Hosea

Church, if you would open your Bibles to the book of Hosea now, I was I was planning on starting our service today by giving the welcome in Spanish and then pretending like I didn't realize I wasn't in Ecuador. But I realized that I really can't pretend that I don't realize I'm not in Ecuador for the one thing not very many of you look like ecuadorians. So that wasn't going to work but yes, I'm not in Ecuador and if you are surprised at that, I just know that the Lord's hand is always providential. He's always at work here in this world. That's what we talked about last week. Right last Sunday. I was still planning on being in Ecuador this morning last Sunday as we talked about the Prophet Daniel and how we see this intersection of God's sovereignty with our responsibility the choices we make have real-world impact, but God is nonetheless over everything in his plan will be accomplished little did I know that I was preaching that I was talking about myself and this Sunday in the fact that I'm here instead of there. But I would ask you to please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ecuador as they're still dealing with some political unrest down their prey for the wynfrey family the missionaries that we have a relationship with their I can't and Anthony and I we will be going to Ecuador I were going to be going in January and I look forward to that opportunity, but glad to be with you guys this morning looking at the prophet Hosea. Doing in this series as we've looked at the word of the Prophet is we've been looking at 1 profit a week. We started with Isaiah and then Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel and today we come to Hosea and its we're looking at these prophets. Our goal is that we would not see these it's just something that happened way back when but the we would begin to understand what God was doing and we would also begin to see how they're these prophets. Are there message thousands of years ago is still a very relevant to us today and in Sunday school this morning. We looked at the story of of Joseph and the beginning there Genesis 37 and Jacob plays favorites with his kids and that's just cause all sorts of a mess. I shouldn't but I do Hosea is like my favorite profits. All right, so I shouldn't pick favorites. But Hosea is my favorite and when we when we scheduled all this out, this is before we plan to Ecuador trip and I have to confess I was exceedingly jealous of Pastor Bryant who is going to get to preach Hosea. I was very jealous. So he gets to preach my favorite Prophets.

Sorry, Brian. I'm here after all.

