How will we respond?

“But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, ‘Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.’ They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words…” Ezekiel 33:30-31

God is speaking to the prophet Ezekiel. Notice what the LORD says concerning His people.

·      “Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the LORD.” They were interested in hearing God’s message.

·      “…Speak to one another, each to his brother….” The people seemed to encourage their brethren to listen to God’s word.

·      “They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people…” God describes them as “My people.”

All of this sounds excellent. But there was a problem.

Here is what the rest of Ezekiel 33 says: “…But they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. ‘Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. So when it comes to pass – as surely it will – then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst.”

Despite the positive qualities mentioned above, these people were not right with God. They heard God’s message but refused to put it into action. Their motives were not pure. They failed to see that a prophet had stood before them. His words were the words of God!

The Bible says a lot about how we are to hear.

James 1:19-25: “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

This past week, we had our spring gospel meeting. It was a blessing to have Brett preach to us the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were able to learn what God says about worry, bitterness, love, grace, and faith. Now, the question becomes, how will we respond? It’s one thing to hear, but it’s another to DO. Below are some action steps we can do as we consider what we have heard this past week.

1.     Look intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty. We must continue to look into the mirror of God’s word. We are to be intentional in doing this. What is your game plan for studying God’s word?

2.     Examine our hearts. Asking questions is a way to see where changes may need to be made. Some questions may look like this:

a.     “In what area of my life do I tend to worry?”

b.     “What cares do I need to cast to the Lord?”

c.     “Have I been biter toward anyone? What does the Bible say I must do to resolve this?”

d.     “Where do I need to grow in my faith?”

e.     “How can I demonstrate my love to my spouse or brethren more?”

f.      “What do I need to mediate on more concerning the grace of God?”

g.     “Who can I share the gospel to?”

3.     Go back and listen to all or some of the sermons. If you find you are struggling with worry, listen to that sermon and study those passages from the Sermon on the Mount again.

How will we respond? Paul told the Thessalonians to Excel Still More! Let us do the same in our faith. Let’s continue to grow in our trust in the Lord.