Amos 3:12 and Satan

0:02 Looking at our world from a theological perspective. This is the Theology Central podcast making Theology Central. Good afternoon everyone. It is Monday, August the twenty six, twenty twenty four. It is currently three h five pm Central Time, and I am coming to you live from the Theology Central studio located right here in Abilene, Texas. Now, for those of you who've been listening to me for a very long time, you're probably thinking it's finally happened. He finally hit puberty. His voice now actually sounds, I don't know, like an adult. He finally sounds like a man. Yes, I have hit puberty, ladies and gentlemen, my voice has changed.

0:50 While my voice is only changed because well, I've been sick a little bit, and it sounded I think it sounded okay Sunday. If you listen to the two hours, I think it was like hmmm, so so. And by the time I got home from church, well, by Sunday night, I thought, okay, now I'm just going to die. So today I woke up like, oh, well, recording is not going to happen. But now here I am, and I think I think it sounds okay. I think it sounds decent enough. I think it does. For what we're going to do. I'm gonna be doing a little bit of a sermon review, so that means I won't be talking the entire time. I think the majority of this is going to be me talking. But we will see if I get halfway through it and all of a sudden, my voice just goes out, Oh, you're gonna hearing me going.

1:38 You're like, well, that's what he gets. Okay, that's that's okay. You can you can, you can mock me, all right, but we will see. So let's do this a couple of things. If you've been at the beta dot sermon audio dot com website, go to Beta dot sermon audio dot com website. Now the beta site is about to become the actual sermon Audio website. I think on September the eighth. I think they said it was going to be September the third. They pushed it back, but I think on September the eighth, the old Sermon Audio website will disappear and Beta dot sermonaudio dot Com will just become sermonadio dot com. But if you go to the beta dot sermonadio dot com website, look up Theologycentral, find our page. You should see a section called articles, and you'll notice in the article section, I've been doing something that I'm calling Sermon Audio Daily, where I'm going to try to daily, you know, provide a sermon, pick something for you to listen to from anything on sermonadio anything, right, I'm just choosing. Someone else may send it to me, however I may find it right wherever I may find it.

2:47 And what we're trying to do is I'm trying to come up with a way to help you discover more of the content on the Sermons two point oh app. There are millions of sermons and the and about four four to six thousand sermons are added every single week. There's no way for you to find everything. So there needs to be some different ways to help people find the content on the sermons uh, the Sermons two point o app, the Sermon Audio website, however, you're you're you know, accessing their content. So we're trying to come up with some different ways. So again, if you go to Beta dot Sermonaudio dot com, look up Theologycentral, look for the article section, you're gonna see me posting articles that I'm entitling sermon audio daily where I'm gonna try to every single day, you know, just put something there to help you discovery. Now, it doesn't mean I necessarily agree with the sermons. Doesn't mean I necessarily disagree with the sermons.

3:41 It's like, here's one that I think maybe interesting. If I've listened to it, I will probably provide some comment about it. Sometimes it may not be any comment, it just matters. Sometimes it may just me telling you, hey, this conference is going on, follow them and keep up with the live broadcast and whatever the case may be. But it's again, there's got to be a better way with With millions of sermons available on the sermonaudio platform and thousands being added every single week, that that means there's sermons sitting out there that probably nobody has listened to or even found in two years. I mean I've found sermons that are two three years old and it has like twenty four downloads. That's insane, Like, that's sad, right, that's I feel bad for the ministry that put it there because they're paying sixty dollars a month and that sermon's been sitting there for three years with twenty four downloads like, I want people to be able to discover as much as possible. So that's something else we're going to do. If you're using the church one app, our church, one app, download church one church, one choose theology central, I also will be sending out notifications to whatever Sermonadio daily article I publish so that you can you can access it that way as well. So we're gonna try some different things. I got some other ideas we just want to help. I mean, look in any streaming service, I don't care if it's Spotify, Apple Music, if it's television streaming, whether it's Netflix, you name it. One of the big issues is discover discovery. How how can we

5:14 help our subscribers discover content so that they continue to subscribe and they're getting the most out of their subscription. If you don't feel like you're getting as much out of your subscription, you'll cancel it. They've got a financial interest in getting discovery, right, Sermonadio doesn't necesssarily have that. That don't make the money from the user. They make the money from the broadcaster, right, So, but I still think for the user. Here's this amazing tool called the Sermonadio platform what can we do to help you discover more out there so that you will use the site more, and not only that it helps all the broadcasters. Look, I may completely disagree with some of the broadcasters, but I still want their messages heard because it offers perspective I may completely disagree with, but it's a different perspective, and then I can offer my perspective. So we're gonna come up with I'm constantly thinking of new ideas. So the Sermonadio Daily article of if you go to again Beta dot sermonadio dot com Theologycentral look for articles, you'll see me posting things. And one of the things I've been posting about recently is the what are they calling this this Stay by the Stuff twenty twenty four camp meeting.

