INVINCIBLE CHURCH 1-14-24

Invincible Church Sermon Notes
1/14/2024
Discerning Spiritual Condition
The Book of Amos
Sunday mornings are for hearing specific messages from God… then applying those messages to our life! It’s how we become better equipped and prepared to get His work done! Lately, He’s been sending His Invincible Church messages about His truth, power and the expectations He has for us!
Remember the true reason we exist is because God wants us to be a part of His master plan. So, we only have life because God created us and made us in His image, which is all for His glory and it’s all based on relationships.
The most important relationship we have is our relationship with God through Jesus. Then our relationship with others through Him. God has a process for getting His plan done and there’s a real supernatural enemy who fights against us while we’re working the process of following Jesus in God’s plan.
One of Satan’s go to strategies is to try and get God’s people and nations divided… get them disagreeing and fighting amongst themselves, about everything from religion, economics, government, politics, moral values, marriage, family, sanctity of life, etc.
It’s Satan’s attempt to take our focus off God and His Son Jesus. If we fall for Satan’s schemes, it hinders our work in the process of following Jesus, which is not good, because in our relationship with God, He’s designed us to have purpose and responsibilities for fighting spiritual battles!
Thankfully, He doesn’t leave us on our own to get His work done! He’s given us His Word of truth in the Holy Bible… and He reveals His truth to us as He sees fit! He’s also given us access to His power through the Holy Spirit, which He wants us to access as a spiritual leader.
Now, God is pleased with His creation. We know because when He was finished, He looked at it and said, “It is good!” God loves His children and all He wants from His children is for us to love Him the same way He loves us! Jesus said it was the greatest commandment… and the second one is life it.
God gets angry when other people mess with His people and nations. God also gets disappointed when His children are disobedient. It’s because God’s a good Father! He’s given us boundaries and instructions to follow for our protection, well-being, training and equipping!
He loves us enough to allow us to fail at times, which also works to mature, prepare and equip us for worse situations down the road, but it also helps train us to be ready to get His work done as an ambassador, warrior, servant or saint in the process of following Jesus!
So, God is love, but God is also just… and the scary part is God’s justice comes with God’s wrath, if necessary! And because God is Holy, perfect and sovereign, His justice applies to all people and nations, whether they’re in a salvation relationship with Jesus or not!
A lot of believers think that God’s judgement and wrath is only for the pagan or lost because if we’re God’s children, He loves us unconditionally… which is true… but God’s grace and mercy doesn’t override His justice and wrath for anybody!
We have to understand and be able to explain to people that God can’t and won’t compromise His justice by withholding the discipline and consequences that come with sin! And the level of a person or a nation's spiritual condition can determine the severity of the consequences!
That’s why, in the course of a battle, true followers of Jesus need to always be aware of our spiritual condition with God as an individual, family, church, community and nation! The Bible gives us examples of this in all cases.
So, we’re going to look at what the Old Testament Book of Amos tells us about the current spiritual condition of the world, our nation, our families, churches, communities and us. We need to hear and understand this message because it’s very apparent that we’re in the exact same situation today. The context for it is…
Israel had become a divided nation. (Goes back to Satan’s strategy!) The division came from a judgment on not keeping God’s commands which prohibited idolatry! There was also tribal discord and political unrest. The Biblical principle is that sin causes division!
Amos wasn’t a prophet by vocation! He was a shepherd who God called to leave his flocks and go prophesy against God’s people! His home was in the southern kingdom of Judah. But God had him cross over into the northern kingdom of Israel to reach His message.
God calls Amos even though He doesn’t have an education or a priestly background. Amos’ messages of impending doom and captivity for the nation because of their sins are unpopular and ignored, probably because things hadn’t been this good in Israel since the times of King Solomon!
Amos can see that beneath Israel’s external prosperity and power, the leadership of the nation is internally corrupt to the core! The sins that Amos warns the people about are neglect of God’s Word, Idolatry, pagan worship, greed, corrupt leadership and oppression of the poor!
God starts by having Amos pronounce a judgment on all the surrounding pagan or lost nations. Then on the nation of Judah where Amos is from … and finally the harshest judgment is given to God’s nation of Israel! The message that Amos gets from God is that judgment is near!
