Passage: Amos 9:11-15
Guide for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection
Sermon Summary
The gospel includes the good news that through Jesus, God is restoring all things in heaven and earth to their intended state of flourishing. The book of Amos ends with a glorious vision of how God restores all things, and what it will look like when he does.
First, God will restore all things by raising up his king. Though Northern Israel would experience the righteous judgement of God, God promised to eventually raise up “the booth of David that is fallen” (9:11)—a promise that was fulfilled in Jesus. Through the reign of the righteous King Jesus, God will act to fix all that is wrong in the world.
Secondly, this restoration looks like the total flourishing of the entire created order. When mankind is put right with God, it will lead to all of creation itself functioning with the abundance it was designed for. Recognizing this leads us to approach our daily lives with an “abundance mindset,” rather than “scarcity mindset.”
Finally, God’s restoration is accomplished in active partnership with his recommissioned people. Just as God himself promises to decisively restore this world, he dignifies us by inviting us to participate in this restoration process, as we use our gifts, talents, and vocations in service of him. God promises us that all of this will turn out successfully in the end, and we can trust that that promise is trustworthy and true because Jesus paid the price to restore the world with his very life.
Sermon Outline
- God raises up his king (9:11-15)
- God restores his land to abundance (9:13)
- God recommissions his people (9:14)
Group Discussion & Personal Reflection Guide
Re-read the passage (Amos 9:11-15)
God Raises Up His King (9:11-15)
Q) Re-read Amos 9:11. What images are used to describe God’s restoration of his people? What do you think these images are meant to communicate?
Q) Look over Amos 9:11-15 again. In these verses, what does God himself promise to do? What does this teach us about God’s role in restoring his world?
Q) Pastor Bobby said that Christianity is unique because it claims that only God is our ultimate hope for the restoration of the world, rather than any human hope. What are some things that people place their hopes for restoration in (e.g. hoping in government, new laws, etc.)? How do you see that playing out right now?
God restores his land to abundance (9:13)
Q) Re-read Amos 9:13. What do you think these images are meant to convey about the future restoration God will bring to his world? What is attractive to you about this vision?
Q) Pastor Bobby explained how recognizing the abundant nature of God’s restoration—a restoration which has already begun—helps us to live with an “abundance mindset” now, as opposed to a “scarcity mindset.” What did he mean by an “abundance mindset” and a “scarcity mindset”? (NOTE: The idea is essentially that an “abundance mindset” is a mindset of generosity, recognizing that God has given more than enough resources to go around, whereas a “scarcity mindset” is the mindset where we feel like we need to protect/defend ourselves, out of fear that there isn’t enough.)
God recommissions his people (9:14)
Q) Re-read Amos 9:14-15. What does God do in these verses, and what do his people do? What do these verses suggest about God’s desire for us to participate with him in his plans to restore the world?
Q) Consider the chart on the following page, which gives examples of how our vocations are ways in which we can “partner” with God in his restorative work. Where do you see your role “fitting” into God’s great restorative plan? (NOTE: The key idea here is that all of our vocations or callings mirror some aspect of the Lord’s character in how he relates to the world. For those who may not be represented in this chart—e.g. college students or stay-at-home parents—how might your calling mirror and reflect the ways God tends to our world?)
Chart from Jeremy Treat’s book, Kingdom Come. This list is obviously not meant to be in any way exhaustive, but just a sampling!
Additional Application Questions
Q) How else would you like to engage with God this week?
Q) How can you tangibly care for those in your community this week, both inside and outside of the church?
Prayer
Spend time praying for yourselves, our church community, the North Shore community, and our nation and world—particularly those most vulnerable.