Introduction
I. April 15, 1912 - in less than 3 hours, somewhere in excess of 1500 people die as the result of an unsinkable ship, the RMS Titanic sinking.
A. There were a lot of reasons that so many people died when the Titanic sank, BUT, I wonder how many died, in part because they felt secure on an unsinkable ship.
1. This ship can’t sink
2. It could get damaged, but what the worst that could happen?
B. I would imagine that more than a few people perished, more or less because they felt secure and safe in what human hands had accomplished.
II. December 7, 1941, A day that will go down in infamy.
A. Why would such a day go down in infamy?
1. In part because the Japanese attacked the United States on American soil.
2. That was not supposed to be a possibility, at least not without our knowing it was coming; not a sneak attack.
a. We had not entered the war at that point.
b. There was no human way that a country like Japan could possibly reach American soil.
B. I certainly do not mean to minimize what happened on that day, BUT,
1. I believe in part, December 7, 1941 should go down in infamy as a reminder that the United States had felt secure in what could be accomplished by human means.
2. There were a lot of reasons as to how December 7 could have happened, but in part, December 7, 1941 happened because the United States felt secure in what was humanly possible, or impossible.
III. September 11, 2001,
A. I hope that none of us here this morning lost loved ones on that day.
B. But, who would have thought that simply going about their normal routine would mean the end of life as they knew it.
IV. An Allstate Insurance advertisement states that there is an accident in the United States, every 5 seconds.
A. Yet how many of us get in our cars every day, believing it couldn’t happen to us.
B. I see people driving their cars
1. While reading the morning newspaper, or
2. Talking on their cell phones,
C. I even see some people looking in the rearview mirror, applying eye liner or lipstick, while cruising down the turnpike.
1. I’m safe.
2. Nothing bad will happen to me.
V. Over 50% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce.
A. In spite of the increasing number of pre-nuptial agreements signed these days, I doubt many people get married, believing that their will end in divorce.
B. Why do so many divorces happen
1. Not always, but all to often because the partners in the marriage feel overly secure in their relationship stop considering the needs of the other person.
2. I am safe, nothing bad can happen to me.
VI. And how many people are close to eternity, and believe they are just fine, because by human standards they are pretty good people?
VII. And how many of those same pretty good people enter eternity in not nearly as good a shape as they thought they would be, because they trusted the wrong things.?
Vs. 9-11 - Don’t Trust The Culture Around You
I. What do we see in these three verses?
A. God, through Amos has called for Ashdod and Egypt to come and observe Israel.
1. Ashdod was a major city in Philistia, which is south west of Samaria,
2. The great nation of Egypt is even farther south west of Samaria.
B. To me what is interesting is that God has called for the “godless” to come and observe the followers of God.
1. And even more interesting perhaps, is that God is not calling for these nations to come and observe Israel because they are doing right, but rather because they are doing wrong.
2. It is almost as if God is saying,
a. Look, I am justified for bringing correction to My people.
b. Or could God possibly be saying, “If I am willing to do this to my own followers, how much more might be in store for you.”
II. It is not like Philistia or Egypt were “good” nations.
A. They were aggressive in their desire to acquire more lands.
B. They took little pity on those that they conquered; however,
C. They were very well known for oppressing those around them.
D. What they were not known for was for oppressing their own people, and that is the point I believe God is making here.
III. Look at verse 9 - “Proclaim in the citadels of Samaria and Egypt, that they should come and observe what Israel is doing, WITHIN THEIR VERY OWN WALLS.
IV. In actuality there are two activities that are most likely taking place.
A. One is that the more wealthy are taking advantage of the poor, BUT perhaps more equally important is found in the words “great tumults”
B. Perhaps the translator’s of our Bibles didn’t want to offend, but
C. According to at least one commentator I am using those words imply “confusion resulting for moral breakdown.”
1. Let’s turn back to Amos 2 and read verses 6 and 7 again
2. Certainly the thought of moral collapse is very evident.
D. Even followers of God, can be morally bankrupt.
V. And if we look at verse 10 of our passage this morning, we see that Israel has been doing wrong for so long, that they no longer know how to do right.
VI. They had followed the lead of the culture for so long that they didn’t even recognize where culture was ultimately leading them.
VII. And how many of us look at culture to decide what is right and what is wrong?
A. I dress this way, because that is what everyone else is doing.
B. I listen to this music because that is what my friends listen to.
C. I vote republican or I vote democrat because I heard that they are the true believers in God.
D. I attend this church, because my friends attend this church, and I’ll go to another if it suits me better, or I won’t go at all if I don’t feel like it.
VIII. Who or what is helping you decide what is right and what is wrong before God?
Don’t Trust What You Own vs. 12-15
I. Some people depend on the culture to tell them they are OK.
II. Some people depend on what they own to tell they are OK.
III. What was a poor shepherd to do, if one of the sheep he was charge with protecting were carried away by a predator.
A. He couldn’t afford to pay for the lost sheep, and after all it wasn’t his fault.
B. But a law protected the poor shepherd whose charge was dragged away and killed.
1. All he had to do was take back a portion of the sheep; and ear or leg, in order to prove that the animal had been destroyed by a predator.
2. A left over portion proved that he had not stolen the sheep.
3. The mangled portion was proof that a tragedy had happened.
Wealth Can Offer False Security
IV. Samaria had been built on a hill some 300 feet high.
A. A great wall of protection surrounded the city.
B. It was also surround by other foothills that offered natural protection.
V. As a result of all this protection, it’s people felt safe and secure.
A. Mighty homes had been built within it confines.
B. While the poor slept on the ground, or on a pallet, the wealthy had beds and couches upon which to relax.
C. Surely we are safe, secure and protected,
D. Our wealth has made us OK.
VI. By Israel law, if a fugitive went to the temple in Bethel, and was able to grasp the horns on the alter, he would be safe.
