Hosea, Day 1: Hosea 1:1-3 - What Do You Do When God Calls You to Do Something Really Hard?

What Do You Do When God Calls You to Do Something Really Hard?

Hosea, Day 1

Hosea 1:1-3

Audio and Video on SermonAudio.com

The word of the LORD that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. – Hosea 1:1-3, ESV

Have you ever been called by the Lord to do something really hard? Forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it is one of the hard tasks the Lord calls us to do. Have you ever been convicted by the Word and the Spirit that you really needed to forgive someone, but you just didn’t want to do it? Maybe the person had sinned against you too many times or in a seriously damaging way. Whatever the reason, you knew you needed to forgive them, but you just weren’t sure how.

Hosea was called by the Lord to do something most of us would consider nearly impossible. Hosea was a prophet of the Lord who lived and prophesied at the same time as Isaiah and Micah, around 750 years before Jesus was born. While the calling of any prophet is never easy, since they are called to speak God’s word to a people in rebellion against Him, Hosea had a particularly difficult call: God told Hosea to take “a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom.”

Don’t miss the clear truth here: Hosea was not just to marry a woman who had a shady past but who would nonetheless be faithful to him. No, he was called to marry a woman who had been sexually promiscuous and who would be unfaithful to him. He knew before he said his marriage vows to Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, that she was going to be an adulteress. Even more difficult, she would have children through her sexual immorality, children born to Hosea that were not Hosea’s.

Can you imagine being called to such an impossible calling? I don’t think I would be able to do it. Yet Hosea obeyed the Lord.

Why would the Lord ask Hosea to do such an unthinkable thing? Because he wanted a prophet to speak to the people who truly understood God’s perspective on His people. God had taken His people to be His bride. He had entered into a sacred covenant with them and had showered them with goodness, but His people had repaid His kindness and faithfulness with idolatry, which God calls spiritual adultery.

God never calls anyone to do anything which He Himself is not willing to do. God was not calling Hosea to do anything harder than what God Himself was enduring with His people generation after generation, century after century. As we explore Hosea in the coming weeks, we will see the heart of God for His people and we will also see ourselves on open and ugly display in the actions of Gomer, the wife of whoredom. May the Lord convict us and change us through our time together in His word. 

Hebrews, Day 57: Hebrews 13:20-21 - How Can We Please God?

How Can We Please God?

Hebrews 13:20-21

Hebrews, Day 57

Audio Version

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21, ESV

Have you ever known someone who was really hard to please? If you've ever been the parent of a teenager, you probably have. People who are really hard to please are typically a combination of picky and unpredictable. They have a very narrow idea of what they like, and their preferences can shift with their moods and the day of the week.

As Christians, our highest goal should be to please God with our lives. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:9, "we make it our aim to please him." The longing of every believer's heart is to reach heaven and hear Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  (see Matthew 25:21-23)

So, is God really hard to please? Well, as the holy, holy, holy God and Lord of heaven and earth, His standards are very high. In fact, His standards are perfection, and they really could not be anything less.

But here's the wonderful thing with God: He does all the work to make us His, and then He works in us that which is pleasing to Him. This wonderful benediction which closes out the Book of Hebrews shows us both of these truths. It reflects back on the work of redemption God has done to make us His - "He bought back from the dead the Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep" - and it looks at what God does in and through us now.

The faithfulness of God kept His covenant promises by raising Jesus from the dead and exalting Him to the highest place of authority. And now, the faithful love of God applies the merits of Christ to our hearts and souls. "By the blood of the eternal covenant" - that is, by the perfect satisfaction Christ made for our sins - God equips us to do everything good. As Peter says in 2 Peter 1:3, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence."

So God not only provides salvation for us through Jesus Christ, but He also applies that salvation to us in a powerful way. He applies the merits of Christ to us so that we are now equipped with everything good to do His will. But God doesn't just redeem us and equip us. No, He also works in us that which is pleasing in His sight. And He does all of this through Jesus Christ - through His merits applied to us and His intercession for us.

So, is God difficult to please? No! As we trust in Him, He redeems us, equips us, and works in us that which pleases Him. In other words, He makes us pleasing by His grace, and then He takes pleasure in us to the eternal glory of Jesus Christ!

These wonderful truths should give us great encouragement and confidence of our worst days and great humility and gratitude on our best days. God is pleased with us, and that should raise our heads with confidence when we're drooping. But God is pleased with us because He has done all the work to make us pleasing in His sight, from beginning to end. That should keep us humble and grateful when we're tempted to be puffed up. In the end, we can rejoice with confidence, and Jesus can get all the glory! Amen.

Hebrews, Day 56: Hebrews 13:18-19 - Do Our Prayers Really Make a Difference?

