Faith Works

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James 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

Faith without works is dead … so is the so-called faith that doesn’t work.  

2 Thessalonians 3:2 reveals that not all people have faith.. 

This morning we are going to take a close look at what the Bible says about faith. When faith doesn’t work, it may not be faith. 

Did you know that the word faith is only found two times in the Old Testament? Once in Deuteronomy 32:20 where God talks about a generation in whom there is no faith, and the other is in Habakkuk 2:4 where the prophet declares that the just shall live by their faith. 

Even though the word faith is only found two times in all of the Old Testament, people demonstrating their faith are found on almost every page. The Old Testament is a written account detailing how people proved their faith by what they did during that O.T. period of about 4000 years.  

The writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews gives us a few details concerning some of those Old Testament heroes who lived their faith.   

Hebrews 11 (Truncated) 

4  By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain … 

5  By faith Enoch was taken away because he pleased God. 

7  By faith Noah prepared an ark for the saving of his household … 

8  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called … 

11  By faith Sarah received strength and bore a child… 

17  By faith Abraham offered up Isaac … 

20  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau … 

21  By faith Jacob blessed each of his sons and worshipped … 

22  By faith Joseph gave instructions concerning his bones … 

23  By faith Moses was hidden by his parents … 

24  By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter. 

30  By faith the walls of Jericho fell down. 

31  By faith Rahab the harlot received the spies … 

32ff  Through faith Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, women and others subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of the fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, received their dead raised to life again and went through terrible torture and hardships and obtained a good testimony … all through faith … 

So you see – faith is the story of the Old Testament. What is faith? We see it active in the lives of our heroes in the Old Testament. However, the New Testament explains exactly what faith really is and what it is not.  

• · Faith is not a feeling that we work up in efforts to push the God button and get what we want. 
  
• · Rather 
  
• · Faith is – “Trust in the Truth.” 
  
• o Without truth, a person cannot have faith. 
  
• o For example:  
  
• § You cannot have faith that there is no God. 
  
• § A person cannot have faith in evolution. 
  
• § Personal beliefs, public opinion, heartfelt desire, collective experiences, or a show of hands will not make something true. 
  
• o God is truth and faith is only found in Him. 
  
• · You see … 

Truth is tangible.  

Hebrews 11:1 ¶  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

• · Substance and evidence. 
  
• · We can know truth. 

Truth is pre-existent.  

• · Jesus is pre-existent 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

• · Jesus was pre-existent 
  
• · Man was not pre-existent 
  
• · Truth was pre-existent 
  
• · Therefore Man is subject to truth. Truth is not subject to man. 

Truth is absolute. 

Psalms 119:142 ¶  Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. 

• · Truth is absolute, not relative.  
  
• · Truth doesn’t change with the times. 
  
• · Faith depends on truth; truth does not depend on faith to be true. 
  
• · Believing something won’t make it true if it was not true beforehand. 

Truth is eternal. 

Psalms 117:2  For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! 

• · Even death cannot escape the truth. 
  
• · Heaven and earth will pass away, but the truth will remain forever. 

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Thy Truth; Thy Word is Truth. 

Faith that works must be based on three essential elements. These three are the foundation stones of truth. The 3 bedrocks of truth are: 

• 1. The Word of God 
  
• 2. The Will of God 
  
• o Our belief does not supersede the will of God. 
  
• 3. The Way of God 

John 4:24  “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  

Placing your bet on the wrong horse will make you a loser every time. Trust God! 

For further study: 

John 15:26 ¶  “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 

John 18:37  Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 

John 18:38  Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all. 

Galatians 4:16  Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? 

Hebrews 11 

2  For by faith the elders of Israel obtained a good testimony. 

3  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 

John 8 

31 ¶  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 

32  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 

Truth is powerful 

Truth is potential

Dynamic Duos (Part VI) Aquila & Priscilla: A Team for Christ

We are finishing our series here in the first service entitled “Dynamic Duos.” We have been looking at influential couples in the Bible. We have looked at: 

• • Adam and Eve 
  
• • Abraham and Sarah 
  
• • Amram and Jochebed 
  
• • Ahab and Jezebel 
  
• • Hosea and Gomer 

Today we are finishing our series by focusing on our final couple of our series, Aquila and Priscilla. We have talked about couples who were influential in their own context. Today, we are going to look at how the influence of Aquila and Priscilla impacted the people around them. In fact, we will see that Aquila and Priscilla were arguably the most influential couple of the early church that are mentioned in the Bible. Let’s talk about this amazing couple found in the NT. 

