Who Is a God Like You?

Well, we begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise from Psalm 1a, the

Sing Psalms version, Psalm 1a, page 1 of the Psalm books.

We're going to sing the whole of this, Psalm verse 1 to verse 6.

Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners

paths or sit with those who mock.

We'll sing from verse 1, the whole of the Psalm, to God's praise.

Blessed is the one who turns away from where the wicked walk, who does not stand in sinners

paths or sit with those who mock.

Instead, he finds the story of His joy and great delight.

He makes the precepts of the Lord this sunny day and night.

He prospers ever like a tree that's planted by a stream.

And in due season heals this fruit, this peace I always bring.

Not so the wicked day are like the child that's born away.

They will not stand when judgment comes or with the righteous day.

It is the Lord who sees and knows the way the righteous go.

But those who live and need the life the Lord will overthrow.

Let's bow our heads now in a word of prayer.

Let us pray.

Lord, our gracious God, as we continue to worship you this day, as we give thanks for your own

day, the Lord's day, as we gather as a people, not just here, but to all ends of the earth,

we thank you that your name is praised from the rising to the setting of the sun, that in

many different nations and among many different people, in many different languages, your name

is praised and your word is heard.

And we thank you that your word is that constant companion to your people, that in whatever language

it is heard and read, we thank you for its power.

We thank you for its strength to build up your people in any and every circumstance.

And we thank you for the reminder in what we have sung together there from the psalm, that

your people are blessed who turn not away from it.

We thank you, Lord, that you are the one who builds your people up, who makes them to flourish.

In the midst of everything that this world may throw at us, we thank you that faith is rooted

not in ourselves or the things of this world, but in you as our God, the one who is immovable

and unchangeable, the one same yesterday, today and forever.

And we thank you that as we come together anew this evening, that we have your word before

us and that longing and desire to hear it and to grow by it.

And we pray that every one of us here tonight will hear your word speaking to us, that whatever

else in the busyness of life we are hearing, the many different voices that clamor for our

attention and our thoughts, we thank you that your voice is powerful and that even when

we are deaf to it, even when we have no interest in it, that you have power by your Spirit to

open our ears to hear and to open our hearts to receive.

And we ask that as we join together and as we pray together, even just now, that you will

prepare our hearts, that you will prepare us in heart, mind and soul to meet with you and

to hear you and to know the great concern and compassion that you have towards us as your

people.

Yes, we may have strayed as so many do.

Yes, may we have wandered off and gone our own ways.

But we thank you that the word tells us of the great shepherd, the one you sent into this

world to shepherd your people, to gather your people, to bring them to yourself.

And we thank you that our great shepherd is the one who calls us, even this evening, who

calls us by name to come out and to follow him.

And we thank you that we have such a precious Savior.

The one who shepherds us is none other than your Son, Christ Jesus.

And we thank you that you saw our great need.

You saw our great lostness, how far away we had wandered, that you saw the great need to

send your Son as the only way to salvation, the only way to save your people from their

sins.

And we thank you that as your truth reminds us that a great price was paid for our sin,

the price that we could never pay ourselves.

Lord, we thank you that Jesus, in going to the cross, in bearing its shame, in all that

it entailed, the mocking, the cursing, the darkness, the pain, the sorrow of it, we thank

you that he bore our sins there.

And we thank you that we are reminded today that as he died, yes, he rose again.

And he is at your right hand even now.

And so we pray, Lord, that you will help us to be assured in that and confident in it,

that whatever security this world might offer us, that we would see it's nothing but temporary,

that the security we have in Christ is eternal and will last forever, never perishing.

So bless us together this evening.

Bless all our homes and our families represented here.

We thank you for all that we see before us and pray that you will bless us, Lord.

We thank you for all who tune in online as well.

And we pray blessing to them as well, wherever they gather.

We pray, Lord, that you will use your word to each and every one of us, that powerful word.

We pray that it will help us to know your great love and compassion that's unchanging,

to know the challenge it gives to us as well, to convict and to convert us.

When we lie in sin, Lord, we know that we are dead.

But we thank you for the life that it is in Christ, the life that he gives.

And so we pray that together as a people from youngest to oldest,

in our homes and our families and our community,

that your spirit will be working to bring life, to bring newness, to bring renewal for us,

even at the beginning of a new year, Lord.

