All posts by Virjil Selvan

Good morning Church. Let’s recollect what we are going through from the past few weeks.

As we all aware that we are going through the series of values.

Today we are going to look into the value that is Church.

What is church?

Jesus told His disciples that one of His purposes for coming was to “build my church”

Matthew 16:18.

Let us approach in this way? Let’s ask our mind….What is church?

Yes what your mind is thinking is right – WE ARE.

Over the years, the word “Church” has come to mean the building we meet in. I still remember one of our midweek cell started like this when you show the hotel Peace park is our church to your friend what will be the reaction?!! I hope you all remembered that.

Someone will say (for example) “I’m going to church” meaning their building. but

Church is Always people the never a place

Always a believing assembly, never a building

The church is we who pray, not where we pray.” In simple words Jesus died for us not for the building.

Definition of Church:

The church is the Assembly of God’s redeemed people, living in right relationship with God and each other, gathered with a view to hear and do his will.

Some of the Metaphors of the church:

• Body of the Christ
• Bride of the Christ
• Family of God
• The army of God
• The temple of God
• The vineyard of God
• The flock of God and
• The Nation of the God

Goal of the church:

Many Christians are caught up with going to heaven but the church’s role is to bring heaven on earth. (Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven)

• To display God’s wisdom (Eph 3:10)
• To demolish Satanic strongholds (Mat 16:18)
• To bring unity, intimacy& maturity (Eph 4:11-14)
• To restore creation (Romans 8:18-21)
• To usher God’s Kingdom (Rev 11:15, Dan2:44-45)
• To disciple nation (Mt 28: 18-20, Gen 1:26)

Activities of the church:

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  – Acts 2:41-47

• Joining

As soon as people were born again, baptized in water and in the spirit, the decided to join the 120 disciples. It’s very important. To grow in spiritual life we need to be a part of a community. A Christian without a church family is an orphan.

• Teaching

Jesus commissioned his disciple in Matt 28:20 to teach his new converts everything he had commanded them until they began practicing it. We are also encouraged to be always equipped with bible, note pen in the time of studying the scriptures. Wherever it’s possible it’s our duty to spread Gospel

• Fellowship & Community Life
  • Love one another,
  • Prefer one another
  • Edify one another
  • Accept one another
  • Instruct one another
  • Serve one another
  • Forgive one another
  • Greet one another
  • Consider one another
  • Encourage one another

• Breaking of Bread

Time of remembrance, thanks giving, renewing of our covenant, communion with the lord, proclamation of Lords death, a time to renew our hope in his second coming and time of self-examination.

• Prayer

Prayer is spending time with God. Uncle told a lot about prayer.

• Witness & Evangelism

People are lost without God. We are commissioned in the bible to go reach out to others (Mat 28:19,20) if we do not tell others we will be the losers at the end. We must share the love of God and hope of Jesus to people. Obviously no one wants our friends and family to suffer in the hell for eternity

• Praise, worship & Spiritual Gift

Praise is the response to the Greatness of God, Worship is the response to the Holiness of God.  Worship honors God, It’s a proper way to come before the lord, brings Gods presence, only God is worthy of our worship. During the time of worship the spiritual gifts are also released where God begin to communicate with us. If not yet now it’s time for us to begin actively participate in worshiping God. So church is not simply attending the church service or holding a paper membership. But its demands the active participation from each and every person. Each one must function and contribute for the whole body to grow.

Why we need a church?

WE GET TO BE A PART OF WHAT GOD IS DOING!

The wonderful thought is you and I get to be part of this – of seeing the Lord do this in us as believers and also be part of making it happen in the Church.

Learn to see your spiritual journey in these four aspects that the Lord Jesus is working in the Church – that is in us, and through us:

(A)The Church is coming to a place of unity of the faith – are you doing things, living life in a manner that promotes unity of the faith in the Church, that is the Body of believers. Avoid anything that divides, anything that causes disunity.

(B) The Church will come to know Jesus accurately, knowing Jesus for who He really is – look at Jesus for who He is as revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Holy Scriptures.

(C) The Church, believers, will come to a place of maturity by becoming Christlike, becoming like Jesus in life, word, and deed –       we need to allow God to transform us personally into Christ likeness. Is becoming like Jesus, in life, word and deed, our goal, our vision.

(D) The Church will come to a place of being a glorious, a Church that is sanctified, cleansed. It’s act that we allowing Jesus, to sanctify us, cleanse us, and make us holy and blameless, through His Word, so that His glory – virtue and power – can be revealed through us

We all remembered the story of Jesus feed 5000. Jesus uses people to bless people it’s a great privilege of being part of it. Always we assume our self in the receiving end. We need to be in the giving end also. God wants us to use to bless people.

I just want to read the scripture portion from Roman 16: 3-15

³ Greet Priscilla^[c] and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. ⁴ They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. ⁵ Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among^[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. ¹² Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.

People who were mentioned here in Romans 16 were workers. People risked their lives, worked hard in the Lord. All the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.” And a few of these people had church services in their homes. They were the “nuts and bolts” of the congregation. And so God honored them, by telling us their names For all of eternity… their names are listed in our Bible BECAUSE God wanted us to know their names. The church is not about some famous people. It’s not about powerful ones.  We don’t need any power and position to do whatever smallest thing we can do. I feel so happy when our children helps the time of winding our stuffs. With a heart full of joy the used to carry.

So my dear Church… there are no unimportant people. Even the small ones. In Church… god knows your name. We are here to do the will of God. God’s plan and purpose is greater than our imagination

Haggai 2:9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Dear church, all the ministries which we are doing as a community and as a church is all God’s plan for us, for the people around us, for the city God have placed in. All has a unique plan and purpose.

In this morning God gives us the opportunity to make a difference in our world where god have placed us By involving our self fully in church. When we started feeling that church is nothing but us all this will start happening. What a joy that we get to be part of this – of seeing the Lord do this in us as believers and also be part of making it happen in the Church.

God will make things better, stronger, and greater! In God, today is better than yesterday. We go from glory to glory, from faith to faith, from strength to strength.

I was a person who was being a part of a church till my 8^th standard. After that some issues I cant connect to a godly family. But after a long gap I got our church to be part of. Newly married things were new that time the church helped a lot. Abled to see god’s guidance, love and affection through people. There are people outside like the old me, Jesus expects us to give hands to the people outside its our duty to bring those people to the Gods family, to serve them, to reach out people so that the people those are fatherless will have father, hopeless will be having hope.d

And here is the prayer of Christ for all of us,

⁵⁰ For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”      (Mat 12: 50)

¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[a] and on this rock I will build my church  (Matthew 16:18)

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17- 20-23)

Jesus wants us, members of his global family/community, to be one.  One with him, and with his father, and with each other.   And we are one.  We are one with all our sisters and brothers who are committed to doing God’s will.

Church are we ready to see church in us?

God placed me in the church for _______

Beulah is PHD in Mathematics and is part of Renewed Hope Community Church. The Renewed Hope Community Church is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Our Value: We believe that God has made us and the Church as whole ‘Stewards’ of His creation and the many resources (talents, wisdom, knowledge, skills, finances, etc) he has blessed with. We need to exercise our rights and responsibilities diligently.

Meaning: The job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property.

A wealthy businessman from Texas was in the habit of giving his dad unique gifts on his birthday. As his business travels took him around the world, he would always search to find something truly remarkable to give to his dad. But this past year he felt he had outdone himself. He discovered a talking bird that had been trained to speak five languages and even more incredible, could sing “The Yellow Rose of Texas” while standing on one foot. The talented bird cost him ten thousand dollars, but he felt it was worth every penny. This would be a gift his dad would never forget and he arranged to have the bird delivered in time for his dad’s birthday.

About a week after the bird was delivered he called his father. “Dad, how did you like the bird?” His father responded, “Son, you have to tell me where you found that bird because it was so delicious!”

