A BRIGHT FUTURE

 

1.  The five verses that were read (Amos 9:11-15) summarize the 27 books of the New Testament.

2.  God used the prophet Amos to sum up Christianity.

3.  Tonight we want to take a detailed look at this summation.

4.  We are going to start with Amos 9:11.

5.  God said, “In that day.”

A.  When this “day” came several things were to take place.

B.  David’s “tabernacle” would be fixed.

C.  The word tabaernacle is translated “tent” in the NIV.

D.  The RSV has the word “booth.”

E.  This term described a temporary structure.

F.  If a temporary structure is “fallen” it is probably in poor shape.

G.  If a temporary structure is in a state of disrepair it is probably close to being ruined.

H.  The prophet said this was true for this “tabernacle.”

I.  He said the tabernacle had “breaches.”

 

6.  There was a time when the nation Israel was united.  The nation’s 12 tribes had formerly been unified.

7.  As most of us know Israel divided.  Ten tribes went to the north and 2 stayed in the south.

8.  This was a huge breach.  This was a serious division among God’s people.

9.  The division worsened when Assyria carried northern Israel into captivity in 722 B.C.

10.  In 586 B.C. Babylon carried southern Israel into captivity.

11.  The kingdom that David had established was crumbling.

12.  When the north and south were carried off into captivity things got even worse.

13.  Things were (or would get so bad) that the prophet used the word ruins (11b).

14.  When southern Israel was taken into captivity David’s descendents no longer ruled in Israel.

A.  The prophet predicated that all this would change.

B.  God said He would “raise up” the ruins.

C.  He would “build it as in the days of old.”

D.  If we are familiar with the New Testament this prophecy can be easily related to some verses.

E.  Under the Old Testament the kingdom was great during the days of David and Solomon.

F.  When Jesus came He said (Mt. 12:42) that He was greater than Solomon.

G.  Jesus also spoke of a kingdom that is like a mustard seed (Lk. 13:19).

H.  It starts out as the smallest of seeds.

I.  Though this seed is very small it grows to such a point where it becomes a large tree.

J.  It is so big “the birds of the heaven” use its branches.

K.  This is what Amos predicted.

L.  He predicated a future time when things would be different and magnificent.

M.  Jesus spoke of the same thing but He used a different illustration.

N.  Listen to Mt. 13:45-46.  READ.

O.  Amos and Jesus both spoke of the same thing.

P.  They both looked forward to a kingdom that would be greater than the one under David and Solomon.

Q.  They looked forward to a time when there would be something available that was extremely valuable.

R.  This thing would be so precious people would spend everything they had to be part of it.

 

15.  The blessings that Amos promised were and are so great that the prophet used hyperboles.

16.  Let’s look at Amos 9:13.  READ.

A.  The plowman would “overtake the reaper.”

B.  Earlier in this book the prophet had spoken of captivity and famine.

C.  He had promised a drought.

D.  Instead of planting and harvesting crops Amos had spoken of war.

E.  Here the promise is completely different.  He spoke of repeaters (harvesters) and planters.

F.  The reapers (the people who gathered the crops) normally finished their work in May.

G.  The people who planted the crops normally did their job in October.

H.  Amos said that when the month of May came the harvesters would not be done.

I.  Though the people should have been done by this period they would still be in the fields.

J.  The people would have so much produce that they would need to be harvesting in June.

K.  They would still be harvesting crops in July, August, and September.

L.  The people who planted seed did their job in October.

M.  Amos said that the harvesters would still be working when it was time for the planters to plant seed.

N.  The harvesters would continue to harvest crops because there would be such an abundance.

O.  This imagery, by itself, indicates that the point is figurative.

P.  Amos was not talking about a physical (literal) harvest.

Q.  Additional proof that figurative information is being used is in 13.

I).  The prophet said that the mountains would “drop sweet wine.”

II).  Mountains do not “drop wine.”

III).  Mountains are not even the right place for grape vines.

IV).  This information is clearly figurative.

V).  The prophet also said that the hills would “melt.”

VI).  Who has ever seen a melting hill?

VII).  Hills may melt in some type of catastrophe but Amos described good things, not judgment.

VIII).  This section of Amos’ prophecy does not deal with destruction.

 

17.  THIS PROPHECY FINDS ITS FULFILLMENT IN THE CHURCH.

 