We pray that as we go on in the seasons of this year,

as we see the darkness turning to light in the days and months ahead,

as we see the bare ground bearing its seed once again and giving growth,

we pray, Lord, that not just in these natural ways around us,

but also in a spiritual way that we would see progression in every way for your church this year,

to bring people from darkness to light, to see new growth and new life,

to see days of salvation, days of rejoicing in your goodness to us.

We pray that it will be true for ourselves as a people here

and that as we endeavor and go on in your strength and prayerfully

to reach out with the gospel to all around us,

we pray that you will direct our paths and give us a vision for it,

give us encouragement in it.

We thank you for all the ongoing work and work that resumes again,

and even in this coming week,

for our young people with the toddler group and the explorers resuming in this coming week.

We pray for our young people.

We pray for them, not just in preschool and in primary school,

but up through high school and even into late teens and early adulthood.

We pray for your spirit to move among them, Lord,

for people to show an interest in them,

for us as a people, as your people,

to show an interest in all the lives that we see around us,

not just to criticize or to condemn,

but to encourage and to show them the love of Christ,

to show them a better way,

to show them your paths and your ways.

And we pray, Lord, that you will give us

prayerful insight into how to reach out to them,

how to show them a different life,

a different way.

We pray, Lord, that you will give us wisdom and help.

We pray that for every endeavor that we have to reach out with the gospel.

We thank you for Friday,

the free and the many connections that have been made there

and relationships being built up.

And we pray that you'll continue to bless every meeting of it in this coming year,

that we will see familiar faces coming through our doors again,

but also new faces coming in as well,

and people we can relate with and show love to and compassion to.

We pray for the 55 plus group as well as they continue to meet.

We thank you for every encouragement in this past year

as it's resumed once again.

And we pray, Lord, to continue to bless every meeting of it,

to encourage that fellowship with one another,

meeting up in an informal way and yet a constructive way as well,

and offering praise and worship to you.

So we pray, Lord, and thank you for all who help in all these endeavors.

And we pray that you will build us up as a people here,

that we will first and foremost be a praying people wherever we are,

and that we will be a willing people,

that you will make us willing and use us, Lord, for your glory.

Remember us in our particular needs as well as a people,

those who are unwell, those who are mourning,

those who are going through difficult periods in life,

just now, Lord.

We continue to pray for and uphold them in our prayers.

And we ask, Lord, that in all our different needs,

that you will surround us with your strength and with your grace.

We do pray for James and Donna and continue to commit them to you.

We pray, Lord, that the way ahead for Donna will be clearer and smoother in these days ahead,

that the infection would clear,

and that it would be able to give further treatment and surgery to her as required.

Uphold her and be her strength at this time.

And to James as well and all the family as we commit them to you.

And others too, Lord, in our belonging to us as a congregation,

we pray help and comfort and your grace towards those who need you.

And particularly in times of mourning just now and in funerals even to take place in this coming week,

we pray for your word to be blessed and your spirit to be present,

to comfort, to uphold.

So we ask all these things looking to you.

We thank you that you are the one we can call upon,

that you are near to your people,

that you hear us in our prayers,

and that you are the one we look to do abundantly more than we ask or imagine.

We pray that you will continue then to build your church up near and far,

to bless all your people, your praying people,

to bless those who rule over our nation and the many nations of this world.

We pray, Lord, to see days of peace,

days of your goodness and mercy towards us.

We ask all these things,

confessing our own sin,

how far short we fall on a daily basis.

And yet we thank you,

even as we will read in a moment,

of how you are able to cast our sins away.

And we thank you for that,

for the great salvation and the great God that you are,

that no God compares to you.

So hear us in our prayers and continue with us now,

pardoning us and cleansing us from all sin.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

We're going to sing together again Psalm 103 in the Scottish Psalter Version.

Psalm 103, page 369.

And we'll sing from verse 8 down to verse 13.

Psalm 103 at verse 8.

Verse 12 says,

So far as east is distant from the west,

so far as he from us removed in his love all our iniquity.

So we'll sing from verse 8 down to verse 13 to God's praise.

The Lord our God is merciful,

and he is gracious.

He will not try continually,

nor keep his anger still.

With us he dealt,

nor does he sin,

nor did he quite adieu.

For us the heaven in his sight,

we are survived.

So great to know that you in here,

His tender mercies are.

As far as east is distant from the west,

so far hath he,

from us removed in his love all our iniquity.

Such pity as the Father hath

and to his children dear.

Like pity shows the Lord to such

as worship him in fear.

