AMERICA, THE JUDGMENT OF GOD IS GOING TO FALL!

Amos 4:6-13 

Introduction: I heard a preacher say this one time:   "The Judgment is the Lord's strange work; He loves to bless."   Preaching about the judgment of God isn't popular in America today but America needs to be awakened to that part of our Righteous and Holy God.  His greatest attribute is His holiness.

      In fact, preaching on the judgment of God is almost unheard preaching these days.  Why?  Many preachers are afraid to preach on this subject because they are afraid that they will lost their paychecks, parsonage, pension, prestige, and pulpits.  In reality, they lost the blessings of God when a Christian, church, or country gets right with God from the moving of the Holy Ghost through the anointed preaching of the man of God.  May we see the next generation be right with God because we preached the whole counsel of God and did not hold back from some fears on our parts! 

   America needs to heed the call of verse 12, which says, "Prepare to meet thy God".  Just because America seems to be great and good does not mean that it has the approval of the Lord on it. Just because America gives does not mean it has the Lord's abundance on it.

   Throughout Biblical History, we find many accounts of God's judgment.  Most of the Old Testament prophets preached on the judgment of God in one form or another.

   We find the sad truth of the judgment of God, which is in this passage 5 times, which is found in verses 6,8,9,10,11.  The phrase that we find is "Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord".  What sad words to hear from the mouth of Almighty God.  When God calls and man refuses, this is what the Lord said would happen in Proverbs 1:24-26:  “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh”

   The question is this today: Does God still uses judgment to bring people back to Him?  The answer is yes.  After all, Hebrews 13:8 tells me this:  "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."  Also Malachi 3:6 also reminds us: "For I am the Lord, I change not."  If He judged the nation of Israel in the past, He will judge any nation that violates His law.  That includes our nation.

   I want to show you five areas in which the Lord will use in dealing with His Divine Judgment.  It will show how He is trying to get people to return unto Him.  Does He want our nation to return to Him?  Yes, He has blessed our country in so many ways.  What does He get in return?  If the liberals could have their way, he or she would spit in the face of God.  In some ways that is exactly how we act as a nation.

   Churches are just as guilty of this sinful and ungodly behavior as the unchurched world is. One day, churches all across our nation will see God's judgment.  Maybe not today or even tomorrow, but it will happen.  The Lord himself said this in 1^st Peter 4:17 “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”   One of the problems I see with churches today is the commercialism that crept in our churches today.  Many churches are nothing less than businesses instead of ministries to the world around them.  They finance their churches like the world does.  It has sickened me to see all the hotdog sales, BBQ suppers and junk for Jesus sales that many churches use to finance their work.  If a church cannot go forth with just the tithes and offerings of its people, it needs to scale back its operation to the amount of money that comes from God's people.

      I know why some preachers would not suggest such actions to their people is that they may lose part of their salaries and have to go to work. They love their paycheck more than their convictions for the Lord.

      Churches over all refuse to deal with sin in its mist.  If a church member is in an adulterous affair, it is up to the leadership under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to restore that one back to God.  It would be wise for us to recall Galatians 6:1-3 on a regular basis which says “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.  For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”

      Let’s looks at how God will deal with His people. 

I.  HE WILL DEAL WITH HIS PEOPLE WITH THEIR HUNGER.            

                                          Vs. 6

“And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.”

      A. It may be physical food.  This is one of the judgments that will be seen in the Tribulation.  I used to think when I first got saved, that everything was going to along fine, then all the sudden, it would change to the chaos and calamity of the Book of Revelation.  We see this today.  Food prices are going up steadily each and every year.   Not long ago, I went to the store to get hot dog buns.  One pack of Food Lion buns was over a dollar a package.  It will not be too many years in the United States, that we will have food shortage.  There are a variety of reasons for this. 

          1.  Crops are not as productive as before.

          2.  Our government pays some farmers to not grow as much food.

          3. Our farmlands are getting smaller every year.

          4.  Literally thousands of farmers quit farming every year.

          5.  So called natural disasters are more frequent than they were 25 years ago. 

      The combination of all these factors is part of God master plan.  Will we be ready to stand for right when we see our children or grandchildren hungry or will we be willing to turn our backs on God for a little bit of bread?  This is a tough question in we must be willing to go through whatever comes and please God.  I am not going to stand here and brag that I will not fall.  Look at Peter.  He spent three years with our Lord and Saviour and he bragged that he would stand when Christ would be betrayed and he fell like a house of cards.  May we ponder and ask the Lord for the strength to stand for Him when the time comes.  That is that new grace that we never needed before will strengthen us the trials ahead.

