Whenever we lose sight of God’s standard, we settle into useless attempts to justify ourselves. This is the origin of pride - falsely assuming that we can determine our own righteousness. Amos reminds the people of Israel that the Lord does, in fact, have a standard, and that they have fallen far beneath it.

In the same way, our society has progressively neglected God’s standard. Our apathy, our complacency, and our overwhelming self-interest has compromised our spirituality, but yet, we still affirm ourselves as favored by God. Obviously, we’re in need of a major recalibration - but most importantly, we need a true standard by which to measure ourselves.

God’s judgment on the wickedness of man is a reality that we should never take lightly. Our faithfulness TO God is directly tied to our reverence FOR Him, and therefore, we must be wary of anything that might cause us to take that for granted.

Amos arrives in Israel in response to such neglect, as the prosperity of the nation seems to have cost them their humanity. Their persistence towards greed and injustice reflected a clear rejection of God’s heart for the vulnerable in society. In response, His judgment arrives to grant them their foolish desires - a life absent of the word of God.

We’re living in some very concerning times. It’s difficult to ignore the raging tension present between people who live on opposite ends of our social spectrum.

The rich versus the poor…

The right versus the left…

The powerful versus the weak…

We struggle to see the implications of a world that refuses to accept its own sense of shared responsibility. Consequently, what emerges from this type of collective self-absorption is a culture that is primarily characterized by indulgence, indifference, and injustice.

The book of Amos highlights a period in Israel’s story that reflects so many of these same concerns. It gives a glimpse into how easily we become distracted by our own desires, and what happens when we fail to uphold our relational responsibility to each other. The Lord’s response to this is nothing short of chilling, revealing the true severity of our unfortunate social condition.

We should all receive the words of Amos as a prophetic warning to us today — The Time Is Ripe.

We’ll kick off the first week of our survey of Amos with a question: Do You Know the Time?

If God’s plan of salvation for the entire world is progressive, then the same can be said of our personal relationship with Him. We may start with basic belief, but where we end is something much more significant.

More than just our Creator, our Savior, and the King of our lives - the Lord has determined to be our friend.

This is a distinct New Testament revelation that transforms faith expression into the most desirable relationship of all. But if God Himself has decided to be my friend, then it leaves me with the unsettling question: Can I be a good friend to Him?

It’s important to have the Holy Spirit. But it’s equally important to know how the Spirit works.

Jesus made clear promises to His disciples concerning this supernatural help, and we must consider them to avoid mishandling the gift. How do we relate to the Spirit? How does the Spirit relate to the world? And perhaps most importantly, how should we relate to the world, as we keep in step with the Spirit?

The Church holds the potential to be a unique reflection of the glory of God in the world - and so much of that is tied to how we relate to each other. There is One God, ruling over His people, and holding them all together by means of One Spirit. Scripture makes It clear that unity is a definitive marker of the Christian faith, leaving us with the pressing question:

What exactly should we do with our diversity?

Too often, diversity becomes a point of division, because historically, society has allowed our differences to mean more than they should. At times, we’ve drifted into extremes, and even ungodly responses, to those who show up as slightly different than us.

Something certainly needs to change, and we must be careful to not demand a change in the wrong things. Fortunately, gospel mission calls us to something greater than just the safety we find in similarity. What we really need is a supernatural response to our differences.

In a world characterized by instant access to information, rapidly shifting opportunities, and a hyper prioritization of personal preference, we generally find ourselves swirling in more options than we can possibly use. If the good Lord has gifted us with free will, then the world has countered it by trying to overwhelm us with “options.”

Interestingly enough, this steady increase of knowledge has resulted in an unfortunate outcome that we never could have anticipated:

We have become more intelligent - but less wise.

As the lines between right and wrong continue to blur with social progress, it becomes increasingly evident that we need something more than just “another option.” Wisdom doesn’t just come from a place of experience, it actually comes from a person. It seems that the practical help we need is found in the spiritual presence we ignore.

You can’t be godly without God…

You can’t be Christian without Christ…

And you can’t be “holy” without the Holy Spirit…

The biblical record affirms the history of our burdensome longing for spiritual fulfillment, and the New Covenant reveals that God chose to resolve this tension - once and for all - by satisfying us with Himself. It seems to be the obvious conclusion for a world, and a people, dehydrating themselves in sin. But what’s most intriguing about it all is the manner in which He chooses to do it:

He gives us His Spirit.

Not just a set of rules to obey…

Not just a perfect example to follow…

Instead, He unites with each of us, specifically and individually, that we might find perfect alignment with Him. Our intimacy with God is made possible by our dependence on His Spirit, and He is the assurance we have in knowing that we truly belong to the Lord.

Every member must become a missionary - in some capacity, for their specific context, and according to God’s unique purpose for them. This means that we must accept that the primary goal of our church is not Sunday attendance. Instead, we are to become a community of kingdom preparation - arming people with the gospel and commissioning them into the world to make a difference.

The next season of Cumberland will see a church that does more than just shepherd the broken. In addition, we’ll provide room for those same people to grow into the fullness of Christ and become agents of redemption. From planting churches, to launching businesses, to exploring artistic expression, to even running for public office - Cumberland is to become a launchpad for personal life mission through relevant gospel expression.

We are to FEED the Church, so that she can continuously provide SEED to the world.

Back in January, we set our sights on pursuing Fruit Without Fail - because Jesus set the clear expectation that His followers would produce an abundance of fruit!

So… how have you been growing?

On the final Sunday of 2025, let’s take a collective self-assessment - a “Fruit Inspection,” if you will. We’ll discuss how distractions can take us off-course, and we’ll talk about the only real way to produce fruit.