Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Moving Day
Many of you know, at the end of May my family will be moving across town here in Thornton.
Just a few miles… but people keep asking if we’re ready.
And the answer is… SUPER NOT.
And I am beginning to panic.
There are a million and one things to do, packing up is part of it, throwing away ridiculous amounts of clutter, finishing projects around the house.
And nobody is packed up and ready.
So, new plan.
I’ll just set a date, and anything that isn’t packed up and ready on that day will get tossed in the trash.
And, whoever is the least “ready” doesn’t get to come live in the new house.
(Odds are, that’ll be me D:).
Just kidding.
Maybe.
Might work.
Might get everyone preparing appropriately.
It kind of changes the way we do things around the house.
Doing laundry last week.
Should I put the clothes away… or just pack em up.
Should I clear out the clothes still in my closet, because they obviously didn’t get worn this month.
The fact that moving day is just around the corner changes the way we live.
I’m getting ready.
Kids are getting ready.
Amos Recap
Recall where we are in Amos.
The people were ready to here Judgment and Wrath on all the other nations surrounding… maybe less ready to hear judgment and wrath on them.
They think they are doing great, their Jesus Level is high… because they are doing all the “right things.”
But love is the measure of maturity for the Christian.
Love of God.
Love of others.
Especially love for the lost, the broken, the poor, the hungry.
Important point of clarification.
Does that mean you are a sinner if you aren’t doing ministry the way that I am, or a part of particular ministries of Next Step Church?
Absolutely not!!! Thank God the Kingdom of God is bigger than the way Dusty does things, or this one church does things.
But are you loving others the way God is calling you to, and is your heart changing to reflect His heart.
The Israelites failure to love the poor revealed the hollowness of their worship.
This was empty religion.
And this isn’t just an “oops.”
This is a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is and how the world works.
It is a fatal misunderstanding of who God is and what the future holds.
Because of their prosperity and comfort and unfounded religious confidence, these are people who love the sound of “heaven” and assume that they are in.
And they super aren’t.
There is a rich tradition in the prophets of… prophesying.
In particular, amidst all this judgment and grief, Amos looks forward to the coming Day of the Lord.
It is clear that the “Day of the Lord” has become a common phrase among the people… but this is the very first time we see it written down.
It is hinted at in Genesis, in the promise to Abraham, in the Messianic promises to David’s line… but the actual phrase “Day of the Lord” shows up here.
Amos is excited… we will see that later.
But he wonders aloud why the rest of Israel is excited.
Because they super shouldn’t be.
The Day of the Lord
Is the Day of the Lord like this? Beautiful, scenic, a walk on the beach.
Or… more like this? (First image result when searching on google images).
Terrifying.
The people of Israel were looking forward to the Day.
Like God is going to come and make our life EVEN WAY BETTER!
It isn’t going to be like the people of Israel expect.
The very first reference to the “Day of the Lord:”
What a picture!
Flee from one danger, think you’re safe, BOOM Bear! Oh, inside, safe again, BOOM, snek!!! Looking at the wrong things and not seeing the true danger in their life.
And in Amos’ larger message, they are looking at their religious performance, feasts and festivals and worship and Jesus level… and completely missing their failure to love others.
Their hearts aren’t looking like God’s hearts, which reveals their worship and sacrifice as empty and hollow religiosity.
Remember with Jonah “The End is Near!” Good news for those who are saved.
VERY VERY BAD news for those who aren’t.
And there is a VERY long tradition of people thinking they are on the side of God who aren’t.
The Ninevites are wicked and they know it and they repent.
The Israelites think they are righteous, and they aren’t and they are going to get ATE!
Self-Righteous
I am righteous because I think I am!
I had a fun conversation with a friend in the park this Thursday.
He tells me “It isn’t a sin if you don’t know it’s a sin.
So you can murder someone, and it doesn’t count unless you know murder is wrong.”
You’ve decided that, have you?
Bring that argument on judgment day and see how it flies.
Spoiler tag: it won’t.
The people of Israel think they are doing great.
Amos brings the truth of God, to say they aren’t.
Talking your Way out of Judgment
Twice Amos “talks God” out of an act of judgment.
Talks him out of certain forms of judgments on Israel.
This may be an aspect of the prophetic role.
We see it Abraham, in Moses, and in Elijah.
God changes his mind, he “relents” in response to the prayers of his people.
But God is going to judge… and there is an absolute standard.
What is the plumb line?
In the Ancient World and down to today, how do you know if that wall is straight?
If that pillar is straight up and down or leaning to the side.
Having someone stand back and look isn’t good enough.
But gravity has always worked.
And many thousands of years ago, the Egyptians figured out they could tie a wait to a string and drop it and that would always be straight.
The Hebrews learned this, probably while living in Egypt for 400 years.
Does it matter if the wall thinks it is upright?
Not so much.
It matters only if gravity thinks the wall is straight up and down.
Otherwise, it may take a minute, but it is coming down.
What do you do with a building that is falling over?
For the safety of all, you have to condemn it, tear it down, and rebuild.
And the coming chapters are visions of that coming judgment.
In my Bible the title of chapter 8 is “The Coming Day of Bitter Mourning.”
With verses like
Baldness!
Oh no! He’s getting personal!
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