Rev. David Holwick E
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
February 3, 1991
Amos 5:14-27
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I. What God thinks of religion.
A. Most people think religion is a good thing.
1) We may prefer our religion to another one.
2) But any religion is better than no religion.
3) God is basically pleased with all religious practices.
B. God thinks otherwise.
1) God is not pleased with religion, but hates it. 5:21-22
2) Proper religion is O.K., but religion as religion is not.
II. The marks of corrupt religion. (According to Amos)
A. There is a simplistic, one-sided approach to religion.
1) They went through all the motions of worship. 4:4
a) Feasts, pilgrimages and assemblies. 5:21
b) Offerings and tithes. 4:4-5
1> Tithing every three days (rather than 3 years)
won't help them. 4:4
2> Not done in right spirit. 5:22
c) Lots of heart-felt singing. 5:23; 8:3
1> But God wasn't honored by it.
2) They longed for Day of the Lord, because they assumed it
would bring them blessings. 5:18
a) It will only bring blessing to obedient believers.
b) Jesus - lax servants are cut off, assigned with hypocrites.
Matthew 24:48-51
3) Spiritual complacency. 6:1
a) They say God is with them (-but he isn't). 5:14
b) They only listen to comfortable messages. 7:12-13
c) They can't wait for Sabbath to be over so they can get
down to "real" business. 8:5
d) They think they are immune to disaster. 9:10
B. Co-existence with widespread moral corruption.
1) Injustice existed quite peacefully with its popular religion.
a) Similar corruption has existed at all times.
2) Corruption optimized at holy cities like Bethel. 4:4
a) Glorious past.
1> Jacob had his vision of heavenly ladder. Gen 28:10
2> Prophet Samuel made it his base.
b) Corrupt present.
1> Worship so bad Amos calls it "sin". 4:4
A> Valid sacrifices, plus worship of golden calves.
B> Valid tithes, plus temple prostitution.
2> Externalized religion, not covenant with a heart
response to God.
3> Good religion combined with bad (syncretism).
c) Same is happening in America.
1> People are not drifting from churches into secularism.
(CT article)
2> They are drifting into the occult.
A> Palm-reading establishment across the highway.
B> Spiritist church in Flanders.
3> Prediction: In our generation we will see much worse.
C. There is no sense of sin on the part of the worshiper.
1) Thank-offerings, peace offerings, but no sin offerings. 4:5
a) Wesley and pious woman illustration.
b) Romans 2:17-24
2) Do others despise Christianity because of your lifestyle?
D. No genuine seeking of God.
1) Popular view - all religion is seeking God.
a) Truth - all religion is an attempt to get away from God.
b) This is why there are so many of them.
2) What worshipers are really seeking is praise from men. 4:5
III. The results of corrupt religion.
A. There is dissatisfaction with their religion.
1) Bible does not communicate any truth. 8:11
2) God seems far away.
B. Things are going wrong in their life. 4:8,9,10,11
1) God may be telling you to return to him.
2) Are you hardening your heart?
IV. Truly seeking God. 5:4
A. God's plumb line to measure our faith. 7:8
1) Requires seeking after good, and shunning evil. 5:14
2) Requires seeking after justice.
B. How do YOU measure up?
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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