Don't Settle...

Last week we looked at the eight oracles or prophetic words Amos had for Judah, Israel, and the surrounding nations. This week, we see our country prophet zeroing in on "the family" (Amos 3:1). From Amos chapter three to chapter six we see our prophet preach a series of sermons each one building on the previous, each one addressing various issues that were facing Israel and Judah.
When he reaches chapter six, we find what I think is the source of their problems. He addresses two issues in chapter six which are intricately related. Complacency and pride. Amos 6:1 starts off proclaiming woe to those who have become complacent and ends expressing the Lord's hatred of pride. How are these related? Well let's consider what complacency means - The Oxford Dictionary describes complacency "a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements."

So you see, while Amos was telling them "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion" (Amos 6:1 NIV) he was setting them up to receive the knockout punch a few verses later when he says:  "The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself—the Lord God Almighty declares:

“I abhor the pride of Jacob
    and detest his fortresses;
I will deliver up the city
    and everything in it.” (Amos 6:8 NIV)

Catch that? The Lord abhor's the pride of Jacob. He is disgusted with those who sit complacently, perfectly content with what they have achieved. Thus sitting back and wait on the "Day of the Lord" to arrive knowing their salvation is secure, not worried about their brother.

Let's bring this up to today. Do we fall into the same trap? Israel and Judah were experiencing the best days economically, their social standing was secure, they weren't warring with their neighbors.

In the church today, (talking universal church here) we have more than we have ever had. We have access to resources no other generation has had yet are we taking advantage of the blessing which God has bestowed upon us or are we sitting complacently admiring with our achievements?

Are we embracing a "Field of Dreams" mentality (if you build it they will come) or are we actively sharing our faith with all who would listen?

I want to challenge you this Easter season - take advantage of the willingness of people to go to church and invite them! Go out of your way to find people, even people you think would never give the church the time of day. But don't just invite them to share with them what God has done for you and bring them!

Let's not let our pride stand between us and obedience to God!

See ya Sunday!

The Country Prophet

Week 5 in our survey brings us to the Book of Amos. We are going to spend a couple weeks here so I wanted to give you some of the important contextual thoughts in writing such that you might be able to refer back to it. Amos himself gives us a timeline for when the book was written:

"The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa—what he saw regarding Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." (Amos 1:1 HCSB)
So, in verse 1 we find all sorts of relevant information. We find our author, Amos. We find his profession and his location "one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa." We see the purpose of declaring "what he saw" (interestingly this is probably better translated his vision concerning). We also see a timeline "in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake." So now we can go back and figure out when Uzziah and Jeroboam both reigned, look for records of an earthquake and come up with a date of around 755 BC.

Now, Amos' book is divided into three sections: First, we have a series of "oracles" concerning sin and judgment of eight nations (ch. 1-2). Second, we have a series of "sermons" concerning the sin and judgment of Israel (ch. 3-6). Finally, we have a series of "visions" regarding the sin and judgment of Israel (ch. 7-9).

I think that if Amos were walking out streets today, he would likely feel very much at home. Amos lived in a time much like ours when society was changing radically.

Wiersbe points out that both Israel and Judah were at peace with their neighbors, which meant that their wealth and energy could be used for developing their nations instead of fighting their enemies.

With both kingdoms experiencing prosperity; their cities were expanding rapidly, and a new wealthy merchant class was emerging in society. They were moving from an agricultural society to a commercially driven society and were experiencing the problems and benefits associated with that change.

But, the lesson we learn in these first two chapters is a powerful one. Amos is seemingly echoing Obadiah's and Jonah's message that God is concerned with more than just the deeds and faith of the children of Israel. Amos makes it clear that apostasy and cruelty will be treated the same. God condemned the nations for their cruelty and Israel and Judah for their apostasy.

God cares about all the nations, His desire made evident in the New Testament through His Son. John 3:17 "For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."

I hope you are looking forward to this survey as much as I am! See ya Sunday!

Warren Wiersbe, Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Concerned (Amos, Obadiah), (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 344-343.

Lessons from Jonah

Week four in our series takes to the book of Jonah. Jonah takes a different form than the other prophets. We find the focus less on Jonah and his message and more on personal Jonah's story. A story of a man running from God then, running to God, of running with God, and finally running ahead of God.

Jonah is a valuable book for us today. It demonstrates great value for three distinct groups of people. 

It has value to those of who preach the gospel. Jonah was instructed to preach to people he didn’t think worthy and chose to reject God’s will for him. He shirked his responsibility which God had placed on him. As ministers of the Gospel, we must always seek to preach without prejudice against the people sitting in the pews.

The Book of Jonah is also of value to ALL Christians! Jonah’s story is one which should remind us that a selfish, narrow-minded, sectarian spirit is not the spirit which God desires of us. We should rather be concerned for all, we should be concerned for the wicked hearted men and women of this world, whoever and wherever they are. 

Finally, the book of Jonah is of great value to SINNERS. Destruction is coming, it is inevitable. However, we find just as God had mercy on Nineveh when they heeded the message, so too will He have mercy on us when we heed the message of those he has sent to preach it. Salvation is available whenever and wherever true repentance and obedience is present.

May the example of Nineveh's repentance always remind us of the words of Christ:

“The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation; and look--something greater than Jonah is here!” (Mt 12:41 HCSB)

Friends, the city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah; the question for us is, have we repented at the preaching of One (Jesus) Who is so much greater?

The Day of the Lord = A Day of Restoration

This week we will be concluding our initial study of the book of Joel. As with all the prophets, when we examine them we find they are very similar in nature. Consider these five steps in each of them in some way.

(1) A warning of impending judgment because of the nations’ sinfulness;

(2) A description of the sin;

(3) A description of the coming judgment;

(4) A call for repentance; and

(5) A promise of future deliverance.

With these five points in mind as we examine Joel, we come to learn much more detail about the “Day of the Lord.” Most people who have been around church even just a little when they hear the term “Day of the Lord” visualize God’s wrath poured out or perhaps the removal of the church. The prophet Isaiah is pretty clear when it comes to describing what’s going to happen…

Look, the day of the Lord is coming— cruel, with rage and burning anger—

To make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners on it.

Indeed, the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light.

The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shine.

I will bring disaster on the world, and their own iniquity, on the wicked.

I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and humiliate the insolence of tyrants… (Isaiah 13:9-11 HCSB)

However, there is much more to the “Day of the Lord” than judgment and wrath. Yes, that is a critical aspect of it, but there are other just as essential realities we must see. “The Day of the Lord” is also categorized by a pouring out of divine blessings. Look at what the prophet Micah had to say:

On that day— this is the Lord’s declaration—
I will assemble the lame and gather the scattered, those I have injured.
I will make the lame into a remnant, those far removed from a strong nation.
Then the Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from this time on and forever.
And you, watchtower for the flock, fortified hill of Daughter Zion,
the former rule will come to you, sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem. (Micah 4:6-8 HCSB)

You see the “Day of the Lord” is a day of judgment, but it is also a day of restoration for those who are in Christ Jesus. We have a choice, we can receive the fullness of God’s wrath, or we can receive the fullness of God’s blessing which would you prefer to see on the “Day of the Lord”?