The Word We Cannot Afford to Miss

 







Readings: Amos 8:1–12 | Psalm 52 or 15 | Colossians 1:15–28 | Luke 10:38–42

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

🧭 I. Silence in a Noisy World

We live in a world flooded with words.
Social media, breaking news, messages, debates, opinions—it never ends.

Yet, amid the noise, we feel disconnected.
Disconnected from each other.
Disconnected from peace.
Disconnected from God.

What are we really hearing? Whose voice are we listening to?

The silence that threatens our world today isn’t about sound—
It’s about the absence of hearing God’s voice.
Not because God has stopped speaking, but because we’ve stopped listening.

This is the silence Amos warns us about.

🍇 II. A Vision of Judgment (Amos 8:1–12)

God shows Amos a vision:
A basket of ripe summer fruit—beautiful, but soon to spoil.
Just like the people of Israel, whose injustice, greed, and exploitation have reached their peak.

“The end has come upon my people Israel…”

The poor are sold for silver.
The needy are traded for sandals.
Even the Sabbath is resented by those eager to return to dishonest trade.

And then, the chilling word:

“I will send a famine… not of bread or water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”

A famine of hearing.
Not because God has gone silent,
But because His people no longer want to listen.

They’ll search and wander, but they won’t find what they ignored.

Sound familiar?

Even in our time of abundance, we are spiritually starving.
We scroll endlessly yet thirst inwardly.
The Word is all around us—in Scripture, in worship, in Christ—but are we listening?

🪑 III. The Better Part (Luke 10:38–42)

Enter Jesus into the home of Martha and Mary.

Martha is the hostess—preparing, serving, working.
Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, listening.

Eventually, Martha speaks up:

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work?”

Jesus responds with love:

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”

Martha’s service was good—but her heart was distracted.

Mary, however, chose to listen—to be present.

Jesus is reminding us: Presence must come before productivity.
Hearing must come before doing.

✝️ IV. Christ, the Living Word (Colossians 1:15–28)

Paul brings our eyes to the heart of it all:

“Christ is the image of the invisible God… in Him all things hold together… Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Christ isn’t just a messenger.
He is the message.
The Living Word.

God’s voice becomes flesh in Him.
Through Christ, God is closer than ever—no longer far off, but within us.

We do not just read the Word; we encounter Him.

📡 V. The Word We Cannot Afford to Miss

So what does this all mean?

It means we must return to the feet of Jesus.

Because we can attend church, volunteer, and even preach—
And still miss the one thing that matters:
Listening to the Living Word.

We cannot:

  • Serve Christ if we haven’t sat with Him.

  • Speak truth if we haven’t heard it.

  • Share hope if we haven’t received it.

When we tune out God's Word—by busyness, distraction, or disinterest—we risk a famine deeper than hunger.
A famine of the soul.

🔄 VI. A Call to Re-Center

This Sunday, hear the invitation:

✅ Be like Mary—choosing stillness over stress.
✅ Be like Abraham—welcoming God into daily life.
✅ Be like Paul—making the Word fully known.
✅ Be like the Psalmist—rooted in God's house like a flourishing tree.

Let your hunger be for the voice of God, not just answers.

🙏 VII. Conclusion: Return to the Word

There’s no shortage of sermons, devotions, or content.

But there is a shortage of:

  • Stillness.

  • Reverence.

  • Listening.

“The time is surely coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will send a famine… of hearing the words of the Lord.”

Let that not be us.

Let us:

  • Be quiet before God.

  • Open Scripture with hearts ready to hear.

  • Gather not only to serve, but to listen.

And may it be said of us, as it was of Mary:

“They chose the better part—and it will not be taken away.”

🕊️ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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