07/29/07     Morning Worship

Sunday Class: Proverbs 24:11&12 “hold back those staggering toward slaughter”

Choruses: There’s a sweet, sweet spirit (G); I exalt Thee (F); I need you more (F); More of you (C)

Scripture reading: #637         

Vesper’s @ 5:00 The Life of Christ

Wednesday @ 7:00 Developing a Biblically Consistent Worldview

Justice, voluntary & involuntary poverty

Amos 5:12 For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts.

13. Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.

14. Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. 15. Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

How many are your offenses and how great are your sins.

God knows.

The greatest, the nicest, the best among us – God knows how many are our offenses and how great are our sins.

We oppress the righteous – we don’t want to hear a Word calling us to examine our ways. It doesn’t matter if that Word comes to us from a Muslim cleric in London, or a  Jerry Falwell in Virginia. They can’t have anything to say to us – they are radical.

Our society is reasonable, we are intelligent; those who disagree with our permissive ways therefore must be unreasonable and unintelligent. So reasons the pseudo-intelligentsia amongst us…those who mock and scorn and oppress those attempting to be righteous.

We take bribes – it’s called peer acceptance & social acceptance.

We deprive the poor of justice in the courts – unless you are fortunate enough to live in an area where an organization such as Arkansas Legal Aid exists. Thank God for Bucky Jones and his colleagues.

And we deprive the poor…

·        Most impoverished Americans do not have access to high quality legal assistance because they can not afford the freight.

·        Most impoverished Americans do not have access to high quality medical care because they can not afford the freight.

·        Most impoverished Americans do not have access to high quality higher and continuing education because they can not afford the freight.

Sometimes we deprive the poor because we grow weary of the abuses by those who continually make poor choices.

·        There are those who aren’t able to escape poverty because of various conditions not of their choosing or making.

·        Then there are those who are in poverty because they make choices which keep them there.

Be aware of your responsibility to be a good steward while you are endeavoring to not deprive the poor. Compassion must be weighted with wisdom.

Jesus, recognizing that there will always be a class of people who are voluntarily in poverty said, “The poor you have with you always.” This was said at a moment in which an act of seeming extravagance had taken place.

Therefore the prudent man keeps quiet in such times, for the times are evil.

·        Don’t joust at windmills.

·        Pick your battles.

·        Don’t argue with a fool.

·        Avoid the quarrelsome.

Why? Because the times are evil and the above type of person isn’t going to be persuaded, they will devour you with contempt (their trademark emotion).

Be strong and be who you are in your convictions;

·        just be prudent,

·        don’t waste your time and your breath on anyone who fits the Biblical description of a waste of time – ‘don’t cast your pearls before swine.’

Seek good, not evil - Hate evil, love good.

Maintain justice in the courts.

Insist upon justice in our world and all its systems.