In Jesus' name, pray, amen.
Amen.
All right, well, we're there in Ezekiel, chapter number seven.
And we've been working our way through the book of Ezekiel
just one chapter a week.
And we find ourselves here in chapter number seven.
And you know, one of the obstacles or difficulties
with preaching through a book like Ezekiel,
it was similar when I was preaching
through the book of Isaiah several years ago.
One of the obstacles is that sometimes
these major prophets and these books that are very long,
they tend to be extremely negative.
And you're looking at a negative preacher.
I mean, I'm going to go down in history
as one of the hate preachers of America and all of that.
And I don't shy away from negative preaching.
But I mean, even Ezekiel's a little too negative for me.
Just week after week, he's just kind of rebuking and trying
to get these people to get it right with God.
And of course, you know, we're going to be faithful to the text
and study it.
But what I want you to understand
is that he's been developing this idea of punishment
and judgment and the judgment of God coming upon the nation.
And what we see in chapter seven,
we see him just continuing this idea
of the punishment of the nation.
And it's interesting because we often
think of God dealing with individuals, God
judging individuals, and God punishing individuals.
But it's a very scriptural thing to understand
that God also punishes nations.
And in this chapter, we see some principles in regards
to the punishment of nations.
I'd like to share those with you tonight.
And we're going to start there in Ezekiel seven.
But you know, let me just say this.
The Bible says that God is no respecter of persons.
And in the same way that he is no respecter of persons,
he is no respecter of nations.
Today, many Christians have this idea
that God respects certain nations over other nations.
And of course, what's the main one that people always
look at? Israel.
They look at the Jews, and they'll say,
God has more love or more respect or more care
or whatever it might be for the nation of Israel.
And even today, Americans might think
that God cares more about the United States of America
than he does of Afghanistan or some other nation.
But you know, the Bible says that there
is neither Jew nor Greek.
There is neither bond nor free.
There is neither male nor female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And in the same way that God does not respect persons,
God does not respect a nation made up of persons.
So when we study this chapter and look
at some principles for the punishment of nations,
and even though we're speaking specifically
to the nation of Israel or to Judea,
you need to understand that these things apply
to the United States of America.
They apply to any nation.
And of course, they can even apply to us as individuals
as well.
Now, I want you to notice that there are several things.
We're going to go through every verse tonight in this chapter,
but we're going to go through it in themes.
Ezekiel often breaks things up into themes,
and he repeats things a lot.
I want you to notice the first emphasis
that we find in the scripture here.
Look at verse 1.
Ezekiel chapter 7 and verse 1 says this.
Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me saying,
also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God
unto the land of Israel.
And I want you to notice these words.
It says, an end, the end is come upon the four corners
of the land.
Notice verse 3.
Now is, notice these words, the end come upon thee.
Notice verse 5.
Thus saith the Lord God, and only evil behold,
notice these words, is come.
Notice verse 6.
An end is come.
The end is come.
It watches for thee, behold, it is come.
Notice verse 7.
The morning is come.
And now that dwells in the land, the time,
notice these words, is come.
The day of trouble is near.
Look at verse 10.
Behold, the day, behold, it is come.
Look at verse 12.
The time is come.
The day draweth near.
And through this chapter, he's emphasizing this idea
that the end is not only near, but the end is come.
The day of trouble is near.
It's already here.
It's going to come.
Now you say, well, what is it that Ezekiel is getting at?
Or what is it that he's trying to show us here?
And keep your finger there in Ezekiel chapter 7.
That's obviously our text for tonight.
But go with me to the book of 2 Peter in the New Testament,
2 Peter chapter number 3.
If you start at the end of the Bible,
the end of the New Testament, and you head back,
you're going to go past Revelation, past Jude,
past 3rd, 2nd, and 1st John, into the book of 2 Peter.
2 Peter chapter number 3.
And here's what I want you to understand.
Ezekiel is basically dealing with people
who have this idea that the judgment of God
is never going to come.
That God, if He even exists, is just
some being somewhere far away that maybe created us,
but does not have interest in us.
And He's given us laws, but He's not even really sure.
He doesn't even follow up to see whether we are submitting
ourselves to what He has said in His word.
And He's dealing with people who have basically lived in sin
long enough.
Now look, this applies to nations,
but human beings act like this.
People act like this, who have lived in sin long enough.
