I please Almighty God to bless
us together this morning as we meditate in his holy word. Let's
turn to the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 34 and we'll read this
morning as a text verse 16. So chapter 34 in the prophecy
of Ezekiel and reading verse 16. I will seek that which was
lost. and bring again that which was
driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will
strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and
the strong. I will feed them with judgment. generally the book of Ezekiel
is not an easy book to understand but there are parts which are
much easier and what I read this morning really is again much
easier because it does direct us to recognize there is a right
way to hear the Word of God preached and to absorb it into our hearts
There are those who preach the gospel who really are not true
shepherds, who are not really concerned about the sheep and
leave them to carry on and wander off. And then we read of the
great and glorious scene of the Lord himself, how he comes and
deals graciously and gloriously with his church. So we have these
examples for us to take heed to I read those last few verses
in the 33rd chapter because it's so easy to be hypocritical in
our actions and perhaps in our words and that's really what
Ezekiel is directing the people to observe and we read and they
come unto thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee
as my people and they hear thy words but they will not do them
you just think about that how many people there are today who
act in just that way they come they sit before God in the house
of God as the Lord's people they hear the words and that's where
it stops but they will not do them for with their mouth they
show much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness
that's a very direct word, isn't it? it's very easy, isn't it? to speak words but we need the
words we speak to emanate from our heart we don't want to be
left to just speak words to impress people. It's very easy, you know,
to say things to impress people because we'd like to be thought
well of. And yet, you see, we stand before God and we, although
we may not appear to be speaking directly to God, God hears and
notes everything that you and I say. And it goes on. And lo thou art unto them as
a very lovely song. or one that hath a pleasant voice,
and can play well on an instrument, for they hear thy words, but
they do them not. Again, it's important to be doers
of the Word, and not hearers only. There is a pattern we have
in the Word of God, and that's one of the problems in the day
and age in which we live. People hear the Word of God,
But they are not doers. They are not fearful to obey
God. All they want to do is to please
themselves. They don't want to do anything
which is going to cause a problem in their own lives. So therefore,
they often don't say things and they often don't do things. Well
that's why we have the Word of God to direct us and let us always
remember, always remember that God's Word is written in love
to our souls. It's wonderful mercy. You see, in this chapter we've
read about those shepherds who don't deal well They don't deal
in love. No, they deal in a very opposite
direction, how they haven't dealt well. And as we've read, they
said, you eat the fat and you clothe you with the wool. You
kill them that are fed, but you feed not the flock. The diseased
have you not strengthened? Neither have you healed that
which was sick. Neither have you bound up that which is broken.
neither have you brought again that which was driven away neither
have you sought that which was lost but with force and with
cruelty have you ruled them out you see we have a gracious direction
to seek those which are lost and that's not easy of course
is it? we like an easy life we like a nice smooth We don't like
to get ourselves involved in something which is difficult
But you see the word is very clear, isn't it? Here we are
we often perhaps driven away people Just because they haven't
bowed down To some peccadillo that we might think is important
and therefore we drive them away we don't go after them we let
them wander off we let them go neither have you sought that
which was lost but with force and with cruelty have you ruled
them and they were scattered because there is no shepherd
and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they
were scattered my sheep wandered Through all the mountains and
upon every high hill, yea, my flock was scattered upon all
the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. It's a very important consideration,
isn't it? In a day and age in which we
live, which is a dark day, as we read, it's not a day of great
lightness, but we, if we are the professing Church of God,
have a gracious obligation to search and to seek for such to
follow such and perhaps they may be difficult characters we
may need a lot of patience well we ought to recognize that God's
been very patient to us He hasn't dealt with us as our sins deserve. As it casts
us off. As it casts us out. We should
recognise the great and glorious mercy of our God. And so, what a blessing it is
if we have that true desire to seek after the true Church of
God and desire to bring them in, perhaps to bring them back. People come, people go. And again,
