A Cure For America

Introduction

Good morning! It’s great to see everyone this morning. When we moved to Farmington, we were encouraged to how many have a deep love for this great country. Since being here, I have seen more people display their patriotic love. I love it! At the same time, my heart breaks for how ill we are as a country. I was read an article talking about American and how she has become the modern Babylon. In the same article, I read how America was being described as being “just at wicked as Sodom and Gomorrah,” and “ if God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah” (Billy Graham).

I read this resolution passed by Congress on March 3rd sent to the President for his signature. This might surprise you! “It is resolved that devoutly recognizing the supreme authority and just government of Almighty God in all the affairs of men and nations and sincerely believing that no people, however great in number and resources, or however strong in the justice of their cause can prosper without His favor and at the same time deploring the national offenses which have provoked His righteous judgment, yet encouraged in this day of trouble by the assurance of His Word to seek Him for help according to His appointed way through Jesus Christ the Senate of the United States does hereby request the President of the United States by his proclamation to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation.” I should point out it, this was in 1863.

Can you imagine a resolution like this being passed today? Many are afraid to say things like this for the fear of being shunned, blacklisted or sued. The faith our founding fathers had is clear! If this was true back in 1863 (Abraham Lincoln), it’s much more so in our culture today. We have forgotten about God! We have kicked God out of the classroom, our courtrooms, and many of us do our best to keep God out of our modern culture.

Hosea writes to Israel during a time when people were rejecting the knowledge of God. Many had become self-satisfied, proud and had forgotten about God’s grace. Some had put their trust in things of this world rather than trust in God! Some Israelites were guilty of injustice, violence, murder, theft - to name a few. How are we going to fix this dilemma? No politician is going to do this. Government programs will not provide solution. The only cure for America is a heaven sent spiritual awaking - A Revival!

I’d invite you open your bibles with me to Hosea Chapter 14 verses 1 through 8.

Hosea 14:1–8 HCSB

1 Israel, return to Yahweh your God, for you have stumbled in your sin. 2 Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: “Forgive all our sin and accept what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips. 3 Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in You.” 4 I will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them, for My anger will have turned from him. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon. 6 His new branches will spread, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon. 7 The people will return and live beneath his shade. They will grow grain and blossom like the vine. His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon. 8 Ephraim, why should I have anything more to do with idols? It is I who answer and watch over him. I am like a flourishing pine tree; your fruit comes from Me.

Pastoral Prayer

We have a prayer initiated by God Himself. God is speaking tenderly in grace. This is not the only time God speaks this way. God has spoken tenderly many times through the prophets in much the same way - return to God. Hosea is talking to his listeners to repent, turn or return to God. The word “return” is another appeal for repentance. The repentance this time would need to be sincere to receive grace from God. God will be looking at the heart this time around. Will there be a genuine change of heart or could this simply be a flash in the pan.

D.L. Moody once said that the best definition of repentance he ever heard was performed by a soldier. Many of us have heard the phrase - Attention! Rightabout face! March! You see the difficult part is the about-face. This is a call to change direction.

Sin has brought the downfall, or as our passage says “stumbled.” Hosea is advising Israel to act without reservation. This is something not to nit on or sleep on! Hosea is essentially saying to put down the remote and get off the couch. Act now! The time for repentance is now! It’s like driving down the road 20 miles in the wrong direction. The trip back seems like a complete waste of time and gas. The further we travel in the wrong direction, the further we get from our goal. The answer is to return - return to God. I’ve heard people say before the sons of America are the direct result of Satan. I agree Satan is into many things, and may help set the stage. I also believe people are perfectly capable of sinning on their own without any help from Satan.

When sin is involved it creates what some call a hedge. A hedge is a barrier, a wall - something that separates. Hosea is attempting to get the Israelites to recognize this hedge that is in their way. For a sinful nation, the first step is coming to terms a barrier exists between us and God. The second step is coming before God with a humble heart and asking for forgiveness. Hosea is emphasizing they had better get on bended-knee and pray.

When we look to the 2nd half of verse 2 and 3, that is exactly what we have going on. We have the people’s prayer to God and confessing before God! Their fall was the result of their own son. We get an insight to that here.

This is a simple but profound prayer bringing forward what is on their hearts and minds. This prayer asks for forgiveness. Their prayer humbly asks to accept what is good. It’s important to realize Hosea is not proposing “good works” will earn the right to come before the throne of God. What he’s saying is to accept the “good thing” that they are doing - mainly their prayer to return to Him. The nation is conveying to God that their dependence rests on the His repose to their prayers. The Israelites have accepted responsibility to show a true confession. A genuine repentance is always followed by a confession. Without a confession, the “return to God” becomes like just going through the motions without any real change of heart. If there’s a person who is just going through the motions, it might be hard for a person to tell the difference. To God, He will know if it’s genuine. He will know if we have put and restored our trust in Him.