Daniel was his favorite. So yeah that all worked out good. So we're looking at Jose and Jose is really a unique Prophet both for the way that God gives his Revelation 2 Hosea and for the place that he's prophesying so all of the profits we've looked at this far have been profits from the nation of Judah and just a quick little history refresh right God's people Israel Were Meant To Be unified but through the sinful decisions of some of their leaders, they eventually split and ten tribes go in the north and they form the nation of Israel and two tribes in the South form the nation of Judah and these didn't have kind of parallel but none the less distinct histories and Judah is the one that we looked at mainly because the southern Kingdom of Judah they stayed faithful to Yahweh longer than Israel and so in 586 is when they were carried off into Exile like we talked about the last few weeks. Guest of ours by Paula. I don't mean to leave you out. I just trying to kind of set the stage here promise. We'll get back and we'll all be together here in Hosea. But the historically Israel was carried off in Exile by the Assyrian Empire in 722, BC. All right, so many years before Judah was was carried off. All right is real. Does not have as many prophets to it and there's a lot of reasons for this historically. There's a lot of reasons why we wouldn't have the writings left from these prophets is a lot of reasons why there weren't as many there but Jose is preaching to Israel about Judah but he's mainly focused on this Northern Kingdom of Israel. And why does this matter it matters because of what happened with Israel Judah as we saw in Jeremiah as we saw in his Ezekiel at Judah gets carried off into exile. In 586 but God says Hey in 70 years you're going to get to go back. You're going to get to go home back to the promised. Land. Israel gets carried off into exile. And they don't get to come back. They're destroyed and yet God is not done with Israel. Right? So these ten tribes in the northern kingdom Jose has preaching to them carried off into exile. God is going to disavow you. And that's really something true historical you look historically we can save the ten tribes were pretty much lost and there's a ton of fascinating history out there about the Lost tribes of Israel. There's a ton of rampant speculation to so if you go no searching on Google just understand some of the videos on YouTube get really really weird talking about the 10 tribes of Israel, but God's word stands true. They are carried off and they don't come back which makes Hosea really kind of surprising Because in Hosea he says God is going to reject his people in Israel. And yet God is not going to reject his people in Israel. History the human race. We've managed to misplace 10 whole tribes of Israel. And God says I haven't misplaced anything. My plan will still come to pass and it's become super important when we get to the New Testament because in this historical conquering of Israel, we have the seeds of hope. So for those of us who are not is real and we'll get to that later. But back to Jose. I want us to look at some of the text. But first I want to understand kind of the overarching structure of the book of the book is really strange. Jose is unique both for how God revealed and also for the fact that he's in Israel how God reveals is really strange now if you're in here and you're not married, And you're thinking about marriage or you're or your ears wondering if you know, you should get married. I don't want you to take relationship advice from the book of Hosea. All right. I just don't think that would be a good idea because in in chapters 1 through 3 is we're looking at the structure of the book God speaks about his relationship with Israel by illustrating that with Jose has relationship with his wife Gomer now. I don't care what your name is ladies. Not as bad as Gilmer. The governor doesn't just have a bummer of a name. She's kind of a bummer of a person. This is what God says to Jose hear your relationship with your wife is going to end up illustrate my relationship with Israel. So you're going to go marry a woman who will be serially unfaithful to you will continually seek out other men than you the words that he uses will get to in just a second, but he has some pretty strong language to talk about the kind of woman that Gomer is but God says Jose your marriage is going to look like my relationship with Israel. So that's chapters 1 through 3 in Chapter 1. What kind of introduced Jose is marriage with Gomer in Chapter 2 the Lord kind of take that and he says this is what that looks like in context of me and Israel and in chapter 3 God says to Hosea go and redeem your wife she's gone so far into her adultery that she is literally a slave now. You have to go purchase her back. This waifu should have never left you you have to go purchase her out of slavery go do it. That's what I do for my people. That's what God says, but didn't chapters 4 through the second part of the structure is we see Israel's unfaithfulness explain like week week. We understand what it means for Gomer to be unfaithful to Hosea right relationship with God. What is that look like in 74314 Hosea lays out the case against in Israel Israel. If you ask how have you been unfaithful? This is how you've been unfaithful disintegrate thing is in the 314. You keep getting glimpses these little glimmers of hope that pop up in hosea's preaching as he says you've been unfaithful is you look at God's redeeming love. Look at God's care and concern for his people and Hosea more than any other prophets. As God is speaking through him Hosea reveals to us the heart of God write the other prophets talk about God's judgment and God's righteousness. But but Hosea just gives us this glimpse of God's heart that is breaking for his people who continually turn away from his desire to redeem them his love for them his care and concern for them. It just keeps coming through in Hosea and it didn't even when I just received more that that emotion of God as he's engaging with his people and what that stirs in him and we get this sense. The God is not just this remote Transcendent being but he is personally concerned with what happens here is personally concerned about what's happening in his people's lives. He wants them. He wants their love because he loves them. And so we see these things throughout that's really kind of the key theme of Jose. She really just two-part structure which is kind of nice when you're preaching it and then we see this key thing. There's like one overarching thing is real stubborn unfaithfulness contrasted with God's redeeming love over and over and over Hosea just Marvels this husband with a wife who keeps running around on a Marvel's at the fact that God's love is so constant Marvels at the fact that even with that loved his people would be so on faithfulness team just resounds through there. And this team is really the story of History. God's people being unfaithful to him and God refusing to give up continuing to love them with a redeeming kind of love and that's what I said. Remember when I said in in Israel's captivity and Israel's Exile. There's the seeds of Hope for those of us who are not Israel. Even when Israel refuses to acknowledge their Covenant with God God gives his love to them. In fact, God goes beyond that. God sets his love on those who have no reason to expect it. No grounds to demand it. No, hope of ever knowing it. I'm talking about you and me. God loves those who have no nothing NADA zip zilch. No reason why God would love you and me. every single one of us Has been unfaithful to him. Israel's not unique in human history and saying we're going to do what we want to do. No matter what God says we ought to do. That Hosea could literally be ripped from the headlines today. Here's a bunch of people doing what they want to do without regard to the consequences for anybody else and totally unconcerned about the fact that there's a God in heaven who Sovereign over everything. That's what Jose is dealing with people who are unfaithful to God and God loves them. Anyways, and this is what we see that that's you and me. This is not just an Israel thing. This is a me problem. I am Unfaithful. So how does God? Deal with those who are unfaithful to him. He loves them. He redeems them. Look at Romans real quick with me Steven. I just knocked all your pics on the ground. I'll pick him up before I'm done.

