Sunday: The Siege of Jerusalem: Ezekiel 4:1-17

Ezekiel 4 contains three action sermons: the clay brick (Ezekiel 4:1-3); the suffering victim (Ezekiel 4:4-8); and a diet of the most terrible quality of bread baked over a defiling fire of human excrement (Ezekiel 4:9-17). In the first sermon, Ezekiel played the conqueror of Jerusalem, laying siege to the city and overcoming it. In the next, he was bound (symbolic of the exiles) and had to lay upon his side with his arm bared (God’s arm bared in judgment)—on his left side for 390 days (the number of Judah’s rebellious years), then

Scripture Text: Ezekiel 4:1-7:27

Memory Verse: “Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries.” Ezekiel 6:8

Introduction:

Ezekiel 1-3 gave details of Ezekiel’s call and commission as God’s prophet. But just how bad would the bad news be that he brought? Ezekiel’s first message to the exiles (Ezekiel 4-5) is composed of a series of strange symbolic actions and their explanations. The modern reader of Ezekiel might judge the prophet’s behavior as outlandish. We are uncomfortable with extreme commitments to religious beliefs,

Sunday: The Storm and the Cherubim: Ezekiel 1:1-14

Ezekiel’s authority as a prophet comes in two distinct ways: (1) by the word of God—divine authority and enlightening, and (2) by the hand of God—divine call and empowerment. The first two elements of Ezekiel’s holy vision revealed a roiling storm and four identical beings. The whirlwind comes from the north and can be identified as the fiery judgment of God through the instrument of Babylon. Ezekiel identified the winged and four-faced creatures as cherubim in Ezekiel 10:15, 20. Their wings were arranged so that they did not have to turn; they

Scripture Text: Ezekiel 1:1-3:27

Memory Verse: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.” Ezekiel 3:17

Introduction:

To accomplish His purpose among the exiles of Judah, God selected a man from the priesthood. Just as Jeremiah had been previously called from the priestly line, Ezekiel now responds to God’s beckoning. At the time he is called, he’s 30 years old (Ezekiel 1:1), which was the appropriate age for a priest to begin his duties (Numbers 4:1-3, 23).

Switching roles from priest

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:19-23.

Memory Verse: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” —Ephesians 1:4

Introduction:

Before a person is saved they might not like to attend church, and they might consider the Bible boring or useless, but when they are converted their attitude changes. Once they despised God’s people—now they love them (1 John 4:7-8); at one time they loathed the Bible—now they cherish it (Psalm 119:127-128); once they sought only their own pleasure and benefit—now they long to

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13:10-15

Memory Verse: “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” —Matthew 16:24

Introduction:

The cross was a form of execution. Jesus not only ultimately died on the Cross, but the principle of the cross in His life was a daily experience. He was without sin, but He had taken on human flesh and felt all the natural desires and needs of a human being (Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15). He could feel tired and hungry, and He knew discomfort (John

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-7.

Memory Verse: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” —Hebrews 2:3

Introduction:

Clarence Hall, a World War II correspondent, gave this remarkable testimony:

I can never think of the boons and benefits the Bible invariably brings without thinking of Shimabuku, a tiny little village I came upon when, as a war correspondent, I was following on the heels of our troops beating out their tough and bloody victory on Okinawa.

It was

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 10:19-39

Memory Verse: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” —2 Peter 3:9

Introduction:

Since the first chapters of Genesis, God has displayed His desire to have a fellowship with man (Genesis 3:8-9, 4:9, 6:8, and 12:1-2). It has been His desire to create man in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and to have a special relationship with Him for all eternity. Adam’s sin interrupted that fellowship. This is why Jesus came

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 7:17-28.

Memory Verse: “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises” —Hebrews 8:6

Introduction:

A covenant is a contract or binding agreement between two parties. The Old Testament, contained in the first 39 books of the Bible, is the sum total of all the covenants God made with man from Adam until Christ appeared on the scene. Each of God’s covenants contained three parts: The promise of God; the sacrifice involved with the promise; the sign or seal

Scripture Reading: Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:21-35.

Memory Verse: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” —1 John 1:9

Introduction:

Every human being is a sinner and falls victim to sin’s consequences. The greatest consequence being the severance of fellowship between God and mankind. God’s forgiveness is the means of removing sin and restoring fellowship.

God’s forgiveness is complete. It is available at any time to all who ask. God’s forgiveness purifies, cleanses, heals, restores. Through the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross, those who come