A Church Willing to Say Hard Things

No matter how old we are, we need someone around to watch over us. Can you think of people who have the job of watching over others? Police watch over our homes and neighborhoods. Meteorologists watch over the weather and warn us when it gets bad. Engineers watch over bridges and tell us when they need to be fixed. Parents watch over their children and make sure they don't run out into the street while they're playing. God provides all these people to watch over us and take care of our bodies and lives. He also provides someone to watch over our souls and make sure that we hear his words.

This morning God’s Word takes us back to the year 597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem and carried off the king, along with many other men and women. Included in the group of exiles was a young priest named Ezekiel. When the exiles arrived in Babylon, the king gave them land and the ability to build homes. The LORD had told the people to settle in Babylon, work hard, and raise their families so they could be a blessing to the empire. Ezekiel built his home in a place called Tel Abib, along the shores of the Kebar River. While he was there, the LORD called him to be his prophet. He warned Ezekiel that his congregation was made up of people who were “rebellious…obstinate and stubborn” (2:3-4 NIV).

The LORD didn’t want that kind of church, so he sent Ezekiel to talk to them. For 7 years Ezekiel told the people everything the LORD told him to say. He often had to live the messages. He built a model of Jerusalem, laid on his side, and besieged the model city. He had to cut his hair and beard, take the hair and burn one third of it, strike a third of it with a sword, and scatter the final third to the wind. He brought a message of judgment and doom for the people’s continued unfaithfulness. The LORD had him pack his bags and act like he was going into exile. He warned against false prophets who told the people lies. He preached with parables and with clear words of condemnation. Ezekiel’s wife died, and the LORD commanded Ezekiel not to mourn as a living parable for the people. In chapter 33, the LORD reminded Ezekiel about his call. He said, “But I have appointed you, son of man, to be a watchman for the house of Israel. So whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you are to warn them from me” (Ezekiel 33:7 EHV).

Whom does the LORD appoint as a watchman? He appoints sinful human beings. “Son of man” was the LORD's nickname for Ezekiel. He used it 93 times in 48 chapters. Ezekiel's nickname was a constant reminder of his relationship with the LORD. The LORD is perfect, holy, and his glory amazed Ezekiel. He chose Ezekiel, a sinful 30-year-old without much experience as a priest, to watch over his people.

The LORD still chooses sinful human beings to watch over us today. The Bible says, “It was he who gave some to be … pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:11-12). He sent a pastor to be the watchman for Christ the Rock. I’m no different than Ezekiel. I have my own sinful weaknesses, but the LORD called me to serve you. The LORD has also called you, sinful human beings, to be watchmen too. The Bible says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Some of you are busy watching over families. Some of you watch over employees and customers. Some of you watch over our neighborhoods. We watch over each other as fellow believers. The LORD has appointed all of us and has given us responsibilities as watchmen.

Ancient watchmen had an important job. In a walled city, most of the people had their farms, orchards, and vineyards outside the city walls. When danger threatened, the watchman saw it first. He sounded the warning trumpet so that everyone could flee to the city. The people would close the gates and prepare for an attack. If a person heard the warning but ignored it, it was his own fault if something happened. If the watchman neglected his job and didn't warn the citizens, he was responsible for their deaths.

The LORD called Ezekiel to be a watchman over the house of Israel. He wasn't supposed to stand high on the city walls and blow a trumpet to warn the people that enemy armies were coming. Here's what the LORD said, “So whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you are to warn them from me. When I say to a wicked man, “Wicked man, you shall surely die,” if you do not speak to warn the wicked man against his way, that wicked man will die because of his guilt, but I will also hold you responsible for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he will die because of his guilt, but you will have saved your life” (Ezekiel 33:7–9 EHV).

That's not an easy job. Ezekiel was to speak strong words of warning about the consequences of sin. The LORD’s people had already lost their homeland because of their sin, and many of them continued in their wicked ways. Here's how the LORD had Ezekiel publicly describe these wicked people: “He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife. He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. He lends at interest and takes a profit” (Ezekiel 18:11–13 NIV). The people needed Ezekiel to confront them with their sins!

