God So Loved | Judah Smith | Hillsong Conference - Sydney 2013

can you just grab the head of the person next to you just stay on your feet just for a moment and just grab the hand of that person and you know as we go to God's Word what we don't need is more information but what we do need is more of Jesus and you know we wouldn't have this last session unless God wanted to do something even a bit more and I'm just believing from the top all the way to the bottom not that we would just hear about Jesus and learn of him but that we again would encounter him in a real way in the next few moments as we go to this sacred book would you just pray with me father I thank you thank you for this holy moment a moment that really God is a generation we have stumbled into because of the forefathers that have paved a way God we're standing smack-dab in the middle of revival because of your grace and your goodness and your love I ask now Holy Spirit as we approach your word that we would not just listen that we would not just here but that we would literally see Jesus help us to see Jesus and experience Jesus to see him in his beauty and his majesty and his glory and his sufficiency for we know if we'll see Jesus we will be changed thank you for your grace thank you for all that you have done in this extraordinary week together we love you so much in Jesus name and everybody said amen amen you can be seated if you possibly can Thank You Leland and this is um this is a setup I mean you have one of my best friend's in the whole world shares testimony that I'm supposed to come up and just act normal so I told Carl on the way up I said just pray that I get through this this afternoon just back in the hotel room I I just really experienced Jesus you know maybe that happens to you all the time but I'm one of those people that God's got to do extra work to get his attention and down I just think God has something really really special in store before I go any further I want to say I know that a lot of a lot has been said about the senior pastors of Hillsong Church but the unique difference about me and my life is that if you know our story about three years ago my hero and really other than my wife my best friend in the whole world my father passed away after six years fighting multiple myeloma cancer and how many know Jesus reigns over cancer hey men right before my dad passed we had a pretty special dinner and that dinner my my wife my mom my dad passed was Brian and Bobbie they were in town speaking in our church and it was there that I tricked pastor Brian and Bobby in because they couldn't say no because my parents were there and my dad was fighting for his life and asked if they would be my pastor and you know the Bible says that you got lots of teachers but you don't have a lot of fathers and I want to thank Pastor Brian Houston for not just being a teacher and a man of God but a father did so many and certainly a father to me and so pastor Brian I thank you for that thank you for believing in me love you I'm gonna read from a very abstract none undiscovered part of scripture it's it's very unique it's rarely ever been preached on it's in this obscure book called the book of John chapter 3 and or 16 and we're just gonna start there you can open your Bibles of course I have this Scripture memorized that's that's why I'm a preacher so I mean no condemnation I don't want you to feel bad I just you know obviously I study the Bible but anyways John chapter 3 and verse 16 we we say it together hey by the way before we go any further like these are my favorite people like they're in the pit look at this amazing I love you guys you you mean yeah thank you that might have been a mistake actually to wake them up I probably should have allowed to acknowledge them actually no I'm just easing just ease night I love you Joe Joe shut up okay seriously just just kidding I love you okay John chapter 3 and verse 16 says this for for God so loved the world that he he gave he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life I am there's so much there in that verse we could be on that for weeks but I just just the beginning of that verse really really captures my attention it reads and I quote from pure memory for for God so loved the world God so loves the world maybe that's really makes sense to you maybe there's no element of mystery because of your intellectual power but for me things just don't fully make sense wait a minute God so loved the world want to talk tonight from the subject God loves the world and I want us just for a few minutes to come around this thought and really think on what are the implications what does it really mean that God like God who who says words and galaxies come into being the Hubble telescope has discovered three thousand galaxies of which we live in one this God loves our itty-bitty planet known as Earth God loves the world what does that mean well with me - one of the verse in Romans Romans chapter 5 and we'll look at verse six if your Bible tonight Roman Romans chapter five I have this one memorized - I'm just gonna look on the screen just just to make you feel better well Romans chapter five verse six for for when we were still without strength in due time Jesus died for the ungodly Wow okay now scarcely for a righteous guy will somebody died but perhaps even a good man some would would maybe possibly perchance die what's what's Paul doing he's talking about our society in our culture and how you know dedicated we are to each other he's kind of defining the consistency of our love on this itty-bitty planet called earth he's like you know in our realm like like maybe you'll find somebody they'll die for a righteous guy rarely you find that hero who will die for a pretty good guy but God God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were are you reading along or is it just me by myself you know and that while we were while we were still sinners Christ died for us pit I don't I don't hear you pit I don't I don't hear you at all like if I demoralize you are you are you