Sobering Realities #16: an exposition of Hosea 8:1-14. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, July 29, 2012.
Intro:
I was engaged in my normal exercise routine…I was channel surfing. It was late at night/early morning and I came across an interesting scene. There on a stage was a race car. It was covered with racing decals and all the other markings of NASCAR. Climbing out of the driver’s window was the preacher! The cheering crowd welcomed him as he began his message. I was going to say, “Sermon” but I learned this particular Southern Baptist refers to his sermons as, “talks.” The large theatre was packed and folks seemed to be having a great time. I turned the channel to find a stately cathedral setting. The preacher worn a clerical collar, there was a massive pipe organ and a huge choir. What caught me off guard was the entrance of the “liturgical dance group;” ballet dancers waving ribbons as they “moved creatively” about the platform. I receive flyers and hear advertisements regularly promising “new” and “exciting” worship opportunities. I realize I’m a card-carrying member of the Old Fuddy Duddy’s Club, but that kind of thing bother’s me. It seems to me that in our mad dash to draw a crowd, we lose sight of the goal and aim of worship. I know of churches that have staged circus acts for Sunday services. I know of one that hired professional wrestlers to teach the staff how to stage a “grudge match” for one evening service. Most often sermons are centered on how to have meaningful relationships, how to manage your finances, how to achieve happiness and success – where is the Gospel in all of this? What does Jesus have to do with NASCAR? While these practices concern me and I don’t find them meaningful – it is not what concerns me most. I believe such an approach to worship misses the mark, but there is something more dangerous.
More dangerous and frightening to me are the services that are filled with Scripture, prayers and creeds. Services where the leaders and the congregation say all the right words and perform all the appropriate rituals but their hearts are far removed. It is frightening because they are convinced they are honoring God and they are unaware that judgment is about to come on them as a flood! Thinking themselves wise, they are in fact fools. That is where ancient Israel found themselves when the prophet Hosea came thundering the message of God’s judgment. Our text this morning is found in Hosea chapter 8.
Text: Hosea 8:1-14
Hosea, uniquely called and gifted, came preaching a message of judgment.
Yet that judgment was seasoned with hope.
He was Israel’s “deathbed prophet” coming at the end of their existence.
Repeatedly God had warned of his coming judgment.
God repeatedly warned them of the penalty for bowing before other gods.
The words of the prophets fell on deaf ears as the nation continued in her adulterous ways.
Now they have passed the point of no return thus the prophet thundered, “The Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land…there is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land…”
As we come to the 8th chapter we discover an important lesson for any age.
Thesis: Worship that fails to acknowledge the greatness and glory of God proves to be nothing more than empty ritual.
They were saying all the right words. They were outwardly very religious. They were faithful to attend temple. But it was all a show! It was in order to be seen and to feel good about themselves. While they sang the praises of God, their concern was their own well being. Their impressive pageantry and elaborate ceremonies had the stench of death about them. The problem is Israel was seemingly unaware of it. Empty ritual – form without substance. Message without meaning. Church without worship. We would do well to heed the warning of this text.
Note three warnings related to empty ritual.
- Empty ritual brings disastrous consequences. (8:14, 7)
- Empty ritual leads to open rebellion. (8:1-6, 8-13)
- Empty ritual creates sorry substitutes. (8:14)
Conclusion:
Boice calls attention to this in his commentary on this passage. Note between the What is the answer? What must we do? Remember God! Return to him. It really is as simple as that. Turn from what is empty, meaningless, and vain. Come to Christ and find in him all that you could ever need or want.