And they think, well, nothing's ever going to come of it.
Nothing's ever going to change.
God's never going to bring His punishment.
And Ezekiel begins by emphasizing.
And here's principle number 1 when
it comes to the principles of punishment.
And again, this is for nations, but this
could be applied to your personal life.
And here's what you need to understand.
When it comes to the punishment of God, payday is someday.
Payday is someday, and payday is coming.
And we get this idea.
See, we misunderstand God, because we
serve a God that is loving, and that is patient,
and that is long suffering.
And we think, because God is long suffering,
and because God is patient, and because God will give us
time and a space to repent, that therefore, that
must mean that God's anger will never be full,
that God's anger will never come down,
that God's punishment will never come.
But Ezekiel wants to make sure that they understand,
not only is there a payday someday,
but there is a payday coming very soon.
He says, the end is come.
He said the day of trouble is near.
Now you're there in 2 Peter chapter 3.
Notice what it says in verse number 3.
We find the same concept in 2 Peter chapter 3, and verse 3.
Excuse me, I still have a little bit of a cough.
2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 3, notice what the Bible says.
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days,
notice this word, scoffers.
Now what's a scoffer?
A scoffer is someone who mocks, someone who laughs at,
someone who ridicules.
He says, there shall come in the last days scoffers
walking after their own loves and saying.
Now notice what they say.
Notice what they mock at.
Notice how they scoff.
Here's how they ridicule God.
They say, where is the promise of his coming?
For since the fathers fell asleep,
all things continue as they were from the beginning
of creation.
They said, I thought Jesus was supposed to come back.
I thought God was going to return,
and he was going to bring judgment,
and he was going to make things right.
And they say, well, nothing's changed.
It's been over 2,000 years now.
Nothing has changed.
Notice verse 7.
But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word,
are kept and stored, reserved unto fire, notice what it says,
against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Notice verse 10.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,
in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
And the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up.
And here's what the Bible is saying.
And if you read there, he goes on and says,
don't misunderstand God's long suffering.
Yes, God is not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
But don't misunderstand his long suffering with the fact
that judgment will not come.
He says the day of the Lord will come.
And in my life and in your life, we
need to be careful to not think to ourselves
that simply because God is being graceful with us,
because God is being merciful with us,
because God's judgment has not came upon our own lives
or our nation, that that does not
mean that God's punishment will not come upon our nation.
Because you know what, payday is someday.
And it will come.
Eventually, God's wrath will come.
And you know what's interesting, and I'm not
preaching on end times necessarily tonight,
but if you look at verse 10, why don't you notice there
it says, but the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night.
It's funny to me how the pre-Tribbers will often
use that phrase, that he's coming
as a thief in the night.
And they'll try to refer to that and say
that there's some sort of a secret rapture,
and nobody's going to know about it.
The Bible says that the day of the Lord, his wrath
is coming as a thief in the night because of the fact
that those who are going to be judged by God
are not paying attention.
They're the ones that are saying, where is
the promise of his coming?
Where is this God that's supposed
to judge us and this Jesus?
You know, we are not as those asleep.
We need to be awake and watch, like Jesus said.
And look, that day is not going to come to us
as a thief in the night.
We can be prepared and ready and see the signs of the times,
but the day of his judgment is coming to those.
Why is he coming as a thief in the night?
Because they're not watching.
They're not ready.
Why?
Because they think payday is never going to come.
But a principle of punishment is this.
Payday is coming someday, and it's
coming sooner than you think.
So don't get discouraged.
You know, you'll see people in church,
or you'll see young people, or whatever it might be,
and they go and just live for the world,
and they live for the devil, and it
looks like everything's going fine,
and it looks like everything's going great,
and it looks like nothing's happening to them.
And you know, here's what you need to understand.
If they're saved, payday is coming.
The judgment of God is coming.
It will come eventually.
And Ezekiel wants to emphasize that and talk about that.
Go back to Ezekiel chapter 7, look at verse number 3.
Not only do we see these principles for punishment,
payday is coming for all nations.
And look, the United States of America might think,
you know, we might think that we're the secure country
with riches and prosperity, but for the United States
of America, payday is coming.
And God is going to bring judgment upon this country.
You say, well, how do you believe
that God's going to bring judgment upon this country?
And you know, we can talk a lot about Babylon,
and I've preached about that.
