You ever put off something really important until the last minute and just kick the can down the road?

I remember one time in particular. I was in college — I’ve shared before that I was a music major — and on day one they tell you everything you need to do to graduate. One of those things was passing a piano proficiency exam. Some music majors come in playing other instruments or singing and don’t play piano. I didn’t play piano. So you’re starting from zero, and before you’re done, you’ve got to pass this exam.

To help you, they give you two years of classes to take. You take the class for two years and then you’re ready. I took the first year and thought, this class is horrible. It was so boring. Then I looked more carefully at the handbook and realized it didn’t say you had to take the class — just that you had to pass the exam. So I decided I wasn’t going to do the second year. I’d just put it off and eventually get ready for the exam.

A year goes by. All my friends who took the class take the exam. They’re done. Another year goes by. I’ll get to it later. Another year goes by. Now I’m in my last class — I’m about to graduate, about to walk the stage — but I won’t get a degree because I haven’t taken that exam. It’s just this lingering thing I have to do but I’m not ready for.

I walk the stage, shake the hand, get the photo, do all the stuff. Still haven’t taken the exam. My degree isn’t official. So every time someone asks when I graduated, I have to give this whole explanation. Fast forward a year after walking the stage — I still hadn’t taken the exam. I’m taking piano lessons from Ivonne Thompson at that point, finally getting ready.

But now the circumstances have changed. I’ve got a job lined up that requires my degree. I’ve been accepted to seminary and I’m about to start — but that’s based on me having my degree. My entire future is riding on me being able to play some scales. I don’t know if you’ve ever procrastinated to where you feel like the whole weight of the world is on your shoulders — that’s what I did to myself. All that pressure. When I finally got to the moment I was so nervous, so anxious.

Thankfully, I passed. I did graduate from college. But when it was done I thought, why did I wait? If I had done it at the proper time, it wouldn’t have been a big deal at all — just another day. Instead I waited. I kicked the can down the road.

How do we do that? You ever do that? Sometimes it’s something you don’t want to do — you don’t want to take out the trash, so you see how tight you can pack the can. Sometimes it’s something you do want to do: I really need to start eating healthy, get back in the gym. Diet starts tomorrow.

You ever do that in your faith? Are there things in your spiritual life you know you need to do but you’ve just been kicking down the road, taking your time, procrastinating? Things God has stirred up in you where you think, “Yeah, I know what I need to work on, I know how I need to respond — but I’ll get to it later.”

My hope for you today is that if God stirs up something inside of you, you would not wait but would respond today. God has something for you today. He wants you to respond right now, right here. Don’t wait.

We’ve been walking through the book of Hosea together. If you have your Bible, turn to Hosea chapter 14 as we wrap up this series and this book.

In this book, God has been confronting his people. He’s been confronting the Israelites because for years they had blown off God. They had been worshiping idols made by their own hands. And the time came for God to confront them, to call them back. They couldn’t put him off any longer. So God sent the prophet Hosea. Hosea came to the people with an extreme message — and had to act it out in his own marriage. He had to marry an unfaithful woman as a representation of how Israel had been unfaithful. But God was faithful. God was loving. And God was calling them back.

As we look at chapter 14, I want to share three challenges that cannot wait. Three things you cannot kick down the road. You cannot procrastinate on these. You need to act — and you need to act now.

The first thing is this: we need to turn to God.

If you’re not following him, you need to turn to him today. If you’re trying to do life your own way, following only yourself and your own desires, and you don’t have a relationship with Jesus — you haven’t surrendered to him — God is calling you to turn to him today.

Verse 1: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.” The nation of Israel knew God. They had a relationship with him. But they had stumbled because of their sin. They were doing things their own way. And God was calling them back.

Sometimes I read the stories of Israel and think, “Man, they were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years and God rescued them. God did miracles. They saw all of that, and then they turned away and worshiped idols.” And I look at that and think, the Israelites were so foolish. And then I think — yeah, I kind of do that too. It doesn’t look the same, but any time I choose to do something my way instead of God’s way, I’m doing the same thing. I’m blowing him off and trying to do things how I want them done. I’m no different. I stumble. I fail. I mess up. My sin gets the best of me.