We'll turn together to read in the Old Testament

in the book of Micah.

We're going to read in chapter 7.

Micah chapter 7.

Micah 7 · chapter mention

Find this around page 943 of the church Bibles.

Micah chapter 7.

Micah 7 · chapter mention

Last Sunday morning it was,

we were looking at Micah chapter 6

Micah 6 · chapter mention

and seeing the kind of judgment

that Micah was showing to the people

and how the Lord was speaking to the people.

In verse 3 of chapter 6 it says,

O my people, what have I done to you?

How have I wearied you?

Answer me.

The Lord calling to his people

and then showing the great things

that he has done for them

and seeking that they would return

and walk humbly with the Lord.

So we're going to continue on from that

into chapter 7.

Reading the whole of this chapter.

Woe is me, for 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.

The godly has perished from the earth

and there is no one upright among mankind.

They all lie in 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 ask for a bribe

and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul.

Thus they weave it together.

The best of them is like a briar,

the most upright of them,

a thorn hedge.

The day of your watchmen,

of your punishment has come.

Now their confusion is at hand.

Put no trust in a neighbour,

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.

Now she will be trampled down

like the mire of the streets.

A day for the building of your walls.

In that day,

the boundary shall be far extended.

In that day,

they will come to you

from Assyria and the cities of Egypt

and from Egypt to the river,

from sea to sea

and from mountain to mountain.

But the earth shall be desolate

because of its inhabitants

for the fruit of their deeds.

Shepherd your people

with your staff,

the flock of your inheritance

who dwell alone in a forest,

in the midst of a garden land,

let them graze in Bashan and Gilead

as in the days of old,

as in the days when you came out

of the land of Egypt.

I will show them marvelous things.

The nations shall see

and be ashamed of all their might.

They shall lay their hands on their mouths.

Their ears shall be deaf.

They shall lick the dust like a serpent,

like the crawling things of the earth.

They shall come trembling

out of their strongholds.

They shall turn in dread

to the Lord our God,

and they shall be in fear of you.

Who is a God like you,

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.

He will again have compassion on us.

He will tread our iniquities under feet.

You will cast all 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.

Amen.

And may God bless that reading

from his word.

Before we turn back

to look at this passage,

we'll sing again in Psalm 135

in the Scottish Psalter,

page 426 of the Psalm book.

Psalm 135.

We sing from verse 15

down to the end of the Psalm.

Psalm 135 at verse 15.

Psalm that speaks of the idols

of the nations made of silver

and of gold.

The idols of the nations

of silver and iron gold.

And by the hands of men

is made their fashion and mold.

Mouths they have,

but they do not speak.

Eyes, but they do not see.

Ears have they,

but hear not.

And in their mouths

no breathing be.

We'll sing from verse 15

down to the end of the Psalm

to God's praise.

Amen.

The idols of the nations

of silver and gold.

And by the hands of men

is made their passion and mold.

Mouths have they,

but they do not see.

Eyes, but they do not see.

Ears have they,

but hear not.

O Israel's house,

O Israel's house,

bless God,

and bless God,

O Israel's family.

O bless the Lord of the vices,

ye who his servants are.

And bless the holy name of God,

all ye the Lord that fear.

And blessed be the Lord our God,

from Zion's holy hill,

who dwelleth at Jerusalem,

the Lord, O praise ye still.

Well, we can turn back together

for a time to Micah chapter 7.

Micah 7 · chapter mention

I'll read again at verse 18.

We're going to look really

from verse 13 down to the end,

but we can read again at verse 18.

Who is a God like you,

pardoning iniquity

and passing over transgression

for the remnant of his inheritance?

Really that question

that we're thinking about this evening,

who is a God like you?

What God compares to you?

I'm sure we're all familiar

with making comparisons

with different things.

We live in a world

where we often compare

and contrast things,

things that we enjoy,

maybe others don't,

and we speak about them.

We compare cars,

we compare athletes,

we compare holiday destinations,

we compare food.

We speak about all these things together,

and we all have our opinions

as to maybe what is better,

what is worse.

But one thing that we maybe

are familiar with comparing,

and it's always being thrown

in front of us through adverts,

especially on television,

is comparing insurance.

There's a constant barrage

of adverts telling us

to compare the market

or to go and compare,

to find the best deal

when it comes to insurance.

I'm sure many of you

have used these things,

but what do you look for

when you use these kind of places?

