1 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:43,180 Good morning. 3 00:00:43,180 --> 00:00:58,620 Father God, I pray for you to continue to work in this place. 4 00:00:58,620 --> 00:01:08,620 There are lives here who need to be changed, who need to be transformed and impacted by the power of your truth. 5 00:01:08,620 --> 00:01:14,620 God, I believe you want to bring freedom to people in this place. 6 00:01:14,620 --> 00:01:24,620 We just sang about freedom. God, would you bring freedom in the power of Jesus' name? 7 00:01:24,620 --> 00:01:34,620 Would you speak through me? Use this message for your glory. It's in Jesus' name. Amen. 8 00:01:34,620 --> 00:01:44,620 Well, this morning we're continuing in our series in Hosea. We will be in Hosea chapters 9 and 10. 9 00:01:44,620 --> 00:01:53,620 It's found on page 755. If you're using one of the Bibles there in front of you, we are not going to read all of these two chapters. 10 00:01:53,620 --> 00:02:02,620 Instead, we're going to focus on a few verses that kind of get at the point of what Hosea is saying here. 11 00:02:02,620 --> 00:02:09,620 Now, I distinctly recall those dreaded words that no child ever wants to hear. 12 00:02:09,620 --> 00:02:18,620 Just wait till your dad gets home. That was the last thing any of us three boys ever wanted to hear. 13 00:02:18,620 --> 00:02:23,620 We did not want to have our rear ends meet one of his two paddles. 14 00:02:23,620 --> 00:02:31,620 One of the paddles was about a quarter of an inch thick and had a nice little snap to it when he would spank us. 15 00:02:31,620 --> 00:02:42,620 The other paddle was an inch thick piece of oak that he actually got when he pledged his fraternity back in college. 16 00:02:42,620 --> 00:02:49,620 And it has all the signatures of all his fraternity brothers who spanked him with it. 17 00:02:49,620 --> 00:02:58,620 Unfortunately, there was a time when the thin one had snapped, so that meant he had to use the thicker, heavy one. 18 00:02:58,620 --> 00:03:07,620 Now, it didn't really have any snap to it. It was more of a thud when it met your rear end. 19 00:03:07,620 --> 00:03:17,620 Now, you see, we wanted nothing to do with this coming punchment, so we would immediately respond in remorse at those words. 20 00:03:17,620 --> 00:03:22,620 Wait till your dad gets home. We shed crocodile tears. 21 00:03:22,620 --> 00:03:28,620 We were often putting on the biggest act that we could because we wanted mom to see how sorry we were. 22 00:03:28,620 --> 00:03:36,620 Sometimes, you see, we even begged mom to just spank us right then, right at that moment. 23 00:03:36,620 --> 00:03:43,620 There was no need to put this off to delay this thing. Let's just get this over with. Just get the spanking done. 24 00:03:43,620 --> 00:03:48,620 Well, that might have served a couple purposes. One, the agony of waiting was horrible. 25 00:03:48,620 --> 00:03:53,620 Like, straight up, that was like, I feel like that might have been worse than the actual spanking. 26 00:03:53,620 --> 00:04:07,620 Two, well, when mom was spanking us, we had to make sure that actually, that we weren't laughing because it just wasn't the same. 27 00:04:07,620 --> 00:04:12,620 But we wanted to get it done, so hey, let's just do this. 28 00:04:12,620 --> 00:04:21,620 We would go through all the motions and all the emotions to make sure that we could avoid that punishment. 29 00:04:21,620 --> 00:04:32,620 Now, on many occasions, of course, our repentance and our remorse was not real. 30 00:04:32,620 --> 00:04:40,620 Now, Hosea 9 and 10 continues what chapter 8 began, prophesying judgment against the people of Israel. 31 00:04:40,620 --> 00:04:46,620 As Pastor Mark pointed out a few weeks ago, the Israelites were guilty of not knowing God. 32 00:04:46,620 --> 00:04:54,620 They had turned from Him to follow their own path, thinking that they knew better than God did. 33 00:04:54,620 --> 00:05:02,620 Now, this punishment that was coming to them, the punishment that came to us, boys, 34 00:05:02,620 --> 00:05:12,620 the purpose of it isn't just simply for judgment's sake, but the purpose is to bring back, to restore, 35 00:05:12,620 --> 00:05:19,620 to turn back towards God, towards obedience. 36 00:05:19,620 --> 00:05:25,620 Now, we won't be reading the entirety of these chapters, but we're going to focus on a few different little spots here 37 00:05:25,620 --> 00:05:28,620 so that we can see what Hosea was trying to say. 38 00:05:28,620 --> 00:05:35,620 Now, chapter 9 opens with an announcement that the people would soon be taken off into captivity. 39 00:05:35,620 --> 00:05:44,620 The abundance they had been experiencing was about to come to an end, and their land, in spite of all the fruitfulness that they were experiencing, 40 00:05:44,620 --> 00:05:50,620 their land would become a wilderness because of their great sins. 41 00:05:50,620 --> 00:05:59,620 Their behavior was crooked. They had lived in sin so God would be giving them over to that crooked behavior. 