1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Well, good morning. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:08,000 I feel like it's been a while since I've been up here, so it's good to be here this morning. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,000 We're going to be in Hosea chapter 6. 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,000 This morning we are in our sixth week of going through the book of Hosea. 5 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:20,000 We're going to get the general idea today of two chapters this morning. 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:25,000 So we don't have time to read the whole thing, but I would always encourage you that you go back. 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:31,000 As we're going through the series, as we're not going line by line, that you go ahead and read the entire chapter 8 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:39,000 so that you can understand and see what we are not able to cover in our time on Sundays. 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,000 So being in Hosea chapter 6 and 7 this morning, I'll give you time to... 10 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,000 I always forget to look at what page that's on. 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:52,000 It's on page 754 in my Bible. I don't know if that helps you. 12 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Have you ever been caught doing something that you know you shouldn't? 13 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Now, my children are not deprived children. 14 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,000 They have everything they could ever need and then some. 15 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:17,000 But if you ask a couple of them, if not all four of them, they would make it seem like they are starving 16 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,000 and we don't feed them. 17 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,000 I promise you that we do. 18 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:27,000 Now, because my children feel like they are so deprived 19 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,000 and because they feel like they are living in a North Korean prison camp at times, 20 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,000 they sometimes feel the need to sneak food into their room. 21 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,000 But what does every kid do with the wrapper? 22 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,000 Do they take it back to the kitchen and throw it in the trash? 23 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:46,000 No. 24 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,000 Do they want to get rid of the evidence? 25 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,000 No. They stick it under their bed. 26 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,000 They put it behind some sort of piece of furniture. 27 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:58,000 Never once, ever, have my children asked me for something to eat 28 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,000 and I've given them a rock instead. 29 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,000 It's never happened. 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,000 But they sure act like that's what would happen if they were to ask me if they could have something to eat. 31 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,000 Well, eventually we go into the room and are looking for something 32 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:17,000 and we find all the wrappers that have been stuffed into something. 33 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,000 I mean, they don't even try to get rid of the evidence. 34 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,000 They just leave it there. 35 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:29,000 So they get caught and one of my children in particular, when they get caught, they just crumble. 36 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,000 They fall into our arms. 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:32,000 They are crying. 38 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,000 They are sobbing. 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:34,000 They are apologizing. 40 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,000 They are telling us they won't do it again. 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:43,000 It's really hard in that moment to be mad at them, at least the first time. 42 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:49,000 Right? So with that in mind, let's look at the first three verses of chapter 6. 43 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,000 Isaiah writes, 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:03:15,000 Now, remember last week, Pastor Mark showed us that God was starting to build a case against the Israelites. 45 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:25,000 They had done so many things wrong. 46 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,000 They didn't show that they were faithful. 47 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,000 They didn't show that they had steadfast love or knowledge. 48 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:36,000 The first three verses are Israel's response to getting busted. 49 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 And it's our response when we get busted as well. 50 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,000 We've all done it, haven't we? 51 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,000 We get convicted of sin. 52 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:51,000 We make a commitment and we start to give ourselves a little speech. 53 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,000 I'm not going to do this again. 54 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,000 I'm not going to walk in this sin anymore. 55 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:02,000 I'm going to live my life finally in a way that honors the Lord. 56 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,000 We all do it. 57 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,000 We're going to start reading our Bible. 58 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,000 We're going to start coming to Bible study. 59 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,000 We're going to get up early and pray. 60 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,000 We're going to really change our life this time. 61 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,000 This is what Israel is doing. 62 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,000 God got their attention. 63 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Their response is, you're right. 64 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,000 Let us return to the Lord. 65 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,000 Let's stop looking at other things. 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:30,000 And then they start reciting things that they know to be true about the Lord. 67 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,000 Sometimes he breaks us down so that he can heal us. 68 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:37,000 He wounds us so that he can lift us back up. 69 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,000 It's like they know. 70 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:45,000 It's like they know that sometimes in order for there to be healing, 71 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,000 the infection has to be cut out. 72 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,000 God accuses them in the last chapter of having no knowledge. 73 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:58,000 So the response in verse 3 is, let us press on to know the Lord. 74 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Let's do this thing. 75 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Let's learn some things about him. 76 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:08,000 This is their mountaintop, youth camp, whatever experience. 77 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,000 They are rededicating their life to the Lord. 78 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:14,000 They are making some strong commitments to the Lord 79 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:18,000 because they know that he's going to respond to them. 80 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,000 Now those are important moments. 81 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,000 I'm not knocking mountaintop experiences. 