Introduction

Good morning, Church! We're about to dive into a very heavy topic today. Now, I'm not here to frighten you, but rather to wake us all up to the reality that we're facing.

C.S. Lewis once said, "We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive." And that's what we are going to discuss today: turning back to God because His judgment is coming.

Our key passage today is from the book of Amos, chapter 5, verses 18 through 20. It says,

"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. 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. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light— pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?"

This is a serious message, but one filled with hope if we heed its warning. As we prepare to dive into this message, let's commit this time to the Lord in prayer.

God's Judgment is Coming

The first point we need to understand is that God's judgment is coming. This is not a scare tactic or a doom-and-gloom prophecy, but a reality that we find throughout the pages of Scripture. The Bible is clear that there will be a day of reckoning, a day when God will judge the world.

This is not a popular idea in our culture today: Many people prefer to think of God as a loving grandfather who overlooks our faults and failures. But the Bible presents a balanced view of God. Yes, He is loving, merciful, and gracious, but He is also holy, righteous, and just. He cannot ignore or overlook sin.

The prophet Amos paints a vivid picture of the day of the Lord: This is a term often used in the Bible to refer to God's judgment. He warns that it will be a day of darkness, not light. This is a stark contrast to the common view in his day that the day of the Lord would be a time of victory and deliverance for Israel. But Amos warns that it will not be a day of celebration, but a day of terror and judgment. He uses the imagery of a man fleeing from a lion, only to meet a bear, and then entering his house to rest, only to be bitten by a snake. This is a picture of inescapable judgment.

Why is God's judgment necessary: It's because of sin. Sin is rebellion against God, a rejection of His authority and His commands. And sin has consequences. Just as a loving parent disciplines their child when they do wrong, so God disciplines us for our sin. But His discipline is not out of anger or spite, but out of love. He disciplines us to correct us, to bring us back to the right path.

A demonstration of His justice: In a world filled with injustice, where the wicked often seem to prosper and the righteous suffer, God's judgment is a promise that justice will ultimately prevail. Every wrong will be made right. Every injustice will be rectified.

Not only future, it's also present: The Bible tells us that we are already under God's judgment because of our sin. But the good news is that God has provided a way of escape through Jesus Christ. Jesus took our sin and our judgment upon Himself when He died on the cross. And those who put their trust in Him are spared from God's judgment.

Those who reject Jesus, who refuse to turn to Him for salvation: The Bible warns that they will face God's judgment. And this is not something we should take lightly. The Bible describes it as a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

A message of hope: Because God's judgment is coming, we have an opportunity to turn to Him now, to seek His forgiveness and mercy. We have an opportunity to escape His judgment and to experience His grace and love.

The Day of the Lord is Near

The Day of the Lord is a concept that is often misunderstood or overlooked in our contemporary Christian culture ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO