Amos & Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Pastoral Prayer
One of the things we regularly do is take time on Sunday mornings to hear from and pray for our missionaries we support as a church family.
This morning we’re focusing on Gene and Anne Poppino with Cadence International. Gene come on up!
Gene Talk -
What have you been up to lately?
How do you counsel people who feel hopeless?
What if someone here doesn’t have pastoral care? What steps can they take to grow in hope?
Advent Giving
One of the things I know Gene least enjoys about his position is fundraising. But it’s a reality and it’s important. Each of our missionary families, the Poppinos, the Patersons, and the Harmanings are in need of more financial support.
I’d imagine most of us are considering how we can be generous this time of year to reflect the generosity God showed us in Jesus. If you’re not already giving to these families - and many of you are - maybe now is the time.
There are a couple other ideas as you think about how to be generous this Advent season. If you wanted to give above and beyond your normal contribution, here are a few needs.
Internal - In-Ear Monitors -
Help our band lead with clarity and confidence!
Local
Raising money for the Sumner Food Bank which supports so many families in our area.
Global
Support missionary families.
I invite you to consider being generous in these areas.
Scripture Reading
A belated Thanksgiving and an early Merry Christmas to you all.
It is a FULL time of year as the calendar will tell us. Our calendars this time of year can remind us of how busy we are. Perhaps you look at your calendar and quickly feel overwhelmed by the events, gatherings, presents to buy, food to make, plus all the normal stuff.
But also, as believers we know that the calendar, time itself is in Gods hands and even our calendars can point us to Him.
Each year the calendar reminds us this is not just the busy season of Christmas, but the season of Advent.
What is Advent?
Advent means coming or arrival.
Advent is the season in which we look back when Christ came as a baby - the Savior of the world arrived. And as we live out of that reality - that God came - we remember that he promised he is coming again!
“When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’” - Justin Holcomb, “What is Advent? The History, Meaning, and Traditions”
Christmas is about more than presents, Black Friday, hot chocolate, and chestnuts roasting by an open fire. Advent is about looking back to when he came so we can be filled with hope that he is coming again.
In light of this, one major theme of Advent is hope.
When you think of hope what comes to mind?
A kid waiting for presents on Christmas morning is a picture of hope. We need hope to survive. A person without hope is a person in a terrible place.
But what about Christian hope?
Hope = The active, confident expectation of good, based on the character of God. - Catharine Coon, Hope Alive! Africa, WorldVenture, Uganda
Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission says Christian hope is patient impatience.
It’s the prayer of the Psalmists, How long, O Lord? We know you will, but how long?
Advent is a season where we remember Christ’s coming so we can be filled with hope that he’s coming again.
So how will we celebrate Advent this year as a church family?
There are so many ways different paths we could go. There is never a bad time to go back to Matthew or Luke and retell the story of Jesus’ birth. It never gets old.
And yet, the whole Bible tells the story of Jesus, not just Matthew 1 and Luke 1. In the words of Eugene Peterson it takes the whole Bible to read any part of the Bible. How might we grow in our love for Jesus as we expand our reading of Scripture?
To that end, this year we’re going to celebrate Advent by studying the Minor Prophets.
Why the Minor Prophets?
Imagine you are getting out your box of Christmas tree decorations and you come across an ornament you haven’t seen in 15 years.
Because it’s been so long since you’ve seen it, you’re filled with fresh excitement about the memories and stories that came with it.
That’s the hope with this series we’re calling Prophets of Advent.
Like a dusty old Christmas ornament, The Minor Prophets can often by a dusty part of our Bible we don’t often turn to. They’re not often the first place, second place, or third place we turn to for Christmas. If you know anything about them, they’re often filled with intense images of judgment and warnings of God’s wrath.
Yet, as we know, Christmas is about more than good tidings of joy for the rich, happy, and healthy. Christmas/Advent is about hope for all people, even those who appear to be utterly hopeless.
And what the minor prophets do is they point us to God and they give HOPE to the hopeless and point ahead to the arrival of the Savior.
I give full credit to Taylor Turkington in her article in Preaching Today online for this idea, she is the same gal who put together the women’s bible conference earlier this year so thank you Taylor.
So this Advent we’re going to look at passages in Amos, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Zechariah to fix our hope on Jesus and his Advent.
I don’t know what God is planning for us in these five weeks together, but here are some questions we’re going to be asking together as we examine these passages.
What does it mean for us to put our hope in Jesus?
What does it mean for us to put our hope in Jesus?
