In Anger Remember Mercy Part 2

Pastor Mike will be speaking on In Anger Remember Mercy Part 2. He will be reading out of Amos 9:1-8.

We are reminded that God will complete his purposes in history in bringing about the salvation of all who believe in Christ that expands beyond the Jewish people into the Gentile nations and God will be glorified and he will be magnified.

Hello, this is Pastor Mike Sanders from the Open Door Church. We welcome you to the Hopeworth Having radio program. We’re in the final part of Amos chapter 9. We’re learning about anger and remembering mercy.

Amos had brought the judgment of God and the prophecy of God’s judgment upon the nation of Israel and yet as he concludes the book he calls on God to show mercy to his people. So I want us to get into this passage and let’s learn more about what God is teaching us.

When God judges we will not escape. When God judges we will recognize who he is. We come to verses 5 and 6 and we have a declaration of who he is. Verse 5 says the Lord God of hosts he who touches the earth and it melts and all who dwells there mourn all of it shall swell like the river and subside like the river of Egypt.

He who builds his layers in the sky and has founded his strata in the earth who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth the Lord Adonai is his name. If you like to mark in your Bible you might underscore that phrase the Lord is his name.

You back up to verse 5 the Lord God of hosts this is not some accident that has manifested upon the people who have rejected God. This is not something that just was a quenky dink and seemed to come together at the right moment, but rather this was the hand of God.

And we will recognize him. They are reminded in this passage, we are reminded of his omnipotence, his great power. It is revealed in creation. And he is sovereign over all the nation. We are reminded that he has the power to carry out all that he says that he will do.

When God says that he will judge, he will judge. When we think about when God judges, we understand that we’ll not be able to escape. We will recognize who he is, but thirdly, we will not be able to claim any special relationship.

We come down to verse seven and the scripture says, are you not like the people of Ethiopia to me? Oh, children of Israel. Says the Lord did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt the Philistines from Kaphtor and the Syrians from Kerr Behold the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom and I will destroy it from the face of the earth Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob Says the Lord for surely I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations as grain is sifted in a Perceived yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground Verse 10 all the sinners of my people Shall die by the sword who say the calamity shall not overtake nor confront us What he’s saying he is reminding the people of Israel They will not be able to claim any special favor or relationship that somehow would prevent God from bringing judgment upon them What happened to the nation of Israel?

They had become self -righteous they had become so focused on self and they believed that because they were a covenant people and that because they were a chosen people in no way would God ever bring judgment upon them that they had special protection and therefore they could live as they wanted They could pursue their self -interest They could walk through the motions of their religious practices, but God would never judge them But they are reminded in verse 7 through 10 That that is not true God shows no impartiality in his grace as Well as his judgments There is no distinction upon the judgment of God that he will judge The nation of Israel he’ll judge his people Just like he would judge all people That distinction is gone.

There is no special Favor that somehow because of who I am, because of my name, because of my heritage, because of my parents’ role in the church. Somehow, God is going to just overlook my lifestyle, my attitudes, and my actions, that no, my friends, every relationship with God is personal.

You not only cannot hang on to the coattails of your parents and your grandparents to get into heaven, because God has no grandchildren. And that every person must make a decision for Christ one-on-one, but that as God is dealing with us, as He is confronting things that are wrong in our life, we cannot bring to God our heritage and our family name and some sort of favor that we have somehow in our mindset, and God will withhold just the opposite, my friends, to whom much is given, much is required.

And so when God gives you that platform, that you are born into the Christian home and you have been given the gospel of Jesus Christ, and you have been given so much opportunity to be all that you can be for the Lord Jesus Christ, how much more is expected out of you than those who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Oh, we must recognize that we’re not able to claim any special relationship. But I want you to note, that tucked into this judgment of verses seven through 10 is a reminder to us of the incredible love that God has for His children.

Verse nine, for surely I will command and will sift the house of Israel among all nations. God’s heart is not to destroy you, but God’s heart is to shape you. It is to mold you into the image. He’s gonna sift you as grain is sifted in the sieve.

He is like the farmer who is trying to make sure that the grain is pure and he is trying to make sure that the quality of it is good. And so it is that God will do that in our hearts and in our lives.

