WEBVTT
00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:03.359
Welcome to Five Good Minutes.
00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:09.919
You're listening to today's inspirational message on the book of Amos with Kurt Bjorkland.
00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:30.399
I want to begin today as we look at Amos chapter 9 and share something that Mark Dever shares in his book that is called The Message of the Old Testament, where he goes through every book of the Old Testament with a single chapter.
00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:34.560
It's a fun way just to consider the Old Testament, but here's what he says.
00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:46.320
Several years ago, Forbes ASAP magazine interviewed Steven Weinberg, best-selling author, Nobel Prize winner in physics, and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Texas in Austin.
00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:53.520
At one point in the conversation, the interviewer observed, the scientific view of humanity is a minority view.
00:00:53.679 --> 00:01:00.799
The majority view, in religion particularly, is that humans are special, that we're somehow apart from nature.
00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:12.319
To younger people, presented with these two claims for absolute truth, one based on religious faith and the other on science, what in your view commends them to the scientific approach?
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:15.040
This is how Weinberg replied.
00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:17.359
The fact that it's true.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.319
There isn't anything in the laws of nature that bestows any special role on human beings.
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:26.000
We did evolve from other animals and we're not immortal.
00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:32.159
We each face the disillusion of our own personality at death, and we just have to get used to that.
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:44.000
It may not be as great as thinking that we play a starring role in a cosmic drama, but there is a certain satisfaction in being able to confront our position as just part of an impersonal universe.
00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:52.879
In realizing that what gives our lives meaning, which is not given to it by the stars, is that we give it to ourselves.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:53.359
W.
00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:53.599
H.
00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:07.920
Auden has a lovely poem, and he goes on and he quotes this, and then he just says at the end after that, there's a certain satisfaction in being able to confront the situation and still go on to find meaning in our lives that comes not from outside, but from inside.
00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:11.120
And then here's how Deaver speaks about.
00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:17.439
He says, Is the only meaning in life the meaning that we create ourselves, as Professor Weinberg suggests?
00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:22.879
Of course, most people do not agree with the professor's atheism, as the interviewer stated.
00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:28.560
The overwhelming majority of people in every demographic slice of the world population believe in God.
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:36.960
Still many people might argue with Professor Weinberg in his belief that whoever or whatever is ultimate in the universe is not concerned with you and me.
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:45.520
Even if a creator does exist, he seems to be as impersonal and disengaged as Odend stars, back a reference to the poem that I didn't read.
00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:48.719
This is the question we are unsure about.
00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:50.000
Does God care?
00:02:50.319 --> 00:03:04.879
Does God care about evil and suffering in the world, about poverty and malnourishment that so many people are experiencing at this very moment, or about the people who died at the Pentagon attack several years ago, or in the recent, and he goes on and names several things like this.
00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.479
Does God care specifically about your life and mine?
00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:13.759
What if our lives do not affect the lives of countless others, as is the case of most people?
00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:18.240
I just mentioned, and he had mentioned some other folks here, I'm skipping for brevity.
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:32.319
Does the great creator of this unimaginably vast universe really care about what you and I do in our free time, in our work and in our thoughts, or whether you eat meat or not, or about your relationships, or what you call him, or whether you prayed this morning?
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:34.800
Does God even care that you're here?
00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:40.800
And he uses this intro as a way to introduce the question of Amos.
00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.639
And what he does is he goes in and he says, God does care.
00:03:45.360 --> 00:04:08.240
And he says that this is actually this great comfort, but it's also alarming because he says, when you look at the book of Amos, what you find is that God notices not just us in a positive way, but also the transgressions, the injustices, which has been part of what we've walked through over these weeks in Amos.
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:19.120
And when we come to chapter 9, what we get to is the culmination that reiterates the idea of God of judgment and a God of restoration.
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:35.920
That God cares enough to say, I'm not just winking at evil and saying bad things happen or bad people happen, but I'm also not just leaving you to judgment, but I have mercy.
00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:45.600
And in a way, this has been the message of the book of Amos that God cares, He knows, He sees, but He provides a way out.
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:51.199
And we're going to look at that this week as we consider Amos chapter 9.
00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:55.360
Thanks for joining us here today.
00:04:55.519 --> 00:05:02.720
There's a lot of great content to explore on Orchard Hill Plus and on the Orchard Hill main feed from the weekend.
00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:04.560
Have a great day.
