Worship Helps for Pentecost 7
Vision of Ezekiel
Raffaello Sanzio
Worship Theme: Preaching the message of God is not a popularity contest. The size of the crowd and the level of cheering is not what it is all about, but rather being faithful in speaking God’s word to the specific people and situations. That may ruffle feathers. The unwillingness of people to listen humbles God’s spokesmen. May we always pay close attention of God’s message, no matter how lowly the messenger who brings it.
Old Testament: Ezekiel 2:1-3:4
He said to me, “Son
of man, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2The
Spirit entered into me as he spoke to me and brought me up to my feet. Then I
heard him speaking to me.
3He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to
disloyal nations, who have been disloyal to me. They and their fathers have
rebelled against me to this very day. 4These children of mine are
brazen-faced and hard-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you are to tell
them that this is what the Lord
God says. 5Then, whether they listen or do not listen—for they are a
rebellious house—then they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6But
you, son of man, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words.
Even though briers and thorns surround you and you are living with scorpions,
do not be afraid of their words, and do not be intimidated by the look on their
faces, for they are a rebellious house. 7You are to speak my words
to them whether they listen or they do not, for they are rebellious. 8But
you, son of man, listen to what I am telling you. Do not be rebellious like
that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”
9Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out toward me, and in it there
was a rolled-up scroll. 10He unrolled it in front of me, and there
was writing on both sides. Written on it was: Laments, Groaning, and Woe.
3:1Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat what you have received. Eat this
scroll, and then go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2I opened my
mouth, and he fed me the scroll.
3Then he said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with
this scroll that I am giving you.” I ate, and in my mouth it was sweet like
honey.
4He then said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my
words to them.”
1. What did God call
Ezekiel to do?
2. How would God measure
Ezekiel’s effectiveness?
Epistle: 2 Timothy
3:10–4:5
10But you have faithfully followed my
teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my
steadfast endurance, 11my persecutions, my sufferings—the kind that
happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the kind of persecutions I endured—and
the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12Indeed, everyone who wants
to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while
evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being
deceived.
14As for you, continue in the things
you have learned and about which you have become convinced. You know from whom
you learned them 15and that from infancy you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for
teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, 17so
that the man of God may be complete, well equipped for every good work.
4:1I solemnly charge you in the
presence of God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the
dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom: 2Preach the
word. Be ready whether it is convenient or not. Correct, rebuke, and encourage,
with all patience and teaching. 3For there will come a time when
people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching
ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own
desires. 4They will also turn their ears away from the truth and
will turn aside to myths.
5As for you, keep a clear head in every situation. Bear
hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.
3. As Paul writes these
words to Timothy, Paul is in prison in Rome. He knows he is about to die. Paul
does not say that only apostles will be persecuted, or that only pastors and
prominent Christians should expect persecution. What does Paul write in 3:12?
4. What does Paul say about
the Bible, our only source of strength in persecution? See 3:15-17.
5. Was Timothy supposed to
focus on church leadership with Paul about to die?
Gospel: Mark 6:1–6
Jesus left there and went to his hometown.
His disciples followed him. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to
teach in the synagogue. Many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did
this man learn these things? What is this wisdom that has been given to this
man? How is it that miracles such as these are performed by his hands? 3Isn’t
this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and
Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not
without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own
house.” 5He could not do any miracles there except to lay his hands
on a few sick people and heal them. 6He was amazed at their
unbelief. Then he went around the villages teaching.
6. What obstacle did Jesus
meet while preaching in his hometown?
7. What did the reaction to
Jesus in Nazareth show?
Answers:
1. Ezekiel was to go to the
Israelites who had rebelled against God. God had a specific people and a specific
message on which he was to focus his life from this point on.
2. Popularity was not to be
the deciding factor in determining his effectiveness. He continues to remind
Ezekiel that he is going up against a rebellious and stubborn people. His effectiveness
will be gauged on his faithfulness in saying God’s words to them no matter how
much opposition he gets from them.
3. Paul says that everyone
who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
4. Paul says the Bible is
holy, and it can make us wise for salvation (both that we need it desperately,
and that we have it, for free) through trusting in Christ Jesus. Paul says the
whole Bible is God-breathed. It thoroughly equips us for every good work.
5. Timothy was not to focus
on leadership. Paul had Timothy swear to preach the Word. Timothy was both to
warn and correct others with God’s Word. He was to encourage others with it,
using great patience and careful instruction.
6. The people of Nazareth,
Jesus’ hometown, remembered Jesus as a child, and they pictured him as a
carpenter. Now he was a preacher? Since they were so familiar with him and his
family, they were unwilling to see past the person and listen to what he
preached.
7. The reaction of the
people of Nazareth to Jesus showed their lack of faith. They were amazed at his
wisdom and the miracles he did, but they let their reasoning get in the way.
Instead they should have seen Jesus’ wisdom and miracles as evidence that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, by believing they would have had life in his
name (see John 20:30-31).
Putting your faith into action
“We can’t do that!” can be
a reaction in some congregations to establishing new ministries or planning for
an expansion of facilities. We look to the past and say, “We tried that before
and failed, so why try again?” As stewards of God’s gifts, we sometimes need to
develop trust that God can work, through us, miracles of faith. We must not let
the naysayers discourage us when God places a challenge before us, but trust him
to provide the leadership and the resources to accomplish what he has for us to
do. God’s promise of support for proclaiming his message of salvation should be
encouraging to us. As stewards of the gospel, let us place our trust in the
Lord and go in the direction he sets.
God punishes sin with
sins. This means that because of their
self-confidence, lack of repentance, and willful sins, He later punishes with
hard-heartedness and blindness those who had been converted. This punishment should not be interpreted to
mean that it never had been God’s good pleasure that such persons should come
to know the truth and be saved. For both
these facts are God’s revealed will:
1. God will receive into
grace all who repent and believe in Christ.
2. He also will punish
those who willfully turn away from the holy commandment and entangle themselves
in the world’s filth, decorate their hearts for Satan, and despise God’s
Spirit. They will be hardened, blinded,
and eternally condemned if they persist in such things.
Even Pharaoh perished in
this way. This was not because God had
begrudged him salvation.
God caused His Word to be
preached and His will to be proclaimed to Pharaoh. Nevertheless, Pharaoh willfully stood up
against all rebukes and warnings.
Therefore, God withdrew from him, Pharaoh’s heart became hardened, and
God executed His judgment on him. For he
was guilty of hellfire. The holy apostle
also introduces the example of Pharaoh to prove God’s justice by it, which He
exercises toward the unrepentant despisers of His Word. – Formula of Concord,
Solid Declaration Article XI, God’s Eternal Foreknowledge, paragraphs 83-86
1 How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in
his excellent Word!
What more can he say than
to you he has said
Who unto the Savior for
refuge have fled?
2 “Fear not! I am with you. Oh, be not
dismayed;
For I am your God and will
still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help
you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous,
omnipotent hand.
3 “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not,
desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell
should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no
never forsake!
4 “When through fiery trials your pathway shall
lie,
My grace all-sufficient
shall be your supply.
The flames will not hurt
you; I only design
Your dross to consume and
your gold to refine.
5 “Throughout all their lifetime my people
shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal,
unchangeable love,
And then, when gray hair
shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still
on my shoulders be borne.”
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