6:32 I guess they're referring to it as a camp meeting. I refer to it as a conference, So I think camp meeting maybe the actual term they're using. The Stay by the Stuff twenty twenty four camp meeting. There are ten sermons I think maybe up to thirteen sermons now in the series Stay by the Stuff twenty twenty four. There's either ten or thirteen messages and this it's from Calvary Baptist Church. Calvary Baptist Church, Stay by the Stuff twenty twenty four camp meeting. I have been posting some of the sermons from this there again at Beta dot sermonaudio dot com, Theology Central articles and what we're calling these articles Sermon Audio Daily, and I've been keeping up with what they're talking about in the camp meeting. Now, I'm just going to be honest. This type of preaching is definitely not my preference. However, I very much was trained in this world. This is a very independent kjav only world. I went to many of those types of schools and seminaries, so I'm very familiar with it. It's where I first really got the opportunity. My first Bible institute was in an independent fundamental Baptist church, where I first really got an opportunity to preach in any meaningful way, and a lot of things they do is how I was kind of first taught how to handle scripture. Over time, I began to challenge and question a lot of that way of handling scripture because I thought it was more or just kind of using scripture instead of actually teaching scripture.

8:04 You just find a scripture and then you just kind of do whatever you want with it. And you know I it bothers me greatly. So I was listening to a message from the Stay by the Stuff twenty twenty four camp meeting today, and when I was listening, I'm like, wait a minute, Wait a minute, where did Satan come from? How did Satan get in this passage? Who invited Satan to this passage? So what we're going to do is, I'm not the goal here is not to review the entire sermon. The name of the sermon is Don't let the Devil Have It or don't let the Devil have it All? Okay, that's the correct title, Don't let the Devil have it All? So immediately the title tells you, well, this is about the devil. So I knew going in the devil was going to be a part of this sermon, but when they gave the text of scripture, I was somewhat baffled. So we'll listen to it, and we're not gonna again, We're not gonna review the entire sermon. I will be doing my typical sermon review, you know, you know, analyzing, critiquing, that type of thing. But we're only gonna get to a certain point, then I'm gonna just leave it and say, Okay, they invited Satan into this passage of scripture. What we're going to do now is look at the passage of scripture and see if we can get Satan back out of it. Okay, all right, but maybe you will agree.

9:22 You may go no, that's the kind of preaching we need. That's the kind of preaching. And look to me. I understand. Sometimes preachers can take a text of scripture and they can make it sound interesting, and it can be it can connect with you emotional, and it can get you convicted, and it can get you excited. It can encourage you, it can do a lot of things. But at that point, it's not the text doing it. It's the preacher's creativity, his way of using the scripture, his communication skills, But it's not the actual text. So we always have to be care careful, at least from my vantage point. My perspective is what the text actually says matters more than the preacher's ability to make it interesting or to do something with it. Now, you may like this, you may you may disagree with my perspective, but that's the beautiful thing about doing this is you get to hear a different perspective. So the sermon is entitled Don't let the Devil Have It All? Calvary Baptist Church. This is one of the messages a part of the Stay by the Stuff twenty twenty four camp meeting. Go download all of the camp meeting. Listen to it all. It may it may be a philological stream that you've never been a part of. It may the independent Fundamental KJV only you may never, never, never been a part of that. So go listen to that perspective. It's it's there in Christianity, so go listen to it. You may love it, you

10:53 may decide that's what you prefer. Go listen to all of it. By no means am I not telling you. I just well, I think you can tell. I just don't know if Satan belongs here, but maybe maybe they're right. You tell me. All right, here we go. This is from that message again. It is entitled Don't let the Devil Have it All? From the twenty twenty four Stay by the Stuff camp meeting, Calvary Baptist Church. Here we go. You can't find that, just find the Book of Joel.

11:35 It'll be right beside, Joel, go backwards and you'll run in the jose in and Daniel. You can't find Daniel, see me after service. I don't know if you realize this or not, but sometimes when you go in these restaurants today, they got it set up where if they're crowded in there and there's a lot of folks, uh, feeding, then they play music and they and they and they play upbeat music.

12:15 They do that so you'll eat fast and get out. And then and when they're slow and they just got two or three folks in there eating, they play a real slow song, you know, and try to get you to stay as long as you can. Amen. And I regret that the Brethren Pray played that slow song right there at the end, because we're gonna have to do this quick. Fast and in a hurry. Now, I do as much is maybe his style is not mine. There is there is something kind of just his kind of down to earth, you know approach. I don't know how to define the style, right, you know, definitely sounds like coming from the South, you know, down to earth kind of like, you know, just the everyday kind of person approach to it. There's in some parts it's kind of fun to hear. It's kind of interesting, different way of approaching it. Very personable, right, very relatable, right, funny.

