But today we are going to be opening up the Bibles again to Hosea chapter 7. Hosea chapter 7, last week we covered the first seven verses in Hosea chapter 7 and we were starting to look at the metaphors that are used by Hosea to point to Ephraim or Israel's sin. Last week we looked at the hot oven that burns, burns with lust and and idolatry that burns people up so much, that would cause them to have a seared conscience, they wouldn't look towards God. And this is what happens with sin in general, unless it's checked, or checked at the door, so to speak. As it burns and burns, and more and more, and people fulfill the lust that's burning inside them. Today, we're looking at in verses 7, 8, and 9 today, we're looking at Ephraim or Israel being like an unturned cake. Now, I'm no baker, but I know what an unturned cake can be like. So we're going to start, we're going to read, starting with verse number 8. We'll read to the end of the chapter and look through just 8, 9, and 10 this morning. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people. Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not. Yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth it knoweth not. And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face, and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart. They call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them, I will bring them down As the fowls of the heaven, I will chastise them as the congregation hath heard. Woe unto them, for they have fled from me. Destruction unto them, because they have transgressed against me. Though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. And they have not cried unto me with their heart. When they howled upon their beds, they assembled themselves for corn and wine, and they rebelled against me. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a deceitful bow. Their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. And Lord, we just pray that you'll have your way with your word this morning as we seek a further understanding of who you are and what you did and what you continue to do as well. We do pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Well, if you looked at your bulletins this morning, you'd see I had this title this morning, The Death of a Nation, and we're looking at the rest of the chapter from 8 through 16, but this morning I renamed it, and it will appear this way when eventually I get it online, I renamed it The Slippery Road of Multiculturalism. This is what Israel was dealing with, the same thing we are dealing with today. The rise of multiculturalism, mixing ourselves with the people. That's where we start, verse number 8 here. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people. Right from Exodus chapter 3, when Moses was spoken to by God at Mount Sinai, God told him, you shall not mingle with the people. Don't take wives from them. Have nothing to do with them in the land that I give you. What a promise that was. God did give that land. God did take the people out of that land. And praise the Lord, He's giving them back that land again in the future. But they had burned with that passion within. It didn't matter what godly counsel told them. It doesn't matter what Moses says. We're going to do what we want because it feels good. It's pragmatic. The idols we serve, they give us glory. They help us in a time of need. Where are you God? That's their attitude. They were like the people. They had continued to reject the counsel of God. If that sounds familiar, we can have parallels with us to this day. This rise of multiculturalism, teaching that everyone is right except you. It's been stemming for the last 30 or 40 years, rampantly. or we can do anything, just don't mention Jesus. You can mention any God you want, that's upheld. You want to talk about Allah in public? That's okay. Do you want to bring the Koran into schools? That's okay, but dare a little 7 year old boy bring a note from his mother with scripture verses and the police were at their door. This was just last week, I believe in Texas. A little boy, with his mother, with his sandwich, left a little note, sort of like a devotional. to him each day and he would give that to other kids. He was reported taken to the principal's office and then the police showed up at that house that day. You cannot share this in school. I know I've mentioned this in the past before, the town that I work in, Shrewsbury, where Rodney and Barbara live, several years ago, they said, we're not going to have Christmas plays. I respect that. There's no problem with that. But the very next week, when they made that announcement, they had a gentleman named Yusuf Islam speaking on the benefits of Islam. If anybody knows who Yusuf Islam is, he was the popular recording artist known as Cat Stevens before he converted. I'm on a peace train. He's now converted. He was kicked out of this country for a while. But now that very same doctrine is accepted. All loving. You must love these people that hate you. It's been the demise of our nation. It's been getting worse and worse and worse and worse. Just last week I think I shared it with the men. It was an Islamic mother and father or husband and wife and the wife went to the obstetrician to have a baby. Well, that's a no-no. Another man saw the nakedness or saw some part of that woman's skin without the hijab on. You know what that Muslim father did? He killed the doctor. This is accepted. Dare not say anything about that, but say that Jesus loves them and died for them, that is criminal. But it's something we cannot bow down to. Christ alone is sufficient. His Word is sufficient. It cannot be mingled with any other thing. We saw what has happened