Introduction: The following sermon was delivered on July 12, 2007, at The 86th Annual District Convocation of the United Holy Church of Bermuda, Inc. in Sandys, Bermuda. The original sermon appears in its entirety.

Come, Let us Return to The Lord
by The Rev. Gloria Aghogah, D.Min.
Hosea 6:1-3

Prior to this discourse, we find the prophet Hosea speaking a prophetic indictment to the chosen people of God. Hosea, the prophet spoke during a time of moral decay – during a time of spiritual decay and a political crisis. The nation had been wounded because of it unfaithfulness to God.

Every time you are found unfaithful to God it produces sin. Sin reigned in the nation of Israel. There was a shocking contrast between those of wealth and those of poverty. Many Israelites were worshipping Ba’al and other pagan gods. All kinds of gods were in the land that once only served Yahweh, the Lord of Israel. The law and the Word of God were so diluted by the carnal priests – the preachers - that the people broke God’s Word without knowledge.That is why God sent Hosea to rebuke the priest - the preachers -thus saying, “My people perish for the lack of knowledge.” There was not enough knowledge about God in the land. A spiritual sickness had come upon the nation thereby wounding this mighty nation. The nation was in fear and they could not understand why they were experiencing a national crisis. The sickness that disfigured the nation’s life was there for all to see. All of the other nations saw its wound. The pious religious rulers couldn’t understand what was happening to the nation. They blamed everyone and everything – refusing to examine the people. Whether you are a Christian or non-Christian, most of us would prefer not to know the true cause of the spiritual sickness in our lives. We would prefer to blame our problems on everyone and everything around us than to see that the cause of our spiritual sickness lies within us. We don’t want to know how depraved we are. It is a difficult task – to examine ourselves and ask – is this spiritual crisis that is in my nation, my life, my home, my marriage, my children and even my church – is it a result of my own unfaithfulness in some area of my life to God? I have seen people blame everyone and everything and even the pastor for their spiritual sickness. We must not be afraid to examine our lives, because there is some bad in the best of us and some good in the worst of us. But we are not beyond redemption through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

The fault of Israel’s spiritual decay was blamed on an international cause rather than turning inward which was where the problem was. The military leaders sought the help of the Assyrian emperor to help them prepare for war against an outside enemy. They really did not know who the enemy was but they prepared for war. They didn’t know that no foreign power could heal their spiritual sickness. Eventually, God withdrew completely from the nation of His chosen people. We must not deceive ourselves. We must never take God’s mercy and grace for granted. We served a God that withdraws from a people that are unfaithful to His sacred Words.

This eight century young minor prophet is speaking prophetically to us. Just like Israel, we live in a nation that has a spiritual sickness. Today, we have spiritual sickness as well; almost 20 million Americans ages 12 or older use illicit drugs; more than 16,000 murders last year; 2,500 high school students drop out of school every day in America; 8.1 percent unemployment rate; and rising teen pregnancy rates after a decade of decline.

And we are looking to anybody – politicians, for example – seeking international allies to destroy the enemy. But do we really know who the enemy is?

I believe the Lord is calling this nation to return back unto Him.

Finally after much suffering had been inflicted upon the people. God sends this minor prophet to speak prophetically into the spirits of His people. Hosea’s prophetic indictment came as a shock and it couldn’t easily be accepted. Now, this is my own exegesis. I wasn’t there but I’ve preached long enough to learn and to know the mentality of religious folk. I’m sure they asked themselves, Hosea, who is he? Well, he’s a little ole’ farmer. A young inexperienced prophet and he‘s married to a woman with some real sexual issues. She slept with everybody.

Watch this young men and young women. God used Hosea when he was in his late teens to go and tell His people to return back to Him. God can and will use you, too – but it will require you to be faithful to God. Young people must turn their minds and their hearts to God. Cut off that filth you’re watching on TV! Turn your cell phones off – we are talking to everyone but God! It’s a set up from satan to keep you from following after God’s Will.

