Useless
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Intro
Intro
If you’ve been following along through our study of the book of Ezekiel, I’ve said many times that Ezekiel is a weird dude.
I liken Ezekiel to a sort of performance artist. He doesn’t speak unless he has a word from the Lord. Since, this audience was both blind and deaf, Ezekiel had to get their attention and motivate them to listen to God’s truth.
So, Ezekiel acts out his sermons in order to deliver certain messages but in others, he uses some extreme and shocking imagery in order to get their attention and get the point across.
In chapters 14-17, Ezekiel talks about a vine, an unfaithful wife and three shoots from a tree in order to convey God’s truth to people who really needed to understand.
These parables not only described Israel’s sin but also the judgement that was in store for them. These messages use very vivid and explicit language.
Parental discretion is advised!!!
Even though he used this provocative language, it still fell on deaf ears.
ezekiel
1 And the word of the Lord came to me:
2 “Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
3 Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it?
4 Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything?
5 Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything!
6 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
7 And I will set my face against them. Though they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them, and you will know that I am the Lord, when I set my face against them.
8 And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord God.”
Pray
We see this image of the vine all throughout scripture. Jesus compared Himself to a vine and His disciples to branches in the vine, because we depend wholly on Him for life and fruitfulness.
john 15
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Through many of the references we read, we find that Israel was a lowly vine when God planted her in the Promised Land that prospered because of God’s blessings.
During the time of king David and the early years under Solomon, the vine was fruitful and was a testimony to the surrounding nations.
We then saw Solomon introduce idolatry into the nation, the kingdom gets divided and Israel began to bear “wild grapes”
2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.
Later kings of Israel and Judah worshipped idols and engaged in evil practices of the surrounding nations.
These surrounding nations eventually destroy Jerusalem and the temple and holy vineyard was defiled and devastated.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.
Ezekiel’s message is to point out how worthless the vine is because it doesn’t bear fruit.
Not just worthless… even if a tree becomes useless, you can at least cut it down and make something useful out of the wood. Like a chair or a table or something.
Think about this. If you have a vine that suppose to bear grapes. if it doesn’t produce grapes, what can you do with the vine?
The “wood” is too soft, weak and crooked for anything. You can’t carve a tent peg or a wall hook out of it. It’s only good for one thing! It’s only good for fuel for the fire.
If the wood was useless before it was thrown into the fire, it’s even more worthless after it’s been singed and marred by flames.
Judah and Jerusalem had never been like other nations in military strength and riches aside from the time they trust the Lord.
God chose Israel to be a blessing to the nations.
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
The Lord returns Israel to the fire of his discipline when Nebuchadnezzer burns Jerusalem in 586 BC.
The reason for all this is judgement is because they had been unfaithful to the Lord and the covenant.
They weren’t a blessing to the world. The disobeyed God’s ordinances and sinned.
They were worthless and useless because of their idolatry.
Conclusion
I’ve got a few question for you as I close this morning.
What is an apple tree supposed to produce? - Apples
What is an orange tree supposed to produce? - Oranges
What is a pear tree supposed to produce? - Pears
I think you all get the idea but what if none of these trees produced the fruit it was intended to?
If they don’t produce the intended fruit, what are they good for?
Even if the apple tree doesn’t produce apples, it would still provide shade or you could cut it down to use for firewood. Or if you’re like me to use in your smoker.
Even though you could use the tree in this way, it is not it’s intended purpose.
The apostle Peter didn’t want want those he loved to become unfruitful and let him to write:
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Those of us who are branches in Jesus Christ, the true vine, we need to take this lesson to heart.
If we do not abide in Christ, we lose our spiritual power. We wither and fail to bear fruit for the glory of His kingdom.
When a branch is fruitless, it is tossed aside and is eventually burned.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
While I’m not sure this burning is condemnation in the lake of fire but this image of the burning branch is that of a worthless life. A life useless to God.
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
gal
FBC Bolingbrook exists to GROW, THRIVE and SERVE.
Brothers and sisters, the greatest good we can do for Bolingbrook is to proclaim the gospel.
The gospel will not advance THROUGH us if it is not advancing IN us.
We also can’t act like the church walls are a fortress to stay behind.
The Great Commission says:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
matthew 28.18
As I look at my own life, I know I have spent a lot of time pursuing sin in my life. I’ve spent a lot of time being rebuilious instead of during what God had called me to.
All that time was wasted. Sin brings no benefit whatsoever. It didn’t help me find God’s purpose in my life or bring me closer to Him.
Brothers and sisters, in seeking sin, you become useless just like those in Jerusalem.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
If God leaves us with our fleshly desires and we will eventually be destroyed.
Only Christ delivers us provides a means of escaping God’s judgement.
matthew 22:37-
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.