Who were Aquila and Priscilla? 

Acts 18:1-3 ESV 

“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” 

• • Aquila was a Jew from Pontus; Priscilla was from Italy 
  
• • Together they were a married couple in the NT church 
  
• • Originally from Italy, they traveled to Corinth as part of the Expulsion Edict of Claudius 
  
• • All Jews were ordered to leave Rome, Italy was a part of Rome 
  
• • They were also Christians who worked alongside the Apostle Paul in profession and ministry 
  
• • They were tentmakers by trade, which is most likely how they met Paul 

What were they known for? 

• They were known for their partnership in the gospel with Paul in ministry 

• They were heavily involved in their local church  

Lessons we learn from Aquila and Priscilla: 

• 1. They were faithful wherever they were 
  
• • Aquilla & Priscilla were influential because they were faithful to God no matter where they were 
  
• • They traveled from Italy to Corinth after being expelled 
  
• • They moved from Corinth to Ephesus to help plant a church in Ephesus 
  
• • They moved from Ephesus back to Rome once it was safe to do so 
  
• • No matter where they were, they were faithful in serving God 
  
• • They did not leave their faith behind when they moved, but were missionaries in their everyday life, wherever God called them 
  
• • Paul was able to count on them when it mattered no matter what 
  
  
• - We too can make a difference by being faithful to God where we are 
  
• - The best place to be in life is where God has you right now 
  
• - Can God count on you to do what He needs done? 
  
• - Be faithful where you are in church, at work, with loved ones, in public, etc. 
  
  
• 2. They used their profession to advance the gospel 
  
• • Aquila and Priscilla did not quit their jobs in order to do the work of God 
  
• • They used their work as a launching pad to advance the kingdom of God 
  
• • As tentmakers, they were able to work on the road and travel wherever they needed to go 
  
• • Their profession allowed them to interact with all kinds of people from all walks of life 
  
• • They set aside a part of their income to help fund the work of God 
  
• • Their skill and handiwork would have generated respect from consumers and other trades

• - God is willing and wanting to use our profession and learned trades to advance the gospel 
  
• - We don’t need to quit our jobs in order to do the work of God 
  
• - Instead, we can use our work as a launching pad to accomplish the will of God 
  
  
• 3. They willingly poured into others 
  
• • Acts 18:24-26 NKJV - “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” 
  
• • Apollos was a very “eloquent man” and was well versed in the scriptures 
  
• • When he arrived in Ephesus he preached with passion, but lacked proper understanding of the scriptures concerning Christ 
  
• • Aquila and Priscilla invited Apollos to their home and taught him “the way of God more accurately” 
  
• • They cared enough to pour the truth into other believers and mentor them along the way 
  
• • They also opened up their home to host a church in order to help shepherd God’s people 
  
• • They may have not been apostles, but they still allowed God to use them in raising up faithful disciples who follow Him 
  
• - We too have been called to raise up faithful followers of Christ  
  
• - We do this by pouring the truth into others believers around us 
  
• - You may not know as much as others, but knowing the most is not the qualification needed to disciple other people 
  
• - The truth you do know (live), you have that to be able to share with others 
  
• - Be willing to pour into other believers and teach them how to faithfully follow the Lord 
  
  
• 4. They were a team for Christ 
  • Aquila and Priscilla are always mentioned together in the Bible

• • Everything they did, they did together (tent making, discipling, teaching, leading, etc) 
  
• • They used their gifts together to become a dynamic duo for Christ 
  
• • They were in sync with God and with one another 
  
• • They supported each other through times of transition (Acts 18:2) 
  
• • Ultimately, the two of them together were a team for Jesus to accomplish His plans 
  
