[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 17th of September, 2017. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Hosea is considered one of the minor prophets in our Bible, and is sometimes called the “prophet of doom” because of his dire warnings of destruction. But his very name, Hosea, means “salvation”, and underneath his message of doom is the promise of restoration. In effect, the entire Book of Hosea was a stern warning to the northern kingdom of Israel against the growing idolatry of the people. But it also contained the promise that God would not abandon them if they would only repent – turn from their sinful worship of idols and come back to God.
This message still holds true to us today. We may not worship graven images or false gods like Zeus or Jupiter, but too often we give more of our time and resources to our modern “gods” of convenience and entertainment, to our gods of self. We give less and less to Jesus.
So listen and follow along as I read from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible part of Hosea’s warning I think we need to hear, from chapter 4 verses 1 through 10 of the book that bears his name…
This message still holds true to us today. We may not worship graven images or false gods like Zeus or Jupiter, but too often we give more of our time and resources to our modern “gods” of convenience and entertainment, to our gods of self. We give less and less to Jesus.
So listen and follow along as I read from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible part of Hosea’s warning I think we need to hear, from chapter 4 verses 1 through 10 of the book that bears his name…
1 Hear the word of the Lord,
You children of Israel,
For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
“There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land will mourn;
And everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
5 Therefore you shall stumble in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 “The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
I will change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be: like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And reward them for their deeds.
10 For they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the Lord."
--Hosea 4:1-10 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, when You created mankind, You told us to “be fruitful and multiply”. But as we increased, the more we sinned against You. Forgive us, please Father. Help us hear Your warning. Help us repent. Speak to us now through Your Holy Spirit directly into our hearts, that we might better understand what we must do. Give us greater insight into Your will for each of us. Help us find and walk the path that leads away from destruction. In the blessed name of Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped -- but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.
A short time after the tragedy, Bruce's father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets: "I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus."
Mr. Goodrich went on: "I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, 'Why did this happen?', perhaps one answer will be, 'So that many will consider where they will spend eternity.'"
Where will we spend eternity? That’s quite a long time, isn’t it? This life on earth is less than a blink of an eye in comparison, yet we spend so much of our time dwelling on it, fretting over it, rushing from one place to another in an effort to get it all in before we die.
But when we die, that’s when true life begins. That’s when eternity begins. Where will we spend it?
Hosea is like the prosecutor in God’s courtroom. He stands before us and announces: “The Lord brings a charge against you!” Since this message was saved in God’s Holy Word for all ages to see and hear, it speaks to all of us today and not just those of Hosea’s time.
And it doesn’t take a lot of thought to understand that, beginning with the opening comments in this trial. There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in this land. Instead, we go through this life swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery. We can’t restrain ourselves, and indeed, personal responsibility has become a thing of the past.
And God warns there will be a price to pay, even for the very land itself and all that dwell in it, even the beasts of the field and the birds of the air will suffer for our sin and disobedience. I bet most of us never thought about it in this manner - that everyone and everything will ultimately pay the price of our sins.
According to Hosea, the biggest reason for all this, the root cause of our destruction, is that we have no knowledge of God. We don’t know God. Why? Because we have rejected knowledge of God! All along, from the beginning of time, we have been shown who and what God is, but we have rejected Him and His law. Like Adam and Eve, we would prefer to make gods of ourselves, be our own god so that everything and anything we do is good and righteous.
But even now, God will not abandon us. To give us a chance to have the charges against us dropped, God sent His only Son into the world to offer us salvation if we would only believe and repent. And we rejected knowing Jesus, too.
So Jesus offered up His own warning, but it also carries a promise of restoration, just as does God’s warning through Hosea. Listen to what our Lord tells us in the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, from chapter 21, verses 25 through 28…
Does any of that sound familiar? It should, if you’ve been watching the news at all. Family, we are seeing the very signs that Jesus and God’s prophets warned us would come! God’s warnings are being played out on the world stage this very day!
Four major hurricanes followed each other to our continent, two of them huge and making landfall on our shores. The destruction is horrific. Even the land, the beasts of the fields, and the birds of the air are being destroyed, just as God promised. For God brings a charge against us. How much longer do you think it will be before the Son of Man returns in a cloud, with power and great glory, to execute those charges God has brought?
But there’s also that promise of restoration, there at the end of what Jesus said. Look up, Christians; lift up your heads, because our redemption draws near. Jesus draws near, and if we believe, we will be saved.
In the Gospel account of the Apostle John, chapter 3 verses 34 through 36, John the Baptist says these words in defining just who Jesus is…
God the Father has given all thing – all things – into the nail-scarred hands of His Son Jesus, including carrying out His judgments, His charges. If we believe in the Son, we will repent of our wicked ways and will receive everlasting life with our Father God in heaven. If we don’t believe, we will not see that life, but instead will suffer the wrath of God.
Eternity – such a very long time. How will we spend it? In heaven with God? Or forever separated from Him and His love, suffering forever in the lake of fire?
The Lord brings a charge against us. How do we plead? We have no choice but to say, “Guilty”. For we are, all of us, guilty.
We are guilty of ignoring the warnings of the Creator of all things. We are guilty of rejecting His law, His commandments. We are guilty of turning our backs on His Son. We are guilty of disobeying the only commands Jesus gave us: to go into the world spreading the Gospel and making disciples, to love one another unconditionally. We are guilty as charged.
But we are not condemned, not yet. We still have a very capable defense attorney standing by our side, if we believe in Him. Jesus washed us clean of our sin with His own blood and promises to intercede on our behalf when we stand before God to face our charges.
