For My Name

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.879 The reading of his word and the preaching of his word. Lord, we 2 00:00:04.919 --> 00:00:08.599 do ask that, as you speak to us this evening in your word, 3 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:17.480 that your word would do all that you intend for it to do, putting 4 00:00:17.480 --> 00:00:23.719 to death and giving life, comforting and challenging, poking, prodding, opening, 5 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.679 revealing, Lord, and all of these things. We asked that we 6 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:33.560 would not miss here your word, that we would not give in to temptation 7 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:40.679 and use your word to do justify ourselves and our own actions. But instead, 8 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:45.799 Lord, we asked that your word would simply be at work in us 9 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:50.240 and on us, and that we would be receivers of it, changed and 10 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:56.200 made by it to greater degrees of glory. For the sake of your name, 11 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:03.640 we pray this in Jesus name m hm, I mean standing. If 12 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:14.159 you're able, and let's turn our attention to Ezekiel Chapter thirty six, Ezekiel 13 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:19.640 thirty six Versus sixteen through thirty eight so verse sixteen, and then through the 14 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:38.000 rest of the chapter. Ezekiel, Chapter thirty six, verse sixteen. The 15 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:42.719 word of the Lord came to me, son of Man. When the House 16 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:47.359 of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and 17 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:52.079 their deeds, their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in 18 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:56.799 her menstrual impurity. So I poured out my wrath upon them, for the 19 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:00.920 blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they 20 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:05.200 had defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed 21 00:02:05.239 --> 00:02:09.479 through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds. I judged 22 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:15.120 them. But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they 23 00:02:15.159 --> 00:02:19.759 profaned my holy name, in that the people said of them, these are 24 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:22.919 the people of the Lord. And yet they had to go out of his 25 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:28.039 land. But I had concerned for my holy Name, which the House of 26 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:35.599 Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came Verse twenty two. Therefore 27 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.000 say to the House of Israel, thus, as the Lord God, it 28 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:42.599 is not for your sake, o House of Israel, that I am about 29 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:46.560 to act, but for the sake of my holy Name, which you have 30 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:51.319 profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness 31 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:54.400 of my great Name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which 32 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:59.840 you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the 33 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:06.120 Lord, declares, the Lord God. When through you I vindicate my holiness 34 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:09.280 before their eyes. I will take you from the nations, and gather you 35 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:13.879 from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will 36 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:17.919 sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, 37 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:23.599 and from your idols. I will cleanse you, and I will give 38 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:27.360 you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. And 39 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.439 I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart 40 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:35.280 of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you 41 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:39.280 to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall 42 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:43.240 dwell in the land that I gave to your father's, and you shall be 43 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.240 my people. And I will be your God. And I will deliver you 44 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:51.840 from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant, 45 00:03:51.879 --> 00:03:54.240 and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the 46 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:59.520 tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer 47 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:03.719 the dis race of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil 48 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:10.639 we Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, 49 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:16.199 and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is 50 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:21.000 not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord God. Let 51 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:28.040 that be known to you be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O, 52 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:33.199 House of Israel, Thus says the Lord God. On that day I cleanse 53 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:38.000 you from all your iniquities. I will cause the cities to be inhabited, 54 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.959 and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall 55 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:46.199 be tilled instead of being a desolate the desolation that it was in the sight 56 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:49.160 of all who passed by. And they will say, the land that was 57 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:54.920 desolate has become like the garden of Eden. And the waste and desolate and 58 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:00.079 ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited. Then the nations that are left to 59 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:02.839 