The Minor Prophets call out to God’s people to stop putting their hope in money, political systems, the comfort of the current economic climate, but to look forward to God’s promise of Messiah.
Similarly, for us, the Minor Prophets will nudge us to consider how are we putting our hope in other things besides Jesus? What would it look like to live in the reality of Advent - Jesus has come and he is coming again? In light of Advent, how does a teacher teach? How do sales people sell? How do parents parent? How do grandparents love their families? How do medical professionals care for sick patients? How do we love our neighbors?
How does these passages teach us to see the world?
How does these passages teach us to see the world?
The Prophets we’ll read don’t see the world like we do. We see the world as Americans. As individuals. As modern people with modern concepts of reality.
The Prophets don’t see the world like we do. And that’s a good thing.
Sometimes we talk about “biblical literacy” but I don’t love that phrase because no one was ever motivated to read their bible because they were told they’re illiterate.
Rather, I think the goal is to have a biblical imagination. What if we imagined the world like Amos - who was fed up with idolatry and religious hypocrisy within the people of God? What if we saw the world like Habakkuk? Micah? Zechariah? And as we imagine reality like these prophets, we begin to see things God’s way and see the world as it really is.
How do I give hope to others?
How do I give hope to others?
The Prophets call us to action. They don’t exist merely to give us good tidings of joy and hope but to call God’s people to live in light of his Advent. How am I being a person of hope and giving that to others?
So today we are in Amos 9:11-15, which is in the section of the Bible we refer to as the Minor Prophets.
We’re honing in on our passage give me a few more minutes to provide some context.
Where are Minor Prophets in the Bible?
The Minor Prophets had much shorter works and much more focused messages while the Major prophets texts are much longer and to a broader audience with broader themes.
Who are the Prophets?
The prophets are strong figures in the Old Testament and are human messengers of God. People sent by God to deliver a message.
Think Jonah. Go to Nineveh and give them a message! Jonah doesn’t want to...
This is Isabelle’s favorite.
He eats bugs. She thinks that’s great.
And like this picture, Prophets are kinda goofy.
They’re main job is not to deliver a message even at the cost of their own reputation and safety. They are not concerned with the platform, but with speaking for God.
Biblical Prophets are not Political Pundits. Biblical prophets come to prop up God even though it means their reputation gets trampled on. Political pundits prop up a message AND themselves.
Not so with true Biblical Prophets who say - like John the Baptist - HE MUST INCREASE AND I MUST DECREASE!
Why prophets? Why did God send them then and why should we care about them now?
God sent his prophets to bring both judgment and hope.
So often in our world we make everything us vs them. We are the good guys, they are the bad guys.
We are not the problem, they are the problem. If we were in power than THEY wouldn’t be able to hurt us.
But the prophets are sent by God to bring judgment first and foremost on God’s own people. The real danger is in here.
Namely, Religious hypocrisy and people in power who say they are working for God are about the most dangerous force in the history of the universe. Case in point the people who had Jesus murdered.
In the words of Eugene Peterson...
More people are exploited and abused in the cause of religion than in any other way. Sex, money, and power all take a backseat to religion as a source of evil. Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to humankind. The moment a person (or government or religion or organization) is convinced that God is either ordering or sanctioning a cause or project, anything goes. The history, worldwide, of religion-fueled hate, killing, and oppression is staggering. The biblical prophets are in the front line of those doing something about it.
The biblical prophets continue to be the most powerful and effective voices ever heard on this earth for keeping religion honest, humble, and compassionate. Prophets sniff out injustice, especially injustice that is dressed up in religious garb. They sniff it out a mile away. Prophets see through hypocrisy, especially hypocrisy that assumes a religious pose. Prophets are not impressed by position or power or authority. They aren’t taken in by numbers, size, or appearances of success.
They pay little attention to what men and women say about God or do for God. They listen to God and rigorously test all human language and action against what they hear. Among these prophets, Amos towers as defender of the downtrodden poor and accuser of the powerful rich who use God’s name to legitimize their sin.
But the prophets also give us hope.
And that’s exactly why we’re turning to them this Advent season.
Here’s the truth: you and I are made for God. Our hearts greatest desire is to be in loving relationship with the creator of the universe.
And the prophets believed that the creator God had promised to save humanity - from all its destruction, hate, and evil - through the Jewish people. And specifically, through the coming Messiah or Anointed One.
