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WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?
February 26, 2006 Jay Davis Robison Ezekiel 18:1-4, 30-32
Presidential Advice lame duck Pres met successor Oval office
in transition near end presented incoming leader 3 numbered envelopes told open them in order when great difficulties
After new Pres had “honeymoon” period w\media & public, US experienced economic downturn. opened 1st envelope. Inside a card read: “Blame me.” So criticized former admin
Then social upheaval brought about a critical domestic crisis. Pres opened #2 envelope. Inside card “Blame my party”
He did so, in an overt display of partisan politics.
A year later, when foreign policy resulted in serious problems at end of rope President opened the third envelope.
Inside, the card read: “Prepare three envelopes.”
Only blame so long before you become responsible
Our society wants to avoid responsibility as long as we can
John Leo U.S. News\World Report: "We are in an era of the abuse excuse, ie victimology - claiming to be a victim so you are not responsible for your actions
So easy to find someone else at fault in Ezekiel’s day did so God’s people in captivity believed being punished unjustly. They were saying, “The way of the Lord is not right”
What’s going on our suffering not our fault
Refused to own up to their sins and responsibilities
We live in a society where racism, classism, sexism,
and other bad isms exist can feel we only victims
Like an attorney looking at various parts of the argument
1. Stop PLAYING THE BLAME GAME
We are all touched by the hand of the past,
no one is the master of his or her fate.
You didn’t ask to be born to who you were born to
We come into world under circumstances we did not create.
Familiar saying going around in OT
Vs 2 NCV The parents have eaten sour grapes, and that caused the children to grind their teeth from the sour taste’
Popular proverb taught what ancestors have done effected us
Involves subtle shifting of responsibility for present disaster, no hope I’m victim of parent’s sins
Now to be honest Ex 20:5, 34:7 Jer 31:28 say the sin of fathers will be visited on the children to 3rd 4th generations
Certainly every parent knows our decisions effect our kids
Why being a parent is so frightening
Scripture appears to be complaint about God’s unfairness.
Our parents sinned, so why should we suffer?
Israelites took comfort in proverb because got them off hook.
Note: Evil actions of others EFFECT us but do not JUDGE US God holds us responsible for our actions not actions of others Each generation has opportunity to avoid mistakes of parents Judgment is not a steam roller with no one at the wheel Is Hope God is driving always willing to put on the brake
Who do you blame? For your life
GENETICS, I can’t do this or that because of genes
FAMILY, grew up in dysfunctional family can’t do better
GOVERNMENT, all know how lives worse cause of Wash
SCHOOLS teacher didn’t teach me
Or GOD man said I prayed to stop smoking, and God didn’t take the desire away. He didn’t take away my desire to gamble, & he hasn’t brought back my wife. Religion doesn’t work."
When we play the blame game
Attempt to exempt me excuse me justify me
Try to hide our lives
Listen Vs 19 N The person who sins is the one who will die. God won’t play the blame game with us We are effected but not determined by others
Consider the costs of BLAMING
PUSHES PEOPLE AWAY don’t you just love it when someone nags and blames you isn’t that uplifting? NO
HARMS A MARRIAGE if you are blaming your spouse
For your unhappiness, hurt etc. no help for marriage
BREEDS ARROGANCE excuses self, I’d get along
if it weren’t for . . reality is I’d screw life up alone
Add PUSHES GOD AWAY can’t deal with is
Wayne Dyer said All blame is a waste of time.
No matter how much fault we find with another, regardless of how much we blame someone, it will not change us.
The only thing blaming someone does is to keep the focus off of us while we look for external reasons to explain our unhappiness or frustration. We may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming them, but we won’t succeed in changing and moving away f rom the sin that is making us unhappy. “Your erroneous zones”
2. Accept PROPER RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE
Each person is a part of society and each person stands alone
You are unique no one exactly like you
Liberty means responsibility that’s why most people avoid it
You matter to God, in a world where you & I so often only a # God cares about you, created you to respond to love of Jesus
Most bad people have wonderfully good qualities and most good people have some bad as well.
