June 8th, 2008 — River of Life Ministries — Pastor Michael West
Series: His Majesty, His Name Part 9 — Jehovah Shammah part one
Sermon: God Is There, But Do You Know It?
Scripture: Judges 16:20
Ever had a bad dream that seemed real?
Ezekiel had this vision that God’s glory was going to leave the Temple and leave Jerusalem and as the glory left and terrible judgments were going to come down upon the city and all of Judah.
It all started with the chariot that had wheels within wheels that was drawn by a legion of Cherubim. Their wings provided the power that moved the chariot. Within the chariot supported by these winged creatures from heaven was another figure that sat upon a throne.
This chariot hovered above the temple and Ezekiel then knew what was about to take place. The figure in chariot, whom we come to know as the Lord Jesus, was there to remove the shekinah glory of God from the Temple. He visited His people only to take away His present glory from them.
Was this a shocker? A Surprise? Not really. Ezekiel knew full well the reason why. Ezekiel knew what the people had down outside the Temple, around the Temple, in the Temple courts and even in the Temple itself. The bottom line, the people had turned away from the holy place and turned east to worship the sun. They had allowed all kinds of creep, crawly creatures to invade the temple and they even went as far as to sacrifice snakes and other slimy creatures. They began to do what others around them were doing and stepped away from the sacrifice of lambs.
God told them: “I will no longer tolerate these abominations in My house and I will not allow My glory to coexist with such sin.”
It is not falling into the water, but lying in the water, that drowns. It is not falling into sin, but lying in sin, that destroys the soul.
All Ezekiel could to was watch in terror as the chariot of God packed up and removed the Shekinah Glory.
Ezekiel 10:1-4
As God moved out, He wasn’t quite about it at all. He let all of Israel know that He was leaving.
Ezekiel 10:5,
And did the people of God notice?
Not one of them paid any attention. Even the priests just went on doing what they were doing. How could this happen? How could they have not known God had packed up and was moving on?
Simple. They were so caught up in themselves, their lives, their stuff, the things they thought were more important to do than to do what God called them to do, they missed it. They were so blinded by their self-centered, selfish, sinful pursuits and the little kingdoms they were building, they didn’t even realize God was leaving them.
This wasn’t a spur of the moment thing either. God had warned them over and over through the prophets, through Ezekiel, over the years, but Judah’s people ignored the warnings and had fallen away.
How many times have we been warned and believe that since nothing has really happened to us, God’s anger and wrath are old fable. How often do we get comfortable in our lifestyles and lax in our pursuit of God, telling the preacher our lame excuses of why we can’t. All the while believing in the God of deliverance and freedom yet, denying the power thereof, and therefore remaining the same as when we first came to the Lord.
God is there, do you know it? If He left you today, would you know it? Judah’s blinded condition is a prime example of how it can happen. Sin will deceive you, not the obvious out there sin, but your own sin will convince you that your still okay with God. Minor hang-ups, nothing to worry about, you’re still okay and going to heaven. Oh, course, I’m not talking about you. That wouldn’t happen, couldn’t happen, could it?
Judges 16:20
Samson, a mighty man of God, didn’t even know. He was blinded by his sin he openly indulged in and not once thinking of the consequences, or if he did, never thought that god would ever leave him.
Much of a Christian’s spiritual strength lies in secret prayer, as Samson’s did in his hair. Nothing disarms Satan and weakens sin like this.
Don’t for a moment think that one sin or another is worse than the other and only that will get you in hot water with God. Sin is sin.
How many churches today are apathetic, complacent, accepting and make excuses for sinfulness and worldliness?
How many are continuing in business as usual, same routine, same ritual and aren’t aware that Almighty God has removed or is about to remove His presence from them?
What makes Christian’s today think we are better than Israel because we have the Holy Spirit within us? Let me warn you church, you can grieve the Holy Spirit and He will not move through you! The worst of it is, Christians are caught up in the world of excuse making, they can’t see past themselves to realize that in this season of Christianity, God is not going to wait much longer for us to get our act together.
The church needs to arise and quit fooling around with the “what’s in it fore me” and the “my schedule and time and money” and the “I” can’t, I won’t, I don’t have to, it’s not my job and get back to holiness and say yes Lord, here I am, cleanse me, change me, fill me, use me, make me a blessing that brings honor to Jesus name and glory to You. I want to know that You Lord are here!
Have we become that blind? Get out Delilah’s lap and rise up mighty men and women of God!
Ezekiel’s heart was broken to see what God was doing.
Ezekiel 10:18-19
This passage indicates that perhaps God was waiting, pausing for a moment, hoping to hear a cry of, “don’t go!” Like David, “Don’t take Your Holy Spirit from Me!” Ezekiel must have been screaming that from the inside, wanting someone, somewhere to rise up and shout it out, “God, don’t leave us!”
"We walk by faith, and not by sight" (2 Cor. v. 7). You must remember, that it is one thing for God to love you, and another thing for God to tell you that he loves you. Your happiness lies in the first, your comfort in the second.
Now here we see God wanting to know if we loved Him enough to change. He paused for a moment to listen if His people loved and needed Him. All He got was silence. Nothing but the hustle and bustle of people doing their own agenda. And so, the Glory of God went away.
Ezekiel 11 (focus verse 23)
How did the people respond? Did they shut the doors of the Temple? Did they put on sackcloth and ashes, weep and mourn. Lament and repent in light of the judgments of God? No. everything went on, business as usual. They continued living the way they had been living and feeling good about it. Why? God’s laws, covenants and commands didn’t smack them with conviction every time they turned around to do their own thing.
Just like today.
People, Christians, think bigger is better, but I’m telling you know, if a big church has forgotten where it has come from, it will eventually become nothing...look around today and what were once great denominations. They are dwindling, some fast, some slow.
We need to, right now today, churches everywhere, need to turn again to God and give up convenience, novelties and compromise. We need to start seeking, repenting, and walk in God’s ways, so that He will walk again among us and with us.
We’ve turned from what God’s design for us has been and have ignored the duty and jobs we are to be doing and have taken up and taken on way too much of the world and it’s ways.
Today, return to the Lord. Purpose in your heart to follow Jesus. Cry out to God like the two blind men in Matthew 20:30 and blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46, “Come by here Jesus!” Cry out like David—
“Take not Your Holy Spirit from Me…”
Close
Psalm 51:6-17
Psalm 6
