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Thoughts on Amos 4:11 Elder Philip N. Conley
Amos 4:11, "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."
This morning, professing Christians ignore two important Scriptural tenets: salvation
by grace alone and the importance of organized, public, and truth-centered worship.
Of course, without being grounded in the first, we cannot hope to worship God in a
truth-centered way, thereby failing the second. However, before attempting to look at
both of these concepts from our study verse above, consider another often over-
looked or ignored principle from Scripture: a man is known by the company he
keeps. (I Corinthians 5:11) Too many times, people today are blinded by the prideful
mindset, "It doesn't matter who I hang around. I'll be a good influence on them, not
vice versa." Like the old analogy of a rotten apple spoiling the barrel, so our associa-
tions and close fellowships can ruin us if we associate with "rotten apples." There-
fore, let us examine the concepts of salvation by grace and truth-centered worship
from the viewpoint of our company and fellowship.
The book of Amos is quite a sorrowful book, as the Lord takes a simple herdsman -
Amos - to prophecy Israel's impending captivity. Some of the prophecies are quite
severe, such as a famine of God's word without the interaction of fellowship with
Him. (Amos 8:11-14) However, even in books that freely speak of God's judgment
against His people (such as Amos or Jeremiah), we still see - as light peeking through
the dark canvas - thoughts that show God's overarching love for His people regard-
less of their circumstance. (Jeremiah 31:3) In our verse, Amos employs a term "fire-
brand plucked out of the burning" to describe God's mercy for His people even in the
midst of previous chastisements. (Verses 7-10)
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