Amos #04: an exposition of Amos 4:1-13. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, May 18, 2014.
Intro:
One thing even a casual reading of the Old Testament makes abundantly clear is that God’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. There are those passages that leave us scratching our heads and wondering did I read that correctly? Did that say what I thought it said? One such passage serves as our text this evening. We will be considering Amos chapter 4. We tend to think religion is a good thing. Sure not all religions are true but some religion is better than no religion, right? Belief in God has to be better than atheism. Then we find Amos, speaking for God, saying things like, “Come to Bethel and sin. Come to Gilgal and multiply your sins.” Come to the place of worship and commit abominations? In chapter 5 the Lord says through Amos, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies…take away from me the noise of your songs.” The Lord hates, even despised the worship of His people! When you see that kind of response from our God it might be wise to slow down and consider what was it about their worship that drew such ire? Our text this evening is found in the fourth chapter of Amos.
Text: Amos 4:1-13
Amos was a shepherd and fig-picker from Tekoa.
He was not a prophet nor the son of a prophet when God called him to speak to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Reluctantly he headed North and delivered the message God had given him. He may not have been from “prophetic stock” but his voice thundered God’s sovereign judgment upon His wayward people.
Back in chapter one the prophet warned of the insecurity of a stable yet unrighteous nation.
He reminded the people that God will judge those who treat others with brutal contempt.
In chapter 2 he said God would judge those who defiantly set aside His sovereign commands.
He also warned that God would judge those who flippantly presume upon His grace.
In chapter 3 we discovered that our knowledge of God’s blessing demands that God judge our sin. We also found that the certainty of God’s judgment demands that we warn of that coming judgment in the hope that there would be repentance. For without repentance judgment will be devastating leaving no place to hide.
As we work through this chapter I want us to note…
Thesis: Amos chapter 4 serves as a sober warning to an indulgent and self-absorbed church.
I’m convinced this is a timely passage.
This text speaks directly to those who think faith is primarily about “me.”
My wants, my desires, my happiness, my fulfillment.
This text addresses spiritual delusion and its subsequent hardness of heart.
There are three things I want to point out along the way.
- Spiritual delusion is marked by self-absorption and empty worship. (4:1-5)
- Spiritual delusion engenders a hardened heart incapable of discernment. (4:6-11)
- A heart thus hardened is ripe for God’s sovereign, righteous judgment. (4:12-13)
Conclusion:
This is a warning to an indulgent and self-absorbed church and the message is pretty clear. One’s opportunity to repent of sin and be reconciled to God will not last forever. There comes a point of no return. Therefore, “Today, if you hear His voice do not harden your heart.” (Hebrews 3:7)