1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,100 And Amos. 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:05,933 Chapter number four. 3 00:00:05,933 --> 00:00:09,400 The 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,400 prophet of Amos, chapter number four, verses one 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:14,033 through 13, the whole chapter. 6 00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:20,100 God's word says, hear this word, you cows 7 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:23,633 of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, 8 00:00:23,633 --> 00:00:27,166 who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, 9 00:00:27,166 --> 00:00:30,399 who say to your husbands, bring now that we may drink. 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,399 The Lord God has sworn by his holiness. 11 00:00:33,466 --> 00:00:36,633 Behold, the days are coming upon you, when 12 00:00:36,633 --> 00:00:39,766 you will take when they will take you away with meat 13 00:00:39,766 --> 00:00:43,133 hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks, you 14 00:00:43,133 --> 00:00:46,366 will go out through breaches in the walls, each one straight 15 00:00:46,366 --> 00:00:50,133 before her, and you will be cast into harmon, 16 00:00:50,133 --> 00:00:51,333 declares the Lord. 17 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:54,033 Enter Bethel and transgress. 18 00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:56,733 And Gilgal multiply transgression. 19 00:00:56,799 --> 00:01:00,700 Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every 3 days. 20 00:01:00,766 --> 00:01:03,833 offer a thank offering also from that which is 21 00:01:03,833 --> 00:01:07,133 leavened, and proclaim free will offerings, make them known. 22 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,233 For so you love to do, you sons of Israel, 23 00:01:10,233 --> 00:01:11,500 declares the Lord God. 24 00:01:11,566 --> 00:01:14,700 But I gave you also cleanness of teeth 25 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:18,133 in all your cities, and a lack of bread in all your places. 26 00:01:18,166 --> 00:01:21,299 Yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 27 00:01:21,333 --> 00:01:24,333 Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you while 28 00:01:24,333 --> 00:01:26,299 there were still 3 months until harvest. 29 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,500 Then I would send rain on one city, and on 30 00:01:29,500 --> 00:01:31,233 another city, I would not send rain. 31 00:01:31,299 --> 00:01:35,366 One part will be rained on while the part not rained on would dry up. 32 00:01:35,433 --> 00:01:38,599 So 2 or 3 cities would stagger to another city 33 00:01:38,633 --> 00:01:41,566 to drink water, but would not be satisfied. 34 00:01:41,633 --> 00:01:44,799 Yet you have not returned me, declares the Lord. 35 00:01:44,866 --> 00:01:48,233 I smote you with scorching wind and mildew, 36 00:01:48,233 --> 00:01:51,466 and the caterpillar was devouring your many gardens and vineyards. 37 00:01:51,533 --> 00:01:53,333 fig trees and olive trees. 38 00:01:53,433 --> 00:01:56,200 Yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 39 00:01:56,266 --> 00:01:59,700 I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt. 40 00:01:59,733 --> 00:02:03,166 I slew your young men by the sword, along with your captured horses, 41 00:02:03,166 --> 00:02:07,000 and I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils. 42 00:02:07,066 --> 00:02:09,933 Yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 43 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:13,300 I overthrew you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, 44 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,666 and you are like a firebrand snatched from a blaze, yet 45 00:02:16,666 --> 00:02:19,000 you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 46 00:02:19,066 --> 00:02:22,133 Therefore, thus I will do to you, O Israel, because 47 00:02:22,133 --> 00:02:23,466 I will do this to you. 48 00:02:23,500 --> 00:02:26,933 prepare to meet your God, O Israel, for 49 00:02:26,933 --> 00:02:30,033 behold, he who forms mountains, and creates 50 00:02:30,033 --> 00:02:32,900 the wind, and declares to man what are his thoughts. 51 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,099 He who makes dawn in the darkness, and treads 52 00:02:36,099 --> 00:02:37,666 in the high places of the earth. 53 00:02:37,733 --> 00:02:40,366 The Lord God of hosts is his name. 54 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:41,533 Let's pray. 55 00:02:41,566 --> 00:02:44,566 Heavenly Father, we worship you today as the 56 00:02:44,566 --> 00:02:46,300 Lord, God of hosts. 57 00:02:46,366 --> 00:02:49,966 And I pray that you bless this message to your people, 58 00:02:49,966 --> 00:02:53,033 our minds and our hearts, to your word, and the message 59 00:02:53,033 --> 00:02:54,099 in spite of the messenger. 60 00:02:54,166 --> 00:02:57,033 For Christ glory alone, in his name I pray. 61 00:02:57,099 --> 00:02:57,400 Amen. 62 00:02:57,766 --> 00:03:00,766 A prophet's job was 63 00:03:00,766 --> 00:03:01,833 tough, right? 64 00:03:01,900 --> 00:03:05,666 Can you imagine delivering that message, especially 65 00:03:05,699 --> 00:03:10,066 the job of a true prophet was especially tough. 66 00:03:10,133 --> 00:03:13,233 There was a bunch of false prophets during 67 00:03:13,233 --> 00:03:14,300 these times. 68 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,433 Remember the wicked king of 69 00:03:17,433 --> 00:03:18,699 Israel, Ahab? 70 00:03:18,766 --> 00:03:22,199 He's the one that married Jezebel and worshipped the ball. 71 00:03:22,233 --> 00:03:25,533 He wanted to go to war against one 72 00:03:25,533 --> 00:03:28,233 of his neighboring enemies. 73 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:31,433 So he summoned all of his false prophets together. 74 00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:34,800 And they all got together and started dancing around and put 75 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:37,266 horns on their head and said, thus you'll do to your enemies. 76 00:03:37,300 --> 00:03:39,099 You'll gore them with these horns. 77 00:03:39,166 --> 00:03:42,933 But then he summoned Yahweh's prophet, Micaiah. 78 00:03:43,133 --> 00:03:46,199 He told Makiah, you better tell me 79 00:03:46,199 --> 00:03:48,533 the truth because you always talk bad. 80 00:03:48,599 --> 00:03:51,599 You always tell me that things are going 81 00:03:51,599 --> 00:03:52,666 to happen that are bad. 82 00:03:52,733 --> 00:03:55,733 And so Micaiah goes along at 1st 83 00:03:55,733 --> 00:03:58,800 with these false prophets, and he says 84 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,166 that you'll go, go ahead, go to war, you will succeed. 85 00:04:02,199 --> 00:04:05,333 Then Ahab tells them this in 2nd Chronicles 1815. 86 00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:08,633 He says, then the king, King Ahab said to him, how many times 87 00:04:08,633 --> 00:04:11,699 must I adjure you to speak to me 88 00:04:11,699 --> 00:04:13,933 nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? 89 00:04:14,033 --> 00:04:17,100 So here comes the part that always 90 00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:20,266 brings trouble to the true prophets, the 91 00:04:20,266 --> 00:04:24,166 part that has consequences for speaking the truth, Micaiah 92 00:04:24,166 --> 00:04:27,399 tells him the truth, or what Yahweh revealed to him about 93 00:04:27,399 --> 00:04:31,466 what was going to happen when he goes to war in verse 16. 94 00:04:31,666 --> 00:04:35,633 He said, so he said, Micaiah, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains. 95 00:04:35,699 --> 00:04:37,933 Like, sheep which have no shepherd. 96 00:04:37,966 --> 00:04:40,533 And the Lord said, these have no master. 97 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,666 Let each of them return to his house in peace. 98 00:04:43,733 --> 00:04:46,899 I want you to feel the boldness 99 00:04:46,899 --> 00:04:49,899 and the courage, the guts that this had to take for 100 00:04:49,899 --> 00:04:52,966 Micaiah to speak this negative word 101 00:04:52,966 --> 00:04:56,199 to a king in that time who 102 00:04:56,199 --> 00:04:59,199 had the right by word for 103 00:04:59,199 --> 00:05:01,366 your life and then for your death. 104 00:05:01,433 --> 00:05:04,733 In fact, Ahab didn't 105 00:05:04,733 --> 00:05:07,899 kill him, he said, send him to prison and give him meager 106 00:05:07,899 --> 00:05:11,266 rations until we come back successfully, 107 00:05:11,266 --> 00:05:12,766 which, of course, they didn't. 108 00:05:12,833 --> 00:05:14,866 Ahab died in that war. 109 00:05:14,933 --> 00:05:18,000 Uh, that he uh, his false prophets 110 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,333 told him that he would succeed in. 111 00:05:19,433 --> 00:05:23,100 And so Micaiah rotted array in prison. 