  
• - Together, we can choose to be a team for Christ with our spouse 
  
• - While there are things you and you spouse will do separate, you can many things together 
  
• - Get together and communicate with one another in how you both can be effective for Jesus 
  
• - While it is important to be in sync with God, it is just as important to be in sync with your spouse as well 
  
• - We are a team when we support our spouse through difficulty and transitions in life 

Takeaways: 

• 1. Be faithful where God has you right now 
  
  
• 2. Allow God to use your work/profession 
  
  
• 3. Be willing to pour into others 
  
  
• 4. Team up with God in your marriage 
  

Father’s Day

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Psalms 68:5  A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 

Throughout the scriptures we see an undeniable concern voiced by God for children in general but more expressly for those who are without fathers. Fathers are designed and intended to be dominant influencers in the lives of children.  

I often encourage parents to consider they are not raising children but rather they are raising adults. Parents are given a precious and special time in a child’s life when they are totally dependent. This impressionable period called childhood is designed to give time to shape and mold their futures.  

To be raised in a safe and sane environment is God’s hope for every child. I am not suggesting the circumstances necessitating single parent experiences dooms a child to unavoidable failures. However, statistics reveal just how important a father is to a home and to the health of the family. 

According to research published by an organization called No Longer Fatherless: (www.nolongerfatherless.org): 

• · 85% of juveniles in prison come from fatherless homes. 
  
• · 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. 
  
• · 90% of all homeless and runaway children come from fatherless homes. 
  
• · 60% of youth suicides come from fatherless homes. 

In June 2024, AmericaFirstPolicy.com reported that fatherless families are 4X more likely to live in poverty, and girls raised in a fatherless home are 8 times more likely to experience teen pregnancy.  

Studies confirm 1 in 4 children living in the US today live in a home without a father. Not every situation can be settled by simply positioning a man in the household. And it is not always a choice as well as the sad fact that some men simply make things worse.

This morning I don’t intend to direct this message at homes without a father. Rather, today’s message is intended to impact fathers … men who still have a chance to impact the life of a child. Today, I want to talk to fathers and to those of you who are willing to pray for our fathers and encourage them to be what their sons and daughters so desperately need. 

When God could have been anything, He chose to be a Father. God called Jesus His Son, Jesus called God Abba Father. 

Mark 14:36  And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” 

God has chosen to adopt you. He sees you as His children and Himself as your Father. 

Romans 8:15  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 

There is no higher calling than to be like God. The privilege of being in the place and in the position of God is an honor and a gift given to us men by God Himself. If you have been chosen to be a father, you have an image to uphold. Children often imagine God is a whole lot like their daddy. 

No child chooses to be born, and no child chooses their father when they are born. Choosing your father is the individual responsibility of every adult when they come to the age of accountability. The burden of choice sits squarely on every man and every woman. Each person will choose the Father they will honor in life much in the same way they choose to follow either God or the devil.  

Jesus knew the children of God and the children of the devil saying in John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil …” because you are acting just like him. He is a liar and a murderer and you’re more influenced by him than by God. 

Both the spiritual and the natural courses of life follow much the same pattern. Up until the age we begin making our own decisions, our fathers are pretty much given to us without our permission. After the age of accountability, we choose.  

So fathers … if we hope to be chosen and continue to be a father to our children later in life, there are some God qualities we need to have in place in our lives. Here are a few to remind us: 

• · A Father loves his children and tells them so. 
  
• o By what he says. 
  
• o By what he does. 

1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! … 

• o God is proud to call us His children, and He wants everyone to know. 

• · A Father is kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. 

Ephesians 4:32  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. 

• · A Father will never abandon his family. 
  
• o This gives the family such added security. 
  
• o Our children should always be able to depend on us saving them and saving the day.  

Hebrews 13  

5 … For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

6  So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” 

Allow me one moment to speak to children, of which we all are.  

No father wants his children to end up fatherless, but some of that responsibility belongs to the child. 

In Luke 16 the account of the prodigal son shows two children with two different attitudes making life choices. It is important to realize that our choices have consequences not only for us but also for the whole family, both now and for the future. When choosing your father … choose well. 