But even if you don't believe that the United States
of America is Babylon, just realizing that God
is no respecter of persons, look,
if God brought judgment upon the nation of Israel,
if he brought judgment upon Nineveh,
if he brought judgment upon Babylon,
you know, God is no respecter of persons.
God is going to judge this country in the same way
that he will judge every country.
Someone said this, nations cannot be judged
in the next world, therefore they must
be judged in this world.
So if one thing we must be sure of
is that payday is coming for all nations.
But number two, go back to Ezekiel chapter seven.
Ezekiel chapter seven, look at verse three.
Not only is payday some day for all nations,
but here's principle number two, nations, nations,
not just people, nations reap what they sow.
Are there in Ezekiel seven, look at verse three.
Now the end has come upon thee, and I will send mine anger
upon thee.
Notice what he says.
And will judge thee.
Now notice what God says.
God says, I'm going to judge you,
but I'm going to judge you according to thy ways,
and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.
Here's what God is saying.
I'm going to bring punishment to you.
I'm going to recompense you, but I'm
going to recompense you in proportion to your own sin,
your own ways, your own abominations.
Look at verse four.
And mine eyes shall not spare thee,
neither will I have pity, but I will recompense thy ways
upon thee.
Look at verse eight.
Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee,
and accomplish mine anger upon thee, and I will judge thee.
Notice, how's he going to judge you?
According to thy ways, and will recompense thee
for all thine abominations.
Look at verse nine.
And mine eyes shall not spare, neither will I have pity.
I will recompense thee according to thy ways.
Notice, he keeps emphasizing this idea
that God is going to judge you.
God is going to judge this nation.
God is going to judge this nation, the United
States of America.
And look, God will judge you and I personally
according to our ways.
Look at verse 27, last verse in the chapter.
The king shall mourn, and the prince
shall be clothed with desolation.
And the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled.
Notice what he says.
I will do unto them after their way,
and according to their deserts.
That's an interesting way of wording that.
But what is he saying?
He's saying, I'm going to give you what you deserve.
He said, will I judge them?
He said, I'm going to give you what's coming to you.
And here's what you need to understand.
In the same way that we as humans, the Bible says,
be not deceived, God is not mocked.
But whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
And in my life and in your life, that's
a principle we can't get away from.
And by the way, that principle is neither
positive or negative.
It works either way.
If you do good, you'll reap good.
If you do evil, you'll reap evil.
But in the same way, nations reap what they sow.
And listen to me.
That idea, that thought ought to cause
us to fear God for the nation that you and I live in.
Because if America is going to reap what she has sowed,
she's going to be recompensed a lot.
Is there a nation that has promoted
more filth and perversion throughout the world
in the United States of America?
What is the nation that is leading
the world in the sodomite agenda,
in fornication, in adultery?
Look, it's Hollywood that's putting perverted things
all over this world.
It's the music that comes out of this country.
It's the entertainment that comes out of this country.
It's the worldliness that comes out
of this country that has infected
the rest of the world.
And you say, well, what can we learn from that?
Here's what we can learn from that.
Nations, like human beings, reap what they sow.
And if that's true, America's got a she's sown the wind,
and she's going to reap the whirlwind.
Because even nations will be recompensed
according to their way.
And they will receive their desserts.
And that's not a good thing.
They'll receive what they deserve.
They will get what's coming to them.
Look at verse 4, Ezekiel chapter 7 and verse 4.
Ezekiel chapter 7 and verse 4.
We saw number one tonight that payday is someday
for all nations.
And we saw number two that nations reap what they sow.
Here's point number three.
Principle number three, when it comes
to the principles of punishment for nations.
Here's point number three.
When God punishes a nation, when
God decides to break and destroy a nation,
he shows no mercy and no pity.
Look at verse 4.
He says, and mine eye shall not spare thee.
Neither will I have pity.
Now you say, well, why is it that God can get to the point
where he's willing or able to punish a nation with showing
no mercy?
He says, I will not spare thee.
Neither will I have pity.
And we'll talk about that in point number four.
But look at verse 9 just real quickly.
He says, and mine eye shall not spare.
Neither will I have pity.
God says, look, there comes a point in the life of a nation
that I will come in and destroy.
And look, look at history.
Look at the empires of the world.
Look at the Roman Empire.