through the years of liberalism. back a little bit of a history lesson here, back in the late 1800s. was the rise of Spiritism in this country, the rise of the cults. In the late 1800s was the rise of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, Christian Science, all came up in that time. It was called one of the Ages of Enlightenment, the Second Age of Enlightenment. And that was brought in, that stuff was starting to get into the mainline churches where it still dwells today, tragically. then was born from that was the fundamentalist movement started off mostly by R.A. Torrey writing the fundamentals of the faith which came out and several Bible schools were started out of that. Most notably the Bible Institute of Los Angeles was begun as an answer to liberalism, an answer to the progressives, because the progressives were now letting a little bit in. They were saying, it's okay that a woman is a pastor. It's okay. But as soon as the door opened with that little bit of leaven that opened the door to other things, they soon gave up that battle. Next, it's okay to be a homosexual. It's okay. We need to combine with the world. Well, tragically, those same Bible institutions, and tragically, one that I claim affiliation to, has gone down the same road. It's now pragmatism. It's whatever works, whatever brings in the people. That is what we go for. It's tragic that you see more and more churches that are turning to that method, away from the Scriptures, and to whatever works. Yesterday we had a little men's fellowship. The real idea behind a men's fellowship isn't to go and bowl together, or to go to movies together, or fishing trips together as so many men's groups do. The real motivation behind men, I say men, men, men, men, men, is that men are called to be the leaders of an assembly. The leaders in a congregation are to be men as pastors and deacons. What comes out of a meeting with men isn't just a feel-good gathering, but you hope that you grow in doctrine. You learn together and grow together because guess what needs to happen to circumvent the problems around today of being mingled with everyone else is this. Local churches, as they used to be before the liberalism began, local churches are responsible for local churches. responsible for the leadership, responsible for training, in order to teach the Word of God, in order to bring it out. I have no plans for a megachurch. Rest assured, a megachurch to me would be about 50 or 60 people. I have no plans for a satellite campus where we broadcast a service through six or seven other communities. That's not pastorship, that's entertainment. To entertain the goats that come in. I know that might sound harsh, but that's what it is when you get away from the Word of God. What our goal should be is to see like-minded churches and other places. So if you ever see us starting to fill out, I can get us to fill out pretty quickly by just saying that I saw her. There it is right now. Mary is in that stained glass. We could pack the rafters here with that pragmatism. Or I could claim that I had some divine trip and went to heaven, and here's what Jesus told me. The latest I heard was last week. God showed me this. He showed me the 112 anointing. And if you follow that 112 anointing, man, you can have everything. Just make out your $112 a week, or month, And just make your check out to me. People flock to that. People love it. The Witham theology. What's in it for me? Me, if I give $112 a week, I can be a king? Sad to say, that is what's going on. Ephraim has mingled himself with the nations. He, oh and speaking of Israel, hath learned the way of the heathens, and follows after their adultery." Let's turn over to Psalm 106. Did I say adultery? No. Idolatry and adultery. Spiritual adultery. Let's go to Psalm 106. I'm not going to start with verse 1 here, even though it would be good. Let's start with verse 28, the same idea as earlier in the chapter. They joined themselves also unto Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions, and the plague break in upon them. Then stood Phineas and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations forevermore. Yes, Phineas had faith. It wasn't His killing all the heathens, it was His faith in God. That was accounted unto Him to all generations, just as Abraham believed God, it was accounted unto Him for righteousness. They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes, because they provoked His spirit. So what? He spake unadvisedly with His lips. Verse 34, They did not destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commended them, but were mingled among the heathen and learned their works. And they served their idols, which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan. And the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a-whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against the people, insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance, and He gave them into the hand of the heathen, and they that hated them ruled over them. Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection unto their hand. Many times did He deliver them, but they provoked Him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless, He regarded their affliction when He heard their cry and He remembered them for His covenant. God had promised to deliver them, to save them. The requirement to save them was faith in Him as well. It's the same gospel for Israel as it is for us as well. Faith. Faith in the One that purchased you, Christ Jesus. And He remembered for them His covenant and repented according to the multitude of His mercies. