3.20.16 Youth Sermon

​When is it okay to sing Kumbaya?

Amos 5:18 - 24
Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake.
Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

God despised Israel's feasts and worship when they were committing crimes and responsible for the injustices of their society. The Israelites longed for the Day of the Lord because they thought they were in the right, but the prophet Amos proclaimed that for those who oppress the weak and steal from the widows and orphans, the Lord's Day would not be a day of gladness, but of darkness and misery.

As the Church, we are called to identify those who suffer and fight for their cause. Thankfully, we know that the fight against injustice and suffering can be won by looking to the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross, which tells us that fighting for justice is not meaningless, but it is a secured victory. 

​But if we are part of the problem, it is not okay to sing Kumbaya ("Lord, Come here").