Amos

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The Word of the Prophets  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  48:56
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Turn to Amos as we continue our series looking at the prophets we come this morning to Amos and I look I know I do this all the time. All right, I'm sorry. But for this week Amos is my favorite prophet.

Because as I'm reading Amos, I am struck again by the fact that this guy calls it like he sees it right. This is this country boy come to town kind of kind of profits and he does not pull anything back in this week. If you had a chance to read The Book of Amos and that's what I would encourage you to do. If you're a guest of ours yet. You don't know about this but we've been preaching to the prophets and each week. I encourage people at to read through the book of whichever Prophet were going to be looking at so if you had a chance to read a famous this week or barring that if you got to see the little summary video from the Bible project Witcher, fantastic, by the way, then you got to see a little taste of just how plain-spoken this guy is, right? He was a shepherd He was Farmer and God called him to go from the southern Kingdom of Judah which we talked about but just a brief refresher. He had the southern Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. These were God's people originally supposed to be one United Kingdom, but they split up and they could not get things together. And so they had to two of the tribes of Israel stayed in the South. They called themselves Judah 10 of the tribes went North they were Israel. Well Amos is unique in that he is born in Judah. He is working as a shepherd and as a farmer in Judah when God calls him to go across so to speak the divide and go in free chin prophesy to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Write an end of reason that God does this I think at least as I'm looking at it seems to be because Israel at this time, they were very wealthy. Are they been doing quite well for themselves? They thought of themselves as kind of a Cosmopolitan Nation are they did they had made enough? They have gained enough that they could be I don't know they could fit in with the rich Nations around them. They could be like Egypt and be like Assyria and so God has to smash some of their pretensions and so he sends this hick from the sticks to preach very plainly to this rich and stuck-up culture that had developed in the North End and a misses message reflects. This amoses message is one that is he is coming into this Cosmic Cosmopolitan place. He is bringing just plain truth because what's a key theme for him? A key part of amethyst messages distinguishing. What is true faith? From what is hypocritical Faith? Because the people of Israel would have said yes, we worship Yahweh. Of course. We worship the god of Israel where Israel after all. But they also worshipped Baal and they also worship all the other gods of all the other cities because they wanted to show how much they belongs how much they were like these high-and-mighty cultures around them. And so Amos has to go in and say no You don't have faith just because you say you have faith. You don't have faith just because it suits you for the moment. This is what true Faith looks like answer. There's a question that I want us to answer. I want I want collectively. Us the answers, but I want you personally to answer this before we're done today. Here's the question that I want you to answer. Is my faith real? Or is it just something I'm pretending at? Is my faith real or is it just something I'm pretending at because Amos if anybody can force us to answer that question, it's Amos going into the nation of Israel. If we said yes, we have true faith in him revealing know you're just a bunch of Hypocrites. So we look at Amos and his message to Israel. But we take it to heart and seek to answer that question for ourselves. And what are the things that Amos does then is as he's preaching as he's prophesying Israel. What he's doing is he's laying out for them, I think. Some key marks of true Faith he's saying this is how you evaluate it. Your faith is how you answer that question is my faith real or is it just something that I'm pretending at? Right? We're going to look at these key marks. They normally I die as we've gone to the stairs and tried to breakdown structure. The structure of Amos is pretty straightforward as you'd expect from a farmer turned preacher. He's not got to a really well-organized. It's just hears God's message to Israel. But there's one thing that's unique about the structure that I do want to call your attention to is you looking at chapter 1 You'll see that he starts out his message declaring. This is the Lord's message. He's roaring from Zion. He died during his voice from Jerusalem, but then when he starts out with his he starts declaring God's judgement on the Nations around Israel for three transgressions of Damascus. And for four, I will not revoke the punishment for three transgressions of Gaza Tire Edom the ammonites Moab, right? Cuz he's preaching he just saying hey Israel hears God's judgement on the Nations around you this by the way is a really good way to get people to listen to you. Yell at the people they want you to yell at. People love to hear their preconceptions reinforced. And so Israel says well, we're better than all these piddling little Nations around here were like is Syria. We're like Egypt, right? So who cares about Tire little puny Tire who cares about little puny Edom, right? Yeah. I got judge them judge them. Right, and if we're not careful, this is how we can get two. Social media is fantastic for this by the way. Social media is fantastic at giving you the hate of others that just so happens to match your hate. And so you look at it more like that. Sounds really good. Yeah get them right boy that mean really nails that one home. I better share that. Right. So Amos starts out by saying. Yeah, all these little Nations around you that you look down on your so much better than you. God hates them to don't worry about it. Famous starts preaching I have to imagine. He's probably one of the more popular preachers in Israel, cuz he's just saying what they want to hear God's going to judge these people around you who you're so much better than but he's setting them up. Amos is standing Israel at because then he turns and he says and hears God's judgement on Judah.

