Faithful in the Field

Amos 7:14–16 “14 Then Amos answered, and said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit. 15 Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, And the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 Now therefore, hear the word of the Lord:

Prayer

Message

Good evening, friends. I have the privilege of pastoring one of the smaller churches in our Montgomery Baptist Association — and if I had to guess, many of you do too.

Of our 73 churches in the MBA, the MBA by the criteria they choose call 7 of our churches large, 15 medium, and then the remainder of us, 51 churches are deemed small.

Now, some of our churches have multiple staff members, large choirs and praise teams, or family life centers. Others of us… we have a handful of faithful folks who serve in about ten different capacities every Sunday. Amen?

But here’s what I want to remind us tonight — small does not mean insignificant in the Kingdom of God.

In Amos chapter 7, there’s a moment that has always encouraged me.

Amaziah, the priest, basically tells Amos, “You don’t belong here. Go back home and stop preaching.”

And Amos answers with these words:

“I was no prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees. Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’”

1. God Calls Ordinary Servants

Amos wasn’t raised in the priestly line. He didn’t have a seminary degree, a support staff, or a social-media platform. He was a shepherd — just an ordinary man — when God called his name.

That means the Lord doesn’t look for the polished; He looks for the available.

He still calls pastors from small churches, bivocational leaders, and faithful laymen who are willing to say, “Lord, if You can use me, here I am.”

Ill. Point to the pew and the year and the background

2. God Commissions Faithful Messengers

Amos said, “The Lord took me as I followed the flock.”

I love that phrase — “as I followed the flock.”

God found Amos faithful where he was. He wasn’t auditioning for a bigger platform; he was being faithful in a smaller pasture.

Pastor, Sunday-school teacher, deacon, missionary — wherever God has placed you, He knows your field. Be faithful in the field He’s given you.

You may not have a thousand-member choir, but you have a calling. And that calling is every bit as sacred as Amos’.

3. God Confirms His Mission

Amos said, “The Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’”

God didn’t ask Amos to be successful — He asked him to be obedient.

And that’s still His call to us. Every sermon preached, every visit made, every prayer offered in the hospital hallway — it matters.

You may not see the results right away, but God keeps a record of faithfulness.

The Kingdom advances through pastors and churches that simply keep going.

Closing Challenge

Friends, Amos reminds us that God’s greatest work often begins in ordinary places — in small towns, in simple sanctuaries, through people who may feel “rough around the collar.”

So if you’ve ever felt like Amos — under-resourced, unnoticed, maybe even unqualified — take heart. The same God who took Amos from the field is still raising up voices in the River Region to speak His Word with grace and conviction.

Small churches are not second-class — they are Ground Zero Front Line Down in the trenches ministry. And when we’re faithful in our field, God is faithful to bring the fruit.

(Pause, smile)

Let’s keep plowing, keep praying, and keep preaching — because the Lord who called us is still working in our midst.

Thank you, and God bless you as you remain faithful in the field.