The Indifferent Watchman: Our Relationship God

Ezekiel 3:16–21 (CSB): 16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “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. 18 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. 19 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. 20 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. 21 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.”

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:Many marriages don’t fail because of the divorce, many marriages fail because they become indifferent towards their spouse.

I told them when we got married that I loved them, I also told them if that changes Ill tell them.

We stop dating

We stop serving

We stop seeking to know our spouse. (whats your favorite color?) Cheesy, yeah but some of our marriages could use some cheesiness.

What is your spouses love language (Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Physical Touch). Whens the last time you spoke your spouses love language or even tried to learn it.

What happens is that we go through the motions without any effort to work on our relationship.

FCF: Do we do the same thing with God? We know we are a believer but that relationship doesn’t feel as close as it use to. When the last time we prayed to God, like really prayed. When the last time you told God how much you loved him and appreciated Him? Such as when you worship. When the last time you told others how much you love God and how much he loves them? When the last time you served him because you are so committed to him. Or are you only doing things if it fits into your wants and preferences? When the last time you have been completely absorbed by his word? Like marriages, we are in risk of treating our relationship with God with in difference.

Whats at Stake: While we are not at risk of God divorcing us, we are still at risk of God judging us. The Old Testament if filled with instances were God allowed his people to go through oppression, serious difficulties, because of their indifference. One prime example of this is the book of Judges. Read it and what you you will discover is not God’s lack of love or affection for Israel but that their indifference lead to their struggles. Even in the New Testament, God warns the 7 churches in revelation that their indifference could lead to removal of God influence among them. He says He will remove the lampstand, which holds the oil. Oil is symbolic to the Holy Spirit. In essence God is saying he will remove the protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Did God not curse the fig tree? Did God not cast out the wicked servant who buried what the Lord gave him? The Bible is really clear, God does not tolerate indifference from His people. When saved are indifferent towards God then we can expect nothing less than divine struggles.

Context: God was calling Ezekiel to do something that He didn’t want to do, share with Israel the message of God and call for their repentance. God knew that for Ezekiel to comply in this, He would need to value three things. His relationship with God, he would need to value the sinner and have compassion for them, and value his own walk with God. It possible to treat these three areas with indifference that will dramatically affect our lives and the lives of others. Over the next three weeks we will address the indifference in our lives and how we can overcome it.

Main Idea of the Text: Indifference towards our relationship with God

Purpose: That believers would take their relationship with God seriously by understanding the nature of that relationship.

Plural Noun Proposition: From the Text we will observe 2 ways we are indifferent towards our relationship with God.

Indifferent regarding our relationship with God

We become indifferent in our Faith walk when we forget or become indifferent with our relationship with God.

This indifference towards our personal relationship with God is the spring board, it is the catalyst that affects other area of our faith. If our spiritual disciples are not what they should be, the first area that should be evaluated is our relationship with God. IS it where it should be?

We need to remember who we are

God calls Ezekiel, “Son of Man”. This has two connotations.

First: Son of Man implied that Ezekiel is a human, a person and is not God. Therefore Ezekiel was a sinner in need of saving by the only one who could save, God.

We must remember we are people who needed to be saved where helpless to save ourselves. Yet God in His great mercy and sacrifice saved us.

Second: Son of Man asserts that Ezekiel is a representative of God and His messianic message.

We bear the title Christian. Which like Son or Man use in the Old Testament, carries messianic implications. Ezekiel was not the Messiah but he represented the Messiah. He was to reflect Him in his actions, purpose, worship, and life.

Instead of Son of Man we are called Christians, but the we carry the same implications the title Son of Man carries in the Old Testament.

We need to remember what our purpose is.

Gods tells Ezekiel that he was Made (Given) a watchman.

Made: (n-Tat-ti-ka); it holds the meaning to be given, put, lend, or set.

First: God gave Ezekiel a task that is not Ezekiel but is God’s. Meaning God decides how the task is accomplished not Ezekiel.

God told Ezekiel in essence he is a watchman, warning the sinners of their transgressions against the Lord.

Second: To accomplish the task the Lord has given we must use what the Lord has given, His Word.

What makes it useful in the task is that it is from Him, not from us. The task is His and the resources is His. We must do it His way with His provision.

Synopsis: For us to resist being indifferent towards our relationship with God we must remember who we are and who God is, also we must remember what our purpose is.

Emotional Appeal: How do we battle indifference towards our relationship with God

Action: Serve one Master

Scripture: Matt. 6:24 ““No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

What is competing for your time? What is trying to take the place of God in your life? It could be an activity, your emotions, your concerns, your ambitions, or something else. What is trying to demand time that should be given to God. Indifference begins when we are putting other things where God should be.

The key here is to be honest with yourself and repent where you allowed others to take the place, the priority to where only God should be.

Action: Seek God

Scripture: Matt. 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”

You must also seek God, you must be intentional about making him a priority. Obviously coming to worship is a way to do that. But what about these discipleship classes beginning tonight? Whether you think you know everything or not, which you don’t. You need to be apart of them because we are teaching on very practical ways for you to treat God as a priority and not become indifferent towards him.

When you are not actively seeking Him, you are allowing your spiritual adversary to pull you away from Him and into Judgment.

Share the Gospel: DO not be indifferent towards your salvation

Final Appeal: Like any marriage, it is not to late. It is not too late between you and God. Too late is a worldly belief, for believers their is always restoration, always hope, because of God. We today can repent towards our indifference towards Him and begin a life that seeks serves him and seeks him and receives the blessing of Him.