So maybe you’ve heard it said, ‘read your bible’ so you tried and failed. Our hope as leaders is that all of us will pick up God’s word and come to understand the true nature of God. After all, the bible is God’s Word curated over centuries detailing His nature, His will, the meaning of life and humanity’s historical interactions with Him. The Bible details the hidden keys to the Kingdom. Hence, the reason we are reviewing a new book each week.
This week we move ahead to the book of AMOS. Amos was a shepherd and a fig farmer. He lived 750 years before Christ. He had no other credentials other than he was chosen by God to offer a prophetic word to His people in a time of prosperity. Amos challenged the materialism, morality and spirituality of his culture. He stood in the gap for those without a voice and urged the powerful to repent. However, like today, people wondered why he was causing such a fuss. Everything was going well for the country - stable government, strong military, good homes, corporate profits and their 401K were growing. AMOS saw the future and it wasn’t so bright.
In chapter five of Amos book, he warns them of their errors: faith in military, faith in a corrupt justice system, faith in the status quo, faith in their birthright as the chosen people and their utter contempt for those who live out their faith in God. Let’s pick up the prophets' words in verse 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?
These verses should convict us all, who in our frustration utter “when are you coming Lord?” Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to meeting our Lord. However, when he returns it’s not going to be a mountaintop high experience for everyone. There will be those who rejected, ignored or were just plain apathetic towards God and the reason for their existence, who will not enjoy the benefits of God’s return. A God of perfect justice has to judge every thought and deed so those accepted into his presence don’t taint His perfection or his perfect place of residence. Evil will be judged accordingly.
21 “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.
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.
These verses really hit home for me as a Christian. I keep hearing those words of Jesus in the parable sheep and the goats. A judgment day parable directed at the pharisees who were sure their jewish birth and obedience to the letter of the law including every ritual celebration assured their salvation only to hear Jesus say to them the heart of true worship and faith is not festivals, songs, rituals or even music but service to the hungry, thirsty, naked, foreigner and imprisoned. A fact with dire consequences as Jesus said, “‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
When Christ comes again, He will judge the living and the dead. It’s then, as AMOS said,
24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
The Hebrew word for Justice is Mishpat. It means action taken to correct injustice.
The Hebrew word for righteousness is Tsedaqah. It means being in the right relationship with others should include equity despite social differences.
To illustrate what this looks like in real life, let me tell you a story.
There was a grandpa years ago who worked a small oil field everyday of his life. After a long time without a vacation, his grandson decided to give his grandfather a vacation by doing all the work on the oil patch for a 10 day period .
“Now, son,” Grandpa said (he always begins a serious talk that way), “this country is not going to collapse if something should go wrong with this oil field. It doesn't produce a thousand barrels a week, but, son, they hired me to be darn sure that it produces all the oil it can. As long as the good Lord sustains my health, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I expect you to do the same.”
“Grandpa, would you quit worrying,” I said. “You have gone over everything I will need to do a hundred times.” For five days Grandpa drilled him on every detail of what I was supposed to do around the oil field while he was gone. He took great pride in maintaining that oil field, which was really no more than three weathered tanks and seven miniature pumps. I thought his duties were rather simple, but I never told him that.
Near the end of my five-day learning session, the young man tried to teach Grandpa a new way to figure the oil charts that he maintained, by using algebraic principles. He was very impressed, but the concept totally confused him. “Son,” he said, “your grandpa isn’t Alfred Einstein when it comes to math. You must be pretty smart though, boy, to know how to mix letters and numbers to get the right answer. They teach you that in school?” “Yes, sir,” he answered. “But it’s Albert Einstein, Grandpa, not Alfred.”
“Well, I am not him neither.” We both laughed.
The grandson wondered what his grandfather had been like when he was a boy. Apparently Charlie Leonard – that is his other name – was not anything like the young man. The grandson wanted to make something of his life, to be somebody special, and to do something worthwhile. Grandpa seemed so content just spending his days working in the oil field. He could not understand. He finally decided that he had never been as ambitious as I was.
He was glad when the day finally came for Grandpa to leave. For the next 10 days, he’d have grandpa’s house and the oil field all to himself. He figured it would be easy to fill his Grandpa’s shoes; he was wrong.