Man was created a steward. In the Garden of Eden, it was the full intention of God that man would have far reaching, responsibilities and privileges. There was to be an intimate sharing between God the owner and the man the steward. In An environment of openness God spoke to man and man spoke to God. To remind man of this, God place one tree as a restriction. This tree was a symbol of God’s authority-His sovereignty. This tree was also the only restriction placed upon man; this proves that man was to be steward and not an owner, because in stewardship there is always some restriction-something which the steward has no right.

When stewardship is understood as a relationship of trust between a person and his creator, immediately the question of responsibility and accountability comes into focus. Every man, in order to be effective, has to understand what the tools of his trade are, these varies with the size, type and scope of whatever is to be managed. Adam and Eve were entrusted with certain tools at creation to enable them to administer their dominion of the earth.

Time is the most precious gift God had given us, time is the essence of life.

Talents: Time alone would be of no value if one were incapable of doing anything. Man was given the skills needed to perform his work, each person has different skills, diversified and unique. Even two people can do the same thing, one maybe more skillful and proficient than the other.

Possessions. Time and talent alone would be insufficient; an artist needs a brush and a writer a pen. There is nothing wrong with obtaining or maintaining possessions; this is what stewardship is all about. The wrongness occurs when one claims ownership of these possessions

Money as it represents a medium of exchange, makes economic interchange possible on a worldwide scale.

Time + Talent = Life

The ingredients of life are time and talent. Without time there is no life; without talents, life would be meaningless.

Time + Talent = Money

Money or its equivalent is life, It is life in a tangible form.

Money = Life

If money is representative of life, to waste it would be to waste life; to hoard it would be to bury life. It follows that when one makes an offering of money to God, he is, in reality, offering a portion of his life. On the other hand, if a person does not wish to give money, or some material gift to God, it is a portion of his life which he does not wish to give.

Four Principles of Stewardship

1. The principle of ownership.

Psalm 24:1 proclaims that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (NIV). One thing that we must recognize in understanding stewardship is the fact that God owns everything in our lives. We must change our mindset towards ownership to obey God’s will involving our possessions. Deuteronomy 8:18 that demands us to “remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Since God owns it all, how much authority do we give God over our possessions?

2. The principle of responsibility.

In the beginning of Genesis, God created everything and puts Adam to work in the garden to take care of it. Relating this to our lives, Adam’s purpose is our current duty to fulfill. Since God owns everything, we are obligated to carry out the will of the father. For owners have rights and stewards have responsibilities. We must understand that when God blesses us with abundance, the abundance creates more of a responsibility to handle what God has given us. What has God given us that we are responsible for?

3. The principle of accountability.

In Matthew 12:36, Jesus says “but I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.” God has entrusted humanity to have authority over creation and we are not allowed to rule over it however we see fit. We are called to exercise dominion under the management of the Creator. We have been tasked with overseeing His creation in accordance with the principles He has established. In the end, we will all give account to the rightful owner as to how well we managed the things he has entrusted to us. How can we stay accountable and steward well of what He has provided?

4. The principle of reward.

In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Accountability of our ability to follow God’s commandments can generate reward. Moreover, we must switch our focus from the temporary to the eternal. The treasures that are stored up within us will also be rewarded through true sanctification that is in heaven after we depart from this earth. How comfortable are we with our life if God were to give an account for us right now?

As Christians, we need to fully understand this broader view of stewardship that goes beyond just handling with one’s finances; it connects everything we do with what God is doing in the world. There are principles in which we must reflect ourselves on our role as stewards. We need to understand that the Lord doesn’t only want us to handle our money and possessions well, but to handle all aspects of our lives. To be faithful stewards, we are called to glorify him, serve the common good, and further His Kingdom. As we begin understanding the concept of stewardship, what is our response? Let’s challenge ourselves to…

1. Believe God OWNS it all

2. Understand the RESPONSBILITIES He has given us.

3. Remain ACCOUNTABLE for how we steward what He provides.

4. Remember our REWARD & treasure is found in having an eternal perspective.

I remember an aunty who was our neighbor back in hometown had 4 sons & 4 daughters. One fine day she got some sickness and passed away. Her children from different parts of the city and also some from abroad have also came for the funeral and at the close of the service we gathered at the home and it was interesting to hear the conversation they all had. It was all about sharing of the possessions that she had. The musical instrument was given to one granddaughter, the furniture to another, the house to another person the land was divided, the jewels were shared among the daughters and everything was given a new owners. No matter how much possessions we have accumulated in our lifetime we cannot take it with us when we’re dead, neither can lifeless hands hold anything. I still remember that just before getting the coffin down the younger son came near me and asked have u guys removed that watch from her hand.

Truth #1: What we have is not ours  – Stewardship is about the right use of our life. Money is a part of that life. Money is simply a representation to time, talent, and sweat – poured into a piece of paper or a checking account. It ALL belongs to the master. All of it!

Truth #2: What we have is to benefit the Kingdom of God – Talk about purpose and meaning in life – You have been called to work in the greatest work of all time and eternity – the establishment of the kingdom of God

Truth #3: God never asks for more from us than we can handle – God proportioned the bags of money according to the abilities. God has given me some, some to you, he has given a different amount and His expectations on us depends on our ability to handle the blessings He gives. We don’t all have the same talents, abilities, judgment, timing, physical strength, or appearance.

We aren’t all in the same place spiritually. Some are babes, some are young and immature, and some are adults and mature in the spiritual things.

The servant who received the five bags of gold began immediately to invest the money and soon doubled it. The servant with two bags of gold also went right to work and doubled the money. But the servant who received the one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money for safekeeping.

The five-bag man invested his money and doubled it.

He was able to take his money and turn it into equipment, loans, venture capital that produced jobs and work for others. Here is a man who not only took care of his master but took care of others in the process!

The two-bag man went to work and doubled his money. He was able to take his money and use it to buy a business he worked in himself and he doubled his money.

The one-bag man dug a hole in the ground and hid it.

He was more concerned about risk management and he determined to do as little as possible to give himself a feeling of security. He thought nothing of his master or for others – only himself.

When the master came back he told the man that he could have put it in the bank and at least earned interest. He could have put what he had with others and used it to benefit the king!

A few pennies combined with everyone else’s pennies is soon billions!

Stewardship and money are not synonymous; stewardship is a relationship, as well as management. Money or material things, are the natural result of wise management. And while the relationship between a man and God remains constant, his material possessions will vary according to his ability and the size of trust with which he has been entrusted. The only requirement is faithfulness. Faithfulness in returning tithes and giving offerings to God.

Christ has spoken a lot about Stewardship, how to manage the things like finances, talents, wisdom and also about time managing through many parables. Not just taught but he has also lived and shown us how to be a good steward.

When Satan tempted Him with alternative plans, Jesus rebuked him with Scripture and refused any shortcuts. Even when God’s purpose brought Jesus to the brink of the cross, complete with suffering and agony – He submitted to God’s will, not His own. Jesus’ job wasn’t finished until the Father’s purpose was finished. He had given his own life for all of us because he knew that it doesn’t belong to him, it belongs to the Father. He says let your will be done, even during his last breath. What an amazing role model he has shown to every of us.

So, Jesus modeled biblical stewardship at every turn during His time on earth. Big surprise, right? Well, the challenge for us isn’t just recognizing His example. We’ve got to imitate His example. To be effective stewards, we have to find ways to use God’s blessings in God’s way for God’s glory—just like Jesus did.

Quote: We show God that He is first in our lives when we give Him the best of who we are and what we have possessed.

Paul Anand is an IT Professional and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

If you want to build a house the first thing to do is to dig the foundations. Without good, solid and secure foundations the rest of the structure will not be stable and there will be a danger of subsidence or worse. Sometimes that requires a raft to be created to spread the load across particularly soft ground. Whatever the conditions, foundations matter.

God been our foundation, the biblical values we carry is our foundations. Today we are going to look a another biblical value of our church we believe in , i.e. Generosity.

We started with our values Prayer, Open Home, Discipleship & today we are looking at Generosity.

Generosity:

As a Church, We value generosity to bless the body of Christ and others in order to expand the kingdom of God and display the love of Christ.