00:00:00.959 --> 00:00:03.359
Welcome to Five Good Minutes.
00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:09.919
You're listening to today's inspirational message on the book of Amos with Kurt Bjorkland.
00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:30.399
I want to begin today as we look at Amos chapter 9 and share something that Mark Dever shares in his book that is called The Message of the Old Testament, where he goes through every book of the Old Testament with a single chapter.
00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:34.560
It's a fun way just to consider the Old Testament, but here's what he says.
00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:46.320
Several years ago, Forbes ASAP magazine interviewed Steven Weinberg, best-selling author, Nobel Prize winner in physics, and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Texas in Austin.
00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:53.520
At one point in the conversation, the interviewer observed, the scientific view of humanity is a minority view.
00:00:53.679 --> 00:01:00.799
The majority view, in religion particularly, is that humans are special, that we're somehow apart from nature.
00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:12.319
To younger people, presented with these two claims for absolute truth, one based on religious faith and the other on science, what in your view commends them to the scientific approach?
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:15.040
This is how Weinberg replied.
00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:17.359
The fact that it's true.
00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:22.319
There isn't anything in the laws of nature that bestows any special role on human beings.
00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:26.000
We did evolve from other animals and we're not immortal.
00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:32.159
We each face the disillusion of our own personality at death, and we just have to get used to that.
00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:44.000
It may not be as great as thinking that we play a starring role in a cosmic drama, but there is a certain satisfaction in being able to confront our position as just part of an impersonal universe.
00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:52.879
In realizing that what gives our lives meaning, which is not given to it by the stars, is that we give it to ourselves.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:53.359
W.
00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:53.599
H.
00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:07.920
Auden has a lovely poem, and he goes on and he quotes this, and then he just says at the end after that, there's a certain satisfaction in being able to confront the situation and still go on to find meaning in our lives that comes not from outside, but from inside.
00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:11.120
And then here's how Deaver speaks about.
00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:17.439
He says, Is the only meaning in life the meaning that we create ourselves, as Professor Weinberg suggests?
00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:22.879
Of course, most people do not agree with the professor's atheism, as the interviewer stated.
00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:28.560
The overwhelming majority of people in every demographic slice of the world population believe in God.
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:36.960
Still many people might argue with Professor Weinberg in his belief that whoever or whatever is ultimate in the universe is not concerned with you and me.
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:45.520
Even if a creator does exist, he seems to be as impersonal and disengaged as Odend stars, back a reference to the poem that I didn't read.
00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:48.719
This is the question we are unsure about.
00:02:48.879 --> 00:02:50.000
Does God care?
00:02:50.319 --> 00:03:04.879
Does God care about evil and suffering in the world, about poverty and malnourishment that so many people are experiencing at this very moment, or about the people who died at the Pentagon attack several years ago, or in the recent, and he goes on and names several things like this.
00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.479
Does God care specifically about your life and mine?
00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:13.759
What if our lives do not affect the lives of countless others, as is the case of most people?
00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:18.240
I just mentioned, and he had mentioned some other folks here, I'm skipping for brevity.
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:32.319
Does the great creator of this unimaginably vast universe really care about what you and I do in our free time, in our work and in our thoughts, or whether you eat meat or not, or about your relationships, or what you call him, or whether you prayed this morning?
00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:34.800
Does God even care that you're here?
00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:40.800
And he uses this intro as a way to introduce the question of Amos.
00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.639
And what he does is he goes in and he says, God does care.
00:03:45.360 --> 00:04:08.240
And he says that this is actually this great comfort, but it's also alarming because he says, when you look at the book of Amos, what you find is that God notices not just us in a positive way, but also the transgressions, the injustices, which has been part of what we've walked through over these weeks in Amos.
00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:19.120
And when we come to chapter 9, what we get to is the culmination that reiterates the idea of God of judgment and a God of restoration.
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:35.920
That God cares enough to say, I'm not just winking at evil and saying bad things happen or bad people happen, but I'm also not just leaving you to judgment, but I have mercy.
00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:45.600
And in a way, this has been the message of the book of Amos that God cares, He knows, He sees, but He provides a way out.
00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:51.199
And we're going to look at that this week as we consider Amos chapter 9.
00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:55.360
Thanks for joining us here today.
00:04:55.519 --> 00:05:02.720
There's a lot of great content to explore on Orchard Hill Plus and on the Orchard Hill main feed from the weekend.
00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:04.560
Have a great day.
