Called to be A Watchman

In Ezekiel 2-3 God is calling Ezekiel to go and speak to a the Israelites. They have rebelled against God. More than once God says, "And whether they listen or fail to listen." He doesn't want Ezekiel to be swayed by whether they receive it or not. And notice, in 3:8 where God says He will make Ezekiel as unyielding and hardened as they are. Not in a bad way though. He will unyieldingly speak what God has told him to speak. This got me thinking about America. This nation was founded on Godly principles. More and more we see people turn from God and go out to do their own thing. Sin abounds, and the sad thing is, people think it's okay. It used to be when a person sinned their conscience would bother them. But after allowing one thing after another, their conscience has been dulled. What they once thought was wrong has become right in their eyes. They try to justify by saying things like, "well, I haven't murdered anyone." But you know, the Word says that if you have hatred in your heart you have murdered. They say, "I didn't have sex with that woman! (or man)" But God says if you lusted in your heart, you've committed adultery. Constant exposure to sin makes the lines between right and wrong blurry. The Word however, makes it clear. The thing is, most people who are sinning aren't reading the Word. So it's safe to say that many don't know what God has to say on the subject. So whose responsibility is it to tell them? Ezekiel was called as a watchman. His job was to warn the wicked. And you know what would happen if he failed to warn them? Their blood would be on his hands. Scary thought to know that you will be held accountable for not warning people.

The New Testament tells us to preach the Gospel. But before a person can receive Jesus as Savior, they need to see their need of a Savior. That means they have to realize that they are in sin. It's kind of a touchy situation when we witness. Not everyone is willing to hear that they are a sinner. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that most people don't want to hear that. They get defensive. But you know, whether they receive it or not, we should be not only sharing that there is hope in Jesus, we need to let them know the reason they need what He offers. I was thinking about Kirk Cameron and his approach to witnessing. He lets people know that they have lied, they have stolen, they have committed adultery in their heart....and then he proceeds to tell them the remedy for sin. I think we can learn from him. Maybe you're uncomfortable with that type of witnessing. We don't have to do it exactly as he does. Sometimes we build relationships with people and just by hanging out with us (Christians) they should see a difference. Our light should be a beacon that shines bright in the midst of darkness. Our actions should reflect Christ in us.

 

So what about the believer who is caught in sin? Ezekiel is speaking about God's chosen people, those who have rebelled. That's another issue entirely. They know God. They know of His goodness. But they have veered from the course, so to speak. In today's times you may call it backsliding. Galatians 6:1 says, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." And over in Matthew 18:15-17 we're told, "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan and a tax collector." So basically we're to go to the sinning brother and let him know he is in sin. We shouldn't do it boastfully, as if it could never happen to us. That's pride and as a Christian, we should all know what the Bible says about pride. Our primary goal should always be to lovingly lead our brothers back to Christ, to repentance. James 5:19 says, "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."