Well, that's getting a little closer to home. Yeah, we don't really like Judah there Hicks. But hey there still our brothers and then the very next thing he says is here's my judgments on you Israel. And that's where we need to pick up as we start looking for these key marks of true faith. We need to say okay first off do our hearts want God's judgement on others. More than we want to face the truth about ourselves. Once we do away with that then we need to start evaluating. What are the marks of true Faith? Cuz I want you to look with me and Amos chapter 2 verse 4. Now this is this is his message to Judah but it hits home because this is part of God's chosen people that says the Lord for three transgressions of Judah and for four, I will not revoke the punishment because they have rejected the law of the Lord. They have not kept his statutes, but there lies have led them astray those after which their fathers walked. Dude, he's not quite to the heart of his message yet, but I think we need to pull out of this one of the first marks of true faith. If Amos says God's judgement comes against this nation of Judah because they have not obeyed God if that is a mark of hypocritical Faith are following lies. Just listening to what they want to hear not what God is actually saying then one of the key marks of true faith is that we would obey God. That we would obey God's dishonestly this week. Is that as I was as I was kind of praying through this message as I was writing it down.

I almost didn't put this point in. Because I was like well duh, right? How more obvious could you get if you truly have faith you're going to obey God and we talked about it a lot here at Red Hills. We talked about a lot. What are the things that we say is we want to be a group of Christ followers committed to obeying Jesus together. We want to obey and we talked about it a lot and you guys want to hear me say kind of our our purpose. We love God love others and make disciples. That's just obeying commands that God has given love God love others make disciples. But here's what I realize in. This is why I'm actually saying this and didn't just scrap it in my prep time. Was it a lot easier to talk about obeying God? Then it is to actually do it.

And at the risk of being obvious, I just want to say that one more time. It's a lot easier to talk about obeying God. Then it is to actually do it as reading. I love Mark Twain's. Is there anybody else like Mark Twain Mark Twain? If you're a Christ follower Mark, Twain did not share your faith. Just so we're all clear on this. Alright Mark Twain though as an outside Observer of Christianity is unparalleled in his critique of it. He says things that nobody inside the boat to get away with saying and so he tells the story at one point. He relates the story. I don't remember where and it's probably misattributed made up, but go with me on this. There's a story told about this businessman. Who claim to be a Christian and yet whose business dealings were continually? Designed to run other people out of business and in cause problems for his competitors and and he would lie and he would cheat and he would steal just to get ahead. With his business business man starts to get a little older. And he goes to Mark Twain and he says in his most religious voice, you know with the with the money that I've made here's what I'm going to do with it. I'm going to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I'm going to go to Israel and I'm going to go and I'm going to climb Mount Sinai and I'm going to read The Ten Commandments just as an offering to the Lord.

Read The Ten Commandments at Sinai in this will be my pilgrimage my thanks to God.

Mark Twain said I've got a better idea. Why don't you just stay home in a bam? Instead of going over there to read them.

I think Mark Twain was onto something. Many professing Christ followers talk a good game about obeying God because we can quote the Great Commission and we memorize John 3:16.