when that happens, we need to examine ourselves to see whether
we're the cause of people going, people leaving. But we're the
problem. So easy, isn't it, to point fingers
and point at other people. But it's good to examine ourselves
to see whether we are Indeed the cause well We have this account
here speaking against those shepherds Who deal badly with the flocks
and are more concerned about themselves? More concerned about
their own lives and the comfort of their own lives than those
who are wandering about What is the mercy when God gives us
a Desire to truly seek and to truly find those who are wandering
away well we're thankful when we come down to the 11th verse
of this chapter where the Lord says for thus saith the Lord
God behold I even I will both search my sheep and seek them
out well it's a blessing that isn't it to be searched by God
we don't want a false religion do we We don't want to come to
the end of our journey on earth and come up to the gates of heaven
and find that we don't possess a certificate to enter in. We don't possess the evidence
that we are born again of the Spirit of God. We've gone through
this poor world, satisfied with just an outward profession and
yet no true possession of the things of God. And many people
today are satisfied with an outward profession and yet don't possess
the life of God in the soul. Well, what a mercy it is when
we have a God who says, behold, I even I will both search my
sheep and seek them out. And it's good if you and I can
look into our lives and find that God has searched us. And if God has searched us, one
thing will be very clear. He will search out the dealings
of our heart. And there you will find there
is much evil. There is much sin. There is much
anger against the things of God. And you and I will not want to
obey God and hear God's word and operate under that word as
we already read at the end of that 33rd of Ezekiel. You see, we will find that we
are sinners in opposition to God. In opposition. We were born in sin. and shapen
in iniquity perhaps we don't like to admit that perhaps we
don't like to confess that but it's a wonderful blessing when
the Holy Spirit shows us that's what we are born in sin shapen
in iniquity and we need to be delivered and freed from that
position what a blessing that we have a gracious God who comes
and seeks, I will even I, none less than God himself, will both
search my sheep and seek them out. So we need to really ask
that question to ourselves. Have we been sought out? Has
God sought us out? Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wondering From the fold of God, he to seek my soul from danger,
interposed his precious blood. Has God sought you out? Has he found you? Well, we come
down really to the 16th verse, which follows on from this 11th
verse, and these gracious words of the Savior, who he says, I
will. In this chapter, there are a
number of times when God says, I will. Be sure of this. When God says, I will, it will
come to pass. God never speaks lies and God
never says things that he's unable to do. So when God speaks in
this way, we can be sure it will come to pass. as the 13th verse
reads, and I will bring them out from the people and gather
them from the countries and will bring them to their own land
and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in
all the inhabited places of the country. You see, God finds His
sheep. He deals with them in love to
their souls. He shows them their lost condition.
He shows them how they're sinners before a holy God and directs
them to himself. I will, says God. I will feed
them in a good pasture and upon the high mountains of Israel
shall their fold be. There shall they lie in a good
fold and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains
of Israel the true church of God do feed spiritually they
do feed and they feed because they need spiritual food they
need to have the evidence that God has come to them and called
them out of the nature's darkness into the glorious light of the
gospel he showed them their need He showed them their lack of
godliness. He showed them their sinfulness
by nature, how that they are enmity to God. And then he will
show them his great and glorious grace. What is this? He says then, I will feed my
flock and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. They're very positive words,
aren't they? And you and I should examine ourselves to see whether
we come within the bounds of these great and glorious statements.
And so he says, I will seek that which was lost. Again, it doesn't
hurt to repeat that question. Has he found you? Has he found
me? He found Jacob. in the waste
howling wilderness that's what this world is and is it a waste
howling wilderness to you? would you live here forever? well it was to Jacob and it is
more or less to all God's people a waste howling wilderness it's
not a place to settle down in We're travelling, I hope, home
to God. In the way the fathers trod,
they are happy now, and we, by God's grace, soon their happiness
shall see. Well, what a blessing, therefore,
if God has sought us. And only you can tell whether
that's so. We can look at each other. We
can draw a conclusion. We may be wrong. We may be wrong. We may make an assessment in
accordance with those verses at the end of that 33rd chapter.
