Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Amos 5:14–15)
Big Idea:
Sincere worship of God must result in practical deeds of mercy to those in need.
- Worship with Sincerity
The minor prophets in particular teach that worship begins in a heart that is subjectively and emotionally moved by remembering the incalculable mercy of God revealed in the gift of Jesus Christ and salvation from judgment. This worship should form our minds, bodies, and vocations so that all our lives are aimed at serving God, which will include working for justice in the places God has called you.
- Work for Justice
There are at least two major hurdles to responding to worship by working for justice: despair and believing that we are “little people.”
- No Despair: God never requires you to be successful against injustice; he just requires you to speak out and act out against it. He alone can effect change. That’s why he reminds you of his resume in vv. 6-8. He is the sovereign God who changes things on the “surface of the earth” (8), but he will do so in his time.
- No Little People: None of us has a right to believe we are too little or insignificant to make a difference, because none of us is working in our own power. We are Christ’s ambassadors here on earth, calling on the resources of God to come and bring about change. Our responsibility is to be faithful where God has called us.
Discussion Questions:
- What is one way you can devote yourself to sincerity in worship?
- Which of the two hurdles to working for justice most resonated with you? How does God’s character and resources overcome this hurdle? How does Jesus’ life prove that God uses the seemingly insignificant to accomplish his plans?
- Who is someone who embodies these things well in their ordinary, everyday life that inspires you?