Good evening and
welcome to Focus on Revival.
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We're coming to you
from Thompsonville, Illinois,
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the 3ABN Worship Center,
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which is also the
home of our Thompsonville
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Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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And we're so glad that
you could join us tonight.
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This is the beginning
of a three part series,
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Pastor John
Lomacang will be our speaker.
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And we have a wonderful message
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from the Lord for this evening.
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So now what I would like to do
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is introduce to you
our associate pastor,
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Pastor John Stanton
and his wife Rochelle,
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who will be leading us
in the scripture and prayer.
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Good evening. Good evening.
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I'd like to invite
you to turn in your Bibles
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to the Book of Hosea 2:6-7.
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It's Hosea 2:6-7.
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It says, "Therefore, behold,
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I will hedge up
your way with thorns,
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and wall her in,
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so that she
cannot find her paths.
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She will chase her lovers,
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but not overtake them,
yes, she will seek them,
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but not find them.
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Then she will say,
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'I will go and
return to my first husband,
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for then it was
better for me than now.'"
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John, lead us into prayer.
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Would you bow
your heads with me?
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Father in heaven, Lord,
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we are so grateful this evening,
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to be confident that
Your presence is with us.
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And we invite Your Holy Spirit
to move mightily through us
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to open our hearts to receiving
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Your Word and the blessing
that You have for us today.
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We ask that You will indwell
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our Pastor
Lomacang here this evening
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as he breaks forth the Word,
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that You will give him
power and strength to speak
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mightily in Your behalf
as You speak to Your people.
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Lord, we thank
You and we love you
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in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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You know, this is a time
for revival and reformation.
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The Bible says in Hosea 10:12,
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"To sow for yourselves
seeds of righteousness,
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break up your fallow ground,
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your uncultivated ground,
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and seek the Lord until He comes
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and rains righteousness on you."
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And tonight, we
have Pastor John Stanton.
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He is our senior pastor
here at the Thompsonville
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Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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And he is a wonderful speaker.
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You all are, I'm sure
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very familiar
with Pastor Stanton.
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He hosts House...
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Pastor Lomacang, did I say that?
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Pastor Lomacang hosts
the House Calls program,
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he also hosts The Today program
and he's a wonderful singer.
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And he will be the next
voice that you hear right after
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this special
song by Denise Barclay
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called "Take Me Back."
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Now I don't love you
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Like I used to
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When nothing came
between My God and me
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And somehow it seems
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I've lessened my dependence
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And wonder why it is
my soul Can't find peace
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But I'm ready to learn
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How to faithfully love you
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With my heart,
My soul and my mind
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Take me back
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Take me back To
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O Lord The time I fell in love
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Now I don't serve
you Like I used to
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'Cause I'm too busy serving me
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And I don't take the
time With you I need to
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And wonder why it is
my soul Can't find peace
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But I'm ready to learn
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How to faithfully serve you
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With my heart,
My soul and my time
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Take me back
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Take me back To
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O Lord The time I fell in love
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O Lord And love
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O Lord I didn't love
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Now I don't love you
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Like I used to
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When nothing came
between My God and me
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But I'm ready to learn
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how to faithfully love you
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With my heart,
My soul and my mind
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O take me back
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Take me back to
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O Lord the time I felt in love
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The time I fell in love
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Amen.
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Can we say amen again? Amen.
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Thank you so much
Denise, for reminding us that
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we're living in a time
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where the Lord
wants to take us back.
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You know, as I thought
about this message tonight,
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I think about the many
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who are joining
us via satellite,
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maybe in their homes,
maybe in their church.
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And they can think of
a name of someone that
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used to worship with them,
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used to sing with them,
used to attend their church
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and became a part
of their church family.
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But today, maybe their
name is not even mentioned.
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Maybe their face
has been forgotten.
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Maybe their names
have been crossed off
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of the churches books.
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But we're
living in a day and age
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where God's love
for us is so great that,
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Brethren, the
Lord wants to pursue us
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and take us back home.
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What do you say?
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As I looked at the Word of God,
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I couldn't find a
God so vengeful that
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He would throw us
away and forget us.
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I don't find a God that says,
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I will never have
anything more to do with you.
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But I find people that
have walked away from God,
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people that have
disappointed God.
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But I still see a God
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whose love is
beyond our comprehension.
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And He has promised that
I will contend with those
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who contend with me, and
I will save their children.
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I know in my own
fellowship raised in New York
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and in California pastoring,
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there are people
whose names came to my mind
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as I was preparing the sermon.
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And I had eyes filled
with tears thinking that
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while we're comfortable
in the house of the Lord,
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there's someone
that Jesus is pursuing,
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and he wants to
bring them back home.
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I try to find a
narrative in Scripture
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to communicate that message
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and I found one of the
most profound striking accounts
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of the relentless love
of God for His children.
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If you have your
Bibles with you tonight,
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if you have your Bibles at home,
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in your church,
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open to the Book of Hosea
right after the Book of Daniel.
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And we're going to see
how God is revealing a love
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that is humanly
incomprehensible.
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We cannot imagine a
love that will not let us go.
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But this story
had given me hope,
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because tonight, I'm
praying for family members
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that I know are
not in the truth.
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I'm praying for a
sister that walked away
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from the truth many years ago.
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I'm praying for a brother
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that I'm hoping
will accept the truth.
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I'm thinking of those
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that worship
with us that honestly
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I can say, I don't know
where their addresses are.
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I've forgotten their faces
and sometimes even their names.
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But tonight we serve a
God that has not forgotten
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the face of anyone
that He shed His blood for.
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What do you say?
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And in the story of Hosea,
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Hosea takes the
place of God Almighty
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in this narrative and
he introduces a character
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into the scene
that we never hear about
00:11:00.39\00:11:02.09
after the Book of Hosea.
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We never hear about her
before the Book of Hosea.
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But God uses this
actual story to illustrate
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how powerful His
love for us really is.
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Now, God's love
is not conditional.
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God doesn't love us
because we are lovely.
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God loves us
because God is love.
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I picture young man
one evening sitting down,
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a godly young man,
a righteous young man.
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And in my mind,
I think of Hosea,
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the prophet of
God as a young man
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who's thinking about
the necessities of life
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preparing to serve the Lord.
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But like any pastor
joining the ministry,
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he's thinking
that he needs a wife
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to complete the picture.
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And he's sitting down
going through the list of names
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he's seen sister so and so
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attend his church
as a young intern.
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He remembered graduating
from Andrews University,
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or Oakwood College, or
one of the schools out there
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and he thinks
about that young lady
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that he had an
opportunity to get to meet.
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And he thinks,
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is she the
candidate to be my wife.
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He's going through
his righteous black book,
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if it were that.
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And he's saying, in order for me
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to be a successful pastor,
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I've got to have
a supportive wife
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to stand by my side.
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For the Bible does say, friends,
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it is not good that
man should be alone.
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And I believe that
applies to pastors.
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While he is
reading, and going through
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the list of possible
candidates for a wife,
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the Lord breaks
into Hosea's moment.
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And we go to Hosea 1:2
to see how God breaks in.
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Hosea 1:2,
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"The Lord breaks into
his moment of contemplation,"
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and he's thinking about
how wonderful it would be
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to have a wife by my
side, and the Bible says,
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"When the Lord
began to speak to Hosea,
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the Lord said to Hosea, 'Go.'"
00:12:58.94\00:13:03.01
Now, if that's all
that the Lord said,
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then this would be the story
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like any other
story in the Bible,
00:13:07.78\00:13:09.28
where you can find
1487 other references
00:13:09.32\00:13:13.76
where God says go.
00:13:13.79\00:13:16.19
But when you read the story,
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you'll discover a
couple of things about Hosea.
00:13:18.26\00:13:20.00
Hosea is an obedient
young man to the Word of God.
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And I wish that God's
people would simply move
00:13:23.70\00:13:28.10
and go when God says go,
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in spite of
whether or not we know
00:13:30.11\00:13:32.14
where God is sending us.
00:13:32.17\00:13:33.58
It's always good to
trust God and when God says go,
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what should we do?
00:13:36.11\00:13:37.45
We should go.
00:13:37.48\00:13:38.81
Hosea is the kind of young man
00:13:38.85\00:13:40.18
and evidence in
Scripture points out
00:13:40.22\00:13:41.72
that Hosea did not hesitate
before we go to verse, right,
00:13:41.75\00:13:45.65
remainder of verse
2 and then verse 3.
00:13:45.69\00:13:47.59
The Bible says,
"Go take yourself
00:13:47.62\00:13:51.83
a wife of harlotry,
and children of harlotry,
00:13:51.86\00:13:57.30
for the land has
committed great harlotry
00:13:57.33\00:14:00.97
by departing from the Lord."
00:14:01.00\00:14:04.94
Now verse 2 and 3
00:14:04.97\00:14:06.31
could be
summarized simply this way,
00:14:06.34\00:14:07.81
is the Lord said to
Hosea, "Go," and in verse 3,
00:14:07.84\00:14:11.18
"And Hosea went."
00:14:11.21\00:14:13.68
The Lord said,
"Go," and Hosea did what?
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.38
He went. He didn't hesitate.