all around you shall know that I am the Lord. I have rebuilt the 60 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:09.160 ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord. I 61 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:13.360 have spoken, and I will do it, Thus says the Lord God. 62 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:16.240 This also, I will let the House of Israel ask me to do for 63 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:23.439 them, to increase their people like a flock, like the flock for sacrifices, 64 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.160 like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts. So shall the waste 65 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:33.959 cities be filled with flocks of people, Then they will know that I am 66 00:05:34.040 --> 00:06:02.839 the Lord. Amen, please be seated. One of the phrases that comes 67 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:06.519 up a lot in Ezekiel, and then comes up a lot in my sermons 68 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:11.040 is that they will know that you will know that I am the Lord. 69 00:06:11.399 --> 00:06:17.160 And it comes up a lot again in this passage um several times the Lord 70 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:23.079 reveals his intentions, his aim for doing the things that he will do. 71 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:29.279 He will make his name known the world, and his own people will know 72 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:34.600 who he is. How's he going to do that? We does it through 73 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:42.319 a very two great acts of power, great acts of strength, one in 74 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:46.000 judgment and one in grace. And that leads to a particular point, which 75 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:50.439 I'll mention in just a moment. The work of judgment we see in what 76 00:06:50.519 --> 00:06:57.519 has already happened right the house of Israel we read in verse sixteen, lived 77 00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:02.000 in their own land and defiled it. They ruined it with their idolatry, 78 00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:05.879 They ruined it with murder, They ruined it in all kinds of ways that 79 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:14.199 Ezekiel, the Lord, through Ezekiel has recounted the Lord. In verse eighteen, 80 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:18.639 we read poured out his wrath upon them. Why for the blood that 81 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:25.399 they shed in the land, for the idols, which with the idols with 82 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:32.000 which they had defiled it, Israel had done unholy things. Israel had made 83 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:35.759 the land unclean, and they were judged for it. They were they were 84 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:40.680 spit out of the land, they were scattered to the nations. And in 85 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:45.360 all that we see the great strength of God in his judgment and his power. 86 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:48.439 He doesn't wink its sin. He doesn't ignore it. He may be 87 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:53.160 patient about it, he may be forbearing about it, he may be very 88 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:58.360 merciful about it. But he will judge it. He will judge it, 89 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:03.079 and he does, and he makes himself known this way. He doesn't allow 90 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:07.800 his people to act like they are God or they are in control forever. 91 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:16.079 He will show that he and he alone is God. But then what happens, 92 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:22.000 A particular dynamic in the whole world comes into con comes into play, 93 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:26.720 and we read about it in verse twenty. When they came to the nations, 94 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:31.679 wherever they came, they profaned My Holy name. Now, how is 95 00:08:31.679 --> 00:08:35.000 it that they profaned his name? He explains it. And it's maybe not 96 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:41.360 what you might first think. In that the people said of them, these 97 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:45.480 are the people of the Lord of Yahweh, And yet they had to go 98 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:50.480 out of his land. So here God makes all these promises in the older 99 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:54.399 parts of the Old Testament, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, 100 00:08:54.600 --> 00:09:01.000 to bless them, to increase these uh this family, to make them as 101 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:05.240 numerous as the stars, and to dwell and to live and dwell with them 102 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:09.960 securely in this land. And yet they're not in the land, and yet 103 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:16.480 they're scattered everywhere. This great, awesome, beautiful family that was meant to 104 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:22.480 be held together and strong together and exemplify for all the world what love looked 105 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:28.559 like, what it means to live as a community fully in love with God 106 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:33.480 and out of that loving each other. That was not here. Instead you 107 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:41.440 have, you know, a land that is desolate, cities wasted, people 108 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:46.000 destroyed, crops dying, famine. I mean, it's it's a horrible place, 109 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:50.759 not a place that you would want to live. As other parts of 110 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:56.600 the scriptures say, that is the Israel became like a byword, right, 111 00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:03.120 like when we talk about Chernobyl. Right, what comes to mind when we 112 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:05.600 think of places like this, with these places that are just have been just 113 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:13.799 destroyed and made useless and places you don't want to go. The land of 114 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.120 Israel was like that, the land where God said he would put his name 115 00:10:18.519 --> 00:10:24.240 and make it to dwell. And now because of their disobedience and and as 116 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.399 a result the judgment that they received, the people are out in these other 117 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:31.720 places and people and the nations are looking them and saying, aren't they as 118 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:41.320 Yahweh's people? Some God, some people. Their sins were having repercussions. 