WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.060 Well, if I don't know you or you don't know me, 00:00:02.100 --> 00:00:05.580 my name is John. I'm pastor here at Village and 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:08.779 so grateful to spend this time with you this 00:00:08.779 --> 00:00:11.300 morning and to be in the Word. And so if we're 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:13.400 going to go to the Word, we're in our series 00:00:13.400 --> 00:00:16.820 in Hosea called Scandalous Grace. This is our 00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:20.280 fourth installment. And so we come in our journey 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.859 to chapter four, and we're going to spend time 00:00:22.859 --> 00:00:25.399 in chapter four of Hosea, beginning in verse 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:28.910 one. all the way down to verse 10. So if you 00:00:28.910 --> 00:00:32.329 want to turn your Bibles over there or fire up 00:00:32.329 --> 00:00:35.109 your digital devices and get them warmed up and 00:00:35.109 --> 00:00:37.429 going, or if you just want to follow along on 00:00:37.429 --> 00:00:40.509 the screen, it will be up here as well. Hosea 00:00:40.509 --> 00:00:47.770 chapter 4, beginning in verse 1. Hear the word 00:00:47.770 --> 00:00:50.750 of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:54.770 a case against the inhabitants of the land. There 00:00:54.770 --> 00:00:58.640 is no truth. no faithful love, and no knowledge 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:03.140 of God in the land. Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:07.219 and adultery are rampant. One act of bloodshed 00:01:07.219 --> 00:01:11.239 follows another. For this reason, the land mourns, 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:14.239 and everyone who lives in it languishes. Along 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:16.739 with the wild animals and the birds of the sky, 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:21.439 even the fish of the sea disappear. But let no 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.939 one dispute. Let no one argue, for my case is 00:01:24.939 --> 00:01:29.159 against you priests. You will stumble by day. 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:32.000 The prophet will also stumble with you by night, 00:01:32.099 --> 00:01:35.620 and I will destroy your mother. My people are 00:01:35.620 --> 00:01:38.239 destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:40.540 have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:43.140 serving as my priest. Since you have forgotten 00:01:43.140 --> 00:01:46.140 the word of your God, I will also forget your 00:01:46.140 --> 00:01:49.560 sons. The more they multiplied, the more they 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:53.159 sinned against me. I will charge or change their 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.599 honor into disgrace. They feed on the sin of 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.459 my people. They have an appetite for their iniquity. 00:01:59.659 --> 00:02:02.299 The same judgment will happen to both people 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:05.739 and priests. I will punish them for their ways 00:02:05.739 --> 00:02:08.340 and repay them for their deeds. They will eat, 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:11.199 but not be satisfied. They will be promiscuous, 00:02:11.199 --> 00:02:14.340 but not multiply, for they have abandoned their 00:02:14.340 --> 00:02:20.750 devotion to the Lord. This is God's word. And 00:02:20.750 --> 00:02:22.830 if you chose to come this Sunday for the first 00:02:22.830 --> 00:02:26.430 time, here we go. We just happen to be here in 00:02:26.430 --> 00:02:28.990 Hosea, Hosea chapter four. We're going to make 00:02:28.990 --> 00:02:32.090 our way through this, but I think we'll see the 00:02:32.090 --> 00:02:35.349 grace of God at work, even in the midst of what 00:02:35.349 --> 00:02:39.349 seems is judgment. So have you ever had though 00:02:39.349 --> 00:02:43.289 trustworthy information? Something, someone told 00:02:43.289 --> 00:02:45.349 you something or you looked up something, a reputable 00:02:45.349 --> 00:02:48.729 source, an authority gave you some information 00:02:48.729 --> 00:02:53.030 that you simply did not act on. Let me give some 00:02:53.030 --> 00:02:55.349 examples here. Maybe this will hit close to home. 00:02:55.689 --> 00:02:58.349 You ever had a warning light in your car pop 00:02:58.349 --> 00:03:00.590 on and you think, I'm just gonna power through, 00:03:00.849 --> 00:03:03.490 you know, just keep driving maybe a few hundred 00:03:03.490 --> 00:03:07.240 thousand more miles, right? And then. You realize 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:10.319 that your car was really asking for oil and your 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.080 engine explodes. I've never been there, but yeah. 00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:17.319 Or maybe your doctor told you to change your 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:19.139 diet, right? And you're like, nah, I'll just 00:03:19.139 --> 00:03:21.840 push through with a few more cupcakes. Keep going, 00:03:21.900 --> 00:03:23.740 right, down the way that I am until that health 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:25.979 scare comes along, right? And that health scare 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:31.020 brings you to a final stop when truth, you're 00:03:31.020 --> 00:03:32.780 confronted with the truth of what they said. 00:03:33.420 --> 00:03:37.099 My family kind of hails from the Central Valley, 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:43.900 Bakersfield, the armpit of California. And right 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:46.159 outside of Bakersfield is a canyon, and what 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.439 winds through that canyon is the Kern River. 