Homecoming Part 2 Episode #265

WEBVTT
00:00:09.363 --> 00:00:12.168
Hosea chapter one, verse two reads like this.
00:00:14.165 --> 00:00:17.729
When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea,
00:00:18.780 --> 00:00:26.118
go and take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry.
00:00:27.006 --> 00:00:31.669
For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.
00:00:32.244 --> 00:00:34.009
Father, I love you. I bless you. I thank you.
00:00:34.717 --> 00:00:37.522
I pray God that you will give us ears to hear today what you are saying.
00:00:37.522 --> 00:00:42.302
And got a heart that is ready and easy to receive this morning.
00:00:42.302 --> 00:00:45.392
And I'll give you praise and thanks in Jesus' name. And somebody said, amen.
00:00:52.606 --> 00:01:05.185
So last week, we started a series called Homecoming, and we looked at Luke chapter 15.
00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:11.478
And so we're going to refer a little bit back to Luke 15.
00:01:12.482 --> 00:01:15.920
We're going to talk about what Hosea went through, and we're going to talk a
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.640
little bit about what Jeremiah went through.
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:24.310
So the lost son that we talked about last week, we talked about the last son.
00:01:24.310 --> 00:01:29.491
This week we're talking about Hosea and Jeremiah. There's three different stories.
00:01:30.251 --> 00:01:34.013
There's three different people. There's three different seasons,
00:01:34.541 --> 00:01:35.772
but there's still one God.
00:01:36.805 --> 00:01:41.501
And there's still one message. And God is still bringing people home today.
00:01:42.337 --> 00:01:46.417
There was a homecoming last week that we looked at in Luke chapter 15.
00:01:47.880 --> 00:01:48.640
And so.
00:01:51.444 --> 00:01:59.360
If we look from Genesis to Revelation the heartbeat of God never changed from
00:01:59.360 --> 00:02:02.717
the garden I believe even before the garden,
00:02:04.012 --> 00:02:06.636
and then long after the book of Revelation will be fulfilled,
00:02:09.196 --> 00:02:18.031
we see the same heartbeat that God has never changed God is still seeking God is still calling,
00:02:19.848 --> 00:02:28.850
God is still restoring and our God specializes in homecomings watch this number
00:02:28.850 --> 00:02:29.890
one if you're taking notes.
00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:37.983
Some of you are thinking where is he going with that verse just hold on.
00:02:40.548 --> 00:02:48.627
Number one god's love doesn't quit when we do you got to get this god's love does not quit,
00:02:50.008 --> 00:02:54.996
when we do that there are some stories in scriptures in the scriptures that
00:02:54.996 --> 00:02:57.404
i know it makes you uncomfortable.
00:02:58.902 --> 00:03:04.440
And this scripture is one that makes us all feel probably uncomfortable.
00:03:06.053 --> 00:03:11.260
God comes to a prophet, Hosea, a man of God with an unbelievable assignment.
00:03:11.974 --> 00:03:17.547
Not to preach, not to build, not to lead a revival, not to start a church,
00:03:17.820 --> 00:03:23.846
not to start a podcast, not to write a book, not to evangelize the nations.
00:03:25.297 --> 00:03:32.135
God asked the man of God to marry a harlot. And that term we don't use a whole lot today.
00:03:32.257 --> 00:03:35.266
We don't use that word very much anymore, but to put it plainly,
00:03:35.266 --> 00:03:36.785
a harlot is a prostitute.
00:03:38.288 --> 00:03:43.668
A harlot is a woman of the night. So go back to Hosea chapter one, verse two.
00:03:43.872 --> 00:03:47.226
When the Lord began to speak to Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea,
00:03:47.606 --> 00:03:52.266
Go and take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry.
00:03:52.266 --> 00:03:56.526
For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.
00:03:58.431 --> 00:04:03.574
First of all, could you imagine hearing that? God, you got the wrong guy.
00:04:05.698 --> 00:04:11.956
I'm waiting for my virgin. I'm waiting for the good girl.
00:04:13.541 --> 00:04:16.501
Come on, God, I don't hang out with girls who drink, smoke, or chew.
00:04:21.580 --> 00:04:25.649
But god was asking hosea to live a difficult life,
00:04:27.234 --> 00:04:32.186
god through hosea watch this you got to get this god was painting a picture,
00:04:33.004 --> 00:04:37.716
it was a living sermon it was a prophetic illustration and here's the picture,
00:04:38.372 --> 00:04:42.988
you've got to understand the context in which hosea lived in that day in order
00:04:42.988 --> 00:04:45.443
for god to ask him to do such a difficult thing,
00:04:46.418 --> 00:04:50.720
israel had turned their back on god and started living another life that was not pleasing to God.
00:04:52.020 --> 00:04:55.671
In fact, Hosea's generation forgot their covenant relationship with God.
00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.489
And they had these fertility rites and rituals that they would do.
00:05:00.652 --> 00:05:05.993
They engaged in sexual immorality and prostitution. They went their own way and they were a mess.
00:05:06.585 --> 00:05:10.018
They were destroying themselves. They walked outside the blessing of God and
00:05:10.018 --> 00:05:12.088
started living in a way that broke the very heart of God.
00:05:13.603 --> 00:05:22.217
And at that time, you've got to understand this, they would mix idol worship with God worship.
00:05:22.862 --> 00:05:28.208
They still offered sacrifices and offerings in the temple before the priests,
00:05:28.841 --> 00:05:33.652
according to Jewish tradition and Jewish custom, as they had been doing for
00:05:33.652 --> 00:05:35.296
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years.
