Authentic Preaching

SEP. 10, 2000 - FBC DOUBLE SPRINGS [D]... #0906

AUTHENTIC PREACHING...

SCRIPTURE: AMOS 6:1-6...

INTRODUCTION:

* ILLUS - the story of the mixed up sermon used by the young preacher [See last page].

* Some of you are wodering what is going on.

* Some do not recognize authentic from false preaching.

* How do you tell the difference?

I. IT IS RELEVANT... v. 1

A. AMOS SPOKE TO THE NEEDS OF HIS DAY:

* This is a dark time in the history of the nation of Israel.

* Religious zeal for God had waned.

* The needs of Amos’s day made his preaching very authentic.

B. YET AMOS STILL SPEAKS TO OUR DAY:

* we have a need for COMMITMENT or RENEWAL - our

religious fervor has waned.

* READ ALOUD- this does not apply to me right? WHY?

1. I don’t live in Zion- BUT I LIVE HERE.

2. I am not a chief or noble - BUT I HEAD THE PTA.

3. I have no bed of ivory - BUT SLEEP ON A KING SIZE SERTA OR WATER BED.

4. I don’t eat lamb - BUT I DO EAT AT MCDONALDS.

5. I can’t sing very well - BUT I USE STEREOS.

6. I don’t drink wine - BUT I DRINK MT. DEW.

7. I don’t annoint myself with oil - BUT I USE OLD SPICE OR TOMMY, ETC.

# AUTHENTIC PREACHING SPEAKS TO US TODAY.

II. IT IS REVEALING... 5:12

A. IN AMOS’S DAY:

* Authentic Preaching always brings sin to light.

* Amos exposed the sin of the people [look at them];

1. CHEATING.

2. UNFAITHFULNESS.

3. STEALING.

4. IDOLATRY.

5. SELF SATISFACTION.

B. IN OUR DAY:

* What is there in Amos that would not speak to our day?

* LOOK AROUND --- LOOK INWARD.

* Many people don’t like authentic preaching is because it speaks to sin.

* They don’t like it because it hurts.

III. IT IS USUALLY REJECTED BY ITS HEARERS... 7:10-13

A. IN AMOS’S DAY:

* They didn’t like to hear the truth and they turned away from the TRUTH.

* They had a form of religion but not from God

* They would remain that way until carried away by Assyria.

B. IN OUR DAY:

* people don’t want to hear about cheating, robbing God, righteous living, faithfulness, etc.

* they do not want to hear "THUS SAITH THE LORD".

IV. IT’S PURPOSE IS REDEMPTION... 5:4-6

A. IN AMOS’S DAY:

* WHY did he preach as he did?

* TO CALL THE PEOPLE BACK TO GOD!

* WHY? - because God loves them.

* that is God’s way-- REDEMPTION.

B. IN OUR DAY:

* we have a tendency to preach negatively.

* WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL PEOPLE THEY ARE WRONG.

* BUT- this is not all of the message.

* GOOD NEWS is not that we are guilty but that there is help for our sin guilt.

* the GOOD NEWS is not that we are sinners but that we do not have to die that way.

INTRODUCTION: PREACHER TELL IT LIKE IT IS...

Now there was a certain good Samaritan who went down

from Jerusalem to Jericho. And he fell among thorns and they sprang up and choked him and left him half dead. And when he came to himself, he said “I will arise and go to my father’s house! There they will put a ring on my finger and shoes on my feet and they will kill the fatted calf and we shall make merry!”

And he arose to go to his father’s house; and as he traveled he came to a wood and behold his hair became entangled in the boughs of an oak tree and the mule that was under him left him. And he hung there between heaven and earth for 40 days and 40 nights and the ravens fed him and the angels minstered unto him.

And behold Delilah came with a great horde of the

Philistines and a pair of shears and cut off his hair and he fell upon stony ground and it left him half dead. Then he said “I will arise for this is the day that the Lord has made and I was glad when they said unto me let us go unto the house of the Lord!” And he arose and went up toward Mt. Zion and the house of the Lord. And behold as he passed by the Mt. of Trans-figuration, he saw Moses and Elijah standing there and

their garments were as white as snow. There also stood by them the harlot Jezebel, for she had painted her face and tied up her hair. And he said “throw her down” and they threw her down. Then he said “throw her down again!” and they did throw her down again. And he said throw her down 70 times 7