INTRODUCTION:
   
   A.  We often hear someone referring to the fall of Israel.

       B.  From Egypt to Christ, the nation followed a continuous cycle.

            1.  Peace.

            2.  Apostasy - falling away.

            3.  Oppression.

            4.  Repentance.

       C.  Prophet Hosea gave 10 reasons that Israel fell away from Jehovah
             God.

       D.  We should listen to Romans 15:4.

       E.  It will be the purpose of this lesson today to examine the reasons that
             Hosea portrays for Israel's fall and apply them to the Holy Nation of
             God, the Church, to assure our steadfastness.

IS IT FREEDOM OR APOSTACY?

   INTRODUCTION:

       A.  Today marks a great day in our Nation's history.

            1.  July 4, 1976 - set free to be an independent Nation.

            2.  200 years of Freedom.

       B.  There has been much said about this bicentennial year.  The Nation
             has been preparing for a whole year for the celebration.

       C.  God has greatly blessed this Nation, but in all of the blessings we have
             closed our eyes to the "sin" that is becoming so prevalent in our
             society.

       D.  Lest we forget God's feelings about a Nation that falls away from God,
             let's look at how He viewed Israel and the reasons Israel fell away from
             God.

   I.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE OF A LACK OF
       KNOWLEDGE.  HOSEA 4:6.

       A.  Isaiah 5:13 "...My people are gone into captivity for a lack of
             knowledge."

       B.  Family heads were to instruct the younger.

            1.  Deut. 6:4-12, 20-25.

       C.  We have the same responsibility today.

            1.  II Tim. 2:15 - "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God,
                 a workman that needeth not be ashamed, handling aright the word
                 of truth."

            2.  I Peter 3:15 - "but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord, being ready
                 always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason
                 concerning the hope that is in you..."

            3.  I Peter 2:2 - Long for spiritual milk to grow.

       D.  We must continually grow in knowledge to survive.

  II.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE OF SPIRITUAL
       ADULTERY - HOSEA 4:12.

       A.  Ex. "Golden Calf" - Aaron.

       B.  Elijah - I Kings 18 - "...How long go ye limping between two sides?  If
            Jehovah be God, follow him; if Baal be God, follow him.

            1.  Story.

 III.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE OF PRIDE -
       HOSEA 5:5.

       A.  Pride will destroy a Nation.

       B.  Proverbs 16:18 - "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit
             before a fall."

       C.  How many today will not obey Jesus because of Pride?

            1.  James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves in the spirit of the Lord, and He
                 will exhault you."

  IV.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE OF INSTABILITY
        OF CHARACTER - HOSEA 6:4.

       A.  God doesn't like double minded people.

            1.  God's people need to stand firm.

       B.  I Corinthians 15:58 - "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast,
            unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
            know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

   V.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE THEY DID NOT
        OBEY GOD - HOSEA 6:6.

       A.  I Samuel 15:22-23 - context - rejection of Saul as king.

       B.  Matthew 7:21ff - "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall
             enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father
             who is in heaven."

       C.  God has given us guidelines to follow -- we cannot follow our own.

  VI.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE OF HER
         RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD - HOSEA 7:8.

       A.  Matthew 6:24 - "No man can serve two masters..."

       B.  I John 2:25 - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
             If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

       C.  Ephesians 2:1-3.

 VII.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE THEY LIED
        AGAINST GOD - THEY WERE DISHONEST - HOSEA 7:13.

       A.  Proverbs 6:16-18.

       B.  The Bible condemns the liar 198 times.

            1.  God cannot stand a liar.

            2.  Example:  Acts 5:1-11 - Ananias and Sapphira.

VIII.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE OF CORRUPTED
        MORALS - HOSEA 9:9.

       A.  Temple prostitutes were very common.

       B.  I Corinthians 5 - Paul said, get rid of it.

       C.  Sex is the commercial appeal of TV today.

  IX.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE THEY COUNTED
        GOD'S LAW A STRANGE THING - HOSEA 8:12.

       A.  II Timothy 4:1-4.

   X.  A NATION WILL FALL (ISRAEL FELL) BECAUSE THEY WERE
        BENT ON BACKSLIDING - HOSEA 11:7.

       A.  God wants us to forget the past.

            1.  Luke 9:62 - "No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking
                 back is fit for the kingdom of God."

       B.  God's view of Apostasy.

            1.  II Peter 2:20-22.

   CONCLUSION:

       A.  We have noticed 10 reasons why a nation will fall away from God.

       B.  Does any of these fit your life?

       C.  What do you intend to do about it?

       D.  Our nation's repentance depends on what we do.

       E.  We have the source to change lives.