112 00:05:23,133 --> 00:05:26,733 And Amos, the prophet that we're reading from today, 113 00:05:26,733 --> 00:05:28,699 had a similar job. 114 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:31,966 He was born in a little town 115 00:05:31,966 --> 00:05:36,100 just 12 or 13 miles outside of Jerusalem in Judah. 116 00:05:36,166 --> 00:05:39,699 Judah was the southern kingdom of Israel after 117 00:05:39,699 --> 00:05:42,033 they divided. 118 00:05:42,100 --> 00:05:45,333 And so he was called to be a prophet to 119 00:05:45,333 --> 00:05:47,433 Israel, the northern kingdom. 120 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:50,966 So he would automatically be considered an outsider 121 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,066 to the people that he was called to prophesy to. 122 00:05:54,166 --> 00:05:57,600 And Israel, since they divided from Judah, 123 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,066 committed the sin of idolatry. 124 00:06:00,100 --> 00:06:03,233 They built these 2 idols, these 125 00:06:03,233 --> 00:06:06,466 2 golden calves, one in Bethel, and 126 00:06:06,466 --> 00:06:09,766 one in Gilgal, so that the people of Israel wouldn't 127 00:06:09,766 --> 00:06:12,766 have to go into Judah, to Yahweh's temple, to 128 00:06:12,766 --> 00:06:16,066 worship, they could just go into Israel, it 129 00:06:16,066 --> 00:06:20,033 was easier for them, and he was worried about people leaving and 130 00:06:20,033 --> 00:06:23,866 not being faithful to Israel and trying to go back to Judah. 131 00:06:23,933 --> 00:06:27,033 So they set these 2 idols up in Bethel, and they 132 00:06:27,033 --> 00:06:28,466 would go and worship there. 133 00:06:28,533 --> 00:06:31,600 They were an alternative to the true way that 134 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,966 Yahweh had called his people to worship him. 135 00:06:35,033 --> 00:06:38,399 So Yahweh calls Amos to 136 00:06:38,399 --> 00:06:41,566 go to Israel as an 137 00:06:41,566 --> 00:06:44,699 outsider as someone who is from Judah, 138 00:06:44,699 --> 00:06:47,699 to tell them that God 139 00:06:47,699 --> 00:06:51,366 is going to judge them for their sin of idolatry. 140 00:06:51,399 --> 00:06:53,800 Amos was a simple man. 141 00:06:53,866 --> 00:06:57,033 He was a sheepherder, a cattle farmer 142 00:06:57,033 --> 00:06:58,766 of the day. 143 00:06:58,833 --> 00:07:01,833 And so you can imagine he wasn't one of the most 144 00:07:01,833 --> 00:07:02,899 educated people. 145 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,066 He wasn't maybe the most eloquent of speech as 146 00:07:06,066 --> 00:07:09,333 a shepherd, but God called him to speak to kings 147 00:07:09,333 --> 00:07:12,566 and to the muckety muck of the land 148 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,233 of Israel. 149 00:07:14,333 --> 00:07:16,133 And right out of the gate. 150 00:07:16,199 --> 00:07:19,733 It barely introduces Amos in chapter 151 00:07:19,733 --> 00:07:22,899 one, verse one, tells you that he was a shepherd called 152 00:07:22,899 --> 00:07:25,966 of God to go to Israel, and the very 1st verse of 153 00:07:25,966 --> 00:07:29,133 his prophecy, in verse number 2 of chapter one, it says, 154 00:07:29,133 --> 00:07:32,433 he said, Amos, the Lord roars from Zion, 155 00:07:32,433 --> 00:07:34,699 and from Jerusalem, he utters his voice. 156 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,133 And the shepherd's pasture grounds mourn, 157 00:07:38,133 --> 00:07:40,100 and the summit of Carmel dries up. 158 00:07:40,199 --> 00:07:43,333 Thus says the Lord, for 3 transgressions 159 00:07:43,333 --> 00:07:46,833 of Damascus, and for 4, I will not revoke its punishment because 160 00:07:46,833 --> 00:07:50,266 they thrashed Gilead with implements of sharp iron. 161 00:07:50,333 --> 00:07:52,366 Now this is just some sheepherder. 162 00:07:52,533 --> 00:07:54,500 And can you imagine being pre? 163 00:07:54,766 --> 00:07:57,533 Who are you coming to tell me this? 164 00:07:57,633 --> 00:08:00,699 And the thing is, there's 9 chapters in 165 00:08:00,699 --> 00:08:03,699 the book of Amos, and each of those chapters just build 166 00:08:03,699 --> 00:08:06,766 on his preaching of judgment until the very 167 00:08:06,766 --> 00:08:09,899 last couple of verses of chapter 9 where he 168 00:08:09,899 --> 00:08:13,633 speaks of God's grace out of the judgment has come in grace from that. 169 00:08:13,666 --> 00:08:17,100 But he preaches this message of judgment to 170 00:08:17,100 --> 00:08:20,166 the people of Israel, because the people 171 00:08:20,166 --> 00:08:23,300 of Israel are all guilty of 172 00:08:23,333 --> 00:08:25,300 the sin of idol worship. 173 00:08:25,366 --> 00:08:28,733 They all participated in this sin of going and 174 00:08:28,733 --> 00:08:32,733 worshiping these golden calves that were created. 175 00:08:32,733 --> 00:08:35,866 And all the ceremonies and rituals and 176 00:08:35,866 --> 00:08:39,100 rites that had to do with these golden calves were 177 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:43,133 copies of what God had set up for his worship in Israel. 178 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,500 They had the form of what God had set up. 179 00:08:46,533 --> 00:08:48,399 They did sacrifices. 180 00:08:48,466 --> 00:08:51,466 They did bread offerings and tithes and 181 00:08:51,466 --> 00:08:54,000 free will offerings. 182 00:08:54,033 --> 00:08:57,033 And, and, but they were had the form of God's 183 00:08:57,033 --> 00:08:59,733 worship that he set up, but they didn't have the substance. 184 00:08:59,799 --> 00:09:03,266 They looked like they were obeying God, but 185 00:09:03,299 --> 00:09:06,533 they weren't really obeying God where it mattered and 186 00:09:06,533 --> 00:09:08,799 being obedient to him in his worship. 187 00:09:08,866 --> 00:09:12,633 And as we think about his message to 188 00:09:12,633 --> 00:09:16,000 these wicked idolatrous Israelites, 189 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,233 we can also see relevance in 190 00:09:19,233 --> 00:09:22,366 this message to our world and our culture today. 191 00:09:22,433 --> 00:09:25,433 There are so many things done in 192 00:09:25,433 --> 00:09:28,566 Christ's name, in worship of him, 193 00:09:28,566 --> 00:09:32,000 that are fabricated by the minds of 194 00:09:32,033 --> 00:09:34,600 wicked people, of sinners just like us. 195 00:09:34,666 --> 00:09:37,966 And the conscience of our fallen 196 00:09:37,966 --> 00:09:41,200 culture may be eased by doing these forms 197 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,366 of worship, but without the reality of 198 00:09:44,399 --> 00:09:47,333 true worship of God, that's all they are. 199 00:09:47,399 --> 00:09:48,466 It just looks like it. 200 00:09:48,533 --> 00:09:50,033 It's false worship. 201 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:53,399 And us, even if we gently 202 00:09:53,399 --> 00:09:56,233 explain, and we probably all have experience with this. 203 00:09:56,266 --> 00:09:59,399 If we gently explain the truth about 204 00:09:59,399 --> 00:10:02,399 how God wants to be worshiped from his revelation 205 00:10:02,399 --> 00:10:06,166 to people who are in this false worship. 206 00:10:06,233 --> 00:10:09,299 We tend to offend those 207 00:10:09,299 --> 00:10:10,333 people, right? 208 00:10:10,366 --> 00:10:13,433 If even a gentle word to them, and 209 00:10:13,433 --> 00:10:16,600 you can show them from scripture what it says about his 210 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:18,700 worship, and they still get offended. 211 00:10:18,899 --> 00:10:22,133 The proper reaction would be thankfulness 212 00:10:22,133 --> 00:10:26,133 for showing the truth and your care for their souls, 213 00:10:26,133 --> 00:10:28,666 but darkness and sin make that impossible. 214 00:10:28,733 --> 00:10:30,533 Now, just imagine that. 215 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,000 That would be a gentle word to a friend. 216 00:10:33,033 --> 00:10:36,033 Now, Amos has a strong word to 217 00:10:36,033 --> 00:10:39,033 his enemies in Israel that 218 00:10:39,033 --> 00:10:41,500 split from the kingdom with Judah. 219 00:10:41,566 --> 00:10:44,733 But 2 things make this very important for 220 00:10:44,733 --> 00:10:48,466 us to push past this offense that we may cause out 221 00:10:48,466 --> 00:10:52,000 of love for our friends and telling them the truth about 222 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:53,200 false worship. 223 00:10:53,266 --> 00:10:56,399 First, there is no salvation in 224 00:10:56,399 --> 00:10:57,899 worship that is a lie. 225 00:10:57,933 --> 00:11:01,766 There's no salvation outside of Jesus Christ. 226 00:11:01,899 --> 00:11:04,899 Second, God, the 227 00:11:04,899 --> 00:11:08,066 God, the God revealed to us in scriptures that created the 228 00:11:08,100 --> 00:11:11,166 universe and everything in it, including us, is the 229 00:11:11,166 --> 00:11:15,033 only true God that deserves any worship whatsoever. 