still there he's still there okay while we were still sinners Christ died for us want us to try to wrap our brains around just for a few minutes this extraordinary reality that God not only loves the world but he sent his son to to die for bad people and he did it with no guarantee while we were still sinners God loves the world have you ever heard of the term groupie have you have you heard of this term have you good three of you fantastic groupie now just just bear with me for a moment just in the generic sense a groupie is a term made popular in pop culture it's essentially a fanatic it's it's a fan it's it's a young lady it rarely a young man but sorry no offense ladies and it's it's basically someone who is has an obsession with with an artist or an entertainer of sorts and so much so that they they they they they stalk them like they go everywhere they go they go to their tour stops I mean they're just obsessed they are by definition a groupie typically a groupie if you if you war if you talk with them a bit they will tell you how they're absolutely persuaded and convinced they are going to marry the particular artist they are obsessed with there's no question they they as soon as Justin Bieber how much I love him there will be one less lonely girl in the world I will be his baby like there's no question JB and I we are going to live happily ever really I'm just up here by myself thanks guys let's stop it's not a big deal I'll cover it happily ever some of you I can see on your face your smirk like groupies wait what does that attitude come from I'll tell you where it comes from because we all know something in this room about groupies they they are by definition deceived they like if you had a moment to sit one of these sorry ladies bear with me one of these young ladies down and say listen young lady you're gorgeous you're beautiful God loves you but Justin does not in fact I don't know how to break this to you he doesn't even know you exist my little girl she's four right she says her two guys in the world this is daddy's might by two guys when two guys she says she's got I mean she's got attitude for days okay she's three years old going on thirty okay and she's like dad I got two guys I said who's your two guys Justin Bieber and you dad I'm like really I'm number two really not okay with that but like if things progressed eventually I'm going to have to sit my little Gracie Rae write down my little peanut princess as I call her I'm gonna have to sit her down and say baby girl your dad he loves you I believe in you but this this session with Justin it's not going to work out what am i doing is the dead I'm just trying to protect my little girl's heart I don't want her I don't want her to deception to set in and then despondency she's gonna feel let down because she Justin's gonna be 40 when she's ready to be married okay this is not okay right so I'm protecting my baby girl I just want you it's cool you can go to his concert like whatever we love him but know this you want to like talk to groupies everywhere and just say this enough is enough this is ridiculous Bruce Springsteen does not know you're alive but wait a second there's no chance no it's paired with me oh no don't get offended by this metaphor just just hold on a second I'm just saying I read John 3:16 the other day and I was like hold on a minute God so loves the world this this is not good this is not good God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever whosoever you're giving up your son and a whosoever God so loves the world like just bear with me I had a sudden urge to sit God down and break the news to it yeah god I don't know how to tell you this but um this this world that you're obsessed with particularly the people in it who are bad like I noticed that you're really obsessed and you're like following people everywhere I read recently that while we sleep you watch us this is getting kind of weird to be honest look I've had a lot of these conversations trust me this one's a bit unique but but look this is not gonna be good for you Ike I don't want you to get hurt God because see you're extending yourself here you're giving so much and you're following these people around and you're loving them but I don't know how to tell you this but awkward a lot of them never gonna reciprocate do you know this like just just just just choose the ones wait a minute God why we're on topic don't you know the ones that are gonna reciprocate you need to be more picky here this is too much you're taking on a little too much here you love everybody you love bad people I told something recently I said that God loves bad people they go well that's crazy and I'm like wait a minute it's not that crazy as if there are good people [Applause] God loves people who will never love him back it gets weird though because he loves people that he knows will never love him back it gets weirder Jesus took added pain on his body for the sins of people who would never acknowledge his sacrifice he died for the ungodly you think Jesus has just been said only experience pain for those who would reciprocate and accept his substitution know why they added pain why the obsession with people that will never reciprocate God this is so awkward I don't know how to tell you this but you're kind of starting to sound like a groupie you gotta stop this you can't you know he can't he he can't help himself you know that right literally God cannot help himself because God doesn't have love God doesn't do love God is love not all love is God and love is not the deity that we worship but our God is love and and he can no more deny himself than stop loving humanity he's obsessed he the John 3:16 doesn't say he loves to water says he he he's he's so he he's so loves the world have you ever seen a dad or a mom with the bad case of the so loud so I mean they just so love their kid I grew up with such a family unit my mom and dad had a bad case of the so loves I'd be it like soccer games and baseball yeah I don't really know what baseball nevermind basketball