42 00:05:59,620 --> 00:06:11,620 As Pastor Scott said last week, we are free to choose our actions, but we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions. 43 00:06:11,620 --> 00:06:17,620 They had made their bed, and now they would have to lie in it. 44 00:06:17,620 --> 00:06:29,620 But you see, it wasn't always this way. Hosea 9-10 gives us a little insight into God's heart for his people. 45 00:06:29,620 --> 00:06:38,620 It reads, like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel, like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. 46 00:06:38,620 --> 00:06:47,620 A few weeks ago, our family was hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, near Lake Tahoe. 47 00:06:47,620 --> 00:06:52,620 One particular place we were hiking was called Desolation Wilderness. 48 00:06:52,620 --> 00:07:01,620 We had hiked up this mountain, and as we neared the peak, we had a view towards the backside there, and my first thought was, 49 00:07:01,620 --> 00:07:12,620 this place sure is desolate. There were some trees and rocks there, as you can see, but it certainly isn't an environment that is conducive to sustaining much life. 50 00:07:12,620 --> 00:07:21,620 Finding fruit in a place like that would have been completely unfathomable and a joy to behold in such a forlorn place. 51 00:07:21,620 --> 00:07:33,620 Of course, God knew, before time began, God knew how he was going to fix the relationship between he and humanity. 52 00:07:33,620 --> 00:07:42,620 He knew what the plan was going to be, but when he chose the Israelites, it was as though he had found grapes in the wilderness, 53 00:07:42,620 --> 00:07:54,620 and he took great delight in his people. However, God's delight seemed to be at its end with the pronouncement of judgment. 54 00:07:54,620 --> 00:08:04,620 So he used some history illustrations from their past to help them understand really just how bad things were. 55 00:08:04,620 --> 00:08:15,620 We need history lessons because this lesson here helps shed a bit of light on what's Hosea is actually trying to say here in a few of these verses. 56 00:08:15,620 --> 00:08:22,620 So, Hosea 9-9 reads, they have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibbia. 57 00:08:22,620 --> 00:08:35,620 Hosea 10-9 then says, from the day of Gibbia, you have sinned. Now, unless you're the most astute Bible scholar, maybe some of us here are, 58 00:08:35,620 --> 00:08:43,620 maybe some of you, I should say, Gibbia was lost on me. I had to go and research, but most of you are probably thinking, what is Gibbia? 59 00:08:43,620 --> 00:08:59,620 Well, what happened at Gibbia is recorded in Judges 19-21. The things we learn about there, well, those aren't the types of things that our children would learn about in Sunday school, to say the least. 60 00:08:59,620 --> 00:09:07,620 Now, we're not going to read all of this, but I'm just going to kind of summarize it here for a few minutes. 61 00:09:07,620 --> 00:09:15,620 Now, there was a Levite in the northern territory of Ephraim who had taken a concubine from Bethlehem, which is there in the south. 62 00:09:15,620 --> 00:09:27,620 This map shows all the different dealings of what happens in Judges 19-21, but we're just going to focus on the shaded, the pink areas there. 63 00:09:27,620 --> 00:09:39,620 So, this Levite took a concubine from Bethlehem there in the south. He was traveling through Jerusalem with a concubine, a servant of his and some donkeys. 64 00:09:39,620 --> 00:09:45,620 And the servant suggested, hey, let's stop and stay in Jebus or Jerusalem. 65 00:09:45,620 --> 00:09:58,620 Believe I'd insisted, no, let's just keep going. Let's push on because the Jebusites, these people, they're not people of God, so we don't want to stay there. 66 00:09:58,620 --> 00:10:02,620 So, they kept going on to Gibbia. 67 00:10:02,620 --> 00:10:08,620 Now, there they happened to meet a man who was also from the tribe of Ephraim. 68 00:10:08,620 --> 00:10:17,620 This man invited them into his home so that they wouldn't have to spend the night out in the dangerous open square. 69 00:10:17,620 --> 00:10:31,620 In a scene not too dissimilar from what had happened to Lot while in the city of Sodom, the men of the city started beating on the door and asking for the man to send out the Levites so they could know him. 70 00:10:31,620 --> 00:10:37,620 They certainly weren't wanting to know him intellectually. 71 00:10:37,620 --> 00:10:48,620 The man rightly said no to this request, but also similar to the situation in Sodom, the man offered his daughter and the Levites concubine. 72 00:10:48,620 --> 00:10:56,620 Eventually the Levite, no, hold on, maybe I should clarify, a Levite. This is a priestly type figure. 73 00:10:56,620 --> 00:11:02,620 The Levite takes his concubine, which I hope you know the problem there. 74 00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:15,620 You shouldn't have the concubine, first of all. He takes the concubine, takes her out to these men, leaves her out there with them for them to do what they wish. 75 00:11:15,620 --> 00:11:18,620 They rape her all night. 76 00:11:18,620 --> 00:11:24,620 As morning approaches, as dawn approaches, they release her. 77 00:11:24,620 --> 00:11:33,620 She stumbles back to the door and she lays there. 