Romans Romans chapter 9 with me because the question comes in as God loves Israel so much. How come they go into Exile and never come back? How come these 10 tribes are lost? How come we don't know where they are like Paul picks this up in Romans chapter 9 look at verse 6 with me. It's not as though the word of God has failed the word of God that said Israel's my people. I'm choosing them. The word of God that says Israel will be a nation forever. The word of God that says there will never be a king not on the throne of Israel. The word of God has not failed Paul says for not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel and not all that are children of Abraham because they are not the children The Flash scuse me, not all our children because they are his offspring but through Isaac your Offspring shall be named. This means that it is not the children The Flash who are the children of God, but the children of the promise you are counted as Offspring Israel was laboring under a misapprehension we can do whatever we want because God chose us and where is people God's love is such though that it's not restricted to just one nation. It's not restricted to just one group of people in the Middle East. His love is such that it encompasses everyone every single person and any who would submit to his love are his people. Those who submit to God are the children of the promise those who reject God are the children who are accursed. It doesn't matter if you're descended from Jacob doesn't matter if you're descended from Isaac, it doesn't matter if you're descended from Abraham, what matters is. Have you submitted yourself to God? Those are the children of the promise? So God's promise to Israel is not dependent on ten lost tribes being found as dependent on those. They're being people from All Nations who would submit to him and then called us something really interesting to support his argument. He quotes from the book of Hosea. Look at verse 22 with me. What is God Desiring to show his wrath in to make known his power has endured with much patience vessels of Wrath prepared for Destruction. Well, that doesn't sound very good Paul. What is God has endured for the sake of his wrath these vessels prepared for Destruction? Will that doesn't sound like love? No, but he does talk about God's character. He indoors those who reject him. Why does he endure those who reject him for the sake of those? He loves look at verse 23 in order to make known The Riches of his glory for vessels of Mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for Glory even us who is only but also from the Gentiles as indeed. He says and Hosea those who were not my people I will call my people to her who was not beloved. I will call beloved and in the very place where was said to them you are not my people there. They will be called sons of the Living God God rejects the 10 tribes of Israel. But his word doesn't fail because he's making Israel for himself out of those who would submit to him. Not those who would reject him. And so the good news of Hosea for us today is it there is now a door that is opened for those who were not God's people to be called God's people God's redeeming love in spite of his people's unfaithfulness. The good news of Hosea is no matter how Unfaithful you have been to God. God offers you redeeming love. God will pursue you and bring you back. Whether you're descended from Abraham or not. Whether you're worthy of it or not. You have no claim on God's love and God says I will redeem you I will buy you back out of the slaver. You've sold yourself into those things that you thought would satisfy you you those things that you thought this will give my life meaning. This will make my life better and yet you taste and you see it's not making it better the money you thought would fix all your problems has created a whole nother set of problems. The relationship that you thought would complete you instead is slowly destroying you. God says, I love you anyways. Even though you've rejected me even though you rebelled against me even though you've been unfaithful to me. I will redeem you back. We see this in Israel. We see the unfaithfulness look back at Hosea with me. Look at Hosea chapter 4 remember I in the structure 1 through 3 is kind of Jose has relationship with Gomer. We'll talk about that in a second. 4 through 14 is God's case against Israel how they've been unfaithful but it kind of sums it up here in chapter 4. Look at this hear the word of the Lord O children of Israel for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the Land There is no faithfulness or steadfast love. No knowledge of God in the land lying swearing murder stealing adultery breaking news Bloodshed follows bloodshed. It's a pretty comprehensive list. Israel says how have we been unfaithful God? God says, oh, let me count the ways. Here's what you've done. You've been unfaithful to me. You have not been steadfast in your love for me. What is this mean? You've been worshipping false gods? Not only that but you're treating each other like garbage. Your ear your speaking ill towards one another you're lying to one another you're murdering one another you're stealing from one another you're committing adultery you refuse to honor your word and bloodshed follows blood should you keep getting revenge on each other trying to fix Brokenness with more Brokenness?

