Amos 5

And this is Amos talking to the religious leaders, the religious world, the temple world.

And Amos 5, 21 to 24.

Would you read that, please, in this slightly less hard-hitting version? It gets started pretty good.

I hate

Philippians 4 8 calls believers to dwell on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable.

Amos 5 15 declares hate evil and love good.

Together, these texts remind us that spiritual maturity involves both rejecting what dishonors God and pursuing everything that reflects His goodness.

So, how can Christians cling to what is good? First, fill your mind with the Word of God.

It's necessary, it's core curriculum.

Look at it again, Amos 5, 21, I hate, God says, 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 fattened animals, I will not look upon them.

It's bad news all throughout.

Here's some hope.

The invitation as we close, Amos 5, 4.

For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel, seek me and live.

Yeah, and so today we're going to be digging into the Old Testament prophetic tradition.

You're getting us started here with a quote from Amos 5.

I'll read this as we get started.

It's Amos 5, 24.

It says, Yeah, I love that verse.

I love that verse.

That was the whole point.

So let's look at Amos 5.

Amos 5, just verses 11 to 13.

And this is describing the oppression.

Verse 11, therefore, because you tread down the poor and take grain taxes from him, though you have built houses of hewn stone, yet you shall not dwell in them.

It's in 80- I, Psalm 89, um, and it's, uh, 14 and 15, and then there's another scripture, but I'm gonna do this one first.

"Righteous- righteousness and justice are the foundation of the throne," okay? And then you go to Amos 5:14, "But let ju- ri- justice, uh, flow like water and righteousness like an unfailing stream." This is one our, our key scriptures that we, we use to pray for this nation.

Mm-hmm.

And I just, you know, I just wanted to share that with you because I thought, what, what words, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne."

And so I don't feel like it's something that needs to be reconciled.

I think it's something that just needs to be appreciated and understood that When I'm writing a song, I'm writing a song right now that the title is Amos 5.

And I'm singing it in a way that's palpable.

But if you know anything about Amos 5, it's not sweet.

He's saying, I don't like your songs.

I don't like your this.

I don't like any of your stuff.

And so if you're going to come to me and say that this isn't as unto the Lord, you got to argue with God at this point.

Sinful hatred wants the sinner destroyed.

Now we're gonna go to our key verse, Amos 5, 14 and 15.

I love this verse, it's so good.

It says this, it says, seek good and not evil.

All right, so Amos, let me pull it up here.

I'm gonna get my scripture here.

So Amos 5, verses 14 and 15, seek good and not evil that you may live and thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you just as you have said.

And then he goes on, he says this, hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate.