Called by the Lord to Speak His Word
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of God through which the Holy Spirit strengthens us to speak God’s Word faithfully is Ezekiel 2:1-5
He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.
He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ’This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen – for they are a rebellious house – they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 2:1-5 NIV)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Dear friends, whom the Spirit has called to faith in Jesus:
A windstorm, lightening, fire in the sky. Unearthly, angelic creatures flying swiftly beside wheels covered with eyes. Above them an expanse sparkling like ice and a rumbling, rushing roar. Above all something like a sapphire throne and on that throne someone like a man, aglow, ablaze, in a rainbow-like radiance.
That’s what Ezekiel saw before the voice of the Lord called him in the reading above to be his prophet. The Lord called Ezekiel directly in this display of glory. He called him to speak his Word.
My call to serve you as your pastor came on ordinary paper – not quite as spectacular on the surface. But listen to what it says: “We trust that you will recognize in this CALL the voice of your Lord Jesus Christ.” Although God’s voice did not call me directly as he called Ezekiel, his voice did call me through you. He called me to speak his Word.
You, too, have been called to speak God’s Word. You haven’t been called to shepherd God’s flock like a pastor does. You haven’t been called into the public ministry to speak God’s Word in the name of other Christians, unless on a limited basis as a Sunday school teacher, elder, or church councilmen. But you have been called to faith “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). That’s what the Lord teaches us through the Apostle Peter. As Christians, you and I are to speak God’s Word, declaring his praises.
As we look at Ezekiel, as we look at pastors, as we look at ourselves as Christians, God wants us to speak his word. May the Holy Spirit enable us to speak his word humbly, faithfully, and boldly.
1) Speak his Word humbly – relying on the Lord
The Lord called Ezekiel to speak his word humbly, relying on the Lord. The sight of God in his awesome glory struck Ezekiel down to the ground. What was he compared to the Almighty? He was just a son of man. Man was made out of dust. Man had fallen into sin. Ezekiel was a son of man, born from sinner born corrupt and guilty.
The text begins with Ezekiel on the ground. The Lord gave him strength. Ezekiel writes, “He said to me, ’Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.’ As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me” (Ezekiel 2:1,2 NIV).
The gracious, forgiving Lord came to Ezekiel through his Word. Through God’s Word the Holy Spirit strengthened him and stood him up on his feet. Sinner though he was, Ezekiel could stand in the presence of the the holy God because Lord forgave him, as his word promised. The Lord gave Ezekiel the power to speak his Word. Ezekiel could speak God’s Word humbly relying on the Lord.
As a pastor, I need to be humble before the Lord and rely on him. Pastors face the temptation of feeling self-important. Thinking they’re in charge of a church can be an ego-trip. I need to see myself as a sinner, just as guilty as each of you. I am a son of man – nothing but dust, born from sinners. I need to see my only hope is my Savior, who died for me, just as he died for you. I need to see my strength only flowing from my risen Lord, who rules over all. I need to speak God’s Word humbly, relying on the Lord.
As Christians, you and I need to see ourselves as much as a sinner as those outside the church to whom we may speak God’s Word. In speaking God’s Word, we must fight against every ounce of self-righteousness in ourselves. Maybe we haven’t committed exactly the same sins, but your sins and mine are just as offense against God as theirs sins, if not more so, since we ought to no better. Humbly see your sin and then see Jesus, your Savior, who takes away your sin.
The same Jesus who carried your sins to the cross, carried the sins of those to whom we are to speak God’s Word. He died for them, just as he died for you, for he died for all. He rose for their forgiveness, just as he rose for your forgiveness. See Jesus your Savior and theirs, and pray. Pray for the Lord to give you the courage and the words to speak so that you can declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness. Then speak. Speak God’s Word humbly, relying on the Lord.
Maybe a picture to help us be humble in speaking God’s Word is this shoe box. This shoe box isn’t worth anything. It’s easily crushed. What gives this shoe box value is what is inside. Apart from God, we are empty shoe boxes – worthless, powerless. But God has placed his Word into your hearts. As you speak that word, humbly remember that your strength comes from the Lord, not from yourself. We are just shoe boxes. Speak his Word humbly, relying on the Lord.
2) Speak his Word faithfully, knowing it will not fail
The Lord called Ezekiel to speak his word. He called him to speak that word faithfully, knowing it would not fail.