      B.   It may be spiritual food. Amos 8:11

                        “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a     famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of  hearing the words of the LORD”

      We are in a time of famine of Biblical preaching.  I have seen some of the strongest preachers I know go down the tubes in the past twenty years.  Many preachers will not preach plainly about sin because they are afraid of losing their paycheck, pulpit and parsonage.  In reality they have lost their people.  Bible preaching means that we call sin exactly what it is.  It is sin.  The Bible does not call men alcoholics but drunkards.  It calls sodomy that instead of an alternative lifestyle.  Or call it normal.  It is sin and God calls it an abomination. 

      We must have our country to return to this blessed old Book and preach it without fear or compromise.  It may come to a time when preaching the Book will be viewed as a hate crime.   If you preach against abortions, then you will be guilty of a hate crime.  If you preach against sodomy, then you are guilty of a hate crime.  There will be famine in the land of Biblical preaching.  We live in a time when teaching is the mindset of many churches.  They have great teaching ministries.  Every pastor must be "apt to teach."  But God called us to preach.  Listen to the parting words of Paul to young Timothy just before his departure to home:  2^nd Timothy 4:2-3  “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”.

       We are having a famine of Biblical Praising  today.  Some churches have substituted so called praise and worship for their preaching.  I am a firm believer in praise and worship.  But it will never be a substitute for preaching.  We can praise Him with song and words.  I want us to be willing to praise Him with song and word.  Many times, I feel like I am pulling hen's teeth to get a word of testimony from you.  We ought to take 1^st Peter 3:15 to heart.  “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”

      I want our songs not only to be the old songs of the faith but also some that praises Him.  When we had a choir, we sung "Majesty".  That ought to be a theme of our hearts.  Let's not let some of these churches steal our joy as we voice and sing it.

      We have a famine of Biblical Praying. When we pray, are we just going through the motions or we getting into the throne room of the Almighty God?  We need to commit ourselves to seasons of prayer where we get hold of God and get answers from Him. 

II.   HE WILL DEAL WITH HIS PEOPLE WITH THEIR HARVEST.      

                                          Vs. 7-9

“And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.”

      A.  We will not get the harvest of souls like we ought.  I do not believe we will see the harvest of souls like they did in the past unless there is a great change in the lives of Christians, churches and even our country.  I have been saved since 1972.  I remember seeing the day in which you did not have to beg believers to be in church.  You did not have to ask them to give with regularity.  You did not pled with them to read their Bibles.  But today, all this is true.  Why?  Matthew 24:12 gives part of the answer.  ”And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” We have grown accustom to sin.  We are not offended by it anymore.  We are enraged by its destruction as we once were. 

                         2^nd Chronicles 7:14

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek  my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

      B.   We will not get the harvest of the Spirit-filled life like we ought.   When the Holy Spirit is all we need to go forth, we will see the harvest of the Spirit filled life.

      The Spirit-filled life is not some magical hocus-pocus event.  It is when we see all actions, words, and attitudes through the eyes of the Spirit of God and want to live as close to the Bible as we can.

      C.   We will not get the harvest of surrendering to God's will like we ought.  When I go to preacher's fellowships, I am one of the youngest men in the room.  Young people do not want to surrender to God like they once did.  Why?  I am not completely sure but I know that we adults are mostly likely to be blamed but our lack of surrender to God. 

      "If we were as strong physically as we are spiritually, we would not probably able to move a muscle."                       Billy Sunday

       Rain is need for the harvest. Without it, what we reap will not be huge, helpful or     healthy. Hosea 10:12

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” 

III.  HE WILL DEAL WITH HIS PEOPLE WITH THEIR HEALTH.          

                                          Vs. 10a

“I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword”

       It is likened unto the plagues of Egypt.  Have  you ever seen a time when disease is more present than today.  I read somewhere that small pox may be resurfacing again.  AIDS is still on the hit parade.  We have more disease even though we have more medicines than ever before to combat them.  The plagues of Egypt literally destroyed the people of Egypt for years after the children of Israel left.  Let's look at this quickly and the problems that occur.  Because of time’s sake, I will tell you where the reference to the plague is and not reading the reference.

