Cause and Effect
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Intro; This morning I want us to look at the science of “Cause and Effect”.
"Cause and effect" is a relationship between events or things, where one is the result of the other or others. This is a combination of action and reaction. Something happens (a cause) that leads to an effect. A cause is a source or producer of effects. An effect is the result or consequence of a cause. The two actions have a cause-and-effect relationship.
Examples;
Cause: I flipped the light switch. Effect: The light came on.
Cause: I stubbed my toe on the corner of the coffee table. Effect: I yelled/pain!
Cause: I tried out for the church praise team. Effect: They asked me to be a greeter
Cause: It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached [gospel]. Effect: To save those who believe
The first action is the cause of the second action, the effect.
In Amos’ message to Israel he will use “Cause and Effect” to make it crystal clear the reason for their judgment from God.
Text: Amos 3:1-8
1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:
2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
1. Responsibility Flows from Relationship; 1-2
1. Responsibility Flows from Relationship; 1-2
The Doctrine of Election is one that seems to cause a lot of controversy in the church. But it should not.
Election is God’s choice of whom He will save. That doesn’t mean that God said this one can be saved and this one cannot. Election is God extending His grace to people who do not deserve it and saving those whom will believe.
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The “Election” of Israel is a typology of God’s election in grace.
Among all the families of the earth, the Lord had reached down and chosen the Israelites for the high privilege and supreme honor of being His holy people. They were chosen for two primary purposes:
1. To be the channel through whom the Lord would send His Holy Word and the Savior (Messiah) into the world
2. To bear strong witness to the world that the Lord—He and He alone—is the living and true God
Abraham was a heathen worshiping pagan gods in the land of Ur, and left to himself he would have died a heathen without God. But God did not leave Abraham to himself. God revealed Himself to Abraham, calling him from darkness into His marvelous light, and Abraham believed by faith.
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
Cause; God’s Election of Israel;
Deuteronomy 7:7–9 (NKJV)
7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;
8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Effect; God’s Election of Israel;
12 “Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments, and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.
13 And He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flock, in the land of which He swore to your fathers to give you.
19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish.
20 As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.
God is faithful to His “cause”, a covenant of election by grace to those who believe Him will be blessed but those who reject this grace will suffer the “effects” or consequences of their sin through His judgment.
That’s the message Amos is giving here. Israel had moved into a special relationship with God and from that flowed certain responsibility. Because Israel has sinned by refusing to be obedient to God’s “cause” [election/grace], they will suffer His “effects” [judgment].
2. Seven Questions from God; 3-6
2. Seven Questions from God; 3-6
Amos now makes his point from God clear with the “Cause and Effect” relationship. He asks 7 rhetorical questions that Israel already knows the answer to.
[3] Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? No. If two people want to walk together, they have to appoint a time and place to meet to go in the same direction.
Matthew 7:13–14 (NKJV)
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
[4] These two questions work together and the answer to both is No!
A lion moves about in a stealth like mode, quietly, patiently stalking his prey and then pounces on it. Then you hear him roar.
A lions growl in his den is the sure sign his prey was caught and satisfied his hunger.
God is that lion, patiently waiting for the sin of men to be complete and then He will pounce on His prey [sinful men] and deliver the nations to His Son [Psalm 2]
[5] A bird will not be caught in a trap if there is no bait to lure him. Nor will one who sets a trap not put bait in it believing he will catch anything.
Israel had fallen into the trap of sin, set by Satan, and there was no getting out because they begin to enjoy the darkness more than they did the light.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
[6] The answer to these next two questions is Yes.
A trumpet was blown to warn the city of the approaching enemy. People would tremble with fear but heed the warning and prepare for battle. Unfortunately Israel [America] has not heeded this warning.
[6b] Nobody would believe in that day or today, that God would cause calamity upon a nation to bring His desired effect. But the answer to this question is “Yes”
Does God use disasters/calamity to get the attention of HIs people? Yes!
God used a flood in Noah’s time, trials in Job’s time, and he will use captivity in this time to get Israel to repent.
7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’
I believe God uses natural disasters, drought, famine, war as instruments of cause to create a desired effect, repentance!
[Ills.] The 21st anniversary of 9/11 will be next Sunday. It was tragic day in America. An Islamic people [false god] attacked the American people [true God], to destroy what they call the “infidels.” Now that attack brought about a renewed zeal of patriotism but unfortunately it did not bring around what God intended, repentance. That attack was a warning to America that we have lost our way and shirked our responsibility as a nation who is in a relationship with Christ!
The trumpet was sounded and the calamity has come, yet nobody is paying attention!
3. God has Warned Us; 7-8
3. God has Warned Us; 7-8
God has always given a warning to men before He judges them.
In Noah’s day, God told him of a coming flood and gave Noah 120 years to warn his generation. But only 8 were saved.
God let Abraham know ahead of time regarding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And God allowed his angels to warn Lot and their family. But only 3 were spared.
He warned Joseph of the 7 year famine in Egypt
He warned Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel of his pride and its consequences
Even when Christ was here in the flesh He warned his disciples and all who would listen, of the consequences of sin and the coming judgment of God. Yet the Bible says, “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.”
God warned Israel, over and over and over, but they did not listen, therefore he sent the country into captivity.
Even today, men continue to reject the message and the messengers of God! The world is saturated with the gospel message like never before but men aren’t listening!
Luke 17:26–27 (NKJV)
26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
God has roared with a clear loud voice through His word and His messenger concerning sin, the question is, “Who will fear Him?”
Close;
If we ignore God, if we stray from God, if we reject, disobey, or fail to fear God, we will face His righteous judgment. That’s Cause and Effect.
This morning if you are lost, there is a “Cause” that loves you, His name is Jesus. If you will repent of your sins and trust Him by faith, the “Effect” will be complete forgiveness unto eternal life!
If you are saved this morning, you are a “Cause of Election in Jesus Christ”, and that should produce an “Effect of Righteousness” in you that you are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the power of God unto salvation!
A cause is a source or producer of effects. An effect is the result or consequence of a cause.
Will you let God “effect” your life today for your “cause” [good] and His glory?