230 00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:18,466 And he has revealed to us the way that 231 00:11:18,466 --> 00:11:21,466 he wants to be worshiped in his Bible, 232 00:11:21,466 --> 00:11:24,466 in the word that he has given us as a gift. 233 00:11:24,533 --> 00:11:27,700 And we all, every single one of us, 234 00:11:27,700 --> 00:11:31,233 experience, have experience with the consequences of 235 00:11:31,233 --> 00:11:32,566 sin in our lives. 236 00:11:32,633 --> 00:11:36,466 But the consequences of false worship, of 237 00:11:36,466 --> 00:11:39,533 worshiping idols created by our minds, whether they're 238 00:11:39,533 --> 00:11:42,600 golden statues or things 239 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,700 that we've created in our minds, the consequences 240 00:11:45,700 --> 00:11:48,533 of false worship and false teaching are eternal. 241 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,633 They last forever. 242 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:53,866 And so we need to be encouraged to gently, 243 00:11:53,866 --> 00:11:57,000 or firmly, depending on what the situation calls 244 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,233 for, tell our friends about true worship of 245 00:12:00,233 --> 00:12:01,299 the true God. 246 00:12:01,533 --> 00:12:04,833 Makes it difficult in our culture, in our age, 247 00:12:04,833 --> 00:12:08,733 because our culture and our age has made truth subjective. 248 00:12:08,866 --> 00:12:12,100 In other words, it's what you want 249 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:15,399 to believe, and that's okay, if that's what you believe. 250 00:12:15,466 --> 00:12:19,000 And what I believe is what I want to believe, and that's okay. 251 00:12:19,066 --> 00:12:22,600 It's made truth, a preference, an 252 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:25,433 opinion, instead of what truth actually is. 253 00:12:25,799 --> 00:12:28,799 Your truth and my truth may 254 00:12:28,799 --> 00:12:32,833 be different, but according to our age, they're both true. 255 00:12:32,866 --> 00:12:35,866 Just yesterday, we were watching a cooking video 256 00:12:35,866 --> 00:12:38,399 at lunch on how to make key lime pie. 257 00:12:38,433 --> 00:12:41,500 And the presenter was showing his different 258 00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:44,733 little tricks of making the crust and making the 259 00:12:44,733 --> 00:12:47,799 filling more delicious and more creamy and 260 00:12:47,799 --> 00:12:51,100 how to balance the whipped cream and everything with the custard 261 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:52,166 of the key lime pie. 262 00:12:52,233 --> 00:12:53,000 It looked delicious. 263 00:12:53,100 --> 00:12:56,333 Rachel doesn't like pie, and she doesn't like graham cracker crust. 264 00:12:56,399 --> 00:12:59,766 So I just get to watch it and imagine what it might taste like. 265 00:13:00,299 --> 00:13:03,833 But the presenter of the video, 266 00:13:03,833 --> 00:13:06,700 uh, 2 or 3 times during the video. 267 00:13:06,766 --> 00:13:09,833 You know, there's things that you can adjust in recipes 268 00:13:09,833 --> 00:13:12,833 that you can adjust for your taste and for your preference. 269 00:13:12,899 --> 00:13:16,033 And he had this key lime juice that he particularly liked. 270 00:13:16,133 --> 00:13:19,299 And he said, if your truth is that 271 00:13:19,299 --> 00:13:23,333 you like a different juice, if you like fresh squeeze juice, then that's good. 272 00:13:23,399 --> 00:13:26,633 He made your preference or opinion 273 00:13:26,633 --> 00:13:30,899 over what juice you used in the pie, a truth. 274 00:13:30,933 --> 00:13:33,333 And you see the difference there. 275 00:13:33,399 --> 00:13:36,533 When he said that, he destroyed the meaning 276 00:13:36,533 --> 00:13:40,133 of the word truth and made it just like an opinion. 277 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,333 But in reality, he 278 00:13:43,333 --> 00:13:46,533 could have said, if your preference is this juice over that, that's 279 00:13:46,533 --> 00:13:49,166 one thing, but not your truth. 280 00:13:49,233 --> 00:13:51,799 Your truth doesn't matter. 281 00:13:51,899 --> 00:13:53,766 What is the truth is what matters. 282 00:13:53,799 --> 00:13:56,799 And the truth is, we've been revealed 283 00:13:56,799 --> 00:14:00,233 from scripture, how God wants to be worshiped, 284 00:14:00,233 --> 00:14:03,399 and he is the only God, the God over 285 00:14:03,399 --> 00:14:06,566 all lowercase G gods, and 286 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:10,666 he deserves to be worshiped in the way that he sets forth for us. 287 00:14:10,733 --> 00:14:12,966 And it's so important. 288 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,133 It lasts for eternity, that the truth about 289 00:14:16,133 --> 00:14:19,500 who God is and how he wants to be worshiped is 290 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:21,466 a life and death issue. 291 00:14:21,533 --> 00:14:24,899 It's not just about juice in a pie, but 292 00:14:24,899 --> 00:14:27,666 it is life and death. 293 00:14:27,666 --> 00:14:30,866 And that's why I believe Amos throughout the whole book, 294 00:14:30,899 --> 00:14:34,066 but especially in this chapter here is trying to teach us that 295 00:14:34,066 --> 00:14:37,366 we all must understand the seriousness of 296 00:14:37,366 --> 00:14:39,600 worshiping a holy God. 297 00:14:39,633 --> 00:14:42,633 We're not playing around with our time 298 00:14:42,633 --> 00:14:45,166 in our worship, like the Israelites were. 299 00:14:45,233 --> 00:14:48,333 And first, in the 1st 5 verses, we 300 00:14:48,333 --> 00:14:51,333 do that by living in the light of his holiness, by 301 00:14:51,333 --> 00:14:53,966 living in the light of his holiness. 302 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,133 Verse one says again, hear 303 00:14:57,133 --> 00:15:00,333 this word, you cows of Bashan, 304 00:15:00,333 --> 00:15:03,333 who are on the mountain of Samaria, who 305 00:15:03,333 --> 00:15:06,466 oppress the poor, 306 00:15:06,466 --> 00:15:09,766 who say to your husbands, bring now, that we may drink. 307 00:15:11,700 --> 00:15:14,799 The Lord God has sworn by 308 00:15:14,799 --> 00:15:15,866 his holiness. 309 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,066 Behold, the days are coming upon you when 310 00:15:19,066 --> 00:15:22,133 they will take you away with meat 311 00:15:22,133 --> 00:15:24,533 hooks and the last of you with fish hooks. 312 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,833 You will go out through breaches in the walls, 313 00:15:27,833 --> 00:15:30,933 each one straight before her, and you will be cast 314 00:15:30,933 --> 00:15:33,333 to harm and declares the Lord. 315 00:15:33,399 --> 00:15:35,433 Enter Bethel and transgress. 316 00:15:35,500 --> 00:15:38,566 In Gilgal, multiply transgression. 317 00:15:38,633 --> 00:15:42,399 Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every 3 days. 318 00:15:42,533 --> 00:15:45,633 All for a thank offering also from that which is 319 00:15:45,633 --> 00:15:48,266 leavened, and proclaim free will offerings. 320 00:15:48,766 --> 00:15:49,366 Make them known. 321 00:15:49,433 --> 00:15:52,299 For so you love to do, you sons of Israel. 322 00:15:52,433 --> 00:15:54,899 declares the Lord God. 323 00:15:54,933 --> 00:15:58,366 I want you to detect the sarcasm in 324 00:15:58,366 --> 00:16:02,133 how Amos is preaching here, and when 325 00:16:02,133 --> 00:16:03,333 I think of sarcasm, 326 00:16:03,399 --> 00:16:06,700 I think of 2 people, Mark Twain and Winston Churchill. 327 00:16:06,766 --> 00:16:09,766 They were masters at sarcism. 328 00:16:09,833 --> 00:16:13,066 But one time, Winston was talking about one 329 00:16:13,066 --> 00:16:16,233 of his political rivals, and Winston 330 00:16:16,233 --> 00:16:19,666 Churchill's opinion, this political rival was weak 331 00:16:19,666 --> 00:16:23,333 and spineless and didn't have guts, 332 00:16:23,333 --> 00:16:26,166 like Churchill thought that England needed at the time. 333 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,266 And so he said talking about this man, he says, I remember 334 00:16:29,266 --> 00:16:32,633 when I was a child being taken to the celebrated Barnum 335 00:16:32,633 --> 00:16:36,299 Circus, which contained an exhibition of freaks and monstrosities. 336 00:16:36,333 --> 00:16:39,566 But the exhibit on the program, which I most desired 337 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,066 to see, was the one described as the boneless wonder. 338 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,333 But my parents judge that the spectacle would 339 00:16:46,333 --> 00:16:49,666 be too demoralizing and revolting for my youthful eye, and 340 00:16:49,666 --> 00:16:52,733 I have waited 50 years to see the boneless 341 00:16:52,733 --> 00:16:54,466 wonder sitting on the treasury bench. 