McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1922-06-30


pardon. lisa. 1851.
REFERENCE MATERIAL = II Kings
l7:13. II; lisa. 61-13; Jer. 1:1-ls; Matt. ~:
$780, Acts 20:1S-2l 20. q, 1881.
PRIMARY ToPIC-The Shepherd and
JUNIOR TopIc-Exekiel Watches and
Warns Israel
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Facing a Hard Task.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
The Duty of Warning Others.
!. Ezekiel's Call wv. /, y.
/. Commanded to Stand Up ". ~.
Ezekiel was given vision of the AL
mighty God on His throne of glory
lch. ~. The purpose of this vision
was to give him synthetic grasp OF
the execution of the divine Will
through the powers ind forces which
he had created. Before the vision the
prophet fell PROSTATE upon his face.
The essential equipment of minister
for tine discharge + his task is VI
sion of the Almighty
2. Filled With the Spirit ". p. BY
the Spirit the divine energy entered
him and enabled him to execute the
commission given to him.
II. Ezekiel's Commission (vv. 3-S).
l. The Moral Condition of the Peo-
pie (vv. 3, ~. az A rebellious nation
". 81. This Righteousness perhaps re-
ferred to their heather idOlatrous prac-
tees. (2) Impudent children ". a..
"Impudent" literally means "hard OF
face" 1t means the grossest 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 ". A.. He was to de-
| liver the message of God. He was to
declare, "Thus saith the Lord Cod
8. The Difficulty of His Task (vv. D.
81. He was to deliver the message OF
God whether they would hear or fore
bear. He was thus appraised of the
difficulty of his task and warned not
to be rebelious as the people had been.
Ezekiel was to fearlessly execute his
commission, though the attitude u the
people be as ''briers" and "thorns"
and scorpions. The life of man
of God will run counter to the world.
III. EzekieFs Experimental oualifi-
cations (2:9-3:16).
Before enc can preach to others he
must have an eXperienee-must be Ia
sympathetic accord with God and His
4 message.
/. Eating the Book (2:9-s:9). This
book contained Gods woes upon the
stiff.necked and rebellious people ~.
l0). In order to speak Gods threaten
ings effectively to others we must in
wardly digest and appropriate them
ourselves. The eating of the book was
in his mouth as honey for sweetness,
Though his ministry was difficult and
the Judgment severe, the prophet was
1 In entire sympathy with Gods pur
| pose and found delight In His Will.
The result of this exiting was that
| Ezekiel WAS made hard of face and
| forehead" to go against the people who
were hard of face and sorehead."
=. Urged on by the Spirit (3:10-14).
4 In order to strengthen Ezekiel for his
| task. the wonderful symbolism of
Gods providential agencies which had
! been before him In chapter was
! brought TO his attention, assuring him
/ that God would accompany him to mis-
new destination. He went in bitterness
| to the captives. BY bitterness" Is
| AZ oai
antilles Of which he was the messen-
ger GID.
g. Entering Into Sympathy tv. 15).
| In order to minister to 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 great grief.
| Ezekiel mingled his tears with theirs.
| w. Ezekiel's Grave Responsibility
| {3:17-2D.
God made him a waschman. Every
minister is Waterman over his flock.
Two things were required Of him:
] l. 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 Waning ". III. After
he heard Gods message he was to
speak it out. The same duty is upon
the minister today. Cases In point for
his guidance (vv. 1921:
"a When God say to the wicked
Thou shalt surely die" ". 49,. and
the Waterman fails to warn him, the
wicked man shall die in his iniquity,
but his blood shall be required at the
watchman's hand.
(2) If the Waterman warn the wick
ed and the warning is UNDECIDED ".
| 19), the wicked man shall perish, but
the Waterman has delivered his soul.
| (3) When a righteous man turns to
do iniquity and God gives him over to
stumbling In HIS own sin, his past
seeming righteousness will be of no
avail, bus his blood will be required at
the hand of the watchman Ia he fail to
warn him ". 20).
(4). 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 dlscharging their obliga-
ton whether men will hear or fore
fear.
Semsan and Delilah.