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Save us, O Lord God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto Thy holy name, and to triumph in Thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. And let all the people say, Praise ye the Lord! See, His mercy is the same. His desire was for Israel to go in and kill all the Canaanites. It sounds brutal, does it not? But those Canaanites were under the judgment of God, and God had sent Israel out to be a peculiar people, special to Him that would worship only Him. Now St. Peter likens the church also to being a peculiar people. He doesn't call us out to kill our enemies today. He calls us to love our enemies. To have mercy upon them. But also God is a jealous God. If you don't think He's jealous, try Him. Try worshipping other gods. See what will happen. God will convict you. God will confess Himself to you. Amen? The natural inclination of man, is the same today as it was then, is to take the easy path. As water flows downhill, that's the desire of man to do the easy thing instead of the right path. Oh, how the easy thing for us to do is just believe anything we want. You can believe what you want. You can do what you want. You want to be called a Christian and keep on doing the things that you used to do? You can do it. But God, if you're saved, if you believe in Him, He will convict you. He will say, it's not about you, it's about me. It's all about God and His mercy. Israel had God's prescribed law. Do you ever have to follow an instruction page for something and you miss one thing in those instructions? I hate when that happens. That's what Israel did. They were faithful in some things that were easy, but in other things they just weren't. Or perhaps they were more like I am. I just like to put things together without the instructions and then wonder why it was messed up. How come this is upside down? My wife says, well, you need to follow the instructions. Israel had that. Today we have that same instruction book, but the Bible, unlike for Israel, is not that basic instructions before leaving earth. Christ is the fulfillment of it all. We look to Christ. That's why we don't have to. We learn the Old Testament as an example so we don't fall into the same sin as Israel did and worship other gods or other nations. Hosea 7 here is actually talking about the nation. He's not talking about the church. He's not talking about anything else, but he's talking about this collapse of society from going away from following God in the theocracy that was designed today, just like Ephraim here in the USA today. Maybe we can proudly sing, born in the USA! But the USA today is reaping the, catch the air quotes, the benefits of mingling with other nations. We're out in other nations, putting our noses where it shouldn't be, and at the same time, other nations are invading us with their idolatry, with their adultery, with their promises that can't be kept. And it didn't start with the Mexicans, as some people would say. It started from within. when God started to be kicked out of society back in 1962 what followed right after, well right after the assassination of JFK was something called the Great Society. Now one of the commandments that's still repeated in the New Testament is the command to honor your mother and father and there is a reason. But Something happened in about 1965 that was called social security. I like to call it social insecurity. Back before social security, there was more of an honor of mother and father. You blessed your mother and father because your mother and father blessed you in raising you. That's how it used to be. It used to be that you took care of your parents. Actually, 1 Corinthians 7 deals with that as well. That you honor one another. Take care of them. Paul says, because they took care of you. They laid up for you, so also you should lay up for them. And Paul was using it for the church as well. He gave to them. Now they should give. on behalf of him, one to another. It started there in 1965 or so. Oh man, yep, mom's doing okay. Dad's doing okay. After all, they've got social security. We can put them away in an old age home. They can take care of one another. We don't need to take care of them. Then soon after that, about a year later from that, came welfare. Well, I think Butch was saying this yesterday. Then government started supplying what family should supply in the family. And God was even kicked out even more out of society. Because when a government gives, believe it, it's not free. There is a motivation. It's to get. Get control. Where government takes over. There's problems. It gets a nation away from relying on God and God's principles into trusting, dare I say it, filthy mammon. It's an old example I used to say about wild horses. When horsemen want to attract a wild horse, they set up some food for that wild horse. And that horse comes and eats of that food. Then the next day, the rancher puts out another bowl of food for that horse, or bigger than a bowl. And at the same time, he puts one section of fence. So on and so on. Each day, that horse, that wild horse comes in, eats food, but finally after 10 days, he's surrounded by that fence and cut. That's what happens with being mingled with others when we look to the government for things instead of God. I recommend, this is not a biblical book, but I recommend that you get a hold of a book by Frederick Bastier written in the late 1800s. He wrote it about the French Revolution and the great part about that is he called, government called it legal plunder. Admiralty law. They're stealing. Stealing from God, stealing from man, and leading more people toward them instead of away. I use this as an example, I've used this at the town hall before. I told them, you know, back when