Sunday, March 25, 2007
I Will Build My Church
Matt. 16:13-19
For some time we looked at what I called Eternal Realities. I won’t go back through that again, but I hope we can never escape those concepts. More and more, may they become a part of our thinking. May God make us keenly aware that we have an enemy who is eager to deceive us into thinking they are not that vitally important. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:7-8).
For the most part, we have been focusing upon the individual’s relationship with God. And so it should be, for that relationship is very important. However, this morning we will be shifting our focus. In conjunction with His ministry to Zacchaeus, Jesus said: "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). Without doubt, Jesus died for individuals, even for outcasts like Zacchaeus, who was a despised and hated tax collector, but that isn’t the end of the story.
Let’s take a few minutes to read Eph. 2:13-22…
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
If you aren’t familiar with this passage, it may be a bit hard to comprehend at first. The background is the adversarial relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles. In this passage, the Gentiles are those who were far off, and the Jews are those who were near (vs. 17). Jews and Gentiles hated one another. But in Christ Jesus, they have become a part of one household (family), the household of God. They all make up the same building. In the analogy of chapter 5, they all make up the bride of Christ. According to Eph. 3, this "mystery" of the Jews and Gentiles being brought together in one family is intended to display the manifold wisdom of God to the heavenly authorities (3:10).
We must understand that while Jesus died for the individual, every individual who comes into a relationship with God through Christ becomes a part of the family of God. There are no exceptions. There are no loners in God’s economy.
This morning I would like us to take a look at the foundations of the Lord’s church. Many of you know me pretty well, and I know you pretty well. Some of you are thinking, "Well, where is Ron going with this." I don’t want to leave you to wonder about it; I’ll just tell you. Norman and I have been sensing for quite some time that we need to take some time to explore what it means to be a part of the church. We have been praying about it consistently for at least a year.
So why is this important? There are many reasons, but I will mention a few. First of all, the American model of the church of Jesus Christ is a mess. Some see the church as a building; others see it as an institution; many have little idea what the church is or what it is supposed to be. Many of us have to honestly admit that we aren’t exactly sure how the church should function in our society. Along with the sad state of the church is the strong influence of American culture within the church, especially the influence of rugged American individualism. One of the greatest curses of the church in our day is a spirit of independence. I’m not sure yet, but it might be accurate to title our current direction: "The Declaration of Dependence." I didn’t say "The Declaration of Independence," but "The Declaration of Dependence." Adam left us a very generous supply of the spirit of independence. We desperately need to abide in the last Adam, who was totally dependent upon His Father. If you want to hear Jesus’ declaration of dependence, you can read it especially in the Gospel of John…
John 4:34 "Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."
John 5:19 "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."
John 5:30 "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."
John 8:26 "I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him."
I. Jesus’ Declaration – "I Will Build My Church"
So this morning I want to direct us to Matthew 16. It is a well-known passage to most of us, but let’s read it again. Read Matt. 16:13-23…
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14. And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. 21. From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Now there are many very interesting details in verses 13-19. In looking at those details, people have disagreed concerning their meaning down through the centuries. This morning I want us to focus on the main statement that Jesus made. There in verses 13-19, what is the one central declaration that overshadows everything else? Jesus said: "I will build my church."
Don’t you love the fact that it is such a definite statement? Jesus didn’t say, "I will try to build my church." He didn’t say, "If all goes well, I will build my church." Nor did He say, "If you will help me, I will build my church." No, He simply stated in no uncertain terms: "I will build my church." What a promise. You can count on it. Jesus has never failed to keep a promise, and He won’t fail on this one either. Jesus will build His church.
II. What Is It that Jesus Is Building?
So what is it that Jesus is building? Is it a physical building, an edifice like this one or others all around us? Is that what Jesus promised to build? No. When Jesus made this statement, He was not thinking about physical buildings. We know this, but we forget very easily. How many times do we refer to this building as "the church"? I admit that sometimes I forget and I am guilty. But this building is not the church. If it burned to the ground this afternoon, would there be any less church than before it burned? No. This is only a building where the church occasionally meets. I encourage us to refrain from calling this building "the church." We say, "You know what I mean." Then let’s practice saying what we mean. Jesus isn’t building a physical structure.
So what is He building? Is He building an institution, an organization? Sometimes we give that impression. If we are not careful, we will get the idea that the church of Jesus Christ is limited to our meetings in this place. Never. Many people see the church as a type of organization. The difference is that the church is a religious organization, a spiritual institution. No, the church is nothing like an organization or institution.
Then what is it that Jesus is building? Come back with me to the passage we read in Ephesians 2. I want you to notice in this passage three terms that are used to describe the church. First of all, take note of the word "body" in 2:16, "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" Paul is speaking of how Jesus through His death has reconciled both Jew and Gentile and set them in one body.
The church is a body. More specifically, the church is the body of Christ and Jesus Himself is the head (I Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23). When Jesus said, "I will build my church," He is referring to this body. If you want to read a thorough presentation of the church-as-a-body analogy, read the classic passage in I Cor. 12, where Paul tells the Corinthian believers that though there are many parts in the body, they are all one. So it is in the body of Christ. We are many, but we are one, all under the one Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now come to Eph. 2:18-19, "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;" Notice the word "household." Today we would likely use the word "family." When Jesus said "I will build my church," He was saying that He would build His family. In Gal. 6:10, Paul refers to this family as "the household of faith." The church is the family that is made up of those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. God is our Father, and we who are in Christ are all brothers and sisters. Have you ever noticed how the New Testament is filled with family terms, such as "Father" and "brother"? Jesus Himself anticipated this picture of the church in Matt. 12:47-50…
Mat 12:47-50 "Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49. And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
And now in Eph. 2 let’s continue right on and read 2:20-22…
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Do you see the word "building"? There is a sense in which Jesus is building a building, but that building is not made up of boards or bricks. We who belong to Him are the building materials. This building is growing into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21). Peter refers to us as living stones, which are being fit together into a spiritual house (I Pet. 2:5).
So we see that Jesus promised to build a body, a family, a spiritual house. These are all beautiful pictures of the church that Jesus said He would build.
III. And Who Is It that Is Building the Church?
So let me ask you a question: Who is building the church today? This is not a trick question. Who is building the church? Jesus is building the church. If Jesus said, "I will build my church," can there be any question concerning who is building it? Jesus has never failed to keep a promise, and He won’t fail to keep this one. Remember, He didn’t say that He might build His church or that He would try to build it; He said, "I will build my church."
Men can build physical buildings, and some of them are very impressive. Men can build organizations and institutions, and they too can be quite impressive. But make no mistake about it, only Jesus can build His church. No man can build it. When I was in seminary, as a part of one of my last classes, a few of us met with a pastor of a very large church. I still remember what he said, "Men, if you are going to build a church, you will need to spend 70 to 80 hours a week working at it." Listen. Even if a man or all the men in the world worked 24 hours a day seven days a week, they cannot build the church. Only Jesus can build His church.