Why was it so important for Ezekiel to be faithfully? Because he was speaking the God’s Word. He wasn’t speaking for himself or for another person, but for the Lord God. The Lord said to him, “Son of man, I am sending you” (Ezekiel 2:3 NIV). Ezekiel was the Lord’s representative. Take note of the words that were to punctuate the message Ezekiel spoke. He wasn’t to say, “In my opinion God wants us to tell us . . .” He was to say, “This is what the Sovereign LORD says” (Ezekiel 2:4 NIV) or “This is what the Lord GOD says” (Ezekiel 2:4 AAT) Any adding or subtracting or changing of God’s Word would make that a lie.
What confidence could Ezekiel have as he spoke God’s Word faithfully? He could be sure that God’s Word would not fail. Whether people believed the Word or not, it would not fail. What God said would prove to be true. The people would know that the prophet was speaking for God when the words came true. That’s what God tells him. “Whether they listen or fail to listen – for they are a rebellious house – they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 2:5 NIV). Many would reject Ezekiel’s message, but he dare not change it to make it sound more acceptable. God called him to speak his Word faithfully, knowing it would not fail. It would accomplish the Lord’s purpose.
In the call the Lord extended to me through you, you solemnly charge me, “to preach the gospel of our Lord among us in its truth and purity.” The call continues with other specifics, but that one is at the top. The Lord has called me as your pastor to speak his Word faithfully, “in its truth and purity”, knowing it will not fail.
When I speak God’s Word to you, I need to be able to say with Ezekiel, “This is what the Lord God says.” I dare not base my sermon on what I think God might have said or what other people say that God says. But the only way I can honestly tell you, “This is what the Lord God says,” is if I know what God says. I need to study God’s Word. This is one reason you pay me as your pastor, so that I can devote many hours a week to studying God’s Word as I prepare my sermons. I need to study it in the original languages of Greek and Hebrew, so that a poor translation won’t mislead me. Then I can preach from this pulpit and say, “This is what the Lord God says.” That’s faithful preaching.
In addition, as a pastor who strives to faithfully speak God’s Word, I want to preach and teach in way that helps you understand what the Lord God says. That, too, takes time to choose the words that will communicate the best. Moreover, I want to give you opportunities to learn in worship and in Bible class. I want to be able to serve you with God’s Word whether that means confronting you with a certain sin or comforting you with God’s forgiveness. And my prayer is that when I speak God’s word faithfully, you will listen and put it into practice. Do not be stubborn, hard-hearted, or rebellious like those to whom God sent Ezekiel. For God’s word will not fail. It will condemn whoever rejects it and save whoever believes it.
As your pastor, I strive to teach and preach God’s Word faithfully. That Word may not always be accepted. Some my even become angry with me for speaking it. That Word may not always produce the result I would like. It may not always raise our membership numbers or increase budget surplus. But that Word will not fail. It will accomplish what the Lord wants. As your pastor, my responsibility is to speak that word faithfully, knowing it will not fail whether people believe it or not.
When you speak God’s Word to others, speak it faithfully. Through reading your Bible and coming to worship and to Bible class, keep on learning more and more of what God’s Word says. Don’t give in to pressure to compromise his word, because someone might not like it. Speak his word faithfully.
In this shoe box I have a twenty dollar bill. If I try to alter it, it may no longer be accepted and would therefore worthless. God’s Word is worth much more than twenty dollars. Altering it can cost many people heaven itself. Unaltered that word will accomplish what God wants. Speak his word faithfully, it will not fail.
3) Speak it boldly
Finally, the Lord wants us to speak his word boldly. He makes it plain to Ezekiel that he will face opposition. The Lord tells him, “The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn” (Ezekiel 2:4 NIV). But that was not to stop Ezekiel. He was to speak God’s Word boldly.
What gave Ezekiel the boldness to speak? Exactly what gives me, your pastor, and you, fellow Christians, boldness to speak. It’s what we’ve talked about in the first two parts. We are bold to speak because we do not rely on our own strength rather we humbly rely on the Lord. We are bold to speak because we know that his word won’t fail as we speak it faithfully. This gives us boldness even in the face of opposition and rejection. Speak God’s Word boldly.
The Lord called Ezekiel directly from heaven to speak his Word humbly, faithfully, and boldly. The Lord has called me through you to be your pastor who publicly speaks God’s Word humbly, faithfully, and boldly. And each one of us in our own private lives have been called out of the darkness of sin to faith in Christ Jesus to speak his Word. With your trust in the Lord, speak his Word. Speak it humbly, faithfully, and boldly.
