Sermon Tone Analysis

! Martydom of Bob Marriott- GC 26yo

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Alternate opening: retrofitting for eathquake

You cannot stop it from coming, but you can beware and ready your foundations

!

Intro

-Amos’s Prophesy begins with the God of Israel judging Israel’s enemies1:2ff.

-You can hear Israel cheering along, in chapters 1 and 2, as Amos lays out God’s judgment on Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab and even Judah.

-Amos 2:6 the tables turn and Amos receives a hard message to preach.

Israel’s next.

The majority of his book focuses on Israel’s judgment.

-Amos was called to bring the hard truths of God’s word to a rebellious nation.

So are we.

SERMON TITLE:/ BRING IT, BUT BEWARE (Amos 7:10-17)/

 

Amos brings it: The Prophecy of 7:7-9

                    God’s patience is out v7-8

                              Plumb line= 5:24, 6:12 Justice and righteousness

                                        Is 28:14-17 same standard when God later judge Judah

                              Naming names and institutions

Religiously: Bethel is done for v9

                                        Political: Jeroboam’s house is toast v9

 

Amos was commissioned to bring God’s hard truth to a hostile audience.

He brought it and he brought it well.

Let’s consider Amos as an example for ourselves.

* *

*Proposition:*

We must understand the three dangers of preaching, and three prerequisites for preaching, the hard truths of God’s word with boldness.

! /Amos 7:10-13    Three dangers of preaching hard truth with boldness./

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! Danger 1) When you bring it, Beware of Cannibals: The religious are often the most bloodthirsty enemies of the truth.

!! Explanation

Experienced by Amos: v10 Amaziah the Priest of Bethel, Amaziah complains to Jeroboam but he doesn’t even respond

!!! Illustration

Catholics in Jordan reporting evangelicals to the king

!!! Argumentation

Promised by Jesus

John 16:2 (NASB95) \\ 2 “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”

Proved: Jesus and Jews, Paul and the idolaters, Christians and Muslims ect

!!! Application

Beware of Cannibals: the religious aren’t friends of the truth

                   

Danger 2) When you bring it, Beware of Strawmen: Enemies of the truth will misrepresent your message.

/Explanation/

V10 Amos accused of “conspiracy” or co-ordinated rebellion

V11 “Amos says”, NO God says

!!! Illustration

Jesus accused before Pilate

Luke 23:1-2 (NASB95) \\ … they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

!! Application

                    -Know that your teaching will be misrepresented.

-Be careful what you say and /really/ be careful what you write.

-Don’t discuss volatile matters over email, have them call you

-Mama used to say “don’t speak before you think.”

I say “Dont blog before you think”

 

/Beware of Strawmen: Enemies of the truth will misrepresent your message/.

Danger 3) When you bring it, Beware of Assassins: When men don’t like the message, beware, the messenger’s reputation is first on the hit-list

                    /Explanation/

Amaziah accuses Amos of being motivate by greed

-v.12 Prophet for profit

                    /Argumentation/

-This was Business and a Turf issue:

-Bethel was a great example of “religion for profit and power”

Bethel was established to secure profit and power by Jeroboam the 1st 150 yrs before in 1st Kings 12:25-32

          Unabashedly a center of man made religion

Bethel is the example of injustice and righteousness (5:6-7)

Amaziah admits that his business of man made religion

-v13 “The kings sanctuary” Its admittedly Jeroboam II’s (781-753bc) sanctuary

                   

 

 

 

/Illustration/

-Apostle Paul had his character attacked on many fronts.

We see the evidence of these attacks in Paul’s self defense speeches throughout the epistles

-Just in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-10 you see evidence of many accusations: \\ “…we had the *boldness *in our God to speak to you the gospel of God *amid much opposition*.

3 For our exhortation does *not /come /from error* or i*mpurity* or *by way of deceit*; 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, *not as pleasing men*, but God who examines our hearts.

5 For we *never came with flattering speech*, as you know, *nor with a pretext for greed*—*God is witness*— 6 *nor did we seek glory from men*, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority….

9 For *you recall*, brethren, *our labor and hardship, /how /working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you*, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 *You are witnesses, and /so is /God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers…”*

 

/                    Application/

/-?/Will your reputation withstand character assassination attempts?

-Safeguard yourself by a good track record

1 Peter 3:13-16 (NASB95) \\ 13 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, /you are /blessed.

And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always /being /ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and *keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame*.”

When you bring it, Beware of Assassins: When men don’t like the message, beware, the messenger’s reputation is first on the hit-list

                     

!!!!! Transition: Do you plan to bring the hard truths of God’s word with boldness to a hostile generation?

Bring it!

But BEWARE.

Amos had a hard decision to make at this point.

He had the cannibals, Strawn men and assassins talking their best shots.

He had been called out by Amaziah and kicked out of Bethel.

What would you do in his shoes?

Hit the road or bring it?

Amos chose to preach the hard truths of God with boldness.

We have been called to bring the hard truths to a hostile audience.

Are you going to hit the road or bring it?

The dangers are many so, if you’re going to bring it, learn from Amos’s example.

Learn from Amos three prerequisites for preaching hard truth with boldness.

!!!!! Amos 7:14-17     Three prerequisites for preaching hard truth with boldness

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*Prerequisite 1/) /When you bring it, Be anchored in Godly motives/ (Amos 7:14-15)  /*

                    /Explained/

Impure motives was the primary attack upon Amos

His Answer V14.

not a pro or trained

          “Son of the prophets” 10x in 2 kgs which was extant for 200 before Amos

         

                    /Argument/

1 Peter 5:1-2 (NASB95) \\ 1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as /your /fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to /the will of /God; and *not for sordid gain*, but with eagerness; (also 1 tim 3:8 deacons, Titus 1:7 overseers)

                    /Application/

- Develop and maintain a clear track record of integrity of motivation