He's on the minor prophet, the minor prophet by the name of Amos. Amos is going to be full of challenges. Amos is going to prick our hearts. But Amos is also going to salve our hearts. Because he's going to tell us things that we need to know that God wants us to know. He's going to tell us things that are important. And as any book is introduced, we will only see a little part of it today, and we'll see a little part of its background. But when we come to the second sermon, we're going to get deeper into this book. 146 verses long, nine little chapters. One chapter is 27 verses. I don't know why, because the rest of them are 14, 15, or 16. It's small, but anyway, as we go through this series, I'm going to ask you to, as you heard in the announcements, to start reading Amos. And I want you to read it and pay attention to it. You can read the entire thing in just 20 minutes. beginning to end. And I also want you to, when you come to church, bring your Bibles and today keep them handy because I want you to see how this text and different texts of the Bible fit together. I want you to see how Amos fits into the Scripture and how Amos is even used by other writers of Scripture and other people in the Scripture. And I want you to also bring your Bible because I want you to be able to check me. I want you to be able to know if what I'm saying is according to the Bible. I want you to be good Bereans. And the church in Berea, according to Acts 17 and 11, it says they received the Word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether those things were so. They were searching to see if what Paul said was true. Paul was an apostle, so everything that Paul said had to be in accord with all of the Older Testament. And they knew their Older Testaments. They were checking the Scriptures, the 39 books of the Older Testament, to see if what Paul said in the Newer Testament was true. And notice this, it says, "...and they received the word with all readiness." And here's my first challenge before we even get to the book of Amos. Are you here today to receive the Word with all readiness? Did you get ready to come? Did you prepare to come and to hear the very words of God that He has given to us in the Scriptures, that He has preserved through the centuries, that He has had translated into our language, that thousands, literally thousands of Men and women and children have been killed and put to death because they wanted to hold the Word of God, follow the Word of God, live the Word of God. The Bible is a book that has been very costly to put into your hand. Are you here with readiness to receive the Word of God today? And so, as you are, I hope you are, what you should do is Saturday night, Sunday morning, don't do the play thing. Do the spiritual thing. Get your Bibles. Read your Bibles. Pray. Get ready for the next day which is the Lord's Day, sundown to sundown anyway. And prepare yourselves to hear, to receive with readiness the Scriptures. And one other thing you can do as you do this, you can come alongside me as you make sure that I'm telling you what is accurate, what is true. It's also, a sermon is a two-way thing. I preach to you and you think, well, I'm just sitting here on cruise control, right? No. You are to be receiving. You are to be changing. You are to be... You can give me a nod every now and then, or a... It's a two-way thing. A sermon is a living thing that we do in a church. Well, Amos. Amos lived and prophesied slightly over 2,780 years ago. And why should we study a minor prophet who lived so long ago in a complete other culture? Well, one main reason is that Amos is part of God's holy and inspired Word. If there's no other reason, Amos is part of the Bible, it's part of God's holy and inspired Word. When I talk about holy, what do I mean? I mean that God has preserved it in perfection. And when I say inspired, what do I mean? I mean that God so superintended Amos, God so superintended all of the writers of Scripture, So that not only did they not make a mistake, but they could not make a mistake. So when you read the Bible, you have the very Word of God. And if God were to walk through this door right now, which He won't do because the Bible says it, but if He were to walk in here and speak to you personally, He would not be speaking to you with any more authority or any more accuracy than He speaks to you through the words of the Scripture. So we need to give it, we need to know it's the inspired Word and we want to honor God and His Word by giving it the attention that it deserves. You probably know 2 Timothy 3, 16 and of course 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. That's what I was just talking about. And it is profitable. For doctrine, which means... the word doctrine means teaching. For reproof, which means it's profitable to correct us. And anybody here not need correction? I certainly need correction. And the word... and reproof is actually conviction. And correction, for correction. Repair and restoring. God gave us His Word to repair us and to restore us. for instruction in righteousness, which means making the way of obedience to God known to us, that the man of God may be complete, which means fully prepared, qualified, thoroughly equipped for every good work. And we're, as Christians, we don't work for our salvation, but Philippians says we work out our salvation, and we're definitely supposed to be busy and exerting energy in the Christian life. It's a life that requires energy. And Romans 15, verse 4 says, For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Elpis. is the word hope, it means confidence in what God has said. And also, Amos is going to tell us in the third chapter, verse 7, Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the prophets. So it's very important to understand that God is speaking to us, that God is not keeping information from us. He is not playing games like I've got a secret with us. The Bible is not a book of puzzles and riddles and gnostic secrets and the like. God promises to make available to us all the information that we need for life, for godliness. Make all the information available to us that we need so that we can live a life that is in keeping with His ways and His will. And He has provided the Scriptures precisely and through a particular means. which here, we're talking about a prophet. In the Newer Testament, we're talking about an apostle. So, true and legitimate prophets are going to reveal the truths