When we talk about generosity, the first thing which comes to our mind is MONEY. And, the Bible dealt with this issue many times. Matthew, Mark and Luke was said to be that out of 6 verses, one verse tackles about money. And out of the 29 parables of Jesus Christ, 16 parables deal with the person with their money or wealth. The whole Bible itself was said to have more than 800 passages that talks synonymous terms such as money, finances, giving, tithing, generosity, etc. This evidence just shows that it is very important that we talked about this and learn from the Bible the teachings about giving, tithing, and generosity.

The most important thing however is learning the main idea of generosity. For us to understand what does it take to give back to God what is due for Him and to offer it in the “right manner” which the Bible gave emphasis on in the book of Genesis in the story of Cain and Abel. The story tells us that first and foremost, we need to offer God what is due for Him in the right manner. Doing it in the other way around discredits our giving.

Scripture warns us about an incredibly powerful snare of our enemy – money. Money, of course, is not bad or dangerous in and of itself, but it has the potential to lead us away from God in arrogance and self-sufficiency. But just as Scripture warns us about potential dangers, it also shines light on the path toward godliness and spiritual growth. The love of money can lead to greed, generosity can set us free from that world of temptation.

Generosity is the antidote for materialism, and it is also a tool that moulds us into God’s likeness.

Before we talk about being a generous giver. Let’s see the Generosity of God.

God made the first move of generosity. God has set the supreme example of radical, sacrificial, giving for His followers.

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

When I saw my name for this topic, I was like not me. But I believe God wants me to speak about it more.

All of us are here are aware that My self & Sandra are bi -vocational Church Pastors. What does that mean, that means we are working professionals , our salaries come from outside the church. That means the Church does not pay anything to us. So I stand here as a person like you , who is working in a secular world and talking about the truth which God wants us to hear.

Few weeks back, one of our church member was asking me, how do you do this, how do you manage this. The food, electricity and all the other things you share with the community. I told him that God provides. Actually yes, it’s true. Yes, we have a housing loan, and at times we did borrow money to pay our monthly EMI . We borrowed money this year. Yes, been times this year , we did not have 50 rupees for our monthly expenditure. But midst of all this the Joy of Giving. God enabled us to see beyond what we have currently. The Joy of giving is looking beyond what we have today.

So, I stand here like You who face all these challenges and speak the heart of God for our Church.

Illustration: Two men were trapped on an island. One man paced back and forth worried and scared while the other man sat back and was sunning himself. The first one said to the second man, “aren’t you afraid we are about to die.” “No,” said the second man. “I make 10 lakh rupees a week and tithe faithfully to my church every week. My Pastor will find me.”

Let us look from the book of 2 Corinthians 8 :1-7

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

The Macedonian churches are in deep trial and affliction. The province of Macedonia is probably suffering from all kinds of pressures including persecutions.

Notwithstanding persecutions, the Macedonian churches have the abundance of joy for the hope of the message that they have received. And such joy resulted in great generosity.

The Macedonian churches are in deep poverty (Verse 2). However, with the abundant joy, this is not a hindrance to them to practice generosity. Paul even testified that such generosity is even “beyond” their ability to give.

                                How the Macedonian Churches Gave

They gave out of the abundance of great joy.

Comparing it in our time, we often dispute on how much should we give. This is very true especially in times that we are in financial difficulties. There are times that we give out of grudging heart. There are times that we give out of our pity and unwillingness to give. There are times that some people have to look like beggars first before we give.

But the Macedonian churches gave out of the abundance of great joy. They enjoy giving despite the fact that they are in deep trial and poverty.

The Macedonian churches gave more than what they can afford (v.3). The Macedonian Christians were not rich and they are experiencing severe poverty. But the amazing thing is that they are ready to give and extend their help to the brethren’s who are similarly in severe trials. They even beg Paul and other apostles to receive the gift which comes from their earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping the saints (v.4)

The Macedonian churches gave themselves first to God, then to the saints by the will of the Lord (v.5). A selfless attitude has been attained by the Macedonian churches because they have given themselves first to God. They felt that all things they own were his (God) and they kept nothing back. People who honestly devoted themselves to God find it easier to contribute for the cause of charity.

These people gave themselves in accordance to the will of God. This show that God is at work in the lives of those who gave themselves to God.

Acts 5:1-11 tells us of the story of a couple named Ananias and Sapphira who sold a piece of property to be brought to the apostles feet so that the proceeds of the land will be used for by those who are in need (Acts 4:32-35). But the couple instead of forwarding all proceeds, Ananias kept part of the money for himself with the knowledge of Sapphira. Both of them died at the same day.

The main lesson of the story is, God sees everything we do including giving as well as our intentions, motives, and the manner of giving. Therefore it is very important for us to give ourselves first to God for in this way, giving will never be a problem to us.

I still remember that one person who was part of another Church started giving money to our church because that person felt, there church has lot of people to give and they are financially stable. Believe me, it was a huge amount every month. But one day we told that person that you are obliqued to give to the Church were God has placed you not to us. Whether they are rich or poor, it is our duty to bless our church where we receive our spiritual food. And we stopped receiving that money. When I was writing all this, God was saying this to me Speak to them that they would know how I am building my church renewed hope community.

Some truths of Generosity:

2 Corinthians 8:15

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”[b]

Generosity is a test of love to God (Verse 8-9). Paul explicitly said that generosity is a test of love to God. He used the word “Agape” for the word love, which is the highest form of love. Now the question is, “do we really and genuinely love God?” Then it can be tested through generosity.

We are very familiar with the saying “We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving.” Paul is not commanding the Christians in Corinth to be generous, but he clearly says that he test the sincerity of their love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. Therefore, we can say that generosity was not given as a command but a test of our sincere love for others.

Illustration: Ask the church to do it with their neighbour. (For brunch, we don’t have money)

A pastor stood before the congregation and said, “I have bad news, I have good news, and I have more bad news.” The congregation got quiet. “The bad news is: For brunch, we don’t have money!” the pastor said. The congregation groaned. “The good news is: we have enough money for the Brunch. “A sigh of relief was heard rippling through the gathered group. “The bad news is: it’s still in your pockets.”

Verse 9 tells us the example of Jesus Christ that which is very clear to all of us. Though he was rich with his entire splendour with the Father, he became poor for our sake. The greatest generosity one can ever demonstrate. A selfless attitude for the sake of someone he loves.

Generosity is willingness to give accompanied by actions (Verse 10-12). When God first taught the people to give, He made it as a requirement. But we all know that the Law is a “tutor” of what it is to come. God wants us to learn the act of giving where we will voluntarily give from our hearts and not in a grudgingly.

There were times that we say we are willing to give. But the fact is, generosity is not generosity until is practiced. Paul gave his advice to the Corinthian church to finish what has been started.

Sometimes, we when we start to talk about “giving more”, we start to become sceptic and then we misinterpret that we have been forced to give. In contrast to the main lesson of this point, one has to learn to give out of gratefulness and joy and not with the grudging heart. We have to know that when we give something out of a grudging heart, that gift is nothing and God does not honor it.

Illustration: Once there was a man who made a covenant with his pastor to tithe ten percent of their income every year. They were both young and neither of them had much money. But things changed. The layman tithed one thousand rupees the year he earned ten thousand, next year, he gave ten thousand rupees the year he earned a 1 lakh rupees and 10 lakh rupees the year he earned a 1 crore. But the year he earned 6 crores he just could not bring himself to write out that check for 60 lakh to the Church. He telephoned the pastor, and asked to see him. Walking into the pastor’s office the man begged to be let out of the covenant, saying, “This tithing business has to stop. It was fine when my tithe was 10 thousand rupees, but I just cannot afford 60 lakh. You’ve got to do something, Reverend!” The pastor knelt on the floor and prayed silently for a long time. Eventually the man said, “What are you doing?” Are you praying that God will let me out of the covenant to tithe?” “No,” said the minister. “I am praying for God to reduce your income back to the level where one thousand rupees will be your tithe!”

