Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayer for attention to Ezekiel chapter 34. And reading for our text, verse
26. Verse 26. And I will make them and the
places round about my hill a blessing. And I will cause the shower to
come down in his season. there shall be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34 and verse 26. Now there's several things I
want to notice before coming to some main points. The first
is this, that Ezekiel is speaking in a time when the children of
Israel were in captivity. And you might say they're not
under the Lord's blessing, they're under His chastening hand, they're
in His will and where He would have them to be. But the idea
in this position of captivity that they could be made a blessing
and even round about them a blessing, would seem a very strange thing. And those of you that may feel
to be in captivity or even in a low place, maybe as a church
as well, the idea that God would say, not only will I bless you,
but I will make you a blessing. And when we think then of Ezekiel's
position and the messages that he is having for God's ancient
people, it's giving them a real expectation beyond their present
situation. Now, the blessing here is spoken
of as an expectation of being made a blessing. Now sometimes
we can think, well, whenever we come to the house of God,
We want to be blessed. We want to hear for ourselves.
We want some food And in a sense that's right because we think
of our lord's commission to peter feed my sheep feed my lambs But
is it all? us all the time? Are we not coming
for worship? To worship the Lord? To give
unto the Lord? This people have I formed for
myself. They shall show forth my praise. And is that showing forth just
to be confined to these walls or just those that already are
the people of God? Or is it to be extended further
round? And this is Ezekiel's word to
the people of God. He gives the foundation of the
blessing in the son of David and what is going to be blessed
to the church. But the church itself, I will
make them and the places round about my hill a blessing. And that's a wonderful thing
to think that the Lord would use a poor sinner or use a church
for blessing so that there is thanksgiving, not just by that
church, but for many who receive the benefit that one has. Now, another thought here, you
might have thought as we started to read this chapter, well, here's
this spoken against bad shepherds and those that are not shepherding
well, Well, think of it in this way. There's a picture in this
chapter of a bad shepherd. I believe the Lord has given
you, as a church and people here, a good under-shepherd. I know
he has, because I know when I have been unwell, that I get messages,
how are you? And a little bit later, a following
up, and I think that's what he's doing to his flock. and how many
times have you thought here where the scripture speaks of bad under
shepherds but the lord's given us a good one and to really give
thanks to the lord sometimes we can take things for granted
can't we easy overlook it how many times and maybe there's
some of you don't do it at all but if your pastor goes away
you wish him a good holiday or if he's preaching somewhere else,
you know where he's preaching and you ask the Lord's blessing
on his ministry, you let him know, a little WhatsApp or something
that he thinks, well, my flock are mindful of what I'm going
through, my afflictions, my blessings, my ministry, communicate one
to another. a thought in the mind that doesn't
convey to him. It's only perhaps just a little
text or something and immediately he knows that the flock is thinking
of him. So it's something he can't do
but I can as a visiting minister to encourage you to encourage
him and to strengthen him, and to be thankful to God for an
under-shepherd who watches over you, who feeds you, and helps
you in your times of need. So a contrast, if you like, but
something to really give us a thought of. Now, throughout this passage,
and some of you might have realized as we read in, many times we
read these words I will. I will. That is what the Lord
is going to do. And especially when we come to
verse 11 and following on from there, what he'll do for them. I will, in verse 11 is, I even,
I will both search my sheep and seek them out. And verse 12,
so will I seek out my sheep, will deliver them. Verse 13,
I will bring them out of the people and gather them. Verse
14, I will feed them in a good pasture. Verse 15, I will feed
my flock. Verse 16, I will seek that which
was lost. We have those I wills, what the
Lord will do all the time. And we would remember it is the
Lord working in his church. The Lord working amongst his
people. And you think of those through
time who have seen the Lord's work and they've said, the thing
proceedeth from the Lord. And be able to say, this is the
Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes. We come thinking of the harvest
and many might give thanks for their food, but they don't trace
it up to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift. And in
spiritual things especially, how far do we trace it up? And
how far back do we go? We think of Daniel praying, and
it said at the beginning of his supplications, the commandment
went forth. And we read that before they
call, I will answer them. We read with the man in John
9 that was born blind, when it was asked why was he born blind,
did his parents sin or he, that he was born blind? None, but
that the glory of God might be shown. He was of age. It had waited 18, 21 years before
that blessing was evidenced. And that which happened when
he was born was laid up in store for a blessing later. And when
we come into blessings, sometimes we can trace back to where the
Lord first began to do that. And sometimes it's not so easy
to see. I always like to see where the
Lord called me by grace. and the timing of it coming to
the end of my apprenticeship, unable to buy my own home near
the church when the family moved away. And I traced right back
to when I was seven and we moved schools. And because my brother
and I were just 11 months apart, we were supposed to be, one was
in grade two and the other in grade one, but it was a composite
grade. So we were both in the same class. And they said, this
can't happen, they're brothers. So they put me in grade three.
Halfway through the year, they said, well, we made a mistake.