Choose God first and honor Him, when you agree with Him, and when you don’t.  

And fathers; I leave you with an admonition from the prophet Isaiah: 

Isaiah 1:17  Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

The Litmus Test

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Job 32:8  But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. 

Belief, faith, and trust are choices. Every person has a standard by which they judge and accept truth. For some, proof must come wrapped in science while others are driven by and even willing to fight over their opinions, still others base their beliefs on the experiences they’ve had in life.

We all have qualifying factors by which we judge truth.

I personally think the worst standard people often use to judge truth is that of suspicion. The devil is so adept at creating suspicion. In fact, suspicion was the very thing he used to deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3 gives a detailed account of satan in the form of a serpent planting a seed of suspicion in Eve’s mind concerning God. 

What is your litmus test for truth? 

If the most compelling argument, the most recent review, the latest trend, social issues, political polls or published research makes it true for you … then I bet you own more than one vacuum cleaner, or maybe an abundance of health care products you no longer use, or perhaps a few pieces of cookware that eggs now stick to. Lol 

Smooth talking sales pitches move the world. 

Marketing is a trillion-dollar business in America. Not every consumer is a victim of deceptive advertising. But, if you require proof in the form of scientific research before you believe, get ready … google will listen to your conversations and find just the right You Tube video with loads of evidence in support of your suspicions, whatever they may be. There is evidence it will heal you and evidence it will kill you … take the shot or don’t take the shot??? 

Smooth talking sneaky snakes are aiming to change what you believe about everything from butter to Islam, and they are good at it. The devils of today have learned to present themselves as intelligent, sophisticated, highly educated, very successful and well-groomed authorities on the ideas they wish to promote. And somebody somewhere is getting rich. 

Arguments can however be sincere without being right. Again … The aim of the devil is to influence what you believe. What influences you? What motivates you to believe one voice above another? 

We all make a decision to accept the truth we choose to follow. Whether we are moved by an outside source of information or an inner witness. Something moves us to decide. What does it take to make you believe?  

Today we are going to take our text from the sixth book of the Old Testament, the book of Joshua. I will be reading from chapter one.  

Joshua 1  NKJV 

1 ¶  After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 

2  “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them — the children of Israel. 

3  “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 

4  “From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 

5  “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 

6  “Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 

7  “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 

8  “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

9  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 

The first thing we see here, in the life of Joshua, was that Joshua believed God was speaking to him. When a person believes God is speaking to them, a certain undeniable boldness takes root.  

Here are 3 truths I gleaned from our text this morning. Again – trusting the promises of God is a choice. 

• 1. There is a “Due Time!” 
  
• a. We need to know when it is our time and our turn. 
  
• b. Like Joshua … the disciples … Moses … Esther … Mary etc. 
  
• c. There is a time for everything, and we need to understand the time and our current season of life. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) 
  
• d. The Bible says if we humble ourselves in the sight of God, He will exalt us in due time. There is a “due time.” (1 Peter 5:6) 
  
• e. Like David –  
  
• i. There was a time when he was a shepherd. He worked hard to be a good shepherd. 
  
• ii. There was a time when he was an errand boy. He needed to be a good errand boy. 
  
• iii. There was a time when he was a musician … then a soldier … he humbled himself and was a good soldier. 
  
• iv. There was a time when he was a captain of the armies of Israel. He served King Saul with his whole heart. 
  
• v. There was a time when David was the king of Judah only. For 7 years he was a good king of Judah before all Israel accepted him, and God promoted him to be Israel’s king. 
  
• vi. David knew when it was not his time, and he knew when it was his time. How? Because God spoke to him both by God’s word and by God’s Spirit. (The Book of Psalms) 

If it is your time or your turn to be a hamburger flipper at McDonalds, be the best hamburger flipper McDonalds has ever had. It will prepare you and position you and qualify you for promotions from both God and man. 

Know your time and know your turn. 

Joshua served Moses until it was his turn. He wasn’t any smarter in Joshua 1 as he was in Deuteronomy 34 … it was just his time and his turn.

 There is a “due time.” 

