Dakota Community Church
May 2, 2010
Amos 4
I want to move forward in our study of the book of Amos by looking at a couple of the themes given as reason for the coming judgment upon the people of God.
Here is an e-mail Sean Goulet received this week at the lighthouse mission:
To whom this may concern,
First of all...s***w you, you are the reason those dirty homeless people infest our city. They need to learn for them selves how to get a job and make a decent living like everyone else does with their lives. Instead this company is only keeping them on the streets by supplying them with food, clothing, and food hampers. Thus making them whore out or rob, creating havack and more children that will grow up as nothing, and supplying more mouths to feed. YOU know that money comes from my pockets to feed those poor people and myself and and others do not agree with this scam. The only people i can really see in need of food is people in third world countries that have NO source of food. If you were to not supply them with food you could have ended hunger in Winnipeg.
Yours Truly
Well what about that? Should we be concerned with these people, are we making things worse, does God want us involved in this type of ministry?
Let’s begin with a quick review of the heart of God concerning the poor:
Amos 2:6-7
They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.
Amos 3:15
I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed and the mansions will be demolished," declares the LORD.
Amos 5:11
You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
Amos 6:1,4-7
Woe to you who are complacent in Zion… You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.
5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.
6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.
Today is not about feeling guilty about things that are not sin.
Today is not about reverting to works righteousness
Today is about understanding the heart of God
Luke 12:13-15
13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Galatians 2:1-10
1Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,[a] just as Peter had been to the Jews.[b] 8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter[c] and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Is the lighthouse mission a New Testament concern? Should we be going to the Dominican Republic with supplies for orphans and churches?
Today is about examining our own hearts
Matthew 6:24
24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
There is a reason why Jesus called money out here.
How many other things might He have used here?
• Power
• Sex
• Amusement
• People
• Self, pride
• Addiction, food, alcohol, substances and stimulants
He chose money – think about why that might be.
What is your excuse for not participating - if you don’t – financially in the Kingdom of God?
I do not want your guilt money; the New Testament is clear about generous hearts!
I want for you a freedom I saw amoung the poor Christians of Rio San Juan, a freedom that has been working its way deeper and deeper into the heart of this former prosperity preacher.
How much is enough?
Today is about what we are building together here at DCC
Grace, Freedom, Laughter
Christ centered, cross focused, gospel driven
The solution to what ails our society is a return to strong gospel preaching in the pulpits of our churches.
Inside: feeding, equipping, caring true community
Local: involved and engaging our culture in real and tangible ways
Globally: stepping up and meeting the needs as God presents
Further causes for judgment:
Amos demonstrates that periods of unusual prosperity can lead to spiritual complacency and ethical laxity:
Amos 6:1-6
1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!
2 Go to Calneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms?
Is their land larger than yours?
3 You put off the evil day and bring near a reign of terror.
4 You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves.
5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments.
6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Injustice in the courts
Amos 5:7-12
7 You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground …
10 you hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth.
11 You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
12 For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins.
You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Sexual Immorality
Amos 2:7
Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.
Religious abuse
Amos 2:8
8 They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.
Besides all these Amos hammers them for violence, idolatry, corrupt business practices and over-all for a faith that is not true, a faith that bares no fruit.
Amos 5:18-24
18 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD ?
That day will be darkness, not light.
19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. 20 Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
Injustice and exploitation of the poor will not go unpunished!
Those who live in luxury at the expense of others will lose everything.
God will expose the hypocrisy and false piety of his people
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