Do Our Prayers Really Make a Difference?

Hebrews 13:18-19

Hebrews, Day 56

Audio Version

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner. 

- Hebrews 13:18-19. ESV

Do you ever wonder why we need to pray? After all, if God is truly sovereign and He knows all and has everything planned out from before the foundation of the earth. what difference could our prayers make?

One way to think about and respond to these kinds of questions is to realize how much prayer changes us when we pray. We need to pray, because we need our hearts to be changed, and as we pray, our hearts are shaped profoundly. When we pray for someone, we come to love them more. When we pray about an issue or problem, we learn to trust God more for the outcome of the situation.

In one my favorite scenes of one of my favorite movies, Shadowlands, C.S. Lewis (played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) explains why he prays in these terms. Lewis' wife, Joy Davidman, is suffering from cancer, and Jack (as C.S. Lewis was known to his friends) has been praying earnestly for her. She begins to get better, as the cancer heads into remission, and his friend affirm that God is answering his prayers. Lewis responds, "That's not why I pray. I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me.”

C.S. Lewis never said or wrote those words, as far as we know. But it does seem to capture well what he might have said. It's a great thought, really. Of course our prayers don't change God. What a horrible thought that would be. Imagine if I, by my thoughts or words, could change God? How would God change? Would I be telling Him something He doesn't already know? Could I convince Him to change His mind and give in to my superior wisdom? Not!

So, if prayer doesn't change God, does that mean that all prayer does is change us? Is prayer entirely a matter of growing us in love, humility and trust? No. At least, not if we're going to take verses 18-19 of Hebrews 13 seriously. Here the author of Hebrews is asking for prayer, and is even earnestly urging the readers of his letter to pray for him. Why? "in order that I may be restored to you the sooner."

He doesn't say, "Pray for me, so that you'll come to love me more." He doesn't say, "Pray for me, so that you'll learn to trust God more during our separation." No, he believes, and it's in God's inerrant word, that their prayers can speed his return to them. So, do our prayers make a difference? Yes. How? We can't say exactly and fully, can we?

We know our prayers don't change God, but it does seem our prayers can affect the timing of God's work and can shape other things in important ways. We pray for people's salvation because we believe God alone can save, and we believe God will answer prayer and save them. How is this possible? Because God ordained it that way. God's plans for the world include us. Our prayers, our preaching, our sharing the Gospel, our service and love, and our obedience to God all are part of the plan of God and are genuinely used by Him for His glory and the fulfillment of His plan for the world and His people.

So, yes, our prayers really matter. We are called to pray, and even eagerly urged to pray, because "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." (James 5:16) So keep praying. Pray for me, and pray for one another.

More on this topic from Dr. Guy Richard of Reformed Theological Seminary -

Hebrews, Day 55: Hebrews 13:15-16 - What Sacrifices Please God?

What Sacrifices Please God?
Hebrews 13:15-16
Hebrews, Day 55

Audio Version

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

- Hebrews 13:15-16, ESV

My wife's birthday is December 12th, less than two weeks before Christmas. We've been married for 20 years, and for most of those 20 years, I have struggled to figure out a good birthday present for her and then to also come up with a good Christmas present idea within just a few days. My wife is not a picky person, not hard to please. But sometimes I'm just lacking in the creativity to come up with something original and interesting twice in such a short period of time. 

The worst birthday present I've gotten her was probably David Brainerd's journal, edited by Jonathan Edwards, accompanied by John Piper's lecture on the life of Brainerd. She was gracious, but I have to admit I was being purely selfish with that one. I had heard Piper's lecture, and I really wanted to read Brainerd. I still haven't. I think I feel too guilty every time I pick up the book. 

Many Christians over the centuries have thought they needed to do something creative for God, to show Him how much they love Him or to somehow get Him to smile on them and bless them. One extreme example from the Middle Ages were the flagellants, men who would whip themselves, leaving their backs bleeding and scarred, in a mixture of repentance and devotion to God. Another, perhaps equally extreme example, were the crusades, in which people went to kill and be killed in the name of Jesus. And what about the grand cathedrals of the late Middle Ages, which kings and bishops built at extreme cost to themselves and their people, seeking to leave a lasting legacy to honor the Lord? Martin Luther went to Rome as a young man and climbed the stone steps on his knees, saying the Lord's Prayer with each stair climbed. Was God pleased with all these sacrifices? No! 