00:05:36.632 --> 00:05:42.842
But now that they're living in this season of their lives, they stop just worshiping
00:05:42.842 --> 00:05:47.590
yahweh their god the god of their of their ancient text,
00:05:48.919 --> 00:05:58.452
and they started mixing in the worship of another god okay they they they worshiped it's called,
00:05:59.552 --> 00:06:04.860
secretionism where they mixed worship with worship of baal,
00:06:06.166 --> 00:06:10.342
they believe that baal if they worshiped him they believed if they worshiped
00:06:10.342 --> 00:06:15.022
baal he would control the rain he would control their crops he would control
00:06:15.022 --> 00:06:19.837
their livestock he would give them prosperity and he would make them fertile and give them children,
00:06:20.742 --> 00:06:24.753
and instead of trusting god they gave their most intimate parts of their lives
00:06:25.189 --> 00:06:27.342
their worship to baal and not
00:06:27.342 --> 00:06:32.625
to god and they kind of mixed the two it was kind of god plus something,
00:06:33.917 --> 00:06:38.422
this in hosea's time while hosea is prophesying hosea.
00:06:40.152 --> 00:06:44.832
Knew that it was a time of prosperity the economy was good they got wealthier
00:06:44.832 --> 00:06:50.792
they had lots of land times were pretty good and they slipped into worshiping not just god yahweh,
00:06:51.634 --> 00:06:56.872
the one true god but they started worshiping other gods they were immoral they
00:06:56.872 --> 00:07:00.982
were hungry for prosperity and more part of the worship rituals you got to get
00:07:00.982 --> 00:07:04.986
this so you understand the context why god would ever say that to hosea.
00:07:07.732 --> 00:07:13.323
They believed that sexual acts with temple prostitutes would please Baal,
00:07:14.576 --> 00:07:19.049
their liturgy God, and it would believe that they would bless the crops.
00:07:19.049 --> 00:07:22.529
He would bless the crops and their families. They worshiped Baal in order.
00:07:24.809 --> 00:07:28.572
To give them children because some women were infertile.
00:07:28.990 --> 00:07:34.951
And so they worshiped Baal, believing that Baal would give them children.
00:07:35.566 --> 00:07:38.637
Baal is also referred to as a fertility god.
00:07:40.013 --> 00:07:46.247
In their temples, they had prostitutes or harlots to perform those acts to please this god.
00:07:46.967 --> 00:07:50.758
They would also abort babies and sacrifice children to Baal,
00:07:52.371 --> 00:07:58.819
which is also Molech, which we see the same spirit of Molech today when we are
00:07:58.819 --> 00:08:00.957
aborting millions of babies in our nation.
00:08:02.037 --> 00:08:07.250
God was getting ready to show them what they have done in an effort to bring them back to his heart.
00:08:07.772 --> 00:08:12.329
It was a homecoming, if you will, and he had to get their attention.
00:08:12.730 --> 00:08:16.449
And God's heart is always to rescue people from their destruction.
00:08:17.095 --> 00:08:20.160
And God shows up all throughout scripture as a faithful husband.
00:08:21.228 --> 00:08:25.149
And people, people have a tendency to wander away from their faithful husbands
00:08:25.149 --> 00:08:32.221
to other gods, other means of worship, self-pleasure, spiritually becoming harlots,
00:08:34.125 --> 00:08:40.116
giving ourselves to others instead of God himself, our good and faithful husband.
00:08:41.369 --> 00:08:45.469
I say it like this all the time, and I know it to be true, is if you lose the
00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:49.474
wonder of God, you'll begin to wander away from God.
00:08:51.934 --> 00:08:57.124
And this is where Israel is right now in the book of Hosea. They had wandered
00:08:57.464 --> 00:09:04.810
away from God. They lost their wonder and they began to wander and worship other gods.
00:09:05.593 --> 00:09:08.914
And God tells the prophet, go and marry a hooker.
00:09:11.677 --> 00:09:17.372
And he does. And he has three children. He did.
00:09:19.380 --> 00:09:20.460
The difficult thing.
00:09:22.643 --> 00:09:23.792
That God told him to do.
00:09:27.176 --> 00:09:33.862
Israel walked away from God. Every act of unfaithfulness, every broken promise,
00:09:35.139 --> 00:09:40.892
every divided affection, it reflected the spiritual condition of God's people.
00:09:41.902 --> 00:09:45.089
And probably if we're honest, sometimes it reflects ours too.
00:09:46.378 --> 00:09:51.411
We may not bow before idols made of stone, but people still worship success.
00:09:52.462 --> 00:09:59.346
And we have Baal today in America, too. How do I know it?
00:10:00.954 --> 00:10:02.162
I wish I had the image.
00:10:03.787 --> 00:10:06.417
For some reason, my notes haven't loaded in the system this morning.
00:10:08.234 --> 00:10:11.804
Have you ever seen an image of a cocapelli? Anybody know what a cocapelli is?
00:10:12.361 --> 00:10:18.038
The southwestern native picture of the flute player?
00:10:19.426 --> 00:10:22.758
Yeah. But that is bail.
00:10:26.837 --> 00:10:30.646
My native friends call this a cocapelli or a flute player.
00:10:30.831 --> 00:10:34.976
In fact, if you drive to Tucson or you drive to Phoenix,
00:10:36.532 --> 00:10:45.366
on the overpasses, we have that artwork of this funny looking haired flute player
00:10:45.366 --> 00:10:48.374
that's dancing cute little flute player.