78 00:11:33,620 --> 00:11:39,620 In the morning, the Levite rises to leave. 79 00:11:39,620 --> 00:11:52,620 It's not clear whether he assumed she had left or what had happened, but he goes to leave, he opens the door, she's laying there at the threshold of the door. 80 00:11:52,620 --> 00:12:01,620 He's surprised to see her, it seems, and he calls to her and tells her, get up so we can leave. 81 00:12:01,620 --> 00:12:09,620 However, there was no response because she'd already passed. 82 00:12:09,620 --> 00:12:16,620 So he loads up her body onto the donkey and proceeded the rest of the way home. 83 00:12:16,620 --> 00:12:28,620 When he got there, cut up the body into 12 pieces, one piece for each tribe of Israel. 84 00:12:28,620 --> 00:12:37,620 And he sends it through all throughout Israel as a sign of how bad things had become since the days of Egypt. 85 00:12:37,620 --> 00:12:46,620 Now the people of the tribe of Benjamin found out, and so they confronted the man about how this had happened. 86 00:12:46,620 --> 00:12:51,620 And he explained that it was the leaders of Givia. 87 00:12:51,620 --> 00:12:57,620 It was them, it was their fault. He's basically absolving himself of any wrongdoing. 88 00:12:57,620 --> 00:13:00,620 So he says it was them. 89 00:13:00,620 --> 00:13:12,620 And so a civil war begins and the men of the north killed 25,000 men, warriors of the tribe of Benjamin. 90 00:13:12,620 --> 00:13:15,620 But they felt sorry for it. 91 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:21,620 So in a change of heart they said, oh, we just destroyed, basically destroyed this tribe. 92 00:13:21,620 --> 00:13:24,620 So now how are we going to fix the problem? 93 00:13:24,620 --> 00:13:35,620 So they decided if we kidnapped wives, then we can restore this tribe back to being a full tribe. 94 00:13:35,620 --> 00:13:39,620 So they implemented a plan to kidnap the wives. 95 00:13:39,620 --> 00:13:43,620 This was what happened at Givia. 96 00:13:43,620 --> 00:13:56,620 Judges 21 closes with the infamous words, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 97 00:13:56,620 --> 00:14:00,620 It's an astounding story, really, right? 98 00:14:00,620 --> 00:14:04,620 It's completely shocking to us. 99 00:14:04,620 --> 00:14:12,620 But God's word through Hosea is that Hosea's generation? 100 00:14:12,620 --> 00:14:19,620 They had become just as corrupt people involved in the situation there in Givia. 101 00:14:19,620 --> 00:14:24,620 The Levites, the master of the house, the men of the northern country, they were all corrupt, 102 00:14:24,620 --> 00:14:32,620 and the Israelites had equaled their corruption, their level of corruption with their own actions. 103 00:14:32,620 --> 00:14:38,620 This is quite a rebuke on God's people. 104 00:14:38,620 --> 00:14:45,620 The next part of the history lesson takes us to Hosea 9, verse 10, again. 105 00:14:45,620 --> 00:14:47,620 So we read this, part of it. 106 00:14:47,620 --> 00:14:52,620 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season. 107 00:14:52,620 --> 00:14:54,620 I saw your fathers. 108 00:14:54,620 --> 00:15:00,620 But they came to Baal-Payor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame 109 00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:05,620 and became detestable like the thing they loved. 110 00:15:05,620 --> 00:15:10,620 Baal-Payor or Beth-Baal-Payor, it depends on where you're reading. 111 00:15:10,620 --> 00:15:12,620 It's referred to both of these ways. 112 00:15:12,620 --> 00:15:16,620 This is where Moses had read the law to the people. 113 00:15:16,620 --> 00:15:21,620 This is where he officially called Joshua to become his successor. 114 00:15:21,620 --> 00:15:26,620 Moses also buried there in that area of Beth-Baal-Payor. 115 00:15:26,620 --> 00:15:34,620 Now, Baal seems to be a somewhat general term referring to the pagan god that was worshiped in the Middle East. 116 00:15:34,620 --> 00:15:41,620 And Payor means openings, referring to bodily cavities, actually. 117 00:15:41,620 --> 00:15:46,620 Thus, Baal-Payor is God of the openings. 118 00:15:46,620 --> 00:15:52,620 Now, Baal is conceptualized and named slightly differently throughout the different regions of the Middle East. 119 00:15:52,620 --> 00:15:55,620 There would be different iterations. 120 00:15:55,620 --> 00:16:01,620 But one thing seems for sure, this god likely represented by a bull was a god of fertility. 121 00:16:01,620 --> 00:16:09,620 And as such, worship of Baal involved engaging in sexual immorality. 122 00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:19,620 Now, you will recall that when the Israelites came out of Egypt, first of all, Egypt, 123 00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:23,620 they had spent 430 years as a people. 124 00:16:23,620 --> 00:16:27,620 They'd spent 430 years in Egypt. 125 00:16:27,620 --> 00:16:33,620 Egypt was much pagan idolatry. 126 00:16:33,620 --> 00:16:36,620 So some of that would have rubbed off on them. 127 00:16:36,620 --> 00:16:44,620 So the people, they'd just witnessed God performing some miraculous things. 