Aligned for the Kingdom
Amos 7:7-9
Visual: Hold a plumb line in hand, letting it sway gently in the air. Ask, “Does this look straight to you? This simple tool might not seem like much, but it’s a builder’s best friend. Without it, entire structures can fail. Now, let me ask you—what tool is guiding your life? Are you aligned with God’s purposes, or are you building off-center?”
"Today, we are going to look at Amos 7:7-9, where God uses a plumb line to show us what it means to live a life aligned with His Kingdom." Read Scripture
1. What’s The Purpose of the Plumb Line? Shows God's Standard of Righteousness
A plumb line ensures that a structure is straight, God’s Word is our plumb line , it’s what we use to ensure our lives align with God’s standard.
When I was in High School, our FFA class was learning about construction. In one part of the class we had to build a small fireplace, it wasn’t a big huge fireplace about half the size of normal and the chimney was supposed to be about 5 foot and then we would be graded on it . I cant remember how long exactly it took to build these but only working on it about 45 minutes a day it took a little while. So we all had levels and plumb lines and string and all the equipment we needed. One guy that was building in our group didn’t use a level or plumbline at all, he just started buttering bricks and stacking them up… The teacher would come by and tell us what we needed to do to correct our mistakes but this guy either couldn’t comprehend or just wasn’t listening and continued to build by eye. Everyone could see as the chimney got a little taller that it started to lean, cracks began to appear in the mortar and it got worse as each day passed, until, one day when we came into class and his chimney had completely fell and the fireplace was partially collapsed. This guy was the only one that failed this portion of the class and his total grade for the semester suffered.
You see, “My classmate thought he could trust his own judgment, but without the plumb line, his work was flawed from the start, it was destined to fall from the first brick that was laid. Isn’t that how we live sometimes? We try to build our lives on our own wisdom, and then we start to find cracks in our faith, our relationships start to crumble and fall, and our priorities start to lean. God hasn’t set a plumb line to be a restriction— God has set a plumb line as a guide to keep our lives aligned and secure in Him.”
"Ignoring the plumb line may not seem like such a big deal at first, but over time, the flaws become undeniable. It’s the same in our lives? Little compromises add up until the cracks show."
“What are you building your life on, what standard are you living by? Is it the unchanging truth of God’s Word, or the shifting sands of culture?”
We must make sure that every decision we make, every habit we form, and every priority in our life aligns with God’s standard.
2. When the Walls Are Crooked: We need to Recognizing Misalignment. (We need to see it)
In our scripture today we see that God’s plumb line reveals the crookedness of Israel’s ways, but it’s not to condemn them, it’s to call them back to Him.
You ever had a car that was bad out of alignment? “You can still drive it, but it’s not as good of a ride and over time, the tires wear unevenly, and the damage starts to get into your pocketbook. If you don’t get it aligned at some point it starts to cost you something… When we’re out of alignment with God—we can still move forward, but it’s harder than it needs to be and in the long run it can cost you.”
Why don’t we notice the misalignment in our lives sooner, Why don’t we see it our relationships, Why don’t we notice it in our finances, or why don’t we realize the misalignment in our spiritual practices? Because we don’t really pay attention, and it hurts to see it. “We’ve all been there. You look at your life and think, ‘How did I get so far off track?’ But the good news is, God’s plumb line doesn’t just reveal that we are out of alignment — it invites us to realign, it invites us to straighten things out”.
Is anyone feeling out of alignment today? Are you out of alignment your relationship with God? Are your priorities out of line? Have you lost your sense of purpose?” You’re the only one that can answer that question… How is It with you today?
3. There’s Grace in the Plumb Line: A Call to Realignment
Don’t get me wrong the plumb line isn’t just about judgment; God’s plumb line is a tool of grace, and it calls us to rebuild.
There was a time in my life when I thought I had it all… I had a wife and daughter and a good job along with a successful business as my side hustle when I was off duty, a nice house, nice vehicles for everyone, a boat & a 4 wheeler and anything else that I wanted I would just go buy it… But life wasn’t easy, somehow I had gotten out of alignment and things were a little shaky… I had a little shimmy in the steering wheel and I realized that something wasn’t right… It was in that moment of brokenness that I realized the need to realign my life with God’s purpose. I found my way back to Jesus and God not only restored me… He has blessed me beyond measure.”
You see, Jesus is the ultimate plumb line—perfectly righteous and the cornerstone of our faith, and when we build our lives on Him, everything changes."
I urge you today to let God’s plumb line guide you? Ask yourself what’s the one step you can take to realign with His will?” Maybe it’s dedicating time for prayer, or reconciling a broken relationship, or maybe just seeking accountability.
(Hold the plumb line.) “This tool isn’t about tearing things down; it’s about building things right. God’s plumb line isn’t for demolition it’s for restoration… It’s a symbol of His love that invites us to live lives of purpose and integrity. The question is, will you respond?
Take a moment today to think about where you might be out of alignment. Write it down if you need to. And then just ask God this… God Help me to realign with You.’”
Let’s pray….
