He Wants You To Be Saved

Text:

Ezekiel 18:30-32:

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

 

Theme:

He Wants You To Be Saved

 

Introduction:

• The prophet Ezekiel writes the Book of Ezekiel. During the beginning of the Judaic captivity in the land of the Chaldeans, God commissioned Ezekiel in a unique fashion compared to the pre-exilic prophets of before:
  • to prophesy to the entire house of Israel from a land of exile (present day Tel-Aviv)
  • to show God’s people their transgressions
  • to prophesy what to some is gloom and doom – terrors of the Lord in their destruction
  • to prophesy an encouraging word to the people in the coming of the Kingdom of the Messiah
• The Book of Ezekiel is divided primarily into four parts:
  • The account of his call to the prophetical office
    • The first three chapters give an account of God calling, qualifying, preparing, and commissioning the prophet Ezekiel.
  • The prophecies of denunciation against the Jews
    • Chapters 4 through 24 are prophecies that Israel will suffer because of its sin.
  • Time cleanly separates the first and second halves of the book by the destruction of Jerusalem.
  • The prophecies against various surrounding nations
    • Chapters 15-32 are prophecies of the surrounding countries that are also wicked will get their just reward also.
  • The prophecies delivered after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar
    • Chapters 33-39 depict the good times to come à the ultimate prosperity of Israel and the Kingdom of God as well as Messianic times.
• The text is found in the second section of the book during the prophetic denunciation of the Jews.
  • Three things to notice about God’s prophet in this commission:
    • Ezekiel was sanctified for the work of God.
      • God first separated Ezekiel from the object of his work à We have to be separated from the sin before God stands us AGAINST the sin!
    • Ezekiel was made to experience the sin in his own life first.
      • God humbled Ezekiel and substantiated Ezekiel’s message by giving him the experience of those whom he must preach to.
        • During this time, Ezekiel’s mouth was shut!!
      • Ezekiel spoke ONLY under the unction and direction of God.
        • Has God spoken with you?
        • Has God opened your mouth?
        • Are you doing what God called you to do?
        • Are you saying what God told you to say?
  • In this section, Ezekiel, as a watchman over Israel, was commissioned to prophesy of the judgment of the Jews for their sin against God
    • Just like we have done and sometimes still do, Israel….
      • Committed adultery by serving idol gods
      • Bred false prophets
      • Harbored a malice and contempt for its brothers and sisters
      • Trusted not in God for their needs and desires
      • Did not commune with God regularly as they should
    • However, in spite of what they had done, our text shows that God never gave up on His children!
      • God continued to send His Word through His prophets
      • God continues to call us to live right
      • God continues to let the sun shine on the just and the unjust
    • Just like the children of Israel, in spite of our wrongdoings…
      • HE STILL WANTS YOU TO BE SAVED!

 

Body:

• There is often confusion when referring to the eternal hope in God for our salvation.
  • People often say, “What about Ghandi? God would not destroy a nice person would He?”
    • Only Jesus saves à The Bible says in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
    • The instructions are clear à It clarifies even more in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
  • People also say, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
    • The Lord gives light to this in 1Peter 3:14, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”
    • God allows things to happen to us to get us to trust him
      • In general à Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
      • In God’s work à 2 Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
• God’s love, concern and hope for us is supernatural…beyond our own conception!
  • John 15:15, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
  • John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
• The text gives an excellent example of God’s Love through His relationship with His Chosen People, the Israelites. God wants us to be saved!!!!
  • “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD.”
    • Warning! You must be judged!!
    • Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
  • “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”
    • If you don’t turn from your wicked ways, you will be condemned to an eternal death.
    • 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
  • “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit:”
    • Sanctify your lives! Separate yourselves from your sins that you may be renewed!
    • Hebrews 12:1, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
    • Psalms 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
  • “for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
    • You don’t have to die! That’s not what God wants for you!
    • God had a similar reaction in the Garden of Eden when Adam told God that they hid at the sound of His voice because they were naked.
      • Genesis 3:11, “And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”
    • It is like a parent asking a child “why are you gonna act like that?” à That’s not my will for you!

 

Conclusion:

• “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.”
  • God wants you to live!!
  • Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”
• God created us to glorify Him à Ergo, he wants the best for us!!
  • God wants us to be happy
  • God wants us to be prosperous
  • God wants us to succeed
  • God wants us to live forever
    • But He won’t give us more that what we can handle an still glorify Him!!
      • Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”