FHBC Sermon Notes

Sermon Audio: Click to Listen
Scripture: Hosea 4 - Listen
This is not the word of Jim, it is the Word of the Lord and it is a hard one. We are not making the accusation God is. Wow this passage is full. There is a lot in it to ponder.
Jim spends most of today's sermon setting the context for this passage and on the first couple of verses. The rest of the passage he goes over in Part II of this sermon.

1. God makes an accusation against the people for their sin. (4:2-13)
• Every act God did was to show his devotion to the his bride, his people. Even so the people left
• We spend time learning in books and study, but only in the practice, the giving of our lives to the subject do we truly know it.  Israel does not know God, because they have not walked with Him.  They know His Word and His law, but because they have not walked with Him, then the Word he requires has not been written on their hearts.
• Application: - Does our life reflect God, just because we come to church, read our bible or devotional study?  After we faithful when we just check off the list?  Israel said, we are celebrating your feast days, offering our sacrifices. What about us? Are we truly faithful? Are we the husband giving flowers because it is our duty?
• Their sins were not just sins of omissions, which is enough for the accusation. But here is the list (v2) of sins that are sins of commission found amongst the people.  When we do not respond to the Word before us, when we omit, then God gives us over to sins of commission (Romans 1)
• What about us? Do we ascribe to the Lord when we have not involved him at all.  Do we say we pray, when we really don't.  Do we say we are taking things to the Lord, when in fact we have done no such thing. 
• Do we murder? Jesus says hate towards your brother in the heart is murder.
• Do we steal? Do we say, sure I'll do that at work, then slack off. Does our spouse as for a task to be done only to 
• Do we do adultery?  Jesus says, Lust in the heart is the same. Pornography gentleman? This accusation includes emotional adultery. "I wish my husband that man. Why can't my husband be like him." 
• So are we lawbreakers?  Yes, Yes we are.
• What is our response?  Repentance, because has made a way for us to be redeemed. God sacrificed his Son for this purpose. Christ bore the guilt for all these accusations. We can be true to our husband, to our God.  He can given us a new heart in Christ. 
• How can this repentance be real?  We must stop our justifications. We persist in our sins when all our efforts are all to justify our position.  "You just don't understand".  What matters is not that we spend our time weighing ourselves against the standard of other men, but to face the standard of God, and accept the new life He has died to bring to us.  Amen. 
2. God makes an accusation against the spiritual leadership for their sins. (4:4-6)
3. God exposes the people's propensity for sin. (4:7-14)
4. God warns the people to reject worldliness. (4:15-19)