” Walk Humbly With God”

The “Good Life” Series Lesson 4

Sermon Notes

November 26, 2023

I. Rethinking The “Good Life” in a Selfie World…

A. God has communicated clearly about the nature of the “Good Life” and the characteristics that embody it: Justice, Mercy, and Humility! (Micah 6:8)

B. We live in a “it’s all about

” culture and “me

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” is the most popular religion in the world! It has been around since the Garden of Eden and it was prevalent in Micah’s day!

C. There was an absence of justice and mercy because there was so much “me worship” in that culture! (Micah 2:3)

1. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, God has made it clear that He opposes the proud, but gives
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   to the humble! (I Peter 5:5; James 4:6; Proverbs 3:34; Isaiah 66:2)

D. You are not going to act justly and love mercy unless you are walking humbly with God because it is hard to live that way in a “selfie world” without divine empowering!

1. To be humble doesn’t mean I have a negative view of myself; rather, it means that I have an
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   view of self and a deep concern for others.

E. Life Group Discussion Question: How would you define or describe what it means to be a “humble” person? In what ways might people misunderstand humility? In what ways does our contemporary culture make it difficult to cultivate and live out the virtue of humility? Why do you think “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble?”

II. What Does It Mean To Walk Humbly with God?

A. Walking humbly with God means I am going where God wants to take me!

1. “Walking” is a

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   and a “whole life” concept!

2. Walking humbly with God puts me in a position of a follower and

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   because it means I don’t own the path!

3. Life Group Discussion Question: If the practice of “walking humbly with God” is truly a lifestyle or “whole life” concept, what are some implications of this? Think of a person that has modeled to you what it means to “walk humbly with God.” What have you learned from them?
   

B . Walking humbly with God means that I am going to find myself in places where self-interest would never take me! (Philippians 2:3-8)

1. When you walk humbly with God, you can wind up with a cross on your back.

2. Walking humbly with God means being fine with not being

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   ! If all of our service has to be “posted,” is it really service at all? (Philippians 2:3)

3. In perhaps the best known story in the Bible, we don’t even know the hero’s

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   ! Do you think Jesus told it that way on purpose? (Luke 10:25-37)

4. God says if you want to boast, then boast about this: that you know God and what God cares about! (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

5. Life Group Discussion Question: Reflect on and share about a time when God took you to a place or situation where your self-interest would not have taken you. How did that experience grow you as a disciple of Jesus?
   

C. When you are walking humbly with God, you will notice what He notices!

1. When we are walking with God, we start to see all these opportunities we have

to act

and love

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! (Galatians 6:10)

2 . Micah and Jesus picture this life of faith where we do the next good thing as we walk humbly with God! (Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:14-16)

3 . If you make life about

, you are not going to experience the “Good Life!” Contrary to popular belief, the “Good Life” is not about you.
(Matthew 22:37-40)

4 . Life Group Discussion Question: What things get in the way of disciples seeing and responding to opportunities to do the next good thing or the next right thing? What mistaken beliefs and assumptions about the “Good Life” are prevalent in our culture today? Are there any mistaken beliefs and assumptions about the “Good Life” in churches today? What do they involve?