00:14:16.42\00:14:18.69
Now, Brethren, when you
hear what God asked Hosea to do.
00:14:18.72\00:14:23.02
This is what
amazes me about the story.
00:14:23.06\00:14:25.63
Now, God sometimes
asks us to do things that
00:14:25.66\00:14:28.46
just don't make any sense.
00:14:28.50\00:14:29.83
Now, if you
could say amen to that.
00:14:29.86\00:14:31.93
I mean, sometimes God comes up
00:14:31.97\00:14:33.30
with some things that
you got to even question
00:14:33.34\00:14:35.14
whether or not that
really is the voice of God
00:14:35.17\00:14:38.14
giving you that
kind of instruction.
00:14:38.17\00:14:42.04
I mean, sometime God
just does not make sense.
00:14:42.08\00:14:44.18
God does not have to
harmonize with ordinary logic,
00:14:44.21\00:14:47.78
because God is a God of faith.
00:14:47.82\00:14:49.58
He does not see as we see.
00:14:49.62\00:14:52.05
Man looks at the
outward appearance,
00:14:52.09\00:14:53.62
God looks at the heart.
00:14:53.66\00:14:55.92
God sees the end
from the beginning.
00:14:55.96\00:14:58.36
He sees us through our trials.
00:14:58.39\00:15:00.53
We see ourselves in our trials.
00:15:00.56\00:15:02.63
And so when God says, "Go,"
00:15:02.66\00:15:04.67
I think we do well
00:15:04.70\00:15:06.47
to follow the
instruction of God.
00:15:06.50\00:15:08.80
But when I read this story,
00:15:08.84\00:15:12.51
this is one of
those rare accounts
00:15:12.54\00:15:14.94
that do not seem to harmonize
00:15:14.98\00:15:16.88
with the righteousness of God.
00:15:16.91\00:15:19.31
Follow me carefully.
00:15:19.35\00:15:21.72
Because what God
told Hosea to do,
00:15:21.75\00:15:24.75
I don't think any
marriage counselor,
00:15:24.79\00:15:26.76
any pastor would
tell and in turn to do.
00:15:26.79\00:15:30.23
God said, "Go take a wife,
00:15:30.26\00:15:33.60
that is a wife of harlotry."
00:15:33.63\00:15:37.47
In other words, Hosea,
00:15:37.50\00:15:38.83
go get a woman
that's going to be
00:15:38.87\00:15:40.20
a risk to have around.
00:15:40.24\00:15:43.10
Go get a woman that
knows what it's like
00:15:43.14\00:15:45.91
to not be satisfied by one man.
00:15:45.94\00:15:49.24
Go get a woman
whose eyes are going to be
00:15:49.28\00:15:51.31
wandering before you marry her
00:15:51.35\00:15:53.42
and wandering
after you marry her.
00:15:53.45\00:15:57.65
Go get a woman whose heart
is not gonna be totally yours.
00:15:57.69\00:16:01.69
You need to marry a woman
00:16:01.72\00:16:03.56
that will be
unfaithful to you, Hosea.
00:16:03.59\00:16:08.80
That does not harmonize
with God's righteousness
00:16:08.83\00:16:12.13
and God's people said.
00:16:12.17\00:16:14.77
Now, some Bible commentators
have a problem with the story.
00:16:14.80\00:16:18.17
Some suggest
that this was a vision
00:16:18.21\00:16:20.28
that God had given to Hosea.
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.44
Now, Brethren, this
is not the kind of vision
00:16:22.48\00:16:24.21
that anybody wants of a wife
that's going to be a harlot,
00:16:24.25\00:16:26.41
what do you say?
00:16:26.45\00:16:27.78
Husband said amen.
00:16:27.82\00:16:30.45
When you think about this,
00:16:30.49\00:16:31.82
some commentators had to justify
00:16:31.85\00:16:33.56
what God is about to do here,
00:16:33.59\00:16:35.06
this has to be a
vision, this cannot be something
00:16:35.09\00:16:37.53
God is really
asking Hosea to do.
00:16:37.56\00:16:42.43
The second group of
individuals having a problem
00:16:42.46\00:16:44.10
with the story is
commentators that say,
00:16:44.13\00:16:46.43
this has to be a
parable, because a righteous God
00:16:46.47\00:16:49.84
will never tell a
prophet to marry a woman
00:16:49.87\00:16:53.74
that's going to
be unfaithful to him.
00:16:53.78\00:16:56.04
I mean, God wouldn't do
that. I mean, God loves...
00:16:56.08\00:16:59.61
God loves people
that are faithful.
00:16:59.65\00:17:02.02
God loves there to be
00:17:02.05\00:17:04.52
one wife and one husband.
00:17:04.55\00:17:08.86
But when you read the story,
00:17:08.89\00:17:11.19
you discover that
this is a literal account
00:17:11.23\00:17:13.33
of an event that
happened in Hosea's life.
00:17:13.36\00:17:15.56
Because Hosea and
Gomer's ancestry is mentioned,
00:17:15.60\00:17:19.27
their past is mentioned,
00:17:19.30\00:17:20.97
the names of their
children are mentioned.
00:17:21.00\00:17:23.97
Gomer's parent is mentioned,
either mother or father.
00:17:24.01\00:17:27.64
The name is so unusual
00:17:27.68\00:17:29.21
that Bible writers
have not concluded that
00:17:29.24\00:17:31.71
the name mentioned is
Gomer's father nor mother.
00:17:31.75\00:17:34.12
And you're turning
with me now to Hosea 1:3.
00:17:34.15\00:17:37.65
The Lord comes up with a name
that is not on Hosea's list.
00:17:37.69\00:17:43.36
This is not the woman that
00:17:43.39\00:17:44.73
Hosea was thinking about
marrying, the Bible says.
00:17:44.76\00:17:47.20
So he went, the Lord
comes and gives him name
00:17:47.23\00:17:50.63
and Hosea being obedient,
the Bible says so he went
00:17:50.67\00:17:53.30
and he took Gomer,
the daughter of Diblaim
00:17:53.34\00:17:57.27
and she conceived
and bore him a son.
00:17:57.31\00:18:02.74
The first son was named Jezreel,
00:18:02.78\00:18:04.75
you find that in verse 4,
which simply means God sows.
00:18:04.78\00:18:08.85
Now, Brethren, what would you do
00:18:08.88\00:18:10.49
if before you got married,
00:18:10.52\00:18:11.89
you knew that your
wife is going to mess up?
00:18:11.92\00:18:16.09
You're quiet.
00:18:16.12\00:18:18.39
I mean, would you
send the cake back?
00:18:18.43\00:18:20.83
If your wife said to
you, as soon as we get married
00:18:20.86\00:18:23.16
not long after we
have our first child,
00:18:23.20\00:18:25.23
I'm going to begin
to mess around on you.
00:18:25.27\00:18:28.47
Would you still go
through with a marriage?
00:18:28.50\00:18:30.97
I see Larry shaking his
head. Somebody is responding.
00:18:31.01\00:18:33.88
I mean, if you knew beforehand,
00:18:33.91\00:18:35.81
that this marriage
was not going to last,
00:18:35.84\00:18:39.55
would you go through
with all the planning,
00:18:39.58\00:18:42.45
all the decorations.
00:18:42.48\00:18:44.75
Hosea, the Bible says,
00:18:44.79\00:18:46.12
he went and he
took a wife named Gomer.
00:18:46.15\00:18:48.66
And then the Bible says,
00:18:48.69\00:18:50.03
she conceived
and bore him a son.
00:18:50.06\00:18:54.23
The marriage got
off to a good start.
00:18:54.26\00:18:56.30
But a wise man said
in Ecclesiastes 7:8,
00:18:56.33\00:19:00.14
"The end of a thing is
better than the beginning."
00:19:00.17\00:19:04.61
In other words, what
he means is, in the end,
00:19:04.64\00:19:06.78
you're going to see
that God worked it all out.
00:19:06.81\00:19:09.61
But in the beginning
00:19:09.64\00:19:10.98
it's not going
to look like that.
00:19:11.01\00:19:12.35
Have you ever
been in the situation
00:19:12.38\00:19:14.12
where it did not look like
God was going to work it out?
00:19:14.15\00:19:16.92
But when God
finally worked it out,
00:19:16.95\00:19:18.82
you saw that God knew
what God was doing all along.
00:19:18.85\00:19:21.66
Can you say amen?
00:19:21.69\00:19:23.39
The end of a thing is
better often than the beginning.
00:19:23.43\00:19:26.49
How is God going to
get me to pay that bill?
00:19:26.53\00:19:28.43
The end is better
than the beginning.
00:19:28.46\00:19:30.33
How is God going to pull
me through the tough times?
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.57
The end is often
better than beginning.
00:19:32.60\00:19:34.70
When sickness comes,
we don't see the end.
00:19:34.74\00:19:37.41
But God is saying,
when you trust Him, friends,
00:19:37.44\00:19:39.34
the end is better
than the beginning.
00:19:39.37\00:19:42.14
I say amen for
trusting God, what do you say?
00:19:42.18\00:19:45.38
But the Bible goes
on to say in verse 6,
00:19:45.41\00:19:47.98
and she
conceived again, Hosea 1:6,
00:19:48.02\00:19:51.05
and bore a daughter.
