Hello, friends,
I'm Jill Morikone.
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And I'm so glad
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that you have tuned in
today for 3ABN's Worship Hour.
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You know, I love this
time that we have together,
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this time to open
up the Word of God,
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to learn from Him
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and to sit as it
were at the feet of Jesus.
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Has God called you into
a relationship with Him?
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Do you desire to
serve and to follow Him?
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If your answer is
yes to those questions,
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then this message is for you.
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Maybe you feel like
you've wandered far from God.
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You want to come home to Him,
you want to come back to Him,
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but you feel like you've
gone too far or done too much.
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If you feel you
are in that category,
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this message is for you.
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Maybe you want a fresh start,
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you want a renewed relationship
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with Jesus,
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you want that
renewed love relationship,
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that first love
experience with Him.
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If you feel
you're in that category,
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this message is for you.
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Our title is
"Restored Relationship."
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We're going to
begin with the calling
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that God has on
each one of our hearts
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and on our lives.
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We're going to
continue with the wandering.
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Many times the calling happens
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and then we
might wander from Him.
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But I love that
it never ends there,
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that we have the renewing,
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the calling, the wandering
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and then the
renewing of our walk
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and our relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Before we go to
the Lord in prayer,
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let's read our
opening scripture.
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We're in John Chapter 15.
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I love this passage.
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John Chapter 15,
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Jesus talking to His disciples
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right before He
went to the cross.
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John 15:16, "You
did not choose Me,
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but I chose you and ordained you
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that you should
go and bear fruit
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and that your
fruit should remain."
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Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father,
we come before You
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in the name of Jesus.
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This is Your time.
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We are Your people.
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And we ask just now,
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I ask just now
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that You would hide
me behind the cross,
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that Your Word would come alive
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and that Jesus
would be lifted up
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and we thank You in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Probably 13 years ago, I
was walking on a gravel road.
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Greg and I lived in the country.
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I love the fact that
3ABN is in the country.
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And we live on this gravel road,
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and I was walking
maybe half a mile,
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three quarters
mile from our house
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and there's a
little country church
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down the road.
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And I'm just
talking to God and walking
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and having a great time.
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And all of a sudden I
hear this little scuffle
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and rustling in the bushes
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and I thought
maybe it's a squirrel,
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maybe it's a chipmunk.
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I don't know what's going
on. So I looked over there.
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And there was an itty-bitty cat.
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She was probably six inches long
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from the tip of her pink
nose to the end of her tail.
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And she had a very long tail.
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But what caught my attention
was how scrawny she looked.
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How tiny she looked.
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How pitiful she looked.
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How hungry she looked.
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And she definitely
looked flea infested
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and worm infested.
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And I remember
walking home and thinking,
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maybe we should adopt this cat
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and she looked so very precious.
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And maybe I'd like to have her.
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But she followed me home.
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And I'd never met her
before and she walked home,
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and I remember
going in the house
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and telling Greg,
"Okay, sweetheart,
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we really need this cat."
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Why?
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Because I love her already,
and because I chose her.
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And Greg always
says, we've had her,
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we named her Pebbles
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because she looks
like a little gray pebble.
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And Greg always
says to her, he says,
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"Your mom chose You, "
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meaning I made the
choice 13 years ago
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when I saw her scrawny
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and flea
infested and worm ridden,
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and just pitiful and so hungry.
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I said, "I want You.
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I want You."
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That's what the
Lord Jesus does to us.
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I already told you the message
is divided into three parts.
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We have the calling,
part one, the wandering,
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and then the renewing.
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Let's look at the calling.
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This is the covenant
that God makes the commitment
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that He makes to
you and I as His people.
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Turn with me to the
Book of Deuteronomy.
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We're going to start
there Deuteronomy Chapter 7,
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as we look at the
children of Israel
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as God's chosen people,
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and then we look
at the correlation
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between you and I
today as spiritual Israel.
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So we're in Deuteronomy 7:6.
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Why did God choose Israel?
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The Bible says, "For
you are a holy people
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to the Lord your God,
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the Lord your God has chosen you
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to be a people for Himself,
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a special treasure
above all the peoples
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on the face of the earth."
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So why was Israel chosen?
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Why were they to be
special above all the people
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on the face of the earth?
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Were they stronger
than the other nations
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around them?
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Were they richer
than the other nations?
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Maybe they were
more good looking
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or more intellectual?
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Maybe they were somehow
more gifted or more talented?
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Maybe they ran in
better social circles?
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Do You think the answer
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to any of those
questions is yes,
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You know, when I
think about as a child,
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when you're playing
games, and your classmates say,
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they're choosing,
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they have captains of each team,
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and they're choosing people
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and what what's
the qualifications?
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We choose kids?
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Why did they choose them?
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Because they're athletic,
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because they're
gifted in a certain sport,
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or because they're intellectual,
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or maybe they have experience.
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Why do we choose
people in business clubs
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and in social circles?
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Because we think
they can give us something
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or they're somehow rich.
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We choose people
for different reasons
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than God chooses us.
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Was Israel chosen
because they obeyed better?
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Clearly not.
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Because if you
study their history,
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you're going to see
that there's a great deal
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of disobedience.
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Why were they chosen?
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The next verse tells us.
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We're in Deuteronomy 7:7,
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"The Lord did not
set His love on you
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nor choose you
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because you were more in number
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than any other people,
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for you were the
least of all peoples."
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So they weren't chosen
because they were popular.
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They weren't chosen
because they were intelligent,
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or gifted or rich,
or any of those things.
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They were chosen.
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Why?
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But because the Lord loves you.
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They were chosen
because God loved them.
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Not just that,
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they weren't just
chosen because they were loved.
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They were chosen
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because God
always keeps His word.
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Let's keep reading
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the very next
part of that verse,
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we're in verse 8.
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"They were chosen
because the Lord loves you,
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and because He
would keep the oath
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which He swore to your fathers,
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the Lord has brought
you out with a mighty hand,
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and redeemed you
from the house of bondage,
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from the hand of
Pharaoh king of Egypt."
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So they were chosen, number one,
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because they were loved,
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because the Lord chose
them and set His love upon them.
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But they were also chosen
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because He remembered the oath,
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the covenant that He
had made with Abraham,
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Isaac and Jacob.
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Remember that
covenant? He said what?
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I'm going to make
of you a great nation.
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And then He promised
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that they might
go down into Egypt,
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but that He would
bring them out again
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by a mighty hand.
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There was a lady
who worked at 3ABN,
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this is several years ago.
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She worked in our call center,
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and she was one
of the most honest,
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ethical people
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that I think I've ever met.
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If she said something,
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her word was as good
as a signed contract.
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Her word is golden.
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I remember,
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she would leave
the office some days
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and she might bring a paperclip.
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You know,
sometimes you're desking
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and you pick
something up from your desking,
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you forget and
you bring it home,
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or maybe a pen,
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and I can remember
her turning around,
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leaving her home,
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driving back to work
to return that paperclip.
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Now I'm just being
honest, if it were me,
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I'd be like, well, I'll
bring it in the morning,
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and I'd leave it on the stove,
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and I'd say it's right
here in the pile to go to work
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in the morning.
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But her word
meant so much to her
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that she would turn around
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and drive all
the way back to 3ABN
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to bring back a pen or
bring back a paperclip.
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Her word was always
solid and it carried,
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whatever she said,
she always fulfilled.
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Numbers 23:19, says,
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"God is not a man,
that He should lie,
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nor a son of man,
that He should repent.
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Has He said, and is
He not going to do it?
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Or has He spoken, and
will He not make it good?"
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Reminds me of Joshua 24:45,
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"Not one word
failed of any good thing
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which the Lord had
spoken to the house of Israel,
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all came to pass."
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So why was Israel
chosen? Because God loved them.
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Number two, Israel was chosen
because God keeps His word.
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And when He promises
something to you and to me,
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we know with assurance
that that is going to happen.
00:09:37.31\00:09:41.31
Number three, Israel was chosen
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because God delights
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in taking what other
people have cast aside.
00:09:45.31\00:09:49.58
Turn with me to Ezekiel.
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We're gonna
look at Ezekiel 16:3,
00:09:51.52\00:09:56.29
and we're gonna see
this is analogy of Israel
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being like a baby,
00:10:00.13\00:10:01.90
that's just newborn and
that nobody else want him.
00:10:01.93\00:10:05.23
God delights in taking
00:10:05.27\00:10:07.34
what other
people have cast aside.
00:10:07.37\00:10:10.21
Verse 3,
00:10:10.24\00:10:11.57
"Thus says the
Lord God to Jerusalem:
00:10:11.61\00:10:13.48
'Your birth and your nativity
are from the land of Canaan,
00:10:13.51\00:10:16.85
your father was an Amorite
and your mother a Hittite."
00:10:16.88\00:10:19.61
Verse 4, "As for your nativity,
00:10:19.65\00:10:23.15
on the day you were
born your navel cord,
00:10:23.18\00:10:25.65
it was not cut,
00:10:25.69\00:10:27.02
nor were you washed
in water to cleanse you,
00:10:27.06\00:10:30.43
you were not rubbed with salt
00:10:30.46\00:10:32.56
nor wrapped in
swaddling clothes.
00:10:32.59\00:10:35.06
No eye pitied you,
00:10:35.10\00:10:37.07
to do any of
these things for you,
00:10:37.10\00:10:38.90
to have compassion on you,
00:10:38.93\00:10:40.90
but you were thrown
out into the open field,
00:10:40.94\00:10:43.97
when you yourself were loathed
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on the day you were born."
00:10:46.57\00:10:48.54
Now that word loathed in Hebrew
00:10:48.58\00:10:51.41
denote something
hated because it is unclean.
00:10:51.45\00:10:55.98
So what's the Word
of God saying here?
00:10:56.02\00:10:58.72
Saying that Israel
was not a wanted child.
00:10:58.75\00:11:03.46
None of the
usual birthing rights
00:11:03.49\00:11:05.59
were observed,
00:11:05.63\00:11:06.96
the umbilical cord was not cut.
00:11:07.00\00:11:08.80
The baby was not
washed with water,
00:11:08.83\00:11:10.80
as you always would
do with a newborn baby
00:11:10.83\00:11:12.90
for cleansing.
00:11:12.93\00:11:14.27
The baby was not
rubbed with salt,
00:11:14.30\00:11:15.94
nor wrapped in
any type of garment
00:11:15.97\00:11:18.47
or any type of cloth.