00:10:49.924 --> 00:10:54.603
It is what the internet calls it this. It's the Native American symbol of the Southwest.
00:10:56.791 --> 00:11:03.107
Most people think it's just a native flute player but its meaning runs so much deeper it is a sex god.
00:11:05.272 --> 00:11:09.498
Y'all we have sex gods on our interstate,
00:11:11.077 --> 00:11:15.547
there is a cocapella inn in sedona arizona where you can stay in their hotel,
00:11:16.400 --> 00:11:24.208
in fact the largest cocapella image is 32 feet tall and it's in the state of arizona as we speak,
00:11:25.762 --> 00:11:31.946
it is a sex god but it's also an agricultural god that brings children rain
00:11:31.946 --> 00:11:36.037
and harvest but can i just tell somebody only god can do that,
00:11:36.855 --> 00:11:42.106
we see that image on our freeways in our restaurants in our jewelry in our logos
00:11:42.106 --> 00:11:47.188
and all over the southwest united states and we think it's just a cute flute player,
00:11:47.989 --> 00:11:52.012
and if you notice something about this cute little flute player called the cocapelli,
00:11:53.150 --> 00:11:54.706
it has a hump on its back.
00:11:54.706 --> 00:12:00.464
And that's where the sex God stores its children and carries its children on its back.
00:12:00.830 --> 00:12:04.191
Notice it's the complete opposite of how a woman carries.
00:12:04.429 --> 00:12:09.369
A woman carries it in her belly in the front and the sex God carries it on top on the back.
00:12:10.147 --> 00:12:15.266
The exact opposite of how God has designed a woman to carry a child.
00:12:16.509 --> 00:12:20.636
We see images all the time. If you have those images in your house,
00:12:20.956 --> 00:12:24.844
you have a statue of Baal in your house.
00:12:26.336 --> 00:12:27.781
And it is a sex god.
00:12:30.028 --> 00:12:34.283
Don't even get me started on dream catchers and bear claws and.
00:12:36.802 --> 00:12:40.546
Their portraits of bail,
00:12:42.967 --> 00:12:46.463
we have the same problem today we worship comfort we worship i ain't getting
00:12:46.463 --> 00:12:50.786
no help today some of y'all gonna have to go home and clean up your house,
00:12:52.470 --> 00:12:57.303
we worship comfort we worship sexual pleasure money approval politics careers
00:12:57.303 --> 00:13:03.133
relationships fame and we're still boarding of babies and killing our children at the altar of Baal.
00:13:04.873 --> 00:13:09.153
And we are living in times, listen to me, we are living in times just like Hosea did.
00:13:09.327 --> 00:13:13.791
We're constantly tempted to give our hearts to things that can never satisfy.
00:13:15.097 --> 00:13:18.753
And the enemy whispers just one more thing. If you had this,
00:13:18.753 --> 00:13:22.583
if you could accomplish that, if they loved you, if you made more money,
00:13:22.583 --> 00:13:28.575
if people recognize you and leaves you, always searching for more.
00:13:29.969 --> 00:13:32.233
Pastor, don't be silly. It's just art.
00:13:35.554 --> 00:13:35.955
Okay,
00:13:38.004 --> 00:13:43.994
okay i have to tell you sin always over promises,
00:13:45.829 --> 00:13:52.341
and always under delivers it promises freedom and it leaves you in chains it
00:13:52.341 --> 00:13:56.991
promises life and it leaves you empty it promises satisfaction and it leaves
00:13:56.991 --> 00:13:58.420
you always searching for more,
00:13:59.267 --> 00:14:05.161
we see the lost son that we talked about last week in luke 15 he chased pleasure gomer chased lovers,
00:14:06.802 --> 00:14:09.078
Israel chased idols,
00:14:10.128 --> 00:14:16.026
different stories, same problem, a heart that's wandering away from God.
00:14:18.157 --> 00:14:24.727
But here's what amazes me. God never stops loving people.
00:14:25.461 --> 00:14:30.221
Romans chapter 5, verse 8.
00:14:37.009 --> 00:14:40.208
Romans 5, verse 8 says it like this.
00:14:40.579 --> 00:14:42.400
But God demonstrates his own
00:14:42.400 --> 00:14:49.750
love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
00:14:53.043 --> 00:14:59.730
Notice that Paul, writing to the Romans, notice he did not say he didn't wait
00:14:59.730 --> 00:15:01.129
until we cleaned ourselves up.
00:15:02.069 --> 00:15:07.730
He didn't wait until we deserved grace. He loved us while we were still sinning.
00:15:09.355 --> 00:15:12.330
And God's love is not a reward for your faithfulness.
00:15:14.486 --> 00:15:18.582
His love is the reason you can come home at all. And you've got to get that.
00:15:19.238 --> 00:15:24.265
Number two is God is, after restoration, not just rebuke.
00:15:25.775 --> 00:15:30.285
Most people expect Hosea's story to end in heartbreak and in failure.
00:15:32.439 --> 00:15:41.030
Watch this. The man of God, he's called by God to marry a harlot and have children with her.
00:15:41.889 --> 00:15:47.381
He goes and gets her. He brings her home. He marries her. He has three children.