342 00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:58,166 that Churchill was quite the quipper. 343 00:16:58,233 --> 00:17:01,666 And Amos is quite the quipper as well, 344 00:17:01,666 --> 00:17:05,933 but this is much more serious than some kind of English politics. 345 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,133 The Bible uses sarcasm to get our attention. 346 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:13,233 Doesn't it doesn't it make us perk up and perk 347 00:17:13,233 --> 00:17:14,733 our ears up to what they're trying to say. 348 00:17:14,799 --> 00:17:16,766 Christ used sarcasm as well. 349 00:17:16,900 --> 00:17:20,333 Here in the 1st verse, Amos 350 00:17:20,333 --> 00:17:23,566 begins talking about the extravagance and 351 00:17:23,566 --> 00:17:26,633 the decadence of the culture of Samaria. 352 00:17:26,700 --> 00:17:30,166 And he uses a sarcastic insult to do it. 353 00:17:30,233 --> 00:17:31,133 Look again in verse one. 354 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,799 He says, hear this word, you cows of Bashan, 355 00:17:34,799 --> 00:17:37,733 who are on the mountain of Samaria. 356 00:17:37,799 --> 00:17:41,400 Now, imagine the pearl clutching, muckety 357 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,533 muck, these rich, well-to-do, Sumerian 358 00:17:44,533 --> 00:17:47,733 women who were living lives of 359 00:17:47,733 --> 00:17:49,900 luxury, just telling their husbands, hey, go get a drink. 360 00:17:49,966 --> 00:17:52,233 Let's start partying right now. 361 00:17:52,299 --> 00:17:56,200 They would clutch their pearls when they heard Amos preaching this message. 362 00:17:56,266 --> 00:17:59,400 Now, when he says, you cows 363 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,733 of Bashan, it's not the same thing as what we would say, 364 00:18:02,733 --> 00:18:05,866 if we would call someone that now, that the 365 00:18:05,866 --> 00:18:10,200 cows of Bashan, a cow was looked at as a luxury item, right? 366 00:18:10,233 --> 00:18:13,299 Most of them had the poorer people, if they had meat, 367 00:18:13,299 --> 00:18:15,633 it was sheep and birds and stuff like that. 368 00:18:15,700 --> 00:18:18,700 But if you were rich and well-to-do, you would 369 00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:20,733 have a nice fat, juicy cow. 370 00:18:20,799 --> 00:18:23,566 And Bashan was a very fertile region. 371 00:18:23,633 --> 00:18:26,733 It would be like saying something about Kobe 372 00:18:26,733 --> 00:18:28,400 beef, like the best beef in the world. 373 00:18:28,500 --> 00:18:31,733 These were the cows of Bashan. 374 00:18:31,799 --> 00:18:34,666 And so they would look around at the prosperity. 375 00:18:34,666 --> 00:18:38,500 And that's that, he was bringing that to the attention that, 376 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:39,866 look, you have everything you need. 377 00:18:39,933 --> 00:18:43,299 You're living in luxury, the lap of it, and you're 378 00:18:43,299 --> 00:18:46,733 fat and sassy on all this good things and prosperity you have. 379 00:18:46,799 --> 00:18:49,666 But you're worshiping a cow. 380 00:18:49,733 --> 00:18:52,799 You're worshiping a cow made out 381 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:56,099 of metal that doesn't speak, that doesn't 382 00:18:56,099 --> 00:19:00,033 hear, that doesn't listen to you, can't do anything, even if it could. 383 00:19:00,033 --> 00:19:03,566 But the prosperity that they did receive, 384 00:19:03,599 --> 00:19:07,433 how does it say that they got their prosperity? 385 00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:10,599 By oppressing the poor, by crushing 386 00:19:10,599 --> 00:19:12,233 the needy? 387 00:19:12,299 --> 00:19:15,066 And their whole life is centered around recreation. 388 00:19:15,099 --> 00:19:18,166 Go get, go get, go get me a drink so we can just sit around 389 00:19:18,166 --> 00:19:20,200 and take it easy and relax. 390 00:19:20,266 --> 00:19:23,433 But God will not stand for that forever. 391 00:19:23,566 --> 00:19:25,799 God will bring judgment on it. 392 00:19:25,833 --> 00:19:26,599 Look at verse two. 393 00:19:26,700 --> 00:19:29,700 The Lord God has sworn by 394 00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:31,333 his holiness. 395 00:19:31,366 --> 00:19:35,133 Now, when you when the Bible says this. 396 00:19:35,266 --> 00:19:39,166 This is the most intense and serious of 397 00:19:39,166 --> 00:19:41,133 promises that God makes. 398 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:43,299 He's promising. 399 00:19:43,366 --> 00:19:46,366 He's swearing by his holiness, 400 00:19:46,366 --> 00:19:49,500 his ultimate attribute, that judgment will come. 401 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,200 When he does this, and he describes what 402 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,566 will happen, we can tell that it won't be pleasant. 403 00:19:56,633 --> 00:19:59,733 All their recreation and sitting around, all their lavish 404 00:19:59,733 --> 00:20:02,366 lives will be over with. 405 00:20:02,433 --> 00:20:05,666 He promises that a day will come when 406 00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:08,700 someone will come from the outside, break down 407 00:20:08,700 --> 00:20:12,099 the walls of their city, and take them out with meat hooks, 408 00:20:12,099 --> 00:20:15,333 and with fish hooks, and that the secure luxury 409 00:20:15,333 --> 00:20:19,000 that they lived in, they'll completely lose. 410 00:20:19,066 --> 00:20:22,200 Verse three, you will go out through breaches in 411 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,200 the walls, each one straight before her, 412 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,133 and you will be cast to Harmon. 413 00:20:27,166 --> 00:20:30,633 Now, the cities of the time, your 414 00:20:30,633 --> 00:20:35,000 city wall was your security against outside enemies. 415 00:20:35,099 --> 00:20:38,866 The wall would stand against most battles. 416 00:20:38,933 --> 00:20:42,466 And so you would run to the city if you were being attacked and 417 00:20:42,466 --> 00:20:44,099 be secure in there. 418 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,500 But the promise says that those walls will be breached, 419 00:20:47,500 --> 00:20:50,433 that will be taken through holes in the walls. 420 00:20:50,500 --> 00:20:54,833 And we live in a culture much like that. 421 00:20:54,900 --> 00:20:58,033 They were relying on those walls for security on 422 00:20:58,033 --> 00:21:01,733 their oppression of the needy and their wealth for 423 00:21:01,733 --> 00:21:02,766 their security. 424 00:21:02,766 --> 00:21:05,966 And our culture is just like that, but 425 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,266 on steroids. 426 00:21:07,266 --> 00:21:10,599 We place our trust in our jobs, in 427 00:21:10,599 --> 00:21:13,966 our technology, in our science, but 428 00:21:13,966 --> 00:21:17,200 true security doesn't come from any of those things. 429 00:21:17,266 --> 00:21:20,433 If you're in Christ, you know that your 430 00:21:20,433 --> 00:21:23,599 only true security, lies in his person, 431 00:21:23,633 --> 00:21:27,333 and in his work, if you take that away and 432 00:21:27,333 --> 00:21:30,466 we have no amount of wealth, no amount of stuff 433 00:21:30,466 --> 00:21:34,500 that we have, no amount of expertise that we have in any given subject, 434 00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:38,633 can offer us the security and true peace of knowing Christ. 435 00:21:38,700 --> 00:21:42,099 And God's promise of judgment, that he swore 436 00:21:42,099 --> 00:21:44,733 by his holiness here came through. 437 00:21:44,866 --> 00:21:47,333 It was fulfilled just as he said. 438 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,933 When years later, they were fought 439 00:21:50,933 --> 00:21:54,166 against by the Assyrians and taken into Assyrian 440 00:21:54,166 --> 00:21:58,200 exile as slaves through breaches in their walls. 441 00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:01,599 And then Amos continues in 442 00:22:01,599 --> 00:22:04,066 his holy sarcasm here in verse 4. 443 00:22:04,299 --> 00:22:08,666 Enter Bethel, where one of the cow idols were and transgress. 444 00:22:08,933 --> 00:22:13,000 In Gilgal, where the other idol was, multiply transgression. 445 00:22:13,066 --> 00:22:15,033 Bring your sacrifices every morning. 