A few weeks ago, someone was really rude to me — totally over the line. I needed to confront them, and I did later. But I’m glad I didn’t do it right away, because in the moment I just sat in this anger. I sat in it too long and the Lord convicted me that even in that moment I was sinning. It wasn’t coming out externally — I didn’t lash out — but inside it affected me. I had to confess that to the Lord. And it happened in this room, a place where we worship. I was in a place that should remind me of what God has for me, and yet I screwed up. I’m no different from Israel.

My hunch is we’re all like that. We all stumble. Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All of us. There’s not a person excluded from that verse.

You know what sin is? The biblical word means missing the mark. We missed the mark. Who sets the mark? God. He tells us what to go after. And anything less than that is sin — when we screw up, when we don’t follow God’s plan and design.

Maybe you’re here and you’re not a Christian, and you think, “I’m not a sinner though.” Maybe you know some of the Ten Commandments — I’ve never killed anyone, I’ve never committed adultery, I’ve never really told a lie. On the outside you’ve been pretty good.

Here’s the great thing about Jesus: when he came to earth, he raised the bar. He said, “You want to understand what the commandments are about? It’s not about outward actions. It’s about something deeper.” In Matthew 5:28, Jesus said, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” It’s about what’s on the inside. God looks at the heart. He knows our thoughts, our intent, what we’re thinking. God knows the real you — not just what you portray on the outside. And the real you, like the real me, is sinful. Romans 3:10–11: “None is righteous, no, not one. No one understands. No one seeks God.”

We’re not different from Israel. God is calling them to return because they stumbled, and we are no different. We all have the same problem — it’s sin. But God is the solution. God is the solution. So if you know what the problem is and you know what the solution is, the question becomes — why are you waiting? Why wait? If you’ve got a problem and you know what the solution is, why aren’t you grabbing hold of it? Let’s solve the problem.

Verse 2: “Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, ‘Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.’” God was inviting the people to turn to him, and he was going to forgive them, take away their sin. Their solution at the time was to bring an animal sacrifice — that was the system God had set up. We live in a different time now. We don’t bring animal sacrifices. There’s been one sacrifice, made on your behalf — Jesus Christ. God has made the sacrifice. He has already paid for our sin. He has made it possible. All we need to do is receive from him. We need to turn to him.

Verse 3: “Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” The people had been looking to the wrong solution. They were looking to idols they made with their own hands — grabbing stone, grabbing wood, carving it, making it, then praying to it as if it could solve their problems. They’re recognizing now: we are not the solution.

We need to recognize that too. So many people in our culture say, “Look to the inside.” But I can’t save myself. I can’t do anything on my own. I need God. God is the solution. God is the one we need to turn to.

Verse 4: “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.” God is the one offering to heal. God is offering to forgive. God is the solution. So I ask again — why wait? If God is the solution and he’s right there with outstretched arms, what are you waiting for? Turn to him today.

The second thing: take the gift.

We turn away from sin and turn to God — and when we do, God is there offering us a gift. An amazing gift. Look what he says he will do when Israel turns back to him.

Verses 5–7: “I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon… they shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”

Look at what God is offering. In the midst of their sin, their rebellion, their failure, their unfaithfulness — God is offering them life. He’s offering them the ability to flourish.

God is offering you a gift. He offers forgiveness — not in word only, but actual forgiveness. Your sin is washed away. He offers refreshment, saying he’ll be like dew — nourishment, what we need to grow. He offers security. “You’re going to dwell in my shadow.” Protection. And he offers life — the promise of eternal life, life with God forever. There is nothing better than that.

But God doesn’t just offer eternal life. He offers life right here, right now. If you’re following Jesus, he wants you to flourish. He wants you to live life to the fullest.