119 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:46.360 In other words, their sins were creating yet more problems and more sin. 120 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:52.799 So God responds to it in verse twenty one. He says, I had 121 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:56.639 concerned from my holy name, which the House of Israel had profaned, among 122 00:10:56.679 --> 00:11:01.919 the nations to which they came. And then what does he do? He 123 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:09.679 just blasses them like crazy. He says, I am going to take this 124 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:16.639 situation of desolation, of death, of of of idolatry, of uncleanliness, 125 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:20.519 of impurity, um of and of scattering, and I'm going to take it, 126 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:26.799 and I'm gonna fix it all, and I'm gonna make it so much 127 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:33.399 better. Have you ever seen a video. I saw a video this week 128 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:39.440 where, um, this really surprising thing happened where kind of something sort of 129 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:43.120 came to life. It seemed like it was dead, and it named a 130 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:46.759 life. Of course, the videos in reverse, right, um, you 131 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:50.360 just reverse, you know. You watch your apple crumbling on your counter and 132 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:54.080 becoming worse and worse. You play the video innivers it's like this gucky, 133 00:11:54.200 --> 00:12:01.360 terrible apple, right, and it's really cool. Well that's just a trick, 134 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.240 right, This is video running the thing in reverse. But that's what 135 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:13.000 God actually does and better. We read in verse thirty five, this land 136 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:18.320 that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden. And the waste and 137 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:24.399 desolate, the and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and 138 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.960 inhabited. Imagine that land. Imagine it with just broken walls and you know, 139 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:37.840 wheel barrels slaying around places, maybe somebody wandering somewhere, and wild animals 140 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:41.799 just moving around. A ghost town, a desolate town, a wasted town, 141 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.159 and not just who knows what happened. Maybe the jobs went away. 142 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:54.679 Everybody knows what happened, like a sodom and gomorrah. God judged these people. 143 00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:03.720 And now plants literally, plants are growing, rain is falling, swalls 144 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:09.519 are rising, women are pregnant. The there are people being gathered in, 145 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:13.399 people worshiping God. The whole thing is like running in reverse. But it's 146 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:22.679 not a trick. It's the real deal. It's an amazing thing. And 147 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:24.679 so in this way, God makes himself known, right, like I said, 148 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:28.919 he makes himself known in his judgment, and he makes himself known in 149 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:35.840 his grace, in amazing grace. The song that we just sang, three 150 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:43.399 we sang it twas grace that taught my heart to fear, Twas grace that 151 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:48.840 taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. Right, God 152 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:56.080 pours out his grace in such a way on these people so that they would 153 00:13:56.200 --> 00:14:00.840 see He is God, they would see him and know him as he is 154 00:14:00.919 --> 00:14:05.960 and fear him. And at the same time, through all of this blessing 155 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:09.559 that He's poured out on him, he's removing every need that they would have 156 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:16.440 to fear anything else, to fear desolation, to fear defilement, to fear 157 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:20.519 the attacks of enemies, to fear a hunger. It's all going away. 158 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:28.960 God's taken care of it all. God makes himself known, and in particular, 159 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:31.480 and here's the truth. I want to hang on to this evening and 160 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:41.200 really impress is that what God makes known to us is that there is glory 161 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:48.279 in God, glory, life, shining, magnificent, wondrous, eden like 162 00:14:48.600 --> 00:15:00.279 and better things, but it is in God alone. There's glory in God, 163 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:05.399 there's life in God, but it is in God alone. And God 164 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:13.440 makes that point in this passage by doing two things in particular. He tells 165 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:16.279 us what he is going to give, and he tells us what he is 166 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:20.919 going to take away. And I want to just go through those with you 167 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:24.919 briefly. Well, there's a lot to think about here, and you know, 168 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:28.200 we could, um, I could preach a sermon on each one of 169 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:33.559 these things, but we're just going to list them for now. So what 170 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:37.679 does God give? What kind of glories does he pour out on his people? 171 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:41.759 It starts in verse twenty four. He says that he is going to 172 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:46.480 gather them in from the nations. Instead of them being scattered and dispersed a 173 00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:50.360 family all over the map, He's going to gather and bring them back together. 