God, thank you so much for everyone who's here,
for all the regular Church of Maasai people,
for all our guests.
Most of all, thank you that you're here.
God, you are not our guest of honor.
You're the reason that we're here.
And we come to you and we come to you with great expectancy,
knowing that you who've spoken through the ages
can speak again to us today.
Would you please speak to us?
But Lord, help us not just be those who hear your word
and go on unchanged.
Help us to hear your word,
to hear it spoken into our lives.
Into the deep places of our hearts,
of our minds, of all who we are.
And would you help us to change?
God, I'm barely more than a child.
For this to be the case, for you to speak to us,
I need your help.
So please speak through the power of your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Please be seated.
I remember when I was a boy,
I was having a sleepover with one of my best friends,
Dan Damien, his little brother Michael,
and my big brother Josh were all at my parents' home.
So much fun.
And my parents, they love us,
they gave us a lot of freedom,
but they also gave some guidelines because they love us.
And so one of those guidelines meant there was,
I can't remember what hour it was,
but there was a certain hour
by which we had to turn the light off and go to sleep.
It was later than we normally get to go to bed,
but we were so stoked.
This was my best friend.
We saw each other every single day.
And so we were there,
and I just remember we were having so much fun.
We had no idea what time it was,
and we were talking,
and my back,
I was facing the window in the room,
so my back was to the door.
And we were all like being pretty loud,
as some boys are.
And all of a sudden,
I remember,
I still this day,
I remember my brother Josh's face.
It just went pale.
And his eyes got kind of big,
and he was trying to communicate something to me,
his little brother.
I'm his little brother.
I didn't give a rip.
I just,
I do my thing.
And so I was still talking,
and finally,
I was the only one talking,
right?
So I was like,
hey,
I have a lot of siblings.
This was my moment.
And so I was like,
everyone's listening,
right?
So I'm just like,
I don't know what I was doing.
I just remember stupid.
And then all of a sudden,
I heard my father's voice.
And my brother had been trying to communicate to me
that my dad was at the door.
Now,
I'm the only one of all the guys at the sleepover
that the sleepover ended for me right there.
My dad brought me to the living room.
It was actually,
it was this cool house,
where it used to be two different homes
that were kind of combined.
So when they brought me to the other part,
like I was,
I was in another house,
basically.
And same address,
like different house.
I was so frustrated.
I like,
why,
why does my dad hate fun?
Why does my dad hate me?
Like,
he's always been a great dad.
But that moment,
it was just like,
the world was dark.
I remember just,
I had to,
he put me on the couch.
I just like,
sleeping on the couch.
I wasn't sleeping though.
And I was just frustrated.
And I just didn't understand
why he was such a killjoy.
And I just went to sleep in a bad mood.
My brother Josh's face,
I,
that,
that look of like,
of concern,
of trying to communicate,
is the voice of Amos in this passage.
It really is.
And if you just look at it,
like even my brother's face,
I remember like,
what,
like what's your deal,
man?
Like why,
why are you being a killjoy right now?
Like he just went from laughter.
As a boy,
all I wanted was for,
to make people laugh.
And he wasn't laughing.
And woe to you who desire the day of the Lord.
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
It is darkness and not light.
As if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into his house,
and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
The people of Israel,
the people of God,
they were going through different things,
different times.
The time that Amos is writing in
is the time of relative affluency.
The middle class is doing well.
They're very spiritual.
And yet there was rumblings around them
as the big empires of Assyria,
the different ones were growing,
and they were eating up these different places.
And so there's definitely,
on the one hand,
a lot of confidence in themselves.
At the same time,
there's a lot of laughter,
a lot of good stuff.
At the same time,
there's this growing sense of dread
some people had in fear.
And yet the people of God,
they really had this confidence,
not just in how affluent they were,
but that no matter what happened,
the day of the Lord was coming.
The day of the Lord,
the day of judgment,
the day of judgment
for all the peoples around them,
they thought.
