At Ease in Zion (PM)

Scripture Reading:  Amos 6:1–14

Introduction      

A.  When God called Amos to preach to His people, the moral state of Israel had probably never been worse since the days of the judges.

B.  The temptations that plagued this prosperous generation in Israel’s history poses a very serious threat to us today.

Discussion

I.  Israel had turned their blessings into a curse.

A.  For the rich, prosperity had become the focus of their existence (Amos 6:2–5; 3:15; 5:12; 2:6; 8:4–6).

B.  For putting their trust in their wealth they were about to be punished (Amos 8:7–8; 7:1–9; 4:11–12).

C.  The message that Amos carried was unwanted, but he preached it anyway (Amos 7:10–13; 3:8; cf. Acts 4:20).

II.  It has always been easy to feel comfortable in Zion.

A.  Jerusalem was a well-fortified city (Psalms 48:2, 12–13).

B.  The Jebusites felt too much at ease there (2 Samuel 5:6–8).

C.  The Jews felt too much at ease there, too (Jeremiah 7:4; 12–15; 6:14; Matthew 23:37–38).

III.  We must never become at ease in Zion.

A.  The modern-day Zion is the church of Christ (Hebrews 12:22–23).

B.  Do we focus too much on prosperity (1 Timothy 6:6–8)?

C.  Are we at ease about evangelism or worship?

Conclusion

A.  We ought to give thanks to God every day for the blessings He has bestowed on us, lest we start taking them for granted and putting them in place of the God who gave them.

B.  Have you become at ease in Zion?