That's what's wrong is really goes on relationships with each other messed up. Your religion is messed up looking for 12 my people and this is said with a heavy note of sarcasm, by the way, my people inquire of a piece of wood and their walking staff gives them oracles. Now, I don't know if you've been doing it or not. But I encourage you each week is we're looking at the different props. I encourage you to go through and read the whole book before Sunday because obviously I can't preach the whole book cuz I've been encouraging you to read well as you've read through the prophets, you'll see time and time again kind of this sarcasm coming up, right? Where we read in one of the other prophets about a man going into the forest and he cuts down a tree and and half of it he uses to cook his meal and then the other half of it he forms it into an idol and he bounced down to an appraised this gut provide for me a meal. To this thing that he created. This irony is thick and Hosea kind of piles on even more. He says this is gotten so bad Israel your refusal to listen to me your willingness to listen to any other proclaimed you're starting to list your listen to your walking staff and it's telling you what what to do. You've gone so far away from my true that you'll find truth anywhere. This should be like you or I taking our religious direction from Toyota. Orr Dodge right going to our car and saying how do you think I ought to live my life?

It's it's ridiculous. And yet we live in a society where if you drive a particular kind of car that somehow says something about the kind of person you are if you have a certain kind of house that testifies to your worth in the eyes of the world.

So it's not as crazy as it sounds at first. We do go worshipping things. We do go and say give my life meaning and purpose to these things that we've created and God would say to us like you said to Israel. Forgive Jose is words. They're not mine. A spirit of whoredom has led them. Astray. They have left their God to play the hor they sacrifice on the tops of the mountains. They burnt offerings on the Hills under Oak Poplar and Tara Beth because they're shade is good there for your daughter's play the four in your Brides commit adultery.

That's what God's take is on our willingness to give our worship to anything other than him. Like adultery, it's unfaithfulness to God and that unfaithfulness to God leads to all sorts of broken relationships around us. When we replace the god worthy of our worship who offers us redeeming love when we replace him with anything else. This is what we get unfaithfulness to him broken relationships with the people around us, aren't you? Glad that's not where the story stops. Aren't you glad that God doesn't just stop right there and say you've been unfaithful there for go your own way. I'm done with you. You've been unfaithful I'm cutting you off. That's not what God does God's redeeming love carries through in spite of his people's unfaithfulness. I want us to see this look look at chapter one with me, and I'm sorry. I'm bouncing us all around here. Look at chapter 1 as we look at this story of Hosea. Right whose God is witnessing his relationship with Israel end hosea's relationship with his wife. Listen. Listen to What God Says verse to win the Lord first spoke through Hosea. The Lord said to Hosea go take yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of Fordham for the land commits. Great. Whoredom by forsaking the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of do Blaine and she conceived and bore him a son.

This is why I said don't take relationship advice from Hosea. God is not asking. Any of you to do this?

But he had a purpose in asking Hosea to do it. And that purpose was to reveal his redeeming love. This is what God's redeeming love is like he chooses his people even when he knows that they're going to be unfaithful to him. He chooses his people even knowing that they're going to be unfaithful to him. Write when you get married in some of you cast your mind back a little bit some of you cast your mind a lot back. How many of you go to the altar looking at this beautiful or handsome respectively person across from you.

And think I know she's going to disappoint me.

