Daily Dose of the Word of God - Amos 5: 21-24

Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor

Transcript

Gregg DeMey  0:07  

Good morning friends and welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's Thursday, November 6 and this is Gregg DeMey, Lead Pastor at the church. We are walking through the Bible and reading today from Amos 5: 21 through 24 where God says:

Gregg DeMey 0:22  

“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Gregg DeMey  0:57

 
Since when does God hate worship services, offerings and music? This seems tough. Sometimes God's prophets had to bring rough messagesand Amos was no exception. Amos is speaking on God's behalf to the people of God, letting them know that God wants our hearts close to his own heart. He does not want us performing the right spiritual duties out of obligation - all the churchy stuff is meaningless if it's not connected to the heart of God. It's mere noise without our daily lives reflecting his character. It turns out that justice and righteousness are leading indicators of our love and a heart for God. In this Sunday's message, I'll be trying to speak about justice in this way - that justice is the right things in the right way at the right time. Not in some future Promised Land, but right here in the present, friends. We're here together in this moment, uniquely alive and capable. The right way, for the sake of others (Jesus way) is following his example and the right things, making the most of the opportunity of our life by exercising the unique gifts, skills, learnings, talents and passions that God has given us. When we do that, good things happen.

Gregg DeMey 2:38  

Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you that you aren't looking for us to tick all the right religious boxes to collect spiritual gold stars. Today, out of love for you, we want to do the right things that your spirit leads us to do - the righteous things. And we want to do these things in the righteous way and time this very day. In Jesus name, amen.