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Get Real Isaiah 58:3-14; Micah 6:8 May 21, 2006

Introduction

The call to Get Real renders a modern expression to remove all that is phony or done, for show. Some

attempt to do this by trying to impress people with what they know. That lifestyle brought forth the saying; “I don’t care how much you know until I know how much you care.” People who are real; “ care,” and it shows in their actions as they desire to follow the Lord in their daily life. Many times you can pick these people out in a crowd

1. The Call To End . . Selfish Worship Practices To Get Real. 58:3-5

A. Their . . Fasting Demonstrated Selfish Worship Practices. 58:3-4
3 “Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but You haven’t

noticed!” “Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.

4 You fast [with] contention and strife to strike viciously with [your] fist. You cannot fast as [you do]

today, [hoping] to make your voice heard on high.

B. Their . . Focus Demonstrated Selfish Worship Practices. 58:5

    5 Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a
       reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?           The fasting and focus of these people demonstrated selfish worship practices. When one thinks primarily
      about self rather than God; true worship does not take place. These people put on a show of their own
      making and God did not recognize it as worship. They may have impressed others but it did not please
God. It is possible today to worship in such a way that we please man but not God.

2. The Call To Begin . . Sharing Worship Practices To Get Real. 58: 6-10

A. Their . . Fasting Didn’t Demonstrate Sharing Worship Practices. 58:6-7

6 Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set

the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring

the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and to not ignore your

own flesh [and blood] ?

B. Their Proper . . Focus Will Demonstrate Sharing Worship Practices. 58:6-7
8 Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your

righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. 9 At that time, when you

call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say: Here I am. If you get rid of the yoke from

those around you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking, 10 and if you offer yourself to

the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be

like noonday.

If our worship demonstrates real surrender to the Lord we will want to share our bread with the needy. So many of us have nice facilities for our homes while many poor people go homeless. Does worship affect how we treat the less fortunate? True worship interacts with God and leads us to care and share. God says this kind of worship will cause our light to shine in darkness; and the night to shine as the day.

3. The Call To Continue . . Strengthening Worship Practices To Get Real. 58: 11-14

A. The Reward Of God . . Promises Strengthening Worship Practices. 58:11-12
11 The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You

will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry. 12 Some of you will rebuild

the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of

broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.

B. The Reminder Of God . . Promises Strengthening Worship Practices. 58:13-14

13 “If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on My holy day; if

you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy [day] of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your

own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking too much; 14 then you will delight yourself in the

Lord, and I will make you ride over the heights of the land, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father

Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

When we follow the Lord we will be satisfied, and we will lead others to enjoy the rewards God promises. In fact, we will bask in the rewards of the Lord’s promises. Have you noticed how often God promises to reward obedient faithfulness? God calls for the people to remember the Sabbath and keep it a Holy Day. One way we remember the Sabbath Day comes as we do not satisfy ourselves but seek to honor God. I personally have a rule for myself that I will not indulge in certain pleasures on the Lord’s Day. In addition, I will do certain things on the Lord’s Day faithfully that I do not do regularly on other days.

4. The Call To . . Submissive Worship Practices To Get Real. Micah 6

A. The . . Requirement Of Submissive Worship Practices. Micah 6:8a

8 He has told you men what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you:

B. The . . Review Of Submissive Worship Practices. Micah 6:8b
“. . . Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

True worship must be submissive to the ways of the Lord as He tells us what is required. His guidelines are few and simple. When a long list of regulations and rules exist to insure proper worship we know man has been messing with the stipulations of God. When we review God requirements He says, “. . . act justly, love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” He also will empower us to faithfully obey these simple rules. We might say these are the standards for us to Get Real. Amen? Amen!