Returning to Our First Love: God's Unfailing Grace
Summary
In the book of Hosea, we find a profound illustration of God's unwavering love for His people, despite their unfaithfulness. Hosea, a prophet, is commanded by God to marry Gomer, a woman characterized by her sinful lifestyle. This marriage symbolizes the relationship between God and Israel, a nation steeped in idolatry and rebellion. Through Hosea's life, God demonstrates His relentless pursuit of His people, His readiness to forgive, and His commitment to restoration.
Hosea's love for Gomer, despite her repeated unfaithfulness, mirrors God's love for us. We, like Gomer, have been completely in sin, yet through Jesus—our Hosea—we are completely covered by grace and mercy. Our Savior's love is constant, even when we stray. The story of Hosea and Gomer is not just a historical account; it is a present-day reflection of Jesus' love for us, His church.
We are reminded that we do not lose our love for God; we leave it. This distinction is crucial. To lose something implies it was accidental and we do not know where to find it. However, when we leave our love for God, we deliberately walk away from the relationship we once cherished. It is a conscious choice to pursue other lovers—worldly desires and pleasures—over our devotion to God.
The sermon calls us to examine our personal devotion to Jesus. Have we allowed the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, or the desire for other things to choke out our love for Him? Are we fulfilling our spiritual duties out of genuine love for God, or have we become like the church in Ephesus, doing the right things but lacking love at the core?
We are urged to return to our first love, to rekindle the passion and devotion we once had for Jesus. It is a call to repentance, to turn away from the idols of this world and to seek fulfillment in Christ alone. We are purchased by His blood, and nothing can separate us from His love.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's love for us is relentless and unconditional. Even when we are unfaithful, He remains faithful. His love is not based on our performance but on His character. We must embrace this truth and allow it to transform how we view ourselves and our relationship with Him. [55:51]
2. We must be vigilant not to confuse losing our love for God with leaving it. Leaving our love for God is a deliberate choice, and it is one that we can reverse by returning to Him with a repentant heart. Our relationship with God is always within reach if we choose to come back. [49:51]
3. Personal devotion to Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. If we find that our devotion has decreased, it is time to take inventory of our lives and remove anything that hinders our relationship with Him. Our love for God should be evident in our daily walk and choices. [01:02:25]
4. Fulfillment in life comes from our relationship with Jesus, not from the things of this world. We must guard against allowing material possessions, status, or other desires to take precedence over our love for God. True contentment is found in Him alone. [01:05:27]
5. Spiritual work should be driven by a passion for God's kingdom and a burden for the lost. Our service in the church and community should stem from a desire to see lives transformed by the gospel, not merely from a sense of duty or obligation. [01:09:39]
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Hosea 1:2-3 (NIV): "When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, 'Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.' So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son."
2. Revelation 2:2-4 (NIV): "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first."
#### Observation Questions
1. What command did God give to Hosea regarding his marriage, and what was its symbolic significance? ([45:01])
2. How does the story of Hosea and Gomer illustrate God's relationship with Israel? ([43:01])
3. According to Revelation 2:2-4, what commendations and criticisms did Jesus have for the church in Ephesus?
4. What does the name "Hosea" mean, and how does it relate to the story's message? ([43:27])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Hosea's unwavering love for Gomer reflect God's love for us, even when we are unfaithful? ([49:33])
2. What does it mean to leave our first love, and how is this different from losing it? ([49:33])
3. In what ways can the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out our love for God, as mentioned in the sermon? ([49:33])
4. How does the story of Hosea and Gomer challenge our understanding of grace and forgiveness in our personal relationships? ([49:33])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal devotion to Jesus. Has it decreased over time? If so, what specific steps can you take to rekindle that devotion? ([01:02:25])
2. Are there any worldly desires or pleasures that have taken precedence over your love for God? How can you identify and remove these distractions from your life? ([01:05:27])
3. Think about your spiritual duties. Are you fulfilling them out of genuine love for God, or have they become mere obligations? How can you shift your focus back to serving out of love? ([01:09:39])
4. Have you ever felt like you have left your first love for God? What practical steps can you take to return to that passionate relationship with Him? ([49:33])
5. How can you ensure that your fulfillment in life comes from your relationship with Jesus rather than material possessions or status? Identify one specific area where you can make a change this week. ([01:05:27])
6. Consider your passion for spiritual work. Has it decreased? How can you reignite your burden for the lost and ensure that your service is driven by a desire to see lives transformed by the gospel? ([01:09:39])
7. What are some practical ways you can guard against allowing the cares of this world to choke out your love for God? Share one specific strategy you plan to implement this week. ([01:05:27])
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Unconditional Divine Love
God's love for His people is depicted as relentless and unconditional, a love that persists even in the face of unfaithfulness. This love is not contingent upon human actions or merit; it is rooted in the very character of God. As humans, it is common to equate our worth with our performance, but the divine love that is offered to us is not based on such transient measures. It is a steadfast love that remains through every season of life, regardless of how often one may stray from the path. This love is a reflection of God's nature, an unwavering commitment to His people that is meant to transform the understanding of self-worth and the dynamics of the relationship with the divine. [07:40]
"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8
Reflection: How does understanding God's unconditional love change the way you view yourself and your relationship with Him?
