This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Your Fruit Is The Result Of Your Planting", 6/28/2015

YOUR FRUIT IS THE RESULT OF YOUR PLANTING

Amos 8:1-10

SEASONS COME AND SEASONS GO

V:1. " This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. "

 A. Our calendar year is divided into four seasons; Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

     1. On my grandparents farm, Spring was the time of planting and

         Summer was the time of the harvest of that which was planted.

     2. The Fall was the time when the land was cleared for the next planting season.

     3. In the Winter, the land rested.

         a. My grandparents plan the next season and prepared the seed for the Spring

             planting.

         b. No time in the year was wasted.

 B. I think God has prepared seasons for our lives.

    1. There is a season of growth and development.

    2. There is a season of works.

    3. There is a season where wisdom learned through past seasons is put into

        practice.

   4. There is a season of rest.

C. The Israelites had gone through many seasons with the Lord according to His

     grace and their disobedience to His commands.

   1. The basket of fruit represents the harvest of past planting seasons.

   2. You reap what you sow.

   3. The fruit in the basket represents what they planted and the efforts they put

       into cultivating the soil and nourishing the seed planted.

   4. What's in your basket is the product of your past efforts.

 D. In my grandparents house, ripe fruit had to be eaten, canned to be eaten

      at a later date, or given away.

     1. That which was not eaten, processed or given away was food for the animals.

     2. Not much was ever wasted.

     3. This is really the way God has designed our lives when we live according

         to His commands.

     4. Do not waste God's time.

OBSERVATION, INVESTIGATION AND APPLICATION

V:2. "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the Lord said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer."

A. I was taught that when you began to study God's Word, the first step is observation.

    1. Read the text and just observe what is there.

    2. There is a who, a what, a where and a why.

B. God asked Amos, "what do you see". That is observation.

   1. We must anticipate that what we see, will reveal something about the message.

   2. Amos saw a basket and in the basket was ripe fruit.

   3. The basket represents the efforts of the harvest.

   4. The ripe fruit was the condition of the harvest.

       a. Ripe fruit could be good and ready for use.

       b. Ripe fruit could be bad and good for nothing.

       c. What looks good is not always good.

 C. Observation should lead to investigation to get a deeper understanding.

    1. The word "ripe" represents the fact that Israel has sown some seeds and God had

        set the time for the harvest, good or bad.

   2. Actions always have consequences.

   3. In everything that happens in our lives, God set's the time.

 D. Once we understand the Word, we must apply it to our lives.

    1. In the case of Israel, God was ready to punish them for their disobedience.

    2. God gave them His law 700 years earlier.

    3. He had warned them that their disobedience would lead to their destruction.

    4. God is long suffering, but He will eventually punish those He love for their

        disobedience.

   5. A few bad apples will not change God's plan for our lives.

OUR ACTIONS DETERMINE THE PAIN OR THE JOY IN OUR LIVES

V:3 "In that day," declares the Sovereign Lord, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies — flung everywhere! Silence!"

 A. This was the prophecy of things to come for Israel.

     1. The temple was destroyed and the city burned down in 586 BC.

     2. The Israelites that survived the war, were taken into Babylonian captivity

          for 70 years.

     3. Even after the date of this prophecy, God waited another 200 years  to execute His

         judgment.

 B. The application, is don't take God's commands for granted.

     1. Just because He has not executed His judgment don't mean He will not judge.

     2. God is not mocked by our ignorance of His Word.

     3. The study of God's Word ought to convict our hearts and cause change in our lives.

C. Take note, God sometimes take violent actions to get our attention.

     1. Sometimes, the troubles in our lives are because we are disobedient to His

         commands.

     2. Sometimes, God allows evil men to carry out His judgment against us.

GOD WILL REMIND YOU OF YOUR SINS

V:4-5.  " Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land,

5 saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"— skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales."

A. Some folk come to Church, hear a message from God and want apply it to their lives.

   1. They came to worship, but they were in a hurry to get out of the service.

   2. They were religious, but not faithful.

   3. They came to the worship service messed up and they left messed up.

   4. They came with evil hearts and they left with  evil hearts.

B. They came to a place where the Word was taught, but their minds were set on

     mistreating the needy and denying justice to the poor.

   1. They came to worship, but they couldn't hear the Word of God because their minds

       were focused on making money by dishonest means and  cheating others out of

       what was do to them.

