Remember Your First Love
HOSEA: To Know Him • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 4 viewsTo know God as our Savior means that we must continually meditate on who he is, what he has done, and how much he loves us.
Notes
Transcript
Texts: Hosea 13:4–6; Revelation 2:1–5
Big Idea of the Message: Israel’s prideful actions led them to forget that God is their one and only Savior.
Application Point:
To know God as our Savior means that we must continually meditate on who he is, what he has done, and how much he loves us.
4 But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior. 5 It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought; 6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.
1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 2 Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
INTRODUCTION / REVIEW
INTRODUCTION / REVIEW
What a journey through Hosea.
Week 1: Our Faithful God (Hos 1-2)
Week 2: Drawing Near To Worship Him (Hos 4-5)
Week 3: Don’t Go Through The Motions (Hos 6-7)
Just as a refresher…
This true and merciful, loving and faithful, fierce and tender God of the OLD TESTAMENT is the God who is
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
This is the GOD who:
Sent His Truth to His People / but they wanted to live a lie instead
Saw & Knew Everything About Them / but they thought they could fake it…just say the right words and He would be pleased
Wanted To Forgive Them / but the people refused His terms…complete forgiveness for complete surrender to His plan
Merciful, gracious, steadfastly loving, compassionate, all-knowing…this is our GOD!
In these final chapters of this incredibly MAJOR message from this MINOR prophet…I hope we’ll hear the call from God’s Heart to His people…
TITLE: REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE
I want us to look at CHAPTER 14 verses 1-3 closely.
I believe they will frame the rest of the text for us beautifully.
Let’s look at the verses together:
1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 2 Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”
He’s calling them to RETURN to the LORD / To REMEMBER THEIR FIRST LOVE…
IT INVOLVES WORDS & ACTIONS THAT FLOW OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART!
Remember:
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
So, he says, PREPARE YOUR WORDS…THINK AHEAD OF TIME WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SAY…
(v2) “Take Away All Iniquity” - we are sinners and need cleansing
(v2) “Accept What Is Good” - pay your vows / fruit of repentance
(v3) “Forsake Other Hopes” - no other nations/systems…not our own strength, not hope in ourselves, we have no god (orphans) but find our mercy in you
Then, we’ll see the benefits of trusting the LORD and walking in His Way.
IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE LORD AND REMEMBER OUR FIRST LOVE, WE MUST ASK THE LORD…
WE MUST COME TO THE LORD
1. ON HIS TERMS (14:1)
1. ON HIS TERMS (14:1)
We are not LEFT to figure out everything on our own.
God has given us His WORD.
He gave them the same thing.
God has given US His Spirit!
Notice His Words in verse 1…
It’s an EXPLICIT COMMAND…
(1) Return to the LORD
(YOU NEED THIS…HE WANTS THIS)
You have stumbled
You have iniquity (We sin because we’re sinners…we’re sinners because we sin.)
(2) SAY THESE WORDS when you go
(THEY ARE WORDS OF REPENTANCE)
Take away all our sin
only your work in us and through us is actually good
we will do what you say
we will POSESS what we PROFESS (we want our lives to line up with our lips)
WE MUST COME TO THE LORD ON HIS TERMS.
He didn’t come to make life better
He didn’t come to give you an upgrade
HE CAME TO CREATE A NEW PEOPLE…
WE MUST COME TO THE LORD
2. IN HIS NAME ALONE (14:3)
2. IN HIS NAME ALONE (14:3)
The Israelites seemed to love mixing in other gods and idols. They also loved relying on strong governments to be their saviors.
But God is saying…you can’t come to me that way.
James tells us,
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Look at verse 3
3 Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.”
no salvation from Assyria
no salvation from the things that make us strong
no salvation in our own hands
we have cut ourselves off…but that makes us ripe for Your mercy!
TRANSITION:
WE MUST COME TO THE LORD
ON HIS TERMS
IN HIS NAME ALONE
3. TO EXPERIENCE HIS BLESSINGS (14:4-9)
3. TO EXPERIENCE HIS BLESSINGS (14:4-9)
The LORD is going to show them the benefit of walking with Him…ABIDING IN HIM.
There is HEALING, LOVE, HELP, SAFETY, A VAST SUPPLY as God’s People ABIDE IN HIM - ON HIS TERMS, IN HIS NAME ALONE!
4 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.
In verse 4 we see
HEALING for Our SOULS (aka APOSTACY) (V4)
HEALING for Our SOULS (aka APOSTACY) (V4)
if you come to me ON MY TERMS and IN MY NAME ALONE
They had directly offended the LORD - He alone can forgive.
22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God.
25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
LOVE WITHOUT RESERVATION (V4)
LOVE WITHOUT RESERVATION (V4)
if you come to me ON MY TERMS and IN MY NAME ALONE
“…I will love them freely…”
It is not that the Lord had stopped loving Israel, but now he will love them without the prospect of imminent judgment.
…I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
Love does not look at itself—it is absorbed in the object of its love.
Love manifests itself by loving persons in the concrete.
The Love of God, 77
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Welsh Preacher and Writer)
HELP FOR THEM TO GROW & PROSPER (V5-7)
HELP FOR THEM TO GROW & PROSPER (V5-7)
if you come to me ON MY TERMS and IN MY NAME ALONE
5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; 6 his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
NOTE: Dew was one of the key sources of water for Israel.
It would be vital for the growth of lilies, trees, olive trees.
The promise of blessing points us toward salvation in Christ.
6 In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.
6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.
SAFETY SHELTERED UNDER HIS SHADOW (7)
SAFETY SHELTERED UNDER HIS SHADOW (7)
if you come to me ON MY TERMS and IN MY NAME ALONE
7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.