174 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:54.759 Number one. I won't continue numbering them because it's a long list and 175 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.039 I don't have them numbered here. Um. Number two, though I can 176 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:02.000 do that one number or two is in verse twenty five. He says he's 177 00:16:02.039 --> 00:16:07.279 going to sprinkle them clean. This is baptism language, and it is one 178 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:11.759 reason why in case anybody's wondering why we sprinkle, are uh we sprinkle in 179 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:17.879 baptisms? What's one reason that that might be legitimate? This is one reason 180 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:22.039 is Ekiel, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be 181 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:26.320 clean from all your uncleannesses and from your idols. I will cleanse you. 182 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:30.039 I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. Right. This 183 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:34.879 language of new life, of rebirth, of resurrection, right, themes that 184 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:38.159 we think of very often when we think of baptism. They're all here, 185 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:42.879 the work of the Holy Spirit cleansing from impurity. And he talks about it 186 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:48.399 in terms of sprinkling clean water on them, which is why that is one 187 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:52.039 legitimate mode for baptism. Now that's an aside the point here. The main 188 00:16:52.080 --> 00:17:00.440 point is that God promises one to gather them in to sprinkle them clean instead 189 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:03.440 of defiled anymore. They are going to be a clean people from all your 190 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:07.839 idols. I will cleanse you. Verse twenty six tells us that in addition 191 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:11.160 to gathering them, in addition to sprinkling and cleaning, them. He is 192 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:18.160 going to give them a new heart. A fundamental change in who they are 193 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:22.599 is going to happen. He's not going to just tell them some new things 194 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:27.000 to do, or give them some more instructions, or sit them down again 195 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:30.799 and say, listen, maybe you didn't understand the law of the first time. 196 00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:37.440 He's not going to do that. Instead, he's going to just change 197 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:44.559 their heart completely. An amazing picture, a new heart. I will give 198 00:17:44.599 --> 00:17:47.720 you a new a spirit I will give you. I will remove the heart 199 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:51.440 of stone and give you a heart of flesh. This is rebirth, this 200 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:56.119 is life, This is resurrection, language, new man, new people. 201 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.880 All right, gather sprinkled, new heart, new spirit, Remove the heart 202 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.200 of stone. Verse seven. He then says, on top of all these 203 00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:08.039 things, I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in 204 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:15.119 my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You couldn't do it before 205 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.119 with your old heart. With your old heart, I would command you to 206 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:22.519 do things and you wouldn't do him. But now I'm going to give you 207 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:27.359 a new heart, and I I the Lord God, will cause you to 208 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:33.319 walk in my rules. You will be careful to obey them. Does a 209 00:18:33.400 --> 00:18:40.319 new life does a new heart produce godliness, absolutely, because that's what hearts. 210 00:18:40.920 --> 00:18:45.200 God hearts do, God given hearts do. When God begins and he 211 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.279 works the new life in us, he does it in such a way that 212 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:56.160 we now walk in that life. It's his work in us. We keep 213 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:57.720 going. In verse twenty eight, he says, you shall dwell on the 214 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:02.519 land I gave to your fathers and mothers. I shall be your God, 215 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:06.079 You will be my people. Here we have communion. On top of this, 216 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.960 They're not just going to be individually walking, walking, and UH with 217 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:18.759 the Lord individually obeying, individually leading lives that are directed towards love of Him 218 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:25.279 and love of each other. But they're gonna do it together together. There 219 00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:29.960 they will. They will come into this land as a people with God over 220 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:36.319 them, ruling them and loving them. The curse will be removed. We 221 00:19:36.359 --> 00:19:38.640 read in the next few verses, like I talked about that great sort of 222 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:44.440 reversing video. Um, here the fruit of the tree will increase, The 223 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:48.720 field will be abundant, and never again will you discuss UH suffer the disgrace 224 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:53.440 of famine. On top of that, they will express this new heart and 225 00:19:53.559 --> 00:20:00.119 repentance. This new heart will lead to an attitude that instead of saying I 226 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.039 don't need the Lord and I don't need God, and I'm fine and I'm 227 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:08.720 independent, and my sins aren't that bad, everything changes in them and you 228 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:14.799 have this picture instead Verse thirty one. You will remember your evil ways and 229 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:18.920 your deeds that you were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your 230 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:27.160 iniquities and your abominations. They are going to come to repentance. They're gonna 231 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:32.119 see their sin for what it really is. They're gonna see the things that 232 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:37.039 they have done, and instead of excusing them or denying them or downplaying them, 233 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:42.640 they're going to hate them as God does. They're gonna loathe themselves. 