Old Testament Prophets 12 May Hosea & Gomer Hosea 2:16-23 19 May Jonah and the whale Jonah 1-4 26 May Love not religion Hosea 6:1-6 2 June How can I give you up? Hosea 11:1-9 Hosea Living in part 3 of 4 of the bible story

The Bible Story experiencing God A dysfunctional family Genesis Experience of belonging An oppressed minority Rest of Experience of freedom Pentateuch A precarious nation state Rest of Experience of judgement Old Testament The body of Christ New More belonging – more freedom Testament

Part 4 goes on our experience of God In dysfunctional, sometimes oppressive relationships in a precarious world we find … Righteousness Justice Love Compassion Faithfulness What it is to be children of God In Christ

The Bible Story experiencing God A dysfunctional family Genesis Experience of belonging An oppressed minority Rest of Experience of freedom Pentateuch A precarious nation state Rest of Experience of judgement Old Testament The body of Christ New More belonging – more freedom Testament

Old Testament Prophets 12 May Hosea & Gomer Hosea 2:16-23 19 May Jonah and the whale Jonah 1-4 26 May Love not religion Hosea 6:1-6 2 June How can I give you up? Hosea 11:1-9 Hosea Living in northern kingdom of Israel The Lord’s people who aren’t the Lord’s people Why?

(So how do combat these?) Alternative worship Matt 22:37 Mind Feel/heart Soul 1John2:16 Lust of eyes Lust of body Pride of life Materialism Hedonism Egoism Ephes2:1-3 World Flesh Devil Matt 4:1-10 Kingdom Bread Spectacular (So how do combat these?) Serve be Thankful Love

Old Testament Prophets 12 May Hosea & Gomer Hosea 2:16-23 19 May Jonah and the whale Jonah 1-4 26 May Love not religion Hosea 6:1-6 2 June How can I give you up? Hosea 11:1-9 How does God deal with us when we do not worship him with all our mind, heart and soul? When we take beauty & make it tawdry – when we become prostitutes

When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God Hosea 1 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel: When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God

When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God 2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take yourself a wife of promiscuity children of promiscuity, for this land has committed great promiscuity by departing from the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim [as his wife] and she conceived and bore him a son. When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God

4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” 2 Kings 10:11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor. 30 The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit. When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God: Knowing we are scattered

6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter 6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “no compassion”), for I will no longer show compassion to Israel, but I will have them completely carried away. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.” When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God: when scattered, outside compassion When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God: when scattered, outside compassion

8 After she had weaned Lo- Ruhamah, Gomer had another son 8 After she had weaned Lo- Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lordsaid, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God. 8 After she had weaned Lo- Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lordsaid, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God. When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God: when scattered, outside God’s compassion

10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. 2>1  “Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’ When we focus on the world, the flesh and ourselves Hearing God: when scattered, outside God’s compassion

“In that day,” declares the Lord,     “you will call me ‘my husband’;     you will no longer call me ‘my master.’ 17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;     no longer will their names be invoked. 18 In that day I will make a covenant for them     with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky     and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle     I will abolish from the land,     so that all may lie down in safety. 19 I will betroth you to me forever;     I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,     in love and compassion. 20 I will betroth you in faithfulness,     and you will acknowledge the Lord. Hosea 2

Thank God for his written Word to us 21 “In that day I will respond,”     declares the Lord— “I will respond to the skies,     and they will respond to the earth; 22 and the earth will respond to the grain,     the new wine and the olive oil,     and they will respond to Jezreel. 23 I will plant her for myself in the land;     I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;     and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” Thank God for his written Word to us

Our Gathered worship has ended, our Worship & Service continue From Amen to Action May you know the blessing of loving God with all your mind heart soul and strength Today and every day, for ever. Amen? Amen Our Gathered worship has ended, our Worship & Service continue