Instead of quoting them. How about we do them? stead of memorizing them How about we live them? So vain God is a key mark of truffade not just talking about it, but actually doing it. The second key mark that we see in Amos is he talks about serving others what actually that's not what happens if you'll notice that I'm going through her. I'm trying to shift what Amos is declaring is God's judgments against Israel and I'm trying to flip it around and say Here's what that means. What we should do instead of doing the thing that invites judgment. Let's do the thing. That would not bring judgment and so in Amos chapter 2, we see this command to obey God by seeing the Judah forgot to and we see that serving others is a key mark of true faith. Because Israel wasn't serving others they were using other people to look at verse 6 with me that says the Lord for three transgressions of Israel. And for 4 I will not revoke the punishment because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the weight of The Afflicted a man and his father go into the same girl so that my holy name is profaned. They lay themselves down beside every alter on garments taken in pledge. And in the house of their God, they drink the wine of those who have been fined. If a key mark of true faith is serving others then a very clear Mark of hypocritical faith. Is using others and that's what Amos is trying to get at here. It's his preaching to Israel. He says you have not been serving others. As God commanded. You've been using them you sell the righteous for silver the needy for a pair of sandals, right? This person has become a commodity. for you to get wealthy off of And we would stand up today and we would say not me. Not me I serve others I don't use others.

Really?

I would never sell somebody into slavery.

Okay. When was the last time that you looked at pronography?

Because most of that. Is a product of the sex trade sex slavery?

Why I don't I don't use people I don't sell people. Really?

When was the last time? That you thought about where the things you buy so cheap come from or how they got there. I wouldn't do that. No.

You wouldn't. You have true Faith you're going to say how can I serve others? How can I give my life? Instead of taking other's lives for my comfort or my use for my enjoyment. We live in a culture. The daily encourages us to use the people around us. It's all about who you know, right? You want to get ahead at work. Will you better cozy up to the boss? You better badmouth your coworker so that you get the promotion and they don't. You you want to succeed in the in the competitive game that is social media recognition. You better pretty things up. You better make sure that you're doing whatever you can to get as many likes as many shares as many responses as many comments. Even if that means what you do to get ahead is to put someone else down.

The Mark is serving others. We live in a culture that says use other switches that going to be Church. What are we going to do? What's our choice here in this moment? Are we going to sell the righteous for silver the needy for a pair of sandals? Probably not.

But are we willing to ignore the needs of those around us for our own self advancements? probably Right, then it says that they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge in a house of their God. They drink the wine of those who have been fined. As Christians we have to stand up to the world and say no other people are not simply. tools for us to use What matters most is not myself advancement? What matters most is that the love of Christ is seen in me. I'm going to be one who breaks the chains. I'm going to be one who regards others. And often times we see this I want to tell you sometimes okay A lot of times. My wife gets on me. She says you need to be nicer.

Why do you have to be so harsh when you preach?

And I'm preaching to myself, right? So let me just say I see this in US. Hi, I see you Red Hills. I see you serving people I do. I do. I see the phone calls to check on the person that hasn't been there for a while. I I see men who went up and cut firewood yesterday. I see that and I thank you for it. I see the fellowship that you guys have in small groups in in Sunday school the willingness to pray for one another to pray for me this week. I see all that. So I'm not trying to condemn us. I don't want us to walk out of here with me. Look how bad I am. I want us to Marvel at what God is already doing in our midst taking us selfish people and having a serve one another but I also want to put before us a vision for more not just taking care of those in our midst but about being a blessing in our community about going outside of these walls. And making a difference a while back. I asked the question and it has not left my brain, which is unique for me. Lot of times the words come out and that's it. They're gone forever. But this one stuck with me if Red Hills closed tomorrow. Would Enoch miss us?

If we cease to exist with the community even notice. Jesus in Matthew Chapter 5 and read. I'm sorry. I don't think I have this on the screen. In Matthew Chapter 5 you can turn their if you want to just to check me and make sure I got this right.

