week 45 - Amos wk2
Notes
Transcript
GENEROSITY
THANK YOU…for your generosity!
SCRIPTURE:
15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.
UPDATE
Cafe Hope at 10am on Sundays, isn’t about unlocking the doors.
Free cup of coffee
Friendly people and
a place to find HOPE
Hispanic Church Today at 2pm
Finance Small Group Part 3 has Kicked off. It is each Wednesday at 6pm!
It’s a shared light meal, video, and discussion to find God’s passion in a culture of lies and deception when it comes to finances.
Thanks for all those who made this year’s HARVEST PARTY so much fun for everyone.
Candy, games, HOT dogs, and all the smiles!!
THANK YOU!
COMING Thursday November 14 at 6pm is “The Sound of Hope”
Angel studios presents right here at Cornerstone—the story of Possum Trot, a town in south east Texas
Current Bible Series: Unqualified: Still Loved
a walk through Joel and Amos to rend our hearts and turn or run to God.
JOKE
Over the years...
Bob HOPE
Johnny CASH
Steve JOBS have all died....
Our prayer might be—God, PLEASE DON’T LET KEVIN BACON DIE!!
LESSON: INTRO
The Bible presents story after story that centers around people’s interactions with God and their response to God’s call on their lives.
Studying a person from the Bible can be an extremely meaningful way to gain insight about God and his relationship with humanity.
So, what can we take away from the Study of Amos?
So, Who is Amos?
A herdsman and farmer who cared for fig trees. (1:1; 7:14) in the town of Tekoa, located in the southern Judah during the divided kingdom (1 Kings 12). The meaning of his name is similar to the meaning of the name Wayne-- Amos, means “burden” or “burden bearer,
Amos is not mentioned by name in any other books of the Bible, but his work is quoted twice in the New Testament, once by Stephen (Acts 7:42–43 concerning Amos 5:25-27) and once by James (Acts 15:15–17 concerning Amos 9:11-12).
The Northern Kingdom of Israel
Jeroboam II ruled. He was a tremendous military leader. BUT A TERRIBLE KING… his wealth poisoned his leadership. People turned towards apathy and idolatry—the worship of other gods.
Amos had had it!!!
He was sent to the people of Samaria, to bring them back to God by repentance, and reformation of their manners as he felt God calling him to go to the temple in Bethel and speak God’s words…
His presentation is one of sermons, poems, and visions—that are not just good for those in Israel—but for today!
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Chapter 1-2 summary—Messages to the Nations and Israel
The Lord will punish the Nations
Chapter 3-6 summary—Poems & Messages to Israel and it’s Leaders
The Lord will punish Israel—but is that what God wants? No!
Chapter 7-9 summary of Visions that depict God’s coming judgment on Israel
The Lord will shake the house of Israel
Yet, God WILL RESTORE HIS PEOPLE!
CHAPTER DETAILS
Chapter 1-2
Amos is to speak against Israel and that the Lord will punish Damascus.
Yet, Amos’ accusations don’t just include Israel, but against the Nations…
He declares that God will Punish the remnant of Philistines, Tyre, Edon, and Ammon.
Looking at a map it is like drawing rings of a target with Israel right in the middle of the cross-hairs.
When he gets to accusations against Israel—it is three times longer than all of the rest.
He accuses the Wealthy of ignoring the poor.
By allowing the poor to be sold into debt slavery
And denying these people legal representation.
He recalls that this shouldn’t be, because Israel should remember what it was like to not have legal representation and just--thus winding up in bondage in Egypt.
The very one’s that God rescued from slavery
THE PARTY IS OVER!
LESSONS FROM AMOS
Though Amos we see...
1. God Calls and Commissions Ordinary Individuals[i]
Nothing about Amos’ vocation as a shepherd and farmer would have marked him as one suited to carry the mantel of prophet.
In fact, Amos’ resume leading up to his divine commission would have been remarkable only in how unremarkable it all looked on paper.
And yet, in His sovereignty and grace, God chose a shepherd and farmer to be His prophet and mouthpiece to the nation.
Amos is not the only example in Scripture where God used an ordinary individual and common laborer to do His work.
EXAMPLES: Moses, Abraham, King David, Peter and Saul, Gideon
What is important to remember, however, is that Amos was not called because of his qualifications.
In God’s grace...
God called Amos,
Amos accepted the call, and
God prepared Him for what was to come.
In doing so, the ministry of Amos demonstrates how, as the apostle Paul would later write, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
2. The Burden of a Divine Calling Cannot Be Easily Ignored
In receiving the call to prophesy to the northern kingdom, Amos could have chosen to stay home to tend his fig trees and care for his sheep.
A simple farmer’s life would have been, at the very least, a much easier life than that of a prophet called to deliver bad news and a stern warning to an obstinate king and unrepentant people. (Remember Jonah?)
Heeding the call from God was not going to win Amos many friends in the north. In fact, there was a good chance his ministry could have gotten him thrown in jail or worse, killed.
Amos could have fallen back on his lack of qualifications as a reason why he was not the right man for the job. (Remember Moses?)
Instead, he strapped on his sandals, picked up his staff, and ventured north, trusting that God would provide for his needs and give him the words to say when it mattered most.
*Note: this is the same way we trust God.
Psalm 81:10 (NLT)
10 For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.
*Note: this is the same way we prophesy and speak in heavenly languages…
Here again we must Trust God!
That is to “Earnestly desire to Prophesy”
39 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.
Faith is critical...
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies,
Speak according to your degree of Faith...
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.
TRUSTING GOD IS GOD’S DESIRE
(go back to Psalm 81)
10 For it was I, the Lord your God,
who rescued you from the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.
11 “But no, my people wouldn’t listen.
Israel did not want me around.
12 So I let them follow their own stubborn desires,
living according to their own ideas.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me!
Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths!
14 How quickly I would then subdue their enemies!
How soon my hands would be upon their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him;
they would be doomed forever.
16 But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.”
As Amos writes,
“the Lord took me from following the flock and the Lord said to me, ‘go prophesy to My people Israel” (Amos 7:15).
Accordingly, Amos saw any assignment that came from God as the highest of callings, not because of what it entailed, but because of who it came from. It was not a calling Amos could easily ignore, and he wisely chose not to.
WHO ARE YOU?
HAS GOD CALLED YOU?
God has called you. His Spirit rests upon you.
No you may not be the mouthpiece to the nation, but who you are and what you do is of God.
ARE YOU QUALIFIED?
Most likely you are not qualified even if you have training... but you are loved.
God cares about you and wants each of us to
strap on our sandals,
picked up our staff, and
venture into the territory that we live to be His representatives
Our main purpose is to
be His Ambassadors.
To carry the Good News of Jesus to all we come in contact with each day.
NEXT WEEK: WORSHIP GOD’S WAY!
RESOURCE
[i] Crosswalk, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/who-is-amos-in-the-bible.html5 Lessons We Can Learn from Amos in the Bible
