BLOW THE TRUMPET - HEED THE WARNING 

EZ 33:1-11

     When God gave me this particular passage of scripture for this mornings message it was not so we could talk about Ezekiel and Israel.  Nor was it intended for us to do an extensive study on what it means for God to require the blood of others at our hands.  It was given to remind USF that it has been appointed as a watchman for NCSU, and since we are watchmen we must blow the trumpet.  Now before I go on to talk about the watchman and his responsibilities let me first say that this organization is not the only watchman for this campus.  There are other legitimate Christian groups on this campus who are also watchmen over it.

            Now what does it mean to be a watchman.  Watchmen were stationed on city walls, hill tops, or watchtowers.  He was to be on the alert for approaching enemies and warn the city's people of any impending attack.  His warning gave city dwellers that were outside of the walls and opportunity to return to the city for protection and gave those people inside the walls time to secure the gate and prepare their defense.

            As God's watchman Ezekiel was responsible for sounding the warning of impending judgment on Israel.  The call actually making Ezekiel a watchman came in Chapter 3 and was preceded by some important instructions in Chapter 2. 

EZ. 2:3 - 3:4, 17-21

            In this portion of scripture Ezekiel is told to do 3 things:

1.  vs. 2:8-3:3 - He is told to eat the word; to digest it, not just to taste it with his tongue by to cause his belly to eat it and to fill his bowels.  This is a digestion of the word.  Here at  Fellowship I believe that many of you will admit that you get plenty of good word to eat.  There are          many opportunities for you to eat.  The word is presented in different fashions and on different          levels. (Shelton - hot spicy chicken, Reggie - fried chicken; put a little excitement in your eating, Me - chicken fillet; lay it out plain so all you have to do is chew on it.)  There is word for the beginner and for the seasoned saint.  But for the word to be presented and not digested is like chewing food and not swallowing it. It is profitless.

2.  vs 3:4 - Ezekiel is told to go and speak the word and in Ch 2:5 he is told to speak whether they listen or not.  On this campus the unsaved and backsliders will not always want to hear what we have to say.  John 3:19 -20 says that man loves darkness rather than light because of their evil deeds.  But when light is cast it dispels darkness and their evil deeds are brought out into the light.  You see there are many here on campus who are not saved but who also cannot claim ignorance of God's will as their excuse for not being saved.  They like the Israelites are stubborn, rebellious, disrespectful for God and shameless.  When we speak the truths of God to them, they know what is right to do but they love their evil deeds, and do not want to hear what God has to say.  But we are told to continue speaking; don't give up.  Someone will hear. 

3.  Ch 2:6 - Ezekiel is told not to be afraid of their words, their traps, stings or looks.  Fear maybe one of the major reasons for not sounding the trumpet and sharing God's word on this campus.  Not a fear of physical harm, but of rejection.  For man, rejection seems to be worse than physical harm because it hurts our feelings.  We can not separate ourselves from the Word that we live by and when our faith is rejected we take it personally.  However, we must remember it is not we who are being rejected but rather it is God. 

            A good watchman must be fearless.  He cannot see the enemy coming and run off before sounding the trumpet.  He can not consider the great number of enemy troops and the few soldiers on his side, become discouraged and give up.  If we sound the trumpet on this campus or on our jobs and only a few are saved from the coming judgment then our efforts are not in vain.  If we sound the trumpet and none get save our efforts are still not in vain. For even that portion of our lives will be useful to God one day.

            A good watchman must be alert.  He can not go to sleep on the job,  If he does the enemy will be on the city before it has time to prepare.  If we at USF are asleep on this campus, going about our daily task, forgetting that there is a lost world at our finger tips, we are like sleeping watchmen.  If we are not sounding the trumpet warning now, how will those who are  outside the Ark of Safety, those who abide not in the eternal care of God, how will they be warned to come in before it is too late.  The warning must be given early.  We must blow the warning trumpet now.

            A good watchman must sound the correct warning.  Paul said in I Cor. 14:8 For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle.

For large cities there were normally several watchmen. The warning was passed on so that all would hear.  The correct warning had to be blown by all watchmen or there would be total confusion.  So a good watchman had to be fearless, alert and skilled in relaying an accurate warning.

            What warning are you to sound? 

1.  Ezek. 33:8-11 Like Ezekiel, we are to warn the wicked to turn from their evil ways or he would die in his sin.  We are to tell the wicked to repent, to confess and forsake his sin (Prov. 8:13).      Before we go any further let's clear up the question of who we are to warn.  Who are the wicked?

Ps. 119:155 - Those who seek not the statues commandments or Word of God.  Their primary motive in life is not to glorify God through obedience, but to seek to glorify themselves.

Prov. 10:16 - Fruit is something that grows but it grows as a result of other actions.  An apple tree produces pretty, tasty apples because after the tree is planted it gets watered, sunshine, some type of fertilizer and pruning.  The apples on the tree give evidence to the work that was done.  The ways of the wicked produce more sin and a life of sin is evidence that one is wicked.  If that is not clear enough, turn to

Ps. 10:4-11 - The wicked do not consider God's will or His desires for them.  He is prideful and arrogant; considering himself to be self-sufficient.  He is deceitful and greedy.  And he thinks that God does not see his actions.      (Eccl. 8:11 - because God in His mercy does not always punish him speedily, he becomes and does more evil).  But we are to warn the wicked to turn from sin and turn to God.