Do you look at just the price,

and are you looking just

for the cheapest deal,

or do you look at the details

behind the policy?

Do you look at actually

what's contained in your policy

that you might be buying,

and see, really, is it?

Are you getting value for money?

It may be cheap,

but us, we often hear,

buy cheap, pay dear,

is what we're often told.

But what about when it comes

comparing God in this world,

comparing salvation in this world?

Where are we looking

for that insurance?

Where are we looking

for that guarantee?

Are we looking for just

the cheapest option

available to us,

the easiest option

available to us,

or are we looking at

the fine detail

of what's involved?

Are we looking at

the details behind everything

that life entails

and what eternity entails?

When we look at life

as it's offered to us

in this world,

it's so often just,

go on and do your own thing.

Live your life to the full.

Don't concern yourself

with God or eternity

or anything that the Bible says.

And yet, when you look

at the Bible

and what the Bible says,

it gives a very different picture.

It gives every instruction

that we need for life

and also the seriousness

of eternity

and what insurance

we need for that.

And that's what's behind

this question

in verse 18.

Who is a God like you?

What in this world

compares to having you

as God?

Because the people here

in Micah's day,

as you see as you read through

the book of Micah

and also the book of Isaiah

written about the same time

as well,

is that the people

in these days

were turning away

from their God,

the God of Israel,

the God of these people,

the God who had,

as we see in chapter 6,

led them through Egypt

out of slavery

and bondage there

who had brought them

to the promised land.

They were turning away

from this God.

They weren't seeing him

as the one

who was able

to give them

a full life.

And there were other idols,

other gods

that were tempting them away.

A way that in many ways

maybe seemed easier.

A way that didn't entail

much suffering.

A way that entailed

maybe short-term gain.

And yet a way that entailed

eternal loss.

And that's the seriousness

of why God sent prophets

such as Isaiah,

such as Micah,

and others

as we read of

in the Old Testament

to see that the people

of God

who were turning away

from this insurance

and this guarantee

and looking at

the cheap alternatives,

they were perishing

and being lost.

And God sent them

to call them

back to himself.

So the book of Micah

is one that's full

of warning

to the people

and it's full of warning

to ourselves as well.

It's a book

that speaks of judgment

that will come.

Judgment as we saw

the last time

as we were looking

at chapter 6.

Judgment for not

listening to God.

For turning away from him.

For not trusting him

as a guarantee

for salvation.

in that question

that God was asking

of the people

in verse 3

of chapter 6.

God is challenging

the people there.

He's challenging them.

Where is your security?

Where is your insurance?

Oh my people,

what have I done to you?

Have I wearied?

Answer me.

What have I done

that you have turned away from me?

Is it too much

for you to follow me?

And he went on

to explain

what he had done for them

in verse 4.

For I brought you up

from the land of Egypt.

I redeemed you

from the house of slavery.

I sent before you

Moses and Aaron

and Miriam.

What God

compares to this?

Is there any God

that they could look to

around them

that compares

to this God

and the miracles

that he had done

to lead them

out of Egypt

through the Red Sea,

through the wilderness?

Show me,

he's saying,

a God

that compares

to this.

And Micah,

as he comes

to the end

of this book,

is saying,

who is a God

like you?

Saying to the people

then and saying

to ourselves today,

who is a God

like you?

There are consequences,

as we see in Micah,

for not listening

to what God

is saying to us.

But then we ask

ourselves,

what are the benefits

then

to listening

to what God

is saying to us?

And as you come

into chapter 7,

as you read through

the book of Micah,

what you see is,

yes,

there's much judgment

in this book.

But as it comes

to a conclusion,

it's reminding us

of the wonderful love

of God.

Verse 18

to verse 20

there really

highlights for us

who is a God

like you?

Who is a God

that can pardon

our iniquities?

Who is a God

that does not

retain anger

forever?

Who delights

in steadfast love?

Who will have

compassion on us?

Who threads

our iniquities

underfoot?

Who will cast

our sins

into the depths

of the sea?

All of these things

that you see

in these verses,

have you found

another God

in this world,

in this life,

who compares

to the God

of the Bible?

The God

of steadfast love,

the God

who forgives sin,

the God

who offers life

and life eternal.

Have you found

another God

that compares

to this?

You haven't

and you won't

because there is

no God

like this God.

God.

And when you look

at Micah himself,

his name

actually means

who is

like you

as Lord.

That is the root

of Micah's name.

