Amo 8:1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit.

Amo 8:2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.

God paints for Amos a metaphor of the time of ripening The summer fruit was something that Amos would have been familiar with, we learn from the previous chapter that Amos made a living as a sheep herder and tender of sycamore fruit..
Ecc 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Some of the fruits that were going bad in Israel I . Their prayers and false repentance were worthless (8:3 songs of the Temple) II They showed no fear of God or their fellow man (8:4-10) 8-They were weary of the appearance of following God They came to church, but thought about their work They cheated and deceived (short serve the wheat and load down the scale) The were like loan sharks to the poor. (pawning cloaks for sandals) They even gathered up the fallen wheat with the dirt and sold this Their lively hood, the trusted the land to provide them wealth, God would destroy. III Unaware of their impending doom.(their position in relationship to God) So involved in living they are totally caught of guard when judgement comes. IV Famine of Truth They dont know where to look They will die trying to find truth They will find no salvation in false religions, they cannot distinguish false religions from the real thing What frightens me most is that I see this time of ripening coming to our land. It can happen to Gods people
Co 10:11 And all these things happened to them as examples; and it is written for our warning on whom the ends of the world have come.

John 4:35-38 (New American Standard Bible) New American Standard Bible (NASB) 35"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white (A)for harvest. 36"Already he who reaps is receiving (B)wages and is gathering (C)fruit for (D)life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37"For in this case the saying is true, '(E)One sows and another reaps.' 38"I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor."

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 (New American Standard Bible) New American Standard Bible (NASB) 6(A)I planted, (B)Apollos watered, but (C)God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will (D)receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God's (E)fellow workers; you are God's (F)field, God's (G)building 2 Corinthians 9:10 (New American Standard Bible) New American Standard Bible (NASB) 10Now He who supplies (A)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and (B)increase the harvest of your righteousness; John 9:4 4 I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is Day: the Night cometh, when no man can work. I great sin II greater punishment III it will surprise IV it will get their attention

When Roger and I talked about this Wednesday Night I was quick to volunteer to preach. I knew that everyone would be tired from working hard and I kinda had a sermon on hold that I thought would work. As I have gotten to know this group the Lord has been leading me in a different direction. Not that there was anything wrong with the other sermon, but that my relationship with you has become personal. I have seen your service and the spirit with which you work together and I feel closely the bonds that only Christian brothers and sisters can feel So I dont want to preach to you so much as share with you how God is personally speaking to me. If you have your Bibles turn to Amos chapter 8.
Amo 8:1 Thus hath the Lord GOD shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. Amo 8:2 And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.

God paints for Amos a metaphor of the time of ripening The summer fruit was something that Amos would have been familiar with, we learn from the previous chapter that Amos made a living as a sheep herder and tender of sycamore fruit.. In a vision of ripe fruit God explains to Amos that Israels time has come. I want to show you some of the fruits that were going bad in Israel I . Their prayers and false repentance were worthless (8:3 songs of the Temple) II They showed no fear of God or their fellow man (8:4-10) 8-They were weary of the appearance of following God They came to church, but thought about their work They cheated and deceived (short serve the wheat and load down the scale) The were like loan sharks to the poor. (pawning cloaks for sandals) They even gathered up the fallen wheat with the dirt and sold this Their lively hood, the trusted the land to provide them wealth, God would destroy. III Unaware of their impending doom.(their position in relationship to God) So involved in living they are totally caught of guard when judgement comes. IV Famine of Truth They dont know where to look They will die trying to find truth They will find no salvation in false religions, they cannot distinguish false religions from the real thing What frightens me most is that I see this time of ripening coming to our land Just like a piece of fruit that is beginning to rot in the sun, I am seeing Many of our small churches have the mentality that it will never happen to them, r to their community, ,but there is a growing spirit of apathy that is creaping into our rural communities and attacking churches that w It is our responsibility, Paul tells us in Corinthians
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 1Co 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 1Co 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

1Co 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 1Co 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Paul warns us to test our own lives with a urgency Jesus in John 4:35-38 John 4:35-38 (New American Standard Bible) New American Standard Bible (NASB) 35"Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white (A)for harvest. 36"Already he who reaps is receiving (B)wages and is gathering (C)fruit for (D)life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37"For in this case the saying is true, '(E)One sows and another reaps.' 38"I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor." When God speaks to me thru these passages is a urgency towards getting the Gospel out to our communities and a urgency in my own life. Many times this week I have walked by a piece of trash, or a discarded cup, if I thought about it I remembered to stop and pick it up, but many times I passed it by. Roger reminded us this morning that when we see this we should stop and pick the trash up. I think this is a great illustration and lesion for us today. There is an end coming and the time for witnessing and teaching will pass.