of God to the people of God. And the people of God will study the words of God to know and to learn what God says, so that they can know, not guess, know that they're actually following Him. If you don't know the Scriptures, you are a victim. Jesus said in Matthew 22, 29, you are in error because you do not know the Scriptures are the power of God. When people... I hear people all the time, especially at school, they talk about things in the Bible. The Bible says this, cleanliness is next to godliness. Did you know that's in the Bible? I just learned that this past couple of weeks ago. Do you know who said that first? Benjamin Franklin, I think. Yeah, I'm getting a nod yes, see that helps me. It's not in the Bible at all. But if you don't know what the Bible says, you can be told anything. How do cults rise up? Because there are false prophets, false apostles in this world, who are more than happy to lead people astray like the pied piper. And also, we should study the words of God because of prophets, but also, you should study because there are preachers, and preachers are mere men who can make mistakes. We're not inspired, we can make mistakes. But true and legitimate preachers will try to preach God's truth to you, They will do their best to make sure that they are correct. And they want to make sure that you understand that the Scriptures is the authority, not the pastor. I remember hearing a sermon by John R. DeWitt. The title of the sermon was, What is a Pulpit? And, you know, it's a piece of wood, right? You knock on it, here it is. And he says, a lot of people think, a lot of preachers think that the pulpit is the throne of the preacher of the Word of God. And it's not. He said, the pulpit is the throne of the Word of God that the preacher just gets to stand behind as a great privilege, but under a great obligation to get it right. So, this pulpit is to be used for you, this holy desk is for you to hear what comes across it and to check it out through the Scriptures. So it's very important that you understand what God is doing here. There's a second reason. In the Newer Testament, in Acts 15, 6, we have an example of the apostles and the elders. They're meeting together in Jerusalem at what's called the Jerusalem Council. And they're asking the question, a very important question, about what makes a Christian. And if Christianity was given to we Jews, they were all Jews, If Christianity was given to the Jews, are we going to allow the Gentiles to have part in this blessing of salvation that was promised to us from the Adamic Covenant on? So, as they were considering these questions about, can a Gentile be a Christian? They remembered the words of Amos. Now, if I were to stop right now and say, can you tell me what Amos said about Gentiles becoming Christians? Can you do it? But here are these people, and they're together, and they're talking about this question, this decision. Can we Jews let Gentiles have this privilege? And who do they come up with? none other than Amos, Amos 11-13. And it says, On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David which has fallen down, and repair its damages. I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom. And all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord Yahweh, who does this thing. That's what Amos says. So what does the newer testament, what does Peter say? Acts 15 and following. And with this the words of the prophets agree just as it is written. The prophets, particularly Amos. After this I will return. and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles, and all who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things. Known to God for eternity are all His works. You see how Amos is a centerpiece? He answers the question about our inclusion with God's plan of salvation. And he spoke about this inclusion of us. Except you, you were one of them. Praise the Lord. 2780 years ago, planned in eternity past, was our salvation. And God told Amos to write it, to say it, to write it down, to preach it, so that Peter could remember it and preach it later. So we're planning to examine the book of Amos. And as we do, the first reason is because it's the very Word of God, 2 Timothy 3.16. Also, it has living application to us today. Not only does it speak to our salvation, but it's a part of the Newer Testament that we should learn to use. Also, it has living application to us today because it's the Word of God. Hebrews 4, 12 and 13. I hope you memorize this one day. For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Big, right? Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. So the scriptures are given to us through the prophets and through the apostles to help us see where we are, to see what we are, to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, to lay us open and expose us to God, which He sees all things, but even to ourselves as we measure ourselves by the Scripture. We can't measure ourselves by another man or another woman. We measure ourselves by the Scriptures and only by the Scriptures. But also, Amos puts his name on this prophetic book. And this is a big deal. It's a serious matter for a prophet to put his name on a book, or for a prophet to speak in the name of Yahweh. And in 2 Peter, in chapter 1, verse 20 and 21, 2 Peter 1, 20 and 21. Let me start at 19. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed. which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." This is God's Word about God's Word. This is God's Word telling us that holy men, the men who tell the truth, that prophesy in truth, are men that God raised up and He put truth in their mouth. He guided them into the truth and they were brave enough to tell us the truth. even if it cost them their lives. And if you go to Hebrews chapter 11, you'll see how many, a few lives that telling the truth cost the prophets their lives. In history, we can see many, many of them. To claim to be a prophet of God also made you, and makes Amos, subject to the death penalty if he says anything false or gets anything wrong. How do I know that? Well if I turn to Deuteronomy chapter 18, and I read verses 19 through 22, I read these words, and it shall be that whoever will not hear my words which he speaks in my name, I will require it of him. Verse 20, But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, and you shall not be afraid of him. So here when Amos says Amos and writes down his book, he's putting himself, he's making