God prefers the gifts that were given because it has been the desire of the one giving out of the abundance of great joy and faith. Therefore, if we see giving to be a burdensome, or something that is an additional expense, then we are in the wrong track and it is far from pleasing God. But if we are giving out of the abundance of great joy and the faith that depends on Jesus when it comes to finances, then it is indeed a great offering to God.

Generosity is intended for financial equality (v 13-15). Tithing and offering was originally designed to support God’s ministers such as priests, Levites, pastors and the like. When God first required tithing, it was intended not only as a form of sin offering but to support the Levites who administers the Tabernacle of God.

Then, a portion of those offerings were also intended to help the poor people, widows and foreigners. It was not intended so that these people will take advantage of the rich, but for the financial equality among them.

Illustration: There was a guy who came to church with his family. As they were driving home afterwards he was complaining about everything. He said, “The music was too loud. The sermon was too long. The announcements were unclear. The building was hot. The people were unfriendly.” He went on and on, complaining about virtually everything. Finally, his very observant son said, “Dad, you’ve got to admit it wasn’t a bad show for just 10 Rupees.”

Giving our offering and practicing generosity is far more than amusement. If we see generosity as what we have discussed, then I assure you that you are in a wrong track. Generosity is worshipping God and helping other people who are in need and certainly not for amusement.

Just want to conclude with this: Over the period of years, I always used to forecast the money which we will having for the entire year for our church. If we have received 10,000 in the month of April, May. I would average it out saying that we will reach 120000 as our church annual income. And when I used to look at the expenditures which we will having, I used to fear as it was difficult to mage with that amount. One day we received a cheque of 2,50000 Rupees in our offering bag. Our church strength was 10 people. We thought that person by mistakenly added additional zeroes, so we went and spoke to that person, that you mentioned the figures incorrectly. That Person said to us , Virjil & Sandra this money is for the church. I Don’t know what else I can give or help this church. You can use the money wherever you feel like, that family said. We kept that amount in the bank fixed deposit that time.

And when we look at our projection sheet of 120000 per year was completely tossed up by God. God spoke to me ,That I am beyond your calculations.

This year, we faced some financial issues, so we started utilizing that amount from the fixed deposit.

God speaking to us this morning. If you give or not, God (I will) provide for my people and my church. Its up to us to be part of this great Joy and opportunity which God has given us.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Before we begin with the actual message, as a preparation of our hearts let us examine what posture are we listening/reading right now? It says in James 1:25 “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do”. God really wants us to look intently into His Word, without letting a lackadaisical attitude get in the way even as we listen week after week to sermon after sermon

What is Church?

The title of the sermon comes from the list of values mentioned in the Church website as we have begun a series on values. That might raise a question why as individuals do we have to embark upon the values put on the church website? Is it not some sort of organizational values that the pastor or deacons or church staff have to follow?

But let us go to 1 Corinthians 3:9 to see what church really is. It says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” Out of all the analogies, Paul uses the term ‘building’ to describe the church and that makes it easy for us to understand the perspective I am trying to bring here. Just like a building is built by many blocks, the church is far beyond an organization specific to the pastors, elders and staff – it is the coming together of God’s people. As a construction professional myself, I’d like to take you two thousand years back when there was no concrete and steel – even wood was not widely used in the region. They used stones as building blocks and these stones were carefully chosen to suit the purpose. Not any and every stone could make it but there were certain basic criteria in terms of shape and size. If it’s not chosen well any protruding part from a wall could harm the residents. So even the stones chosen will have to be chiseled out to provide a safe home. Even for the church, which is God’s building, it is essential for the individual blocks to share some common values so as to be a home accommodable, fulfilling its purpose. In short, we can very well see that the church is also people bought by the precious blood of Christ, sharing some common values

Church @ Home

Acts 2:46-47 MSG “They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.”

As we read through this passage, I’d like to draw our attention to what the church did as a routine – the worship at the temple followed by meals at home. As a church they gave themselves to the listening of God’s Word and then they carried the joy that filled their heart to their homes where they exuberantly feasted together. And as a result, the people who were around saw the love and were amazed.

This resounds with the prayer Jesus Christ made for all of us, believers shortly before He completed His work on earth.

John 17:20-21 AMP  “I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message, that they all may be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me.

And it is highly sensible for us to exhibit this in front of the world which badly needs God’s love that unites believers today. We would be at error if we think that all that we’re called to do is at the church premises. The church is not tied up or restricted to four walls of a church building!

What is home?

When we talk about home, it is more than the physical place – it is the atmosphere that makes the home. An expression about home goes like this: “It implies there’s a physical dwelling involved, but the main idea is that it’s a gathering of people”. And to consider some terms associated with it like ‘Home sweet home’, ‘make yourself at home’, hometown, homemade, homesick – one word to best describe is ‘belonging’. That’s what makes it home. But sadly, many homes are places of stress and unhealthy silence. And we have to remind ourselves that if we don’t enjoy our homes, nobody else will…

Proverbs 24:3-4 “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”

Home is a place where people are made. What’s learnt here is lived out…

OPEN HOME AS A STEP OF FAITH

If we read from 2 Kings 4:8-37, it talks about the family of the Shunammite woman. We can find from here few aspects that we can imbibe in order that we add purpose to our dwellings.

V8.         Urged to stay for a meal. A heart of hospitality

V9.         Often comes our way, let’s make a room. Identifies the need

V10.       A bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Willingness to go the extra mile

V11.       Went to his room. Openness

The identity/purpose/meaning of the place changed when it became His room.

The background is that the Shunammite woman was without a son. Not just that, she appears to have gone through repeated cycles of high hopes and utter disappointments. It has worn her down – the expectation that what she desired (a son) she will receive now, and as days go by, it never happened. She grew fearful of having hope to the point that when Elisha said, “you’ll have a son”, she replied “No my lord, don’t mislead your servant”. Later when the child died, she goes “Didn’t I tell you not to raise my hopes?”

A house with no Hope. A heart shattered into pieces

It was during such a time, they take a step of faith – opening their home for Elisha

Romans 1:17 says, “The righteous shall live by faith – from first to last (from faith to faith).” It is not just for the beginning of our salvation, faith is the way of life for a believer. So, amidst such trouble, not waiting for everything to be perfect/alright, they opened their home for God’s service.

And we read that the woman receives a son the next year. Not only that, but she also receives him back later even from death. As a result, the family received back hope through faith expressed in their actions.

THE OPEN HOME OF AQUILA AND PRISCILLA

1 Corinthians 16:19    “The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house”

We also see from the Scripture, another vibrant couple in the New Testament about who Paul later thanks on behalf of the entire gentile church.

Romans 16:3,4   “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.  They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.”

What made Aquila and Priscilla so noteworthy. Turns out they met Paul in the city of Corinth, and they found that both were Jews and they belonged to the same profession – tent making. And they decided to open their home to Paul who stayed there for around 18 months. It was a regular practice for them to go to the synagogue and to hear Paul preach day after day apart from the multiple dialogues and discussions they would have had during the stay. All of these contributed to the couple’s immense training in the word of God under Paul.

Later we see they had a church meet at their home at Ephesus after Paul went on with his missionary journey. It is very essential that we make the study of God’s Word a priority in opening our homes as well, alongside values like hospitality, generosity and openness we saw from the Shunammite woman’s story. And it did not end there, later they opened their home to Apollos whom they trained from their learnings from Paul. They hear Apollos preach about the Messiah and were impressed, but as they identify that his teachings were limited to the revelation from John the Baptist, they offered to train him more adequately in the Word by opening their home to him.

And all of this led to Apollos becoming a great preacher and one of the forerunners in the first century along with Paul and Peter. We can summarise Aquila and Priscilla opening their home on two occasions as these:

A Home open to receive God’s Word

Paul at Aquila and Priscilla’s

A Home open to effectuate God’s mandate

Apollos at Aquila and Priscilla’s

I’d like to draw our attention to the kind of impact this couple had in the whole of the New Testament church – just by opening their home for purposeful effectuation of God’s kingdom. And it is an invitation for us today as we have heard this to add meaning and purpose to our homes and to participate in the building of God’s kingdom through these precious resources God has blessed us with!