00:19:51.09\00:19:54.12
And God said to
him, that is to Hosea,
00:19:54.16\00:19:56.46
call her name Lo-Ruhamah,
00:19:56.49\00:19:59.09
for I will no longer have
mercy on the house of Israel,
00:19:59.13\00:20:03.47
but I will
utterly take them away.
00:20:03.50\00:20:06.53
The marriage begins to
take a turn at the second child.
00:20:06.57\00:20:09.77
First one, God sows
a good relationship.
00:20:09.80\00:20:12.74
And I must say that
when Hosea said I do,
00:20:12.77\00:20:15.84
and Gomer said I do, and
they had their first child.
00:20:15.88\00:20:18.58
Hosea must have said to himself,
00:20:18.61\00:20:19.98
God knew exactly
what he was doing.
00:20:20.02\00:20:23.18
She's a lovely woman.
We've got a lovely son.
00:20:23.22\00:20:28.49
And so, Lord, from now on,
I'm not going to distrust you.
00:20:28.52\00:20:31.39
I'm going to move
when you say move,
00:20:31.43\00:20:33.50
I'm going to do what you say do
00:20:33.53\00:20:34.86
because Lord after all, I mean,
00:20:34.90\00:20:36.56
I would not have picked Gomer.
00:20:36.60\00:20:38.73
But it seems that it
got off to a good start.
00:20:38.77\00:20:40.94
Thank you, Lord,
for suggesting her name.
00:20:40.97\00:20:43.74
I think you know
what you're doing.
00:20:43.77\00:20:45.97
Second child is
born, Lo-Ruhamah,
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.54
which means no
mercy in this house.
00:20:48.58\00:20:52.25
Now, Brethren, you don't
need to be technological,
00:20:52.28\00:20:54.75
you don't need
to be theological.
00:20:54.78\00:20:56.12
You know, you don't need
to have a degree in psychology
00:20:56.15\00:20:57.99
to realize that things began
to go downhill pretty fast,
00:20:58.02\00:21:01.89
because the mercy between
00:21:01.92\00:21:03.66
a husband and
wife began to wean.
00:21:03.69\00:21:06.76
And God gave them
the name of the child
00:21:06.80\00:21:10.77
to verify that Hosea
from now on this marriage
00:21:10.80\00:21:14.10
is going downhill.
00:21:14.14\00:21:16.81
But it didn't stop
there. It did not stop there.
00:21:16.84\00:21:19.84
I would wish it stopped there.
00:21:19.87\00:21:21.51
Now, there's something else.
00:21:21.54\00:21:24.88
When I look at
this text, it says,
00:21:24.91\00:21:26.38
I will no longer have mercy.
00:21:26.41\00:21:28.22
Brethren, have you ever heard
of God as a God without mercy?
00:21:28.25\00:21:33.05
David the Psalmist says,
His mercy endures for how long?
00:21:33.09\00:21:36.86
Forever and forever.
00:21:36.89\00:21:39.46
So when God says that He
will no longer have mercy,
00:21:39.49\00:21:42.60
it does not seem to match
a God where the Bible says,
00:21:42.63\00:21:48.10
"The mercy of the Lord is
from everlasting to everlasting
00:21:48.14\00:21:50.91
on those who fear
Him and His righteousness
00:21:50.94\00:21:53.91
to the children's children.
00:21:53.94\00:21:55.94
God is a merciful
God." Psalms 103:17-18.
00:21:55.98\00:22:01.05
It doesn't seem to
match that God is going to
00:22:01.08\00:22:03.72
take His mercy back at a time
00:22:03.75\00:22:06.19
when His man needs it
more than ever before.
00:22:06.22\00:22:10.79
When your marriage
begins to go downhill,
00:22:10.83\00:22:13.06
when relationships in
church begin to go downhill,
00:22:13.09\00:22:15.36
what we all need is God's mercy.
00:22:15.40\00:22:17.00
What do you say?
00:22:17.03\00:22:18.43
But, Brethren, it
didn't stop there.
00:22:18.47\00:22:22.44
Verse 8, when it seems
it could not get any worse,
00:22:22.47\00:22:26.78
the narrative
continued, verse 8,
00:22:26.81\00:22:30.18
"Now when she had
weaned Lo-Ruhamah,
00:22:30.21\00:22:33.38
she conceived and born a son.
00:22:33.42\00:22:35.98
Then God said,
call his name Lo-Ammi,
00:22:36.02\00:22:40.66
for you are not my people
00:22:40.69\00:22:42.82
and I am not your God."
00:22:42.86\00:22:46.80
Now, Brethren, it
doesn't say how long it was,
00:22:46.83\00:22:48.63
but if the
natural biological cycle
00:22:48.66\00:22:50.60
has anything to do with this,
00:22:50.63\00:22:52.03
I would say it
took about three years
00:22:52.07\00:22:53.60
for that marriage to
go from ideal to terrible.
00:22:53.64\00:22:58.11
From Hosea saying, I do
to saying I wish I didn't.
00:22:58.14\00:23:03.38
From them loving
each other and remembering
00:23:03.41\00:23:05.51
how sweet the
cake was to wishing
00:23:05.55\00:23:07.82
they had never ever ate
any wedding cake together.
00:23:07.85\00:23:11.85
Sorry for the grammar there,
00:23:11.89\00:23:13.99
eaten any wedding cake together.
00:23:14.02\00:23:18.53
The marriage went
downhill from mercy,
00:23:18.56\00:23:20.96
God sowing to no mercy,
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.37
God backing out
to not my people.
00:23:23.40\00:23:26.97
Now, I don't know if
you caught that or not.
00:23:27.00\00:23:28.70
But in the story,
00:23:28.74\00:23:30.61
the Bible does not
include words for no reason.
00:23:30.64\00:23:33.31
If you remember in verse 3
that we just read a moment ago,
00:23:33.34\00:23:37.08
the Bible suggest
00:23:37.11\00:23:39.28
that the only time
in the relationship
00:23:39.31\00:23:41.95
that the children
had anything to do
00:23:41.98\00:23:44.52
with Hosea was the first child.
00:23:44.55\00:23:48.42
The second two
were not Hosea's child.
00:23:48.46\00:23:51.66
Look again to verse
3. Follow me carefully.
00:23:51.69\00:23:54.53
Hosea 1:3, the Bible says,
"So he went and took Gomer,
00:23:54.56\00:23:59.37
the daughter of
Diblaim, and she conceived,"
00:23:59.40\00:24:02.10
and what does it say?
00:24:02.14\00:24:03.47
"And bore," what? "Him a son."
00:24:03.51\00:24:07.28
The next two it doesn't say that
00:24:07.31\00:24:09.34
she bore him a son.
00:24:09.38\00:24:10.91
It says she conceived.
00:24:10.95\00:24:14.28
It doesn't say
that she had that child
00:24:14.32\00:24:16.65
as a result of a
relationship with Hosea.
00:24:16.69\00:24:19.05
It said, she conceived.
00:24:19.09\00:24:21.72
In other words,
those children came
00:24:21.76\00:24:25.49
from the seed of somebody else.
00:24:25.53\00:24:27.86
It did not come from Hosea seed.
00:24:27.90\00:24:31.17
She conceived.
00:24:31.20\00:24:33.00
But those were not his children.
00:24:33.03\00:24:35.47
Just in case you're doubting me,
00:24:35.50\00:24:37.01
go with me to Hosea 2:4,
00:24:37.04\00:24:39.04
just in case there's
some doubt in your mind.
00:24:39.07\00:24:40.78
I got to clear this
up. Are you there with me?
00:24:40.81\00:24:43.78
Here we are. Hosea 2:4.
00:24:43.81\00:24:47.78
The Bible makes it very
clear that these children
00:24:47.82\00:24:50.79
Lo-Ruhamah Lo-Ammi
were not Hosea's children.
00:24:50.82\00:24:54.62
And you know what amazes me
00:24:54.66\00:24:55.99
about this is God told
him before they got married
00:24:56.02\00:24:59.69
that this was going to happen.
00:24:59.73\00:25:02.36
Now, Brethren, you may not know
00:25:02.40\00:25:03.93
where's Pastor John
going with this sermon
00:25:03.97\00:25:06.00
about Hosea and
Gomer, and Lo-Ruhamah,
00:25:06.03\00:25:08.34
and Jezreel, and Lo-Ammi.
00:25:08.37\00:25:10.54
This is an
illustration in Scripture about
00:25:10.57\00:25:14.01
how God feels about
His wayward children.
00:25:14.04\00:25:18.51
You see, Brethren,
00:25:18.55\00:25:19.88
when our relationship
with God starts out,
00:25:19.91\00:25:21.78
we're all excited.
00:25:21.82\00:25:23.18
But those of us that
have made bad choices
00:25:23.22\00:25:25.39
after giving
our lives to Christ,
00:25:25.42\00:25:27.06
the wonderful thing
about this story is that
00:25:27.09\00:25:28.92
although God does not
identify with our seed,
00:25:28.96\00:25:32.36
although God does not
identify with our relationships,
00:25:32.39\00:25:35.20
although God does not
identify with our sin,
00:25:35.23\00:25:37.80
God always identifies with us.
