As always, he prays in Jesus name and as he exits the stage, I stand to preach. You know the routine.

Transcription

1 1 Ezekiel The day God abandoned his church Can God leave? What would it be like if God abandoned his church? Perhaps your first thought at a question like that is that God would never abandon his church. Lo I am with you always even to the end of the age I will never leave you nor forsake you And our good Baptist failsafe: Once saved always saved But ignore that for a minute. Ignore that God will always be with his people and concentrate on the fact that not everyone in the church is really the church. Concentrate for a moment on what the angel says to churches like Pergamum and Thyatira that if something doesn t change he will remove their candlestick. Picture the scene with me: Carl is up here praying the pastoral prayer. He is praying sincerely that God would guide our nation, our town, our people. That we would follow after him and that God would make his presence known in our midst. As always, he prays in Jesus name and as he exits the stage, I stand to preach. You know the routine. But I can t move. I am standing in the aisle completely overwhelmed daring not to take another step. Something is happening on the stage. From behind the pulpit, in front of the baptismal, near the big wooden cross, something is stirring. A wind, powerful and focused sweeps through the congregation and produces a swirling convocation right near the cross. The noise isn t deafening but it is loud and lightning seems be striking this same place. No one knows what to do, but we are all convinced of the same thing. God has made his presence known. Carl is kind of wishing he hadn t prayed specifically for that. Then the whirlwind starts to move, the cross has been pulled into the wind but hangs motionless in the midst of the activity as the wind descends the platform. It reaches up for the cross that hangs over our head and it joins the other in motionless suspension. The Christian flag is dragged from its place stored in the back room as the wind makes its way down the aisle towards the door. The doors open and the wind pauses. You can almost tell that it has turned around to look at the congregation. Something convinces us all that the wind is hurting. Its leaving, but you get the feeling it doesn t want to. It hesitates. And then the one lone candle that someone has lit on the piano is snuffed out and falls to the floor in a crash. You look back to the back again and the wind is going. The doors closed firmly behind it and all vestiges of Jesus, the crosses, books in the book nook, papers on the back desk, anything that bore a resemblance to Jesus is gone.

2 2 Gone. What do you do? Is there anything to do? Was God confined to his temple? This is more or less what Ezekiel sees and it is just as surprising to them as it is to us. They were absolutely convinced that God would not leave his temple. He couldn t. Their teaching on this was clear and anyone who said otherwise was a heretic. But their doctrine and their experience are once again at odds. For Nebuchadnezzar had successfully carried many of the country s best and brightest away into his land. Ezekiel is one of them, and here he sits in exile, in a small house on Sept 17 th, 592 BC surrounded by the elders who have also been exiled and want to know what God is saying. Worshipping in the dark The vision began in chapter 8 when God showed Ezekiel the secret sins of idolatry in Jerusalem. They were worshipping the in the dark. Worshipping Tamuz, Asherah, and the sun inside the holy city. They said God couldn t see them. They had turned off the lights. But they were called to be a light. A city on a hill. A light for the nations. Chapter 9 records the future of Jerusalem where angels who represent Babylon will devastate the city and one particular servant of God will mark some of them as protected from the destruction. Now that being in the linen garment who protected a few is called under the chariot of God. You remember the chariot of God from chapter 1? They had fast moving hover wheels with eyes and 4 living creatures (they are called cherubim here in 10:1) with faces on all sides and hands and wings and fire shooting out and above them the throne of God. In fact chapter 10 looks almost identical to chapter 1 when it comes to the description, but what is happening is horrifying. The man in the linen coat goes under the cherubim and takes burning coals to scatter over the city to destroy it. Ichabod As he does that, the cherubim rise and the glory of the Lord departs. The light that they hid, has left. Slowly. Reluctantly. 1 See verse 18, the glory left the threshold of the temple and settled on the chariot. God has mounted his chariot and verse 19 says they raised their wings and rose from the ground. Then they paused at the entrance of the east gate of the temple, with the glory of the Lord hovering over them. There are some important things that I am skipping to follow the movement, but the movement doesn t seem to end until 11:23 where the glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it. God has left his people. 1 Greenberg, Ezekiel 1-20, 191.

