Seek Me So That You May Live

In one paragraph

On his first Sunday back from Guatemala, Pastor Ray opened a new series in the book of Amos, the first sustained Old Testament preaching he has done in his thirteen years at First B. He acknowledged that tendency openly, explained why he has leaned on the New Testament, and then made the case from Paul and Peter that the Old Testament was written precisely for people on this side of the cross. The...

Read together

1. 1 Samuel 2:2 read aloud as an encouraging word to lead into worship
2. Psalm 50:14-15 cited as the source of the song I Will Not Forget You
3. 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 Paul's use of the wilderness generation as an example written for our instruction
4. Romans 15:1-7 the strong bearing with the weak, Christ not pleasing himself, and whatever was written in former days written for our instruction
5. 2 Peter 1:19-21 the prophetic word made more sure, no prophecy a matter of one's own interpretation, men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God
6. Amos 1:1-2 introduction identifying Amos as a sheepherder from Tekoa and the Lord roaring from Zion
7. Amos 1:3-5 oracle against Damascus for threshing Gilead with iron sledges
8. Amos 1:6-8 oracle against Gaza for leading an entire population into exile to Edom
9. Amos 1:9-10 oracle against Tyre for turning a population over to Edom and not remembering the covenant of brotherhood
10. Amos 1:11-12 oracle against Edom for pursuing his brother with the sword and maintaining fury forever
11. Amos 1:13-15 oracle against Ammon for ripping open pregnant women of Gilead to enlarge their borders
12. Amos 2:1-3 oracle against Moab for burning the bones of the king of Edom to lime
13. Amos 2:4-5 oracle against Judah for rejecting the law of the Lord and not keeping his statutes
14. Amos 2:6-16 oracle against Israel for selling the righteous for money and the needy for sandals, idolatry, and oppression of the poor
15. Amos 3:1-8 rhetorical questions building to the point that the Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets
16. Amos 4:1-3 Amos calling the pampered women of Israel cows of Bashan for oppressing the poor
17. Proverbs 22:22-23 do not rob the poor nor crush the needy for the Lord will plead their case
18. Amos 5:1-3 dirge over Israel, the virgin Israel has fallen and the city that goes out a thousand strong will have a hundred left
19. Amos 5:4-6 seek me so that you may live, do not resort to Bethel or Gilgal
20. Amos 5:7-9 those who turn justice into wormwood contrasted with God who made the Pleiades and Orion
21. Amos 5:10-13 they hate him who rebukes in the gate, heavy rent on the poor, at such a time the prudent person keeps quiet
22. Amos 5:14-15 seek good and not evil so that you may live, hate evil love good, establish justice in the gates
23. Amos 5:16-20 mourning in the public squares, woe to those longing for the day of the Lord which will be darkness not light
24. Amos 5:21-24 God rejecting Israel's festivals and songs, but let justice roll down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream
25. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 read as a closing benediction, always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances

Talk about it

1. Ray confessed that he has mostly avoided preaching from the Old Testament for thirteen years, partly because he worries about misapplication. What assumptions or habits do you bring to the Old Testament that might get in the way of hearing what it actually says?
2. Amos delivered oracles against nation after nation, and the people of Israel were probably enjoying every word until the finger turned toward them. When have you caught yourself wanting justice for others and mercy for yourself, and what did that reveal about your heart?
3. Ray pointed out that Israel was still religious, still bringing offerings, still coming to the temple, even while idols stood inside it. What are the modern equivalents of idols sharing space with genuine worship in your own life?
4. The phrase 'seek me so that you may live' appears at what Ray called the absolute center of the book. What does seeking God actually look like in the ordinary flow of a week, and how is it different from just keeping up religious habits?
5. Amos called for justice and righteousness to roll down like water and fill a dry riverbed. Ray described justice as equitable treatment of every person and righteousness as concrete actions to correct injustice. Where do you see a dry riverbed in your own neighborhood or relationships that you could help fill?