Speaking Even When No One Listens

Ezekiel’s Big Adventure: A Review for Kids

Before we talk about Ezekiel’s trumpet, let’s remember the story so far. The prophet Ezekiel lived about 2,600 years ago during one of the darkest times in Israel’s history.

Ezekiel was born into a priestly family. [Slide]

He was part of the tribe of Levi and trained to serve in the temple in Jerusalem.

But before he could begin his ministry as a priest, the Babylonians invaded Judah.

King Nebuchadnezzar carried many people away as captives in 597 B.C., including young Ezekiel.

They were settled by the River Chebar, an irrigation canal near Babylon (Ezekiel 1:1–3).

Even though they were far from home, the Bible says “the heavens were opened” and “the word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel.”

God showed Ezekiel that His power is not tied to a place — He rules everywhere.

Ezekiel saw God’s glory. [Slide]

In chapter 1, Ezekiel saw a storm wind, flashing fire, and four living creatures (cherubim) with four faces and wings.

Beside them were “wheels within wheels” — a symbolic picture that God’s throne can move in any direction.

Above all this was a crystal expanse and a throne, and on the throne was “the appearance of a man” surrounded by a rainbow-like brightness (Ezekiel 1:26–28).

This vision of the glory of the Lord told Ezekiel that even in exile, God was still on His throne.

God had not abandoned His people — His glory had followed them eastward.

Ezekiel was told to eat the scroll. [2 Slides]

In Ezekiel 2:8–3:3, God handed him a scroll written on both sides — filled with “lamentations, mourning, and woe.”

God told him, “Eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel.”

When Ezekiel ate it, he said it was “as honey for sweetness.”

This shows that God’s Word can be sweet to those who love truth, even when it contains hard messages.

God wanted Ezekiel to speak from a full heart — the Word had to live inside him before it came out of him.

God warned Ezekiel that people would not listen.

In Ezekiel 3:7, God said, “The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me.”

God told him the people had “a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.”

Yet God made Ezekiel’s face like flint — strong and unbending.

The message: obedience does not depend on audience.

The Watchman’s Trumpet Object Lesson [Slide]

(Zack is seated on stage with a trumpet.)

In ancient cities like Jerusalem, a watchman was stationed on the walls. He stood on the tower to watch for danger — approaching armies, fires, or storms.

When danger appeared, the watchman would blow a trumpet — usually a shofar, a ram’s horn — to warn the city (cf. Numbers 10:8–10).

The trumpet sound carried a specific message.

Short blasts might call soldiers to arms.

A long sustained blast could mean an approaching army.

A different pattern summoned the people to worship (Joel 2:1, Amos 3:6).

The city’s safety depended on the clarity of the sound.

If the trumpet was muffled or uncertain, people would not prepare.

Paul uses this same image in 1 Corinthians 14:8, saying, “If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”

(Invite children to shout, “Blow the trumpet!” and cue a short clear blast.)

The Bible says in Ezekiel 3:17 “17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”

Ezekiel’s job wasn’t to entertain the crowd — it was to sound the warning clearly so everyone could understand God’s truth.

If the watchman stayed silent, lives would be lost. But if he blew the trumpet clearly, everyone had a chance to respond.

Insight for Kids

God is the One who sets the watchman on the wall (divine appointment).

God is the One who gives the message (divine revelation).

The watchman is responsible to deliver it (human responsibility).

Even when people do not listen, the watchman obeys because he loves them.

Kids Application and Prayer

Big Idea: “God wants me to make His message clear — not quiet or confusing.”

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 14:8 — “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”

Sermon Introduction

Do you have people in your life that you have shared the gospel with and they will just not listen? What about people you haven’t shared the gospel with because you know how that will go.

What are you going to do about this? Please, hold your answers until the end.

Faithfulness is not proven by how many listen but by how long you obey.

1. God calls us to share His Word faithfully, even when our other will not listen. (Ezekiel 3:16–21)

The same truth that God gave to Ezekiel thousands of years ago still applies today.

Ezekiel 3:16–21 (KJV)

16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

A. God Calls His Servant to Watch, Not to Win

The Context:

Ezekiel sat stunned for seven days (v. 15). Ezekiel expereinced deep grief and spiritual paralysis. Ezekiel 3:15 “15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.”