• 2. Embrace the promises and the plan of God for your life. 
  
• a. Remember the prophecies which have gone on before you that by them you might war a good warfare. (1 Timothy 1:18) 
  
• b. “Every place on which your foot shall tread, I have given you for an inheritance.” 
  
• c. “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. 
  
• d. Lay claim to the promises of God. Stand on the promises … 
  
• 3. The promises of God are conditional. 
  
• a. Joshua’s promise from God was contingent on him being strong and courageous. 
  
• b. He could not be dismayed or quit. 
  
• c. In order to be successful and prosper in the work and will of God, Joshua was going to have to learn and meditate on the scriptures God gave to Moses … the Bible. 
  

The Holy Spirit will take the promises of God and override the subtle lies and smooth deceptions the devil tries to prove. God uses the anointing of the Holy Spirit that is inherent on the Word of God to cleanse our hearts and minds when we choose to believe. 

John 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 

Remember, belief, faith, and trust are choices. Romans 4 says that Abraham chose to believe God – he persuaded himself to trust God above his knowledge, above his experiences, and above what others believed. We continue this day to live as beneficiaries of the choice Abraham made to believe God and take Him at His word. 

You do not have to fall victim to every sneaky snake selling their brand of truth. Make a decision and take a stand. 

What you believe and your source of truth is a choice … choose wisely. Make the Bible your most trusted litmus test!

Dynamic Duos Part V: Hosea & Gomer

We are continuing our series on Dynamic Duos. We have been looking at influential couples of the Bible and what we learn from them. So far, we have talked about: 

• • Adam & Eve: The original couple as the core of the family unit 
  
• • Abraham & Sarah: First generation pioneers 
  
• • Amram & Jochebed: Raising the next generation in a world out to get them 
  
• • King Ahab & Jezebel: A warning to every household 

Today we are in part 5 of this series. Our focus for today is another obscure couple by the name of Hosea and Gomer. Their story is found in the book of Hosea in the old testament.  

Who were Hosea and Gomer? 

Hosea was a prophet chosen by God to speak to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of spiritual unfaithfulness and moral decay. He ministered during the reign of King Jeroboam II. This is considered dark years for the northern kingdom of Israel because of their corrupt kings. Although it was a time of political prosperity, it was also a time of deep spiritual corruption. It was thriving economically, but was falling apart morally and spiritually, turning to Baal worship, idolatry, and alliances with pagan nations (like Assyria). 

Gomer was an Israelite woman (most likely) who God had commanded Hosea to marry. She is described as a promiscuous woman, someone who would be unfaithful to her husband. Despite Hosea’s love and care, Gomer continually left him to pursue other lovers. Yet God instructed Hosea to go after her, buy her back, and love her again. 

Hosea 1:2 

“When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution…”” 

(This is the epitome of a description vs a prescription from the Bible) 

What are they known for? 

Hosea and Gomer are known for having one of the most unique and symbolic relationships in the Bible.  They are remembered for being a living example of 

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God’s unconditional love and mercy. While they may not be widely known, they are remembered in scripture by Hosea’s relentless pursuit of Gomer, even after her repeated unfaithfulness, represent’s God’s pursuit of His people; despite Israel’s sin and idolatry. 

What is their story? 

God tells Hosea to marry Gomer, knowing that she was a prostitute and that she would be unfaithful to him. After their marriage, Gomer left Hosea and gave herself to other lovers. This symbolized how Israel had turned away from God and worshipped idols. 

Despite her betrayal, God tells Hosea to go find her, buy her back, and love her again.  

Hosea 3:1 - “Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover.”” 

Hosea obeyed, redeeming Gomer from a life of shame and restoring her as his wife. The story paints a powerful picture of God’s grace, redemption, and covenant love for His people—even when they are unfaithful to Him. 

Hosea and Gomer’s Influence in the Bible 

Now, in this series we have been talking about influential couples in the Bible. We have talked about Abraham and Sarah, Amram and Jochebed, even King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. These were some pretty influential couples!  

