Sermon: He Has It Worse

[0:00] Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Ass Hey, Faith Family, if you have your Bible, turn to Hosea chapter 7.

[0:34] Hosea chapter 7 is where our passage is going to be today. We're just going to look at one primary verse today. That doesn't always mean a short sermon, just one verse.

[0:44] And what I did last week is I introduced the next section in the book of Hosea, chapters 7 through 10. But what I want to do is I want to kind of go back and I want to look at one specific idea, one main idea that's found in that section that I don't want us to rush past.

[1:01] I don't want us to run past it too quickly. And it's found in Hosea chapter 7, verse 13. So if you have your Bibles, let's read this verse together and emphasizing specifically the last part of the verse.

[1:16] It says, Woe to them, for they have strayed from me. Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me. Now notice this. I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.

[1:31] This is God's Word. Let's pray together. Father, thank you so much for the time now that we have in your Word. Come talk to us. Speak to us as we look to what you have to say about your love for us.

[1:45] And God, I really pray that you would open our minds, even more than that, open our hearts to receive what you have for us today. And we pray it in Jesus' name. Amen.

[1:57] The year that Lisa turned 30 was the year she fell in love. At first, that sense of love gave her hope. It gave her enjoyment in life.

[2:09] There was just one really big problem. The man she loved did not love her. Here's how Lisa describes this season in her life.

[2:22] She wrote, I woke up at dawn. I wanted to hold on to the blankness of sleep. But thoughts of Him quickly crept into my mind.

[2:34] It had been a long time since I had thought of anything but Him. I spent hours, days, weeks, months imagining my future with Him. But there would be no future together.

[2:47] He wasn't with me, not in that moment and not in the next. No, He was asleep in His own bed, in His ninth floor apartment, a ten minute walk across town.

[3:02] That morning, I decided to pay Him a visit. I stood there in the lobby in front of the security door. I rummaged through my purse like a tenant trying to find her key. Someone happened to walk out and without asking me any questions, let me inside.

[3:18] I took the elevator to the ninth floor. I knocked softly at first, but He didn't answer. My knocking continued, getting a little louder with each knock.

[3:29] Eventually, the knocking got so loud, the neighbor came out to see if it was someone at His door. However, the neighbor assumed I had the right to be there, and I clung to that assumption as well.

[3:44] Finally, after several rounds of knocking, I decided a different approach. I went up on the rooftop. It was a chilly, windy November morning, and the gray wind whipped around me.

[3:57] The rooftop reminded me of those summer nights that he and I spent together, looking into the sky, sipping bourbon. After a few minutes passed, I went back down and continued knocking.

[4:10] After all, who would reject this kind of desire? Who would turn away from this kind of love? Isn't this what people dream of? And just as I was thinking this, the door opened.

[4:25] There stood the love of my life. But the words he spoke shattered my heart.

[4:38] Lisa, leave before I call the cops. That's when I finally realized the truth.

[4:52] The truth I had suppressed for some time. I was in love with a man who didn't love me back.

[5:07] Those words that I just read come from Lisa Phillips in her book, Unrequited. And she recounts a true story of love and obsession to a man that she desperately wanted to be with, that she wanted to be with more than anything, but a man who did not want to be with her.

[5:32] Faith family, let me ask you this. Have you ever wanted something really, really bad? I mean really bad. And yet, that thing did not return the desire, did not want you the same way?

[5:46] Maybe like Lisa, for some of you, it was the being in love with someone that didn't love you. Or maybe for you, it was you really wanted to work for that company, but they had no interest in hiring you.

[6:01] You really wanted to go to that particular school, but they refused to accept you. You really wanted the love of your father, but you never received that from him.

[6:13] Maybe you really wanted to reconcile a relationship, but they wanted nothing to do with you. You know, I'll tell you, part of the reason, part of the reason I stuck around, because I thought I'd finally get you all to myself, but you didn't have any interest in training me.

[6:44] Yeah, Tommy was the one. Oh, Brendan, I was a drunk. I mean, you know, but I'm sorry. Well, forget it. You're always a front runner. Never had any interest in underdogs.

[6:59] But I was your son. You are my son, Brendan. Am I? Yeah, you are. I just... I'm just asking you if he can find a...

[7:11] I have a little bit of space in your heart to forgive me a little bit. Yeah. I forgive you.