But we must first believe in Him as God’s Son, the true Christ, who lived and died for us. And we must repent, turn away from our wickedness, start repairing our relationship with God and with Jesus, get to know them better, while we still can. For the time is drawing near when Jesus will return in His full power and glory to set the world aright.
Believe and repent, and the charges will be dropped. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You love us so much when there is no real reason to. We break Your laws, we ignore knowing You better, we even reject Your only Son who You sent just to save us from ourselves. Forgive us, Father, for our disobedience. Forgive us for our wicked ways. Thank You for loving us enough to give us another chance at redemption. Please help us to follow the path Jesus laid for us, to turn from our sin and remain ever true and faithful to You.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your great mercy, repenting of our disobedience and sin, and seeking Your forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You came and gave of Yourself so that we might be saved from eternal torment. Eternity is such a long time, Lord, and You give us the means to live it with You in paradise. Help us, please Jesus, to turn away from our sinful ways and obey Your and our Father’s commands. Help us get the charges against us dropped.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped -- but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.
A short time after the tragedy, Bruce's father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets: "I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus."
Mr. Goodrich went on: "I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, 'Why did this happen?', perhaps one answer will be, 'So that many will consider where they will spend eternity.'"
Where will we spend eternity? That’s quite a long time, isn’t it? This life on earth is less than a blink of an eye in comparison, yet we spend so much of our time dwelling on it, fretting over it, rushing from one place to another in an effort to get it all in before we die.
But when we die, that’s when true life begins. That’s when eternity begins. Where will we spend it?
Hosea is like the prosecutor in God’s courtroom. He stands before us and announces: “The Lord brings a charge against you!” Since this message was saved in God’s Holy Word for all ages to see and hear, it speaks to all of us today and not just those of Hosea’s time.
And it doesn’t take a lot of thought to understand that, beginning with the opening comments in this trial. There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in this land. Instead, we go through this life swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery. We can’t restrain ourselves, and indeed, personal responsibility has become a thing of the past.
And God warns there will be a price to pay, even for the very land itself and all that dwell in it, even the beasts of the field and the birds of the air will suffer for our sin and disobedience. I bet most of us never thought about it in this manner - that everyone and everything will ultimately pay the price of our sins.
According to Hosea, the biggest reason for all this, the root cause of our destruction, is that we have no knowledge of God. We don’t know God. Why? Because we have rejected knowledge of God! All along, from the beginning of time, we have been shown who and what God is, but we have rejected Him and His law. Like Adam and Eve, we would prefer to make gods of ourselves, be our own god so that everything and anything we do is good and righteous.
But even now, God will not abandon us. To give us a chance to have the charges against us dropped, God sent His only Son into the world to offer us salvation if we would only believe and repent. And we rejected knowing Jesus, too.
So Jesus offered up His own warning, but it also carries a promise of restoration, just as does God’s warning through Hosea. Listen to what our Lord tells us in the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, from chapter 21, verses 25 through 28…
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
--Luke 21:25-28 (NKJV)
Four major hurricanes followed each other to our continent, two of them huge and making landfall on our shores. The destruction is horrific. Even the land, the beasts of the fields, and the birds of the air are being destroyed, just as God promised. For God brings a charge against us. How much longer do you think it will be before the Son of Man returns in a cloud, with power and great glory, to execute those charges God has brought?
But there’s also that promise of restoration, there at the end of what Jesus said. Look up, Christians; lift up your heads, because our redemption draws near. Jesus draws near, and if we believe, we will be saved.
In the Gospel account of the Apostle John, chapter 3 verses 34 through 36, John the Baptist says these words in defining just who Jesus is…
34 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
--John 3:34-36 (NKJV)
Eternity – such a very long time. How will we spend it? In heaven with God? Or forever separated from Him and His love, suffering forever in the lake of fire?
The Lord brings a charge against us. How do we plead? We have no choice but to say, “Guilty”. For we are, all of us, guilty.
We are guilty of ignoring the warnings of the Creator of all things. We are guilty of rejecting His law, His commandments. We are guilty of turning our backs on His Son. We are guilty of disobeying the only commands Jesus gave us: to go into the world spreading the Gospel and making disciples, to love one another unconditionally. We are guilty as charged.
But we are not condemned, not yet. We still have a very capable defense attorney standing by our side, if we believe in Him. Jesus washed us clean of our sin with His own blood and promises to intercede on our behalf when we stand before God to face our charges.
But we must first believe in Him as God’s Son, the true Christ, who lived and died for us. And we must repent, turn away from our wickedness, start repairing our relationship with God and with Jesus, get to know them better, while we still can. For the time is drawing near when Jesus will return in His full power and glory to set the world aright.
Believe and repent, and the charges will be dropped. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You love us so much when there is no real reason to. We break Your laws, we ignore knowing You better, we even reject Your only Son who You sent just to save us from ourselves. Forgive us, Father, for our disobedience. Forgive us for our wicked ways. Thank You for loving us enough to give us another chance at redemption. Please help us to follow the path Jesus laid for us, to turn from our sin and remain ever true and faithful to You.
Please hear us now, Father, as we silently speak to You straight from our hearts, thanking You for Your great mercy, repenting of our disobedience and sin, and seeking Your forgiveness…
Lord Jesus, You came and gave of Yourself so that we might be saved from eternal torment. Eternity is such a long time, Lord, and You give us the means to live it with You in paradise. Help us, please Jesus, to turn away from our sinful ways and obey Your and our Father’s commands. Help us get the charges against us dropped.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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