadly in the

world and for

our leaders here

at church.

For me,

I find it

very easy

to ignore

what is

happening in

politics in

Australia.

I'm not sure

if you enjoy

Australian

politics,

but I find

it easy to

just ignore

it.

But let me

encourage you

not to do

that.

Let me

encourage you

to contact

your local

member,

to contact

your ministers

of parliament,

to implore

them to see

justice done,

and to get

rid of

corruption.

Scott Morrison,

our Prime

Minister,

came out

this week

and said

that he

wanted

Australia to

be leaders

in technology

and security.

And I think

that's great.

I think that's

a wonderful

thing.

I think it's

a good thing

to want to be

leaders in

the world

like that.

But I would

love if Scott

Morrison came

out and said,

we want to be

leaders in the

world of

compassion.

we want to

figure out

how to

care for

our refugees

in a loving

and generous

way.

Wouldn't it

be great

if our

leaders were

doing that?

Let me

encourage you

to be

praying for

them.

Contact

them and

tell them

that you're

praying for

them.

Scott Morrison

is a

Christian and

I believe

he would

be very

encouraged to

find out

that you

were praying

for him.

Looking more

broadly across

the world,

we see the

situation in

Hong Kong.

It is a

terrible

situation at

the moment.

I'm not

sure if

you're

across it

but there

are large

protests going

on and it

seems to be

at a

deadlock.

Regardless of

whether you

are for

those who

are protesting

or whether

you are

against those

who are

protesting,

this is a

painful situation

that is not

going to be

fixed very

easily.

Every day

it goes on,

it seems to

be deteriorating

further.

I don't know

what the leaders

of either side

are like,

I don't

know whether

they're corrupt,

I have no

knowledge of

it, but I

also don't

have any

idea how

it can be

reconciled.

As Paul

reminds us

in his

letter to

Timothy,

we should

be praying

that God

would intercede

on behalf

of these

leaders.

So pray

for the

government in

Hong Kong

and in

China.

Pray for

those who

are leading

the protests.

even what's

happening in

Europe at

the moment,

I'm not

sure if

you're across

the Brexit

deal,

it seems

there is

just instability

in large

parts of our

world at the

moment.

Be praying

for them.

For us

locally here

as a church,

Steve, our

senior minister,

is on a

sabbatical at

the moment.

He has

taken some

time out

of his

normal work

to work

on his

spiritual,

mental,

and physical

health.

And for us

as a church,

it is so

important that

he is a

leader who

is spiritually

well, so

that he does

not become

like the

leaders in

Micah's time,

so that he

is not trusting

in his

strength but

in God's

strength.

When situations

are desperate,

when political

leaders fail,

it is a

painful reminder

of why Jesus

is so

necessary.

He is the

leader who

is incorruptible,

who can't

be bribed,

bought,

or beaten.

And he

is powerful.

So we

shouldn't put

an unnecessary

amount of

trust in the

leaders of

this world.

They will

come and

go, they

will do

good things

and bad,

our political

leaders will

put in new

taxes and

they will

cut taxes,

but Jesus

is the only

one who

has climbed

to the top

of the

leadership

ladder by

obeying

God

perfectly

and dying

for us.

He paid

the cost

of our

sin and

our shame

and he

now sits

above every

throne and

he will

return in

glory.

Christmas

reminds us

of the kind

of leader

that Israel

is desperate

for.

It reminds

us of the

leader that

we are still

yearning for.

No one is

able to care

and to

lead and

to guide

us like

Jesus

is.

So when

we put

our trust

in him,

we will

not be

let down.

Let me

pray for

us.

We will

Thank you.