God's Pursuing Love: The Cost of Grace

We look to all sorts of other gods in order to give us what only God can give us. This is the pain of God's love. God loves people who constantly and continually reject him through our unfaithfulness. [00:04:37] (20 seconds)  #GodsPainfulLove

He doesn't just say, well, you know what? I know you have been flirting with these other gods. I know you've had some other sources of pleasure and meaning and significance in your life. That's okay. It's all right. I forgive you. No big deal. Bygones be bygones. He doesn't say that. What he says is, my sin, my infidelity, my unfaithfulness, my betrayal has a consequence. It costs something. And God himself is willing willing to pay that price. God himself is willing to take the wound of my betrayal. [00:07:34] (44 seconds)  #ConsequencesOfBetrayal

Centuries later, another bridegroom will come. Another bridegroom that we know as Jesus Christ, who calls himself the bridegroom. And like Hosea, this bridegroom takes an unfaithful bride. He marries a fickle and rebellious people. But unlike Hosea, the cost is not just silver and barley and wine. The cost is his own life. And on the cross, he is stripped. He's abandoned. He's mocked. He's spat upon. And ultimately, he is killed. And why does he do this? Why does he pay this cost? Why does he pay this cost? Thank you. to bring us home, to bring us back, to redeem us from our own rebellion. [00:10:10] (55 seconds)  #BridegroomSacrificialLove

That sense of scratching their heads gives us a sense of the scandal of grace. Grace doesn't make sense. It doesn't compute. It doesn't calculate. The math doesn't math when it comes to grace. But God pays the price to bring us home. He pursues us when we're at, not our best, but at our worst. And he says, you are mine. You belong to me. [00:11:32] (34 seconds)  #ScandalOfGrace

That story is pointing us towards a wedding feast. In Revelation 19, that feast is called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. And it's the moment when Jesus, our bridegroom, the bridegroom of the church, is reunited with his people forever. And he says in that moment, we will tremble, overwhelmed with mercy and grace and love for our bridegroom. And we will experience the joy of having every tear wiped away, every betrayal is healed, every unfaithful heart is made true, and we're restored and live again in relationship with our God. We wait for that day. [00:15:09] (48 seconds)  #WeddingFeastHope

If our hearts are truly idol factories, if we, like Israel, are prone to wander. that we're called to face and name our idols. Hosea shows us that sin is not just breaking the rules. It's breaking God's heart. It's when we run to another God for security, for comfort, for meaning. Where is it in your life, where is it in my life that we're saying, if only I had that, if only that could happen, if only that next thing, then I would be okay. Then I would be happy. Then I would be satisfied. Then I would be whole. Whatever that is, can I name it? Can I recognize it? Can I confess it? We're honest about our idols. [00:16:14] (61 seconds)  #NamingOurIdols

You may be here today and you feel like you have just walked too far away. Maybe you feel like you're too stained, you're too broken, you're too angry, you're too stuck. But if Hosea could buy back Gorma. Let's go. Thank you. We rest in the world. Come with God's listen carefully. If you look like a mother, you're too skinny. Knock on two Gemino. There is ????, you're too much Nancy möglicher. If Jesus can pay for us with his own blood, then no one is beyond his reach. God doesn't just tolerate you. He delights in you. Let's get that into our bones. We walk the face of the earth under the shining light of God's delight. [00:17:23] (53 seconds)  #BeyondReachOfGrace

In the same way, Christ comes to us, and he says, you are my child. You belong with me. You belong with me. you belong here our identity is not our failures it's not our brokenness it's not our idols it's in being his beloved. [00:18:52] (29 seconds)  #BelovedIdentity

The love that we have received the identity that we have experienced we're called to reflect that same love to others once we know and taste this kind of love in our own life it will change how you treat people it will change how you relate to others especially those who wound you especially those who betray you please hear me very clearly this is not saying you should tolerate abuse or you should put up with staying in a harmful situation but what this is saying is we can also standing on the ground of our own forgiveness forgive others we can express patience we can extend costly grace because we have been loved that way. [00:19:29] (59 seconds)  #ReflectingCostlyGrace

``At the center of the universe is a God who looks at his wandering and unfaithful people and doesn't give up. He says, I will not give up on you. I will buy you back. I will bring you home and I will pay whatever price it takes. And on the cross, Jesus, our bridegroom, paid that price in full. And that means that you are not just forgiven, but you are cherished. You're not just tolerated. You're chosen. You're not just free, but you are loved with an everlasting love. So come home. Choose that today. Choose that today. Come home. Come trembling into the presence of the Lord who is crazy in love with you and experience his blessing. Because the God who buys us back is the God who will never let me go. [00:20:29] (64 seconds)  #NeverGivingUpLove