they founded a committee, the Massachusetts LGBT Committee, I said, you know, I am offended. I am sick and tired of being called four eyes. We need to have a committee so that people with glasses will have equal treatment. I'm serious. Or whatever. So instead of unifying under God's moral law, which is good for governing society, for the Christian we have Christ as the fulfillment of law. Instead, the country has been divided. LGBTA, Black Americans, Native Americans, White Americans, Scandinavian Americans, Italian Americans. People with one leg have your own group. There's millions or thousands of different groups because they've been empowered. And it's to get people divided. Government cannot take the place of God. As the provider of rights, government cannot provide but can only protect. Read Romans 13 sometime. It's only to protect God-given rights. Now if God gives those rights to people, can they be taken away? If God gives you the divine right to protect yourself, no matter what way it is, can government take it away? They can't. They try. They can ban guns, they can ban knives, they can ban baseball bats, they can ban anything they want, but they can't stop you from protecting yourself or family. It's a natural thing. That's natural law. Amen. If for some reason I was floating over West Mill where you were the balloon, it was the year 1892 or 1862, and I dropped down and I was surrounded by enemies, I have every right in the world to pull out my whatever I'm carrying, whatever to protect myself. I don't need Allah to tell me to do that. I don't need Allah to tell me that I can worship God. Only state religions will justify that. That's why we do not have a state religion in this country. The importance of the Scriptures is made even more manifest to the believer. All facets of society. I like a site called the Unbound Scripture. The Scriptures, if people in high places were able to be confronted by the Scriptures I believe there could be change. But the more they try to outlaw the Bible and bring in other things, the more trouble we will have. Let's go further. So we see that same thing that Ephraim has. Instead of being separated unto God, they learn the way of the heathens. We have been learning the way of the heathens. The rest of verse 8 here. Ephraim is a cake not turned. She said last week you can picture, I won't picture myself because it's impossible, I picture Helen with a big frying pan and in it she's got a cake. You ever see those people that take the pancakes and they flip it over? She drops it every time, so I won't use that. A restaurant we like that serves crepes. They'll cook them up right in front of you, just right. Just shapes it. After a certain amount of time, flips it, and you have a perfect crepe. Perfect on both sides of it. And it's edible. Add what you want to it. add bananas and strawberries. I'm getting hungry, I don't know why. Add bananas, add strawberries to that crepe. Or, how do you say it? Syrup? Syrup. Syrup to that and you have a tasty morsel. But yet, if that same chef were to take that crepe, and I know Butch likes it this way, he's weird, but if you were to take that crepe and leave it on that fire, one side would quickly get burned to a crisp. The top side would be raw. Think of that. Take a nice big bite of it. You can add all of the bananas and strawberry and whipped cream to it and you still have How do you spell that? I want to turn to a similar place in the New Testament. Revelation chapter 3. Let's look at the church of Laodicea. Revelation chapter 3, starting with verse number 14. And unto the angel of the church of Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, The beginning of the creation of God. In other words, Jesus Christ is the only true God. This is what He is saying to this church that was located in Asia, physically. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou went cold or hot. It's even worse being cold or lukewarm because, well actually better, if you're cold, at least you can be warmed up. If you're burnt to a crisp, as Ephraim was, you can do nothing but throw it away. Let's look further here. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spoo thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I know it's talking about a literal church here in Revelation, but it's also talking about a type of the church today. It looks an awful lot like Ephraim did, like Israel did before the captivity, and it looks an awful lot like the United States as well. Verse number 18, I counsel thee to buy me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich. You know what, that true gold in the fire is that precious thing. It's the blood of Christ is precious. And our faith is precious because it is tried with fire. The fire hardens us or purifies us. That's what we need. Don't be surprised by the fiery trials that are coming. So says Peter, that thou mayest be rich. and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see." Quick interpretation, that's the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone can take your clothing and change your filthy rags into white raiment. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent." See, God loves us, but He chastens us. He doesn't chasten us because He just feels like it. He chastens us because He knows that He is our only hope. He was Israel's only hope. That's why He put them through the trials and tribulations. through judgment. They deserved it, but through it all, His desire was that they would repent and trust Him. