The Words of Amos – Part 2 Hard Words Amos 3:1-15 February 25th, 2018
I. Chosen (Known) for PURPOSE, not PRIVILEGE. (v.1-2)
A. God’s CALL should yield THANKFULNESS…
B. …HUMILITY…
C. …and ALIGNMENT to His PURPOSES.
D. KNOWING should change our LIVING. (v.2)
E. Our LIVES will bear FRUIT. (v.3-6)
It’s the same story that so often happens with people seeking spiritual truth and growth. They come to some sort of growth or understanding and then the turn back and lord it over those who haven’t reached the point that they are. Israel had been chosen by God, but instead of instilling gratefulness, it nurtured their pride and arrogance. And not matter how we live, for good or evil, our lives will bear the fruit of our actions.
1. What is your reaction to being “chosen” by God? How does that make you feel?
2. How should being “chosen” shape how we live? Give a few specifics.
II. WHEN God SPEAKS… (v.7-12)
A. The TRUTH cannot be HIDDEN. (v.7-8)
B. HEARTS are EXPOSED. (v.9-10)
C. POWER and WEALTH are powerless. (v.10-12)
The point of Amos is that God doesn’t just leave things as they are. He speaks. He engages and works to refine and purify those He has chosen. For the heart to be healed and transformed it must first be exposed, much like a surgeon has to cut into the body to remove the cancer. And God will not be stopped.
3. When have you sensed God speaking to you in your own life? Did it happen the way you expected it to?
4. When have you felt spiritually exposed or vulnerable to another person? What was that like for you?
III. The POINT is that our HOUSES are built on HIS… (v.13-15)
A. The CENTRALITY of our RELATIONSHIP with God. (v.2,14)
B. The FUTILITY of ANYTHING else. (v.12-15)
The reason this cleansing and purification is so necessary is that we are made to be in relationship with God. When that is limited or distorted we can’t function as we were created to. Things fall apart, people get hurt, and our best efforts seem futile. It’s a powerful message for us to remember; we need to center everything about our lives around our relationship with Jesus.
5. What does it mean to have a “relationship” with God? How would you describe it?
6. What does a relationship with God look like on a day to day basis?
IV. LIVING with a DIFFICULT message. (Rom. 15:4)
A. Be THANKFUL for the grace of JESUS. (Titus 2:11-14)
B. Seek out the PURPOSE of your CALLING. (I Pet. 2:9-12)
C. LISTEN to the VOICE of God. (Heb. 3:14-15)
D. Working OUT what God has worked IN. (Phil. 2:12-13)
Amos can be just what the sermon title says, “Hard Words”. So how do we live with these words as we walk through Lent as people who are seeking to let the Spirit clean out our lives? In a nutshell we run toward the message instead of away from it. We let it wash over us and expose us and heal us, no matter what the implications are.
7. What would you say your “calling” is? Be as specific as you can.
8. What are some steps you can take this week to work out your calling?