Now if Jesus is building His church today, where do we look for it? Do we look for the most impressive building? Do we search for the "churches" who have the most people in attendance, or who are baptizing the most people? Or perhaps we should look for those who are taking in the most money? Is this the church that Jesus is building? Remember that man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
Let me remind us of the identity of the church Jesus is building. Jesus said, "I will build my church." Does Jesus sound kind of possessive? Indeed, He does. Let no one wonder to whom this church belongs; it belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. He did not hesitate to refer to as "my church." Is it any wonder? In Eph. 5:25 Paul tells us that "Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it." Jesus can claim the church for His own because He purchased it with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
But wait a minute. Isn’t it true that the church in America is in a mess today? Don’t I remind you often to be aware of the great deception that is rampant in our religious society? Didn’t Jesus Himself warn us to watch out for false teachers? Then how can it be said that Jesus is building His church? We don’t trust what we see with our eyes; we trust what our Lord has said. If Jesus said, "I will build my church," then we can trust that He is doing exactly that. This doesn’t mean that everything which claims to be the church is His church. Anyone can build a building, put a sign on it, and organize into what is called a church, but that doesn’t mean the Lord is a part of it.
Go back and remember the situation with God’s people in the Old Testament. Just two weeks ago we read about some of that in the prophet Hosea. God’s people forsook Him for idols. Their disobedience and rebellion became so serious that God stirred up a foreign nation to come in and take them captive. But even in the midst of it all, there was a faithful remnant that loved and served the true God. And so it is today. In the midst of all the religious hype in our society, there is a faithful remnant. There are those who do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with their God (Mic. 6:8). This is the church Jesus is building.
Even within many individual congregations Jesus is building His church. Consider this local congregation right here. We must confess that we are full of failures, shortcomings, and sometimes disobedience. Everyone who attends services here is not a part of Jesus’ church. It is very likely that some who claim to be a part of His church are not truly a part. Nevertheless, Jesus is building His church. Along with His people in other places, we are being faithfully shaped into a holy temple in the Lord.
The true church is made up of those people who have been made alive in Jesus Christ. God convicted them of sin and they responded through repentance and faith. The life of Jesus Christ is within. That is the church Jesus is building. Are you a part of that church?
IV. And How Is Jesus Building His Church?
So how is Jesus building His church? To answer that question, let’s go back to what Jesus says. Let’s read it again in Matt. 16:17-19…
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus said clearly that He would build His church "upon this rock." But what is "this rock" upon which His church will be built? Over the centuries, volumes have been written in an attempt to answer this question. Perhaps the best known explanation is that given by the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman church has taught that Peter is the rock. Jesus gave him the authority and he, in turn, passed that authority down. Peter is viewed as the first Pope, and the passing down of papal authority has continued in an unbroken succession to our day. Therefore, Peter and the succeeding Popes are the rock upon which Jesus is building His church.
Perhaps the greatest problem with this interpretation is that great authority has been placed in the hands of a man, regardless of his relationship with the Lord. As we have seen this teaching played out in Roman Catholicism, the authority of the Pope rivals the authority of scripture itself.
Other interpretations of this passage have been a reaction against the Roman viewpoint. In order to distance themselves from papal authority, many have tried to remove Peter altogether. While the Greek word translated "Peter" does indeed mean "rock," they have noted that it is not the same word as the "rock" upon which Jesus said He would build His church. The "rock" the church is built on is a large mass of rock. The "Peter rock" is a piece of rock, such as a stone that a person would throw. From that distinction, they would conclude that Jesus was not saying He would build the church upon Peter.
Most of those in my background have favored the idea that Jesus was talking about Peter’s profession. That profession that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, was not something Peter worked up. Rather, Jesus makes it clear that no man revealed it to him, but the Father in heaven. Therefore, the church is built upon the kind of faith which Peter exemplified, but that faith is found in all who trust the Lord with their lives.
While there is much to commend that interpretation, it seems to me that it is an over-reaction against the importance of Peter. While the faith of Peter is vitally important, I don’t think we can totally divorce the man Peter from his profession. It is interesting that the closing words of verse 19 are repeated again in Matt. 18:18, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." There is only one difference: while here they are spoken to Peter, in 18:18 Jesus addresses them to all of His apostles. It seems that Peter is representative of the entire group of apostles. While here Jesus speaks to Peter, saying "Upon this rock I will build my church," in chapter 18 He gives the same authority to all the apostles which He here gives to Peter. That isn’t hard to understand, because it seems clear that Peter was the leader in the group of apostles. So I suggest we consider that the rock upon which Jesus would build His church was bigger than Peter; it included the entire group of apostles.
Come again to Ephesians 2. Let’s read again 2:19-22…
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21. In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Speaking to both Jews and Gentiles, Paul said, "You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets." He uses the same building language that Jesus used, and he speaks of the apostles as the foundation of the building, with Jesus being the chief corner stone. You notice that the foundation is made up of both the apostles and prophets. There is some question about what he means by "the prophets." Is he speaking of the prophets of the Old Testament, men like Isaiah and Jeremiah? Or, is he speaking of the prophets of the New Testament church?
People disagree over which he had in mind.
We probably have a better understanding of the Old Testament prophets. On the other hand, who are these New Testament prophets? These were people who heard from the Lord and passed the message on to the believers. We read of these prophets over in chapter 4. Eph. 4:11-12, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfection of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." So in the immediate context, Paul may be speaking of these New Testament prophets, which God gave to the church, along with the apostles. Through the apostles and prophets, God made known His revelation to His people.
People have differing ideas about these apostles and prophets. Do we still have apostles today? Regardless of what you believe about whether or not we have modern-day apostles and prophets, one thing is certain – God revealed His will to His people through these men. And through the apostles He did something else. It was through the apostles that God gave us the New Testament. While every New Testament writer was not an apostle, the apostles were the primary source for the other writers. God not only used Peter and the others to reveal His will to the early church, but through them He gave us the New Testament, which reveals His will for us today.
Now if Paul is speaking of the Old Testament prophets (which included not only the writing prophets, but also men such as Moses), then the apostles and prophets would be the source of the entire Bible. If he is referring to New Testament prophets, then the focus would be on the New Testament. Either way, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the lasting work of these men was the scripture with which God has blessed us. There is a real sense in which the foundation composed by the apostles and prophets has been preserved in the scriptures. The rock upon which Jesus is building His church cannot be severed from the scriptures, which point to Jesus, the chief cornerstone.
Conclusion
When it comes to the church of Jesus Christ, things are not always as they appear to be. Let me illustrate that truth by going to Romans 9. This is a rather difficult passage, but it is also an important passage. First, let’s read Rom. 9:1-5…
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
These verses remind us that Israel was rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, and that fact greatly
distressed Paul. He loved the Jews, his "kinsmen according to the flesh." He loved them so much he said he was willing to be cut off from Christ, if it would mean their salvation.