How does He do that? As believers, the Bible teaches us that sometimes through trials, temptations, through the transitions we go through in life, He sticks us into the fire. We find ourselves in the fire.

We are like the goldsmith in which the goldsmith melts the gold so that all the infirmities will come to the surface. And as those infirmities come to the surface, that goldsmith takes his tool and wipes it away and he cools down that gold so that he can have pure gold available.

What is God doing in your life? Very much like Job said, that God is working in our life though He’s… slay me I will trust him Job said and he said I will come forth as gold God is melting down your life he is using the troubles and the trials of life the people in your life that are difficult he is using it so that you will be melted down and all that is wrong in your life all that needs to be addressed in your life all that needs to be confronted and confessed in your life comes to the surface now why would God do that because he knows you and he knows me and he knows our human nature we do not naturally say man Mike you’ve got to work on that know what we do we are blinded to our own faults we are blinded to our own sins we naturally think everything’s wonderful we look in the mirror and say man you’re an amazing person That’s the way we are, and so God, He puts us in the fire and He brings to the surface all that needs to be confronted.

And then He calls on us to confess that to Him, and through His tool of mercy and grace and forgiveness, He wipes those away so that when we are taken out of the fire and cooled down, we can come forth, as Job said, as gold before God.

This is God’s effective work in your life, and you may struggle with His discipline, you may struggle with His chastening, but remember the words of Jesus who said, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.

Therefore be zealous and repent. When you find yourself in a trial and a temptation, you’re not to be crying out, oh God, why? But rather, oh God, what? What are you trying to teach me, Lord? What do you want me to confess to you, God?

What do you want me to change in my life? Rather than being self-absorbed and having a pity party thinking that you’re not worthy to go through any trial and any obstacle or opposition in your life or persecution in your life, you come and you humbly, honestly, before God and say, Lord, work in me, what do you want me to change?

What do you want me to confess? This is how God is working with us, He is chastening us, and He is sifting us not to destroy us, but to shape us. The scripture says in Hebrews 12 -6, the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son whom He receives.

We come to this passage in such strong language, such strong determination of God to bring judgment. It is for us to say, Lord, I don’t want to end up there. So every day I want to judge my sins, that’s why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, that Paul told the Corinthians that if you would judge now, then God would not have to judge later.

If you would confront your sins now, Lord, what sin do I need to confess when I come to this passage? But so many times, because we live in such an eccentric society that is self-absorbed, it’s all about, I need to pick me up, pastor.

I need something encouraging, pastor. But have you ever considered that maybe what you need is spiritual surgery? Maybe God needs to work effectively in your life. Now do not be overcome with guilt, for we are given the promise in Romans 8 -1, therefore there is now.

no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. Because we are in Christ and because Christ has taken the wrath of God for us, the penalty for our sins. On the cross, there is a shelter for the believer.

We are positionally righteous before God and we stand before him clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and we are accepted in the beloved. We are in the family of God, positionally. But practically as I’m living out my life every day, we are very much like the Apostle Paul who said, oh wretched man that I am, who can deliver me from this body of flesh?

We disappoint ourselves often. We struggle, we stumble, we fail God, we sin against him. What is the solution? It is to come before God and to confess our sins habitually and say, Lord, forgive me and remember your great work on the cross for my sins.

For it is not only that Christ positionally puts me in the family of God, but practically he is cleansing me every day. The Apostle Peter said to Jesus when Jesus strived to wash his feet, he said, Lord, don’t wash my feet.

And Jesus said, Peter, it’s necessary. And Peter said, well Lord, if it’s necessary then wash my whole body. And he said, well it’s not necessary for that. And here was his point. You’ve already been saved, Peter.

You just need a daily cleansing from walking the dusty roads of Jerusalem. And so it is in my life as I’m out there every day fighting the good fight of faith that I find myself, I find myself becoming.

dirty with the things of this world and there needs to be a consistent and constant cleansing in my heart and in my life that’s why we come regularly to the Lord and if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness.

That is the promise that we hold on to so we understand when God judges. When He judges that He is only shaping our hearts we might be like Christ. Now the second thing that I want you to notice in this latter part of this section of chapter 9 verses 11 through 15 which is the final section of the book of Amos I want you to see when God blesses.

