A simple shepherd stands up in a religious capital and lists, nation by nation, the sins of everyone around, while his hearers nod along: they had that coming. But as they start to leave, Amos says it is not over yet, and points his finger at them (Amos 1-2). This sermon asks whether people who sincerely believe they belong to God can still overlook God’s justice in their own lives and their own community. Listen in if you have the courage to invite God to test you as well.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Amos lists the sins of Damascus, Gaza, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab and Judah. How do you think his listeners in Israel reacted to this sermon, and why might they have been cheering him on?
- In Amos 2 God accuses Israel of selling the needy for a pair of sandals and trampling the poor. Why might these sins have seemed less serious to the Israelites than the cruelty of their neighbours?
- God chose a simple shepherd, not a scholar or someone from an important family, to speak in a religious capital. What does this tell you about how God works and whom He uses?
- The speaker points out that Israel's problem was not ignorance but the belief that God's judgment would never fall on them. Where do you find it easy to judge others while overlooking your own life?
- What do you think it means to invite God to examine and test our lives rather than avoid His judgment? What does that look like in practice?
- What could the people around you see in your life and in our community that would show them a just and loving God, and where can you start this week?