[7:24] Okay. But I do not trust you. Oh, no. Listen, tell Tommy if he wants to see me. This is where I am. Okay. But they're not different things.

[7:36] You've got to trust to forgive. Night, Pop. Oh, my God. Is that Emily? It's J.C. Scrooge, Brendan. Is that Rosie?

[7:47] Daddy, who is that? Oh, this is a nice little man. Come on. I'm going to... A couple of coffee. You know, Faith Family, most of us can relate to that feeling of wanting something, wanting someone, and yet not having that desire returned the same way.

[8:10] But have you ever stopped to think about something? Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that that's exactly how God feels when it comes to you?

[8:24] That God desires you more than you desire Him? That when it comes to your relationship with God, He has it worse than you do?

[8:38] Does that seem odd to you at first? Is that a thought you've ever had about God? Well, that is exactly what Hosea chapter 7 and verse 13 teaches us.

[8:52] Let's look at it again. Focus specifically on the last part of the verse. I would redeem them, God says, but they speak lies against Me.

[9:05] Now let's break that phrase down for just a moment. I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me. The first phrase, I would redeem them.

[9:17] What is God saying to His people? He's saying, I want to save them. I want to be in relationship with them. I want to purchase them to myself. I don't want them worshiping other gods.

[9:30] I want them to worship Me alone so that they will be full of enjoyment and satisfaction. I want them because I love them.

[9:40] He really loves His people. He wants to redeem His people. And His love is not based on any goodness within us. It's not based on anything that we have done.

[9:52] It's purely based on who He is. We looked at this at week one of this series. Look back at Hosea chapter 11. Hosea chapter 11 and verse 8.

[10:03] It says, How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Adma? How can I treat you like Zebium?

[10:15] My heart recoils within me. My compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger. I will not again destroy Ephraim. Why? For I am God and not man.

[10:30] That is, the love of God is based on God, not our goodness. It's just, God loves this way because that's how God loves. He wants His people.

[10:42] He loves His people. He is a desiring God. That is, God desires to be in relationship with the people He loves.

[10:53] And just like Gomer, even though she is a whore, Hosea loves her and wants to be with her. In other words, the first part of this phrase in Hosea 7, verse 13 says, I would redeem them.

[11:07] I want them. I love them. And then the second part of the phrase, but they speak lies against me. But they speak lies against me.

[11:18] Now, we're going to talk more about the lies in just a moment, but for now, the only point I'm trying to make here is that, listen, the only one preventing the full experience of God's love is not God.

[11:34] It's Israel. Let me say that again. The only one in this relationship that is preventing the full experience of God's love is not God.

[11:47] He just said, I would redeem them. I want to redeem them. The issue is with Israel. God's purpose has been made clear.

[11:57] The reluctance in this relationship is not on behalf of God, but on behalf of the people of God. God reaches out. It's His people that walk away and go off to all their lovers, their idols.

[12:14] So, God has it worse. He loves you more than you love Him. He desires you more than you desire Him. He would redeem them, but they speak lies against Him.

[12:30] Now, let's be honest, because I know what some of you are thinking. Let's be honest. Doesn't this seem a little pathetic to you? Almost like a high school relationship where the guy is like one pathetic loser?

[12:45] I mean, is this really the way God is? The sovereign God of the universe is acting this way towards His people? I mean, after all, what would you say about a man who gets rejected over and over, cheated on over and over, then his wife comes to him for something, and not only does he forgive her, he gives her what she wants, and he wants to romance her.

[13:08] You would say, that's pathetic. What a pathetic loser that takes that over and over and over again. And yet, that's the story of Hosea. That's exactly what the book of Hosea is teaching.

[13:21] Gomer, representing Israel, repeatedly breaks her vows, while Hosea, representing God, buys her back. Why? Because he loves her.

[13:35] That's the story of Hosea. And it's outrageous. It's absolutely outrageous. And such is the love of God. But notice this on the screen, faith family.

[13:47] The love of God is not pathetic. The love of God is not pathetic. It's just permanent. It's not pathetic. It's permanent. It's a love that will not let you go.

[14:00] It's a love that is not going anywhere. It is a love that will not forsake you, no matter how many times you forsake God.