Samuel Melbon works as a civil engineer and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Story: A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her small daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car. She didn’t know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened.

The baby sitter told her that the fever was getting worse. She said, “You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door.”

The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been left on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time had locked their keys in their car. She looked at the hanger and said, “I don’t know how to use this.”

She prayed to God and asked Him to send her help.

Within five minutes a beat-up old motorcycle pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head.

The woman thought, “This is what you sent to help me?” But she was desperate, so…. she just kept quiet.

The man got off of his cycle and asked if he could help. She said, “Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?”

He said, “Sure.” He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was opened.

She thanked the man and through her tears she said, “Thank you so much! You are a very nice man.”

The man replied, “Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour.”

The woman thanked the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud,” Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a professional! “

Prayer is two-way communication between me and God. How often do we Pray? Do we have confidence that God will answer our Prayer? What motivates us to Pray?

We pray when times are not good, when there is fear, when there is pain, when there is suffering. Even we don’t pray for we do not have confidence that God is going to answer our prayer.

It is like heart blockages may be 2 or 3 or 4 even more blockages where our prayers are not answered or keeps us away from prayer So let us look at the heart blockages i.e.

Hindrances to Prayer:

• Unbelief- James 1:⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
• Unforgiving– Mark 11:²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
• SIN- Psalms 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
  the Lord would not have listened;
• Wrong Motives- James 4:3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
• Lack of Considerate- 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
• Pride- 1 Peter 5:5 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

Types of Prayer:

• Private/Personnel Prayer- In Secret place
• Family Prayer- With Small group
• Public Prayer- Before the congregation

DANIEL’S PRAYER: (Background- king Darius appoints 120 satraps to rule the kingdom with three administrators over them and one was Daniel. He distinguished himself by his exceptional qualities that king planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom so others felt jealous of him. Daniel was trustworthy, no corruption and not negligent towards his work. They couldn’t find any reason to fix him, so they hatch a plan something to do with the law of his God. They go to the king and convince him to edict and enforce a decree that any one who prays to God or man except king for next 30 days to throw into lion’s den. The law once passed cannot be repealed or changed as per the Law of the land.)

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before

So, they went to the king and spoke of royal decree and said Daniel still prays three times a day. King was greatly distressed and made every effort to save Daniel, but no decree or edict that king issues can be changed, so king gave the order and Daniel was thrown into lion’s den.

King was restless. He did not eat, no entertainment nor he could sleep. Early morning hurried to lions’ den and called Daniel.

Daniel 6:20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

²¹ Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! ²² My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

CORNELIUS PRAYER: Acts 10:2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Acts 10:30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.

PRAYER THE LIFE LINE:

Pray continually/without ceasing: It has a position, importance not a place of indifference. Praying and thanking God from morning till night in all things.  Reoccurring awareness of his presence and his power in our life daily throughout the day and throughout wakening hours of our life.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PARABLE: Luke 18: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

1. God requires a relationship with us.

People don’t pray because they feel not worthy, God is not listening. I don’t think God will not hear our prayer because the truth is God hears our prayer even when we are confused even when we don’t deserve because he is listening.

1. True prayer is a Dialogue.

Talking and listening, it’s both way communication. It is intimacy heart to heart and mind to mind.

1. All knowing God: Read the word before praying, at least once during the day. He will take you to the right scripture which desperately needs because he is God and knows every verse from Genesis to Revelation. Come with a expression of humility that you are talking to the God of Universe, the only true God.

Colossians 4:2 Devote yourself to prayer.

Means set time aside. One is serious about it, give an uninterrupted time. Its priority in our life, be serious it’s your relationship with God.

HABIT OF DAILY TIME WITH GOD:  It’s a time I set aside to be alone with God to get to know HIM through the Bible and prayer.

James 1:25  But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

James 1:25  But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].AMP

PURPOSE OF A DAILY QUITE TIME:

A]-To give Devotion to GOD.

Psalms 29:2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty and majesty of His holiness [as the creator and source of holiness]. AMP

 2 Chronicles 31:21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

B]- To get Direction from GOD.

Psalms 25:4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.

Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.^[

C]- To gain Delight in GOD.

Psalms 37:4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 16:11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

D]- To GROW more like GOD

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

LIST TO THINK ABOUT:

1. The method by which God meets our needs.
2. Comforts us in time of trial.
3. Builds an intimate relationship with Him.
4. Strengthen us in time of temptation.
5. Cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
6. Source of guidance.
7. Helps us understand His word.
8. Shields us against anxiety and worry.
9. Gives us courage and confidence when facing life challenges.
10. A source of healing both emotional and physical.
11. Receive the power of Holy Spirit.

RESPONSE:

Are you going to develop a relationship with God.

Asking God for forgiveness for being prayerless.

Praying to the Lord teach me to Pray.

Stiven Monteiro is a retired professional from BSNL and is part of  Renewed Hope Community which is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

From past few weeks we are doing a series on Under Construction. We saw how God works in our lives when we need to take a detour ,  another route. We saw How God works in our lives when there are rough pavements , troubles. Today we are going to look at What happens when we experience road blocks in our lives? Are road blocks cues that we need to stop so that God can do His work in our lives?

WHAT IS A ROADBLOCK?

A road block is an obstruction in a path or course which prevents passing through.

Something that stands in the way of achievement.

A block can be something solid that is used to hinder, impede, obstruct a common action, goal, plan, or purpose.

Well, in God’s plan there is a way around every road block!

Every hinderance, every interference, every obstacle has a way of escape.

Progress is possible.

Your dream does not have to be killed because there is a road block.

Look at the map, enquire of someone familiar to the area.

But don’t quit.

It is always too soon to quit!

We make 3 choices when we experience road block

1) Forward

2) Backward

3) Stop

Forward :

Acts 16  :1-10

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Now remember that Paul and Silas, along with young Timothy, are on a missionary journey. When they originally set out, Paul’s plan was to visit all the churches he and Barnabas planted on their first missionary journey, and then continue to preach the gospel to new cities and villages throughout Asia Minor. As we just read, their trip basically goes according to plan for the first several weeks, but listen to what happens next in Acts 16, beginning with vs. 6: And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

Paul wants to go south, but he is blocked by the Holy Spirit. Paul wants to go north, but he is blocked by the Spirit of Christ.

Thus Paul and his team have no other choice: they either turn around and go home because their plan fell apart, or they keep walking down a road that leads to an unknown, un-sought-after destination. …which apparently is not at all where Paul WANTED to go.

One of the ways that God gets us to where He wants us to go is by throwing up “loving roadblocks.” Think back over your life…what are some of the loving roadblocks God has used in your life? What are some of the ways that God has said “no” to your plans? We didn’t get the job we were applying for; we didn’t get into the stream/college we wanted to attend; we didn’t get the promotion; we were struck down with sickness or had a career-ending injury; an important person left; or some other unexpected interruption, right?

It takes faith to see these “roadblocks” as God’s loving way of directing our steps, but that is how it works, and we see that right here in Acts 16.

It would have been easier right when Paul is planning for all these trips, he just sees a vision and God gives him a map and a google location to follow.

But that’s not how God operates…and we all know this. we usually have to run up against something that hurts, we have to trip over something that humiliates…we have to run out of our energy or out of time or out of resources before we’ll finally admit that’s simply not God’s will for my life.

So Paul and his team moved forward and saw great results.

2) Backward

There is one more way we can respond to roadblocks in our lives.

John 6:53-60,66-68

53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

These disciples were following Jesus along with the 12 disciples but over the period of time , they saw following Jesus was not easy, his teachings were not easy. And they decided to move back. And we don’t hear about them anywhere later.

It so happens with us, when we experience road blocks, when we are not able to achieve what we want. We may just give up and move backward from our plans, and  thereby leading to a place where God wants us to be. It can be because of discouragement, failures, our desires, we may move backward.