128 00:16:44,620 --> 00:16:50,620 There were 10 plagues. Each of the plagues was designed to counter one of the Egyptian gods. 129 00:16:50,620 --> 00:16:56,620 And these plagues led to their exodus from Egypt. 130 00:16:56,620 --> 00:17:04,620 And then crossing the red sea, and they come to Mount Sinai. 131 00:17:04,620 --> 00:17:10,620 And Moses goes up on Mount Sinai, and he's gone a little while. 132 00:17:10,620 --> 00:17:17,620 And so they tell Aaron, hey, we don't know what happened to this Moses guy. 133 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:21,620 So can you make us gods to go before us? 134 00:17:21,620 --> 00:17:24,620 So Aaron obliges them. 135 00:17:24,620 --> 00:17:28,620 Okay, give me all your gold rings, rings, earrings, whatever you have. 136 00:17:28,620 --> 00:17:30,620 Give me all your gold, and I'll make something. 137 00:17:30,620 --> 00:17:36,620 So he collects all their gold, melts it, fashions, a golden calf. 138 00:17:36,620 --> 00:17:40,620 Now, the people see this golden calf and they start worshiping it. 139 00:17:40,620 --> 00:17:48,620 And they proclaim, this is the God that brought us up out of Egypt. 140 00:17:48,620 --> 00:17:54,620 They were wholeheartedly committed to worshiping Baal. 141 00:17:54,620 --> 00:18:00,620 That meant that, so then the next day in their worship, they went and ate and they drank. 142 00:18:00,620 --> 00:18:05,620 And English text isn't clear on what actually happens there. 143 00:18:05,620 --> 00:18:12,620 But what actually happens is they end up participating in mass orgies. 144 00:18:12,620 --> 00:18:16,620 That was their worship. 145 00:18:16,620 --> 00:18:22,620 Moses is in sense when he comes down and, you know, he destroyed the tablets. 146 00:18:22,620 --> 00:18:26,620 He asked Aaron, what happened? 147 00:18:26,620 --> 00:18:34,620 I don't know. This thing just appeared. You know, he plays stupid like he had nothing to do with it. 148 00:18:34,620 --> 00:18:42,620 So this was Baal-Payor. That was what happened there. 149 00:18:42,620 --> 00:18:49,620 So Hosea is telling his generation that they were just like these people who had come to this place, 150 00:18:49,620 --> 00:18:54,620 and they'd worshiped the calf, they'd consecrated themselves to Baal, 151 00:18:54,620 --> 00:19:02,620 and they had become detestable to God, just like the false God, that they couldn't stop worshiping. 152 00:19:02,620 --> 00:19:06,620 That was what happened there at Baal-Payor. 153 00:19:06,620 --> 00:19:09,620 There was such a strong proclamation against them. 154 00:19:09,620 --> 00:19:12,620 So this brings us to the last history lesson. 155 00:19:12,620 --> 00:19:14,620 Lastly is Gilgal. 156 00:19:14,620 --> 00:19:20,620 Hosea 915 says, every evil of theirs is in Gilgal. 157 00:19:20,620 --> 00:19:23,620 Gilgal was practically a holy city. 158 00:19:23,620 --> 00:19:30,620 This was a city near Jericho. It was an important location from the time Israel first entered the Promised Land. 159 00:19:30,620 --> 00:19:36,620 You see, it had become kind of a base camp for Joshua as his people would conquer the Promised Land. 160 00:19:36,620 --> 00:19:40,620 It was kind of a place where they would come back too often. 161 00:19:40,620 --> 00:19:46,620 And not only did Joshua camp there, but Samuel spent a bit of time there as well. 162 00:19:46,620 --> 00:19:52,620 After Saul had led an army to victory over the Ammonites, Samuel and a group of people went to Gilgal, 163 00:19:52,620 --> 00:19:57,620 and they proclaimed Saul as king. 164 00:19:57,620 --> 00:20:00,620 Elijah and Elisha also had dealings there. 165 00:20:00,620 --> 00:20:05,620 It was an important place in Israelites, and God had used it in their past. 166 00:20:05,620 --> 00:20:13,620 However, the Israelites were now perverting the ways of worship in that city. 167 00:20:13,620 --> 00:20:18,620 Hosea 101 reads, Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields fruit. 168 00:20:18,620 --> 00:20:22,620 That means that Israel was experiencing much abundance. 169 00:20:22,620 --> 00:20:27,620 Their crops were plentiful. Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. 170 00:20:27,620 --> 00:20:31,620 The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built. 171 00:20:31,620 --> 00:20:36,620 As his country improved, he improved his altars. 172 00:20:36,620 --> 00:20:42,620 The people were experiencing abundance, and they were attributing that abundance to their false gods. 173 00:20:42,620 --> 00:20:51,620 So they would go and make better these temples that were devoted to these false gods. 174 00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:55,620 As they would experience great harvest and seasons of plenty, 175 00:20:55,620 --> 00:21:01,620 they would pour their financial resources into making these places better. 176 00:21:01,620 --> 00:21:07,620 They weren't giving it to Yahweh for his purposes. 177 00:21:07,620 --> 00:21:12,620 They were perverting the worship of Yahweh instead. 178 00:21:12,620 --> 00:21:19,620 Now it seems that they may have thought they were on the right path. 179 00:21:19,620 --> 00:21:24,620 Some of the things they do are kind of some of the right things. 