82 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,000 I'm not knocking rededicating your life to the Lord. 83 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:31,000 Those are good reminders that the Lord is not far from any of us. 84 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:36,000 It also reminds us that he is a God that responds to us 85 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:41,000 and isn't some out of touch being that likes to watch us suffer. 86 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:47,000 The reason that this is their response is because they care about the Lord. 87 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,000 No one is saying they are proud of what they did. 88 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,000 Nobody is saying that they are proud of where they've come 89 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,000 and they are happy that the Lord has matted them. 90 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 The reason my children and probably your children feel shame 91 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,000 and want to make it right when they do something wrong 92 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,000 is because they care about us as their parents. 93 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,000 They care about what we think. 94 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,000 They know that they have offended what our standard 95 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,000 and which we want them to live. 96 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,000 Now that isn't part of the thought process when they are doing the deed 97 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:25,000 but when they see that they've been busted, when they see that they've been caught 98 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,000 they want to make it right. 99 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,000 They don't want to be in trouble anymore. 100 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,000 They want that relationship with us restored. 101 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:39,000 When was the last time that you made a commitment to the Lord 102 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,000 that you would start taking him seriously, 103 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:47,000 that you would start living your life in a way that pleases him. 104 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:54,000 If you haven't felt convicted of your sin in some time 105 00:06:54,000 --> 00:07:00,000 then I'm going to push back against you and say that you are not walking closely with the Lord. 106 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,000 If you've not felt convicted about how you're living your life recently 107 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,000 then you are not walking closely with the Lord. 108 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,000 One thing I know for sure about my relationship with the Lord 109 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,000 is the more I spend time with him, 110 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,000 the more I'm reading his word, 111 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000 the more I'm seeking after him, 112 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:22,000 the more that I am convinced that I'm nowhere near 113 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,000 the standard of righteousness without him that I want to be. 114 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,000 The more I feel like I need to confess, 115 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000 the more I feel like I need to make it right, 116 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:36,000 I would encourage all of us this morning 117 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,000 to really think about what our response to him would be 118 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,000 if he laid out all the charges that he has against us. 119 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,000 What if he laid that all out in front of you? 120 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,000 What would your response be? 121 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,000 This is how you've messed up. 122 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:51,000 This is how you've shown to be unfaithful. 123 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,000 This is how you've shown that you don't have love. 124 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:57,000 This is how you've shown that you don't have any knowledge of me. 125 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,000 You know some facts about me, but you don't know me. 126 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,000 That leads us to God's response, starting in verse 4. 127 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,000 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? 128 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,000 What shall I do with you, O Judah? 129 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,000 Your love is like a morning cloud, 130 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,000 like the dew that goes away early. 131 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,000 Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets, 132 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,000 I have slain them by the words in my mouth, 133 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,000 and my judgment goes forth as the light. 134 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,000 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice. 135 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,000 The knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 136 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Now as a parent, I understand this all too well. 137 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:38,000 The reality is that when I think my kids are busted, 138 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:42,000 I really think that when they're caught doing something, 139 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,000 they are really sincere in their apologies. 140 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,000 They really mean it. 141 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 They're really concerned about making it right. 142 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:57,000 However, they tend to forget that, and they do it again. 143 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,000 They do the same thing again. 144 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,000 Then we get more apologies and more sadness. 145 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:07,000 Once again, genuine, but it just doesn't seem to stick. 146 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,000 I know this as a parent. 147 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:15,000 What the passage is saying here is that our response is untrustworthy. 148 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:21,000 Have you ever said, what am I going to do with you to one of your children? 149 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,000 What am I going to do with you? 150 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,000 This is what God is saying. 151 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:33,000 Your commitment, your love is like the morning dew. 152 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:38,000 It's real, it's real, but it doesn't last. 153 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,000 Now that is so true of our hearts. 154 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:47,000 I think in the moment we really think, we really believe, 155 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,000 we're going to turn things around this time. 156 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,000 We're going to stop being lazy. 157 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 We're going to stop wasting so much time on our phone. 158 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,000 We're going to read our Bibles more. 159 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,000 We're going to be more committed to the church, 160 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,000 but the feeling fades, the commitment fades. 161 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Something else comes along to distract us and we move on. 162 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 I want us to focus real quick on verse 6 because I think we get action 163 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:15,000 confused sometimes with devotion. 164 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:20,000 God tells us he desires steadfast love, not sacrifice. 165 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:25,000 He desires the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 166 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:30,000 God is not hoping that you just go and do more stuff. 