A Message For Everybody

A Message For Everybody Ezekiel 33: 17-20

17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O

ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

Again from the NLT in verse 20 O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”

To begin with brothers and sisters as we recapitulate recap and review the message from Ezekiel we find some interesting facts.

1. First and foremost God is Fair. God is Sovereign God is Righteous, God gives Justice and Judgement. And God provides opportunities for growth and change. Any and every body can change for the good or for the bad.

I noticed that in my 65 years of life that everything must change and nothing remains the same. People change, Places changes, and Things change. Ezekiel the Prophet speaks deeply into the hearts of God’s people. In Ezekiel 33 he says in essence that God placed me here to be your watchman and Y’all accepted me to be your watchman and so now I’m duty bound to expound explain and exegete the word of God to you.

In verse 17 Ezekiel said there ‘s a whole lot of talk about God being unfair,unequal and untoward towards us. Ezekiel said but in actuality it’s y’all that getting on God’s nerves thinking that you can get away with unholy living.

Ezekiel said Because it’s got people who used to be righteous but now have engaged in wickedness. And some of them think that they’re going to get away with it.

The late great Freddie Dunn from New Orleans said “You might get by but you will never ever get away.” Because God sits up high and Good looks down low. God sees everything and He doesn’t miss a thing.

And so listen to this construct. What Raymond Allen says isn’t righteous or sacred holy law, but whatever God’s word say that’s it and that’s all. And so as the unknown author says “I’m careful of the words I say To keep them soft and sweet; I never know from day to day Which ones I’ll have to eat.

Ezekiel is warned by God to be a straight shooter. Ezekiel is commissioned commanded and compelled To say what thus said the Lord without reservations. And when I was in the seminary and we studied Ezekiel. There were a lot of terrible shepherds. There were a bunch of Rev.. Do Wrongs. And God made Ezekiel the Prophet the standard bearer. Ezekiel had to walk the straight and narrow. Crooked people were all around him, doing crooked stuff and the people were going along with it and Ezekiel had to navigate through that mess. He had to walk the straight and narrow.

The Ezekiel 33 text give us clarity and a clear picture of what God says and means.

And when I read the theme text God said to me Allen this is “A message for Everybody.” Because no matter where you fall on the spectrum of life this text will catch you there.

Let’s read it together, Look at verse 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. I see several things here.

I just want to say out the gate Oh Lord Jesus please help us. Everybody say Lord Please help me

Because This text is clearly saying that good people can turn around and do bad things.

For instance: I was in church in the fellowship hall and we had candy for the babies. And one baby took the other baby candy. She fell out crying. Her older sister who was about 4 years old saw what happened and went up to the little boy and pop him in his head real hard and he started crying. Then the moma pop the 4 year old and she started crying . The point is even as babies they knew when something wasn’t right. The two year baby boy knew he was wrong for taking her candy. The two year old baby girl knew she had been done wrong. The 4 year old sister knew that her two year sister had been done wrong. And when her moma spanked her then she knew that she was wrong for her actions. I raised 5 children I know how that goes.

and the moral of the story is that a good person could do some bad things even if they are babies. OH this is A message for Everybody.

Mr. Willie was known for working real good but hit a rough patch and decided to start missing work skipping out on work and couldn’t be found when he was needed. The boss said Willie you were a good worker but right now you’re my worst worker.

People change sometimes.. Did you know that you could start off good and then turn bad? I know it’s true because the bible says in verse 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

And so we’ve seen the righteous can change and become wicked, now let’s see how it is for the wicked. Look at the text after the colon: the double dots “as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; People can change.

You ain’t got to stay stupid. You ain’t got to stay dirty. You ain’t got to stay rotten. You ain’t got to stay a trickster. You ain’t got to stay low down… people can change. wait nah I changed because Jesus was the absolute best thing that happened to an old bum like me.

Yeah 3x I don’t know about you but I was too mean to live and wasn’t fit to die but Jesus came in and saved my soul made me whole pick me up and turned me around then put my feet on solid ground. So I just want to say Lord Thank you because I’ve done some things in my life that I’m not so proud of.

Tell your neighbor: Me too yea

People can change. I’m not out there in them streets no more. I’m an old man and it just doesn’t look right no mo. And if you still out there it’s time to come on in.

Tell your neighbor: It’s time brah.

The text finally says in verse 12 after the semicolon “neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.”

Ouch Ouch Ouch I take it like this “You knocked the ball clean out the park a lot of times then somebody rub you raw and you decided give up an impeccable record and become a REV. DO WRONG.

Well according to this text It is very well possible to have been one who brought folk to Christ but turned around and busted hell wide open, all because you want to go back to the Old You.

I was reminded that there was a man a the pool of Bathsheba who had been sick for 38 long years and everybody would beat him to waters of the healing pool of Bathsheba. The story goes that an angel would come and trouble the waters and who ever got in the water first would get a healing. And one day Jesus came to the pool of the Bathsheba and healed the man without the man having to get into the pool of Bathsheba. The man left carrying his bed on the Sabbath Day It was a big commotion and later on that day Jesus saw the man again in the temple and said I healed you remember that? Now go and sin no more, unless something worst should come upon you.