13:34 He's got a pacing that is really interesting. And so there's he does a lot of things from a communication point of view that I think kind of draws you in a little bit, kind of draws you in. And that's all good. I'm not criticizing that in any way, shape or form. I could learn to be better at those types of things. But the issue is going to be, right, where are we going? So now we're going to Amos. He didn't actually mention it. He just said it's next to Joel. Then he said if he goes backward, you run into Hoseah. Then Daniel, okay, all right. So then he told that little kind of joking thing. All right, all right, So they're gonna they're gonna get through this. But now he's getting ready to tell you to turn to Amos chapter three.

14:16 Here we go, Daniel, I mean, excuse me, Amos chapter number three. It's an honor to be here. Don't take it for granted. And I'm humbled God would consider me in Amos chapter three, Look with me, please, Verse number twelve. Yes, thus saith the Lord, as the shepherd taketh out the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of in the ear, So shall the children of his will be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and the Damascus in the couch.

15:24 Okay, so there is the verse. There is the verse Amos chapter three, verse twelve. Say, thus says the Lord, as a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out, who dwell in Samaria and the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch. Now, I would ask you if someone is preaching Amos chapter three, verse twelve, after they read that, what do you think would be a minimal requirement. I think a minimal requirement is to give some kind of a background. Well, what is the book of Amos about?

16:04 Who is the the book of Amos, Who are the original recipients, What is going on in Amos chapter three, verse twelve, Who is being spoken to? Who is this being spoken about? I think I think that would to me, that's what you have to do. Now. Sometimes in this kind of preaching. It's not so much about that as like, well, Amos three twelve is what I'm going to use, and now I'm gonna use it for this. Amos is just being used for a purpose, And I don't think the text of scriptures to ever be used for our purpose. The text of scripture is to be studied and to be understood and what it is saying by the words that are being used within its textual and historical context.

16:47 That's my approach, which is again very different than many others. But let's see how he's going to handle this. Now. Obviously we know from the title Satan's going to show up. When you see that, where is Satan going to show up? Now? I know what some would do. Well, as a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion, Oh, a lion, lion, lion, Satan rome's about like a roaring lion. There we go. But roaming about as a roaring lion has literally nothing to do with Amos chapter three, verse twelve. It has nothing to do with it. Just because you can cross reference something with the same word, that's where people need to learn how to cross reference. But I'm not saying that's what he's doing. But I could see how someone could try. But but let's let's just see what happens.

17:37 I hope you get that picture. If you can't, let me draw it for you real quick. A lot of shepherds in that country, a lot of a lot of sheep in the fold, and every once in a while I want to get out. The Lord said, you. Leave the man in there, go after that one that's gone straight. Here's this shepherd and he's he's paying because he's lost his sheep.

18:22 Now, immediately when I was listening to this, I'm did, how did we just like leave the ninety nine and go find the one? What? What is this? This is not talking about people. This is not talking about individuals who go astray in their Christian life. That's not what this text is about. This this has a specific situation here. So I so immediately I was like, okay, what where is this going? Like I was already getting a little like come on, now, where where could this be going? Where? But but I but you know, let's let's see where he takes it. Now. There's there's strong emotion here. You can hear the emotion. It's it's going to be driving home a very important point. Possibly could be very convicting, could be very challenging, could actually be very beneficial in many ways. Again, I'm going to raise the question, how do we judge that if the text? What about the text?

19:19 What about the text of scripture? Right? So, here we go, he's looking all over the plot. He's trying to find that little sheep that's dollar struck. Now is this text? I'm gonna ask you. He says, he's painting the picture? Is Amos three verse twelve about a shepherd who's like, I've lost my I've lost my sheep. And he's he's panicking, and he's he's he's looking around trying to find his sheep. Is that what Amos three twelve is about about? About a shepherd who has lost his sheep? Is that? What is that? What this is about? Now? I'll let you answer that is Amos three as well?

20:01 He said he's going to paint the picture if we didn't catch it. And he's like, he's got this picture. Is here's a shepherd. He's like, where's my sheep? Where's my sheep? I'm in painted, i gotta find my sheep. Well, then who's the shepherd in your analogy. Did God lose the sheep? Right? Like? What? What? How? How? What? What's going on here? Let let's let him continue to paint the picture. He's crying and he's as certain, and he's beating the bush and he's trying. That of sheep, little sheep. He just tops the heel.

20:46 There's that lion. The Bible said the devil he walked about. There's a wrong line, right, Okay. Now, all of a sudden, Satan has shown up. So we have a shepherd. He's panicking, where's my sheep? Oh, little sheep, little sheep? And he comes up on the hilltop and there's the lion. And then he immediately now he's just brought Satan in. So we have a shepherd who's lost the sheep and Satan. So who is the shepherd? Who is the sheep? And how did Satan get involved in this? And does this have anything to do with Amos Chapter three. I'm presenting this to you for you to figure out. This is the beauty of listening to so many sermons as you hear so different. In fact, the more sermons you listen to it can be it can be fun because you hear all these different perspectives, and then you have to do the work to try to figure out how they're handling the text. Do you agree with their hermonutical approach?

