Hosea 6:4 – Your Faithfulness is like a Morning Cloud
2004061
Topic # 0688 (Hosea)
Introduction:
A. Nothing like walking through an evergreen forest in winter with snow cover.
1. Wind whispering through needles; snow crunching under your feet. Quiet beauty.
2. Suddenly, in distance, a cloud builds, dark, threatening. Gives way to intense flurry.
3. 30 minutes later – sun shining and flurry a distant memory.
B. When taking objective look at our Christian lives – how many could describe their spiritual life as a flurry of activity, intense, then….. Nothing.
1. How many experience extreme highs and lows w/spirituality? Hot and cold?
2. How can we get our spiritual lives to where we make continued progress & get away from extreme peaks & valleys that characterize so many spiritual lives?
C. Israelites during Hosea’s time – turned away from God. Their entire history characterized by hot/cold service.
1. Valiant service for God followed by spiritual adultery and outright rebellion.
2. After God would allow them to be oppressed – they would cry for mercy & God would deliver them.
3. Process repeated itself throughout the OT.
4. Reached a point where their crying out was in vain – because their hearts were not pure. Motives not sincere.
a) Psa. 78:34-37
b) Parallels today’s SR in Hosea 6:1-4.
I. God wants our undivided loyalty!
A. Consider 6:1-3. Sounds good! Words are exactly right.
1. But..empty, vain, “hot-air”.
2. God is exasperated w/His people. He wanted true covenant love, loyalty, mercy, and loving-kindness.
3. God was grieving that He did not have this kind of love with the people.
4. Wholehearted commitment on their part was not in evidence.
B. What did God desire?
1. Renunciation of past sin.
2. Faithful, covenant love demonstrated in actions – not just words.
3. Oh yes…there were many tearful confessions of sorrow & contrition – but no follow-through. Words nothing more than hollow-echoes.
C. 6:4 – their repentance based on fickle emotion.
1. Israel’s loyalty was as fleeting & changeable as a morning mist or dew that evaporates when the sun comes up.
2. 6:3 – Contrast their faithfulness to God’s.
a) God was absolutely faithful to them.
b) Faithfulness demonstrated with the regularity of the dawn.
3. Israel: when the feelings of remorse wore off – the commitment to change was forgotten.
D. What about us today? How devoted are we? Do we serve God w/a deep sense of loyalty?
1. Mt. 22:36-37 – our love for God should squeeze out loyalty to everything else!
2. Gal. 2:20 – Have we completely put off old self? Can we repeat these words with Paul?
3. Want to get away from spiritual peaks & valleys? Do a check on your loyalty!
a) Remember: you are a child of God. You are an heir of promise.
b) Don’t hold onto the world.
E. When the remorse of committing sin wears off – do we move back toward our old ways?
1. Get caught in a spiritual rut?
a) that rut can become your spiritual grave OR
b) Work to get out of it!
2. Seek to change your bad habits – don’t justify them!
3. Appreciate what you have in Christ! Move closer to God – not farther from Him! Js. 4:7-10
II. God expects more than minimal service.
A. How many services can I miss & still be pleasing to God?
B. How can I tend to all my physical responsibilities & still put in what I need to do spiritually?
C. What is the least amount I can give and God still be pleased?
D. While we may never actually speak these statements- we can spell them out in our actions.
1. We may be more shallow, superficial than we care to admit.
2. And..After serving w/minimums – some have the audacity to say I don’t get anything out of it…
3. It’s nobody’s fault but your own if you’re not getting anything out of your spirituality!
E. Serving God with minimal service suggests:
1. A poor relationship with God.
2. a low appreciation of salvation from sin
3. a lessened amount of love for Jesus
4. A weak desire to go to heaven.
F. Romans 6:17 – we must obey from the heart!
1. God will not force us to serve Him – 2 Tim. 2:11-13.
2. Don’t quit being a disciple – Rom. 8:29
3. Don’t quit living for Him! 2 Cor. 5:15
4. Always move closer to God! Upward! Heavenward! Phil. 3:14
5. Get your eyes on the upward track!
III. The Scriptures Demand More than 5 Step Salvation!
A. We must move to get away from the foundation of our belief!
1. 2 Pet. 3:18 – we’ve been commanded to grow!
a) Not optional. Can’t pick/choose! Must seek to b/c stronger!
2. Heb. 6:1-2 – must press on to maturity! Would you consider yourself to be mature in Christ?
B. Heb. 12:14 – holiness/sanctification (ASV) Actions must be transformed! Seek to be like Jesus!
C. Phil. 3:15 – ASV – perfected – NKJV – mature. We need to change our attitude!
1. 2 Cor. 3:18 – actions/attitude changing will help us to be transformed. Our eyes will be looking upward.
2. Lk. 6:40 – we will then be a disciple of Jesus – like Him!
a) Experience the joy/satisfaction that comes through discipleship.
IV. God is calling you to Discipleship.
A. He wants you to be like Him! To look upward! We’ve got privileges in the Lord! Blessings.
1. 2 Thess. 2:14 – calling you to be a disciple through the gospel.
2. Not in a dream; feeling; signs & wonders – but through the teaching of the gospel!
3. Done through Bible study; teaching; listening to sermon; meditation on good things!
B. Col. 3:1-3 – have you set your mind?
1. Keep seeking above – don’t flatten out!
2. Don’t be bored/get in a rut.
3. Don’t drag that dead body of sin around w/you.
4. Remember the direction you’re going!
Conclusion:
A. God has always desired a close, meaningful relationship with mankind.
B. Look at what He desired for Israel: Hosea 11:1-4
1. They spat in His face. They rebelled against Him. They walked away from Him.
C. Look at what He desires for us: 2 Corinthians 5:15-21
1. Will you spit in God’s face? Will you choose to rebel? Will you walk away from Him?
2. If you serve Him w/the minimums – don’t expect to be rewarded!
D. The sin of disloyalty and neglect must be repented of to be cured! To ignore it brings defeat. Eph. 2:1-6
E. I N V I T A T I O N