They thought because they were God's people,
because they were believers,
because they were spiritual,
when God came,
when God came to them as the Messiah,
he was going to just crush
all those who opposed God,
and they would find
that they were the big dogs.
You see that same,
like when Jesus is coming
into Jerusalem on the donkey,
and the people are going wild,
they really believe
that the Messiah is coming
to destroy Rome.
And even though that's like 400 years,
like five, six,
about 800 years after this is written,
that same kind of confidence
that this Messiah
was going to just crush
all the enemies of God,
they had.
Now that's a fair confidence they have.
God is coming to crush the enemy.
What they didn't understand
is they actually had found themselves
on the side of the enemy,
despite all their spirituality.
Woe to you who desire
the day of the Lord.
Why would you have
the day of the Lord?
It is darkness and not light.
As if a man fled from a lion
and a bear met him.
In a sense,
what he's saying right here
is that in there,
seeing that Assyria
is like a lion,
he's there to destroy them,
and they're going,
well, you know what?
We're going to escape this lion
because we're the people of God.
And he's saying,
you know what?
Yeah, you'll escape the lion,
but you'll be met by a hungry bear,
and it's going to destroy you.
The next image,
or went into the house
and leaned his hand against the wall.
In your own home,
and the aspect of leaning against something,
it's one of a casual safety.
You're safe in your own home,
and the attitude of leaning your hand
against the wall,
you're chill right there.
And he's saying,
you're there in this casual safety.
This is your safe place,
your happy place.
But what you think is a wall,
a thing that holds a roof above your head,
and that is something to lean on,
casual safety.
It actually is a serpent that will bite you.
And who is that serpent here?
Is it the devil?
No, actually,
he's comparing that,
which they think is their safety,
to something that will actually bring them down.
In this passage,
the serpent,
as far as I can tell,
is actually God.
He's saying that that,
it's just an analogy,
he's not saying God's a serpent,
but he's saying that
this thing you think is your safety
is actually going to bite.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness
and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it.
Confusing words to the people hearing it then,
maybe confusing to us now.
It was confusing to me
as I thought we were just having a good time,
and my brother's face is trying to communicate,
hey, there's something serious going on.
He's trying to warn me,
Daniel,
if you keep doing your thing,
you're going to get in trouble.
And Amos is trying to communicate that to them.
The next words are really intense.
I hate,
I despise your feasts.
It's easy as we read these,
these very negative words.
For us to miss how good the people are doing.
So let's read what's going on.
What are the people actually up to?
Your feasts,
solemn assemblies,
verse 22,
burnt offerings,
grain offerings,
peace offerings,
of your fat animals,
your songs,
melody of your harps.
These people,
when it says feasts,
these are not like these Canaanite feasts
where it's all orgies and crazy stuff.
These,
as far as we can tell,
would be the feasts of God.
The feasts of God,
the feasts God commanded them to do.
Passover,
Sukkot,
these feasts,
these are good feasts.
Solemn assemblies.
Again,
we're not talking about them burning their children in the fire
as they had done at certain times.
These solemn assemblies would probably,
most likely,
actually be things like church
where the people of God are getting together
to sing songs to God
and to hear the Bible.
Burnt offerings and grain offerings.
These are the things God commanded them to do.
And not only are they giving burnt offerings
and peace offerings,
but these are the fat animals.
Remember Cain and Abel.
One of the issues with,
I always get it confused,
Cain,
Abel.
Abel is the one who offered the right sacrifice.
He was giving his best to God.
And Cain seems to have been giving,
Abel was giving the fat,
the best sheep.
And then Cain was kind of giving
just of the other stuff.
But here he's saying,
you guys are giving,
you guys are giving God the fat animal,
the best you have of your animals.
It's so good.
I want to be,
I want to be spiritual like that.
I want to be faithful like that.
And then there are also people
who aren't just coming together,
just being really solemn
in their solemn assemblies,
but they're people
who are making a noise of songs
that melody in their harps,
they're singing.
And yet,
fill in the words we miss.
We're just reading your feasts,
your solemn assemblies,
your burnt offerings.