234 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:47.839 It's not a miner or a small thing. They're gonna look at their lives 235 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:52.480 according to that old stony heart and say, ah, I hate that. 236 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:56.079 I hate it, and I hate it so much. I loathe that. 237 00:20:56.160 --> 00:21:03.359 I despise it. I want nothing to do with it. He says, 238 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:10.200 he will rebuild them, not only their hearts, but their cities. The 239 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:14.440 land that was desolate shall be tilled, it shall be brought for it will 240 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:18.559 bring forth life. It will become like the garden of Eden. And then, 241 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:23.480 of course At the end in verse Versus thirty seven and thirty eight, 242 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:30.039 he says, I this will for those of you who were discussing prayer with 243 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:32.880 me this morning. I think you'll find this interesting when he says, I 244 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:37.279 will let the House of Israel asked me to do for this for them. 245 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:41.079 He's gonna let them ask it, and then he's gonna do it. And 246 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:45.680 what is it he what is it that they will do? They will increase 247 00:21:45.799 --> 00:21:51.400 like a flock, like the flocks that were brought in for Jerusalem for the 248 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.599 great sacrifices, where the city is just teeming with animals. God uses that 249 00:21:55.720 --> 00:22:02.240 picture of worship for a picture of his people not being sacrificed for their sins, 250 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:07.160 but giving their lives in a sacrifice of praise, living their lives in 251 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:12.119 the full knowledge and trust that He is the Lord and he alone. It's 252 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.000 the Lord. That's what God is giving to them. I mean, this 253 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:21.079 is this is everything right. He's going to gather them in, he's gonna 254 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.119 clean them, he's gonna give him a new heart. He's gonna unite them 255 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:26.799 in love. They're gonna have this great relationship with him. The place that 256 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:32.480 they live is going to be secure and strong. They're going to be repenting 257 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:38.240 of their old sins and just growing and beautifying and flowering. That's what God 258 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:47.680 promises to give amazing grace. Yeah, I think that's fair. It is 259 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:52.599 really amazing. And so this is the glory that God gives. This is 260 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:57.200 what it means to live in His glory, to experience life in him. 261 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:03.359 These are pictures of that for us. But as I mentioned, God not 262 00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:07.839 only gives something in this passage and explains what he gives, he also takes 263 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:15.319 away. What does he take away? Well, as he gives his own 264 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:22.960 glory to them, he takes away theirs, he takes away their's. Look 265 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:26.920 at verse twenty two. Therefore, say to the House of Israel, Thus 266 00:23:26.920 --> 00:23:30.960 says the Lord God, it is not for your sake, o, House 267 00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:33.880 of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of 268 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:40.799 my Holy name. It is not for your sake, but for my sake 269 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:45.839 and the sake of my Holy name. Now there is a way in which 270 00:23:47.799 --> 00:23:52.359 God is acting for their sake, for their benefits. So, for example, 271 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.759 this morning we read in Titus one through four that Paul comes as God's 272 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:02.599 servant um for the It says Paul a servant of God and apostle of Jesus 273 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:07.759 Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of 274 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:14.839 the truth which accords with godliness and the hope of eternal life. So Titus 275 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.839 Paul says, Paul, sent from God, says, I am coming for 276 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.279 your sake, for your benefit, and he gives specific things which will talk 277 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:26.640 about next Sunday morning. So what does the Lord mean here when he says 278 00:24:26.680 --> 00:24:30.640 it's not for your sake. Well, clearly it's for their benefit, right, 279 00:24:30.680 --> 00:24:34.160 because he's pouring out all kinds of benefits on them. He's not saying 280 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:38.200 they received no benefit, just the opposite. But what he is saying is, 281 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:42.240 at a fundamental level, he is doing this first and foremost for the 282 00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:48.519 sake of his name, and not for their name. For His glory, 283 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:52.920 not for their glory. We see that in verse twenty two, and he 284 00:24:52.039 --> 00:24:56.920 keeps repeating it over and over verse twenty three. I will vindicate the holiness 285 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:02.480 of my great name, my great name, he says, and the end 286 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:06.839 of that verse, I will vindicate my holiness before their eyes, I I 287 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:11.680 I. The Lord keeps emphasizing and underlining this point that it is about him. 288 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:15.440 Look at verse thirty six is another example, and there are many. 289 00:25:15.559 --> 00:25:19.759 He says, then the nations that are are left around you shall know that 290 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:25.200 I am the Lord. I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which 291 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:29.160 is desolate. I am the Lord. I have spoken, and I will 292 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:34.200 do it. I I I I am the one is really who is rebuilding. 