Hosea and Gomer on the other hand, was a story of a prophet marrying a prostitute who repeatedly cheated on him. On the surface, their story may not seem all that impressive. That is because they were not your typical influential couple. They were not kings, they weren’t generational leaders, they weren’t parents to a key figure who would change the entire direction of an entire nation. However, their influence is found in the symbol of their relationship that was orchestrated by God Himself to paint a picture of something greater—God’s love for His people. 

You see, Hosea and Gomer were influential to the entire nation of Israel in their time, and for generations to come. 

• 1. They became a Living Message of God’s love 
  
• a) Hosea and Gomer’s marriage visually represented God’s relationship with unfaithful Israel.  
  
• • I imagine that the people of Israel knew who Hosea was as a prophet, and knew who Gomer was as a prostitute. I imagine the imagery of their 

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• relationship would have been more powerful by knowing who these people were. 
  
• • They watched as Hosea, a holy man, took on a prostitute as a wife. They watched him choose her and only her, love her, and provide for her. They heard how Gomer left Hosea (a good man) and chose to give herself to other lovers. They also saw how Hosea went back and purchased her back out of her life of prostitution and brought her her home again, restoring her back as his wife. 
  
  
• b) Hosea’s pursuit of Gomer became a living message that deeply impacted Israel 
  
• • Like Gomer, Israel turned away from God and followed after and gave their hearts to other idols. They chose to serve those idols over God, even thought He had showed them His love and brought them out of slavery. Like Hosea, God delivered them again and again and made them His people, regardless of the fact that they continued to turn away from God. 
  
• • No doubt, this message would have struck the people of Israel at the heart. Especially due to the fact that they were under the reign of Jereboam in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which was marked with idolatry and spiritual decline. They no doubt would have understood God’s message to them. 
  
  
• c) Their story also influences us today in how we understand the depth of God’s love for us 
  
• • As painful as it is to imagine someone like Hosea marrying a harlot and pursuing her again, purchasing her with his own money, and her his wife again. As hard as that is to imagine, we are just like Gomer. 
  
• • We too turned away from God. We too have placed other gods on the throne of our life. We too were unfaithful to God. We didn’t care about God at all, nor did we care enough to look for Him. We were lost. 
  
• • Yet, though we were lost and though we turned our backs on God, He showed us His love. 
  
  Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
  
  
• • God wasn’t looking for the faithful ones and died for them. No! While we were all far from God and while we were all sinners, that is when God chose to show His love toward us, just like Hosea did with Gomer. 
  

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• • And like Gomer, we too have walked away from God at times, or have allowed other things in our life to take the place as “lord” in our life. 
  
• • Yet, God is always faithful and just to forgive us and take us back when we come back to God in repentance. 
  
  
• 2. They Revealed the Cost of Covenant 
  
• a) Their relationship shows that real love comes with a price tag. While Hosea’s love was free to Gomer, it cost Hosea so much. He paid a price to redeem Gomer. Hosea paid fifteen pieces of silver, five bushels of barley, and a measure of wine (approx. $200 in today’s economy). While the amount may not seem signifiant, the symbolism speaks volumes. Hosea’s love to redeem Gomer may have been free for her, but it cost him. 
  
• b) What a beautiful picture of God’s love for us! We all have received God’s free gift of salvation. However, while it was free for us, it cost Jesus His life. God wanted to be in covenant relationship with us. What did He do, He gave up His one and only son. Why? Because true love gives, not takes. Real love will cost you something for the person you deeply care about. If we say we love someone but we only take, then it cant be true love. Why? Because real love costs. 
  
• c) The Bible says to love your wife as Christ loves the church; wives to respect your husbands. This language here is not based in a contractual agreement but a covenant commitment. 
  
  
• 3. They Pointed to the Gospel Before the Gospel 
  
• a) Hosea foreshadowed Jesus 
  
• b) Gomer foreshadowed the Church 
  
• c) Them two together pointed to Christ’s love for the church, making their story one of the most powerful old testament pictures of the Gospel. 

Takeaways 

• I. God’s love is unconditional 
  
• • It is true that we have to place our faith in Christ in order for us to receive God’s free gift of salvation. 
  