Somebody appears to be very gracious and very loving, but in reality
they're covetous after the poor things of this world. Whereas
we should be covetous after heavenly things, covet earnestly the best
gifts, says the Saviour. And what a mercy if God has given
us, therefore, grace to seek after that. Well, says God, I
will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was
driven away. Again, sometimes we may feel
we've been driven away again sometimes people godly people
are not wise in the way they speak to people and the effect
is to drive people away the word of God tells us we do all
things amiss unless we do all things in love It's a gracious
and glorious statement. And you see, when you and I operate
in that way, we don't then claim the glory ourselves. We won't
be able to say, oh, well, I corrected that person, and therefore that's
why they're like they are. God will have the glory. And you and I will be as nothing. And therefore, we are to do things
in love we are to speak to one another in love we are to correct
one another in love oh what a mercy it is when that is done you see
when you operate in that way there's no offence if you work
in an opposite way there is offence but if we do all things in love
You see, there's not an offence. What a mercy it is that God does
these things for us in love. Yes, I will seek that which was
lost and will bring again that which was driven away. What a
mercy to have a God who says that. He will bring again that
which was driven away. He's merciful. We make mistakes. And it's good,
you know, when we make mistakes to be able to confess we've made
mistakes. It's one of the hardest things
in life to say sorry. And yet, you know, it's one of the most blessed
things to be able to come and confess that we've been wrong. and to seek forgiveness when we're able to do just that
it brings comfort in our own hearts that we've been able to
come to that position where we've admitted we've been wrong and
dealt wrongly perhaps in certain matters and haven't done it in
love. Well, says the Lord here, I will
seek that which is lost and bring again that which was driven away. And then he says, and will bind
up that which is broken. Well, we have the glorious example,
don't we? In the New Testament, that parable
by the Saviour, what we refer to as the Good Samaritan, what
did the good Samaritan do? where the other two, the religious
people, the Pharisee and the priest who walked by on the other
side, they didn't want to get involved the Samaritan came where
he was he came where he was and that's a blessing isn't it? when
you and I can come where people are come where they are no one
is too bad No one's too great a sinner. By mercy it is. If God gives us grace to come alongside
people like that, yes, and although perhaps they may not be very
pleasant people naturally, don't forget, they possess a never-dying soul. so what a blessing it is the
Lord says he speaks, he says and will bind up that which is
broken well you and I may be broken and you say well I'm not
quite sure what that means well you may be broken in your spirit
because of your enmity against God because
of your sin against God because of your sin against other people
and you may be broken because of it now it's a mercy if we
are and if we are it's because of
God's mercy He comes and breaks down He breaks down, but what
a glorious truth this is. The Saviour says, here He says,
that which was driven away and will bind up, that which was
broken. It's when the Lord comes to us
and He binds it up. You know, in that case of the
good Samaritan, what did he do? He poured in oil and wine. And we can think, well, what
does that represent? It really represents the Gospel. The Gospel. What a blessing it
is, therefore, if we are bound up, perhaps we've been broken,
and we need to be bound up, and we need the Gospel to come to
us, to set us right, and to show us the wonderful mercy of God,
to show us His grace, to show us His love. What is it? It's all of His favour. Yes,
and in that situation what happens? We may have been broken. We may
have been broken again and again. And God shows us what's in our
hearts. You see, these things are not
always evident on the outside. but it's that in the inside it
may be our thoughts, no one knows do they? what you and I think
but we may have very sinful thoughts no one knows about it apart from
God sometimes we may have to cry
out as the Apostle Paul did O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? well it's the working of the
Spirit of God and he does this to bring us to this situation
where we're broken before a holy God we can't claim then be self-righteous
we won't start throwing stones at other people and say well
of course I wouldn't do that let me just say that's the most
dangerous statement to say I would never do that the Apostle Peter said he would
never deny his Lord and Master in actual fact he would die for
him just a few hours later he's denying the saviour with oaths
and curses never think you can keep yourself no it's only by
the grace of God but what a mercy it is when we do fall internally
not necessarily externally internally and you may have to groan before God and perhaps you have
come and think, can ever God dwell here? Well that's why we have such
words as this. And will bind up that which is
broken. Will heal that. The only way
it's healed if we're honest and if we're truly needy, is through
the glorious Gospel. And it comes down to this. The
blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. However evil we may be inside,
God can cleanse us. can wash away all our sin. And so we have these words. I
will bind up that which was broken. Again, you see, these words are
so positive, aren't they? It was necessary, wasn't it?
In Ezekiel's day, there they were in Babylon. They were to
be there for 70 years. It was a terrible punishment,
really. for their disobedience but God didn't forsake them he
didn't leave them he came to them through the prophets he
came to them through Ezekiel and Ezekiel was able to write
such words to encourage them and will bind up that which is
broken and of course going back to the case of the the Samaritan,
good Samaritan he poured in oil and wine and he bound up his
wounds and he put him on his own ass took him to the inn paid
the bill necessary and asked the innkeeper to look after him
and if there was anything else to pay he'd pay it when he returned
well what a mercy it is that we have a great and glorious
saviour who has paid all that is necessary to bind up our wounds. What a gracious and merciful
God we have. And so he says, and will bind
up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was
sick. You see, we can easily find ourselves
in a sick condition you may say what does that mean that means
when we're weak and you know when we're weak you see what
that may mean is that we've given in to the temptations of satan
and again let's just home in again on that may not be something
outward it may be but it may be in our minds what we think God sees, and God comes, and
God can convict. And when God does come, and when
God does convict us, it makes us sick, it makes us weak. What
do we do? We mourn over our sin. We don't go on our way rejoicing.