Who is like

the Lord?

And this is the prophet

that God sent.

And when we listen

to God,

when we begin

to see

that no God

compares

to this God,

then we realize,

truly realize,

the steadfast love

and the security

that this God

offers

to his people.

Psalm 34,

it says to us,

O taste

and see

that the Lord

is good.

Blessed

is the one

who takes

refuge in him.

We sang

in Psalm 1

that man

that man

hath perfect

blessedness

who walketh

not astray.

The blessing

of knowing

God.

The joy

of knowing

that security

of his steadfast love

and the salvation

that he offers

to us.

But are we looking

to him?

Or are we looking

and comparing

and looking

for a cheaper

alternative?

We're surrounded

by idols

and false

gods

ourselves.

What the world

tells us

we need

success

and money

and status

power.

We're surrounded

by all of these

idols.

An idol

is a false

God that comes

between us

and the living

God.

And when we

listen to the

idols of this

world,

we will perish.

That is the

warning of Scripture.

But when we

listen to God,

we find life

and hope.

So is there

a God

that compares

to this God?

Well, there are

three things

that Micah

shows to us

in these verses

in the closing

part of chapter 7

that show us

that no God

compares

to this God.

And I want us

to see it

in three ways.

Three ways

that Micah

shows us

no God

compares

to him.

And the first

is no God

compares to him

as a shepherd,

a shepherd king.

No God,

secondly,

we'll see,

compares to him

as sovereign

over this world.

And then thirdly

and finally,

we see no God

compares to him

as saviour.

These three things

Micah shows

to us.

The shepherd,

the way God

is sovereign

and the salvation

that God offers

that no God

compares to him.

So first of all,

we see

the shepherd.

When you look

at verse 13,

it's the end

of a section

that's speaking

about

desolation

coming

to people,

destruction

coming to people.

In verse 13,

it says,

but the earth

will be desolate

because of its

inhabitants

for the fruit

of their deeds.

The land

is made

desolate.

Destruction

is all around.

But yet,

there's hope.

There is hope.

There is a seed

of recovery.

There is a sunrise

after the night

of darkness.

And you see

that Micah

himself

has made

known that

in verse 7

where it 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.

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.

That there is hope,

that there is

darkness

in his day,

but there is

hope of the light

to come.

And Psalm 30

is another

wonderful psalm

that speaks

to us

in verse 5

of tears

enduring

for a night,

but joy

comes

in the morning.

And what

makes the difference

in these

circumstances?

When there is

darkness,

when there is

suffering,

but there is

hope.

even

there is

a hope

that we

cannot yet

see,

but there

is a hope.

What makes

the difference?

Well,

it's that God

has not forgotten

his people.

Because you

see that

in the prayer

that Micah

offers up

in verse 14.

Shepherd

your people

with your

staff.

The flock

of your

inheritance

who dwell

alone

in a forest

in the midst

of a garden

land,

let them

graze

in Bashan

and Gilead

as in

the days

of old.

As in

the days

when you

came out

of the

land of

Egypt.

I will

show them

marvelous

things.

There is

hope.

What makes

the difference?

Who is

a God

like you?

As Micah

says,

when it

comes to

this situation,

there is

no God

who will

shepherd

in this

world

apart from

our God.

Shepherd

your people

with your

staff.

The people,

your inheritance,

who you

know and

who you

love so

well.

When you

look at

the shepherd

imagery in

the Old

Testament,

it's always

a picture

of knowledge.

It's always

a picture

of concern

and compassion

when you

think of

a true

shepherd.

It's the

image that

we see

so often

throughout the

Old Testament,

most particularly

as we see

it in

Psalm 23.

The shepherd

was one

who ruled

well over

his flock,

who provided

for them

in every

way,

who remembered

them and

knew them

intimately,

knew every

sheep,

every face

before him.

He knew

if there

was one

missing.

He knew

if there

was one

suffering

or hurting.

That is

the knowledge

that we

see in

the shepherds

of the

Old Testament.

And that

is the

knowledge of

God

for his

people.

That is

the knowledge

that Psalm

23 speaks

about so

wonderfully.

The Lord

is my

shepherd,

no want

shall I

know.

I will

not lack

anything

because my

shepherd knows

what I

need.

And this

is the

care that

God has

for his

people at

all times,

and especially

in their

suffering.