I know that he is going to be an utter slob. I know that our home is going to be full of Discord and anger and rancor. Nobody goes into marriage with that is their goal like I'm going to marry this lazy, bum. I'm going to marry this unfaithful. Jose is we're not mine hor. You don't do that.

And yet that's what God did.

God looked at people who he knew would be unfaithful to him and said I'm going to love them anyways. Does it ever just freak you out when you think about God's love for you? In the moment that you sins and if you're a Christ follower can still send we know that right but in the moment that you've sent has it ever just caught you up short and you don't just feel bad for the fact that you send but you recognize the fact that God loves me, even though he knew I was going to do that.

That's the kind of redeeming love that God has he chooses us even knowing that we're going to be unfaithful nobody knows.

If he knew this is what my life was going to be like with this person and yet God says I'll love you anyways. This is not an a reason to send. This is not a call for you Christian to say well if God's going to love me anyways. party time No.

This is meant to shame us and to Humble us that even though he knew we would do these things. God would love us anyways begin to build in your mind a picture of the immensity of God's love begin to understand that he loved us while we were yet sinners.

And Marvel at the fact that God's love is not like our love but Hosea. He says go love this woman who will be unfaithful to you. Like I love my people who are unfaithful to me. now I think it's important for us to recognize. The God's redeeming love loves us. Even when we were Sinners. It also is important for us to understand that God's love for us is such that he just doesn't let us in he doesn't just leave us in those sins. Our sin carries consequences and God's redeeming love is revealed the fact that he would punish his people to correct them. God's redeeming love is revealed the fact that God would punish sin. Now if you're a kid or think back to when you were a kid, did you view punishment is love

no, and you're lying if you say you did. How old are my parents ground? How dare my parents spank me how dare my parents do any of the things that they did without thinking how dare I treat the people around me the way I treated them steel. How dare I disobey mom and play ball in the house. right love reveals itself in punishments in in in in the fact that we would correct the wrong as a matter of fact when you look at scripture, we see what we know to be true for just experienced how many times have you seen the story of the millionaire parents who give their kid everything and never withhold anything from the never corrected when they're wrong? What does that kid? Turn out like terrible

not good. It makes a mess. Why because the parent thinks giving the kids everything they want is love no giving a kid what they need is love and God's word revealed his redeeming love to us that he doesn't let us get away with sin. A lot of time. Send just carries its own consequence. Right? A lot of time. God has so ordered the world that when we rebelled against him sin brings its own consequence.

Sometimes that consequence though is not seen and people who lie and cheat get ahead in life and make a bunch of money. And we looking that would say how is this right? God says I will correct them. I will. Because I love them the father who withholds discipline Proverbs says he hates his child. Hebrew says beloved Brothers, right? Do not regard the Lord's punishment as anything other than his affirmation of you as his children. We should not view God's correction of our sin the shame we feel the natural consequences of it the difficult life that it brings about. We should not view that as somehow God hates us and said when we face that we should say God loves me enough to correct me. That is redeeming love. Look at Hosea chapter 5. Hosea chapter 5 verse 13 not in here. We're going to see another name for Israel Ephraim was one of the tribes got of the chief one of the chief tribes of Israel. It's a Jose refers to Israel by just naming Ephraim when he from saw his thickness and Judah his wound in Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to the great king, but he is not able to cure you sure you or heal your wound. I will be like a lion zefram like a young lion to the house to do that. I even I will tear and go away and I will carry you and no one will rescue. Got this my people refuse to submit to me and here's the consequence for their sin so that I can correct them. Look at verse 15. I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face and in their distress earnestly seek me God's punishment is not just punishment for punishment sake God is not some sadistic deity. Just out to make life difficult for people. God says my punishment is always for a purpose that they would turn and seek me again that they would repent and come back under my redeeming love in chapter 7 we see that God is willing to forgive his people. If only they would repent look at 7 13th of them for they have strayed from me destruction to them because they rebelled against me I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me. They do not cry to me. From the heart but they will upon their beds for grain and wine. They gas themselves. They rebelled against me. That's it if you would repent. If you would return to me, I would heal you he said it in 5e season 7 I would redeem you. But you don't love me you're not repenting for me. You're just wanting me to give back the Grain in the Wind. And this is how we distinguish. What is true repentance from false repentance true. Repentance is God. You've punished my sin. I've dealt with these natural consequences of it, but I realized that I shouldn't be sad for the consequences. I should be sad for the sin that brought them. It's a God, forgive me for offending you forgive me for my unfaithfulness to you. I'm going to submit to you. I love you, and even if my life's circumstances do not change I will love you. the other side of repentance is this God I send against you and these consequences of come in my life. These consequences are making me really uncomfortable and I don't like it very much so God, would you take the consequences away so that I can get joy out of unfaithfulness to you.