We mourn over our sin. and we seek to God himself for forgiveness
and he has said he will strengthen that which was sick and what
this means really is we may have fallen we may have brought ourselves
into a weak place we need strengthening And God comes alongside us. And it's His grace that enables
us to resist the devil, that he may flee from us. The devil wants us to listen
to him. And he's very clever. He knows your weakness and my
weakness. He knows that sometimes He can
come into our hearts like a flood and seem to almost overwhelm
us. Well, here we have a promise
from God who says He will strengthen that which was sick, strengthen
us against the wiles of the devil. We may perhaps see Him coming
and God gives us grace to resist the devil. Don't rely on your own ability. Look to Jesus, who has said,
and will strengthen that which was sick. What a mercy to have
a God who strengthens us. You know, sometimes this is almost
going contrary to our nature. because we have an evil heart
we have a sinful heart a heart that loves the wicked things
of this world well here we have a gracious
encouragement the Lord will strengthen that which is sick enable us
to turn away from it to resist the devil that he may flee from
us and the Lord does hear and the Lord does operate that's
why we have such words like this and will strengthen that which
was sick yes he will, he says then but I will destroy the fat
and the strong Those who think they have strength themselves.
Those who think they're able to stand firm against the temptations
of Satan. No man can keep alive his own
soul. The Word of God tells us, don't
think that you have any ability to keep alive your own soul. Well, you may be strong, you
think, and it's a great blessing, therefore, if the Lord comes
and destroys that strength. Because what will that do? That'll
make you look away from yourself. And it'll make you look to the
Saviour. My friends, there is a sufficiency
in our Saviour. Yes, there's strength there.
There's all the strength you and I can ever need. The devil
doesn't want us to come to the Saviour. He wants us to struggle
on and fall and fail again and again, which we will, left to
ourselves. but I will destroy the fat and
the strong. These are the words of the Saviour. Isn't it wonderful to realise
that we have such a kind and gracious God? You see, Ezekiel
lived in a day when men's hearts were no different to what they
are today. He was directed to write these words because they
were needful in his day and age. and there's still need for today
in our day and age what a mercy it is to realise that we have
such a God as this he comes down further on to say this therefore
thus saith the Lord God unto them behold I even I will judge
between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle because ye have
thrust with side and with shoulder and pushed all the diseased with
your horns till you have scattered them abroad." And again, you
see, what this shows to us is we can think that we're right
and everyone else is wrong. And therefore, we can try and
push our ideas. what we think is the right thing
in the right way and therefore he says so here because you have
thrust with side and with shoulder and pushed all the disease with
your horns yeah isn't it easy for us to do this have a wrong
attitude wrong attitude we have to desire to have a Christ-like
attitude in your life and my life in the world in which we
live yes, to not think that we can force people into a situation
no, but to pray for them if people are walking in a wrong way the
easiest thing for us to do naturally is to tell them they're wrong
and they ought to do this and they ought to do that be much
better to pray to God that he will work. Oh, my friends, when
God works, it's done. The work is done. And where does
the honour go? To God. Always remember that. You see,
we're blessed with the great privilege of having a God that
we can come to in prayer. You know, so we can explain a
situation to our God. He knows all about it anyway.
And He can provide a perfect solution. You and I make so many
mistakes. Our motives are often so wrong,
they're selfish and self-centered. Well, it's a great blessing to
submit ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He goes on to say
that He may exalt us in due time, exalt us in our souls, blessed
with communion with the Saviour. This will help us, this will
strengthen us, this will encourage us, this will enable us to go
on our way rejoicing. So this morning we read this
account in Ezekiel and we all will take it to heart as to what
it means and realize we have a very gracious God who's given
us such an account for our good to teach us, to direct us, to
show us, lead us into all truth as it is in Jesus, so that in
our little life, his name may be lifted up and his name be
exalted. I love those words. The psalmist
says, and let us exalt his name together. That's when the Church of God
is walking in love and unity. Well may it be so and may we
truly rejoice in what the Saviour's done and be very thankful if
you and I can trace out in our lives the mercy of God in taking
us in hand and bringing us close to himself in giving us this
humble spirit to confess all our wrong, all our sins, and
not try and justify ourselves, but to justify our God and his
great and glorious work of salvation. Amen.