00:03:48.740 --> 00:03:52.479 The Kern River, it has a name with the locals 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:56.009 there. It's called the Killer Kern River. The 00:03:56.009 --> 00:03:58.110 killer, Kern River. Well, the reason is because 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:01.030 as it snakes its way through the canyon, heading 00:04:01.030 --> 00:04:03.189 into the mountains or coming through the mountains 00:04:03.189 --> 00:04:07.129 on down to the valley, it has all kinds of riptides 00:04:07.129 --> 00:04:10.509 and whitewater, and it has layers of rock underneath 00:04:10.509 --> 00:04:12.789 the surface. And so you may hop in and think 00:04:12.789 --> 00:04:15.270 you're going for a swim, and it will pull you 00:04:15.270 --> 00:04:19.470 underneath a rock and just hold you there. As 00:04:19.470 --> 00:04:21.670 you enter into the canyon, there's this ominous 00:04:21.670 --> 00:04:25.610 large sign. I mean, you cannot miss it. And basically 00:04:25.610 --> 00:04:28.689 it says, how many lives have been lost to the 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:32.230 Kern River since 1960? And it has one of those 00:04:32.230 --> 00:04:35.029 sets of numbers like in an industrial workplace 00:04:35.029 --> 00:04:37.790 where it's like how many days without an accident, 00:04:37.970 --> 00:04:40.350 right? So you can keep changing it. Well, every 00:04:40.350 --> 00:04:43.430 year that number changes and goes up because 00:04:43.430 --> 00:04:47.050 every year someone dies in the killer Kern. All 00:04:47.050 --> 00:04:50.860 that information. All the signage, the fact that 00:04:50.860 --> 00:04:54.040 we call it the killer kern, and in the middle 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:55.860 of summer you go there and the place is just 00:04:55.860 --> 00:04:59.040 packed with people, packed with people, swimming 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.139 and jumping off the rocks into the killer kern. 00:05:02.660 --> 00:05:05.759 Because it's one thing to lack information, but 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:08.199 it's another thing altogether to have the truth, 00:05:08.459 --> 00:05:11.240 to know what is right and yet fail to act on 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.560 it, right? That is far more dangerous because... 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.800 Knowledge that doesn't shape action is knowledge 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:25.759 wasted. The theologian John Calvin said, to be 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:29.259 convinced in our mind that we know God when in 00:05:29.259 --> 00:05:35.360 works we deny him is but self -delusion. To be 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:38.000 convinced in our minds that we know God when 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:41.480 in works we deny him is but self -delusion. And 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:43.899 that's exactly the problem Hosea confronts in 00:05:43.899 --> 00:05:47.769 chapter four. God summons his people to court 00:05:47.769 --> 00:05:51.149 and brings his case against them. And he says 00:05:51.149 --> 00:05:54.470 there is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge 00:05:54.470 --> 00:05:58.490 of God in the land. The knowledge of God wasn't 00:05:58.490 --> 00:06:01.290 absent because God had hidden it from the people. 00:06:01.389 --> 00:06:04.230 It was absent because his people refused to live 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:09.949 by it. And the result was devastation. So Hosea 00:06:09.949 --> 00:06:13.290 reminds us that knowing God is not about passing 00:06:13.290 --> 00:06:17.089 a test or collecting a bunch of facts. Do you 00:06:17.089 --> 00:06:21.689 know who could pass with an A++ +, any systematic 00:06:21.689 --> 00:06:24.810 theological course in any of the colleges nationwide? 00:06:26.089 --> 00:06:30.829 Satan. Satan knows all the facts, far more facts 00:06:30.829 --> 00:06:34.779 about God than you know or I know. And he could 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:37.740 walk into that classroom and get an A on any 00:06:37.740 --> 00:06:41.519 test, but does that make him a servant of God 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:44.360 who knows and loves God and does God's will? 00:06:44.420 --> 00:06:49.420 No. Because it's about living in such a way that 00:06:49.420 --> 00:06:53.600 his character and his life is reflected in our 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:59.439 lives. Remember what Calvin said, to be convinced 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:02.399 in our mind that we know God when in works we 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:08.620 deny him. is nothing but self -delusion. To know 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:12.160 him is to love as he loves, to walk in truth 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:15.180 as he is true, and to act in ways that honor 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.740 him in every aspect and part of our life. Without 00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:23.620 that knowledge, life unravels. And we're going 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:26.180 to see that as we walk through the passage today. 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:27.860 If you're taking notes, I've got three points 00:07:27.860 --> 00:07:34.620 for you. Number one is the indictment. When Hosea 00:07:34.620 --> 00:07:36.639 begins this section, he describes what scholars 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:40.480 have called a covenant lawsuit. He is a covenant 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:43.579 God who's made a covenant with a people to be 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:45.819 his own people. And as we talked about last week, 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:48.939 he sealed that covenant, both ends of it. He 00:07:48.939 --> 00:07:51.480 took on the covenantal requirements, both ends 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:55.879 of it. And yet here we have a covenantal lawsuit. 00:07:56.060 --> 00:07:58.560 It's as if the courtroom of heaven is open and 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.480 God himself steps forward as both the plaintiff 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:04.509 and the judge. And he summons his people, Israel, 00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:09.209 and he brings charges against them. There is 00:08:09.209 --> 00:08:12.709 no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge 00:08:12.709 --> 00:08:17.290 of God in the land of Israel. And so first, God 00:08:17.290 --> 00:08:19.089 says that there's no truth. And again, this is 00:08:19.089 --> 00:08:22.449 not about factual accuracy, whether you can pass 00:08:22.449 --> 00:08:26.069 a Bible quiz or recite your history correctly. 00:08:27.329 --> 00:08:31.160 Truth here speaks about integrity. reliability, 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:35.899 and faithfulness. The people of the land no longer 00:08:35.899 --> 00:08:40.419 live by God's word. They have abandoned the standard 00:08:40.419 --> 00:08:43.379 of his commands and begun to twist reality to 00:08:43.379 --> 00:08:46.840 suit themselves. Lies have replaced honesty. 