1 00:00:00,833 --> 00:00:04,166 In the name of Jesus, Amen. 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,100 I think it's because I'm getting older, 3 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:14,400 and that I don't really like watching the 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,333 news or the media as much anymore, 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,533 that I've gotten into watching cat videos 6 00:00:21,533 --> 00:00:22,966 in the morning. 7 00:00:25,266 --> 00:00:27,833 They're just so cute, you know? Those 8 00:00:27,833 --> 00:00:30,233 cute little kittens, you know, just 9 00:00:30,233 --> 00:00:32,700 running around, doing cute stuff. 10 00:00:33,866 --> 00:00:35,633 Now, I know you're probably worried 11 00:00:35,633 --> 00:00:37,500 about, you know, how macho I am right 12 00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:39,066 now, so I will let you know, 13 00:00:39,166 --> 00:00:42,000 I actually also watch big cat videos. 14 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,633 Have you ever seen one of those? 15 00:00:45,133 --> 00:00:46,933 Yeah. You really have to watch them. You 16 00:00:46,933 --> 00:00:48,733 have to see them, and you have to watch 17 00:00:48,733 --> 00:00:49,833 them to the very end, 18 00:00:49,833 --> 00:00:52,433 because what happens in those is like a 19 00:00:52,433 --> 00:00:54,933 trainer will release one of their big 20 00:00:54,933 --> 00:00:56,766 cats, a tiger or a lion, 21 00:00:56,833 --> 00:00:59,633 they'll release it into the wild, and 22 00:00:59,633 --> 00:01:02,633 then years later, they'll go to check in 23 00:01:02,633 --> 00:01:03,333 on it. 24 00:01:03,733 --> 00:01:06,366 Now, it's always crazy for me, because 25 00:01:06,366 --> 00:01:09,166 they're standing there, and that big old 26 00:01:09,166 --> 00:01:12,000 cat, that big old lion is just running at 27 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:12,633 them, 28 00:01:12,733 --> 00:01:14,733 and I always have that moment, maybe you 29 00:01:14,733 --> 00:01:16,133 would too, where I'm like, 30 00:01:16,133 --> 00:01:18,033 is he going to like get them, or is he 31 00:01:18,033 --> 00:01:20,000 going to like, you know, is it going to 32 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:21,300 be one of those videos? 33 00:01:21,366 --> 00:01:24,566 You know what I mean? But it always 34 00:01:24,566 --> 00:01:28,233 happens. Just the last second, that lion 35 00:01:28,233 --> 00:01:31,900 jumps up, hugs and tackles that one that 36 00:01:31,900 --> 00:01:33,166 they love, 37 00:01:34,033 --> 00:01:36,266 and licks them, and it's just, I'm like, 38 00:01:36,266 --> 00:01:38,566 this is great, this is great. Don't watch 39 00:01:38,566 --> 00:01:40,533 the news, watch cat videos, huh? 40 00:01:42,833 --> 00:01:45,333 But I have to be perfectly honest, it 41 00:01:45,333 --> 00:01:48,133 doesn't always work out that way. I serve 42 00:01:48,133 --> 00:01:50,800 a congregation in Las Vegas, Nevada, 43 00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:54,566 and there are entertainers who use big 44 00:01:54,566 --> 00:01:58,033 cats there. And recently, October 3rd, 45 00:01:58,033 --> 00:02:01,800 2003, Siegfried and Roy, of Siegfried and 46 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:02,966 Roy fame, 47 00:02:02,966 --> 00:02:05,933 ran into a little trouble for Roy, 48 00:02:05,933 --> 00:02:09,133 because his big cat, for some reason, 49 00:02:09,133 --> 00:02:12,633 didn't jump up and hug him that time. 50 00:02:13,733 --> 00:02:17,666 No, it took a hold of him, and dragged 51 00:02:17,666 --> 00:02:21,900 him off stage. A sobering reminder to all 52 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:26,033 of us that, though they're cute, they're 53 00:02:26,033 --> 00:02:28,100 still a big cat. 54 00:02:29,466 --> 00:02:31,733 Now, if you asked Siegfried and Roy after 55 00:02:31,733 --> 00:02:33,966 it happened, they would have said, well, 56 00:02:33,966 --> 00:02:36,133 Roy was having a stroke, and it was, it 57 00:02:36,133 --> 00:02:36,933 knew that, 58 00:02:37,033 --> 00:02:39,100 and it was trying to comfort him, and you 59 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:41,066 know, it was trying to take him off of 60 00:02:41,066 --> 00:02:43,166 stage. It really didn't turn out that way 61 00:02:43,166 --> 00:02:43,733 at all. 62 00:02:44,933 --> 00:02:47,300 Turns out it was all just folly. 