180 00:21:24,620 --> 00:21:31,620 They are doing some of the right things, but sometimes sin can be like that. 181 00:21:31,620 --> 00:21:39,620 See, sometimes, obviously some sins are a little more like in your face, and you know, hey, that's a sin. 182 00:21:39,620 --> 00:21:41,620 You can tell that. 183 00:21:41,620 --> 00:21:50,620 But sometimes sin can be a little more subtle, and you don't really realize it's there until it's pointed out to you. 184 00:21:50,620 --> 00:21:55,620 You're doing fine, but in reality, blind to what is actually happening. 185 00:21:55,620 --> 00:21:59,620 I can't help but think of a season that I've recently gone through. 186 00:21:59,620 --> 00:22:06,620 I had unintentionally hurt some people, and I had literally no clue about it. 187 00:22:06,620 --> 00:22:08,620 I thought all my relationships were fine. 188 00:22:08,620 --> 00:22:11,620 I was doing fine with everybody. 189 00:22:11,620 --> 00:22:16,620 But then somebody came and said, somebody. 190 00:22:16,620 --> 00:22:18,620 Pastor Daniel, thank you. 191 00:22:18,620 --> 00:22:25,620 Hey, you've hurt these people. 192 00:22:25,620 --> 00:22:28,620 And so, and I was shocked. 193 00:22:28,620 --> 00:22:30,620 Just completely shocked. 194 00:22:30,620 --> 00:22:32,620 Had no idea. 195 00:22:32,620 --> 00:22:35,620 So I had to make those relationships right. 196 00:22:35,620 --> 00:22:38,620 I had to confess that sin and make it right. 197 00:22:38,620 --> 00:22:45,620 Sometimes we don't see sin in our lives, and I think these people, 198 00:22:45,620 --> 00:22:50,620 I think they kind of thought they were going down the right path. 199 00:22:50,620 --> 00:22:56,620 Hosea 9-4 reads, it kind of shows us some of the things that they're doing. 200 00:22:56,620 --> 00:23:00,620 They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord. 201 00:23:00,620 --> 00:23:04,620 So a drink was something learned about in the law. 202 00:23:04,620 --> 00:23:11,620 They shall not pour those drinks off the Lord, and their sacrifices shall not be like mourners bred to them. 203 00:23:11,620 --> 00:23:13,620 All who eat of it shall be defiled. 204 00:23:13,620 --> 00:23:16,620 For their bread shall be for their hunger only. 205 00:23:16,620 --> 00:23:21,620 It shall not come to the house of the Lord. 206 00:23:21,620 --> 00:23:32,620 So the Israelites were syncretistic, and they had combined some of the externals of Yahweh worship with some of the tra... 207 00:23:32,620 --> 00:23:39,620 They were making sacrifices and taking oaths, but they lost their way. 208 00:23:39,620 --> 00:23:47,620 They thought that pouring out these drink offerings and making the sacrifices and bringing this bread, 209 00:23:47,620 --> 00:23:50,620 things would... 210 00:23:50,620 --> 00:23:53,620 ...place. 211 00:23:53,620 --> 00:23:56,620 But really, they couldn't have been any farther from the truth. 212 00:23:56,620 --> 00:23:59,620 Their hearts were not right with God. 213 00:23:59,620 --> 00:24:08,620 So these were just mere actions, just going through the motions. 214 00:24:08,620 --> 00:24:11,620 But... 215 00:24:11,620 --> 00:24:14,620 There's a glimmer of hope here. 216 00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:20,620 In the midst of this section, we have Hosea 10 verse 12. 217 00:24:20,620 --> 00:24:23,620 Some of you may know this. 218 00:24:23,620 --> 00:24:24,620 It says, 219 00:24:24,620 --> 00:24:26,620 So for yourselves righteousness, 220 00:24:26,620 --> 00:24:28,620 Reap steadfast love, 221 00:24:28,620 --> 00:24:29,620 Break up your followed ground, 222 00:24:29,620 --> 00:24:31,620 For it is time to seek the Lord, 223 00:24:31,620 --> 00:24:35,620 That he may come and reign righteousness upon you. 224 00:24:35,620 --> 00:24:37,620 Yahweh has called each of us 225 00:24:37,620 --> 00:24:39,620 To something greater. 226 00:24:39,620 --> 00:24:44,620 He wants to release you from whatever it is that is holding on to you. 227 00:24:44,620 --> 00:24:49,620 He wants to release you also from whatever you are holding on to. 228 00:24:49,620 --> 00:24:53,620 The advice to Israel was to sow righteousness. 229 00:24:53,620 --> 00:25:01,620 They were to live in accordance with God's commands and make their hearts and lives right with Him. 230 00:25:01,620 --> 00:25:06,620 Now when we sow righteousness and make our hearts right with Him, 231 00:25:06,620 --> 00:25:09,620 We will receive the great... 232 00:25:12,620 --> 00:25:15,620 ...seed steadfast love. 233 00:25:17,620 --> 00:25:21,620 The people had broken their covenant promise with God. 234 00:25:21,620 --> 00:25:23,620 When you enter the covenant, 235 00:25:23,620 --> 00:25:27,620 Two parties are making a commitment. 236 00:25:27,620 --> 00:25:30,620 And technically speaking, 237 00:25:30,620 --> 00:25:33,620 If one party fails in their commitment, 238 00:25:33,620 --> 00:25:37,620 Then the covenant is broken. 239 00:25:37,620 --> 00:25:40,620 God owed them nothing, 240 00:25:40,620 --> 00:25:44,620 Because they had broken the covenant. 