Listen to what Jesus said.

You have heard that it was said. Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be the sons of your father who is in heaven for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and he sends rain on the just and on the engine. If you love those who love you what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same and if you greet only your brothers What more are you doing? Then? Others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same. You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. I want you to notice what Jesus says. There any heard that phrase be perfect as your father is perfect. You've heard that and you thought yeah, right. but I want you to notice the context in which Jesus says that he does it in context of serving others and not just serving others who share the same faith is you who look the same as you who dressed the same as you not just that Everybody does that. It's it's it's really no trouble. I mean, sometimes I act like it is but it's really no trouble to get 1/6 cup of water for my child who asked me again, right? That's really not that difficult. great day live in my house They're they're my family not hard to serve them. It's not hard to serve. My church family. It's a joy.

But it can get kind of hard. To serve somebody who doesn't look like me. Nick kind of hard to serve somebody who even as I'm serving says your God is a fake and your gospels a fraud It can get kind of hard and yet this is a mark according to Amos of true faith that we would serve others and according to our Lord Jesus. It's a Mark that we would serve others whether or not they share our opinions or our feelings. I read an article this week about a church that was about to close. There were 20 people left in the church. And a they call the new pastor in in the pastor came in with this thoughts. I'm either going to help this church die.

We're going to make a difference in our community. And so instead of saying what can we do to make our old members happy and get them back in and get them together with us. He said no. We're not going to worry about the people who look like us believe like us think like us we're going to go to this community and what they did is they printed leaflets up to said need help with home repairs will help for free and they put leaflets on every single door in their Community. Only two people called them. But they went and did it they fix the patio. And and I don't remember what the other one was and word started getting out in this community that there were a group of people here who didn't just do good works to try to get you to convert to their faith, but they just did good works.

And that church tripled its membership. So it's not 20 people. It's now 60 people.

And the doors are still open but the building still falling down because they're so busy serving their community.

Did they haven't had a chance to work on their own stuff? But when their air conditioner went out. A guy in the community who is not a Christian brought them a new AC and installed it for them. Because you said you guys are making such a difference in the community. I can't stand to see you leave.

A true Mark the mark a mark of true faith is serving others. Amos said it Jesus said it I think it's true. We get further into a massive turn back there with me. in Amos chapter 4 we see another Mark of true faith. repenting quickly repenting quickly and it seems weird like obeying God serving others. Okay, get those. Those are those are some concrete things like here's the Commandments do these things. Here's the people in need serve them. Okay got that what about repentance? We don't like to think about repentance in chapter 4. We see this over and over again. We see the Lord trying to bring Israel back to him because I gave you clean this of teeth in all your cities in and I just want to point that out in 4-6 there. He's not talking about I gave you great Dental Care. Okay, he saying there was nothing to eat. There was nothing in the city to eat. I gave you clean this of teeth in a lack of bread and all your places yet. You did not return to me declares the Lord. I was held the rain from you. And yet you did not return to me the clears the Lord I struck you with blight and mildew yet. You did not return to me to Claire's the Lord. I sent among you a pestilence like in Egypt and yet you did not return to me. I even over through some of you yet. You did not return to me. God says the reason Israel I'm judging use because I gave you every opportunity to repent and that's what repent means it means to turn back from the way you've been going by Israel was steady marching away from God and he said I gave you every chance to turn back to me and you didn't That's how we know is real that your faith is hypocritical because when you were given the opportunity you refuse to repent.