293 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:37.359 I am the one who is judging. I am the one whom the 294 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:41.480 nations will look out and know that I am the Lord. In other words, 295 00:25:41.480 --> 00:25:44.359 they're not going to come into the land of Israel. Everything will flower 296 00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:47.000 and build up, and they'll say, man, those people finally got their 297 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:52.440 act together. I finally finally started doing the right thing. What a glorious, 298 00:25:52.440 --> 00:25:56.440 amazing people, what an amazing kingdom. That's not what God is after. 299 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:00.000 That's not the goal. Now, people say me, may say amazing 300 00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:04.799 things about Israel and Jerusalem and these kinds of things, but ultimately he wants 301 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:12.720 them saying things about him, praising him, honoring him, glorifying him. 302 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:18.240 We even see the flip side of this coin when he says in verse thirty 303 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:22.839 two, um verse yes, verse thirty two, it is not for your 304 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:26.319 sake that I will act, declares the Lord let that be known to you, 305 00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:30.640 all right. He's very clear about this. He then adds this amazing 306 00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:37.319 statement, be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O House of Israel. 307 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:52.000 I don't know if that reaction, that particular reaction is always encouraged in our 308 00:26:52.079 --> 00:27:00.160 churches, being ashamed and confounded upon receiving the grace of God. Now there 309 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:07.400 are other great reactions, right praising Him, having joy in him, celebrating 310 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:12.240 in him. Those are also appropriate, being filled with gratitude. But I 311 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:15.400 think it's fair to stop and say, for a moment, but this is 312 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:22.160 also appropriate and even desired by God, to be in shamed and confounded for 313 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:29.119 our ways. When God, let me read again those words from Amazing Grace 314 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:36.119 towards grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. How 315 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:42.279 do we come to a place where we stop giving glory to ourselves, where 316 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:47.319 instead we look at ourselves and we feel a sense of shame. We look 317 00:27:47.319 --> 00:27:48.680 at the words of God and we say, I don't even know what to 318 00:27:48.759 --> 00:27:52.519 make all of this. This is too much, this is too good. 319 00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:59.720 I don't even have the words to describe what is happening to us right now, 320 00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:03.480 as we see all of this judgment being reversed. The next chapter, 321 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.920 the Valley of Dry Bones, God is going to raise this army out of 322 00:28:07.960 --> 00:28:12.759 death. Right, it's the same thing going on here. It's confounding. 323 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:21.160 It's almost unbelievable, except of course, that it is the Lord who's doing 324 00:28:21.240 --> 00:28:26.000 it. And that's why it's believable. And that's why when we can look 325 00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:30.279 at our ways and we can look at we are are, we are changed. 326 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:36.359 We are changed by the work of God in us. And so that's 327 00:28:36.359 --> 00:28:40.039 why I say what God is doing in this passage is he is telling us 328 00:28:40.279 --> 00:28:48.000 that there is glory in God. Absolutely, it's life giving, its life 329 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:53.200 saving, and it will bring you much joy. But it's only in God 330 00:28:53.279 --> 00:29:00.720 alone. And when we recognize that, we begin to see ourselves new ways. 331 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:06.079 Instead of depending on ourselves, we depend on Him. Instead of being 332 00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:11.640 proud of our works, we are ashamed of them, instead of being trusting, 333 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:15.319 and the things that we do, we are confounded by them. Why 334 00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:21.640 by being confounded in a way by His grace. It's his grace that brings 335 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:27.519 this about in us. It's his grace that brings about this change. Another 336 00:29:27.640 --> 00:29:33.720 way to put this is, in addition to raising us up or before raising 337 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:38.559 us up, God takes us down. He humbles us, and he shows 338 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:42.599 us who we really are, so that we and the rest of the world 339 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:52.799 might know that he and he a loaned is the Lord. Why does God 340 00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:56.599 do this? I want to close with this. Why does God do this? 341 00:29:56.720 --> 00:30:02.119 Why does he give so much and then kind of humiliate us along the 342 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:06.440 way? Why does God bless us with all of these blessings and then at 343 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:11.720 the same time saying this doesn't have anything to do with you. It is 344 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:18.799 kind of hard to hold all together. I think he gives us all of 345 00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:26.359 these things, and yet he just strips away our independence, just every last 346 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:30.119 plank of it. He just won't let us have any of it, not 347 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:33.880 a single shred are we left to hang onto and say, well, at 348 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:37.680 least there was no nothing, no nothing, It is eye and alone. 