Amos 03: With Access Comes Responsibility

The special access we have to God comes with increased responsibility, not just endless privileges and benefits. 

• Understanding the relationship between privilege and responsibility in the kingdom of God
• Israel's unique position as God's chosen people meant they were held to a higher standard
• Misunderstandings about the Christian life being problem-free or consequence-free
• The genuine gospel isn't about signing a "deal" with God but surrendering to His lordship
• God's justice is never arbitrary—He always gives warnings before judgment
• Distinguishing between suffering that comes from living in a fallen world versus consequences of our choices
• True repentance means not just feeling sorry but changing direction
• God's mercy flows abundantly to those who honestly acknowledge their sins

Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you for your mercy that flows like a river. We know that you're the God of mercy and that you don't come to trample on us and to rub it in. You come to bring freedom, and so I pray for everything we confess you will double down on your mercy. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.

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The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Chapters

• 0:48 With Access Comes Responsibility
• 2:51 Special Access Brings Special Obligation
• 5:49 God's Warning Through the Prophets
• 10:03 Judgment Coming to Israel
• 12:59 Salvation, Responsibility and Repentance
• 14:57 Prayer and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, amos, chapter 3, and today's title is With Access Comes Responsibility. With Access Comes Responsibility. You know, one of the things that a lot of people don't realize in a lot of different industries, a lot of different businesses, walks of life, is when you really like something, you want to pursue it as a career, right, and then you get into the career and find out, oh well, what I saw was the front door. I didn't actually understand what goes on behind the scenes, and there's a little bit of that going on in this chapter and I don't know if you understand what I'm saying yet. Hopefully I'm going to tell you a story that'll help it make sense. But if you have your Bible, want to open up with me to Amos, chapter three. While you're doing that, if you're new around here, take just a moment like share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown discussion on Facebook. You can get all of that at thebiblebreakdowncom.

Speaker 1: 1:26

Okay, so what I was saying a second ago is have you ever been in a situation where you really like something and then you go work there and you're like okay, well, wait a minute. Let me give you two examples. First of all, I knew someone who went and worked at Disney World one time. Now, I don't know if you've ever been to Disney World I've had an opportunity to take my family and it truly is one of the happiest places on earth. And when you go there, you're like how much fun must it be to work here? It's just just an environment, that's just a lot of fun and all this stuff. And then I talked to someone who worked there and as soon as I said that, their eyes rolled so much that they probably got a headache and they were like okay, listen, you know, brandon, you do realize it's the happiest place on earth because it is one of the most fabricated places on earth. They were saying you would be amazed at the things that we do in order to make it look like the happiest place on earth. But behind the scenes there's a whole lot going on to keep it that way, right. And another story would just be any environment that you go to, and the reason why I say that is is you think that to get more access to get behind the scenes, to really be on the inside of things, is to really have more opportunity, and that's true. But with that also comes more responsibility.

Speaker 1: 2:43

Let me give you one other story, and that is my girls. When they were little, they loved being part of the pastor's family because we wanted to make it fun, cause also being part of a pastor's family like in any other family there there comes with certain responsibilities, right, and so we would do things that would be fun and so they'd have a good time. But then, on the other side of things, they were the first people to show up at church. They're the last people to leave. They weren't able to have sleepovers on Saturday night because as a family we were getting ready for church on Sunday. And I remember when they would complain about this and they would say, dad, it's not fair, whatever. And I say, well, wait a minute, now, you're not saying unfair.

Speaker 1: 3:22

When we used to have campouts at the church, we would do all kinds of fun things. We would play flashlight campouts at the church. You know, we would do all kinds of fun things. We would play flashlight hide and seek at the church building. You thought that part was fun. Right, but with that fun also comes the responsibility.

Speaker 1: 3:38

Well, when it comes to being a child of God, we have to realize that we have this wonderful opportunity to serve and follow the King of Kings. Our sins have been washed away, we're on our way to heaven. With that comes responsibility, and that is living in the kingdom of God, living according to the rules of the kingdom of God and telling people about the kingdom of God. Well, that's what the whole idea of Amos is all about, is he is saying the justice of God is about to roll. And he is talking to the northern kingdom. He's from the southern kingdom, but he sees that Assyria is on its way. There they are, assyria is on their way, and he's trying to stop Israel. And he's saying hey, listen, israel, I know things are going so well because you've been hobnobbing, you know, with all these other people, but bad things are coming if you don't change. And so he's saying with the opportunity of being the people of God and being a kingdom comes the responsibility of being the people of God. And we're gonna see that in Amos, chapter three. So if you're ready, let's read this together.