Hosea sought the will of God for his life as a young man. They knew Hosea was young and they talked about him and his adulterous wife. Everybody knew about his wife, Gomer. Some even told him to go get your own house in order – why did God tell you and not us? You’re a troublemaker. You’re trying to embarrass us before the people. We have been the spiritual leaders of this nation for over thirty-five years! I want you to know today that I admire this young minor prophet. He didn’t care that he was not a member of the prophetic orders. He knew that they talked about him and his adulterous wife. But yet he continues to be faithful to preaching against the sins of the nations! Oh, I’m praying that God will rise up some minor prophets here that will turn to God and live Holy! I admire any one that will choose to be after God’s own heart and not follow the ungodly counsel of the religious establishment. Jesus said, “let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” I refused to follow the spiritual blind. I don’t care if you have earned an M.Div. from Princeton or a PH.D in religion from Yale, if you are claiming to be walking in the spirit and there is never a spiritual impartation from God to the Body of Christ – the devil is a liar – you go sit down with your academic robe-wearing self – I’ll go and put myself in position to hear from God and He will use whoever He chooses! Finally someone heard the minor prophet – how many of y’all know that there is always somebody that will hear when the Lord is speaking? God has and will always have a remnant that will heed to His voice. They heard God through the young prophet. Hosea began to tell everyone – it’s time to return to God. It’s time for God’s people to humble themselves – it’s time to pray – it’s time to seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways!

It’s time for a new spiritual life. The people rose up and declared it was time to return back to God! Why did it take so long for them to return to God? Because nobody wants to return to anything. Because to return to something means to go back and going back to anything can be painful. To return means not only to go back but also to go back in thought and practice. We don’t want to return to some things in spite of how good they were for us. Who wants to return back to all night tarry service when the Saints prayed nearly all night? It was good for us but we do not want to return! I used to cry sometimes as a child for them to shut up so that we could just go home. Who wants to return singing hymnals during the entire worship services? Today, it takes a meeting to have one hymnal to open the worship service. This generation seems to only want contemporary tunes. The hymnals were good for us and theologically sound. That’s what brought us out of Egypt – out of slavery – out of bondage. And we know that those prayers, those hymnals, the holiness and the faithfulness that our ancestors had to God brought us into 21st century and yet we do not want to return to those days! To return is a difficult thing to do. But thanks be to God that the people of Israel decided that it was time to return. They knew that returning to God meant that they would have to repent. They knew that they would have to give up on carnal orientations that did not lead to the knowledge of God. They knew that they had to cancel out the desires of the flesh that was in war with the spirit of the Lord. But they also knew what God would do for them because they knew this God. They wanted what He had done for their ancestors and them. They knew that this was Yahweh. The God of their fathers and mothers – the God of Abraham – the God of Isaac and the God of Deborah. This was the same God that brought them up out of Egypt and gave them this new nation.

They also knew that God had taken them back before and blessed them! We must never forget who God is and what He has done and is doing in our lives! What has God done for you? I know what He has done for me, but what has He done for you? Because if you know what He has done for you – you will have no problem returning back to Him again! Let’s look at repentance – It requires two radical changes. Repentance works Godly sorrow – you will cry out to the Lord – I am sorry that I have committed sin against you Lord and you will not care who hears it when you do it. All that you know is that you are not in a right relationship with Jesus and that it brings upon you a sorrow. Have you ever had a broken heart or has someone ever caused you great disappointment? That’s what Godly sorrow feels like. The second radical change is a change of direction. Where you were once going away from God’s perfect Will - you will return back to Him and not back to your wicked ways! Don’t return to God on Sunday at the altar and go back to sexual immorality on Monday! Don’t return to God on Sunday and go back to lying, cheating and stealing on Monday! Don’t return to God on Sunday and go back to smoking and drinking on Monday! Don’t return to God on Sunday and go back to malicious gossiping and backbiting and watching violence and sexual filth on Monday? The ole saints taught us, “you got to make up in your minds to live holy.“ You must declare to God that I want to be saved – I want o be sanctified – I want to be filled with the Holy Ghost!