Luke 9:62 ESV

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

3) Stop

There is one more way we can respond to road blocks. We can neither move forward or backward but just be in that place sulking on things and not able to overcome.

We are familiar with the story of Lot and his wife

Genesis 19:24-26

24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Imagine this, when Lot’s wife was running away, she was not able to take this. They may have well settled in that place with friends, families, wealth, security. God kept a roadblock and asked them to move so it was a very difficult decision for her. Even though she agreed and followed that decision she was not able to accept it and she looked back, and she lost her life.

I was just thinking why God has to say don’t look back. So, for saving your life you just need to move out of the city what difference does it make, whether you look back or look in the front.

I felt that it was difficult for Lot’s wife to leave everything and move forward the direction which God asked them to go. Even though she was running away from the city, she was present in the city. Her heart was in the city, and she was sulking in that roadblock and was not able to overcome that decision. Actually, she paused / halted in that place.

Are we in such a place, where our heart is somewhere, and we have been dragged by someone? And we are just sulking and not able to overcome.

God puts roadblock in our lives for some reason. He applies the breaks. God is very much interested the choice / decision we make when we experience roadblocks. Whether we are moving forward, whether we are moving backward, or we have just halted. What is our decision today?

2 Corinthians 4:18

18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

1) Hold your plans loosely, be faithful to the mission God has given us, and seek God’s vision for your life. His vision will always lead you to places you haven’t been to help people He has arranged for you to help.

2) Wherever you are today, trust that God is directing your steps. You may feel like you backed into where you are now…but God has always been at work to bring you to this place.

3) When God says “no” to your desired destination, it’s not time to quit or get angry; keep walking in faith. God can be trusted, and His plans are perfect.

4) Look for the Divine appointments wherever God leads you …there is always a plan for wherever we are.

5) We often have to trust God in the “not knowing” before we receive the clear vision of where we are going.

6) When the vision is clear, pursue it immediately.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

We are starting a new series named Under Construction . When we see anything under construction like bridges , roads etc we see sign boards for next three weeks we are going to look at different sign boards during under construction and how we can apply that in our lives.

1. Detour
2. Rough Pavement
3. Road Closed

Whenever we see something is under construction , we see a sign of detour , that means we have to take a new route.

In India, or in our city , We see some sought of construction of roads , bridges across us when we are driving. So When we see an under construction board or sign we do see lot of other signs  like Go slow , Diversions etc.

That means we need to get used to orange barrels, cones, delays and diversion signs on our way to work, school or other destinations. It would seem like our roads are always under construction. The same could be said about our lives as we consider our journey with God. Those who are in a relationship with God will encounter a life full of repairs, rebuilds and restorations. In these three-week series we will look at the lives of biblical characters who underwent a Godly reconstruction. What can the story of these characters’ lives teach us about our own lives?

Today we are going to look at ‘When God allows Detour in our life’.

What does a Detour sign mean?

A Detour sign means that you are being directed through an alternate route to avoid construction on the road you were traveling on.

Signs which are directing us to another route is called as Detour.

We usually don’t like detour signs or simply, when we are redirected to another route. Sometimes , we are aware of the new route and sometimes we are not familiar. It’s always like Not again, I wanted to go from this route , straight not diversions to another route. This new route usually, is not always a pleasant route, lot of traffic jams, narrow road etc.

The Israelites were given a Detour (directed to an alternate route) to the Desert when they came out of Egypt.

Let us look at a bible , a route in the Desert.

Most of us agree that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. We especially subscribe to this when we are thinking of our lives. It challenges our faith when God does not take us immediately to what we think is our destination.

1. Detour are not always easy, in fact, it rarely is. But it’s worth it.

Exodus 13:17-18

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.[a] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

Rather than take the shorter, coastal route to Canaan, God directed Israel southeast toward the Red Sea. The direct route led through the land of the Philistines, and while God could have simply destroyed the enemy (as He would at the Red Sea), His concern lay more with the unprepared and fearful hearts of His people (Exod. 13:17-18).

So God took them the long way. And it seemed pointless. But was it?

God’s deliverance by parting the Red Sea paved the way for Israel to meet God face to face at Sinai—and to receive the Law by which they could live in the Promised Land.

If the goal was simply a destination, God seemed a lousy travel agent. A journey of three weeks would ultimately take 40 years! But God purposed to give His people something far more than a parcel of land; He offered them a changed heart.

SOMETIMES IS THE SHORTEST WAY IS THE LONG WAY

Later, instead of entering the Promised Land from the south where the people now stood, God led them east around Edom.

God took them the long way—again. And it seemed pointless.

As a result, the people “became impatient because of the journey” (Num. 21:1-5). Why take the long way around?

But as the passage unfolds, we read how God gave Israel victories all up and down the King’s Highway so that they ultimately gained control of the majority of Transjordan. This allowed them to prepare to cross over the Jordan River into the Promised Land at Jericho—a location far more strategic than from the south.

The long way ended up the best way after all.

WHY GOD TAKES YOU THE LONG WAY

Often, it seems as if God needlessly extends our journey:

For years we pray but we don’t see any breakthrough.

We plug away endlessly at a miserable job with no promotion.

We wait and wait . . . and wait.

The long way seems the wrong way and, like the Hebrews, we become impatient because of the journey.

Yet when we look back in hindsight, we actually come to appreciate how God used the journey—and all the victories and failures along the way—to prepare us for something we felt ready for much earlier.

TWO VIEWS OF THE LONG WAY

On the long journey, there are two views:

What we see—While we strain to see over the next horizon, God sees the map from above—and so knows the best way to proceed. So the Lord often leads us according to the needs of our heart, not always according to its desires.

What God sees—The Father sees the fear buried in our hearts that the quick and easy way would bring out. In our lives, we must realize that God’s goal for us—the best He could possibly give us—isn’t found in simply taking us from here to there. It isn’t even found in a new biblical insight. These come as but the means of His real goal—to know Him.

Secondly , let us look back from the life of Saul.

Let us read

ACTS 7:57-58

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

ACTS 8:1-3

And Saul approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

“The best and the brightest.” Saul of Tarsus; a child of the best upbringing; a student of the vaunted teacher, Gamaliel; a Roman citizen; trained in the best Jewish schools; groomed, perhaps, to even become chief priest.

And this pious man was bent on the destruction of the believers in Jesus.

In order to understand Saul of Tarsus it is important that we put him into historical context. Only a few short years had passed from the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus when a self-righteous religious zealot assisted in the systematic murder of one of Christianity’s earliest messengers, a godly man named Stephen

Saul was one of the most feared men in the first century. He had power, a reputation, and a solid commitment to destroy the new and growing movement of Jesus’ followers.

One day, on a road to the city of Damascus, he was given a detour that jumpstarted a construction project that lasted the rest of his life.

though not one of the original 12 apostles, he ended up becoming “one of the most prolific contributors” to the New Testament, penning at least 13 of the New Testament’s 27 books.

The conversion that transformed human history.

The same way Jesus took us in a different Path, we all were perishing, and the wages of sin was death but Christ died for us. Through the cross we have access to a new way, new destination.

While we are under construction, we will experience detours that will afford God the opportunity to improve our lives.

We are all under construction, God is working on each one of us. We are work in Progress.

Three things we can focus on our Attitude towards Detour this morning.

1. Acknowledge and take the Detour

When we are driving , we see a under construction board and sign to take a different route. We usually follow the instructions. We don’t tell ourselves or move our car straight and say no , that I want to go in this direction only. Same way in our lives when God puts the brake and we have to stop in our lives and take a another route which was not planned and not known , take it confidentially and move head.  SOMETIMES, THE SHORTEST WAY IS THE LONG WAY

2. Character Shaping

In the Desert Journey, God purposed to give His people something far more than a parcel of land; He offered them a changed heart. God will shape or work in our heart or issues during this journey.

3. Changed Personality

God changed the zeal and passion of Saul to something better. His Focus changed , His thought changed , his targets changed , his desires changed. He was a changed personality. When he accepted the route that God took him, he was a changed person.  In this detour, if we allow God to work , we will see ourselves a changed personality.

