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.

A reading from the Book of Concord for Pentecost 7

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

768  How Firm aFoundation

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.”