FBC Morning Light – September 3, 2022

Good Saturday morning, people of faith. We are in Ezekiel. I'll be reading to you just a brief passage from Ezekiel 2, and the book of Ezekiel and Ezekiel himself are known for several things.

One for some very fantastic imagery of wheels and faces and lots of things that are very strange for us to understand.

He's also known for having to do some wild and crazy things of laying on his side for many days and then switching sides and a number of other things.

Let's just leave it at that. And then finally, he's known as a prophet, one whom the

Lord chose to speak for him. And that's what we're going to talk about in chapter 2 and verse 6.

This is what it says. And you, son of man, that son of man there is

Ezekiel, do not be afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briars and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions.

Do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

So this is God speaking to Ezekiel and encouraging him, do not be afraid or dismayed.

He says something to that effect three times in that verse. Do not be afraid of the dangers around him, the scorpions or the briars, the thorns.

He's going to be in a dangerous spot, and don't be afraid. This is the

Lord encouraging Ezekiel. Don't be afraid of them and how they look at you.

Don't be afraid of them because they are rebellious.

And so many times when you're called to speak the truth, which as Christians we all are, we can be fearful of those that we are speaking to, but that would not be the right thing to do.

They are a rebellious people. Speaking of the people of Judah who have been taken into captivity into Babylon, and that's where Ezekiel is actually at, is on the outskirts of Babylon here, and he's going to be called to speak to the people of Judah.

So I want to talk to you for a moment about these people in rebellion. I think in our society, growing up as a young child,

I got to see Star Wars, and who were the heroes of Star Wars, episode four,

A New Hope? It was the Rebel Alliance. And I think back into the 50s,

Rebel Without a Cause, and a movie that became widely popular amongst a generation of people.

And then in the 80s songs about rebellion, rebellion in this world is treated as an honorable thing to go against the establishment, to go and carve your own path.

And I'm not saying that that's necessarily the same thing here. What we're talking about is people who are in rebellion against God.

And so when you share truth with someone and you share it in love, or whether you share the gospel with someone and you share it in love, and they get angry, keep this in mind that when you present truth, people are presented with a choice that they can choose to believe that truth, or they can choose to rebel against that truth.

And so who is it that they are actually angry at when they become angry with you?

I would submit to you the following proposition, that they are not in fact angry with you per rather that they are angry at God and they are taking it out on God's creation in their anger at you.

And so think that through today. And as you think it through, pray for the souls of those who might become angry at your words and also pray for opportunity to share truth today.

Let's pray. Lord, thank you for the opportunity that you give each of us to share your truth, your word.

Help us to discern your truth from our perception of truth, that we would be evaluating our truth, what we see as truth based on your word, not on any necessarily any thoughts of our own, and help us to remember to pray for those who do become angry at the preaching of your word, that you might work in their lives to save their souls.

For there is no one else that we can come to who can give us hope, who can change people's lives, but it is you and you alone.

And it's in your son's name, Jesus, we pray, amen. Have an excellent