What is God's attitude,
what is God's attitude
toward these things?
I hate,
this isn't Amos speaking,
he's just recording God's word.
I hate,
I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight
in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me
your burnt offerings
and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
And the peace offerings
of your fat animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me
the noise of your songs.
To the melody of your harps,
I will not listen.
These are scary words.
Because you can be
doing a diagnostic
of your life,
how am I doing spiritually?
And you would look at,
you're doing the feasts,
you're eating in the context,
feasting in the context
that God commanded.
You're gathering together
with the believers.
The Bible says,
don't forsake the gathering
of the believers.
They're not,
they're doing it,
they're solemn assemblies.
And they're giving them
some of their best stuff.
And God says,
I will not listen
to your songs.
That's a scary place to be.
What else are you supposed to do?
What else can you give God
but your best?
God won't have it.
So what's going on?
Verse 24,
but let justice roll down
like waters
and righteousness
like an ever-flowing stream.
Did you bring,
did you bring to me
sacrifices and offerings
during the 40 years
in the wilderness,
O host of Israel?
You shall take up
Sukkot, your king,
and Kion, your star god,
your images that you made
for yourselves.
And through these words,
God is saying to them,
you know what,
yes, you're doing
all the spiritual activity
and maybe those around you
and even yourself
are impressed with yourself.
But look what they're doing.
These people have made
for themselves
these little idols.
From reading commentaries
this week,
my understanding is that
Sukkot,
that these were these idols
that they're like pocket idols
that you can put in your pocket
and take with you to work
and you can have with you.
And so these people
were doing all the spiritual stuff,
but they'd done
what we call synchronism
where they were doing
both the stuff of God
but also the stuff
of the people around them.
And God,
because of that,
says,
I will not hear your singing.
I despise your feasts
and all your spiritual activity.
Why is God so mad?
Well, it's kind of like
if you're married
and say the husband
says to his wife,
like,
say the wife saying to her husband,
like,
hey, like,
you know what,
I hate,
I hate your vacuuming
of the house.
I despise your working hard
to help pay rent.
I despise your budgeting.
I will not even look upon
your playing with the kids
before bedtime.
And the husband's like,
do you know that
all the other wives
wish that their husband
did the things
you just mentioned
that I do?
Like,
I'm the husband
that all the ladies
wish their husband were.
You know what I'm saying?
And she's like,
you do all these things,
but you don't love me.
And you don't even love
the children.
You're just doing it
because it's a checklist
of things.
It makes you feel good
about yourself,
but you're selfish.
And the husband's like,
no, no, no, no, no.
I, I,
not only do,
do I do these things,
but you know what?
Remember our vows?
And he reads the vows.
They're so beautiful vows.
Just like they'd be,
they'd be,
and the psalm assemblies,
they would be reading
the words of the hero Israel,
the Lord your God,
the Lord is one.
They'd be saying these things.
And he's saying,
you know,
I'm,
he reads his vows to her,
expecting that she's going
to tear up
because they're so beautiful.
He wrote his vows himself,
you know,
the creative people
who do that at their weddings.
And so he's like,
you listen to this.
And you know what, honey?
I mean,
I keep this on Sundays,
on Tuesdays,
Wednesdays,
Fridays,
and Saturdays.
What more do you want?
And she's like,
exactly.
Like,
what about,
I'm not going to math.
What about those Mondays
and like Thursdays
where you're going on
sleeping with other women?
And he's like,
you don't understand.
I'm so with you
and I'm with you.
And when I'm with you,
you're the only one
in my mind.
And she's like,
what about Mondays
and Thursdays
and you're going
and sleeping around?
He's like,
come on.
I am paying rent.
That's kind of the conversation
going on right now
where God is saying,
you are so proud
of your spiritual activity.
You're doing,
in our language,
you're doing church.
And you're the one,
you're not giving 10%.
You're giving 11%
just because you can.
