Amazing Grace: Hosea (sermon notes)

Always have to start my sermons with something funny:
Here’s some advice on Finding a wife Biblically:
Find an attractive prisoner of war, bring her home, shave her head, trim her nails, and give her new clothes. Then she's yours. -- Deuteronomy chapter 21
Find a man with seven daughters, and impress him by watering his flock. – That’s what Moses did in Exodus chapter 2
Purchase a piece of property, and get a woman as part of the deal. -- Boaz in Ruth chapter4
Go to a party and hide. When the women come out to dance, grab one and carry her off to be your wife. – the Benjamites did this in Judge chapter 21
Have God create a wife for you while you sleep. Note: this will cost you a rib. – Adam,
Genesis 2
Agree to work seven years in exchange for a woman's hand in marriage. Get tricked into marrying the wrong woman. Then work another seven years for the woman you wanted to marry in the first place. That's right. Fourteen years of toil for your woman. (I’ve only been at it for 10 years myself)—This is Jacob’s story in Genesis 29
Even if no one is out there, just wander around a bit and you'll definitely find someone. That’s what Cain did in Genesis 4
Become the emperor of a huge nation and hold a beauty contest. -- Xerxes or Ahasuerus, Esther 2
When you see someone you like, go home and tell your parents, "I have seen a ...woman; now get her for me." Samson in Judges 14
Wait for your brother to die. Take his widow. (It's not just a good idea, it's the law). -- Onan and Boaz, Deuteronomy or Leviticus, example in Ruth)
Don't be so picky. Make up for quality with quantity. – Solomon, 1 Kings 11
and last but not least...
Find a prostitute and marry her. -- Hosea chapter 1

Today we continue a new sermon series on Amazing Grace…
Today we’re not just looking at amazing grace…we’re looking at scandalous grace
Hosea 1
Could you imagine God asking you to take as your bride a harlot to show amazing Grace, to show that God puts up with His Children’s harlotry everyday, unfaithfulness, no commitment, despising covenants, etc.
Again I encourage you to finish this book of the Bible this week in your personal Bible study…Hosea is called a minor prophet, but trust me, the lessons contained in this book are anything but minor!

The New Bible Dictionary explains…This first book in the collection of twelve small prophetic writings which conclude our Old Testament comes from the 8th century BC and, along with Amos, is addressed to the North Kingdom of Israel, often called by Hosea Ephraim. There is every indication that the prophet had his home in the N and loved the land and its people. It was therefore all the more painful for him to have to issue rebukes and threats when appeals went unheeded. The intensity of his emotion may be gauged from his vivid use of language. He packs metaphors and similes into allusions which in his day were no doubt extremely telling, though their exact meaning sometimes escapes the modern reader. Changes of subject-matter are abrupt and, in the absence of introductory phrases, it is by no means self-evident where one passage ends and another begins. The material appears to have been arranged in roughly chronological order, and to recognize historical situations behind the prophet’s words is to find an important aid to understanding.
Because of this, I encourage you to not be afraid of using some of the amazing tools now available to the Christian in the 21st century, a study Bible or dictionary or concordance etc. etc… You may say, I do not own such things nor have the funds to purchase them…You’d be amazed the tools available on the internet, My blog will lead you to many of them…and Biblegateway.com is pretty cool…moving on
I bring a simple msg. today…
Some motivation for living a grace filled life!
3 thoughts from this story of Hosea’s Grace…

1. God allows His children to reap what they sow.
As a matter of fact, I believe It’s His grace that allows us to reap what we sow…
Remember it’s not karma, it’s a biblical principle…
If we got away with our scandalous behavior with no consequence, it would not help us but hurt us…
It’s like the parent who doesn't discipline his child, giving them whatever they wish…that parent is not loving their child, in reality such behavior is truly negligent…for a life without discipline creates havoc, creates pain, creates death…
The prison system is full of children who were never taught boundaries…
Speaking of which, let me invite you again to Homebuilders, Wedneday evenings at 7pm…our series on boundaries is 9 glorious weeks long, we’re learning a lot!

