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Today, we start looking at the prophet Amos. When you read the first verse, you find out that Amos was a shepherd of Tekoa. Amos was what most church groups would call a lay preacher. He was from the southern kingdom of Judah, but God sent him to prophesy to the northern kingdom of Israel.
Notice how he answers Amaziah the high priest at Bethel in Amos 7:1016, “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, “ ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’ ” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ Now therefore hear the word of the LORD.”
Amaziah basically said, “Go home and preach to your own people and leave us alone.” Amos replied, “I didn’t have a choice. God called me from my home and sent me to you with this message.”
Folks, that’s what a preacher must do. He must preach to those God sends him to. “Preach the word!”