3 3 Can you feel the desolation in that sentence? God has left his people. Do you remember when the glory departed from the holy place to the Philistines and Eli s grandson was given the name Ichabod? The glory has departed. And Eli upon hearing the news fell over backwards and died. God had left. The light has been snuffed out. Where will God dwell? Now don t forget that this is a vision of something that will soon happen. But it s a vision for the exiles, for the people around Ezekiel. The elders are sitting in that small house listening to Ezekiel s message for them. And they are faced with a question. Will they follow in the footsteps of Jerusalem? Remember, these men may have been there and doing that not too long ago. So, God is saying, will you be the remnant with which I will dwell? Because the presence of God hasn t gone to them. Its left Jerusalem but it s just kind of stopping on this very well-known mountain to the east. He has said he will be a quasi-sanctuary to them, but what will this look like? The text is for motivation purposes. What will they do? Now back up a bit, because I skipped most of chapter 11 to follow God s departure. But there is something happening in chapter 11 that absolutely must be seen. I want you to see the grand reversal taking place. The Grand reversal Those left in Jerusalem are walking in foolishness, towards destruction First, notice what Ezekiel sees he sees 25 men including two who are named Jaazaniah and Pelatiah who are leaders of the people. But not just leaders, wicked leaders (vs 2). These are leaders who have taken advantage of the second deportation of all the exiles, all the leaders of the city, and have climbed up to take control. The ones that have the temple and the presence of God (so they think) have abandoned the light. They are leaders but they aren t leading well. They are plotting evil and giving wicked advice. This was their chance to call the people back to repentance and to note what God was allowing in the deportation of their nobles, but they choose to simply take over their positions and keep going in their hellish trajectory. You get this right? They are leading their people to death, to hell, to destruction. Shepherds who don t shepherd. Leaders who lead the wrong direction. The question we are left with after verse 3 is simple: Will God destroy his people? It sure seems inevitable. Houses will not keep them secure Before we answer that, let me point out this second difficulty which begins in verse 3. The NIV says that the leaders are asking Will it not soon be time to build houses? This is a mess in Hebrew It could be talking about building families, houses = posterity It could be talking about not building houses because they must defend the city It could either be a statement or a question which changes it quite a lot

4 4 It could be saying that now is not the time to worry about building houses, that is, everything is just fine. It reflects a complacency and smugness I think the feel of this is given best if you understand the cooking pot as an analogy for Jerusalem and it is designed to keep them safe from the outside. The big picture of this is a superiority of Jerusalem. The new leaders are safe inside, not worried about anything and the exiled leaders of yesterday have been discarded outside the city. They no longer enjoy the protection of God It s a statement from the powerful to the weak. We got this. We are in control. They have been subjected to deportation, obviously God is not with them. Follow us. We got this. But God sees things differently. Remember the whole thing about God not being able to see them at all. Oh, he sees it. He sees clear as day. He is the light. But now the light is departing. The protection they are so touting while they stand in the threshold of the temple, is flying over their heads longing that they would see and cry out and moan and groan over the city. Why do they keep saying peace peace, when there is no peace? The so-called leader, the light of the nation, dies And speaking of protection, take a look at verse 13 for the third point that shows that God is not protecting his people: Pelatiah, son of Benaiah has died in the middle of a prophecy. And the question that resonates through all four of these past chapters: Will you destroy everyone? Will the remnant be ended? Do you see the big picture theme of these chapters? God is leaving the high and mighty to themselves. They don t want to acknowledge God s authority and so the favor that they had will be removed. The people in Jerusalem were saying that the people who were carted away under Nebuchadnezzar are the rejected ones. They are the ones whom God doesn t love. But the truth is that God is leaving them. They say in verse 15 that the land is theirs and God has exiled those he hated Go far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession. But God replies, I may have carted them off, but I have been there with them. I have been a sanctuary for them for a while (vs 16). And here is the information that Ezekiel needs to give to the people in exile. They have been scattered, but he will bring them back together. And he will give them the land of Israel He may have allowed them to be exiled, but being removed from the Temple doesn t mean they are automatically removed from God. God is way bigger than a temple. There is a plan for God to dwell with his people again permanently.

5 5 Ezekiel is a book of grace It often seems like Ezekiel is hard hitting book about judgment but the truth is that this passage in 11:14-25 unlocks the whole book. It s headed somewhere. It s not all about judgment, it s all about grace (Hengstenberg) There will be a remnant. Despite all the cries of Ezekiel who is horrified at what God will do to his people and despite God s own seeming incontrovertible plan for them, there will be grace. Lots of it. Verse 19 says, I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. They are a broken mess, and he will fix them. Do you hear this good news? Their stubbornness will be removed, their hardness expunged and they will be softened so that they can follow well their King. Now this is just a couple of verses, an introduction if you will about what will come in great beauty in chapter 36, but already the exiles are hearing about what God will do for them. Of course they must choose wisely. Verse 25 says that Ezekiel told all that he had seen. Now the exiles have a choice. And I think it is a real choice. They aren t automatically part of the remnant just because they were carted off. No more than those left behind are automatically part of the remnant. They must choose. Yes, God is the one who puts in the heart of flesh that enables them to follow him, but they also (in chapter 18) are told to make themselves a new heart and a new spirit. God will do something, and they will choose to be a part of it. If you don t see this passage as Messianic you are missing something glorious. God follows us into our exile. God doesn t dwell in temples made with hands. He is mobile. He is on the move. John says that Jesus templed (tabernacle; dwelt) among us. He came to show the beginning of a new age and to provide us with new hearts and new spirits, but we must choose to follow him. And friends, God s spirit is not confined to particular places today either. He is once again mobile. We don t worship on Mount Gerazim or on Sinai or on Zion. The time has come, Jesus says that we will worship him in Spirit and in Truth. And Jesus does exactly what God did in the book of Ezekiel.