The people of GOD can dwell under the LORD’S protection!
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
The people of GOD can flourish under the LORD’S COVER!
9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
A VAST SUPPLY FOR EVERY NEED (v8)
A VAST SUPPLY FOR EVERY NEED (v8)
if you come to me ON MY TERMS and IN MY NAME ALONE
8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.
Interesting NOTE: Nowhere else in the OT is the Lord likened to a tree. Some Bible Scholars suggest that these words are spoken by Israel.
But Hosea boldly compares the Lord with “a moth” and “dry rot,” so this “tree” metaphor holds up.
BTW, An “evergreen” tree is ever full of life and strength.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Paul would close that beautifully
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
GOD’S DESIRE IS FOR HIS PEOPLE TO KNOW HIM!
HE LONGS TO HEAL US from the damage done from their wandering from him.
HE LONGS FOR US TO EXPERIENCE HIS LOVE without reservation of impending consequence for our unrepentant sin.
HE LONGS FOR US TO ENJOY ALL THE HELP AVAILABLE TO US for our growth in our relationships, in our families, disciple-making, in our christ-likeness.
HE LONGS FOR US TO KNOW THE SAFETY AFFORDED TO US so we can flourish as children of God who know His presence. We can live without the fear of man or the enemy, and bask in His perfect/complete LOVE.
HE LONGS FOR US TO LIVE IN A CONTENTED STATE…knowing that He alone has supplied our every need according His vast riches in Christ Jesus!
Do you know Him as a HEALER?
Do you know Him as the LOVER OF YOUR SOUL?
Do you know Him as A VERY PRESENT HELP?
Do you know Him as THE STRONG TOWER OF SAFTEY THAT YOU CAN RUN INTO!
Do you know Him as THE SOURCE AND SUPPLY OF EVERYTHING YOU NEED?
There is a river
And it flows from deep within
There is a fountain
That frees the soul from sin
Come to this water
There is a vast supply
There is a river
That never shall run dry
If you’re a child of God today,
if you know that you have been SAVED by Jesus
if you have had your sins forgiven…
BUT YOU SENSE THAT YOU ARE DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE CLOSENESS AND THE HEALING, THE LOVE, THE HELP, THE SAFETY, AND THE SUPPLY YOU ONCE KNEW…
REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE!
Dr. Eric Baker called us to this in March of 2024…
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Notice verse 4 and 5.
You left somewhere you once were.
It was connected to LOVE. Yours…not His.
You’ve let other things compete for the affection of your heart.
You need to revisit the terms…
You need to recognize HIS NAME alone!
You need to REMEMBER from where you have fallen / drifted…
REPENT
and DO WHAT YOU DID AT FIRST!
MAYBE YOU’RE LISTENING THOUGH…AND YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER COME TO GOD ON HIS TERMS...you came on yours.
RELIGION - as a child you went where your parents went and did what they did
“we’ve always been baptist / catholic / methodist / pentecostal…so I know I’m a Christian”
that doesn’t save you!
MORALITY - you have been a decent person as far a people go - especially in this day and age
you’ve never been in trouble with the law
you’ve never physically hurt anyone
all your friends SAY that you’re one of the best people that they know
your good things seem to outweigh the bad things
BUT YOUR STANDARD IS PERFECTION. It’s Jesus alone! He did NO bad things.
if you’ve ever told one lie, looked with lust one time, taken one thing that wasn’t yours
you qualify as a SINNER who must have a SAVIOR to experience the PEACE of God!
If you are going to experience the HEALING, and THE LOVE, and THE HELP, and the SAFETY & SHELTER, and the everlasting SUPPLY THAT ONLY GOD CAN PROVIDE…
You must COME TO GOD ON HIS TERMS…IN HIS NAME ONLY!
14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
22 “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
When JESUS taught much about the KINGDOM OF GOD…but in Mark 1, when he explicitly called everyone everywhere to RESPOND to the good news of the Kingdom of God…he said,
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
RESPONSE: LET’S STAND
Oh friend, HAVE YOU REPENTED AND BELIEVED THE GOSPEL?
Not, have you Gotten your life together and then ask God to bless it…
Have you come to the end of yourself recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a savior?
As we’ve spent all this time together in God’s word, have you come to see God as holier than you ever dreamed possible? Have you come to see yourself as more sinful than maybe you cared to admit?
If so, you are ready to repent and believe the gospel.
Repent from running your life by your own rule, ask the Lord to forgive you for thinking that your morality or religion or anything else would somehow caused him to be pleased with you.
Believe the gospel means, believe that Jesus Christ paid your sin debt on Calvary’s Cross –
even though he had done nothing wrong,
there was no sin in him…
He was perfect in every way.
But God so loved US that he sent Jesus Christ to pay our sin debt on that cross.
There, He paid a price we could not pay.
He paid a debt HE did NOT owe.
And on that cross, God poured out his wrath on sin on his only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus died on that cross.
They took His lifeless human body down and it was laid in a tomb of a friend.
Three days after Jesus gave up His life, He rose again from the grave to prove that death and hell were NOT THE FINAL WORD!
Will you trust Him today? Will you confess to Him that you are a sinner? Will you believe on Jesus to save you? HE WILL DO IT!
CHRISTIAN FRIEND, All throughout Scripture, we are commanded to REMEMBER…REMEMBER…REMEMBER
Jesus paid too much for you to try to renegotiate the terms…
There is NO OTHER NAME that matters than His.
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.
1 A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
You will leave a legacy that remains if HIS name covers your your name!
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Run back into His arms…experience the BLESSING AND FELLOWSHIP of HIs presence.
9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