00:25:37.83\00:25:40.14
The Bible says in Hosea 2:4,
00:25:46.24\00:25:49.64
"I will not have
mercy on her children,
00:25:49.68\00:25:52.75
for they are the
children of," what?
00:25:52.78\00:25:54.78
"Harlotry."
00:25:54.82\00:25:56.82
It's one thing to say
that we're married to Christ.
00:25:56.85\00:25:59.15
Are you hearing me?
00:25:59.19\00:26:00.76
It's one thing to say
we're married to Christ,
00:26:00.79\00:26:02.66
it's something
altogether different
00:26:02.69\00:26:04.99
when the offspring reveals that
00:26:05.03\00:26:07.30
somebody has been
sleeping with the enemy.
00:26:07.33\00:26:10.33
Let me make it very clear.
00:26:13.87\00:26:15.20
Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi
were not Hosea's babies.
00:26:18.41\00:26:23.88
Lack of love in the
church is not God's child.
00:26:23.91\00:26:29.08
Backbiting and
gossip is not God's child.
00:26:29.12\00:26:33.62
Unfaithfulness to
our vows of baptism
00:26:33.66\00:26:37.43
and marriage is not God's child.
00:26:37.46\00:26:41.86
Provocative
dress and worldly music
00:26:41.90\00:26:43.83
in the church
is not God's child.
00:26:43.87\00:26:48.00
Violation of God's
Sabbath is not God's child.
00:26:48.04\00:26:53.04
Robbing God in tithe
and offering, Brethren,
00:26:53.07\00:26:55.74
is not God's child.
00:26:55.78\00:26:59.21
Disrespecting God's
leadership is not God's child.
00:26:59.25\00:27:04.35
And the list goes
on and say it with me,
00:27:04.39\00:27:06.99
and on and on and on.
00:27:07.02\00:27:11.09
There are those that
say, and I've heard it before.
00:27:11.13\00:27:15.40
But their works reveal that
00:27:15.43\00:27:17.00
there's a different
relationship all together.
00:27:17.03\00:27:19.47
They are those that
sing to the glory of God,
00:27:19.50\00:27:21.80
but they don't live
to the glory of God.
00:27:21.84\00:27:24.14
There's those that say that
I believe that time is short,
00:27:24.17\00:27:27.04
but their works deny the fact
that they honestly believe that
00:27:27.08\00:27:30.95
we're living in the end of time.
00:27:30.98\00:27:35.18
It's one thing to
say, I love the Lord,
00:27:35.22\00:27:36.92
is something
altogether different to live
00:27:36.95\00:27:40.22
as though I am
trusting in and relying on,
00:27:40.26\00:27:44.23
and I'm falling in
love with the Lord.
00:27:44.26\00:27:46.86
In the church today,
00:27:46.90\00:27:48.23
the Seventh-day
Adventist Church,
00:27:48.26\00:27:49.60
and I would say
this is probably true
00:27:49.63\00:27:50.97
in a lot of other
Christian denominations
00:27:51.00\00:27:52.33
is we are living in the day
00:27:52.37\00:27:53.70
and age where religion
has taken on a new flavor
00:27:53.74\00:27:55.40
all together.
00:27:55.44\00:27:56.77
It's about the music.
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.61
It's about how good we can feel
00:27:58.64\00:28:00.44
when we come to church.
00:28:00.48\00:28:02.91
But the Bible
prophets are saying that
00:28:02.94\00:28:04.85
we're living in a time
00:28:04.88\00:28:06.92
where sound
doctrine is unpopular,
00:28:06.95\00:28:10.69
and Christian things have become
00:28:10.72\00:28:13.36
the popular
direction the church is going.
00:28:13.39\00:28:15.49
Let's have Christian
music, but not Christian living.
00:28:15.52\00:28:19.29
Let's have Christian
clubs and Christian socials.
00:28:19.33\00:28:23.90
But what God is looking for
00:28:23.93\00:28:25.83
is not outward
appearances of Christianity,
00:28:25.87\00:28:29.14
God is looking for a place
to reside inside the hearts
00:28:29.17\00:28:33.44
of those claiming to be
sons and daughters of God.
00:28:33.48\00:28:35.71
What do you say?
00:28:35.74\00:28:37.75
There are those that sing,
00:28:37.78\00:28:39.11
but their lives do not
reveal that they are waiting,
00:28:39.15\00:28:41.68
watching and in a position
of holiness and righteousness.
00:28:41.72\00:28:46.72
What if God were
to come tomorrow?
00:28:46.76\00:28:48.96
Don't raise your hands,
00:28:48.99\00:28:50.33
but how many of
us would be ready?
00:28:50.36\00:28:51.76
Well, I've got
good news for you.
00:28:55.03\00:28:58.63
And you said amen.
00:28:58.67\00:29:01.04
Because if I only
had bad news for you,
00:29:01.07\00:29:03.81
you really wouldn't want to
hear the rest of the sermon.
00:29:03.84\00:29:06.37
But I've got good news for you
00:29:06.41\00:29:07.74
because in spite
of our condition,
00:29:07.78\00:29:09.88
in spite of the prevailing
condition in the church,
00:29:09.91\00:29:12.51
in spite of those
who profess to know God,
00:29:12.55\00:29:15.18
and don't live like
they know God, Brethren,
00:29:15.22\00:29:17.72
God still has a
plan to save His people.
00:29:17.75\00:29:23.29
I mean, God is not
caught off guard by the things
00:29:23.32\00:29:27.13
that exist in the church
00:29:27.16\00:29:28.50
as though something
strange is occurring.
00:29:28.53\00:29:31.03
Somebody once said to me,
00:29:31.07\00:29:32.40
look at the
condition of the church,
00:29:32.43\00:29:34.34
can you imagine what
the church has become?
00:29:34.37\00:29:38.51
And I say, Brethren, you sound
as though this is a surprise.
00:29:38.54\00:29:42.31
This is something that
God doesn't know about.
00:29:42.34\00:29:44.75
But in His Word,
the Lord says that
00:29:44.78\00:29:46.31
they will not come unless
00:29:46.35\00:29:48.05
there comes a
falling away first.
00:29:48.08\00:29:50.52
So if the falling away
has started, praise the Lord,
00:29:50.55\00:29:53.82
the Day of the
Lord is not far away.
00:29:53.86\00:29:55.22
What do you say?
00:29:55.26\00:29:56.59
If there's unrighteousness
in the church, the Lord said,
00:29:56.62\00:29:58.79
it's going to be
that way before I come.
00:29:58.83\00:30:00.93
Praise God that it's happening.
00:30:00.96\00:30:03.47
But not that it is happening,
00:30:03.50\00:30:04.83
I'm praising God
that it is the precursor
00:30:04.87\00:30:07.04
to the coming of the Lord.
00:30:07.07\00:30:08.80
He says, as it was
in the days of Noah,
00:30:08.84\00:30:10.57
so shall it be in the days
00:30:10.61\00:30:11.94
of the coming of the Son of man.
00:30:11.97\00:30:13.88
You know that we're
living in the last days
00:30:13.91\00:30:15.24
when the church is beginning
to ordain same sex marriages.
00:30:15.28\00:30:19.98
They say in some countries,
you can't talk about that.
00:30:20.02\00:30:21.88
Well, I'm sorry, I'm
not in a country like that.
00:30:21.92\00:30:23.75
Praise the Lord. We
can talk about it here.
00:30:23.79\00:30:26.32
There's some places
where preachers have said,
00:30:26.35\00:30:27.79
"Well, you know,
00:30:27.82\00:30:29.16
as long as they
love each other."
00:30:29.19\00:30:30.63
Brethren, God is love,
00:30:30.66\00:30:32.59
and that kind of
love is not godly.
00:30:32.63\00:30:38.07
They're those that say, "Well,
they're not harming anybody."
00:30:38.10\00:30:40.30
Well, it's not
about harming anybody,
00:30:40.34\00:30:41.67
the devil makes it appear
00:30:41.70\00:30:43.04
as though nobody's being harmed.
00:30:43.07\00:30:44.41
But what we fail to
realize is when men and women
00:30:44.44\00:30:46.37
are joined together, it
completes the image of God
00:30:46.41\00:30:49.08
and the human race.
00:30:49.11\00:30:50.61
And although they do not
harm anybody by their activity
00:30:50.65\00:30:52.95
in their own private homes,
00:30:52.98\00:30:54.58
they are
marring the image of God
00:30:54.62\00:30:56.22
and the human race,
00:30:56.25\00:30:57.59
and God wants to be seen in man.
00:30:57.62\00:31:01.86
God never intended man
with man and woman with women
00:31:01.89\00:31:04.23
to be a reflection of who He is.
00:31:04.26\00:31:06.19
The Bible says,
"God gave the maleness
00:31:06.23\00:31:09.63
and the
femaleness of His divinity
00:31:09.66\00:31:12.97
to man and woman."
00:31:13.00\00:31:14.70
And when they joined together,
00:31:14.74\00:31:16.14
they complete the image
of God on the human race.
00:31:16.17\00:31:18.74
The two things that God
ordained in the Garden of Eden
00:31:18.77\00:31:21.61
had been the two
targets of Satan's attack
00:31:21.64\00:31:24.08
ever since the entrance of sin,
00:31:24.11\00:31:26.35
the Sabbath and the marriage.
