The People In The Pews

I am sure that when Ezekiel got through preaching this sermon, there were not many standing at the back door telling him how much they enjoyed the sermon. This is why many will seek for a church where the Word of God is occasionally MENTIONED, but not PREACHED!

For example, today it is not unusual to have people come into a church, and the first thing they want to know is what kind of PROGRAMS and ACTIVITIES the church has to offer.

ISN’T THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Certainly there is! If they are Christians and they are looking for a church to attend, the first thing they should want to know is if this is a church where the Word of God is preached! Then once they find out it is that kind of church, then they may want to know some of the things the church has to offer.

Ezekiel the prophet told it like it was. He mentioned these things about the people he preached to. For example:

(1) Look at Ezekiel 33:30, we read, “…Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.”

They would go out and invite people to attend church. Notice he said they would go out and say to family, friends and neighbors, “…Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.”

(2) They seemed to enjoy hearing the Word of God preached.

He said in Ezekiel 33:31, “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words,…”

Up to this point, everything seems great! But there is a problem with this congregation. Look at verse 31, we read, “…BUT THEY WILL NOT DO THEM: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.”

Notice, their heart, “Goeth after their covetousness.” That is, they desired to do other things than what the Word of God told them they should do.

He compares them to a person hearing a lovely song as they came to hear the Word of God. Look at verse 32, we read, “And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.”

To them, going to hear the Word of God was like going to hear a spiritual musical concert. They listen to it, they enjoy it, and at the conclusion they say, “that’s nice”, and they go back to doing what they always did.

This passage of Scripture in Ezekiel that applies to this Old Testament congregation, reminds us of a congregation in the New Testament.

Look what the Lord said about this church in Rev. 3:14-18, we read, “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

Let’s look at the Laodicean church:

• The Laodicean church was the last of the seven churches listed.

• Many believe that these seven churches in Revelation represent seven different periods of time in church history.

• However, it is believed that the Laodicean church represents the LAST DAYS of the church before Christ raptures the church.

One of the reasons that many believe we are living in the last days before Christ returns for His church, is because the Laodicean church, that represents the last church of the church age, fits the description of today’s church age.

Let us look at the church today compared to the Laodicean church. Notice, this about the Laodicean church:

• They were not on fire for the Lord

• Nor were they cold

The Lord described them as being “Lukewarm.” Because of this, the Lord said He would “spue” them out of His mouth. In other words, in the sight of God they were disgusting!