349 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:42.799 Why does he do this? There's so many reasons. I'll mention just a 350 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:48.400 couple. One. I think one reason is because if he did leave us 351 00:30:48.480 --> 00:30:52.920 some measure of independence, even like the tiniest little bit of light, the 352 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:59.519 tiniest little bit of of glory, then he wouldn't be the one true God. 353 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:10.000 God. The God is the only God. It is impossible for there 354 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:15.759 to exist. You know a billion or many billions of other gods who all 355 00:31:15.799 --> 00:31:21.920 get little bits of glory here and there. And He, the most God, 356 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:26.519 is not on some sort of scale of being or scale of glory. 357 00:31:26.759 --> 00:31:33.119 He is entirely unto himself in an entirely unique way, in a way that's 358 00:31:33.160 --> 00:31:40.079 different from everything else. It is, in other words, impossible, according 359 00:31:40.119 --> 00:31:45.240 to his own divine being, to give glory anywhere but to himself alone. 360 00:31:48.359 --> 00:31:55.400 A second reason God makes sure to strip away all of our independence, all 361 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:59.119 of our hope in ourselves, and to give all glory to him and to 362 00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:04.240 him alone, is because God loves you, and he wants you to have 363 00:32:04.799 --> 00:32:12.079 real life, real hope, and real life and real hope does not come 364 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:16.079 to us through our own glory. It does not come to us through our 365 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:22.880 own good works, as the whole life of Israel hopefully has proven to you, 366 00:32:23.599 --> 00:32:27.440 as we have gone through these passages, and as we have seen a 367 00:32:27.559 --> 00:32:31.880 nation that had the law, that had they had the law, so clearly 368 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:40.200 had God in these wonderful ways, and yet failed to obey him. Life 369 00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:52.000 only comes through faith in Him, not through our personal obedience to Him. 370 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:57.200 And as long as we're hanging on to some measure of that we we lose 371 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:00.559 something of him, and he doesn't want that for us. He loves us, 372 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:05.240 He loves you, and he wants you to have the gathering in the 373 00:33:05.279 --> 00:33:08.799 communion and the life, even eternal life. He wants you to be clean, 374 00:33:08.920 --> 00:33:14.599 and so he's not going to leave you to yourself. Praise God, 375 00:33:14.759 --> 00:33:19.799 right, Praise God that he doesn't leave me, and say, all right, 376 00:33:19.880 --> 00:33:23.799 Christopher, go ahead and do your best again, try a little bit 377 00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:29.519 harder at this time, because he knows exactly what will happen. I will 378 00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:35.799 fail, just like I have time and time and time before. But because 379 00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:38.839 he loves me, and because he loves you, he steps into that mess 380 00:33:38.920 --> 00:33:44.519 of sin, that fallen man, that heart of stone, and he changes 381 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:51.440 us, and he causes us. He acts on us in such a way 382 00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:59.599 that we now live for him and truly repent of our sins. If I 383 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:01.839 could put it this way, in order to live, we have to first 384 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:07.720 die. We have to come to an end of ourselves. And this, 385 00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:12.000 of course is all a picture of the cross. It's a picture of the 386 00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:15.320 work of Jesus Christ. When we look at Jesus and we see the work 387 00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:19.079 that God has done. We see exactly all the things that he's talking about 388 00:34:19.119 --> 00:34:23.079 here. We see that it's our sins that put him on that cross, 389 00:34:23.719 --> 00:34:28.280 And if we are honest about it, we can't. We don't have any 390 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:34.280 excuse for that anymore. If the Son of God has to die in that 391 00:34:34.360 --> 00:34:39.360 way, well, then I have no no grounds for my own righteousness, 392 00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:45.000 right, I have no ground for that. When we look at the cross 393 00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:49.960 of Christ and we see what our Lord has to go through in order for 394 00:34:50.039 --> 00:34:53.039 us to be saved, all pride is gone. At least it should be. 395 00:34:54.800 --> 00:35:00.679 We should become ashamed and confounded about our ways. We should to remember 396 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:04.719 our evil ways and see that our deeds are not good. And when we 397 00:35:04.840 --> 00:35:08.639 see the cross and think about what Jesus had to do, we loathe ourselves 398 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:17.519 and we don't want to be us anymore. Get away from ourselves even we 399 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:24.440 come to a point through God's gracious work in Christ, which begins here into 400 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:30.360 other passages of the Old Testament, we see that work of Christ and we 401 00:35:30.480 --> 00:35:38.440 see that we have nothing to offer, and that He's offering us the world 402 00:35:40.039 --> 00:35:47.800 that in that same act of suffering there is victory. Colossians talks about the 403 00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:54.719 record of debts and its legal demands being nailed to the cross. It talks 404 00:35:54.760 --> 00:36:00.880 about Satan and all of our enemies being paraded in open shame at the death 405 00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:08.559 of Jesus as he conquers sin and death. When we see the cross, 406 00:36:08.639 --> 00:36:14.440 when we see God's work pointing towards that here in Ezekiel, we let go 407 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:20.519 of our works, We let go of our sins, and we give ourselves 408 00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:27.519 entirely to God and to his work. I have rebuilt the ruined places. 