Come Back - Part 1 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, The worries of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace.

This is Lisera Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. Hear the blessed Savior calling thee our prayers, O ye heavy laden, come to me and rest. Come, no longer tarry on your own will bear. Bring me every burden, bring me every care. Come unto me, come unto me.

Come, give me rest, give me rest. Take my heart upon you, take my heart upon you. Give me every burden, give me every last. I am meek and lowly, I am meek and lowly. Come and trust my light, come and trust my light. Come, oh come, my yoke is easy. Come, oh come, my burden's high. Are you disappointed, wondering here and there, Blurring chains of blood and loaded down with care? Do all your feelings, struggle in your rest.

Bring your kids to Jesus, he will give you rest. Come unto me, come unto me. Come unto me, come unto me. Take my heart upon you, take my heart upon you. Give me every burden, give me every last.

I am meek and lowly, I am meek and lowly. Come and trust my light, come and trust my light. Come, oh come, my yoke is easy. Come, oh come, my burden's high.

Have you by temptation often conquered him, as a sense of weakness brought distress within? Christ will sanctify you if your plan is best. If the Holy Spirit, he will give you rest. Come unto me, come unto me. I will give you rest, I will give you rest. Take my heart upon you, take my heart upon you. Give me every burden, give me every last. I am meek and lowly, I am meek and lowly. Come and trust my light, come and trust my light. Come, oh come, my yoke is easy.

Come, oh come, my burden's high. I hope that you will write and let us know that you've listened. It's helpful if you will mention the call letters of the station over which the program has come to you.

Our address is the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. In years gone by, it was customary that when you did business with someone, they generally would say, thank you and come back. Those words, come back, are bright, cheerful words.

Words you like to hear. If you've been visiting with somebody and you're leaving, and they say, come back, you feel that things have gone reasonably well on the visit. You haven't worn out your welcome, they'd like to have you return.

Come back, it's a warm message. Now if there has been a family feud, harsh words have been spoken. There's been a terrible display of anger. And one party says to another, get out of here and don't ever come back. Those are harsh words. Words that drive a wedge, even if at some point there's a change of spirit and attitude for that time at least.

Those are chilling words, depressing words, don't ever come back. Now if we were to think about a man married to a woman who betrays him, she commits adultery. She doesn't just involve herself with one man. She involves herself with numerous men. And the first reaction is, if her evil conduct is discovered, that man would be perfectly justified to say, get out of here and don't ever come back. You have humiliated me. You have hurt me deeply.

I don't want to ever lay eyes on you again, don't ever come back. But God told Hosea to marry a woman who proved herself to be an adulteress. She not only involved herself with one other man, but many other men. God told Hosea in advance, this is the kind of woman you're going to marry. That may seem a little strange to us considering how God views marriage and what it takes to put the right kind of marriage together, but God in His sovereignty had a purpose in Hosea marrying an evil woman. By the names of the children that were born, it appears that one or more of those children that were born during the time of this marriage were not Hoseans. You would think that this man of God would have been so incensed by her conduct, so deeply hurt, particularly when she took the very things He had given her, He had provided for her, the benefits that she enjoyed as His wife and in turn gave them to her lovers.

It wasn't enough that she just pursued the evil course and that she went after someone who invited her, but she was willing to pay the bill. She paid for her lovers and she paid with what Hosea, her husband, had given her. Why would God have this prophet marry such a woman? Because God had a message to deliver to His wife. God was married to His people and God says I want my prophet, my mouthpiece to understand in the depths of his soul what it's like to be married to that kind of a wife and the message that Hosea delivered was a message to such a people. People who had wandered from God, people who had committed fornication, people who had betrayed their confidence and their commitment to the Lord in spite of the fact they were married to God, they gave themselves to idols. But you know what the message was?

Come back, come back, isn't that amazing? You talk about amazing grace. So I thought about this subject matter. I thought in terms of bringing a message on this subject, come back and speaking to those who often are disheartened, reaching the point of wondering if God would at all receive them. And then I realized that one reason that it seems so few messages of that sort are delivered in this day, I can see that most of my preaching is along the line to convict, to call to repentance, to try to show God's people their sin. I listen to other ministers. I see that is the general theme that is heard by men who are really preaching the Word today. Why is it we cannot focus more on the good news to sinners? The encouraging Word to the backslider.