[14:11] You see, the great news of unconditional love is this. It has no conditions. The great news of God's unconditional love is it has no conditions at all.

[14:24] Here's the real question. The real question is, what is wrong with us? What's wrong with us? As Lisa asked in that opening story, she asked, who would reject this kind of desire?

[14:39] Who would turn away from this kind of love? Faith family, why do we settle for bad lovers? Why do we reject the very love that would make us whole?

[14:51] Why do we turn from the very thing that would satisfy us the most? Verse 13 again. I would redeem them.

[15:01] I desire them. I love them. I want them. I want to purchase them. But, they speak lies against me.

[15:13] Now, zoom in here, alright, faith family. Listen closely. This is so insightful. You've got to listen to this. The reason Israel rejected God and God's redeeming love was because she spoke or she believed lies about God.

[15:36] Now, please stop and think about that with me for just a moment because I believe this is really insightful. What it means is, the reason you don't want God the way He wants you is because there are things you believe about God that aren't true.

[15:55] The reason you don't want God the way He wants you is because you believe things about God that aren't true. You have a false notion of who God is and what He is like and because you believe that false notion of what God is like, you don't go to Him.

[16:16] You don't love Him and instead, you run after other things and you have other lovers. Notice this on the screen. I believe this will preach right here. If you saw God rightly, you would desire God fully.

[16:34] If you saw God rightly, you would desire God fully. So what I want to do for the rest of our time is to unpack this.

[16:45] In other words, here's what I'm suggesting. God loves His people. God wants to be with His people. I would redeem them. The problem is the reluctance is on their part.

[16:56] The rejection is on their part. And why are they rejecting my love and my redemption? It's because they believe lies. They don't have a full understanding of who I am.

[17:07] They're not believing in the true God. And the more that they would truly know me, they couldn't help but want me and love me and make me the chief object of their hearts.

[17:24] So this is really significant, faith family. A lot is on the line here. What are the lies we believe about God that keep us from experiencing His love?

[17:36] Notice here, first point is the myths of our unbelief. The myths of our unbelief. What are these lies we believe about God?

[17:46] Now, in verse 13, which we've read several times now, this verse, nor the verses that follow tell us what the lies are. In other words, when it says, but they speak lies against me, you might expect in verse 14 for it to tell you what those lies are.

[18:04] But it doesn't. Nor anywhere else following that verse. And so, the reader is left to ask, okay, well, what are these lies that Israel believes about God or speaks about God?

[18:17] And we want to do faithful exegesis at Faith Family. We want to make sure we get it as best as we can right from the text. So, if the verse doesn't give you what the lies are, the next step in exegesis or understanding the Scriptures would be, is there anything in the totality of the book that might help us understand what these lies are?

[18:42] In other words, what's the book about? What's the book of Hosea about? What is Israel doing from which we might understand where their lies come from?

[18:52] And so, here's a quick review of the main issue in the book of Hosea. See if you can figure out what's going on. And I'm going to run through this quickly. Hosea 1-2.

[19:04] When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take yourself a wife of Hortum and have children of Hortum and the land commits great Hortum by forsaking the Lord.

[19:16] Then you go to chapter 2, verse 13. I will punish her for the feast of the days of Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry and went after other lovers and forgot me.

[19:30] Now you jump to chapter 3, chapter 3, verse 1. The Lord said to me, Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Even as the Lord loves the children of Israel though they turn to other gods.

[19:45] And then you jump to chapter 4, verse 17. Ephraim is joined to idols. Leave him alone. When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring.

[19:58] And then you jump to chapter 5, verse 3. I know Ephraim and Israel is not hidden from me. For now, O Ephraim, you have played the whore. Israel is defiled.

[20:09] Their deeds do not permit them to return to the Lord. For the spirit of whoredom is within them and they do not know the Lord. You jump to chapter 6, verse 10.

[20:20] In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing. Ephraim's whoredom is there. Then you jump to chapter 7, verse 4. They are all adulterers like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire.

[20:35] Then you jump to chapter 8, verse 9. For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone. Ephraim has hired lovers. And then you jump to chapter 9, verse 1.

[20:47] Rejoice not, O Israel. Exult not like the peoples for you have played the whore. Forsaking your God you have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors.