00:08:47.419 --> 00:08:51.200 Deception has replaced integrity. And the very 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.440 thing that was meant to define God's covenant 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:56.659 people, that they would be people of truth, was 00:08:56.659 --> 00:09:02.460 gone from the land. His second point is that 00:09:02.460 --> 00:09:05.740 God says that there's no faithful love. This 00:09:05.740 --> 00:09:09.320 is a Hebrew word, chesed, which is a rich word 00:09:09.320 --> 00:09:12.399 that means steadfast love or covenant loyalty, 00:09:12.759 --> 00:09:17.600 kindness that endures, a sticky kind of love. 00:09:19.700 --> 00:09:21.899 Israel was supposed to be a people marked by 00:09:21.899 --> 00:09:24.019 God's love, by his loyal love and reflecting 00:09:24.019 --> 00:09:26.299 his faithfulness in the way they treated one 00:09:26.299 --> 00:09:28.700 another, in the way that they related to God. 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:32.639 But instead of love that sticks, they practice 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:40.179 love that quits. Instead of loyalty, they chased 00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:44.120 after idols. Instead of kindness, they used people 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:48.519 for their own gain. The glue of the covenant, 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:51.440 the glue of covenant love had been replaced by 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:54.860 the thin tape of convenience and self -interest. 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:59.320 And then God says that there is no knowledge 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:02.759 of him in the land. And that's the climax of 00:10:02.759 --> 00:10:05.779 his charge in this courtroom. They may still 00:10:05.779 --> 00:10:07.759 have had the priests and they may still have 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:09.879 had the festivals and the sacrificial system. 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.240 They may still have known the stories of Abraham 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.379 and Moses and David, but they no longer truly 00:10:15.379 --> 00:10:20.220 knew God. Because in the Bible, as we talked 00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:22.820 about a few weeks ago, to know God is not merely 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:27.120 intellectual. It's not to know a series of facts 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:29.659 or get the fact sheet on God. It is relational. 00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:33.799 To know is relational. It means you know his 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:37.500 heart, you know his ways, and you seek to imitate 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:40.120 his character. That's what it means to know God. 00:10:42.419 --> 00:10:45.970 John Owen. Theologians said true knowledge of 00:10:45.970 --> 00:10:49.570 God is not to be found in cold speculation, but 00:10:49.570 --> 00:10:53.350 in obedience. True knowledge of God is not to 00:10:53.350 --> 00:10:56.250 be found in cold speculation, but in obedience. 00:10:56.250 --> 00:10:59.570 In other words, to know God is to ask how would 00:10:59.570 --> 00:11:03.830 the Lord act in this situation and then to live 00:11:03.830 --> 00:11:07.509 accordingly. There's a very well -known passage 00:11:07.509 --> 00:11:10.200 out of Proverbs. Many of you will know it probably 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:15.399 by some other version, but the CSB version reads 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:18.059 this way of Proverbs chapter three, verse five 00:11:18.059 --> 00:11:21.139 and six. It says, trust in the Lord with all 00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:25.919 your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:32.179 In all your ways, know him and he will make your 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:38.100 paths straight. In all your ways. Know him, know 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:41.360 his heart, know his ways and seek to imitate 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.039 his character and he will make your path straight. 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:51.440 But Israel had forgotten and they no longer walked 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.980 with him, no longer reflected him. They were 00:11:55.980 --> 00:12:00.320 a people without knowledge. And the results? 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:04.740 Well, verse two describes a society that is in 00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:09.220 utter collapse. Lying, cursing, murder, stealing, 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:13.200 adultery are all rampant. And I think Hosea intentionally 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:16.460 chooses to highlight those because those are 00:12:16.460 --> 00:12:21.700 directly violating God's commands. It's 10 sayings, 00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:25.960 the 10 commandments. One act of bloodshed follows 00:12:25.960 --> 00:12:29.820 another. It's like a picture of lawlessness has 00:12:29.820 --> 00:12:34.500 broken out as God's commands are trampled. And 00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:36.720 verse 3 takes it even further. For this reason, 00:12:36.840 --> 00:12:40.779 the land itself mourns, and everyone who is in 00:12:40.779 --> 00:12:43.759 it languishes, along with the wild animals and 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:46.519 the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea 00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:52.299 disappear. You see, sin doesn't just affect individuals. 00:12:53.940 --> 00:12:58.700 It spreads. It ripples outward into families, 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:02.320 into communities, even into creation itself. 00:13:03.629 --> 00:13:06.210 When truth and faithful love and the knowledge 00:13:06.210 --> 00:13:12.350 of God are absent, everything groans. I know 00:13:12.350 --> 00:13:15.370 this in my own experience. I know this in my 00:13:15.370 --> 00:13:20.149 own household. You see, I struggle with a sin 00:13:20.149 --> 00:13:23.830 of control and anxiety, and it looks something 00:13:23.830 --> 00:13:26.649 like this. I feel like I'm losing control of 00:13:26.649 --> 00:13:32.389 a situation, which makes me anxious so that I 00:13:32.389 --> 00:13:37.480 then, Jump in to take control without wisdom, 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:42.840 which leads to anxiety in all those around me. 