Come back. Well, you see, there's a problem. We're living in a day when many do not recognize they've gone anywhere. There has to be this constant need of presenting the truth about God, God in His holiness who does not tolerate sin. See the attitude on the part of many who even say, I believe in God, oh say, my God is just a God of love. My God has no wrath. My God would never judge anybody. But see that's not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is a God who not only loves and His love is amazing and broader in scope than we can ever imagine, but because of His holiness He hates sin. Apart from that quality, God would not be God.

He would be like one of the vanities worshiped among the Greek gods where they devised a God after their own imagination with variety of concepts and personalities. But the God of the Bible presents Himself in His book as being a God who hates sin. He doesn't overlook it. He doesn't take it lightly.

He doesn't excuse it. But how many people today look lightly on sin? Oh yes, they say, you know, none of us are perfect. We all have our faults. Yes, so I went in the wrong direction.

I made a mistake. But there's no deep conviction. There's no brokenness of heart.

There's no sense of wretchedness and unworthiness before God. Well I haven't done much worse than anybody else. In fact, as I think about it, I've done a lot better than many. There tends to be an excuse made. If in fact a particular fault is discussed, generally blame is laid somewhere else. You know, I could have done a lot better but it's that man I married, he's the one that made life so rough I just couldn't hold up my end of the bargain. Or my parents, you know, I had a rugged childhood and my parents didn't treat me right and I'm like I am because of them.

Blame it somewhere else. How difficult then to present a word of comfort and encouragement, the message of the gospel which is directed to the lost when a person considers himself to be whole. They that are whole need not a physician but they that are sick. He came to seek and to save that which is lost. The message of the gospel is to the sinner, to the prodigal, to the wanderer, to the back slider. Turn with me to the book of Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 1 says, they say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another man shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers. Jeremiah says it's generally understood that if a man puts away his wife she becomes another man's wife and then she should return to him the land would be polluted.

This would be a terrible thing. But you my people have played the harlot with many lovers. You are guilty of adultery and fornication. You are guilty of idolatry yet return again to me sayeth the Lord. Return come back.

But if you're to come back you've got to realize that you've been gone. You need to be brought to the place of confession. Jesus of the words of Malachi the book of Malachi chapter 1 when God is calling his people in that day to repent it says in the 6th verse a son honoreth his father and a servant his master if I then be a father where is mine honor and if I be a master where is my fear sayeth the Lord of hosts all priests that despise my name and ye say where in have we despised thy name. God speaks to his people saying you have departed you've left me you've sinned against me they say Lord you're certainly not talking to us where have we missed the mark?

Lord we're good upright respectable people. In today's language somebody say hey wait a minute preacher you're not talking to me I'm a hard working individual I pay my taxes I pay my bills. I'm not walling around in terrible sin I'm not really harming anybody else.

You might not agree with some of the things I'm doing yes I understand there's some portions of scripture that would imply that some of my conduct is not quite in order but you know this is this is my own life I've got a right to make my own choices well what are you talking about how can you say I have departed that was the attitude. Back to Jeremiah chapter 3 says in the second verse lift up thine eyes unto the high places and see where thou has not been lain with. God says you look up into the high places what were the high places the high places were the groves where the people gave themselves to the worship of idols. Many times they participated in orgies which were a part of that idolatrous worship and he says where is the tree where is the high place where you have not committed whoredom. Just where is it you're going to pretend you haven't departed there's no real significant sin in your life he says where are the places see where thou has not been lain with in the ways has thou sat for them as the Arabian of the wilderness and thou has polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. Verse nine and it came to pass through the likeness of her whoredom that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and stocks.

What does that mean? How did she commit adultery with stones and stocks? From the stones the idols were made. Some idols were carved out of wood some were made of stone and she bowed down and worshipped the idols.

God's own people these very people that had forgotten those earlier times when God had favored them so wonderfully blessed them to be brought out of Egyptian bondage directed their path through all of their wilderness wandering supplied every need. God favored them blessed them to ride upon the high places of the earth made them the apple of his eye and now these very people fall down before the idols they have erected and say these are our gods. God says thou should not commit adultery but not only did they commit adultery by worshiping other gods they involved themselves in sensual sinful sexual activity. God says I'm offended you violated my law. In this day and time it's looked upon lightly.

Young people say well everybody's living this way what could possibly be wrong with it? The thing that's wrong with it is that God identifies it as sin. You have sinned against me.

You've rebelled against me. Somebody said why I've never bowed down before a god of stone or one that's been carved out of wood but friends an idol is anything that is more important to you than God himself. Anything that takes precedence over your love for God your commitment to him is an idol.