Now it would seem that the promises of God had failed. These were His people. This was Israel, to whom He had made great promises. They were the descendants of Abraham, whom God had promised to bless and make a blessing to all nations. Beginning in verse 6, Paul shows that God’s promise had not failed, though it might appear that way. Let’s read Rom. 9:6-8…
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Here is the key: "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." Not everyone who wears the name Israel is truly Israel. It might be assumed that Israel is made up of all the descendants of Abraham, but we know that isn’t true, because those who came through Ishmael are not Israel. Well, then Israel is made up of all the descendants of Isaac. No, that isn’t true either, because the children of Esau are not Israel. Without further elaboration, Paul then states, "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." In other words, being a part of God’s people goes deeper than the physical.
And so it is with the church today. Not everyone who claims to be a part of the church is really part of the church. Jesus said it well, "That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit" (Jn. 3:6). Jesus is building His church, but His church is not identical with what is recognized as the church in our world.
May it be our longing to be a part of His true church and to invite others to be a part of that church. Jesus is building His church, and He invites us to be a part of the work. Yes, He wants to work in and through us who truly know Him.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Norman Lackey: "Trust the Lord"
I didn't preach today; Norman shared the Word with us. He doesn't do sermon notes the way I do, but here are some of the scriptures he used this morning...
Jer. 17:5-9
Is. 30:1-3
Is. 31:1-3
Ps. 2:11-12
Ps. 34:8
Is. 30:18
Prov. 16:20
Prov. 14:26-27
Deut. 31:6-8
Josh. 1:5-9
Heb. 13:5
Ps. 139
Thought: "We can face any fear
When we know the Lord is near."
Jer. 17:5-9
Is. 30:1-3
Is. 31:1-3
Ps. 2:11-12
Ps. 34:8
Is. 30:18
Prov. 16:20
Prov. 14:26-27
Deut. 31:6-8
Josh. 1:5-9
Heb. 13:5
Ps. 139
Thought: "We can face any fear
When we know the Lord is near."
Sunday, March 11, 2007
God's Unfailing Love -- 3/11/07 (Eternal Realities)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE
Hosea 1:2; 3:1-5
Before I begin, let me give you a heads up. When I finish, I predict that some of you are going to be thinking something like this: "Ron, it’s like you haven’t finished the sermon. There is so much more that could be said." And you will be exactly right. So I suggest that you sit down with your Bible and an open heart and let the Lord finish the sermon.
For about nine months we have been looking at what I have called "Eternal Realities." We began with the glory and holiness of God. Then we looked at the condition of man, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. Because of man’s sin, there are severe consequences, primarily separation from God and eternity in hell. But praise God that He intervened and provided a way back to Himself through His own Son Jesus Christ, who became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus is the one and only way into the presence of God. Our part is to repent and trust Him completely with our lives. However, there are plenty of false prophets who through their words and their lives are leading millions to believe that there is a much broader way that leads to God and to true life. But Jesus makes it clear that this broad way which so many travel leads to destruction.
It was at that point that we began to deal with the subject of deception. Considering the fact that we started out to deal with the great eternal realities, it would seem that we have spent an undue amount of time and study looking at this subject of deception. We looked primarily at Matthew 7 and the little letter of I John. In Matthew 7 Jesus warns of the false prophets and then gives us those stern words He will speak to those who are fooled by the false prophets: "I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity" (Matt. 7:23). In I John we were confronted by the tests of life. It is there that John uses three basic tests to give assurance to those who have eternal life. On the other hand, these tests of belief, obedience, and love are not intended to give assurance to those who do not truly have the life of God within. We have spent a great deal of time and trouble dealing with deception, because deception is so pronounced in modern American religion. We know that our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8). What we often forget is that his main weapon in our religious society is not intimidation, but it is deception. Though he is as strong as a roaring lion, he most often masquerades as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14).
Then the last two Sundays we dealt with the stern words of I John 2:15-17…
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
We looked at other scriptures along with that passage, especially James 4:4, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
No doubt, some of you were offended that I would suggest you were guilty of spiritual adultery and idolatry. Some of you thought it was a wonderful message for other people you know. I didn’t come this morning to apologize for those two messages. On the contrary, I want you to know that those messages were not for other people you know; they were for you. That’s right, for you. Not for weaker brothers and sisters in the congregation, but for you. And for me. As I have shared with some of you, our great problem is that we don’t realize how conformed we are to the world. We are not only conformed to the world, but we are largely blind to that truth. We are like the church of Laodicea. They thought things were great, when in reality they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked (Rev. 3:17). I didn’t come to soften the last two messages. If anything, I would impress them upon our minds and hearts again and make them even stronger. We desperately need the hammer of God’s Word to wake us up to the reality of the deception in our lives.
Now having said that, I bring you good news this morning. There are two aspects of this good news. First of all, the messages I shared with you the last two weeks are good news in themselves. God tells us the truth about ourselves and brings correction because He loves us. That is good news. When the time comes that God let’s us go our own way, that’s bad news. As long as He rebukes us and seeks to bring correction, that is good news; that is evidence of His love.
The second aspect of the good news is this: despite our weakness, failure, worldliness, and unfaithfulness, God still loves His own. God loves us with a love that is beyond our understanding. This morning I am speaking to you who are truly sons and daughters of the living God through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
Introducing Hosea
Now let me shift gears for a minute. David Bagwell and Jake Turnbull have agreed to let me pick on them. If you would stand here by me, guys. If you don’t mind, please stand right up here beside me. Both Jake and David are 18 years old now. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? They have known the Lord for a few years now. Jake has graduated from high school, has some college under his belt, and is currently working full time. David is finishing up his schooling at this time. Neither of them knows what the future holds, but they long to do the will of God, whatever that may be. I get excited when I look at young man like David and Jake, who are young and idealistic. They haven't made some of the mistakes I’ve made. They are free to go and do whatever the Lord calls them to do. Praise God for them and other young men in this congregation who are eager to do the will of our Lord.
Let’s suppose that the Lord revealed a bit of His will to one of these young men. However He chooses to do it, the Lord makes it clear that he is to go and marry a particular woman who will become a prostitute. If some of you younger ones aren’t familiar with the term prostitute (or harlot), let me give you a simplified explanation. A prostitute is a woman who isn’t satisfied to have one husband, but she throws herself at many men, even though she isn’t married to any of them. Suppose the Lord told one of these young men to marry such a woman. (Thank you, Davidand Jake; you may sit down).
Isn’t that a terrible thought? If God wants these young men to be married, they would long for a pure and godly woman who will continue to seek the Lord all her life. Isn’t that what every godly young man wants? The last thing he would desire would be to marry a woman who would prove to be unfaithful. Surely that would prove to be a hindrance to whatever ministry the Lord calls him to. Surely we would view it as a great tragedy.
