“Prepare to Meet Thy God” Amos 4:1-13

TRANSCRIPT

Date: August 23, 2026 Author: Wayne J. Edwards

As we move into the 4 th chapter of our study of the Book of Amos, the prophet’s words become much sharper and more threatening. Yet these were not Amos’ words; they were God’s words spoken through Amos , warning the wealthy and upper class of ancient Israel about living in luxury and practicing empty religious activities while neglecting the poor. God said He had tried to warn them through famines, droughts, crop failures, and plagues, but, “Yet, you have not returned to Me.” Therefore, “Prepare to meet your God!” God is shaking the nations today as never before, but sadly, even the majority of those who claim to be Christians do not recognize these events as the hand of God, precursors of the judgment to come for those who refuse to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. The “natural” disasters we have recently seen are warning us that, as a nation and as a church, God is aware of our sins and that we are drifting from Him. The call is to repent and return to Him now, or prepare to meet Him in judgment. The title of this sermon is, “Return to Me: Prepare To Meet Thy God.” The sermon may be viewed at theheritagechurch.org Join us on Sunday at 10:00 AM for the live stream and participate in the worship service. The sermon will be available on our website and YouTube. The YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com@heritagebaptistchurchperry Please share this email with anyone you think might find it helpful to their spiritual growth. Pastor Wayne

As we move into the 4 th chapter of our study of the Book of Amos, the prophet’s words become much sharper and more threatening. Yet these were not Amos’ words; they were God’s words spoken through Amos , warning the wealthy and upper class of ancient Israel about living in luxury and practicing empty religious activities while neglecting the poor. God said He had tried to warn them through famines, droughts, crop failures, and plagues, but, “Yet, you have not returned to Me.” Therefore, “Prepare to meet your God!”

God is shaking the nations today as never before, but sadly, even the majority of those who claim to be Christians do not recognize these events as the hand of God, precursors of the judgment to come for those who refuse to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. The “natural” disasters we have recently seen are warning us that, as a nation and as a church, God is aware of our sins and that we are drifting from Him. The call is to repent and return to Him now, or prepare to meet Him in judgment.

The title of this sermon is, “Return to Me: Prepare To Meet Thy God.”

The sermon may be viewed at theheritagechurch.org

Pastor Wayne

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Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 59:1-21 New Testament Reading: Romans 10:1-13

The prophecy of Amos covers the period between 786-746 BC when Jeroboam II was king of Israel and Uzziah was the king of Judah; the same period that is covered by Hosea and Isaiah.

Amos said he was not from their school of prophets but rather a sheepherder from Tekoa, a small, rural village near Bethlehem on the edge of the Judean Hills.

Amos prophesied the overthrow of the sanctuary at Bethel and the fall of the royal house in Jerusalem.

The only sin God cannot forgive is the continual rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord – the sin of unbelief!

However, the one sin that breaks the heart of God more than any other is self-righteousness – the sin that says, “I don’t need God!”

Amos said the Israelite women had backslidden so far from their true worship of God they were leading others into immorality.

Gilgal, Beersheba, and Bethel were the religious centers where Jews gathered each year for their annual pilgrimage.

Amos showed them how God had tried to warn them about their worthless worship, but they had not listened.

Amos said since these “warnings” did not turn their hearts back to God – Vs. 12 – “Prepare to meet thy God!”

God is using the evil things of the world to draw our attention away from the world and back to Him.

“The Church surrendered her once lofty concept of God and has substituted for it one so low, so ignoble, as to be utterly unworthy of thinking, worshiping men. This she has not done deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge; and her very unawareness makes her situation all the more tragic.” A.W. Tozer

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