6 6 He stands before his people and cries over them. He says I would have you, but you would not have me. He longs to gather them together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing. But they would not. And he pronounces the end of the temple (Matthew 24:1) and then departs Jerusalem for that same well-known mountain to the east. The Mount of Olives. The same place he prophesied about the coming of the Son of man The same place that Jesus prayed as his disciples slept. The place where Jesus was arrested and that took him to the cross. The glory left his people and returned to the mountain in the person of Jesus This passage in Ezekiel is a forerunner of the grace of God in Christ on the cross. God left his people. And invited in another group from the nations around them. He reached out to them in the highways and byways and invited them to the marriage supper and they came. And this is the glorious good news that the New Testament seeks to share God didn t just make a way for his people, he made a way for all to come to him. Even us Gentiles. He traveled into their exile and has brought us home. So, will God leave his church? So Ezekiel s story is over and done with. The exiled have found a home and the light was removed from those in Jerusalem Jesus story is over and done with. He invited us in and the light has been removed from Israel So does this story have anything for the church of God now? Could God up and fly out of our church building? Could our candlestick be snuffed out? Now I am not, at this time, talking about our personal salvation. I do believe that God will never leave or forsake those whom he indwells (although there are some pretty serious passages in Hebrews we dare not ignore) But for now, let s just talk about the church. Can God leave his church? I think, as much as we may not want to admit this, that this is indeed a possibility. In what circumstances? Let me name just one. Remember the letter to the church in Ephesus? To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:... I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name s sake, and you have not grown weary.

7 7 This is good stuff. Commendation for working hard, patient endurance, not tolerating evil, testing doctrine, persevering. He even commends them for hating the works of the Nicolaitans But (verse 4) But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. This isn t the love that they had for each other, or even the love that they have for Christ primarily. Greg Beale suggests that because Jesus is defined as walking among the lampstands (verse 1), that the losing of their first love is that they no longer express their former zealous love for Jesus by witnessing to him in the world. This little light of mine, I m gonna let it shine. If they will not exercise their call to be a lamp of witness, then their lamp will be removed, as with Israel in the Old Testament. I think it is of utmost importance that we ask ourselves if we are in danger of losing our lampstand? Maybe there should be the question of whether God has already departed. I have thought through that a lot lately, but I am encouraged that God is still working amazingly in our congregation. But I still think the warning needs to sound loud and clear. How are you witnessing the glory of Christ in Poolesville? At your job? In your school? How is your light shining? Are you incarnating Christ during your day? How successful have you been in ministering to the people around you? Have you accomplished the arrow you put on the board in the breezeway? Would you say that your home is an intentional alternative community of peace? How about our church service? Are you reaching out to people who come in that you don t know? Are you being generous? Are you caring for the poor? Are you not showing favoritism by being part of a clique? Are you paying your workers fairly? Are you promoting peace at all costs? Do you live a life of joy and not grumpiness? Do you do justice? Do you love mercy? Do you walk humbly with your God? Matthew 5:16 says,

8 8 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Is your light shining or hidden under a bushel? Is your light shining? Christians the day of march has come. God has given us much, he has made us strong and we must do battle against sin and bring light to the world through deeds of love and mercy. Lead on, O King eternal, The day of march has come; Henceforth in fields of conquest Thy tents shall be our home. Through days of preparation Thy grace has made us strong; And now, O King eternal, We lift our battle song. Lead on, O King eternal, Till sin s fierce war shall cease, And holiness shall whisper The sweet amen of peace. For not with swords loud clashing, Nor roll of stirring drums; With deeds of love and mercy The heavenly kingdom comes. Lead on, O King eternal, We follow, not with fears, For gladness breaks like morning Where er Thy face appears. Thy cross is lifted over us, We journey in its light; The crown awaits the conquest; Lead on, O God of might. The choice is ours. Will we light a path or will we be content with our fire insurance and our ingrownness and our lack of relationship with those outside? The choice is ours. But friend, we need the empowerment of the Spirit to move us forward. We need our heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh. We need the Grace of God to take a single step forward. That comes only through the cross and then by the power of the cross, we are empowered forward.

9 9 And so we have spread out the grace of God here before you. The table of the Lord for those who need power and grace. And if you feel that you don t need this, that you are doing okay without it, I beg of you not to partake. This meal is a paradox. It s for the rejected and hopeless. It s the rejected who are invited to the banquet. This is for those who know they need it. Who can t make it on their own and who fall on the mercy of Christ. In one sense it is a meal for a few, but in another sense it is a meal for everyone. Scripture says that this is for the church of God. For those with a lampstand so in this sense it is for the few. But it also says that it is for the world because those who see his grace, eat of him and are empowered to light the world. Communion