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:47.139 And I said a lot of the word control there, and 00:13:47.139 --> 00:13:49.240 it's kind of funny because a really stupid case 00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:52.139 in point is the issue of my controller for my 00:13:52.139 --> 00:13:57.659 TV at home. See, it has a spot, and it's supposed 00:13:57.659 --> 00:14:04.600 to be in that spot. And me and all of my righteousness 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:08.440 and godliness, for some reason, have made a regular 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:10.639 habit that I open the door, I say hi to whoever's 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.059 standing there, whoever's in my way, whoever's 00:14:13.059 --> 00:14:18.000 standing there. I say hi, and then I'll glance 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:21.220 over. Just a quick glance. I've been gone for 00:14:21.220 --> 00:14:23.679 10 hours. I've been gone for 12 hours. I've been 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.360 doing all kinds of things. I'll walk in, I'll 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:27.200 glance over. Is my remote still where it's at? 00:14:28.529 --> 00:14:30.450 I don't plan on watching anything. I just want 00:14:30.450 --> 00:14:31.850 to know that the remote's there. It's like a 00:14:31.850 --> 00:14:34.110 little comfort, a little blankie, right? A little 00:14:34.110 --> 00:14:39.070 sippy cup, right, for me. You know what happens 00:14:39.070 --> 00:14:44.669 if it's not? Anxiety. Where's that remote? And 00:14:44.669 --> 00:14:46.649 it's on top of mine right now, so if I don't 00:14:46.649 --> 00:14:48.309 go try to find it right now, it's gone forever. 00:14:49.490 --> 00:14:52.649 And so what do I do? Well, everyone, get out 00:14:52.649 --> 00:14:56.179 here now! And pretty soon we're flipping couches 00:14:56.179 --> 00:14:58.940 over and all of the cushions are out and everything 00:14:58.940 --> 00:15:02.159 is turned upside down looking for the remote. 00:15:02.259 --> 00:15:04.340 Then we find it, we put it back into place, and 00:15:04.340 --> 00:15:06.039 we all go back to normal, right? This is healthy, 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:15.399 right? I'm exaggerating to some degree. I mean, 00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:17.740 I'm not angry usually, it's just I'm determined, 00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:21.720 right? I'm taking control without thoughtful 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:27.070 wisdom. And what does that do? Well, my anxiety 00:15:27.070 --> 00:15:33.529 becomes their anxiety. And pretty soon, everything 00:15:33.529 --> 00:15:36.690 around me is turned upside down, even my sofa, 00:15:36.789 --> 00:15:42.190 looking for my remote control. Sin doesn't just 00:15:42.190 --> 00:15:45.730 affect individuals. It spreads. It's got tentacles. 00:15:45.769 --> 00:15:48.149 It goes out. You guys have experienced this. 00:15:48.370 --> 00:15:53.679 You can make fun of me all you want. This is 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:55.500 the charge that God brings against his people. 00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:59.840 They're without truth. They're without steadfast 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.799 love. They're without knowledge of God. And because 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:08.639 of it, the land itself is unraveling. I mean, 00:16:08.659 --> 00:16:11.320 you got birds of the air and wild beasts. You 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:15.860 got fish in the sea being affected by sin of 00:16:15.860 --> 00:16:19.460 God's people. And the crested remains, how did 00:16:19.460 --> 00:16:23.269 they get here? the people alone of the people 00:16:23.269 --> 00:16:25.950 of Israel alone guilty of this? Or was there 00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:29.370 someone who bore a greater guilt, a greater responsibility? 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:34.070 The question is, who was supposed to be guiding 00:16:34.070 --> 00:16:38.309 them? Who was supposed to be teaching them? Who 00:16:38.309 --> 00:16:42.330 was supposed to be shepherding them in the knowledge 00:16:42.330 --> 00:16:45.450 of God? And Hosea then next points to the priests 00:16:45.450 --> 00:16:47.730 and the leaders and to their failure to fulfill 00:16:47.730 --> 00:16:51.019 their calling. If you're taking notes, the second 00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:52.460 point I'll have you write down is the failure. 00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:56.899 The indictment and the failure. After laying 00:16:56.899 --> 00:16:58.820 out the charges against the people, Hosea then 00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:02.340 turns the spotlight toward the leaders. And verse 00:17:02.340 --> 00:17:05.619 4 opens with a warning. But let no one dispute, 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.920 let no one argue for my cases against you priests. 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:13.119 God says, in effect, don't point the finger and 00:17:13.119 --> 00:17:15.319 don't try to argue your way out of this. The 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:20.069 blame begins with you, priests and leaders. Why? 00:17:20.130 --> 00:17:22.210 Because the priests were called and meant to 00:17:22.210 --> 00:17:26.150 teach God's law, to shepherd his people, to be 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:30.670 living examples of holiness. And their role was 00:17:30.670 --> 00:17:33.109 to cultivate the knowledge of God among the people 00:17:33.109 --> 00:17:35.690 so that families and communities and the nation 00:17:35.690 --> 00:17:42.109 itself would be whole and walk in his ways. But 00:17:42.109 --> 00:17:44.490 instead of feeding the flock, they had starved 00:17:44.490 --> 00:17:48.019 them. Instead of training the people in righteousness, 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:51.640 they had left them in ignorance. Instead of leading 00:17:51.640 --> 00:17:53.759 with faithfulness, they had turned aside for 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:57.559 their own personal gain. And that's why God says, 00:17:57.619 --> 00:17:59.900 my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. 