446 00:22:15,099 --> 00:22:18,099 Your tithes every 3 days, offer a thank 447 00:22:18,099 --> 00:22:21,400 offering, also, from that which is leavened, and proclaim 448 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:24,466 free will offerings, make them known, for so you love to 449 00:22:24,466 --> 00:22:28,000 do, you sons of Israel, declares the Lord God. 450 00:22:28,133 --> 00:22:31,133 And one of the commentators that I read, 451 00:22:31,133 --> 00:22:34,733 said that this was kind of a parody of 452 00:22:34,733 --> 00:22:38,333 a hymn that the idol worshiping Israelites 453 00:22:38,333 --> 00:22:40,433 would sing on their way to the cows. 454 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:44,133 You remember, we've gone through the psalms of ascent, that the Hebrew 455 00:22:44,133 --> 00:22:47,366 people would sing as they ascend the hill of Zion in 456 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,466 Jerusalem to worship God, but it seems like they've 457 00:22:50,466 --> 00:22:53,500 copied some of those things that they had in the true 458 00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:56,500 worship of God in the false worship of these cows. 459 00:22:56,633 --> 00:23:00,033 So that Amos is kind of parodying one 460 00:23:00,033 --> 00:23:03,033 of those psalms that they sing like a biblical weird out. 461 00:23:03,099 --> 00:23:07,233 And so they were convinced, these Israelites, 462 00:23:07,233 --> 00:23:10,400 that they were worshiping Yahweh, 463 00:23:10,433 --> 00:23:13,833 in their own way, that they were worshiping 464 00:23:13,833 --> 00:23:16,900 these cows, these idols in a way 465 00:23:16,900 --> 00:23:20,066 that they had made up, but they had made it up in a way to 466 00:23:20,099 --> 00:23:22,733 mimic and copy what God had set up. 467 00:23:22,799 --> 00:23:24,433 They had sacrifices. 468 00:23:24,533 --> 00:23:26,766 They had tithes and offerings. 469 00:23:26,799 --> 00:23:29,966 But the truth was nowhere to be found. 470 00:23:30,166 --> 00:23:34,233 And again, very relevant to our culture. 471 00:23:34,299 --> 00:23:37,966 We do the exact same thing in our time today. 472 00:23:38,099 --> 00:23:41,533 And there's a big push, even today, 473 00:23:41,533 --> 00:23:44,966 because of the COVID debacle that we just went through. 474 00:23:45,033 --> 00:23:48,166 Many are leaving these big mega churches 475 00:23:48,166 --> 00:23:51,466 with the smoke and the lights and the performances and everything, 476 00:23:51,466 --> 00:23:54,599 and going to something, I don't know, going to 477 00:23:54,599 --> 00:23:57,733 something that seems authentic, that 478 00:23:57,733 --> 00:24:00,866 has the trappings of authenticity, of worship 479 00:24:00,900 --> 00:24:04,066 of Christ, without understanding the truth, 480 00:24:04,066 --> 00:24:07,433 the old buildings and the stained glass, and the statues, 481 00:24:07,433 --> 00:24:09,900 and the smells, and the bells, as they say. 482 00:24:09,933 --> 00:24:13,066 There's been a big influx 483 00:24:13,066 --> 00:24:16,833 of people into Roman Catholicism, and into Greek orthodoxy, 484 00:24:16,833 --> 00:24:19,833 because they have the ceremonies, 485 00:24:19,833 --> 00:24:23,299 and they have the rituals and the old buildings 486 00:24:23,333 --> 00:24:25,733 and seemingly old religion. 487 00:24:25,799 --> 00:24:28,866 But the rituals that 488 00:24:28,866 --> 00:24:32,000 they have and the rights that they do don't make it true. 489 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,933 The cows of Bashan had rituals 490 00:24:35,933 --> 00:24:36,966 and right. 491 00:24:37,066 --> 00:24:40,200 They had rituals and rites that looked like 492 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:44,166 the true rituals and rites given to them by Yahweh. 493 00:24:44,266 --> 00:24:46,733 They had festivals and sacrifices. 494 00:24:46,799 --> 00:24:49,733 They had their own priests that looked like Yahweh's priests. 495 00:24:49,799 --> 00:24:53,400 They sang songs, and they repeated prayers, just like the 496 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,433 Hebrew, the true worshipers of Hebrew did. 497 00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:58,833 But then they went home, still in their sin, 498 00:24:58,833 --> 00:25:00,333 and oppress the poor. 499 00:25:00,533 --> 00:25:02,933 and crushed the needy. 500 00:25:03,033 --> 00:25:06,099 They had the appearance of authenticity, but 501 00:25:06,099 --> 00:25:09,766 not the substance of truth that the Bible reveals to us. 502 00:25:09,900 --> 00:25:13,866 But God is holy, and he's set apart from everything else. 503 00:25:13,900 --> 00:25:18,233 And he should be set apart in our lives and in our worship. 504 00:25:18,299 --> 00:25:21,599 We don't just sing because it's something that we do. 505 00:25:21,633 --> 00:25:24,866 We sing because God has commanded us 506 00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:28,633 that this is the way that he wants to be worshiped in this way. 507 00:25:28,666 --> 00:25:33,033 And the same thing goes for every single part of our worship. 508 00:25:33,099 --> 00:25:37,133 We don't have the stained glass and all the things 509 00:25:37,133 --> 00:25:39,000 that you walk around with and all that stuff. 510 00:25:39,033 --> 00:25:42,333 But we have the gift of God of Revelation 511 00:25:42,333 --> 00:25:44,266 and how he wants to be worshiped. 512 00:25:44,333 --> 00:25:47,500 Psalm 991 through 9 says the Lord reigns, 513 00:25:47,500 --> 00:25:48,633 let the peoples tremble. 514 00:25:48,700 --> 00:25:51,033 He is enthroned above the cherubim. 515 00:25:51,099 --> 00:25:52,133 Let the earth shake. 516 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,500 The Lord is great in Zion, and he is exalted 517 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:56,566 above all the peoples. 518 00:25:56,633 --> 00:25:59,266 Let them praise your great and awesome name. 519 00:25:59,266 --> 00:26:00,166 Holy is he. 520 00:26:00,233 --> 00:26:02,766 The strength of the king loves justice. 521 00:26:02,799 --> 00:26:04,433 You have established equity. 522 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:07,799 You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 523 00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:11,566 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool. 524 00:26:11,633 --> 00:26:12,666 Holy is he. 525 00:26:12,700 --> 00:26:15,400 Moses and Aaron were among his priests. 526 00:26:15,466 --> 00:26:18,533 And Samuel was among those who called in his name. 527 00:26:18,599 --> 00:26:20,866 They called upon the Lord, and he answered them. 528 00:26:20,933 --> 00:26:23,033 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud. 529 00:26:23,099 --> 00:26:26,466 They kept his testimonies in a statute that he gave them. 530 00:26:26,500 --> 00:26:29,566 O Lord our God, you answered them, you were a 531 00:26:29,566 --> 00:26:32,700 forgiving God to them, and yet an avenger of their evil 532 00:26:32,700 --> 00:26:33,766 deeds. 533 00:26:33,833 --> 00:26:37,066 Exalt the Lord, our God, and worship at his holy hill 534 00:26:37,066 --> 00:26:40,299 for holy is the Lord, our God. 535 00:26:40,366 --> 00:26:43,833 We worship a God who is holy, 536 00:26:43,833 --> 00:26:46,099 and it matters how we worship. 537 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:49,433 It's not just an issue of preference of what key 538 00:26:49,433 --> 00:26:50,866 lime juice you prefer. 539 00:26:50,933 --> 00:26:54,000 It matters what the truth is, and we 540 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,299 should always be seeking to worship him in the truth. 541 00:26:57,333 --> 00:27:00,333 And if we are confronted by 542 00:27:00,333 --> 00:27:03,566 someone who has the truth and wants to correct us, 543 00:27:03,599 --> 00:27:06,733 if they are true, we need to search that out, and be 544 00:27:06,733 --> 00:27:10,166 thankful for their love and the grace of God for them, telling us that. 545 00:27:10,833 --> 00:27:13,900 So we take serious, the 546 00:27:13,900 --> 00:27:17,133 worship of God, by living, just like he's a holy God, 547 00:27:17,133 --> 00:27:20,200 because he is, but also by recognizing 548 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:21,633 his holy judgment. 549 00:27:21,700 --> 00:27:24,866 And we'll read verses 6 through 11 again, it's important for us to remember. 550 00:27:25,533 --> 00:27:28,533 But I gave you also cleanness 551 00:27:28,533 --> 00:27:31,533 of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all 552 00:27:31,533 --> 00:27:35,500 your places, yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 553 00:27:35,566 --> 00:27:38,799 Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you, while 554 00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:41,933 there were still 3 months until harvest, then I would send 555 00:27:41,933 --> 00:27:45,066 rain on one city, and on another city, I would not send rain. 556 00:27:45,099 --> 00:27:49,066 One part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry up. 557 00:27:49,133 --> 00:27:52,366 So 2 or 3 cities would stagger to another city to 558 00:27:52,366 --> 00:27:54,833 drink water, but would not be satisfied. 559 00:27:54,900 --> 00:27:58,333 Yet, you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 560 00:27:58,366 --> 00:28:02,033 I smote you with scorching wind and mildew. 