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Just like the back of that church right there. This isn't about your heart. This is about the church. He's at the door. Hear the church is there having rock and roll concerts and lifting up Rick Warren and lifting up yourself and is Jesus. Hello! I'm here. The church is supposed to be about me. Can I hear anything about me? It's all about Jesus. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me." That's a picture of the communion that we have. You hear the voice of God, and you can only hear it through the Scriptures. God desires, through Christ, to be with us. To Him that overcometh. Ask me, well, how can I overcome? You can't overcome by trying to do better. You can't overcome by looking to any kind of other thing. The only way you can overcome is to trust the One Overcomer. See, Jesus alone, not anybody else, took upon Himself our sins. We mentioned in that priest this morning, if he would understand the doctrine of original sin that even the Catholic Church teaches. If you really understood it, you would see the human depravity that we have. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. But what we need to do is have faith in the One who can. Not only can, but He will. If you come to Him, He will no wise cast you out. What a great promise that is. To Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne. It's already been granted. Mason and Leanne have a ring. We have a ring. We are engaged to Christ Jesus and there is a honeymoon suite waiting for us. There's a new Jerusalem and we'll be sitting, reigning with Him. But not yet. We're in this world and we have the same focus. I'm looking forward to that day that I can sit with Him. Indiana Mason, you guys starting to count down the days? Can't wait for that time. They'll be together as one. I can't wait for that time. I have a legal contract that says I'm engaged to Christ, that I'm married. He's the bridegroom and I'm part of the bride. And it's going to happen. That is a promise that God keeps to those who have faith in Him. To Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto The Church. That message has not changed. The message that we have is not, and I know I say it often, it's not about our best life now. It's not about how rich we can have. It's not about the 112 anointing, which is just created out of thin air. It's about the fact that we have the inheritance. We, if you're a Christian, think of this, have ears to hear, let them hear. The Spirit says that if you trust Him, you'll have an everlasting life and you will rule and reign with Him. Don't trust that other stuff that you hear. It's all down to who Christ is, and what He's done, and what Christ has done Unlike human endeavors, it is permanent. Salvation cannot be taken away. It is a gift of God. If it were anything else, we could boast. Look at what I did. Oh, I prayed 18,000 times today and it's only 2 o'clock. Look at how great I am. Well, I'll raise your 18,000 prayers and I get 18,132 and a half. Look how righteous I am. I had a vision from God. I am holy and sacred. Cast all those things right down. It's all about Christ. Jesus in Matthew 6. said, no man can serve two masters. Either you serve God or you serve Mammon. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Israel was trying to have it both ways. They were trying to look righteous, look like that top of that cake, It looked pretty good, but underneath was rotten and unusable because they will look into other gods. That's what we do as well today. Let's go back to Hosea. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people. Ephraim is a cake not turned, Strangers have devoured His strength, and He knoweth it not." The strength of Israel, they were trying to derive that strength from their idols. It was only making them weaker and weaker and weaker. Us too in America, we put our strength upon the greatness of our nation. We put our strength on how we've been blessed with an economy that up until the last several years was pretty robust. We've looked to that, but just like Israel, we've forgotten who the real strength is. Just a little overview. Think of these names of God that are used through the Old Testament. El Shaddai, God Almighty. It's not Bruce Almighty. That was a funny movie, but it was pretty blasphemous. Jehovah Jireh, this is what God was called at the sacrifice of Isaac. God will provide, He has provided a Lamb, Jehovah Jireh, The LORD will provide. Jehovah Rapha, the LORD our healer. Always remember this. Each and every one of us has an incurable wound. We are sick from the top of our heads to the bottom of our feet. We're sick with sin. I'm sorry, but the doctors at Beth Israel cannot help us with that. The doctors at the Mayo Clinic, they can't help us with that. But only the Lord can. He is the healer. He gave the healing in Isaiah 53 by His stripes. O stripes, we are healed. It's spiritual. You not only have your life now, but you have eternal life because God is that healer. We have Jehovah Nisai. God bless you. The Lord our banner. In other words, the Lord is the rallying place. I'd love it if you'd go into a place. I used to like going to the IHOP. They used to have flags of all the countries around there. But all those are going to be gone. We have a banner. And it's the Lord. He is our rallying point in battle. They had a banner showing what country they were from, whose king they served, but our banner is Jehovah. He is our banner. I love this one. Jehovah Makedesh. This is the Lord who sanctifies or makes holy. Notice it says Jehovah or Yahweh. Not myself. Not anything else. Not a baptism, not a circumcision, not a keeping of the law, but the Lord Himself. Here we have Jehovah Shalom. The Lord our peace. Without knowing the Lord, there is no peace. They can sign peace treaties between Israel and all the nations, and they will, but there won't be