Once Ezekiel had confronted them, he needed to warn them. We have warnings all around us today. Just look at a bottle of kitchen cleaner. It says in bold letters: “WARNING: CAUSES EYE IRRITATION. DO NOT GET IN EYES OR SKIN OR ON CLOTHING. WASH THOROUGHLY WITH SOAP AND WATER AFTER HANDLING.” Ezekiel's warning wasn't about eyes or skin getting burned by a cleaner. He said, WARNING: “Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head. The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:11-13,20). Ezekiel, the watchman, needed to warn the LORD’s people so that they would not die and suffer forever in hell!

The LORD asked Ezekiel to be his watchman and bring powerful words of warning to Israel. We know that we are his watchmen. What does the LORD want watchmen to say today? Jesus gave us some good advice in our gospel reading this morning. “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over” (Matthew 18:15). It’s hard to be the watchman when someone is caught up in a sin, especially a sin against us personally. We’re angry and hurt. The last thing we want to do is go to them and talk one on one. What if they say something even more hurtful than the first time? What if they get angry at me and refuse to listen? Whatever the issue, whatever the hurt, whatever the sin, Jesus says it's time to be the watchman. Jesus tells us to go to that person one on one and show him that he has sinned against you.

How can we show that person his fault? After all, we're just as sinful. We haven't lived perfect lives. We need the LORD’s warning just as much as they do. Watchmen begin by listening to the LORD’s warning and repenting over our own sin. Then we can do the same thing that the LORD told Ezekiel to do. “Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you are to warn them” (Ezekiel 33:7 EHV). The warnings that we bring need to come from the LORD himself. We can't go to the person who has sinned and say, “I think that what you're doing is wrong,” or, “you need to stop doing that because I said so.” We need to study the LORD’s powerful Word, find the places that address the person’s sin so that we can say, “This is what the LORD says.” As we study the Word, we can also pray that the LORD would guide the conversation and keep us from saying hurtful things.

What if the person gets angry and refuses to listen? What if they quit the church and keep on doing the sinful things they are doing? Remember the LORD’s words to Ezekiel: “But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he will die because of his guilt, but you will have saved your life” (Ezekiel 33:9 EHV). God doesn't ask us as watchmen to change the person's heart. Only the LORD can do that. He tells us that his Word works. We need to trust it and let it do the work. The LORD has put us here to watch over each other. That’s the church God wants - people who are willing to say the hard things to save their fellow believers.

It's hard and sometimes lonely being one of the LORD’s watchmen. Why does the LORD ask us to do all this? The people to whom Ezekiel preached thought that God was just trying to beat them down and make their lives miserable. He said, “As I live, declares the LORD God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from their way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11 EHV).

That's why the LORD sent Ezekiel to watch over the house of Israel and to ask them, “Why should you die when you don’t have to?” That's why he sends us with the same message. The LORD wants to save lost souls. He loves wicked people so much that he warns them about punishment. He loves us so much that he sent the perfect “Son of Man” “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10 NIV). Watchmen do more than warn people about the coming judgment. Watchmen also point to the one who can rescue them from destruction. Watchmen point to Jesus. We offer sinners Jesus’ beautiful invitation: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV). Jesus didn't want the wicked to die eternally, so the Son of Man took on the enemy attackers, died on the cross and defeated death and hell.

Thanks to Jesus, no one has to suffer forever in hell. Thanks to Jesus, the gates of heaven are open. The LORD is calling us by his watchman Ezekiel, by pastors and teachers, and through fellow believers, and to turn from our evil ways, repent, and believe his promise of forgiveness. Hear the word of the LORD. He doesn't want any of us lost forever, so he sends people to watch over us, say the hard things, and take care of our souls. That’s the kind of church God wants. Amen.

To God alone the glory! Pastor Jonathan Brohn