In Exodus

2,

we've quoted

this before,

but when

God was

looking upon

his people

in Egypt

as they

were suffering

there,

it says

in verse

24,

God heard

their groaning

and God

remembered his

covenant with

Abraham,

with Isaac,

and with

Jacob.

God saw

the people

of Israel

and God

knew.

He knew

what had

to be done.

He knew

that action

was required.

Why?

Because his

sheep were

suffering.

His people

were suffering.

And God

has this

knowledge for

his people

at all

times.

Psalm 100,

another psalm

that speaks

so wonderfully

about the

shepherd and

the sheep.

Know that

the Lord,

he is God.

It is he

who made us

and we are

his.

We are his

people,

the sheep

of his

pasture.

He remembers

our frame.

He remembers

our need.

He remembers

our weakness.

He remembers

everything

about us.

And this

is the

plea that

Micah is

making here

in verse 14.

There is

desolation,

there is

suffering,

but Micah

is saying,

who is a

God that

compares to

you as our

shepherd?

Shepherd your

people with

your staff.

the flock

of your

inheritance.

May they

come again

and graze

in Bashan

and Gilead

as in the

days of

old.

And it's

interesting now

how in

verse 15

it ties

back to

verse 3

and 4

of chapter

6.

As in the

days when

you came

out of the

land of

Egypt,

I will

show them

marvelous

things.

The Lord

is here

speaking.

And this

is in

contrast to

what he

was saying

to them

in verse

3 and

4.

Oh my

people,

what have

I done

to you?

How have

I wearied

you?

Answered

me,

for I

brought

you up

out of

Egypt

and

redeemed

you from

the house

of slavery.

I have

done all

these things

for you.

And what

is he

saying?

I will

do it

again.

I will

do it

again.

as in

the days

when you

came out

of the

land of

Egypt,

I will

show them

marvelous

things.

And he

will

remind us

again and

again that

no God

compares

to him.

And for

the people

of the

Old

Testament,

even into

the New

Testament,

as you

think of

the feast

of the

Passover,

the Exodus

was a

great

remembrance

deliverance

for them,

the

deliverance

of God,

the marvelous

things that

he did in

shepherding

his people,

in leading

them,

is so

well.

Well,

what has

he done

to show

his great

love for

us today?

Can we

say,

does any

God compare

to this

God who

sent his

own son,

the shepherd

of his

people?

Shepherding

us through

Jesus Christ,

remembering

us in

all our

great needs,

even though

we are

standing

before him

just as

they were

in the

days of

Micah,

saying,

well,

God has

left us,

God has

abandoned us,

God has

turned his

back on us,

God has

weeded us

with all

his laws

and all

of these

things.

How?

How

compared to

this God

who shows

us love,

his steadfast

love,

through shepherding

us through

his own

son,

the son

Jesus Christ

who,

in John

John 10:14

10,

verse 14

and 15

says,

I am the

good shepherd,

I know

my own,

and my own

know me,

just as the

Father knows

me,

I know

the Father.

And what

does he go

on to say

and I

lay down

my life

for the

sheep?

That is

the love

of the

shepherd,

the shepherd

that Micah

is pleading

for,

to shepherd

your people,

to lead

your people.

As we

were hearing

this morning

how Jesus

led his

disciples out,

here's another

great example

of that as

well.

Shepherd,

lead

your people.

The shepherd

in the Old

Testament,

not like

us today

who go

behind the

sheep,

trying to

force them

the way

we want

them to

go.

The shepherd

always led

from the

front.

And so

our good

shepherd,

he has

led from

the front.

He has

gone before

us to

the cross

to bear

our sin,

to give

us life

through him,

that he

would show

us marvelous

things.

Even as

in the

days of

old and

even better,

that we

have a

great shepherd

to watch

over us.

Is there

any God

that compares

to this?

Is there

anything in

this world

that compares

to the love

of this

Savior?

There is

nothing.

There may

be cheap

alternatives,

but they're

no use at

the end of

the day.

We need

this shepherd.

And the

second thing

we see

here is

in verse

16 and

17,

where we

see the

promise,

the sovereign

promise that

God gives.

And this

is more a

sign that

God will

rule over

all people

and all

nations,

the good

and the

bad.

The nation

shall see

and be

ashamed of

all their

might.

They shall

lay their

hands on

their mouths,

their ears

shall be

deaf.

They shall

lick the

dust like

a serpent,

like the

crawling

things of

the earth.

They shall

come trembling

out of their

strongholds.

