Sunday, January 11,
2015 pm
WOE TO THOSE AT EASE
IN ZION
Amos 6:1
I.
The Text and Context
A.
Background of Amos
- Amos was a prophet from Judah who was sent
primarily to the nation of Israel during a time of great prosperity
to warn them of their impending doom (Amos 1:1). Amos was a
sheep breeder who was called by God to prophecy to Israel during the
reigns of Uzziah, king of Judah and Jeroboam (II), king of Israel.
He was an early contemporary of Isaiah who prophesied around 780 to
740 BC, somewhere between 20 and 60 years before Israel would fall
to Nineveh (Assyria).
The time of the
writing was a time of relative prosperity and peace in both Israel
and Judah. They were
doing well, and as is often the case in such time, they were
complacent toward God.
There was immorality and corruption in their midst.
Amos was sent with a strong warning to Israel and Judah to
repent and turn to God, and if they did not repent, destruction
would come against them.
B.
At ease in Zion – our text
While he wrote primarily to Israel, our text today was directed
toward both Judah AND Israel. The text reads, “Woe to you
who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria…” (6:1)
Zion, was a name given to Jerusalem, that as it was used by the
prophets often carried a double meaning – 1) a portion of Jerusalem
that included the temple complex and 2) spiritual Jerusalem, or the
kingdom of God’s righteous. With both of these senses it can
be said that Zion is: the place where God dwells with His people.
Our text was a
warning for physical Israel and Judah to repent and wake up.
But it also carries a message that it would do us well to be
reminded of. It is the
2nd of 3 woes in the latter part of this book.
The first was in Amos 5:18 where it speaks of their desiring
the day of the LORD but they are told it would be a day of darkness
to them. The 2nd
woe, is our text. The 3rd
if found in vs. 3, “Woe to you who put far off the day of doom,
Who cause the seat of violence to come near;” (Amos 6:3).
They did this because they thought they had all the time in
the world and thus they sat back and took their ease.
Their senses were dulled to their condition and the coming
destruction they were unprepared for.
Within a few years after the warning of Amos, Israel
(Samaria) fell to Assyria, and Judah was greatly troubled by them.
If not for the grace of God, they too might have fallen (cf.
Hezekiah pleading for them and being heard)
C.
Complacency.
With that background, let us consider our lesson
tonight. Are we at ease in Zion? Have we become
complacent in our service to God? By that I mean, are we developing
to the degree that we ought to be? Do we live as if we have
plenty of time and thus we can put off obedience for a while?
Can we put off our efforts to mature?
Can we put off warning others?
The Bible warns against complacency.
Speaking of one who delays applying wisdom, Prov. 1:32 says,
“For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the
complacency of fools will destroy them;”
In Matt. 25:1-13 we find 5 unprepared virgins.
They were unprepared because they were complacent.
Obviously, they thought they had plenty of time, but their
delay caused them to fail to enter the feast.
Romans 12:11 describes us as, “not lagging in diligence, fervent
in spirit, serving the Lord;”
II.
Are we at ease in Zion?
A.
It isn’t because: (BKT – vol. VI)
1.
There is nothing to do –
a)
There
is plenty for us to do. The Christian life is to be a busy one.
b)
All we do is to
be done to the best of our ability –
Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:23 – whatever you do, do it
heartily.
Romans 12:11 – speaks of not lagging in diligence and being
fervent in spirit.
c)
John
4:35,
Jesus speaking to
His disciples said, ‘Don’t say there is still four
months, the harvest is ripe now.
Mark 16:15-16 – we are to “go into all the world…
d)
AS we follow the
example of Jesus we find one “who went about doing good”
– Acts 10:38
2.
There are too many workers –
a)
Luke
10:2, Matt. 9:37-38 – one more than one occasion Jesus told His
disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
b)
Again
we are reminded that there is plenty of work to be done.
On another occasion, Jesus told His disciples about harvest, “lift up your eyes and look to the fields, for they
are already white for harvest.” (John 4:35). We just need
to be looking
c)
If
you need something to do, ask the elders.
I’m sure they can find something for you to do.