himself subject to the death penalty if anything that he says is false. And he's going to go, he's in Judah, he's going to go to Israel where they were practicing idolatry and things that are so atrocious that a lot of preachers won't even preach them in mixed company because they're so awful. But also to claim to be a prophet of God meant that you did not introduce false religion. Also in Deuteronomy 13. So Amos is going to stand against false religion. Deuteronomy 13, 1-5 says this, If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice. You shall serve Him, and hold fast to Him. But the prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst." So what's going on here? When a prophet speaks, it's got to be right, it's got to be true, it's got to happen exactly as the prophet says it. But when a false prophet speaks, what's going to happen? If a false prophet speaks and you know the truth, you're supposed to see to it that he dies. God is going to see to it that he dies. But what if a false prophet speaks and you don't know the truth? This says that you could be led away. You could be led into damnation. You could be led into some of these cults that abuse people, abuse women horribly. So, knowing the Scriptures, the reason I want to start Amos with an advertisement to know the Scriptures, to learn the Scriptures, to love the Scriptures, how dangerous it is to not know your Bible. It's dangerous. And I think you all know that this world is showing itself as not knowing the Bible, and those who do know the Bible a little bit seem to not care much about what it says. So it's very important for us. So let me introduce Amos to you a little bit today. As I said, Amos is a minor prophet. He is a minor prophet because his prophecies are small. 146 verses. Compare that to Ezekiel. Compare that to Daniel. Compare that to Isaiah. Compare that to Jeremiah. So, he's a minor prophet because his prophecy is small. His prophecy is accurate though. And this designation, minor and major prophets, actually started with St. Augustine in the 4th century. So it's a... we never heard that. In fact, the Jews would call what we call the minor prophets, they would call the minor prophets the twelve. Because there are twelve of them. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. And we read Amos 1.1, and here's the scripture. The words of Amos, who was among the sheep herders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. Wait till I tell you about that earthquake, which I can't do today. But here, we learn that Amos takes responsibility for these words to serve Yahweh. He wasn't able to see what God wanted him to see so that he could tell the people what God wanted him to tell them. God wanted Amos to see what was going on in Israel so that he could compare it, and when he spoke to Israel, he could prophesy against what was going on, the idolatry and so forth. We learn that Amos was a sheep breeder. He was more than a keeper of sheep, a herder of sheep, but he was a breeder of sheep, which means he must have had a little more on the ball. I think breeding is much more intellectual than leading sheep. We learn that he brought God's truth during the years 760 to 750 BC. How do we know those dates? Because he prophesied during the days of Uzziah, the king of Judah, who prophesied from 767 to 739 BC, and in the days of Jeroboam II, 782 to 753 BC. And how do we know it was Jeroboam II and not Jeroboam I? Well, because Amos identifies Jeroboam as the son of Joash. Jeremiah I was the son of Nebat. Jeremiah II was the son of Joash. In your text it just says Jeroboam. So Amos prophesied during these days of Uzziah. and says 1-1. The prophet Amos was from the city of Tekoa, which was a high city. It was in the hills, but it was 2,000 feet above sea level, which is going to be important later in our text. It was five miles from Bethlehem, and it overlooked the wilderness of Judah. It was a place where flocks and herds and sheep and goats milled around, and Amos was perhaps the most unexpected, maybe the most unwelcome of all the prophets because he had no background among the prophets. His lineage, he was not the son of a prophet. He had no training as a prophet. He was just one of those people that was, you might say, picked out of mid-air by God to become a prophet. Amos tells us, the Lord took me as I followed the flock. And the Lord said to me, Go prophesy to my people Israel." Amos 7.15. But Amos was in the southern kingdom, Judah. Yet he was called to go to the northern kingdom, Israel. So immediately Amos knows he's got at least four obstacles, he's got four problems. He's from Judah, he's got to preach to the northern kingdom. Sue is the wrong place. He would be an outcast. He would be looked down on. He would be a nobody. He would have no social value at that point. He also was asked to preach at the wrong time. Why? Because Because Israel was, at this point in time, as wealthy as it has ever been. Life was good. The boundaries were expanding. They seemed to be safe from their enemies. The merchants were profiting. Everything was great. with overflowing prosperity, what happens to men's hearts? They often get hard. The more I get, the harder my heart gets, it seems to be the axiom in the world today. But that shouldn't be. The more you get, the softer your heart should get because God has given it to you, as we heard in the prayer. We receive these blessings from God. We have to recognize that they're from God. Obstacle three, and Amos would have known this, was there were lots of sin going on. The people were lacking justice, he's going to tell us. They had not shown mercy. They ignored the people in need. They did not help the poor. So there was lots of sin going on, and there was lots of sexual sin going on, and they were committing idolatry. It says that they were careful to give attention to their shrines and their altars because they had forgotten Yahweh. They had forgotten the Lord. The audience that Amos is sent to speak to were given over to grotesque sorts of immorality, abuse, fornication. The women were drunken women and they ignored the places of proper worship and established the places of false worship. So we've got a big book ahead of us, a big message ahead of us, I should say, a little book. So I'm going to ask you to do something. I'm going to ask you to make yourself ready to come back to sermon number two on the book of Amos. I want to ask you to specifically read Amos 1-1 through...