241 00:25:44,620 --> 00:25:46,620 But yet, 242 00:25:46,620 --> 00:25:47,620 He says, 243 00:25:47,620 --> 00:25:50,620 If they would turn back to Him, 244 00:25:50,620 --> 00:25:53,620 Then He would receive them. 245 00:25:53,620 --> 00:25:58,620 Now sometimes people will talk about running far away from God. 246 00:25:58,620 --> 00:25:59,620 Now, 247 00:25:59,620 --> 00:26:03,620 It doesn't matter how far you've run, 248 00:26:03,620 --> 00:26:07,620 You can spend years running from God. 249 00:26:07,620 --> 00:26:10,620 Doing the most heinous things, whatever it is. 250 00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:15,620 You can run and run and run. 251 00:26:15,620 --> 00:26:20,620 But the moment you turn back, 252 00:26:20,620 --> 00:26:24,620 He's right there. 253 00:26:24,620 --> 00:26:27,620 You spent so long running far away, 254 00:26:27,620 --> 00:26:29,620 But the moment you turn back, 255 00:26:29,620 --> 00:26:31,620 He's right there. 256 00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:35,620 He's that close, just a single step. 257 00:26:38,620 --> 00:26:42,620 That is God's loyal, faithful, steadfast love. 258 00:26:44,620 --> 00:26:45,620 Now, 259 00:26:45,620 --> 00:26:52,620 The soil of their hearts had been left untended for a long season. 260 00:26:52,620 --> 00:26:55,620 So God says, 261 00:26:55,620 --> 00:26:57,620 He said to them, 262 00:26:57,620 --> 00:26:58,620 Get ready. 263 00:26:58,620 --> 00:26:59,620 He said, 264 00:26:59,620 --> 00:27:00,620 We read this, 265 00:27:00,620 --> 00:27:01,620 Break up your follow ground, 266 00:27:01,620 --> 00:27:03,620 For it is time to seek the Lord. 267 00:27:03,620 --> 00:27:04,620 To break up the follow ground, 268 00:27:04,620 --> 00:27:11,620 Is to begin the process of preparing the ground for the planting season. 269 00:27:11,620 --> 00:27:12,620 God says, 270 00:27:12,620 --> 00:27:14,620 Break up the soil of your hearts, 271 00:27:14,620 --> 00:27:16,620 Prepare it for the sowing of seed, 272 00:27:16,620 --> 00:27:19,620 Prepare it to receive what I have for you. 273 00:27:19,620 --> 00:27:21,620 To receive what I have to give you. 274 00:27:21,620 --> 00:27:24,620 Prepare to walk in righteousness. 275 00:27:24,620 --> 00:27:27,620 They needed to give up their waywardness. 276 00:27:27,620 --> 00:27:30,620 They needed to commit to sexual fidelity. 277 00:27:30,620 --> 00:27:34,620 They needed to commit to the sanctity of children's lives. 278 00:27:34,620 --> 00:27:38,620 They needed to seek the Lord. 279 00:27:38,620 --> 00:27:41,620 Now back in Hosea 6, 280 00:27:41,620 --> 00:27:43,620 They just kind of gave Him lip service. 281 00:27:43,620 --> 00:27:44,620 They said, 282 00:27:44,620 --> 00:27:46,620 Come, let us return to the Lord. 283 00:27:46,620 --> 00:27:49,620 He has torn us into pieces. 284 00:27:49,620 --> 00:27:51,620 But He will bind us up. 285 00:27:51,620 --> 00:27:53,620 He will heal us. 286 00:27:53,620 --> 00:27:57,620 And He will come to us. 287 00:27:57,620 --> 00:28:00,620 But they failed to follow through. 288 00:28:00,620 --> 00:28:02,620 He will test lip service. 289 00:28:02,620 --> 00:28:05,620 And God wants actual full repentance. 290 00:28:05,620 --> 00:28:07,620 He's encouraging them. 291 00:28:07,620 --> 00:28:09,620 Turn to me. 292 00:28:09,620 --> 00:28:10,620 Seek me. 293 00:28:10,620 --> 00:28:12,620 Go back to the Torah. 294 00:28:12,620 --> 00:28:13,620 Learn of me. 295 00:28:13,620 --> 00:28:17,620 See what I have done in your history. 296 00:28:17,620 --> 00:28:22,620 See what my character is and who I am. 297 00:28:22,620 --> 00:28:25,620 That is God's call to them. 298 00:28:25,620 --> 00:28:28,620 That they would turn. 299 00:28:28,620 --> 00:28:31,620 They'd wandered a long ways away. 300 00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:36,620 But all they needed to do was just turn to Him. 301 00:28:36,620 --> 00:28:41,620 So now we ask an all important question. 302 00:28:41,620 --> 00:28:46,620 So what does this have to do with us? 303 00:28:46,620 --> 00:28:49,620 We surely can't be anything like those people 304 00:28:49,620 --> 00:28:55,620 and those heinous stories from their past. 305 00:28:55,620 --> 00:29:01,620 Well, God wants all of our lives. 306 00:29:01,620 --> 00:29:06,620 The sacrifice God desires is a broken and contrite heart. 307 00:29:06,620 --> 00:29:09,620 Centuries later after Hosea, 308 00:29:09,620 --> 00:29:18,620 Paul would write instead that we are selves. 309 00:29:18,620 --> 00:29:21,620 We are the sacrifice. 310 00:29:21,620 --> 00:29:24,620 We are living sacrifices. 311 00:29:24,620 --> 00:29:26,620 We offer a life lived for God. 312 00:29:26,620 --> 00:29:31,620 And that is our only reasonable act of worship. 313 00:29:31,620 --> 00:29:36,620 Now I don't think any of us are engaging in pagan idolatry practices. 314 00:29:36,620 --> 00:29:40,620 If you are, just stop. 315 00:29:40,620 --> 00:29:43,620 Yeah. 316 00:29:43,620 --> 00:29:49,620 But we can still wander a long ways from God if we're not careful. 317 00:29:49,620 --> 00:29:52,620 If we aren't intentional about seeking God, 318 00:29:52,620 --> 00:29:58,620 then it might be that we find the soil of our hearts 319 00:29:58,620 --> 00:30:07,620 has become hard and cracked. 