Transcript The Great Controversy - Simple Bible Studies

God Has A
Controversy With
The Land
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.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH FAITH
IN IT
• Not many people believe the Bible--and yet the Bible
is the word of God.
• The Bible reveals the only true and living God to us-and without it, no man can know or believe that
Jesus is Lord.
• Romans 10:14 How then shall they call upon Him in
whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how
shall they hear without a preacher?
• Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and
hearing by the word of Christ.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH FAITH
IN IT
• In these passages we find this great truth—
• If men do not hear and believe the word of God-they cannot believe in the God and Christ the
word reveals.
• And men who do not believe in God cannot
please Him
• Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible
to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of
those who seek Him.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH FAITH
IN IT
• There are many infidels in the land-- Atheism has
eaten (as does a termite) into the schools of our land.
• Atheist say in their heart--There is no God
• Psalm 53:11 The fool has said in his heart, “There is
no God,”
They are corrupt, and have committed abominable
injustice;
There is no one who does good.
• Only one college professor out of four believes in
God.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH FAITH
IN IT
• Our universities teem with infidelity--Organic
evolution is taught as a proven truth.
• Many of our college and university professors scoff at
the idea of believing the Bible.
• But unbelief is not peculiar to just the infidel--Many
religious people do not really believe the Bible.
• Many of those who profess faith in Christ--deny the
divine authority and inspiration of the Bible.
• Some are modernists--who deny the miracles, the
virgin birth of Christ, the resurrection, heaven, and
hell.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH FAITH
IN IT
• This is not faith--The kind that pleases God.
• Add to all this the many millions who have accepted
human creeds instead of just going to the Bible-Taking it for what it says and you can see why there is
not much faith in the world today
• Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who
does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
• Mark 16:16 “He who has believed and has been
baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved
shall be condemned.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH FAITH
IN IT
• Galatians 1:6-9 “I am amazed that you are so quickly
deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ,
for a different gospel;7 which is really not another;
only there are some who are disturbing you, and
want to distort the gospel of Christ.8 But even
though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach
to you a gospel contrary to that which we have
preached to you, let him be accursed.9 As we have
said before, so I say again now, if any man is
preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which
you received, let him be accursed”.
THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD IN IT.
• Many men know much about many things--But
only a few have a knowledge of God.
• 1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is
the one who catches the wise in their craftiness” ;
• Many will object to our saying our land lacks a
knowledge of God because--we have so many
religious institutions.
THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD IN IT.
• But Paul says a man that will not consent to the
teachings of God's word "knows nothing"
• 1 Timothy 6:3-4 If anyone advocates a different
doctrine, and does not agree with sound words,
those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the
doctrine conforming to godliness,4 he is
conceited and understands nothing; but he has a
morbid interest in controversial questions and
disputes about words, out of which arise envy,
strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,
THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD IN IT.
• But some one says--these men are brilliant--They are
intelligent--they are wonderfully educated.
• There were brilliant men in Athens in Paul's day too-But the only God--The true God was---Unknown to
them.
• They worshipped--But Paul said
• Acts 17:23 “For while I was passing through and
examining the objects of your worship, I also found
an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN
GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, this
I proclaim to you.
THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD IN IT.
• Many are--Ever learning, and never able to come to a
knowledge of the truth.
• 2 Timothy 3:7 always learning and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
• Men may know all about the doctrines and commandments
of men--and still be destroyed for lack of knowledge.
• Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge
I also will reject you from being My priest.
Since you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD IN IT.
• It is the knowledge of the truth that counts and
God's word is truth.
• John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word
is truth.
• It is God's word that frees.
• John 8:32 and you shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free.”
THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWLEDGE OF
GOD IN IT.
• It is the failure to obey the truth or the gospel
that will bring the vengeance of God upon us.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8 dealing out retribution to
those who do not know God and to those who do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
• Truly--God has a controversy with the inhabitants
of our land because there is not much knowledge
of God in it.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH
GODLINESS IN IT
• Perilous times have come---and Paul describes such
in
• 2 Timothy 3:1-5 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;5 holding to a form of godliness,
although they have denied its power; and avoid
such men as these.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH
GODLINESS IN IT
• There is too much formality and hypocrisy
• too much feigned faith and love -- and not enough
of the genuine
• There is too much theory and too little practice
• Too much form of godliness but too little power
• We have faith without works--Salt that has lost its
savor.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH
GODLINESS IN IT
• We perceive that men are as religious today as
they were in Athens--But their religion is vain
because it is not from God.
• Matthew 15:7 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah
prophesy of you, saying,8 ‘This people honors
Me with their lips, But their heart is far away
from Me. 9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”
• Truly God has a controversy with us today
because there is not much godliness.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH
CHARACTER IN IT.
• Peter told men in
• Acts 2:40 And with many other words he
solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them,
saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
• There is too little honesty among men
• Too few will tell the truth always
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH
CHARACTER IN IT.
• There is much graft--lying--stealing--Many are the
devices of the dishonest to get gain.
• Dishonest teachers are stealing God's word from
the people.
• Jeremiah 23:30 “Therefore behold, I am against
the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My
words from each other.
• There is a mad scramble for position and fame.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH
CHARACTER IN IT.
• The chief concern today is sex appeal--Respect
has vanished
• The world is walking in the ways of Hollywood-Doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
• Romans 3:18 “There is no fear of God before
their eyes.”
• Truly, There is not much character in the land.
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.
BECAUSE IT IS TOO "CHURCHY".
• 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.
BECAUSE IT IS TOO "CHURCHY".
• 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.
BECAUSE IT IS TOO "CHURCHY".
• 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.
• b) 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.
BECAUSE HIS CHURCH IS TOO
WORLDLY
• 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.
BECAUSE HIS CHURCH IS TOO
WORLDLY
• 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--
BECAUSE IT IS A WICKED AND
ADULTEROUS GENERATION
• 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.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH LOVE
OF GOD IN THE LAND
• 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.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH LOVE
OF GOD IN THE LAND
• 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.
BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH LOVE
OF GOD IN THE LAND
• 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?