A Red Letter Day For You

A RED LETTER DAY FOR YOU

AMOS 5:18 - 27

Scripture Reading: Amos 5:18-27

Responsive Reading: Joshus 7:1-26

Introduction:

One of the things that we all have in common are special days.

People of alll ages, all cultures, and nationalities have them.

Special days are as individual as those who celebrate them.

We all in here have birthdays.

We celebrate: a) graduations

b) weddings

c) new jobs and promotions

d) holidays

Special days are like two-edged swords.

Special days can be exciting and happy.

They can also be sad and solemn.

Special days can also be a) accidents

b) criminal acts

c) natural disasters

Lets for a moment consider the special days we could have in our lives.

We all celebrate birthdays Here:

Don’t we Les and Stella.

Guys celebrate birthdays each year of our lives.

Women celebrate certain years more than otheres.

Some like thirty-nine for example that they stay there for ten years or more.

One thing is clear about birthdays though in all seriousness.

When we are young, the time from one birthday to another seems forever.

As we get older though, the distance steadily shortens and is sometimes scary.

As we get older, the same special day we call our birthday is no longer something that we look forward to, but something that we see as a scary reminder that we step closer to our death.

Another special day we celebrate is our first day of school.

This is another two-edged sword.

For some children it is exciting and happy.

They go out and buy new clothes

new supplies 1. lunch box

2. book bag

It could be a time to make new friends.

But the first day of school can also be a day of great fear.

For the shy child or the child who is nervous about changes this can be scary.

This could be the first time away from parents.

Riding a bus for the first time.

A whole new schedule of things that they may not know how to do.

A lack of all that is familiar is as scary as it is exciting.

As we advanced in school first days were special for different things.

On one hand there is: a) renewing friends

b) new supplies and clothes

c) new opportunities 1. activities and sports available only to later grades

2. going to senior grades 3. a teacher you like

d) a change in schools elementary middle high

On the other hand.

a) you could get a teacher you don’t want.

b) initiation rites at schools (illustrate birthdays)

c) Going from senior status in one to the bottom in another.

These special days are two-edged arn’t they.

Love relationships have special days as well.

But these as well can be two-edged.

You cna all remember your first love.

How sweet it was.

We were on cloud nine.

But you can also remember the first time you were dumped.

jilted

finito

It felt like you would never recover.

You were finished with love forever.

Special days could be: a) weddings

b) promotions

c) new acquisitions

d) graduations

Special days can also be: a) deaths 1 by accident

2 by criminal action

b) so-called natural disasters

c) losing a job.

We could go on and on with special days in your life.

Each one will have two edges.

We mark our special days on the calendar in red ink.

Many of these days are seen by the world as two-edged.

a) Christmas and Easter

b) Thanksgiving reminds us of starvation

Even Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are at opposites when it comes to comparison of gifts.

Usually for a wife they get: a) flowers

b) breakfast or supper out

c) a special visit

d) a gift like 1. a breadmaker

2. new dishes

3. new appliances

You know, real personal stuff.

What do husbands get: a meal for sure and possible a visit

new tools

golf clubs

fishing rods

Everything they wanted but alas it is only for them.

We see special days in red:

1. Lincoln’s birthday

2. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

3. Victoria Day

4. July 1st or 4th

All kinds of special days are markded in red.

In fact the only special day I can think of that is not marked on our calendar is the one we are going to speak on today.

That day is "The day of the Lord".

We can’t put it in red because we don’t know when it will be.

But this we do know about it.

Just as the other examples of special days are as two-edged swords.

So too will be the Day of the Lord.

We can face it one of two ways:

a) fearlessly, with Jesus as our defender

b) fearfully in judgement alone.

Thats what we are going to talk about.