00:31:26.38\00:31:30.15
But nowadays, Satan
has taken on a new role.
00:31:30.19\00:31:33.89
Because Satan now attacks
the church where it breeds.
00:31:33.92\00:31:37.16
Satan has come in
and has given new meaning
00:31:37.19\00:31:39.53
to what we call religious music.
00:31:39.56\00:31:44.60
And we're more comfortable
with the religious music
00:31:44.63\00:31:48.37
than we all with
living righteously.
00:31:48.40\00:31:52.97
Now the Bible, I
want to say this,
00:31:53.01\00:31:54.44
somebody may write me
an email, that's okay.
00:31:54.48\00:31:56.24
I don't mind, send
it to my email address.
00:31:56.28\00:31:58.05
I won't give it to you.
00:31:58.08\00:31:59.41
You'll have to
find out what it is.
00:31:59.45\00:32:03.65
But the Bible
supports the lifting of hands.
00:32:03.69\00:32:07.26
But the Bible does not support
00:32:07.29\00:32:08.86
the lifting of hands in
lieu of living righteously.
00:32:08.89\00:32:14.73
The Bible
supports the proper use
00:32:14.76\00:32:16.87
of any kind of
musical instrument.
00:32:16.90\00:32:19.50
But the Bible does not support
00:32:19.53\00:32:21.10
the use of musical instruments
in place of living righteously.
00:32:21.14\00:32:25.27
There are those that say,
00:32:29.24\00:32:30.58
"Well, either
we have good music,
00:32:30.61\00:32:34.15
or we have good sermons."
00:32:34.18\00:32:36.69
Now, I believe
that we could have both.
00:32:36.72\00:32:38.05
What do you say?
00:32:38.09\00:32:39.42
Down here in Thompsonville
we need to have both up.
00:32:39.45\00:32:41.16
And we praise the Lord,
we do have both of them.
00:32:41.19\00:32:43.69
But there are those
that are preaching that says,
00:32:43.73\00:32:45.09
"Now in order for our
church services to be effective,
00:32:45.13\00:32:47.20
the people that are coming
in seeker sensitive services,
00:32:47.23\00:32:50.27
let's tone down the
message and crank up the music."
00:32:50.30\00:32:55.57
That's not God's child.
00:32:55.60\00:32:57.71
Because when you
have to choose between
00:32:57.74\00:32:59.07
message and music,
00:32:59.11\00:33:00.44
the message is the
direction of salvation,
00:33:00.48\00:33:03.38
because there was
a whole lot of music
00:33:03.41\00:33:05.11
played on the
plain of Dura in Babylon
00:33:05.15\00:33:07.98
that had nothing to
do with righteousness.
00:33:08.02\00:33:12.92
Nowadays, somebody says,
00:33:12.95\00:33:15.26
"Well, now look
at all the people
00:33:15.29\00:33:16.62
coming to church.
00:33:16.66\00:33:17.99
We obviously are
doing the right thing."
00:33:18.03\00:33:19.49
But, Brethren, I discovered that
00:33:19.53\00:33:22.00
the numbers of those
on the outside of the ark
00:33:22.03\00:33:23.80
were more than those
on the inside of the ark.
00:33:23.83\00:33:26.20
So numbers is
never an indication that
00:33:26.23\00:33:28.67
what you're doing is right.
00:33:28.70\00:33:32.11
Somebody said, "Look at
all the people coming in."
00:33:32.14\00:33:34.88
Well, now, let's go
down to the local stadium.
00:33:34.91\00:33:36.88
We don't have
one in Thompsonville,
00:33:36.91\00:33:38.65
the local one is
probably out there in St. Louis.
00:33:38.68\00:33:40.55
If you go to the local stadium
00:33:40.58\00:33:41.92
and there's a
rock concert going on,
00:33:41.95\00:33:43.45
and there's 60,000
people, it doesn't mean that
00:33:43.49\00:33:45.75
the numbers now make
the activity righteous.
00:33:45.79\00:33:48.39
Men shall be
lovers of themselves,
00:33:53.90\00:33:57.60
boasters, proud, blasphemers,
00:33:57.63\00:34:01.10
disobedient to parents,
00:34:01.14\00:34:02.47
unthankful, unholy
without natural affection,
00:34:02.50\00:34:05.91
truce breakers, incontinent,
00:34:05.94\00:34:07.71
despises of those that are good,
00:34:07.74\00:34:10.61
heady, high minded,
00:34:10.65\00:34:12.78
lovers of pleasure
more than lovers of God.
00:34:12.81\00:34:15.72
And here's the end part,
having a form of godliness.
00:34:15.75\00:34:20.82
Gomer had enough godliness
to get Hosea to marry her.
00:34:20.86\00:34:24.63
Now, what I'm so
excited about is that
00:34:27.66\00:34:30.57
Gomer's unrighteousness
00:34:30.60\00:34:33.64
was not a shock to God.
00:34:33.67\00:34:37.37
Let me go a step farther.
00:34:37.41\00:34:40.61
When we live out of harmony
with God's revealed will,
00:34:40.64\00:34:44.01
it's not a shock to God.
00:34:44.05\00:34:46.65
Because God sees our
life as it is unfolding.
00:34:46.68\00:34:51.55
Matter of fact, God sees
our track before we walk it.
00:34:51.59\00:34:55.36
God sees our future
before we get to it,
00:34:55.39\00:34:57.43
and God can tell by
the patterns of our lives
00:34:57.46\00:35:00.00
where we're going to
be when we get there.
00:35:00.03\00:35:04.53
God sees us before we get there.
00:35:04.57\00:35:06.74
And he can say,
based on what you're doing,
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.84
based on how you're dressing,
00:35:08.87\00:35:10.37
based on where you're going,
00:35:10.41\00:35:11.74
based on what
you're listening to,
00:35:11.77\00:35:13.34
based on the things
influencing your life,
00:35:13.38\00:35:15.61
I can tell exactly
where you're going to be
00:35:15.64\00:35:17.15
in two years.
00:35:17.18\00:35:19.55
So when God told Hosea to
marry Gomer, He didn't say,
00:35:19.58\00:35:22.65
"Now, I wonder
what's going to happen."
00:35:22.68\00:35:24.35
God knew that Gomer was going
to mess up and it got so bad,
00:35:24.39\00:35:28.99
Brethren, it got so
bad that Gomer walked away
00:35:29.02\00:35:32.96
from the marriage
00:35:32.99\00:35:34.33
and pursued a life of decline.
00:35:34.36\00:35:39.37
That's a nice way of
saying, pursuing a harlot life.
00:35:39.40\00:35:42.54
Bible says in Hosea 2:13.
00:35:45.57\00:35:49.08
Hosea 2:13, describing
the direction that she took.
00:35:49.11\00:35:54.48
Hosea 2:13, The Lord says,
00:35:54.52\00:35:58.82
"I will punish her
for the days of the Baals
00:35:58.85\00:36:03.36
to which she burned incense."
00:36:03.39\00:36:06.46
Now, you got to catch this,
00:36:06.49\00:36:07.83
this is not so
much about adornment.
00:36:07.86\00:36:09.93
You got to catch the
words and I'll go back on it.
00:36:09.96\00:36:13.20
She decked herself with what?
00:36:13.23\00:36:16.30
Her earrings and what?
00:36:16.34\00:36:19.37
And jewelry,
and went after what?
00:36:19.41\00:36:22.54
Her lovers, but she
forgot me, says the Lord.
00:36:22.58\00:36:27.78
Now follow this carefully.
00:36:27.82\00:36:31.59
You've heard me talk
about adornment before
00:36:31.62\00:36:33.62
and don't get too nervous.
00:36:33.66\00:36:38.09
But what's
happening on the inside
00:36:38.13\00:36:40.73
is always
reflected on the outside.
00:36:40.76\00:36:43.13
Those that apostatize more,
00:36:48.57\00:36:50.64
those that are
walking away from the truth,
00:36:50.67\00:36:52.44
tend to put on more
things after they walk away
00:36:52.47\00:36:55.78
than they had on before
they accepted the truth.
00:36:55.81\00:36:59.15
That's when it
comes to adornment.
00:36:59.18\00:37:01.68
Those who accept the
truth and then walk away from it
00:37:01.72\00:37:04.95
tend to wear less
after they walk away
00:37:04.99\00:37:09.22
from the truth than they were
before they accepted the truth.
00:37:09.26\00:37:14.70
Those who are alcoholics
before they accepted the truth.
00:37:14.73\00:37:18.17
After accepting the
truth, if they walk away,
00:37:18.20\00:37:20.24
they tend to go
head over heels back into
00:37:20.27\00:37:22.57
what they did,
00:37:22.60\00:37:23.94
but 10 times worse
than they did before.
00:37:23.97\00:37:27.71
And the Bible
makes it clear that
00:37:27.74\00:37:29.08
when our lives are
swept and put in order,
00:37:29.11\00:37:31.75
but if our lives are
empty of the Spirit of God,
00:37:31.78\00:37:34.52
Satan goes out and
bring seven more demons in
00:37:34.55\00:37:38.39
and does more harm
after than he was able to do
00:37:38.42\00:37:41.79
before we came to a knowledge
00:37:41.82\00:37:43.96
of the truth of God's Word.
