Sermon on Ezekiel 33 – Sound The Alarm!
“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. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. “Son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?” ’ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’”
Fallen was the great city of Jerusalem. The temple destroyed. The land devastated. Strangers in a strange land, carried off into captivity by the Babylonians. One might say it served them right. For too long they had paid too much attention to living for this world and too little attention to God and His Word. It’s not like God hadn’t warned them. Year after year, prophet after prophet, God begged them to repent and return, but they didn’t want to listen. Such was the situation the prophet Ezekiel encountered when he arrived on the scene. But not all was lost, for God still loved his people. In fact, it was because he loved his people that he sent the prophet Ezekiel to call them back. A prophet who was sent by God with the message, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 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.”
In Ezekiel’s day most people lived outside the city walls, which means a city watchman had a very important job to do. When danger threatened, he was the one who would sound the alarm so that people could seek safety within the walls of the city. Those who heard the trumpet but ignored the warning had nobody to blame but themselves if disaster overtook them. But if the watchman failed to do his job, lives would be lost, quite possibly his own. We don’t need watchmen standing on watchtowers nowadays. Among other things, we have things like the Emergency Broadcast System. But before you cover your ears and grab for the remote, I’d like to conduct a test of God’s Emergency Broadcast System as it were. How would you react to the following?
They’re such a nice couple. So young and in love. It’s a beautiful thing. Is it really a big deal if they’re living together before marriage? It’s just a few drinks at home in the privacy of our living room. Besides you should see the stressful situation he has at work. Is it really a big deal if he frequently drinks to excess? She’s a good kid. Top of her catechism class. Made some poor choices in high school and began running with the wrong crowd. Now talking religion only brings rolled eyes and heated arguments. Is it really a big deal if I just let her be? Use to be in church every weekend until business started booming and family obligations became overwhelming. Is it really a big deal if there isn’t time for church anymore? She makes me so angry I could scream. Seems like she always has to have things her way. Is it really a big deal if I nurse a grudge? I can’t believe he said that to me. Is it really a big deal if I look to get even?
This concludes the test of God’s Emergency Broadcast System. Had there been an actual emergency, you would have received official information, news, or instructions as to what to do. We now return you to your regularly scheduled sermon. Wait a minute! Just a test? Not an actual emergency? Correct me if I’m wrong, but those all sounded like situations God would want us to be concerned about and actually do something about. Not turning the channel, tuning out, or turning elsewhere with the hopes that those things will eventually take care of themselves.
As much as it would have been easy for Ezekiel to just turn and run, he had a job to do. The same job our Lord gives us to do. Sound The Alarm! I. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. II. God wants everyone to repent and believe. But that’s not me. I’m not the confrontational type. I’d rather sail the sea of life without causing any waves. I get motion sickness. Following Christ will at times bring confrontation for the sake of Christ. That’s something we need to come to grips with. When it comes to sin, if we think we can stand by and do nothing we’re putting the eternal welfare of souls at stake, quite possibly our own.
That’s a rather sobering point God himself makes in our text when he states, “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.” Judge not lest ye be judged. No, God doesn’t want us to judge, but he does want us to be our brother and sister’s keeper leading them in the paths of repentance and righteousness for his name’s sake. When it comes to sin, God doesn’t want us to ignore it or look the other way or try to justify it by thinking that the alternatives could be much worse.
If there’s even a remote possibility that a tornado could form and bring about the devastation of homes and lives, the sirens are sounded and people take cover. Better to be safe than sorry. Exactly the attitude God would want us to have when it comes to living life according to His Word. Whether it’s the couple living together before marriage, the alcoholic, the person who doesn’t see the importance of being in church, the person who loves to gossip, the person who feels they are justified in nursing a grudge or looking to get even. These are all sins that need to be dealt with and repented of so that forgiveness can result. Not confrontation for the sake of proving that you’re wrong and I’m right, but confrontation for the sake of speaking the truth in love as the Apostle James tells us, “whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” How desperately God wants all people to be with him in heaven. How desperately God wants all people to repent and believe. A little bit of hurt now to prevent eternal hurt later. Dear friends, that’s what Christian love is all about.
Fellow watchmen and watchwomen of the Lord, keep the following in mind as you go about this work. The first thing God told Ezekiel to do was listen as the Apostle James tells us, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” Listen to God’s Word and apply it to your own life and you will be better equipped to apply it to the lives of those around you. Another important reminder comes from your Savior who tells you, “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
One way to help others see God’s will for our lives is to be an example of it in thought, word, and action as Peter writes, “it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” And if in doing this work accusations of sin are brought against you in return, and at times they will be, follow the example of the Apostle Paul and be the first to admit, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
When you see the planks that you have to take out of your own eyes it’s going to bring about an attitude of gentleness and humility when it comes to picking out the specks of sawdust in the eyes of others. For the times that sin has been so present and obvious in our lives. For the times that we’ve failed to sound the alarm when sin has been obvious in the lives of others. For the times we’ve spoken the truth but haven’t done so in love and or claimed to be loving but haven’t spoken the truth. Jesus carried these and all of our sins to the cross where he suffered and died to forgive them, where he was held accountable so that we never would be, where he suffered God’s wrath and punishment so that we never would. Redeemed, Restored, Forgiven, Forever. Heirs to an eternity in heaven. Something God wants for all people as the Apostle Paul tells us, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Fellow watchmen and watchwomen standing high on Zion’s wall pointing out the path to heaven, offering life and peace to all. Take up your post and don’t be afraid to sound the alarm. Share God’s Word. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. God wants everyone to repent and believe. The life you save could very well be your own. How much greater the lives of many others as well!
Amen.