And you understand
that you're not just
giving up your money
but like you're also
volunteering in Sunday school
and you're doing
all this great stuff
and God's saying,
it's not only
do I not care about it
but it stinks
because somehow
you think you're buying me off
with those things
when what I want
is your love.
What I want
is your love,
God is saying.
But let justice
roll down like waters.
I can't read these words
without hearing
the much more epic
Martin Luther King Jr.
saying those words.
But let justice
roll down like waters.
I'm not going to try
to imitate him.
But let justice
roll down like waters.
The image here
is a cascading
white water rapids
into a waterfall.
There's overwhelming,
overflowing justice.
Justice.
What is justice?
It's an all-encompassing
right way of living.
It is all these things
that Amos has been speaking
about chapter after chapter
of saying,
guys,
you are trampling
on the poor.
Justice is caring
for the poor.
You guys are being
sexually immoral.
Justice includes
sexual integrity.
It includes all areas of life.
It's a completely
all-consumed devotion
to what is right.
Let justice roll down
like waters
and righteousness
like an ever-flowing
stream.
God is saying to them,
what I want
isn't just all
the spiritual activity.
That's actually
all really good things.
But what I want
is all of who you are.
What I want
is all of you.
He doesn't want
our synchronism.
He doesn't want us
to be trying to combine
and merge
our spirituality
with our other stuff.
God wants all that we are.
He wants all of us.
You know,
the temptation
for the people of God
at this time
was to begin
combining their walk
with God
with the religions
around them.
And the Canaanite religion,
I'm not an expert
in Canaanite religion.
I'm just getting this
from others.
But from what we can tell
from history,
the Canaanite religion
was all about
do's and don'ts,
spiritual stuff.
So you can do
whatever you want to do.
They're God's Moloch,
whoever it was,
Baal.
They didn't really
have anything,
any requirements
about your fidelity
to your husband
or wife.
They didn't have anything
about your sexual integrity.
They didn't define
those things.
It was simply a religion
of this is the type
of sacrifice
you bring to the God
at this time of year.
This is the type
of feast you celebrate
at this time.
This is the type
of thing you'll do
on this day of the week.
This is,
and so as a result,
you can live
however you want to live,
but you just got to do
your spiritual things.
And if you do that,
then the gods
will be favorable to you.
And so the people
of God see that
and then they apply
that to their own,
to the scriptures.
And they see
that the scriptures
call us to spiritual activity.
And so like,
okay,
you know what,
we're not just going
to do the minimum.
We're just going
to max out
and all these,
the feasts,
we'll celebrate them
like no one's ever
celebrated them.
And God is saying,
you know,
I'm not like,
I'm not like
the Canaanite religion
where if you just
give me your lip service
and you sing me the songs
and you pour out
your wine offering,
your libations
and all that stuff,
then I'm pleased
with you.
No,
I don't want
your sacrifice.
I want you.
I don't want
your sacrifice.
I want you.
Now the temptation
for these guys,
the people of God
at this time,
to be like the people
around them,
would be to have
little pocket idols,
things that you can touch
and feel throughout the day
if you're feeling
a little nervous,
little superstition,
stuff like that.
And God is saying,
no,
I want you.
I don't want that.
And what is the temptation
for you and me?
I don't know if there are
people here who maybe
you have a Hindu background
and so you're tempted
to like have some
little idol figurines
and like bow
and whatever,
give them food and stuff.
There might be some of us here.
If that's you,
you're welcome here.
I think for most of us,
the temptation is actually
to have a different God,
which is ourselves.
As some of you know,
I'm at Camp Iowa
and this past week,
every week,
we've been singing a song
with a big,
it's a really fun song.
Mostly it's the band
that we're playing the songs,
but this one we put on
like the background soundtrack
and we have the actions to it.
And it goes,
my God is so big
and so strong
and so mighty.
There's nothing
my God cannot do.
It's a full band.
It's just,
it's awesome.
This past week,
I discovered that the boys,
it was Boys Week,
and the boys made
their own lyrics to it.
And they were singing,
my balls are so big
and so strong
and so mighty.