   2. God takes note of how you treat others.

   3. God is not satisfied when love is not our attitude and is not shown in our actions.

   4. When we intentionally mistreat others, it shows our lack of love and disobedience.

TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED

V:6 Buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat."

 A. Israel was a nation born in slavery and freed by the mighty hand of God.

    1. They grew up being mistreated by an ungodly nation and they carried that

        mentality into the promise land.

       a. A  generation could be 40 years as described by their desert experience.

       b. The Israelites passed down their slave mentality through 18 generations.

    2. They were free physically,  but enslaved in their minds by their Egyptian  history.

    3. They learned how to mistreat their own people by their Egyptian slave masters.

    4. If we stay around evil people long enough, we will pick up their habits.

 B. They sold that which was worthless to the poor for their own gain.

    1. They professed to be followers of the Law, but in all their business activities, they

        showed themselves to be robbers and thieves.

    2. The love of money is the root of all evil.

        a. They loved money more than they love  the Lord or their neighbors.

        b. True love treats others with respect.

THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS THE PAYMENT FOR OUR SINS

V:9.  "In that day," declares the Sovereign Lord, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight."

A. When Jesus died on the cross,  there was an earthquake and a solar eclipse  of the sun  

      that occurred  about 3 PM.

     1. The death of Jesus marked the fulfillment of the Law and the beginning of Grace.

     2. The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years, their season of punishment.

         a. Grace is God's favor forever.

         b. God chastises us for a period of time, to get us ready for eternal redemption.

B. The destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was a reminder that God keeps His

     promises.

   1. The Israelites sowed seeds of destruction and reaped their own destruction.

   2. All have sinned and deserve to die. The wages of sin is death.

   3. Faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus bring God's grace and eternal life. 

DO NOT PLAY CHURCH, BE THE CHURCH

V:10. " I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. "

A. The Israelites adhered to the religious festivals  of the Law for outward appearances.

     1. They refuse to follow the spirit of the Law, which is love.

     2. Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments.

B. The Israelites refused to obey the Law.

    1. They chose for themselves idol gods.

    2. The love of money and dishonest gain became their gods.

C. In captivity, they did not have their temple to dishonor.

    1. All they had were the memories of it's glory.

    2. In captivity, they did not have their religious festivals for prompt,

        all they had were the pains of not being able to attend their beloved festivals.

    3. You don't miss the good times with the Lord  in His temple,

        until it not available to you.

    4. When you fail to honor God in His sanctuary, God can put you in a position

         where you can't get to the sanctuary.

DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN WHILE YOU CAN, BECAUSE YOU NEVER

KNOW WHEN YOU CAN'T DO GOOD AGAIN.

WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, SO GOD CAN BLESS YOU

GOING FORWARD.

Rev. M . Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church.

This Week's Sunday School Lesson,"Being A Christian Is Not Easy Street", 6/21/2015

BEING  A CHRISTIAN IS NOT EASY STREET

Amos 6:4-8, 11-14

BLESSINGS ARE GIVEN TO PASS ON

V:4. " You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves."

 A. Apparently doing this time, there were some well to do Jews.

    1. They were pampering themselves rather than promoting God's commands.

    2. God allows us to gain wealth and acquire possessions.

    3. He did say that He would give us our hearts desire.  Ps 20:4.

    4. The Word does say that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth and He adds no

         trouble to it.   Prob 10:22

 B. God did not give us what we have, to hoard it at expense of the needs of others.

    1. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others in need.

    2. God made a promise to us that we will reap what we sow.

V:5. " You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments."

   A. Men have become lovers of all kinds of music.

      1. The wrong music can dull the senses to the praise and worship of the Lord.

      2. We have to be careful  what we listen to.

      3. Music can be suggestive of all kinds of evil.

  B. As Christians, we have a responsibility to heighten our love for the Lord

      with music that is a testimony to the goodness of Him.

     1. God commands us to give Him praise in song. Ps 28.7

     2. We are encouraged to use musical instruments and songs to praise the Lord.

         Ps 81:2, 92:1-3

     3. We must be careful to lend our voices and musical talents to the praise of

         the Lord.

     4. If we are not praising the Lord, we are praising the devil.

 V:6. " You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph."