00:15:49.902 --> 00:15:53.687
But then what happens the uh uh,
00:15:54.671 --> 00:15:59.951
the the the clouds go away the sun begins to shine everything is wonderful they
00:15:59.951 --> 00:16:04.491
have a four bedroom three bath house they've got three they got three garages
00:16:04.491 --> 00:16:07.722
they've got four dogs three chickens and two cats,
00:16:08.797 --> 00:16:13.211
they've got money in the bank and everything is fantastic i wish i could tell
00:16:13.211 --> 00:16:16.655
you that that was the story with hosea,
00:16:18.768 --> 00:16:21.044
Gomer leaves,
00:16:23.517 --> 00:16:32.161
she was in a horrible lifestyle she gets rescued from that lifestyle brought
00:16:32.161 --> 00:16:34.877
home to be with the man of God,
00:16:36.282 --> 00:16:39.585
has babies is raising her babies,
00:16:41.855 --> 00:16:45.082
and then Gomer decides to leave again,
00:16:46.899 --> 00:16:54.311
domer leaves she destroys her marriage she ruins everything but surely that's
00:16:54.311 --> 00:17:01.731
not the end surely that's not how god writes the stories well i'm sorry watch this hosea chapter 3.
00:17:04.662 --> 00:17:10.011
Hosea chapter 3 verse 1 and 2 says it like this then the lord said to me this
00:17:10.011 --> 00:17:12.511
is the lord speaking again to hosea,
00:17:13.341 --> 00:17:17.252
go again and love a woman who was loved by a lover and is committing adultery,
00:17:18.047 --> 00:17:21.871
just like the love of the lord for the children of israel who look to other
00:17:21.871 --> 00:17:24.729
gods and love the raising cakes of the pagan pagans,
00:17:25.791 --> 00:17:33.680
so i bought her for myself for 15 shekels of silver and one and a half homers of barley,
00:17:35.550 --> 00:17:36.606
did you catch this,
00:17:39.276 --> 00:17:43.137
God told Hosea go again.
00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:47.333
Go
00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.102
again.
00:17:52.830 --> 00:17:59.877
I don't know, but those may be the two most beautiful words in the Bible. Go,
00:18:02.101 --> 00:18:07.969
again. Not because she deserved it. Not because she earned it.
00:18:09.624 --> 00:18:13.601
Not because she apologized first. Go again.
00:18:13.921 --> 00:18:18.342
So Hosea goes to the slave market. Now she's in a slave market.
00:18:19.549 --> 00:18:20.698
She's on the auction block.
00:18:23.804 --> 00:18:28.953
Being sold again so she could go back and flip tricks.
00:18:31.426 --> 00:18:36.351
The woman who once stood beside him as his bride, the woman who gave him three
00:18:36.351 --> 00:18:40.451
children, after I'm sure he had been embarrassed and ridiculed by people because
00:18:40.451 --> 00:18:41.951
you just don't marry hookers.
00:18:43.326 --> 00:18:44.331
Come on, somebody, help me.
00:18:47.465 --> 00:18:52.211
Now she's standing on the auction block so somebody could buy her and use her
00:18:52.211 --> 00:18:56.364
again and again and again and again and do horrible things to her.
00:18:58.506 --> 00:19:02.994
And he pays the price for someone who...
00:19:03.150 --> 00:19:06.842
He goes and he buys her again. You've got to get this.
00:19:07.115 --> 00:19:10.801
He paid the price for someone who already belonged to him.
00:19:11.967 --> 00:19:15.971
And this is one of my favorite parts of the story. Hosea didn't simply just
00:19:15.971 --> 00:19:19.606
forgive Gomer. He paid a price to get her back.
00:19:20.970 --> 00:19:23.339
She already belonged to him as his wife.
00:19:25.034 --> 00:19:29.765
Yet sin had taken her captive. And so he redeemed what was already his.
00:19:31.123 --> 00:19:34.101
And that's exactly what Jesus did.
00:19:36.238 --> 00:19:43.481
We belong to God by creation. Sin enslaved us. So Jesus paid the price to redeem us.
00:19:47.738 --> 00:19:54.344
Can i go a little further i don't think you're ready for this so i did some research this week,
00:19:56.376 --> 00:19:57.432
y'all i've been studying the
00:19:57.432 --> 00:20:04.050
bible for 32 years and i never saw this i swear to god i never saw this,
00:20:06.663 --> 00:20:16.889
but it stuck with me he paid 15 secos of silver and silver and one and a half omers.
00:20:23.025 --> 00:20:29.758
So I looked up in that day, how much one and a half omers of barley is. Come,
00:20:33.694 --> 00:20:35.682
on now. It's 15 shekels.
00:20:40.538 --> 00:20:44.602
If you add the 15 shekels of silver,
00:20:47.185 --> 00:20:55.759
to the 15 shekels of what the one and a half omers of barley is that's 30.
00:21:01.744 --> 00:21:07.623
The most common cost in scripture for a slave is 30 pieces of silver.
00:21:09.492 --> 00:21:12.708
Turn with me in your Bible to Matthew 26, verse,
00:21:15.042 --> 00:21:16.058
14.
00:21:23.958 --> 00:21:30.727
Y'all, this jacked me up. Matthew 26, 14 and 15 says it like this.
00:21:30.965 --> 00:21:35.104
Then one of the 12 called Judas Isacariot went to the chief priest and said,
00:21:35.272 --> 00:21:38.749
what are you willing to give me if I deliver him? That's Jesus to you.
00:21:39.272 --> 00:21:43.092
And they counted him out 30 pieces of silver.
00:21:45.512 --> 00:21:53.494
Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. That is the price of a common slave.
