God’s people have a mission

 

READ Amos 1–5

The people who heard the OT prophets must have wondered why God was angry with them and not with the pagan nations around them. It would be the same if He rebuked today’s Christian people and seemed to ignore those whose sin seemed far worse.

Amos wrote during a time of political stability and prosperity, but also idolatry, extravagance, and corruption with the rich and powerful oppressing the poor. God’s people were going through the motions but without genuine faithfulness to the Lord.

However, God was concerned about all sin. He spoke against Damascus, Gaza, Tyre,  Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab, specifically naming the sins they committed. Then He rebuked His people:

Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of the Lord, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked. So I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem . . . . For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge, and in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined. (Amos 2:4–8)

He reminded them of all that He had done for them, destroying their enemies, bringing them out of Egypt and leading them through the wilderness, even raising up “some of your sons for prophets, and some of your young men for Nazirites” but they “made the Nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, ‘You shall not prophesy.’” For that, He said He would “press you down in your place, as a cart full of sheaves presses down.” (2:1-13) “

God made it clear why they were being targeted: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (3:2)

God also let them know specifics concerning their lapse into idolatry. He took care of them (4:6) but they did not smarten up. Then He withheld rain and crops  from them, sent pestilence and conflict with deaths,  and they continued in their sin. For all of that, He told them:

“I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the Lord. “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (4:7–12)

His words could apply today to any who play at religion, but their hearts are more interested in personal gain. As Amos says:

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (5:14–15)

All of this because God “despises 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 fattened 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.” Instead, the Lord wants true justice and righteousness from His people who ought to know better, and from the pagan nations who can change only if they hear the good news of God’s mercy and grace — from a people who know it and are living it and sharing it with them.

We are living in a pagan world. We are upset by their sin — but what about our own? Am I more interested in personal comfort than taking the Gospel to a needy world? Has the church forgotten why God left us here? Are Christians not the people of God chosen to reveal Him to a needy world?

God through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us . . . . (2 Corinthians 5:18–20)

Making this connection makes me wonder of the mess the world is in is God’s way of telling me to get busy and do what He says we are supposed to do.

 

Proof is in the results

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19–21)

When the Holy Spirit came upon those first disciples of Jesus Christ, their lives changed. They went from fearful hiding to great boldness. As they preached, those who heard them “were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”

While this does happen during some evangelistic crusades, most of today’s preachers struggle to keep the congregation from dozing off. Even then, no matter how dynamic the sermon, the Holy Spirit’s voice is not cutting anyone to the heart. Why is that?

Peter’s response might give a clue. He told them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:37–39)

As wonderful as the Gospel is, even Christians don’t like the idea of repentance. They want eternal life, but not a radical change. Life is too good the way it is. People also want forgiveness, but not the radical and unpredictable power of the Holy Spirit. He might ask them to move out of their comfort zone, and that would never do. They want their children saved too, but this idea of being called is not as appealing as teaching the kids to ‘be a good person’ and go to the right church.

However, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to shake up those ideas and more. From John 14 and 16, here are some things that the Holy Spirit does . . .

·      Another helper as a gift from the Father, here for the disciples since Jesus is not physically present (14:15).

·      His eternal presence, living within (14:15-17)

·      Teaching truth and bringing to mind all things Jesus taught (14:17, 26)

·      Puts peace in our hearts (14:27)

·      Convicting sinners of sin, especially the sin of unbelief (16:8-9)

·      Conviction of righteousness because Jesus is no longer visible (16:8, 10)

·      Conviction about judgment because Satan has been judged (16:8, 11)

·      Guiding the people of God into all truth and telling them what is to come (16:13)

·      Glorifying Jesus Christ above all else (16:14)

While this is a partial list, it is easy to see that without the Holy Spirit, all who follow Jesus Christ need this Comforter sent from God to live rightly and to carry out the work that God gives us to do.

Today, ideas about the Holy Spirit can be somewhat skewed. The range of thought is everything from ignoring the Spirit to giving the Spirit far more ‘press’ than He desires. (After all, He came to glorify Christ, not Himself.)

I try not to over-focus on the Spirit, but also try to remember that He has incredible power. He convicts sinners; I cannot do that. He reveals the righteousness of Christ and while I try, my life is not that glorious. The Spirit also convicts of judgment. I could rant “turn or burn” all day long, but draw only laughter, not cut people to the heart as Peter did under the Spirit’s power.

The proof of the work and power of the Holy Spirit was in the results of what Peter did . . .  

With many other words (Peter) bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:40–41)

Again, the church today cannot be effective using only marketing and business plans, human techniques or any other appeals. We need the Holy Spirit to fill us, but also do what only He can do.