Look at the Assyrians.
Look at the Babylonians.
Whatever empire you want to look at.
And eventually, there comes a time
when God has no pity, no sparing.
He destroys them, and he's done with them, and he rids them.
And you say, well, how can that be?
And here's what you need to understand.
You say, how can it be that God can come to the place
where he would destroy a country,
he would destroy a people, and he says, I have no pity.
He said, I have no compassion.
He said, I will not spare.
And here's what you need to understand,
and here's point number four.
Nations can cross a line with God in the same way people do.
Are you there in Ezekiel chapter 7?
Look at verse 22.
Ezekiel chapter 7 and verse 22.
Ezekiel chapter 7, verse 22.
Notice what he says.
He says, my face will I turn also from them.
And they shall pollute my secret place,
for the robbers shall enter into it and defile it.
And verse 26, mischief shall come upon mischief,
and rumors shall be upon rumors.
Then shall they seek a vision of the prophet.
But notice what it says.
The law shall perish from the priest,
the counsel from the ancients.
And I hope you understand this, and I
want to make sure I explain this properly.
Keep your place there in Ezekiel 7.
Go to the book of Matthew just real quickly.
Matthew chapter 21, first book in the New Testament.
Matthew 21.
We obviously believe in the reprobate doctrine, right?
And when we talk about the reprobate doctrine,
we're talking about individuals.
We're not talking about a nation.
And the reprobate doctrine teaches
that an individual can cross a line with God, where basically
God gives up on them.
And there's no more restoring them.
There's no more bringing them back.
They cross a line, and they're done.
Now, here's what you need to understand.
And I realize all of you are familiar with the concept
of being a reprobate.
But no one is born a reprobate.
When you're born, that's what the Bible says.
God is not willing that any should perish, right?
We are all born with God wanting to save us,
God wanting for us to be born again,
for us to enter his family, for us to develop
a relationship with him.
We're all born with that.
But individuals can get to the place,
because of their own rejection and anger and hate towards God.
They can get to a place where they cross a line,
and God says, I'm done with them.
Now, when it comes to an individual,
when it comes to a person, we're talking about salvation.
We're talking about they're no longer able to be saved.
They're going to die and go to hell.
They're twice dead.
But in the same way, a nation can cross a line with God,
where God basically says, I'm done with that nation.
Now, please understand this.
I'm not saying that every person in that nation
becomes a reprobate, OK?
That's not what I'm saying.
I leave here saying, Pastor Mendez said,
you know that nations can become reprobate.
That's not what I'm saying.
What I'm saying is that when an individual becomes a reprobate,
they lose the opportunity that they had,
which for individuals is salvation.
Nations don't get saved, but nations
can be used as a tool of God to spread the gospel,
to spread liberty, to spread righteousness.
And in the same way, a nation can cross a line,
where God basically says, you've gone too far.
You've taken it too far.
There's no helping you.
There's no recovering you.
There's no reforming you.
It's done.
We've got to be done with it.
You say, well, give me an example.
Well, the perfect example we're learning about tonight
is Israel.
Are you there in Matthew 21?
Look at verse number 43.
Matthew 21 and verse 43.
Matthew 21 and verse 43 says this.
Therefore, say I unto you.
This is Jesus, of course, speaking.
Therefore, say I unto you.
Notice what he says.
The kingdom of God shall be taken from you
and given to a nation, bringing forth the fruits thereof.
God said, Jesus said, and this is one example.
I mean, we could look at many examples throughout the Bible.
But Jesus said that he was going to take the kingdom of God
from the nation of Israel, and he
was going to give it to another nation.
Now, what nation was that?
That was the nation made up of believers, a peculiar people,
a royal nation, a holy priesthood that's referred
to throughout the New Testament.
But here's what I want you to say.
The nation of Israel got to the place with God.
Remember, and you say, well, was God not merciful?
Was he not long-suffering?
I mean, he sent prophet after prophet.
He sent messenger after messenger.
They kept disobeying.
They kept killing the prophets.
Eventually, he sent his own son.
They crucified the Savior.
The Bible says he came into his own.
His own received him not.
And the nation of Israel crossed the line
where God looked at a nation and said, as a nation,
I'm done with you.
As a nation, there's no bringing you back.
There's no repenting.
There's no sending Jonah in and preaching a judgment
and trying to get you back.
