Bailey Methodist Church
7/27/2025

      • Leviticus 19:2NIV2011

      • Psalm 86:11NIV2011

      • Hebrews 12:14NIV2011

      • 1 Peter 1:13–16NIV2011

      • 2 Peter 1:3–11NIV2011

  • Your Love Awakens Me
  • One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)
  • Oh How He Loves You And Me
  • Trust In God
  • Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow!
  • Colossians 2:6–15 ESV
    6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
    Luke 11:1–13 ESV
    1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” 5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
    Hosea 1:2–10 ESV
    2 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.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.” 8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” 10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”
    Introduction
    Imagine being a prophet of God—called to preach truth to a rebellious nation. You might expect to proclaim God’s word with boldness, perhaps to call for justice and repentance. But Hosea’s prophetic career begins with a shocking, even scandalous, command: “Go, marry a woman of whoredom.”
    This is not the typical beginning of a ministry. Hosea is not merely asked to speak God's message—he is commanded to live it out. His marriage becomes a painful picture of the covenant relationship between God and His people—a relationship strained by betrayal, wounded by unfaithfulness, and yet remarkably preserved by divine love.
    In this first chapter, we see three essential truths about God's love in the face of our faithlessness.

    1. Unfaithfulness is humanity’s default position. (vv. 2–3)

    This is one of the most striking commands in all of Scripture. God instructs Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who will ultimately be unfaithful. The text implies that Gomer was not promiscuous when their marriage began, but she became so over time. This situation reflects God’s relationship with Israel.
    If we look back at the covenant made at Sinai in the book of Exodus, we can see a parallel. In Exodus 19, Moses ascends Mount Sinai and encounters the Lord. God tells him in Exodus 19:5-6: “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words Moses is to speak to the people of Israel. God makes it clear that Israel will be His treasured possession if they uphold their covenant with Him. The Israelites respond in Exodus 19:8 by saying, “All the people answered together and said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do.’” Moses then relays these words to the Lord.
    Just as Gomer neglects her marriage covenant to engage with other men, Israel rejects their covenant with God and is unfaithful by worshiping other gods. This pattern of unfaithfulness is established in Exodus 32, where Moses returns from Mount Sinai to find the people worshiping a golden calf and indulging in sexual sin. Israel’s unfaithfulness continues throughout Scripture, as they repeatedly adopt the practices of the Canaanites, which God explicitly instructed them not to replicate.
    Another important passage is in Joshua 24. Here, Joshua addresses the Israelites who have entered the Promised Land, urging them to destroy their idols and abandon the worship they practiced beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Before following Yahweh, Abraham worshiped the gods of Mesopotamia, and the Israelites worshiped the Egyptian gods during their captivity in Egypt. Joshua instructs them to set aside these idols and serve the one true God, Yahweh. The language used in Joshua bears resemblance to that of a marriage covenant.
    In Joshua 24:23-26, we read the following:
    Joshua 24:23–26 ESV
    23 He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.” 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
    By the time of Hosea, both Israel and Judah have demonstrated their inability to keep the covenant. They continue to worship other gods and place their trust in human systems. Paul describes this in Romans 1:22-23, stating,
    Romans 1:22–23 ESV
    22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
    This represents the default human condition: we foolishly attempt to place worldly objects in the place of God.
    This command reveals the seriousness of sin. God does not perceive idolatry as a mere theological error; it is a betrayal of relationship and a violation of sacred trust. God has bound Himself to His people in covenant love, yet they have spurned Him for lesser lovers. We choose lesser things over God, which is the great lie that Satan has told humanity from the very beginning: that God is not enough, that we must desire more, and that we are the ones who need to control our destinies. We question God’s existence and authority.
    This kind of deception is inherent in us. Our inclination to follow anything or anyone other than God is part of our nature. We reject God and His commands because of the illusion of personal freedom and agency—that we can define our own rules. Anything external cannot dictate who we are or what we do. Yet, this mindset leads to its own limitations. Our rebellion becomes our god, and rejecting God turns into our idol. The irony is that our “personal freedom” is a harsh master; enslavement to sin results in hopelessness. We find ourselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of seeking happiness in the next thing, while our insatiable appetites and desires lead to spiritual, physical, and relational destruction. We are broken and in need of healing.
    We must ask ourselves:
    Are we flirting with idols—whether of success, comfort, control, or pleasure?
    Do we keep God at a distance while pursuing our own pleasures?
    The call to Hosea reminds us that our sin breaks God’s heart, but it also highlights His willingness to enter our brokenness to redeem us.