320 00:30:07,620 --> 00:30:12,620 So the question this morning is, 321 00:30:12,620 --> 00:30:21,620 are there idols that you've given yourself over to? 322 00:30:21,620 --> 00:30:26,620 Are there areas that pose a weakness for you 323 00:30:26,620 --> 00:30:30,620 and that if you aren't attentive, 324 00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:35,620 you can get to that thing. 325 00:30:35,620 --> 00:30:36,620 As we close this morning, 326 00:30:36,620 --> 00:30:41,620 I want to list a number of modern day temptations. 327 00:30:41,620 --> 00:30:48,620 Things that compete and vie for our hearts' attention. 328 00:30:48,620 --> 00:30:55,620 And perhaps one of these will strike a chord with you. 329 00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:59,620 First of all, status. 330 00:30:59,620 --> 00:31:06,620 This is something I noticed so much when we were actually back in California a few weeks ago. 331 00:31:06,620 --> 00:31:08,620 Like it is really interesting. 332 00:31:08,620 --> 00:31:12,620 I noticed this years ago when we moved here, 333 00:31:12,620 --> 00:31:17,620 but it seems like in California everybody is driven by status. 334 00:31:17,620 --> 00:31:21,620 Everybody is driving the newest, nicest thing. 335 00:31:21,620 --> 00:31:22,620 It was really weird. 336 00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:26,620 You didn't see old cars much. 337 00:31:26,620 --> 00:31:28,620 But status can be conveyed. 338 00:31:28,620 --> 00:31:31,620 It's not wrong to own nice things. 339 00:31:31,620 --> 00:31:32,620 Please understand that. 340 00:31:32,620 --> 00:31:36,620 Status can be conveyed through vehicles we own and drive, 341 00:31:36,620 --> 00:31:40,620 the houses we buy, the town or the city that we live in. 342 00:31:40,620 --> 00:31:44,620 Status can be conveyed in a number of ways. 343 00:31:44,620 --> 00:31:48,620 None of these things are wrong in and of themselves. 344 00:31:48,620 --> 00:31:51,620 But when you make them an idol, 345 00:31:51,620 --> 00:31:54,620 then it comes in for you. 346 00:31:54,620 --> 00:31:56,620 Media. 347 00:31:56,620 --> 00:31:59,620 All the different forms of media that we have. 348 00:31:59,620 --> 00:32:04,620 We have of course that thing on the wall, the TV, you know. 349 00:32:04,620 --> 00:32:11,620 But we have the TV, we have just simply surfing online, Netflix, social media. 350 00:32:11,620 --> 00:32:15,620 All the different ways we consume media. 351 00:32:15,620 --> 00:32:22,620 It is so easy to just get stuck online. 352 00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:24,620 We have to be attentive to that. 353 00:32:24,620 --> 00:32:29,620 And watch out to make sure that we don't just lose that time. 354 00:32:29,620 --> 00:32:36,620 And we don't allow the various forms of media to become an idol in our lives. 355 00:32:36,620 --> 00:32:38,620 Money. 356 00:32:38,620 --> 00:32:44,620 If I only made a little bit more, then life would be better and we would be more secure. 357 00:32:44,620 --> 00:32:49,620 So I just need, I need more money, more money. 358 00:32:49,620 --> 00:32:52,620 How about acceptance? 359 00:32:52,620 --> 00:32:56,620 If everyone likes me, then I know that I am loved. 360 00:32:56,620 --> 00:32:59,620 I just want to make everybody happy. 361 00:32:59,620 --> 00:33:07,620 I want everybody to like me so I can feel accepted. 362 00:33:07,620 --> 00:33:10,620 Vanity. 363 00:33:10,620 --> 00:33:17,620 Looking good in all of its various forms. 364 00:33:17,620 --> 00:33:20,620 This might be weird for some of you to think about. 365 00:33:20,620 --> 00:33:23,620 Romance. 366 00:33:23,620 --> 00:33:27,620 This is probably more for the young people in particular. 367 00:33:27,620 --> 00:33:35,620 Be careful that you don't commit yourself to a Disney version of what your future will be like. 368 00:33:35,620 --> 00:33:44,620 When we idolize things like romance, our hearts can get lost in places that we hadn't intended. 369 00:33:44,620 --> 00:33:51,620 I would add that this can also include books, movies, stuff like that. 370 00:33:51,620 --> 00:33:55,620 Guard your minds, guard your hearts. 371 00:33:55,620 --> 00:34:02,620 Trust in God's ways and He will work things out for His glory. 372 00:34:02,620 --> 00:34:09,620 Along similar lines, sex. 373 00:34:09,620 --> 00:34:15,620 I have a younger generation today that has idolized sex. 374 00:34:15,620 --> 00:34:21,620 Many young people are so wholeheartedly committed to sex and getting it in any way that they can, 375 00:34:21,620 --> 00:34:33,620 that they've begun to redefine it and engage their terms and not God's terms. 376 00:34:33,620 --> 00:34:44,620 The conversations in our home that we have about sex are light years ahead of the conversations that we had when I was growing up. 377 00:34:44,620 --> 00:34:55,620 Parents start the conversation early, in appropriate ways, but started early. 378 00:34:55,620 --> 00:35:00,620 Help them understand how to control their bodies. 379 00:35:00,620 --> 00:35:05,620 Help them understand the why we control our bodies. 