AMOS 8:11 – “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE SEVEREST OF JUDGMENTS. If we were having a conversation and I asked, “What do you think is the greatest danger facing the church of the Lord Jesus and individual Christians today?”, how would you answer? I realize there are a wide range of things we would share and all have their merit but as I pondered today’s scripture and asked myself the question I am proposing to us, I came up with one answer; an answer I believe is the chief answer. It is what God will do to a nation and His people if they persist in ignoring and rebelling against Him. And I believe what the Lord warned His people through the prophet Amos He would do, He is doing to us today. No, I don’t have insight to see the mind of God in totality, and I am not presuming I heard Him tell me this directly and audibly, but all of us have the ability to see the state of our nation, the minimal impact the church is having in culture, and the alarming spirit of indifference among God’s people. All these signs point to what God did to His people in the past. He sent a famine of hearing His Word. This is serious but not without hope. God is merciful and if He awakens us to the spiritual plight and danger we are in as a nation, churches, and individual Christians, He may grant us a Word-based, Spirit-empowered revival. But before that, we must know we are in need of revival. So, let’s look at some signs God is sending a famine of His Word to a nation, church, and believers. We will look at this from two angles. First, those who are called to preach His Word, and those who are His and called to grow by hearing His Word.

First, God sends a famine of His Word, or holds back its life-giving, joy-producing, and Holy Spirit-anointed impact on a nation, His church, and Christians when preachers fail in their chief responsibility – to feed God’s people His Word. When preachers and churches resort to and rely upon anything other than the centrality of Christ-centered preaching as the means of conversion of sinners and growth of saints, a famine of the Word exists. It is an alarming time when drama, entertainment, music, gimmicks, fads, and “innovative programs” are used as the means to grow a church or reach the world instead of preaching. God has ordained the supremacy of preaching as the means for evangelism and growth (2 Timothy 4:1-5). When that is ignored, a famine occurs. And what would be a sign of this famine in our churches? Maybe increased attendance – worldly methods will draw a crowd, but a famine exists, even in churches that claim to believe the Bible when no holiness, no separation from the world and no change – inwardly and outwardly in the lives of its people into Christ-likeness is happening.

Now to the listeners of God’s Word – His people. A famine exists when the Word is not treasured, sought, lived, and hungered for more and more each passing day, but the clearest sign of spiritual famine in God’s people is how they treat and respond to opportunities to hear God’s Word preached. When we willingly absent ourselves from preaching, and in some churches that opportunity occurs twice on the Lord’s Day, with no regrets or remorse, a famine of hearing the Word is upon us. Another related sign spiritual famine is upon us is when we willingly choose to attend worldly events, activities, and pleasures, even good things, on the Lord’s Day over His things and people on His Day. Please enjoy the things and people God has given us, but don’t compromise the Lord’s Day for them. It reveals our lack of hunger for Him if this a pattern in our lives.

Famine of His Word. It should make us shudder that God would do this to us, yet, history says He will, if we neglect His Word, and allow worldliness to choke it. May it not be so among us or in our churches.

PRAYER: “Father, protect me from the easy state of spiritual indifference; when I don’t have an appetite for Your Word.”

QUOTE: “When we miss being in God’s Word, privately or public preaching of it with ease and no regret, be alarmed.”