Two Questions
Ezekiel 3
Emmanuel Christian Church 1.14.24
INTRODUCTION: I have a couple of questions for us to consider this
morning: “Is it a sin to judge others?” and “Is it a good idea to talk
about religion?”
Last week, in Ezekiel chapters 1&2 we saw God’s call upon the
prophet to speak to the Jewish exiles living under the Assyrian thumb. I
also made the point to you that at the very same time, God was using the
prophet Daniel to speak to the Assyrians, and the prophet Isaiah to speak
to what was left of the Jews still living in Judah. The point was simple-
God had a lot to say, and He was putting EVERYONE on notice before He
was about to go silent for 400 years.
In the case of Ezekiel, God told him to “Stand up!” and get ready to
“Speak up!” to a generation that had gone rogue in rebellion against Him.
We are living in an “Ezekiel moment”! As God’s people, the time for us
is NOW, to “Stand up!” and “Speak up!”
PROPOSITION: But what about those two questions? Well, God is going
to answer them for us in Ezekiel chapter 3.
TRANSITION: But let’s first pick up where we left off last week:
Ezekiel 2:9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was
a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written
words of lament and mourning and woe.
And then, beginning in chapter 3, God gives Ezekiel a stunning direction:
Ezekiel 3:1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat
this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my
mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
Ezekiel 3:3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving
you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as
honey in my mouth.
APPLICATION: They say, “You are what you eat!”. If that’s true for what
you physically put in your mouth, how much more what you put in yourheart and mind! Make no mistake about the Scriptures of our Bible- they
have come directly from the hand of God, and when we make the choice
to feed on them, powerful things begin to happen in our lives!
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans
10:17
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it
judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and
humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” James
1:21
Now, on to our first question: “Is it a sin to judge others?”
- The answer given by the godless, is a resounding “YES!”. Unless, of
course, they are judging YOU for something THEY disagree with! THEY
don’t like being judged, because THEY want to do what THEY want to
do- and THEY certainly don’t want you, God, or anyone else getting in
their way!
- BUT, how does God answer that question? Well, let’s see in the first half
of Ezekiel chapter 3:
Ezekiel 3:4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the house of
Israel and speak my words to them. 5 You are not being sent to a people
of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel — 6
not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose
words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would
have listened to you. 7 But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you
because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is
hardened and obstinate. 8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened
as they are. 9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than
flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a
rebellious house.”
Ezekiel 3:10 And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to
heart all the words I speak to you. 11 Go now to your countrymen in exile
and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says,’
whether they listen or fail to listen.”QUESTION: Is it a SIN to judge others?
GOD’S ANSWER: “NO!”
- As matter of fact, you could say that God’s call upon His prophet was to
do PRECISELY that!
- BUT, let’s take careful notice oF several things here:
- God specifically told Ezekiel to: “…speak MY words to them.”
Ezekiel’s message of “lament, mourning and woe” was really God’s
message!
APPLICATION: The exercise of judgment should never be a matter of
personal opinion. The standard for judging anything or anyone as being in
the “wrong” must always be the Word of God. Godly judgment is never
based in our personal preference, it is always grounded on the principles
and precepts stated in the Bible.
- Notice something else here- verses 5-7 make it very clear that this
judgment was against God’s very own people, NOT the wicked
people of Assyria! That reminds me of several important passages
from God’s Word in the New Testament.
- Regarding judging those who claim to be Christians but live like
unbelievers, God says:
2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud,
abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love,
unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God — 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have
nothing to do with them.
That sounds like a serious act of judgment!
1 Corinthians 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the
church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those
outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”- As to those Christians whose faith is genuine, but whose path has
strayed, God again calls for the exercise of judgment.
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are
spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may
be tempted.
In other words, DO exercise judgment, but be CAREFUL in doing it!
- When Jesus Himself said “Do not judge” (Matthew 7:1-5) it wasn’t a
blanket prohibition, but rather a warning against hypocritical judgment.
APPLICATION: Does God want us to practice judgment? Absolutely! If
you think about it- judgment is simply knowing the difference between
right and wrong, and being guided in word and deed by that
understanding. As with both Ezekiel and us- God wants it done His
way.
Continuing on with our text:
Ezekiel 3:12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud
rumbling sound — May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling
place! — 13 the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing
against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud
rumbling sound. 14 The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I
went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the
LORD upon me. 15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the
Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven
days — overwhelmed.
OBSERVATION: Bringing God’s judgment is NO FUN. If you enjoy it,
you’re more than likely committing the sins of pride or malice.
QUESTION: “Is it a good idea to talk about religion?”
From the world’s sin-broken perspective, ABSOLUTELY NOT!BUT, how does God answer that question? Well, let’s see in the last half of
Ezekiel chapter 3:
Ezekiel 3:16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me:
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so
hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a
wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to
dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man
will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if
you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or
from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.
Ezekiel 3:20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness
and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since
you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did
will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 21
But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he
will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
- God’s Word has responsibility attached to it- to both speaker and
hearer)
- Godly speakers (let’s just say “Christians”) MUST speak or suffer
judgment. I don’t know how God could make it any more clear to you
and I. If we don’t speak the truth to the people of the lie, their blood
will be on our hands!
APPLICATION: In our private conversations, and our public political
positions we MUST speak the truth of God- it is our Christian
responsibility.
- Hearers MUST hear or suffer judgment. On the Day of Judgment, no
one will be able to claim innocence because of ignorance (Romans
1:18-21). The books of God’s Word and the Book of God’s Works,
both clearly reveal His righteousness standard be which all will be
judged.
APPLICATION: The message is simple: “Sin brings death, Jesus Christ
brings life. Choose one.”
Let’s look at the last verses of chapter 3:Ezekiel 3:22 The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to
me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” 23 So I
got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the LORD was standing
there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.
Ezekiel 3:24 Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He
spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And you,
son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot
go out among the people. 26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of
your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though
they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak to you, I will open your
mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’
Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for
they are a rebellious house.
Two final thoughts:
God’s messenger is not his own.
Paul was punished for preaching…
2 Corinthians 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes
minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned…
Paul was compelled to preach…
1 Corinthians 9:16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am
compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
God’s messenger is NOT liable for the results.
CONCLUSION: The salvation of every single person has three basic parts:
God’s TRUTH, Our SPEECH, Their CHOICE
God does not ask us to do His job, or make their choice. He just calls us
to SPEAK His TRUTH.