167 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:34,000 The Israelites forgot the purpose of the sacrifice. 168 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,000 They forgot the purpose of the burnt offerings. 169 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:42,000 They weren't just things to do to make them holy in the sight of God. 170 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:48,000 They were a reminder that everything comes from God. 171 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:54,000 They were doing these religious things thinking that that is what please God. 172 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,000 And he just said, no, no, no, I want you to know me. 173 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,000 I want you to know me. 174 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,000 I want you to love me. 175 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:08,000 Because if you truly loved me, 176 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,000 then you wouldn't understand it isn't a sacrifice. 177 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,000 If you truly knew my heart, 178 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:20,000 these wouldn't just be religious things to do. 179 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,000 They would have purpose. 180 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,000 They would be an act of worship. 181 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,000 I had this room at in college for a little while. 182 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,000 His name was Eric. 183 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,000 I guess his name is Eric. 184 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,000 He and I were best friends for several years. 185 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,000 We did everything together, but then something happened. 186 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,000 And to this day, I'm really not sure what it was. 187 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,000 For the last year of college, we were living in the same house, 188 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,000 but I never saw him. 189 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,000 He would lock himself in the room. 190 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,000 He would come out for class or he'd come out for work. 191 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,000 And that was about it. 192 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:06,000 The last year of college, that's all we were roommates. 193 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,000 We would talk when we needed to talk, 194 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,000 when we had to get together to pay the rent or pay the utilities, 195 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,000 hey, you owe me this much for the water bill or whatever that was. 196 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,000 But that was about the extent of our conversation for the last year 197 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,000 that we worked together or lived together. 198 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,000 He even, after we graduated, he even packed up everything 199 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:28,000 while we were gone and left without saying goodbye. 200 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,000 Leaving me and our other roommate to clean everything up. 201 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,000 You know how that goes, right? 202 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:37,000 To get the house ready to get our deposit back. 203 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:42,000 Eric functioned as a roommate, but nothing more. 204 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,000 He always paid on time. 205 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,000 He cleaned up after himself, but nothing more. 206 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,000 There was no relationship. 207 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000 He didn't really know what was going on with me, 208 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000 nor did I know what was going on with him. 209 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:01,000 He did the job of a roommate, but there was no relationship. 210 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:06,000 What God is asking from us, what God is asking from His people 211 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:10,000 is to be more than just roommates. 212 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:14,000 Don't just come to church, pay your tithe, 213 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,000 say hi to people on your way in with a smile, 214 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 and think that that is what He's after. 215 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,000 If your motivation for coming to church 216 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,000 is because you think it makes you look like a good person, 217 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,000 it gives you a good reputation in the community, 218 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:35,000 then I'm going to ask you to stop coming 219 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,000 because you're wasting your time. 220 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,000 If that's what your motivation is, 221 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,000 is I'm going to go to church on Sunday 222 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,000 because that'll put me in the right spot with God, 223 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,000 then you're wasting your time. 224 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,000 God says, I want you to know me. 225 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,000 I want you to be faithful to me. 226 00:13:55,000 --> 00:14:00,000 If reading your Bible is a sacrifice 227 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:05,000 and you don't really care of who God is, 228 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,000 then don't read it. 229 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:11,000 Stop reading it because the reality is 230 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,000 is that once you understand Him, once you love Him, 231 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,000 then reading your Bible is a joy. 232 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,000 Coming to church is a joy. 233 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:25,000 He is after far more than religious platitudes. 234 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,000 So this morning I hope you understand 235 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,000 that we have proven to be untrustworthy. 236 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,000 But I also hope you understand 237 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:39,000 that at least God knows that our response is consistent. 238 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,000 It says in chapter 7 verse 1, 239 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,000 when I would heal Israel, 240 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,000 the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed 241 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,000 and the evil deeds of Samaria, 242 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,000 for they deal falsely. 243 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:54,000 The thief breaks in and the bandits raid outside. 244 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,000 So God is acknowledging in that passage 245 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,000 that when He would heal them, 246 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,000 they would mess up again. 247 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,000 When I would give them a clean slate, 248 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,000 they would dirty it up again. 249 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:10,000 The Israelites would overcome 250 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:14,000 overwhelming armies 251 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,000 with the help of the Lord. 252 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,000 They would have these big, massive victories 253 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,000 with the help of the Lord. 254 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,000 But they would go back to worshiping false idols. 