7/7 Sermon - This is what the Sovereign LORD says
Ezekiel 2:1-7
Do you want to go for a hike with me? Let me explain what kind of hike. It’s all uphill for 5 miles. The path isn’t smooth; there’s rocks everywhere. It’s not cleared away; prickly thorn bushes overhang the whole way. And scorpions, snakes, and racoons are everywhere. Do you still want to hike with me? No!
God sends Ezekiel on a pretty horrible mission, doesn’t he? He describes the people of Israel as rebellious 6x. He calls them scorpions and prickling thorns. God says they will always contradict God’s Word. And pretty much guarantees that no one will listen to him. His ministry will be an uphill battle.
That’s kind of what our world today looks like, right? Living as Christians can seem like going on a horrible hike. It’s uphill: The world lives in open rebellion against God, in contradiction to him. When it comes to sex, family, life, greed, oppression, envy, pride, the world is the exact opposite of God. Life as a Christian is full of thorns. It can be painful for us and hurt our heart when we see so many people rebel against God. It’s a life full of scorpions: so many rebel against God and maybe mock or disregard what we believe.
We are tempted to lose heart, to wonder, “What’s the point? If life as a Christian is a horrible hike, why even walk?” Or we are tempted to respond with hate in return. “If they are going to hate God and his Word, then I’m going to hate them.” Or we just think, “So many reject God and seem to be okay. That’s not fair!”
Sometimes, though, a hike is worth it, right? You walk through a tough path, but the end is an amazing view of mountains, a gorgeous waterfall, a beautiful hidden beach.
Why should we live as Christians when God promises such a hard path? The view is worth it. God gives Ezekiel and us one charge: Speak God’s Word. “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’” God’s message is simple: It’s the forgiveness of sins, resurrection of our bodies, life everlasting. That’s why God is able to tell both Ezekiel and us, “Don’t be afraid.” So what if the whole world rebels against God? So what if our lives as Christians are full of people rejecting and contradicting us? So what if not one single person listens to us when we share the gospel? Do you know what doesn’t change? God’s Word. This is what the Sovereign Lord says. At the end of it all and despite what the rest of the world might think or say, you still get to see what it was all about. YOU get to see the view that the hike was leading to. And maybe by going through the all those other difficulties, you appreciate even more the view you now get to see. The view that allows you see that your sins are forgiven. Your hope is eternity in heaven. God will raise you, body and soul, and you will live in paradise. That is what God says to you.
When you work, you get a paycheck, right? If someone is a manager, they get a bigger paycheck than the lower-level employees. But the boss of the company gets the biggest paycheck! However, the bigger the paycheck is, the more responsibility there is.
That the relationship between us and God. We often overestimate our responsibility. So much is out of our control, so much is actually up to God. He is our King, and he rules and controls all things. Not us. And God, as or king and “boss”, really gives us just one job.
Say to them, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says. That’s it! That’s our job. We speech and act as God tells us in his Word. For every situation in life, for every question we have, we ask ourselves, “What does God’s Word say?” We read God’s Word, and we do that. We’re faithful to God’s Word, not changing, twisting, erasing, ignoring, or adding to any of it. We live according to what God’s Word says.
Changing hearts? Convincing others to believe? Making others follow God’s Word? That’s not our job. That’s above our pay grade. That’s God’s job. Actually, what God tells Ezekiel takes a huge weight off our shoulders. And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. Our goal is to be faithful to God, to tell others about God, and to give him glory, even if no one listens to us.
Ezekiel had a happy ending. Although he died in exile, in Babylon, 70 years later people came back from Babylon to Israel. Some people did, eventually, listen to him.
We have a happy ending too. God gives us two promises: We will live forever in paradise. God’s Word does work. So, we say to others, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says.” We ourselves listen. And the rest is up to God.