Now let’s come to the Word of God and read from the prophet Hosea. Read Hosea 1:1-3:5… (NKJV)
Hosea 1. The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2. When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord." 3. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4. Then the Lord said to him: "Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5. It shall come to pass in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel." 6. And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: "Call her name
Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
But I will utterly take them away. 7. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the Lord their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen." 8. Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9. Then God said: "Call his name
Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God. 10. "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are
not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’ 11. Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 2. Say to your brethren,
‘My people,’ And to your sisters,
‘Mercy is shown.’ 2. "Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight, And her adulteries from between her breasts; 3. Lest I strip her naked and expose her, as in the day she was born, And make her like a wilderness, And set her like a dry land, And slay her with thirst. 4. "I will not have mercy on her children, For they are the children of harlotry. 5. For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink.’ 6. "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, And wall her in, So that she cannot find her paths. 7. She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.’ 8. For she did not know that I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold—Which they prepared for Baal. 9. "Therefore I will return and take away My grain in its time and My new wine in its season, And will take back My wool and My linen, Given to cover her nakedness. 10. Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, And no one shall deliver her from My hand. 11. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths—All her appointed feasts. 12. "And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, Of which she has said, ‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’ So I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field shall eat them. 13. I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot," says the Lord. 14. "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her. 15. I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. 16. "And it shall be, in that day," Says the Lord, "That you will call Me
‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ 17. For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baal, And they shall be remembered by their name no more. 18. In that day I will make a covenant for them and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely. 19. "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; 20. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord. 21. "It shall come to pass in that day that I will answer," says the Lord; "I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth. 22. The earth shall answer with grain, With new wine, And with oil; They shall answer
Jezreel. 23. Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had
not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were
not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!
Hosea 3.. Then the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover
and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans." 2. So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3. And I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you." 4. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.
5. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter day
A Very Difficult Command
We’re not going to try to go through that large amount of scripture this morning, but I did want us to get the whole picture. We needed to get a feel for Hosea’s situation.
Think with me for a moment. How would the Lord call a man to be a prophet? Think of Isaiah. Remember his words which recount his call from God, words we have looked at in depth. Is. 6:1, "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." He heard the words of the seraphim, as they cried out, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (6:3). Or consider the Lord’s call to Jeremiah: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jer. 1:5).
What glorious experiences for Isaiah and Jeremiah, as the Lord called them to do His work. It wasn’t that way for Hosea. Let’s read it again in Hosea 1:2, "The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD." No, this is not what we would expect. Instead of some splendid revelation of His glory, God gives to Hosea a heartbreaking command.
Down through the years, Bible students have differed in their interpretation of that command. Some have seen this as only allegorical, only symbolic. In other words, Hosea didn’t really marry this woman Gomer at all. However, there is absolutely no basis in the text for understanding it that way. We read in verse 3, "So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." So if this command is indeed to be taken literally, what can we make out of it?
While many believe that Gomer was a prostitute at the time when Hosea married her, others do not take it that way. The Lord may be speaking of Gomer as a woman who would become a harlot and bear children of harlotry. That is the way I understand the command. Perhaps most important is the parallel between Gomer and unfaithful Israel, as we will emphasize. Let’s take a moment and go over to Jeremiah and see what the Lord says about His relationship to His people. Read Jer. 2:1-3…
Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2. Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. 3. Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
The Lord reminds them of a time when He first took them as His people, even as His wife. At that time they were "holiness unto the Lord." However, if we were to continue to read from Jeremiah 2 and the later chapters, we would find that God’s people proved to be unfaithful. Nevertheless, in the beginning they were "holiness unto the Lord."
It seems to me that the parallel is preserved much more accurately, if we see Gomer as being pure at the time of their marriage but proving to be unfaithful later. Perhaps there were indeed tendencies toward unfaithfulness, but these had not surfaced when Hosea married her.
If that is the case, another question comes to mind. Did Hosea know that she would prove to be unfaithful? Again, some would say, "No. Hosea didn’t know it. Hosea thought she was the woman of his dreams. He didn’t have a clue that she would be unfaithful to him." If so, then it would go something like this. Hosea, writing later and looking back says: "When the Lord told me to marry Gomer, He was actually telling me to marry a woman who would become a prostitute, though I didn’t know it at the time."
I suggest that it is much simpler to take God’s command more literally. In other words, God literally commanded him to marry a woman who would become a prostitute. Not only is this the most natural way to take the text, but it also preserves the parallel of the relationship between God and His people. Did God know that Israel would prove to be unfaithful? Of course, He knew it. Let’s read what God said to His people Israel through Moses in Dt. 4:22-29…
But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land. 23. Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24. For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 25. When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: 26. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 27. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. 28. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Notice that it isn’t if you do these things, but when you do them. The Lord knew that His people were going to be unfaithful, but He took them on anyway. And then even when He spoke these stern words to them, He still could say, "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul."
So now Hos. 1:3, "So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." Hosea was obedient to the Lord and went and took Gomer to be his wife. Then we read immediately that she conceived and bore Hosea a son. That isn’t the end of the story. After speaking about the meaning of the son’s name "Jezreel," then we read in verse 6, "And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away." And then again in verses 8-9, "Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. 9. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God."
Notice two things about the birth of the second and third children. First of all, they bear very tragic names. God tells Hosea to name the daughter Loruhamah, which means "not having obtained mercy," or "not loved." Then the Lord tells him to name the son Loammi, which means "not my people." Both are representative of God’s attitude toward His people. They had forsaken Him to the point that there was no reason for Him to have mercy upon them or call them His people any more.
The second thing I want you to notice is the difference between what we find in verse 3, as opposed to what we find in verse 6 and again in verse 8. Notice in verse 3 we are told that Gomer bore him a son. Do you see that? But in verse 6, it is only, "And she conceived again and bare a daughter." It is the same in 8, "…She conceived, and bare a son." We are not specifically told that these latter two children were Hosea’s children. It has long been believed by some that these were not even Hosea’s children. In light of the context, that may well be the case.
Another Difficult Command
Now come to 3:1, "Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel…" Who is this woman that Hosea is to go and love? Is it not Gomer, his wife who had become unfaithful? The King James word "yet" simply means "again" or "still." Hosea had loved her before, and now he was to go and love her again. But this would not be easy, because Gomer was now an adulteress. We are told specifically that she is now "a woman beloved of her friend."
Let’s turn back to Jer. 3:1, "They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD." Do you see that word "lovers"? That is exactly the same word that is translated "friend" here in Hosea 3:1. Gomer has found her another lover, perhaps the father of her third child, or second and third child.
Can you imagine how difficult this would be for Hosea? How could he do it? He could do it, because this is what the Lord told him to do? But how could the Lord tell Hosea to do such a thing? Because that is exactly what God Himself would do for Israel. The Lord is commanding Hosea to paint a stunning picture of His own love for His people. 3:1, "Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel…"
Hosea obeyed. 3:2, "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley." When Hosea went to find Gomer, he found her in the slave market. We are not told why she had become a slave. Perhaps her lover dumped her and she was forced to sell herself into slavery. Or maybe she became a temple prostitute in the religion of Baal and when she had been used up, they sold her into slavery. Can you imagine the humiliation for Hosea? Those who knew the whole situation must have thought he was absolutely crazy. Nevertheless, he obeyed the Lord.
The Real Story
Enough about Hosea. This story is not really about Hosea’s love for Gomer; it is about God’s love for His people. Hosea’s love for Gomer is only a picture of God’s love for His people. Here’s the point. No one would ever expect a man to do what Hosea did. He had every reason to give up on Gomer and wash his hands of any further relationship with her. Surely to go and love her again, buying her back to himself, was to only invite more trouble.
