“As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it....” (Ezek. 33:30-31)
“We so easily substitute the form of religion for the power of radical, life-changing obedience to the demands of the kingdom of God.” I’m doing a study of Ezekiel this summer and using a commenetary entitled, “The Message of Ezekiel” written by Christopher J.H. Wright. That sentence is highlighted and has a star beside it in the margin, as does this one: “...enthusiasm has always been easier than obedience.”
I wonder if James had this passage from Ezekiel in mind when he referred to the “implanted word” (James 1:21) that saves our souls, empowers us to be not just hearers but doers of the word. The word becomes implanted in us when we immerse ourselves in that word: regular reading and study of the scriptures, sitting under the teaching and preaching of anointed truth-proclaiming pastors, prayer and fellowship with brothers and sisters in the faith.
I had a conversation with a delightful young woman yesterday who was expressing her thankfulness for her pastor who unashamedly preaches the Gospel, not backing away from making his congregtion feel uncomfortable if his words touch something a little too “close to home”. Unlike those referred to in the passage from Ezekiel, this young woman not only delights in the word of the Lord but takes it to heart and is seeking to live a life of obedience to the Lord - a life that is being modeled by her pastor as he stands boldly in front of his congregation each Sunday morning.
I highlighted and starred those sentences in my commentary because I know how easy it is to be caught up in the aspects of our faith that we love and hold dear - the traditions in our services, the fellowship of believers on Sunday mornings, the hymns and songs we sing and all the rest - and allow those things to become too important, so much of our focus that we can miss the point of it all. Do we ever pay so much attention to the worship team and their talents that we forget the one we're supposed to be singing to and about? Do we walk into a beautiful sanctuary and become so absorbed in the beauty around us that we forget to become absorbed in the beauty of the holiness of God? The people that sat with Ezekiel and heard his words from the Lord were so taken by being in the presence of a true prophet, so caught up in their enthusiasm, that they were paying attention to the prophet and not the prophetic words.
As a lifelong member of the Anglican church, I love the way we celebrate the Eucharist; but there was a time in my life when our “way” become so important to me that I couldn’t imagine experiencing it any other way. There were other aspects of our worship time that became like idols to me and, thanks be to God, the Lord would have none of that! He led me through a long season where I was sort of homeless with regards to a home church. As I visited other churches in other denominations for those many months, I noticed that I was beginning to re-prioritise. My worship shifted from the “form of religion” to the worship of the Lord. I allowed the Lord to take his rightful place as the one I chose to worship and when I returned to my Anglican tradition, I received the Eucharist with a thankful and open heart, focusing on the true meaning and purpose - on the Lord Jesus himself, not just the beauty of our liturgy. Receiving the bread and wine became a privilege and a gift. All these years later, I’m still so thankful that the Lord convicted me of my wrong-thinking and taught me that valuable lesson.
As we serve the Lord, he may lead us through difficult seasons. We may find ourselves serving in ways or in places that are outside our preferences or comfort zones. But those difficult or uncomfortable places might be precisely where the Lord is asking us to serve him. In the familiar story of Ezekiel and the dry bones, I recently noticed something I'd missed on my many other readings:The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them.... (Ezek. 37:1-2). In your valley of dry bones, the Lord has very likely brought you, set you down and led you around for his purposes. In what areas is he asking for your obedience? In what ways is he planning to use you to bring glory to his name, to speak life and truth, to be his faithful witness? Step out in faith. Walk among your valley of dry bones in the power of God and know that he is with you, empowering you and blessing you as you carry out his purposes.
"Radical, life-changing obedience to the demands of the kingdom of God" --- let's read those words as an invitation into the adventure of life in Christ - living witnesses to the power of Christ in this broken world that so desperately needs the love and power of Jesus!
