Pastor Holland delves into the themes of God’s character, the cleansing fire, and the role of Jesus in the judgment process.

<p>Pastor Holland delves into the themes of God’s character, the cleansing fire, and the role of Jesus in the judgment process.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Battle Creek Tabernacle SDA Church

To Know and Be Known

Chris Holland

Coming Out of Babylon

Our gracious and heavenly Father as we are about to study your word We acknowledge Lord that your word is truth.

And today we want to be sanctified by your truth and So Lord we pray and invite that the Holy Spirit would do his work of sanctifying us during this time where we study your word.

2 years ago, as a part of my morning devotions, I committed myself to listening through the Bible over the course of that year.

During that time of listening, I came to the book of Ezekiel.

I must admit to you that throughout the years when I have come to the book of Ezekiel, I went from reading to skimming.

The living creatures, a face like that of a human, but also an ox and a lion and an eagle, wheels with rims full of eyes.

All of those things seemed confusing to me.

But When I was listening through the Bible, I committed myself to listening, listening through the book of Ezekiel.

And there was, as I listened, something that was particularly eye-catching, or maybe better said, ear-catching.

The first time I heard that phrase, I didn't think much of it, but then I heard it a second time, and then a third time, and then I heard that phrase 60 more times in the 48 chapters of the book of Ezekiel.

Clearly, it would seem that God was trying to communicate something through the prophet Ezekiel.

Some of you are wondering, what is that phrase?

The phrase is simply this, know that I am the Lord.

The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord.

Over and over and over again is this phrase repeated.

And it's not just in the book of Ezekiel, but in fact that phrase occurs 78 times in the Bible.

But 63 of them right here in the book of Ezekiel.

And I believe it is only when we understand the timing of the book and the context of the writing of the book of Ezekiel that we can truly understand and fully appreciate the meaning of this book that often we can locate simply because it comes before the book of Daniel.

Ezekiel was a contemporary of Daniel and of Jeremiah.

You'll remember from your studying of the Bible that Jeremiah was the prophet that delivered a message to God's people and his message was simple, there is trouble coming from the north.

And then he called upon Israel, He called upon God's people to repent and turn from their wicked ways and we know of course that they did not.

And so then when that trouble came from the north, Jeremiah had a new message and that new message was, surrender to the Babylonians and you will be in captivity for 70 years.

The prophet Daniel was living in Jerusalem at that time and when the Babylonians came in 605 BC and conquered the nation of Judah, Daniel along with his friends Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were taken captive along with other nobility to Babylon to be trained in the Babylonian ways, and as the Babylonian practice was, they would train them in the Babylonian ways, and then they would rule over their own people.

But God's people would continue not to listen to the prophet Jeremiah.

And so Jehoiakim led a rebellion against Babylon, which didn't sit so well with King Nebuchadnezzar.

And so Nebuchadnezzar attacked once again.

In 597 BC he showed up in Jerusalem again and there he removed Jehoiakim as the king of Judah, installed his own chosen king Zedekiah, and it is at that time that we believe and scholars believe that Ezekiel was then taken captive to Babylon.

This is recorded in 2 Kings chapter 24 and verse 14.

If you have your Bibles, please open them to 2 Kings chapter 24 beginning in verse 14.

There in 2 Kings chapter 24, 14, it says this, also this is speaking of Nebuchadnezzar and What he did to Jerusalem also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem all the captains and all the mighty men of valor 10, 000 captives and all the craftsmen and smiths None remained except the poorest people of the land.

And he carried Jehoiachin captive to Babylon, the king's mother, the king's wives, his officers, and the mighty of the land he carried into captivity into Babylon.

All the valiant men, 7, 000, and craftsmen and smiths, 1, 000, all who were strong and fit for war.

These the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

Ezekiel was carried off with this second group, this group of more than 10, 000 individuals.

In Ezekiel chapter 1 and verse 3, it says that Ezekiel was the son of Buzi.

What we do know about Ezekiel is he was unique in his ministry and that was that he was both a prophet and a priest.

5 years after the Babylonian captivity is when Ezekiel had his first vision.

We know also that Ezekiel was married, but his wife unexpectedly died 4 years after he began to prophesy.

And then 3 years after that, Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem in 586 BC.

And that is when he destroyed Jerusalem completely, including the temple.

And it is in that context that Ezekiel, a captive in Babylon whose home city had been destroyed, whose the temple of his God was destroyed, lonely, in the midst of Babylon and God gave him messages.

He gave messages to Ezekiel to give to his own people, God's people.