Do you see? This is what God has done for us, for those of us who truly belong to Him. We are like Gomer. We are like Israel of that day. You may wonder why verse 3:1 does not follow immediately after 1:9? In between, we have the story of how Israel forsook the Lord. In verse 4, the Lord calls the Israelites children of harlotry. The Lord blessed Israel with corn and wine, and oil and multiplied her silver and gold, but Israel took those things and used them for Baal (verse 8). Listen to what the Lord says in verse 7, "And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now." The Lord was her first husband.
You say, "We’re not like that. We have never forsaken the Lord for idols." The reason we say that is because we are blind. To those of us who deny our unfaithfulness, the Lord says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (Jms. 4:4). Like the Christians at Rome, we are guilty of being conformed to the world. That is why Paul said to them, "Be not conformed to this world." Literally, "Stop being conformed to this world" (see NIV). If these charges had been brought against the church of Laodicea, its members would have flatly denied the charges, but they were guilty. And so are we. We understand something of the seriousness of the sin of loving the world, but we are largely blind to our own guilt.
But praise God that our guilt is not the end of the story. Praise God that He "commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). But even that isn’t the end of the story. Even when we have been unfaithful to the Lord, He has loved us again, and again, and again. Just as Hosea’s love for Gomer went beyond any reasonable explanation, so is God’s love for us.
Sometimes we say, "How could God ever love me?" That is not a bad question. His love for us makes no sense. It defies logic. God forbid that we should ever look within ourselves to find the reason God loved us. If I ever think I find within myself the reason for His love, I am deceiving myself. Hosea did not love Gomer because he looked deep within her and saw something worthy. No, never. He loved Gomer because God told him to go and love Gomer "according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods…" (Hos. 3:1). Do you see it? God doesn’t keep on loving us because we are lovable. He loves us because God is love!
Conclusion
You may say, "Ron, you are not painting a very nice picture of us." No, I’m not. That isn’t my purpose. My purpose is to help us see the picture God has painted of Himself in His holy Word. It’s easy for us to read, "God is love." Here in Hosea we see some of the fleshing out of that love. This is what the God who is love is like.
So when we behold this picture, is it bad news? How can it be anything else when we compare ourselves to Gomer and unfaithful Israel? Hear me, and hear me well. This is good news. This is the best news. God’s love for us doesn’t depend upon us; it depends upon Him and what He has done in and through His only begotten Son. If God’s love depended upon me, I would be in big trouble. And I’m afraid I would be so paralyzed with fear that spiritually I would be "all thumbs."
Here is the good news. I can’t earn God’s love, but I don’t have to earn His love. He has chosen to love me in and through His Son Jesus Christ, whom He made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21).
Some of you have been a bit dismayed at the messages you have heard in recent weeks. They have seemed so stern. I challenge you to take a good look at the writings of the prophet Hosea. Go to chapter 4 and just start reading. What stern judgment God pronounces through the prophet Hosea. But don’t forget who it is that is pronouncing this judgment? It is the God of love, the God who loves His people despite their unfaithfulness. God can speak directly and even rebuke them because He loves them so deeply.
And the Lord speaks through the prophet who has been touched by his heart, as He has obediently spent himself on behalf of Gomer, his wife of harloty. We look at this and tend to think that God was cruel to Hosea. How could God put Hosea through such a thing, and just so he could preach an effective message. But don’t you see it? Through this gut-wrenching experience God shared His heart with Hosea. How blessed was this prophet, as He was given the privilege of sharing the sufferings of His Creator. What greater blessing than to share the heart of God! It surpasses the blessing of a wonderful marriage. What could ever compare with sharing the heart of God! That is the man who spoke the stern words to Israel.
How shall I respond to such a loving God? When I truly see His love, how can I do anything else but fall on my face and adore Him? And when I get up, how can I long for anything except the glory and honor of this One who has loved me with this kind of love?
Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade…
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure; how measureless and strong.
It shall forever more endure the saints’ and angels’ song.
Sing: For God So Loved the World
GOD’S UNFAILING LOVE
Hosea 1:2; 3:1-5
Before I begin, let me give you a heads up. When I finish, I predict that some of you are going to be thinking something like this: "Ron, it’s like you haven’t finished the sermon. There is so much more that could be said." And you will be exactly right. So I suggest that you sit down with your Bible and an open heart and let the Lord finish the sermon.
For about nine months we have been looking at what I have called "Eternal Realities." We began with the glory and holiness of God. Then we looked at the condition of man, and it wasn’t a pretty picture. Because of man’s sin, there are severe consequences, primarily separation from God and eternity in hell. But praise God that He intervened and provided a way back to Himself through His own Son Jesus Christ, who became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus is the one and only way into the presence of God. Our part is to repent and trust Him completely with our lives. However, there are plenty of false prophets who through their words and their lives are leading millions to believe that there is a much broader way that leads to God and to true life. But Jesus makes it clear that this broad way which so many travel leads to destruction.
It was at that point that we began to deal with the subject of deception. Considering the fact that we started out to deal with the great eternal realities, it would seem that we have spent an undue amount of time and study looking at this subject of deception. We looked primarily at Matthew 7 and the little letter of I John. In Matthew 7 Jesus warns of the false prophets and then gives us those stern words He will speak to those who are fooled by the false prophets: "I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity" (Matt. 7:23). In I John we were confronted by the tests of life. It is there that John uses three basic tests to give assurance to those who have eternal life. On the other hand, these tests of belief, obedience, and love are not intended to give assurance to those who do not truly have the life of God within. We have spent a great deal of time and trouble dealing with deception, because deception is so pronounced in modern American religion. We know that our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8). What we often forget is that his main weapon in our religious society is not intimidation, but it is deception. Though he is as strong as a roaring lion, he most often masquerades as an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14).
Then the last two Sundays we dealt with the stern words of I John 2:15-17…
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
We looked at other scriptures along with that passage, especially James 4:4, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
No doubt, some of you were offended that I would suggest you were guilty of spiritual adultery and idolatry. Some of you thought it was a wonderful message for other people you know. I didn’t come this morning to apologize for those two messages. On the contrary, I want you to know that those messages were not for other people you know; they were for you. That’s right, for you. Not for weaker brothers and sisters in the congregation, but for you. And for me. As I have shared with some of you, our great problem is that we don’t realize how conformed we are to the world. We are not only conformed to the world, but we are largely blind to that truth. We are like the church of Laodicea. They thought things were great, when in reality they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked (Rev. 3:17). I didn’t come to soften the last two messages. If anything, I would impress them upon our minds and hearts again and make them even stronger. We desperately need the hammer of God’s Word to wake us up to the reality of the deception in our lives.
Now having said that, I bring you good news this morning. There are two aspects of this good news. First of all, the messages I shared with you the last two weeks are good news in themselves. God tells us the truth about ourselves and brings correction because He loves us. That is good news. When the time comes that God let’s us go our own way, that’s bad news. As long as He rebukes us and seeks to bring correction, that is good news; that is evidence of His love.
The second aspect of the good news is this: despite our weakness, failure, worldliness, and unfaithfulness, God still loves His own. God loves us with a love that is beyond our understanding. This morning I am speaking to you who are truly sons and daughters of the living God through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.
