FAITH – HOPE – FORGIVENESS by Growing Older

Introduction: Amos was a Jew who prophesied in the Northern Kingdom. Amos was not from the school of the prophets – he had no formal training. He was also a herdsman and a farmer. Yet, he had the same Divine Spirit of God upon him that influenced Isaiah and Daniel etc. God uses anybody that makes themselves available to Him. Remember, God gives abilities to us when we yield to Him. God can and wants to use you.

Date: This was written from 787 – 797 B.C.

The Book: Written during the reign of King Uzziah in Israel after Amos had been expelled from the Northern Kingdom for his bold preaching in Bethel.

Amos deals with the Judgments on the cities surrounding Palestine; Judah and Israel; Jehovah God’s dealing with the family of Jacob and the future glory of the Davidic kingdom.

1. The Message Of The Book: Amos 3:1-3
2. The context is this: Can you have God’s presence while you walk contrary with Him?
3. In Amos day, God’s people broke sweet communion and fellowship with God.
4. God did not break it from them, they broke from God: that’s sad.
5. How can a child of God have the power of God on him while not fellowshipping with God.
6. You cannot walk with God if you are not living for God in your daily life.
7. Can you have God’s presence while you walk so contrary to him?
8. Hate The Evil And Love The Good: Amos 5:14-15
9. The choice between evil and good has gone on since Adam and Eve in the Garden in Genesis 3.
10. Joshua exhorted God’s people to choose between good and evil in Joshua 24:15
11. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord …..”
12. To some, they like the evil better than the good; that’s why we have so much hatred in this world.

a So much war

b.So much violence

c.   So much murder

d.So much immorality

e. Abortion/murder of the unborn is into the millions

f. It becomes evil in the sight of people for God’s people to do good

g. Joshua exhorted the Israelites: God’s people, not the heathen, to choose between Gods              and the false gods. The gods that they worshipped before God redeemed them and                                       delivered them. The Israelites had a problem: sin. They couldn’t decide whether to go                                  back and live in sin or to go forward and serve the God that had saved them.

h. Amos 5:15: hate ALL evil among God’s people: I Thessalonians 5:22.

i. Love, commend, encourage, defend the GOOD. Let your heart be towards good things.

Psalms 34:14 and Psalms 34:8

Paul refused to eat meat offered to idols: I Cor. 8:1 & 10:13-14

There was nothing wrong with the meat itself: I Cor. 8:4.

Vs 7-10: be careful lest we tempt others to fall into sin and false doctrine

Sometimes, it is not the thing itself that is the sin, but where we are or what we do with it:                      that is the sin.

Be careful where we go, what we say and what we do lest we become a hindrance to

someone and they not be saved.  I Cor. 6:12 and I Cor. 10:23

III. God Always Keeps His Promises Amos 9:13-15

1. God reminded Israel of what He has in store for them in the future.
2. God’s Word also reminds us of what He has in store for those who have received Him as            Saviour.
3. A perfect salvation
4. Salvation that lasts: He won’t cast us out
5. Blessings and benefits: here and now
6. The Comforter – the Holy Spirit to teach, guide and empower us                                                     John 14:6: a home in Heaven.