Amazing Love Series

Series: Amazed?

Sermon 1: Amazing Savior! - Palm Sunday

Sermon 2: Amazing Grace! – Good Friday

Sermon 3: Amazing Love! – Easter Sunday

Video Clip: From Amazing Love --- http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WDZLD7NX

Main Scripture Texts:

Hosea 1:2-3; 3:1-3; 9:1; 14: 1-2:9

John 21:15-19

Thesis: Easter describes for us the power of love and that love is an “Amazing love” that astounds all who become recipients of it!

Introduction:

Easter Sunday is all about love – “Really the power of love” - it’s about the victory of love over death and destruction. It’s the promise of the Bible that love will always defeat sin and death. It’s the story of the triumphant God of love manifesting that love through Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday is revealing, and it shows us the power of love to overcome evil. Love won out Easter morning! Love sent death packing with its tails between its legs! Love stood up and death went down for the count! Love as the Bible describes is “Amazing!” and that amazing love is described for us not only in the Gospels but it is also found in the Old Testament in the book of Hosea. So let’s start there this morning as we learn the amazing power of love.

I. The amazing love of Hosea for Gomer and the typology of that love between Jesus and His bride the church today:

a. Hosea is a symbolic representation of God in OT/ And Christ in the NT. Gomer represents Israel in the OT/And The Church or Bridegroom of Christ in the NT and typified in Hosea's faithfulness to his adulterous wife “Gomer” (Hos 3)

b. Hosea 1:2-3; 3:1-3; 9:1; 14: 1-2; 9

i. Hosea 1:2-3 (Key verses of the book):

1. 2When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.” 3So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

ii. Hosea 3:1-3: Hosea takes her as his wife but later after 3 kids he has to go buy her out of slavery – not sure if she left him for another guy - but most likely or returned after having three kids she just decided to go back to her former promiscus lifestyle.

1. 1The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” 2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will live with you.”

iii. Hosea 9:1: Israel compared to Gomer.

1. 1 Do not rejoice, O Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor.

iv. Hosea 14: 1-2:

1. 1 Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

v. Hosea 14:9:

1. 9 Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

c. The Story of a prophet of God and his unfaithful wife:

i. It’s more than a story – it’s a story painting a spiritual reality of our relationship with God.

1. Hosea is the faithful one.

2. Gomer is the unfaithful one.

ii. The story line:

1. Hosea – Hosea served as a prophet to Israel (the northern Kingdom) from 753-715 BC.

a. In this time frame Israel’s last 6 kings were very wicked and they promoted heavy taxes, oppression of the poor, idol worship, and a total rejection of God and His ways. Israel was drained dry of financial funds by having to pay tribute to Assyria to keep from being invaded -- but they were eventually invaded by Assyria in 722 BC and destroyed - they then ceased to be a separate nation at this point.

b. Hosea’s main message was pointed toward Israel the northern kingdom of Israel which split ---“The nation of Israel had split in two ---Israel north – Judah south after Solomon’s death. The message primarily revealed how God saw their sinful condition. They had sold God out and rejected Him and His ways. Therefore they had become an adulterous nation betraying their true God, their true lover and true provider. Their total disregard for God cost them dearly - they lost their freedom - they became slaves because of the judgment of God on their adulterous nation.