561 00:28:02,133 --> 00:28:05,299 And the caterpillar was devouring your many gardens and vineyards. 562 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:08,433 fig trees and olive trees, yet, you have 563 00:28:08,433 --> 00:28:10,766 not returned to me, declares the Lord. 564 00:28:10,900 --> 00:28:14,333 I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt. 565 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,866 I slew your young men by the sword, along with your captured horses, 566 00:28:17,866 --> 00:28:21,466 and I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils, 567 00:28:21,466 --> 00:28:24,466 yet you have not returned to me, declares the Lord. 568 00:28:24,533 --> 00:28:27,700 I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom 569 00:28:27,700 --> 00:28:30,766 and Gomorrah, and you are like a firebrand snatched from 570 00:28:30,766 --> 00:28:34,000 a blaze, yet you have not returned to me, 571 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:35,633 declares the Lord. 572 00:28:36,033 --> 00:28:39,033 And we see in the previous passage that the 573 00:28:39,033 --> 00:28:40,666 people of Israel were very busy. 574 00:28:40,733 --> 00:28:44,566 They were very busy making money by oppressing the poor. 575 00:28:44,633 --> 00:28:46,500 They were very busy religiously. 576 00:28:46,533 --> 00:28:49,099 They made a bunch of sacrifices and offerings. 577 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,666 They announced that they made offerings to their false gods. 578 00:28:52,733 --> 00:28:54,833 But here in these verses, 579 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:56,766 We see that God is busy too. 580 00:28:56,799 --> 00:28:59,433 He is busy in holy judgment. 581 00:28:59,500 --> 00:29:02,500 Now, at the beginning of verse 6, he starts out this 582 00:29:02,500 --> 00:29:06,466 passage by saying, but I gave you also. 583 00:29:06,533 --> 00:29:09,599 And so that connects it with the previous passage, 584 00:29:09,599 --> 00:29:12,766 they gave all these things, and God, 585 00:29:12,766 --> 00:29:16,799 look, you've been busy doing all that stuff, but I've been busy too. 586 00:29:16,833 --> 00:29:19,466 And here is what I've been busy at. 587 00:29:19,533 --> 00:29:23,433 All those judgments represent all the troubles of life. 588 00:29:23,500 --> 00:29:26,799 The lack is represent, the trouble 589 00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:29,333 of lack is represented by famine and drought. 590 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,833 The trouble of affliction is represented by blight, 591 00:29:32,833 --> 00:29:36,333 and by plague, and the trouble of opposition by war, 592 00:29:36,333 --> 00:29:39,566 and by earthquake, and all of these come from God, 593 00:29:39,599 --> 00:29:43,066 and are a form of judgment on the people of Israel. 594 00:29:43,133 --> 00:29:46,200 Yet they did not return to him. 595 00:29:46,233 --> 00:29:49,066 These are all a wake up call. 596 00:29:49,133 --> 00:29:52,133 For them to realize that there is a god in control 597 00:29:52,133 --> 00:29:55,866 and he's not made out of metal in the shape of a cow. 598 00:29:56,799 --> 00:29:59,866 The golden calves that they made 599 00:29:59,866 --> 00:30:03,000 to worship, and Bethel, that can't hear the prayers 600 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:07,200 prayed to them, have no control over any of these troubles. 601 00:30:07,233 --> 00:30:10,533 And I want you to see something important, that's really neat here. 602 00:30:10,599 --> 00:30:13,900 We've been reading from Jerry Bridges on Wednesdays and 603 00:30:13,900 --> 00:30:16,766 in regards to the sovereignty of God. 604 00:30:16,833 --> 00:30:20,599 There's, uh, in verses 7 through 8, it says, furthermore, 605 00:30:20,633 --> 00:30:23,799 I withheld the rain from you while there 606 00:30:23,799 --> 00:30:25,366 were still 3 months until harvest. 607 00:30:25,433 --> 00:30:28,900 Then I would send rain on one city, 608 00:30:28,900 --> 00:30:31,733 and on another city, I would not send rain. 609 00:30:31,900 --> 00:30:35,966 One part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry up. 610 00:30:36,033 --> 00:30:39,099 So 2 or 3 cities would stagger to another 611 00:30:39,099 --> 00:30:42,633 city to drink water, but would not be satisfied, yet you 612 00:30:42,633 --> 00:30:43,900 have not returned to me. 613 00:30:43,966 --> 00:30:47,433 So to these false worshiping, non-believing 614 00:30:47,433 --> 00:30:49,000 Israelite, Sumerians. 615 00:30:49,066 --> 00:30:52,133 All of this, though the reigning on one city and the not 616 00:30:52,133 --> 00:30:55,066 raining on another 2 was just chance. 617 00:30:55,133 --> 00:30:58,866 The city that it rained in was a lucky city. 618 00:30:58,900 --> 00:31:02,933 And the cities that it didn't rain in were just unlucky cities. 619 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:06,166 They there was just unlucky 620 00:31:06,166 --> 00:31:07,833 about where the rain fell. 621 00:31:07,966 --> 00:31:11,200 But this is clear in this passage 622 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,333 that there's no such thing as luck or 623 00:31:14,333 --> 00:31:16,866 coincidence or chance. 624 00:31:17,033 --> 00:31:19,799 God is in control of all things. 625 00:31:19,833 --> 00:31:23,000 But even though that was true, they still 626 00:31:23,033 --> 00:31:25,666 decided to worship a cow. 627 00:31:25,733 --> 00:31:26,799 Why would you do that? 628 00:31:26,866 --> 00:31:29,700 Why would you worship this thing of metal? 629 00:31:29,733 --> 00:31:32,266 You see, the cow doesn't put any pressure on you? 630 00:31:32,333 --> 00:31:35,333 It doesn't say, you should live like this, that 631 00:31:35,333 --> 00:31:38,500 you should be perfect as I am perfect, because it's just a cow. 632 00:31:38,633 --> 00:31:41,799 It's just something that you can do to fill that 633 00:31:41,799 --> 00:31:45,566 gap that you know exists and that you need to worship something. 634 00:31:45,766 --> 00:31:48,900 But God will hold you to account. 635 00:31:48,933 --> 00:31:50,900 He will bring judgment on you. 636 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,099 He is passing judgment right now. 637 00:31:53,433 --> 00:31:56,866 One of my favorite Old Testament commentators. 638 00:31:56,933 --> 00:32:01,000 So if you're going through the Old Testament and looking for commentaries to help you understand things. 639 00:32:01,066 --> 00:32:03,166 There's a guy named Alec Mottier. 640 00:32:03,233 --> 00:32:05,766 And he said this, and I love this quote. 641 00:32:05,799 --> 00:32:09,033 We do ourselves an immense disservice, and we weaken 642 00:32:09,033 --> 00:32:12,500 our ministry to each other as soon as we dismiss or 643 00:32:12,533 --> 00:32:13,866 diminish this great doctrine. 644 00:32:13,966 --> 00:32:17,333 Amos writes of catastrophes small and great, 645 00:32:17,333 --> 00:32:20,333 of things as chancy as rainfall to us at least, 646 00:32:20,333 --> 00:32:23,400 things as indiscriminate as the death toll in 647 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:27,166 battle, but none of these things separates us from God, 648 00:32:27,166 --> 00:32:30,933 his will reigns even there. 649 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,133 To all of our family members, our coworkers, our nation, our world, 650 00:32:34,133 --> 00:32:37,733 and each of us ourselves need to understand this great truth. 651 00:32:37,799 --> 00:32:40,933 There is only one God, and 652 00:32:40,933 --> 00:32:44,133 he is sovereign over all things. 653 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,866 And he is the only God that 654 00:32:47,866 --> 00:32:50,700 will judge all men and all women. 655 00:32:50,733 --> 00:32:54,033 He is just, and he is righteous, 656 00:32:54,033 --> 00:32:58,166 and he is worthy of all worship from every single person. 657 00:32:58,233 --> 00:33:01,700 All of the roads of religion 658 00:33:01,733 --> 00:33:05,099 in this world, don't lead to this God. 659 00:33:05,500 --> 00:33:09,333 They will not cut it before his throne. 660 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,566 There's no judgmental salvation, as 661 00:33:12,599 --> 00:33:14,266 we were talking about before service. 662 00:33:14,333 --> 00:33:17,433 The people of Israel, thought they 663 00:33:17,433 --> 00:33:20,133 were all good because they were Israelites, right? 664 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:21,633 They were God's people. 665 00:33:21,700 --> 00:33:24,700 They thought they were fine, but the whole 666 00:33:24,700 --> 00:33:27,833 time that they were participating in this idol worship, 667 00:33:27,833 --> 00:33:31,900 this false worship, God was trying to show them and tell them something. 668 00:33:31,966 --> 00:33:33,533 that he was in control. 