 A. There is nothing wrong with drinking wine as long as we do it in moderation. Ph 4:5

     1. We are commanded not to get drunk with wine.  Eph 5:18

     2. In the New Testament days, wine was used as medicine for the stomach

         and other illnesses.   1 Tim 5:23

     3. Wine was also used as antiseptic.  Luke 10:24

     4. Wine was the everyday drink of the Jews.   Luke 5:37

 B. Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding celebration.  John 4:46

     1. At the last supper with His disciples, Jesus used wine to represent the

         blood that He would shed on the cross for our sins.

     2. We are commanded to drink wine in communion to remind us of the

          saving power of the Blood of Jesus.

 C. We should be grieved when our brothers and sisters in Christ are

      insensitive to their sins against God.

1. The Israelite's were commanded to do everything written in the Book of the Law

     to prosper.   Jos 1:8   

2. The more we pleasure ourselves, the more we become prideful and

        insensitive to our walk with Jesus.

3. Wine and pleasure can easily be the tools of the devil to influence

        us into the ways of the world.

AN INACTIVE MINISTRY HAS CONSEQUENCES

 V:7. " Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end."

 A. We cannot be satisfied with saying that we are saved by our faith in Christ.

    1. When we first believed, we were saved, sanctified, justified and redeemed from our

        sins.

    2. We became babes in Christ with the ability to grow in the spirit.

 B. Faith without works is dead.    James 2:26

    1. We were made ministers for Christ to labor for the sake of the Gospel.

    2. It was Jesus who said, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

    3. God did not intend for us to be on easy street in our salvation.

    4. Jesus said, take up your cross and follow me.

    5. He never said sit on your cross and enjoy the music.

    6. Jesus promised that we will face trials and tribulations following Him.

        a. We have to learn to see trouble as a way to our joy.  James 1:2.

        b. Struggling through our troubles perfects us in Jesus.   James 1:4

GOD HATES THE PROUD

V:8. " The Sovereign Lord has sworn by himself — the Lord God Almighty declares: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it."

 A. God hates the proud.   Prob 16:5

     1. It was pride that cause Lucifer, better known as Satan , an angel of the Lord

         to sin against God and be cast out of heaven.

        a. Satan was cast out of heaven and became the lord of the flies, Beelzebub.                     

            Mat 10:25

        b. Satan is the father of lies and the king of darkness.  John 8:44

     2. We have to check our pride at the door of righteousness and take on humbleness.

 B. The Lord will not tolerate our prideful behavior.

    1. The Lord brings down the proud and lifts up the humble.

    2. We have nothing to be prideful of, because everything we have comes from the Lord.

 C. In all that we have and in all that we are, we must give honor to the Lord.

     1. Pride  is the road to destruction.

     2. Pride focuses on the individual. Humbleness focuses on the Lord.

     3. Pride sees us as important. Humbleness sees us as nothing and others as more

         than us.

     4. Pride gives us the glory. Humbleness gives God the Glory.

V:9. If ten men are left in one house, they too will die."

 A. The pride of Israel led them to ignore God's commands and take on the habits

      of the world.

     1. The pride of Israel led them to denounce God in their hearts and to take idols made

         with their hands as their gods.

     2. God is long suffering.

         a. He gave Israel hundreds of years of warnings about the consequences of their

             disobedience, before He destroyed all but a remnant of them. (700 years)

         b. He destroyed their cities, and the temple in Jerusalem.

 B. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

     1. We can't afford to get comfortable with ourselves.

     2. We must continue to grow in the knowledge and the wisdom of the Lord.

     3. We should continue to seek the high calling of Jesus Christ.  Phil 3:14

LISTEN TO GOD

 V:10. " And if a relative who is to burn the bodies comes to carry them out of the house and asks anyone still hiding there, "Is anyone with you?" and he says, "No," then he will say, "Hush! We must not mention the name of the Lord."

A. Israel was so caught up in their idol worship and their unrighteousness  that they

     could not hear the voice of the Lord.

   1. They knew the Word.

   2. They had God's prophets among them.

   3. But they refused to listen.

B. You can't willfully ignore God's Word and prosper.

   1. You know you are headed down hill when your conscience want convict you of your

        sins.

   2. You know you are on the wrong road when you listen to everyone but God.

V:11. " For the Lord has given the command, and he will smash the great house into pieces and the small house into bits."

 A. You must know without a shadow of a doubt, that God will do exactly what He

      said He will do.  God cannot lie.