Sometimes God applies a break in our lives and takes us through a new route. It is sometimes painful as it is not as per our plans, but we need to trust and move ahead.

Philippians 1:6

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the Renewed Hope Community. The Renewed Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that Renewed Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel, Church in Karanjade because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

Today are the final chapters of Hosea. So far we have seen God as a passionate husband who goes after His wife (us). Today He has presented himself to us like a father. I believe, most of us will be able to relate to this father, who pursues His son and gives hope if he returns back to this gracious father.

Jacob’s story – we know that he was a man who was not going to give up on anything. He had a fire in the belly. He pursued everything with passion, even God. He was always two steps ahead. Isaac was easily fooled for food and lavishness. Jacob He was untrustworthy, selfish. In today’s scripture we will look at how the Nation of Israel reminds God of Jacob.
God loves pictures, he speaks to us in pictures.One of His way of presenting information to us. Broken heart of God portrayed as a spouse betraying his beloved. In today’s scripture portion God draws a picture of a son and a father. A wandering son and a loving father.

Hosea 11: 1 – 4
“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more they were called,
the more they went away from me.[a]
They sacrificed to the Baals
and they burned incense to images.
3 It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
it was I who healed them.
4 I led them with cords of human kindness,
with ties of love.
To them I was like one who lifts
a little child to the cheek,
and I bent down to feed them.

Hosea 10: 10 -11
They will follow the Lord; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.11 They will come from Egypt, trembling like sparrows, from Assyria, fluttering like doves.I will settle them in their homes,” declares the Lord.

God compares Israel with Jacob. But obvious he is their forefather. He reminds them the sequence of events and how Jacob turned back to God.

To be more clear, let’s look at Jacob’s story, which God is intending to remind us.

JACOB
From the time of his birth until his wrestling encounter with God (Genesis 32:24-29, Jacob was associated with trickery and deception.

Jacob’s most notorious acts of trickery were committed against his twin brother Esau. Jacob offered his “famished” brother bowl of soup in exchange for his birthright as the firstborn son, which was a double portion of his father Isaac’s inheritance (Genesis 25:29-34). Moreover, Jacob robbed Esau of their father’s blessing (Genesis 27:1-29, Genesis 27:35), which had been the Esau’s right to receive.

Jacob also deceived his uncle Laban. In return for 20 years of service, Jacob tricked Laban into giving him his desired choice of wages – speckled and spotted sheep and goats – by stripping back the branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees and placing them at the watering troughs where the strongest animals came to drink and mate (Genesis 30:25-43)

In the next few chapters of Hosea, God portrays himself as a father and Israel as His son.
chapter 11 -14
a fathers love and son . Story of Jacob.
What is God is saying to us through this book? You remind me of Jacob. Are we seeking an encounter like Jacob with God? Are we as passionate to seek God, to wrestle with God.
Will you respond, and seek me? will you return to me?

Israel like son in the house who can’t be trusted.God paints a picture again of Sons who are asking other’s fathers for help. It’s futile like chasing after the breeze. God is the only one who can satisfy our needs.

Beginning with God’s accusation – 12:2
Hosea 12:2: “The LORD has a charge to bring against Judah; he will punish Jacob according to his ways and repay him according to his deeds.”
cheated – you are held accountable
vs3 – vs6

In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel;
as a man he struggled with God.
4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;
he wept and begged for his favor.
He found him at Bethel
and talked with him there—
5 the Lord God Almighty,
the Lord is his name!
6 But you must return to your God;
maintain love and justice,
and wait for your God always.

vs 7 God compared Israel wit Jacob.
just as much a deceiver. Arrogant, deceiving themselves use dishonest scales.

7 The merchant uses dishonest scales
and loves to defraud.
8 Ephraim boasts,
“I am very rich; I have become wealthy.
With all my wealth they will not find in me
any iniquity or sin.”

It’s a warning in vs 8 against inflated self, the money in our bank account, riches has blinded you of iniquities of sin. There’s a danger to be inflated by self. Our cultures tell us too that it’s fine to be inflated if we have the riches. God warns them on comparison. The Rich man and lazarus in the bible helps us understand that if we are dependent on our riches we’ll end up away and disconnected from God. We need to beware of having an inflated opinion of ourselves. God gives his opinion of Israel here.
Israel is like the son receiving the scolding –

You were meant to be the light of the nations. They were meant to lead. You have become just like them. God wants to reverse the exodus. God holds them guilty ch13 vs1 – vs3 When Ephraim spoke, people trembled;
he was exalted in Israel.
But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.
2 Now they sin more and more;
they make idols for themselves from their silver,
cleverly fashioned images,
all of them the work of craftsmen.
It is said of these people,
“They offer human sacrifices!
They kiss[a] calf-idols!”
3 Therefore they will be like the morning mist,
like the early dew that disappears,
like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,
like smoke escaping through .

God says, you are no longer my son. you are dead to me. Israel like a stubborn son has not changed at all. Time is running out.

It is no more metaphors now. He is speaking as it is.

13: 1
You died to me, you are dead to me. Jacob is dead to Esau with what he has done to him. Jacob knew he was not safe and he flees

12: 11 Judgement begins –
Jacobs sent to wander. Jacob is on the receiving end. Ends up in slavery and exile. People of Israel are setting themselves up for the same. God says Israel – no body can help you as your sins are on account. You chose other gods when you could have chosen me.

THE RETURN OF JACOB TO GOD
When Jacob was returning home to Canaan with his family after his many years of service under Laban, Jacob received the news that his brother, who had threatened to kill him for his past trickery, was on his way to meet him (Genesis 32:6).

Despite sending gifts of appeasement, Jacob was afraid for his life and family. He prayed to God for help and sent his family and possessions on ahead of him to protect them. Left alone in his camp, God came and wrestled with Jacob until daybreak (Genesis 32:24-29).

Jacob’s struggle with God is symbolic of his struggle with his inner self. God wanted to enter into a relationship with Jacob, however, he couldn’t do so until Jacob admitted his weakness of self-reliance, deceit, and trickery. When Jacob refused to surrender to God, a mere divine touch on Jacob’s hip forced the young man to surrender and admit his utter need for God (Genesis 25-26).

He is coming one last time to Israel – he speaks to them. We do not realise the position we are in. We will be gone one day. We will have to face our heavenly father.

13 vs 14. I have been so miserable but yet God says I will deliver. —Great gospel hope. our greatest hope.

“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?

You are dead to me like Jacob, but Jacob returned to me, you must return to me. Jacob feels the call to return to God. He packs the bag. He stops, he remembers what he did to his brother. He is looking at his own. Business with God, seeks an encounter with God. Jacob wrestling with God. I need your blessing. I will not let you go . God pleads that Israel will do the same.

vs 2 to 3 – gives them the prayer of repentance.
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.[b]
3 Assyria cannot save us;
we will not mount warhorses.
We will never again say ‘Our gods’
to what our own hands have made,
for in you the fatherless find compassion.”

vs 4 I will heal their waywardness.

He redirects his righteous anger from us and redirects it to Jesus.
14: 4 – 7
4 “I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily.
Like a cedar of Lebanon
he will send down his roots;
6 his young shoots will grow.
His splendor will be like an olive tree,
his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
7 People will dwell again in his shade;
they will flourish like the grain,
they will blossom like the vine—
Israel’s fame will be like the wine of Lebanon.

Hosea 13:14

14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?

Similar Story of paul when he becomes Paul from Saul 1Cor 15 vs 55
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[a]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

– Paul echoes Hosea. In a faith crisis He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. One day I will be with Jesus. Jesus met sin at the cross, he met death at the cross, he met the devil at the cross. He wrestled our enemies to the ground so that we may be free. Jacob entered the promised land. We will flourish in the end through Jesus Christ.
vs 9 Plea for wisdom. the ways of the righteous. Will you be a fool or will you be wise. Will you turn from your sin.
I will heal you if you turn from you waywardness.