games are stuff and and my dad would be there and he would like get embroidered hats for our little ball team my dad why are you embroidering hats for our t-ball team we have eight games this is ridiculous and dad's like up screaming yelling at the umpire dad the umpire goes to our church I don't care he's just he's like obsessed he's running down the sidelines during the soccer matches and and I made a commitment that day I will not be that kind of father but then in the first kid popped out in the second and third and they look like you and stuff and you wanna kiss them and then they start going out for a little soccer teams and you get there and it's practice I know it's indoor soccer and I'm only that they're the rest of nannies but all the sudden he gets a breakaway out of the pack and the ball trickles on accident and he gets a Brit and I'm running down the sideline I'm pushing nannies out of the way and I'm screaming kick the ball son he looked at me accidentally nudges the soccer ball and it trickles into the goal I pull my shirt off I'm running around the indoor soccer arena go what are you gonna do that's my boy so love so love it's illogical it's ridiculous can't add it up it's not mathematical there's no equation it's just so up I just just just so love I stopped being cool and cools a high priority for me but when you become a parent like you just vogue goes out the window and you're just obsessed with this little human that you like partly created and you're just so in love God can't help himself since interesting to me is like you could be here tonight and you could be like tell the truth man I don't even know what I believe about all this stuff man no if I believe about God it's okay that that's fine that's your prerogative I'm just here to tell you he won't ever stop watching you like I guarantee you something tonight like when you're sleeping he's gonna be like hey love it when he breeze like that I'm just saying many people over the centuries and human history have tried to get God off their trail God stop it God plea please just leave me alone okay okay you can't hopeless always gonna be there why unreason love you know love is the theme of this life love is the main theme of our existence it's it's the very purpose for which we were created we are the objects of his obsession and nothing can change that obsession you are the object of his obsession that scripture God loves the world includes you he he so loves you 750 years before Jesus will come to the planet and solve the sin problem God's extraordinary ridiculous illogical unconditional love shows up on full display through a young man by the name of Hosea 750 years before Jesus is born Hosea is a prophet he's immediately following a prophet by the name of Amos Hosea lives in the northern territory of Israel now many prophets years before Jesus comes on the scene have peculiar assignments such as Isaiah and others but I dare say that Hosea is given the most exceptional ridiculous slightly embarrassing assignment you'll find that most of the prophets in God's Word in the Old Testament they did not just speak their prophecy they actually got to live their prophecy God assigns Hosea he's going to be a a prophet he's going to be a a a a speaker for God to Israel and he says okay Hosea this is your assignment if you choose to accept that I want you to marry a prostitute I'll say I must have said I'm sorry Lord come again that's right I'd like you to marry a prostitute you read Isaiah there's not much explanation why he just says do it so Hosea marries a prostitute what's her name her name's Gomer bummer of a name huh like really she obviously was not that loved he picks Gomer and for a while things go pretty well for a few years they have they have a baby boy and they have a baby girl and they have another baby boy is it 2 3 years their marriage seems to be going relatively well till one morning this prophet of God wakes up and comers nowhere to be found he notices that she's not in bed he wakes up he goes to the kitchen she's not there he goes to the kid's room she's not there he checks the closets bathrooms she's she's gone it's a single dad three kids he's arguably one of the most famous people in all of Israel the embarrassment is going to be apparent she's gone and I'm supposed to be a beacon of hope for Israel and I can't even keep my wife at home I'm not sure what happened after that I'm sure he had some dark nights and eventually God comes to Hosea and he says I'm Jose here's the plan go find her okay and marry her again again yep go find her boy holds the head deserves a lot of credit it's a special guy this is okay God and that's what we picked up the story in hosea chapter 3 starting with verse 1 God says to hosea Gogi and love a woman who's loved by lover and is committing adultery just like the love of the lord for the children of israel who looked to other gods and loved the raising cakes of the pagans in other words they're enamored by the things of this world now Hosea is smack dab in the middle of a culture the nation of Israel and at this time the nation of Israel is experiencing an extraordinary prosperity the nation of Israel everything clicking on all cylinders everything is going well and they are love is a major theme but they have three primary positions on love free primary philosophies of love number one they believe love can be purchased Israel has entered into this era and this season where they believe love can be purchased secondly Israel believes at this time that love is simply the pursuit of self gratification and the third belief they have about love is that well love is found and can be discovered with inanimate objects things a redness was studying about Israel the time of Hosea and I thought this sounds eerily similar to the world we live in today the concept of love has become so convoluted love you love you but God's love seems to pierce through the convoluted concepts of love in today's modern society where it proliferates the falafels philosophies proliferate throughout the