Now here lest the people be overwhelmed with despair of the judgments of God. that Amos shares with them the promises of God. These promises are not based upon the people of God but on the very character and nature of God.

The very character and work of God are involved in the future of the nation of Israel and the spiritual kingdom of God. It is based upon his character that God will keep all his promises for his people.

Look at verse 11. On that day, I will raise up the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen, and repair its damages. I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the Gentiles who are called by my name says the Lord who does this thing.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord. When the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, him who sows seed, the mountains shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it.

I will bring back the captives of my people Israel. They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them. They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.

I will plant them in their land and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God. Someone said that we are dealers of hope because people cannot live without hope.

And so God is reminding us that he will bless his people and it’ll be based upon who he is. And when God blesses, he will complete all of his purposes in history. In verses 11 and 12, we are reminded, over and over again that though God is chastising his people he is judging them note again in verse 11 I will raise up and repair its damages I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it as the days of old the question before us is will the Lord abandon his people in the midst of his judgment as God judges the nation of Israel will he forget them this question was brought before the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 9 would God abandon his people would he abandon the nation of Israel and the Apostle said God forbid absolutely not for God has not forgotten his people but God will be faithful to his promises concerning the nation of Israel and the throne of David The Bible says in verse 11, the tabernacle of God.

Depending on the translation that you’re using this morning, some translations say the booth or the tent of David. Either way, it is a shadow of what it used to be, and certainly a foreshadowing of what it will be.

The tabernacle of David, this great place, this temple, that will one day be raised up. Here, the Bible is teaching us that God is going to establish an earthly kingdom involving the people of Israel.

And this kingdom will now manifest itself spiritually and one day physically. Now again, I want you to take your Bible and go over to the book of Acts in the New Testament. Just jump over there, I need you to see this.

In Acts chapter 15, I need you to get there. And if your spouse is sleeping, give him the old elbow, and wake him up. But in Acts, chapter 15, verses 13 through 18, James, the apostle James, helps us to connect the dots to what Amos is teaching us.

If you’re familiar with the Bible, you know that in Amos chapter nine, in Amos chapter nine, he gives this promise that he will return, he will rebuild, he will set it up again. But in Acts chapter 15, James is meeting with all the apostles and the leaders of the church, and they are talking about whether it is necessary for the Gentile believers to participate in the dietary laws and the customs of the Old Testament of the Jewish people in order to be in the family of God.

And so James stands up and he gives a speech here under the influence of the Bible. Desperation of the Spirit of God in verse 13 of Acts chapter 15 and with this the words of the prophets agree The Bible says in verse 13 after they had become silent James answered saying men and brethren listen to me Simon has declared or Peter has declared how God had the first visited the Gentiles to take out them a people for his name and With this the words of the prophets agree just as it is written this may sound familiar to you verse 16 after this I will return and Rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen down.

I will rebuild its ruins and I will set it up So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord even all the Gentiles who are called by my name Says the Lord who does all these things look at verse 18 known to God from eternity Are all his works?

There is a redemptive purpose that God has in history that began with a covenant that he made with Abraham and continued with David, and even though the nation of Israel rejected God and went through a fluctuation of different captivities, God has promised that he will not let this kingdom be utterly destroyed.

And James tells us that this kingdom of David is spiritually being renewed and rebuilt even in the new covenant that Christ has sealed on the cross with his blood as he gave his life for you and me. That the expansion of the kingdom of God, this Davidic covenant that has been made in which a tabernacle will be built, is being spiritually built in the heart of all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and that this is expanding as you and I are sharing the gospel and leading people to Christ and that we are participating in the raising up and the repairing and the rebuilding and the promise that one day all the Gentiles who are called by the name of the Lord they shall be saved.

Now this kingdom and this purpose of redemption that is woven from Genesis all the way through the book of Revelation is being manifested not only in a spiritual aspect but in a physical aspect. That one day after the rapture of the church and the initiation of the tribulation period which is seven years upon the second coming of Christ and destroying all the nations that have rejected God and the antichrist that built a one world government and a one world currency and a one world religion that after God has bound Satan for a thousand years that we will enter into a millennial Kingdom and within this Millennial Kingdom there will be the physical rebuilding of the Kingdom of God and that this Davidic promises will be fulfilled and brought to its culmination.