The father is calling, am I listening!

Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.

The book of Hosea is the first of the twelve Minor Prophets. Hosea began service as a prophet about 750 B.C. and concluded his work about 722 B.C., shortly before the Assyrian conquest of Israel (the ten tribes that constituted the Northern Kingdom). He thus began his work shortly after Amos concluded his shorter prophetic ministry (about 760-755 B.C.).

Unlike Amos, who was a native of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), Hosea was a native of Israel (the Northern Kingdom). Both addressed their prophecies to Israel (the Northern Kingdom). Like Amos, Hosea proclaims a message of judgment on Israel for her unfaithfulness to Yahweh. However, Hosea also proclaims God’s continuing love and pleads for Israel’s repentance. He holds out the hope of forgiveness and restoration (1:10-11; and chapters 3, 11, and 14).

In Hosea 1:  “the word of Yahweh… came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel” (1:1). The Jeroboam in question here is Jeroboam II, who reigned in Israel (the Northern Kingdom) from about 785-745 B.C.

Hosea began his prophetic work during the last years of Jeroboam’s reign. That reign appears to have been prosperous—both Amos and Hosea condemn the extravagance of Israel’s wealthier citizenry. However, Jeroboam “did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh” (2 Kings 14:24). He was succeeded by his son, Zechariah, who reigned for only six months before being assassinated. Zechariah’s successor, Shallum, reigned only a month before he was assassinated. In the three decades of his prophetic ministry, Hosea saw a total of seven kings—all bad—come and go.

The beginning of his ministry was a quiet time where Israel and Judah experienced military success and there were not many enemies to challenge them. However, at the end of the ministry the Jews were subdued by Assyrian empire.

When we read the book of Hosea , we need to know that the book is collection of writings from different periods

Hosea 8-11, There is nothing particularly new mentioned in these chapters that were not already said before. However, unlike ch. 4-7 that appear as a collection of prophecies (without much explanation), these chapter provide a great deal more clarity about what was happening in Israel.

When we read these chapters we know what was the issue.

1. Broken law (8:1,12,9:17)

Hosea 8:1

“Put the trumpet to your lips!

An eagle is over the house of the Lord

because the people have broken my covenant

and rebelled against my law.

Hosea 8:12

12 I wrote for them the many things of my law,

but they regarded them as something foreign.

Hosea 9:17

My God will reject them

because they have not obeyed him;

they will be wanderers among the nations.

Here God says that they have not obeyed my law , my commandment. It’s not that they did not know the law but it was like they did not follow his commandments/ law, they rebelled against it. When we read the books of Kings , there was a constant warning for the people , kings , priests but they did not obey it and rebelled against it. In Hosea 8:12 says , I wrote for them many things of my law but they regarded as something foreign. The law they took as they either don’t know or like it was not for them. They broke the law, they did follow God’s commandment.

2. No knowledge of God (8:2-3)

Hosea 8:2-3

2 Israel cries out to me,

‘Our God, we acknowledge you!’

3 But Israel has rejected what is good;

an enemy will pursue him.

They cried out to God that they acknowledge him but in fact they rejected him. Their knowledge about him was not complete .They were saying that they know him but actually they did not know him.

3. Leadership issues (8:4a, 9:15)

Hosea 8:4

4 They set up kings without my consent;

they choose princes without my approval.

Hosea 9:15

15 “Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal,

I hated them there.

Because of their sinful deeds,

I will drive them out of my house.

I will no longer love them;

all their leaders are rebellious.

Before appointing kings , they failed to ask God if it is his will or not. Their appointed kings were so rebellious that they rebelled against God, his prophets.

4. Idolatry (8:4-6,11,9:1,10,10:1-2,5-6,11:2)

Hosea 8:4-6

4 They set up kings without my consent;

they choose princes without my approval.

With their silver and gold

they make idols for themselves

to their own destruction.

5 Samaria, throw out your calf-idol!

My anger burns against them.

How long will they be incapable of purity?

6     They are from Israel!

This calf—a metalworker has made it;

it is not God.

It will be broken in pieces,

that calf of Samaria.

Hosea 8:11

11 “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings,

these have become altars for sinning.

Hosea 9:10

But when they came to Baal Peor,

they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol

and became as vile as the thing they loved.

We have more references when we read 10:1-2,5-6,11:2

They made Idols for themselves and angered God. Idols for their personal gain.Let’s go back and see actually what happened.

1 Kings 12:26-33 (NIV)

26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.

31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

5. Sell out to other nations (8:8-10)

Hosea 8:8-10

8 Israel is swallowed up;

now she is among the nations

like something no one wants.

9 For they have gone up to Assyria

like a wild donkey wandering alone.

Ephraim has sold herself to lovers.

10 Although they have sold themselves among the nations,

I will now gather them together.

They will begin to waste away

under the oppression of the mighty king.

Israel was supposed to be a unique nation, with unique Godly values but they gave themselves up to the values of other nations.

6. Relying on man’s strength (8:14,10:13)

Hosea 8:14

14 Israel has forgotten their Maker

and built palaces;

Judah has fortified many towns.

But I will send fire on their cities

that will consume their fortresses.”

Hosea 10:13

13 But you have planted wickedness,

you have reaped evil,

you have eaten the fruit of deception.

Because you have depended on your own strength

and on your many warriors,

Depended on their strength , they were prosperous. There was wealth , fame , strength , reputation

7. Broken relationships between people (9:9,10:4)

Hosea 10:4

4 They make many promises,

take false oaths

and make agreements;

therefore lawsuits spring up

like poisonous weeds in a plowed field.

Hosea 9:9

9 They have sunk deep into corruption,

as in the days of Gibeah.

God will remember their wickedness

and punish them for their sins.

They started compromising their values and their heart became corrupt. Lies, malice, corruption. Their conscience died.

When we look at all these , these harsh words from God, or the hurt which was caused was deep.

Let us take all of these in our context today. How does it apply to us.

1. Broken law

Israel rebelled against God’s law /commandments. What is our position this morning. Do we follow what God’s command?

John 14:15-16

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever

2. No knowledge of God

Israel have known the law, read the law but they failed to know God. Do we know God personally. ? I remember trekking to Karnala fort. From down if we see the Peak of the fort it looks tiny , small, when we go close , you know it is massive.

John 10:15

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

3. Leadership issues

Israel looked at the outward appearance and use their own discernment to choose kings. Are we consulting God before taking decisions?

Luke 6:12

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

4. Idolatry

Have we made any idols which we are worshiping ? An Idol can be of any form which replaces God? Sometimes our Family can become an Idol, sometimes Church can become an Idol, sometimes our carreer can become an Idol.

Colossians 3:5-6

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming

5. Sell out to other nations

Israel was surrounded by Pagan nations. The pagans believed that worshiping several gods was superior to worshiping one God. That is to say, they felt that more was better. They constantly imitated the evil religious practices and lifestyles of the surrounding nations instead of obeying God’s command to keep themselves holy (morally and spiritually pure and devoted to God) and separated from such practices.

Are we compromising on our moral and spiritual values?

6. Relying on man’s strength

Israel relied on their own strength, their palaces , their cities and kings. This morning are we relying on our own strength.

Psalm 59:17 says, “You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.” (NIV)

8. Broken relationships between people

False oaths, corruption, lawsuits. There was no unity among them. They all were fighting against each other. How is our relationship based with people today and how are we resolving it?

Ephesians 2:3

2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

When we look at all these , we may feel it’s so difficult to do this, but Jesus set a perfect example for us. Jesus lived a perfect life.

1. Broken law – Fulfilled the Law

Matthew 5:17

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.

2. No knowledge of God – Abiding

John 14:6-7

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

3. Leadership issues – Knowing the Will

Luke 6:12

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

4. Idolatry – No Compromise

Matthew 4:10

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.

5. Sell out to other nations – Standing firm on Values

Matthew 4:1-4

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

6. Relying on man’s strength – His Power

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

7. Broken relationships between people – Key to Relationship

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

[c]

38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.