Church a mark of true faith is that we repent and we repent quickly that God doesn't have to do six different things and give us that opportunity. But the first time we were made aware of our sin we come back to God and we see I'm so sorry. I was going the wrong way. And I think this fits with obeying God and serving others because if you're disobeying God. You need to turn from that if God clearly said do not steal and you're stealing. you need to stop if God clearly said don't and you do you need to stop you need to turn around and you need to go back serving others. If you're not serving others, if you're using the people around you you need to stop it. You don't have to wait for God to tell you 10 times. Hey, you need to you need to quit putting them down to advance yourself. You just turn around and say okay. I'm not going to do that anymore God. repent quickly This is this is so true though that what we tend to do is we try to fix our sin ourselves. We know we're disobeying God. We know we're like that's okay. I'll get this straightened out. And so we kind of muck around and we try to make things better, but we never want to go back to God and say Lord. I'm sorry. Turn me around, but I'm sorry I can't fix this. Would you please fix this?

When I die know I I know I've told this story before but I like making fun of myself. So bear with me. So when I was younger when I was in college is 18 years old and I flew out to Louisville, Kentucky to go to school. I didn't have a car.

I didn't know Louisville, I grew up in a small town in Southern Idaho. Okay, not used to the big city. That's why I maybe I resonate so much with Amos here. I was the hick from the sticks. Okay. So I show up in Louisville and one of our classes we are assigned to go help a church in downtown Louisville. They were getting ready to do a medical clinic for their Community. They were they were in a rougher section of town and they're going to do a free medical clinic and then you can help passing out flyers for the professor said. Hey, this is your grade you go help them pass out these wires go door-to-door in downtown Louisville do this. Well, there's this girl there who I thought was was pretty neat donating fact that a couple years later. I married her. But at this point at this point that we weren't there yet, but I still wanted to impress her and she's like when I don't really want to go I don't like driving downtown I said, it's okay. I'll just drive I'll drive your car. I've never been in downtown, Louisville. I've never really been in a big city. I avoided Boise, Idaho because it was too busy. Okay. But I'm going to impress this girl. So I'm like, alright, let's let's do this. But I got a compressor right? So that means I can ask for directions right? I have to pretend like I know what I'm doing. So I asked my buddy, right? How do I get the Reese's it's easy you go down here at this interchange. You take this interstate South you get off at this exit is just two blocks up on the left. Awesome. We ended up in Indiana three times.

before I found this church

on three different Bridges, which is even more impressive. We showed up everybody already left right there all out there handing Flyers out. But in order to prove my worth my my self-sufficiency, I wasn't going to stop. I was not going to humiliate myself and ask for directions. What do you think would have been pressed Megan why I mean, obviously she still married me. That's her fault. but do you think she was impressed? by my Independence my Manliness

no probably would have been a little bit more impressive to if we got there on time. If I would have just stopped you keep disobeying me you keep using other people. Stop it. Quit trying to fix it. Quit trying to pretend you've got this under control repents humiliate yourself, then I'll be impressed with you. And God says this is really like why wouldn't you turn and he says to Western so Christian price fall over here this morning. And there are things in your life where you know, you're disobeying God or you know that you are using other people instead of serving them.

Turn from that trust Christ to fix it come in humility to The God Who promises that his spirit will Empower you. For such a change, don't try to do it in your own strength. The next key mark of true faith is in chapter 5 and if you have heard a sermon. from Amos chapter 5 then you probably heard it from Doctor Martin Luther King Junior.