Listen to me when God delivers you from something bad, something sinister, and something wicked Don’t go back to it. Because now that you’re straight, the bible says that all of your righteousness will not be remembered if you start going back to that old foolishness.

Because the text say “neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth”. Say it ain’t so

Because the text teaches talks and tells us that in verse 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

The book of proverbs says that there is a way that seems right to a man but the ends thereof are the ways unto death. That’s why the Prophet Amos says follow God’s Plumb line. Yes indeed! What you mean by Plumb line Rev? The word of God will keep us on the straight a narrow. A Plumb line.

I know I’m right because if you were in the North African Sahara desert, and they told you to walk a straight line for 5 miles and you run into the Ocean. Did you know that without a plumb line you’d eventually walk in circles.

I bet you without a plumb line you couldn’t walk a straight line to save your life.. Why ? Because In modern time the Plumb line is the word of God. That’s what keeps us straight. David aid thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God.

Verses 14& 15 says 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

1.Ezekiel says let me reiterate again. Let me tell you again, let me inform you again , let me holler at you patner.

2. Ezekiel was dealing with some treacherous people. And I don’t know if you’re looking at the current state of affairs around the country and the world but we’re dealing with some treacherous people.

3.Let me describe them. There was a prophet by the name of Jonah who didn’t want to go and preach to Nineveh. Long story short they threw Jonah overboard off the ship.. Jonah went down into the sea down to the belly of a whale and that whale took Jonah down to bottom of the sea. After three days in that fish belly God resurrected Jonah and the fish pew-ck Jonah to the seashore. Jonah ran and got to Nineveh. Jonah preached repentance and the Ninevites changed. The Ninevites stop sinning and God spared their lives.

People can change so this is a message for everybody Because Ezekiel 33:14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

And who am I to say to you that some people belong here but others don’t belong with the community of Christians. Saints of God, God is the Righteous Judge either way the situation goes. Whether you’re changing from bad to good, or changing from good to bad. This is a message for everybody..

Tell your neighbor : Everybody

Let me help somebody right now “Don’t try to get equal with God, and start questioning God. God made us . We didn’t make Him. You better hush up.Because the bible says in verse 17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

The NLT says 17 “Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but it is they who are not doing what’s right. This is saying that you can’t pick and choose what you call righteousness or what you call wickedness.

Ask me why? Because Jesus saw the Publican and the Pharisee in the temple. The Publican held his head down and said Lord Have mercy on me I know I’m a sinner. Please forgive me. But the Pharisee look at the publican and said Look at him won’t even raise his head, I thank God I ain’t like him. I fast, I pray, I give tithes of all but this old Publican is the worst societal reject that I have ever seen. And Jesus says that the Publican goes down more justified than the Pharisee who has his nose up in the air.

We have to be careful not to infuse and confuse our self righteousness with the Righteousness of God. Brothers and sisters verse 17  speaks vividly to that it says“Your people are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right,’ but Ezekiel says “ it is they who are not doing what’s right”

And I imagine that Ezekiel must to had a strong backbone, yeah to be able to confront the establishment in that kind of way. And I say to any preacher pastor priest poiman or prophet if you’re scared to declare the righteousness of God get clean out of the business.

Ezekiel said In verses 18 &19 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. Ezekiel says that ain’t changing.

Then verse 19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. That’s plain English. You can’t put no spin on it. You can’t manipulate this text. you can’t alter this text.

And the thing about this is that sometimes We’re the changing from good to bad and sometimes we’re the one changing from bad to good. Because after all, we have Free Will. Ain’t nobody made you act up… and Ain’t nobody made you calm down All of those are choices.. And Dean Mc Dowell said class Everybody has Free Will you can do what you want to And God will respect your choices...Teach Me Dr. Allen.

Then lastly verse 20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

Brothers and sisters People do so some crazy stuff they shoot in Baton Rouge so much until everyday there’s a shooting.

And I wonder if they hear God’s voice? Because if they did hear the voice of God He’d says “ You won’t be able to say I had a lapse of judgement. You won’t be able to say I’m so sorry because God’s word says “be angry but sin not”. If they would hear God’s word they would know better!!! And even though some of them don’t care they still have to suffer the consequences of their actions.

If they would just think beforehand and Let God handle it..it will be Okay.

brothers and sisters if you let God handle it, your Blood Pressure won’t shoot up sky high, your eyes won’t get blood shoot red, If you let God handle it your rational thought processes will be holy and line up with the word of God. And you’ll learn to calm down and act right and then end result will be a positive one. Because in verse 20 It’s a construct for good or for bad … The word says “Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

A Message for Everybody because every one of us will be will judged by God. Even when we die the bible says as it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgement.

The word says everyone of us will be judged according to our ways. So be righteous as much as possible. Be holy even when others are not,Continue in brotherly love, Abide in God’s Love, Keep the commandments and hide God’s word in your heart that you might not sin against God. Live peaceable with your brothers and sisters, calm down and released the trouble to the Lord, Decompressed the stress,because God is a heart fixer and a mind regulator.

This is A message for Everybody. And I’m helping somebody right now because you don’t really know what you’ll do if things go south. And that keeps me in check because I know God is Sovereign and He says what He means, and He means what He says.