He said, all that I can do is take the kingdom of God
from you and give it to another nation.
Now, please understand, and I want
to make sure I make this clear.
I'm not saying everyone in that nation becomes a reprobate.
But as a nation, God gives up on that nation.
And here's the honest truth.
Go to Israel today and see how many people are saved.
Go to Israel today and see how many people you can get saved.
And I'm not saying that everyone in that nation
is automatically a reprobate.
But here's what happens to nations that God gives up on.
A lot of those people do end up becoming reprobates because
of the fact that God just gives up on most.
And don't we see that?
Don't we see that in the Old Testament, God
doing it with the Edomites and the Moabites
and these different names?
Not meaning that people can't come out of those countries
and be saved, but as a nation.
Look, go to Afghanistan today.
Go to Iraq.
Go to some of these Muslim countries, or go to China,
or go to Japan.
And tell me that God hasn't just decided,
I'm done with these people.
Now, those individuals can get saved.
There's individuals that can get saved.
But as a nation, God is no longer blessed.
Compare Japan to the Philippines.
Compare just the UK to Mexico.
And again, I realize there's unbelievers
in all these places, but there are places in this world,
locations in this world, where God is moving
and God is still raising up people
and being used mightily of him.
And those are nations that we often
look at as receptive places, but there
are other places that have been dark for a long time.
And it's because nations can come to a place
where God is basically just done with them.
And you're there in Matthew 21, go to Matthew chapter 8.
I want to make sure you understand.
I'm not saying that everyone in these nations
becomes a reprobate, but there are parts
in this world that are dark.
And look, there's no revival coming to Saudi Arabia, OK?
I mean, it's just not going to happen.
And you say, well, no, it's because that place
has been so dark for so long, they
rejected the truth for so long, that God just
has to walk away from it.
That God just has to walk away and say,
there's nothing I can do.
Are you there in Matthew 8, look at verse 11.
And I say unto you that many shall come from the east
and the west.
Again, this is talking about the nation of Israel.
Jesus is saying, many shall come from the east and the west,
on our circular globe here.
He said, many are going to come from all over the world
and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of the kingdom shall
be cast out into outer darkness.
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
You say, what is Jesus saying here?
Here's what he's saying.
In the kingdom of heaven, there's
going to come people from the east and the west.
There's going to come people from all over the world.
And they're going to sit down with Abraham.
And they're going to sit down with Isaac.
And they're going to sit down with Jacob.
But the children of the kingdom, those actual physical
descendants, the Jewish people, will be cast out
into outer darkness.
God said, you know, the people from all over the world,
Gentiles from all over the world,
are going to unite with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
in the kingdom of heaven.
But Steven Spielberg and every other Spielberg or whatever,
they're going to be cast out.
Why?
Because look, it's not about nations.
It's not about people.
It's about Jesus Christ.
It's always been about Jesus Christ.
It's always been about the word of God.
It's always been about how you receive the word of God.
So look, nations can cross a line with God.
And look, I believe that the United States of America
was, you know, look, people are going to send me emails
or whatever.
And I don't want to read them, so don't send them.
I'm not saying that America has been a great nation
from the beginning.
But you know, I believe that America has been used of God,
you know, through history to spread the gospel.
You know, show me a country that has sent more missionaries
and spread the gospel and gotten the, you know,
churches started all over this world.
More than the United States of America in a past.
But that day is gone.
I mean, America has crossed the line
from being the nation that spread the gospel
to being the nation that spreads the field.
And I'm just here to tell you that we need to not,
you know, we need to just understand
that just because we live in the United States of America
doesn't mean that we're always going
to live in the prosperity and the security and the wealth
that we happen to have today.
Because payday is coming someday.
Because God's judgment will come.
And we are not exempt from it because we're Americans.
God is no respecter of persons, and even nations
can cross a line with God.
Look at verse 13, Ezekiel chapter 7 and verse 13.
You say, OK, well, pastor, what does that mean?
When God's judgment comes, what's going to happen?
Well, here's what it means.
Here's point number five.
Here's principle number five.
When God punishes a nation, life will not go back to normal.
When God punishes a nation, life will not
go back to how it used to be.
Are you there in Ezekiel 7?
Look at verse 13.
Notice what he says.
He's telling them this, but we can learn this for ourselves.
