"Building a Church Through Outreach"
A Cake Not Turned
ELCOG 7/8/07
Hosea 7:4-10
A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. Are you thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone through the very center of your being so as to be felt in its divine operations in all thy powers, thy actions, thy words, and thy thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be our aim and prayer; and although sanctification may not be perfect in you anywhere in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned. We must be complete in our walk with Christ. The drought of God will grow strong in a life that is unbalanced. A life that is holy in its actions in church and ungodly in its action on its job is a cake unturned. We must be willing to allow God to cook us through and through. We must be willing to allow God to affect us in all areas of our life.
This season of refreshing should be more that just a shout in church, but it should refresh us in all areas of life. It should change us in all aspects of our lives. In the family, on the job, the way we live and the way we worship. Don’t be a cake that is burnt on one side and dough on the other side. Be willing to turn!
A cake not turned is burnt on one side. We can never have too much religion, however, many people just tickle their life styles with a sprinkle of church just sooth their conscious, but that is not what we need nor is it what God wants us to have. He wants us to be complete in our walk with him. Not just bible totters on Sunday, but bible believers every day of the week!
If that describes me Lord, turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to the fire of thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from thy heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded man, but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace; for I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of His grace, I will be consumed in the fire reserved for the devil and his companions.
James 1:5
5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:6
6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
James 1:7
7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
James 1:8
8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
NOT WAVERING. It’s time for the church to stop wavering. It’s time for the church to remain on the solid ground. It is time to remain faithful. The man that is unstable is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. I don’t want to be tossed by the storms of life. I don’t want the wind of change to cause me run away form my calling or from my God. I wan to remain faithful.
Prov. 28:20
20A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Prov. 13:17
17A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
Luke 12:42
42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
Luke 12:43
43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Luke 12:44
44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
Luke 12:45
45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
Luke 12:46
46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luke 12:47
47And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Matt. 25:27
27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
We must learn to be faithful! We must learn that if we are a cake unturned that we will be judged. If we are only cooked on one side we will be the same as a Lukewarm Christian and God does not like us to be lukewarm.
Rev. 3:15
15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev. 3:16
16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Let the church remember that the Lord knows our works. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts. He knows our motives. Be willing to turn. Be willing to allow God to cook the other side. Allow God to cook you through and through. If we really want a lasting revival, we must be willing to turn. Are you willing to admit that you are only cooked on the church side? Are you willing to come to an altar and confess to God that you need to turn so that the other side can be touched by God’s grace?
It takes a real man of character to admit that they have sinned and fallen short. We must be willing to turn. We must be willing to be cooked on the other side.
We must be willing to confess our faults. If we confess our faults God is faithful and just to forgive us of all our sins.
I want to close with one more passage from Micah 7:8.
Mic. 7:8
8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
Mic. 7:9
9I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.
Mic. 7:10
10Then she that is mine enemy shall see it, and shame shall cover her which said unto me, Where is the LORD thy God? mine eyes shall behold her: now shall she be trodden down as the mire of the streets.
I love this passage. When I fall, I will rise. When I sit in darkness the Lord will shine a light on me. I need to remind you that you are never alone. You are never without. You may fall, but I know that you will rise. You may have messed up in your life. Maybe you are a cake unturned and maybe you are burnt on one side and doughy on the other, but take courage…when you confess, God will hear you and will bring his righteousness to cover your unrighteousness. Your enemies will see your God as he destroys them. Your enemies will be like mud in the streets as you turn. But you must be willing to turn.
Are you a cake unturned? Are you done on one side and doughy on the other? Then tonight allow God to turn you. Are you overly aggressive in one area of your life and you need to be turned? Tonight is the time to allow God to turn you. Come let God show His grace to all areas of your life. Allow him to affect you in every aspect of your life. Come get evenly cooked. The Lord has blessings for the believer that is thoroughly cooked in His grace. Be faithful and watch God bless you. Turn!