We Must Speak Up!

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We Must Speak Up!

Major Messages from the Minor Prophets

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Pastor Brandon Cox

Amos 7:7-8:14

A man in New York has to go to court to get his job back after being fired for refusing to work on Sundays. A Christian school in California is fighting to uphold biblical standards of living after expelling two girls who claimed to be practicing lesbians. Across the country, city officials and other civic leaders have made great strides to keep any mention of Christ or Christmas off of public property.

What do we do in the face of opposition? Amos’ message, as we’ve said in previous outlines, was not a positive one. He has been preaching that the people of Samaria are going to endure tremendous tribulation from God and eventual captivity by the Assyrians. Amaziah reacts to Amos’ message with vehement persecution. The lesson we learn is that “we simply must speak up!”

WHEN WE MUST SPEAK UP…

1.         We must speak up when we have a Word from God.

Amos had prayed an intercessory prayer for the people before God and God had answered twice, but the third message contained the vision of the plumbline and was a message of coming judgment. Rather than praying an intercessory prayer, Amos preaches to them.

            Jeremiah 20:9

In the Old Testament era, God would “come upon” a man and give him a word to speak. This also occurred in the early days of the New Testament age. But today, we have the complete Word of God and therefore we must speak it!

2.         We must speak up when we face opposition.

Amaziah said some harsh things about Amos to King Jeroboam and apparently got permission to command him to leave Bethel. It is interesting to note that Amaziah says, “This is the king’s court, this is the king’s chapel.” He points out the prominence of himself and the king and looks down his nose at the uneducated and seemingly insignificant Amos. But it was not the man Amos who was significant, rather it was Amos’ message that carried such great weight.

            Matthew 5:10-12

There will always be opposition when we do something right for God. Satan hates our message. The world seeks to avoid confrontation with God. We must, however, keep speaking up for God in spite of all opposition.

3.         We must speak up when we have a calling from heaven.

Amos had a very specific calling on his life, much like that of a New Testament Apostle or a modern day Pastor or Preacher.

   “A man who has really within him the inspiration of the Holy Ghost calling him to preach, cannot help it—he must preach. As fire within his bones, so will that influence be, until it blazes forth. Friends may check him, foes criticize him, despisers sneer at him, the man is indomitable; he must preach if he has the call of heaven…
   I think it is no more possible to make a man cease from preaching, if he really is called, then to stay some mighty cataract, by seeking, in an infant’s cup, to catch the rushing torrent. The man has been moved of Heaven, who shall stop him? He has been touched of God, who shall impede him?...
   And when a man does speak as the Spirit gives him utterance, he will feel a holy joy, akin to that of Heaven; and when it is over, he wishes to be at his work again, he longs to be once more preaching.”
            -Spurgeon, Autobiography

Today, we all have a common calling in Christ. We have the Great Commission. We are all called to preach in the sense of sharing the gospel.

4.         We must speak up when God is going to judge people.

Chapter eight of Amos gives another vision and message from God through his prophet to the people. The “basket of summer fruit” is representative of the fact that Israel was ripe for judgment. Amos had to keep warning the people of what God was going to do.

            Ezekiel 33

            2 Corinthians 5:11

Amos not only could not stop speaking because of his calling and his message, but because of his compassion for the people who were under the condemnation of God. We, too, know of God’s judgment upon the lives of all who reject Christ. We know of the eternity in hell that they face, so therefore we must keep speaking.

You’ve heard the Word tonight. Does it compel you to make some commitment? Either to Christ as Savior or to telling others the Word of the Lord?

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