63 00:02:49,133 --> 00:02:53,466 Amaziah, the high priest, has the same 64 00:02:53,466 --> 00:02:57,933 folly in our lesson for today. He tries 65 00:02:57,933 --> 00:03:02,366 to keep Yahweh in a cage. He treats him 66 00:03:02,366 --> 00:03:04,866 like a pet kitten. 67 00:03:05,866 --> 00:03:10,733 But Amos says otherwise. He says, you 68 00:03:10,733 --> 00:03:15,833 cannot keep God in your little box. You 69 00:03:15,833 --> 00:03:21,233 cannot keep the lion of Judah like a pet. 70 00:03:21,233 --> 00:03:23,566 God will roar. 71 00:03:25,033 --> 00:03:27,466 But then again, who is Amos to call out 72 00:03:27,466 --> 00:03:29,566 Amaziah? He's not been through the 73 00:03:29,566 --> 00:03:31,866 established order of the prophets. He 74 00:03:31,866 --> 00:03:34,033 didn't become a prophet through the 75 00:03:34,033 --> 00:03:35,200 regular track. 76 00:03:35,466 --> 00:03:38,066 He didn't attend the residential program 77 00:03:38,066 --> 00:03:40,666 of Israel like the sons of the prophets, 78 00:03:40,666 --> 00:03:43,066 and he is not a professional prophet, 79 00:03:43,066 --> 00:03:45,566 earning his living by prophesying. 80 00:03:45,633 --> 00:03:48,633 No, he is awkwardly a specific ministry 81 00:03:48,633 --> 00:03:49,433 prophet. 82 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,600 Listen, he is an alt-track, bivocational 83 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,433 second career prophet. 84 00:04:01,233 --> 00:04:05,100 Amaziah looks down on Amos, who he claims 85 00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:08,566 has been weighed, measured, and found 86 00:04:08,566 --> 00:04:09,600 wanting. 87 00:04:10,566 --> 00:04:13,366 Amaziah's mere presence challenges the 88 00:04:13,366 --> 00:04:16,266 authority structures that are in place, 89 00:04:16,266 --> 00:04:18,966 but Amos has something that cannot be 90 00:04:18,966 --> 00:04:19,866 revoked. 91 00:04:20,333 --> 00:04:23,966 He has something that levels the playing 92 00:04:23,966 --> 00:04:27,433 field of the prophets. He can say with 93 00:04:27,433 --> 00:04:31,166 absolute certainty that he has a call. 94 00:04:32,966 --> 00:04:35,133 Apparently Amos had a copy of the 95 00:04:35,133 --> 00:04:37,333 Augsburg Confession, Article 14. 96 00:04:39,666 --> 00:04:44,266 If Amaziah is going to measure Amos, then 97 00:04:44,266 --> 00:04:48,833 Amos says to Israel, God will put a plumb 98 00:04:48,833 --> 00:04:50,500 line to you. 99 00:04:52,533 --> 00:04:55,000 Now if you don't know what a plumb line 100 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,333 is, a plumb line is a line that has a 101 00:04:57,333 --> 00:04:59,366 weight at one end, and it's used 102 00:04:59,366 --> 00:05:01,900 especially to determine verticality. 103 00:05:01,900 --> 00:05:04,733 A line that is directed to the center of 104 00:05:04,733 --> 00:05:07,533 the gravity of the earth, to the center 105 00:05:07,533 --> 00:05:10,233 of the earth itself. It shows you your 106 00:05:10,233 --> 00:05:12,933 relationship to things vertically. 107 00:05:14,666 --> 00:05:18,066 Amaziah is measuring the man Amos 108 00:05:18,066 --> 00:05:22,100 horizontally, but God, God is measuring 109 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:25,533 Israel and all humanity, not just 110 00:05:25,533 --> 00:05:29,766 horizontally, but vertically as well. 111 00:05:29,766 --> 00:05:33,800 And there is something off, something not 112 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,533 plumb about it all. It's the sin. It's 113 00:05:37,533 --> 00:05:41,533 the way we measure ourselves against each 114 00:05:41,533 --> 00:05:45,366 other and forget about how God measures 115 00:05:45,366 --> 00:05:46,566 things. 116 00:05:46,566 --> 00:05:50,266 We are all off. That person that you push 117 00:05:50,266 --> 00:05:53,600 down to feel so high up, that program 118 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:56,933 that you say isn't on the level, that 119 00:05:56,933 --> 00:06:00,266 authority structure that you put into 120 00:06:00,266 --> 00:06:03,900 place to maintain your superiority, it's 121 00:06:03,900 --> 00:06:05,333 all wrong. 