It’s not a promise that everything will go perfectly, that you’ll never experience pain, that you’ll be wealthy and successful. It’s a promise that through the ups and downs of life, no matter what you experience, you will have his presence. You will experience his peace, his joy. He will get you through it. He will never leave you. He will not forsake you. He loves you. He’s with you. He’s giving you life. That’s the gift.

Verse 8: “O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit.” God reminds the people one more time — their idols are worthless. The things they placed their trust in, their hope in, were worthless. They did nothing. No idol will ever do anything for you. No made-up God is going to solve your problems. The only one who is actually going to do something for you is the living God. The God who made the universe. The God whose throne is in heaven.

You might be thinking, “What has God ever done for me?” Consider for a moment — every breath you breathe is a gift from him. The blood flowing through your veins flows because he commands it. The fact that your body holds together is because God literally holds together the molecules of your body. When you look at the night sky and stand in wonder at the stars, when you see the beauty of a sunset, when you look at the mountains and you’re in awe — God put it there for your pleasure and his enjoyment. We belong to him. Everything was created for him. You were created for him. And God has done so much for you, so much behind the scenes.

I recently had a birthday and received some gift cards. I love getting a gift card — free meal, awesome. But you know what happens. They go into the wallet, then the glove box, then some pile in the house. And then at some point you realize you’ve got a month’s worth of free food just sitting there unused. Kind of silly when you think about it — a gift that’s been bought and paid for, and you just let it sit there.

That’s what we’re talking about. Jesus has purchased the gift. He has given eternal life and it’s there for the taking. Turn to him. Take the gift. Why wait? Don’t kick it down the road. Don’t say, “I’m going to get serious about my faith in a few years.” Start now.

And finally, the third thing: respond in obedience.

When you take the gift, when you’ve turned to Jesus and received eternal life, he now has a call for you. This call is for all of us — to walk in obedience before him, to live our life for him, fulfilling his purpose.

Verse 9: “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.”

God says the ways of the Lord are right. He’s calling us to obedience, to live a life of wisdom, making wise choices, doing what God has called us to. How do you figure out what those things are? It’s right here in scripture. You’ve got to spend time in God’s word. If you want to know what to do with your life, look here. God has given us instructions, wisdom, guidance. As we spend time in it, we know what to do.

Two days ago I met someone who said she grew up in a Christian church but felt like she didn’t really need to go to church anymore. She said, “I believe, and that’s good enough. I don’t see anywhere in the Bible that tells me I have to go to church.” You know what I thought? You’re not reading your Bible. Because when I read my Bible, I read Hebrews 10:24–25: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.” You know how you know you need to be with the body of Christ? Because you read it in God’s word.

You want to know what to work on in your life? Read God’s word and it’s going to stand out to you. You’re going to read something and think, “That’s me.” And every time I read God’s word, there’s something that applies to me. I never reach a point where I’ve checked it all off. God is always speaking. His word is alive and active, working through it to show us what we need to do.

And so often we do things our own way instead. Proverbs 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Why would we choose that? Why would we do what we think is right when that’s where it ends — when God’s ways lead to life and flourishing?

God wants what’s best for your life. Why would you not listen to him?

You ever tried to do things your own way? I think of IKEA furniture. You pull out all the parts, they all look kind of the same, and you think, “Oh yeah, I’ve done one of these before. I got it.” You get two-thirds of the way through and then find an extra piece. You realize you have to undo the last 20 minutes of work to fit it in, otherwise the whole thing won’t work. All that wasted time. Why? Because I didn’t look at the instructions. Isn’t that our life? You get down the road, away from the instructions, and think, “If I had just listened to the Lord and done what he told me, this would have worked out so differently.” We get sidetracked. We do things our own way. And God is calling us to walk in obedience.

So what are you putting off today? Are you putting off time in the word? Does it feel overwhelming? Sometimes people try to go from zero to a hundred — “I don’t have an hour a day.” How about start with five minutes? Get consistent with five. Then bump it to six. Just a little bit. Spend that time in the word and God is going to use it in your life. Pretty soon you’re going to want more because God is working in you. Don’t kick that down the road.