Seven days was the period of mourning for the dead (cf. Genesis 50:10). Ezekiel mourned the spiritual death of his people.

The Call:

“I have made you a watchman” (v. 17). This emphasizes divine commissioning.

The title watchman is used later in Ezekiel 33:7, connecting his early ministry of warning with his later message of hope.

The Charge:

The watchman was not responsible for results but for response.

His task: to relay the warning exactly as he received it.

God says, “Hear the word at My mouth” — an expression underscoring prophetic inspiration.

Application: God measures success by faithfulness, not followers.

B. God Gives His Servant a Clear Message

Hear: The prophet must first receive revelation — “Hear the word at My mouth.”

Prophets are not innovators; they are transmitters of divine truth.

Deuteronomy 18:18–19 “18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”

Much of our nervousness comes from “what am I going to say?” in respect to sharing the gospel this has been determined for us.

Warn: The command “give warning”) appears repeatedly (vv. 18–21).

It literally means “to make shine” or “to enlighten.”

God’s warning is a beam of mercy in a dark world.

Love: God’s warnings flow from His covenant love.

Even judgment sermons are invitations to repentance

Ezekiel 18:23 “23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

This is why we call the message we share “good news”

Application: Clarity is compassion; confusion is cruelty.

C. God Holds His Servant Accountable

Responsibility: Each individual bears guilt for their own sin (Deuteronomy 24:16).

We each our resposnible for own sin. Deuteronomy 24:16 “16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”

NT Reference Romans 14:12 “12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Accountability: The messenger’s silence makes him complicit .

The phrase “his blood will I require” recalls Genesis 9:5, signifying judicial accountability. Genesis 9:5 “5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.”

Paul echoes Ezekiel when he says, “I am pure from the blood of all men.”

Acts 20:26–27 “26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”

Integrity: The true prophet does not alter the message to please his hearers

Jeremiah 26:2 “2 Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:”

Churches are not the only places people go to hear messages that “tickle” their ears.

Application: Silence may protect reputation, but it risks responsibility before God.

Transition: Ezekiel has been commissioned; now he must be strengthened.

2. God gives us a clear message to hear, to warn with, and to love people through. (Ezekiel 3:22–24)

Ezekiel 3:22–24 (KJV)

22 And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

A. The Hand That Strengthens

God’s Presence: “The hand of the Lord was there upon me” (v. 22).

Whenever Ezekiel speaks of the “hand of the Lord,” it signifies God taking control of his life and ministry

This phrase marks divine empowerment, occurring seven times in the book (e.g., 1:3; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1).

God’s hand on your life means His power is at work in you, even when circumstances seem to crush you.

God’s Direction: “Arise, go forth into the plain.”

The plain is a wide open space — symbolic of clarity and exposure before God.

Strength comes not only from God’s presence but also from following God’s path, even when it takes you into uncomfortable openness.

God’s Conversation: “I will there talk with thee.”

Ministry is sustained by ongoing abiding with God, not past experience.

God doesn’t just call Ezekiel to a mission; He calls him to Himself. His voice in private prepares Ezekiel’s voice in public.

Application: Private devotion fuels public declaration.

B. The Vision That Sustains

Same Glory: “Behold, the glory of the Lord stood there” (v. 23).

The visible glory returns — continuity between call and commission.

This is no coincidence — the glory that called him is the glory that sustains him.

Same Response: “I fell on my face.”

Worship precedes work.

Every true encounter with God’s glory produces humility, not pride.

Before you can be strong in public, you must first be surrendered in private.

Same Lesson: The mobile throne reaffirms that God rules even in Babylon.

Ezekiel’s vision reminds him that God’s throne is not bound to Jerusalem’s temple. The wheels within wheels (Ezekiel 1) and this mobile throne show that God rules everywhere, even in exile.

You can endure difficulty when you know that God still reigns over it.

Application: Seeing God’s glory reshapes human courage.

C. The Spirit That Empowers

Empowering: “The Spirit entered into me” (v. 24) — denoting breath, wind, or life

Ezekiel did not rise by willpower but by Spirit-power.

The same Spirit who called him now empowers him to stand and serve.

God never calls without empowering. What God commands, His Spirit enables.

Stabilizing: “Set me upon my feet.”

Notice the passive form — Ezekiel doesn’t set himself up; the Spirit sets him up.

This is a picture of grace. Ministry does not begin with human strength but with divine initiative.