Hosea points that out in verse 3. He says Assyria will not save us. Hosea is pointing out specific sins where Israel had put their dependence and trust on man rather than God. Let’s do a quick observation. I’m going to take this $1, $5, $10, $20. Us currency, these legal tendered notes mention our Christian heritage with the words “In God We Trust.” It’s right there every time these legal notes change hands. We share how important God is to this nation. As a nation, a country, does the phrase “In God We Trust” mean anything anymore? Have those words disappeared into the background where all we see is a 5, 10 or 20? Has it been reduced to some green piece of paper that I need to buy stuff with?

Israel’s nations sin was the failure to trust in God for political guidance, protection and the worship of pagan gods. Part of Israel’s prayer to God was that they will no longer proclaim our gods. The Israelites are turning to God. And, because they have decided to turn to God, there is no longer a need to put trust into man, in this case Assyria. The Israelites have come to realize the character and dependence on the living God.

[RE-INSERT Verses 4 AND 5 (Slideshow ONLY)]

Hosea 14:4–5 ESV

4 I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. 5 I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;

Verses 4 through 8 is the result of returning to God. Folks, this section of scripture is so powerful - it’s like lightning hitting your veins. We have a promise of restoration from God! Who will restore? We have God saying - I will, I will, I will restore them!

Look at the first things that happens in verse 4. God says, I will hear their apostacy. If you have your bibles open, you might want to underline the I will’s. There will be forgiveness - Amen! The word apostacy can also be translated waywardness. It means God will heal their backsliding. God takes the sin and removes all forensic trace. How wonderful is this? That they could be so vile, so wretched, filthy as Sodom and Gomorrah; then the next moment as pure as freshly fallen snow. Only God can do that! Doesn't that just want to make you sing praise to Heaven? Hallelujah! The grace of our God!

When forgiveness comes, there will be fellowship with God. The barrier we created is demolished and the hedge is uprooted. God says, I will love them freely! When we return to God, He doesn't just take you back half-hearted or with special conditions. He takes you back fully! If you’re backsliding - I want you to know you can step back into the arms of Yahweh. You will be loved freely. Now! Folks, that’s amazing grace!!!

Because of His forgiveness, His fellowship followed, and with His fellowship there will be fruitfulness. God will descend and be like the dew to Israel! You see farming in Israel is dry farming. That means there is no irrigation. They depend on dew. The dew at times has been so heavy it can be as wet as fresh rain. If there’s no dew, there is no life. The dew refreshes and renews life. God is the Referesher and Beautifier of life. The fruitfulness begins with the dew coming down!

This means Israel will look like a beautiful blossoming lily while being rooted and grounded. Israel will not be like seed in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13 and Mark 4), that was cast on shallow soil where there was not much soil to take root, only to be scorched and withered. Our passage talks about the branches will spread and the awesome fragrance of the ceders of Lebanon. The air flow around the hill sides of Lebanon where the cedars are located has been described as refreshing with life. Turn your attention to verse 6 and 7.

Hosea 14:6–7 ESV

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.

These are all pictures of God’s rich blessing on the Nation. Instead of bringing drought, death; God provided grace to His returning people. God’s blessing will not only support many people, it will also help heal His people! The fruitfulness of the land will make it an attractive place for so many.

Conclusion

Our passage this morning kicked us off with a name of God! This name describes God as a sin punishing God. Israel had sinned, and there was consequence for that sin. Because God is a God of Grace, this name also describes God as a personal God who is present in the lives of His People! The name Yahweh also means God is a promise keeper. When the Israelites came forward with true repentance seeking restoration, we have God making promises. He says “I will”, not once but three times! God is also a forgiving God. God is willing to forgive our sin, even if we might be in denial about it. God is ready to forgive.

What can we as a church in downtown Kirtland New Mexico do against a population of thousands to millions do? It can start right here in this worship center! We can get on bended knee and pray for our nation. The nation many of us love. We can pray that hearts are turned to the Lord!

I’ve been told that we’re sitting in the heart of a mission field. I want you to know there’s no better place to be! When I look around and talk to other pastors in the area, every church has many empty seats with some parts of their building dormant. When missionaries are sent into the field, they go out engaging the community. We can join in winning one soul after another for the glory of God!

If you’ve backslide, today can be the day you made a u-turn and return to God. Perhaps you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as you personal Lord and Savior, today can be your day when you turn from rebellion to grace. Today, you can hear the words - FORGIVEN!

Closing Prayer