21:50 Do you disagree with it? That can be fun, it can be disheartening because sometimes you're like, how can we never agree on how to handle a scripture? Like you can listen to fifteen sermons on Amis three twelve, and you may think there's fifty different ways to handle the text. You would think that there would be more just universal agreement on how to handle text. But the more sermons you listen to, the more you realize that's not the case. But all right, So we've got a shepherd. He lost his sheep. He's yelling, sheep, sheep, sheep. He comes up on the hill. There's a lion. The lion has the sheep, and the lion is Satan. So we have sheep hasn't identified the sheep, the shepherd hasn't identified the shepherd. The lion has now been identified as Satan. All right, is the lion Satan? Well we'll take all this apart soon.

22:41 Sakan whom he may divide? Right? Right, that shepherd looked and he solved that land and he saw that it had that little sheep and the clutches of his jaw. Right, I can kind of. See that not going to take the preacher's measure, but I can kind of see grabbing that beer that liar. I can't kind of seen maybe taking that old shepherd stand and beating that line and in uh, in taking out what was left of that sheep.

23:27 Now, the people listening love it. I mean you're hearing amen, yes, sir, preach it. I mean, I mean the people they're loving this, all right, So I always feel bad when well, and everyone's loving it, and I'm kind of and I would be kind of sitting there going, uh. I would I try not. I would try not to do this because I always want to be respectful of whoever you're listening to in person, right, So, but I would I would be at least trying to just jot down on my note. I would put shepherd equals sheep equals lion equals how And I may have written how did Satan get here? Right?

24:07 That's what I may. I may And I would try to just keep like and then I would just put my pencil down. I wouldn't start trying to look up in the Bible because you want to be respectful. You always, whoever you listen to, you want to be respectful, no matter how much you disagree with right, because the person is pouring their heart into this, they're preaching the word of God. They're doing what they feel is bad, and so praise God that the word of God is being preached. But I just I just oh, I just don't know how how like is this the way to go? But all right, let's see where he's going to take it. Let's see where he's going to take it. In other worlds. He just he sighed what was left?

24:51 I want to say to that, I'm glad to be saved. Pallelujah, Thank God for shout nah. I believe with all the heart did my stars like maybe mining yours? Maybe that when the shepherd got to me, it was hardly anything left. Okay, So now the lion is so the lion is Satan the shepherd. It sounds like he's about to make the shepherd Jesus and he you me, we are the sheep.

25:33 So how did you and me? How did us? How did we end up in Amos three twelve? How did Satan end up there? And how did Jesus end up in Amos three twelve. I've got questions here, I've got lots of questions because it seems hermoneutically this is how that's what he's done with the text. Hey, I'm going to take this text. I'm going to insert Satan, I'm going to insert Jesus, and I'm going to insert you. Is that what Amos three twelve? Is Amos three twelve about Jesus? Is it about Satan? Is it about you and me? Now? Just reading the text? So shall the children of Israel be taken out? Who dwell in Samaria? Now? Immediately, immediately, I'm like, wait a minute, Clearly Israel is the focus here, not you or me. So so already I know something is going wrong here. But again, I know some of you love this kind of preaching. You would love it.

26:30 You would you would pay money to go to this kind of camp meeting and you would walk out, go and praise God. This. I was convicted this was revival preaching. And I understand that. And and well, no, I can't say that. I don't understand it in the sense that I would I would walk out more like what just happened? So but I I so I don't. I can't say I understand it, but I do. I'm very aware that a lot of people love this kind of preaching. I've set in services like this and the people that was one of the best sermons I've ever heard. And I'm just going and I would leave just sitting at home, look at my Bible going. I don't think I understand how to preach.

27:10 I literally don't think I understand how to preach. I've got to be able to take a text and just basically I got to kind of create something right. And so there was a period of time where I was very concerned about how to preach right. Well, then when I really started figuring out, how about exegetical? How about you take the text and you just preach the text. You worry about historical context, textual context, who was written to, who are the original recipients, and you just teach the text. Then you don't have to be all creative and poetic. You just teach the text. Now, some people say no, so and what I have been accused of is you don't preach, you teach. Preaching is to be different than teaching, and I've never quite understood that. I'm like no, I'm it's the word of God. You call it preaching, I'm gonna call it whatever you wanna call it. My job is to take the text and give it to the people and help them understand what it says. If preaching is I can just do anything I want to the text, then I don't want to be preaching. Preaching has to be you're expounding the text. I don't know you can.

28:22 You can tell me if you think there's a disagreement, But I don't think you can just say. Preaching allows for you to just put whoever you want inside a text, right. Maybe just maybe just a couple of legs and a piece of a need, I said, I said. It wasn't much laugh. When he got to me, the devil had taken most everything ahead. See now he's inserted himself directly into this text. Satan is the lion who ripped him apart. Jesus is the shepherd who showed up and pulled what was left out. Now, I just don't know how you insert yourself here. I don't know how. I just don't know how you do this hermoneutically. I just I don't understand this taken.