peace until the Lord brings it. And He will bring perfect peace. Jehovah Sidkinu, the Lord our righteousness, is found in Jeremiah 33. He is our righteousness, not our looking to any other thing. Jehovah-Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd. The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want Him. He maketh me to lie in green pastures. He restores my soul. He, there is one emphasis there in the 23rd Psalm, it's not me, it's He. Jehovah Shema. The Lord is there. He's talking about the Temple. And ultimately where it's found in Ezekiel, He's talking about the next Temple. The Eternal Temple. The Lord is there. Jehovah Sabaoth. The Lord of hosts. The Lord of all angels and men the Lord of everything. Then we have El Elyon, his God Most High. El Roi, the God Who Sees. He sees everything. El Olam, the Everlasting God. And El Yimhor, the Mighty God. The Mighty God, the Prince of Tragically, much of the Church, as Ephraim, much like society today, has become a melting pot of many different beliefs. We have become the buffet. Have it your way. Come, eat what you want, just spit out the bones. Unfortunately, there's more bones than there is good meat nowadays. Go back to Hosea. Strangers have devoured his strength. Look at here and repeat it at the end of the verse. Ninoah Thitnot, just like in the days of Noah, Eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. Society was going on pretty good. They were saying, great is my faithfulness by rejecting God. That's how it is today. That's how Ephraim was. Then he knew it not. They knew that they had rejected God's chastisement and continued to serve idols. You ever heard this when you tell somebody about the Lord and they say, well, that's good for you. That sounds like a good story, but I am going to believe this. I'm going to keep on believing and I'm going to hit the megabytes. I'm going to keep on going in the way they were. They were prideful. One of the worst sins there is the sin of pride, because that pride keeps the focus on me. On an individual. and nations as well. National pride will lead one away from God. When we put the flag above the cross, we're asking for trouble. Soon we'd have like they had in Nazi Germany, where the church was sanctioned by the government. Instead of an American flag and the Christian flag, they had a Nazi flag flying that Nazi imprimatur was upon all the churches except for a few that were the resistors. Yea, they know it not, and the pride of Israel testifieth to his face." Their pride, in spite of knowing that they were wretched, they still rejected God. And they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek Him for all this." What is the answer? The answer is found in the book of Romans. Romans chapter 3, one verse I promise, we'll keep the context of it. Romans chapter 3, verse number 9. What then? Are we better than they? No, and no wise, for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none righteous. No, not one. And I'll add my name to that number. Anybody else want to volunteer and tell me that you're not righteous? Amen. I should have a whole... Every hand should be risen. We're all unrighteous. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. What have we seen through Hosea and the prophets? They didn't seek Him, but He kept on going for them. He kept on loving them, and going to them, desiring that they would turn to Him, and they continued not. They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. I'm going to leave Romans chapter 3 for Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Believe it or not, Romans chapter 10 fits right in with Hosea because Romans 9, 10, and 11 were directed to the Jews. Because of their unbelief. So Romans chapter 10, verse number 1. And I'm going to go through this kind of quickly here. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Again, they looked good on the outside, but they were burnt to a rotten crisp and weren't profitable. They loved religion. They loved to put on the garments, they loved to put on the robes and crowns and appear as righteous, but they weren't. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Pride, pride, pride, pride. Pride week, pride day, pride this, pride that. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, for what? To everyone that believes. You believe the Gospel. You don't have to worry about fulfilling all the laws. It will be fulfilled for you. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them. You want to live by the commandments? You better make sure you live by them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for the rest of your life. If you want to be justified by thinking you can follow the Sabbath or anything else, you better live it! I put a big F mark next to my name. I've failed. I know it. And I can tell you this, and I'm not a prophet, each and every person in here, each and every person outside of here, in the whole world has failed. They get a grade of F. Take that and see if you'll qualify for a scholarship to heaven. Amen? But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise. Say not, thine heart, who shall ascend unto heaven? That is to bring Christ down from above. Jesse Duplantis and all these people claim that they've gone to heaven and talked to Jesus. Guess what? Jesus came down in His own accord. He came down, suffered, bled, and died, and He ascended, and He's there waiting for me, and you, and anybody that's trusted in Him. For who shall descend into the deep? That is to bring up Christ again from the dead. You can't kill Him over and over and over again. You can't sacrifice Him in the Mass. You can't do any of that. You go to visit Jesus' grave, guess what? You're not going