Because one of the key marks of true faith is Seeking Justice. Seeking Justice and dr. King preached a very famous message from this will look at the passage here in chapter 5 look at verses 14 and 15 with me seek good and not evil that you may live. And so the Lord the god of hosts will be with you as you have said hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord the god of hosts will be gracious to the remnants of Joseph seek Justice. Make Justice in the gate then and that phrase seems odd to us, but you got to understand that in that context in that culture. This is where decisions were made. For the culture. This is where the culture came together. So to speak this is where the leading man of the city would gather and they would make decisions about how business was going to be run or what laws were going to be enforced inside their City. They would meet in the gate. And so when it says, Establish justice in the gate. It is literally a call saying Israel. If you want to demonstrate that you have true faith, not hypocritical Faith then seek to be a people of Justice seek to affect societal change that brings about Justice. in your cities end your governments be about Justice and then the famous part. Is that the end of this in inverse 24, let Justice roll down like Waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. He's way saying you love me and you want to you want to serve me. All the while you're perpetrating this Injustice goes back to what we were talking about in Chapter 2 and 4 where you have the people using other people. He says no seek Justice and we tend to shy away from this and it's very possible to overreacting this and to make Justice our Battle Cry to make a societal change our goal. How many of you guys are familiar with the Moral Majority some of your young enough not to know it some of your old enough to remember it. Well, right. Well, we're going to just take back the government's how'd that work out again? That that that that was Primo accomplished, right? No, so it's it's not saying that we ought to put our religion up on the shelf and just try to make a change in politics that never works. The gospel means that Jesus transforms an individual that individual goes home and he's different with his family and that family is transformed in a daughter goes off to college and is a light for the gospel. And then somebody who's that she reaches goes into. Law sits on the bench in a lower court and makes decisions that honor the law of the land in honor God. That's how it happens. It happens from The Grass Roots up. It doesn't happen from the top down. But each person in that thread is Seeking Justice saying God Reigns, and I want to be a part of that and if you have been given a platform. You ought to use it to seek Justice For example, how many of you know the name William Wilberforce? How many you saw the movie Amazing Grace? If you haven't do it, okay, William Wilberforce for those who don't know. What's a typical Upper Crust British men back in the 18th century? He was somebody who was influential. He was somebody who had lots of free time. And he lived in a society where slavery was the norm.

We're just because somebody was born somewhere else with a different color skin, they could be property. So that pretty boys like him could have their free time. And play their games and go to their clubs. He was born. in 1759 and he spent the next 18 years living it up. But something happened in 1785, and no there's not going to be a test. Later. But in 1785 he what he was born in 1759 in 1785. He was born again. He met Jesus. And the transformation that occurred in him was immediate and it was far-reaching because William Wilberforce was a member of the British parliament's he had a platform and he recognized once he submitted himself to Christ. He could not just keep going on the same course and he made it his goal to see slavery abolished and if you seen the movie, you know the story he fights for this and he is ridiculed literally laughed at there in the house of parliament for taking this stand at this point. The British Empire has its reach has extended around the globe. They are literally built on the back of slavery and to give that up would mean to give up the empire. And everybody knows it so they laugh at Wilberforce and he campaigns tirelessly to see the slave trade ended in 1833. parliament passed the slavery abolition Act 3 Days Later William Wilberforce died

He literally fought his entire life as a Christ follower and never gave up Seeking Justice. Where God had placed him? My question to you is where has God placed you? And what Justice can you seek where you're at? Well the first thing he's done as he's put you in the United States. A country that has a democratic form of government. And yes, I understand constitutional republic and all that stuff to those who would correct me, but you have a vote is what I'm trying to say. Use it.

To seek Justice not to advance a party-line not to get one over on the other side. But look at it honestly and say where will Justice be mats? What are the what's the slavery in our day that needs Christ followers to seek Justice in it? I don't want to answer that question for you for me one that's been consistently coming up. This year has been the issue of abortion. And we may disagree on this issue, but I want you to understand that I think that is our generation slavery that years hence. Generations will look back and say how barbaric Did a nation would kill off an entire generation?

