Sowing Righteousness
Sowing Righteousness Hosea 9-10 October 5, 2014 Pastor Ritch Boerckel Principle: The kind of seed we sow determines the kind of harvest we will realize. Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Application: Satan loves to convince us that there is always time for us to sow seeds of God’s Spirit and of righteousness later in our life. He whispers, “No worries. You will stop sowing seeds of your flesh soon enough. There is no hurry in changing the bag of seed that is slung over your shoulder.” Action #1: God remembers our sin when He judges us. PICTURE #1: KEEP CALM CAUSE LIFE IS GOOD PICTURE #2: Life is good, life is great. Always love, never hate. Break the rules; stand apart. Ignore you head; follow your heart Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalm 97:12
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Principle: Empty religious ceremony sickens God. We nauseate God when He sees us engage in external forms of worship without wholehearted love for Him. Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God . . PICTURE #3: Life is good. Three crosses. Caution: We must not twist God to fashion Him into our image. God is not a piece of clay that we can shape to suit our desires. If we tear off the parts of God that trouble us, we are choosing to worship another god other than the God who is. If we have trouble with the description that God has given of Himself, the trouble is with us, not with God. Application: Our sin will keep us from listening to God’s voice. The main reason we do not read the Bible is not for our lack of time, but because we have forgotten God and are unfaithful to Him. Principle: When we excuse ourselves from listening and obeying God’s Word to us, we place ourselves in the path of God’s wrath. Matt. 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Principle: Because God is eternal and omniscient; our sin is as present before Him today as it was on the day we committed it. Action #2: God recognizes a divided heart when He judges us. James 1:8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Action #3: God recommends repentance before He judges us. Ezekiel 36:25-28 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Psalm 97:12
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Principle: Empty religious ceremony sickens God. We nauseate God when He sees us engage in external forms of worship without wholehearted love for Him. Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God . . PICTURE #3: Life is good. Three crosses. Caution: We must not twist God to fashion Him into our image. God is not a piece of clay that we can shape to suit our desires. If we tear off the parts of God that trouble us, we are choosing to worship another god other than the God who is. If we have trouble with the description that God has given of Himself, the trouble is with us, not with God. Application: Our sin will keep us from listening to God’s voice. The main reason we do not read the Bible is not for our lack of time, but because we have forgotten God and are unfaithful to Him. Principle: When we excuse ourselves from listening and obeying God’s Word to us, we place ourselves in the path of God’s wrath. Matt. 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Principle: Because God is eternal and omniscient; our sin is as present before Him today as it was on the day we committed it. Action #2: God recognizes a divided heart when He judges us. James 1:8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Action #3: God recommends repentance before He judges us. Ezekiel 36:25-28 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