A.  The prophet said that the mountains would drop sweet wine.

B.  This was the wrong place for grapes to grow. 

C.  When we realize that this prophecy applied to the church this prophecy makes a lot of sense.

D.  What do we find with respect to the gospel?

E.  Jesus said to take the gospel to all people (Mk. 16:15).

F.  Is it not true that some people are in odd places?

G.  Is it not the case that some people seem to be unlikely candidates for conversion?

H.  This is how the gospel and the kingdom are like grapes growing on a mountain.

I.  This is unusual; out of the ordinary; unexpected.

J.  The same is true concerning evangelism.

K.  We sometimes find lost people in strange places.

L.  Some of those we convert seem to be unlikely candidates.

M.  The prophet said that reapers would be so busy they would overlap with the planters.

N.  Think about the New Testament.  We can also see how this relates to the church.

O.  Let’s begin with Mk. 4.  This is one of the accounts of the parable of the sower.

P.  We use this parable at times but we may not be familiar with its relationship to Amos 9.

Q.  Let’s read verses 3-4, 8, 14, and 20 of Mk. 4.  READ.

R.  Jesus said that if we sow seed in the kingdom it can produce huge yields.

S.  Another reference we are likely familiar with is Jn. 4:35.

T.  Jesus was in the area of Samaria.  He was with His disciples.

U.  It was about 4 months before the fields would ready for harvesting.

V.  Though the harvest was still several months away this is what Jesus said.  Jn. 4:35.

W.  The context shows that this “harvest” was a harvest of souls.  Verse 30.

X.  The Greek text shows that a steady stream of people came out to see the Lord.

Y.  When the Bible describes people being saved it makes some interesting statements..

Z.  Scripture says the “fields are ripe.”

AA.  The seed (the word of God) can result in a “hundred fold” yield.

BB.  Are these statements literally true?

CC.  On the day of Pentecost about 3,000 people were converted.

DD.  That’s a lot of conversions for a single day’s work.

EE.  By the time of Acts 4:4 we find that 5,000 men (males) were Christians.

IX).  If half of these men were married and their wives converted the number was 7,500.

X).  If this number of people had 1 child that was converted the number of Christians was 10,000.

XI).  The population of Jerusalem, at this time, was only about 55,000.

XII).  If close to 20% of the population was converted early in the church’s history,

XIII).  Is not the imagery in Amos 9 exactly right?

XIV).  The plowmen were running into the reapers.

XV).  The hills (the hearts of men) were melting (13b).  People outside of Christ were repenting.

XVI).  As people were being converted in droves it was if wine was coming from the mountains.

XVII).  Thousands and thousands of people were streaming into the Lord’s church.

 

18.  Jesus predicted in Mt. 13 the church started out very small; it would be like a mustard seed.

19.  This predication was accurate.  A group of 12 men were immersed in the Holy Spirit.

20.  Though it started out small the kingdom of God spread like wildfire.

A.  Amos knew that this would happen.

B.  Thus in 12b He said Edom would be “possessed.”

C.  At the present time we “possess” (occupy) some territory in Afghanistan.

D.  Those who lived under the Old Testament system were accustomed to “possessing” lands.

E.  People would invade and conquer other territories.

F.  Under the New Testament there is also a kind of possession.

G.  Christ built one church.  All the saved are members of His body.

H.  This is where all people are joined together.

I.  This is what Amos meant when he said the “breach” would be mended.

J.  All people would be brought together as one in Christ.

K.  In Gal. 3:28 Paul said, QUOTE.

L.  There can be no more “Israel and Edom” since all are now blended together in Christ.

 

21.  The blessings in Christ are described (in a figurative way) in Amos 9:14-15.

A.  The prophet said that people would “plant vineyards.”

B.  They would make gardens and get to eat from them.

C.  People would be planted in “their land” and would not be “plucked up.”

D.  Some think this refers to a future time but this isn’t what Amos meant.

 

22.  If you were here last week I presented some information about the kingdom.

23.  I cited Heb. 12:28 – the Hebrew writer said we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

24.  This is what Amos said.

25.  People cannot be “plucked from their land.”

26.  If we are in the kingdom of Christ we cannot be taken from this place.

27.  We can remove ourselves through disobedience and neglect but no one can take us away.

28.  In fact, listen to what Jesus said in Jn. 10:28.  READ.

29.  We cannot be taken from the kingdom because the kingdom is not in a physical location.

30.  Last week I introduced Lk. 17:20-21.

31.  This verse shows that the character of the kingdom is spiritual.

32.  It is “not of this world” (Jn. 18:36).        

A.  Amos predicated a time that would be filled with blessings.

B.  This time looked for to the establishment of and life in the church.

C.  The church (which is sometimes also described as the kingdom) is:

D.  A kingdom that offers remission of sins and an inheritance (Acts 26:18).

E.  The Bible goes on to say that this inheritance is incorruptible (1 Pet. 1:4).

F.  It is also eternal (Heb. 9:15).

 

33.  In Acts 15 James quoted Amos 9 to show that Gentiles are fellow citizens in the church.

34.  He knew that God “raised up David’s tabernacle.”

35.  He knew that in this tabernacle (the church) all people are made one in Christ.

36.  He knew that all people can have access to the richest source of treasure man has ever known.

37.  To those who lived in the first century this was appealing.  This was exciting.

38.  The people in the days of Amos must have longed for the time described by Amos.

39.  The people didn’t get to see it.

40.  We are living in a time when what was predicated is available.

41.  Now is the time to access all the things God has to offer to the world.

A.  Col. 2:10 says we are made “complete” in Christ.

B.  Through Christ we are made full and whole.

C.  Can there ever be another offer that is more generous than this?

D.  Tonight we are asking people to stay.

E.  We are beginning to mail out a publication to help people learn about the church.

F.  Our goal as Christians needs to be to teach everyone we can about the time Amos looked forward to.

G.  The kingdom has come.  The church has been built.

H.  People need to be members of it.  Are we?

I.  Are we a member of an organization that was predicated by the prophets and established by Christ?

J.  Are we a faithful member of it?

K.  Do we do our best to tell the story of Amos 9 to others?