255 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000 They would then go back to just going through the motions 256 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:31,000 and their devotion to the Lord would wane 257 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,000 and they ended up being conquered by other armies down the road. 258 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,000 The same story being said about Israel 259 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,000 is the same story for humanity since. 260 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,000 We get a fresh start, we mess it up. 261 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,000 We make bad decisions. 262 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,000 We chase things that we think are going to make us happy. 263 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,000 We put other things before the Lord. 264 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,000 And then we begin to wonder why He seems distant from us. 265 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:04,000 We begin to wonder why sin seems to be overtaking my life. 266 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,000 We come to church or camp or a conference 267 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:10,000 and it reinvigorates our passion for the Lord 268 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,000 and we do really, really, really well for a season. 269 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:19,000 But then again, our consistent nature is to mess it up again. 270 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:25,000 How many times has sin wrecked your life? 271 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:31,000 Now, for me, it doesn't wreck it nearly as badly as it used to. 272 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,000 But it will mess up my life enough at times 273 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:40,000 where my wife and I don't get along for a few days 274 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,000 where there's no communication 275 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,000 because I'm handling a situation incorrectly. 276 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,000 There have been times that there have been barriers 277 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,000 between me and my children 278 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,000 because sometimes I forget that they're children 279 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,000 and I expect them to act like adults. 280 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,000 The sin in my life has caused many broken relationships 281 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:08,000 because I just didn't handle the situation correctly. 282 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,000 I've been given a clean slate by the Lord 283 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,000 and at times instead of doing what He requires of me, 284 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,000 I choose my own path. 285 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,000 I choose my own desires. I choose my own needs. 286 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,000 Consistently, I fall short. 287 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,000 And at times God has to use some drastic measures 288 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:29,000 to get my attention. 289 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,000 Sometimes the consequences of my sin 290 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,000 are God just letting me go down the path 291 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,000 that I've chosen knowing that it's going to end badly for me. 292 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,000 This is what is about to happen to Israel 293 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,000 as we keep reading. 294 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,000 There's an old saying, many of you know it. 295 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:51,000 You've made your bed, now you've got to lie in it. 296 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,000 I don't know what that means 297 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,000 because if I make my bed, I'm not allowed... 298 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,000 Sina makes my bed. 299 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,000 If Sina makes the bed, I'm not allowed to lie on it. 300 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,000 That makes no sense to me. 301 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,000 But it means you've made a decision 302 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,000 and now you have to live with the consequences of that decision. 303 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,000 There is justice in that saying. 304 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,000 For generations, God had given the Israelites 305 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:19,000 opportunities to return, opportunities to remain faithful, 306 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,000 but each time they messed it up. 307 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:24,000 And now here we are in Hosea 308 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,000 and we're reading about some of those consequences. 309 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,000 There was a movie that came out in 2009 310 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,000 called Up. 311 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,000 You seen it? 312 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,000 It's about an old man who loses his wife 313 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:39,000 and he refuses to sell his house 314 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,000 while development is going all around him. 315 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,000 He ends up attaching... 316 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,000 This is not a true story, right? 317 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,000 But, just so you know, he ends up attaching 318 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,000 a whole bunch of helium balloons to his house 319 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,000 and just flying it out of there. 320 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,000 Not knowing that there's a little boy on his porch 321 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,000 before he does this. 322 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:00,000 They end up landing in South America. 323 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,000 And once they get to South America, 324 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:08,000 they come across this golden retriever named Doug. 325 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,000 Now, I can relate to Doug. 326 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,000 He's distracted easily by what's going on around him. 327 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:18,000 He will be in the middle of a conversation 328 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,000 and then lose all focus completely 329 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,000 because he thinks he saw a squirrel. 330 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:30,000 Our response to God's judgment a lot of times is like Doug. 331 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,000 In verse 11, chapter 7, it says, 332 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:35,000 Ephraim is like a dove, 333 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,000 silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, 334 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,000 going to Assyria. 335 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,000 It then says in verse 16, 336 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:46,000 they return but not upward. 337 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:51,000 How many times did God prove himself faithful 338 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,000 and capable 339 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:57,000 and when things got hard, 340 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:02,000 they wished they were back in Egypt. 341 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,000 They're walking with the Lord, 342 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,000 he just parted the red seed. 343 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,000 We're just tore apart the seed, as we just sang, right? 344 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,000 They cross on dry land, God has proven himself faithful. 