They shall

turn in

dread to

the Lord

our God,

and they

shall be

in fear

of you.

The nations

shall see

and be

ashamed.

They will

turn in

dread to

the Lord

our God.

All the

nations

of this

world

will see.

But what

do the

nations

say today?

What were

the nations

saying in

the days

of Micah?

They were

saying to

Micah,

where is

your God?

Where is

your God?

God.

And so

they say

to this

day as

well,

where is

your God?

We often

say that

time goes

by so

quickly.

The years

go by

so quickly.

Later on

this year,

it's more

than 20

years in

September

since the

terrorist

attack.

September

the 11th

in the

United

States.

It's

amazing to

think just

how quickly

the time

has gone

past.

Boxing

Day last

year now,

2023,

was 19

years since

the tsunami

in the

Far East

struck.

Where were

you when

these things

happened?

I'm sure

for many

people here

these events

they still

stand out

in your

mind.

You maybe

remember

exactly where

you were

when you

heard these

events were

happening and

saw them on

your television

screens.

They were

huge events,

monumentous

events for

our world

and all

the world

saw this

happening.

All ends

of the

earth saw

these things

taking place.

And it's

so often

in these

times when

people will

question,

where was

God?

Where was

God when

these things

happened?

John Blanchard,

an author,

he wrote

a book

and the

title of

the book

was Where

Was God

on September

the 11th?

And in the

book he

highlights the

challenge that

these kinds

of tragedies

bring to

us and

especially

bring to

faith.

How do we

respond when

people say

these questions?

Where was

God when

all of this

was happening?

And he

tells of a

story when

he was

challenged

himself about

the question,

where was

God?

And there

was a time

when he

met with

a lawyer

called

Edward

Tabash.

Edward

Tabash

comes from

a five

unbroken

generation of

Orthodox

Jews.

But the

Holocaust

impacted

his family

and it

claimed the

lives of

two of his

own family

members.

And it

turned him

into a

passionate

atheist,

turned his

back on

faith and

religion.

And behind

it all was

this question,

how could

God allow

this to

happen?

And in

one debate

that he was

having,

it was in

California,

he said

this,

Edward

Tabash,

if the

God of

the Bible

actually

exists,

I want

to sue

him for

negligence,

for being

asleep at

the wheel

of the

universe when

my grandfather

and uncle

were gassed

to death

in

Auschwitz.

And you

can just

imagine the

pain that

he's suffering

thinking on

these events,

but to say

I want to

sue the

God for

negligence,

for being

asleep at

the wheel

of the

universe.

Was God

asleep when

these things

happened?

When Auschwitz

happened and

so many

lost their

lives there?

John Blanchard

went on to

speak about

this about

September the

11th and

he said,

when I was

asked where

was God

when religious

fanatics

killed those

3,000 people

in America,

I replied

exactly where

he was

when religious

fanatics

killed his

son,

Jesus Christ,

in complete

control of

everything that

happened.

This is a

clear teaching

of Scripture,

he goes on

to say.

Those who

combined to

have Jesus

crucified were

wicked men,

yet his

death was

according to

God's set

purpose and

foreknowledge.

as the

book of

Acts,

Acts 2:23

chapter 2,

verse 23,

makes clear.

It is hard

to answer

some of

these questions.

Where was

God when?

But that is

the greatest

answer we

can give.

Exactly where

he was when

religious

fanatics killed

his son,

Jesus Christ,

in complete

control of

everything.

And that's

hard sometimes

for us to

accept.

But isn't

it such a

great assurance

to us to

know that

God is

sovereign,

that God

is in

control?

Because what

does this

world have

to offer

us in

terms of

security and

control?

Who is in

control?

Who is in

charge of

events and

everything that's

happening in

this world?

Is it just

chance?

Do we just

leave it to

go on as

it is with

no thought

of anything

or anyone

being in

control?

Well, God

is in

control.

What God

compares to

him?

And the

knowledge that

he is in

control.

We are all

sinners, as

verse 18

makes clear

for us.

But he

does not

retain his

anger forever.

He has

mercy.

And that is

something wonderful

for us to

think on.

Not to

turn to

atheism.

Not to

turn away

from God

completely and

accuse him of

being asleep at

the wheel of

the universe

when all

these things

happen.

But it's a

time to

come to

God, to

look to

him, to

trust in

him, because

there is no

other way to

salvation.

There is no

other way to

security.

There's no

other policy that

this world can

offer us that

will give us

comfort and