There are always brethren that need encouraging.
We need to do things to try and reach the lost.
There is work to be done with our facilities.
Etc. plenty that
needs to be done.
3.
There is plenty of time
a)
We
live with a finite amount of time.
In fact, it can be said that we are living here on borrowed time.
Prov. 27:1 says,
“Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring
forth.”
b)
John
9:4, Jesus kept busy and on one occasion when he gave sight to a blind
man said, He needed
c)
2 Peter 3:10-12 –
the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night … what manner of
persons ought you to be?
d)
In 2
Tim. 4:2-3, Paul warned Timothy to preach the word, “in season and out
of season.” He was also
saying, “Preach it NOW!”
Because a time is coming when they will not hear it.
e)
2
Cor. 6:1-2,
“We then, as workers together with Him also plead
with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an
acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have
helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
salvation.”
4.
There is no reward
a)
God
takes note to what we do.
Eccl. 11:1 says,
“Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find
it after many days.”
1 Cor. 15:58 tells us that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.
b)
Our rewards for
service are many. We receive some reward in this life as we see
souls obey the gospel and others strengthened.
We have brethren
who will lift us up and express great appreciation for what we do.
The Christian life is a life that will work and is best where society is
concerned! It is a life of
integrity, morality and caring about others.
Things the world so desperately needs.
c)
And
then there is the eternal reward.
Heb. 4:9 speaks of the rest that remains for the people of God (cf. Rev.
14:13)
1 Pet. 1:3-5 speaks of our
inheritance reserved in heaven.
d)
BUT,
it will only be received if we pursue it with fervor and determination.
II. Why are we at ease? There
are many reasons why some become complacent.
Some include:
1.
We are too comfortable in
this world.
As Christians, we are to be other worldly – Col. 3:1-2.
Yet materialism and worldliness
make it too appealing, too comfortable.
There are things we don’t want to surrender to follow Him.
There is a reason those facing persecutions are closer to God.
They look to the day when these will end and God makes it right.
James 4:4 tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with
God.
2.
We have let down our guard.
Sometimes we get so busy with worldly pursuits, we don’t have
time (or make time) to stop and pay attention to what is happening
around us spiritually.
Sometimes our comforts (see above) cause us to relax too much.
Hebrews 2:1 warns us to give the more earnest heed lest we drift
away.
3.
We are ignorant
- many are not aware of their need to change.
They don’t know God’s word well enough to know they need to
change. Some rely on others
to tell them what to do and what not to do.
The religious climate in our society is one that avoids
identifying and exposing sin. Those
following the positive, preaching movement (i.e. Joel Osteen, etc.) are
lulled into thinking they are fine because they never HEAR those areas
where they need to repent.
4.
We are indifferent
– some just don’t care! They
don’t want to change and nothing is going to make them change.
They are living for today and don’t want to be bothered with the
future. Many who are young
and think they have all the time in the world will live this way.
But they are not alone!
III.
Overcoming our ease
A.
It’s time to WAKE UP!
2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us that NOW is the time to awake.
Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him
while He is near.”
B.
Repent
– resolve to do better.
Anytime we determine we are not what we ought to and there is sin
in our lives we need to repent.
True repentance leads to change as it is needed 2 Cor. 7:11
Forgiveness only comes when we are willing to do
what we are commanded to do – 1 John 1:7
C.
Return to the Old Paths – when you were what you ought to be
Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask
for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will
find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
Hebrews 10:32 – Recall
the former days…, 35-36 – you have need of endurance.
Revelation 2:5 – to the church at Ephesus, they were warned to
Remember where you have fallen from.
D.
Get to work
– Galatians 6:9 – don’t lose heart and don’t quit.
Sadly, the warnings
of Amos and other prophets did not cause Israel to repent.
As a result, they were carried away into captivity.
Judah, while their fate was prolonged also failed to listen and
too suffered the wrath of God at the hand of the Babylonians.
We, face an even greater wrath if we fail to serve God.
We cannot afford to be at ease.
We must be diligent in God’s Service.
Our ease will come when we spend eternity with Him (cf. Rev.
14:13).