00:21:54.969 --> 00:22:00.623
The son of God was valued by sinful man at the same price Hosea paid to redeem Gomer.
00:22:02.242 --> 00:22:05.945
Can I tell you that, my friends, is not an accident.
00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:12.467
And so theologians believe this, that he only had 15 seconds of silver,
00:22:12.467 --> 00:22:15.755
so he had to add the barley to it so he could get enough to make 30.
00:22:17.618 --> 00:22:22.957
That is not an accident. The Old Testament is foreshadowing the heart of God
00:22:22.957 --> 00:22:29.252
of coming in the future, there's gonna be another one who's gonna pay a price.
00:22:31.347 --> 00:22:35.567
And his name is Jesus, 1 Peter 1, verse 18 and 19.
00:22:40.071 --> 00:22:46.549
Knowing that you were not redeemed or bought back with corruptible things like silver or gold,
00:22:47.020 --> 00:22:50.561
from your aimless conduct received by traditions from your father,
00:22:50.816 --> 00:22:57.805
but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:03.303
I have to tell you this morning, grace is not cheap.
00:23:05.850 --> 00:23:11.141
And we see the heart of God here. God is saying listen I want you to take someone
00:23:11.141 --> 00:23:17.141
who is full of sin love them bring them into your home have intimate relations
00:23:17.481 --> 00:23:19.381
with them and then guess what they're going to,
00:23:20.321 --> 00:23:27.481
they left and I want you to go and buy her back and he did and he did and that
00:23:27.481 --> 00:23:31.514
is a type that's a picture that's a shadow of the coming Jesus who would come.
00:23:31.804 --> 00:23:36.721
This was written between 715 and 755 BC.
00:23:37.986 --> 00:23:47.344
This was written some 780 years before Jesus would be sold for 30 pieces of silver by Judas.
00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:55.622
It's prophetic fulfillment from Hosea and Gomer to Jesus and lost people.
00:23:57.067 --> 00:24:02.621
Grace isn't cheap. It cost Jesus everything.
00:24:05.054 --> 00:24:10.319
But you have to hear me this morning. Your restoration was worth the price.
00:24:14.765 --> 00:24:18.311
Somebody listening to me today thinks this. I've gone too far.
00:24:19.659 --> 00:24:25.911
I've failed too many times. I've ruined too much.
00:24:27.233 --> 00:24:37.515
No. that's what shame says that's not what God says listen to God's heart go back to Hosea chapter 14.
00:24:44.422 --> 00:24:46.181
Hosea 14,
00:24:48.248 --> 00:24:48.927
verse 4.
00:24:51.812 --> 00:25:03.798
I will heal their backsliding. I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from him.
00:25:07.786 --> 00:25:14.130
Notice the promise it's not i'll tolerate them i'll barely accept them no he
00:25:14.130 --> 00:25:22.078
says it like this i will love them freely that is our god.
00:25:25.677 --> 00:25:31.760
Imagine finding a priceless masterpiece at a garage sale anybody like garage
00:25:31.760 --> 00:25:37.110
sales I like looking at other people's junk and then I buy their junk and then
00:25:37.110 --> 00:25:39.284
I add it to my junk and then I get a lot of junk.
00:25:41.257 --> 00:25:44.020
Isn't that what we do? We just go around buying other people's junk so we can
00:25:44.020 --> 00:25:47.660
get more junk and then we have yard sales and we sell those same people their
00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:49.530
junk back to them. Come on, somebody.
00:25:53.030 --> 00:25:59.588
Imagine finding a priceless masterpiece at a garage sale. But it's torn, it's covered in dust.
00:26:00.587 --> 00:26:06.280
People walk right past it because they only see what it's become but the original
00:26:06.280 --> 00:26:11.820
artist he walks by it he recognizes every brushstroke every color every detail,
00:26:12.504 --> 00:26:15.134
he gladly pays the price to get it back,
00:26:17.700 --> 00:26:22.950
not because of what it looks like now but because he remembers what he created
00:26:22.950 --> 00:26:32.003
it to be in church god doesn't just see where you've been he sees who he created you to become,
00:26:33.281 --> 00:26:38.400
you got to get that god doesn't just see where you've been he sees who you have
00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:43.450
been created to become and you got to get that that you may not be where you
00:26:43.450 --> 00:26:45.634
want to be but thank god you ain't where you used to be,
00:26:47.334 --> 00:26:51.400
and that i am on a journey and i'm in progress i am under construction in the
00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:55.060
name of jesus and and i'm not i may not be where I want to be,
00:26:55.060 --> 00:26:56.730
but thank God I'm not what I once was.
00:26:56.730 --> 00:27:00.690
And I am moving. I'm under construction in the name of Jesus.
00:27:01.910 --> 00:27:06.054
And I'm moving forward. I'm not quitting. I'm not giving up. I'm not stopping now.
00:27:09.231 --> 00:27:13.100
You might have been a gomer. You might have been a hoe, but don't be a hoe no
00:27:13.100 --> 00:27:15.506
more. Come on, somebody.
00:27:17.462 --> 00:27:18.077
Stop it.
00:27:21.328 --> 00:27:26.901
I had to make sure y'all are still awake. Y'all are awake because you laughed. Number three,
00:27:29.264 --> 00:27:30.924
God's plans are bigger than your past.
00:27:33.379 --> 00:27:35.820
Jeremiah understood this. Israel
00:27:35.820 --> 00:27:40.189
had rebelled against God, ignored his warnings, reject the prophets.