And the prophets who often frighten us with images of wrath and judgment, also give us tremendous hope as they remind God’s people that he is still intent to bring them back into right relationship with him through the coming Savior.
Recap - Advent, hope, prophets
So we come to our guy this morning, Amos.
Who is Amos?
Amos we learn in Amos 1:1
1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders from Tekoa, which he envisioned in visions concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
He’s a normal guy, a lowly shepherd, who is given visions of God to give to others.
Amos lived in Tekoa near the border of N. and S. Israel.
Amos is a southerner who is sent to preach to the north.
At the time around 760 BC, N. Israel is led by Jeroboam II who is killing it by all measures economically and militarily. Assyria, their enemies to the north, were in decline, but Israel was on the upswing. They established trade routes which brought a lot of money, but as often happens this was at the expense of the poor.
By the prophets standards he is failing because he is allowing idol worship of Canaanite gods and practicing injustice towards the poor.
God allows Amos to be fed up with this.
And he treks up north even though his message will be unwanted to give this message from God.
What is the message of Amos?
Amos 1-2 Message to the Nations & Israel
Amos 3-6 Message to Israel and its Leaders
Amos 7-9 Coming Judgment and Hope
Thanks Bible Project!
Calls out religious hypocrisy of the wealthy
Calls out religious hypocrisy of the wealthy
Amos says your worship of God is a sham.
Amos says the people of God say they love me and perform sacrifices, but their wealth is used to abuse the poor and their religion is a fraud.
21 “I hate, I reject your festivals,
Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 “Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 “Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
24 “But let justice roll down like waters
And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
These themes of justice and righteousness as a sign of true worship of God pervade Amos.
Righteousness is right relationships between God and others. And justice is what we do to establish those right relationships so its fair treatment of the poor and not hording things for ourselves the expense of caring for others.
And Amos says you can check all the religious boxes but if you’re not living this out than your religion is a sham.
Calls out idolatry of God’s people
Calls out idolatry of God’s people
Amos says the people of God are mistreating the poor because they are worshiping false gods.
25 “Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, O house of Israel?
26 “You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves.
27 “Therefore, I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.
Amos calls out Israel for worshiping other Gods besides the one who saved them from Egypt.
Why does it matter if they worship other gods?
These other gods do not demand the same ethical standards as YHWH.
These other gods only ask that they be worshiped, but they don’t care about fair treatment of others.
It is only YHWH, the LORD, who leads his people to righteousness.
That’s why he can say in Amos Seek ME and live and Seek GOOD that you may live. If we are not actively seeking the good of others than we are not seeking God.
Calls out to warn of the coming judgment of God
Calls out to warn of the coming judgment of God
1 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,
The distinguished men of the foremost of nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes.
1 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said,
“Smite the capitals so that the thresholds will shake,
And break them on the heads of them all!
Then I will slay the rest of them with the sword;
They will not have a fugitive who will flee,
Or a refugee who will escape.
Sure enough, Assyria comes not long after and wipes out the N. kingdom.
As we mentioned, prophets bring judgment AND hope.
Like Christmas lights on a house that shine quietly in the middle of a dark night…Amos is 8.5 chapters of darkness with 5 verses of hope that shine brightly.
God says I’m going to tear down the house of idol worship and your temple, but I will restore my House.
Restore the House
11 “In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David,
And wall up its breaches;
I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom
And all the nations who are called by My name,”
Declares the Lord who does this.
What is the fallen booth of David?
Booth is another word for tent. The Israelites were nomadic people who often lived in tents so the image is that of a house.
I will restore the fallen house of David.
There’s a story in the Old Testament where King David wanted to build God a house.
But God tells David, no no, I’m going to build you a house. And in a famous passage God promises that through David - a king would one day come to rule over the whole world. Through David’s lineage, the promised Messiah would come.
But the problem was in Amos’ day that this line of David looked destroyed. Marred by men who did not obey God. But God says I will restore this house.
The other day I was at the car dealership and in the waiting area they had HGTV on.
And if you own a home, if HGTV is on, it’s hard to turn away.
No one watches cable anymore, except live sports and HGTV…and cable news but we don’t want to mention them.
Amos is saying - “God has not abandoned his promises to you, Israel.”
Don’t give up hope in the promises of God. Even though it looks like he’s done with you. Don’t give up hope.
Don’t put your hope in money, political power, politicians, your bank account, but in me!
And as we see in our passage this hope is not just for Jews but all people.
And that’s our hope today is that because God did keep his promise and he DID restore the house of David by sending Jesus born from the line of David - we can trust him to keep his promises to be with us and provide for us today.