A people who needed messages to help them understand why all this had happened, but more importantly, messages to prepare them to come out of Babylon.

They were there in Babylon, learning messages and learning lessons in adversity, messages that they could have learned during the times of prosperity.

They did not learn those lessons in prosperity because they refused to follow the counsel of the prophets.

And as a side note, and not necessarily the main point of my message today, It is a lesson for God's people today.

We are living just before the coming of Jesus.

And we too ought to listen and study the messages of all the prophets of God, including God's prophet to his last day people.

The bulk of the book of Ezekiel is filled with messages for God's people in captivity to prepare them to come out of Babylon.

The last portion of Ezekiel is filled with conditional prophecies of hope, with a future restoration of Jerusalem possible and a restoration of God's people.

Ezekiel pled with the people through his prophetic messages.

He exposed the sin of the people, and his messages were a call to repentance and a call to rely upon God to lead them into a life of obedience and into the renewed covenant.

But this was a huge challenge because there were many false prophets in the day and God's people had been misled by those false prophets.

While others were simply ignorant through their lack of study of what God's true character was and so those misled by the false prophets along with those who were no longer studying, had a very distorted picture of God's character and his plan for his people.

And so the messages of Ezekiel are particularly devoted to helping correct those distorted views.

But unfortunately, some 2, 500 years after the time that Ezekiel wrote his book, we know that God's people did not learn those lessons.

And so the real theme of the book of Ezekiel as we read through it could be summarized with the phrase what might have been.

And it is my prayer that as we will study the book of Ezekiel over the next several weeks that the story of our life at the end of our own lives is not what might have been.

Ezekiel's name means God will strengthen us.

And that is why we will study the book that he authored.

For God to strengthen us in these end times.

Because like God's people then, we are living in the time, the final time of the final preparation of eternity.

A time when God will make the earth new, a time where God will take us to our true home.

But only those who know him and are obedient to him will be taken to that eternal home.

And so as we study the book of Ezekiel over the coming weeks, we will hear the phrase know that I am the Lord echo throughout the book.

And it is my prayer that we as a congregation and those of you watching online or listening somewhere online, that we would become a people who come to know him.

The first time the phrase, know that I am the Lord, appears in the book of Ezekiel is in Ezekiel chapter 6.

The Bible says, in all your dwelling places, the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

The slain shall fall in your midst and you shall know that I am the Lord." We will be studying this passage in detail in the coming weeks.

But this gives us a sense, both through the scripture reading today and this scripture of the phrase, You shall know, They shall know, we might know, they may know that I am the Lord.

Interestingly enough, that phrase, know that I am the Lord, all 78 times, all of them occur in the Old Testament.

The irony of that is that there are many that believe that the God of the Old Testament is somehow different than the Jesus of the New Testament, and that the God of the Old Testament wanted to keep people at an arm's length.

But it is clear through the 73 occurrences in the Old Testament and the 63 times right here in the book of Ezekiel that God's desire is that his people would know him.

What is even more interesting is that throughout the Bible, God declares that he is Lord or he is God 173 times.

All of this is to say there is 1 very clear and cohesive message that goes throughout the scripture.

And it is at the very core of the great controversy.

And more importantly, is the Lord the Lord of my life?

God is seemingly trying to get our attention.

That knowing Him is absolutely essential.

And this is not just a theme of the Old Testament.

But knowing the Lord is a theme of the New Testament.

In Matthew chapter 7, Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 to 23, Jesus says these words.

Matthew chapter 7 verses 21 to 23, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven.

But he who does the will of my Father in heaven, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done wonders in your name?

And then I will declare to them, I never knew you.

Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.

I will tell you that this passage has always troubled me.

The Victory of Deliverance

Heavenly Father, we have come here to study your word.

And we know, Lord, that your word is truth.

And today, You have called us to be sanctified by your truth.

There will be those things that are intended to distract us from that truth.

And help us to know that you love us and in return dear God help us to love you we pray this in Jesus name amen In Jesus' name, amen.

Last week we began a journey Asking the question, what does it mean to know God?

And importantly, what it is to be known by Him.

We begin that study by taking an overarching glance at the book of Ezekiel, and in particular, in Ezekiel is that recurring phrase, know that I am the Lord.

In a Bible book that is often made confusing by those interpreting it, the fact that this phrase occurs over 60 times in the 48 chapters of the book of Ezekiel, brings into plain sight the true meaning of this Old Testament book.

Ezekiel's predominant theme is to answer the question, what does it mean to know God and be known by Him?

In Understanding those words, know and Lord, we defined what the Bible defines as knowing God.