[21:01] Whew! That's a lot. And I intentionally wanted to read every one of those verses so that you would realize it doesn't take a seminary degree to figure out what the issue is.

[21:12] The primary issue, the ultimate issue in the book of Hosea is the issue of idolatry or what we've called spiritual adultery. The loving other things more than you love God.

[21:26] That is what Israel has been doing. That's what's getting addressed in the book. So here's the question. Are you still with me, Faith Family? The question we should ask is this. I think this is so insightful.

[21:39] God teaches. What is it about our idolatry that teaches us lies about God? What is it about our idolatry that reaffirms or teaches us lies that we speak about God?

[22:01] And once we start believing those lies which we learned from our idols, those lies keep us from actually running to the very redeeming love God wants us to experience.

[22:17] What are these myths, if you will, that we learn from our idols? I want to give you three and I'll try to give them to you quickly. Here's myth number one. Myth number one that we believe, we learned it from our idols, it's not true about God, and it keeps us from experiencing the love of God.

[22:35] Myth number one is that God's acceptance is based on my performance. God's acceptance is based on my performance.

[22:48] Now listen to me, faith family. I showed you previously in this series that Israel, hang with me, Israel is worshiping God the same way you worship Baal.

[23:02] In chapter two, you'll remember we talked about that they were even calling God Baal. God says, no longer will you call me Baal.

[23:14] In other words, they're worshiping God the same way they're worshiping the other gods. Well, how do you worship Baal? How do you worship the false gods? Listen, listen, listen, you perform.

[23:25] you perform for them. You do what makes the gods happy, so in return, they'll make you happy.

[23:37] We believe the lie and we learn it from our idols, notice this on the screen, that God's acceptance of us is based on law, that is what we do, instead of love.

[23:51] God's acceptance is based on law instead of love. And so, what happens is this, and I'm just going to tell you before I say this, I've been there. I've been there, and I know some of you have been there.

[24:05] And this is how it works, is that you perform for God, you try to be the best you can be for God, you try to live up to the law for God, you try to be as religious as you can be, you do everything you can to have the squeaky clean life, and you perform to the point of exhaustion.

[24:28] You are spiritually spent. And what happens is because you know it was never enough.

[24:38] Deep down, you know that everything you did at best was filthy rags. You did the best that you could do, and it still fell short. And so, do you know what you did? You stopped desiring God.

[24:53] You stopped going to God because you started thinking, what's the point? Whatever I do is not enough. And for those of you that have followed my teaching for many years, you know that I've shared a story how in high school I got to the point where it was like feeling like my whole Christianity was based on what I did for God, and I crashed and burned, and there was a point when I just said, God, I don't want to do this anymore.

[25:21] I'm just done with you. Because whatever I do, it's never enough, and I try to be the best person I could be, and yet this stuff happens, like I don't want to do this anymore, and it was like the Spirit of God in that moment said, finally, it's about time you stop thinking that this is about your performance.

[25:46] performance. But that's what our idols teach us. Because in the rest of life, we're performing to keep our idols happy. And so we think the same thing must be true about God when it's actually a lie that keeps us from Him.

[26:06] What is God trying to teach His people? Hosea 6, verse 6, look at this. I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

[26:22] You see, Faith Family, the point of the law which gave the instruction of do this and don't do that and perform these sacrifices, the point of the law was to prove that God's acceptance of you could only be a matter of love.

[26:39] it could never be based on the law. You know why? Because you suck at keeping the law. You're terrible at keeping the law. You fall short a whole lot more than you ever live up which was the reason why God gave the law.

[26:55] To prove to you that unlike your idols you don't have to perform for Him because your relationship is based on love not law.

[27:06] Don't you see? Idolatry which is the theme of the book actually teaches us a lie about God and if we believe that lie namely that my acceptance is based on my performance then I'm eventually going to burn out and say forget this I don't want to come to you anymore because it doesn't work.

[27:30] And until you start to realize that your acceptance is based on His performance not yours only then will you truly be free to come to Him and make Him the object of your love.

[27:47] You see idols teach us a lie about God as I perform for my boss and perform for my spouse and perform for my parents I translate that same myth to God until I stop pursuing Him I stop desiring Him.

[28:04] I would redeem them but they speak lies about me. Here's the second myth I think that is based in idolatry which is the theme of the book is this God alone is not enough for my needs.

