God Has A Controversy With The Land
(Part 2)
Lessons from the past illustrate the sad condition in our country and our churches.
Hosea 4:1-3
“Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel,
For the Lord has a case (controversy) against the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land. 2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes; Along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky; And also the fish of the sea disappear”.

Introduction
God had a controversy with Israel because they rejected His law.
God has a controversy with any and all people that refuse to be guided by His council.
And, just as God had a controversy with Israel of old--we want to show that he has one with the people of our land--and for the same reasons.
So far in this study we have seen that God has a controversy with the land because:
There is not much faith in it.
There is not much knowledge of God in it.
There is not much godliness in it
There is not much character in it.
Let us notice some other things that God has a controversy about.

BECAUSE IT IS TOO "CHURCHY".
There are too many religious bodies in the land.
Christ built His church
Matthew 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it”.
Jesus is the head of His church.
Ephesians 1:22 “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all”.
Christ is the savior of His church.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body:.
Jesus purchased His church-
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood”.
There is but one body or church
Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;”
Denominationalism has its origin in man and not in God
They are plants which God has not planted;
Matthew 15:13 “But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up”.
Jesus had a controversy with the religious leaders of His day--The Pharisees--Herodians-- and the Sadducees.
He has a controversy with the religious world today.
Men have voided the word of God by their traditions.
Their worship is vain who teach for doctrine the commandments of men.

BECAUSE HIS CHURCH IS TOO WORLDLY
The word church means "the called out".
The church in the wilderness was called out of Egypt
Acts 7:38 “This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you”.
The church of Christ is called out of the world--Paul admonished in
2 Corinthians 6:17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you”.
We must not be of the world
John 17:15 “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world”.
We must not conform to the fashion of the world
Romans 12:1-2 “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”.
We must not love the things of the world.
1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world”.
Friendship of the world is enmity with God.
James 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”.
Truly--God has a controversy with His church because of its worldliness!

BECAUSE IT IS A WICKED AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION
We read in our text of swearing--lying--and killing--and stealing--and committing adultery. Hosea 4:2
One of America's besetting sins is profanity.--How it wounds the feelings of the godly--and how it brands the one foolish enough to use it.
Lying--what lies are told in the social--political--commercial--and religious world
Killing--more murder than ever (Abortion)
Stealing--
Committing adultery--Today, men get divorces for every cause.
Matthew 19:9 “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Adultery and fornication are winked at --joked about--in fact, in certain circles--is made respectable.
No wonder man's eyes are full of adultery and God has a controversy with the land.

BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH LOVE OF GOD IN THE LAND
-INSTEAD--MEN ARE---- (Men is generic here)
Lovers of themselves
2 Timothy 3:1-4 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;”
Men are lovers of money
1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang”.
Men are lovers of the world
1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world”.
Men love the praise of men.
John 12:43 “for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God”.
Men love showing off.
Matthew 6:1-8 ”Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.3 “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing4 that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you”.
5 “And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.8 “Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him”.
Men love all these things---But there is little love of God in the land--Because when men love God, they do what He says.
1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome”.

Conclusion
This should be enough evidence to prove why God has a controversy with the land.
May we all remember.
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.
If you are not a Christian--May you have the courage and foresight to become one now.
When you become a Christian--Live a faithful life--and God will have no controversy with you.
If you have been a poor Christian--Won't you return to your first love--That God may have no controversy with you?

By Carey Scott

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