00:11:18.51\00:11:20.21
It was not pity.
00:11:20.24\00:11:21.58
Nobody looked on
it with compassion.
00:11:21.61\00:11:23.71
And, in fact, it
was tossed aside,
00:11:23.75\00:11:25.85
it was thrown out
into the open field.
00:11:25.88\00:11:30.89
In the ancient Near East,
00:11:30.92\00:11:32.29
sometimes female
babies would be abandoned.
00:11:32.32\00:11:34.62
And when they
would abandon them,
00:11:34.66\00:11:35.99
they would toss them
out into the open field.
00:11:36.02\00:11:41.43
God delights in taking
00:11:41.46\00:11:43.47
what other
people have cast aside.
00:11:43.50\00:11:46.43
So this newborn baby,
representative of Israel
00:11:46.47\00:11:49.44
that nobody wanted,
that everybody hated,
00:11:49.47\00:11:52.64
that had been tossed
aside into the open field.
00:11:52.67\00:11:56.14
What does God do?
00:11:56.18\00:11:57.51
Verse 6, "And when I
passed by you and saw you,
00:11:57.55\00:12:00.88
this new born baby
that nobody wanted,
00:12:00.92\00:12:03.15
struggling in your own blood,
00:12:03.18\00:12:06.32
I said to you in your, 'Live!'
00:12:06.35\00:12:08.86
Yes, I said to you, 'Live!' "
00:12:08.89\00:12:12.43
Have you felt
like nobody wanted you?
00:12:12.46\00:12:14.66
Have you felt like
nobody cared for you?
00:12:14.70\00:12:17.57
Have you felt like no
matter what you have done,
00:12:17.60\00:12:20.50
that you were cast aside,
00:12:20.54\00:12:22.04
that you were thrown
out into the open field,
00:12:22.07\00:12:24.47
that nobody looked
at you with compassion,
00:12:24.51\00:12:26.51
that nobody pitied you?
00:12:26.54\00:12:28.48
God looks at you
struggling right now.
00:12:28.51\00:12:31.41
And He says, "Live, my
child, I want you to live."
00:12:31.45\00:12:36.18
But it doesn't stop there.
00:12:36.22\00:12:37.59
God chose to marry
this baby when it grew up.
00:12:37.62\00:12:41.42
God chose to marry Israel,
00:12:41.46\00:12:44.09
meaning He wanted to enter
00:12:44.13\00:12:46.63
into a covenant
relationship with this child
00:12:46.66\00:12:50.23
because this
child belonged to Him.
00:12:50.27\00:12:53.67
Next verse, verse 7.
00:12:53.70\00:12:55.67
It says, "I made you thrive
like a plant in the field,
00:12:55.70\00:12:59.57
and you grew, matured,
and became very beautiful."
00:12:59.61\00:13:02.18
So Israel, the unwanted
child that God wanted, grew up.
00:13:02.21\00:13:08.28
And then we see in verse 8,
00:13:08.32\00:13:09.85
"When I passed by you
again and looked upon you,
00:13:09.88\00:13:11.92
indeed your time
was the time of love,
00:13:11.95\00:13:13.89
so I spread My wing over
you and covered your nakedness.
00:13:13.92\00:13:19.69
Yes, I swore an oath to you
00:13:19.73\00:13:21.53
and entered into
covenant with you,
00:13:21.56\00:13:23.93
and you became
Mine,' says the Lord God.'"
00:13:23.97\00:13:27.40
So that, that word I
spread My wing over you
00:13:27.44\00:13:31.54
is symbolic of a
marriage proposal.
00:13:31.57\00:13:34.04
It reminds me of Ruth and Boaz.
00:13:34.08\00:13:35.84
And remember, she said,
00:13:35.88\00:13:37.28
spread your skirt
00:13:37.31\00:13:38.78
or the end of
your garment over me,
00:13:38.81\00:13:41.05
meaning, would you marry me.
00:13:41.08\00:13:43.42
So God here in
essence is saying,
00:13:43.45\00:13:46.86
this child that nobody wanted,
00:13:46.89\00:13:49.19
you have grown up and I
want to be your husband.
00:13:49.22\00:13:53.16
I want to marry you.
00:13:53.19\00:13:54.83
I want to enter
00:13:54.86\00:13:56.20
into covenant
relationship with you.
00:13:56.23\00:13:59.33
Now this is, of course,
we're talking about Israel,
00:13:59.37\00:14:01.17
but by extension,
00:14:01.20\00:14:03.47
it's
referencing you and I today.
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.64
We see this in
the Book of Galatians.
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.21
Paul has this analogy
00:14:07.24\00:14:09.14
between spiritual
Israel and physical Israel.
00:14:09.18\00:14:12.58
We see this, Galatians 3:26-29,
00:14:12.61\00:14:16.79
"For you are all sons,
00:14:16.82\00:14:18.25
we could say and daughters
00:14:18.29\00:14:20.26
of God through
faith in Christ Jesus.
00:14:20.29\00:14:22.99
For as many of you as
were baptized into Christ
00:14:23.02\00:14:26.56
have put on Christ.
00:14:26.59\00:14:29.90
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.57
there is neither slave nor free,
00:14:31.60\00:14:33.84
there is
neither male nor female,
00:14:33.87\00:14:35.44
for all are one
in Christ Jesus."
00:14:35.47\00:14:38.17
So he said, it doesn't
matter your nationality,
00:14:38.21\00:14:40.38
it doesn't matter your race,
it doesn't matter your gender,
00:14:40.41\00:14:43.85
we are all one in Christ.
00:14:43.88\00:14:47.32
Verse 29, "And
if you are Christ's,
00:14:47.35\00:14:49.72
then you are Abraham's seed,
00:14:49.75\00:14:52.12
and heirs
according to the promise."
00:14:52.15\00:14:55.46
That means that the
church you and I today,
00:14:55.49\00:14:58.66
the promise is given to Israel,
00:14:58.69\00:15:00.46
They are extended
to you and I today,
00:15:00.50\00:15:03.40
the covenant
that's given to Israel
00:15:03.43\00:15:05.60
that is extended
to you and I today.
00:15:05.63\00:15:09.60
The marriage that
was given to Israel,
00:15:09.64\00:15:11.81
the unwanted child who grew up,
00:15:11.84\00:15:14.64
that is extended
to you and I today.
00:15:14.68\00:15:18.38
You and I are His people,
the sheep of His pasture.
00:15:18.41\00:15:23.69
1 John 3, I love
that, it says what?
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.05
"Behold what manner of love
the Father has bestowed on us,
00:15:26.09\00:15:30.76
that you and I, we can be called
00:15:30.79\00:15:32.63
the children of God."
00:15:32.66\00:15:34.30
So does God call us
today because we're special,
00:15:34.33\00:15:36.56
or because we're strong,
or rich, or good looking,
00:15:36.60\00:15:38.83
or intellectual, or
gifted, or famous, or obedient?
00:15:38.87\00:15:42.94
No.
00:15:42.97\00:15:44.31
He calls you and I,
00:15:44.34\00:15:45.67
first of all,
because He loves us.
00:15:45.71\00:15:47.61
John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world,
00:15:47.64\00:15:50.81
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:15:50.85\00:15:53.52
that whosoever believes
in Him should not perish,
00:15:53.55\00:15:56.35
but have everlasting life."
00:15:56.38\00:15:59.05
God calls us
because He keeps His word
00:15:59.09\00:16:01.72
and He stands back of His word.
00:16:01.76\00:16:04.59
2 Peter 3:9, "God is not willing
00:16:04.63\00:16:06.83
that any should perish,
00:16:06.86\00:16:08.73
but that all
00:16:08.76\00:16:10.10
that we should
come to repentance."
00:16:10.13\00:16:13.07
And He called us
00:16:13.10\00:16:14.44
because He delights
00:16:14.47\00:16:15.80
in taking what other
people have cast aside.
00:16:15.84\00:16:19.47
Are you thrown out,
or unwanted, or unloved,
00:16:19.51\00:16:22.88
or unredeemable, or unreachable,
00:16:22.91\00:16:26.28
He looks at you
and me and says to us,
00:16:26.31\00:16:29.98
in our filthiness, in our junk,
00:16:30.02\00:16:31.62
He says, "Live."
00:16:31.65\00:16:33.59
But He doesn't
just leave us there.
00:16:33.62\00:16:36.46
He equips and prepares
those whom He has chosen.
00:16:36.49\00:16:41.06
Let's turn back to
the Book of Ezekiel.
00:16:41.10\00:16:42.50
We're gonna finish
this passage about Israel,
00:16:42.53\00:16:44.63
the unwanted child that grew up
00:16:44.67\00:16:48.40
and entered into marriage
00:16:48.44\00:16:50.01
or into covenant
relationship with God.
00:16:50.04\00:16:52.84
We see here,
00:16:52.87\00:16:54.21
what God does to prepare
the bride that He has chosen.
00:16:54.24\00:16:58.31
Now, remember that bride
as you and I as His children.
00:16:58.35\00:17:02.25
We're in Ezekiel 16:9,
00:17:02.28\00:17:05.65
"Then I, that's God,
washed you in water."
00:17:05.69\00:17:09.79
Now remember, in Ephesians
5, what does Ephesians 5:26 say?
00:17:09.82\00:17:14.03
You and I are washed
with the water of the Word.
00:17:14.06\00:17:17.97
So God says what?
I gave you My word.
00:17:18.00\00:17:20.84
You grew up and I loved
you, and I want you to be mine.
00:17:20.87\00:17:24.91
I'm going to give you My
word, but He doesn't stop there.
00:17:24.94\00:17:28.38
It says, "I washed you in water.
00:17:28.41\00:17:30.98
I thoroughly
washed off your blood,
00:17:31.01\00:17:32.75
I anointed you with oil."
00:17:32.78\00:17:35.65
Remember, when
David was anointed king,
00:17:35.68\00:17:38.75
Samuel the Prophet coming to him
00:17:38.79\00:17:40.72
and pouring over his head what?
00:17:40.76\00:17:43.73
Oil, and what does
the Word of God say?
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.29
The Spirit of the
Lord came upon David,
00:17:45.33\00:17:48.06
from that moment forward.
00:17:48.10\00:17:50.93
So God says, "I
give you My word.
00:17:50.97\00:17:53.67
I will anoint you
with My Holy Spirit."
00:17:53.70\00:17:57.64
But it doesn't stop there.