1. Because the water was turned into blood, they faced dehydration.  In three days, dependent upon your body fat and health, you can dehydrate. 

                        Exodus 7:14-25

      B.   Because of the frogs’ plague {which was a god in Egypt}, they faced disillusionment.  Their god could not help them. Exodus 8:1-15

      C.   Because of the lice, they faced defilement.  They were not clean enough to come to their gods’ worship place. Exodus 8:16-19

4. Because of the flies, they faced diseases.  The flies spread diseases. 

                        Exodus 8:20-32

      E.   Because of the disease of the beast, they faced disaster.  Disaster in that their meat supply was gone.  Meat supplies protein that promotes healing in the body.  They had already had diseases show up. Exodus 9:1-7

      F.   Because of the boils, they faced digging.  They did not have medicines to cure boils so they  would scrap them open.  Another word for scrapping could digging. 

                                 Exodus 9:8-12       

      G.   Because of the hail, they faced danger.  The danger of hail and fire that was mingled with it gave the danger.  They were in danger of their homes getting on fire and clothes. Exodus 9:13-35

      I.   Because of the locust, they faced dust.  Locust will eat all the leaves that the earth needs to recycle the nutrients back into the ground.  Without this God-given cycle the area dries up to nothing. Exodus 10:1-20

10. Because of the death of the first-born son, they faced despair.  The first born son was very important because it helped ensure that bloodline would continue.

                        Exodus 11 

IV.  HE WILL DEAL HIS PEOPLE WITH THEIR HORSES.                 

                                          Vs. 10b

“and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.”

(This was something close to their heart.  Horses were a precious commodity as well as a mode of transportation.)                             

      A.   It may be with your children.  They are always close to our hearts.  I don’t think of a day that I don’t think of my children.  I think of our church children regularly and wanting God’s bless for them.

      B.   It may be with your car.  I know that some people’s cars are precious to them.  They wash it on Sunday instead of coming to church.  They park it in two spots so no one can damage it.

      C.   It may be with your cherished possessions.  This has as much variety as there are people.  For some it is their pet.   This list will be limitless as there are people.

4. It may be with your companion.  Yes our wives or husbands are supposed to be a precious commodity.  But to put our spouse before the Lord is committing idolatry.

 

V.   HE WILL DEAL WITH HIS PEOPLE WITH THEIR HEART.             

                                          Vs. 11-13

“I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.  For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.”

      Our heart is the seat of our emotions.  This is where God is supposed to be burning deep.  When the disciples met Jesus on the road to Emmaus, He talked with them there.  When they came to their destination for the night, they asked Him to stay.  When He blessed the meal, He vanished out of sight.  They had not realized that this was Jesus until He blessed the meal.  Here is what they said when this happened.  “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”  (Luke 24:32)  One preacher called this holy heartburn. 

      A.   Sadness of this is that our hearts is supposed to be His Abode. 

      B.  Steps of decline can be clearly seen in our lives.  First we are careless.  We are not careful in what we do or where we go.  Let me give you an example of carelessness.  Suppose a man got saved from the live of drunkenness.  But he is not careful.  He goes into a bar for something other than booze.  His carelessness could lead him back to the booze by being careless where he went.

                     The next step is casualness.  If I hit my hand on a brick over and over again, then I would build up a callus.  We are callous toward the things of God.  Then coldness sets in.  You leave church and the things of God because you are cold on the Lord.  But that is not the end of it.  You are closed down.  You are judged by the Lord.

      C.  Situation is very serious.  You must be prepared to meet thy God.  When we meet our Lord, we fall down at His feet and realize how far from Him we were. 

Conclusion: Must we sit around idly waiting for the judgment of God to fall?  No, but we cannot prevent it either.  But if we live righteously and holy lives and proclaim the message of the coming judgment, we can prevent it from our generation.

   I think of a man by the name of Jonah.  Even though, he took a crash course in Whale University, his preaching prevented the judgment of God from falling on Nineveh.

   But if the judgment does fall on America, we will be affected also.  Matthew 5:45 tells us: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

   Let's get the message to a dying world that God hates sin yet loves sinners enough that He sent His Son to die in their place on Calvary.  What we need is Showers of Blessings when He rains righteousness upon us!