    1. We are all work in progress.

    2. God gives us time to get right with Him.

B. The blood Jesus shed on the cross atoned for our sins, past, present and future.

    1. It is only by Grace that God has not destroyed us.

    2. Justice demands our death, mercy gives us eternal life.

    3. God will chastise those that He loves.

    4. Our chastisement is not unto death, but to prefect us in the Lord.

DON'T MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT

 V:12. " Do horses run on the rocky crags? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness."

 A. Sin make this journey in life rough.

    1. Hardships follow sin.

    2. I remember a song, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry

        everything to God in prayer (What A Friend We Have In Jesus).

 B. A faithless Christian is a troubled individual.

    1. A faithless Christian is lost in the sea of sin.

    2. A faithless Christian lives without the power of God.

 C. A disobedient Christian, lives in the bitterness of life without the joy of the Lord.

    1. A disobedient Christian poison his/her own life.

    2. A disobedient Christian believes the lie that since God loves him, there is no

        punishment for his/her  sins.

   3. Life can be a bitter pill without Jesus as your hope.

GIVE GOD THE CREDIT

 V:13.  You who rejoice in the conquest of Lo Debar  and say, "Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?"

 A. One way of dishonoring God is to claim for yourself the credit that is do God.

    1. If you say, I woke myself up this morning, you lie.

    2. If God withholds His breath from you, death is certain.

 B. The Word says, I can do all thing through Christ who strengthen me.

    1. The truth is, we can do nothing and accomplish nothing without Christ.

    2. Man can make plans, but God gives the increase.   1 Cor 3:6-7

STIR UP YOUR LOVE FOR GOD

V:14. " For the Lord God Almighty declares, "I will stir up a nation against you, O house of Israel, that will oppress you all the way from Lebo Hamath to the valley of the Arabah."

 A. A fool says in his heart; there is no God.   Psalms 14:1

     1. If you decide not to obey God, He can give you over to your own evil desires.

     2. When God takes His hand off you, Satan will have his way.    Rom 1:28

 B. God can stir up your enemies against you.

    1. I realize that in spite of my sinfulness, it is God that keeps me alive.

    2. We are not here on our own, but because God has a purpose for our lives.  Ph 1:6

 C. The Church should be stirring up the gifts that God has giving us,

      to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   2 Tim 1:6

   1. We should stir up the gift of love.

   2. We should stir up the gift of compassion,

   3. We should stir up the gift of God's grace.

   4. We should stir up the gift of God's mercy.

   5. We should stir up the spirit of unity.

   6. We should stir up peace.

   7. We should stir up joy.

   8. We should stir up the desire to be God's servants.

   9. We should stir up good stewardship.

  10. We should stir up the excitement of Bible study.

STIR UP YOUR LIFE IN GOOD WORKS

Rev. M. Mitchell,    Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church. 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "How To Keep God On Your Side", 6/14/2015

HOW TO KEEP GOD ON YOUR SIDE

Amos 5:14-15,18-27

V:14. " Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is."

A. Make it your business to start each day seeking to do good.

    1. I think that it is a good idea to try to see the good in every situation.

    2. There is enough bad news in the media each day to cause you to over look the

         good that is all around you.

 B. I think that we should first see the good that God has done for us.

     1. Start each day with an attitude of thankfulness.

     2. Be the role model of thankfulness to those around you.

 C. Then try to see the good in everyone you meet.

     1. There is some good in the worst of us.

     2. There is some bad in the best of us.

 B. Try to find ways to be helpful to others.

     1. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.     2 Cor 5:18

     2. It is really our job to draw others to Christ through words of encouragements and

         acts of kindness.

 D. God promises that if we pattern our lives after Jesus we will live.

     1. Jesus said, I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

     2. In Jesus, we have eternal life.

 E. A lifestyle of doing good keeps God on your side.

     1. It is the evil that we do that causes us to loose some of the blessings of God.

     2. Because God has covered our sins with the blood of His Son, we ought to

         have an attitude of gratefulness.   

V:15. " Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph."

A. The opposite of loving good is to hate evil.

    1. We have to hate evil in every area of our lives.

    2. We may not steal, but do we envy what someone else has?

    3. We may not say anything bad about someone, but do we have bad thoughts?

B. What is right is right.

    1. Don't rationalize that just because______, it is ok to do something that is not right.

    2. I know of a case where a man spent two weeks building a fence for a customer.

       a. The customer was satisfied with fence, but he didn't like the gate.

       b. The customer rationalized that since he didn't like the gate, he didn't have to pay

           for the fence. The gate only took 1 hour to build.

       c. Wrong is wrong, and our rationalization want make it right.