00:17:57.67\00:17:59.01
Verse 10, "I clothed
you in embroidered cloth
00:17:59.04\00:18:02.94
and gave you
sandals of badger skin,
00:18:02.98\00:18:05.31
I clothed you in fine linen
and covered you with silk."
00:18:05.35\00:18:11.92
It reminds me of the fine linen,
00:18:11.95\00:18:13.79
the righteousness of Christ.
00:18:13.82\00:18:15.82
So when you and I accept Jesus,
00:18:15.86\00:18:18.03
when we hear Him,
this is the calling,
00:18:18.06\00:18:20.06
when we hear Him
calling to our heart.
00:18:20.10\00:18:22.53
And He says what?
00:18:22.56\00:18:23.90
I made you, I see you
in your blood thrown out
00:18:23.93\00:18:28.90
in the open field,
and I want to marry you.
00:18:28.94\00:18:31.77
I want to enter into
relationship with you.
00:18:31.81\00:18:34.34
I will give you My word.
00:18:34.38\00:18:36.21
I will anoint you
with My Holy Spirit.
00:18:36.24\00:18:39.68
I will cover you with
my perfect righteousness,
00:18:39.71\00:18:43.69
that righteousness of Christ.
00:18:43.72\00:18:47.56
Verse 13,
00:18:47.59\00:18:49.66
"You were exceedingly beautiful,
00:18:49.69\00:18:53.43
and succeeded to royalty."
00:18:53.46\00:18:55.60
Not only does
God give us His word,
00:18:55.63\00:18:57.17
not only does He
anoint us with His Spirit,
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.93
not only does He clothe us
with His righteous white robe,
00:18:59.97\00:19:04.44
His perfect, spotless character,
00:19:04.47\00:19:06.98
He calls us royalty.
00:19:07.01\00:19:08.54
1 Peter 2:9-10,
00:19:08.58\00:19:10.98
"But you are a
chosen generation, "
00:19:11.01\00:19:12.35
what's that word?
00:19:12.38\00:19:13.72
"A royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
00:19:13.75\00:19:17.95
God's own special
people or a peculiar people,
00:19:17.99\00:19:21.32
that you show
forth the praises of Him
00:19:21.36\00:19:23.26
who called you out of darkness
into this marvelous light,
00:19:23.29\00:19:29.40
who once were not a people
but are now the people of God,
00:19:29.43\00:19:33.84
who had not obtained mercy
00:19:33.87\00:19:36.20
but now you and I
have obtained mercy."
00:19:36.24\00:19:39.37
So we become royalty.
00:19:39.41\00:19:41.51
Verse 14, "Your fame
went out among the nations
00:19:41.54\00:19:46.11
because of your beauty,
00:19:46.15\00:19:48.18
for it was perfect
through my splendor,
00:19:48.22\00:19:52.39
which I had bestowed on
you, says the Lord God."
00:19:52.42\00:19:55.02
So Israel became famous
because of anything they did?
00:19:55.06\00:19:57.69
Absolutely not.
00:19:57.73\00:19:59.09
It's because God had
bestowed on them His favor.
00:19:59.13\00:20:05.90
You know, there's a story,
00:20:05.93\00:20:07.27
I'm sure you've
heard about a man
00:20:07.30\00:20:08.64
by the name of Johnny
00:20:08.67\00:20:10.01
who lived in the
South Pacific Islands.
00:20:10.04\00:20:12.64
And he saw one
woman in the village
00:20:12.67\00:20:14.84
that he decided he
wanted as his wife.
00:20:14.88\00:20:17.35
Now, the practice in the village
00:20:17.38\00:20:18.81
was that they would
give a certain number of cows
00:20:18.85\00:20:21.72
for the dowry,
00:20:21.75\00:20:23.95
for their future bride.
00:20:23.99\00:20:26.45
So the most any villager
had any paid for any woman
00:20:26.49\00:20:31.79
for the dairy
was five or six cows,
00:20:31.83\00:20:34.40
which was incredible.
00:20:34.43\00:20:36.36
And the woman that he
chose was not so pretty.
00:20:36.40\00:20:40.17
She was kind of playing.
00:20:40.20\00:20:41.67
She was kind of
socially awkward,
00:20:41.70\00:20:43.87
and the villagers thought,
00:20:43.91\00:20:45.24
I wonder how many cows
he's going to give for her.
00:20:45.27\00:20:48.04
Maybe she's a one cow woman.
00:20:48.08\00:20:49.54
I don't even know
if she's worth a cow,
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.35
because she's not very pretty.
00:20:51.38\00:20:52.71
I don't know if I'd
even give a cow for her
00:20:52.75\00:20:55.08
because she doesn't
have very good social graces.
00:20:55.12\00:20:57.72
He paid eight cows for
a woman who was playing,
00:20:57.75\00:21:01.92
a woman that nobody else wanted,
00:21:01.96\00:21:04.46
a woman that was
seemingly cast out
00:21:04.49\00:21:08.33
into the open field.
00:21:08.36\00:21:11.83
He took her to his
village some time went by.
00:21:11.87\00:21:14.30
And as the story goes,
00:21:14.34\00:21:16.10
people went to that village,
and they went to visit Johnny.
00:21:16.14\00:21:20.11
And they walked in the door.
00:21:20.14\00:21:21.48
I don't know if he had a
hut. They walked in the door.
00:21:21.51\00:21:23.65
And there was a
beautiful woman who came
00:21:23.68\00:21:26.78
and she was
gracious, and she was kind,
00:21:26.82\00:21:29.85
and she was
hospitable, and she served them.
00:21:29.88\00:21:31.95
And they said,
00:21:31.99\00:21:33.32
"Whatever happened
to your a cow wife,
00:21:33.36\00:21:34.96
because this woman
certainly isn't her?"
00:21:34.99\00:21:37.19
And he said, "No, this
is the very same woman."
00:21:37.23\00:21:41.10
Why did she become
so stunningly beautiful?
00:21:41.13\00:21:43.37
Why did she become so gracious?
00:21:43.40\00:21:45.60
Because of the value
that was placed on her.
00:21:45.63\00:21:50.04
Somebody said,
"You're worth eight cows,
00:21:50.07\00:21:51.87
you're worth more
than anybody else."
00:21:51.91\00:21:54.14
And that's what
the Lord Jesus has done
00:21:54.18\00:21:56.75
to you and to me.
00:21:56.78\00:21:58.11
He looks at us and says,
00:21:58.15\00:22:00.45
nobody else
might have wanted you.
00:22:00.48\00:22:03.12
You might be thrown
out in the open field,
00:22:03.15\00:22:05.99
but I want you
00:22:06.02\00:22:08.66
and I will pay everything
in order to have you again.
00:22:08.69\00:22:14.20
That is the first
section, the calling.
00:22:14.23\00:22:17.67
Let's look at the middle section
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.03
of our message
called the wandering.
00:22:19.07\00:22:23.07
We see this in
the very next verse.
00:22:23.10\00:22:24.67
Unfortunately, we're
still in Ezekiel of 16.
00:22:24.71\00:22:27.34
That Israel, they
walked away from God.
00:22:27.38\00:22:29.88
Okay, so get this picture.
This is where they came from.
00:22:29.91\00:22:32.65
No umbilical cord
was cut, they were dirty,
00:22:32.68\00:22:35.25
they were filthy,
they were unclothed,
00:22:35.28\00:22:37.22
they were thrown
in the open field.
00:22:37.25\00:22:38.75
And God looked at them and said,
00:22:38.79\00:22:40.12
"Please live in."
00:22:40.16\00:22:41.49
He covered them,
gave them His Word,
00:22:41.52\00:22:44.16
His Spirit and His
righteousness and said,
00:22:44.19\00:22:47.20
"You are beautiful."
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.56
And all the nations
around looked at them and said,
00:22:48.60\00:22:50.67
"Wow!"
00:22:50.70\00:22:52.03
Look at what God has
done in the very next verse.
00:22:52.07\00:22:56.67
Verse 15,
00:22:56.71\00:22:58.84
"You trusted in
your own beauty..."
00:22:58.87\00:23:00.51
They forgot that
their value came from God,
00:23:00.54\00:23:02.38
they forgot that who
they were was because of God.
00:23:02.41\00:23:06.51
"You trusted in your own beauty.
00:23:06.55\00:23:08.42
You played the
harlot because of your fame,
00:23:08.45\00:23:11.05
and poured out your
harlotry on everyone
00:23:11.09\00:23:14.16
passing by who would have it."
00:23:14.19\00:23:16.12
Why did they walk away from God?
00:23:16.16\00:23:18.33
He had given them everything.
00:23:18.36\00:23:20.60
Not only that, He had
taken them from nothing.
00:23:20.63\00:23:23.80
And He had
given them everything.
00:23:23.83\00:23:26.80
They became
proud in who they were.
00:23:26.84\00:23:28.67
They trusted in
their own beauty,
00:23:28.70\00:23:31.61
not realizing it was
God who made them that way.
00:23:31.64\00:23:35.74
They became proud in
what God had given to them
00:23:35.78\00:23:39.55
or the fame that
they began to have
00:23:39.58\00:23:42.52
with the surrounding nations.
00:23:42.55\00:23:44.02
And they forgot
that God gave the beauty,
00:23:44.05\00:23:45.89
that God gave the fame,
00:23:45.92\00:23:47.62
that the
purpose of both of those
00:23:47.66\00:23:49.72
was to point the world to God.
00:23:49.76\00:23:51.96
That's why they were
made a special people.
00:23:51.99\00:23:54.30
That's why they were chosen
00:23:54.33\00:23:55.66
that other people
could look and say, "Wow!
00:23:55.70\00:23:58.03
Who is your God?
00:23:58.07\00:23:59.40
I want to know
more about your God."
00:23:59.43\00:24:03.87
As an aside here,
I just want to say
00:24:03.91\00:24:05.87
never, never think
that we are special,
00:24:05.91\00:24:10.45
because we
somehow have the truth.
00:24:10.48\00:24:13.58
That truth is
extended to everyone.
00:24:13.62\00:24:17.52
Never think we
are somehow special
00:24:17.55\00:24:20.02
because we were chosen by God,
00:24:20.06\00:24:22.76
because that
call to be His child,
00:24:22.79\00:24:25.63
that was extended to everyone.
00:24:25.66\00:24:27.93
Never think that
we were somehow wanted
00:24:27.96\00:24:31.83
because God wants everyone.