[28:21] God alone is not sufficient for my needs. Now the reason and I've taught this too the reason why Israel has turned to Baal the reason why Israel is worshipping other gods specifically Baal is for provision.

[28:36] It is because Israel has believed listen faith family that God isn't sufficient enough to give them what they need they need God and these other things if they're ever going to get the good life.

[28:49] Do you remember this? Hosea chapter 2 verse 5 notice this for their mother has played the whore she who conceived them has acted shamefully for she said I will go after my lovers so there's the idol worship I'll go after my lovers who give me my bread and my water and my wool and my flax and my oil and my drink right here faith family idolatry is the lie idolatry or the lie the idols teach you is this that in addition to God you need other things to have the good life you need other things to enjoy life I need God plus fill in the blank I need God plus this in order for my life to be sufficient for my life to be fulfilled but God help us but eventually eventually your love for that idol is going to surpass your love for God and you'll stop going to him you say how do you know well I don't know it's what

[30:02] Jesus said you can't serve two masters you see the drawl of idolatry is that it will give you something that only God can give you we've talked about this and so what happens is it becomes God and my idol why because God alone is not enough I need this to give me my flax and my oil and my wool and my bread and water I need something that God can't give and so I have two masters I have two gods or three or six or whatever and what is inevitably going to happen is that these false gods are going to squeeze out the real God and we don't go to him anymore we don't desire him anymore I would redeem them but they speak lies against me here's the third myth that I think we believe from our idol worship is this my sin is too great for

[31:08] God's love my sin is too great for God's love and you say where are you by the way I'm taking all of this out of Hosea we may not be going back and reading every single verse but trust me all of this is coming from the text and where I'm taking this point specifically is do you remember back in chapter 5 back in Hosea chapter 5 when Israel realizes her sin she realizes the mess that she has made and do you remember when Israel rather than going to God goes to Assyria it's chapter 5 verse 13 if you want to look it up she runs to Assyria in the hopes that the king of Assyria will be able to cure her problem will be able to heal her and here's the idea how many times do we take our issues the stuff that we're dealing with to other people instead of God because we don't really think that

[32:09] God could love someone who is struggling with that we don't really think that God could love someone who has done that I think in a lot of ways we're like the prodigal son do you remember that story in Luke 15 when the prodigal son convinced himself convinced himself that there was no possible way he could ever be received as a son if he were to return to the father the best he could be is a hired slave that was the thinking of the prodigal and we think the same way based on what I've done there's listen there's no way I can go to God so I gotta go to something else there's no way I can go to God so I gotta go to something else I've gotta go to my idols and it looks like this we sin and we tell ourselves that since God will accept us no more because he would never receive us as a son or daughter will go to something that will the bottle a best friend making more money because our idols have convinced us of the lie that they will accept us even when

[33:31] God will not I don't know if you're still with me faith family but I think this is so incredibly insightful for us oh that I would redeem them but they speak lies that is all of these lies my relationship is based on performance that God alone is not enough that my sin is too big to take to God how could he love someone like me these are lies we've learned from our idolatry and they keep us from desiring God keep us from enjoying God and resting in his love but why do we believe these lies why do we believe these lies let me talk secondly about the motivation of our unbelief what motivates us to even want to believe these lies in the first place now I think the reason here just quickly is that we want to believe the lies we want to believe these things that our relationship is based on performance that he could never love somebody who's done what

[34:38] I've done that he's not sufficient that there's a sense within us that wants to believe that these things are true and why is that the case why is that the case right motivation love is if love love is unconditional and that he really loves us and really desires us then we lose all grounds for boasting we lose all grounds for boasting if God's love is not based on us our performance but it's based on him alone it's unconditional then you can't take credit for anything you can't you can't take credit for anything and in a performance based culture like ours the last thing that we want is to give up our boasting oh that's the last thing we want to give up is our ability to boast and I did something but notice this on the screen this will preach a sermon family look at it

[35:43] Pharisees would rather perform than be purchased Pharisees would rather perform than be purchased I'd rather be distant from God than admit I'm desperate for God and so what happens hang with me we hold on to the lie of the law at the expense of experiencing his love we hold on to the law it's got to be about my performance even though it's a lie I want to believe it because I don't want to give up my boasting I want this in some way to be about me I am at my core a Pharisee I don't need purchased it's about performing and so we hold on to the lie because we don't want to believe the truth we don't really want to believe the unconditional love of God because grounds of boasting here's a second motivation is that if we really believe in the unconditional love of