345 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:17,000 He's proven himself capable. 346 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,000 And then they look around, they walk around for a few days 347 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,000 and they're like, there's no McDonald's around here. 348 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,000 There's no Chick-fil-A's around here. 349 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:26,000 I'm hungry. 350 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,000 We had plenty of food back in Egypt. 351 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,000 They get distracted by their circumstances. 352 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:34,000 God calls his people silly and without sense. 353 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:38,000 He says they return but not upward. 354 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:42,000 That simply means they come back to doing religious things 355 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,000 but not because of who I am 356 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:48,000 but because that is something they know to do. 357 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,000 They know how to go through the motions. 358 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,000 It says later that when we do that, 359 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,000 we are like a treacherous bow, 360 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,000 meaning we are useless. 361 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,000 A crooked bow doesn't shoot straight. 362 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,000 It makes it harder to hit the target. 363 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Now, you might get in the general vicinity 364 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,000 but you're probably not going to hit the target. 365 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:16,000 To return upward means to be aware that everything you have is God's. 366 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,000 Everything. 367 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:23,000 We use the breath that He gives us 368 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:28,000 to sing praises and say prayers 369 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,000 but we also use that same breath 370 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:35,000 to say something critical about someone else. 371 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:40,000 Every dollar that you have is from God. 372 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,000 You might say, no, I earned it. 373 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,000 I'm one of the few people in my field 374 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,000 that can accomplish what I do. 375 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,000 Now, that might be true. 376 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,000 It might be true and it probably is true 377 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,000 but it was God who knitted you together 378 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:02,000 and gave you the skills necessary to make a living. 379 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,000 When we don't return upward, 380 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,000 we are relying on our own abilities and knowledge 381 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:14,000 and those things are like a crooked bow. 382 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:19,000 You begin to think things like giving a check 383 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,000 is helping God out. 384 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,000 You begin to think that serving the church is an obligation. 385 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,000 You begin to think that going on mission is helping God out 386 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,000 because if you don't do it, then who is? 387 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:37,000 The reality is that when we return upward, 388 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:42,000 we realize we aren't generous enough. 389 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:47,000 We realize that serving the church is a joy 390 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,000 and hopes that somebody will come to know the Lord. 391 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,000 We go on mission because we get the opportunity 392 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:59,000 to bless someone as much as the Lord has blessed us. 393 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,000 Too many people live their lives by doing things 394 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:08,000 so that they can be saved, so that they can be redeemed 395 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:13,000 instead of doing things because we are redeemed. 396 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,000 You don't work for your redemption. 397 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,000 You work because you have redemption. 398 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,000 Do you realize what is going on in this place today? 399 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,000 Do you understand what's going on in this place today? 400 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:32,000 We get the opportunity, not the chore, 401 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:37,000 not the duty, but the opportunity to gather in this place 402 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:42,000 and worship that God of everything. 403 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,000 It's not an obligation. 404 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:51,000 You get to sit next to the family that God has given you 405 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,000 and worship Him for it. 406 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,000 You get to watch children run out of here 407 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,000 and go learn about the good news of Jesus. 408 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:09,000 We get to stay in here and hear His Word and worship Him for it. 409 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:14,000 We get to read the words of God. 410 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,000 We get to hear His heart. 411 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,000 We get to understand His ways. 412 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:24,000 We get to know Him through this book. 413 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:27,000 We don't have to. 414 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,000 We get to. 415 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:35,000 We get to bow our knees in reverence to the Creator 416 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,000 and sustainer of life. 417 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:42,000 We get to bow our knees in reverence to the Perfecter of our faith. 418 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:46,000 But so many of us don't have that mindset. 419 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:50,000 We return to the Lord time and time and time again, 420 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,000 but we fail to surrender completely to Him. 421 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:56,000 We get distracted. 422 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,000 Have you ever been studying your Bible? 423 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,000 Having a time of prayer 424 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:08,000 and everything on your to-do list starts to go through your head? 425 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,000 You haven't thought about it all day. 426 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,000 But as soon as you sit down to spend time with the Lord, 427 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:21,000 squirrel, right? 428 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,000 We have to fight against that temptation. 429 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 That's the enemy at work in your life. 430 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:35,000 Have you ever been compelled to share your story of redemption with someone? 431 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,000 To tell them the good news of Jesus. 432 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,000 And you're about to open your mouth. 433 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:46,000 And then all of a sudden you begin to think about the rejection that might occur. 