Restore the Garden
13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When the plowman will overtake the reaper
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
When the mountains will drip sweet wine
And all the hills will be dissolved.
14 “Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel,
And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them;
They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine,
And make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 “I will also plant them on their land,
And they will not again be rooted out from their land
Which I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.
As a shepherd, Amos uses beautiful imagery of farming, mountains, vineyards, gardens…he describes life in an agrarian society as it’s meant to be.
I am going to bring blessings beyond your wildest dreams!
This seems to be a clear reference to the Garden of Eden.
Before sin, God lived in harmonious relationship with his creation.
But after sin, humans chose to define good and evil for themselves and sin brought chaos and death into God’s world. Humans were forced to live outside this good Garden.
But God says I’m going to restore my Garden.
Through the restoration of the fallen house of David - when I send the Messiah - I’m going to restore everything that was lost. As it’s been said everything sad is going to come untrue.
Through the Messiah I will bring joy and fulfillment. Through the Messiah I will bring security and provision and protection.
And who will do this? Amos ends with the phrase that’s only used once in the whole text - the LORD your God.
God had not given up on his people despite all their sin. The same is true for us today.
How does this connect to Jesus?
What does it look like for us to put our hope in Jesus?
What does it look like for us to put our hope in Jesus?
Amos’ hope and our hope is found in the justice and mercy of Jesus.
Jesus is the fulfillment of Amos’ hope.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is the one who restored the fallen house of David.
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Through the cross, Jesus restored the Garden and right relationships between God and man.
19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
In Jesus, we see the justice of God.
Like Amos, Jesus was a prophet who called out the religious hypocrisy of his day even though it cost him his life. Jesus came to bring justice to the oppressed and set the captives free. He used his power not for wealth and military conquest but became poor and gave up his life rather than taking lives.
In Jesus, we see the mercy of God.
On the cross, Jesus found a way to destroy the true enemy - sin and death - without destroying us. By his blood, he forgives our sins and makes a new relationship with God. He makes a way for us to experience the blessings of the Garden of Eden even though we didn’t deserve it.
Amos reminds us that our hope is in the Messiah and nothing else.
Hope in economic security is a false hope.
Hope in our personal wealth is a false hope.
Hope in our ability to perform religious practices is a false hope. We need the justice and mercy of God in Jesus.
How does this passage reframe how we see the world?
How does this passage reframe how we see the world?
Amos reminds us of the dangers of religious hypocrisy, wealth, and idolatry.
Amos reminds us of the dangers of religious hypocrisy, wealth, and idolatry.
Often we imagine the greatest dangers in society to be out there.
The prophets remind us that what the people of God need to be aware of is the danger in here and in our hearts.
What would happen in society if Christians truly lived like Christ? If we truly treated others as we wanted to be treated? How might that affect crime, families, schools, our workplaces? Before we point the finger at other nations, other institutions, other faiths, let’s remember that Amos spends a few verses pointing the finger at others only to spend the majority of his time pointing the finger at us.
Amos gives hope to the hopeless.
Amos gives hope to the hopeless.
I cannot imagine being poor in the ancient world. What rights do you have? What means of upward mobility? How can you have hope?
And yet Amos reminds those without hope that God is their hope and he is not finished yet. He will not stand for the oppression of the poor and needy.
And so for us we remind ourselves that God is still the same. When we feel hopeless and situations seem bleak, God is not done and Jesus will come again.
How do I give hope to others? Be a person who displays the justice and mercy of God.
How do I give hope to others? Be a person who displays the justice and mercy of God.
As Christians, we are to be on the lookout for those in need.
And as Christians, we remember that God had every right to give up on us and give us the death we deserved, but instead he gave up his life to save us.
Christ died for his enemies. Christ came to restore the fallen house and restore the Garden. In Him we have hope.
Advent means arrival or coming.
This time of year we remember that Jesus came and he is coming again.
The Jewish hope of Messiah - the one who would come to save God’s people - was fulfilled in the justice and mercy of Jesus - the one to whom Amos longed for. And he will one day come again to make all things new. And in the mean time those who follow Jesus work with him to bring his good kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. And all people - even those beyond hope - are invited into the hope of Christ.
When we look at our calendars and see Christmas is coming, let’s remember that the good news of Christmas is more than just a shallow experience of presents, pumpkin spice lattes and snow...
It’s Amos’ hope of restoration for all people, even when it seems like all hope is lost