00:18:01.579 --> 00:18:04.859 And note that connection. The people are perishing, 00:18:04.859 --> 00:18:08.640 not because God has failed, but because those 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:12.220 entrusted with teaching them have failed. The 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:14.920 priests reject the knowledge of God, and as a 00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:19.220 result, people are perishing. And then comes 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:22.319 the word of judgment. Because you have rejected 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:25.819 knowledge, I reject you from being a priest for 00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:30.559 me. In other words, their very calling that defined 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:35.400 their lives has been stripped away. When the 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:37.960 leaders abandon God's word, the people are left 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:40.779 without anchors, without direction, without life. 00:18:40.940 --> 00:18:43.339 And the responsibility is not only on the people, 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:46.220 but on those who are entrusted to shepherd them. 00:18:48.299 --> 00:18:52.319 The late Dr. John MacArthur said, if a man does 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:54.700 not know the word of God, he cannot be a pastor. 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:58.799 If he does not love the word of God, he should 00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:02.160 not be a pastor. And if he does not live the 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:09.660 word of God, he must not be a pastor. Pastor 00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:13.859 is a mere shepherd, someone who is called to 00:19:13.859 --> 00:19:20.019 lead and teach and live. And certainly not a 00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:23.180 perfect person, but one who is submitted to the 00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:29.299 grace of God and growing up in the Lord. And 00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:31.619 verse 9 sums up, the same judgment will happen 00:19:31.619 --> 00:19:34.640 to both people and priests. I will punish them 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.630 for their ways and repay them. for their deeds. 00:19:38.890 --> 00:19:41.710 Like people and like priests, when leadership 00:19:41.710 --> 00:19:44.690 is corrupt, the people follow suit. When shepherds 00:19:44.690 --> 00:19:47.690 fail, the sheep scatter. And this is a reminder 00:19:47.690 --> 00:19:50.970 that in God's economy, leadership does matter. 00:19:52.029 --> 00:19:55.670 Teaching does matter. Shepherding matters. And 00:19:55.670 --> 00:19:59.029 when leaders are faithful, people flourish. But 00:19:59.029 --> 00:20:00.970 when leaders fail to feed the flock with the 00:20:00.970 --> 00:20:07.150 knowledge of God, destruction follows. And church, 00:20:07.190 --> 00:20:09.349 this is not just a word for ancient Israel, is 00:20:09.349 --> 00:20:16.130 it? It's a word for us today. Every pastor, every 00:20:16.130 --> 00:20:19.970 elder, every teacher in the fellowship carries 00:20:19.970 --> 00:20:23.210 a sacred responsibility to hold out the word 00:20:23.210 --> 00:20:25.930 of God so that God's people are not destroyed 00:20:25.930 --> 00:20:31.509 by lack of knowledge of God. And every follower 00:20:31.509 --> 00:20:34.650 of Christ also has a responsibility. That's you. 00:20:35.859 --> 00:20:37.900 Every single one of you has a responsibility 00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:43.700 to weigh what voices you listen to, to weigh 00:20:43.700 --> 00:20:47.059 what voices you listen to, to go to the word 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:51.319 of God. Every Sunday, you should be going home 00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:53.859 and searching the word of God to see if I actually 00:20:53.859 --> 00:20:58.900 told the truth. You should. You've been around 00:20:58.900 --> 00:21:00.700 the block a few times. You know that's true, 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:03.700 right? You should be going home and checking 00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:09.400 to see. You don't just take it. You have a responsibility. 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:12.940 You have a responsibility to weigh the voices 00:21:12.940 --> 00:21:16.059 from whom you'll receive. And I think in the 00:21:16.059 --> 00:21:18.380 church today, and especially with the proliferation 00:21:18.380 --> 00:21:21.180 of the media and the ways that people can get 00:21:21.180 --> 00:21:23.980 their message out there, we are in a chaotic 00:21:23.980 --> 00:21:27.200 time where lots of voices are out there and no 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:29.019 one half the time knows who they should listen 00:21:29.019 --> 00:21:31.960 to. But partly because they haven't taken responsibility 00:21:31.960 --> 00:21:35.859 to weigh what they're hearing. Because there 00:21:35.859 --> 00:21:39.619 are bad shepherds and bad teachers out there. 00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:43.740 There are. There are prosperity preachers who 00:21:43.740 --> 00:21:46.819 are proliferating in our society and worldwide, 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:49.940 even more so in Africa now. We're going to a 00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:52.460 place where the prosperity gospel is thriving. 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:54.599 They're going there and holding massive conferences 00:21:54.599 --> 00:22:00.259 and getting more converts. The likes of Kenneth 00:22:00.259 --> 00:22:04.460 Copeland and Benny Henn or Joel Osteen. And all 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:07.740 of their spiritual offspring. And here's the 00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:12.559 issue. They twist and distort some truth. But 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:15.640 maybe a more grievous error is that oftentimes 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:19.359 they withhold truth. They don't tell the whole 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:22.759 counsel of the word. You never hear the word 00:22:22.759 --> 00:22:28.319 sin ever preached. It's just improvement, self 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:33.890 -improvement. Yet, by withholding. by distorting, 00:22:33.890 --> 00:22:40.069 by twisting, they benefit. They grow their reach 00:22:40.069 --> 00:22:42.930 and their influence. They grow their pocketbook 00:22:42.930 --> 00:22:47.349 to the destruction of their listeners. And there 00:22:47.349 --> 00:22:49.109 are other errors. There are many errors in the 00:22:49.109 --> 00:22:50.910 church, and you have to always be watching. They 00:22:50.910 --> 00:22:55.329 can show up at Village. You have to always be 00:22:55.329 --> 00:23:00.750 watching. Some error in leadership style, right? 