He said there's going to come a day.
Ezekiel's telling the children of Israel.
He said there's going to come a day.
In verse 13, he says, for the seller shall not
return to that which is sold.
He said there's going to come a day when you're not just
going to go back to selling and your business
and your income like it used to be.
He says, although they were yet alive,
for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof,
which shall not return.
Notice what he says.
Neither shall any strengthen himself
in the iniquity of his life.
I'm not trying to scare you.
I'm just trying to help you understand.
This may happen in our lifetime.
This may happen in the life of our children.
But there is coming a day for the United States of America
when people are not just going to go back and return
to that which is sold, meaning the economy is not going
to be just like it is right now.
The incomes of people and the way we spend right now,
we're the consumer of the world.
We consume the world's goods.
We consume all the garbage from China and Taiwan
and wherever else.
But look, for Israel and for us, one day,
the seller shall not return to that which is sold.
And by the way, that's what we're told
in the book of Revelation with Babylon.
Look at verse 14.
They have blown the trumpet even to make already,
but none goeth to battle.
For my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.
You say, oh, but Pastor, you don't understand.
We live in the United States.
We have fighter jets and we have aircraft carriers
and we've got the strongest military in the world.
I understand that, but I'm telling you,
one day they're going to blow a trumpet
and no man's going to get ready for battle.
And you say, well, we've got rockets
and we've got missiles, you've got nothing
in comparison to God.
Look at verse 17.
All hands shall be feeble.
All knees shall be weak as water.
And look, we're already there.
I mean, that could describe, you know,
thank the Lord that does not describe
the man at Verity Baptist Church,
but Ezekiel chapter seven and verse 17
could describe basically most men
in the United States of America today.
All hands shall be feeble.
All knees shall be weak as water.
And they shall also gird themselves with sackcloth.
Notice, and horror shall cover them
and shame shall be upon all faces
and baldness upon all their heads, verse 19.
And they shall cast,
tell me if this is going to be the United States one day.
And they shall cast their silver in the streets
and their gold shall be removed.
Their silver and their gold
shall not be able to deliver them.
Now, we live in a country today
where we are very secure in our prosperity
and in our money.
And today, if there is an idol
that is served in the United States of America,
it's the idol of the almighty so-called dollar.
But you know, God says,
God says that there's coming a day,
when God's judgment comes,
when God decides to destroy a nation,
you know what people do with their money?
They throw it.
They cast their silver in the streets.
Why?
Because they realize that their gold
shall not be able to deliver them.
Go to 1 Timothy chapter six, just real quickly.
1 Timothy chapter six,
if you find the T-books,
they're all clustered together
for 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy Titus.
See, we get all mixed up
when we're living in prosperity,
when we're living during the time
when God's, you know, patient and long-suffering,
we think, we think, well, things must be going well.
I mean, look at the house I live in
and look at the car that I drive
and look at the clothes that I wear.
Everything's gonna be fine.
But realize, not everything will be as it is today.
One day, God will punish this nation
and things will not go back to normal.
So look, you know what?
You better just live your life in a way
where your confidence is not in that which is temporal,
in that which can be destroyed.
1 Timothy 6, look at verse nine.
Notice what it says.
But they that will be rich
fall into temptation and a snare
and into many foolish and hurtful lusts.
Why don't you notice?
The Bible is telling us here
that they that will be rich,
the word will means that they desire to be rich.
This is someone who is covetous.
This is someone who is materialistic.
This is someone who desires things
and desires money and desires the comforts that money bring.
God says they that will be rich
fall into temptation and a snare.
The word snare means it's a trap.
You fall into a trap
when you put your confidence in money.
He says, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts
which drown men in destruction and perdition.
You say, why?
Well, for the love of money is the root of all evil,
which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith.
How many people have erred from the faith?
How many people have gotten backslidden?
How many people have gotten back to the world?
How many people have decided to quit walking with God
because of covetousness
and pierce themselves through with many sorrows?
Look at verse 17, charge them.
Now Paul, Paul is speaking here,
and look, Paul's not saying
there's anything wrong with money.
Money's just a tool.
He said money is not evil.
He says the love of money is evil.
Nothing wrong with having money.
Look, there's nothing wrong with possessing money
as long as money doesn't possess you.
There's nothing wrong with having money,
but make sure you don't fall in love with money.
