TEXT AMOS 7 7 9 7 Thus He

TEXT : AMOS 7: 7 -9 7 Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.

8 And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see? ” And I said, “A plumb line. ” Then the Lord said: “Behold, I am setting a plumb line, In the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore.

9 The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam. ”

Prophet Amos - is just an ordinary shepherd and a fig tree farmer from Tekoa. He was from the southern Kingdom of Judah but called by God preached in the northern Kingdom of Israel.

SHORT SUMMARY TO AMOS BOOK CHAPTER 1 - 2 -Contains collection of Amos’ accusations to Israel and its Neighbor Nations because of their wickedness.

CHAPTER 1 - 2 Amos Accusations to Israel: • The leaders sell the righteous people for silver. (2: 6) • They sell the poor people to just a pair of sandal then to slavery. (2: 6) • They deny or perverted the right of the poor and humble people. (2: 7)

CHAPTER 3 - 6 -Collections of Amos Message to Israel and its Leaders. • God had chosen Israel from among all Families of the earth and Israel. That’s why He’s going to punish them because of their transgression. (3: 2)

• He exposed their religious hypocrisy. - They made offerings and worshipped but all are shame and unacceptable to God because of their injustice, they neglect the poor.

• He also accused them for their Idolatry. -They established the Bethel where they worship their pagan gods which God really hate so much for He is a Jealous God.

Amos called them to repent. Amos 5: 4 For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live; ” Amos 5: 14 Seek good and not evil, that you may live; So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.

CHAPTER 7 - 9 - Collections of Amos’ Visions • Locust Swarm (7: 1 -3) • Scorching Fire (7: 4 -6) • Plumb Line (7: 7 -9) • Summer Fruit (8: 1 -14) • Destruction of Israel (9: 1 -10) • Israel will be restored (9: 11 -15)

GOD’S PLUMB LINE

WHAT IS A PLUMB LINE? • A plumb line is a metal weight on the end of a string which is used to determine if a wall under construction is vertical or not! • It is used to determine the vertical perfection of a wall whether a wall bows outward or inward.

Lesson to Learn: Plumb Line = God’s Word • Everything which is spiritual, religious activities and moral must be measured thru God's Plumb line.

Spiritual Purpose of Plumb Line: The purpose of the gospel of Christ is to BEND the lives of men back to the requirements of God.

2 Timothy 3: 16 -17 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 4: 12 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The wall here denotes our “Heart” Wall = Heart Thus, God is watching our heart.

Luke 6: 45 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Two Points that describes our spiritual house. 1. A HOUSE WITH CROOKED WALL

1 Peter 2: 5 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1: 6 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

STAND BY ME by Charles Tindley 1. When the storms of life are raging, stand by me (2 x). When the world is tossing me, like a ship upon the sea, Thou who rules the wind and water stand by me. 2. In the midst of tribulations, stand by me (2 x) When the hosts of hell assails, and my strength begins to fail thou who never lost a battle stand by me.

STAND BY ME by Charles Tindley 3. In the midst of faults and failures stand by me (2 x) When I do the best I can and my friends misunderstand, thou who knowest all about me, stand by me. 4. When I’m growing old and feeble, stand by me (2 x) When my life becomes a burden, and I’m nearing chilly Jordan, O thou Lily of the Valley, stand by me.

Two Points that describes our spiritual wall. 2. A HOUSE BUILT WITH TOUGH WALL

The Tower of Pisa—known as the Leaning tower of Pisa. The Leaning Tower of Pisa took 344 years to build, beginning in August 1173. It began to lean in 1178 once construction on the second floor had begun. The lean was due to one side sinking into the soft ground.

Matthew 7: 24 -25 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Jeremiah 1: 5 “Before God formed you in the womb God knew you, And before you were born God consecrated you; appointed you a prophet to the nations”.

Conclusion: How do you measure to God's Plumb-line? Is it Bending Outward or Inward?