Look at the text Saints:

“Come and let us return unto the Lord: For it was He that tore us up for disobedience and it is He that can and will heal us. We must return back to our God by praying and fasting!” Look at the blessing Saints that God says He will give them. It’s the same blessing that God wants to give to you and me! Look at the text with me Saints. “After two days He will revive us: In the third day – He will raise us up and we shall live in His sight”

Why the third day and not the first day? Why the third day and not the second day? Third is the same as saying three. Now three is Greek, tritos – tricycle and triad. I was preparing to leave my driveway, and my neighbor said,

“stay out of the Bermuda Triangle!” Just like seven – three is a perfect number. Three is symbolically the fullness of a spiritual manifestation. We know this because we are Protestants embracing the fullness of God called the Trinity. The Bible declares, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word which is Jesus, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” Within the United Holy Church of America, our affirmation of faith confirms God in this spiritual fullness. Every Sunday we profess to the Heavenly realms that we believe in the Father, who is God Almighty. The Creator of all things and the preserver of light and life. We believe in the Son, who is Jesus Christ, God’s only Begotten Son. We believe in the Holy Ghost who was sent from God the Father and God the Son!

We are a New Testament church but here, this nation, the Israelites, over 2,700 years ago – they were in a B.C. dispensation but God is saying, “by my divine prerogative – if you will only return to me, I’ll step you into the spiritual realm of the New Testament church where in you will witness how The Word stepped down off of His Heavenly throne.” Jesus clothed Himself in the garments of flesh just like us. The Word will allow Himself to be beaten and judged by His own creation. Jesus will die for a world that He knew didn’t care anything about Him. Jesus died – He did die. He died until death died! But not day one, not day two, but on day three – Jesus will rise from the dead with all power in His hands. God wants us to rise today – from the dead and to give us power like Jesus did!

Don’t you dare ask yourself if I need to return to God. We all need to return to God. I need to return to God and you need to return God. God has ordained me to write this message and for you to read it. God is serving this spiritual summons to us! God is requiring us to return to praying and fasting for only three days! For only three days, God is saying humble your selves – pray, seek My face and turned from your wicked ways! “For only three days – I want to bless you, says the Lord. I want you to pray and fast.” Praying and fasting will put you in union with God and if you are in union with God – then you are separated from demonic activity! For only three days, praying and fasting will guard our flesh, and we will control our temper – For only three days, praying and fasting will rid ourselves of vanity, arrogance and pride. We will overcome those sins that the devil has sent from the depths of hell to destroy us. For the devil comes to kill, to steal and to destroy the children of God but thanks be to God! We serve a God that will snatch us from the snares of the devil! For only three days through praying and fasting we will defeat some of the social injustices of our nation. God will give us a strong ordered society while we make atonement for our sins. For we are accountable for the spiritual sickness of this nation, too. For only three days – it is through praying and fasting that we obtain physical well being. Praying and fasting will make an unhappy home, a happy home. Praying and fasting will save your unloved ones. Do you want them saved? Then pray and fast! Praying and fasting will refresh you and it will give you courage to fight demonic spirits. Praying and fasting will refresh you when the burdens of this ole’ world makes you weary. Praying and fasting will comfort you when you are sad. It will give you unconditional love. Praying and fasting is the delight of our joy and the solace of the afflicted. Praying and fasting is intimacy with Jesus. Finally, praying and fasting is the enjoyment of the things present and the substance of the things to come. Whatever you need today can be found in praying and fasting for only three days!

God will raise us up on the third day and we will live in His presence. And we don’t have to stop after three days – The text says – “IF WE FOLLOW ON TO KNOW THE LORD” – Don’t you want to know your God? The Apostle Paul declared , “that I may know him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.”

Hear from II Chronicles 7:14 : IF MY PEOPLE WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY, AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS; THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND I WILL HEAL THE LAND.

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2009 Hosea by Gloria Aghogah. Please do not copy or reproduce any of the material in this sermon without the expressed written permission of the author.

Notes
The King James Bible