most of the time when we're caught out I'm afraid it's the second one that we feel God. I was having a great time until you. Stepped in and punish my sin. Could you just take away that punishment and make my life comfortable again? the last thing you want is forgot to say, okay. And to let you be comfortable in your sin, because scripture would say that's how you know, you're not a child of God. If instead of repenting you're just lamenting the difficult situation you're in and got those, okay And lets you go your way. That's terrifying.

Much rather to be the son or the daughter of God who submits to him and says even if my life doesn't change. Even if my life gets no easier. I know you love me. Because this one gives a little bit of comfort now. submitting to God gives hope fraternity so God's love is seen in the fact that he chooses people who will be unfaithful to him it seen in the fact that he corrects his people. It's seen in the fact that he's willing to forgive them if they repent. But the key to me. We see God's redeeming love in the fact that he plans to redeem his people in spite of their Rebellion. Look at chapter 11 with me.

Listen to the lament of God, even as he knows he is punishing Israel Rebellion, even as he punishes their unfaithfulness. Listen to God's heart. How can I give you a pony from? How can I hand you over o Israel? How can I make you like add my how can I treat you like Zeb Wayne my heart recoils within me my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my Burning Anger. I will not destroy Ephraim for I am God and not a man the Holy One in your midst and I will not come in Wrath.

The heart of God says even though these people are not repenting even though these people are continuing in their sin. I will love them anyways. I will redeem them in spite of their rebellion in this is good news. Cuz if God was waiting to redeem has for us to repent it just ain't going to happen. The story of Israel is the story of us. We would never repent enough. To earn God's love we would never forsake our sin to the point where we would Merit God's favor. We would never do enough good works. He would always have this selfish motive of making my life better. We would never submit to him. God says I'm going to redeem them anyways. I'm going to do like you told Ezekiel. I'm going to take those hard hearts out of their chest and I'm going to put a heart of Flesh back in it hard to say able to respond to me and I'm going to take their Unfaithful Spirit the spirit of whoredom. I'm going to take that out of them and I'm going to put my spirit in them so that they will respond. to my redeeming love that's what God says. I'm going to do. I'm going to redeem them even though they don't deserve it. So glad God's love isn't like mine.

So glad God love and approval are not like mine. Do what I tell you to do and then you can come back. Got those I'm going to go get you back.

Even though you don't deserve it God's redeeming love is seen in his plan. Listen. He says I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to destroy Israel. They will go after the Lord. He will roar like a lion when he Roars his children will come trembling from the West. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt like doves from the land of Assyria. I will return them to their homes declares the Lord.

Got to say don't deserve it. I'm going to call them out from among the Nations. I'm going to call them out from the corners of the world and shirts. You're sitting here today because God kept This Promise because God did not leave Israel lost but he calls them out and he creates out of nothing. his people people who have no genetic claim on his love. He says you're my people now because I'm redeeming you from wherever you come when I call my people come from all the corners of the earth. They come trembling. But they come because I am steadfast in my love even in spite of their unfaithfulness. So this is the message of Hosea. The God would redeem people who are not worthy of it who have no claim to it. No reason to expect it indeed no desire for it will want to be Redeemed by God. Left to our own devices apart from the spirit moving inside of us. We have no desire to submit to Christ. No desire to come to God and yet we came anyways. Why why did you come?

