November 8, 2026

You can find the order of worship and songs here.

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There is a famous saying in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, "All that glitters is not gold." J.R.R. Tolkien used a different version of the phrase in The Lord of the Rings: "All that is gold does not glitter." They convey a similar idea with its own twist. Shakespeare: Something that looks valuable, in fact, may not be so. One can go to Tijuana and buy knock off Rolex watches and Coach handbags. To untrained eyes they look the part, but they are worthless fakes. Tolkien: Something that does not look very valuable may, in fact, be of great worth. You might come across a $20 dusty old painting at a garage sale, which turns out to be a long-lost work of a master painter. To untrained eyes it was little more than garbage. But it is a great boon to those who can recognize its true worth. Things are not always what they seem. In the sobering passage of Amos 5:18–24 the LORD gives true appraisal of Israel's religion.

Israel's religion had all the appearance of soundness. But the LORD knows the true worth of their religion. "Why would you have the day of the LORD?" Israel was confident that the LORD would forever be on her side. But they were sorely mistaken. "It is darkness, and not light". There will be no relief from the LORD, but a relentless judgment: "as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him." A man runs for his life from a deadly lion, only to run into the path of a vicious bear. He runs into his house for safety and when he puts his hand on the wall to catch his breath, the serpent bites him! That is how relentlessly God's judgment is going to follow Israel.

Why? Israel mocked God with their worship. They practiced injustice against the poor, committed sexual immorality, etc. Israel worshiped the Holy Lord, without ever becoming holy. God hated and despised their worship. God had no regard for their expensive gifts. The gifts God considers worthy and beautiful are sincerity of heart, justice for the poor, and righteousness of life.

In Acts 7 Stephen quotes Amos 5:25–27 to demonstrate that Israel always rebelled against God, culminating finally in their rejection and the execution of the Lord Jesus. Jesus had no earthly glory to show. Jesus befriended the poor and the rejected. In Jesus the suffering people found God's love and comfort. Jesus, like Amos, rebuked the hypocrisy of Israel's worship. In the eyes of their flesh they could only see contemptible poverty in Jesus. They hated him for it and crucified him. But God hid his riches in Jesus' poverty, his power in Jesus' weakness. Jesus was sacrificed that we may have peace with God. God invites us to share in the fellowship meal of peace. Israel could not buy peace with God with her zeal and money. We have received it freely because we come to God through Jesus.

So how does God consider our worship? Our gifts are meager. We bring to God nothing glorious as far as the eye of the flesh can see. But God sees differently. "All that is gold does not glitter." God sees your faith and love in the Lord Jesus. And he says to you, "I am pleased." And he will say to you, "Well done." For in Christ God pursues us in an entirely different manner. We are no longer pursued by his relentless judgment. Rather, Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

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Growth Resources

In November we are reading "The Certainty of Faith" by Herman Bavinck. See also 12 for 26.

Announcements

November 8: Fellowship meal.

November 11 (Wednesday 6 PM): Daniel Zoom study continues with Daniel 6. Meeting ID: 820 0070 3059. Passcode: 999522

November 15: Sunday School continues. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, ch. 82, "The Lord's Supper."

December 13: Christmas fellowship.

Thank you for your continued support of Grace Fallbrook (PCA). Your loving support makes the proclamation of the gospel and the building up of the saints possible. Please visit gracefallbrook.church/give and click on "Give Online Now." You will be directed to the PCA Foundation where you can give towards Grace Fallbrook (PCA).

This Week's Prayers

Please email your prayer request by Thursday to include it in the list for the upcoming week — info@gracefallbrook.church