00:27:40.520 --> 00:27:42.203
They were carried away into Babylon.
00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:49.111
That's modern day Iran, Turkey, and Iraq.
00:27:51.067 --> 00:27:55.390
They ignored his warnings. They rejected his prophets. They were carried away
00:27:55.390 --> 00:27:58.270
into Babylon. In 70 years, they were in exile.
00:27:59.205 --> 00:28:04.394
They were in the promised land and God rejected them and threw them out of their promised place.
00:28:04.847 --> 00:28:09.360
Because of their rebellion towards god and if anybody deserved judgment it was
00:28:09.360 --> 00:28:13.450
them but listen to the heart of god and i think so many of us get this scripture
00:28:13.450 --> 00:28:17.415
wrong jeremiah chapter 29,
00:28:20.126 --> 00:28:26.523
and you think we're starting in verse 11. we're not we're starting in verse 10.
00:28:31.434 --> 00:28:38.342
Because y'all can quote 11 and 12 Some of you, my God, probably have a tattoo Jeremiah 29, 11 and 12.
00:28:42.515 --> 00:28:49.791
Jeremiah 29, verse 10. For thus says the Lord, after 70 years are complete at
00:28:49.791 --> 00:28:52.201
Babylon, I will visit you and
00:28:52.201 --> 00:28:56.584
perform my good word towards you and cause you to return to this place.
00:28:57.547 --> 00:29:00.502
For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord,
00:29:00.653 --> 00:29:05.421
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
00:29:05.421 --> 00:29:10.561
Verse 12. And then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
00:29:10.861 --> 00:29:15.682
And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart.
00:29:15.827 --> 00:29:17.882
And I will be found by you, says the Lord.
00:29:18.648 --> 00:29:21.841
Here it is. Watch this. You got to get this part because if you miss this part,
00:29:21.841 --> 00:29:23.461
then you don't understand 11 and 12.
00:29:24.384 --> 00:29:29.121
And I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the
00:29:29.121 --> 00:29:35.281
nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord.
00:29:35.281 --> 00:29:39.210
And I will bring you back to the place from which I caused you to be carried away captives.
00:29:41.357 --> 00:29:45.665
Who put them into captivity? God did.
00:29:46.530 --> 00:29:49.711
Because of their rebellion and because of their disobedience,
00:29:49.711 --> 00:29:55.721
because they refused to listen to the voice of God, they were led away into captivity for 70 years.
00:29:55.721 --> 00:29:59.861
Oh my God, I wish I had time to talk to you and to teach you about the number
00:29:59.861 --> 00:30:05.633
70 in the Bible because it's significant, but I don't have time for that. Come back next week.
00:30:07.798 --> 00:30:09.510
And hopefully the air conditioners will be fixed.
00:30:12.459 --> 00:30:18.589
But he says it twice. After 70 years is over in Babylon, I will come and visit you again.
00:30:19.379 --> 00:30:24.331
Now 70 years is over and he's saying, listen, and I will personally bring you
00:30:24.331 --> 00:30:27.994
back from the place where I have driven you.
00:30:29.375 --> 00:30:32.295
I love the phrase, I know the thoughts that I think toward you.
00:30:35.239 --> 00:30:37.521
Sometimes we don't even know what to think about ourselves.
00:30:39.575 --> 00:30:42.128
Because we remember every mistake, we remember every regret,
00:30:42.128 --> 00:30:46.778
every failure, every opportunity that we missed, every relationship that we
00:30:46.778 --> 00:30:48.184
broke, every bad decision.
00:30:50.209 --> 00:30:53.425
But while we're remembering our failures, God is already preparing our future.
00:30:55.850 --> 00:31:03.310
I love this religion watch this watch this religion loves to remind people where they've been,
00:31:04.790 --> 00:31:11.042
grace reminds them where they're going you've got to get that this morning religion
00:31:11.466 --> 00:31:17.462
loves to remind people where they've been grace reminds them where they're going,
00:31:18.542 --> 00:31:22.507
and your past may explain you but it doesn't have to define you,
00:31:23.906 --> 00:31:26.756
and God is still writing your story.
00:31:26.878 --> 00:31:30.872
Listen to me, if you're still breathing, God is still working.
00:31:31.197 --> 00:31:36.543
You've got to get that. Number four, God has not changed.
00:31:37.826 --> 00:31:41.494
Think about it. The father ran towards the lost son. We talked about that,
00:31:41.494 --> 00:31:44.548
right? Hosea pursued Gomer.
00:31:46.029 --> 00:31:50.454
God promised to restore Israel, right? In Jeremiah, they're different generations.
00:31:50.454 --> 00:31:52.906
They're different circumstances, but it's the same heart.
00:31:53.255 --> 00:31:55.275
Hebrews chapter 13, verse eight.
00:31:56.453 --> 00:31:58.050
Is anybody getting anything out of this?
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:06.612
Hebrews chapter 13, verse eight. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
00:32:08.621 --> 00:32:14.576
He has not changed. And he still leaves the 99 for the one.
00:32:14.739 --> 00:32:18.315
And he still welcomes lost sons and daughters home.
00:32:18.535 --> 00:32:23.568
God still heals backsliders. He still restores broken marriages.
00:32:23.725 --> 00:32:27.162
He still delivers addicts. He still forgives sinners.
00:32:27.376 --> 00:32:32.299
He still rebuilds shattered lives. He still turns ashes into beauty.
00:32:33.106 --> 00:32:37.152
And the heart of God, watch this. The heart of God has never been revenge.