The first morning I was making the routine rounds checking the pumps when I spotted a truck parked by one of the tanks. Not recognizing the vehicle, I drove over to investigate.
“Good morning, sir, can I help you?”
“You must be Charlie’s grandson,” the man said.
“Yes, sir, I am. Who are you?” He got out of his truck and walked over to me and extended his hand. “The name’s Jose Gomez; I’m Charlie’s foreman.”
“You mean my grandpa works for you?” He asked.
“Well, officially he does, but Charlie knows 10 times more about this oil field than I do.” How could my grandpa work for one of those younger minority men? He thought. It was obvious that he was embarrassed. “You’ve got a lot to be proud of your grandfather,” the man said. “He’s one of the finest Christian men I know. He is always helping others.”
He figured Mr. Gomez was just trying to be nice. His grandpa was just an oil field worker; certainly Mr. Gomez knew finer men by the world’s standards. “Thank you,” He said halfheartedly.
After he gauged the amount of oil in the tanks, I drove home to call in the information. Promptly at 8 am, as instructed, I made my morning call to the main office. A lady answered the phone.
“Good morning,” he said. “I am calling in Charlie Leonard’s daily reports.”
“Oh,” the female voice shot back excitedly, “you must be Mike.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” He said. “How did you know?”
“Your grandfather always talks about you, Mike. He really loves you. To tell you the truth, I don’t know anyone your grandfather doesn’t love. Whenever I’m feeling down, he’ll say, “Now, Bea, God’s word says, “All things work together for the good of them that love the Lord.” He always encourages me to place my faith in God. I don’t know what I’d do without him.” Grandpa never told me about that part of his job. Slowly he was beginning to understand what he really did for a living.
That evening, while watching television, he heard a feeble knock on the door. Opening the door, he saw a gray haired, withered old woman. “Who are you?” the lady’s voice cracked. “I’m Charlie Leonard’s grandson,” he said. “I’m tending to his job while he’s away.” “Well,” she mumbled, “I sure hope the doctors can find out what’s wrong.” He was confused. He knew for certain that Grandpa was not seeing any doctors; he was on vacation. The old lady’s eyes appeared dazed; they moved aimlessly back and forth. Suddenly, he knew that it was she who was confused, for this was the neighbor Grandpa had told me about before he left. He said she was presently senile and had been ever since her husband died. He asked me to speak to her every day. He said a kind word was the best medicine for loneliness. “I am sure he’ll be fine,” he said. Her eyes started to water. “I hope so,” she said, “he’s about all I got left.”
He realized then that his grandpa did not just spend his days fiddling around some forgotten oil patch. He invested his time in more precious products – people. He had already met three who had been blessed by his investment, and as the days passed he met others.
There was the grocer whose son would not have been able to attend an out of state church retreat if Grandpa hadn’t paid his way.
There was the young man Grandpa worked with each day for four years teaching him how to kick a football. The boy later attended college on a football scholarship.
The day his Grandpa returned, he rushed to meet him. I hugged him before he could get out of the car. “Grandpa,” I exclaimed, “you’re the greatest man I know!”
“Thank you, son,” he said, “but I just produce oil.”
“No, Grandpa,” he answered, “you produce love, a thousand barrels a week.”
Grandpa knew what the prophet Amos was trying to announce to his culture. The true worship of, and faith in, God should always lead to Justice, Righteousness and Loving our Neighbor.
This week I challenge everyone within the sound of my voice to be like Christ and:
Do justice - make a wrong right, especially one you didn’t cause
Love Mercy - let one wrong done to you go forever - forgive someone unconditionally
And Walk Humbly with your God - read your bible, pray, fast and share your story of faith with one person.
Justice is based on the idea that every human has been created by God, carries the image of God and is special to Him. To do justice is to be like Christ.
Creative: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/amos/
References: Quest Bible Overviews p1330, NIV compact bible commentary (Sailhamer), bible gateway (niv), blue letter bible commentaries. https://shalomonline.net/shalomtidings/articles/articles-cat3/item/3140-a-better-discovery-than-oil#.UVyDWVceiTI (edited)
Check out the video of this sermon @church4therestofus
Check out The Center collective @ communitycenter.life