409 00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:30.719 I have replanted that which is desolate. I am the Lord. I have 410 00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:37.360 spoken, I will do it. All glory be to God. And because 411 00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:45.840 all glorious to God. You are saved because you're not on your independent little 412 00:36:45.840 --> 00:36:51.400 self anymore, trying to live out your life and your own strength and your 413 00:36:51.440 --> 00:36:59.639 own righteousness and in your own scare quotes glory right. You are a son 414 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:05.760 of God. You are a daughter of God, living in the riches of 415 00:37:05.880 --> 00:37:15.280 your Father and his love for you. In Holy, Holy, Holy, 416 00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:22.119 another hymn we sang this evening. We're saying, all thy works shall praise 417 00:37:22.199 --> 00:37:28.320 thy name, and that's what we are. I think. The hymn goes 418 00:37:28.360 --> 00:37:31.079 on to say something about creation, heaven, and earth. But it applies 419 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:37.079 to us, doesn't it are we are His works. I have rebuilt, 420 00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:40.599 I have replanted, I have given the new heart, I have caused you 421 00:37:40.679 --> 00:37:45.079 to walk in my statutes and my rules, God's works, and so we 422 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:51.480 are. Does our praise come from It comes from God doing this work in 423 00:37:51.639 --> 00:38:00.280 us. When we struggle to make our independence from God, our self sufficiency 424 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:05.760 from God, and our sins against God. When we struggle to make those 425 00:38:06.239 --> 00:38:10.519 look like they're worthy of glory, to look like they're good enough, or 426 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:19.119 to look like maybe we can earn something, we fall short of His glory. 427 00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:27.000 We fall short and do not receive the promises that are here because that's 428 00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:30.960 kind of what we want. We say, I want to do it on 429 00:38:31.039 --> 00:38:36.119 my own, and to be on our own means to be away from all 430 00:38:36.159 --> 00:38:44.199 of this. To be on our own means that we are self condemned and 431 00:38:44.239 --> 00:38:49.960 that we have all fallen short of the glory of God. But when we 432 00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:53.079 put our faith in Him alone, when we put our faith in Him and 433 00:38:53.320 --> 00:39:01.440 his work in his doing, then we're simply free, just free, free 434 00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:08.440 to just enjoy. It makes me picture this is really weird, but it 435 00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:14.480 makes me picture a guy on a beach in a in a box like a 436 00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:19.199 refrigerator box, right, and it's totally dark, and he's gonna he's gonna 437 00:39:19.239 --> 00:39:22.800 relax today, right, and he's he's gonna enjoy and soak up the rays. 438 00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:29.840 And he's gonna do it by commanding the sun into existence right there in 439 00:39:29.880 --> 00:39:36.280 his dark little refrigerator box. And he can yell and scream all day, 440 00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:39.119 he can wish and hope, and he can scrape. I don't know what 441 00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:45.360 you would do. I don't scrape the walls. Whatever. Nothing is going 442 00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:49.639 to happen. And it's sad, right, it's sad too, because he's 443 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:52.639 on the beach, right. All he has to do is get out of 444 00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:57.920 his box. Stop trying to live in this place. Stop trying to say 445 00:39:58.039 --> 00:40:01.440 I will create the sun. Just stop doing that and go enjoy the sun. 446 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:07.679 That's what's being offered to you. It's like that for us as well. 447 00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:12.599 When God comes to us and he speaks to us and the cross, 448 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:15.760 he's saying, just come and enjoy me. It's all a gift. It's 449 00:40:15.800 --> 00:40:21.000 all free. In fact, I'm telling you you can't do any of it. 450 00:40:21.320 --> 00:40:22.199 I will do it, and I will do it all for you. 451 00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:28.800 So don't stay in your box. Don't keep trying to do it on your 452 00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:32.480 own, don't keep waiting and relying on your own strength and on the things 453 00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:40.280 of this world. Just enjoy his and receive it. The scriptures say the 454 00:40:40.440 --> 00:40:50.639 righteous shall live by faith, faith alone, in Christ alone, to God 455 00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:57.679 alone be the glory. Let's pray, our heavenly Father, thank you for 456 00:40:57.719 --> 00:41:01.920 the work that you have done among us, your children. How loving you 457 00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:06.920 are, how strong you are, how gracious you are. You have given 458 00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:12.239 us new life and a life that will not die, life that is bound 459 00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:19.360 up in the very resurrection of Jesus Christ himself, the first fruits of the 460 00:41:19.440 --> 00:41:25.119 resurrection, the living from the dead. And Lord, as we see these 461 00:41:25.159 --> 00:41:31.480 works in ourselves and in our brothers and sisters, let's rejoice. Teach us 462 00:41:31.480 --> 00:41:37.079 to give you praise, to lift up your name and say, Wow, 463 00:41:37.880 --> 00:41:43.360 look what you're doing, Look what you've done. Lord. We thank you 464 00:41:43.440 --> 00:41:45.880 for the spirit that you have put into us. We thank you for the 465 00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:50.760 life that you have given to us, a life that allows us to truly 466 00:41:50.840 --> 00:41:55.599 repent and to truly hate that old man in us. Help us to put 467 00:41:55.639 --> 00:42:01.320 the flesh to death and to live life by the spirit of God who is 468 00:42:01.360 --> 00:42:07.199 in us, Let your ways be known to us, Let your character be 469 00:42:07.320 --> 00:42:10.719 known to us. Let your grace be known to us, that we might 470 00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:15.920 sing of it, that we might glory in it, that we might enjoy 471 00:42:15.039 --> 00:42:22.639 it, and that we might share it with others, that they too might 472 00:42:22.760 --> 00:42:30.400 live and enjoy the Son of God. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen,