The Indifferent Watchman: Responsibility

Ezekiel 3:16–21 CSB

Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him—you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked person and he does not turn from his wickedness or his wicked way, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have rescued yourself. Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly, and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to your warning, and you will have rescued yourself.”

Grab Attention:

FCF:

Context:

Purpose:

Main Idea of the Text: Indifference

Plural Noun Proposition:

Indifferent regarding our responsibility

Two things have been discussed.

1: We are created and saved by God to be a witness for Him.

2: The wicked are somewhat dependent on believers sharing the Gospel.

The believer is not responsible for everything

The believer is not responsible for what is said; it is God’s words not theirs.

The believer is not responsible for the wicked sin, the wicked is.

The believer is not responsible for the wicked response, the wicked is.

The believer is not responsible for the outcome (death or life), that is between God and the wicked.

The Believer’s Responsibility

The believer is responsible for their obedience to God.

The believer is responsible for submitting to God authority and will to their life.

The wicked will not have an message if the believer does not submit to God.

The believer is responsible for listening and knowing to the Word of God that is to be shared.

The wicked cannot know the truth if the believer does not know the truth.

The believer is responsible for speaking what the Word of God says.

The wicked cannot respond if they do not hear.

The wicked can repent if they are not warn.

If there is a responsibility of the believer then there must also be a danger for not fulfilling that responsibility.

Ezekiel 3:18 (CSB)

If I say to the wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him—you don’t speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood.

Ezekiel 3:20–21 (CSB)

Now if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and acts unjustly, and I put a stumbling block in front of him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die because of his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn the righteous person that he should not sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he listened to your warning, and you will have rescued yourself.”

Imagine this…

Everyone is an person God has created.

Everyone who dies without repentance will endure the eternal judgment of God.

Everyone is a person that God deeply cares about despite their sin.

Everyone is a person that God has provided a way to be saved. That way was through His death and resurrection. Meaning that God so desires for the the wicked to be restored that He gave His life for them.

Everyone can be saved, restored, if they repent at the hearing of God’s Word.

Now Imagine this ...

This person that God loves never hears the message, the words of God, that could lead to their repentance and the avoidance of eternal judgment.

The reason they never hear is because someone who recieved those same words and experienced that salvation would not share the words of God with them?

They would not share even though they were told by God to do so.

They would not share even though God explained what they were to share.

They would not share even though they knew what would happen if they didn’t repent.

Is God to turn a blind eye to the person or to the church that does not share the Gospel with an unbelieving world? Will God not hold the person and the church responsible for the lack of repentance in an unbelieving person’s life if they do not share?

The believer will either be responsible for the for the blood of the sinner or they will be saved.

God takes the silence of the believer very serious and as believers we must take it very serious.

What is the believer being saved from?

The Believer is being saved from indifference.

Being saved from their indifference regarding their relationship with God.

Being saved from their indifference regarding their concern for sinners.

Being saved from their indifference to the task God has appointed them to.

The Believer is being saved from the judgment of God, for scriptures share that death befalls the disobedient.

We are not much different than Cain killing his brother. For Cain refused to do what was right so he murdered his brother. God views our silence as spiritual murder and it comes with repercussions.

Psalm 37:35–36

Psalm 55:23 

Proverbs 10:27