Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

The calling on our lives as Christians is to fulfill the Great Commission.

What is the Great Commission?

We find it in:

We have been called to take God’s word to every nation and make disciples in as many places as possible.

Our church was placed here in Bolingbrook so that the people in this very community would come to know the name of Jesus.

I love how chapter 1 of Ezekiel ends.

eze 1:

Ezekiel sees this great vision of the God, falls down on his face and he heard the voice speaking.

If we were seeing this play out as a Netflix mini series, we get to this climax of seeing the awesome and astounding vision and just as God begins to speak we see “To Be Continued...” flashed across the screen before it fades to black.

eze 2:1-

Pray

As I described last week, the Israelites were like the kids who are always in time out.

In this instance, Israel is in the 5th year of their exile in Babylon and they are still rebelling against God.

v. 2:3

Sermon Point 1:

Ambassadors of God have a Difficult Mission

God commissions Ezekiel for a specific mission.

Ezekiel’s mission was to take God’s message to the people so that they would be convicted of their sin.

We see this happen in the New Testament in Acts where Peter delivers his sermon at Pentecost.

acts 2:36-38

God calls Ezekiel to take his word to the people in his own nation.

The only problem is that the people don’t want to hear this message.

In the television series and movies Mission Impossible, the Impossible Missions Force agent receives a message describing a mission that needs to be done and says, “Your mission should you choose to accept it...”.

These agents carry out covert missions against dictators, crime lords and evil organizations.

Ambassadors of God have a difficult mission.

Why?

Ambassadors of God have a difficult mission.

Why?

Because people are difficult.

People are messy.

People are broken.

God uses the word rebellious constantly to ensure Ezekiel gets the picture of what he was about to walk into.

Unlike the TV show and movies, this mission is not impossible.

When speaking about salvation in Jesus says:

luke 18:

I’ve urged you all to identify one person in your life who does not follow Christ that you could intentionally be praying for.

Praying that the Lord would open opportunities for you to have gospel conversations with them.

Are they going to be begging you to hear about who Christ is and what he’s doing in your life?

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be discouraged.

col 1:21-22

God did this work for us.

God does this work every day.

We were once a difficult audience but once grace softened our hardened hearts, we were changed.

When you feel intimidated by being an ambassador for God, just remember how He rescued you and what he did for you.

Sermon Point 2

Ambassadors of God Will Be Provided For

I referenced Mission Impossible earlier and the agents were expected to use their experience and ingenuity to complete the task they were given.

Or some of you remember the show MacGyver where this military trained guys is put in several precarious situations and could make a bomb from bubble gum, a shoe string and gun powder.

God gives Ezekiel (and us as well) all the tools need to do the job we’re tasked with.

Ezekiel literary means, “God strengthens”.

Even though the audience would reject the message and have hardened hearts, Ezekiel would be even more determined to deliver the message they need to hear.

The primary tool provided to us is through the Holy Spirit.

Everything depends on the spirit.

We have a ton of examples for God’s messengers being filled with the Spirit for the purpose of delivering the word of God.

You see our problem is not with receiving the Spirit, our problem is in relying on Him.

In the book Spirit Empowered Preaching, Arturo Azurdia says this:

“The greatest impediment to the advancement of the gospel in our time is the attempt of the church of Jesus Christ to do the work of God apart from the truth and the power of the Spirt of God.”

Sermon Point 3

Ambassadors of God Must Respond

Ezekiel would be held accountable for what he did with the word of the Lord.

Ezekiel (and us) are given a message and it’s up to us what we will do with it.

If Ezekiel withholds the message, there would be peril for the people and their blood would be on his hands.

If he proclaimed the message but they still failed to to repent, then their blood would be on their own hands, but Ezekiel would be saved.

Brothers and sisters, what are we doing with the message we have been given?

We know that those who don’t submit their lives to Christ are destined for destruction.

Why are we not Watchmen like Ezekiel trying to warn everyone we can?

How many people in Bolingbrook haven’t heard that Christ not only came and lived amongst us but was beaten and killed for our transgressions.

He conquered the grave and was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of the Father?

Who at your workplace doesn’t know that Jesus is coming back to judge the world?

How many mothers and fathers tuck their kids in bed at night but cannot or will not share the hope of Christ with their children?

WE… are NOT responsible for someone hearing the gospel and rejecting it, but we ARE responsible for making sure they hear it.

Sermon Point 4

Ambassadors are Prepared by God

eze 3:

God has prepared Ezekiel his prophet for his assignment.

God causes Ezekiel to be mute and bound in his home for over 7 years so that when he does finally speaks, others would know that Ezekiel was being used by God.

People would know Ezekiel was on a mission with a word from the Lord.

I wonder if our friends and family see us that way?

When they hear us, are we speaking for God?

When they see us, are we on mission for God?

I want to be more like Ezekiel.

Whatever God wants me to say

Wherever God wants me to go

However God needs to prepare me, I am His.

If Ezekiel’s mission was difficult it pales in comparison to Christ’s mission.

Jesus was:

Despised and rejected

says he was led like a lamb to the slaughter

Jesus was nailed to the cross and suffered our transgressions

The shackles of death that were meant for us were put on him

Jesus is the greater “Son of Man” that gave us the good news of the gospel