00:32:37.512 --> 00:32:39.974
The heart of God has always been redemption.
00:32:40.844 --> 00:32:43.166
The heartbeat of heaven is restoration.
00:32:44.379 --> 00:32:49.138
Number five, then I'll be done with my introduction. I'm just kidding.
00:32:50.624 --> 00:32:54.084
Number five, there's still a homecoming for you.
00:32:56.377 --> 00:33:00.121
Maybe today you're listening to me and you say, yeah, I feel like the lost son.
00:33:01.747 --> 00:33:03.273
Maybe you feel more like Gomer.
00:33:05.299 --> 00:33:09.566
Maybe you've drifted. Maybe you've compromised.
00:33:11.325 --> 00:33:15.667
Maybe you've walked away from God one decision at a time.
00:33:17.617 --> 00:33:21.576
Maybe nobody else knows. But God does.
00:33:22.993 --> 00:33:30.801
And here's the good news. He's not waiting to condemn you. He's calling you home.
00:33:33.262 --> 00:33:37.267
If God restored Gomer, God can restore you.
00:33:38.452 --> 00:33:43.490
If God can restore Israel, God can restore you.
00:33:44.568 --> 00:33:48.921
If the father welcomed the lost son, he'll welcome you too.
00:33:51.598 --> 00:33:56.799
Last week I talked about our GPS. When you miss a turn, it doesn't shame you.
00:33:59.487 --> 00:34:03.434
When you miss a turn on your GPS, on your phone, or in your car, it doesn't yell at you.
00:34:05.373 --> 00:34:11.358
Maybe it should, huh? Maybe we'd listen. It doesn't say, you're hopeless. You're stupid.
00:34:12.037 --> 00:34:13.552
You missed a turn, dummy. Just go home.
00:34:15.514 --> 00:34:17.725
You really don't need to go to Sam's Club after all. You're going to spend too
00:34:17.725 --> 00:34:21.110
much money. Besides, who needs a pallet of toilet paper anyway?
00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:30.464
Get you a roller dog from quick trip and go home never mind you'll probably
00:34:30.464 --> 00:34:32.117
get lost if i take you to quick trip too,
00:34:35.449 --> 00:34:38.840
no it simply says this recalculating,
00:34:41.458 --> 00:34:45.534
and i'm so thankful that god is better than a gps because every time we've taken
00:34:45.534 --> 00:34:52.323
a wrong turn he says come home that's what he does he says just come home number six,
00:34:54.808 --> 00:34:55.830
because y'all are getting hot,
00:34:58.163 --> 00:35:08.786
number six come home listen to the invitation of the prophet go back to hosea chapter six.
00:35:15.438 --> 00:35:17.394
This is god's prophetic word,
00:35:19.594 --> 00:35:20.500
to his people,
00:35:23.333 --> 00:35:27.617
after he has now shown him through the difficult life of hosea marrying a hooker.
00:35:29.933 --> 00:35:35.587
Hosea chapter 6 verse 1 come and let us return to the lord,
00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:48.635
for he has torn but he will heal us he has stricken but he will bind us up,
00:35:50.191 --> 00:35:51.346
that's the invitation.
00:35:53.529 --> 00:35:59.856
Come home not because you've earned it not because you've cleaned yourself up because you can,
00:36:01.157 --> 00:36:05.883
not because you finally become worthy no you come home because the father loves
00:36:05.883 --> 00:36:12.073
you No, you come home because Jesus paid the price for you.
00:36:12.073 --> 00:36:15.849
No, you come home because the Holy Spirit is still calling you.
00:36:16.424 --> 00:36:19.213
Because I said it last week and I'll say it this week, and I'm going to say
00:36:19.213 --> 00:36:21.689
it again next week. So just go ahead and buckle up buttercup.
00:36:22.008 --> 00:36:29.943
No one is too far gone and no one is too broken. And no one has wandered away
00:36:29.943 --> 00:36:34.814
too far. The father is still watching for the lost son to come home.
00:36:36.172 --> 00:36:43.763
The Son of God has already paid the price and the Holy Spirit is still drawing hearts to him.
00:36:44.902 --> 00:36:47.880
You remember what the father did to the son last week in Luke 15.
00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:53.973
When the son returned home, he gave him a robe, he gave him a ring,
00:36:53.973 --> 00:36:56.436
he gave him a sandals, he gave him a seat.
00:36:57.586 --> 00:37:02.764
I have to tell you, there is still a ring for your identity.
00:37:04.291 --> 00:37:07.821
There is still sandals for your feet.
00:37:08.982 --> 00:37:16.366
There is still a seat at the Father's table. There is still room for one more.
00:37:17.724 --> 00:37:22.211
Why? Because that is who God is.
00:37:23.698 --> 00:37:30.071
He's the God that restores. He's the God that redeems. He's the God that rebuilds.
00:37:30.222 --> 00:37:34.936
He's the God that never, ever gives up on his children.
00:37:36.352 --> 00:37:40.688
And can I just tell you, the greatest homecoming is still ahead.
00:37:41.384 --> 00:37:44.361
Because there will be a day that we won't just come home from sin,
00:37:44.547 --> 00:37:46.533
but we'll finally come home to him.
00:37:47.294 --> 00:37:51.749
And there is a place called heaven. And we will, if we have made Jesus Christ
00:37:51.749 --> 00:38:00.259
the Lord and Savior of our lives, there will be a homecoming like no other. And that's what we need.
00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:05.962
We need a homecoming. Father, I love you and I bless you and I worship you.