Entering into an exclusive, loving, reverential experience of understanding, learning, and discerning God's very personal nearness and His concern for the redemption of humanity and in particular, your personal redemption.

That is what is at the core, at the very core of knowing Him.

Through the approximately 63 occurrences of the phrase, know that I am the Lord, that occur in the book of Ezekiel, there emerges several ways which as I have studied these passages, there emerge 8 major themes in how each of us can know God.

And those 8 themes are we can know God through our deliverance.

We can know God through the final judgment.

And we can know God through His return and the final restoration of the universe.

Each week over the coming weeks, I will focus on each of these themes.

It will be an attempt at a comprehensive approach to know God and being known by Him.

How can each and every 1 of us experience what Isaiah says?

How can each of us have that exclusive, loving, reverential experience where the Lord is not in competition with anyone or anything in our life?

What is the first way in which we can know God?

If you have your Bibles with you, I'd invite you to open to Ezekiel chapter 29.

Ezekiel chapter 29, beginning in verse 16.

The Bible says this, no longer shall it be the confidence of the house of Israel, but will remind them of their iniquity when they turn to follow them, then they shall know that I am the Lord God." This verse is in the context where Ezekiel is talking about how Israel made a choice.

You'll remember from the Old Testament kings, Israel was, the nation of Israel was being attacked by Assyria, later the nation of Judah was being attacked, and in a great irony, Israel and Judah, instead of depending upon God and relying upon God as their strength, they chose to take matters into their own hands.

And in 1 of the greatest ironies of the Bible, they aligned themselves with the nation of Egypt.

Judah in particular aligned themselves with Pharaoh Necho, calling upon Egypt to save them from the trouble that they were about to face.

Ezekiel continues in verse 17 by saying these words, And it came to pass in the 27th year in the first month on the first day of the month that the word of the Lord came to me saying, son of man, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, caused his army to labor strenuously against Tyre.

Every head was made bald and every shoulder rubbed raw, yet neither he nor his army received wages from Tyre for the labor which they expended on it.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God, surely I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

He shall take away her wealth, carry off her spoil, remove her pillage, and that will be the wages for his army.

I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor because they worked for me, says the Lord God.

In that day, I will cause the horn of the house of Israel to spring forth, and I will open your mouth to speak in their midst.

Then they shall know that I am the Lord." Just as was predicted, in almost insurmountable odds, Egypt conquered Babylon in what was then called the Battle of Carcamesh.

Nebuchadnezzar and the armies of Babylon put such a forceful defeat upon the Egyptians, Egypt would never ever rise to be as strong as they once were.

And through these words, I believe Ezekiel is attempting to draw the attention of each of us back to another place in the Bible that has that same phrase, know that I am the Lord.

And so if you have your fingers in Ezekiel 29, Turn back to Exodus, Exodus chapter 6 and verse 7.

In Exodus chapter 6 and verse 7, What does the Bible say?

In Exodus chapter 6 and verse 7, the Bible says the following, I will take you as my people, and I will be your God.

Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." Many of us remember, most of us remember the story of the Passover, the story of God bringing His people out of Egypt.

We can know God, and God invites us to know Him through the experience of deliverance.

And just as Israel was taken out of Egypt today each of us Today each of us can have the experience of being taken out of spiritual Egypt the representation of sin and burdens God is calling us to have a salvation experience, a deliverance experience with Him, and that is how we can know Him.

And some say, that's very elementary, Pastor.

Yet, if we've had that experience, does our life demonstrate that we've had such an experience?

First, we must come to the place where we understand our need of Christ that we are sinners and we cannot save ourselves.

Just as Israel could not save itself from the bondage of Egypt, so we must come to the place where we understand that we cannot save ourselves.

Moses believed that He was going to deliver Israel through His military prowess, and God needed to take Him into the wilderness for 40 years.

To teach Him that he was not to be a military leader, but rather he was to be a shepherd under the guidance of God Almighty.

Each of us must come to understand the reality of Romans 3.23, which says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

It doesn't say all except those who were born into a Christian family.

It doesn't say all except those who were born into an Adventist family.

It does not say all except those who were born into an Adventist family.

It does not say all except those who attended an Adventist school.

All of us were born with the inherent nature to turn against God, which is why a two-year-old, when you tell them not to touch the oven, their instinctive reaction is to reach out and touch the oven.

And if we place that in a mathematical logic equation, if all have sinned and the wages of sin is death, that therefore means all will die.

Because the latter half of Romans 6.23 says, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But in order for us to know that He is Lord and be known by Him, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves.

