by Paul Apple | Jan 17, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RESTORATION TO THE PROMISED LAND AND REVERSAL OF FORTUNES CHARACTERIZE FUTURE MILLENNIAL BLESSING INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This final promise of hope contains two salvation oracles that introduce positive promises about Israel’s “day” of restoration: Verses...
by Paul Apple | Jan 17, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE AWESOME ALL-POWERFUL GOD JUDGES WITH THOROUGHNESS AND FINALITY REGARDLESS OF CLAIMS OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGE INTRODUCTION: Billy Smith: The climactic fifth vision is unlike the other four from start to finish. Among the differences are the following: no...
by Paul Apple | Jan 15, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE ROTTEN NATION OF ISRAEL CONDEMNED TO ITS DESERVED JUDGMENT WITH NO MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR RECOVERY INTRODUCTION: John Goldingay: Chapter 8 begins with another report by Amos of a revelation concerning Yahweh’s intention to bring disaster on Ephraim; this...
by Paul Apple | Jan 14, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S MESSENGER MUST STAND UP TO OPPOSITION BY RELYING ON DIVINE AUTHORITY INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: The incident focuses on two factors: (1) the authority of Amos’s vision about the future destruction of Israel’s temples and ruling family, and (2) the...
by Paul Apple | Jan 10, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FAILURE TO CONFORM TO GOD’S STANDARD (RIGHTEOUSNESS) CONDEMNS ISRAEL TO CERTAIN JUDGMENT WITH NO MORE DELAY INTRODUCTION: Warren Wiersbe: God’s law is His plumb line, and He measures His people to see how true they are to the pattern in His Word, and if they...
by Paul Apple | Jan 9, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INTERCESSORY PRAYER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: These vision reports in Amos 7 begin the third major section of the book. Five visions are described (7:1–3, 4–6, 7–9; 8:1–3; 9:1–4), with the first two having a common structure: an...
by Paul Apple | Jan 8, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: PROSPERITY MUST NOT PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR PRIDEFUL FALSE SECURITY ON THE PART OF LEADERS WHO FAIL TO PURSUE JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS INTRODUCTION: Thomas Constable: [6:1-2] Amos challenged these proud leaders to visit other cities that had once considered...
by Paul Apple | Jan 7, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE RITUAL — GOD DESIRES JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS RATHER THAN VAIN RELIGIOUS SHOW INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This section is divided into three paragraphs: 5:18–20 addresses the sad state of Israel’s deceptive theology concerning the...
by Paul Apple | Jan 3, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FUNERAL LAMENT: JUDGMENT DESERVED FOR FAILING TO SEEK AFTER GOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS INTRODUCTION: Ray Stedman: Now this is the reason this book is so loved by the liberal; Amos is called the prophet of social justice, the man who demanded that man treat their...
by Paul Apple | Jan 3, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JUDGMENT MUST FOLLOW WHEN GOD’S PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE WITH HIS STUBBORNLY REBELLIOUS PEOPLE HAVE REACHED THEIR LIMIT INTRODUCTION: Alec Motyer: Basically the word translated ‘holy’ throughout the Old Testament seems to have the meaning ‘separate’, or...
by Paul Apple | Jan 1, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE FACT OF ISRAEL’S GUILT IN THE PRESENT – ISRAEL STANDS GUILTY OF IDOLATRY, VIOLENCE AND MATERIALISM INTRODUCTION: J. Sidlow Baxter: [following his outline in this section] (3:1 – 6:14) THREE MESSAGES OF CONDEMNATION AGAINST ISRAEL Key introductory...
by Paul Apple | Jan 1, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE CLIMAX OF GOD’S JUDGMENT IS DIRECTED AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE – ESPECIALLY ISRAEL INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: Amos 2:4–16 treats the final pair of nations, Judah and Israel. These oracles bring the sermon to a climax by applying the theological principles...
by Paul Apple | Jan 1, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE SOVEREIGN GOD ROARS IN JUDGMENT AGAINST SURROUNDING NATIONS FOR SPECIFIC MORAL TRANSGRESSIONS INTRODUCTION: Thomas McComiskey: Overview A striking pattern runs through these oracles. The prophet began with the distant city of Damascus and, like a hawk...
by Paul Apple | Jan 1, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE VOICE AND THE MOUTHPIECE – THE LION ROARS IN PROPHETIC JUDGMENT AGAINST ISRAEL THROUGH HIS SURPRISING MESSENGER AMOS INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: The heading to this scroll of sermons (1:1) introduces the readers to the person God uses to deliver his...
by Paul Apple | Oct 24, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: BOAST ONLY IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST AND THE CORRESPONDING SCARS OF IDENTIFICATION WITH THE CROSS INTRODUCTION: Thomas Schreiner: Galatians 6:11–18 should be categorized as a letter closing. The exhortation section has concluded with 6:10, and Paul now touches...
by Paul Apple | Oct 24, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: 2 PRACTICAL WAYS TO WALK IN LOVE BY THE SPIRIT INTRODUCTION: Richard Longenecker: In 6:1–10 Paul gives a series of instructions that spell out in practical terms what it means for his Galatian converts to “live by the Spirit” (5:16, 25a), to “be led by the...
by Paul Apple | Oct 22, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: USE FREEDOM AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK IN LOVE BY WALKING IN THE SPIRIT — (NOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO FULFILL THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH) INTRODUCTION: Howard Vos: As Paul now launches into his discussion of the life of Christian liberty, he points out that...
by Paul Apple | Oct 21, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: STAND FIRM IN THE LIBERTY TO WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED INTRODUCTION: Robert Gromacki: After the Civil War a great majority of the slaves became sharecroppers. Although they were free, they did not enjoy their freedom. In some cases they were worse off...
by Paul Apple | Oct 20, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: THE OT ANALOGY OF ISHMAEL AND ISAAC PICTURES OUR FREEDOM — ACCOMPLISHED BY THE SPIRIT ACCORDING TO GOD’S PROMISE INTRODUCTION: William Hendriksen: The chapter closes with a reminder–in the form of an allegory–that those who hear the law...
by Paul Apple | Oct 16, 2024 | Bible-NT
BIG IDEA: JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MUST BE HELD ON TO DESPITE THE SEDUCTIVE DECEPTIONS OF ZEALOUS FALSE TEACHERS INTRODUCTION: Nijay Gupta: After engaging in a heavy dose of theoretical and theological discussion of the law and its place in the ongoing story of God’s...
