James 1:2-4 (NASB)

2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Theme: We as Christians can take joy in our trials because we know that God is using them to grow us to spiritual maturity.

Three Encouragements to help us deal with life’s trials:

1) Put on the Right Attitude in our Trials (1:2)

2) Have Accurate Knowledge about our Trials (1:3)

3) Understand the Intended Outcome of our Trials (1:4)

Colossians 3:23-24 (NASB)

23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NASB)

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Colossians 3:17 (NASB)

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

1) The Christian’s Pattern

2) The Christian’s Prescription

3) The Christian’s Priority

James 1:1 (NASB)

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Theme: Remember the responsibilities & privileges of Church Membership!

Four Biblical Bases for Local Church Membership:

1) The Example of the Early Church

2) The Exercise of Church Discipline

3) The Existence of Church Gov’t

4) The Exhortation of the One-Another Commands

 

FBC “I Will” Statements:

· I will always be willing to both give and receive admonition and instruction with meekness and in love, and humbly submit to the practice of church discipline.

· I will be subject to spiritually gifted elders and their biblical teachings for the edification of Christ’s church.

· I will commit to praying for the ministry here in this church, for my brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the lost who need the Savior.

Theme: Remember the responsibilities & privileges of Church Membership!

1) I will take seriously my relationship to others in the body of Christ, striving to maintain unity, and doing all I can to stimulate others to love and good deeds for the glory of God.

2) I will consistently serve and contribute, as a good steward of God’s blessings, such time, talent, and money, in the measure that God prospers me, so that our ministry of spreading the Gospel locally & worldwide may continue.

3) I will teach biblical truth to my family and acquaintances, as God gives me opportunity, with a desire to see them come to trust in Jesus Christ and be saved.

2 Kings 13 (NASB)

1 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel at Samaria, and he reigned for seventeen years. 2 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel; he did not turn from them. 3 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He continually handed them over to Hazael king of Aram, and to Ben-hadad, the son of Hazael. 4 Then Jehoahaz appeased the Lord, and the Lord listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them.

5 And the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as previously. 6 Nevertheless they did not abandon the sins of the house of Jeroboam, into which he misled Israel; rather, they walked in them; and the Asherah also remained standing in Samaria. 7 For he left to Jehoahaz no more of the army than fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand infantry, because the king of Aram had eliminated them and made them like the dust at threshing. 8 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz, and all that he did and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 9 And Jehoahaz lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria; and his son Joash became king in his place.

10 In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned for sixteen years. 11 He did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did not turn away from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, into which he misled Israel; rather, he walked in them. 12 Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 13 So Joash lay down with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne; and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

14 When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Lay your hand on the bow.” And he laid his hand on it, then Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” So he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, and the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have put an end to them.”

18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. 19 Then the man of God became angry at him and said, “You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you put an end to it. But now you shall strike Aram only three times.”

20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the marauding bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 And as they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they threw the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.

22 Now Hazael king of Aram had oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now.

24 When Hazael king of Aram died, his son Ben-hadad became king in his place. 25 Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz again took from the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken in war from the hand of his fath...

Amos 9 (NASB)

9 I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said,

“Strike the pillar capitals so that the thresholds will shake,And break them on the heads of them all!Then I will put to death the rest of them with the sword;They will not have a fugitive who will flee,Nor a survivor who will escape.

2 Though they dig into Sheol,From there My hand will take them;And though they ascend to heaven,From there I will bring them down.

3 And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,I will track them down and take them from there;And though they hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,I will command the serpent from there, and it will bite them.

4 And though they go into captivity before their enemies,From there I will command the sword and it will kill them,And I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.”

5 The Lord God of armies,The One who touches the land so that it quakes,And all those who live in it mourn,And all of it rises up like the NileAnd subsides like the Nile of Egypt;

6 The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavensAnd has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,He who calls for the waters of the seaAnd pours them out on the face of the earth,The Lord is His name.

7 “Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me,You sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.“Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt,And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?

8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,And I will eliminate it from the face of the earth;Nevertheless, I will not totally eliminate the house of Jacob,”Declares the Lord.

9 “For behold, I am commanding,And I will shake the house of Israel among all nationsAs grain is shaken in a sieve,But not a pebble will fall to the ground.

10 All the sinners of My people will die by the sword,Those who say, ‘The catastrophe will not overtake or confront us.’The Restoration of Israel

11 “On that day I will raise up the fallen shelter of David,And wall up its gaps;I will also raise up its ruinsAnd rebuild it as in the days of old;

12 So that they may possess the remnant of EdomAnd all the nations who are called by My name,”Declares the Lord who does this.

13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,“When the plowman will overtake the reaper,And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;When the mountains will drip grape juice,And all the hills will come apart.

14 I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel,And they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine,And make gardens and eat their fruit.

15 I will also plant them on their land,And they will not be uprooted again from their landWhich I have given them,”Says the Lord your God.

Theme: Behold & Believe the Almighty God, Who will make good on His promises to punish and to bless.

1) Behold God’s Dreadful Power – The Passing of a kingdom (9:1-10)

2) Believe God’s Faithful Promises – The Coming of The Kingdom (9:11-15)

Theme: No one can serve 2 masters.