Lest we look down our noses at the Middle Ages, our modern evangelical world is full of people who make offerings to the Lord that the Lord never commanded or encouraged. It's an old problem. More than 3,000 years ago, God commanded King Saul to wipe out the Amalekites and to leave nothing alive, but Saul let the people keep the best livestock alive, as an offering to the Lord. God told Saul through the prophet Samuel:

Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

    and to listen than the fat of rams.  - 1 Samuel 15:22, ESV

So, God is obviously not pleased with just any sacrifice, especially with sacrifices that involve disobedience to His word. But what sacrifices do please God? Hebrews 13:15-16 tells us very clearly.

Hebrews has already established the foundation truth that no sacrifice we offer atones for our sins. Christ has already paid the price and made the once-for-all sacrifice for all our sin. We cannot add to His offering for sin. What we can do is offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving in two ways: by praising His name and by doing good to others.

In response to Christ's perfect salvation, we are to "continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name." We don't just praise God on Sunday mornings but all throughout the week. We are also to do good and to share what we have with people in need. We're told God is pleased with these sacrifices.

These may not feel sacrificial enough for some people. They may want to do more for Jesus. They may not seem grand or life-changing or earth-shattering, but they actually are. If God's people were to consciously praise Him and acknowledge His name at all times, and if we were to really give and share with others, these sacrifices would change us deeply and would speak loudly and clearly to a world that desperately needs to see more of Jesus in His people.  

Hebrews, Day 54: Hebrews 13:11-14 - What Should We Expect in This World?

What Should We Expect in This World? 

Hebrews 13:11-14

Hebrews, Day 54

Audio Version

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 

- Hebrews 13:11-14, ESV

"Join the Navy! See the World!" 

The recruiting poster caught the young man's eyes and he started dreaming of laying out on beautiful beaches in exotic locations all around the world. Six months later, he found himself peeling potatoes and washing dishes deep in the bowels of a huge ship, helping prepare food for hundreds of hungry sailors. He turned to his kitchen mate and said sarcastically, "'Join the Navy,' they told me. 'See the world,' they said. All I've seen are potatoes and dirty dishes!" 

Expectations are critical in life. When our expectations are disappointed, we feel frustrated. The gap between the good experience we expect and the not-so-good experience we live instead can cause much heartache. 

What did you expect from the Christian life in this world? Did you believe those who promised prosperity and happiness? Have you been disappointed? Did you think that following Jesus would win you friends and admirers, because people would see you as good and respectable? Have you instead been ridiculed or rejected by the world? Did you think the Christian life would get easier as you got older, only to find that you're still dealing with temptations and frustrations that seem overwhelming? 

The Bible is very honest and fair about what we should expect in the Christian life. Following Christ in this world will get us hated by the world and engaged in a lifelong war against our own sinful nature, the rebellious world, and the devil who hates us. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me before it hated you." (John 15:18) Paul said, "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Tim. 3:12)

In today's Hebrews passage, we have the same message: Christ was rejected and suffered for our sins outside the camp. We need to be prepared to endure the same rejection. We must remember that we have no abiding city here in this fallen world.

We must choose: We can either try to win approval from the world by denying Christ and failing to be faithful to Him, or we can accept the world's scorn for following Christ. We cannot have both the praise of the world and faithfulness to Christ. History is littered with the remains of people and institutions that have chased the approval of the world and abandoned Christ. Harvard, Yale, Brown and Princeton were all founded as Christian universities whose primary calling was to train ministers of the Gospel.

As you face the decision today to choose between Christ and the world, remember this: Jesus rejected the crowds that wanted to make Him king and instead chose to go outside the camp to the shameful death of the cross - for you and for me. Can we say we follow Him if we choose otherwise? 

Hebrews, Day 53: Hebrews 13:8-10 - How Can We Avoid Being Led Astray By False Teaching?

How Can We Avoid Being Led Astray By False Teaching?

Hebrews 13:8-10

Hebrews, Day 53

Audio Version

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. 

- Hebrews 13:8-10

Have you ever been behind a car that was wandering in its lane, perhaps even crossing over the line toward the shoulder or into another lane? Do you ever wonder what's distracting the driver? Cars that wander are driven by distracted drivers, drivers whose eyes have been taken off the task in front of them and diverted onto something else. In the Christian life, believers who wander from the gospel into false teachings have taken their eyes off Jesus and have become distracted by something else. 

The author of Hebrews has been laboring throughout his masterful letter to bring believers back to a strong focus on Jesus. The recipients of this letter had become distracted. Persecution and difficulties had pressured them into seeking social conformity above gospel faithfulness. They were in danger of drifting away from Christ back into a Christ-less Judaism, grounded in the ceremonial law and Levitical worship. 

How does the author of Hebrews address their distraction? He reminds them that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He then warns them against being drawn away from Christ by "diverse and strange teachings." What is the substance of these diverse and strange teachings? It seems clear they had to do with the ceremonial sacrificial system of old covenant worship. 