380 00:35:05,620 --> 00:35:18,620 When they understand those things, that will give them a head start when the enemy is pressuring them to give their lives over to sex. 381 00:35:18,620 --> 00:35:32,620 Success. I want that promotion and nothing matters to me as much as getting that top position so everyone can see how hard I've worked and how much I deserve it. 382 00:35:32,620 --> 00:35:36,620 Don't let success become an idol. 383 00:35:36,620 --> 00:35:39,620 Busyness. 384 00:35:39,620 --> 00:35:43,620 Busy, I don't have to do what God wants. 385 00:35:43,620 --> 00:35:48,620 I don't have time. 386 00:35:48,620 --> 00:35:58,620 In a recent survey among pastors, the top idol in churches is comfort. 387 00:35:58,620 --> 00:36:09,620 Comfort's not wrong, but when you make it a priority, it can become sin. 388 00:36:09,620 --> 00:36:15,620 God might want to call you to something very uncomfortable. 389 00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:26,620 He might want you to step out of that boat and onto the water to a place where you are fully trusting Him. 390 00:36:26,620 --> 00:36:36,620 If you value, have idolized comfort, then you're not stepping out of that boat. 391 00:36:36,620 --> 00:36:42,620 So that's something for us to think about. 392 00:36:42,620 --> 00:36:48,620 I suspect that something on this list has resonated with this morning. 393 00:36:48,620 --> 00:36:56,620 If that is the case, I encourage you to first of all, confess that thing to God if you haven't already. 394 00:36:56,620 --> 00:37:04,620 And second, ask for God's strength to overcome that idol and to walk in purity of heart before Him. 395 00:37:04,620 --> 00:37:13,620 When we live with our lives sold out for Him, He can and will do great things through us. 396 00:37:13,620 --> 00:37:22,620 If we need only surrender to His will, then He will work in us. 397 00:37:22,620 --> 00:37:33,620 Let's bow our heads and close our eyes. 398 00:37:33,620 --> 00:37:42,620 As we close this morning, I don't want to leave this moment this time. 399 00:37:42,620 --> 00:37:49,620 We've already sung this truth. We've sung the truth this morning, the gospel. 400 00:37:49,620 --> 00:37:58,620 But I want to speak the gospel in this moment. 401 00:37:58,620 --> 00:38:08,620 Humanity has strayed far from God. We all have. This tells us that. 402 00:38:08,620 --> 00:38:15,620 We deserve eternal separation from God. 403 00:38:15,620 --> 00:38:29,620 But God in His love sent Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless Jesus Christ, to be our Savior. 404 00:38:29,620 --> 00:38:37,620 He died on that cross, was buried in the grave, then on that Sunday morning, 405 00:38:37,620 --> 00:38:47,620 He rose again from the grave, conquering death. 406 00:38:47,620 --> 00:38:55,620 And He has ascended back to heaven. 407 00:38:55,620 --> 00:39:04,620 He has made the way. He has paid the price. 408 00:39:04,620 --> 00:39:09,620 He has paid the price that you and I couldn't pay. 409 00:39:09,620 --> 00:39:22,620 Because He loved us. He wants that relationship with us restored. 410 00:39:22,620 --> 00:39:32,620 As I said, no matter how far you may have run, He's right there. 411 00:39:32,620 --> 00:39:38,620 He's waiting for you to turn around. 412 00:39:38,620 --> 00:39:45,620 Back. 413 00:39:45,620 --> 00:39:51,620 His forgiveness is on offer to you. 414 00:39:51,620 --> 00:40:02,620 Just get your sins to Him and He will offer for you. 415 00:40:02,620 --> 00:40:10,620 If you haven't placed your trust in Him, yet I encourage you to do that. 416 00:40:10,620 --> 00:40:21,620 And if you can do that in serity of heart, then you will be a child of God. 417 00:40:21,620 --> 00:40:31,620 All you need to do is say something like, God, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that I cannot save myself. 418 00:40:31,620 --> 00:40:40,620 I know you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sin. 419 00:40:40,620 --> 00:40:46,620 I'm trusting in His salvation. 420 00:40:46,620 --> 00:40:56,620 So when you come into my life, transform me and make me a new creation. 421 00:40:56,620 --> 00:41:08,620 If you pray something like that, you will enter the kingdom of heaven. 422 00:41:08,620 --> 00:41:17,620 Others are in this place this morning who something in their mind might have been triggered with that list. 423 00:41:17,620 --> 00:41:31,620 There's something, oh, I need to watch out for this. I need to be careful so that I don't give my heart over to this thing. 424 00:41:31,620 --> 00:41:38,620 This morning during our time of response, I encourage you to surrender that to God. 425 00:41:38,620 --> 00:41:54,620 Surrender your whole self to God. Say, God, here I am, use me for your purposes. You can have it all. 426 00:41:54,620 --> 00:42:09,620 God, we thank you for your love. That is deeper than we could possibly imagine. We thank you for your forgiveness. 427 00:42:09,620 --> 00:42:17,620 We don't deserve it, but you extend it out of your grace. 428 00:42:17,620 --> 00:42:29,620 God, would you free hearts in lives this morning? It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.