Roger's Postings

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Ezekiel 2:1-5. Difficulty facing a Christian!!! 9/7/06

(1) He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." {2} As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. {3} He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. {4} The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' {5} And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

We are living at a very difficult time in the Church here in Australia. We are being challenged with all kinds of thinking with regard to the teachings and practice of what it is to be Christian. Every individual, it seems, can have his or her own version of what the truth is, and we are to accept that they are right. Everyone wants to be free to do their own thing, but at the same time they are willing to blindly follow the mob/crowd. Yet nobody really wants to hear or know what the truth really is.

Along with these problems in the church, we live in a society that has no regard for God or any sense of religiosity. Even though we are still in the midst of the worst drought on record and our dams are running dry, we still stubbornly want to find our solutions to the problem in our technologies and ingenious theories, without even giving God any consideration whatsoever. Also we want to be able to get away with doing whatever our heart pleases, without regard for anyone or anything. Now are beginning to reap the rewards of this thinking.

All this is making it very difficult for us as Christian, who seek to be true and faithful to God Almighty. It would be very easy for us to crawl into our shell and hide, or to simply go with the flow. Yet here God tells us also: I am sending you to ..... to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

This along with the other two readings this morning, remind us that doing this is going to be tough. There will be rejection, rebellion, stubbornness and weakness. Jesus himself, faced rejection as he sought to help those around him see what was important. Paul struggled with his weaknesses, insults and persecutions. Ezekiel faced people who were rebellious, obstinate and stubborn. But nevertheless they got on with the task that was set before them.

So also is there this task for us as well; even though we may feel that we are up against it. We here are called to go out to those who are around about us and to do the best we can - despite the difficulties of the task in our present environment; and despite our weaknesses. Sure, we are living at a time when it is not easy to be a fair dinkum Christian. Sure, we are facing all kinds of pressures in a church which is struggling to know what it is on about. Sure, not too may people are interested in taking God seriously any more, but instead they are looking to the stars; to the society around them, our sinful desires; and all the rest for guidance. As well there is a push by some to ignore the basic teachings and doctrines of Christianity and proclaim them as being irrelevant or not to be taken too seriously. They would sooner ‘shoot the messenger’ than have to take the message seriously. So to stand up and be counted is not easy. But that is what God is calling us to do.

Here God says 'mortal man, stand up.' Weak, frail, faulty people – you and me - stand up. Stand up and be God's people- be God's messengers in the midst of a society that is stubborn and has no respect for God: of a society that is openly rebelling against God. Stand up! Stand up and be prepared to first of all listen to God and be strengthened by him. Learn from him what is good and important. Then receive his help and encouragement to share God's Word with those out there who are stubborn and disrespectful rebels.

Here remember, God knows that we are weak and sinful human beings; and he knows the difficulties that we are facing and will have to face. Yet knowing this, he still sends us out. Despite the frailties and the enormity of the task, he still asks that we stand up and be counted: that we be his messengers: that we get on with doing what he has called us to do.

But we are also reminded here again, that we do not go alone and are never standing on our own, by our own strength. Just as the Spirit of God entered Ezekiel back then - he is with us. As baptized Christian, we have that assurance that the Holy Spirit is with us and enables us to stand and go to do what is asked of us. Again we are reminded that the Spirit is at work when God speaks: that is, when his Word is read, spoken and preached. In our hearing of God's Word, the Holy Spirit is active in getting some action into our lives. So we and others need to be constantly in contact with the Word of God: the Scriptures. Then we are assured that we are not on our own as we go forward to do what he commands of us. But that his Spirit is there strengthening, enabling and guiding us along.

With that, God sends us out to all those people out there around about us: To all those who God wants to see in his kingdom, and that is all of them. We are to go to all of them who have and continue to rebel against God and what he wants of them: To all who have turned against God and who are seeking to push Christianity aside as being irrelevant: To those who are stubborn; and to those who have no respect for God. And that is what God says of those out there who don't think that they need to be here - they are rebels – stubborn and disrespectful people. They might like to think that they are OK; but that is how God sums them up.

It is to these people that we, weak, frail and faulty Christians that we are, are called to help them to see and hear all that God is saying to them. We are called to stand firm in the truth and to share the love God has for them, and that means helping them to know the Good News of Jesus Christ. So that they may know that he has died so that they might be forgiven and that eternal salvation is theirs. To do this is not easy - we are called to a difficult task; but that is what we need to do.

Here we are told that they may listen, but more than likely they will not. We are told that we will get ridiculed and be ignored. We'll hear yes, yes, but see few changes. People will be offended by what we have to say when we stand up for the truth; and they will not want to understand; and will not want to change. They will give us a hard time. Yet we are called to stand up and be a Christian to them: To be God's messenger - no matter what their reaction.

If we do our job, even half well, we are told they will know that prophet has been among them: they will know that we are true Christians and that God is speaking to them through us. They will have heard the truth that God wants them to hear. Then they will have to acknowledge, at some point, that they have rejected God Almighty himself, if that is what they choose to do. And that is as much as he calls us to do - as difficult as that is for us.

But in our weak and feeble attempts to do this, let us learn something from Paul in our second reading this morning. As he set about doing what God had called him to do in the face of his failings and weaknesses he constantly sought God’s help. So also let us call on God in prayer, to get rid those weaknesses, or that might give us the strength go on despite them: But most importantly, that at all times we might see to it that Christ gets all the recognition. To ensure that in everything we do and say, that others do not see and focus on us; but on Christ and what he has done for us and says to us. So that they see that it is God alone who is the one who enables us to do what we are doing, despite our weaknesses and failings.

So in conclusion, let us again, hear God speak to us who are here this morning. "Son of man, I am sending you to the people of this community, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Let us now get on with what we are called to do; recognising that it is a difficult task that faces us as Christians in the present times. But let us always remember, that we do go with God's blessing and his Spirit. Through it may all glory go to our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN

Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba

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