Text: Amos 7:1-9; Luke 15:16-22; Isaiah 28:13-15
Amos 7:1-9 1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me;; and, behold, he formed grasshoppers in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and, lo, it was the latter growth after the king's mowing. 2 And it came to pass, that when they had made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, O Lord GOD, forgive, I beseech thee: by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small. 3 The LORD repented for this: it shall not be, saith the LORD. 4 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and, behold, the Lord GOD called to contend by fire, and it devoured the great deep, and did eat up a part. 5 Then said I, O Lord GOD, cease, I beseech thee: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. 7 Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. 8 And the LORD said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, a plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: 9 And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.
Luke 15:20-23 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off his father saw him, and he compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
I. The Basic Issues of God's Justice
Amos 7:1-9 shows us that persistence in evil, whether by an individual or nation, after repeated forgiveness will ultimately result in eternal judgement
"The Shooting up of the Latter Growth" refers to harvest
The latter phrase refers to the King taking the First Crop of Hay and the Locusts taking the second with nothing remaining for the unhappy people
This points to God's moral government who uses nature to work his purposes
Nothing was left due to the King and the Locusts!
The issue is God does NOT desire to do this!
He does MANY things to turn his people AND NATIONS around before judgement
No matter how consecrated and godly the church may be, there is still enough sin in all nation that demands judgment!
America's sin is against light! Which makes our judgement to come worse!
Such Judgment can be either great or small depending on the spiritual nature of the Church.
2 Tim. 3:2-3 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
II. The Spiritual State of the American Church
The church of America has itching ears!
Sound doctrine refers to the salvation of the sinner and the sanctification of the saint
The cross is the answer for both and the only correct doctrine for ALL - no matter the movement of Denomination!
People "itch" for the smooth and comfortable Word and reward handsomely the one compromising what they say to appease those who don't want truth
They that are OF THE TRUTH hear the TRUTH!
Those who reject truth see to it their EARS are never in a position to hear the truth!
If it's not the message of the cross it's fables!
If it's not the message of the Cross it's NOT THE GOSPEL!
1 Cor. 1:17-18 - The Central Message of the Bible is CHRIST CRUCIFIED! Intellectualism is NOT THE GOSPEL! (MANS WISDOM)
Spiritual things cannot be understood by Spiritually DULL people or Unredeemed people
The Cross is the PLUMBLINE OF ALL DOCTRINE
The cross offends the sinful and self righteous and is FOOLISHNESS TO THEM WHO PERISH
The Philosophy of the World always sooths the sinful and self-Righteous
Christ is THE source of all things - ALL; The cross is the means given to us
The cross must be the object of our preaching and our FAITH! The Holy Spirit only Anoints the Cross!
1 Cor. 1:17-18 - For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
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