continents of our great globe where people believe that love can be purchased that love is about South and love is about things this is not love so God says I will demonstrate to my people what love really is one scholar wrote other than the crucifixion the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ undoubtedly the story of Hosea and Gomer is the greatest expression and demonstration of God's love in all of Scripture so Hosea gets assignment go look for her Hosea he does what was that like he's got to go looking for his wife we're men of God should not be now you understand something Hosea is a famous figure at this time in Israel he is a holy man he is a seer he is a prophet and God gives him the assignment go down to the red-light district go down to the brothels go down and I want you to find your wife yes so he goes to that part of town if you know what I mean how are you approaches people that are no doubt in the industry have you seen Gomer Gomer you your girl yeah have you have you seen her I just hadn't seen her in a while I just been looking for oh man yeah Wow sorry nah man I hadn't seen her in a while she uh yeah okay keeps walking and asking I wonder if he had to ask some guys um hey I don't know how to say this but uh you see my wife lately a man she I didn't I didn't know man I didn't know you two were still together I saw a couple of days ago man my bad I didn't yeah that's cool I just um I'm looking for have you seen her do you know man last time mom and I saw was a couple of streets down yeah man well hey good good luck with that yeah thanks till he finally walks up and where does he see Gomer she's on the selling block she's in the sex slave industry she's being sold and what most scholars believe is he walked in on an auction don't you I want you to understand in on an auction and that's his wife excuse me sir it's my wife but I don't care who that is who you say she is she's mine and she's for sale this is the price what was that like for Gomer she probably can't even look at Hosea she never fathomed he would come down here and pay the price of the auction does he have to outbid other bidders maybe as it happens he ends up paying 15 pieces of silver and five bushels of barley 15 is a significant number in Scripture speaking of the divine energy of God towards humanity 5 is the number of grace silver representing the divinity the bushels of barley representing the humanity the gospel is right there if we look at it and he says some I'll pay whatever the price is so I'll pay it wait a second Hosea she's already yours I know but I'll pay for what's already mine the Bible says the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and yet God sends his son to spill his sacred blood on a torture tool to purchase what is in fact already his for Humanity is the peculiar unique possession of its creator and yet he paid a price we're already here just in case you didn't know you're already his friend said okay I'll pay for it he pays and then he proceeds to renew his vows to her that's what he's doing he's renewing their vows look what he says in verse 3 you shall stay with me you shall stay with me many days you should not play the harlot Gomer norsu you have a man and I will do the same for you that's not what I would have said that's not what I would have said and then the Spirit of God comes on Hosea and right there after you just purchased his wife back he starts to prophesy about Israel and he starts to prophesy about days that shall come in verse four listen he says for the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or Prince without sacrifice sacred pillar without ephod or teraphim but afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their King that he does not mean David he's using the name David because he's yet to know the name Jesus but David is a Messianic stand-in that's all for they will call Jesus the son of David he's just doing the best he can with the knowledge he has he's speaking of the days of Jesus there will come a day for they will they will have a king and it goes on and says afterward the Childress overturned seek the Lord David the King and they shall fear the Lord and His goodness in those days well those were not the days Hosea was in or throughout the Old Testament you will notice a reoccurring theme the people lived in terror in fear of his judgment and his wrath but Hosea stands having just purchased his harlot wife back and he prophesized about a new world order and a new day and a new era and a new covenant where there will be a messianic king and in those days people will be in awe of his goodness which reminds me the Bible says it's his goodness that leads people to change who's Hosea jihad hosea means salvation Gomer means completion who's Hosea that's that's our God well whose go myrrh me [Music] you he won't stop Willy he won't stop he'll search the most despicable horrible pockets of this planet to find you and to pay the price for you who whose gomer me [Music] jesus is my Hosea and he he he completes me nothing needs to be added when I meet my Hosea nothing can be added I am complete he's paid the price Jesus says Jesus says they complained he do you remember as he's sitting with tax collectors and sinners in Matthew chapter 9 and they complain this and why do you eat with such scum why do you eat with such bad people with rejects and dogs why do you do it and he quotes the book of Hosea he says go and learn what this means I desire mercy and not sacrifice for I have come to seek and to save the Lost I have not come for those who think themselves to be righteous but those who know that they are lost and they are desperate what is she's a saint I am your Hosea go and learn what this means who's he talking to he's talking to Jews who understand who would have heard stories of the great Prophet Hosea he's saying I am Hosea I am your salvation and I will go and I will look and I will search and I will pay whatever the cost for you [Music] god [Music] Hosea [Music] it's Jesus and you know it's not neat and tidy when