29:19 Oh my my family was ruined in my My faith was ruined, and my life was ruined. Heartbreaking, heartaching sorrow. I understand. Brother. I want to say tonight that there wasn't much laugh when when God came to me. Anybody can relate tonight, Hell, ha Loujah, thank God. Aren't you glad? God saves old sinners. Amen, I'm glad, thank God. When I wasn't. Looking for him, he was looking for me, amen, and they came.

30:05 To where I was. How I lo you to gone? I mean, the people are loving this. The people are I mean he's got the crowd and the palm of his hands. I mean he is communicating in a way. He's pulled them in. There's excitement and on one end you want to be like, man, that's awesome. They're so excited about this. Everyone's praising God. This is great. But then there's another part of me that just I can't get past how did you get in this text? And how did Satan get here? Like I'm not following this in any way, shape or form, but let's see where he goes.

30:50 I wouldn't much laugh when God came back. Ah, thank you understand. Yes, the talk of lads and the pace. Somewhere near. Did you hear the person there? Help us understand, preacher, help us understand. I love the crowd, man. I mean if I have ever ever had a crowd doing that, I'd probably die of a heart attack. I'd be like, Wow, they're actually interested. Okay, Mark, maybe that's not fair, but I mean sometimes you're like, is anybody even paying attention?

31:37 Does anyone care? That kind of crowd will get a preacher to preach for fifteen hours because that encouragement. So anytime you can encourage, encourage because preachers need it. But at the same time, and like, help me understand, Well, I want to raise my hand and go, I'll help you understand. This is not what Amos three twelve is about. This is not no no. If I'm gonna help you understand, we need to stop the sermon now. We need to stop the sermon. We gotta move ourselves out, we gotta move Satan out, we need to move Israel back in. Right, we need to figure out what's going on here in Amos. Now we're gonna We're going to do that here in a minute. I'm gonna try to help you understand. Now.

32:20 They may not they would disagree with me, and that's okay, that's fine. I want you to go listen to them. I want you to listen to this entire sermon. I want you to listen to the entire camp meeting. I want you to follow them on the sermon's two point zero app But I am gonna try to help us understand this. But let's go a little further, just so that you get a sense of exactly where he takes. This squandered my life rat is living. Yeah, get them babies, catch them sandwiches, mustard sandwiches. Wow, because get it. Blow that money on a pool table, hit it out of detalks?

33:07 Are you hitting what I'm saying to that? I'm ashamed. Everything I ever did still a shame most of the time. But I don't ever ever regret that day when. Jesus wants my sins away. Amen. I said, it wasn't much left when God came by. Are you hearing me tonight? Church? I want to I got a newsflash for you. Hallelujah, Almighty God. He'll he'll take what's left and use it for the glory of God.

33:52 Amen. That's just I just I have strong memories of thinking I can never preach this way. I just can't do this. It's like just creating a story. Like and I just I'm like, oh, I know what I know I can do is I think I'm very good at taking a text apart. I think I can look at it exegetically, hermoneutically, theologically. I think I can look at it from its historical context. It's textual context, the syntax. I think I can do it. I think I can take it apart. I think I can I can teach it right. Well, that's not preaching, brother, that you gotta learn to preach. You got to reach in and grab the people. You gotta get them there, you gotta move them, gotta tell stories, you gotta move them.

34:38 You gotta be poetical, you gotta be creative. Oh I just, I just I was always thinking what am I going to do? So when I hear this, there's a part of me that's like, man, I so wanted to be like this. I so wanted to be like this, And now there's another part of me this like, I'm glad I didn't go this path because I feel like I would have I would have been disrespecting the word of God. Now you may disagree with me, but that's okay. But we still don't have an idea exactly where he's going, right if we don't have a full idea, But he's almost there. In just a few minutes. Denied, I want to preach.

35:21 Tell you it's going on nine o'clock. Case you're interested, yes, for a few minutes. I want to preach on this storm. I know he gonna get some of it. I know he might. Get most of it, but don't let the devil have it all. Amen, don't give him all of it. Now, wait a minute, don't let the devil. So now I'm even more confused. So Ams three twelve. Satan is involved. I'm involved, the shepherd. But now it's up to me not to not let the devil have it all. So am I the shepherd pulling myself out of the mouth of the lion. Hey, the devil may get some of it, the devil may get most of it, but don't let the devil have all of it. Now that sounds really good.

36:16 You can write that down in a journal that sound that preaches good. The devil may get some of it, the devil may get most of it, but don't let the devil have all of it. But what does that get to do with Amos Chapter three, verse twelve. That's where I'm totally completely confused. So now is it me? See Satan's got me. Oh, he's ripping me apart. I lost my arm. Oh no, I lost my leg? Oh no, I lost an ear. Okay, man, I got I got at least one arm, left one leg. Okay, all right, I'm gonna Satan, you can't have any more. You can't have anyone? Is it me telling Satan what he can or can't have? How does this? What is this got to do with Amos? Chapter three?