Speaker 1: 4:42

God's word says in Amos three. Verse one it says this Listen to this message from Yahweh, the Lord, who has spoken against you, o people of Israel, against the entire family that I rescued from Egypt. In other words, he's saying you people who were blessed Okay, I'm talking about you now From among all the families of the earth, I have been intimate with you alone. This is why I must punish you for all your sins alone. This is why I must punish you for all your sins. Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction? Does a lion ever roar in a thicket without first finding a victim? Does a young lion growl in its den without first catching its prey? Does a bird ever get caught in a trap that has no bait? Does the trap spring shut when there is nothing to catch, when a ram's horn blows? We're going to come back to that one in just a second.

Speaker 1: 5:32

Verse 8,. The sovereign Lord has spoken, so who can refuse to proclaim his message? Announce this to the leaders of Philistia and to the great ones of Egypt. Take your seats now on the hills around Samaria and witness the chaos and oppression in Israel. My people have forgotten how to do right, says the Lord. Their fortresses are filled with wealth taken by theft and violence. Therefore, the sovereign Lord says the enemy is coming. He will surround them and shatter their defenses, he will plunder their fortresses. This is what the Lord says. A shepherd who tries to rescue sheep from the lion's mouth will recover only two legs and a piece of an ear. That sounds terrible. Only two legs and a pair and a piece of an ear. That sounds terrible. So it will be for Israelites in Samaria lying on luxurious beds and for the people of Damascus reclining on couches. Now listen to this and announce it throughout all Israel. Thus says the Lord, the Lord, god of heaven's armies On that very day, I will punish Israel for its sins. I will destroy the pagan homes of the wealthy, their winter mansions and their summer houses too, and all the places will be filled with ivory, says the Lord.

Speaker 1: 7:09

Now, before we break this down, I want to go back to verse 7 real quick, because this verse has been co-opted a little bit to say things it's not supposed to say, and one of the things that I know is we have a lot of young Christians who listen to this or watch this. I want to make sure we're kind of correcting some bad theology. It says in verse 7, it says Indeed, the sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants, the prophets. Reveals his plans to his servants, the prophets. Now, the bad theology behind this is it says that you can always go to a prophet and hear a word from God a modern-day prophet because God doesn't do anything. It's almost as though it's saying that he has to do something, that he has to reveal things to a prophet. It's almost like he has to have permission. I've heard it spun that way.

Speaker 1: 7:52

Well, now that we've read it in context, notice what he's actually saying, which is what we want to talk about in today's chapter, and that is he is saying I am talking to we say it like this the people of God. I'm talking to the ones who are supposed to know better. I'm talking to the ones who have special access to me. He says earlier. He says I have only been intimate with you. In other words, only to you have I revealed my name. Because, remember, all the way back in Abraham, the goal was, is that the nation of Israel was supposed to share that goodness with everyone. By you, by your family, all the world will be blessed. That was speaking of two things. Number one, the coming Messiah. But then number two they were supposed to spread the good news of the Messiah, but instead they're not doing it. And so what he's saying is I'm going to send destruction.

Speaker 1: 8:41

And you notice how he keeps saying over and over again and don't act like I don't have good reason. And that's when he starts saying you know it does a trap shut when nothing is there? Does a lion roar without having caught something? Does a ram's horn blow without there being a problem? And then he's saying I have not hidden this. And he's saying I'm not going to do anything that I don't first warn you about. So that that's what that verse means in context. Is it's not saying that in some kind of weird way that god is not able to do anything without, like, first consulting with prophets, like he's getting their permission or something? And if you've never heard that absolute miscarriage of God's word, then nevermind, but if you have, I just want to remind you that God doesn't owe us anything. Instead, what he's saying is is I have not hidden what I'm going to do, and I got good reason for doing it because you have had special access to me, but yet you are acting as all the other nations. So I've got every right to do what I'm about to do.