00:37:43.99\00:37:45.33
My favorite
author, Ellen White says
00:37:48.30\00:37:49.93
in Our High Calling, page 172.
00:37:49.96\00:37:52.47
She says...
00:37:52.50\00:37:53.84
This gave me
encouragement by the way.
00:37:53.87\00:37:55.20
You know, it sounds like
I'm preaching hard and I am,
00:37:55.24\00:37:57.37
praise God for that.
00:37:57.41\00:37:59.11
But let me just give
you some encouragement here
00:37:59.14\00:38:00.64
because a lot of people
look at the church and say,
00:38:00.68\00:38:02.01
"You know what?
00:38:02.04\00:38:03.38
All the junk that I see
00:38:03.41\00:38:05.65
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:38:05.68\00:38:07.02
causes me concern.
00:38:07.05\00:38:08.55
Therefore I need to leave
and start my own movement."
00:38:08.58\00:38:13.66
Brethren, if the ship
00:38:13.69\00:38:15.82
which is larger than
a rowboat is shaking,
00:38:15.86\00:38:18.29
how is the
rowboat going to handle
00:38:18.33\00:38:20.46
the rough waters of time?
00:38:20.50\00:38:21.83
Some people forget that
the Lord has guaranteed that
00:38:26.23\00:38:30.84
His church, the
place of salvation,
00:38:30.87\00:38:33.91
the Bible says,
although it may look like
00:38:33.94\00:38:36.88
it's in trouble,
00:38:36.91\00:38:38.25
the gates of hell
shall not prevail against,
00:38:38.28\00:38:41.82
come on now, the church.
00:38:41.85\00:38:44.05
So don't get caught
off guard by how it looks,
00:38:44.09\00:38:46.62
because God is still
at the helm of this ship.
00:38:46.65\00:38:49.59
And God is going
to carry it through.
00:38:49.62\00:38:51.09
Listen to what she says in
Our High Calling, page 172.
00:38:51.13\00:38:55.70
"The Church of Christ enfeebled
00:38:55.73\00:38:58.87
and defective
though it may appear
00:38:58.90\00:39:02.20
is the one object on earth
00:39:02.24\00:39:04.41
on which He
bestows in a special sense
00:39:04.44\00:39:08.04
His love and regard.
00:39:08.08\00:39:10.71
The church is the
theater of His grace,
00:39:10.75\00:39:14.95
in which He
delights to make experiments
00:39:14.98\00:39:17.62
of mercy on human hearts."
00:39:17.65\00:39:20.99
In other words, God
says, it may look bad,
00:39:21.02\00:39:23.22
but there's a whole lot
of mercy left in the church
00:39:23.26\00:39:25.46
because God is still
in charge of His people.
00:39:25.49\00:39:31.70
I think about the
story of Hosea and by now...
00:39:31.73\00:39:35.27
it got really bad.
00:39:38.61\00:39:41.81
Gomer left the house.
00:39:41.84\00:39:43.95
Gomer went back
downtown to the life that
00:39:43.98\00:39:46.21
she was accustomed to before.
00:39:46.25\00:39:48.68
But, Brethren, what
encourages me is that
00:39:48.72\00:39:50.19
when we take somebody's
name off of the church books,
00:39:50.22\00:39:53.89
I want to say this again,
00:39:53.92\00:39:55.26
when we take somebody's name off
00:39:55.29\00:39:57.19
the church books,
00:39:57.23\00:39:58.76
God puts that
person's name on His books.
00:39:58.79\00:40:02.26
Now don't
misunderstand what I'm saying,
00:40:02.30\00:40:04.00
I'm not talking about
the book of righteousness.
00:40:04.03\00:40:06.37
But when we forget their name,
God never forgets their name.
00:40:06.40\00:40:11.07
When somebody even walks away,
and decides to run from God,
00:40:11.11\00:40:16.11
I have news for you,
00:40:16.14\00:40:17.48
God can run after
you faster than you
00:40:17.51\00:40:19.68
can run away from God.
00:40:19.71\00:40:22.78
Because Gomer's out
there now living the life
00:40:22.82\00:40:25.22
that she decides to choose,
and there are a lot of folk
00:40:25.25\00:40:27.72
that used to be a
part of the church
00:40:27.76\00:40:29.09
that are living a life
00:40:29.12\00:40:30.73
that is a shame
to the sight of God.
00:40:30.76\00:40:33.19
But, Brethren, the
encouragement is this,
00:40:33.23\00:40:34.96
God want you to be saved
more than you want to be lost.
00:40:35.00\00:40:38.83
And when Hosea
00:40:38.87\00:40:41.20
thought about
the goodness of God,
00:40:41.24\00:40:42.57
I know Hosea had to remember
00:40:42.60\00:40:43.94
what Jeremiah the prophet
said in Jeremiah 31:3, he says,
00:40:43.97\00:40:47.08
"The Lord appeared
to me of old saying,
00:40:47.11\00:40:48.91
'Yes, I have loved you with,"
00:40:48.94\00:40:50.65
what kind of love,
church, say it with me?
00:40:50.68\00:40:52.35
"An everlasting love,
00:40:52.38\00:40:54.75
therefore, with loving kindness,
00:40:54.78\00:40:58.42
I have drawn thee.'"
00:40:58.45\00:41:01.09
While she's out
there living her own life,
00:41:01.12\00:41:04.46
Hosea is now left to the task
00:41:04.49\00:41:07.30
of raising the
children by himself.
00:41:07.33\00:41:11.83
He's got to go to
church on Sabbath morning now
00:41:11.87\00:41:13.84
and make excuses.
00:41:13.87\00:41:15.20
What happened to
your wife Gomer, Hosea?
00:41:15.24\00:41:17.71
Well, you know, she's not
feeling well this weekend.
00:41:17.74\00:41:21.61
And Hosea knows that
00:41:21.64\00:41:22.98
when he woke up to go to church,
00:41:23.01\00:41:24.78
she woke up to go downtown.
00:41:24.81\00:41:28.38
"What happened to
your wife, Hosea?"
00:41:28.42\00:41:29.75
"Well, she's spending
some time with her mother
00:41:29.78\00:41:33.25
this weekend."
00:41:33.29\00:41:35.92
Failing to tell the truth
that her life is getting more
00:41:35.96\00:41:40.30
and more critical by the moment.
00:41:40.33\00:41:43.80
Hosea is now left to
raise the children by himself.
00:41:43.83\00:41:46.84
And then there
are days he sits down
00:41:46.87\00:41:48.90
when she comes home late
way after the midnight hour,
00:41:48.94\00:41:52.71
and he wants to
ask her where she was,
00:41:52.74\00:41:54.94
but how she's
dressed makes it obvious
00:41:54.98\00:41:57.65
to where she was.
00:41:57.68\00:42:02.12
And with tears in his
voice, he gets out a good night,
00:42:02.15\00:42:06.65
good to see you home.
00:42:06.69\00:42:08.79
And she passes him by
unnoticed and goes to her room
00:42:08.82\00:42:11.76
to get her rest to do
the same thing the next day.
00:42:11.79\00:42:16.87
But I like how the
story brings out about God,
00:42:16.90\00:42:20.40
because there's a
relentlessness about God.
00:42:20.44\00:42:23.00
Hosea sees, and
he becomes restless.
00:42:23.04\00:42:25.94
And one day he
makes up his mind,
00:42:25.97\00:42:27.74
Pastor Murray, that
he wants his wife back.
00:42:27.78\00:42:30.11
Brethren, no matter how
long you've been out there,
00:42:30.15\00:42:32.41
God has made up His
mind that He wants you back
00:42:32.45\00:42:35.35
where you belong.
00:42:35.38\00:42:37.29
God is not satisfied with the 99
00:42:37.32\00:42:40.76
and there's one out there.
00:42:40.79\00:42:42.29
God is not saying,
00:42:42.32\00:42:43.66
"I've got enough
folk in the church
00:42:43.69\00:42:45.03
that just don't
want to live right.
00:42:45.06\00:42:46.39
Let me leave those out
00:42:46.43\00:42:47.76
who are not
living right out there."
00:42:47.80\00:42:49.13
God wants to go after them,
00:42:49.16\00:42:50.50
because He's not
willing that any should perish.
00:42:50.53\00:42:53.80
One day Hosea
gets up enough courage
00:42:53.84\00:42:56.07
and I can almost
see it in my mind.
00:42:56.10\00:42:58.07
I like to think and I
like to imagine things,
00:42:58.11\00:43:00.51
and I put a
contemporary spin on this.
00:43:00.54\00:43:02.54
I think of Hosea
getting up in the morning
00:43:02.58\00:43:05.78
and getting into his car
00:43:05.81\00:43:08.32
after the kids
are off to school,
00:43:08.35\00:43:11.19
and he calls in that
day and says to his boss,
00:43:11.22\00:43:13.32
"I'm not coming in today.
00:43:13.36\00:43:18.03
I won't be in tomorrow
either." "What's wrong Hosea?"
00:43:18.06\00:43:20.96
"Well, I'm not
feeling too well."
