I. One of the greatest atrocities that has ever occurred against God’s church occurred in the middle ages.
A. When I say that some of you might think that I am talking about the persecutions against the church, but that is not what I am talking about.
B. One of the greatest tactics of satan to weaken the church was something that happened after the persecutions.
C. In the late 300s the church began to gain power. Constantine had become the emperor of Rome, and Christianity had become the state religion of the Roman empire.
D. Suddenly the church was given wealth and power, and some things changed for the better but some things also changed for the worse.
E. Before this time, there was no hierarchy in the church. There were leaders that were given more responsibility, but every Christian was a part of the Churches ministry, and every Christian considered themselves an ambassador of the message of the grace of the gospel of Jesus.
F. But now that the churches had increasing wealth and power some things were changing.
G. The Priest and bishops were more and more seen as the only ones capable of doing ministry, and the church was becoming more of a ceremony that had all the Pomp and flourish of the emperor that supported it.
H. A terrible thing was happening that is still affecting the church today in some ways. The common people were being pushed out of the ministry of the church.
I. They were being told that only those who had a certain education and position were capable of doing ministry, and even though we have moved away from that idea to some extent there is still and idea in the minds of a lot of Christians that the Minister or the Preacher is the one that does ministering and it has been a crippling idea in the church for centuries.
II. We started this church seven years ago as of the 4th of June and one of the main things that we said that we wanted to do was to make this a place where every person that walked through the door was accepted for who they were and shown love.
A. We said that we wanted every person that came in to know that they were someone who was important to God, and someone that was important to us because they were important to God. And I think that we have done well at that.
B. We also said that this was going to be a place where every member would be a minister, and involved in the ministry of the church, and we have not done as well at that as we need to.
C. We have been going through some changes, and the funding went through to finish our building this week, and we are going to be moving into a new phase of the life of this church.
D. For quite some time the emphasis has been getting this building built and that is the way that it has had to be, but shortly the emphasis is going to have to change to getting the building full.
E. It would be an absolute tragedy to put as much time and effort into something as we have this building and not use it for the purpose that it was built, and that is to reach people for Christ.
F. And I have said all that to say this, its time for more of the members of this church to get involved in the ministry and outreach of this church. It is time for us to make more of a difference in the lives of the people in this community,
G. And when I say that it means that it is time for all you to get involved in ministry.
III. Now I know that there are a lot of you that feel that you can’t do that, or that you are not qualified to do that and that is not true. That is a part of the lie that was started in the Middle Ages, and it is one that we have to over come to move on as a church.
A. I want to introduce to a man today, a man that could have very well had the attitude that he could not make a difference, but if we look at his story we will see that he made a great difference in the history of a nation.
B. This man was not a really affluent man. He was a Shepherd in the country of Israel, which to us is not a bad thing but it was not seen quite that way in the time that he lived.
C. Those who tended animals were seen as ceremonially unclean. Those who tended animals were seen as unclean because of their contact with the animals, and because they were in contact with the animals on a day to day basis they were looked down on.
D. Also the job of shepherding was usually done by the youngest children or by slaves. David is a good example of this when his brothers were being considered for king of Israel he was out tending the sheep because he was the youngest and was given the least honorable task.
E. That brings me to a sideline in the story, just because you are a teenager or younger do not think that you are not responsible for being a minister in this church, if you have accepted Jesus as your savior, you are a minister for Jesus, and you have friends that need to know about Jesus just as much as your parents do so you are included in what I am saying too.
F. But this man that I am talking about today was a shepherd, so he was not looked at as one of the important and influential people.
G. And he was also a fig picker, and that will let some of you know who I am talking about. The thing about being a fig picker was the juice that came out of the figs that the bible is talking about would stain your hands, and all someone had to do was look at your hands and they would know that you picked figs for a living.
H. And that was not looked at as an honorable thing. I mean, can you see it on your resume, from childhood till present "Fig Picker?" That wouldn’t get you very far with the high priest in the temple.
I. The point is that this man was not in the high ups. He was not seen as somebody that people would stop and listen to, and he was someone that would say "I am not someone that God would choose to use, but that was not true."
J. He was common, but with God’s hand on him he became something uncommon.
K. Even though the things that he knew were learned in the work place and not in a class room, and even though he was not a member of one of the noble and respected in the community families, he was someone that knew God and that was all God was concerned about.
L. This man who some looked at as so unimportant, met the high and mighty priest that thought so much of themselves and stood the nation on its ear. And he is the author of one of the books of the bible, but you can tell from some of the first words in the book that he wrote, that he was not like some of the others.
(Amos 1:1 - 2 NIV) The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa--what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. He said: "The LORD roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers."
IV. The book of Amos starts out a little different from most of the other books. Most of them start out by saying the name of the person and the name of their father, and at times their claim to fame, but not Amos.