122 00:06:05,333 --> 00:06:12,600 It's all off. It's not plumb. Will God 123 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:18,700 put the plumb line to us then? 124 00:06:20,566 --> 00:06:24,866 My friends, look to the cross. That is 125 00:06:24,866 --> 00:06:29,166 the plumb line that God has set in our 126 00:06:29,166 --> 00:06:30,166 midst. 127 00:06:30,633 --> 00:06:33,900 And hear what Saint Paul has to say in 2 128 00:06:33,900 --> 00:06:37,200 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 18 to 19. 129 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,900 God through Christ has reconciled us to 130 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:44,700 himself and has given us the ministry of 131 00:06:44,700 --> 00:06:46,400 reconciliation. 132 00:06:47,833 --> 00:06:51,133 That is in Christ, God was reconciling 133 00:06:51,133 --> 00:06:54,600 the world to himself, not counting their 134 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:58,166 trespasses against them and entrusting to 135 00:06:58,166 --> 00:07:01,366 us the message of reconciliation. 136 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,466 You are ambassadors for Christ, 137 00:07:05,466 --> 00:07:09,166 proclaiming the message of justification 138 00:07:09,166 --> 00:07:13,000 because you have been justified freely on 139 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,566 account of Christ alone. 140 00:07:16,866 --> 00:07:20,666 And you know what justified means, don't 141 00:07:20,666 --> 00:07:23,666 you? Because you write papers. 142 00:07:25,166 --> 00:07:27,700 Yeah. Justified is that when you take 143 00:07:27,700 --> 00:07:30,133 that which is on the outside and you 144 00:07:30,133 --> 00:07:32,900 bring it in. That's how you do it. That's 145 00:07:32,900 --> 00:07:35,066 how you justify your papers. 146 00:07:35,333 --> 00:07:37,966 I mean, what did you think I was talking 147 00:07:37,966 --> 00:07:40,666 about? Some of you may have been thinking 148 00:07:40,666 --> 00:07:43,366 systematically, but sometimes it helps to 149 00:07:43,366 --> 00:07:45,333 think practically as well. 150 00:07:46,333 --> 00:07:50,133 The theme verse of Amos is chapter 1 151 00:07:50,133 --> 00:07:53,700 verse 2. Yahweh roars from Zion. 152 00:07:54,966 --> 00:07:58,433 And now Yahweh has been roaring through 153 00:07:58,433 --> 00:08:01,700 his prophet Amos. Amos utters oracles 154 00:08:01,700 --> 00:08:03,266 against Israel. 155 00:08:03,933 --> 00:08:07,266 Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and 156 00:08:07,266 --> 00:08:10,533 are trusting in Mount Samaria chapter 6 157 00:08:10,533 --> 00:08:11,466 verse 1. 158 00:08:11,466 --> 00:08:14,933 Woe to those who long for the day of 159 00:08:14,933 --> 00:08:18,366 Yahweh chapter 5 verse 18. I hate, I 160 00:08:18,366 --> 00:08:22,133 despise your religious feasts. I cannot 161 00:08:22,133 --> 00:08:26,466 stand your assemblies chapter 5 verse 21. 162 00:08:26,933 --> 00:08:31,800 All this roaring going on. This is no 163 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,000 still small voice from Elijah. 164 00:08:37,033 --> 00:08:41,200 This is not gentle Jesus meek and mild 165 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:45,600 lowly in a manger. No. This is no little 166 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,866 tame purring domestic house cat. No. 167 00:08:49,866 --> 00:08:54,066 He is Yahweh red in tooth and paw. This 168 00:08:54,066 --> 00:08:55,866 is Lord Yahweh. 169 00:08:57,566 --> 00:09:00,266 And Amaziah says to Amos, you need to go 170 00:09:00,266 --> 00:09:02,933 back to Judah and earn your bread there. 171 00:09:02,933 --> 00:09:04,866 Do your prophesying there. 172 00:09:06,633 --> 00:09:09,366 See, Amaziah may have been trained at the 173 00:09:09,366 --> 00:09:11,900 prairie school of the prophets, but he 174 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:14,233 has only a form of godliness in his 175 00:09:14,233 --> 00:09:14,966 office. 