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South Bay SDA Church

Jeremy Arnall

What’s that You’re Eating?

Dutch diamond collector was seeking for a very rare diamond.

Winston heard of his inquiry and he reached out to the gentleman, letting him know that he believed he possessed exactly what he was looking for.

Winston had his salesman present the diamond to the gentleman.

The salesman described all the technical aspects of the diamond.

However, it was only within minutes that the diamond collector rose up and rose his hand up and said, that's not what I'm looking for as he proceeded to the exit.

Winston hurriedly intercepted as he was walking out and he asked him if he could present the diamond 1 more time.

The collector agreed, after all, he'd come this way for this very purpose.

Winston pulled out the very same diamond.

He started describing his admiration for this diamond and for this particular diamond, how he appreciated it specifically.

Within minutes they were signing papers and the gentleman purchased the diamond.

As the gentleman was walking out, he asked, what just happened?

Why was it so easy for me to say no to your salesman, and why did I feel compelled to purchase this exquisite diamond when you presented it to me?

Winston answered, that salesman is the best in the business.

He knows more about diamonds than anyone, including myself, and I pay him a large salary for his knowledge of diamonds.

But I would gladly pay him twice as much If I could put into him something which he lacks.

You see, he knows diamonds, but I love them.

When you go about your day, what do you think about the most?

What do you find yourself reading or watching or listening to?

They say that what goes in, of course, must come out.

And as we were going to church today, my son Jordan, my youngest, said, why did you choose a title like that on a day of prayer and fasting?

And I said, you know, that's a good point.

But nonetheless, the title of the message this morning is, What's That You're Eating?

Dear Lord, would You speak to our hearts?

Would you have us experience a revelation of your love in such an exquisite and beautiful way that, like that customer who walked in to find the most exquisite diamond, we will be moved, we will be consumed by the revelation of your love.

So we ask for your Holy Spirit to present the diamond of truth to us this morning.

I pray that you would hide me behind your glory, that we collectively would be able to sit at your feet and that we might be fed the manna of heaven.

We ask this in faith, in the name of Jesus our Savior, amen.

Open your Bibles to Ezekiel, Ezekiel chapters 2 and 3.

I'll be reading from the New King James version when I get to the right book.

We'll pick up with verse 1, the last part there.

It says, so when I saw it, I fell on my face.

And he says, I fell on my face and heard a voice of 1 speaking.

He said to me, son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak to you.

He said to me, then the Spirit, I'm sorry, and he said to me, he said, then the Spirit entered me when he spoke to me and set me on my feet, and I heard him who spoke to me.

He said to me, Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me.

They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.

For they are impudent and stubborn children.

I am sending you to them and you shall say to them, thus says the Lord God.

As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are a rebellious house, yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.

And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briars and thorns are with you, and you dwell among scorpions.

Do not be afraid of their words, or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are, " what?

Got that message pretty clearly, didn't we?

But you, son of man, hear what I say to you.

Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house.

Open your mouth and eat what I give you." Now when I looked, There was a hand stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.

And then he spread it before me, and there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were lamentations and mournings and woe.

Moreover, He said to me, son of man, eat what you find, eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel.

So I opened my mouth and He caused me to eat that scroll.

And he said to me, son of man, feed your belly, fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.

So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey and sweetness." Notice verse 10, "'Moreover, ' He said to me, Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.

And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord God, whether they hear or whether they refuse." When we look at Ezekiel 1, we Notice that Ezekiel is around 30 years old, or at least that's the way many scholars read the passage there in those opening verses.

So it's 5 years already into their captivity.

And if it was indeed Ezekiel's 30th year of life, then that is interesting because if he's 5 years into captivity, he being identified by the text as a priest would now be finally ready to serve as a priest, because priests would serve at the age of 30.

But he is now being introduced to the reality that he is going to instead of function as a priest so much, he will now function as a prophet.

He's taken off in vision and immediately He has shown glory.

He is seeing the very throne of God, the sapphire-like structure, and He sees the creatures and all the description there, the wheel within the wheel, it's glory and He is being shown it.

And then chapter 2, verse 3 says, son of man, I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me." He will be shown what this rebellion looks like in Ezekiel chapter 8 through 11.

He'll see what's taking place behind the wall.

He'll see what's taking place in supposed secret quarters.

But he is not to withhold the Word of the Lord.

And the Bible is clear that rebellion is the sin of witchcraft.

Rebellion is doing what you know, is not doing what you know to be right, but rather choosing a different path.

This is the guilt that is spoken of with regards to Israel.

In verse 7 of chapter 2, as we read, he says, you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.

He's saying your work is not to be directed by outcomes.

That sort of flies into the face of ministry experts, doesn't it?

How many baptisms did you have with this approach?

Sometimes people will say today evangelism just doesn't work.

At least the way we've often done it, it just doesn't work.

We are tempted in times to go and listen to this big, big church because after all, they have success.

And if they have success, maybe we can be in on some of that success.

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What’s that You’re Eating?

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