Ezekiel 33 vs 1-33

Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 1 – 2a
•It’s interesting and when I say that many times I mean that it’s important to consider that Ezekiel is not told to speak to the people but rather to the children of the people. I think the point is that some folks are too grown up to be taught. Don’t be that way. We read of Jesus in Matthew 18:1-4, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
•It’s natural to measure your own maturity in how much you’ve become. Across the spectrum. What you know, what you’ve seen, what you understand, what you’ve done, on and on…be careful. The best of people have done all of those things and yet are extremely teachable, entirely correctable, deliberately totally humble. Don’t go tell the adults, they won’t listen. They’re too grown. Tell the greatest, the ones that will hear and understand…tell the children of the people.
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 2b – 6
•Notice a few things here. This does have application to the Body of Christ as a whole. Those that have received the truth, have entered into salvation, those who do have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. There is application here for sure. We are to be witnesses of Jesus Christ, ready in and out of season to give a defense for the hope that we have. Do you know what that looks like? Someone asking if you’re a Christian, and then asking why. Are you ready to answer that question? You should be. And once you give that witness, once you sound the trumpet, what they do with it is their responsibility. I find nowhere in the Bible where we are to argue anyone into the Kingdom of heaven…and so that is most certainly applicable to all Christians…
•But notice, not everyone in the city was a watchman. Verse 2 specifically points out that one is taken from the many to become the watchman and therefore the greater application is to those whom have been called, those whom God has placed in this position. Look at verse 7…
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verse 7
•The people may be doing it but it is God who raises up one and puts down another. (Psalm 75:7) And so while I do want to apply this to you and to me and to everyone who is in Christ today, and truly it should be, there is a more acute application that I believe is most appropriate. The point I’m going to make and truly this is an indictment of my own calling, is that the watchmen are the ones who God has called to lead within the Body of Christ and to teach the whole counsel of the Word of God…
•Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
•When He said this, to whom was He speaking? It tells us back in Matthew 5:1-2, “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them.” This teaching was not given to the multitude but rather to the disciples. Look also at Matthew 10…
•Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” When Jesus spoke these often-quoted words, to whom was He speaking? Matthew 10:1 tells us, “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him…” These weren’t words for the masses…although there is most certainly applicability there…more acutely, these were words for the watchmen.
•Now it settles and makes complete sense why James would say in James 3:1, “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” The greater application is this. As a watchman, made one by God and acknowledged by man, we must teach the whole counsel of God’s Word. Not just from the pulpit, which is already hard to find, but also in our counseling and interactions. Because as that watchman, you and I will give an account and will be held accountable for if we shied away to not offend or so they wouldn’t leave the church…or if we held to the soundness of the Word of God even when it was not what they wanted to hear…∞
•It’s interesting that God says the sword here and not an army or a storm or a tornado or a pestilence… The Biblical implication is that we can apply this as the Word of God. It is the sword that takes you out ultimately in terms of judgment. And judgment never comes without warning. Here, God uses the watchman, but truly all the watchman any of us need is the one that we have and that is the Word of God.
•The watchman however is blessed. He has been given position by God, vision, he sees what others do not…but with that also comes responsibility. Don’t get high on yourself if you have understanding…if you are intellectually higher or you understand and see more…you don’t have all of that to entertain your ego, you are responsible. Arrogance is bad, but arrogance with intelligence is terrifying…you will give an account.
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 8 – 9
•Every city that had any value had a watchman or several watchmen that would man the walls of the city. What’s interesting, just an interesting question and thought, ask yourself, who in my life can pull my card…sound the alarm, call me to turn from the flesh effectively…if the answer is no one then I would question the value of the city. You see, we value the wrong things. And pride is top of the list. The true rich man or woman has friends and family in their lives that aren’t afraid to love and protect you even if that means to correct you. If you can’t be corrected without throwing a fit then your city is a slum, and you need to mature…just being real. Proverbs 12:1, “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” HA!
•Every city worth anything had watchmen…if the watchmen were alert and faithful, and the people were obedient and wise, many lives would be saved. If the watchman was unfaithful and or the people were careless, lazy and stupid then eventually the city would fall. Whatever situation you’re in, Christian if you don’t repent and submit to God, you will lose it all. And look, no matter the response of the people, the faithful watchman had clean hands. No matter the response of the people, the unfaithful watchman had hands stained with blood.
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 10 – 11
•The word “turn” is used 8 times in this chapter. Five times already and three more to come and yes it means repentance, yes it is God making it clear that to break free from something its not a decision or a feeling or a sorrow but it’s an action. He doesn’t want you to suffer, that is a missed fact about God on those that don’t know Him. He says here that discipline isn’t fun for him…just like it’s not fun for you parents…but it must be done in order to save the kiddo. And listen, discipline is action. Can you imagine, do you think God speaking disciplines you? Nope. Why do we use our mouths with our own kids and call it discipline? It’s not. Something happens…something actually changes…
•And notice, what is this a call to turn from? The excuse of sin or something ruining their lives. The only person that has the authority to ruin my life is me…and the faster I learn that the faster I will turn my life over to God! Why should you die!? Turn and live!!
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 12 – 16
•See there it is…repentance is not agreement alone with God or sorrow alone over sin but it is a restitution of the wrong! It is an action. It is to create a void by removing the thing or the way or the attitude and then to fill it with something that is right and good and Godly…
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 17 – 20
•No one else’s fault and no excuses. The clarity here is immutable. You will not be able to plead the case that your sin was because of someone else’s…no generational sins, no sins of the fathers, none of that is Biblical and all of that is unfair as God judges them fairly here. Each one will stand on their own…
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verse 21
•Its just crazy what we just read. “Escaped from home?!” But this is where the flesh takes you…makes your own home, your own life a sort of prison and you only escape to run to Babylon! Twice the prison, twice the captivity of home. And then Babylon becomes home and you escape from that too and the cycle escalates…better to just turn ASAP to God and keep your home!
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 22 – 26
•You can’t claim the promises of Abraham when you have departed from who Abraham was…a worshipper of God!
Ezekiel Chapter 33 Verses 27 – 33
•Why does the destruction come to pass on people that so love to hear the Word of God? It’s pleasant, its lovely, they come and sit and listen, they encourage, they show much love…but it bears no profit in their lives and they ultimately become destruction because they don’t do what they love to hear!
•Ezekiel sees this and it no doubt pains him as it pains the Lord and he and the Lord sit for a while and God thanks Ezekiel for his faithfulness. Today they treat you as entertainment…but one day they will say that a prophet was among them. They are hearing and not doing but they wouldn’t hear if you weren’t sounding the trumpet…doing what is right.
•They say things they don’t mean to get out of you what they want…they don’t heed your heart for them although they listen, they don’t do what you say even though if they did then they would be spared…they love you for what they can get from you when you just simply love them…son, I know exactly what that is like…lets just sit a while together…