Because God said come because God said, I love you. In spite of your sin. How do you know that? How do you know? Israel missed it they didn't get it. How do you know? That God loves you. And will redeem you if you come the Bible. Thank you Mason. Yeah, the Bible in even more particularly the part about Jesus what Israel was missing and hosea's day. What so many people Miss today is Jesus. How many of you know John 3:16? All right, go for it.

Are you guys going to hate me one more time?

Has over-familiarity with that verse caused us to miss the incredible truth of it.

God so loved the world and when we read the world we need to understand what is being said there. When it says the world there, it's not talking about the globe. We call Earth. It's not talking about the birds and the bees in the mountains in the trees. That's not what it's talking about when it says the world God so loved. A mess of humanity who had rejected him who did wanted nothing to do with him. Who said to him? Thanks, but no thanks will run the world according to our desires and not according to yours. God so loved the people who were so unfaithful to him that they would deny his existence. For God so loved. sinners For God so loved. Brandon for God so loved Patrick for God so loved Paul for God so loved Joyce for God so loved you too. That he gave his only son. And what did he give his son for? Not just a couple minutes of time not just somebody for us to hang out with. Not just somebody who would come in and fill our bellies and heal our wounds. somebody who would starve for us somebody who would be beaten for us somebody who would take in himself God's righteous punishment of our sin. Who would die on a cross?

And yet who God would raise again and say if anyone believes in this Jesus. They will be saved for God so loved the world that he gave his son that whoever believes in him shall not perish.

Let's use different words here. So that we get away from our over-familiarity for God so loved sinners like you and me that he gave his beloved Son. To demonstrate his love for us by punishing him instead of us. Did anyone who confesses Jesus is Lord believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead? Did they will not be destroyed as a consequence of their sin. But the God will say, how can I give you up? How can I hand you over? No, I will not destroy you. I will give you myself forever. I'll give you eternal life eternal life is knowing god through Jesus. now And forever we sometimes Street eternal life. Like that's what happens later eternal life starts the moment you say Jesus is Lord. And God raised him from the dead it starts now, you know the love of God Christ follower. You're not going to be destroyed.

God loves you.

God loves you.

If you're sitting here today, and and you're not believing in Jesus the one he sent to reveal his love the one that he sent to be the one who would establish his people not in blood but in truth. Not in genetics, but through the promise of God. submit to him The message of Hosea for you today would be don't continue in your unfaithfulness. Don't continue in your adultery. Don't continue your whoring ways.

Turn back to the one who loves you with the redeeming love look what he did for you to redeem you his son was crushed so that you could be spared. If you're a Christ follower, you've already said yes. I see God's love revealed in the cross. What's that doing in your life today? Is this just good news that you're kind of tucked away put up on a shelf somewhere and said well that's good for me. Sorry about the rest of y'all. Good luck with you know that hold being destroyed thing. Or do you look with a heart of compassion that people who continuing Rebellion? Andrew instead of the fact when their sin impinges on your life you get mad at them or do you say oh my goodness. There's so much more for you and Christ. Let me share the love of God with you. This is Jesus says this is going to Mark the people who follow him. Not that they would love those who love them, but they would love those who persecute them who are different than them. Has the love of God shown to you in Christ made a difference in your life Christ follower or no, the call of Hosea is recognized the redeeming love of God and walk in it live in it. Drink it never get tired of it. Quit taking it for granted and start recognizing. This is the greatest gift that The Sovereign god of the universe could ever give that he would. Love you.

In your sin out of your sin.

God loves you.

You should respond. To that. If you have no idea how to respond to the love of God, let me encourage you to do something on the back of your Bulletin. You'll see the numbers of your pastors here at Red Hills. Feel free to call us or text us at any point. and say I want to know the love of God.

I want to I want to repent of my sins. I want to turn and Trust Christ. How do I do that? Call or text us anytime? Respond the love of God Subway. Let's pray.