Amos 1:1-15 NIV - 1 The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa … The vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel. 2 He said … “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.” This is what the Lord says … “For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, 4 I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. 5 I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord. 6 This is what the Lord says … “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, 7 I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. 8 I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord. 9 This is what the Lord says … “For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, 10 I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses.” 11 This is what the Lord says … “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, 12 I will send fire on Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.” 13 This is what the Lord says “For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, 14 I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. 15 Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together,” says the Lord! … So, we see the … à
Spiritual Conditions of Men and Nations
1) “Pagan” Enemy of God – Depraved, Wicked, Evil! Complete Rejection of Jesus!
Both Kingdoms of Judah and Israel are having to deal with hatred, violence and attacks from surrounding pagan nations – just like today, these nations perceive that the land of Israel belongs to them.
A brief look at each of the images in Amos more fully explains what they indicate:
- Iron teeth (1:3): “Iron teeth” were part of a threshing sledge, a farming implement drawn over grain to thresh it and cut the stalks. God pictures Syria’s cruelty toward Gilead (in northeast Israel) as a threshing sledge being run over His people. For their brutality, Syria is promised judgment.
- Murdered pregnant women (1:13): The Ammonites would be judged for performing atrocities against Israel… The Bible confirms the reality of such horrific acts during war.
- Burning bones (2:1): The Moabites would be judged for their sin of the disrespectful treatment of an Edomite king’s corpse in a culture in which a proper burial was of utmost importance, the burning of bones communicated a severe hatred.
- Destroyed roots (2:9): This is a picture of God’s judgment on the Amorites, as the “fruit above” and the “roots beneath” were destroyed—in other words, the Amorites were completely wiped out. God reminds Israel of the Amorites’ fate in order to call His people back to righteousness and the fear of God.
- Hooks (4:2): This is part of a prophecy against Israel, warning them that the Assyrians would one day take them captive. Israel would be led away as fish were carried away on hooks. It is believed the “hooks” could be literal, since Assyrians did at times lead captives with ropes attached to rings in the jaws or lips of their enemies.
All horrendous things!
2) “Lost” Enemy of God – Not Submitted to Jesus in a True Salvation Relationship!
Trying to live a life of mor values but not understanding the necessity and requirement of submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior to be made righteous in the eyes of God!
3) “Saved” Professing of Faith in Jesus - But Out of Alignment with God’s Word, Will, and Ways!
Amos 2:4 NIV - 4 This is what the Lord says … “For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed,
The phrase, “for three sins… even for four,” is a common phrase in Amos. “Three sins” represents fullness or completeness… “four” represents an overflow or a sin that is the tipping point for God’s judgment.
Israel’s two primary sins were absence of true worship and complete lack of true justice! Their worship had become ritualistic and performance based… and they weren’t pursuing God’s Word, will and ways with their hearts.
They also weren’t following God’s standard of justice with their neighbors or even with surrounding nations. This is amazing to me. It’s just like today! For a different version of the same verse…
Amos 2:4 NLT - 4 This is what the Lord says: … “The people of Judah have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They have rejected the instruction of the Lord, refusing to obey his decrees. They have been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors.
The purpose of prophesying doom was to call sinners to repent! It’s the same reason God sent Jonah to preach in Ninevah! The Ninevites repented and God didn’t bring about judgment. The Lord had compassion for those who repented!
4) “Saved” Follower of Jesus - Obediently Working “The Process” to Know God Better in Order to Advance His Kingdom!
Amos 3:7 NIV - 7 Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
Amos 9:14 NIV – 14 … And I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
A lot of people think they’re not qualified to speak God’s truth. They think that they’re just a salesman, farmer or housewife. Amos would’ve been considered “just a” shepherd! He wasn’t a prophet or priest or the son of either one!
He was just a shepherd… a small businessman in Judah. So, who would listen to him? But instead of making excuses, Amos obeyed and became God’s powerful voice for change!
God has used ordinary people such a shepherds, carpenters and fishermen all through the Bible. Whatever we are in this life, God can and will use us! Amos wasn’t much. He was “just a” willing servant for God! It’s good to be God’s “just a” whatever!
The influx of people on our border applies to this scenario as well… and will give us plenty of opportunity for serving God!
Deuteronomy 28:43-45 NIV - 43 The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail. 45 All these curses will come on you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.
Which we’ll cover next week. For now, God says…
“Seek me and live” is God’s invitation to return to “pure and genuine” devotion in following Jesus, which is the foundation of our life and relationship with Him!
The Good News is the book ends with God’s promise to Amos of future restoration of the remnant.