Today we are back on track with the prophet Amos. To recap, Amos collided with the false religious leaders of his day. He opposed false prophets who were proclaiming “Peace, Peace” for the nation of Judah. But it most certainly was a false peace – false security that mirrors today, starting with the church. I think two of the most important characteristics we can adopt are Amos’s boldness and courage to ignore danger and stand against sin.“What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.” Ecclesiastes 3: 15
When I read messages about judgment in the Bible, I always think of those verses in Ecclesiastes. When I take a good look at this book, especially at the first half of this book… one word stands out, and that word is COMPLACENCY. Complacency is another word for self-satisfaction, self-righteousness, and contentment…. WITHOUT GOD!! This is a loaded word… it’s an accident waiting to happen!! Please realize that we are no different from the people Amos was prophesying to.
A complacent present leads to a disastrous future. Don’t congratulate yourself for the blessings and benefits you now enjoy. They are from God. If you are more satisfied with yourself than with God, remember that everything is meaningless without Him. A self-sufficient attitude may be your downfall. And insincere lip service to God is just as bad…
“I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” Amos 5: 21-24
God tells us He hates worship by people who go through the motions only for show. If we’re living sinful lives and using religious rituals and traditions to make ourselves look good, the Bible says God will despise our worship and not accept what we offer. He wants sincere hearts, not praise from hypocrites! So a good question to ask is when you worship, are you merely concerned with your image rather than your attitude towards God?
“Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you served your pagan gods—Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god—the images you made for yourselves. So I will send you into exile, to a land east of Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of Heaven’s Armies.” Amos 5: 25-27
Think about the message throughout the entire Bible… Because the Israelites refused to worship and obey the one true God, they caused their own destruction. It’s a good idea to remember and meditate on Ecclesiastes 3: 15.