Introducing Hosea
Now let me shift gears for a minute. David Bagwell and Jake Turnbull have agreed to let me pick on them. If you would stand here by me, guys. If you don’t mind, please stand right up here beside me. Both Jake and David are 18 years old now. That’s hard to believe, isn’t it? They have known the Lord for a few years now. Jake has graduated from high school, has some college under his belt, and is currently working full time. David is finishing up his schooling at this time. Neither of them knows what the future holds, but they long to do the will of God, whatever that may be. I get excited when I look at young man like David and Jake, who are young and idealistic. They haven't made some of the mistakes I’ve made. They are free to go and do whatever the Lord calls them to do. Praise God for them and other young men in this congregation who are eager to do the will of our Lord.
Let’s suppose that the Lord revealed a bit of His will to one of these young men. However He chooses to do it, the Lord makes it clear that he is to go and marry a particular woman who will become a prostitute. If some of you younger ones aren’t familiar with the term prostitute (or harlot), let me give you a simplified explanation. A prostitute is a woman who isn’t satisfied to have one husband, but she throws herself at many men, even though she isn’t married to any of them. Suppose the Lord told one of these young men to marry such a woman. (Thank you, Davidand Jake; you may sit down).
Isn’t that a terrible thought? If God wants these young men to be married, they would long for a pure and godly woman who will continue to seek the Lord all her life. Isn’t that what every godly young man wants? The last thing he would desire would be to marry a woman who would prove to be unfaithful. Surely that would prove to be a hindrance to whatever ministry the Lord calls him to. Surely we would view it as a great tragedy.
Now let’s come to the Word of God and read from the prophet Hosea. Read Hosea 1:1-3:5… (NKJV)
Hosea 1. The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2. When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord." 3. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4. Then the Lord said to him: "Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5. It shall come to pass in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel." 6. And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: "Call her name
Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
But I will utterly take them away. 7. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the Lord their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen." 8. Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9. Then God said: "Call his name
Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God. 10. "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are
not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’ 11. Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 2. Say to your brethren,
‘My people,’ And to your sisters,
‘Mercy is shown.’ 2. "Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight, And her adulteries from between her breasts; 3. Lest I strip her naked and expose her, as in the day she was born, And make her like a wilderness, And set her like a dry land, And slay her with thirst. 4. "I will not have mercy on her children, For they are the children of harlotry. 5. For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink.’ 6. "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, And wall her in, So that she cannot find her paths. 7. She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.’ 8. For she did not know that I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold—Which they prepared for Baal. 9. "Therefore I will return and take away My grain in its time and My new wine in its season, And will take back My wool and My linen, Given to cover her nakedness. 10. Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, And no one shall deliver her from My hand. 11. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths—All her appointed feasts. 12. "And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, Of which she has said, ‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’ So I will make them a forest, And the beasts of the field shall eat them. 13. I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot," says the Lord. 14. "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her. 15. I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. 16. "And it shall be, in that day," Says the Lord, "That you will call Me
‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ 17. For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baal, And they shall be remembered by their name no more. 18. In that day I will make a covenant for them and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely. 19. "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; 20. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord. 21. "It shall come to pass in that day that I will answer," says the Lord; "I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth. 22. The earth shall answer with grain, With new wine, And with oil; They shall answer
Jezreel. 23. Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had
not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were
not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!
Hosea 3.. Then the Lord said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover
and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans." 2. So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3. And I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you." 4. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.
5. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter day
A Very Difficult Command
We’re not going to try to go through that large amount of scripture this morning, but I did want us to get the whole picture. We needed to get a feel for Hosea’s situation.
Think with me for a moment. How would the Lord call a man to be a prophet? Think of Isaiah. Remember his words which recount his call from God, words we have looked at in depth. Is. 6:1, "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." He heard the words of the seraphim, as they cried out, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory" (6:3). Or consider the Lord’s call to Jeremiah: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jer. 1:5).
What glorious experiences for Isaiah and Jeremiah, as the Lord called them to do His work. It wasn’t that way for Hosea. Let’s read it again in Hosea 1:2, "The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD." No, this is not what we would expect. Instead of some splendid revelation of His glory, God gives to Hosea a heartbreaking command.
Down through the years, Bible students have differed in their interpretation of that command. Some have seen this as only allegorical, only symbolic. In other words, Hosea didn’t really marry this woman Gomer at all. However, there is absolutely no basis in the text for understanding it that way. We read in verse 3, "So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." So if this command is indeed to be taken literally, what can we make out of it?
While many believe that Gomer was a prostitute at the time when Hosea married her, others do not take it that way. The Lord may be speaking of Gomer as a woman who would become a harlot and bear children of harlotry. That is the way I understand the command. Perhaps most important is the parallel between Gomer and unfaithful Israel, as we will emphasize. Let’s take a moment and go over to Jeremiah and see what the Lord says about His relationship to His people. Read Jer. 2:1-3…
Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2. Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. 3. Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
The Lord reminds them of a time when He first took them as His people, even as His wife. At that time they were "holiness unto the Lord." However, if we were to continue to read from Jeremiah 2 and the later chapters, we would find that God’s people proved to be unfaithful. Nevertheless, in the beginning they were "holiness unto the Lord."
It seems to me that the parallel is preserved much more accurately, if we see Gomer as being pure at the time of their marriage but proving to be unfaithful later. Perhaps there were indeed tendencies toward unfaithfulness, but these had not surfaced when Hosea married her.
If that is the case, another question comes to mind. Did Hosea know that she would prove to be unfaithful? Again, some would say, "No. Hosea didn’t know it. Hosea thought she was the woman of his dreams. He didn’t have a clue that she would be unfaithful to him." If so, then it would go something like this. Hosea, writing later and looking back says: "When the Lord told me to marry Gomer, He was actually telling me to marry a woman who would become a prostitute, though I didn’t know it at the time."
I suggest that it is much simpler to take God’s command more literally. In other words, God literally commanded him to marry a woman who would become a prostitute. Not only is this the most natural way to take the text, but it also preserves the parallel of the relationship between God and His people. Did God know that Israel would prove to be unfaithful? Of course, He knew it. Let’s read what God said to His people Israel through Moses in Dt. 4:22-29…
But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land. 23. Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24. For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 25. When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: 26. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 27. And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you. 28. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29. But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Notice that it isn’t if you do these things, but when you do them. The Lord knew that His people were going to be unfaithful, but He took them on anyway. And then even when He spoke these stern words to them, He still could say, "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul."
So now Hos. 1:3, "So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." Hosea was obedient to the Lord and went and took Gomer to be his wife. Then we read immediately that she conceived and bore Hosea a son. That isn’t the end of the story. After speaking about the meaning of the son’s name "Jezreel," then we read in verse 6, "And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away." And then again in verses 8-9, "Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. 9. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God."
Notice two things about the birth of the second and third children. First of all, they bear very tragic names. God tells Hosea to name the daughter Loruhamah, which means "not having obtained mercy," or "not loved." Then the Lord tells him to name the son Loammi, which means "not my people." Both are representative of God’s attitude toward His people. They had forsaken Him to the point that there was no reason for Him to have mercy upon them or call them His people any more.