[36:51] God we lose all grounds for excuses we lose all grounds for excuses see if you believe the lie that God is not for you then why should you be for him and notice this if you can convince yourself that God's love for you is conditional then your love for him can be conditional if you can convince yourself the unconditional love of God can't be true it's got to be based on conditions then my love for him can be based on conditions it's like in the garden of Eden if I believe that God is not for me well then I can excuse my eating of the fruit you see and so what happens is rather than on to the lie to justify my own lack of love but if God's love is unconditional then there is no excuse for refusing to go to him no matter how bad my sin may be is this making sense to you faith family not only if

[38:04] I really accept that God's love for me is unconditional not only do I have no grounds for boasting I have no grounds for excuses why are you not going to him when the whole basis of his love for you is no strings attached yeah but it's unconditional yeah but it's unconditional yeah but it's unconditional you don't have any excuse but to run to him and enjoy him and make him the chief object of your heart's desire you see the point I'm trying to make is God wants to redeem his people I would redeem them that's what the verse says but they speak lies against me that is there are lies there are false notions about God that we learned from our idols that keep us from going to him!

[39:04] they keep us reluctant lie and what I'm arguing is because deep down we don't want to truly believe it's unconditional because once we let go of that lie that God's love is conditional and believe the truth that God's love is unconditional you and I can't boast about a thing and you and I have no excuses anymore because there's nothing keeping you as Romans 8 would say from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus are you with me faith family are you getting this God loves us more than we love Him!

[39:53] God pursues us He desires us more than we desire Him why? Because we believe lies that we learn from our idols about Him and they keep us from going to Him and we'd rather keep it that way because believing the lie justifies our sin the sin of not going to Him and so my hope today is this my hope today is that you're!

[40:21] stop believing those lies about God and that you're going to believe the truth of His love and you're going to go to Him fully and completely and there will be no but of Hosea 7 13 it will be he They believed my truth.

[40:41] That's my prayer for us. And so as I kind of close this, let me just say, what is the truth that the book of Hosea is teaching us?

[40:53] What is the absolute undeniable truth that's found in this book? It's this. He loves you. He loves you.

[41:04] I would redeem them God wants to redeem a prostitute. God loves you.

[41:17] In all of your waywardness, in all of your idol worship, God still desires you. He still wants you. And immediately some of you are like, yeah, but you know, you rationalize this and you explain that.

[41:32] Listen, notice this on the screen. Stop blocking what your heart needs because of what the mind thinks. Stop blocking what your heart needs because of what the mind thinks.

[41:45] I'm not suggesting we don't renew our mind. I'm just saying, like stop overanalyzing what you've done and who you are in your past and God. Just accept what the Word says, which is, I want to redeem them.

[42:00] I love them. I desire my people. I want to be in relationship with them. He loves you, period. In all that you've done, He desires you and wants you regardless of what you think reality is.

[42:19] Because the truth is, faith family, what God says about reality is reality. Not what you think reality is. Think of this illustration and then we'll close.

[42:32] Imagine a man dealing with Parkinson's, which some of you have had to deal with this with family members. Imagine a man dealing with Parkinson's and he's experiencing hallucinations frequently.

[42:45] But he's aware that these hallucinations are happening. And so one day, he turns to a trusted family member and asks, is there a horse standing in the middle of the room?

[42:58] Is there a horse standing in the middle of the room? And this family member says, no dad, there is no horse standing in the middle of the room.

[43:10] And he accepts that reality. Listen, he accepts that reality, namely there is no horse standing in the middle of the room because he understands that his perception of the reality isn't accurate.

[43:23] That there is actually someone else who knows reality better than he does and he accepts what they are saying because they actually can see what the reality is.

[43:36] Here's my point. Faith family, I realize that the reality at times appears to be God could never love you this way. But you don't get to define reality because your sin has made you delusional.

[43:54] So what you need is not to say, well, I'm going to overthink this and I'm going to overanalyze this and based on what I've done or who I am or the character and nature of God.