To challenge us to accept responsibility for life Ez 18 3 stories Vs 5-9 tells of person is moral\righteous and acts accordingly, he\she will live
Vs 10-13 if son has a righteous father the dad’s righteousness will not save the son Can’t say parents good got me too
Vs 14-18 If an evil father has an honest son, son will live in his integrity
Vs 4 NRSV Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.
Take CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE
We expect science to solve all our problems. waiting new magical pill that will let us eat
all the fattening food we want, not gain weight.
Move beyond victim hood.
1) Accept blame when you are responsible.
But don’t buy into another’s blame game stuff
2) Address the root of the problem.
3) Do what is right, whether it "works" or not.
We believe people are accountable for their actions.
God looks at individuals.
Each one will answer for his or her actions.
One life, then death, then judgment. Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
It is possible to change.
All of science can predict from this environment this person
Good news from Jesus is all about how we can change.
Every adult child of alcoholic no have to be alcoholic
If Gospel doesn’t have power to change us is a waste of time.
Jas 4:8-10 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up”
1991 movie Grand Canyon. rich lawyer tries avoid traffic jam by detouring off the expressway, gets lost in a very dangerous and unfamiliar part of the city. Car breaks down. It’s night, & he manages to call tow truck when it arrives, expensive car is surrounded by gang members who planning to take his car by force, & possibly harm him in the process.
Tow-truck driver, "Simon," arrives, played by Danny Glover. Over protests of gang members, Simon proceeds to hook car up to his truck. Then Simon does something unexpected.
Asks leader of gang to just let him go. "I’ve gotta ask you for favor, Let me go my way here. Truck’s my responsibility, & now that car’s hooked up to it it’s my responsibility too."
Then he goes on, "Man, the world ain’t supposed to work like this. I mean, maybe you don’t know that yet. I’m supposed to be able to do my job without having to ask you if I can. That dude is supposed to be able to wait w\his car w\out you ripping him off. Everything supposed to be diff. than it is"
You cannot determine the hand you are dealt
But you can decide how the hand is played
Ezekiel called people to humble approach to God
Person cannot save self implication is that 1 must face self acknowledge inner condition & fact that no change easily
Because free to act must Develop DISCERNMENT
1 John 4:1 NRSV Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Swindoll Discernment acts like an umpire blows the whistle doesn’t fall for fakes, dance with deceivers Christian w\out d-nment like loaded 747 trying to land in dense fog w\out
Instruments or radios. Lots of noise,
a great deal of power, and good intentions until
Word for Today Devotional develop discernment
ON YOUR KNEES Jas 1:5 lack wisdom ask of God
IN GOD’S WORD Ps 119:98-101 Your laws make me wiser
Give me better understanding instead of following
A way of trouble
FROM DISCERNING FRIENDS Prov 13:20 Wise friends make you wise, you hurt yourself by going around w\fools
As you are building your life accepting responsibility
Take charge of your life Develop discernment
In America today people get in trouble
By how they deal with $$ and sexuality
Are you a steward of all God has given you?
Are you accepting responsibility for actions?
Listen to how Vs 31-32 NCV sums it up Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to die, people of Israel? I do not want anyone to die, says the Lord GOD, so change your hearts and lives so you may live.
Underline get rid of sins done, truth is all of us come up short
Why Jesus Christ came into world to take our sins save us
New heart and new way of thinking= conversion
God’s Justice is not a balance sheet skewed by forgiveness
My life is not YOUR FAULT
It’s my OPPORTUNITY
No one in all of human history exactly like you
You are one of a kind not recycled
13the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire. 16Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? I Corinthians 3:13-15
I must accept personal responsibility for my life.
Not my parents fault or society’s fault that is blame game
Hopefully today realize you are an individual
Maybe you were blessed to have Godly parents
Must follow Christ for yourself no depend on them
Come to a point where you look back on your past sins with sorrow, and regret. Then you need to confess your sins to the Lord, and desire a new heart.
What’s responsibility do we have for this church?
NO blame someone else, what is your part of where we are?
Are we making disciples are you living proof?
Are we growing in love for God & one another, you proof?
Folks we can lay blame wherever we want, God spoke plainly to Ezekiel “the soul that sins will be one who dies and not those who lived in the past.
They will answer for their own sin and so will you.
We cannot lay the blame for what we do at the feet of another