36:59 Look around and I see the results, the product of what happens when you get the devil. Most of you laugh. I'm here to tell you or not, you can take what's left. You can take what's over a man and God use it for his glory, get glory out. Of it somehow. So I've got to take what's left and then I give it to God. So I don't so I don't know exactly how this works. Sorry, but let me let's just you can go listen to the rest. And I do want you to go listen to the rest. We get one. I want them to get the downloads and streams.

37:42 I don't want you to follow them. I want you to listen to their preaching all the time because it is it is a stream in American Christianity. This fundamentalist is fundamentalist movement is a very much a stream in American Christianity, in American christian history. So you know, it's good to keep up with what's going on there, how the text is being handled. I like keeping up with what's going on and all the different streams of Christianity. So but let all I can do is say, all right, remember that person, yell help us understand. So all I can do is like, okay, I'm going to try to help, right, and maybe we'll play a little bit more at the end, but let's let's just work through this, all right. Amos Chapter three, verse twelve. I'm going to read it from a completely different translation. This is what the Lord says, as a shepherd rescues from the lion's mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear. So will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric fabric from a couch. Now, that kind of that translation offers Hey, this is about who's going to be the Israelites living in Samaria. They're the ones who are going to be rescued.

38:50 So this is not about you. It's not about you. It's about Israel and Samaria. Now here's some information. In Amos three twelve, Amos is using a metaphor to describe acoming judgment on Israel. I think we can all see that. Hey, he's describing a judgment coming upon Israel. The imagery of a shepherd rescuing only a small part of a sheep from a lion's mouth is a picture of utter devastation where only remnants remain. So he's giving a picture here. Judgment is coming, but some there's gonna be a rescue of some sort, a remnant of some sort. There's gonna be pieces left. God speaking through Amos's warning Israel that the judgment coming upon them will be so severe that only a small and significant remnant of their former wealth and power will be left. This is about Israel, and judgment is coming upon Israel. What does this have to do with Satan. I don't know what is haf to do with you? What is it about you trying to not let Satan have it all. I don't know what any of this is. I am complete perplexed. But let's get a little bit more here, all right. This verse Amus three twelve is using the image of a shepherd who can only recover pieces of a sheep that has been attacked by a lion. This implies that the destruction awaiting Israel will be overwhelming, with only a few largely insignificant remains of their previous state being saved. Samaria, the

40:20 capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, is specifically mentioned. The Israelites there were enjoying luxury and complacency, will find that their wealth and security will be reduced to almost nothing, a mere head of a bed and a piece of fabric from a couch. So this is the idea of people just kicking back. They got everything. It's all nice. They're relax they have wealth, they have prosperity, they have peace, they have the ability just to spend time in luxury and entertainment. Everything is great, but judgment is coming. That's that's the warning here for Israel. Okay, the rescue you mentioned here is ironic. It doesn't apply a true deliverance, but rather the sparing of a few remnant as a sign of the devastation. So the idea here is like, hey, a little bit's going to be left, A little bit's going to be left. Amos three twelve then, is a prophetic warning. Are you ready for this?

41:25 Okay? Amos three twelve is a prophetic warning to iss Rael, to Israel and a very specific historical context. It's not about Satan. It's not about you. It's not about your salvation. As much as that sounds good and it preaches great, now here's the key. He's talking of this beautiful picture of salvation and not letting Satan have it all. And you could talk about maybe some of the practical value in that, but what do we do if it's if it's not the text? Like, how do you? Does it bother you? Or do you not care? I don't. Everyone's going to have a different opinion. But Amos three twelve is a prophetic warning to Israel about the impending disaster that will strike due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry.

42:20 The verse employees the metaphor of a shepherd retrieving only scraps from a lion to signify the complete and utter destruction that will be false Samaria. Despite their sense of security and luxury, the people of Israel will face overwhelming judgment, leaving behind only a few remnants of their former life. The verse underscores the seriousness of God's judgment, and the partial rescue is not a sign of salvation, but rather an indication of the thoroughness of the destruction. So it's not even about The emphasis here is not salvation. The emphasis is You're going to be so totally destroyed their only parts are going to remain. He turns it into praise God, Like I don't. He turns it. He turns it almost into something about salvation. But then he kind of reverses and goes to, hey, hey, don't let Satan have it all. Fight back and take what's left. And I don't even know none of that has anything to do with this actual passage of what it's actually saying, all right, This serves as a stark warning to the Israelites that their current way of life, characterized by complacency and injustice, will lead to severe consequences right now. The prophecy in Amos three twelve was fulfilled by you ready the Assyrian Empire, which conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, including its capital Samaria in seven twenty two b C.