00:24:31.87\00:24:35.64
So let's turn to
the Book of Hosea.
00:24:35.67\00:24:37.71
When I think of the wandering
and Israel wandering from God,
00:24:37.74\00:24:42.58
the Book of Hosea pops
into my mind instantly.
00:24:42.61\00:24:45.98
Hosea can be a
hard book to find.
00:24:46.01\00:24:47.48
It is the first of
the Minor Prophets.
00:24:47.52\00:24:50.02
If you find
Daniel is the next book,
00:24:50.05\00:24:51.75
just look for Daniel
and then you'll find Hosea.
00:24:51.79\00:24:54.92
Hosea was a prophet of God
00:24:54.96\00:24:57.06
for the northern
kingdom of Israel.
00:24:57.09\00:25:00.70
And he was the last prophet
00:25:00.73\00:25:03.80
for the northern
kingdom of Israel
00:25:03.83\00:25:05.60
before the people
were taken into captivity.
00:25:05.63\00:25:09.14
The Assyrians would come in
00:25:09.17\00:25:10.51
and would destroy the
northern kingdom of Israel
00:25:10.54\00:25:12.91
and they would take them.
00:25:12.94\00:25:14.68
Before this happened,
00:25:14.71\00:25:16.41
God sent the Prophet Hosea
00:25:16.44\00:25:18.38
as this object lesson
00:25:18.41\00:25:19.98
and to make a last divine appeal
00:25:20.02\00:25:22.82
to the northern
kingdom of Israel.
00:25:22.85\00:25:26.19
It was a time of
spiritual bankruptcy.
00:25:26.22\00:25:28.22
Idol worship was
prevalent among the people.
00:25:28.26\00:25:32.59
It started with Jeroboam.
00:25:32.63\00:25:34.16
And it continued,
they worshipped Baal,
00:25:34.20\00:25:36.33
they worshipped Astaroth,
00:25:36.36\00:25:37.70
they were involved
in child sacrifice.
00:25:37.73\00:25:40.37
These people, the
chosen people of God,
00:25:40.40\00:25:43.61
the people that God
had set His love on,
00:25:43.64\00:25:46.34
put them high above
anyone else, what happened?
00:25:46.37\00:25:49.34
They were involved
in child sacrifice,
00:25:49.38\00:25:51.88
and growth sensuality
00:25:51.91\00:25:53.98
in these pagan
ritualistic ceremonies.
00:25:54.02\00:25:57.35
Injustice and
oppression were common.
00:25:57.39\00:25:59.92
In fact, no commandment of God
00:25:59.95\00:26:01.62
even seemed to be
kept by the people.
00:26:01.66\00:26:03.46
God's covenant, His
marriage with the people,
00:26:03.49\00:26:06.26
His relationship,
it had been broken.
00:26:06.29\00:26:09.56
The unwanted
child that God wanted.
00:26:09.60\00:26:12.63
Remember that unwanted
child that was thrown out
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.50
in the open field.
00:26:14.54\00:26:15.87
The unwanted
child that God wanted.
00:26:15.90\00:26:17.74
They no longer wanted their God.
00:26:17.77\00:26:21.14
They had turned
their back and said,
00:26:21.18\00:26:22.84
"We're not following You.
00:26:22.88\00:26:24.21
We're going to
do our own thing."
00:26:24.25\00:26:27.52
I believe the theme of
the entire Book of Hosea
00:26:27.55\00:26:31.79
is the anguish
of steadfast love.
00:26:31.82\00:26:36.69
You see, if love is
temporary and fickle,
00:26:36.73\00:26:39.56
it doesn't hurt that much.
00:26:39.59\00:26:41.23
Unreturned love or
rejection is no issue,
00:26:41.26\00:26:45.23
because weak love
00:26:45.27\00:26:47.37
will simply find
another person to love
00:26:47.40\00:26:49.57
or another object to love.
00:26:49.60\00:26:52.27
If, however, love is steadfast,
00:26:52.31\00:26:55.11
rejection and unfaithfulness,
it causes great anguish.
00:26:55.14\00:27:00.68
Love continues to go on,
00:27:00.72\00:27:03.18
even when the object of
that love no longer cares,
00:27:03.22\00:27:07.19
tremendous suffering results.
00:27:07.22\00:27:10.06
Israel's
unfaithfulness to their God,
00:27:10.09\00:27:14.26
it caused unspeakable
anguish to the heart of God.
00:27:14.30\00:27:19.00
Hosea's broken family
00:27:19.03\00:27:21.27
is an example of
God's broken relationship
00:27:21.30\00:27:25.27
with Israel.
00:27:25.31\00:27:26.81
We find this in Hosea 1:2,
00:27:26.84\00:27:28.51
this is the
analogy of Hosea's family.
00:27:28.54\00:27:31.25
Hosea 1:2, we
see Hosea's marriage.
00:27:31.28\00:27:34.25
"When the Lord
began to speak by Hosea,
00:27:34.28\00:27:35.98
the Lord said to Hosea,
00:27:36.02\00:27:37.35
'Go take yourself
a wife of harlotry,
00:27:37.39\00:27:40.66
or a wife of unfaithfulness,
00:27:40.69\00:27:43.63
and children of harlotry,
00:27:43.66\00:27:46.29
for the land has
committed great harlotry
00:27:46.33\00:27:48.86
by departing from the Lord."
00:27:48.90\00:27:50.67
So I don't know about you,
00:27:50.70\00:27:52.03
but if I were
Hosea, I'd be like,
00:27:52.07\00:27:53.44
"Okay, God, I
don't think I heard you.
00:27:53.47\00:27:55.00
I don't think
I'm gonna do that."
00:27:55.04\00:27:56.64
You said, "I'm
supposed to take a prostitute.
00:27:56.67\00:27:59.24
I'm supposed to take a
woman who's unfaithful,
00:27:59.27\00:28:01.98
a woman who just
cast it to anyone.
00:28:02.01\00:28:04.55
Why would I want to do that?"
00:28:04.58\00:28:06.61
God said, "Go marry this woman."
00:28:06.65\00:28:09.25
I don't know about you,
00:28:09.28\00:28:10.62
but that would
have been a tough order.
00:28:10.65\00:28:12.29
Go marry her.
00:28:12.32\00:28:14.19
So Hosea, he marries Gomer.
00:28:14.22\00:28:16.29
It was supposed to be an analogy
00:28:16.32\00:28:19.29
of Israel's
unfaithfulness to God.
00:28:19.33\00:28:21.86
And you see, Israel, they
had turned to other idols,
00:28:21.90\00:28:24.43
they had worshipped
other gods instead of the Lord.
00:28:24.47\00:28:29.67
Because of God's steadfast love,
00:28:29.70\00:28:32.44
He doesn't possess weak love.
00:28:32.47\00:28:33.91
He could have simply said,
00:28:33.94\00:28:35.28
"I'll seek another
object for My love.
00:28:35.31\00:28:36.64
I'm done with Israel.
00:28:36.68\00:28:38.41
Okay, I'll seek another object,
00:28:38.45\00:28:40.08
and I'll just make
another special people,
00:28:40.12\00:28:41.85
I'm done with these people."
00:28:41.88\00:28:43.22
But no, because He loved them,
00:28:43.25\00:28:46.76
He was not
willing to give them up.
00:28:46.79\00:28:49.79
So Hosea's wife
begins to have children,
00:28:49.82\00:28:52.29
the first son's
name we find in verse 4.
00:28:52.33\00:28:55.06
"Then the Lord said to
him: 'Call his name Jezreel,'"
00:28:55.10\00:28:58.63
which literally
means God scatters.
00:28:58.67\00:29:01.94
It was an analogy of
the coming scattering
00:29:01.97\00:29:04.77
when the Assyrians
were going to come in
00:29:04.81\00:29:06.14
and destroy the people.
00:29:06.17\00:29:07.94
The second child
was born in verse 6,
00:29:07.98\00:29:10.11
and this is a daughter.
00:29:10.15\00:29:11.48
"She conceived
and bore a daughter.
00:29:11.51\00:29:13.11
Then God said to him:
00:29:13.15\00:29:14.48
'Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,
00:29:14.52\00:29:17.05
for I will no longer have
mercy on the house of Israel,
00:29:17.09\00:29:21.96
but I will
utterly take them away."
00:29:21.99\00:29:24.86
Lo-Ruhamah
literally means no mercy.
00:29:24.89\00:29:29.06
So the first child
means God scatters,
00:29:29.10\00:29:31.10
meaning, the people
will be taken captive.
00:29:31.13\00:29:34.54
The next child's
name means no mercy.
00:29:34.57\00:29:37.84
The third child we
see in verse 8 and 9,
00:29:37.87\00:29:40.24
"Now when she had weaned
the daughter, Lo-Ruhamah,
00:29:40.28\00:29:43.85
she conceived and bore a son.
00:29:43.88\00:29:45.61
Then God said:
'Call his name Lo-Ammi,
00:29:45.65\00:29:48.95
for you are not My people,
00:29:48.98\00:29:50.99
and I will not be your God.'"
00:29:51.02\00:29:55.36
His name literally
means not my people.
00:29:55.39\00:29:59.66
We see Gomer's unfaithfulness
to Hosea in Chapter 2.
00:29:59.69\00:30:03.57
We're in Hosea 2,
start with verse 2,
00:30:03.60\00:30:06.80
"Bring charges
against your mother,
00:30:06.84\00:30:08.74
bring charges, for
she is not My wife,
00:30:08.77\00:30:12.11
nor am I her Husband!
00:30:12.14\00:30:14.84
Let her put away her
harlotries from her sight,
00:30:14.88\00:30:17.85
and her adulteries
from between her breasts.
00:30:17.88\00:30:20.22
Let's jump down to verse 4,
00:30:20.25\00:30:22.08
'I will not have
mercy on her children,
00:30:22.12\00:30:25.25
for they are the
children of harlotry."
00:30:25.29\00:30:26.96
In verse 5,
00:30:26.99\00:30:28.32
"For their mother,
she has played the harlot,
00:30:28.36\00:30:30.09
she who conceived them
has behaved shamefully.
00:30:30.13\00:30:33.29
For she said,
00:30:33.33\00:30:34.66
'I will go after my lovers,
00:30:34.70\00:30:36.46
who give me my bread and
water, my wool, my linen,
00:30:36.50\00:30:40.40
my oil and my drink.'"
00:30:40.44\00:30:41.90
Now, to me, that's reminiscent
of Ezekiel Chapter 16.