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:04.039 Put some scare quotes around it, right? Style. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:10.279 Spiritual abuse. Lack of grace. Building their 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:14.200 own kingdom on the backs of their hearers, followers. 00:23:16.019 --> 00:23:19.980 The Bible says that people bear great responsibility. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:23.420 The Bible says that the leaders bear greater 00:23:23.420 --> 00:23:27.420 responsibility. And I think all of this points 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:31.180 us to why the New Testament, I think, It's so 00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:33.079 glorious when it says that Christ is actually 00:23:33.079 --> 00:23:37.240 our great shepherd. Christ is our great high 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:42.160 priest. Because where Israel's priests fail and 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:45.779 where many pastor shepherds today fail, Jesus 00:23:45.779 --> 00:23:49.890 has succeeded. He perfectly revealed the Father. 00:23:49.970 --> 00:23:52.690 He is the very knowledge of God in human flesh. 00:23:52.809 --> 00:23:55.630 And he not only teaches us the truth, he embodies 00:23:55.630 --> 00:23:58.750 it. And he not only commands us to love, he shows 00:23:58.750 --> 00:24:01.589 steadfast love at the cross. And he not only 00:24:01.589 --> 00:24:04.670 calls us to know God, but he makes God known 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:09.150 and he's accessible to every one of us. Right? 00:24:10.130 --> 00:24:13.289 He's not a PhD who's only accessible to the leadership 00:24:13.289 --> 00:24:16.609 class. And everyone else has to just trust what 00:24:16.609 --> 00:24:21.029 the leaders say. He is the great shepherd, the 00:24:21.029 --> 00:24:23.529 great high priest who is available to each and 00:24:23.529 --> 00:24:26.029 every one of us. That means we can all go and 00:24:26.029 --> 00:24:32.950 check the information. Number three, the indictment, 00:24:32.950 --> 00:24:36.910 the failure, and the consequence. When the knowledge 00:24:36.910 --> 00:24:40.490 of God is rejected, when truth and faithful love 00:24:40.490 --> 00:24:43.890 vanish from the land, Hosea makes clear that 00:24:43.890 --> 00:24:47.869 there are consequences. God does not overlook 00:24:47.869 --> 00:24:53.410 unfaithfulness. Beginning in verse 6, the Lord 00:24:53.410 --> 00:24:55.690 tells the priest, since you have forgotten the 00:24:55.690 --> 00:24:58.970 law of your God, I will also forget your sons. 00:25:00.650 --> 00:25:04.529 This is a devastating reversal. The very ones 00:25:04.529 --> 00:25:07.390 who were supposed to remember God, to carry his 00:25:07.390 --> 00:25:09.289 word, to pass it down to the next generation, 00:25:09.509 --> 00:25:12.609 because they had forgotten it, God says their 00:25:12.609 --> 00:25:16.690 own children will be forgotten. And this predicts, 00:25:16.690 --> 00:25:19.930 in a way, the loss of the role and the function 00:25:19.930 --> 00:25:22.589 of the priesthood as a result of the exile the 00:25:22.589 --> 00:25:27.230 people of Israel are going to go into. In the 00:25:27.230 --> 00:25:29.769 broader biblical storyline, also Hosea's words 00:25:29.769 --> 00:25:32.349 anticipate the eventual end of the Levitical 00:25:32.349 --> 00:25:36.170 priesthood in Hebrews chapter 7, ultimately terminating 00:25:36.170 --> 00:25:39.049 in Christ. That the priesthood was temporary, 00:25:39.490 --> 00:25:42.829 unable to save us, and ultimately set aside. 00:25:43.640 --> 00:25:49.480 in favor of Christ's eternal priesthood. But 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:54.279 then verse 7 adds to the weight. The more they 00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:55.920 multiplied, the more the priests multiplied, 00:25:56.140 --> 00:26:00.339 the more they sinned against me. I will change 00:26:00.339 --> 00:26:07.259 their honor into disgrace. In other words, growth 00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:09.500 without godliness only multiplies corruption. 00:26:11.690 --> 00:26:14.390 Growth without godliness only multiplies corruption. 00:26:14.609 --> 00:26:17.170 You can see this in those who think having more 00:26:17.170 --> 00:26:19.529 money will somehow make them more moral or a 00:26:19.529 --> 00:26:22.430 better person. It doesn't. It just multiplies 00:26:22.430 --> 00:26:27.569 your corruption. Having better health doesn't 00:26:27.569 --> 00:26:31.569 make you more moral or godly. It only multiplies 00:26:31.569 --> 00:26:36.430 corruption. More influence and power, growth 00:26:36.430 --> 00:26:39.349 without godliness only multiplies corruption. 00:26:39.450 --> 00:26:41.680 And the priests, They may have been increasing 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:45.940 in number or influence in the nation, but it 00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:49.220 only meant more sin, more failure, more shame. 00:26:49.299 --> 00:26:51.940 What was once a position of honor, the priesthood, 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:55.240 serving in the house of God, has now become a 00:26:55.240 --> 00:26:59.839 source of disgrace. Verse 8 paints this sickening 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:02.700 picture here. It says, they feed on the sin of 00:27:02.700 --> 00:27:06.839 my people. They have an appetite for their iniquity. 00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:09.440 Some scholars think that what Hosea is referring 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:12.440 to there in God's indictment is that some of 00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:14.779 the priests were rejoicing or happy in the fact 00:27:14.779 --> 00:27:17.119 that sin was abounding because more sin meant 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:19.440 more sacrifice and more sacrifice meant they 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:23.460 could get fat off of it. They ate the sacrifice. 00:27:23.859 --> 00:27:26.119 So keep on sinning, keep on bringing the best 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:30.839 choice meat. It's good for the priests. They 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:33.200 feed on the sin of my people. They have an appetite 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:38.059 for their iniquity. The leaders were not grieving 00:27:38.059 --> 00:27:42.099 over sin. They were profiting from it. The sacrifices 00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:44.680 of the people had become a way for the priests 00:27:44.680 --> 00:27:47.339 to line their own stomach, and sin was no longer 00:27:47.339 --> 00:27:50.480 something to confront. It was something to consume. 