VII. God’s message however is, “You cannot depend on what you own to provide you with safety.”
A. Just as there is only an ear or leg left of the sheep that was stolen, there will be only a remnant of Samaria left when the predator is finished.
B. What you believe to be your sanctuary will no longer exist.
C. The wealth that you hold out as a symbol of your safety and security will be left only in pieces.
VIII. And again how many of us fell secure because we have a little money in the bank?
A. It was only a few months ago that Maryann returned to work after a layoff of about six months.
B. Now don’t misunderstand; we have never been wealthy, and unless we hit the lottery, I doubt we ever will be; especially since we don’t often play the lottery.
C. However a few months ago we felt pretty secure.
1. Maryann had a decent job, and it seemed to be in good shape.
2. I felt pretty comfortable here at Newtown, and feel like this should be a long term commitment from and for me.
3. We had accumulated a few dollars in our savings account.
4. We had just purchased some new furniture for our home.
D. Then Maryann came home and said, “I’ve been laid off?”
1. Thank God he had allowed us to put some money back.
2. Thank God for unemployment, and some help from this church.
E. We didn’t loose our couch or our bed, or our home; but, in a short span of time, our financial security was gone.
IX. Verse 15 - God says of a smug, comfortable, secure people, “You are depending on the wrong thing for your security, - 15 “I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house; the houses of ivory will also perish and the great houses will come to an end,” declares the Lord.
X. God is telling Israel,
A. You are depending on the culture to give you the answers for what blessing is.
B. You are depending on your wealth to protect you and make you feel secure.
C. But I am God, and I say, depend on me.
XI. We live in an area of great material, and I don’t want to necessarily call it blessing, because sometimes material wealth is more of a curse.
A. But what is it that tells you God is blessing you?
B. What is it that tell you that you are following after God.
XII. You can’t depend on what the culture says.
XIII. You can’t depend on what you possess.
XIV. So what are you depending on? Become a Blessing to Others, 4:1-3
I. I stated last Sunday that “With Great Blessing Comes Great Responsibility.”
II. Someone left me a note in the mail box this past week concerning the message on our sign.
A. They said that they took offense at the fact that we were stating that not everyone was going to have it good in eternity.
B. They thought our message might be a turnoff to non-Christians.
1. And in fact that point may well be true.
2. I was just glad to know that people were reading the sign.
C. But I wonder how the women in Samaria felt when Amos called them “fat cows” who had been pampered and catered to!
D. I wonder how many of them came and listened to the rest of what Amos had to say, and how many of them said, “Wow. Is that really what God thinks of me?”
E. I wonder how many of the listeners applied what Amos was saying to everyone but themselves.
III. I said last week that “With Great Blessing Comes Great Responsibility.”
A. That same message seems to carried on in this first part of Amos chapter 4.
B. Look at verse 1 - Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who curse the needy, who say to your husbands, “Bring now, that we may drink!”
C. It seems like God may be saying,
1. “I didn’t bless you in order that you may keep it for yourself, and indulge your own pleasures.”
2. “I blessed you so that you could be a blessing to others.”
3. “I have blessed you, that you may become a blessing.”
IV. Now I want to take that out of the context of simple our worldly material possessions.
A. Certainly we need to be sharing of what God has provided.
1. Some of us are, and some more might be able to give additional funds towards the missions efforts of others.
a. I need to tell you that our current missions budget is underfunded.
b. I have not stressed the monthly missions envelope enough.
2. Some of us are, and some of us might be able to be involved in ministries like Compassion International, or maybe the Angel Tree projects at Christmas time.
3. We will be having Community Outreach Day on 8 July, with the intention of letting this community know that we are here, and we care.
a. Activities on that day will have a cost factor to them.
b. Some of you have already expressed a desire to give some funds towards that cost.
c. Some of you have, and more of you will volunteer to help staff various activities that will take place on that day.
B. But consider for a moment that at least most of us here this morning have said “Yes” to Jesus.
1. Most of us have said we believe Christ died for our sins.
2. Most of us believe that we have eternal life, because of Christ.
V. For those of us that have said “Yes” to Jesus, we are what?
A. Heirs of the God. - 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. (Rom. 8:16-17)
B. We have received riches - 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, (Eph. 1:7)
C. We have been sanctified, glorified, and even though we are still in this life, we are as good as seated with Christ in heaven.
VI. We have riches upon riches, and we have a responsibility to share those riches, at least as much as we have the responsibility to share our material riches.
VII. How are you doing?
A. How are you being a blessing to others with the material blessing God has given you?
B. How are you being a blessing to others with the spiritual blessing God has given to you?
C. How have you committed to make Christ known through the ministry of Newtown Community Church?
D. Have you really committed to being a blessing through the ministry of Newtown Community Church?
VIII. What is God prompting your heart with this morning?
A. Is He asking you to fully commit to the ministry of Newtown Community Church through membership, or commitment the leadership or some specific ministry of this church?
B. Is God asking you to offer your couch or extra bed to a member of Forgiven when they come to minister in July.
C. Is God asking you to commit to a specific opportunity on Community Day?
D. Is He asking you to come in faith to Jesus Christ?
IX. Do not apply to message to someone else; God is talking to you.