00:30:41.94\00:30:44.64
Remember what
God gave to Israel.
00:30:44.67\00:30:46.61
This was the unwanted child
00:30:46.64\00:30:48.24
who was thrown
out in the open field
00:30:48.28\00:30:50.01
that God chose,
00:30:50.05\00:30:51.41
and God decided to marry
00:30:51.45\00:30:52.88
and God decided
to equip and prepare.
00:30:52.91\00:30:55.18
What did He give to
her? He gave her water.
00:30:55.22\00:30:57.39
Remember, He
washed her with water,
00:30:57.42\00:30:59.35
He anointed her with oil,
00:30:59.39\00:31:01.32
He covered her with linen
00:31:01.36\00:31:03.32
with His righteous white
robe of His righteousness.
00:31:03.36\00:31:07.43
And yet Gomer says,
00:31:07.46\00:31:09.96
"Hosea didn't give
me any of those things.
00:31:10.00\00:31:11.73
I'm going after
these other people,
00:31:11.77\00:31:13.47
because they gave me
water, they gave me linen,
00:31:13.50\00:31:16.47
they gave me oil."
00:31:16.50\00:31:18.51
You see, the Israelites
had followed other idols.
00:31:18.54\00:31:21.88
And you and I
might be saying today,
00:31:21.91\00:31:23.28
"Well, that's great,
00:31:23.31\00:31:24.65
but I don't have
any images in my house.
00:31:24.68\00:31:26.51
And I don't bow down
to any idol in my house."
00:31:26.55\00:31:29.92
An idol is anything
00:31:29.95\00:31:31.59
that you and I
place ahead of God.
00:31:31.62\00:31:34.52
If that is the case,
00:31:34.56\00:31:35.96
if anything that you
and I desire more than God.
00:31:35.99\00:31:40.70
If that's the case, I'd say,
00:31:40.73\00:31:43.23
if we were
honest with ourselves,
00:31:43.26\00:31:45.70
we probably all
have an idol somewhere
00:31:45.73\00:31:48.44
that is taking
precedence over God.
00:31:48.47\00:31:53.48
I remember when
I was late teens,
00:31:53.51\00:31:55.98
18, 19, 20, even early 20s.
00:31:56.01\00:31:58.11
I remember praying,
talking to God and saying,
00:31:58.15\00:32:01.15
"I'll give You everything,
I'll surrender my life to You.
00:32:01.18\00:32:04.65
God, I want to follow
You. God, I want to serve You.
00:32:04.69\00:32:08.86
But do not ask me to
give You my love life."
00:32:08.89\00:32:13.26
Okay, what type
of surrender is that?
00:32:13.29\00:32:14.80
I would say, I will
give everything to you, God.
00:32:14.83\00:32:18.03
But I don't know if God,
00:32:18.07\00:32:19.40
You're going to pick
a good spouse for me.
00:32:19.43\00:32:21.14
And I don't know
if I can trust You
00:32:21.17\00:32:24.61
with that part of my life.
00:32:24.64\00:32:26.88
What was I doing?
00:32:26.91\00:32:28.38
Making an idol in my
heart out of marriage.
00:32:28.41\00:32:32.91
Maybe you've made an
idol out of children.
00:32:32.95\00:32:35.95
Rachel surely did,
00:32:35.98\00:32:37.32
remember what she said to Jacob?
00:32:37.35\00:32:38.69
Give me children or I die.
00:32:38.72\00:32:40.92
Seriously.
00:32:40.96\00:32:43.59
Sometimes the want for a child
00:32:43.63\00:32:47.30
and her case
00:32:47.33\00:32:48.66
comes between us and God
and we say, I want that more.
00:32:48.70\00:32:51.40
God, I can't even look
at You or anything else.
00:32:51.43\00:32:54.57
All I see is that.
00:32:54.60\00:32:56.24
Sometimes it could be a child
00:32:56.27\00:32:58.67
that you have that you
put in place above God.
00:32:58.71\00:33:02.94
Sometimes it's our friends,
sometimes it's money, or work,
00:33:02.98\00:33:08.42
or even your church, or
music, or entertainment.
00:33:08.45\00:33:13.36
Idols take many
forms and many fashions.
00:33:13.39\00:33:17.03
All it is, is something
that is in our heart in life
00:33:17.06\00:33:22.76
that is taking
precedence over God.
00:33:22.80\00:33:26.10
Hosea 2:8,
00:33:26.13\00:33:28.37
for she did not
know, remember, Gomer said,
00:33:28.40\00:33:30.41
"I'm going after these other men
00:33:30.44\00:33:31.84
because they're the ones
who gave me oil and wine,
00:33:31.87\00:33:33.91
and presents and
all the nice things.
00:33:33.94\00:33:35.48
Verse 8,
00:33:35.51\00:33:36.85
"She did not know that
00:33:36.88\00:33:38.21
I'm the one who gave her grain,
00:33:38.25\00:33:39.58
I'm the one who
gave her new wine,
00:33:39.61\00:33:41.68
I'm the one who gave her oil
00:33:41.72\00:33:43.22
and multiplied
her silver and gold
00:33:43.25\00:33:44.99
which they prepared for Baal."
00:33:45.02\00:33:46.72
So everything God
had given to Israel,
00:33:46.76\00:33:49.16
they threw in His face
00:33:49.19\00:33:50.53
and they offered
it instead to Baal.
00:33:50.56\00:33:55.50
God's steadfast
love is amazing to me
00:33:55.53\00:33:58.43
in the Book of Hosea.
00:33:58.47\00:33:59.80
He could have left
them alone and without hope.
00:33:59.83\00:34:01.40
He could have left them
00:34:01.44\00:34:02.77
with their
other lovers and said,
00:34:02.80\00:34:04.14
"Go find warmth and find
food and comfort with your idols
00:34:04.17\00:34:07.51
that you've chosen to worship."
00:34:07.54\00:34:09.48
Remember, if love is
temporary and fickle,
00:34:09.51\00:34:12.48
it doesn't hurt them much,
00:34:12.51\00:34:13.85
because unreturned love
or rejection is no issue.
00:34:13.88\00:34:16.99
That weak love will
simply seek another object
00:34:17.02\00:34:20.66
for its affection.
00:34:20.69\00:34:22.49
If however, love is steadfast,
and that's God's love,
00:34:22.52\00:34:26.53
if it is deep,
rejection and unfaithfulness,
00:34:26.56\00:34:30.63
it causes great
anguish to the heart of God,
00:34:30.67\00:34:33.97
because that love,
that love is going to go on
00:34:34.00\00:34:38.17
even when the object of
that love no longer cares,
00:34:38.21\00:34:42.14
and tremendous
suffering results.
00:34:42.18\00:34:45.68
We see that unspeakable
anguish to the heart of God
00:34:45.71\00:34:49.75
when His people
spurned Him and turned aside
00:34:49.78\00:34:54.56
everything that He had given,
00:34:54.59\00:34:56.22
but I'm so glad that
story doesn't end there.
00:34:56.26\00:34:58.39
God calls us and
sometimes like Gomer,
00:34:58.43\00:35:01.70
we wander from God.
00:35:01.73\00:35:03.06
Sometimes we go our own way.
00:35:03.10\00:35:05.47
Sometimes we forget that
00:35:05.50\00:35:07.97
He was the one who gave us
all this in the first place.
00:35:08.00\00:35:11.34
And we turn our sights on
something else that we think
00:35:11.37\00:35:15.31
is more
powerful, or more mighty,
00:35:15.34\00:35:17.58
or somehow is
gonna love us better
00:35:17.61\00:35:19.81
than the Lord Jesus Himself.
00:35:19.85\00:35:22.48
But God never
leaves us in our wandering.
00:35:22.52\00:35:25.69
The last part of the
message is the renewing.
00:35:25.72\00:35:27.96
And this is where God brings
you and I back to Himself.
00:35:27.99\00:35:33.33
Hosea is called
to buy Gomer back,
00:35:33.36\00:35:36.97
which is amazing.
00:35:37.00\00:35:38.33
So he married her,
she's got these kids.
00:35:38.37\00:35:40.34
She left him, she
went after other people.
00:35:40.37\00:35:43.20
And then God calls
Hosea in Hosea 3:1,
00:35:43.24\00:35:46.71
"The Lord said go again,"
00:35:46.74\00:35:48.81
He's called to go back to Gomer,
00:35:48.84\00:35:51.08
"love a woman who
is loved by a lover
00:35:51.11\00:35:53.01
and is committing adultery,
00:35:53.05\00:35:55.18
just like the love of the Lord."
00:35:55.22\00:35:56.65
It's the symbolism
00:35:56.69\00:35:58.02
of what God was
doing for Israel.
00:35:58.05\00:36:00.09
Verse 2,
00:36:00.12\00:36:01.59
"So I bought her
for me, for myself
00:36:01.62\00:36:04.59
for 15 shekels of silver."
00:36:04.63\00:36:06.09
Now the price of a
slave was 30 shekels,
00:36:06.13\00:36:07.86
so she was not considered
that worthy on the market,
00:36:07.90\00:36:11.67
I guess if it was
only 15 shekels of silver
00:36:11.70\00:36:14.20
and one and a
half homers and barley.
00:36:14.24\00:36:15.84
"And I said to her,
00:36:15.87\00:36:17.21
' You will stay
with me many days,
00:36:17.24\00:36:18.57
you will not play the harlot,
nor shall you have a man,
00:36:18.61\00:36:21.14
so too will I be toward you.'"
00:36:21.18\00:36:24.48
So Hosea says,
00:36:24.51\00:36:25.85
"Don't play the
harlot, I loved you once."
00:36:25.88\00:36:27.62
And this is what
God says to you and I.
00:36:27.65\00:36:29.18
I loved you once, I
called you in the beginning.
00:36:29.22\00:36:31.42
I love you still,
00:36:31.45\00:36:32.79
even though you have
wandered away from Me,
00:36:32.82\00:36:34.99
even though you
turned your back on Me,
00:36:35.02\00:36:37.93
and I will buy you back,
00:36:37.96\00:36:39.83
so that you
will be Mine forever.
00:36:39.86\00:36:43.26
That's what God
does, Hosea 2:16,
00:36:43.30\00:36:46.17
"And it shall be, in
that day, says the Lord,
00:36:46.20\00:36:48.14
'That you will
call Me 'My Husband,'
00:36:48.17\00:36:50.64
you would no longer
call Me 'My Master, '
00:36:50.67\00:36:53.78
I will take from your
mouth the names of the Baals."