The second thing I want you to notice is the difference between what we find in verse 3, as opposed to what we find in verse 6 and again in verse 8. Notice in verse 3 we are told that Gomer bore him a son. Do you see that? But in verse 6, it is only, "And she conceived again and bare a daughter." It is the same in 8, "…She conceived, and bare a son." We are not specifically told that these latter two children were Hosea’s children. It has long been believed by some that these were not even Hosea’s children. In light of the context, that may well be the case.
Another Difficult Command
Now come to 3:1, "Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel…" Who is this woman that Hosea is to go and love? Is it not Gomer, his wife who had become unfaithful? The King James word "yet" simply means "again" or "still." Hosea had loved her before, and now he was to go and love her again. But this would not be easy, because Gomer was now an adulteress. We are told specifically that she is now "a woman beloved of her friend."
Let’s turn back to Jer. 3:1, "They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD." Do you see that word "lovers"? That is exactly the same word that is translated "friend" here in Hosea 3:1. Gomer has found her another lover, perhaps the father of her third child, or second and third child.
Can you imagine how difficult this would be for Hosea? How could he do it? He could do it, because this is what the Lord told him to do? But how could the Lord tell Hosea to do such a thing? Because that is exactly what God Himself would do for Israel. The Lord is commanding Hosea to paint a stunning picture of His own love for His people. 3:1, "Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel…"
Hosea obeyed. 3:2, "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley." When Hosea went to find Gomer, he found her in the slave market. We are not told why she had become a slave. Perhaps her lover dumped her and she was forced to sell herself into slavery. Or maybe she became a temple prostitute in the religion of Baal and when she had been used up, they sold her into slavery. Can you imagine the humiliation for Hosea? Those who knew the whole situation must have thought he was absolutely crazy. Nevertheless, he obeyed the Lord.
The Real Story
Enough about Hosea. This story is not really about Hosea’s love for Gomer; it is about God’s love for His people. Hosea’s love for Gomer is only a picture of God’s love for His people. Here’s the point. No one would ever expect a man to do what Hosea did. He had every reason to give up on Gomer and wash his hands of any further relationship with her. Surely to go and love her again, buying her back to himself, was to only invite more trouble.
Do you see? This is what God has done for us, for those of us who truly belong to Him. We are like Gomer. We are like Israel of that day. You may wonder why verse 3:1 does not follow immediately after 1:9? In between, we have the story of how Israel forsook the Lord. In verse 4, the Lord calls the Israelites children of harlotry. The Lord blessed Israel with corn and wine, and oil and multiplied her silver and gold, but Israel took those things and used them for Baal (verse 8). Listen to what the Lord says in verse 7, "And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now." The Lord was her first husband.
You say, "We’re not like that. We have never forsaken the Lord for idols." The reason we say that is because we are blind. To those of us who deny our unfaithfulness, the Lord says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" (Jms. 4:4). Like the Christians at Rome, we are guilty of being conformed to the world. That is why Paul said to them, "Be not conformed to this world." Literally, "Stop being conformed to this world" (see NIV). If these charges had been brought against the church of Laodicea, its members would have flatly denied the charges, but they were guilty. And so are we. We understand something of the seriousness of the sin of loving the world, but we are largely blind to our own guilt.
But praise God that our guilt is not the end of the story. Praise God that He "commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). But even that isn’t the end of the story. Even when we have been unfaithful to the Lord, He has loved us again, and again, and again. Just as Hosea’s love for Gomer went beyond any reasonable explanation, so is God’s love for us.
Sometimes we say, "How could God ever love me?" That is not a bad question. His love for us makes no sense. It defies logic. God forbid that we should ever look within ourselves to find the reason God loved us. If I ever think I find within myself the reason for His love, I am deceiving myself. Hosea did not love Gomer because he looked deep within her and saw something worthy. No, never. He loved Gomer because God told him to go and love Gomer "according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods…" (Hos. 3:1). Do you see it? God doesn’t keep on loving us because we are lovable. He loves us because God is love!
Conclusion
You may say, "Ron, you are not painting a very nice picture of us." No, I’m not. That isn’t my purpose. My purpose is to help us see the picture God has painted of Himself in His holy Word. It’s easy for us to read, "God is love." Here in Hosea we see some of the fleshing out of that love. This is what the God who is love is like.
So when we behold this picture, is it bad news? How can it be anything else when we compare ourselves to Gomer and unfaithful Israel? Hear me, and hear me well. This is good news. This is the best news. God’s love for us doesn’t depend upon us; it depends upon Him and what He has done in and through His only begotten Son. If God’s love depended upon me, I would be in big trouble. And I’m afraid I would be so paralyzed with fear that spiritually I would be "all thumbs."
Here is the good news. I can’t earn God’s love, but I don’t have to earn His love. He has chosen to love me in and through His Son Jesus Christ, whom He made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Cor. 5:21).
Some of you have been a bit dismayed at the messages you have heard in recent weeks. They have seemed so stern. I challenge you to take a good look at the writings of the prophet Hosea. Go to chapter 4 and just start reading. What stern judgment God pronounces through the prophet Hosea. But don’t forget who it is that is pronouncing this judgment? It is the God of love, the God who loves His people despite their unfaithfulness. God can speak directly and even rebuke them because He loves them so deeply.
And the Lord speaks through the prophet who has been touched by his heart, as He has obediently spent himself on behalf of Gomer, his wife of harloty. We look at this and tend to think that God was cruel to Hosea. How could God put Hosea through such a thing, and just so he could preach an effective message. But don’t you see it? Through this gut-wrenching experience God shared His heart with Hosea. How blessed was this prophet, as He was given the privilege of sharing the sufferings of His Creator. What greater blessing than to share the heart of God! It surpasses the blessing of a wonderful marriage. What could ever compare with sharing the heart of God! That is the man who spoke the stern words to Israel.
How shall I respond to such a loving God? When I truly see His love, how can I do anything else but fall on my face and adore Him? And when I get up, how can I long for anything except the glory and honor of this One who has loved me with this kind of love?
Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade…
To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure; how measureless and strong.
It shall forever more endure the saints’ and angels’ song.
Sing: For God So Loved the World
Sunday, March 4, 2007
In Love with the World -- 3/4/07 (Eternal Realities)
Sunday, March 4, 2007
IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD
I John 2:15-17; James 4:4
[Before the message some of the men read these passages…
I Jn. 2:14-17 Psalm 95 Luke 12:13-21 Gal. 6:14
Jms. 4:4 Ps. 118:1-9 John 7:37-39
Gal. 1:4 Matt. 5:27-30 Rom. 11:33-12:2
You may be thinking that we didn’t save much time for the message this morning. There is a reason for that. It shouldn’t take long for me to say what I need to say. It won’t take long, but it won’t be easy. These are very serious matters.