   3. Don't seek ways to get out of doing what you know is right.

      a. The justice you deny another person will soon be denied to you.

      b. What goes around comes around.

  4. If you want God to have mercy on you, you must have mercy on others.

      a. If  you want God  to see to it that you get justice, you must see to it that

          you are fair to others.

      b. If you want the compassion of God, you must show compassion to others.

V:18. " Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light."

A. Those who claim that there is no heaven or hell, are sadly mistaken.

     1. There are those who give no thought to an existence after death.

     2. They have the attitude that when you are dead, you are done.

     3. Then there are those who deny the living God, but believe in an eternal

          spirit existence.

 B. Those who deny Jesus as the Son of God and who deny Jesus as  the Savior of the

      world will face judgment into an eternal hell.

    1. Jesus is the light.

    2. The way to heaven is through faith in Jesus Christ.  John 14:6

    3. Belief in anything else is eternal darkness.

 V:19. " It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him."

A. Those who look to an end of this life without Jesus will find eternal life much worst

      than this present world.

    1. There are those who commit suicide to get away from the pain of this world only

        to find a worst terrible pain in the eternal hell.

    2. If you get away from a lion and run into a bear, you still die.

       a. Without Jesus, life in this world could be the lion and death cold be the bear.

       b. Suppose it is not a lion or a bear that you run into but a poisonous snake; death is     

           the same.

    3. Religion is something you believe in and practice on regular basis.

    4. Everybody is religious about something.

    5. It is not your religion that will provide eternal life, but your faith

        in Jesus.

V: 20. " Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light —  pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?"

A. The book of Revelation gives us the events that will take place after the second

     coming of Jesus Christ.  

   1. Those who believe in Jesus will be caught up in a cloud to be with Jesus

       forever.  1 Thes 4:16-18

   2. Those nonbelievers will be left to endure wars, earthquakes and massive

       destruction of the earth and its inhabitances.

 B. The end times will be dark days with no end insight. 

    1. It will be dark because all who rejected Jesus as Lord and Savior will be

        eternally separated from God.

    2. It will be dark because after the final judgment, all nonbelievers will

        be cast into the Lake of Fire.    Rev 20:14

V:21. "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies."

 A. The Jews were careful to observe all the religious ordinance as required by

      the Law.

     1. The religion of the Israelites was not their faith.

     2. They were religious, but not faithful to God.

     3. The law was their guide only when it was convenient or agreed with their

         opinions.

     4. They were constantly developing traditions that over ruled the commands of

         God.  Mark 7:4-13

 B. Faith believes the Word of God and obeys all the commands.

    1. Religion without faith in the Word is worthless.  

    2. The Jews worshipped the Lord with their lips and not their hearts.  Matt 15:18

    3. Worship is not in the celebrations but in the obedience to God's commands.

    4. Worship is not in coming to Church but being the Church of Jesus Christ that others

         see.

    5. True worship is being a servant of God following His will in obedience to His

        commands.

 V:22. " Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,  I will have no regard for them.

 A. God does not want what we offer to Him unless we first offer ourselves to Him.

    1. God does not want our substance, He wants our hearts.

        a. We give God our substance out of obedience to His commands.

        b. We Give our substance because we are grateful for what He has done

             for us.

    2. At the same time Israel was participating in the religious festivals as described

       in the Law, they were worshipping idol gods.

 B. God does not like false worship.

   1. You are either for God or you are against God.

   2. There is no middle ground.

   3. God does not want part of you, He wants all of you.

 C. You can preach from the pulpit, sing in the choir, serve on the Deacon board

      and still not be in fellowship with the Lord.

   1. Your title or position does not indicate your devotion to the Lord.  

   2. You can dress the part, but not be in tuned with the Lord.

 V:23. " Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. "

  A. I love the praise and worship of our choirs in song.

      1. I think our music ministry is an important part of the worship experience

          at GMBC.

     2. Only God knows the heart of those who are involved in this ministry.

 B. God is not satisfied with our performance, if our hearts are not devoted to Him.

     1. Singing God's praises on Sunday and jamming to FM 102 all throughout the

         week might indicate a problem with your devotion to God.