Maybe you’re saying, “We’re going to get serious about serving at church — but when the kids are older, when we have more time.” Why wait? Maybe you want to get plugged in, get into a group, be here every week — but you’ll get there eventually. Why wait? What is the one thing God is calling you to? Not everything all at once — just the one thing. Where you say: today I want to take a step forward in faithfulness. What would happen if we all took one step closer to Jesus today? Don’t wait.

As we consider the entire book of Hosea — the people of Israel had blown God off. They hadn’t been serious. They’d been kicking the can down the road. So God sent Hosea to confront them. God had Hosea marry an unfaithful woman as a picture of his love for them in spite of their unfaithfulness. And then she was unfaithful again. And Hosea had to go purchase her back.

How does his story end? You know what’s interesting? We don’t know. The Bible doesn’t tell us. He was a real person. This really happened. But the book of Hosea is not about the prophet Hosea. It’s about the people of Israel and God pursuing them, inviting them to turn to him.

And how did it work out for Israel? The story’s not over. God is still today inviting them back. He’s not finished with them. But the reason this is in our Bible — it’s not just for Israel. It’s there for us, because we should see ourselves in this story. Just like Israel was unfaithful, just like Gomer was unfaithful, we have been unfaithful. And God is calling us back. He’s calling you back today. He wants you to respond, to turn to him, to receive this gift, and then walk in obedience.

Why? Because God’s love never fails. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. God is calling us back. He has purchased us. He has paid for our sin.

Hosea comes up again later in scripture. In Romans 9:25, the Apostle Paul writes: “As indeed he says in Hosea, ‘Those who were not my people I will call my people, and her who was not beloved I will call beloved. And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God.’”

You want to be a son or daughter of the living God? Turn to him. Take the gift. Jesus is calling us to himself. He wants us to become his people, his children.

In the next chapter, Romans 10:9–13, Paul writes: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek — in other words, between Israel and everybody else, which is most of us in this room. For the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

God invites us to call to him, to confess that Jesus is Lord, to turn from our sin and turn to Jesus. Maybe God is calling you to himself today.

If you’re here today and you do not have a relationship with Jesus, God is calling you right now to start. If you’ve been trying to do life on your own, living in your sin, Jesus is here to offer forgiveness and give you eternal life. If you’re ready to turn to him, I want to invite you to do that right now.

We’re just going to create space for you to talk to him. To confess to him that you need him. To tell him you want to follow him. And then we want to pray for you and encourage you. If today is the day you want to turn to the Lord, I’m going to ask you to just stand where you are so we can see you, pray for you, and be encouraged in what God is doing in your life.

It’s your opportunity right now. Don’t wait. Don’t kick it down the road. Don’t say, “I’m going to take my faith seriously some other time.” Today you can start a relationship with the Lord.

For those standing, just talk to the Lord for a moment — tell him why you’re standing, what you’re doing. And we’d love the opportunity to pray with you more in our prayer room after the service.

Jesus, we thank you for how you’re working in the lives of those who are standing right now. They are turning to you. They want to live for you. They want a relationship with you. Lord, would you help them as they grow and walk in faithfulness — and use us to encourage them and walk alongside them and help them take the next step. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now for all of us — many of you have already turned to him. You have a relationship with him. You’ve taken the gift. But maybe there’s an area in your life where you need to respond in obedience. Maybe something you’ve been kicking down the road. It could be starting to serve. Making church a priority for your family. Having that time in the word. Or an area of sin you need to address. Getting into Celebrate Recovery. Whatever it is — if God has stirred something up in you today and you know your next step, I want to pray for you as well. If there’s something in your life and you say, “Today I want to walk in obedience in this area” — and you’ve identified it — I’m going to ask you to stand so we can pray for you together.

What would it look like if all of us this week — in our workplaces, our homes, our relationships — took one step closer to Jesus in faithfulness?

Let’s do that. Have a great Sunday, everybody.