The Word, The War

Ezekiel 13

Emmanuel Christian Church

4.21.24

INTRODUCTION: What’s The WORD? Simple, but VERY provocative question! Some people ask, because they’re looking for the inside track on the latest news or hot tip. In an attempt to sum up the meaning of life, others might ask it and respond with other words in response: “HAPPINESS, SUCCESS, LOVE, MONEY, POWER”. The more ironic minded among us might observe, that the word “word” is a “four letter” word- and so it is! PROPOSITION: This morning, I want to begin by answering that simple question in a different way. I want for us to take some time to REALLY think about, what I would call… THE WONDERFUL WORD (It’s God’s WORD)

GOD’S WORD is the BEGINNING of EVERYTHING.
54 times in Scripture, we hear the simple phrase “God said”!
In the very first chapter of God’s best-seller, that simple phrase occurs 9 times and accounts for the very existence of our 90 Billion light year universe- and EVERYTHING in it, including US!
GOD’S WORD is the PURPOSE for EVERYTHING. Genesis 1:26 Then God SAID, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”Genesis 2:18 The LORD God SAID, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
GOD’S WORD is the FOUNDATION for EVERY RELATIONSHIP.Deuteronomy 6:4 HEAR, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. And Jesus added to that… Mark 12: 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
GOD’S WORD is the FOCUS of our WORSHIP. Psalms 138:2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your WORD.
GOD’S WORD is the PERSON, Jesus Christ, our SAVIOR GOD.
John said of Him… John 1:1 In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. John 1:3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Peter said of Him… John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the WORDS of eternal life.
Paul said of Him… Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful WORD. TRANSITION: Having said all of that, you now know what I mean by “The Wonderful Word”. But everything I’ve had to say up to this point is merely introduction to the one take-away I have for you this morning. As “wonderful” is the “Word”, you need to know this- There is a WAR against the WORD that began in the beginning and is raging, even escalating up- right to this very moment THE WAR ON THE WORD
It’s a WAR of DISINFORMATION.
It began with Satan and Eve back int he Garden.
Genesis 3:1-5 Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” APPLICATION: Satan’s direct attack on the WORD began by casting doubt, “Did God REALLY say…”, and then it went in for the kill with two pieces of “disinformation”: “You will not surely die”, and “You will be like God”
It’s a WAR of DECIET.
This brings me to the point of this morning’s message: Ezekiel chapter 13.
This chapter is all about the soldiers on the enemy’s side in the WAR on God’s WORD.
I think you’ll be surprised by who they are.
What I REALLY want you to know is how they fight against the truth of God’s WORD- so that YOU are NOT caught off guard!
SO LISTEN CLOSELY! Ezekiel 13:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD! 3 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD. 6 Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, “The LORD declares,” when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. 7 Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The LORD declares,” though I have not spoken? Ezekiel 13:8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD. Ezekiel 13:10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” Ezekiel 13:13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. 15 So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD.”’Ezekiel 13:17 “Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them 18 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19 You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.Ezekiel 13:20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD. 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
The WEAPONS in the WAR on the WORD:
Religious people.
Religious messages. CONCLUSION: There is war on the WORD. The enemy’s foot soldiers are religious people with a religious message. God calls them foolish prophets, seers who cannot see, jackals that scavenge among the ruins, liars who whitewash evil, deceivers who speak of peace but deliver destruction! They do not lurk in the shadows, but rather stand in MANY of America’s church pulpits! Their appearance is that of an angel of light, but their message is penned in the pit of hell. They are attractive and well- spoken- but the words they speak ARE NOT the WORD of God! So what are we to do? Paul’s counsel to the young man Timothy remains our best strategy in winning this war on the Word of God: 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. So, how are we to do our “best” in this war against God’s WORD? Two things:
If you haven’t already, decide to come to Sunday School every Sunday.
If you don’t already, read the Bible (at least three chapters) every day. Knowing the TRUE WORD of God is the best way to win in the WAR on God’s WORD. No one can do this for you. It’s up to you. God’s given us His Book, and God has raised up teachers in His Church to make it clear to us.