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Text: Amos 8:11-14
In Indonesia, the Kimayl tribe received Bibles in their own language in 2010. The pastor said they had pieces of the Bible in their language, and when missionaries would come and teach out of those portions they would understand. But when the missionaries would come and teach them out of scriptures they didn’t have they would hang their heads, some would cry, and their hearts would be heavy. Then the pastor looked down, choked back tears, looked up and said, but now we have light!
Chinese Christians receive Bibles for the first time.
Destructive silence (vs 11)
- Closed mouth of God
- A famine of hearing the word of God. Let’s pay attention to those words. It is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
- That says there is no more preaching. The Lord says I’m not going to talk to you anymore.
- That says there is no more answered prayer.
- God’s voice is life
- He spoke creation into existence. And God said…
- His voice would keep sin out of Adam and Eve’s lives had they listened.
- David said in Psalm 28:1…if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
- John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
- Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (vss 13-14)
- Now, you may not believe that. You may say the Bible doesn’t really have anything to do with my life and I’m OK. The reality is you’re not OK.
- Rich man in hell – Luke 16:27-31 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Desperate search (vs 12)
- A famine means desperate times.
- Ignored inspiration (scriptures) is lost
- You have the word of God because God has given it to you. You have learned the word of God because God has given you pastors and teachers. God didn’t have to give you His words. And He’s not under any obligation to continue to give them to you.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
- Aimless search
- Wandering means no certain direction.
- Hosea 9:17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.
- Wandering also means to be homeless.
- Frantic search for nourishment
- They shall run to and fro…
- People desperate for answers.
- Makes me think of those who hold such contempt for believers in the word of God like the Pharisees did, all that anger, hatred, bitterness, envy, strife are the hunger pains and starvation effects on men’s souls.
- Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
- So there is an increase in knowledge in the absence of truth.
- It’s almost like the food supply has run out, so things that aren’t food begin to be treated like food.
- Ridiculous information becomes common knowledge.
- 2 Timothy 3:6-7 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. A characteristic of certain women who are addicted to information, but have no ability to participate in the truth.
- 2 Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Dire strait (vs 13)
- The future and strength will fail for thirst.
- You know what that rich man in Luke 16 said after rejecting the words of God? He said he was dying of thirst in the flames of hell.
- Isaiah 5:11-14 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! 12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. 13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
- God’s silence is the end
- Proverbs 1:24-33 … 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:…31 eat the fruit of their own way… So there is a harvest, it’s just a harvest of sin.
- If you’re going to hell, it is against God’s will. And if you’re going to hell you’ll have to ignore all of God’s Caution signs, Warning signs, Red lights, Stop signs, barricades, detours, and Dead Ends. Eventually you get far enough out of the way that there are no more signs. No more warnings and no more signs period. And you are lost.
- If you’re justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and are choosing to live according to the flesh you’ll have to ignore all of God’s Caution signs, Warning signs, Red lights, Stop signs, barricades, detours, and Dead Ends.
- Saul seeking answers and going to the witch at Endor. Saul dies the next.
Defining stand (vs 14)
- …shall fall, and never rise up again.
- It’s time to learn the truth that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
- Deuteronomy 8:1-3
- Riggs in Poland have finished the Polish Bible last year and they’re already in their 3rd printing, not to mention all the requests Brent has had to make the Bible public in digital form. And others who have requested licensing to be able to print it.
- Now, which one will God honor? The people who have the Bible and don’t care about it or the one’s who don’t have the Bible, but love it?!
- It’s time to understand without these words, you are not LIVING, you’re DYING!
