GO AND PROPHESY
Amos 7: 10-15

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text for today is recorded in the book of Amos, chapter 7, verses 10 through 15, these words: “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of Sycamore-fig trees.  But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” This is our text.

In the name of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, dear Christian friends.  Jesus said to all those who follow him, “Go Ye therefore and teach all nations.”  That command of Jesus to his followers is the same message that was given to Amos in today’s Old Testament text.  Amos was given the command to “Go and prophesy to God’s people.”

All Christians are messengers of God.  You, me, and anyone else who bears the name of Christ through Baptism has a message that they have to share with the world.  God has told us to proclaim his salvation in Jesus Christ to all nations.  That is our mission, and that is our message.

Through the words of today’s text, I want us to look at some of the similarities that ALL of God’s messengers bear.

The FIRST similarity of all messengers of God is that they are chosen by God.  In our text it is clear, “Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.  But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”   God chooses his messengers — and sometimes his choice seems a bit unusual — at least from a human point of view.  Just look at some of the choices that God made in history.  He chose a young shepherd boy named David to be a great King and to lead his people Israel.  He chose a tax collector named Matthew to be a disciple and to write the Gospel story of Matthew.  He chose a rough, out spoken fisherman named Peter to head and lead his disciples.  And he chose a persecutor of the church named Saul — to be the greatest missionary of all times named Paul.  To the human mind — these were all bad choices — but God chose these men and made them great messengers to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior with the world.

You and I too — as messengers — were chosen by God.  Like Amos, we are not prophets, nor are we prophet’s sons and daughters.  We serve in many different vocations — school students, housewives, clerks, shop owners, administrators, laborers, butchers, bakers, and candle-stick makers.  AND YET we have a message from God which we are to share.  We have the message of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior — who died on a cross for us — so that we might have God’s promise of forgiveness / and through him — life eternal.  And God has chosen us to share that message with others.  The very fact that we have faith is proof that we have been chosen by God.  Luther said it this way, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in my Lord Jesus Christ or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the one true faith.”  Our faith is proof that God has chosen us, that God has called us, to be his children — and his messengers of Good News to the world.

A SECOND similarity between all of God’s messengers of Good News is that they are sent by God.  “God said to Amos, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”  Jesus said to his disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.”  And Jesus says to you and to me, “You are my witnesses to the ends of the earth.”

Yes, you and I are sent out by God to proclaim the Gospel Message just like Amos and like the Disciples.  We are to proclaim Christ to all the world.  And that message starts right here in Tomball.  We proclaim God’s good news first of all to our own family and to the family next door.  Maybe to the person next to us at work or at school.  Maybe we witness to the friend who is always dropping by — Where ever!! — and When ever!! We have opportunity.   God has sent us to share the wonderful message of salvation by Grace, through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Christ’s words to the Disciples were also spoken to us, “GO!”  And “Make disciples of all nations.”  And that is what we do when we tell people in our own community, that Jesus is our Savior, and theirs too.  That is what we do, when we send out specially trained men to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our own land — and into every land and every language throughout the whole world.

Indeed we are sent by God.  We are his messengers to the whole world.  Through you and me, God wants to reach the world with his message of Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

THE LAST similarity we will look at this morning is that the message which all of God’s messengers carry is God’s message!  You might say that is just an over simplification — but if you stop and think about it for a moment — that is important.  It is important that the message which we proclaim to the world is God’s message, and NOT OUR OWN!

Amos could have avoided trouble by proclaiming a message that people wanted to hear – but instead he proclaimed God’s message and the people didn’t like it!  It was not a politically correct message!  Our text tells us, “Amaziah, the priest of Bethel said to Amos, ‘O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel.’” The people tried to run Amos out of town, because they just didn’t like the message from God that Amos had to share with them.  Obviously, his message did not meet a “felt need.”

Paul suffered because of the message he proclaimed.  He was beaten, thrown into jail, stoned, and taken to Rome as a Prisoner — all because of the Message which he had to proclaim.

Like Amos — Like Paul — you and I have the message of God to share with those around us.  We could talk about the friendly church we attend, or about how our church is growing, or about all the improvements we have made on our property — BUT THAT IS NOT THE MESSAGE THAT WE ARE SENT TO PROCLAIM.  We are here to tell the world that the wages of sin is death, but that there is forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and ONLY in Jesus Christ.

Some people don’t like what God has to say.  The world wants the church to “Loosen up a little”.  Why not gay pastors?  Why not abortion on demand?  Why not open communion for everyone?  Why be so stubborn about doctrine? After all, it’s not important what you believe – it’s how you live your life!  If that is true we are all in trouble.  For all have sinned and fallen short!  If we can save ourselves, Christ died for nothing!  In other words, the world wants to get rid of Jesus Christ, because he is messing up what could be, a perfectly good religion without him.  Like Paul said, “the Cross of Christ is nonsense to the Greeks and a stumbling block for the Jews.”

But whether they like the message or not — we are to proclaim God’s message.  We proclaim that in Christ ALONE there is forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.  That is God’s message to the world.

“Go and Prophesy” Those words of God were spoken to Amos — and those words are spoke to you and to me.  It is our privilege and our opportunity to share with all people everywhere the greatest news ever given — that Jesus Christ died on a cross to save sinners.  Believe it! Confess it!  And Proclaim it!  To God be the glory.  Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.