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:55.279 So we're getting down to the last two verses. 00:27:55.319 --> 00:27:58.380 Verse 9 draws this conclusion. It says, the same 00:27:58.380 --> 00:28:00.500 judgment will happen to both people and priests. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:03.539 I will punish them for their ways and repay them 00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:08.180 for their deeds. Leaders and followers alike 00:28:08.180 --> 00:28:10.900 fall under God's judgment because leaders refuse 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:15.839 to teach and people refuse to listen. Like people, 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:18.880 like priests, the corruption is shared and so 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:23.000 is the judgment. And so verse 10 sums it all 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:26.200 up with, they will eat, but not be satisfied. 00:28:27.339 --> 00:28:31.200 They will be promiscuous, but not multiply, for 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:33.740 they have abandoned their devotion to the Lord. 00:28:35.740 --> 00:28:39.200 This is the ultimate consequence of rebellion, 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:47.119 and that is futility. The people will chase satisfaction, 00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:51.309 but never find it. They will pursue pleasure, 00:28:51.470 --> 00:28:55.390 but it will leave them empty. They will seek 00:28:55.390 --> 00:28:59.130 life apart from God and end up with nothing at 00:28:59.130 --> 00:29:04.230 all. Because this is the divine principle that 00:29:04.230 --> 00:29:07.730 is woven into the fabric of creation, and that 00:29:07.730 --> 00:29:11.130 is when you reject the knowledge of God, life 00:29:11.130 --> 00:29:17.980 itself begins to unravel. Charles Spurgeon once 00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:21.359 said that sin always promises to serve and please, 00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:26.680 but it always enslaves and destroys. Anyone been 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:33.059 sucked in by the lure of sin? Three people, four 00:29:33.059 --> 00:29:36.640 people, a couple people over here. We're going 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:42.180 in waves here. It went like that. Yeah. Well, 00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:44.180 David said, man, if you kept the record of wrong. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:51.019 Who could stand? If you kept a record of wrongs, 00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:54.539 who could stand? You know who has the biggest 00:29:54.539 --> 00:29:57.200 list? The one who thinks they have no list, right? 00:29:57.980 --> 00:29:59.660 The one who thinks they have no list has the 00:29:59.660 --> 00:30:02.400 biggest list. Well, John says that later in 1 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:07.460 John. We'll read that. Sin always over -promises 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:10.559 and under -delivers. It promises satisfaction. 00:30:10.619 --> 00:30:13.940 It leaves us hungry. It promises intimacy but 00:30:13.940 --> 00:30:18.680 leaves us empty. It promises life but leads to 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:21.019 death. That's the warning. Hosea is pressing 00:30:21.019 --> 00:30:23.720 into the hearts of God's people. To a people 00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:27.279 without knowledge is to be a people headed for 00:30:27.279 --> 00:30:32.700 destruction. But the passage itself isn't meant 00:30:32.700 --> 00:30:39.519 to condemn. Only it is meant to awaken us. Thanks 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:41.539 be to God that the story doesn't end there where 00:30:41.539 --> 00:30:45.670 Israel rejected knowledge. Christ has come as 00:30:45.670 --> 00:30:48.609 the wisdom of God, we are told. When Israel abandoned 00:30:48.609 --> 00:30:51.509 truth, Christ is the way, the truth, and the 00:30:51.509 --> 00:30:55.490 life. Where Israel forsook faithful love, Christ 00:30:55.490 --> 00:30:58.970 is the embodiment of steadfast love, laying down 00:30:58.970 --> 00:31:03.049 his life on the cross. He has taken on himself 00:31:03.049 --> 00:31:07.069 the consequence of your rebellion and my rebellion, 00:31:07.289 --> 00:31:11.269 so that in him we might be restored to the knowledge 00:31:11.269 --> 00:31:17.710 of God. And so in conclusion, what do we do with 00:31:17.710 --> 00:31:22.630 this? Well, first off, it means that the most 00:31:22.630 --> 00:31:26.130 urgent need in your life is probably not more 00:31:26.130 --> 00:31:33.349 information, but transformation. The most urgent 00:31:33.349 --> 00:31:36.630 need in your life is not more information, but 00:31:36.630 --> 00:31:40.410 transformation. And the question is not just, 00:31:40.470 --> 00:31:45.670 do I know things about God? But am I living as 00:31:45.670 --> 00:31:51.970 one who truly knows him? I want you to listen 00:31:51.970 --> 00:31:54.730 to a couple of passages that come out of John 00:31:54.730 --> 00:32:00.549 chapter 1. Not John chapter 1, 1 John. Lots of 00:32:00.549 --> 00:32:08.190 different chapters. 1 John. 1 John 2, 3. This 00:32:08.190 --> 00:32:12.490 is how we know that we know him. That's a good 00:32:12.490 --> 00:32:15.430 start, right? How do I know that I know him? 00:32:16.329 --> 00:32:20.609 You said, do I know things about God or am I 00:32:20.609 --> 00:32:22.869 truly living or am I living as one who truly 00:32:22.869 --> 00:32:25.990 knows him? Well, this is how we know that we 00:32:25.990 --> 00:32:32.009 know him. If we keep his commands. This is how 00:32:32.009 --> 00:32:34.089 we know that we know him. If we keep his commands. 00:32:36.309 --> 00:32:39.049 First John chapter three and 14 says, we know 00:32:39.049 --> 00:32:42.759 that we've passed from death to life. Because 00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:46.900 we love our brothers and sisters. So we know 00:32:46.900 --> 00:32:49.019 that we know him if we keep his commands and 00:32:49.019 --> 00:32:51.079 we know that we've passed from death into life 00:32:51.079 --> 00:32:53.420 because we love our brothers and sisters. John 00:32:53.420 --> 00:32:56.039 goes on to say, the one who does not love remains 00:32:56.039 --> 00:33:01.859 in death. First John chapter five, verse two 00:33:01.859 --> 00:33:05.680 said, this is how we know that we love God's 00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:11.240 children. When we love God and obey his commands. 