Word + Walk: Will God Judge His Own People?

✝️ Sermon Recap: Will God Judge His Own People?
Text: Amos 5:18–27
Big Idea: God’s judgment on His people is not the absence of love—it is a mercy that calls them back to justice, righteousness, and covenant faithfulness. Exile was not the end. It was the warning bell of grace.

I. Misguided Longing (vv. 18–20)
They longed for “the day of the Lord” without realizing it would bring judgment.

God’s people assumed their religious identity guaranteed safety—but God wanted hearts aligned with His justice.

Reflection: Where in your life are you assuming God's approval without examining your obedience?

II. Empty Worship (vv. 21–23)
God rejected their worship—not because of the ritual, but because of the rot underneath it.

He hated their offerings, songs, and feasts because they weren’t backed by lives of justice.

Reflection: What would your worship sound like to God if it was measured by your justice?

III. God's Vision: Flow, Not Show (v. 24)
Justice and righteousness are not static ideas—they’re meant to move like rivers.

God wants more than religious activity; He wants lives that overflow with mercy and equity.

Reflection: Where can you let God's justice flow through your actions this week?

IV. History Repeating (vv. 25–27)
God calls out their long-standing pattern of idolatry.

Even in the wilderness, their worship was tainted with compromise. Now, exile will come—not as annihilation, but as mercy.

Reflection: What long-term patterns in your spiritual life need to be confessed and broken?

🙏 Walk It Out: 5-Day Devotional
Day 1 – Dangerous Desires
📖 Amos 5:18–20; Matthew 7:21–23
Walk It Out: Ask God to reveal where you’ve craved His return without preparing your life.

Day 2 – When Worship is Rejected
📖 Amos 5:21–23; Isaiah 1:13–17
Walk It Out: Reflect on what justice-related obedience might need to accompany your praise.

Day 3 – Rivers and Streams
📖 Amos 5:24; Micah 6:8
Walk It Out: Choose one justice or mercy action to pursue this week.

Day 4 – Old Idols, New Forms
📖 Amos 5:25–26; Acts 7:42–43
Walk It Out: Identify any subtle idolatries in your lifestyle and surrender them.

Day 5 – Mercy in the Move
📖 Amos 5:27; Hebrews 12:5–11
Walk It Out: Thank God for His discipline and seek His heart in your discomfort.

🗣️ Adult Bible Class & Family Discussion Questions

1. Why did the people desire the Day of the Lord?
   → Follow-up: How can we ensure our desires for God are rooted in humility?
   📖 Amos 5:18–20; Luke 12:35–40

2. What does it mean for worship to be rejected by God?
   → Follow-up: What might this look like in today’s church?
   📖 Amos 5:21–23; Hosea 6:6

3. What kind of worship pleases God?
   → Follow-up: How can we align our lives with God’s values?
   📖 John 4:23–24

4. Why does God desire justice and righteousness to flow like water?
   → Follow-up: What stops that flow in our communities?
   📖 Amos 5:24; Isaiah 58:6–12

5. How is exile a form of grace?
   → Follow-up: How has God used hard seasons to shape your faith?
   📖 Amos 5:27; Lamentations 3:22–33

6. What can we learn from the pattern of idolatry in Israel’s history?
   → Follow-up: How can we guard against spiritual compromise today?
   📖 Amos 5:25–26; Nehemiah 9:26–31

7. How do we confuse activity with intimacy with God?
   → Follow-up: What shifts can deepen our connection with Him?
   📖 Matthew 7:21–23; Revelation 3:15–16

8. What’s the difference between outward righteousness and internal transformation?
   → Follow-up: How does God develop true righteousness in us?
   📖 2 Corinthians 13:5; Psalm 51:10

9. How should the Church respond when justice is neglected?
   → Follow-up: What’s one way your community can model God’s justice?
   📖 Micah 6:8; James 1:27

10. What does it mean to be a conduit for justice?
    → Follow-up: What might it look like for you to remove a “dam” in your life?
    📖 Amos 5:24; Proverbs 21:3

11. Why do we resist God's discipline?
    → Follow-up: How does understanding God’s heart change our view of correction?
    📖 Hebrews 12:10–11; Job 5:17

12. What is God’s ultimate goal in confronting His people?
    → Follow-up: How do judgment and restoration work together in God's plan?
    📖 Amos 5:27; 2 Corinthians 7:10

🧾 Quick Scripture Reference List
Amos 5:18–27 – Judgment against hypocrisy
Matthew 7:21–23 – Not all who say “Lord” will enter
Isaiah 1:13–17 – Rejected worship
Micah 6:8 – Do justice, love mercy
Acts 7:42–43 – Wilderness idolatry
Hebrews 12:5–11 – God’s discipline
Luke 12:35–40 – Ready for return
Hosea 6:6 – Mercy over sacrifice
John 4:23–24 – Spirit and truth
Lamentations 3:22–33 – God’s mercy
Nehemiah 9:26–31 – Pattern of rebellion
Revelation 3:15–16 – Lukewarm faith
2 Corinthians 13:5 – Examine yourselves
Psalm 51:10 – Clean heart
James 1:27 – Pure religion
Proverbs 21:3 – Justice over ritual
Job 5:17 – Blessed is the one God corrects
2 Corinthians 7:10 – Godly grief leads to repentance