Hearing From God
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 57:13
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Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?
Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?
I was recently asked by someone, “Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?”
Certainly, God says, “Call on me and I will answer”.
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Yes, God says call, and I will answer.
And, Yes, we need to hear from God and understand His creation and our place in it.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.
Gods ways are higher than our ways.
We understand that we are born into this world not knowing anything.
We understand that we learn and are taught about the world around us.
Do we understand that there is more to learn, and that can only come from God.
Is this your cry?
6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
God, will you hear to me?
The prophet Isaiah said
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; And while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
The prophet is speaking what God is telling him to say, so we can say, God said, "before they call I will answer".
Here, we need to be careful, because if we read the context, we understand that this statement was made about a future time, this is God talking about the new Jerusalem in Isa 65:17.
So where is the problem? Why does it sometimes seem that God is not hearing us?
This brings us to the theme verse for today.
This brings us to the theme verse for today.
3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.
We need a little context here, this is Ezekiel chapter 20 of 28 chapters. This is not the first time the prophet has spoken. This is not the first time God has told him what to say.
Ezekiel’s History and Captivity
Ezekiel’s History and Captivity
This was all before the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.
Ezekiel began as a prophet at the age of thirty (30) about five years after he and some 10,000 were taken into captivity.
Ezekiel continued as a prophet for about 22 years.
Captive 598
Prophet 593 - 5 years
Elders Inquire 591 - 2 years later
Fall of Jerusalem 586 - 7 years
Israel was to be a holy nation, reflecting God’s character to all nations. They were offered this covenant at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:5–6).
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
They never fulfilled this mandate because they followed after the ways of the world rather than obeying the voice of God. They chose to serve the creation and to seek worldly treasures rather than seeking to become the people God called them to be. Instead, the children of Israel persisted in idolatry, living as they saw the nations around them live.
Israel’s Kings weren’t following God, they made alliances with the nations around them.
This began early with Solomon
1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
Did you see this? “The Lord God of Israel, which had appeared to him twice” but he did not change, he did not receive correction.
19 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.
Jehoiakim, originally named Eliakim, was the seventeenth king of Judah from 609 to 598 B.C. He succeeded his brother Jehoahaz and was forced into vassalage by Pharaoh Neco and later by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Jehoiakim had a contentious relationship with the prophet Jeremiah, whom he attempted to silence.
To understand Ezekiel’s prophetic call as well as his message, we must remember he was already in Babylon. When Jerusalem finally fell, the city had been hit by three waves from Nebuchadnezzar’s ruthless armies.
The first wave of God’s judgement was in 605 b.c. when Jehoiakim king of Judah was conquered and made subject to and under the control of Nebuchadnezzar. God was removing the evil leadership of Jehoiakim, who “did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.” 2 Kings 24:19. At this time, Daniel and a group of young nobles were taken into captivity “to serve in the king’s court” (Dn 1:3–5). The second deportation happened in 597 b.c. when King Jehoiachin, Ezekiel, other key leaders, some and 10,000 Jews were taken captive and transported to Babylon (2Kg 24:10–17).
Ezekiel and other captives were allowed to live by the Chebar River, near the city of Babylon. While in captivity, he and his fellow Jews were able to move about freely. It was in this setting he received his visions regarding those who still lived in Jerusalem. The first 24 chapters of the book focus on the third wave of judgment to come, which culminated in 586 b.c. when Jerusalem was destroyed. Ezekiel was charged with warning those people, whether or not they were willing to listen.
Ezekiel #3: Persistent Preaching (Ezekiel 2:1–7)
Ezekiel #3: Persistent Preaching (Ezekiel 2:1–7)
1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. 2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. 4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. 5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. 6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
God told Ezekiel, “they are most rebellious”
Timothy faced a similar challenge when he ministered in the Roman Empire. Paul challenged Timothy to be persistent in his teaching and preaching, regardless of the response: 2 Timothy 4:1-5
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Rebel, Rebelled - 6 times in Ezekiel
Rebellious - 15 times
a rebellious nation
a rebellious house
rebellious
Wicked - 33 times in Ezekiel
Wickedness - 10 Times
And now we know why God said:
I Will Not Be Inquired of by you
I Will Not Be Inquired of by you
So, now, lets come back to our theme verse and read the context.
2 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
Will you judge them?
Will you cause them to know the abominations of their fathers?
Turn from your sins, why will you die? (Ezek. 33:11)
why will you die? (Ezek. 18:31)
what profit is it to gain the world and forfeit your soul? (Matt. 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25)
unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5)
if he does not turn from his wickedness, he will die in his iniquity (Ezek. 3:19)
if the wicked man does not turn from his way he will die (Ezek. 33:9)
you will die in your sin (John 8:21)
you will die in your sins (John 8:24)
if you live according to the flesh you will die (Rom. 8:13)
11 Day, A. Colin. Collins Thesaurus of the Bible. Logos Bible Software, 2009.
What Do You Believe About God?
What Do You Believe About God?
Let’s talk about what you believe about God.
We are taught to Love everyone
We are taught to believe the best of every person.
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
This is simply the challenge of living in the world where there are unsaved people.
We are taught that we should not receive an accusation against an elder …
19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
But an elder is a saved, Christian, person that knows God and should know better.
We are taught that If you have ought …, go to that person…
15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
But this is talking about a “Brother” or “Sister” in the Lord, a Christian person that is saved by Christ as we are. These people should be willing to listen and willing to receive correction. But if not??, as a heathen.
We are taught that we should not Judge others.
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
We are to look carefully at ourselves before judging another, often, the problem we see in them is the problem we have in ourselves.
There have been many examples of this in the media as our new presidents cabinet members are being vetted.
I heard a US Senator say:
Every Saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.
Every Saint, we all were lost and without hope in the world at one time.
Every sinner, has a future in Christ if they will receive him.
There is a saying, “Where there is smoke, there is fire”.
We have all heard this and it sounds right.
Yes, in the context of fire, smoke comes first before you see flames.
But when applied to people and their character and nature it leads to false judgement.
God says, in Isaiah 55:6–7 (KJV 1900)
6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, Call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts: And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; And to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
God is long suffering, but not forever suffering. But even after He had stopped listening, he sent Ezekiel to tell them to turn back.
God told Ezekiel to show them the right way
God told Ezekiel to help them see that their sin separated them from God
Isaiah 59:1-4 (KJV 1900)
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, And your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, Your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: They trust in vanity, and speak lies; They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
The Road to Salvation
The Road to Salvation
1. None is Righteous
1. None is Righteous
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
2. All Have Sinned
2. All Have Sinned
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
3. But God Shows His Love for us
3. But God Shows His Love for us
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
4. Sin Came in Through One
4. Sin Came in Through One
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through
sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
5. The Wages of Sin is Death
5. The Wages of Sin is Death
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
6. If You Confess Your Mouth that Jesus is Lord
6. If You Confess Your Mouth that Jesus is Lord
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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart
one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7. Everyone who Calls on the Name of the Lord
7. Everyone who Calls on the Name of the Lord
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans Road lays out the plan of salvation through a series of Bible verses
from the book of Romans. When arranged in order, these verses form an easy,
systematic way of explaining the message of salvation. There are many different
versions of Romans Road with slight variations in Scriptures, but the basic
message and method is the same. Many evangelical missionaries, evangelists
and lay people memorize and use Romans Road when sharing the good news.
This Path to Salvation Clearly Defines:
This Path to Salvation Clearly Defines:
1 Who needs salvation
2. Why we need salvation.
3. How God provides salvation.
4. How we receive salvation.
And What is Salvation?
And What is Salvation?