• • However, God’s love is not dependent on what you do, but what Christ did; not based on how good you are, but in how good Christ is. 
  
  
• II. God wants your heart, not just your habits 
  

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• • Israel (like Gomer) went through the motions but wandered away from God 
  
• • God isn’t just after good behavior and church attendance, He is after our heart. God simply wants a real relationship with you. 
  
• • Going through the motions puts distance between ourselves in God. 
  
• • Let us put time aside and ensure that we are giving our hearts to God. 
  
  
• III. Your love for others should cost you something 
  
• • Hosea’s love for Gomer cost him something 
  
• • God’s love for us cost Him His one and only son 
  
• • Your love for God should cost you something 
  
• • Your love for your spouse should cost you something 
  
• • Your love for your family should cost you something 
  
• • If someone else is always having to pay for your relationship and you are a beneficiary of their love, not the other way around 
  
• • The center of any relationship you have will tell you if you truly love them 
  
• - If “they” are at the center, you will happily give of your time and attention for them  
  
• - If “you” are at the center, you will happily receive all of their time and attention for yourself 
  
• • If Jesus died for us, then out of love we should live for Him 
  
• • If we love those close to us, we must give of ourselves and make it about them. It will cost you, but real love does.

Happy Birthday!

Gtcotr/ss060125

 

According to the Jewish calendar, The Feast of Pentecost begins today, Sunday June 1, 2025, at sundown in Israel. This means that Today is the Birthday of the Church. I’m not talking about this local congregation but rather about the worldwide Church as a whole. 

 

Today the Church is almost 2000 years old. (By my rudimentary approximations – The Church is 1992 or 1993 years old today.)

 

So – Happy Birthday to the Bride of Christ in heaven and on earth! The Church is:

• The Bride of Christ

• The Body of Christ

• The Family of God

• The vehicle through which God will accomplish the Great Commission

 

Two important events occurred on this date in biblical history. The first is the giving of the 10 Commandments at Mt Sinai  (Exodus 19). The second is God sending the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. 

 

The 10 Commandments were written by the finger of God on tablets of stone. Nonetheless the event forever made the Word of God a personal responsibility. The 10 Commandments connected God and man in a whole new way. Each person became personally responsible for knowing and keeping God’s Word … to fail to do so was to sin and those cold dead stones were unable to forgive or cover sin.

 

God wanted to forgive and to be reconciled to man. He spoke of it often. Even the prophet Jeremiah prophesied:

 

Jeremiah 31 NKJV

33  “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34  “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

 

This was always God’s intent. The law could not forgive or cover sin, but Jesus can. When Jesus comes to live in your heart and makes His home in you, the Word of God will fill your mind and begin to change your life. Jesus did what the law could not do … have a living and growing relationship with you. The writer of Hebrews repeated:

 

Hebrews 10 NKJV

16  “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.”

17  then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

 

Today is the day God has set aside for us to celebrate Him sending the Holy Spirit to live in us. On the day of Pentecost prophecies were fulfilled and God’s will became reality. God changed His address and came to live in the hearts of men. His greatest desire is to fill you with His Holy Spirit and live in and through you.

 

Allow me to take the remaining few minutes and share 5 things that happen when you invite the Holy Spirit to come and live in your heart.

 

1. You will begin to understand the scriptures in a new light.

 

John 14:26  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

 

2. You won’t be as susceptible to deception.

 

John 8

31 ¶  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

32  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

 

3. Fear loses its grip on your life.

 

2 Timothy 1:7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

 

 

4. There will be a constant stream of thanksgiving, prayer and praise ongoing in your spirit. 

 

1 Thessalonians 5

16  Rejoice always,

17  pray without ceasing,

 

Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

 

5. You will be a more powerful and effective witness to others.

 

Acts 1:8  “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

 

This is not just a day to remember and celebrate the birthday of the Church. Today is a day to experience the love, the mercy, the grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit for yourself. Invite the Holy Spirit to come into your life like He did on the day of Pentecost. Make it personal … God will not disappoint you.

 

The Holy Spirit will help you to Discover your Purpose and Pursue your Destiny this morning if you will only let Him in. 

 

Let’s pray …