00:43:21.00\00:43:22.76
And Hosea, his love
for his wife is so great.
00:43:22.80\00:43:26.07
Hosea goes downtown
00:43:26.10\00:43:30.67
to his wife's district,
00:43:30.71\00:43:34.24
a woman of harlotry
00:43:34.28\00:43:38.01
and he sits on
an adjacent corner
00:43:38.05\00:43:42.45
and he watches
her walk the streets.
00:43:42.48\00:43:46.32
He watches her living
in her unfaithfulness.
00:43:46.35\00:43:49.99
You know, Brethren,
we can be unfaithful,
00:43:50.03\00:43:51.99
but everyday
God's longing for us
00:43:52.03\00:43:54.20
is going to bring the Lord down
00:43:54.23\00:43:55.63
to our corner looking for
us, watching us, waiting for us,
00:43:55.66\00:43:59.87
waiting for an
opportunity to break in
00:43:59.90\00:44:02.54
and interrupt our direction.
00:44:02.57\00:44:04.04
Hosea sits there.
00:44:04.07\00:44:06.07
And I can see the
longing in his eyes
00:44:06.11\00:44:07.94
for the one that he
loved with all of his heart.
00:44:07.98\00:44:12.21
One day comes and
she notices the car
00:44:12.25\00:44:14.32
and begins to make her trek
toward the car and Hosea says,
00:44:14.35\00:44:16.69
"I've gotta leave."
00:44:16.72\00:44:18.05
I go and I go home,
and the next day he comes,
00:44:18.09\00:44:20.02
Brother, and he
invites a cab driver
00:44:20.06\00:44:22.39
to take him downtown that day.
00:44:22.42\00:44:25.66
He wants to remain
incognito, inconspicuous,
00:44:25.69\00:44:28.60
and he sits there
longing for his wife
00:44:28.63\00:44:31.67
to come back home,
longing for that love
00:44:31.70\00:44:34.40
to be back in the
house where it used to be.
00:44:34.44\00:44:36.91
But he doesn't interrupt her.
00:44:40.64\00:44:42.68
He just
continues praying for her.
00:44:42.71\00:44:44.08
One day though
he gets the courage.
00:44:44.11\00:44:45.95
And the Bible says,
00:44:45.98\00:44:47.78
he decides to
interrupt her direction.
00:44:47.82\00:44:50.95
As you read with
me in Hosea 2:6-7.
00:44:50.99\00:44:54.56
He gets to the place
where he says not even her sin
00:44:54.59\00:44:57.56
and rebellion can
keep me away from her.
00:44:57.59\00:45:01.36
And the Bible says, God steps in
00:45:01.40\00:45:03.87
and he says this about Gomer.
00:45:03.90\00:45:06.37
"Therefore, behold, I
will hedge up your way
00:45:06.40\00:45:09.07
with thorns,
00:45:09.10\00:45:10.47
and wall her in so that
she cannot find her paths."
00:45:10.51\00:45:14.61
Can you say amen?
00:45:14.64\00:45:16.01
"She will chase her
lovers but not overtake them.
00:45:16.04\00:45:19.88
Yes, she will seek
them, but not find them.
00:45:19.91\00:45:23.82
Then she will say, I will go
and return to my first husband.
00:45:23.85\00:45:28.96
For then it was
better for me than now."
00:45:28.99\00:45:31.89
Can somebody say amen?
00:45:31.93\00:45:33.73
She sees him
one day, and one day
00:45:33.76\00:45:35.20
Hosea gets the
courage to get out of the car
00:45:35.23\00:45:38.27
and walk over to
where his wife is.
00:45:38.30\00:45:39.80
He stands there, and he
begins to reminisce with her.
00:45:39.83\00:45:42.80
Go with me in the Bible
to see this reminiscing.
00:45:42.84\00:45:44.71
He begins to reminisce
00:45:44.74\00:45:46.07
with her about
the good old days.
00:45:46.11\00:45:47.44
You know, Brethren,
00:45:47.48\00:45:48.81
when you think
about how good God is,
00:45:48.84\00:45:50.18
God's good old days
00:45:50.21\00:45:51.55
are better than
our good old days.
00:45:51.58\00:45:54.58
The best in our
sin can never compare
00:45:54.62\00:45:58.62
to the worst of our experiences
in following the Lord.
00:45:58.65\00:46:03.32
I would rather have a
tough time as a Christian
00:46:03.36\00:46:05.56
and be saved
than have an easy time
00:46:05.59\00:46:08.16
as a sinner and be lost.
00:46:08.20\00:46:09.60
And the devil
sometimes makes the place that
00:46:13.50\00:46:15.30
God wants us to be,
appear to be the place
00:46:15.34\00:46:17.51
that God does not want us to be.
00:46:17.54\00:46:19.27
And we get so frustrated
by our own self righteousness,
00:46:19.31\00:46:22.71
that we says, I can't be
among hypocrites like that.
00:46:22.74\00:46:25.08
Let me tell you some, Brethren,
00:46:25.11\00:46:26.45
I'd rather live with hypocrites,
00:46:26.48\00:46:28.58
and finally be saved in the end
00:46:28.62\00:46:30.69
than walk away from hypocrites
and be lost all together.
00:46:30.72\00:46:33.32
Hosea 2:16,
00:46:38.59\00:46:44.17
"And it shall be in
that day, says the Lord,
00:46:44.20\00:46:48.20
that You will call
me," What, Brethren?
00:46:48.24\00:46:51.51
"My husband and no
longer call me," what?
00:46:51.54\00:46:54.51
"My master, for I
will take from her mouth
00:46:54.54\00:46:58.25
the names of the Baals,
and they shall be remembered
00:46:58.28\00:47:02.85
by their name no more."
00:47:02.88\00:47:06.12
Look at verse 23,
00:47:06.15\00:47:08.16
"Then I will show her
for Myself in the earth,
00:47:08.19\00:47:12.63
and I will have mercy on
her who had not obtained mercy.
00:47:12.66\00:47:17.73
Then I will say to
those who are not My people,"
00:47:17.77\00:47:20.54
say it with me, church.
00:47:20.57\00:47:21.90
"You are My people.
00:47:21.94\00:47:23.97
And they shall
say, 'You are my God.'"
00:47:24.01\00:47:27.88
Tonight, there's somebody
out there that has been out
00:47:27.91\00:47:31.15
there for a long time,
the names and the faces
00:47:31.18\00:47:34.32
are too
numerous to even mention.
00:47:34.35\00:47:38.55
You can think
of names right now,
00:47:38.59\00:47:40.19
I think about the people.
00:47:40.22\00:47:41.56
There's that young lady
that used to sing in the choir,
00:47:41.59\00:47:45.23
but a bad choice got
her put out of the choir.
00:47:45.26\00:47:47.93
And eventually
she left the church.
00:47:47.96\00:47:50.23
She's probably watching tonight
thinking about the hardship
00:47:50.27\00:47:53.97
of walking away from God,
00:47:54.00\00:47:55.37
thinking about how tough
it is to make her way back.
00:47:55.40\00:47:58.21
God, Sister, God's
got you on his book
00:47:58.24\00:48:01.41
and God's love for
you is not going to cease
00:48:01.44\00:48:04.21
until He finds a way
to bring you back home
00:48:04.25\00:48:05.65
and make you whole.
00:48:05.68\00:48:07.02
What do you say?
00:48:07.05\00:48:08.38
There's that man that used to be
00:48:08.42\00:48:09.75
a deacon in his church.
00:48:09.78\00:48:12.05
Now, his name is
not even mentioned,
00:48:12.09\00:48:15.76
let alone what he
used to do for the church.
00:48:15.79\00:48:18.79
There's that pastor tonight
00:48:18.83\00:48:20.26
that may be
watching from his home,
00:48:20.30\00:48:21.90
that used to be
a great preacher.
00:48:21.93\00:48:23.60
But now he spends his
days in silent regret,
00:48:23.63\00:48:27.34
because of one momentary lapse
00:48:27.37\00:48:30.51
of correct decision making.
00:48:30.54\00:48:33.71
There is that pathfinder leader,
00:48:33.74\00:48:36.21
husband wife team
00:48:36.24\00:48:37.81
that was one of the
best pathfinder leaders
00:48:37.85\00:48:39.65
that some
church could ever have.
00:48:39.68\00:48:41.15
But now today, it is
said in their congregation,
00:48:41.18\00:48:44.75
whatever happened to them,
00:48:44.79\00:48:46.12
oh, they're even
off the path now.
00:48:46.15\00:48:51.53
There's that young lady
that had a baby out of wedlock.
00:48:51.56\00:48:55.70
And the church
did all they could
00:48:55.73\00:48:57.07
to get rid of her
because they said,
00:48:57.10\00:48:58.70
she's not good for
the young men around here.
00:48:58.73\00:49:04.11
There's that young man
that had the kind of music
00:49:04.14\00:49:07.14
that just upset the members.
00:49:07.18\00:49:08.88
And they went to
the pastor and said,
00:49:08.91\00:49:10.31
"We got to stop him from singing
00:49:10.35\00:49:11.68
that kind of music."
00:49:11.71\00:49:13.05
But now he sings in
the clubs, because he says,
00:49:13.08\00:49:16.69
"They love him more in the clubs
00:49:16.72\00:49:19.39
than they love his music."