434 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,000 They might think I'm an idiot. 435 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,000 They might ask me a question I don't know the answer to. 436 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,000 And we begin to think about those things. 437 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:58,000 We're distracted and we fail to walk in obedience to the Lord. 438 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:02,000 Or you've been called by God to give some money away to someone in need. 439 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:05,000 To help some ministry out. 440 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:08,000 But then you start worrying about paying your own bills. 441 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,000 You start worrying about, well, what if this comes up? 442 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:14,000 If I give this money away, I'm not going to have it ready. 443 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:18,000 If God calls you to something, 444 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:22,000 our focus has to remain on Him. 445 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:31,000 It is having the mindset of I'd rather be rejected by this individual 446 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 than failing to follow the Lord's command. 447 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:40,000 I would rather spend 20 to 30 minutes focused on my relationship with the Lord 448 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,000 than anything else. 449 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,000 Because I know that if I do that, the rest of my day will go better. 450 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,000 The rest of my to-do list will go better. 451 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:51,000 It is trusting Him with our finances. 452 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,000 Because if He calls me to give away a bunch of cash, 453 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,000 I'm going to trust that He's going to continue to provide in spite of it. 454 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:03,000 We have to return upward. 455 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Here's what I need you to know. 456 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,000 Even though we respond when we're busted, 457 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,000 and our responses are consistently untrustworthy. 458 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:22,000 God's response is not condemnation. His response is a clean slate. 459 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,000 Did you catch that little Messianic prophecy in verse 2, chapter 6? 460 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,000 After two days, He will revive us. 461 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:35,000 And on the third day, He will raise us up that we may live before Him. 462 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:41,000 In the midst of all of our unfaithfulness, 463 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:47,000 God is still responding in love. 464 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:51,000 He hasn't stopped pursuing us. 465 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:56,000 The people in Hosea's time didn't know it yet to the extent that we do now. 466 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,000 But even in the midst of their rebellion, 467 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:03,000 God was planning on sending His Son to be the final sacrifice. 468 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:08,000 Our inadequacies, our failures, 469 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:14,000 are continuously met with love and grace. 470 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,000 Right now, we're still being revived. 471 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,000 We're still being revived. 472 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,000 But there is a day coming that He will raise us up, 473 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,000 not because of who we are, not because of what we've done, 474 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,000 but because that is His nature. 475 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:32,000 That's who He is. 476 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:37,000 I mean, I would have already given up on me by now. 477 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,000 But the Lord's love is never ending. 478 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:46,000 When we are untrustworthy, He is faithful. 479 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:51,000 When we consistently mess up, He meets us with grace. 480 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,000 When we get distracted by shiny things, 481 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,000 and we forget about God and what He's been speaking, 482 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,000 He remains steady. 483 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,000 So let's respond, 484 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:08,000 knowing that we're going to mess up again. 485 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,000 Let's respond upward, 486 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:15,000 realizing and acknowledging that every good and perfect gift 487 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:20,000 comes down from the Father of Lights. 488 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:25,000 These are holy moments. 489 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,000 These are holy moments to remind us 490 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,000 and help us get back in tune with the Father's voice. 491 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:37,000 Jesus says that His sheep know His voice. 492 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:44,000 The question that becomes, are you listening for it? 493 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:48,000 You know when He's speaking to you. 494 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,000 Are you walking in obedience? 495 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,000 How are you going to respond? 496 00:29:55,000 --> 00:30:05,000 Let's pray. 497 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:14,000 Father, I pray that you will hear my voice. 498 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:17,000 I pray that our ears are attentive to you. 499 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:22,000 I pray that you will hear our cries for mercy. 500 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,000 God, if you kept record of sins, 501 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:31,000 who could stand? 502 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:36,000 But with you there's forgiveness, 503 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:42,000 so that we can serve you and love you and follow you. 504 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:47,000 So Father, we wait for you? 505 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:51,000 Each and every one of us are waiting for you? 506 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:55,000 Father, our hope is in your word. 507 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,000 I pray that we will hear it. 508 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:03,000 And so God, right now we wait for you. 509 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,000 More than watchmen wait for the morning, 510 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:11,000 we wait for you to speak. 511 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:16,000 And so Father, our hope is in you. 512 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:22,000 Because your love is unfaithful. 513 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:26,000 And in Jesus we have redemption. 514 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:30,000 And so Father, I pray for this time. 515 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,000 I pray for obedience and humility to fall on this room. 516 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,000 I pray for your spirit to speak to our hearts. 517 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,000 I pray God that our ears and our hearts will be in tune 518 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,000 with how you were speaking to us. 519 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,000 Help us not just go through the motions. 520 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,000 Help us return upward. 521 00:31:50,000 --> 00:32:16,000 Shalom and praise.