Pastor Raymond Osborne

�The Child of God�s Promise�
Micah 6:7-8

My goodness how good it is to see all these fine Scouts and their families with us this morning! When Ricky began to speak with me about this day and what to expect, I asked him about the sermon. He gave me one of those famous Ricky Detter grins and said, �Well, it�ll have to be brief!� There�s an expression mountain preachers use for situations such as this; �Granny put your teeth in your pocketbook and fasten your seatbelt for we�re fixin� to fly!�

I have fond memories of my times in Scouts as a young boy. I will never forget winning my first Pinewood Derby! My car was metallic blue, had some led exhaust pipes and man did that baby every fly!

I also remember all the neat camping trips we use to take and how much fun we had on those trips. In fact my Mother saved a letter I had written home from camp. I thought I might share that with you today.

Dear Mom,
Our scout master told us all write to our parents in case you saw the flood on TV and worried. We are OK. Only 1 of our tents and 2 sleeping bags got washed away. Luckily, none of us got drowned because we were all up on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yes, please call Chad's mother and tell her he is OK. He can't write because of the cast. I got to ride in one of the search & rescue jeeps. It was neat. We never would have found him in the dark if it hadn't been for the lightning.

Scoutmaster Webb got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone. Chad said he did tell him, but it was during the fire so he probably didn't hear him. Did you know that if you put gas on a fire, the gas can will blow up? The wet wood still didn't burn, but one of our tents did. Also some of our clothes. John is going to look weird until his hair grows back.

We will be home on Saturday if Scoutmaster Webb gets the car fixed. It wasn't his fault about the wreck. The brakes worked OK when we left. Scoutmaster Webb said that a car that old you have to expect something to break down; that's probably why he can't get insurance on it. We think it's a neat car. He doesn't care if we get it dirty, and if it's hot, sometimes he lets us ride on the tailgate. It gets pretty hot with 10 people in a car. He let us take turns riding in the trailer until the highway patrolman stopped and talked to us. Scoutmaster Webb is a neat guy. Don't worry, he is a good driver. In fact, he is teaching Terry how to drive. But he only lets him drive on the mountain roads where there isn't any traffic. All we ever see up there are logging trucks.

This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake. Scoutmaster Webb wouldn't let me because I can't swim and Chad was afraid he would sink because of his cast, so he let us take the canoe across the lake. It was great. You can still see some of the trees under the water from the flood. Scoutmaster Webb isn't crabby like some scoutmasters. He didn't even get mad about the life jackets.

He has to spend a lot of time working on the car so we are trying not to cause him any trouble. Guess what? We have all passed our first aid merit badges. When Dave dove in the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works. Also Wade and I threw up. Scoutmaster Webb said it probably was just food poisoning from the leftover chicken, he said they got sick that way with the food they ate in prison. I'm so glad he got out and become our scoutmaster. He said he sure figured out how to get things done better while he was doing his time.

I have to go now. We are going into town to mail our letters and buy bullets. Don't worry about anything. We are fine.
Love, Raymond

Ah! The fun of Scouting!

But while Scouting is about having fun, it�s also very much about learning, about becoming a responsible citizen of this great country, and it�s about a devotion to a power far greater than any single one of us, Almighty God.

It begins as a Cub when you learn the Cub Scout Promise, �I, (name), promise to do my best, to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people, and to obey the Law of the Pack.� And as one grows into a Boy Scout that Cub Promise transforms into the Scout Oath; �On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.�

As a church, we provide the facilities for these Scouts to meet because we believe that what they learn, and what they do is important for their maturity and citizenship. Yet, while we serve as a resource for them, there is something extremely important that we can learn from them.

It would do us all good to take an oath of commitment to God and Country; to pledge our loyalty to both.

In fact, in Micah I think there is a good framework for an oath that we could call the Promise of a Child of God.

Repeat after me:
On my honor, I will do my best, to act justly; to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God.

Jesus Christ spoke of "justice, mercy, and faith" and of them said we "ought to" do these things. That means it is to our advantage to live with these three attributes as our character traits.

At a time in the life of ancient Israel when moral depravity and religious decadence corrupted the people, God sent forth four prophets simultaneously to preach to His people.

Amos and Hosea were His heralds in the North.

Isaiah and Micah sounded forth the truth in the South.

Amos preached justice.

Hosea struck the note of love.

Isaiah called for reverent, humble fellowship with God.

Micah gathered the gist of all three and summarily said, "What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, To love mercy, and walk humble with your God?" (6:8)

Three virtues are mentioned in our text that is described by God as "good." It should also be noted they are required of us by God. Jesus confirmed this when He said of them we "ought to" do them.

"To do justly" refers to our ethical response to other people. To "do justly" there must be a standard for what is just and what is unjust. Some conduct is right and some isn't.

We are living in what is being called the �postmodern era.� It is reshaping and transforming culture�s concept of morality. We are living in a �if it feels good do it� type of society. I often the argument from young people �Everybody�s doing it!� Hear me and hear me good; just because everyone is doing it, doesn�t make it right, and just because no one is doing it, doesn�t make it wrong!

"To love mercy" is to freely and willingly show kindness to others.

Grace is God's unmerited favor shown toward you and I when we commit willful sin. Mercy is God protecting us from harm or punishment even though we may well deserve it.

A close synonym for "mercy" is compassion. As followers of the Lord we are to show compassion toward others. "Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like minded" (Philippians 2:1,2).

In general mercy means to feel sympathy with the miseries of others. God has such mercy toward us and we should show it to others.

"To walk humbly with your God" means to live in conscious fellowship with God.

It is to recognize God's absolute holiness and submit to His will.

In Scripture the term "walk" often refers to a lifestyle. To be humble means to be respectfully obedient. So as God�s children we ought to be walking every step of every day hand in hand with our Heavenly Father.

Life is filled with heartaches and pain; with confusion and betrayal, with violence, prejudice, and hatred. The sea of life becomes frightening and yet in the midst of the chaotic order of our universe the ever-present voice of God can be heard, �Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. For I am the LORD , your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.� (Isaiah 41:10,13 NIV)

So, here we are, a day filled with pledges, oaths, and promises. We too, as children of God ought to make our own oath to God. What is it?

Repeat it again with me:
On my honor, I will do my best, to act justly; to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

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