The prophet can only stand because God makes him stand.

When you feel like you can’t stand under the weight of your calling, remember — the Spirit sets you on your feet.

Restraining: “Go, shut thyself within thine house.” Sometimes obedience means waiting in stillness.

Oddly, the Spirit who empowers also restrains. Ezekiel is told to wait in silence before speaking.

Sometimes the Spirit empowers by movement, other times by stillness. Restraint can be just as Spirit-filled as action.

Obedience isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes faithfulness is waiting quietly until God says “speak.”

Application: The Spirit grants power to speak and wisdom to be silent.

Transition: Ezekiel learns that even silence can preach God’s message.

3. God holds us accountable not for how people respond, but for how faithfully we speak. (Ezekiel 3:25–27)

Ezekiel 3:25–27 (KJV)

25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

A. God Restrains His Servant

Ezekiel is told that restraints will be placed upon him. This is likely symbolic rather than a literal arrest.

It illustrates how Ezekiel, though God’s spokesman, would be confined and unable to move freely in ministry.

The greater picture is that Israel had already bound themselves — not with physical chains, but with the cords of their own sin and rebellion. Proverbs 5:22 “22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.”

Sin always enslaves. When we refuse to hear God’s Word, we end up bound by the very choices we thought would set us free.

Application: Even silence, when ordained by God, speaks volumes.

B. God Regulates the Message

Divine Timing: “When I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth.”

Ezekiel is reminded that his ministry is not self-driven but Spirit-directed. He cannot decide when to speak or what to say; only God controls the moments of proclamation.

Timing matters. A word spoken too soon or too late loses its power.

Ministry is not about always having something to say — it is about saying the right thing at God’s appointed time.

Divine Authority: “Thus saith the Lord GOD.”

Every prophetic message begins with divine authorship.

Ezekiel does not speak as Ezekiel but as the mouthpiece of Adonai Yahweh.

\It reminds Israel that the One who speaks is both their King and their Redeemer.

Our authority in speaking God’s Word doesn’t come from our position, personality, or persuasiveness — it comes from the authority of the God who speaks through His Word.

Divine Dependence: Ezekiel’s speech depends entirely on God’s word.

Ezekiel cannot initiate revelation, only transmit it. His dependence highlights the posture of every true messenger: we are not originators of truth, but stewards of it.

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 “1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

His silence until God speaks is a visible testimony that God alone is the source of revelation.

Dependence on God’s Word keeps us humble. We are not free to edit, embellish, or dilute His message. Faithfulness means trusting His Word is sufficient.

Application: True ministry depends more on God’s timing than our talent.

C. God Reveals the Heart

Human Freedom: “He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear.”

Echoed by Jesus in Matthew 11:15 and Revelation 2:7 “7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

God tells Ezekiel that his role is to proclaim, not to force results. The people have the freedom to listen or to refuse.

God honors human responsibility — His Word demands a response, but He does not coerce it.

Sharing God’s truth doesn’t mean controlling outcomes. Our task is to witness faithfully; hearts must choose how to respond.

Moral Exposure: Refusal reveals rebellion — “for they are a rebellious house.”

Rejection of God’s Word is never neutral. To forbear hearing is to expose one’s heart as resistant to God’s authority.

Israel’s refusal was not due to lack of clarity but lack of submission. Their rebellion was moral, not intellectual.

When people resist truth, it often reveals not confusion in their minds but rebellion in their hearts.

Divine Vindication: God’s word accomplishes its purpose regardless of reception (Isaiah 55:11).

Isaiah 55:11 “11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Whether people respond or resist, God’s Word is never wasted. It saves the humble and hardens the proud both outcomes fulfill His purpose.

Paul reflects this in 2 Corinthians 2:16, where the gospel is “the savour/ aroma of life to life” for some and “the aroma of death to death” for others.

God’s truth does not depend on human applause. Its power and purpose remain intact whether embraced or rejected.

Application: The gospel divides hearts, but truth remains victorious.

Conclusion –

Ezekiel’s example: Decades of ministry without applause but with God’s presence.

Our calling: To sound truth clearly, love deeply, and endure faithfully.

God’s promise: His hand is still upon His watchmen.

Challenge:

Will you be a watchman in your world?

Will you speak truth clearly when others stay silent?

Will you say yes to God even when everyone else says no?