2.  Ezek. 33:2 - The sword coming upon the land is a sign of God's judgment.  We like Ezekiel are to warn the people of the coming judgment of God.  (Heb. 9:27 says it is appointed to man once to die and then to face judgment.)  Normally when we speak of the Judgment of God we associated it with one or two things: 1) the outpouring of God's wrath upon the wicked at the end of this age, and 2) eternal damnation of the wicked.  But in truth all will be judged but at separate judgments.  Believers will be judged at the Judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, I Cor. 3:10 - 15.  Unbelievers will be judged at the White Throne Judgment of God.

 Rev. 20:11-15 - Here the unsaved stand before God to be judged.  At this time there will be no mercy.  The age of mercy will be over.  Those who stand before God in this judgment will stand under His wrath.

 WHAT IS GOD'S WRATH?

            Wrath is anger or intense anger.  However God's anger is not directed at man but rather it is directed at sin.  God's wrath is one of His attributes just like His love , mercy, justice,          etc.  God's wrath like His other attributes does not change.  He has in the past and He always will          hate all sin.  However He loves sinners.

WHY WILL MERCY BE OVER AND WRATH PREVAIL?      

            God hates sin and He has always wanted to rid His creation of sin, but not at man's expense.  Love and mercy caused Him to provide a way of getting rid of sin without completely annihilating man.  The plan also had to be just.  In order to meet these requirements God gave His most precious          possession, Himself, in the form of His son Jesus Christ.  He did this to provide a way so that man would not stand under his wrath when it poured out against sin.  But you would not heed the call to repent and come to Him.  Those of you who refuse to come to Him rebelliously reject Him choosing to continue in disobedience. 

Eph. 5:1-6 God instructs us what to do to avoid His wrath but in rejecting His forgiveness you continue as children of the devil and bring God's wrath upon you. 

Rom.2:4-6 - The hard, rebellious, impenitent heart of man stores evidence against Himself that causes God's wrath to be poured out upon Him.  Every time you reject the Gospel your heart becomes harder and you chalk up another mark or witness against yourself.  Those marks, unless erased by the Blood of Jesus will eventually bring the wrath of God upon you.

John 3:36 - The wrath of God abides on the unbeliever.  But no man is forced to abide under the wrath of God. 

Rom 5:6 - 11 - We can be saved from wrath through faith in Jesus Christ.

            So church we must blow the trumpet loud and clear to warn of the coming judgment of God.  It is our responsibility as ministers and children of God.  But for you unbelievers who are here today, we can blow but we cannot make you hear and to hear means to take heed.

            According to Ezekiel 33:9 if you refuse to take heed to the warning, you bring damnation upon yourself.  If you ignore the warning and your soul is lost in the lake of fire it will not be God's fault or anyone else's fault but your own. (EXAMPLE: If you were sitting watching a ball game and

you have about 45 sec. left in the game and the score is tied. If someone came along and started screaming that your house was on fire.  Suppose you could already smell the smoke.  Would you sit there and say let me finish the game before I try to get out of here.  If you did wait and woke up 10 day later in a hospital burned beyond repair, would you blame your neighbors, god or yourself.)

            For some of you here today your spiritual house is on fire and though you may think you are enjoying living as you are, one day you will awaken and find that you are forever locked in a state of torment, and there is no way of escape.      

            I understand why those who reject Jesus on this earth will experience the wrath of God.  It's hard when you do all  that you can and go beyond the call of duty to help someone and then they reject you or do nothing to help themselves.

            God went through great pain to provide a way for man to come to Him in love and escape His wrath. 

Phil 2:5-8 - This tells how God through His son Jesus, laid aside His power and position and willingly came to this earth as a man.  He came to an earth where He would be loved by only a few and rejected by multitudes.  But He still came just to provide a way out for all who would take it.  To provide that chance it was necessary for Him to die the worse death known to man; on a cross; a slow painful death.  But before He even got to the cross He had to suffer continuous humiliation and pain.  He was brutally treated worse than any criminal deserves.  Yet He was innocent.

            Black History Month was in February and they showed many movies and documentaries of the 1960's civil rights marches.  We were not there to see the things that happened but even today when we watch it on TV we get angry and it hurts.  If it hurts with our just seeing it imagine how we would feel if it were our child or us on that TV being attacked by dogs.  Imagine how much worse you would feel when you saw African Americans not living up to there potential, or talking negatively about those who fought and died.  How would you feel?

            Imagine how God felt seeing His only son, His blood relative being treated as if he was less than human.  Imagine God's hurt at the abuse His son was taking.  But He allowed it out of love for man and Jesus took it because of His love for us.  Yet after all He took mankind, you who are unsaved and here today, not committed to God, you daily reject that love.  How can you hope to escape God's wrath when He has provided salvation at immeasurable cost and you reject it.

             For you who are here today and unsaved, the trumpet has been blown; the warning has gone out; God's judgment is on its way and you have been given time to escape. Will you today heed the warning?