Serving the Lord Isn’t Easy!

8th Sunday after Pentecost , 7/22/12
Amos 7:10-15


Serving the Lord Isn’t Easy!
I. Realize what you’re up against.
II. But the Lord is on your side.


The summer Olympics will begin in a few days. Many of you will watch the competition. And in a few of the events, the degree of difficulty is a factor. Off the top of my head, I know that’s true in the diving competition and in some of the gymnastics events. The athletes in those events are free to choose the particular form their athletic efforts will take, but if they opt for something simple, it will be reflected in a lower score.

As I think about it, that’s one of the few times in life that a person actually desires to attain what’s more difficult. In the vast majority of situations in life, we gravitate towards the less difficult. In fact, when faced with an issue or an opportunity, we may judge ahead of time that the degree of difficulty isn’t worth the time and effort.

Our worship focus this morning reminds us that our Lord Jesus calls his people into service in his kingdom. It’s far and away the most important service there is because eternal souls are at stake. Our goal is to win as many souls for Christ as possible so that as many people as possible will share with us in the eternal glories of heaven. An uninformed person might think that such kingdom service would be just as glorious.

But we know that isn’t true. Serving in God’s kingdom at times can be hard work, frustrating work, seemingly fruitless work. The degree of difficulty can be extreme.

It was that way for a faithful prophet of the Lord named Amos whom we meet in today’s text. God called Amos into service in his kingdom and Amos quickly learned how difficult it was. But serving the Lord faithfully is never easy. As people whom the Lord has called into his service, let’s take this dose of divine reality. Serving the Lord isn’t easy. But may our Lord comfort and strengthen us for serving him as he shares his holy word with us this morning.

Part I.

There’s a joke that’s often spoken among people who work in and for the church that goes like this, “Church work would be great if it weren’t for the people.” What adds the humor to that statement is the fact that, without people, there would be no church work. Actually, that’s true in every aspect of work in our world. If you’re working with people, you’re going to encounter problems, sometimes huge problems. And the reason for it is that people—all people—are sinners. And their sinfulness will always show itself as they work with you. It can’t be any other way. Not even in church work.

So, if you’re going to answer the Lord’s call to serve him in his kingdom, you need to enter it with your eyes wide open. Realize what you’re up against. If the prophet Amos didn’t know it ahead of time, he certainly learned quickly what he was up against. This was no Sunday School picnic. He was in a hostile environment on several fronts. One of those fronts was his nationality. We hear about it this way: “Then Amaziah said to Amos, ‘Get out, you seer! Go back to the land of Judah.” Both Amaziah and Amos were Jews, but at this time the Jews were split into two nations—Judah to the south and Israel to the north. Amos was from Judah but was preaching God’s word in Israel and that didn’t sit well. Amaziah wasn’t the only one who wished Amos would just go home. They were hostile towards him.

What’s more, it was a hostile environment socially. At this point in history the Jews in Judah and Israel were enjoying a booming economy and the expansion of power and influence. Wait a minute! What makes that a hostile environment? There was power to be attained and money to be made. The people had no time and no use for a God who was calling them to repentance. They were too busy enjoying life. In fact, many took the false impression that their successes in business and in life were evidence that the Lord was pleased with them, the exact opposite of the message that Amos was proclaiming.

But the greatest hostility was religious in nature. Our text refers to Amaziah as the priest of Bethel. That might sound good at first, but it couldn’t be more godless. The kings of Israel didn’t want their subjects going down to Jerusalem in Judah to worship at the Temple as the Lord had commended the Jews. Instead, they set up two places in their own country to worship. One of them was at Bethel. But that’s not all. It got worse. At these two places of worship there was a golden calf which the priests called the Lord. Imagine that! God clearly told the Jews not to make any idols. These Jews, however, did just that and then were so brazen as to name it the Lord. Amos confronted them with this heinous sin. It was a hostile environment.

And then there were the lies. Amos faced lies about his motives for coming to Israel and preaching. Amaziah shouted at him, “Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there.” With these words Amaziah was asserting that Amos was only preaching in Israel to earn money. Some preachers—even some modern preachers—have given far too many reasons for their motives to be questioned, but not Amos. To assert so was nothing but a lie.

Those lies even undercut the work that Amos had come to do. He had come to call the people of Israel to repent and to return to the Lord. But listen to what Amaziah said about his work. He told the king, a man named Jeroboam, “Amos is raising a conspiracy in the very heart of Israel.” A conspiracy?! That was absurd! Amos wasn’t trying to overthrow the government; he was trying to save it and its people by urging them to return to the Lord.

It didn’t take long for Amos to learn the truth that serving the Lord isn’t easy. He realized what he was up against.

I assume that you are willing to answer the Lord’s call to serve him. Why wouldn’t you? After all, this is the God who won your forgiveness and life in heaven for you. This is the God who loved you so much he sacrificed his Son for you. This is the God who wants to bless you forever. Why wouldn’t we want to serve him with what we do each day in our lives no matter where we are? But realize what you’re up against. Our world today is no less hostile to serving Jesus than it was in the days of Amos. It will tell you that you’re narrow minded, foolish and hateful towards others because you declare God’s truth to them. And then there’s Satan. The last thing he wants you to do is to serve your Savior Jesus. He throws every obstacle in your way. And then there’s that battle with yourself—your sinful nature. It convinces you that serving Jesus is a waste of the time you could spend on yourself. It woos you into laziness and indifference. It convinces you that it’s not your turn to serve, it’s someone else’s. So what’s the solution to this hostile environment? Your Savior, Jesus Christ. He faced far worse in serving us, and yet he succeeded in every aspect. He offered himself as the sinless Lamb of God in order to remove our sins and guilt. His love for us empowers us to serve him and others with our lives. But that won’t be easy. Make sure you realize that.

Part II.

As Amos grew to understand the degree of difficulty in serving the Lord as his prophet, we would understand if he decided to quit. We’d be sad, but we’d understand. And when you understand just who Amos was, it will amaze you all the more that he did what he did. Amos himself says, “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.” Today we’d say that Amos raised animals and owned an orchard. Those are two noble professions. They require a lot of hard work and long hours. But they don’t necessarily groom you for being a mouthpiece for the Lord.

So how could Amos agree to be the Lord’s prophet in a hostile situation? He knew that the Lord was on his side. Amos knew about himself what we know about ourselves. Our God created us. Yes, we understand biology, but we also know that the Lord uses biological truths to knit us together. He created us. As our Creator, he knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows perfectly well what we’re capable of.

And he’s the One who calls us into service in his kingdom. Amos said it like this, “But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” The Lord sent him. And those whom the Lord sends, he also equips and empowers. Amos knew that no matter how difficult serving the Lord would be, he had the almighty Lord on his side. He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t lose.

St. Paul once wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Ga. 2:20). When you came to faith in Jesus as your Savior, your Savior came to live with you, in you. When confronted with our failures and shortcomings, he reminds us of his forgiveness and the power he brings to us. That power goes with us as we serve him. Consider the many ways each day the Lord is giving you to serve him. It won’t be easy, but you have the power of the Lord. He is on your side. Serving the Lord isn’t easy, but with his power you can’t fail. May that power daily sustain you as you live for him! Amen.