Amos the book of Amos You say pastor, where is that? We'll start Genesis and maybe before the message is over you'll find it. Okay, but the book of Amos Actually a little closer to Daniel Ezekiel Hosea Joel Amos Well the book of Amos you're there chapter number three. Have you all found it yet? Some of you I don't hear any pages turning. So I hope you're there You know, some of you are able to cheat now using your Bible on your phone, you know? So you're able to just type in Amos, you know, or scroll through and find it, so that's a good thing. But Amos chapter 3, I want to look here at two verses that I believe are the theme verses for the book of Isaiah. The Bible says here in Amos chapter 3, verse number 1, Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth. Therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities. Let's pray together. Father, thank you for tonight and thank you for this overview of the book of Amos. Would you please guide me as I share what you have laid on my heart and the things that I have studied? Help me to transmit these things clearly And may it be that the Spirit of God would speak to the hearts of every individual. May we apply the things that need to be applied in Jesus' name. Amen. If you look at the very first verse of the book of Amos, it tells us that Amos ministered in the days of Uzziah, who was king of Judah, as well as in the days of Jeroboam, who was king of Israel. And that was not the first Jeroboam. This is Jeroboam II, if you will. Israel at this time, when Amos is ministering, had been able to make some tremendous expansions of their kingdom due to two reasons. Syria actually had some military setbacks themselves, and then Assyria was a superpower that day, and for whatever reason, they were temporarily lulled to sleep. Well, this expansion of Israel helped them get into some of the trade routes and it began to increase their money that came in and their treasury box. The problem was that all the wealth that came into Israel was not used for the benefit of all the citizens of Israel. In fact, the old aristocracy of the nobles, the new merchant class that had risen up, actually kept the wealth for themselves and began to live luxuriously. In fact, the pattern of life began to change where people began to move out of the countryside and began to populate the cities, causing those cities to be overpopulated. Now, the overabundance of wealth, here was the main problem with all this, is it sprang from a corrupt system whereby large taxes were laid on the workers. Those that were of the nobility bought out the small farmers and began building grand estates for themselves. of the poor people, because they couldn't afford to live anymore, sold themselves. In fact, you can look at Amos chapter 2, verse 6. I won't, I won't read it, but basically Amos, the prophet, charges the rich people with selling the poor for a pair of shoes. In other words, a luxury pair of shoes were of more value than a fellow Israelite. Now, not only was there a problem as far as the taxes and people buying the poor out, but the justice system or the markets were very corrupt, as well as the justice system whereby the judges took bribes from the rich, siding with those oppressors. And with that, the middle class began to vanish. Now you'd almost think I'm talking about today, wouldn't you? Some of the things that I'm sharing here sound very, very similar today. Well, this is the day that Amos was called the minister in. Amos was a contemporary of Jonah, of Isaiah, and Hosea. In fact, his ministry was very similar to Hosea. And while Hosea preached against Israel and the religious and moral corruption, Amos preached against the economic and societal injustices. In fact, I believe the key of this nine-chapter book is found in the text that we read, Amos chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. You know, it's interesting. I read that there. In fact, let me emphasize this again. Look at the end of verse 2. God's saying here, therefore, I will punish you for all your iniquities. Sounds like a Joel Osteen sermon, doesn't it? Sounds a lot like the popular preachers of today. No, I'd have to say that many of the preachers today preaching these positive messages don't ever want to talk about anything negative. Don't mention sin from the pulpit. Don't talk about hell. Don't share these type of things. And really, if you hear those things, boy, it causes the hair on the back of your neck to bristle. But this is the word of the Lord that was spoken, notice this, against you. This talk of judgment, notice though, doesn't come from a stranger. But it comes from somebody who's uniquely related to them. Notice in verse number one, hear this word that the Lord Now, one of the reasons I like the King James Bible is because they've done well in the translation when it comes to the title of Jehovah, that covenant-keeping God here, they take the Lord and they put it in all capital letters, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. This is not a stranger, but this is someone who has invested in them, who loves them dearly. But also it's not just the Lord, but the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt. He's the one that has stuck his neck out, if you will, to save them, to rescue them from their bondage. And it's the God, notice, who talks in very familial language. He uses the word family. You know, it's amazing to me, judgment is always determined according