    2. Singing God's praise ought to replace any secular music.

    3. All week long, we ought to be in preparation for Sunday Morning.

V:24. " But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!"

 A. The first step in the conversion of our heart is to be convicted of our sins.

      1. Sin is a result of a lack of love for God's commands.

      2. Jesus said if you love me, keep my commands.

      3. Sin is a lack of love for Jesus.

      4. Since the Father and the Son are one, then sin is a lack of love for the Father.

      5. Love is not how we feel, but what we do to edify the body of Christ.

 B. There has to be love for the Father before justice is ingrained into our lifestyle.

      1. In all things we should be just toward others.

      2. Justice has to begin with us, the Church, because we are not likely to receive it

          from the world.

 C. Justice is based on the righteousness of the Father.

     1. We cannot be righteous before the Father  without love for the Father and

          our brothers.

     2. Righteousness flows when we submit ourselves to one another in love.

 V:25 "Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of

  Israel?"

  A. The nation of Israel was taught from the beginning of their freedom from Egypt,

       to honor the Lord with sacrifices from their flocks and from their produce.

      1. They spent forty years wondering in the desert because they refused to honor

          the Lord and to trust Him with their lives.

      2. Failure to honor the Lord as He has commanded us, will result in  unnecessary 

          hardships.  

  B. Life is a journey through the desert of failures, disappoints and false hopes.

      1. Those who reject the Lord take this journey alone and face the

          consequences of their unbelief.

      2.  To those who believe in Jesus Christ , this journey is one of victories and

           successes.

      3. God is the present help for those who trust Him.

          a. Though we will face trials and tribulations, they are allowed to

              strengthen our faith and to perfect us in Jesus.

V: 26. " You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of

  your god— which you made for yourselves."

 A. Throughout their desert experience, the Nation of Israel never learned to

      trust God and to be obedient to His commands.

    1. They came out of Egypt with a slave mentality that they refused to give it up.

    2. In the desert, in the mist of  the almighty God, they continued to worship false gods.

 B. Their desert experience ended in tragedy in that the whole nation that came

      out of Egypt died and a new generation was born in the desert to enter the promise

      land.

    1. We face the same situation as the Israelites.

    2. A new heaven and a new earth has been promise to us.

    3. The only way to make this journey is to accept Jesus as our Lord and

         Savior and trust Him to guide and direct us.

V: 27. " Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose

  name is God Almighty. "

 A. The Lord God we serve, promises blessings and curses.

      1. The blessings are dependant on our obedience.

      2. Curses are based on our disobedience.

 B. This verse is a prophecy that was fulfilled in 586 BC.

     1. Israel, having received the Word from the Lord of their destruction,

         refused to change.

     2. They refused to worship God totally and were destroyed.

     3. The city of Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple burned down

         because of their hatred for God's commands.

 C. There is another exile that has been promised for all nonbelievers.

     1. This is  the final exile.

     2. This exile is the everlasting separation from the Almighty God.

     3. Those who believe in Jesus, will have eternity in the glory of God.

     4. Those who reject Jesus will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire

         for eternity.

  Success in life is assured in our obedience to God's commands

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "What God Does When He Is Fed Up With Our Sins", 6/7/2015

WHAT GOD DOES WHEN HE IS FED UP WITH OUR SINS

Amos 2:4-8

The nation of Israel, having been released from slavery in Egypt kept their slave

mentality. They spent 40 years wondering in the desert because of their slave

mentality. The God who freed them, gave them laws and doctrines of freedom.

As a nation they refused to keep God's commands and thus lost their freedom.

God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham that the promise land would

be given to His descendants.       Gen 17:7.

God made a conditional covenant with Nation Israel concerning their prosperity

in the promise land.   Their success in the land was conditional on their obedience

to God's commands.  Ex 19:5  

THE SINS OF ISRAEL

V:4. " This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord  and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods,  the gods their ancestors followed."

A. True freedom comes from following God's commands.

     1. In the New and the Old Testaments, we have two great commands.

         a. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.

         b. Love your neighbor as yourself.

     2. Jesus said if you love me, keep my commands.

     3. True freedom is in the love of Jesus.

 B. God is longsuffering, but He is not pleased with our sins.

    1. The Israelites had been in the promise land for 700 years as free people.

    2. They were free, but still imprisoned by their pagan beliefs.

    3. They were free, but still following their slave habits.

    4. They were free, but disobeyed God's commands.

C. At Mount Sinai, God gave the nation of Israel His law to govern them and His decrees

     to worship Him.  