There's nothing
my balls cannot do.
Okay?
Now you look shocked.
I just said that.
That's what they were singing.
And what I actually appreciate
about their song
is they put to lyrics
what so many of us
do with our lives.
These boys,
I spoke to them
at the primetime,
the preaching session.
I said,
you guys think you're so funny.
And to be honest,
privately,
I'm thinking in my head
like you guys
are actually so funny.
But I'm just like,
you guys think you're so funny
singing about your balls.
Just in case
if there's any generational gap.
They're singing about
their testicles.
Okay?
You guys think you're so funny.
Okay?
But listen,
you guys,
you're settling
for something so small
and so insignificant.
You think you've discovered
how to,
oh, you guys,
you guys are the cool kids.
You guys,
you've invented your own lyrics.
But what you've done
is as if someone
has given you the keys
to a magnificent castle.
It's amazing.
You never,
it's not the stuff
you dreamed of.
It's bigger than
the stuff you dreamed of.
And you like hockey?
There's a skating arena there
or ice rink,
I guess we call them.
Whatever.
You know,
it's got everything you want.
All the toys
and so much more.
It's so fun.
It's such an adventure.
You can explore
the halls
and all the different aspects
of the castle
forever and ever.
And you'll never
discover all of it.
It's made for sardines,
the game.
You know,
like it's unreal.
And yet you guys,
I come across you.
I'm your buddy.
I come and you guys
are making sandcastles.
You're like,
look at our castle.
It's so big.
It's so awesome.
We're so cool.
We made this ourselves.
And look,
like it's not just like
we made like our own moat
and we have water
and we even have
like little fishes in it.
Like look at us.
And you're like,
okay,
that's cool.
But you know
there's a real moat
with real castle walls
with a real castle
right behind you
and you have settled
for a sandcastle.
And then as I was chatting
with them,
I was like,
you know what?
That's a bad analogy.
What you actually are doing
is you haven't made
a sandcastle.
I'm sorry,
I'm at camp
but it's a little more
gritty.
You haven't made a sandcastle.
You've made a poop castle.
You actually have taken manure
and not just like horse manure.
Like you've taken human feces
and you're making
your own little castle.
Like this is so cool.
We have a castle.
We're so good.
And it's like actually
you have first
a massive castle
that's awesome
right behind you
that's actually bigger
than anything
you can ever imagine.
That'd be such
a great adventure.
And you've settled
for something so insignificant
that's actually like poop
bad for you
and bad for those
that you're interacting with.
It's infecting them.
It's full of germs and stuff.
When we're wrapped up
with ourselves
when we're living a life
that's like you're singing
my balls are so big
when that's your life
when all you are
is consumed with yourself
and don't just picture
the boys here.
What about our own selfishness?
For some of us
our laziness
our apathy
for others of us
it's our hard working
workaholism
where we're neglecting
those who God
has entrusted to our care
because we are so obsessed
with our own achievements.
Whatever it is
when we're obsessed
when our life
is about ourselves
really we might be thinking
you know I've cracked
the code to life
like I've found
the key to my happiness
my working crazy hard
and getting all the toys
or whatever it is.
You're settling
for something
that's so much
less awesome.
And I don't just mean
like less good
or less justice
or less righteous
I mean less awesome.
It's actually
so much less
of an adventure.
There's less joy
in it
there's actually
less peace
in it
it's not what you want
but you've settled
for this
and you're like
oh I'm so cool
and it's like
not only is this
so much less awesome
but it's actually
harming yourself
and others.
Is that what you want?
