Week 5 - A Call to Seek God

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DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

SVCC is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.

Prayer for...

INTRODUCTION:

Review:

WHY?…

TODAY: A Call to SEEK God

Story: [living life however we want IS NOT GOOD]

Opening Scripture:

God’s Lament

Amos 5:1-3 “1 Hear this word that I take up over you in lamentation, O house of Israel: 2 “Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel; forsaken on her land, with none to raise her up.” 3 For thus says the Lord God: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.””

Lament is a song of mourning

God’s Call to Repent

Amos 5:4-6 “4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; 5 but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.” 6 Seek the Lord and live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,”

The only way to live is to seek God with All of who you all in the community of faith!

God’s Justice and Righteousness

Amos 5:7-13 “7 O you who turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth! 8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name; 9 who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress. 10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth. 11 Therefore because you trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not dwell in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. 12 For I know how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate. 13 Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.”

God’s

The expressions signify that people with power and authority ought to make decisions in a way that expresses faithfulness in relationships with God and with the community (Goldingay 303).

Combination of “Justice” and “Righteousness” has the sense of “social justice”

You fall off your bicycle and break your leg. You go to the hospital and they fix it. You stagger around on crutches for awhile. Then, rather gingerly, you start to walk normally again … . There is such a thing as putting something to rights, as in fixing it, as getting it back on track. You can fix a broken leg, a broken toy, a broken television. So why can't we fix injustice. It isn't for lack of trying.

And yet, in spite of failures to fix injustice, we keep dreaming that one day all broken things will be set right. Wright contends, "Christians believe this is so because all humans have heard, deep within themselves, the echo of a voice which calls us to live [with a dream for justice]. And [followers of Christ] believe that in Jesus that voice became human and did what had to be done to bring it about."

Picture here is also of leadership becoming toxic

v. 13 Silence…they are in shock, grief, or horrified at what they see

God’s Grace

Amos 5:14-17 “14 Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. 15 Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: “In all the squares there shall be wailing, and in all the streets they shall say, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They shall call the farmers to mourning and to wailing those who are skilled in lamentation, 17 and in all vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says the Lord.”

Faithfulness needs to be embodied in the exercise of authority; the exercise of authority needs to be undertaken with faithfulness (Goldingay 306).

v. 15 “hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate”

Leviticus and the Psalms both make the assumption that worship and commitment to mišpāṭ and ṣədāqâ go together (Goldingay 309)

Grace is God showing compassion or kindness

God’s Demands for Worship

Amos 5:18-26 “18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, 19 as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? 21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26 You shall take up Sikkuth your king, and Kiyyun your star-god—your images that you made for yourselves,

Amos 5:27 “27 and I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.”

Contrast their rituals/habits with justice and righteousness that flows!

Examples of things that God does NOT demand of our worship:

Does the rhythm of the band make a bigger impact upon you than the words that you sing?

When we sing songs?

Type of church building…brick, white, warehouse, flags, steeple?

“Temple” church model

Other adjectives we add to “church”...neighborhood-, local-, lighthouse-, missional-, simple-, mega-, para-, attractional-, resource-, multi-site-, virtual-, underground-, etc

God’s Demand for worship is for people who will Hear Him, Seek Him, Seek the good!

Conclusion/Reflection:

Famous Board Game Reflects Our Changing Values

The hugely popular board game by Milton Bradley called The Game of Life went through the following variations—all of which reflect the changing values of our culture:

...In 1798, before Milton Bradley was born, a board game from England arrived in the U.S. and became popular. It was called The New Game of Human Life. Acquiring virtues sped you through the game while vices slowed you down. Parents were encouraged to play this game with their children. The game's main point was, "Life is a voyage that begins at birth and ends at death. God is at the helm, fate is cruel, and your reward lies beyond the grave."

...In 1860, Milton Bradley invented a simple board game and called it The Checkered Game of Life. The good path included Honesty and Bravery. The difficult path included Idleness and Disgrace. Industry and Perseverance led to Wealth and Success. Bradley described it as "A highly moral game … that encourages children to lead exemplary lives and entertains both old and young with the spirit of friendly competition."

...In 1960, Milton Bradley Company released a commemorative edition, called simply The Game of Life. It sold 35 million copies. In this game you earn money, buy furniture, and have babies. Vices and virtues are non-existent. The winner of the game is the one who at "Life's Day of Reckoning" makes the most money and retires to Millionaire Acres.

...In the 1990s Milton Bradley game designers tried to make the game less about money. They emphasized good deeds like saving an endangered species or solving a pollution problem. However, the only reward for these good deeds is cash. You can earn as much by winning at a reality TV show.

...In the 2011 version, players can attend school, travel, start a family, or whatever they want. If they earn enough points, they can reward themselves with a sports car. There is no end or last square to the game. You can stop any time. The box says, "A Thousand Ways to Live Your Life! You Choose." Values are up-for-grabs—you get as many points scuba diving as you get donating a kidney. The description on the website says: "Do whatever it takes to retire in style with the most wealth at the end of the game."

***As believers we do NOT seek the life we choose…we seek God…live life yielded to the Holy Spirit***

We yield to the Spirit of God by...

Listening for God

By reading the Bible & Praying

By hating what is evil

OPTIONAL:

When we seek God Justice and righteousness become a natural outflow of the Spirit of God inside of us

Justice like water and righteousness like flowing water (v. 24)...

John 7:38–39 ESV

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

New Testament (7:37–39—Rivers of Water)

Most of Judaism did not believe that the Spirit was prophetically active in their own time but expected the full outpouring of the Spirit in the messianic age or the world to come. Water usually symbolized Torah (law) or wisdom in Jewish texts, but John follows Old Testament precedent in using it for the Spirit

We yield to the Spirit of God by...

Listening for God

By reading the Bible & Praying

By hating what is evil

Talk It Over

What are the ‘marks of death’ in a church (see 2 Peter 2 and Jude 5–19)? What are the essential beliefs and practices that a spiritually alive church, or group of churches, must have (see Acts 2:37–47)?

What is your heart like when you go to a church service? Do you just enjoy the rhythm and melody of the songs you sing in church, or do you really enter into the heart of worship? Does the beat of the band’s percussion make a bigger impact upon you than the words that you sing? Compare your feelings with what the Lord requires in regard to justice and righteousness in Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8; John 4:23–24; Ephesians 4:24; 5:19.

What guidance would you give to someone who is seeking to please God solely through religious ceremonial?

How can we avoid incorporating false gods into Christian worship? How do success, affluence and materialism contaminate our worship of God? (See Ps. 24:3–5; 2 Cor. 6:14–18; James 1:27.)

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2010/december/4120610.html

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/october/5102411.html