A. His claim to fame is a little more humble. It was simply "the words of Amos one of the shepherds of Tekoa."
B. There was nothing flashy about Amos, no fancy titles, no fancy education, or affluent family, he was a simple and common man.
C. But a common man or woman, or teenager or child in the hands of God is an awesome force to be dealt with.
D. Ian Thomas Says, we can do anything through Christ, but the key is allowing Christ to work his will through our lives.
1. In his book the saving life of Christ he says "I may say to a glove, "Glove pick up this bible," and yet, some how the glove cannot do it. It’s got a thumb and fingers, the shape and form of a hand, and yet it is unable to do the thing that I command it to do . . . As, soon however, as my had comes into that glove, the glove becomes as strong as my hand. Everything that is possible to my hand becomes possible to that glove."
2. The point is that God has things that he wants to do, and he wants to do them through us.
3. When we yield our lives to him, and let him fill our lives then everything that is possible for God becomes possible for us, as he works through us.
4. But if we are not willing to yield to God’s control in our lives, and make ourselves available to him and commit our lives to his desires, and His will then we are powerless.
5. Amos was like that. He learned that there was a difference.
E. Amos was just a guy that was happy to tend sheep, and pick figs. If he lived today, he might be a cowboy or a truck driver, or a ditch digger, but we see in Amos 7:14-15 that something happened to Amos.
(Amos 7:14 - 15 NIV) Amos answered Amaziah, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ’Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
F. Amos said some things that the king would not like and the priest there told him to get out, basically to earn his living as a prophet somewhere else.
G. Amos when you really look at what he said he told them "this was not my idea but God said to go and tell it like it is and so here I am."
H. And before you say that God has not told you to go and tell lets read some scripture.
(Mat 28:19 - 20 NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
(Acts 1:8 NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
I. These were not statements that were made only to the disciples. These were blanket statements made by Jesus to everyone who would be one of his followers, so if you call yourself a Christian then they apply to you.
J. We are his witnesses, and we have been saved by Grace and we are commissioned by God to go and tell others about that grace, and see them become a part of a group that worships him, and serves him.
K. Grace is free, but it does come with the responsibility of telling others where we found it, and that is a responsibility that everyone that says that they have accepted grace, has.
L. The only thing that Amos would say with authority is the only thing that someone who ministers for him today can say, and it is found in verse three, of chapter one.
(Amos 1:3 NIV) This is what the LORD says:
M. That was Amos’ word of authority. That was what gave Amos the right to be heard, that was what made Amos a minister, that he was speaking what the Lord says.
N. And, God gave you a big book of what he said to go by, and if you say that you are not able to do things for God then I am here to tell you that it is a cop out and a lie that you are letting yourself believe.
O. The world can only be changed, and people can only be saved, and God’s will can only be done when we as Calvin Miller says "become the glove into which Christ inserts his divine hand."
P. With that kind of power in our lives the possibilities are endless.
V. Amos was what we today would call a layman. He was a normal guy, but he was willing to do what God told him to and that made him so much more.
A. And, if the members of this church will be willing to do what God has told them to do then there is no limit on what God can do here.
B. And don’t leave here today looking for God to tell you in some voice from the clouds what he wants you to do. Don’t leave here and go God what do you want me to do? Because, he has already in His word told you to do so much more to do than you are doing that you will have plenty of time to hear more of what he wants you to do while you learning to do what you already know he wants you to.
C. Folks, it is time for us to get busy in ministering to people around us. It is time for us to make a difference in world. And, yes it is time for us to make this church a place that makes a difference in the lives of people.
D. I know that there have been people that in the last couple of years have felt like I have put too much emphasis on the new building. If you have been one of them that’s ok, because it was a burden that God has put on me and you will never know how many times that I have wanted to throw my hands up and quit, but God said do it.
E. But God has not told me that it is my job to do all the ministry that will fill that building, and make it a place where people lives can be changed and where hurts can be healed and where people can know Jesus.
F. And I can’t and won’t do it alone. It is going to take us all, or it is not going to happen.
G. You don’t have to be a seminary graduate, or a college graduate, all you have to be is you and willing.
H. And I am asking you this morning, step out and come down here and make a commitment to be a part of future of what God wants to do in your community.
I. I am not asking you to sign a pledge card, or state what you are going to do, but I am asking you to make a commitment to do what God asks you to do.
J. I am asking you to commit yourself to being a part of God’s ministry and the of this church.
K. I am asking you to say I am willing to join God in making a difference, and if you are not willing then we have done a lot of work in vain, because a building is not a church.
L. You are the church, and you are who God has chosen to use to win the community, and without you it is not going to happen. So when we sing, step out, and come and take a stand, make a commitment to the future of what God wants done in your community.