    2. God grieves our unfaithfulness. (vv. 4–9)

    God grieves over our sin and longs for a relationship with us. In the Garden of Eden, we see that God walked with Adam and Eve, symbolizing a unique and profound relationship with humanity that sets it apart from the rest of creation. When God established the covenant with Israel, he desired to be present among His people. Israel served as the vessel through which God intended to bring all of humanity back to Himself, restoring the kind of relationship He once had with them. As Hosea expresses in Hosea 6:6-7,
    Hosea 6:6–7 ESV
    6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.
    God's presence was manifested with the Israelites in the tabernacle and later in the temple. However, due to their continued disobedience, God's presence departed from the people, as depicted in Ezekiel 10.
    After Hosea married Gomer, they had children whose names carried significant prophetic meanings. Each name tells a story of judgment and sorrow:
    Jezreel means “God scatters” and recalls the bloodshed at the Valley of Jezreel, where Jehu executed a brutal purge. It serves as a warning that what Israel sows in violence, it will reap in judgment.
    Lo-Ruhamah means “No Mercy.” God declares that He will no longer show pity to Israel because their sins have driven Him away.
    Lo-Ammi means “Not My People.” This is perhaps the most heartbreaking of all. God reverses the covenant formula: “I will be your God, and you will be My people” (Ex. 6:7). Now He says, “You are not My people, and I am not your God.”
    What do these names tell us? They reveal that sin has relational consequences; it separates us from God—not because He is fickle, but because we choose to walk away from Him. Our relationship with God is two-sided; God does not force Himself upon us. We must decide to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. God so loves us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Even when we were separated from God and rejected Him, Christ came to bridge that gap. However, we must accept Christ into our lives.
    In his sermon “Salvation by Faith,” John Wesley describes Christian faith as follows:
    “Christian faith is then, not only an assent to the whole gospel of Christ but also a full reliance on the blood of Christ; a trust in the merits of His life, death, and resurrection; a recumbency upon Him as our atonement and our life, as given for us and living in us; and, in consequence hereof, a closing with Him and cleaving to Him, as our ‘wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption,’ or, in one word, our salvation.”
    God grieves when we reject Him, especially after experiencing the beauty and bounty of His grace. The Israelites were invited to be utterly dependent on God, who was their source of life. He delivered them from Egypt, gave them the Promised Land, and provided the Law, the temple, and promises. Yet, God spoke of disowning them and nullifying the covenant due to their continued apostasy. This wasn’t merely a case of Israel sinning and repenting to return to God; they completely rejected Him and His promises for lesser gods without power. This was a profound rejection of their faith, and God grieved over it.
    Nevertheless, even amidst these stern words, there lies a strange sort of mercy. God continues to speak and reveal His heart; He does not abandon His people in silence. Instead, He reaches out, even in judgment.
    Let us take inventory of our lives:
    Have we allowed ourselves to become spiritual strangers in the house of God?
    Are we living in a way that reflects God’s mercy, or are we leading a life that forfeits it?

    3. God is faithful even when we are not. (v. 10)

    God’s grace is greater than our sin. After declaring that Israel was not his people, God immediately promises restoration: “You shall be called Children of the Living God.” God promises prosperity for his people even with their betrayal. God’s covenant faithfulness cannot be broken. God’s justice does not cancel his mercy or nullify his promises.
    Hosea uses language of sand of the sea echoes God’s promises to Abraham in Genesis 22:17. This word comes to Abraham after the events at Mt. Moriah where he is willing to sacrifice his son as God told him to do. Abraham did not always trust God. He failed when he had a child with Hagar and when he lied about Sarah being his wife to the pharaoh. But that did not change God’s commitment and covenant with Abraham. Even when His people are unfaithful, God remains faithful to His word.
    The word of God’s faithfulness and restoration of his people goes beyond Israel and Judah. Although Hosea may have had the Hebrew people in mind, God’s covenant with the Jewish people is fulfilled in Christ. God’s mercy is great because God will bring all people back to himself through Christ alone. According to Jeremiah, a new covenant will be written upon the hearts of the people. There will be a transformation in the heart that brings Jew and Gentile together reversing the effects of sin that separates us from God and one another.
    Christ has bound the strongman, Satan. Through his ascension to the right hand of the Father, Christ rules over the nations that were once subdued by demonic powers. Those who call on Christ are now adopted into God’s family and called “children of the living God.” In Romans 8:15–16, Paul says, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”
    Paul reminds the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:9
    1 Corinthians 1:9 ESV
    9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
    Our salvation is not dependent upon our righteousness. Faith in Christ alone is the cornerstone of our salvation. It is through the death and resurrection of Christ. Christ’s love for us is greater than we can hope for or imagine.
    This is the gospel according to Hosea: God will not let His people go.
    Though they reject Him, He will pursue them.
    Though they forget Him, He will remember them.
    Though they defile the covenant, He will uphold it.
    And we see this fulfilled not just in Hosea’s day but in Christ Himself. Paul quotes this very passage in Romans 9:25–26, showing how God’s mercy is extended not only to Israel but also to the Gentiles. All who were once far off—those who were "not My people"—are now brought near through Christ.
    Conclusion
    Hosea’s life was not just a tragedy—it was a testimony. His marriage told the story of a God who loves with reckless grace, who suffers the pain of betrayal yet still extends the hand of redemption.
    We are Gomer. We are the ones who wander. We are the ones who chase after lesser loves.
    But thanks be to God—He is Hosea. He is the faithful One. He is the Redeemer who says:
    “You are Mine.”
    “I will show you mercy.”
    “You are My people.”
    Where there was judgment, He brings salvation. Where there was distance, He brings restoration. Where there was shame, He brings belonging.
    So let us turn to Him today—not with half-hearted devotion, but with whole-hearted repentance. Because no matter how far we've run, the love of God still reaches further.
    Amen.

      • Hosea 1:2–10NIV2011

      • Romans 1:22–23NIV2011

      • Hosea 6:6–7NIV2011

      • 1 Corinthians 1:9NIV2011

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Bailey Methodist Church
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