Notice what he says in verse 17,
charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not high-minded.
Look, don't start thinking to yourself,
oh, I must be better than someone else
because I've got money.
One, one, one attack,
one war, one battle, one whatever.
The stock market can drop, you can lose all of it.
Don't start thinking you're high,
don't start getting high-minded
based on the materials and the things you own
because all of those things can be
and will be destroyed one day.
Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not high-minded, and don't miss this,
nor trust in uncertain riches,
but in the living God who giveth us richly
all things to enjoy.
See, the problem with becoming covetous
is that we begin to love the things
instead of the God who gives us those things.
We begin to love the blessings
instead of the God who gives us those blessings.
And you know, we've all heard the stories
of during the times of the Great Depression,
people were throwing themselves out of windows.
They lost everything, they're committing suicide.
You say, why, why would somebody do that?
Here's why, because their trust was in uncertain riches.
But when your trust is in the living God
who giveth us richly all things to enjoy,
then you can make it through financial problems.
When your trust is in the living God
who giveth us all things richly to enjoy,
you can make it through anything.
You can make it through whatever trial,
through whatever tribulation,
you can make it through whatever,
because God is good all the time.
But when your trust is in things
and those things disappear,
then it just throws your whole world
and your whole life for a loop.
Go back to Ezekiel chapter seven.
And this is why he says, look, God says,
God says, I can change things.
God says, I can change things to make it
so that what you value most, you value no more.
Ezekiel 719, they shall cast their silver in the streets
and their gold shall be removed.
Their silver and their gold
shall not be able to deliver them.
Look, you know there's some things that money can't buy?
Money can't buy health.
You say, oh, I'm gonna make it my life's goal
to have as much money as possible.
Why, so God can put you in the hospital?
And then you can realize that there are some things
that gold shall not be able to deliver you from?
In the day of the wrath of the Lord,
they shall not satisfy their souls,
neither fill their bowels,
because it is a stumbling block of their iniquity.
Look at verse 20.
And for the beauty of this ornament,
he said it in majesty,
but they made it the images of their abominations
and their detestable things therein.
Therefore have I said it far from them, verse 21,
and I will give it into the hands
of the strangers for a prey,
and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil,
and they shall pollute it.
Here we see again God's punishment.
What is it?
When God punishes a nation, life never goes back.
Life never goes back to normal.
And here God is saying, look,
I'm gonna destroy your economy, he said,
and you're gonna be overtaken
by the hands of the strangers.
I mean, do you see that in verse 21?
And I will give it unto the hands of the strangers
for a prey.
And you say, I'd like an example of this.
Well, look at Europe.
I mean, look at Europe with all their prosperity
and all their wealth,
and they're literally being overtaken by the Muslims today.
And there's literally parts of Europe
where it's like you're living in Pakistan,
you know, in England, and in France,
and in those countries you say, what is that?
It's the judgment of God.
Is God bringing in the heathen,
and God bringing in the stranger,
and look, God can do that anywhere,
and this is not God's judgment.
I mean, isn't that what God did to the nation of Israel?
He removed them, and he brought in strangers.
The Assyrians took over.
That's what we see God do that through history,
and God can do that here as well.
Go to verse 22, I'm sorry, verse 23,
Ezekiel chapter seven, verse 23.
Let me give you the next point.
When God punishes a nation, he completely destroys it.
Look at verse 23.
Make a chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes,
and the city is full of violence.
Wherefore, I will bring the worst of the heathen,
and they shall possess their houses,
and will also make the pomp of the strong to cease,
and their holy places shall be defiled.
Look at verse 25, destruction cometh,
and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.
Verse 26, mischief shall come upon mischief,
and rumor shall be upon rumor.
Then shall they seek a vision of the prophet,
but the law shall perish from the priests,
and the council from the ancients.
Verse 27, the king shall mourn,
and the prince shall be clothed with desolation,
and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled.
I will do unto them after their way,
and according to their deserts will I judge them,
and they shall know that I am the Lord.
And look, again, there are places in this world
where there's no security.
I mean, there's mischief shall come upon mischief,
and rumor upon rumor.
And you say, yeah, that's not where we live, though.
That's not the country we live in.
But it could be like that,
and it will be like that one day,
because God judges nations for their sins.
And you say, well, what's the point?
What's the purpose?
