Proper 9 (July 10, 2024)

Mark 6:1–6 (NIV84)

1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

God’s Measure of Success

Sermon Theme: God calls us to a different standard of success, faithfulness.

Text: Ezekiel 2:1–7

Other Lessons: Psalm 27; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Mark 6:1–6

Goal: That the hearers understand that Gospel ministry will always invite opposition, which flies in the face of the world’s definition of success. Nevertheless, Christ enables us to be faithful in sharing the Gospel in our various vocations because He was faithful in all He did.

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1. Recite the brief history of the people of Israel, from their desire to have their own king — instead of Yahweh — to their doing what seemed right in their own eyes when they had no king.

2. Now they are in captivity in Babylon, due to their disobedience. They have rejected God. They have ignored what his Word says about their lives. Now God has called Ezekiel to speak to the people, though they will not listen. Speak anyway.

This evening Jesus teaches “God’s Measure of Success.” As people who live in this world we have been conditioned to what success should look like. But God, through our readings, is showing us what He defines as success. In a word, it is FAITHFULNESS to him and his Word. This can be hard especially when coming face-to-face with rejection.

Ezekiel’s call is a case study in rejection. Jesus is the prophet without honor in our Gospel. St. Paul, in chains for the gospel, encourages Timothy to endure that same hardship for the sake of the gospel in our Second Reading. God’s Word is not chained. “God has spoken by his prophets... .”

In our text this evening Ezekiel has a message from God to speak his people, and he is to speak it regardless if listen or not. The world would say this is crazy, “we should not waste our time if we know they are not going to listen.” But God has something different to say.

Ezekiel 2:3–5 NET

3 He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the house of Israel, to rebellious nations who have rebelled against me; both they and their fathers have revolted against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and hard-hearted, and you must say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says.’5 And as for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them.

Let us pray:

“These are Thy Words, O Lord. Help us and sanctify us in the truth. Thy Word is truth.”

God Calls Us to a Different Measure of Success:

Faithfulness to His Word.

We are shaped by our culture to measure success in a variety of ways:

Popularity (how many people like us).

Fame (how many people have heard of us).

Honor (how people think of us).

Even in the Church, we often succumb to the world’s way of measuring success:

Church attendance.

Buildings.

Budgets.

Being respected by others in the Church or in our communities.

Ezekiel is called to deliver a message from God.

First, this call is one of humility for Ezekiel.

Second, he is called to deliver the message of God’s Word, but as a sinful human being he has no authority to modify the message.

He shares more in common with the people to whom he is sent, than the God he represents.

He, too, has been taken into exile, along with his countrymen.

He, too, has been a sinner from conception and in need of God’s grace.

God is holy and Ezekiel is too, only if God declares him to be.

God’s standard of success is Faithfulness.

Faithfulness first in fulfilling our respective vocations in which live. This is part of the plan of God to redeem the world.

My vocations are different from yours and yours are different from the one sitting next to you.

But, the common denominator in all vocations is God’s plan to redeem the world and getting that message out.

Talking to your neighbor over the fence about God’s love for them in Christ.

As a friend, sibling, parent, child . . . sharing with others God’s saving plan in the cross of Christ Jesus.

And doing all of this regardless of the outcome, regardless of the fallout, regardless if they say “yes” to Jesus, or not. Like a farmer, we just cast the seed.

Another common denominator in all vocations is faithfulness to God in the First Commandment.

You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

All people everywhere are constantly looking for happiness, identity, security, and meaning in life. As Christians, we look to the one true God for all that we need. He is the One who created and sustains us, who redeemed us by giving Himself to be crucified for us in Jesus, and who sanctifies us through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word — the Bible.

Are we being faithful? Are we faithfully sharing the Gospel of Christ with others regardless of the outcome, or are we seeking the right opportunity for the best result? The world teaches us to make it on our own, but God wants us to be dependent upon Him. I am sure there are areas in life where we need to Repent!

You see, God’s kind of success is quite different from the world, because.

God Measures Success Saving Us.

God called Ezekiel to speak so that his sinful people might repent and be saved (Ezekiel 2:1, 3).

God gave Ezekiel what he needed to succeed, giving him his Word and Spirit (Ezekiel 2:2, 4).

Ezekiel is not to modify the message to fit his audience. He is to preach whatever he has been given to say, “whether they listen or not.” If they do listen, believe, repent, and are saved, it will be due to the efficacy God’s divine Word.

This, too, is a valuable principle for us as we live-out our various vocations: The saving message of the Gospel is pure and it is simple. It does not need to be modified or made relevant for a particular audience.

Not many would listen (Ezekiel 2:5), but Ezekiel was successful simply because he was faithful to that Word and what God him to do.

God takes upon himself responsibility to save.

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies and keeps us in the one true faith. And He does so through the Word.

And did he ever take responsibility for saving us!—He went to the cross.

The people of Jesus’ day expected a Messiah to win their political freedom from the Romans.

But by human standards, Jesus was an utter failure, as He killed by those Romans and by his own.

The greatest of failures, is God’s greatest success. It accomplished God’s plan to save you and me because of the faithfulness of Christ Jesus our Lord.

The chief symbol of this “failure” —the cross— has become the symbol of faithfulness, around which the whole Christian Church around the world and across the ages rallies. It stands as a reminder:

Of God’s plan.

Of God’s success.

Of our vocations.

Of our weakness and God’s strength.

Conclusion: How do you measure success in your vocations in life? How do we measure success in our life together as a congregation? God’s Word redefines success and replaces our standards with his, which is faithfulness. But God’s Word also comforts us with the knowledge that our success, like that of Ezekiel, depends on God, not on us.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.