All that the prophets had proclaimed and had prophesied about was that one day there would be a Messiah who would sit on the Jesus Christ will return with His saints to this earth and we’ll be riding on white horses so you better get your horse riding skills up to par and as we come the Bible says that we’ll rule and reign with Jesus Christ and that we will judge the nation Paul reminds the Corinthians, if we’re gonna be judging the nations as believers, how much more can we handle the problems within the church rather than taking them to the world to solve our problems?

And so we are called and reminded that there is a promise that God will fulfill. He will complete his purposes in history and bring about the salvation of all who believe in Christ that expands beyond the Jewish people into the Gentile nations and God will be glorified and he will be magnified.

When God blesses, he will complete his purposes in history but he will also renew his creation. Look at verse 13. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, him who sows seeds, the mountain shall drip with sweet wine and all the hills shall flow with it.

Again, my point simply is this, just like he is creating a new creation in each of our hearts who trust in Christ, when the Bible teaches us that old things pass away and behold, all things become new, that we are new creatures, we are new creations in Christ, the moment that we come to Jesus and repent of our sins, believe in Christ, the moment that we embrace the cross for our salvation, the moment that we trust in his wonderful grace and work that he did on the cross for my sins, it is at that moment that you are becoming a new creation in the Lord Jesus Christ and this is part of the fulfillment of what God says that he will do and will continue to do.

He will renew his creation. Sin has marred the creation of every person who was created in the image of a God who is holy. But through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, He is renewing us, He is rebuilding us, He is restoring us, and He is making us more into the image of Jesus Christ.

How does He do that? All things pass away. Those old thoughts, those old philosophies, those old viewpoints, they’re all fading away. Those old habits are flowing away from you. And you, the Bible said, all things are passing away, and behold, all things are becoming what, church?

New. Everything’s becoming new in your heart. Because you are reflecting more and more on the image of Jesus Christ. You are being restored into that God-ordained created image that God has designed you to be.

And my friends, I want you to know the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that one day this heaven and earth will pass away and there’ll be a new heaven and there’ll be a new earth and God will follow you.

finally established his new creation and it will be renewed forever and ever and we will live in a world where there is no sin and there is no sorrow and there is no sadness and there is no tears and there is no suffering and there are no issues of sin in this world and we will rejoice and never be separated from our loved ones again.

Can God’s people say amen? Amen. With this clapping thing, you’re either all in or you’re not. Isaiah 54:8 says, In overflowing anger for a moment, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love, I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer.

No matter who you are, Amos reminds us that we can look forward to the glorious, Messianic kingdom that is before us. We walk through these times that are unique and difficult and uncertain, but we are not a hopeless people, discouraged or defeated, but we are clinging, standing, and claiming the promises of God and we hold on to those truths that continue to become the inspiration and impotence of our life as we strive to live with joy and strength, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Let’s pray. The world had politically changed when Amos became a prophet. Assyria was the new superpower and Amos was ministering to a divided people, a nation of Israel that had become a Northern kingdom and a Southern kingdom.

And he lived in a time when people were. preoccupied with becoming rich and they were focused on their own selfish desires. Does that sound similar? So much to our nation that’s all about the money, it’s all about the economy, it’s all about how we can become rich.

But what we really need to be is rich in Jesus, rich in Christ. We need to remember that God is calling us into a real relationship with him. And see, we either stand under the judgment of God or we are under his mercy.

And the only difference between being under the judgment of God and the mercy of Christ is Jesus himself. And when you come to Christ and you repent of your sins and receive him as Lord and Savior, then you get to enjoy his mercy.

But if you are outside of Christ and you have rejected him, then the judgment of God is upon you and you are, as the scripture says, already condemned. But I pray today that you will receive Christ as your Lord, that you will respond to Him as He is spiritually awakening you, that as you are humble in your heart and honest with God, that you would call upon the name of the Lord, and whoever calls on the name of the Lord, the scripture says, shall be saved.

May that be true in your life today. This is Pastor Mike Sanders reminding you that in Christ there is hope worth having.