THE PLUMB LINE

WHO IS JESUS! Amos 7:1-9 So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,and water will overflow your hiding place. (Isaiah 28:16-17) In one since the Bible is a plumb line. What is a plumb line? A plumb line is a string with a wieght on one end that a carpenter uses to check if a wall is perfectly vertical. Today, they use a level, which is a type of plumb line. A tool to measure whether I am, or the thing I am building is leavel. I the bible God uses this analogy to explain to us that God has unchanging and very level and firm foundation for us to follow. Friends, Gods moral standard and His absolute justice is a sure thing, we can base our faith on it to be true. This analogy of a tool used in those days reveals if a structure is crooked, God uses His truth to measure if we are onthe level spiritually or not, in our integrity real. This is what the Book of Amos is speaking of in our scripture for today. The prophet Amos describes the Lord standing by a wall with a plumb line in His hand. He is saying, I will "set a plumb line" for my people Israel.(Amos 7:7-8). As we know Israel strayed from God's covenant many times (as we often do) and God finnially has no choice but to do what He has to do. He is a just God and must administer justice. Here He was saysing, my justce, my judgment is imminent because the plumb line is showing you are not staying true and you are not living up to the standard of righteousness I have set for you. Isaiah 28:16, 17, back this up and God promises, "I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line" to assure that His kingdom (His Family) is built on ultimate truth. (2 Kings 21:13), God warns that He will judge Jerusalem with "the plumb line used against the house of Ahab," meaning it will face the same destruction for its unfaithfulness. This analogy is used again in (Zechariah 4:10), where Israel sees the"plumb line analogy again, this time in the hand of Zerubbabel," but this time it was different, it told of a joyful event where they knew of God's presence and the temple was being built according to Gods plan, and the builders were measuring up. As Amos said, "Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. The aultimate plumb line was set among the people There comes a time where we will have to choose, because God's altimate JUSTICE is coming.And our work as human beings will be over, and Christ will return, and the plumb line will be set. Yes, Jesus steps into human history as the ultimate plumb line, (which we celebrate at Christmas time. He came to replace the law,which had become a flawed human standard, Jesus would come with His perfect grace and truth. This concept of truth is that Jesus is the new plumb line and you will find it deeply woven throughout the bible. You will see over and over again, that Jesus is the new and living. Isaiah says, God promises to lay a "tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation" (Isaiah 28:16) and in so doing He sets "righteous"living as the plumb line" (Isaiah 28:17). Jesus fulfills the prophecy as the true foundation of God When we take an inward look as our righteous walls we can see in a physical plumb line will reveal if our walls are leaning or if we are standing true. When we comoare our lives to that of Jesus it will show us where we are at in our righteouness. It will uncover our true hearts, it will reveal where our society is going wrong, and it will uncover our pride, and it will call us as His people into right relationship with the very heart of God. So then, listen, this new way, if God's grace, in the Old Testament that plumb line, most times signaled immediate judgment on anyone who had gone astray. But today, in the age of grace Jesus embodies both "grace and truth" (John 1:14). He offers not only the perfect measure of how far humanity has fallen short, but also the grace and the power to live righteously. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent as our guide, to have God, the Holy Spirit living within us, so that we could measure up. We have no excuse, remmeber God sends no one to hell, its our choice to follow Him or not. If we choose not to follow Him, we are continuing down the road of sin, and heading doen hill on the broad road that leads to hell and separation form God for ever. Father God, help me, warn others of your justice, it is to spark righteousness in every human being, so that they will make a choice. A choice that is thiers and theirs alone. Lord you have provided a way of escape. Help me show others, the straight and narrow way that leads to your righteous plumb line, who is JESUS. in your name I pray AMEN.