Hosea 10:12 &13
12 Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you.
13 But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors,

I found Satan’s Beatitudes this week in my study:
Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians. Blessed are those who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked. Blessed are those who are touchy, easily offended. Blessed are those who sow trouble. Blessed are those who have no time to pray. Blessed are those who gossip. Blessed are you when you hear this and think it has everything to do with other people, and nothing to do with you.
I didn’t make it up, so don’t get mad at me…

I don’t know if you saw it on my office door or on my facebook or on my blog…but last week I got a little introspective and made up:
Pastor Paul’s Top 10 lessons learned in 5 years of senior pastoring:
1. Thou shalt not be the messiah.
Simply take them to Jesus…
2. Thou shalt not assume the worst.
Assume the best and lovingly confront the rest…
3. Thou shalt not defend thyself.
Let God be your defense and shield…
4. Thou shalt not think every thought you think.
“Replacement theology,” replace that negative thought with something positive…
5. Thou shalt not put the church before the family.
In God’s Divine Order, family comes first…
6. Thou shalt not “vent”.
When tempted to gossip, pray instead…
7. Thou shalt not violate boundaries.
NO IS an acceptable answer…
8. Thou shalt not “react”.
“Pause for Power”, instead choose to “respond”…
9. Thou shalt live on the “divine level”.
Satanic level: returning evil for good,
Human level: returning evil for evil,
Divine level: returning good for evil…
10. Thou shalt shut up.
The world will remain lost as long as the church keeps shoving things down their throat; Acts of Kindness lead to repentance; “Everywhere preach the gospel and if necessary use words”…
Oh and I forgot: Thou Shalt Not give your joy away. The Joy of the Lord cannot be taken away; it has to be given away...Oh and...
I’ve gotten a lot of amazing feedback on these lessons learned…I’m blessed with many encouraging friends and family…I’m blessed to be your pastor, feeling fuzzy

2. God’s heart aches for His children.
If this doesn’t crank your tractor your feelers broke
Hosea 11:8 & 9
8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man— the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.
While we’re reaping what we’ve sown our God is aching for us, The NKJ version says His heart churns within Him…
FOR YOU
His sympathy is stirred
FOR YOU
slow to anger, rich in mercy
FOR YOU
spit upon, mocked, beaten, hung on a cross
FOR YOU
that wasn’t Him reaping what He sowed
That was our God reaping for us what we have sowed!
AMAZING GRACE

I found something online that definitely made me evaluate all my emailing, blogging, facebooking, youtubing, and Holly just started twittering…
Did Jesus use a modem At the Sermon on the Mount? Did He ever try a broadcast fax To send His message out? Did the disciples carry beepers As they went about their route? Did Jesus use a modem At the Sermon on the Mount? Did Paul use a Laptop With lots of RAM and ROM? Were his letters posted on a BBS At Paul.Rome.Com? Did the man from Macedonia Send an E-Mail saying "Come?" Did Paul use a Laptop With lots of RAM and ROM? Did Moses use a Joystick at the Parting of the Sea? And a Satellite Guidance Tracking System To show him where to be? Did he write the law on tablets Or are they really on CD? Did Moses use a joystick At the parting of the Sea? Did Jesus really die for us One day upon a tree? Or was it just a hologram Or technical wizardry? Can you download the Live Action Video Clip To play on your PC? Did Jesus really die for us One day upon a tree? Have the wonders of this modern age Made you question what is true? How a single man in a simple time Could offer life anew? How a sinless life, a cruel death then a glorious life again Could offer more to a desperate world Than the inventions of man? If in your life, the voice of God Is sometimes hard to hear. With other voices calling His doesn't touch your ear. Then set aside your laptop and modem And all your fancy gear. And open your Bible, open your heart And let your Father draw you near.

3. God is waiting with grace & forgiveness if His children return to Him.
Hosea 14

One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began.
You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak.
He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement was this: " My fiancée's past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus....end of case!!!

Stop and think
When you have experienced the blessings of His amazing grace how can you not share the wealth?
I pray this is the message you needed to hear today…
Mabye you feel under a mess of your own making
Mabye you haven’t realized how much God cares
Mabye you need to run to Him and find grace, forgiveness
come to Jesus