to find anyone there because He's in Heaven! At the right hand of the Father. And we are promised that place as well. But what sayeth it? Now remember, we apply this today to people here and now, but think of this in the context of Hosea, of the prophets. But what sayeth the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach. See, the Bible was the thing that was in existence. The law was there for the Jews to testify to them, ultimately, of the righteousness of Christ. We have it here today. It's a closed canon. So to say we have anything else, you're suffering from a disease called leaky canon syndrome. You're adding something else. But the Word is right there. Even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach. Verse number 9, think of this. For a Jew, even today, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. How are you saved? It's an open book here. It's an easy question to answer by believing. That believing in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead. No looking for Him anywhere. No trying to bring Him back down or having visions and dreams. It's all about Christ being risen. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. We saw the heart of Ephraim that was black, dirty, Unuseful. And with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Yes, with the heart, you believe. None of us could have salvation except for if it was in the heart. See, our hearts are desperately wicked. It's deceitful. But Christ is the one and only one That's how I write one and only one. One and only person. One and only deity that can take our wicked, harden hearts and soften them. And He can grow us from there. First He saves us, then He sanctifies us. Progressively. That's the only time I like progressive. Progressive sanctification. You're not going to be changed with your practices instantly. But progressively, as you learn who God is, He changes you. It's true. It's from the inside out that He does His work. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. Now the term ashamed is ashamed before God. Without Christ, we cannot go to God. Look what I've brought you God! Look what I've done! I helped three old ladies across the road today. Aren't I a good voice scout? But it's not about what we've done. Anything that we bring brings us shame. But when we trust in what God has brought, His Son Jesus Christ is no shame. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? Jesus sent us all. Go therefore, baptize, make disciples, and teach everything that I have commanded. As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah saith, Lord who hath believed our report, so that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily their sound went unto all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the earth. But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, all day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." Look back to verse 20. It says, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not of Me." See, upon Israel's rejection of Him, God turned to the Gentiles. The nations weren't looking for Him. We weren't looking for God. I never looked for God. I wanted to run away from God. But God, through His Word, did this. That hurt. It's supposed to. That's what God did. He pricked me with His love. He showed me how unrighteous I am, but then gave me this promise that if I believed, if I believed the Gospel, I would have His righteousness. So today, we have that option. We might have been going to church Year after year, maybe you never wanted to go to church, maybe you dragged yourself to church, oh I'm doing my duty, but God is in the calling business. God has sent His Spirit to testify of Himself. God desires. Anybody who has not trusted in Him, That's His desire, is to trust in Him. In His righteousness alone. Jesus died on the cross according to the Scriptures. He was buried according to the Scriptures. He rose again according to the Scriptures. And I'll add, according to the Scriptures, if you believe that, you have eternal life. Your sins are washed away. That's the number one benefit. Eternal life is second. First thing is your sins are gone. When I say gone, they're blotted out. All the different laws that you've broken your entire life, there's a book that's kept. Not only your speeding tickets that you didn't pay, not only your jail convictions for whatever reason, but every little thing. I often wear that elastic that I take home from work saying, Even that, that belongs to the post office. I'm guilty. But Christ has taken it all away. He's nailed all those sins to His cross. And He promised, He promises, if you believe that, you have eternal life. That's a message for the entire church. It's a message for the unbeliever as well. Believe the Lord. What holds you back? Is it pride like Israel? I don't need that. I'm in control. As soon as somebody tells me they're in control, I say, watch out. This is going to be out of control. So, by invitation, I'm not going to ask anybody to come forward. Here's what I ask. If you've heard anything seen in the Scriptures, take it, read about it, ask about it, and be convinced of God, not because of any person that said anything, but be convinced of God, that His desire is to rescue you. For the saint, His desire is to keep you rescued. Amen? His desire, He's zealous for His Word. He loves to hear people trust in Him in all things. Amen? And again, this ever, any questions, any thoughts that you have, the only thing that's a bad thing is the unasked question. That's the only thing that's bad. Perhaps even God wants to use people for His ministry. and go into the world or in the church, let God be the one that does the convicting. Amen.