THE STORY OF JESUS: Ezekiel 31-33
“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words.
But they do not put them into practice.” (Ezekiel 33:31)
Ezekiel preaches against the nations (ch.31-33), but also to his own people (ch.33).
Here God warns that they love to listen, but not to respond to the message.
Sometimes I wonder about the many messages we listen to as christians?
Week after week, year after year, sermon after sermon… but what happens?
I am guilty of this too – I may read the bible a lot, but what do I do with it?
Jesus told His disciples to teach others to obey, not just hear or believe!
Do sermons even encourage action, do they help people act on what they hear?
The goal is not to have (or hear) great messages, it is to DO what Jesus says.
Jesus has set us free from the penalty and power of sin.
His Spirit is in us to help us work out this salvation in our lives.
But it requires “every effort” (2 Peter 1:5ff) from us to practice what we hear.
How did the last message I gave encourage people to do what Jesus commanded?
How did the last message I heard challenge or change my behaviours?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, I need to make following You very practical in my life. What is one thing I need to work on right now in my life where I am being challenged to change. Am I determined to put it in to practice?
Do this and live.
That’s what the Master says.
Stop. Listen. Do.
Listen to the Word of the Lord and do the Word of the Lord.
To hear the Word and not do means I haven’t heard the Word.
To hear the Word of the Lord and to do what He says is to listen.
To Listen is to do the message of the Lord.
Put the Word into practice.
Listen to the Voice which says, this is the way. Walk in it. Just do.
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.