Every time we do
synchronism
every time we combine
God with the other stuff
every time we say
God I give you
my Sundays
and my Wednesday nights
or some of you
also your Friday mornings
not just you
some of us
that's what we're doing
and God
800
in 800 BC
2,800 years ago
and still today
is saying
please
give me yourself
and it sounds
very sobering
because it is
woe to you
who desire
the day of the Lord
why would you have
the day of the Lord
it is dark
so not light
as if man fled
from light
these words
are serious
these words
are haunting
these words
are words of fear
just like I saw
my brother's face
there was a look of fear
and he was trying
to communicate
something to me
and if I'd
embraced that message
as difficult
as it would have been
for me as a boy
and even today
to shut up
I would have just
embraced that message
just be quiet
when he was trying
to be like
I would have still
been in that sleepover
well not still
to this day
but I would have gone
to live out
the sleepover
that's what my
parents had wanted
for me
was to have fun
and to live
the fullness
of that sleepover
but I lost out big
at least to my little
boy mind
I lost out big
it was a look of fear
in my brother's eyes
but that fear
was because of his
love for me
and he wanted me
to stay part
of the party
and as God
through Amos
is speaking
these heavy words
they're words
not just of fear
they're words of love
they're words of health
they're words of restoration
there did come
a time of judgment
but these words
were warning
and in the warning
there's a possibility
that things could change
in the warning
there's a possibility
that things could change
church
regulars
guests
everyone
myself included
there are things
in our lives
that need to change
there is areas
in our life
where it's like
we're singing
my balls are so big
where we're selfish
where we're self-focused
we're synchronizing
our stuff with God
for a lot of us
me included
it might be hard to see
so how do we change
don't worry about it
you can just pray
go on
you don't actually
need to change
just kidding
we need to change
it's going to be
tough to change
one of the toughest
things is to actually
see it
we want to think
that we're all that
I want to think
that I'm all that
but God calls us
to change
we need to change
and so this is the
hardest part of the message
how do we change
I think the toughest
thing about changing
is that God is saying
right here
I don't just want
your actions
I want your hearts
and we can give God
our actions
but how do we give
him our heart
how do we do that
like tell me
I think a lot of husbands
are here when their wife
is like
or vice versa
a wife can be there
when the husband's like
hey I want your heart
I want your love
and the spouse is like
look
I've given you this
I've given you that
and in a sense
it's just like
just tell me
one more thing
three more things
give me a list
of things I can do
for you
and we're cool
and they're like
no you miss it
I want your love
I want your heart
we can adopt more actions
how do we change
our hearts
it begins with
realizing we can't
I think it was
last week
I think it was
last week
that I was sharing
with you that
when I was about 16
I realized
that I knew so much
about God
I loved so much
about God
I knew I knew him
as a kid
I just didn't
I just didn't know him
he didn't have my heart
and I tried
he just didn't have my heart
and so I just
got on my knees
and I said
God
I need to know you
help me to love you
two things I was praying
at the time
God I want to know you
I want to love you
I knew that I didn't
at least not fully
like I was made for
I told you
I prayed that
real earnest
God I want to know you
I need to know you
you're too good
to be my parents
thing
you're too
if all that's true
about you
is true
what the pastor's saying
and I see
the sparkle in his eye
that he loves
and knows you
I need that
give that to me
I want to know you
I get up off my knees
because I had others
that had to go to school
still nothing
day after day
it took way too long
day after day
God I need to know you
there's probably
multiple days
where I didn't pray that
because I was wrapped up
in myself again
then I get back on my knees
God I need to know you
please
I need to know you
we were talking last week
about seek me and live
but I didn't understand
that whole time
as much as I felt like
I was the one seeking
the love
the knowing of God
the Bible is so so clear
God is the one seeking us
he's the one loving us
he's the one seeking
the image is that
of the prodigal son
in Jesus' own words
when the guy
he realizes he's not
where he needs to be
he realizes he's like
these people
maybe he's of the people
of God
but he's living like
the pagans really
and so he's walking home
and he's rehearsing his lines