00:36:53.81\00:36:57.21
Those idols that you worship,
00:36:57.25\00:36:59.28
those things that
you have put above Me,
00:36:59.31\00:37:01.98
I'm going to take
that from your mouth.
00:37:02.02\00:37:05.35
Verse 18,
00:37:05.39\00:37:06.72
"In that day I will
make a covenant for them
00:37:06.76\00:37:09.82
with the beasts of the
field, the birds of the air,
00:37:09.86\00:37:11.79
the creeping
things of the ground.
00:37:11.83\00:37:13.16
Bow and sword of battle I
will shatter from the earth,
00:37:13.19\00:37:15.46
to make them lie down safely."
00:37:15.50\00:37:17.03
Verse 19,
00:37:17.07\00:37:18.40
"I will betroth you,
00:37:18.43\00:37:19.77
I will marry you to Me forever.
00:37:19.80\00:37:23.57
Yes, I will betroth you to
Me in righteousness and justice,
00:37:23.61\00:37:27.01
In loving-kindness and mercy,
00:37:27.04\00:37:29.54
I will betroth you
to Me in faithfulness,
00:37:29.58\00:37:32.11
and you shall know the Lord."
00:37:32.15\00:37:35.52
You see when God looks at
us, He calls us back to Himself.
00:37:35.55\00:37:41.92
He buys us as it were
00:37:41.96\00:37:44.13
back from the land of the enemy.
00:37:44.16\00:37:46.29
We're really twice his,
00:37:46.33\00:37:47.66
He made us in
the very beginning,
00:37:47.70\00:37:49.46
He created us.
00:37:49.50\00:37:50.83
And then He looks at us
00:37:50.87\00:37:52.20
and we wandered and
we did our own thing
00:37:52.23\00:37:53.87
and we went our own way.
00:37:53.90\00:37:55.34
And we followed
after other gods.
00:37:55.37\00:37:56.81
And he says,
00:37:56.84\00:37:58.17
" I'm gonna buy you back
from the land of the enemy."
00:37:58.21\00:38:00.98
And He buys us back
00:38:01.01\00:38:02.41
with the
precious blood of Jesus.
00:38:02.44\00:38:04.58
1 Peter 1:18-19,
00:38:04.61\00:38:06.95
"Knowing that
you were not redeemed
00:38:06.98\00:38:09.68
with corruptible
things, like silver or gold,
00:38:09.72\00:38:13.29
from your aimless conduct
00:38:13.32\00:38:14.96
received by
tradition from your fathers."
00:38:14.99\00:38:17.16
But verse 19,
00:38:17.19\00:38:18.59
"But you were redeemed
00:38:18.63\00:38:20.00
with the
precious blood of Christ,
00:38:20.03\00:38:22.53
as of a lamb without
blemish, and without spot."
00:38:22.56\00:38:26.84
We were redeemed
with the blood of Jesus.
00:38:26.87\00:38:30.04
So as we look at this renewing,
00:38:30.07\00:38:31.97
and these promises
00:38:32.01\00:38:33.34
that God makes to you
and to me as His people.
00:38:33.38\00:38:37.61
I want to give you in closing
00:38:37.65\00:38:38.98
seven promises
that He makes to us
00:38:39.01\00:38:41.98
as He renews you and I
00:38:42.02\00:38:44.52
in covenant
relationship with Him,
00:38:44.55\00:38:46.86
as He brings our
broken relationship
00:38:46.89\00:38:50.43
back into right
standing with Himself.
00:38:50.46\00:38:53.13
The first promise
that He makes to us
00:38:53.16\00:38:56.23
is to grant us repentance
and cleansing from sin.
00:38:56.26\00:39:01.67
Let's look at Ezekiel.
00:39:01.70\00:39:03.04
Ezekiel 18:30,
second half of the verse.
00:39:03.07\00:39:07.21
Verse 30,
00:39:07.24\00:39:08.58
"Repent and turn from
all your transgressions,
00:39:08.61\00:39:11.78
so that iniquity it
will not be your ruin."
00:39:11.81\00:39:14.68
Verse 31,
00:39:14.72\00:39:16.05
"Cast away from you
all the transgressions
00:39:16.08\00:39:18.42
which you have committed,
00:39:18.45\00:39:19.79
and get yourself the
new heart and new spirit.
00:39:19.82\00:39:22.52
For why should you
die, O, House of Israel."
00:39:22.56\00:39:25.09
What's God saying?
He's calling to them.
00:39:25.13\00:39:27.10
Why do you want to
serve those other gods?
00:39:27.13\00:39:28.73
Why do you want to
walk in your own way?
00:39:28.76\00:39:30.63
Why do you want
to do your own thing?
00:39:30.67\00:39:32.70
Come back to Me,
return to Me repent.
00:39:32.73\00:39:36.07
And you see, repentance
even in itself is a gift.
00:39:36.10\00:39:38.87
You and I can't
conjure up repentance.
00:39:38.91\00:39:40.98
We can't say, okay,
00:39:41.01\00:39:42.34
I'm going to be
sorry for what I did.
00:39:42.38\00:39:44.01
I remember as a
little kid, my mom...
00:39:44.05\00:39:46.92
When my sister and I
would have an argument,
00:39:46.95\00:39:48.72
she would say, tell
me, "Apologize to Lynn."
00:39:48.75\00:39:51.75
That's my sister's name,
00:39:51.79\00:39:53.12
and I would go,
00:39:53.15\00:39:54.69
"Sorry."
00:39:54.72\00:39:56.26
Is that repentance?
00:39:56.29\00:39:57.83
Absolutely not.
00:39:57.86\00:39:59.29
That is an outward word,
but it is not repentance.
00:39:59.33\00:40:03.43
You see, we cannot
repent from our idol worship,
00:40:03.47\00:40:06.23
we cannot repent
00:40:06.27\00:40:07.60
from our own
faithfulness to God,
00:40:07.64\00:40:08.97
we cannot repent from anything
that we have done against Him.
00:40:09.00\00:40:14.01
Repentance is a gift from God.
00:40:14.04\00:40:17.25
Romans 2:4,
00:40:17.28\00:40:20.68
"Do you not know
00:40:20.72\00:40:22.05
that the goodness of
God leads to repentance."
00:40:22.08\00:40:27.06
You see, even that
repentance is a gift.
00:40:27.09\00:40:28.96
That's why it's a promise.
00:40:28.99\00:40:30.33
The first
promise God gives to us
00:40:30.36\00:40:32.29
when He renews our
relationship with Him,
00:40:32.33\00:40:35.23
is to grant you and I
the gift of repentance.
00:40:35.26\00:40:40.27
I don't know if
you ever felt guilty
00:40:40.30\00:40:42.90
for something that you did.
00:40:42.94\00:40:44.27
I know, I certainly have.
00:40:44.31\00:40:45.64
Our cat at home, she
knows when she's been bad.
00:40:45.67\00:40:47.58
And I just do
this, snap my fingers,
00:40:47.61\00:40:50.15
stamp your foot and she goes,
00:40:50.18\00:40:51.65
because she knows
she did something wrong.
00:40:51.68\00:40:55.08
A child knows
00:40:55.12\00:40:56.45
when their hands
caught in the cookie jar.
00:40:56.48\00:40:57.82
Oops!
00:40:57.85\00:40:59.19
Sorry, I wasn't
supposed to do that.
00:40:59.22\00:41:00.56
And you can see it
written all over their face
00:41:00.59\00:41:01.92
when they have
done something wrong.
00:41:01.96\00:41:04.49
As an adult,
00:41:04.53\00:41:05.99
we clearly know
when we have sinned
00:41:06.03\00:41:08.50
or done something wrong.
00:41:08.53\00:41:10.17
God says, if we feel that way,
that's God drawing our heart,
00:41:10.20\00:41:13.87
that's the work
of the Holy Spirit,
00:41:13.90\00:41:16.00
bringing conviction of sin.
00:41:16.04\00:41:18.44
1 John 1:9,
00:41:18.47\00:41:19.81
"If you and I confess our sins,
00:41:19.84\00:41:21.54
He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins,
00:41:21.58\00:41:25.68
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:41:25.71\00:41:29.48
It's a two
part, the forgiveness,
00:41:29.52\00:41:31.59
that justification
00:41:31.62\00:41:32.95
that coming back
into righteousness,
00:41:32.99\00:41:35.79
right relationship with Christ,
00:41:35.82\00:41:37.69
and the cleansing act,
which is sanctification,
00:41:37.73\00:41:42.03
Him growing me in grace.
00:41:42.06\00:41:45.87
Sometimes if we
don't feel forgiven,
00:41:45.90\00:41:48.10
we might say, I
might not be forgiven,
00:41:48.14\00:41:51.71
but nothing is
further from the truth.
00:41:51.74\00:41:53.71
We are not
Christians based on how we feel.
00:41:53.74\00:41:56.18
We are Christians
00:41:56.21\00:41:57.55
because of what the
Word of God says about us.
00:41:57.58\00:42:01.02
Feelings are easily
changed and they're fickle,
00:42:01.05\00:42:03.18
but God's Word,
God's Word never changes.
00:42:03.22\00:42:07.59
Christ's
forgiveness is instantaneous.
00:42:07.62\00:42:10.19
Christ's
forgiveness is complete.
00:42:10.23\00:42:13.09
Christ's forgiveness requires
no goodness on our behalf.
00:42:13.13\00:42:18.33
Yet, His forgiveness
is dependent on you and I
00:42:18.37\00:42:23.91
asking for it,
00:42:23.94\00:42:25.27
because if it wasn't,
00:42:25.31\00:42:26.64
everybody in the
world would be forgiven.
00:42:26.68\00:42:28.01
And we know that's not true.
00:42:28.04\00:42:29.38
We need to ask Him
for that forgiveness.
00:42:29.41\00:42:32.61
The second promise God
gives to His renewed people
00:42:32.65\00:42:35.92
is to write His
Word in our hearts.
00:42:35.95\00:42:40.16
Hebrews 8:10,
00:42:40.19\00:42:43.19
"For this is the
covenant that I will make
00:42:43.22\00:42:45.79
with the house of Israel
00:42:45.83\00:42:47.26
after those days, says the Lord:
00:42:47.30\00:42:49.16
I will put My laws in their mind
00:42:49.20\00:42:52.53
and write them in their
hearts, I will be their God,
00:42:52.57\00:42:56.81
and they shall be My people."