Why does God do this?
Let me give you the last point, and we'll be done.
Look at verse four.
I want you to look at verse four, verse nine, verse 27,
and we'll finish up.
Let me give you the last principle here.
Let me just give it to you.
When God punishes a nation, they will acknowledge him.
Look at verse four.
And mine eyes shall not spare thee,
neither will I have pity,
but I will recompense thy ways upon thee,
and that our abominations shall be in the midst of thee.
Notice the last part of verse four.
And ye shall know that I am the Lord.
Now remember, when Ezekiel started,
he started with this idea that they didn't think
the judgment of God was coming, right?
He kept having to emphasize that it is come,
the day, draweth nigh, God is going to judge you.
God punishment is coming, because even at this time,
they were thinking, oh, it's not gonna happen.
Ezekiel's just being negative,
and he was telling them, no, the judgment of God is coming.
And God says, when it comes,
ye shall know that I am the Lord.
Look at verse nine.
Mine eyes shall not spare, neither will I have pity.
I will recompense upon thee according to thy ways,
and that our abominations that are in the midst of thee,
and notice, ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth.
God, look, it's interesting the wording there.
God says, when I hit you,
you'll know it was me that hit you.
I mean, isn't that interesting?
Ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth.
Look at verse 27.
The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed
with desolation, and the hands of the people
of the land shall be troubled.
I will do unto them after their way,
and according to their deserts will I judge them,
and notice what it says,
they shall know that I am the Lord.
See, when God punishes a nation,
that nation immediately acknowledges him
and immediately understands where that judgment came from.
And you know, to a very small scale,
to a very small scale,
we can think back to the example of September 11th.
Just yesterday was the anniversary of September 11th,
and you know, for those of you that were adults
or old enough to remember,
I mean, what happened shortly after September 11th?
Everybody's talking about prayer.
Everybody's talking about God.
I mean, that Sunday, churches were overflowing
all over this country,
and that wasn't even the judgment of God.
I mean, that's maybe just a real small tasting
of what God can do if God decides to,
but you know, when judgment comes,
and it's funny how when judgment comes,
all of a sudden everybody gets real religious,
and everybody shall know, God says, that I am the Lord.
And look, there's coming a day when God will destroy.
He destroyed the nation of Israel,
and there's coming a day when God will destroy this nation
because of its sin.
God has to do it.
You say, why?
Because nations reap what they sow.
Because nations cannot be judged in the next world,
therefore they must be judged in this world,
because God is a just God,
and he will give us our just desserts.
He's going to give us what we deserve.
He's going to recompense the nations,
and he's going to judge them,
and God's gonna judge this country,
and look, we can't get away from it,
and you say, well, what can we learn?
Here's what we can learn.
There is always a remnant.
Ezekiel is gonna continue this idea,
and he's gonna emphasize the idea
that there's always a remnant,
and you know, whatever happens to this country,
whatever happens to this world,
whatever happens in here, you know,
you say, well, we can't control it,
and we can't control what happens.
Yes, but we can control ourselves,
and if everyone's bowing their knee to Baal,
we can be the 7,000 that refuse to bow their knee to Baal,
and we can be the one, and we can be the few,
and we can be the remnant
that God always uses in every place,
so look, don't get discouraged and think,
oh, you know, it's all for lost.
Look, here's the great thing.
When God's judgment comes, you say,
man, you know, the United States of America
is not very receptive, you know.
When God's judgment comes, people will get more receptive.
When the economy dies, people will get more receptive.
When, you know, we're gonna learn about this with Elijah.
Elijah, great man of God, what does he pray?
He prays for there to be no rain.
He prays for a famine, why?
Because when people have the judgment
of God coming upon them,
they become more receptive to the things of God.
So, you know, let's enjoy the prosperity we have for now.
Let's keep doing what God, you know,
we've got liberties to preach the gospel.
We've got liberties to be able to do what God has called us.
Let's do that, and then when God's judgment comes,
let's just make sure we're the Elijahs,
and we just continue on,
and we're doing what God has called us to do,
but we need to realize that, look,
we're not special because we're Americans.
We're not special, and the judgment of God's
never gonna come.
God judges all nations,
and he will give them their just desert.
So let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank you, Lord, for your word.
Thank you for these chapters,
and Lord, I realize that these chapters can be negative
week after week.