to privilege. Increased privilege brings increased responsibility. And because these people who were rightly related with God, who had walked away from God, though God that had saved them, they had such responsibility, such privilege, and with that came a greater judgment that was upon them. So with these introductory thoughts, let's go ahead and dive in and explore this book of Amos. Let's talk first of all about the attributes of Amos, the attributes. The author, I think if you go back to chapter 1 verse number 1 it's clearly seen it is the man Amos. Now who was Amos? How would I describe Amos? He's almost like a backwoods cowboy from Tekoa. That's what he was. Tekoa is a city located about 6 miles southeast of Bethlehem overlooking the Dead Sea if you will. Now the way I can probably liken this is the ministry that Amos had taken from this small town, backwoods town, to this city to preach to the people of Israel, it almost be like taking a Florida cracker in the center of the state and sending him to New York City to be a missionary. way it was for Amos going to minister up there in Israel. But let me give the second attribute is the outline, the outline of the book of Amos. Now let me go ahead and give you the outline and then we'll discuss it all together. The outline is seen in three different parts. First of all, chapters 1 through 2 there are eight judgments that are given. Then in chapters three through six, there are three sermons that are given. And then in chapters seven through nine, there are five visions. So get this, eight judgments, three sermons, five visions. Now let's talk about them here all together. The eight judgments in chapters one through two, Look, if you will, at chapter 1, verse number 3. Notice what the Bible says. Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressions of Damascus, and for four. Look at verse number 6. For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four. Look at verse number 9. For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four. Do you realize eight times, that's the eight judgments, eight times this particular phrase for three transgressions and for four, that phrase is used. Now what is this all about? Well, this is not to be taken so much in a mathematical way, but it is literally an idiomatic expression for somebody that has gone too far. So what Amos is basically saying is, look, you have kept going in your rebellion, in your sin, in your walking away from God, and I want to tell you something, you've crossed the line. That's the idea of that phrase. Now notice who he gives it for. There are eight nations that are listed. If you look at chapter 1, verse 3, he lists it to Syria, or actually Damascus, which is the capital of Syria. In chapter 1, verse number 6, the fortress city of Gaza, that's to the country of Philistia. Remember the Philistines? That's the country. chapter 1 verse number 9, a seaport city, a very strong city, Tyre, that's part of Phoenicia. Chapter 1 verse 11, Edom. Chapter 1 verse 13, Ammon. Chapter 2 verse 1, Moab. Now the Israelites probably listening to Amos' sermon is probably saying to themselves, yeah, get them. Those Moabites, those Edomites, those people of Philistia, yeah, they need God's judgment. then Amos turns and starts applying it to them. Because in chapter 2 verse 4, for four transgressions of Judah and for four, and then in chapter 2 verse 6, Israel. So now while they're gleeful about Amos speaking words of judgment against the other nations, Amos begins to take God's guns and turns them against them. seven times Amos speaks of God sending a fire judgment upon these nations. And is it not amazing how God's Word was fulfilled? God said judgment was going to come. God doesn't shirk on His Word. It actually happens. So these eight judgments are interesting to note in the first two chapters. Let me come to the next point, chapters 3 through 6, the three sermons, three sermons. Now God really does turn His attention to Israel. God begins to look in these four chapters and begins to talk to Israel in a great way. And there are three ways to view these three sermons. First of all, the sermons are clearly marked out. There's no doubting how they start. start with these words, hear this word. Look at chapter 3 verse 1, notice that, hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you. Chapter 4 verse number 1, hear this word ye kind of Bashan. chapter 5 verse 1, hear ye this word which I take up against you. There's the three sermons beginning in chapter 3, second one chapter 4, third one chapter number 5. Second way I can view these three sermons is this, you can divide each of these sermons in half, not quite in half, but you can look at them in two sections. And they're divided with one simple word, it's the word therefore. Let me show you this for just a moment. chapter 3 verse number 11, therefore thus saith the Lord God. Look at chapter 4 verse number 12, therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel. Chapter 5 verse 16, now don't get caught off guard. A couple of times in chapter 5 the word therefore is used, but in chapter 5 verse number 16 is the break in this sermon. Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord saith thus. What's this word therefore for? What is it doing in splitting the sermon? Well, the first part of the sermon of each of them is God is saying, I'm going to give this judgment. And in the second part of the sermon, God's determining to give this. That's the way these sermons are split. Let me give you one other factor of being able to look at these sermons. And again, I'm just whetting your appetite on some of these things. Each sermon has a different aspect in how God's dealing with Israel. The first sermon in chapter 3, it shows Israel's guilt in the present. That is, God's telling His plan of judgment for them right now. Chapter 4, this is Israel's sin in the past. This is Israel's refusal. This is Israel basically in the past had refused to turn to God. That's why God's judgment's coming on them. Chapters five and six, Israel's punishment in the future. But this is why God is saying, seek. Three times in this third sermon, you know what you find? The word seek. You know what's amazing to me? Every time God begins to spell things out, He always calls for people to come to Him. He always calls and three times, seek me and you shall live. What a powerful power of testimony. Now the third part of this book is chapter seven through nine, the remaining chapters. These are the five visions. So eight judgments against eight nations, three sermons targeted Israel, five visions in these remaining chapters. Now, a vision, we're talking about a sermon illustration, if you will, an object lesson. Many of the prophets in the Old Testament would use these, but notice what Amos and what he uses. Look at chapter 7, if you will, and verses 1 through 3. Notice how he uses grasshoppers as a judgment. Now, that's not anything new. We saw in a previous prophetical book about locusts. In chapter 7, verses 4 through 6, there's a judgment of fire, a vision that's given here. In chapter 7, verses 7 through 9, he uses this idea of the plumb line. Now, what is a plumb line? Well, a plumb line is a weight hanging by a cord. Gravity would ensure that the weight, that the weight hangs perfectly straight, giving assurance to the builder that the structure is vertically aligned. Now our equivalent today would not be a plumb line, but we'd use a level. All right? But what they referred to it as was a plumb line. So that was an illustration that, that he gave here. In chapter 8, verses 1 through 3, it is of summer fruit that is ripe And then chapter 9, verse number 1, a very fitting vision. Now picture this, if you will, God standing on the altar. Now these five visions are very interesting because there is a progression in all of these visions. With the grasshoppers, who will eat all the crop, Notice in verses 1 through 3 of chapter 7, Amos prays that God would stop the judgment. Look at this. In verse number 2, 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 Jacob shall arise for he is small. And guess what? Verse number 3, the Lord repented for this. It shall not be. So a vision that he's receiving about grasshoppers that are going to come in. And when, when Amos is seeing this vision of the destruction that's going to come on, he says, oh God, forgive them. And God said, oh no, no, this is not going to be. Now notice in verse 4 through 6, thus hath the Lord shown unto me, and behold, the Lord God called to contend by fire. And look at verse 5, what does He do again? He says, O Lord, God sees I beseech Thee. And what happened in verse 6? The Lord repented for this, said it's not going to be. Look now in verses 7 through 9, He showed me, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumb line with a plumb line in His hand. Now why this vision of the plumb line? We're talking here about a wall that's to be vertical and everything's to be set straight. Well, I wanna tell you something. What God is showing to Israel is God is that plumb line. His word is the anchor to which we ought to be and everything that we have is not measuring up to that plumb line. Now notice this, God shows His righteous standard and their wayward behavior is shown to be crooked. And so He determines to send judgment, but you read in verses 7 through 9, you don't see where Amos prays. All right, Amos doesn't pray. Now we come to chapter number eight, and it's very interesting here. In chapter number eight of the summer fruit, it gives us an indication of ripe fruit. Now, how many have ever had real ripe fruit sitting on the countertop at home? I mean, it doesn't last long, does it? You got some bananas that are really ripe, you better eat them or you're gonna be pitching them, all right? That's the idea of the summer fruit. What God is basically giving of this vision to Amos is, Judgment is coming near. It's near. And notice the words given in verse number two of chapter eight. The end, notice the end here, the end has come upon my people of Israel, and look at these words, I will not again pass by them anymore. You see the progression that's going on here? In the first vision, the grasshoppers, Amos prays. God says, all right, I'm not gonna do it. Next vision of fire, Amos prays. God says, I'm not gonna do it. The next one shows they're not holding up to the standard God has set and judgment is coming. The summer fruit, that judgment is coming near. But now notice in chapter nine, verse number one, interesting. I saw the Lord standing upon the altar. Now which altar? We talked here this morning about the altar that was set up there in the temple of Solomon's temple and Herod's temple and various other things, but I really believe this is the false temple of Bethel. God is standing here. Notice what He does here. He smites the lintel of the door and that the post