43:45 Now the people here listening to this sermon getting all excited. If you stop them in the parking lot, would they even know about the Assyrian captivity of the Northern Kingdom and that the capital of Samaria was destroyed in seven twenty twenty or the capital was taken in seven twenty two BC. Would they even know this even though they just heard a sermon on Amos three twelve. During the eighth century BC, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was in the state of moral and spiritual decline characterized by idolatry and disregard for God's covenant. The prophets, including Amos, warned Israel of impending judgment if they did not repent. The Assyrian Empire, under the leader of Tiglath Palliser the Third and Shalmaneser, was expanding its power in the region. After a series of invasions, the Assyrians laid siege to Samaria and the capital of Israel, and eventually captured it. The fall of Samaria and seven two BC marked the end of the Northern Kingdom. So this has a very this is real specific historical fulfillment. They were going to be sure remained, a remnant remained that was never going to be the same. The Northern Kingdom would never be that, the Northern Kingdom would never come back. As the Northern Kingdom gone, a remnant left. But the Northern Kingdom, now we could get into later historical. That's why it's interesting

45:18 when the new covenants made with the House of Israel and the House of Jita. Wait a minute, how is that going to Okay, we can get into a whole discussion about all of that, but the point is that's what this is about. The destruction of Israel by the Assyrians was catastrophic, just as Amos three twelve predicted, Only a small, insignificant remnant of Israel's former wealth and power remained. The people were either killed, exiled, or scattered, and the kingdom never recovered. The imagery of a shepherd retrieving only a few remnants from the lion's mouth only aptly describes the situation. The nation was almost entirely consumed, with only a few fragments left. Thus, the Assyrian Empire was the nation that fulfilled the prophecy of Ams three twelve, bringing judgment upon Israel. So then here's the thing. So the lion is not Satan, the lion is the Assyrians. If you want to, if you really want to, now the candidate, the metaphor is not really supposed to be broken down like that. It's just like, hey, Israel, you're about to be ripped into pieces and nothing's going to be left.

46:30 That's really the image there. Now you can try to take the image and push it further, and sometimes that's the danger with metaphors in the Bible, the metaphor, same with parables. It's not like, well, this represents this, this represents this, and this represents this. It's like the basic idea is judgment is coming upon Israel and you're going to be ripped into pieces and very little is going to be left. That's typically the way it is understood, right, Only a little bit's going to be left. So so, but even if you wanted to try to break the metaphor down, well, then the lion would be the Assyrians, the sheep would be Israel, and the shepherd would be God protecting or keeping a remnant there. If you really wanted to break it down, it would be and and I think it would be also important to note that, and I think this is important to remember even in that even in that situation, even in this situation, it's very important to understand this right, that it is God using the Assyrians. Right, So, even if you're going to try to push this metaphor, you got to remember the Assyrians are being used by God to bring judgment upon Israel.

47:48 God is the one guiding and directing all of this. In fact, I looked up in one source, God used the Assyrians to bring judgment upon Israel. In the context of the Bible, God often uses foreign nations as instruments of his judgment against his people when they turn away from him and persist in a sin. Throughout the Old Testament, God's sovereignty is emphasized, meaning he has control over all nations and events. He can use any nation or power to fulfill his purpose, including bringing judgment on his own people while they stay astray from his covenant. So in this particular case, the lion is the Assyrians, but God is the one directing and using them to tear the sheep into pieces. God is the one guiding and directing it.

48:32 There are numerous instances in the Bible where God raises up foreign nations to execute his judgment. For example, the Babylonians were used to bring judgment on Judah and the Assyrians were used to bring judgment on Israel. These events are often portrayed as God allowing these nations to act as his instruments of punishment. Profits like Amos warned Israel that if they did not repent, God would bring foreign invaders as a form of judgment at Amos three to twelve. While the immediate cause of Israel's downfall was the Assyrian invasion, the ultimate cause was God's descid to judge Israel for his sin, for its sins. So the reality here is Ams three twelve is about God bringing judgment upon Israel because of their sin and their idolatry. It's a warning of God's sovereignty and that God will bring judgment. This is not about Satan. This is not about you. It's not about me. It's not about say, I don't get where any of this comes from. That's what the text is about. Let's listen to a little bit more and see where he takes it.

49:37 I'm just saying, hey, don't let the devil have it all, amen. He don't deserve it all, and for some of you, he got a lot. Come on, now we done yet, we'll be done to manage. I'm just saying, don't give it all to him. Amen, Can I help you just for a minute. I can see that old I can see that old prodigal son sitting there in that hole pin and maybe just he's just full of himself. He just ruined everything, everything he had. Yeah, couldn't even get a decent meal. The Bible said, he came to himself. Hallliah, what's that preacher that's called holy ghost conviction?

50:31 He came to he came to himself. Now, how did the prodigal son show up in Amas three twelve? Well, so we got Satan the shepherd against his Jesus, and now the sheep is I guess the prodigal son the whole thing. I just I can't even follow this. I can kind of see him as he said there, talking to himself, maybe talking to the devil and saying, you know, you know what took everything I got? Now? Wait, so in the prodigal son, in the prodigal son, did the Satan take everything? Okay? Hang on, uh, okay, hang on? There was okay, hang on. A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, give me the portion of goods falls to me.