00:33:12.509 --> 00:33:14.529 I think you just did a little circular thing 00:33:14.529 --> 00:33:17.089 there, didn't you? How do you know that you know 00:33:17.089 --> 00:33:20.150 him? Well, you keep his commands. How do you 00:33:20.150 --> 00:33:21.369 know that you pass from death to life? Well, 00:33:21.369 --> 00:33:23.150 you love your brothers and sisters. How do you 00:33:23.150 --> 00:33:24.289 know that you love his brothers and sisters? 00:33:24.390 --> 00:33:25.890 Well, you love God and you keep his commands. 00:33:29.170 --> 00:33:32.430 For some of you, the call today is to turn from 00:33:32.430 --> 00:33:36.730 your empty substitutes and finally come to know 00:33:36.730 --> 00:33:41.250 the Lord and Savior, Jesus. Not as an abstraction 00:33:41.250 --> 00:33:45.509 and not as a list of facts, but as a person to 00:33:45.509 --> 00:33:51.269 relate to and to know. Life apart from him only 00:33:51.269 --> 00:33:55.230 leads to futility. Life apart from him only leads 00:33:55.230 --> 00:33:58.049 to destruction. Eating, but never feeling satisfied. 00:33:58.630 --> 00:34:01.390 Searching, but never feeling like you found anything. 00:34:02.130 --> 00:34:05.190 But in Christ, the knowledge of God becomes personal 00:34:05.190 --> 00:34:11.860 in a person. And he offers the forgiveness in 00:34:11.860 --> 00:34:17.260 life your heart has been longing for. For others 00:34:17.260 --> 00:34:23.539 of you, it means shaking off apathy. Perhaps 00:34:23.539 --> 00:34:26.880 you go through the motions. You believe the right 00:34:26.880 --> 00:34:29.480 things, but you are not practicing the truth. 00:34:30.400 --> 00:34:34.920 You are not walking in covenant love. You are 00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:38.280 not cultivating the knowledge of God day by day. 00:34:39.789 --> 00:34:42.230 And Hosea warns us to live without the knowledge 00:34:42.230 --> 00:34:48.530 of God is to wither. God's word is calling you 00:34:48.530 --> 00:34:53.530 back to him. Brothers, still this passage is 00:34:53.530 --> 00:34:58.550 an encouragement to keep burning brightly. Some 00:34:58.550 --> 00:35:01.230 of you are running hard after Christ. You are 00:35:01.230 --> 00:35:04.769 rooted and established in his love. You are striving 00:35:04.769 --> 00:35:08.329 to be shaped by his truth. And Hosea reminds 00:35:08.329 --> 00:35:13.519 us, Why it matters. It matters because the land 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:18.139 mourns when God's people drift. Communities, 00:35:18.139 --> 00:35:24.539 families, churches fall apart when God's people 00:35:24.539 --> 00:35:29.480 drift. But it flourishes. They flourish when 00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:33.329 God's people live faithfully. And so be encouraged 00:35:33.329 --> 00:35:35.530 if you are running hard and rooted and established 00:35:35.530 --> 00:35:38.449 in Christ and his love. You are going hard. You 00:35:38.449 --> 00:35:44.090 understand this relationship with your Savior. 00:35:46.289 --> 00:35:49.050 And know that your pursuit of God is not wasted. 00:35:51.090 --> 00:35:54.610 It is breathing life into family, community, 00:35:54.710 --> 00:36:02.630 and the church. Hosea says, my people, are destroyed 00:36:02.630 --> 00:36:06.889 for lack of knowledge. But in Christ, and we're 00:36:06.889 --> 00:36:11.710 told in 2 Peter, that in Christ, that his divine 00:36:11.710 --> 00:36:15.150 power has given us everything we need for life 00:36:15.150 --> 00:36:19.050 and godliness through our knowledge of him. In 00:36:19.050 --> 00:36:20.550 other words, we don't need life and godliness 00:36:20.550 --> 00:36:23.150 in order to know him. We need him in order to 00:36:23.150 --> 00:36:28.710 get life and godliness. out the call in order 00:36:28.710 --> 00:36:30.829 to be the people of God, in order to be the bright 00:36:30.829 --> 00:36:36.750 shining light. We need him. We need him. No shortage 00:36:36.750 --> 00:36:42.090 of him. You probably experienced it maybe in 00:36:42.090 --> 00:36:45.409 your own life, in your own walk. A season where 00:36:45.409 --> 00:36:48.750 you were living off of a list of facts about 00:36:48.750 --> 00:36:53.190 God. You could answer any debate, you could question, 00:36:53.369 --> 00:36:57.030 but it wasn't like a relationship. It wasn't 00:36:57.030 --> 00:36:59.829 like a covenantal relationship. Remember, it's 00:36:59.829 --> 00:37:01.210 not like a boss relationship. We're not talking 00:37:01.210 --> 00:37:03.769 about a boss relationship here. Employee, boss, 00:37:04.010 --> 00:37:08.389 you know. Don't be mad at me. A covenantal relationship 00:37:08.389 --> 00:37:11.789 sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ with you 00:37:11.789 --> 00:37:16.409 and me and us. So it ought to be a relationship. 00:37:17.530 --> 00:37:21.849 We ought to relate to God on those terms. And 00:37:21.849 --> 00:37:25.550 how do we know? What's the evidence that we know 00:37:25.550 --> 00:37:28.860 God? It's that we're beginning to look more like 00:37:28.860 --> 00:37:33.300 him. That's what John's saying. It's that we 00:37:33.300 --> 00:37:35.699 obey his commands so that we know him. It's that 00:37:35.699 --> 00:37:37.619 we know him and we begin to obey his commands. 00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:40.199 And we go, oh my gosh, I look like, I sort of 00:37:40.199 --> 00:37:43.340 look like my Lord and Savior. Every day, a little 00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:45.579 bit more. Every day, a little bit more of my 00:37:45.579 --> 00:37:47.940 old life is passing away. And every day, a little 00:37:47.940 --> 00:37:51.760 bit more of the new creation is coming. I see 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:55.519 it now. I know, I know that I know God. Because 00:37:55.519 --> 00:37:59.480 I'm not the same. I'm not the same person I was. 00:37:59.780 --> 00:38:03.800 I know that I know God. I couldn't have done 00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:07.980 that myself. But only the power of Christ at 00:38:07.980 --> 00:38:14.019 work, his divine power, at work in my life, can 00:38:14.019 --> 00:38:20.900 make me into that. Ultimately, all glory goes 00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:24.900 to his glory and goodness, right? Jesus is the 00:38:24.900 --> 00:38:26.699 way, the truth, and the life that we live by. 00:38:26.900 --> 00:38:30.599 He is the faithful love that we cling to. And 00:38:30.599 --> 00:38:33.820 he is the knowledge of God revealed so that you 00:38:33.820 --> 00:38:37.980 and I can know God. What an amazing promise. 00:38:38.179 --> 00:38:38.519 Amen.