may shake and cuts them in the head, all of them, and I will slay the last of them with the sword. That's the destruction. God is standing on the false altar and is striking it down. Now again, this is the outline that is given in this book here, these three different points. Now let's analyze this book for just a moment, the analysis of Amos. What can I say about the book of Amos that would help cause you to think through about this book? First of all, could I say this? God is a God who will judge. Now listen to that. God is a God who will judge. This has become a distasteful subject in American Christianity. And even if we can't stomach it, we tend to say this, well, God's a God of judgment in the Old Testament, but boy, in the New Testament, He's all mercy and love and peaches and cream. No, no, I want to tell you something. God's judgment is seen in the Old Testament, so is his love and mercy and grace. God's love and mercy, yes, is accentuated in the New Testament, but there's no doubt there's God's judgment. Because as we study the book of Revelation, we're going to see God's judgment will sure be coming. You know, the Bible does tell us that God is a God of judgment. Psalm 97 verse 2, clouds and darkness are round about him. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Psalm 7 verse number 11, God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. That's amazing to me how people Out in the world today, when we start talking about the Bible and defining who God is, all right, God's a God of love, God's a God of mercy, God's a holy God, and God judges, and people go, oh, we don't like that. People start kind of cringing and saying, well, we don't like that. But isn't it the same group of people who don't like the fact that God is a God of justice and will judge and set things right, that we are the same people who, when there are wrongs, we want everything corrected, don't we? That's the way we are today. I mean, God has put that within our very being. that when we see someone that goes off scot-free, that the law, the judges, the jury should have seen the wrong of this person, we say, where's the justice? And all through this world, we're crying out regularly for justice. So I have to say to people who cringe and start to get a little sourpuss about God being a judge, you need a God who is a just God. Because God, who sometimes may seem silent right now, will someday step in and right every wrong. He really will. And I can say to you today that yes, there is coming a time, as we read in the book of Revelation, that He will set everything right. But can I say to you today that God has already judged sin at the cross? Romans chapter 8 verse number 3, for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, notice this, condemned sin in the flesh. You know what God did? God placed sin upon His own Son. And how powerful. Those of you who have trusted Christ here tonight, your sins, hallelujah, have been judged at the cross. Well, that's one part to analyze the book of Judges is the fact that God is a God who will judge. I could go on the rest of the sermon. Well, I will not. Let me just share a couple things with you. There are famous quotes in the book of Amos. Go back to Amos chapter 3, verse number 3. You ever heard this, can two walk together except they be agreed? It's a very famous verse. The verse actually begins a series of seven rhetorical questions illustrating that God does send, in verse number six it uses the word evil, but notice it's the word calamity. That's the idea of the judgment. Now, I like this verse because this verse has been used and ought to be used as a great illustration of our Christian walk. Can two people walk together except they be on the same page, if you will, except they be agreed? Illustration, can two people who are ready to get married, and one is saved, and the other is saved, do you think they're going to have a great walk together in life? Well, you say, well, they love one another. Love waxes and wanes throughout marriage, doesn't it? You know, sometimes the feelings, the emotions, all that. But I want to tell you some of the greatest things about people walking together, whether it be in a marriage, whether it be a business partnership, whatever it may be, how important that those two people be together and they be walking together with the same principles. Young people ought to be looking in the right places for a boyfriend and girlfriend. how important that is. Amos chapter 4 verse number 12, notice here the last phrase of verse number 12, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, famous phrase. Now this verse is not so much as a Gospel appeal because it's really first and foremost its primary application is in the area of judgment. Israel, prepare to meet your God. But nothing wrong with talking to unsaved people. I've used it on the deathbed of people who haven't trusted Christ. And I've shared the gospel, and yet knowing that they're soon going to pass from this life, and I've quoted this, prepare to meet thy God. You say, Pastor, that's tough. Well, I'll tell you what, with some last breaths, I would like to give some hard words. Prepare to meet thy God, oh Israel. I won't look at these, but chapter 5, verse number 1, chapter 6, verse 1 are both also famous phrases and verses that are given. But let me get to another analysis of the book of Amos, and that is this. The devil will always rouse some who hate God's message. Go