Let’s not beat around the bush. There is a person here this morning who is guilty of very serious sin. To make matters worse, that person treats such sin as if it were a little thing. But hear the Word of the Lord: "…Be sure; your sin will find you out" (Num. 23:32). God’s Word says, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Is. 59:2). This sin is so serious that it cannot be hidden; it must be exposed.
I am speaking about adultery. Let me speak straight to the guilty party. You have been married to a faithful spouse, but now you have been unfaithful. I’m not talking about one incident of unfaithfulness; I’m talking about an ongoing affair. You think you can have your beloved and have another on the side at the same time. Can’t you see the exceeding sinfulness of your sin? How can you put a smile on your face and go on with life, as if everything were okay? How can you continue to say to your spouse, "I love you"? Can’t you see the hypocrisy in those words?
If you are afraid that I am going to call your name, you can quit worrying about that; I will not do that. But I pray that God will speak so loudly in your heart that you cannot bear it any longer. No, I won’t call your name, but I will read to you from the Word of God.
Matt. 6:24… No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Matt. 7:13-23… Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity
Matt. 16:24… Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me
John 12:24-25… Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Gal 6:7-8… Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
James 4:4… Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17… Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1 John 3:2-3… Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
1 John 3:10… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Writing the foreword for the book Intoxicated with Babylon, David Ravenhill pens these words…
Imagine what it would be like on your wedding day to hear your spouse say these words: "I ______ take you _____ to be my lawfully wedded _______. I promise to remain faithful to you on Sundays only. I refuse to forsake all former lovers, choosing rather to cling to them and meet with them throughout the week." No one in their right mind would agree to such an arrangement! And yet, that is exactly how many Christians treat the Lord – our Heavenly Bridegroom.
Now let me read one more time those two passages, with the prayer that this might be our meditation this week.
James 4:4… Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17… Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Let me come back to where we started, to the person in this congregation who is guilty of this serious sin. Understand what I am saying. I am not talking about the relationship between an earthly husband and wife; I am talking about the relationship you claim to have with Jesus Christ, the heavenly bridegroom.
Now I ask you this question: Is it you? You claim to be a part of the bride of Christ, but are you guilty of loving the world on the side? As soon as you figured out that I wasn't talking about literal physical adultery, some of you immediately breathed a sigh of relief and thought, "Oh, it’s not really adultery." That’s our problem. We don’t see adultery with the world as a serious sin. Is it you? Please don’t answer until you have gone into your closet with the Lord and shut the door on that secret place, where no man can see. Then ask Him the question: Lord, could I be guilty of having another lover? Have I committed adultery with the world?
You say, "So what do we do, if we are guilty of spiritual adultery? We go to cross, and there we repent and run to Jesus.
Let’s take time to pray right now. I am going to give you a little bit of time to talk to the Lord. But you can’t deal with this properly right now. I challenge you to use this time to make an appointment with the Lord, an appointment which you will honor, a time when you get alone with the Lord and let Him deal with your heart. Let’s pray. [Time of silence]
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24).
May we be able to say with Paul: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). And why must we be crucified unto the world and the world unto us? Then maybe we will begin to understand what it means to walk with Christ, what it means to be despised by this world. Maybe we will get a glimpse of the meaning of I Peter 4… (NKJV)
1. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2. that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7. But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12. Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13. but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this
matter. 17. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18. No"If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 19. Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
AMEN.
IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD
I John 2:15-17; James 4:4
[Before the message some of the men read these passages…
I Jn. 2:14-17 Psalm 95 Luke 12:13-21 Gal. 6:14
Jms. 4:4 Ps. 118:1-9 John 7:37-39
Gal. 1:4 Matt. 5:27-30 Rom. 11:33-12:2
You may be thinking that we didn’t save much time for the message this morning. There is a reason for that. It shouldn’t take long for me to say what I need to say. It won’t take long, but it won’t be easy. These are very serious matters.
Let’s not beat around the bush. There is a person here this morning who is guilty of very serious sin. To make matters worse, that person treats such sin as if it were a little thing. But hear the Word of the Lord: "…Be sure; your sin will find you out" (Num. 23:32). God’s Word says, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Is. 59:2). This sin is so serious that it cannot be hidden; it must be exposed.
I am speaking about adultery. Let me speak straight to the guilty party. You have been married to a faithful spouse, but now you have been unfaithful. I’m not talking about one incident of unfaithfulness; I’m talking about an ongoing affair. You think you can have your beloved and have another on the side at the same time. Can’t you see the exceeding sinfulness of your sin? How can you put a smile on your face and go on with life, as if everything were okay? How can you continue to say to your spouse, "I love you"? Can’t you see the hypocrisy in those words?
If you are afraid that I am going to call your name, you can quit worrying about that; I will not do that. But I pray that God will speak so loudly in your heart that you cannot bear it any longer. No, I won’t call your name, but I will read to you from the Word of God.
Matt. 6:24… No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Matt. 7:13-23… Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity
Matt. 16:24… Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me
John 12:24-25… Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Gal 6:7-8… Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
James 4:4… Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17… Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
1 John 3:2-3… Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
1 John 3:10… In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
Writing the foreword for the book Intoxicated with Babylon, David Ravenhill pens these words…
Imagine what it would be like on your wedding day to hear your spouse say these words: "I ______ take you _____ to be my lawfully wedded _______. I promise to remain faithful to you on Sundays only. I refuse to forsake all former lovers, choosing rather to cling to them and meet with them throughout the week." No one in their right mind would agree to such an arrangement! And yet, that is exactly how many Christians treat the Lord – our Heavenly Bridegroom.
Now let me read one more time those two passages, with the prayer that this might be our meditation this week.
James 4:4… Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1 John 2:15-17… Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Let me come back to where we started, to the person in this congregation who is guilty of this serious sin. Understand what I am saying. I am not talking about the relationship between an earthly husband and wife; I am talking about the relationship you claim to have with Jesus Christ, the heavenly bridegroom.
Now I ask you this question: Is it you? You claim to be a part of the bride of Christ, but are you guilty of loving the world on the side? As soon as you figured out that I wasn't talking about literal physical adultery, some of you immediately breathed a sigh of relief and thought, "Oh, it’s not really adultery." That’s our problem. We don’t see adultery with the world as a serious sin. Is it you? Please don’t answer until you have gone into your closet with the Lord and shut the door on that secret place, where no man can see. Then ask Him the question: Lord, could I be guilty of having another lover? Have I committed adultery with the world?
You say, "So what do we do, if we are guilty of spiritual adultery? We go to cross, and there we repent and run to Jesus.
Let’s take time to pray right now. I am going to give you a little bit of time to talk to the Lord. But you can’t deal with this properly right now. I challenge you to use this time to make an appointment with the Lord, an appointment which you will honor, a time when you get alone with the Lord and let Him deal with your heart. Let’s pray. [Time of silence]
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24).
May we be able to say with Paul: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). And why must we be crucified unto the world and the world unto us? Then maybe we will begin to understand what it means to walk with Christ, what it means to be despised by this world. Maybe we will get a glimpse of the meaning of I Peter 4… (NKJV)
1. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2. that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 4. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7. But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 9. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 10. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12. Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13. but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this
matter. 17. For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18. No"If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?" 19. Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
AMEN.
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