God's Words Became Amos' Words (Amos #1)

Text: Amos 1:1

There is not a lot said about Amos’s life other than he’s a farmer and has cattle – he’s among the herdman of Tekoa (1:1). He had no relatives who were priests or involved in religious things in anyway. The lack of credentials are written down to highlight the effect God’s words had on his life. (You’ll find that to be true in almost every case where God uses men to preach.) Amos will say later on in the book, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son, but I was an herdman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit (7:14).

Powerful change

When God’s words became Amos’s words they POWERFULLY changed him.
Notice in 1:3, Thus saith the Lord became the words of Amos in 1:1.
Those words of God would be powerful enough to take Amos away from his normal routine in the fields, set him in city that was the center for idolatry in northern Israel, and move him to publicly preach against sin.
God’s words are inspired, not men, and God’s words change men.
- God’s words are inspired whether a farmer gets a hold of them or a street cleaner gets a hold of them. Whether the local dog catcher gets a hold of them or the governor gets a hold of them. The words are inspired. Men are not inspired, but God’s words are inspired.
- Here’s now you know. A man can be used of God one day and the next day become a castaway.
- Preach the word.
- Who is Paul? Who is Apollos?
- Paul said lest I become a castaway. How? I stop letting the words of God affect my life.

Public change

When God’s words became Amos’s words they PUBLICLY changed him.
Notice someone is writing down Amos’s sermons. Amos is not the author, but the preacher. See in 1:1, the words of Amos and in 1:2, he said…
The world didn’t care that Amos was a herdman and an gatherer of sycamore fruit, but it would take note when God’s words got hold of him and he became a PREACHER who was a herdman and an gatherer of sycamore fruit.
God’s words literally became the words coming out of Amos mouth. And at that point in time he was changed in the public eye.

Personal change

When God’s words became Amos’s words they PERSONALLY changed him.
Amos had many nights under the stars I’m sure. He’ll make some references in his prophetic preaching to the Creator. And it’s one thing to know that the Creator exists, but it’s something else to know the Creator Himself.
Amos knew of the Lord, but then he heard him speak, and got to know Him. And got to know His voice.
You knew about church before you met the Lord who built His church. You knew about spiritual activity before you knew the Holy Spirit of God.
When the gospel becomes your gospel, then change has taken place.

Prophetic change

Notice when the words of God got a hold of Amos because he believed the Lord, he was able to see things he didn’t see before. The words of Amos… which he saw concerning Israel… two years before the earthquake.
Amos was given certainty of the future.
Amos is going to preach on the day of the Lord and preparation to meet the Lord when He returns to restore the nation of Israel. The very last verse in the book of Amos is a description of this.
- But if the Lord is going to restore Israel, that means Israel is in bad condition. If something needs to be restored, that means the current condition is not useful.
- Amos preaches to them you’re either part of the problem, the rust, the filth, the iniquity, or you’re part of the vessel God can use when He returns.
God’s words will cause you to see some things you didn’t see before.
- Clear view of the future.
- Clear view of judgment.
- Clear view of Jesus Christ.
- Clear view of sin.
- Clear view of your need to get right with the Savior.