We do not have the ability to save ourselves.

We'll be looking at a number of Scriptures today to help us understand what does it mean to be saved.

What does it mean to be in a saving relationship with Jesus?

What does it mean to be delivered from our sins by Jesus Christ?

Acts 4 and Verse 12 says, nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Isaiah spoke those words, and I just quoted them a moment ago.

We live in a society that does not like the exclusive nature of salvation, but there is no other name by which We are saved.

How is it that we experience the power of salvation?

We must come to the place where we understand that we cannot save ourselves.

Listen to this quotation from the writings of Ellen White.

It is not enough to perceive the loving kindness of God, to see the benevolence, the fatherly tenderness of his character.

It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of his law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love.

Paul, the apostle, saw this all when he exclaimed, I consent unto the law that it is good.

The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

An Everlasting Promise

It is a sermon series that we are now in our third week.

If you have happened to miss any of the previous weeks, you can find an archive of these sermons at battlecreektabernacle.com, or look us up on YouTube, or find us even on Spotify.

We've been exploring the book of Ezekiel where the recurring phrase, know that I am the Lord, occurs some 60 times in the 48 chapters of Ezekiel.

And we are attempting through this sermon series to answer the question, what does it mean to know God?

And what does it mean to be known by Him?

In a brief overview, as you take these 60 times that this occurs in the book of Ezekiel, We see 8 overarching themes of how we come to know God.

And we know him through his return and restoration.

Each week I will continue to focus on each of these themes.

But ultimately we want to answer the question of how can each of us have an exclusive, loving, reverential experience of understanding, learning, and discerning God's very personal nearness and his concern for the redemption of humanity and in particular and maybe most importantly, your redemption.

How can we have an experience where the Lord is not in competition with anything else in our lives?

How can we come out of Babylon and Babylonian-like thinking that leads us To have nothing that stands in the place of God.

Today is to know and be known an everlasting promise.

If you have your Bibles with you, I'd invite you to open to Ezekiel chapter 16.

Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you receive your older and your younger sisters for I will give them to you for daughters but not because of my covenant with you and I will establish my covenant with you then you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be ashamed, and never open your mouth anymore because of your shame, when I provide you an atonement for all you have done, says the Lord God." God says he will remember his covenant, he will establish his covenant, and then we will know that He is the Lord.

The word covenant in the Old Testament is the Hebrew word berit.

It is technically defined as a treaty or an agreement between nations or individuals, and should be understood on the basis of whether the parties are equal or 1 is superior to the other.

It's rooted in the word of being fastened together or to bond together.

And covenants in the Bible have differing purposes.

Some of them are legal agreement, sometimes it is a business contract, and other times it is used to describe any type of commitment.

But in this passage, Ezekiel announces that God's promise that he will establish his covenant is a key promise because in Knowing his covenant, we will then know him.

But the passage begins with the word nevertheless.

Why does it begin with the word nevertheless?

When we are studying the Bible, anytime we read the word therefore, however, nevertheless, or whatever conjunction it may be, it invites us to then study and read that which is preceding it.

In Ezekiel 16 in verse 8, just a few verses before this verse, the Bible outlines how God chose Israel.

It is 1 of the great mysteries of the Bible.

And here's what it says in Ezekiel 16, 8.

And when I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love, so I spread my wing over you and covered your nakedness.

Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became mine, says the Lord God." Sometimes when we study the Bible, we ask this question, why does God love me?

And the only answer that the Bible gives is that because he loved you.

And that is difficult to a humanity where love is often conditional.

But the Bible says that God loved Israel because he loved Israel.

And it's that simple, yet we make it far more complicated.

Series

To Know and Be Known

Nothing to Fear

Transcript

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

The Accountability Factor

29m

Sabbath School 2nd Quarter 2024: The Great Controversy

05 Faith Against All Odds

28m

Studies in the Book of Revelation

Revelation 14, Part 1

56m

The Joy of the Investigative Judgment, Part 2

53m

SWYC 2008 Plenary Sessions

SWYC 2008 Question and Answer

56m

The Beatitudes of Revelation

The Beatitudes of Revelation- When the Judged Are Judges

29m

Steps to Christ

The Work and the Life

43m

Plenary

The Cry of the 4th Angel

54m

Personal Spiritual Enrichment

Making Sense of the Former and Latter Rain

1h 25m

Talking Points 3rd Quarter 2023: Ephesians

04 How God Rescues Us

29m

2. Live

45m

Seminars

How Does Righteousness by Faith Work?

1h

Sound Doctrine