    1. God made a covenant with Israel that if they kept His commands and statues

        they would prosper.

    2. God promised if they did not keep his commands, He would punish them.

FIRST:  REJECTED GOD'S COMMANDS

 D. The Israelites rejected God's commands.

    1. The commands of God covered every aspect of Jewish life.

    2. They did not want to live under God's rules.

SECOND: REFUSED TO WORSHIP GOD

 E. They did not keep God's decrees for worship.

    1. Instead of bring the unblemished animals for a sacrifice to the Lord, they brought

        the lame and the cripple.

    2. Instead of bringing the best to God, the Israelites brought the worst animals

        for sacrifice.

THIRD:  WORSHIPPED IDOL gods

  F.   The Israelites worshipped idol gods.

    1. Instead of worshiping the creator, they worshipped things created by the creator.

    2. Instead of worshipping the true and living God, they worshipped the gods of

        their imagination.

    3. Instead of worshipping the God who has all power, they worshipped the gods who

        had no power.

    4. Instead of believing the truth, they believed a lie.

V:5. " I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."

 A.  The Temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem was constructed according

       God's specifications.

     1. It was adorned with the best gold, silver and bronze.

     2. It was the place where God visited His priests in the Holy of Holiness.

     3. It was the place where all sacrifices to God was made.

 B. In 586 BC, the Temple was burned down, Jerusalem was destroyed and the

      people were taken into Babylonian captivity for 70 years.

    1. Some of the blessings of God are conditional on our obedience.

    2. The wrath of God is conditional on our disobedience.

FORTH:  SOLD THEIR OWN PROPLE  INTO SLAVERY.

V:6. " This is what the Lord says: "For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals."

A.  Not only did Israel turn against God, they also turned against their own people.

    1. They forgot the pain of their 430 years of slavery and enslaved their own

         people.

    2. They had a slave mentality, and found reasons to enslave their own.

 B. When their own could not pay a debt, they sold them into slavery for silver.

    1. They violated God's command, because a debt was to be forgiven in the 7th

         year.

    2. Honest people who could be relied on for repayment, were sold into slavery.

    3. The poor went into debt to purchase a pair of sandals.

        a. When they couldn't pay this small amount, they were enslaved.

        b. The Israelites became hard hearted in the face of the generosity of the Father.

FIFTH: DENIED JUSTICE TO THE POOR

V:7. " They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name."

 A. The Israelites took advantage of the poor by denying them justice due according to

      God's commands.

    1. They showed no compassion for those in need.

    2. As it is today the rich are in collusion with each other to deny human rights.

    3. According to the Adam Clark commentary, their judges were corrupt and took

        bribes  to condemn the righteous.

SIXTH: VIOLATED GOD'S COVENANT OF MARRIAGE

 B. Marriage is the first divine institution of God.

    1. The woman was created to be the help mate of a man, to be loved and admired.

    2. Women were never intended to be prostitutes.

    3. They were never intended to be abused and misused.

 C. The men of Israel openly exposed their disrespect and disregard for God's commands

      by committing adultery and fornication with young women.

   1.  Fathers and sons had sex with the same women in direct violation to God's

        commands.

   2. Leaders of the community and fathers become poor role models, training up the next

       generation of Israelites to be more violent and corrupt.

 SEVENTH: COMPOUNDED SINS

V:8. " They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their

        god they drink wine taken as fines.

  A.  The Israelites compounded their sins by finding new ways to displeased God.

       1. If a poor mans garment was taken in pledge, it was to be returned at sun down.

           Ex 22:25-27.

       2. Man is the noun. Poor is the adjective.

           a. This man is a child of God who happens to be poor.

           b. They took the garment of a child of God who was under the covenant of  God

               and laid on it in temple of their idol gods.

           c. They violated God's commands by worshipping idols and the rights of

              the children of God by keeping their garments.

 B. God gave them over to their reprobate minds.

     1. God was fed up with Israel's sinfulness.

     2. God announced to His prophets the judgment of Israel. 

 C.  Just as God made promises to Israel under the Law, God has made

      promises to us under Grace.

     1. Promises of success are conditional on our obedience to God's commands.

     2. God's judgment is based on our disobedience

OUR GREATEST FREEDOM IS IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDS

Rev. M. Mitchell,   Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church