Now that can be a lot of things. That can be a desire for popularity. You're more concerned about being approved by men than you are approved of God. You're more concerned about pleasing others.

You're concerned about what they think and what they say. You make an idol out of other people because you want to please them. You make an idol out of pleasure. Your whole pursuit in life I've got to have a good time I've got to have fun I've got to go here there and elsewhere because I want all of my needs met. See when you finally discover that some of the things you've been told are your needs are nothing more than your own personal lust and sinful desires you begin to understand the full scope of idolatry. You've said this is a psychological need. This is an emotional need. This is something I must have fulfillment when it's nothing more than a sinful desire.

This is what I want because it's going to satisfy me. You can make an idol out of your job. You can make an idol out of your house.

You can make an idol out of your hobby. Whatever consumes you. What do you think about most of the time?

What do you talk about? What do you focus on in life? Where do you spend most of your time? Where do you spend your energy? What do you meditate on? What's your real goal? What's your real aim in life? See the biggest idol of all is self. We so often have self up on the pedestal.

I'm thinking about me. What do I want? What's for my best interest? What pleases me?

What suits me? What's the commandment? Love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, heart, soul, and strength. And then thy neighbor as thyself idolatry. God asked his people what the problem was.

Look back in chapter 2 of the book of Jeremiah. Verse 5, Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and are become vain? What iniquity have you found in me? What problem did you find in the Lord that you forsook him?

I would ask you that question today. Did the Lord disappoint you? Did the Lord do something wrong?

What fault, what sin have you found in God that caused you to depart from him? You who have been so busy pursuing your own interests that you have little time for committing yourself to serving God. Little time for prayer, little time for the study of his word, no time at all for ministering to other people.

Time's always more important. Time to be in the house of God for worship, but there are many interests that attract your attention and you often are somewhere else. The Lord says we're to sit at his table and show forth his death till he come. And we sit at the Lord's table taking the bread and wine, emblems of his broken body and his shed blood.

And some other table is of more interest to you because you're not present. How long has it been since you've washed the saints feet? How long has it been since you have ministered to someone who is sick or discouraged or disheartened or going astray and needs help? What was it in the Lord that caused you to say it's not worth serving him? What iniquity have you found in me? Verse 13, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Two evils. They've departed from me. They have forsaken me and then they've tried to arrange their own source of supply.

They have hewn out cisterns, but they're broken cisterns that can hold no water. Verse 26, as the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed. They, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, saying to a stock thou art my father and to a stone thou hast brought me forth, for they have turned their back unto me and not their face.

Has that been true in your life? Have you so often turned your back to the Lord rather than your face? Something more important, something consuming you.

What is it? It's idolatry. When God's not first, you've turned your back. But in the time of their trouble, they will say arise and save us. Yes, when the crisis comes, when the trial comes, when difficulty comes, oh Lord, I need you so desperately, come deliver me, save me Lord, I need your help. But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? On the day of trouble comes, what about turning to the God that you've made and say, little God here on my mantle, little God here in my heart, how about saving me?

So where are they going to be? Let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble, for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, oh Judah, wherefore will ye plead with me? Ye all have transgressed against me, saith the Lord. In vain have I smitten your children. They received no correction. Your own sword hath devoured your prophets like destroying lions. It says, I have sent judgment. I have dealt even with your children, but you have not received correction. You have paid no mind to my dealings with you. As a matter of fact, you turned and put the prophets to death that delivered my message.

That's how rebellious of people you are. See this is serious. God's people sliding back, turning their back to the Lord and not their face. And then when trouble comes, when the stock market falls, when the economy's in trouble, when there are financial problems, when there's a rumbling of war in some part of the world, all of a sudden people decide we need the Lord. Maybe there's somebody today to whom this message is especially directed. You know that you have wandered, drifted, wandered far from the Lord, but the message is come back.

Come back. If the message has been a blessing to you, let us know about it. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217.

Till we greet you next time, this is LaSara Bradley, Jr., bidding you goodbye and may God bless you. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine, heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine, heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, bought of His Spirit, bought of His Spirit, bought of His Spirit, bought of His Spirit. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine, heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, bought of His Spirit, bought of His Spirit. Perfect submission, all is at rest I am my Savior, I'm happy and blessed Watching and waiting, looking above Filled with this goodness, lost in His love This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior all the day long This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior, Praising my Savior, Praising my Savior All the day long