Intro – Serving Self & Money (6:4-6, 12; also 8:4-6)

Amos 6:4-6 (NASB)

4 Those who lie on beds of ivory,And lounge around on their couches,And eat lambs from the flock,And calves from the midst of the fattened cattle,5 Who improvise to the sound of the harp,And like David have composed songs for themselves,6 Who drink wine from sacred bowlsWhile they anoint themselves with the finest of oils—Yet they have not grieved over the collapse of Joseph.

Amos 6:12 (NASB)

12 Do horses run on rocks?Or does one plow them with oxen?Yet you have turned justice into poison,And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.

Amos 8:4-6 (NASB)

4 Hear this, you who trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land, 5 saying, “When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain;And the Sabbath, so that we may open the wheat market,To make the ephah smaller and the shekel bigger,And to cheat with dishonest scales,6 So as to buy the helpless for money,And the needy for a pair of sandals,And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

God’s Attributes in Judgment:

1. Mercy (7:1-3)

Amos 7:1-3 (NASB)

1 This is what the Lord God showed me, and behold, He was forming a swarm of locusts when the spring crop began to sprout. And behold, the spring crop was after the king’s mowing. 2 And it came about, when it had finished eating the vegetation of the land, that I said, “Lord God, please pardon! How can Jacob stand? For he is small.”3 The Lord relented of this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord.

2. Patience (7:4-6)

Amos 7:4-6 (NASB)

4 So the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God was calling to contend with them by fire, and it consumed the great deep and began to consume the farmland. 5 Then I said, “Lord God, please stop! How can Jacob stand? For he is small.”6 The Lord relented of this. “This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.

3. Righteousness (7:7-17)

Amos 7:7-17 (NASB)

7 So He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will not spare them any longer.

9 The high places of Isaac will become deserted, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is unable to endure all his words. 11 For this is what Amos says: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’” 12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Go, you seer, flee to the land of Judah; and eat bread there and do your prophesying there! 13 But do not prophesy at Bethel any longer, for it is a sanctuary of the king and a royal residence.”

14 Then Amos replied to Amaziah, “I am not a prophet, nor am I the son of a prophet; for I am a herdsman and a grower of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16 So now hear the word of the Lord: you are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you prophesy against the house of Isaac.’ 17 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, your land will be parceled up by a measuring line, and you yourself will die upon unclean soil. Furthermore Israel will certainly go from its land into exile.’”

4. Justice (8:1-14)

Amos 8 (NASB)

8 This is what the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. 2 And He said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel. I will not spare them any longer. 3 The songs of the palace will turn to wailing on that...

Amos 5 (NASB)

1 Hear this word which I am taking up for you as a song of mourning, house of Israel:2 She has fallen, she will not rise again—The virgin Israel.She lies unnoticed on her land;There is no one to raise her up.

3 For this is what the Lord God says:

“The city which goes forth a thousand strongWill have a hundred left,And the one which goes forth a hundred strongWill have ten left to the house of Israel.”

4 For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel:

“Seek Me so that you may live.5 But do not resort to BethelAnd do not come to Gilgal,Nor cross over to Beersheba;For Gilgal will certainly go into captivityAnd Bethel will come to nothing.6 Seek the Lord so that you may live,Or He will break through like a fire, house of Joseph,And it will consume with no one to extinguish it for Bethel,7 For those who turn justice into wormwood,And throw righteousness to the earth.”

8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,And changes deep darkness into morning,Who also darkens day into night,Who calls for the waters of the seaAnd pours them out on the surface of the earth,The Lord is His name.9 It is He who makes destruction flash upon the strong,So that destruction comes upon the fortress.

10 They hate him who rebukes in the gate,And they despise him who speaks with integrity.11 Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poorAnd take a tribute of grain from them,Though you have built houses of cut stone,Yet you will not live in them;You have planted beautiful vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.12 For I know your offenses are many and your sins are great,You who are hostile to the righteous and accept bribes,And turn away the poor from justice at the gate.13 Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps quiet, because it is an evil time.

14 Seek good and not evil, so that you may live;And so may the Lord God of armies be with you,Just as you have said!15 Hate evil, love good,And establish justice in the gate!Perhaps the Lord God of armiesWill be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

16 Therefore this is what the Lord God of armies, the Lord says:

“There is mourning in all the public squares,And in all the streets they say, ‘Oh no! Oh no!’They also call the farmer to mourningAnd professional mourners to mourning rites.17 And in all the vineyards there is mourning,Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the Lord.

18 Woe to you who are longing for the day of the Lord,For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?It will be darkness and not light;19 As when a man flees from a lionAnd a bear confronts him,Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall,And a snake bites him.20 Will the day of the Lord not be darkness instead of light,Even gloom with no brightness in it?

21 “I hate, I reject your festivals,Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.22 Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,I will not accept them;And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened oxen.23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs;I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.24 But let justice roll out like waters,And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

25 “Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel? 26 You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.

Colossians 3:5-14 [NASB]

5 Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. 14 In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

i. Why is it necessary? (5-7)II. Laying aside the old life (8-11)III. Putting on the new self (12-14)