to chapter 7, if you will, and look at verse number 10. Bible says, then Amaziah, chapter 7 verse 10, Amaziah the priest of Bethel, now already this is a false prophet, just mark it down, sent to Jeroboam king of Israel saying, now basically scribbles down this note, gets it off to the king and here's what he says, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel. and the land is not able to bear all his words. This guy is going to bankrupt us. He's hurting us. For Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away. And notice here what he says in the Amaziah, Amaziah says to the prophet, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread and prophesy there, but prophesy not again anymore of Bethel. You know what he's saying? Hey, old man, You cracker from down in Judah, right in the desert area, go back to your little place, eat bread, go watch the sheep down here. We'll take care of things up here." Throws out an insult to this man. Amaziah, the priest in charge of the worship at Bethel, charges Amos, if you will, with hate crimes. The message that Amos was given was not acceptable to those in the positions of leadership. And because Amos spoke out against the unfair practices against the poor and that God would judge the rich and the leaders for their oppression, guess how they viewed it? As a threat. It's pretty amazing some of the things that are going on today. I look at some of the things that are going on politically. It's pretty amazing the neighbors north of us here of the United States, how they're starting to squash certain news media because speaking out against some of the things that are going on. But I'm more concerned about a Christian message here today and the message of the word of God. Politics are gonna come and go, all that stuff is passing us by. But I wanna tell you something, there are groups of people that wanna stamp out this message. I've had people say to me, Pastor, you ought to be careful about what you say from the pulpit. And I understand. If I get up here and get stupid, then I deserve anything I get. If I get up here and speak the truth without being in love with it, the Bible says speak the truth in love. then I'm being a little bit careless. But if I stand up here and with passion and with desire and with love, share the truth of the word of God, my friend, we ought to do it boldly. No matter what goes on today. And I'm telling you, we're coming into a day that is beginning to divide Christians. Those that want to cower and be quiet and go, don't say anything. Don't ruffle any feathers. My friend, I want to just tell you, God's told me to stand up and shout it out. Now, I'm not going to be stupid about it. As Paul did, Paul got stoned, but he got away in order to fight another day. But I think all of us are going to face, whether it's in family, a neighborhood, a community, or in the days ahead, we start seeing a pushback against the message. But I'm here to tell you, the devil will always rouse up those who hate God's message. And it's important we stand for truth. Well, how about the next major point, the announcement of Christ and Amos? I'll give these very quickly. If you're staying there in chapter 7, Amos is a type of Christ. Look at verse number 14 of chapter 7. I love after Amaziah says to Amos, look, Amos, go back to your backwards country. Go back down there. And Amos basically said in verse 14, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son. but I was an herdman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit. And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, go prophesy unto my people Israel. I love this. It was the Lord who took him and told him what to do and exactly what he was to minister. To all these leaders, This backwoods farm boy was a laughingstock. But you know, that was very similar to Christ. People didn't recognize Jesus for who he was. Remember when Philip went to Nathanael, said, look, we found him, the Messiah. Nathanael finds out he's from Nazareth. He said, look, is there anything good come out of Nazareth? Come on. Well, that's the way it was with Amos. Amos here, like unto Christ. But chapter 9, verses 11 through 15, when you read about the restoration of Israel, Amos looks well beyond the destruction of Israel to a time when Israel will be restored. And the emphasis here, though it doesn't mention Messiah by name, who sets that up but Jesus, the Messiah? He's the one, the Lord Christ, who will establish His future kingdom. Now, let me apply the book of Amos, and I'll wrap this up. First of all, chapter 7, verse 14, I was there a few moments ago. where Amos basically says, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son, but I was an herdman, and to gather a sycamore fruit. Can I say this? If I were to apply the book of Isaiah, number one, I want you to notice here, God is looking for people with a heart for him. He's looking for people with a heart for him. The wording that Amos gives to Amaziah is this. Look, Amaziah, I know you're upset at me. I know you want me to leave. I know you think I'm a threat to national security, but I want to tell you something. I'm not a preacher, really. I wasn't educated as a preacher. I'm not part of the ministerial association. I just was taken by God, and in essence, what he's telling Amaziah is, I'm a simple layperson in a church, and I was given this duty by God. Amos was not bound to any theological school. He was not part of some preacher's