and he's trying to seek God
kind of like me
like he's saying his stuff
and then when the father
when all of a sudden
he looks up
the father has been
searching for him
the father was the one
seeking the son
the whole time
way before the son
was seeking him
and the father is the one
that runs
not the son
he runs to the son
and he embraces him
the son tries to start
saying his words
his spiritual words
and the father
interrupts him
and he just says
he just says
like let's throw a party
my son is home
and he wraps him
in the robes
and gives him his best
and all this stuff
in a sense
I was seeking God
and seeking him
the Bible tells us to
but what I didn't understand
was even in my seeking him
that was empowered
by the very breath of God
so where do we go church
to be fully the people
he's called us to be
I know there's testimonies
throughout here
so many of you
are even more committed
to God than me
but all of us
all of us
can grow in the fullness
of our commitment
to him
and listen
if you're not actually
committed to him at all
you are in a dangerous place
so how do we change
knowing it's God
who's seeking us
let's begin
or continue
with that same prayer
God
I'm not completely
given to you
I see their selfishness
or maybe I can't see it
but I'm sure it's there
God would you change my heart
change my heart
give me
refresh my heart
renew my heart
give me your heart
help me to love you
not just the stuff of you
it begins
I believe in prayer
pray
and pray
seek him
and live
knowing that he's
the one seeking us
our very crying out
is empowered by him
and then second
what God's saying here
and saying
let justice rule
he's saying
this isn't just about
your spiritual stuff
this is an all of life thing
people have said
look
if you really want to know
your priorities
don't listen to someone's words
look at their pocketbook
what are they spending money on
look at their day planner
if people still do that
look at what you're spending
your time on
and in that respect
as we seek to give our life
completely to God
not just to the spiritual
to all of our life
to God
then let's start looking at
how we're spending money
and what we're doing
with our time
and seeing
are we actually
giving ourselves to God
how our friendships
our marriages
our sexuality
are we defining
our own terms
are we seeking to
to let the Bible define
what is actually right
and good
and sometimes people
will talk to me
because I'm the pastor
and they'll say like
hey you know
can you pray for me
that I spend more time
in the Bible this week
and that's another
we begin in prayer
but also the Bible
spiritual food
it's so much of the strength
that we need to change
it's going to be found
as we read these words
so they're saying
hey I'm not reading my Bible
I'm not really praying much
can you pray that I do
but you know what
I'm never going to say no
to prayer
I'll pray for you
but you actually just need
to do it
you know what I'm saying
like you just
you don't need
you don't need me
to pray for you
you just need to actually
when you go to reach
for your phone
to check Facebook
in the morning
just bring back the hand
grab the Bible
spend like three
four or five minutes
at least
if not longer
reading a bit
you know what I'm saying
sometimes you just got to do it
just got to gird up your loins
in the words of scripture
just do it
you know what I'm saying
so how do we change
part of it
is by just crying out for help
and crying out for help
all the way to the end of our life
God help me to change
I want to know you more completely
I'm not satisfied with where I'm at
you have more for me
I want to be fully yours
and second
is that we do what it says
that we read the words
and we seek
we see as we read through the scriptures
that it's speaking into our life
and showing us
where we're actually not devoted to God
and seeking to change
praying
and then applying
justice
and righteousness
and purity
and humility
and courage
and faithfulness
rolling
like overflowing
cascading
all that our lives are
it's how we change
we look to God
one of the temptations
I can't say for all pastors
one of my temptations
is I want to make sure
that I'm saying something new
and innovative and stuff
but
then you come across
where you're just like
you know what
I'm just going to be repeating myself
every single week
and we're going to do that again
because
that's what the Bible says
so there's nothing new
or innovative here
that's just the Bible
this section ends up
as he's saying
he's calling them
to a full
wholehearted
full throttled
life with God
his final words
of this passage are
says the Lord
whose name is the God
of armies
again
and again
the call
to become
who we're called to be
to leave the poo castles
and live in a life
of obedience
and surrender
in the fullness