Day 2: Deliberate Return to Devotion
The distinction between losing and leaving one's love for God is profound. To lose love might imply an accidental misstep, whereas leaving it denotes a conscious decision to walk away from a once-cherished relationship. This deliberate act of turning away from God to pursue other desires is a choice that can be reversed. The call is to return to God with a repentant heart, recognizing that the relationship with the divine is always within reach for those who choose to come back. This return is not merely a physical action but a heartfelt turning back to the love and devotion that once defined one's faith. [49:51]
"Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity." - Hosea 14:1
Reflection: What deliberate steps can you take today to return to or deepen your devotion to God?
Day 3: Prioritizing Personal Devotion
Personal devotion to Jesus is the cornerstone of faith, and it is essential to regularly examine the state of this devotion. If one finds that their devotion has waned, it is crucial to take inventory of life and identify anything that may be hindering the relationship with God. This could include the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, or the desire for other things. The love for God should be evident in daily life and choices, and it is this love that should drive every action and decision. [01:02:25]
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" - 2 Corinthians 13:5
Reflection: What is one thing in your life that may be hindering your personal devotion to Jesus, and how can you address it?
Day 4: Finding Fulfillment in Christ Alone
The pursuit of fulfillment in life can often lead one to seek satisfaction in material possessions, status, or other worldly desires. However, true contentment is found in a relationship with Jesus, not in the transient things of this world. It is important to guard against allowing these things to take precedence over the love for God. The call is to seek fulfillment in Christ alone, recognizing that He is the source of true joy and contentment. [01:05:27]
"For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things." - Psalm 107:9
Reflection: How can you actively seek fulfillment in Christ today, rather than in the temporary things of this world?
Day 5: Passion-Driven Spiritual Work
Spiritual work, whether within the church or in the community, should be driven by a passion for God's kingdom and a burden for the lost. This passion should stem from a desire to see lives transformed by the gospel, rather than from a sense of duty or obligation. The work done in service to God should be an outpouring of the love and devotion one has for Him, a reflection of the desire to share the good news with others. [01:09:39]
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9
Reflection: What is one way you can serve in your church or community this week that is driven by your passion for God's kingdom?
Quotes
1) "You know deep down that you and Him is okay... Sometimes I'll be honest when I get to the point I'll ask Jesus we're okay right?... and you know deep down you just hear Him say, 'Yeah, we're good, we're good.'" [01:04:27](Download | )
2) "Do you feel the need for things other than God to gain fulfillment?... We better be careful that we begin to feel like we got to get fulfillment from something else other than God." [01:04:57](Download | )
3) "Make sure that the need for those things other than your need for God is what you need for containment and having fulfillment... if you lose all those things and you still have Jesus Christ are you going to be okay?" [01:05:57](Download | )
4) "You can't go back, oh no why? Because you've been purchased. You've been paid for. And I want every Christian here to know that not only did Jesus Christ create you, but He paid for you." [01:29:13](Download | )
5) "Everything starts with our love for Him. Do we love Him more than we love lights, video, songs, a piece of land, our ability, our social status? And everything that we do is out of the love for Him." [01:00:51](Download | )
6) "If there's ever a place you remember that things were better than y'all right now, we in trouble. And we are beginning to leave our first love... She began to lose her personal devotion to Hosea." [01:02:55](Download | )
7) "We don't lose things by accident... We leave things deliberately and sometimes... we deliberately leave what we used to have." [51:21](Download | )
8) "He's not going to take your family, He's not going to take your church, He's not going to take your devotion. He can't have you because He created you, He is your creator, and He is the one that owns you." [01:29:13](Download | )
9) "We're not a church of Ephesus that looks good on the outside but everything we do is in vain on the inside. We want to make sure that we have a devotion, that we have a spiritual standard for God and that we love Him more than anything else." [01:11:09](Download | )
10) "To permit is to participate. If you're allowing your children to do it, you're permitting. If you're allowing your wife to do it, you're permitting. And when you're participating, you begin to allow those things that you used to wouldn't permit." [01:12:09](Download | )
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Feb 19, 2024. Do you have any questions about it?