Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-26

Warns Israel
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Facing a Hard Task.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Duty of Warning Others
|. EzekiePs Call wv. l, y.
l. Commanded to Stand Up ". H..
Ezekiel was given a vision of the Al
mighty God on His throne of glory
Zen. ~. Before the vision the prophet
fell PROSTATE upon his face. The es
sential equipment of minister for the
discharge of his task is a vision of the
Almighty.
2. Filled With the Spirit w. 2) BY
the Spirit the divine energy entered
him and enabled him to execute the.
commission given to him.
II. EzekiePs Commission (vv. 3-S).
/. The Moral Condition of the PEG.
pie wv. 8, A.. az A rebellious nation
". 3D. This RIGHTEOUSNESS perhaps re-
ferred to their heather idolatrous prac'
tees. (2) Impudent children ". ~,
"Impudent" literally means hard OF
face" 1t means the grossesH perver.
sity which caused them to stand up in
the presence of the prophets of God
without a sense of guilt or cOmpunc.
ton of conscience.
2 The Charge ". ~, He was to de-
liver the message of God. He was to
declare, "Thus saith the Lord Cod"
8. The Difficulty of His Task wv. 8
81. He was to deliver the message OF
God whether they would hear or fore.
bear.
III. EzekiePs Experimental ouaIlfi
cations :16).
Before one can preach to others he
must have an experience-must be in
sympathetic accord with God and His
message.
/. Eating the Book (2:9-3 :9). This
book contained Gods woes upon the
stiff-necked and TebelliOus people w.
! 10). In order to speak Gods threaten
] ings effectively, to Others we must in
/ wardly digest and appropriate them
Z ourselves. The eating Of the book was
in his mouth as honey for sweetness
Though his ministry was difficult anG
the Judgment severe, the prophet, was
in entire sympathy with Gods pur
pose. and found delight in His will
2, Urged ON BY the SpiF1s % 40 14A
\ In order to strengthen Ezekiel for his
task; the wonderful symbolism OF
Gods provftlentta1 agencies which had
been before him In chapter 1 was
brought to his attention, assuring him
that God would accompany him to his
new destination
3. Entering Into Sympathy ". 49,
In order to minister to a people one
! must enter into sympathy with them
must show that the message is from
the depth of the heart; that to declare
the message of woe is a great grief
Ezekiel mingled his tears with theirs
w. EzekieIs Grave Responsibility
CITED.
God made him a Waterman. Every
minister is a Waterman over his flock
Two things were required of him:
1. To Hear the Word at Gods
Mouth. The source of his message
was Gods Word. SO today the minis
ter is to get his message from God.
2. Sound the Warning (v'1O. After
he heard Gods message he was to
speak 1t out. The same duty is upon
the minister today. Cases in point fol
his guidance wv. 1920:
ID When God says to the wicked
"Thou shalt surely die" ". 49,, ant
the Waterman fails to warn him, the
wicked man shall die in his iniquity
but his blood shall be required at tbs
watchman's hand.
(2) If the Waterman warn the wick.
ed and the warning Is unheeded "
19), the wicked man shall perish. but
the Waterman has delivered his soul.
go When a righteous man turns tC
do iniquity and God gives him over tc
stumbling in his own sin, his past
seeming righteousness will be Of nc
avail, but his blood will be required al
the hand of the Waterman il he fail tc
warn him ". 20).
az. If the Waterman so warns the
righteous man that he fall not into sin
the man shall be saved and the watch
man hath delivered his soul.
Ministers have most solemn obliga
lions, that of discharging their obliga
ton whether men will hear or fore
fear.