51:39 This is Luke fifteen. So he divided to them his livelihood. And how many days after the young son gathered altogether journey to a far country, and they're wasted his possessions with prodigal living? Did did Satan show up in Luke fifteen? Now he's got Satan showing up in Luke fifteen he put Satan, and Luke fifteen, he's put Satan in Amos chapter three, verse twelve. How does Satan keep showing up in all of these passages of scripture? Can we just insert Satan wherever we want? Hey, here's the pathoge of scripture. Boom, there's the devil. Wait, hey, here's a peasant. Boom, there's the devil. And then we can just and create imaginary conversations that the text doesn't record. That's my problem with the Chosen television show. It just creates dialogue that's nowhere in the Bible is supposedly telling the story of the Bible King James. Only people are the ones like, do not add to the word of God, do not subtract from it. Okay, well, then can we add or subtract in our preaching.

52:41 How to scroier you all away a whine and women is sould ruined everything I have. Don't even know if I could be a son again. Everybody, and he shaid, you know, but. I got just a just a little tiny bit of hope. I know if if I could get back to the father's house, if I could just make it back home, I know things will work out.

53:25 I'll just be a servant instead of a son. I'm just I'm trying to hurry. I'm running through them. Are listening to me. I'm just telling you night. He's gonna get some of it. He might get most of it. I look out here now, maybe some of you lost most everything. Are you listening to me? Look at my good eye, I said, Pennsylvania one pound. Well you can see what he does with the text.

54:07 Now you can go listen to the rest we hear the story. Well, what happened one time? I guess when he's in Pennsylvania. I don't know what to do with that. I don't know. On one hand, yeah, I don't want the Yeah. On one hand, probably isn't good don't let the devil have it? Okay, all right? So now what do I do not to let the devil have it? What do I do? What do I have to do? Not let the devil have it? But is it really the devil that I got to worry about taking Is it the devil that's going to take part of me? Or is it me going? Are we not more? It's us who does it to ourselves? Or is it devil? Our go to Hey, if this happens, it's the devil, it's the devil. It's the devil. It's the devil. It's the devil. It's the devil. It's the devil. I'll never forget.

54:49 I was in a text school Shepherd Air Force Base, and we had our week. We had to go live out in the middle of nowhere and play war and all the stuff we had to do. You know who. Yeah, it was not I mean, I had as much fun as I could have, but it was also by the time I was coming back, I was like, I want to get back to civilization, because you got us out here in the middle of nowhere. We've had fake bombs blowing up and we've had to do all these crazy things. But one of the female I guess, I guess she was the same rank, maybe maybe a higher rank. I don't know. Well, she was involved in all of it, and there was a conversation going on and she was arguing. She was clearly atheist or agnostic and arguing with these Christians, and I was just kind of like letting the conversation go.

55:30 And she's like, it must be nice to be a Christian because you can blame everything that happens to you. You can blame everything you do wrong on this imaginary devil. It's always Satan's fault. It's always the Devil's fault. It's never your fault. Right, Why don't you take some responsibility and stop blaming an imaginary creature for causing you all your problems? Right? Hip for Christian like you? She was very antagonistic, she wasn't happy about any of it. And I never will forget that conversation because there is a little bit, you know, hey, what is hey the devil? The devil did he? Don't let the devil have it. Look, I don't need the devil to mess up my life. I am more than capable of doing it on my own because, in a sense, think about it this way.

56:13 I know this is not completely philologically accurate, but just you'll get the idea. I kind of have the you know, quoting the Inexcess song, I have the devil inside right, The devil is inside of me. I have the and a fallen, depraved nature inside of me. It wants to take and rip me into shreds. It's me, it's inside of me, it's inside of me. That's the problem. An external devil. First, he's not omnipresent, so he can't always be showing up everywhere. And second, I think he's got a bigger concepts, but externally he doesn't need to do much because you've got an entire world system that will it can appeal to my inward desire. So the whole thing is, Yeah, I don't know. He puts Satan and amos.

56:58 He puts Satan in lou fifteen. I guess he may put Satan in every text he's going to mention. But you go listen to the rest of it. Don't let the devil have it all. Don't let the devil have it all from the twenty twenty four stay by the stuff can't meet You go listen to all the messages I've already I think this is the third one I've listened to, fourth one i've listened to, and yeah, I mean there's a lot there that kind of like, yeah, so here's the question. What can we do. I'm gonna just leave this to you. With you, I want you to think of it theologically and biblically. What can the devil actually take from us? And how do we not let the devil have it all? He even ignits the devil's gonna take some or most, just don't let him have it all. Well, if the devil's gonna take some or most, what am I got left? It sounds like he's already kind of like, Hey, the devil's gonna take most of everything, just don't let him have it all.

57:54 And I've got to be the one to do it. I'd love to get your thoughts, all right, you can let me know. All right, Thanks for listening. I'll stop right there. This was supposed to be about twenty minutes long. It's got an hour. Thanks for listening, everyone, have a great day. God bless