669 00:33:33,599 --> 00:33:36,599 They were just too blinded by their 670 00:33:36,599 --> 00:33:39,166 sin and their circumstance to see it. 671 00:33:39,233 --> 00:33:42,299 So don't be blind to what God is trying to show 672 00:33:42,299 --> 00:33:44,099 us, that he is in control. 673 00:33:44,133 --> 00:33:47,799 We need to recognize his sovereign hand over 674 00:33:47,799 --> 00:33:51,833 all things, and worship him for it in his holiness. 675 00:33:51,933 --> 00:33:54,933 And then finally, we 676 00:33:54,933 --> 00:33:57,933 take the worship of God serious in his holiness 677 00:33:57,933 --> 00:34:01,599 by taking a posture of all before 678 00:34:01,599 --> 00:34:03,166 a holy God. 679 00:34:03,233 --> 00:34:04,666 The last 2 verses of our chapter. 680 00:34:04,733 --> 00:34:08,133 Therefore, thus I will do to you, O Israel, 681 00:34:08,133 --> 00:34:11,266 because I will do this to you, prepare 682 00:34:11,266 --> 00:34:14,633 to meet your God, O Israel. 683 00:34:14,699 --> 00:34:18,033 For behold, he who forms mountains, and creates 684 00:34:18,033 --> 00:34:21,166 the wind, and declares to man what are his thoughts, 685 00:34:21,166 --> 00:34:24,300 he who makes dawn into darkness, and 686 00:34:24,300 --> 00:34:27,699 treads in the high places of the earth, the Lord, 687 00:34:27,699 --> 00:34:30,233 God of hosts, is his name. 688 00:34:30,333 --> 00:34:33,099 Get ready, Israelites. 689 00:34:33,166 --> 00:34:35,400 The final judgment is coming. 690 00:34:35,500 --> 00:34:38,633 The judgment that I've promised in my holiness 691 00:34:38,633 --> 00:34:40,966 that the Assyrians will come and take you. 692 00:34:41,033 --> 00:34:43,066 Prepare to meet your God. 693 00:34:43,133 --> 00:34:46,133 Not the false God that you bow down 694 00:34:46,133 --> 00:34:49,233 and offer before made out of metal, but the real 695 00:34:49,233 --> 00:34:51,866 God that you should have been worshiping this whole time. 696 00:34:51,933 --> 00:34:54,766 You see that the play on words here. 697 00:34:54,833 --> 00:34:58,133 If you would go up to these Israelites 698 00:34:58,133 --> 00:35:01,199 and say, hey, can you point to your God, 699 00:35:01,199 --> 00:35:04,566 they would point to 2 golden cows. 700 00:35:04,599 --> 00:35:07,599 But in reality, regardless of whether they accepted 701 00:35:07,599 --> 00:35:10,900 it or not, or they understood it or not, they should have pointed to 702 00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:14,133 Yahweh, Jehovah God of the world. 703 00:35:14,266 --> 00:35:17,133 That is who their God really is. 704 00:35:17,199 --> 00:35:20,433 Yahweh is their God, and everyone else is God, 705 00:35:20,433 --> 00:35:22,099 whether they like it or not. 706 00:35:22,599 --> 00:35:26,433 But here in this passage is also a 707 00:35:26,433 --> 00:35:29,433 show of grace, as God does, that 708 00:35:29,433 --> 00:35:32,500 justice is always tempered with grace for his people. 709 00:35:32,566 --> 00:35:35,866 God could have sent all this judgment on them right 710 00:35:35,866 --> 00:35:38,933 then and there, and without 711 00:35:38,933 --> 00:35:41,099 any profits, telling them anything. 712 00:35:41,133 --> 00:35:44,133 And he would have been completely justified and do that and 713 00:35:44,133 --> 00:35:47,433 still retain his title as a perfectly 714 00:35:47,433 --> 00:35:49,300 holy just God. 715 00:35:49,433 --> 00:35:52,500 But he told them about the problem. 716 00:35:52,599 --> 00:35:55,766 Like he sent Jonah to Nineveh, like he said, Isaiah 717 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:57,766 to the kings of Israel. 718 00:35:57,833 --> 00:35:59,633 He told them of their sin. 719 00:35:59,699 --> 00:36:02,800 He showed them that they needed to repent 720 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:05,666 and gave them a call to repentance. 721 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,466 A gospel call to true biblical 722 00:36:09,466 --> 00:36:12,466 repentance is not mean, even though sometimes 723 00:36:12,466 --> 00:36:15,933 it may offend the people we are calling to repentance. 724 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,066 It is actually a call of love to 725 00:36:19,066 --> 00:36:22,433 make someone aware that there is a true God, 726 00:36:22,433 --> 00:36:25,500 and that he has showed us how he 727 00:36:25,500 --> 00:36:28,500 would like to be worshipped, and the way that he's provided 728 00:36:28,500 --> 00:36:30,000 for us through grace. 729 00:36:30,033 --> 00:36:33,033 So if you think of the state of your soul, 730 00:36:33,033 --> 00:36:36,033 and I pray that is in a state of grace, that 731 00:36:36,033 --> 00:36:39,333 you think about the troubles in your life, as we've 732 00:36:39,333 --> 00:36:42,566 all gone through, but you could also think about the blessings 733 00:36:42,599 --> 00:36:45,366 that you've gotten in your life that you didn't deserve. 734 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:48,866 The Israelites ignored all of this and 735 00:36:48,900 --> 00:36:50,466 did what they wanted to do. 736 00:36:50,500 --> 00:36:53,566 But all these things, the troubles and 737 00:36:53,566 --> 00:36:56,866 the blessings, the justice and the mercy 738 00:36:56,866 --> 00:37:00,233 are all from the hand of a sovereign God, who 739 00:37:00,233 --> 00:37:03,233 has purpose and reason for everything, that 740 00:37:03,233 --> 00:37:06,233 he does, and that gives us a purpose, and gives us 741 00:37:06,233 --> 00:37:09,400 a reason to bend our knees before the true God 742 00:37:09,400 --> 00:37:11,266 and complete awe. 743 00:37:11,333 --> 00:37:12,666 Look at verse 13 again. 744 00:37:12,699 --> 00:37:16,000 He, for behold, he who forms mountains and creates 745 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:19,133 the wind, and declares to man what are his thoughts? 746 00:37:19,233 --> 00:37:20,900 Idols can't do that. 747 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:24,300 He who makes dawn into darkness and treads 748 00:37:24,300 --> 00:37:26,833 in the high places of the earth. 749 00:37:26,866 --> 00:37:29,633 The Lord God of hosts is his name. 750 00:37:29,699 --> 00:37:31,733 That's Yahweh Sabo. 751 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:33,599 There is no God. 752 00:37:33,633 --> 00:37:36,866 created by the imagination of men who 753 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:39,900 is alike, the living God of scripture, 754 00:37:39,900 --> 00:37:42,000 the creator of all things. 755 00:37:42,033 --> 00:37:45,033 Hebrews 1228 says, therefore, since we receive a 756 00:37:45,033 --> 00:37:48,166 kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show 757 00:37:48,166 --> 00:37:51,466 gratitude by which we may offer to God an 758 00:37:51,466 --> 00:37:54,099 acceptable service with reverence and awe. 759 00:37:54,166 --> 00:37:57,400 For our God is a consuming fire. 760 00:37:57,466 --> 00:38:00,633 Psalm 211 says, worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice 761 00:38:00,633 --> 00:38:01,833 with trembling. 762 00:38:01,900 --> 00:38:03,866 Isaiah 8.13. 763 00:38:04,133 --> 00:38:07,599 It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy, 764 00:38:07,599 --> 00:38:11,033 and he shall be your fear, and he shall be your 765 00:38:11,033 --> 00:38:12,166 dread. 766 00:38:12,166 --> 00:38:14,400 That is the God that we serve. 767 00:38:14,433 --> 00:38:17,666 a weak God, a 768 00:38:17,699 --> 00:38:20,833 very strong God, who should cause our knees to knock. 769 00:38:20,866 --> 00:38:23,933 But a very loving and 770 00:38:23,933 --> 00:38:26,466 gracious God, a God who is good. 771 00:38:26,500 --> 00:38:30,233 And this brought to my mind, my 772 00:38:30,233 --> 00:38:33,533 favorite author, C.S. Lewis, and one 773 00:38:33,533 --> 00:38:36,666 of the 1st series of books that got me into 774 00:38:36,666 --> 00:38:39,766 reading when I was a lot younger, he 775 00:38:39,766 --> 00:38:42,633 wrote called The Chronicles of Narnia. 776 00:38:42,699 --> 00:38:46,133 They're great, and I recommend them to everyone, no 777 00:38:46,133 --> 00:38:47,400 matter your age. 778 00:38:47,633 --> 00:38:50,866 In the Chronicles of Narnia, he 779 00:38:50,866 --> 00:38:54,166 wrote it as a metaphor for the gospel, for 780 00:38:54,166 --> 00:38:56,033 his niece and nephew. 781 00:38:56,099 --> 00:38:59,566 And in the metaphor, Aslan, 782 00:38:59,566 --> 00:39:02,699 the lion is the king and creator 783 00:39:02,699 --> 00:39:06,466 of Narnia, and he represents Christ in the story. 784 00:39:06,533 --> 00:39:10,300 And there's 4 kids in the 1st book, the line 785 00:39:10,300 --> 00:39:14,433 in which the wardrobe, that are the protagonists, and they haven't 786 00:39:14,433 --> 00:39:18,199 met Aslan left, although they've come to the land of Narnia. 787 00:39:18,300 --> 00:39:21,166 And so they're speaking with a family of beavers. 