Needed But Not Wanted
Notes
Transcript
We are all striving for something.
We are all striving for something.
I believe this is a lyric of a song but I am not certain.
Basic needs: power/achievement, freedom/independence, fun/enjoyment, survival, and belonging.
Basic needs: power/achievement, freedom/independence, fun/enjoyment, survival, and belonging.
These are some of our basic needs and sometimes they compete with one another.
Sometimes we want what we need.
Sometimes we want what we need.
Sometimes our needs and wants are the same.
Sometimes we want what we don’t need.
Sometimes we want what we don’t need.
This is going beyond the essentials of life. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong with what we are striving for but that if we are not careful we will misuse our wants.
Sometimes we need what we do not want.
Sometimes we need what we do not want.
This is hard to swallow, at least for me, because it is like taking medicine when we are sick but the medicine is “yucky”.
God desires people to seek Him.
God desires people to seek Him.
God is not waiting to condemn people, though He is able. God is not wanting to reject people, though if we reject Him, He will honor our decision. The prophets and especially Hosea this morning reminds us God wants us to seek Him.
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
Israel needed a revival.
Israel needed a revival.
This was the need of the day. Let’s be honest we also need one today.
Israel just wanted to turn back the clock.
Israel just wanted to turn back the clock.
They wanted to live in the “good old days” when things when their way. Sometimes we confuse our desire for revival to mean doing what was done once before.
Revival is something new connected to the old.
Revival is something new connected to the old.
I believe this is the principles of Jesus when he talked about putting new wine in new wine skins. Revival isn’t just starting from scratch though either. Revival is remembering the God who has worked in the past and seeking him fully to do a new work in the present.
Faithful religious acts is not enough.
Faithful religious acts is not enough.
This is the gist of our wonderful text in verse 6. This was the problem with the conservatives of Jesus’ days. They had all the acts to prove what they thought was right.. Jesus quoted this verse on at least 2 occasions. Samuel spoke on this years before in 1 Samuel 15.22 when he warned Saul about obedience above all else.
Revival, faithfulness, is hard work.
Revival, faithfulness, is hard work.
This is I believe the reality of things. Revival means hard work. Being faithful means things will not go our way yet we will still be consistent.