00:42:56.84\00:42:59.87
God wants to write His law
in our hearts and in our minds.
00:42:59.91\00:43:05.95
The third promise
that He makes to us
00:43:05.98\00:43:08.02
when He renews us
00:43:08.05\00:43:09.82
back into that
covenant relationship with Him,
00:43:09.85\00:43:14.06
is to cleanse us
from sin and idol worship.
00:43:14.09\00:43:17.96
Turn with me to Ezekiel,
00:43:17.99\00:43:19.33
we're going to
spend a little time here.
00:43:19.36\00:43:20.70
Ezekiel Chapter 36,
00:43:20.73\00:43:22.90
we're picking it up in verse 25.
00:43:22.93\00:43:25.73
You see the children of Israel,
their issue, their mistake,
00:43:25.77\00:43:28.97
when they turned
away from God was what?
00:43:29.00\00:43:31.84
It was all about idol worship.
00:43:31.87\00:43:34.41
They served other gods.
00:43:34.44\00:43:36.88
Our issue is
idol worship as well,
00:43:36.91\00:43:39.41
maybe not in the same sense
00:43:39.45\00:43:40.88
of looking at
those graven images.
00:43:40.92\00:43:43.35
Our issue with putting
something else in our heart,
00:43:43.39\00:43:46.79
in our relationship that
takes precedence over God.
00:43:46.82\00:43:51.49
Ezekiel 36:25.
00:43:51.53\00:43:54.00
The third promise God gives
is to cleanse you and from sin,
00:43:54.03\00:43:57.53
and from idol worship.
00:43:57.57\00:43:58.90
He says,
00:43:58.93\00:44:00.27
"Then I will
sprinkle clean water on you,
00:44:00.30\00:44:02.67
and you shall be clean.
00:44:02.70\00:44:04.51
I will cleanse you
from all your filthiness
00:44:04.54\00:44:07.81
and from all your idols."
00:44:07.84\00:44:09.94
He promises to give us
the gift of repentance.
00:44:09.98\00:44:12.35
He promises to write
His word in our hearts,
00:44:12.38\00:44:15.52
He promises to
cleanse you and I from sin
00:44:15.55\00:44:18.09
and from idol worship.
00:44:18.12\00:44:19.45
He promises,
promise number four,
00:44:19.49\00:44:21.42
to give us a new
heart and a new spirit.
00:44:21.46\00:44:25.06
The next verse, Ezekiel 36:25.
00:44:25.09\00:44:29.36
"I will give you a new heart
00:44:29.40\00:44:30.83
and put a new spirit within you.
00:44:30.87\00:44:33.57
I would take the heart
of stone out of your flesh
00:44:33.60\00:44:36.07
and give you a heart of flesh."
00:44:36.10\00:44:38.14
Do you feel like
your heart is hard?
00:44:38.17\00:44:39.77
Do you feel like you
are struggling and saying,
00:44:39.81\00:44:42.08
"God, I'm not even
sure I want Your way."
00:44:42.11\00:44:44.25
He will take
out that hard heart.
00:44:44.28\00:44:47.02
He would take out the animosity
that you have against Him.
00:44:47.05\00:44:50.15
He would take
out the bitterness.
00:44:50.19\00:44:51.79
He would take all of that
00:44:51.82\00:44:53.32
and give you
have a heart of flesh.
00:44:53.36\00:44:56.12
That is that
experience of justification.
00:44:56.16\00:44:59.79
He doesn't stop
there. Promise number five.
00:44:59.83\00:45:02.06
He promises to
give us His Spirit
00:45:02.10\00:45:05.60
and enable us to
walk in obedience.
00:45:05.63\00:45:10.11
The next verse, Ezekiel 36:27,
00:45:10.14\00:45:13.81
"I will put My Spirit within you
00:45:13.84\00:45:17.28
and cause you to
walk in My statutes,
00:45:17.31\00:45:19.95
and you shall keep My
judgments and do them."
00:45:19.98\00:45:23.75
He promises to
give us His Spirit
00:45:23.79\00:45:25.45
and enable us
00:45:25.49\00:45:26.82
you and I to keep His judgments.
00:45:26.86\00:45:28.46
We clearly cannot
walk in His statutes.
00:45:28.49\00:45:30.46
We cannot walk in His
ways of our own strength,
00:45:30.49\00:45:34.06
but He promises
00:45:34.10\00:45:35.56
by the power of
Christ living in us
00:45:35.60\00:45:38.83
the hope of glory, to change us,
00:45:38.87\00:45:42.07
transform us into
the image of Jesus.
00:45:42.10\00:45:44.77
Promise number six. He
promises to be our God.
00:45:44.81\00:45:48.24
Next verse, verse 28,
00:45:48.28\00:45:50.35
"Then you shall
dwell in the land
00:45:50.38\00:45:51.78
that I gave to your fathers,
00:45:51.81\00:45:53.68
you shall be My people, He says,
00:45:53.72\00:45:56.58
and I'm going to be your God."
00:45:56.62\00:46:00.56
Finally, promise number seven.
00:46:00.59\00:46:02.22
He promises to vindicate
His name before the world.
00:46:02.26\00:46:07.33
We see this in
Ezekiel 36:23, Ezekiel 36,
00:46:07.36\00:46:11.73
jump back a couple
of verses to verse 23.
00:46:11.77\00:46:14.44
"I will sanctify My great name,
00:46:14.47\00:46:17.24
which has been
profaned among the nations."
00:46:17.27\00:46:19.31
Why was it profaned?
00:46:19.34\00:46:20.68
Because they
worshipped other idols,
00:46:20.71\00:46:22.04
because they
did their own thing,
00:46:22.08\00:46:23.41
because they
turned their back on God.
00:46:23.45\00:46:26.51
"It has been
profaned in their midst,
00:46:26.55\00:46:28.22
and the nations shall
know that I am the Lord, '
00:46:28.25\00:46:32.32
says the Lord God,
00:46:32.35\00:46:33.69
'When I am hallowed in
you before their eyes.'"
00:46:33.72\00:46:36.49
What is he saying?
00:46:36.52\00:46:37.86
When they accept
Him, when they allow Him
00:46:37.89\00:46:40.33
to give them the
gift of repentance,
00:46:40.36\00:46:43.30
when they allow Him to
write His word in their heart
00:46:43.33\00:46:45.93
and in their life.
00:46:45.97\00:46:47.40
When they allow
Him to cleanse them
00:46:47.44\00:46:49.14
and take away that idol worship
00:46:49.17\00:46:50.87
and give them a new
heart and a new spirit
00:46:50.91\00:46:53.38
and allow Him to
give them His Spirit,
00:46:53.41\00:46:56.85
so they walk in obedience.
00:46:56.88\00:46:58.95
What happens?
00:46:58.98\00:47:00.32
His name is vindicated,
because people look and say,
00:47:00.35\00:47:02.28
"Who is so and so?"
00:47:02.32\00:47:03.79
I didn't know they were...
00:47:03.82\00:47:05.49
Oh, wow, they're different.
00:47:05.52\00:47:07.82
They're not the same
person that they used to be.
00:47:07.86\00:47:10.43
They're different. Why is that?
00:47:10.46\00:47:12.63
Because they have
renewed that commitment to God,
00:47:12.66\00:47:16.50
that covenant
relationship with Him.
00:47:16.53\00:47:23.14
We'd had our little kitty
cat for just a couple years.
00:47:23.17\00:47:26.88
Greg and I came
home from a trip.
00:47:26.91\00:47:29.41
And she wasn't there.
00:47:29.44\00:47:30.78
She always came
run and to meet us
00:47:30.81\00:47:32.31
right out front of the house.
00:47:32.35\00:47:34.08
I was always excited.
00:47:34.12\00:47:35.45
Oh, here she comes,
00:47:35.48\00:47:36.95
because she'd hear the
car pulling in the driveway.
00:47:36.99\00:47:40.16
And yet, we came
home and she wasn't there.
00:47:40.19\00:47:41.69
And so we called in Pebbles.
00:47:41.72\00:47:43.96
She wasn't anywhere.
00:47:43.99\00:47:45.33
Pebbles, she wasn't anywhere.
00:47:45.36\00:47:46.70
We called again,
she wasn't there.
00:47:46.73\00:47:48.56
And so I told Greg,
"We need to find her."
00:47:48.60\00:47:49.93
And he said,
00:47:49.96\00:47:51.30
"It's dark and
would never find her,
00:47:51.33\00:47:52.67
let's go to bed."
00:47:52.70\00:47:54.04
We can trust God with her life.
00:47:54.07\00:47:55.40
And so we went to bed
00:47:55.44\00:47:56.77
and we prayed
over our little cat.
00:47:56.81\00:47:58.14
You can tell, we
like our little cat.
00:47:58.17\00:47:59.57
Maybe it's because
we don't have kids.
00:47:59.61\00:48:01.41
And so, we went to
bed and the next morning,
00:48:01.44\00:48:04.48
I got up at 5
o'clock in the morning
00:48:04.51\00:48:05.98
and I ran to the
door and I throw it open
00:48:06.01\00:48:07.95
and I called Pebbles,
00:48:07.98\00:48:09.32
and it's still dark
and she's not there.
00:48:09.35\00:48:11.65
And so Greg went into work.
00:48:11.69\00:48:13.76
And I put on his old jeans
00:48:13.79\00:48:15.52
and an old flannel shirt of his.
00:48:15.56\00:48:18.56
And I started out in
search of our little cat.
00:48:18.59\00:48:22.06
Remember, I had chosen her.
00:48:22.10\00:48:24.43
But yet, she had run away.
00:48:24.47\00:48:26.37
She was missing. She was gone.
00:48:26.40\00:48:29.27
And so, I wandered up
and down the gravel road.
00:48:29.30\00:48:32.34
No cat, calling
again. No cat, calling again.
00:48:32.37\00:48:36.71
And then I thought
00:48:36.75\00:48:38.08
maybe she's in the
brambles and thickets
00:48:38.11\00:48:40.68
right across from our house.
00:48:40.72\00:48:42.58
And so I went there,
00:48:42.62\00:48:44.89
and instantly those
brambles and those thickets
00:48:44.92\00:48:47.69
and all of that stuff
forced me to my knees,
00:48:47.72\00:48:50.06
and I'm crawling
through the brush,
00:48:50.09\00:48:52.26
dodging deer droppings,
00:48:52.29\00:48:53.73
and Poison ivy and
paws into yank my shirt
00:48:53.76\00:48:56.90
because it would catch on
those brambles in the spines.