group. He was only sensitive to the moving of God in his life, and he obeyed God. And may I tell you tonight, God has little interest in training, position, or success in this life. This is not to say, now don't misunderstand this, this is not to say that those that are educated, those that have seen some success, that God doesn't want, but God's not just looking at that crowd. See, sometimes we say to ourself, well, I can't be used by God. I don't have a four-year college degree. I didn't finish high school. Let me just tell you, some of the wisest people I've ever met and some of the greatest counsel I've gotten from people are people that never finished high school. I'm telling you the God honest truth. You know why? Because they are people who just simply got into the Word of God and read it and obeyed it, read it, obeyed it, read it, followed it, and God did a work in their life, and they just kind of bled all over such spiritual truth. And it was wonderful to sit before them and to listen. We know what God's looking for. He's looking for, don't miss this. Don't say, well, I'm gonna have to do certain things before I can be used by God. No, you can be used by God tonight. You can be used by God this week. All you need is a heart for God. What we need in our church is people who are sensitive and truly have a heart for God. Number two, another way to apply this is we're all burden barriers. burden bearers. The name Amos means burden. That's pretty amazing to me. When you look to the Scripture, on a few occasions, the Old Testament prophets, you'll see these words, the burden of, the burden for. And what was it? It was a message that God had given to the prophet, and it was a heavy message that it was upon him to deliver that message. We have that. You look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5. If you're saved tonight, you have been reconciled to God. Isn't it wonderful that you've been taken out of the devil's group here, you've been saved from the bondage of sin, and you've been brought into God's family? You've been reconciled to God. Now, what does 2 Corinthians 5 tell us? Now that we've been reconciled to God, what do we have? A message of reconciliation. That means there are other people that were just like you, who were in bondage, who disobeyed God, who walked away from God, and you have a message, and my friend, it is a burden. Do you feel it? Do you feel the burden? Now some of you that don't care about going out and witnessing, some of you that don't give any effort at all, you don't sense the burden. Something's wrong. For every Christian, there ought to be this burden to want to share the gospel. I'm telling you what, in two weeks when we have this first responder, I have got a burden for these people that there would be people who would trust Christ. I had a burden I can't share with you, praying last night and this morning, getting up early and asking God, oh God, would you save somebody? Now, I didn't see anybody walk the aisle, I didn't see anybody raise their hand, but I'm not saying, it may be that somebody went home and said, boy, I'm so burdened about that message that I heard. I need to get right with God. But every one of us, not just the preacher, every one of us ought to have a burden for the unsaved. Number three, let me give this, go to chapter 5, verse 24, and I'm done. Frivolous words of a preacher, I know. Look at this, Bible says, but let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. You know what this verse tells me? True religion demands right behavior. I don't like to use the word religion a whole lot, but let's just use it in this sense. True religion or true Christianity, what's it all about? Well, to the Jewish people, for them it was, hey, as long as I observe all the feast days, As long as I make sure that we burn all the right sacrifices, as long as we take care of all of the essentials, God will be pleased with us. You know what it was? It was all outward, outward, outward. We look good, we did right in these areas. God said, all right, observe these days, do these things, all right. Checked them off, I'm done, I got it. But I want to tell you something, true Christianity is all about the heart and a changed life. All these Jewish people in Amos' day had all the outward things going on in their forms of worship, but they were sinning against God. Today, very sadly, we have the same thing. We have people today that say, well, preacher, I attended church today. Aren't you happy with me? I read my Bible most of the week. I participated in church activities, yet I would dare say that as God who knows the heart, unlike you and I, we see the outer form, but God knows the heart. God knows whether the inside matches the outside. And what do you think God's concerned about? God's concerned about the inside. Now, it's good for you to attend church. It's good for you to get involved in these activities. It's good for you to do these things and to observe all this. But I tell you what, many times in our American Christianity, we're so concerned about looking good, playing the part, fitting everything together, so that way people know how good of a Christian I am. True Christianity really demands right behavior. The problem in Amos' day, they weren't properly serving out justice to others. They weren't following God's will as they should have. And my friend and I, you and I need to be people who have a life that is pleasing before God.