you got to save gomers and what ends up happening is when you realize that you're Gomer it dawns on you there's more goers and all of a sudden you realize it's gonna get messy you know I just um [Music] this love is messy [Music] Jesus [Music] I am [Music] first John's that before [Music] 9 10 11 and verse 10 says this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins and verse 11 says this if God so loved us if God so loved us you cannot when you stand and realize that you are Gomer and you realize what you're Hosea has done for you and you are complete in him and you are accepted and you are loved and you are forgiven and nothing can ever change your position in Christ something Wells up on the inside and you say I'm going to do whatever it takes to let more gomers know [Music] [Applause] [Music] I'm just warning you this gospel will wreck your plans I'm just warning you when you let this message sink in it just it just it just changes everything and then you know man plans his way then here comes God directing your steps seventh-generation preacher you know and I love church and love preaching and helping people and but then um you know I grew up a pretty good kid and so it was um you know I mean what did God saved me from you know like I don't know looking at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition while I walked by the cafe you know I saw the cover you know I I don't know like I didn't have like this hairy testimony you know [Music] but then I realize like I'm a goner you know and then if it hadn't been for Jesus that he divinity put on humanity paid the price for me that that I was some I was doomed man so um and I'm in Seattle and everything's going great and just doing the best I can to lead the church for dad and he's in heaven and and all sudden my wife and I we can't sleep at night and God just starts waking me up to preach his kid you know just just happy to preach sermon series and love people in suburban America I get tricked into this Bible study in California starts growing and people start coming and God just rips my heart opening and just AskMe would you uh god I'm so sorry I'm crying like this it's one of those I guess I'm just with family here but I just I guess all I think God wanted me to ask you is would like would you would you go after go if he asked you to like would you how we sit in such a sacred place these forefathers have done so much to bring us to this moment Church what a moment we find ourselves in we have been resourced we have been empowered we have been invigorated we have been expanded we have been enlarged would you allow God to step in and and be your Hosea and show you what he's done for you so much so there's gomers everywhere you know this isn't about a particular location it's just who I don't know who I'm talking to but God is some he's it's about [Applause] God is so loved us we ought to love one another we had a love I am lovely love the world god help us love the world I want to love the world you know it's crazy trying to love people but just a bad cuz wait a minute that's mean come on church come on church if I've got speaking to you and he's just pulling on your heart and it could be saying so many different things God's talking to people pastors leaders young people just let's go let's go I come in got whatever it just doesn't matter it's just about whatever you want me to do I just want to love people like you love people and like you love me you can't do that on your own friend the Holy Spirit's available the Holy Spirit's here he's working in your heart he's doing a work right now if you if you'll just yield that's all attention I'm just saying god I just whatever you want like I'll just be the guy with my hand up going when you need somebody I'm here I'm here when you're looking for somebody to go there I'm here if that you just stand your stand just and Sam and that's me like it's just me so many souls on the selling block of humanity and we're coming and in these days they will be in awe of his goodness he's so good with your heads bowed and eyes closed just as you're standing there are many people watching right now the overflow and those here as we conclude continue now and so much more that we're doing tonight and worship and celebrations just amazing but before we go any further in our celebration if you're here today and you you want to make Jesus Christ the Lord of your life you want to give him your life you want to follow him forever I want to pray for you right now he's available he is your salvation he is your completion he's everything your heart desires he's everything you're looking for he's the lover of your soul he is the long and he's the one that's going to fulfill the longing of your soul if you want to follow this Jesus that you've heard about tonight that you've heard about throughout this week you want to follow him and give him everything if that's you I'm gonna count to three when I get to three I'm gonna ask you to shoot up your hand you know who you are God speaking to you right now this is your moment this is your day one two three would you shoot up your hand all over this auditorium say that's me that's me that's me that's me hands going up all over hands going up in the overflow Jesus I want to follow you make you the Lord of my life come on church let's all pray this declaration of faith out together would you lift your voice with me just as you're celebrating say Lord Jesus hears my life it's yours forever from this day forward I'm Yours Jesus I love you because you first loved me in Jesus name Amen come on let's lift our voice one more time and celebrate these have made this decision [Applause]

Channel: Hillsong Church

Views: 17,648

Rating: 4.8938775 out of 5

Keywords: jesus, hillsong, praise, worship, online, church, sunday, live, church online, gomer, hillsong conference, 2013, Judah Smith, Judah, conference, hosea, God so loved, love, message, sermon, sydney, conf

Id: jZKweUOcEhs

Length: 50min 33sec (3033 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 16 2020