Monday, November 24, 2014

November 22-24, 2014 Pastor Timothy J. Spaude Text: Ezekiel 34:11-24 “YOUR KINGDOM COME!”



CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY
November 22-24, 2014
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Ezekiel 34:11-24

“YOUR KINGDOM COME!”
For in God’s Kingdom the King…
1.     Rescues
2.     Tends
3.     Brings Back
4.     Strengthens
5.     Keeps Order
6.     Is Jesus!

Ezekiel 34:11-24 (NIV 1984) " 'For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. 17 " 'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. 23 I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.
          So what do you think the best form of government is? Well since we are Americans the sentimental favorite has to be our form, a democracy. Considering all the freedoms we have it’s pretty good but those in the know of government will tell you that our form of democracy is inefficient. It’s wasteful of resources. Good ideas can get shot down and blocked by our bulky legislative process. Actually if you talk to a political science person the best and most efficient type of government if it could exist is to be ruled by a benevolent dictator. That’s a setup where one person has total power but always has the best interest of the people at heart. You can guess why no one really lobbies for that form of government. You see benevolent dictators don’t exist. Or do they? Today we celebrate Christ the King Sunday and God’s words remind us that Jesus Christ is our King and we Christians live first and foremost in His kingdom and a kinder ruler you cannot find. Let’s see what that means for us as we look at God’s words through Ezekiel that have God’s people praying “Your Kingdom Come!”
          A little background first. God had Ezekiel speak these words when God’s people were stuck in Babylon. Not exactly a benevolent dictator there, not a fun kingdom to be in. They were there as conquered people. Now the kingdom they had left in Judah hadn’t been fun either. Actually many of the people God had appointed to rule and shepherd his people, the kings and priests were schnooks, just looking out for themselves. God came with his comforting words announcing a new kingdom. Look again at the whole text. Underline perhaps all the times God says “I will…”
God’s people back then and now looked forward to God’s Kingdom because in that Kingdom the King rescues his people. “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Throughout this section God pictures the kingdom like a flock of sheep. This isn’t the precursor to George Orwell’s Animal Farm but God’s picture. A thunderstorm has scattered the sheep. The shepherd rescues them from where they ran to. This is great comfort for the storms of life. God’s Old Testament people had the long lasting storm of exile to Babylon. The King would come for them. We have our own storms. The diagnosis of  a serious illness. The death of a loved one. A job loss. A serious accident. Or one of those relationship problems. When those happen like sheep in a thunderstorm we can panic and run, maybe away from the Lord, maybe to a bottle for relief. Does that describe you or a loved one? In God’s Kingdom the King will go after you and rescue you in just the right way and just the right time.
In God’s Kingdom the King will tend his people. “I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD.” How good this must have sounded to God’s people that Ezekiel wrote to. Their minds must have thought immediately, “Yay! We get to go back home.” Now that’s understandable but missing the point. The point was that in this Kingdom the King Himself does the tending, the caring and the providing for and always with good in mind. What good news for us when we live in normal times. How often we can let our eyes gaze to other people’s lives and what they have and we don’t. You’re being tended by the King Himself. He’s providing what is good for you.
And this King will go after you if you need it. “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.” In our Christian Parenting Course we are going through on Thursday mornings we regularly talk about the number one goal of a Christian parent. It’s to see their children with them in heaven someday. You can easily then guess what a Christian parent’s worst fear is: that their child will fall away from faith. Sometimes it happens when the little birdies leave the nest and deal with freedom that they leave their Lord and His word behind. Parents did you hear some really good news if that happens to your child? In God’s kingdom, the King Himself searches and brings back the straying. Don’t give up. Take your fears to the King who brings back the straying.
And the King who strengthens those who need it. “I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.” It can happen in the workplace. It can happen in the home. The weak get pushed to the side. Those easily hurt are manipulated. In the Kingdom of God things are different. The King strengthens the weak. He heals the injured. This is good news for Christians living in a sin sick world. We’re not called the Church Militant for nothing. There’s a war going on out there and there’s a war going on in our hearts. Trying to do what’s right when others continue to do wrong, fighting against temptation, often leads to getting hurt. Your faith can hurt. Your trust hurts. Your feelings hurt. Guilt hurts. The King strengthens. He heals guilt with forgiveness and doubt with trust. And the weak? Actually we are all weak. If we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains but we don’t. The King takes care of us anyway.
Even when we are the problem. “The sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. 17 " 'As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? 20 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, 22 I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another.” There is a lot of meat there and I am not just talking about the fat sheep. Ezekiel uses a picture of sheep beating up on sheep, pushing away, eating and drinking their fill and ruining the water and grass for the rest. Here’s the deal. If you are one of those people who makes others walk on eggshells, if you walk in a room and leave it in mayhem, if people see you and try to avoid you, if you are a bully in your family, your classroom, your workplace, your church, always pushing for it to be your way and about you, you are in trouble with the King. It’s natural for wolves to tear apart sheep but not for sheep to tear apart each other. Those that think they are sleek and strong the King says He will destroy. Might be a good time, while you still have a chance, to change your ways. And those who are getting pushed aside, rest assured the King will keep order. He’ll take care of it. He said so.
We know this because the King is really Jesus! “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. 24 I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken.” Now since this was written about 400 years after King David died we know this doesn’t refer to him but to the second David, the descendant of David whose rule would last forever. That’s Jesus. You couldn’t ask for a better King. Instead of asking us to give our lives for Him, He gave His life for us. Instead of punishing our many wrongs, He offered Himself to be punished in our place. Instead of ruling us with force and threats He rules us with love.
It’s no wonder God’s people pray, “Your kingdom come!” It’s already here. Jesus is ruling in the hearts of believers. He is controlling events of the world even if it doesn’t seem that way. But the best is truly yet to come when Jesus returns in glory and every eye shall see Him and every knee bow before the King of kings. So do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. We have the best ruler, Jesus, our King and His kingdom comes! Amen.

No comments:

Post a Comment