788 00:39:21,233 --> 00:39:22,666 This is a fantasy to worry, by the way. 789 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,833 And the beavers are telling them 790 00:39:25,833 --> 00:39:28,066 about King Aslan, the lion. 791 00:39:28,133 --> 00:39:31,133 And this is one of my favorite conversations in the book, so I'm going 792 00:39:31,133 --> 00:39:32,199 to read it for you here. 793 00:39:32,733 --> 00:39:35,000 Who is Aslan? 794 00:39:35,033 --> 00:39:36,000 asked Susan. 795 00:39:36,033 --> 00:39:36,933 Aslin? 796 00:39:36,933 --> 00:39:37,900 said Mr. Beaver. 797 00:39:37,966 --> 00:39:38,800 don't you know? 798 00:39:38,866 --> 00:39:40,000 He's the king. 799 00:39:40,066 --> 00:39:43,300 It is he, not you, that will save Mr. Tumnus. 800 00:39:43,433 --> 00:39:45,099 Is he a man? 801 00:39:45,099 --> 00:39:46,000 asked Lucy. 802 00:39:46,066 --> 00:39:47,400 Aslin a man? 803 00:39:47,500 --> 00:39:49,166 Said Mr. Beaver sternly. 804 00:39:49,233 --> 00:39:49,666 Certainly not. 805 00:39:49,733 --> 00:39:52,733 I tell you, he is the king of the wood, and the 806 00:39:52,733 --> 00:39:54,599 son of the great emperor beyond the sea. 807 00:39:54,633 --> 00:39:56,966 Don't you know who is the king of beasts? 808 00:39:57,033 --> 00:39:58,466 Aslin is a lion? 809 00:39:58,533 --> 00:40:00,400 The the lion, the great lion? 810 00:40:00,533 --> 00:40:01,866 Oh, said Susan. 811 00:40:01,900 --> 00:40:03,633 I thought he was a man. 812 00:40:03,699 --> 00:40:05,800 Is he quite safe? 813 00:40:05,866 --> 00:40:09,533 I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion, that 814 00:40:09,533 --> 00:40:12,900 you will, dearie, and no mistake, said Mrs. Beaver. 815 00:40:12,933 --> 00:40:16,466 If there's anyone who can appear before Aslam without their knees knocking. 816 00:40:16,599 --> 00:40:19,433 They're either braver than most or else just silly. 817 00:40:19,500 --> 00:40:21,533 Then he isn't safe, said Lucy. 818 00:40:21,599 --> 00:40:23,099 Safe, said Mr. Beaver. 819 00:40:23,133 --> 00:40:25,099 Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? 820 00:40:25,199 --> 00:40:27,166 Who said anything about safe? 821 00:40:27,233 --> 00:40:29,633 Of course he isn't safe, but he's good. 822 00:40:29,699 --> 00:40:31,500 He's the king, I tell you. 823 00:40:31,599 --> 00:40:35,033 Lewis understood the reality of 824 00:40:35,033 --> 00:40:36,300 who we're dealing with with God. 825 00:40:36,333 --> 00:40:40,099 He's not safe, but he is good. 826 00:40:40,233 --> 00:40:43,466 And this was the problem with the Sumerian 827 00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:44,833 Hebrew people. 828 00:40:44,866 --> 00:40:46,833 They didn't know who God was. 829 00:40:46,900 --> 00:40:49,599 They didn't know that they had to fear him. 830 00:40:49,666 --> 00:40:53,400 They had no reverence or respect with 831 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:55,033 whom they had to do. 832 00:40:56,033 --> 00:40:59,699 was the preaching that Amos, 833 00:40:59,699 --> 00:41:03,533 the sheepherder from Sorrento 834 00:41:03,533 --> 00:41:06,633 outside of Baton Rouge, was supposed to go to 835 00:41:06,633 --> 00:41:09,699 these northern tribes and preach to them, 836 00:41:09,699 --> 00:41:11,800 to knock them into their senses. 837 00:41:11,866 --> 00:41:14,099 This is the, you don't understand. 838 00:41:14,133 --> 00:41:15,466 God is going to judge you. 839 00:41:15,533 --> 00:41:18,599 He's not happy with your worship of 840 00:41:18,599 --> 00:41:22,733 this cow, even though it looks like the worship that he set up. 841 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:24,966 It is absolutely not. 842 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,133 He was to try to bring them to the understanding 843 00:41:28,133 --> 00:41:31,233 of who this god was, that they 844 00:41:31,233 --> 00:41:34,000 were mocking with their false worship. 845 00:41:34,066 --> 00:41:37,066 And that god who they were mocking 846 00:41:37,066 --> 00:41:40,066 was the god, they were going to have to face 847 00:41:40,066 --> 00:41:41,133 at the end. 848 00:41:41,733 --> 00:41:45,199 Prepare to meet your God, O Israel. 849 00:41:45,533 --> 00:41:48,533 And this is the same sense of wonder 850 00:41:48,533 --> 00:41:51,633 that all of us should come into 851 00:41:51,633 --> 00:41:53,366 the presence of the holy God with. 852 00:41:53,433 --> 00:41:56,800 It's amazing to me that the creator 853 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,866 of the universe, the one who formed the mountains, as Amos said, the 854 00:41:59,866 --> 00:42:02,866 one who knows your thoughts before you think it, who turns the 855 00:42:02,866 --> 00:42:06,033 dawn into darkness, is the 856 00:42:06,033 --> 00:42:09,699 same God who sent his son to 857 00:42:09,699 --> 00:42:12,833 live and die for us out of love and grace 858 00:42:12,833 --> 00:42:13,966 and mercy. 859 00:42:13,966 --> 00:42:17,400 And that grace that he sent didn't just extend to us. 860 00:42:17,433 --> 00:42:21,166 It extended to the Hebrew people who, 861 00:42:21,166 --> 00:42:24,466 for centuries before this and for decades after, 862 00:42:24,466 --> 00:42:27,599 would continue in rebellious sin. 863 00:42:27,633 --> 00:42:29,866 But he promised them. 864 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:33,000 He promised them judgment in the form of Assyria, coming to bring 865 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:36,033 them into exile, but he also promised them grace 866 00:42:36,033 --> 00:42:37,766 and return as well. 867 00:42:37,833 --> 00:42:40,900 Isaiah prophesying to the same people in 868 00:42:40,900 --> 00:42:42,466 chapter 43, verse 5. 869 00:42:42,699 --> 00:42:45,400 He says, do not fear, for I am with you. 870 00:42:45,466 --> 00:42:48,833 I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west. 871 00:42:48,900 --> 00:42:51,599 I will say to the north, give them up and to the south. 872 00:42:51,633 --> 00:42:52,699 Do not hold them back. 873 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:55,900 Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from 874 00:42:55,900 --> 00:42:57,699 the ends of the earth. 875 00:42:57,766 --> 00:43:01,533 So every day when you wake up in the morning. 876 00:43:01,599 --> 00:43:03,266 And when you go to bed at night. 877 00:43:03,333 --> 00:43:06,866 Think of this when you have a birthday or 878 00:43:06,900 --> 00:43:08,166 celebrate a holiday. 879 00:43:08,199 --> 00:43:11,199 Think of this every time we come here and we sing, 880 00:43:11,199 --> 00:43:14,266 even without instruments, as we pray, as we stumble 881 00:43:14,266 --> 00:43:17,933 over our words, as we talk about him, that he 882 00:43:17,933 --> 00:43:20,033 has made promises to us. 883 00:43:20,099 --> 00:43:23,099 He made promises for judgment, because 884 00:43:23,099 --> 00:43:26,533 of our sin, but he also made promises of grace, 885 00:43:26,533 --> 00:43:29,933 because of his son, who took our sin for us. 886 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:33,000 And because of all these things, this 887 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:36,699 holy God, who should make our knees knock, has 888 00:43:36,699 --> 00:43:39,766 given us this grace that we can come before his throne and 889 00:43:39,766 --> 00:43:42,599 worship him in spirit and in truth. 890 00:43:42,633 --> 00:43:45,699 Jesus Christ himself told the Samaritan woman in 891 00:43:45,699 --> 00:43:48,766 John 423, but an hour is coming, and 892 00:43:48,766 --> 00:43:52,199 now is, when the true worshipers will worship 893 00:43:52,199 --> 00:43:55,199 the Father in spirit and truth for such people, the Father 894 00:43:55,199 --> 00:43:58,533 seeks to be his worshipers, God of spirit, 895 00:43:58,533 --> 00:44:01,666 and those who worship him, must worship him in spirit 896 00:44:01,666 --> 00:44:02,866 and in truth. 897 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:03,766 Let's pray. 898 00:44:03,833 --> 00:44:07,300 Hey, Father, we love you and thank you for your great mercy to us. 899 00:44:07,366 --> 00:44:09,333 We don't deserve a bit of your grace. 900 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:12,766 We deserve the same judgment that these Israelites are received. 901 00:44:12,900 --> 00:44:15,966 But Lord, you have promised grace, just like you promised them 902 00:44:15,966 --> 00:44:19,233 that they could return, you've promised us that if we trust in Christ, 903 00:44:19,233 --> 00:44:22,400 if we have biblical repentance from our sins. 904 00:44:22,500 --> 00:44:25,533 We can turn to Christ and you will save us and bring us into 905 00:44:25,533 --> 00:44:26,666 your presence for eternity. 906 00:44:26,733 --> 00:44:28,000 And we praise you for that. 907 00:44:28,133 --> 00:44:31,199 All of this should cause us to worship 908 00:44:31,199 --> 00:44:35,633 you with fear and trembling, but also with great love and great gusto. 909 00:44:35,699 --> 00:44:38,266 Lord, make that be so in our lives. 910 00:44:38,333 --> 00:44:41,466 May we take that out of this building into our everyday life 911 00:44:41,466 --> 00:44:44,666 for your glory and your praise, Christ's name, amen.