Speaker 1: 9:38

What does that mean to us today? Can I tell you that I am so sorry if and I mean this very seriously, so I'm going to break this down for just a second it will be done today. I am so sorry if you received Jesus because somebody told you that when you received Jesus you were going to get everything you wanted in this life. If someone told you that if you become a Christian then your life is going to get better, that you're never going to have a bad day, you can speak all these things into existence, and all this stuff. If you will just tell God, okay, sure, I'll let you save me, then you get to have your best life.

Speaker 1: 10:13

Now Can I tell you that's not the gospel. The gospel is we were born into sin. Someone has to pay the penalty for that sin. We were standing metaphorically before the judge of the universe and we were completely guilty. We could not save ourself. And then the judge got up off of his seat and he said I will pay the price for your sin If you will receive it, and then, after receiving it, follow me. And so that's mercy, and that's goodness. And with that means we follow him. We don't follow him in order to receive salvation. We follow him because we have received salvation. We are now people in the kingdom of God. Therefore, we follow after the king. That's part of it, but that is not so that we'll receive salvation. Make sure we get that right.

Speaker 1: 11:05

But for many people they say, sure, god, I'll let you save me, and then they want to keep going about their own business. And God says it doesn't work like that. And so then, when judgment starts to come, we get upset and go wait a minute, that's not the deal I thought I signed. And God is saying you didn't sign a deal. You gave me your life and I'm giving you life abundantly and full of joy, and you're supposed to follow me. And if you don't, judgment comes. And so here's here's the thing we have to really challenge ourselves with and say that there are sometimes there are things that happen in our life that we had nothing to do with. Bad things happen to good people. It's part of the fallen human condition of this world and we didn't sin in any way that brought it on our life. It's just happening, right. But then God will use it to teach us. But then there's other things that happen Because we made some bad decisions.

Speaker 1: 11:56

Being a Christian does not exempt us from justice, even more so because now we know, can I tell you, before I became a Christian, I would sin all the time, and I wouldn't feel bad about it at all Because I didn't have the Holy Spirit living in me, convicting me of my sin. Well, now that I have salvation, I have the Holy Spirit living within me. I feel conviction when I sin. And so then, when I sin, not only do I feel that conviction, but then I also have the consequences with it, and so it's almost like God is looking at these people who are supposed to be people of God, and they're going. God, why are you punishing me? And God's going? What do you mean? Why am I punishing you? You're doing everything like everybody else is doing, but even more so.

Speaker 1: 12:34

You know better, and therefore justice is going to come home, because with access comes responsibility, and so for us, that means this. That means this when we receive the justice of God, we shouldn't think that we're any different than anyone else, but we have this wonderful thing, and that is, we can turn it over to him and receive salvation and mercy. Now, all do. We're just aware of it, and so can I tell you today, if you're going through a bad thing because it's something you can't control, that's not intended to be at you we just lean on the mercy and goodness of God and realize he walks with us through every dark valley. However, if you're listening or watching this podcast today and you would say, yeah, I'm reaping some of the consequences from some bad decisions, then here's the thing One of the best things we can do is own it, go to God in prayer and say, god, I am so sorry, I did do the bad thing for the bad reason, with the bad people, and now I'm experiencing bad results and repent.

Speaker 1: 13:32

And repentance doesn't mean change your mind alone. It means to turn and go the other direction. God, help me to repent of my sin and watch the mercy flow, but to not use salvation as an excuse, as though we should never experience bad times, but rather to realize that we have an even worse thing, because we know, but we also know about the mercy of God. Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you for your mercy that flows like a river For some of us, lord, today we're going through things that we didn't ask for, we didn't bring on ourselves, and we ask you to walk with us.

Speaker 1: 14:07

We know that you already are in more ways than we can imagine. But, god, I also am praying for those that, as we've been talking today, if we're honest, we would say, yeah, some of the things I'm going through right now I brought on myself. But, lord, I know that you're the God of mercy and that you don't come to trample on us and to rub it in. You come to bring freedom, and so I pray for everything. We confess you will double down on your mercy. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen, amen. Well, god's word says in Amos, chapter five, verse 24,. He says instead I wanna see a mighty flood of justice and an endless river of righteous living. Let that be our story today. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Amos, chapter four.