00:49:19.42\00:49:23.02
Brethren, we're
living in the last days,
00:49:23.06\00:49:24.39
our love for
those who are out there
00:49:24.43\00:49:26.90
has to be greater than
our love for ourselves.
00:49:26.93\00:49:30.73
And tonight, as we
listen to this song,
00:49:30.77\00:49:34.50
I can't help it to
think there's somebody tonight
00:49:34.54\00:49:36.67
thinking about what
God has in store for them.
00:49:36.71\00:49:39.94
Brother and
sister, discouraged about
00:49:39.97\00:49:42.34
the flaws in your character.
00:49:42.38\00:49:44.45
Feeling that temptation
00:49:44.48\00:49:45.81
is greater than your
ability to resist it.
00:49:45.85\00:49:48.08
I want you tonight
to listen to this song
00:49:48.12\00:49:49.85
because God wants to
make you whole all over again.
00:49:49.88\00:49:55.46
And as Denise sings this song,
I'm praying that you will hear
00:49:55.49\00:49:58.66
the voice of
God calling you back
00:49:58.69\00:50:00.46
at this late hour.
00:50:00.50\00:50:02.43
Realizing that
you are to remember
00:50:02.46\00:50:05.13
how it was and come back
00:50:05.17\00:50:07.17
and respond to
the pleading of a God
00:50:07.20\00:50:09.94
whose love for you
has never grown cold.
00:50:09.97\00:50:13.78
Listen to this
message, "Make Me Whole Again."
00:50:13.81\00:50:16.54
I'm alone, dear Lord
00:50:37.13\00:50:41.67
Alone in my heart
00:50:41.70\00:50:45.27
No one hear but me
00:50:45.31\00:50:49.44
With my hands
Stretched out to thee
00:50:49.48\00:50:53.28
Please forgive my past
00:50:53.31\00:50:57.92
Give me faith that will last
00:50:57.95\00:51:02.12
I still believe I found
00:51:02.16\00:51:05.73
But one more time hear my call
00:51:05.76\00:51:11.93
Hear my call
00:51:11.97\00:51:15.77
Make me whole again
00:51:15.80\00:51:20.34
Take control again
00:51:20.38\00:51:24.61
It's your wayward child
00:51:24.65\00:51:26.85
Return with lessons learned
00:51:26.88\00:51:32.49
Touch my soul again
00:51:32.52\00:51:36.32
Welcome me home again
00:51:36.36\00:51:42.40
I'm finally back where I belong
00:51:42.43\00:51:47.30
Make me whole again
00:51:47.34\00:51:50.11
I don't know why I strayed
00:52:01.55\00:52:06.29
Years ago my own way
00:52:06.32\00:52:09.92
I'm not good when we cry
00:52:09.96\00:52:14.10
Just makes pieces of my heart
00:52:14.13\00:52:17.63
All the blatant sins I've been
00:52:17.67\00:52:22.90
Bring me back to you again
00:52:22.94\00:52:26.47
You've seen me through all
00:52:26.51\00:52:30.65
One more time hear my call
00:52:30.68\00:52:34.78
Make me whole again
00:52:34.82\00:52:38.99
Take control again
00:52:39.02\00:52:43.19
It's your wayward child
00:52:43.22\00:52:45.63
Return with lessons learned
00:52:45.66\00:52:49.23
Oh, lessons learned
00:52:49.26\00:52:51.23
Touch my soul again
00:52:51.27\00:52:54.87
Welcome me home again
00:52:54.90\00:53:01.08
I'm finally back where I belong
00:53:01.11\00:53:05.95
Make me whole again
00:53:05.98\00:53:13.46
See, there are so many things
00:53:13.49\00:53:16.39
That I regret
00:53:16.42\00:53:20.66
But don't give up on me
00:53:20.70\00:53:24.33
Don't give up on me yet
00:53:24.37\00:53:30.71
No not again believes
00:53:30.74\00:53:34.94
Make me whole again
00:53:34.98\00:53:39.05
Take control again
00:53:39.08\00:53:43.02
It's your wayward child
00:53:43.05\00:53:45.45
Return with lessons learned
00:53:45.49\00:53:49.19
Lessons learned
00:53:49.22\00:53:51.19
Touch my soul again
00:53:51.23\00:53:54.86
Welcome me home again
00:53:54.90\00:53:59.30
Oh, yes, I'm finally back
00:53:59.33\00:54:03.74
Where I belong Oh, Lord, yes
00:54:03.77\00:54:09.48
I've finally found my way home
00:54:09.51\00:54:14.32
Make me whole again
00:54:14.35\00:54:17.19
Oh, Lord, make me whole again
00:54:27.43\00:54:32.27
Amen.
00:54:37.14\00:54:39.34
Friends, tonight
while the sands of time
00:54:39.37\00:54:43.35
are winding down,
00:54:43.38\00:54:46.88
the Lord is winding up to
make one great push to gain
00:54:46.92\00:54:49.82
His kids, to go back and
get His sons and daughters.
00:54:49.85\00:54:53.86
Tonight, all
heaven is concerned about
00:54:53.89\00:54:55.46
those who have walked away.
00:54:55.49\00:54:57.06
It may have been
one year or two years
00:54:57.09\00:54:58.99
or 10 or 15 or 25 years,
but God is concerned about
00:54:59.03\00:55:04.90
you my daughter, you
my son, you my pastor,
00:55:04.93\00:55:09.14
you, former deacon,
former deaconess, choir leader.
00:55:09.17\00:55:13.88
Somebody may have hurt
you in something they said.
00:55:13.91\00:55:17.68
But tonight,
Lord's heart is longing,
00:55:17.71\00:55:19.81
beating, pulsating to
have you back home again.
00:55:19.85\00:55:25.29
And I know you've heard
God speaking to you many times.
00:55:25.32\00:55:27.46
But as the sands of
time are winding down,
00:55:27.49\00:55:30.76
the
opportunities are becoming less
00:55:30.79\00:55:32.36
and less as the days draw
near for the coming of our Lord.
00:55:32.39\00:55:37.17
And tonight, we
want to join in praying
00:55:37.20\00:55:38.87
with all the angels of heaven.
00:55:38.90\00:55:41.34
Tonight we want
to join our hearts
00:55:41.37\00:55:45.41
with the call of heaven,
00:55:45.44\00:55:48.44
that when Jesus comes back,
00:55:48.48\00:55:50.71
that wayward child
would have returned home.
00:55:50.75\00:55:55.15
Tonight, there's somebody here
sitting thinking about somebody
00:55:55.18\00:55:57.59
that they've known
that's not in the church today.
00:55:57.62\00:56:01.52
Somebody that has strayed
away that needs to be back
00:56:01.56\00:56:04.46
in a relationship with Christ.
00:56:04.49\00:56:06.49
Remember how it was.
00:56:06.53\00:56:08.86
Gomer said it best,
00:56:08.90\00:56:10.83
"I'm going to
return to my husband,
00:56:10.87\00:56:13.30
the husband, man, Jesus Christ.
00:56:13.34\00:56:16.27
For friends, it
was better with me then
00:56:16.30\00:56:19.17
than it is now.
00:56:19.21\00:56:21.38
If there's somebody you
want to pray about tonight,
00:56:21.41\00:56:23.01
that's not in the church,
I want you to stand with me.
00:56:23.04\00:56:25.81
If you can
agree with us at home,
00:56:25.85\00:56:27.18
just bow your
heads where you are,
00:56:27.22\00:56:28.55
we're going to pray
tonight ask God to continue
00:56:28.58\00:56:30.82
contending that
when time winds up,
00:56:30.85\00:56:34.46
they'll be
walking through the gates
00:56:34.49\00:56:36.36
into the New Jerusalem.
00:56:36.39\00:56:37.73
Father God in
heaven, tonight our hearts
00:56:37.76\00:56:39.13
are bleeding with
yours as we think that
00:56:39.16\00:56:42.46
we don't have the
luxury of playing church,
00:56:42.50\00:56:44.50
but we are praying tonight
00:56:44.53\00:56:46.27
that somebody will
hear the voice of God
00:56:46.30\00:56:47.90
before it is ever too late.
00:56:47.94\00:56:49.34
Tonight, Lord,
work on that heart
00:56:49.37\00:56:51.01
of that young
man, that young woman,
00:56:51.04\00:56:52.37
that person that has
filled with gifts and talents
00:56:52.41\00:56:54.94
that the devil
has abused and used.
00:56:54.98\00:56:57.68
Lord, go out and
make them whole again.
00:56:57.71\00:56:59.91
Welcome them back
home and remind them
00:56:59.95\00:57:02.58
no more of their
sin, but show them
00:57:02.62\00:57:04.99
what kind of a Savior you are.
00:57:05.02\00:57:06.76
Forgive them and
welcome them back.
00:57:06.79\00:57:08.22
And, Father, may
we make it a place
00:57:08.26\00:57:10.86
with a lustful desire to
come back and we pray this,
00:57:10.89\00:57:13.80
that your name may be glorified
in Jesus name, we pray.
00:57:13.83\00:57:17.43
Amen.
00:57:17.47\00:57:18.80