00:48:56.93\00:49:01.17
I searched an hour
crawling on hands and knees,
00:49:01.20\00:49:03.61
no kitty cat.
00:49:03.64\00:49:05.24
And then on an impulse, I
went a different direction.
00:49:05.27\00:49:09.64
And all of a sudden,
00:49:09.68\00:49:11.01
I heard the
faintest little meow...
00:49:11.05\00:49:14.68
Oh, Pebbles, are you here?
00:49:14.72\00:49:16.38
And so I ran over there.
00:49:16.42\00:49:17.75
And there she was
way off in the woods,
00:49:17.79\00:49:22.02
long ways from home.
00:49:22.06\00:49:24.46
And so I knew that she
didn't like to be carried.
00:49:24.49\00:49:27.20
She was a little afraid of me,
00:49:27.23\00:49:29.20
because she'd been
abused before we got her.
00:49:29.23\00:49:31.83
And I thought she's never
gonna let me carry her home.
00:49:31.87\00:49:34.44
But she's so
tired and so worn out.
00:49:34.47\00:49:36.20
And so I thought,
come on, let's go home.
00:49:36.24\00:49:38.34
And I started for home
and she just looked at me.
00:49:38.37\00:49:40.91
So I reached back,
00:49:40.94\00:49:42.64
and I reached down
and I picked her up.
00:49:42.68\00:49:45.21
And she didn't fight.
She had no struggle left.
00:49:45.25\00:49:48.78
She just knew that I loved her.
00:49:48.82\00:49:52.25
And she wanted to come home.
00:49:52.29\00:49:54.59
Across the field we went,
a dirty scratched up woman,
00:49:54.62\00:49:59.59
tired, and an
itty-bitty little cat.
00:49:59.63\00:50:04.23
And as we
walked, my mind traveled
00:50:04.27\00:50:07.27
to the many times
my Father the shepherd,
00:50:07.30\00:50:10.21
had looked for me and called me.
00:50:10.24\00:50:13.24
The times He braved
the brambles and thistles,
00:50:13.27\00:50:17.38
the miles that He
had walked in my pursuit.
00:50:17.41\00:50:22.65
Sometimes I think
I purposely hidden,
00:50:22.68\00:50:25.55
afraid of the holy God,
00:50:25.59\00:50:27.32
somehow seeing the idols
that were still in my life,
00:50:27.36\00:50:30.83
seeing the sin that had
trapped itself in there,
00:50:30.86\00:50:34.03
afraid that he would look
00:50:34.06\00:50:35.40
and he would cast me
out into the open field.
00:50:35.43\00:50:40.44
Other times I got lost
00:50:40.47\00:50:41.80
and couldn't seem to
find the way back home.
00:50:41.84\00:50:45.04
Other times I was just
so worn out with the fight.
00:50:45.07\00:50:48.18
So tired, I didn't even
think I could take another step.
00:50:48.21\00:50:53.68
Those were the
times He would bend down.
00:50:53.72\00:50:56.48
Gently pick me up
and carry me home,
00:50:56.52\00:51:00.46
close to his heart,
close against His chest.
00:51:00.49\00:51:06.23
I don't know where you are
in your journey with Jesus.
00:51:06.26\00:51:10.27
You might feel that
He's called your heart
00:51:10.30\00:51:13.13
and you're not sure you
want to make that commitment.
00:51:13.17\00:51:16.64
You might be in
that wandering stage
00:51:16.67\00:51:19.24
where other idols,
other lovers, other things
00:51:19.27\00:51:23.61
have attracted
your attention from God.
00:51:23.65\00:51:27.78
Know that your shame,
your shame can't separate.
00:51:27.82\00:51:32.05
Your guilt can't
separate your past.
00:51:32.09\00:51:36.42
It can't separate. Why?
00:51:36.46\00:51:38.49
Because you and I,
you and I are His forever.
00:51:38.53\00:51:43.47
He made us, He
redeemed us, He bought us back.
00:51:43.50\00:51:47.94
And He is the God who stays.
00:51:47.97\00:51:51.11
Listen, as Tim ministers.
00:51:51.14\00:51:53.41
If I were You
00:51:58.28\00:52:00.78
I would've given up on me By now
00:52:00.82\00:52:04.59
I would've
labeled me A lost cause
00:52:04.62\00:52:08.69
'Cause I feel
just like A lost cause
00:52:08.72\00:52:13.76
If I were You
00:52:13.80\00:52:16.16
I would've turned
around And walked away
00:52:16.20\00:52:19.87
I would've
labeled me Beyond repair
00:52:19.90\00:52:23.71
'Cause I feel
like I'm beyond repair
00:52:23.74\00:52:28.54
But somehow You
don't see me like I do
00:52:28.58\00:52:32.68
Somehow You're still here
00:52:32.71\00:52:37.29
You're the God who stays
00:52:37.32\00:52:41.06
You're the God who stays
00:52:41.09\00:52:44.66
You're the one who
runs In my direction
00:52:44.69\00:52:49.06
When the whole world Walks away
00:52:49.10\00:52:51.83
You're the God who stands
00:52:51.87\00:52:55.34
With wide open arms
00:52:55.37\00:52:58.61
And You tell me
Nothing I have ever done
00:52:58.64\00:53:03.11
Can separate my heart
00:53:03.14\00:53:05.58
From the God who stays
00:53:05.61\00:53:10.35
I used to hide
00:53:10.39\00:53:12.59
Every time I
thought I let You down
00:53:12.62\00:53:15.86
I always thought
I had to earn my way
00:53:15.89\00:53:19.29
But I'm learning
You don't work that way
00:53:19.33\00:53:23.87
'Cause somehow You
don't see me like I do
00:53:23.90\00:53:27.74
Somehow You're still here
00:53:27.77\00:53:31.51
You're the God who stays
00:53:31.54\00:53:34.94
You're the God who stays
00:53:34.98\00:53:38.41
You're the one who
runs In my direction
00:53:38.45\00:53:42.58
When the whole world Walks away
00:53:42.62\00:53:45.32
You're the God who stands
00:53:45.35\00:53:48.59
With wide open arms
00:53:48.62\00:53:51.73
And You tell me
Nothing I have ever done
00:53:51.76\00:53:56.10
Can separate my heart
From the God who stays
00:53:56.13\00:54:02.54
My shame can't
separate My guilt can't separate
00:54:02.57\00:54:08.98
My past can't separate
00:54:09.01\00:54:12.35
I'm Yours forever
00:54:12.38\00:54:15.32
My sin can't separate
00:54:15.35\00:54:18.49
My scars can't separate
00:54:18.52\00:54:21.62
My failures, They can't separate
00:54:21.66\00:54:24.93
I'm Yours forever
00:54:24.96\00:54:27.96
My enemy can't separate
00:54:28.00\00:54:31.27
No power of hell Can take away
00:54:31.30\00:54:34.60
Your love for me
Will never change
00:54:34.64\00:54:37.94
I'm Yours forever
00:54:37.97\00:54:43.14
'Cause you're the God who stays
00:54:43.18\00:54:47.12
You're the God who stays
00:54:47.15\00:54:50.92
You're the one Who
runs in my direction
00:54:50.95\00:54:55.26
When the whole world Walks away
00:54:55.29\00:54:58.19
You're the God who stands
00:54:58.23\00:55:01.66
With wide open arms
00:55:01.70\00:55:04.97
And You tell me
Nothing I have ever done
00:55:05.00\00:55:09.74
Could separate my heart
00:55:09.77\00:55:12.57
No, nothing I've ever done
00:55:12.61\00:55:17.25
Can separate my heart
00:55:17.28\00:55:22.12
From the God who stays
00:55:22.15\00:55:25.55
Thank you, Tim.
00:55:36.46\00:55:38.57
Are you grateful today
that He's the God who stays,
00:55:38.60\00:55:42.87
that He's the one
who runs in our direction
00:55:42.90\00:55:45.87
when other people go
a different direction,
00:55:45.91\00:55:48.51
when the people
that you have walked with
00:55:48.54\00:55:51.18
in this land of idols,
00:55:51.21\00:55:53.08
in this land of
wandering far from Him,
00:55:53.11\00:55:56.92
and they turn away
when you reach the bottom.
00:55:56.95\00:56:00.82
God says,
00:56:00.86\00:56:02.19
"I'm running in your direction.
I want you as My child.
00:56:02.22\00:56:07.60
I love you.
00:56:07.63\00:56:09.56
I died for you.
00:56:09.60\00:56:11.13
Would you come back to Me?
00:56:11.17\00:56:13.97
Do you want the gift of
repentance in your life?
00:56:14.00\00:56:18.11
I do.
00:56:18.14\00:56:19.47
Do you want the
gift of having His word
00:56:19.51\00:56:22.34
written in your heart?
00:56:22.38\00:56:25.08
I do.
00:56:25.11\00:56:26.45
Do you want the gift
of cleansing from sin
00:56:26.48\00:56:30.09
and being pulled away
00:56:30.12\00:56:32.65
from those idols
that you used to worship?
00:56:32.69\00:56:36.56
I do.
00:56:36.59\00:56:37.93
Do you want the
gift of a new heart,
00:56:37.96\00:56:41.63
a heart of flesh,
a heart that's open
00:56:41.66\00:56:45.13
to the working and
leading of the Holy Spirit?
00:56:45.17\00:56:48.90
I do.
00:56:48.94\00:56:50.27
Do you want the
gift of His Spirit
00:56:50.31\00:56:52.57
that enables you and
I to walk in obedience?
00:56:52.61\00:56:58.11
I do.
00:56:58.15\00:56:59.48
Do you want to
call Him Abba, Daddy,
00:56:59.51\00:57:02.75
and know that
you are His for ever?
00:57:02.78\00:57:06.49
And that nothing can
separate you from Him?
00:57:06.52\00:57:10.16
I do.
00:57:10.19\00:57:11.53
Do you want to
be part of a people
00:57:11.56\00:57:13.90
that vindicate His
name and His character
00:57:13.93\00:57:17.47
before the world?
00:57:17.50\00:57:18.90
I do. Let's pray.
00:57:18.93\00:57:20.44
Father, we are Your people now,
00:57:20.47\00:57:23.24
and we thank You for that.
00:57:23.27\00:57:25.07
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:25.11\00:57:27.34