176 00:09:14,966 --> 00:09:18,333 But he is definitely denying the power of 177 00:09:18,333 --> 00:09:21,700 Yahweh by his actions. And what does Amos 178 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:22,200 do? 179 00:09:23,366 --> 00:09:27,400 He stands up to all of this. He will not 180 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,300 cave in. Why? Because Amos has seen the 181 00:09:31,300 --> 00:09:32,433 big cat. 182 00:09:33,166 --> 00:09:36,233 He's seen the lion of Judah and he has 183 00:09:36,233 --> 00:09:38,233 watched him to the end. 184 00:09:38,233 --> 00:09:40,633 Amos has had three visions up to this 185 00:09:40,633 --> 00:09:43,100 point and he has seen the greater king 186 00:09:43,100 --> 00:09:45,400 than Jeroboam, Jehoash and why 187 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,233 should this surprise us? 188 00:09:48,666 --> 00:09:52,100 Amos has been standing in this long line 189 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:55,600 of radicals who take on the power brokers 190 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:56,966 of their day. 191 00:09:56,966 --> 00:10:01,033 People like Moses and Jeremiah and Daniel 192 00:10:01,033 --> 00:10:04,566 and later on down the road, John the 193 00:10:04,566 --> 00:10:08,500 Baptist and finally the most radical one 194 00:10:08,500 --> 00:10:10,066 of them all. 195 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,200 Jesus, who stood before his high priest 196 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,733 Caiaphas and made the great confession 197 00:10:17,733 --> 00:10:21,233 much like Amos, but still greater than 198 00:10:21,233 --> 00:10:22,066 Amos. 199 00:10:22,066 --> 00:10:25,266 Because he made his confession not just 200 00:10:25,266 --> 00:10:27,933 as a prophet, but as the greatest 201 00:10:27,933 --> 00:10:31,200 prophet, as the son of God and savior of 202 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,000 the world for you. 203 00:10:34,833 --> 00:10:38,033 And the authorities killed him for that. 204 00:10:39,333 --> 00:10:42,900 On that Friday that we call good, they 205 00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:46,700 said, good! No more lions stalking about, 206 00:10:46,700 --> 00:10:50,166 no more alarming words from Jesus. 207 00:10:50,166 --> 00:10:54,566 Jesus is crucified, died and buried. See 208 00:10:54,566 --> 00:10:58,966 what they have done to God's only son. 209 00:11:00,666 --> 00:11:03,866 But now look, look all the way to the 210 00:11:03,866 --> 00:11:07,433 end. Look at Revelation chapter 5 verse 5 211 00:11:07,433 --> 00:11:10,800 where speaking of Jesus it says, behold 212 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,833 the lion of the tribe of Judah. 213 00:11:13,833 --> 00:11:17,133 He has triumphed. I know we say it during 214 00:11:17,133 --> 00:11:20,266 Easter, but maybe we should say it more 215 00:11:20,266 --> 00:11:23,233 often. Hallelujah Christ is risen. 216 00:11:23,833 --> 00:11:25,833 He is risen indeed, hallelujah. 217 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:30,500 You see you cannot defang, you cannot 218 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:34,266 declaw, you cannot domesticate this lion 219 00:11:34,266 --> 00:11:36,633 of the tribe of Judah. 220 00:11:36,633 --> 00:11:40,833 Jesus is alive and he is upsetting the 221 00:11:40,833 --> 00:11:42,266 status quo. 222 00:11:43,733 --> 00:11:46,466 And he's calling us to find solidarity 223 00:11:46,466 --> 00:11:48,700 with the people that Amos finds 224 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:51,533 solidarity with in the book of Amos. 225 00:11:51,533 --> 00:11:55,700 To find solidarity with Joseph who's 226 00:11:55,700 --> 00:11:59,533 being crushed and small Jacob the 227 00:11:59,533 --> 00:12:04,200 righteous and the poor and the needy and 228 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:06,266 the afflicted. 229 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:10,133 And to celebrate with them the word of 230 00:12:10,133 --> 00:12:12,966 God given to us in the gospel of Jesus 231 00:12:12,966 --> 00:12:13,700 Christ. 232 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:17,933 What a glorious day for all of our 233 00:12:17,933 --> 00:12:21,466 friends who are here, our SMP and our 234 00:12:21,466 --> 00:12:23,566 deaconess students. 235 00:12:24,900 --> 00:12:28,866 What a glorious day because today we see 236 00:12:28,866 --> 00:12:32,600 that the lion still roars at Concordia 237 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,066 Seminary in St. Louis. 238 00:12:35,066 --> 00:12:40,566 The lion still roars and for that we are 239 00:12:40,566 --> 00:12:45,633 very thankful. In Jesus name, amen.