of the adventure
of life with God
how
where does our hope
come from for that
time and time
week after week
you see Amos is saying
the Lord of armies
one of the problems
we have with changing
especially
when what we need
to change from
is self-obsession
is that we turn inward
to change
and that's why
so many of those
self-help books
you see
at chapters
or the stuff
you google
is not helpful
because it's just
trying to turn
ourselves inward
to find the strength
to change
but Amos' solution
to changing
is to say
stop
you guys
you think
you're so funny
or whatever
singing about
your own
your testicle
like look at God
what those boys
needed this week
I think what we were
able to speak
to them about
was
guys
you think
that life
obsessed about
your own prowess
so big
and so bad
look what you need
look at God
who's so big
and so mighty
there's nothing
he cannot do
I believe that's
the message
that Amos is trying
to say to them
as he says
God of armies
there's power
there's might
and there's action
there
our God
isn't just
a God
who's big
sitting on a throne
looking at us
and tsk tsk
no he's the father
searching out there
with his armies
looking for us
seeking us
that we might live
like
just one final word
then we're done
we'll have
work with strength
to fight
it's a ministry
helping people
find freedom
from porn
and a couple
months ago
a pastor was
meeting with us
talking about
how he and his
church can
work with us
and he was
talking about
how he was
so passionate
about purity
and all this stuff
and porn is tied
to human trafficking
so about fighting
human trafficking
and he was telling
us his testimony
about being free
of porn
and so
one of my
colleagues
with strength
to fight
just had the
wisdom to say
like hey
when was the
last time
you watched
porn
and he was
like uh
two weeks ago
and then he's
like okay
how long was it
since before that
he's like well
about a month
like oh yeah
like I'm free
I only watch
porn once a month
and we're like
and he's like
anyway
it's still actually
a regular consistent
part of this man's
life
and you know
what that's true
likely for several
number of people
here
or maybe even
more true
like there's
likely people
among us
who uh
who are watching
even more
regular than
that
that's one
of the ways
this passage
comes alive
for us
is to see
that like
this pastor
is basically
like hey
you know
what I'm
gonna do
all these
like his
version of
the feasts
is justice
his version
of the feasts
is like okay
I am volunteering
with fight
for freedom
we're helping
rescue girls
from you know
sexual exploitation
um god
aren't you so
happy with me
but at the same
time he was
holding on
to sexual
impurity
in his case
pornography
holding on
to it
this is
okay I'll
give up
once a week
I'll give up
multiple times
a day
I'll give all
that up
but once a
month that's
me time
that's my
life my
terms
and it's
actually awesome
that that
god is
through his
that he's
worked at it
and god
that it's
down to
once a
month
I'm sure
that's actually
a big miracle
a huge step
for him
but what god
would be saying
to him
I try to
share with
him
I'm gonna
share with
myself and
all of us
today
whatever those
things are
that like
god you've
done so much
in my life
but no more
now this is
me
you can have
all of me
up until this
god is saying
to the people
of Israel
in Amos
chapter 5
like he's
speaking to
us I believe
today right
now and
for the rest
of our lives
give me
everything
all of it
and that's
not some
burdensome
command
that is
an invitation
to life
itself
would you
stand with
me as
you pray
god you
see
everything
so often
like Adam
and Eve
we want to
hide ourselves
as if that
does anything
against your
gaze
you see
everything
you know
the selfishness
the self
obsession
the idolatry
and the
synchronism
in every
one of us
you see
where we
flatter ourselves
and lie to
ourselves
and don't
even see
the blind
spots
and the
sin
lord you
see it
in all
of us
and
we ask
in your
mercy
and your
love
that you
would
free us
from those
poop castles
that we
play with
and lead
us
in the
safety
and the
wholeness
and the
risky
adventure
and all
that you
made us
for
for life
unleashed
for your
glory
we cannot
heal
ourselves
we cannot
change
ourselves
we do
not have
the strength
for we
are not
strong
and mighty
and there's
many things
that we
cannot do
but god
you are
so big
and so
strong
and so
mighty
would you
turn
the gaze
the attention
of our
heart
to you
the fullness
and the
bigness
and the
majesty
and the
power
and the
grandeur
and the
love
and all
that you
are
give us
the hope
the drive
the help
the humility
that we
need
to surrender
to you
so lord
would you
help all
of us
give you
all that
we are
not just
partial
but completely
to you
for in you
there is
life
life everlasting
in jesus name
amen
and
you