[44:06] God's word says, I love you. Accept that reality because God said it. Don't care what you think or what you feel.

[44:20] God says to his people, I would redeem you. I desire you. I want you to be mine.

[44:32] And what I want you to do, faith family today, please, what I want you to do is stop overthinking this and accept this. You committed to God and you broke your vows and you ran off to other lovers and you played religious games while your heart did not love him and yet God's word is still saying to you today, come to me.

[44:57] I want to be with you. I will love you unconditionally and what I'm asking you is to accept and embrace that that is truth regardless of whatever lie you have believed.

[45:16] And if the book of Hosea, if the book of Hosea, is not enough, and it certainly should be, but if the book of Hosea is not enough, the cross certainly is.

[45:28] Because the cross is the proof of what Hosea teaches us. Listen to Romans 5 verse 8. Romans 5 verse 8. But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

[45:52] Faith family, look right here. Notice the tenses in that verse. Notice the tenses. God shows or demonstrates. That is present tense.

[46:04] Right now, in this moment, present tense, God is showing you something. God is demonstrating something. God is revealing something right now. Not yesterday, not tomorrow.

[46:16] Right now, in this present moment. And what is He showing you? He's showing you His love for sinners. People who have repeatedly fallen short, like gomers.

[46:29] So, how is He now showing you, proving to you, demonstrating to you, that He loves you? Sinner that you are.

[46:41] Answer, Christ died for us. Past tense. Here's the point, faith family.

[46:52] Here's the point. There is a past event, the death of Jesus Christ, that secures a present reality.

[47:04] Listen, namely, the proof that God desires you today. There is a past event, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, that demonstrates, guarantees, proves to you, that today, present tense, you are loved, and desired by God, though a sinner you are.

[47:30] That's the gospel. That is what we find in Jesus Christ. And it is based on absolutely nothing that you have done. It's based entirely on what Christ has done for you.

[47:46] And the moment that you really believe that, and you truly receive that, God will not be able to be anything but the chief object and love of your life.

[48:00] The lover of your soul. The one you desire more than anything else. So, faith family, Lisa Phillips' story is not just her story.

[48:16] It's the story of the book of Hosea. It's the story of the gospel. It's the story of the God who desires you, though you do not desire Him.

[48:29] Who is faithful to you, though you're not always faithful to Him. Who will not walk away from you, even though you walk away from Him. It's the story of the one who, according to Revelation 3, in verse 20, stands at the door and knocks.

[48:52] So maybe you should ask yourself the same thing Lisa asked herself. Who would reject this kind of desire?

[49:04] Who would turn away from this kind of love? Listen here, wayward wife. Listen here, prodigal son.

[49:16] It is time for you to stop believing the lies. And start believing the truth of God.

[49:28] His boundless love for you. Let me pray for us. God, thank you for your word to us today.

[49:39] And just even that one phrase of that one verse, the seeing your desire for your people. Oh, how you would redeem Israel. The reluctance was Israel kept believing lies.

[49:52] They kept speaking lies. They'd learned from their idols. I pray that we would know you rightly so that we would desire you fully. And if there is something going on in our hearts today that is keeping us from desiring you with all of our heart, I pray God that you would help us understand what is it about you we're not believing?

[50:15] What lie is it that we have believed instead of the truth? And that we would turn from that lie and we would believe you for every word you say is true.

[50:27] And when you say, I love you, when you say, I have already, through the crucifixion, demonstrated all you need today to know you're loved, that we would believe that and we would rest in that.

[50:42] And it would free us to run to you with all our hearts. May it be. In Jesus' name. Amen. Hey, thanks for being a part of our worship time today.

[50:54] I hope that you've been encouraged by our time of worship and our time in the Word. And we would love just to hear from you here at Faith Family Church if you need to talk to somebody about having a relationship with Jesus Christ or there's a step of obedience that you would like to make.

[51:12] Maybe you just have a prayer request that you would like for us to be praying for. We want to hear from you. We would love to be able to minister to you. And so if you could just drop us an email at ForTheGospelGatherings at gmail.com ForTheGospelGatherings at gmail.com We would love to follow up with you and minister to you however we can.

[51:32] So thanks for being a part of our service today. I hope that this whole series is being an encouragement to you as we learn about the boundless love of God.

[51:43] We'll see you again next week.