Under the old covenant, worshipers who brought an offering to the Tabernacle gave their sacrifice and then received part of it back, which they then ate. Thus, they ate from the altar of burnt offerings. Yet it was never this sacrificed meat which strengthened their souls. Those who believed they were strengthened in their spirits because they ate the meat of a sheep or an oxen that had been offered on the altar were mistaken. That's never been the source of spiritual blessing for God's people.

God's people have always been strengthened by God's grace. The offerings on the altar were always pictures pointing beyond themselves to Jesus, the source of all of God's grace. So, the author of Hebrews reminds these believers about our superior position - "We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat." What does he mean? It's tempting to see this as a reference to the Lord's Supper, but that's not a sacrifice, and the worship of Christians today has no physical altar. No, he is referring to the heavenly altar, and even to Christ Himself, who feeds us with Himself when we come to Him in faith. 

What false teachings threaten to distract you today? Is it the prosperity gospel with its unbiblical emphasis on material and physical abundance? Is it the moralistic humanism that says we're all basically good people, and so we should just be nice and do good? Is it political activism, in either in its left-wing or right-wing variety? 

Satan distracts God's people with a myriad of lesser substitutes for Christ. If we understand his tactics, we can see that the cure for all false teaching distractions is, in essence, the same: a renewed focus on Christ and Christ alone. Not material prosperity but Christ. Not do-good morality, but Christ. Not politics and power, but Christ. And not the Christ of our imaginations, but the Christ of the Bible and the biblical gospel. 

Our sinful hearts, the sinful world, and the enemy of our souls all want to keep us from the only One who can save us. We defeat them by relentlessly returning again and again to Jesus. 

Hebrews, Day 52: Heb. 13:7 & 17 - How Can We Love Our Leaders?

How Can We Love Our Leaders?

Hebrews 13:7 & 17

Hebrews, Day 52

Audio Version

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

- Hebrews 13:7 & 17, ESV

Leadership is lonely, but it's not supposed to be - at least, not in the church. The old saying about how lonely it is at the top really shouldn't apply to church leadership for two reasons:

1. Church leaders should not see themselves as being "at the top" of anything, but rather as called by Jesus to serve the church.

2. Church leaders should not lead alone, but should always be part of a team, a fellowship of elders and deacons. 

We can see clearly the idea of a plurality of leaders, and not a one-man rule, throughout the New Testament. In today's verses, the reference is to "your leaders," a plural reference to a group of servant-leaders.

Still, while leadership in the church is not supposed to be lonely, it often is. Leadership teams often don't function the way they should. Even when the leadership teams are cohesive and mutually supportive, leadership is hard, in any context. Just look at the hard time Moses had with the Israelites, and he was "more humble than any other person on earth." (Numbers 12:3)

How can we love and support our leaders and how can leaders lead faithfully? We get several practical points of Gospel application from these two verses in Hebrews 13:

1. Remember your leaders. In Bible language, when you "remember" someone, you remember to pray for them and to support them. In your day-to-day life, remember to pray for your pastor, elders, and deacons. Take time to encourage them, too, as you're able. 

2. Imitate their faith. Leaders are called to their office within the church because their faith has been fruitful in their lives. They have been trusting in Christ, and it shows in their character, conversation, and conduct. So, imitate the faith of your leaders. Don't imitate them in everything, as if they were super-heroes or idols, but imitate their faith, their trust in Jesus as they follow Him.

3. Obey your leaders. Leaders have the difficult responsibility to make decisions as they seek to shepherd and serve the flock of God under their care. Support them as they do so, by obeying their decisions.

4. Bless your leaders. Hebrews says to ensure that your leaders can lead you "with joy and not with groaning." This means we should seek to bless and encourage our leaders. Thank them, help them, encourage them, bless them.

So, what about leaders? What do these verses say to them? Well, the verses don't directly address leaders, but we can draw three conclusions from them:

1. Leaders, have a faith worth imitating. Keep your eyes on Jesus, trust in Him, and follow Him. That way, when people look to follow your example, they will be following Christ.

2. Leaders, watch over the souls under your care. Remember your primary responsibility is to serve and care for people and for their spiritual well-being. Programs, budgets, and facilities are all necessary means, but they are not the goal of leadership. 

3. Leaders, remember that you will be called to give an account to the Lord for your leadership. This is sobering and should help leaders keep a level head and a clear focus. The Lord is watching you lead, and you will give an account to Him for the stewardship of leadership. 

Together, under-shepherds and sheep can work together to make life in the church a blessing for all, for those who are called to serve and lead and those who are called to be led well. When we love each other and work together, God is glorified and the whole church is blessed!