St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown, WI

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Pentecost 18^th October 3, 2004 Amos 8:3-7

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!” Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?”—skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat. The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done.”

This is God’s Word!

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

Forbes magazine the other day published a list of the 400 richest Americans. At the top of the list of course is William Henry Gates III. Mr. Gates’ personal worth is somewhere upwards of 48 billion—with a “B”—billion dollars. The little paragraph says Mr. Gates is a Harvard University drop out. Mr. Gates is busy diversifying his wealth. He isn’t sticking more and more and more money in high tech stuff. Instead—every 3 months he sells twenty million shares of his computer stocks and reinvests in non-tech stuff. It also says he has devoted $27 billion to “good deeds”. Specifically helping fight infections diseases like hepatitis B and AIDS; developing vaccines and helping high schools. Mr. Gates likes to list himself as “self-made”! That is to say—what I have—what I own—what I am—I made myself. I earned it. I deserve it. And it’s mine—all mine. Mr. Gates has been quoted as saying time spent in Church—is not productive time. It isn’t profitable. You don’t come out ahead—spending time worshipping the Almighty and hearing his Word—singing God’s praises—and saying your prayers. How sad is that? The love of money—the love of the illusion—the mirage of what money can buy and control is very seductive! Jesus put it very plainly when he said, “What is a man profited if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” The love of money is of course nothing new. It was a serious spiritual problem some 750 years before baby Jesus was born! And it remains a problem 2,000 years after baby Jesus was born. Today God’s Word is a very timely word of law and gospel—warning and encouragement:

Understand The Difference Between Worthless and Priceless!

1. It is dangerous to chase after earthly riches

2. Jesus’ blood bought forgiveness is all that matters.

The part of God’s Word we are concentrating on today is from the scroll of the prophet Amos. My friend Professor Eickmann wrote the People’s Bible Commentary about Amos. Amos didn’t grow up thinking—I want to be a pastor—preaching and teaching God’s Word. Amos was in fact a shepherd for sheep and goats—and a sycamore fig tree farmer. The LORD by grace alone chose Amos to teach law and gospel. Remember your Bible History? This is what’s so precious about our Trinity St. Luke’s Preschool, our Sunday School, our Trinity St. Luke’s Grade School and Luther Preparatory School and Lakeside Lutheran High School—Bible History. King Saul, King David, King Solomon—Solomon’s son Rehoboam—is the King of God’s people—when Jeroboam rebels against Solomon’s son—rebels and is proclaimed king of the northern tribes—10 of the 12 tribes of Israel. Imagine how terrible—the country split apart! At Bethel on his southern border and at Dan in the north—the wicked king set up golden calves. Sound familiar? Golden calves—places of gross and disgusting fertility worship. Worship by the calves—and you don’t need to go all the way to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship and bring sacrifices. The wicked king set up high places—places in hilltop and mountain top forests—for the obscenity of fertility cult worship—motivated by a love of earthly riches—more and more lambs and calves and more and more children—more and more grapes and olives, wheat and grain. People indulged themselves in perversions and violent assault and abuse of other people’s bodies. God’s people indulged in temple prostitution and worse—just like their heathen unbeliever neighbors. It was horrible. It was pretty much like the sins in our nation today. The few verses we read from Amos today and next week are a call to repentance!

God’s Word says, “In that day,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!” These verses sound the same warning as chapter 6 of Amos. “The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself—the LORD God Almighty declares: ‘I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses; I will deliver up the city and everything in it.’ If ten men are left in one house, they too will die. And if a relative who is to burn the bodies comes to carry them out of the house and asks anyone still hiding there, ‘Is anyone with you?’ and he says, ‘No,’ then he will say, ‘Hush! We must not mention of the name of the LORD.’ “ Amos 6:8-10—lest the LORD crush these last survivors! Pride and arrogance—the exact opposite of what the LORD expects to find in the hearts of his faithful people! Can you imagine a time of so much death and destruction—that there is no time to bury all the bodies—that they have to be simply stacked and burned! Can you imagine such disaster? I can! There has been terrible destruction in Florida—hurricane after hurricane—one, two, three, four—and maybe they are not done, yet! And yet such a painful call to repentance—and I heard someone on TV say—with a blasphemous heart to the Sovereign LORD—“you know—we get it!” And all the people laughed. The sad fact is—he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand! Do we? In that day declares the Sovereign LORD the songs of the temple will turn to wailing. Songs of the temple… Are these the songs of fertility cult obscenity by golden calves? Or are these songs in the literal temple—not songs of genuine heart felt praise—but going through the motions—thinking that somehow God owes us? Many, many bodies flung everywhere! Silence! Silence! I don’t think this is the preacher pounding on the pulpit demanding quiet. I think this is the silence that comes from hearts and minds so painful that there is absolute quiet—nothing—absolutely nothing anyone can say. Silence!

Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?” God’s Word calls God’s people to repent again and again. “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan—Instead of cows we would probably say you fat cats! You women who oppress the poor and crush the needy and say to your husbands, “Bring us some drinks!” Amos 4:1f The time of painful judgment would come—when people would be led away with hooks! Imagine a fish hook in your cheek—tied to a string—so that you could be pulled here and there—dragged away into captivity! There is bitter irony when the LORD says—“Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more…brag about your freewill offerings—boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign LORD. I gave you empty stomachs in every city…yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. I also withheld rain from you…yet you have not returned to me. Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards…with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me, “declares the LORD. I killed your young men with the sword…filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD…I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD. When painful troubles, problems and disasters strike—the LORD is calling his people to return—literally to turn around—to repent! Do we?

When will all this church stuff be over—that we may market wheat?”—skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.” The devil tempts us to say—when is church going to be over? When will we be done tonight—so I can get home and watch the debate—President Bush and Senator Kerry? When will we be done Sunday morning—so I can get home and watch retired football players tell us hours ahead of time—who they are certain will win the children’s game that people are paid literally $168,000 per game? If we leave early on communion Sundays what are we missing? We are missing Jesus’ true body and blood through and through humble bread and wine. We are missing the opportunity to sing hymns of thanks and praise. We are missing the benediction—the blessing—the promise that Jesus will be with us what could be very possibly our last week on earth. If we leave Church early—and bumped into Jesus in the parking lot—what would we tell him? What could we tell him?

When will the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat…buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat. The LORD is very concerned about the poor. Already in the Old Testament God’s Word says, “He who is kind to the poor—lends to the LORD.” Proverbs 19:17 In the sermon on the grassy hillside Jesus said on Judgment day he will say to his disciples—I was hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and in prison and you helped me. Acts of kindness and generosity—done to poor people were in fact acts of kindness and generosity done to Jesus himself! Buying the needy for a pair of sandals… In Bible times there were people who were truly needy—truly poor and desperate. These people could be bought and sold into actual literal slavery for the price of a pair of sandals—a piece of leather with strings to tie it to the bottom of your foot! People took advantage of other people’s desperation. Are we poor and desperate? Sometimes you would think so—to hear people whine and complain and feel sorry for themselves! Do we say we are starving—when meals are a few minutes past the time we prefer to eat? Do we open refrigerators and complain there’s nothing to eat? Do we open pantries and say there is nothing to eat because we are out of our favorite snack? Do we grumble that we always eat at the same restaurant—when there are people who are literally suffering from mal-nutrition—people literally starving to death? Do we love money so much that we are willing to cheat our neighbor to get it? Jesus died for our greed—just like he died for all our other sins. Jesus died to wash them all away!

The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: “I will never forget anything they have done.” Jesse was born in September—September 5^th, 1887. His father was a student at the seminary. During the Civil War Jesse was part of a group—a gang of soldiers that cut a bloody and murderous swath—even in the middle of a war! After the War—Jesse became a robber—a thief and a serial killer. He robbed 11 banks—7 trains—3 stage coaches over a period of 15 years. Finally—at the tender age of 34 years, 6 months and 28 days—Jesse—Jesse James was murdered by one of his own gang members. It is one thing—that historians still remember Jesse James’ life of crime from over 100 years ago. Imagine of God still remembered his crimes—his mistakes—all his sins. It is precious good news—that God so loved the world—that he gave his one and only Son—that whoever believes in him should not perish—but have everlasting life. Jesus died for all. He washed away all our sins—every single one. When Jesus died he said—It is finished! Not—that’s a pretty good start. Not—that’s most of your sins—just not the biggest and the worst. Jesus said—It is finished! The curtain in the temple tore from top to bottom. It didn’t just fray a little around the edge. Our Heavenly Father has drowned our sins in the sea of eternal forgetfulness. The LORD has forgotten everything we have done. We are heirs of Heaven by grace through faith for Jesus’ sake. Amen!

To God alone all glory!

Rev. Anthony E. Schultz