Amos 1-2 - Cornhill Residential

Matthew 7:21–23 ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Those are the words of the Lord Jesus as He alerts His disciples about the danger of religious complacency in His generation.

The danger of claiming to have God on your side - to things IN HIS NAME - while refusing to do His Father’s will and living a life of disobedience.

But if we’re honest with ourselves, the Lord Jesus could be saying this to OUR generation, couldn’t He?

We see it everywhere. People coming to church and to church events. Saying the liturgy, saying the Amen.

Meanwhile, the Bible we received years ago collects dust on the shelf. We go out of church and live however we see fit, not a care in the world about Jesus the LORD says.

And sure, I guess if we’re in trouble, we might even say a prayer. You know, fingers crossed, it might work.

Friends, THAT is religious complacency. Thinking that God is on our side when we don’t even truly know Him or what He’s like.

It’s this religious complacency that we see plaguing God’s people in Amos. As we make our way through the book, we see how they have stopped listening to God and started worshipping idols and committing all sorts of injustices.

But it all starts here in chapter 1 with Amos wanting God’s people to recognise their rejection of the LORD which will lead to His judgement.

Recognise your rejection of the LORD which will lead to His judgement.

And here is the key question:

Do you REALLY know me? Do you REALLY know the LORD?

Let’s begin, then, by seeing that…

1 - The LORD will judge those who reject Him (1:3-2:3)

As Amos stands before God’s people, announcing that the Lord is about to speak, He announces His coming judgement.

Amos 1:3–5 “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.”

And then God speaks again - another word of judgement. This time to the Philistines of Gaza.

And then another word of judgement - this time to Tyre.

And another one. And another one.

As the LORD goes through Israel’s neighbouring nations, what does He promise them?

Judgement. Irrevocable, unavoidable judgement. Why?

“For three transgressions and for four.”

At the centre of the LORD’s judgement is the fact that these nations have rejected Him. They live in rebellion against the LORD, committing transgression after transgression. Sin after sin against Him and His people.

And so, as Israel listens to the LORD’s words, there is one thing they can be sure of: the LORD WILL JUDGE those who reject Him.

Now, you can imagine their cries of victory. Punching the air. Hugging one another. Because of course this is great news for them. Not only are they safe but the LORD will judge and defeat their enemies!

After all, this is THEIR God! The LORD who is on THEIR side!

But then Amos keeps speaking…

Amos 2:4 “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment”

Amos 2:6 “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment”

The victory cries die down. The hugs stop. There are audible gasps…

Because here’s the thing…

2 - The LORD’s people have rejected Him (2:4-16)

Do you see how the pattern from the previous verses continue but this time for Judah and Israel?

This is where it has been building towards. This is the shocking truth: they have rejected the LORD. Just like the nations around them!

Verse 4 - they have rejected His law.

Verses 6 - 8 - they practice injustice and even bring reputation to the LORD’s name with their sexual immorality.

Verses 9 - 12 - they have forgotten what the LORD has done for them and even refuse to listen to Him anymore.

“Of course the LORD is on our side. We have His Law!”

“Of course the LORD is on our side. Look, here are His messengers! He is speaking to us!”

The sad truth is that they’ve become so complacent that they can’t even see how they’re rejecting the LORD.

They may call upon His name! But they don’t know Him anymore.

So, what’s the outcome? Verse 13 - “I will press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.”

In other words, the LORD’s judgement is coming. To His own complacent people. Because they have rejected Him.

Friends, as we bring this home to us, we need to heed Amos’ words. We need to listen to the LORD’s warning and recognise our own rejection. Our own complacency!

Claiming that God is on our side because we come to church. Or say the liturgies. Or say Amen. That is treating the LORD as a good luck charm. It’s complacency.

The question is: do we know the LORD? And does He know us?

Is Jesus the Lord of our life? Or the Lord of our Sundays?

If it’s the latter, we need to recognise our rejection. Our complacency.

Because this LORD - this Jesus - promised that One day He will return in judgement.

And we may think that He is on our side. That He will save us from that judgement. That we will have victory and paradise!

But all we’ll have is those final words from Jesus.

“I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

Do you REALLY know the LORD?

Let’s pray.