00:38:06.223 --> 00:38:11.448
And God, I pray that in the name of Jesus, we could see the story of the heart of the father today.
00:38:13.973 --> 00:38:16.243
Go back and buy her again.
00:38:23.423 --> 00:38:24.108
Go back,
00:38:26.459 --> 00:38:27.544
and buy her again.
00:38:32.717 --> 00:38:33.384
So we did.
00:38:36.796 --> 00:38:47.402
And I believe that Hosea would have kept going back after her over and over and over again.
00:38:51.001 --> 00:38:52.174
Then Hosea loved her.
00:38:55.076 --> 00:38:56.063
Hosea cared.
00:38:59.883 --> 00:39:04.649
Hosea did his best to restore and to lead and to guide, and she still walked away.
00:39:07.331 --> 00:39:10.459
Jesus, you love, you care, you nurture, you provide.
00:39:12.526 --> 00:39:13.246
You love.
00:39:15.353 --> 00:39:20.676
Help us to understand your heart today that you'll keep going after the one.
00:39:23.544 --> 00:39:27.424
You'll keep. You'll keep pursuing us.
00:39:28.367 --> 00:39:32.303
Thank you that you don't have to keep paying the price. You paid it once and for all.
00:39:34.009 --> 00:39:42.259
You paid it once and for all for us. The price has been paid for our freedom.
00:39:43.512 --> 00:39:44.772
And for our forgiveness.
00:39:48.383 --> 00:39:53.629
When Jesus hung on the cross, he said, Tetelestai, it is finished.
00:39:54.902 --> 00:40:00.770
It's also translated as paid in full.
00:40:02.924 --> 00:40:07.307
Help us to realize, God, you paid for our sin and you paid for our shame.
00:40:09.030 --> 00:40:13.425
And we can come home to you. We can surrender our lives to you.
00:40:14.720 --> 00:40:18.830
We don't have to live the way that we've been living. We don't have to do what we've been doing.
00:40:23.253 --> 00:40:31.245
There's blessing on the other side of coming home. There's blessing on the other side of obedience.
00:40:34.112 --> 00:40:37.497
Help us. Lead us.
00:40:39.796 --> 00:40:40.678
Guide us.
00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:46.135
Help us to realize, God, none of us are too far gone.
00:40:49.525 --> 00:40:53.251
You still save. you still redeemed.
00:40:59.073 --> 00:41:04.777
Thank you. Help us to get that. Help us to walk in it.
00:41:06.648 --> 00:41:08.337
God, I'll be quick to give you thanks.
00:41:11.693 --> 00:41:13.937
Maybe you're here under the sound of my voice and you say, Pastor,
00:41:13.937 --> 00:41:14.891
I need to come home today.
00:41:18.477 --> 00:41:19.692
I need to come home today.
00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:26.634
Maybe you're like the lost son in Luke 15. Maybe you feel a little bit like Gomer.
00:41:27.708 --> 00:41:33.652
Maybe you feel like you've been exiled on the backside of the desert for a long time and,
00:41:35.852 --> 00:41:39.474
you just need God to speak a word of restoration into your life.
00:41:40.380 --> 00:41:43.358
Maybe you've never asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and your Savior.
00:41:44.954 --> 00:41:48.101
Maybe it's time just to surrender and just to come home. And if that is you,
00:41:48.606 --> 00:41:52.094
you're watching, you're listening, you're here and you say, Pastor, that is me.
00:41:53.975 --> 00:42:00.017
I need to come home. i need to surrender my life to jesus i need to make him
00:42:00.017 --> 00:42:04.637
my god and my savior and i realize i've worshiped other things and my focus
00:42:04.637 --> 00:42:08.285
has been on other things but i need to get my attention on jesus,
00:42:09.556 --> 00:42:12.836
because i realize now he has paid the price for me,
00:42:15.349 --> 00:42:17.097
i have been a spiritual gomer,
00:42:19.204 --> 00:42:20.649
and I need my Hosea,
00:42:23.428 --> 00:42:30.248
to buy me back from my life. I need a Hosea in my life,
00:42:33.285 --> 00:42:34.834
to pull me off the auction block.
00:42:38.266 --> 00:42:39.369
I need a Hosea,
00:42:42.654 --> 00:42:44.181
to take me home and to love me.
00:42:46.322 --> 00:42:48.715
To care for me to honor me to protect me.
00:42:52.394 --> 00:42:57.550
And you realize through the preaching of this word, your Hosea is none other,
00:42:58.333 --> 00:43:00.476
than the person of Jesus Christ himself.
00:43:03.679 --> 00:43:08.978
You say, yeah, that is me. I need to be rescued today. Would you just lift up
00:43:08.978 --> 00:43:10.176
your hand right where you are?
00:43:11.558 --> 00:43:13.083
Is there anybody in this house?
00:43:14.616 --> 00:43:15.313
Yeah, who else?
00:43:20.054 --> 00:43:20.820
Anybody else?
00:43:27.734 --> 00:43:33.348
Pray this prayer with me. Say, Lord Jesus, I ask you right now to come into
00:43:33.348 --> 00:43:37.730
my heart and save me. I make you my Lord.
00:43:38.990 --> 00:43:42.751
I make you my Savior. Forgive me of my sins.
00:43:43.825 --> 00:43:49.967
Buy me back and help me to follow you all the days of my life.
00:43:51.778 --> 00:43:57.932
In Jesus name Amen Amen You received that this morning Amen.