I want you to know that. Did there are others who feel this way and utah-idaho Southern Baptist convention? We had our meeting a couple weeks ago. We passed two resolutions at that convention. The first resolution was to thank the church that hosted us. I mean you do that every time but the second resolution mattered and I want to read it to you. Whereas the Bible reveals that all human life is created in the image of God and therefore every person is valuable to our creator and whereas the Bible affirms that the unburned unborn child is a person during the image of the Triune God from the moment of fertilization and whereas Health and Welfare agency agencies Define induced abortion as an intentional action to stop a live birth and whereas they were 1285 abortion procedures reported to terminate pregnancies without a live birth in the state of Idaho in 2017. And where is there a 2923 abortion procedures reported to terminate pregnancies without a live birth on innocent unborn persons in the state of Utah in 2017. Let it therefore be resolved that we the God-fearing messengers of the 2019, Utah, Idaho Southern Baptist convention's repent of our Collective silence before God and man. Of this heinous act against humanity. It has been allowed to be carried on in our respective cities and states and we resolve to appeal to all duly elected representatives who have responsibilities with Sin City County State and national jurisdiction within Idaho and Utah to an axe fair and just code that forbids any personal organization to ever again from this day forward perform induced abortions upon a fellow human in Utah and Idaho and resolved that we call upon every Pastor to stand as a pillar and buttress of Truth before the magistrate in our land to be strong and courageous and stand for the immediate abolition of abortion. Resolved that we the God-fearing messengers of the 2019, Utah, Idaho Southern Baptist convention desire to make our homes available as suitable sanctuaries, and I'm going to pause for just a second and say it's not enough to just oppose abortion. You got to be willing to open your home. Resolved that we declare the human baby in the womb as precious miraculous valuable and welcome Neighbors in our communities. So help us God for the glory of God.

Those are just pretty words.

Unless we mean it. Unless we truly commit to Seeking Justice and that issue may not be the issue that God puts on your heart. But there should be something in this broken and Fallen world that you see in your society. And you say that is not just and by God's grace. I'll give the next 60 years of my life to changing it or I'm going to die trying. seek Justice

Another thing that Amos says the true faith is marked by waiting patiently.

Look at chapter 9 the last chapter in Amos. And God has declared his judgment against Israel. God has said I'm going to destroy you.

but in Chapter 9 verse 11 we see this in that day. I will raise up the booth of David that is falling and repair its breaches and raised up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old did they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name declares the Lord who does this behold the days are coming declares the Lord when the plowman shall overtake the reaper The Treasure of grapes, he who sews the seeds in other words, you're saying the plans going to be so furtile that you're going to be harvesting even those you're planting the next crop. I'll restore the fortunes of My People Israel will rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them they'll plant Vineyards and drink wine. They shall make Gardens and eat fruits. I'll plant them on the land and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them says the Lord your God.

Haven't happened yet.

Hasn't happened yet.

This promise was given 2700 some odd years ago. Hasn't happened yet. Did God fail?

now every other promise he makes is yes and amen is sure it's going to happen. Haven't happened yet. So what do we do as people of true faith, we wait patiently for the promise of God to be accomplished. We look at the end of the Bible. We look a revelation and we see that one day. God will wipe every tear from every eye death will be no more has it happened yet? No, as I sit here and think about my grandfather who did not die this week, but will assuredly die. The thing about tears that we shatter the family sitting in a waiting room earlier this week when we still thought that was going to happen any moment. That promise has not been fulfilled.

But myself you as we see this reality and we recognize the Brokenness around us. Wait patiently this will happen. God will redeem his people God will establish his people God will establish truth and righteousness and justice. forever It's going to happen wait patiently. true faith Is faith that doesn't look at a time scale.

And loose Hearts true faith is face that looks at God and says you've done everything else you've ever said. I believe you're going to do this to. So wait patiently. There's one more thing. And we don't see this in Amos because Amos died without seeing it himself.

The number one mark of true faith is that it's in Jesus and not in yourself. Get your trust in Jesus. You can obey God you can serve others you can repent quickly. You can seek Jesse's you can wait patiently, but if you're not doing those things submitted to the lordship of Christ trusting in his righteousness and not your own you will be disappointed. What was the question I wanted you to answer.

Did my faith real or is it something I'm pretending at? The first question that you got to answer in order to answer that question though is am I trusting in Christ. Where am I trusting in myself? Am I trusting in my goodness? Am I trusting in my faith in my trusting in my good deeds or am I trusting in the way the truth and the life the only name given among men by which we may be saved. Urge you brothers and sisters trust Jesus not yourselves. Let's pray.

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