He skipped a year. We're doing all right, leave
him there. A little adjustment like that had a ripple effect
on my whole life. So when I come to 19, and then
I, or in my apprenticeship, and the other apprentices start,
I said, hey, come, we're a first year apprentice, you're a second
year apprentice, we're the same age. How did that happen? And
then you tell them how it happened. And the Lord saw what was needed. And some of you may be able to,
from a blessing the Lord gives, you trace it back, what was needed
to bring that blessing. And you'll be surprised, sometimes
you might go back 10 or 20 years to get the timing right. And
we would point to the eternal counsel and purposes of God. And really, don't we, every blessing
trace it back to our Lord Jesus Christ, trace it back to the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world, trace it back to,
yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, and therefore
with loving kindness have I drawn thee. So it is the I wills of
this chapter And then we come to these two I wills in the word
of our text. And I will make them and the
places round about my hill a blessing. And I will cause the shower to
come down in his season. There shall be showers of blessing. So I want to look with the Lord's
help, firstly, a people that are made a blessing. And then
secondly, the shower of blessing that is caused to come down. And thirdly, the certainty of
these things. There shall be showers of blessing. Firstly, it is a people that
shall or people made a blessing. Now of course there must be that
which brings them into a position first to be made a blessing and
so we look at the verses that are before it and again for the
contrast think of Ezekiel, think of Israel as they are at that
time. What things needed to be done? And it's spoken of what the Lord
will do, bringing them back to his own land, establishing them
and blessing them and then pointing forward to Christ's coming. Even my servant David, he shall
feed them. He shall be their shepherd. Your
mind goes right back to John 10 and the good shepherd. I am
the good shepherd, the son of David. And This is people here
that need these things done for them. And you may say, I need
the Lord to do things for me as well. And you think of the,
and it's a psalm that we played so much at Cranbrook. It was brought at our my induction
services 25, 26 years ago now, and it was 126. And we read in that psalm, when
the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that
dream, then was our mouth filled with laughter, our tongue with
singing, then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done
great things for them. They didn't have to explain it,
they didn't have to say, it was actually seen, evident. And then there's that which is
said by them as well. The Lord hath done great things
for us, whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord,
as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall
reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth
Bearing precious seeds, she'll doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bring his sheaves with him. It's a beautiful psalm, a psalm
of expectation, a psalm that we often plead, Lord, bring us
to those times of blessing that is like noise, that Jesus is
in the house, it is seen and evidenced, known and read of
all men. And of course, with Israel of
old, when they were brought back to their promised land, as much
as it was in the forefront of all the nations when they went
into captivity, so it was so clean, clear, when the Lord brought
them back, there they were in their own land. And so with the
Church of God, and this is looking forward to the church, it's looking
forward to gospel days, to the people of God, the people that
are to be made a blessing, and the foundation is in our Lord
Jesus Christ. He says in verse 22, therefore,
I will save my flock. The name of Jesus, he shall save
his people from their sins. The very coming of our Lord and
Saviour is the source of that blessing. And the contrast, the
very difference between, you might say, the expectation of
the Old Testament and then the coming in the New and the power
of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, of course, was
in the Old Testament, but mainly through the prophets, very limited.
But in the New Testament, the power of the Spirit and the blessing
that is flowed forth from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When our Lord first came, there
was a heralding of the angels of joy, of goodwill toward men. And of course the Lord sent forth
his disciples to preach the kingdom. They couldn't preach as Paul
did, determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and
him crucified. Even the disciples, they were
saying we trusted it should have been he that should have redeemed
Israel. They couldn't see clearly what the Lord was going to do
and how he is going to redeem Israel but the message when our
Lord came the Lord is on his way deliverance is at hand and
you know it is a similar that when Moses was sent to Egypt
or even you might say when Moses was born 80 years before the
Lord had looked upon their groaning and his his process of delivering
them was already happening and That's a good thing to remember
to those in captivity the process of their deliverance is already
happening the Lord is looking on their affliction and looking
on their sorrows and then when Moses was sent to them and They
rejoiced, they believed that God had heard their groans and
was come down to deliver them. But then almost immediately their
sorrows got worse, their burdens more, Pharaoh would not let them
go if they thought they weren't really captives. At first it
was evidence after nine signs They were captives. Unless the
Lord set them free, they'll never get go. And sometimes there's
those things with the people of God, and they have one thing
after another in their lives, and they think, if my heart is
not moved by all these, if my circumstances are not changed,
if I'm not delivered by all these, what shall deliver me? But we
come then with Israel to the Passover, the bloodshedding,
The Son of David set forth the Paschal Lamb. Behold, the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And then there's
deliverance. Deliverance in none other than
the blood, and the blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And it's then that the blessings,
they flow forth, and they flow forth into the Church of God. Now, our Lord, while on earth,
he wrought out a righteousness for his people, then he suffered
in their place, he paid their debts, he endured the wrath of
God, he rose again for their justification, and then gave
the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, I'll pray the father
he will give you another comforter which shall abide with you forever
tarry at jerusalem until you be endued with power from on
high and it's a blessing of the spirit that then so changed the
whole scene of the church so the church was then Made a real
blessing you picture it when our Lord was crucified. They
all forsook him and fled you say These twelve these apostles. These are gonna be preachers
of the gospel. They're gonna be a blessing They're
gonna be conveying the blessings of God and what Christ is doing
now these Under the Lord's hand what the Lord did and with the
Spirit they did and I always like the comparison between Elijah,
Elisha, and the Lord and his people. Now the Lord said of
his disciples, and greater things than these shall you do because
I go unto my father. And you remember with Elijah,
when Elijah was taken up to heaven, then He said to Elisha, ask what
I shall give thee. And he said, a double portion
of thy spirit. And he said, it is a hard thing
that thou hast asked, but if thou seest me when I am taken
from thee, it shall be granted. And he saw, and the double spirit
was granted. And I think if you count, you'll
find Elijah did eight miracles and Elisha 16, double the amount. And when you think of the disciples,
when our Lord was taken up into heaven, they saw him. The angels
came, they said, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? He that
thou hast seen go into heaven shall come again in like manner.
And what is the effect? The apostles, they raised the
dead. They healed the sick. With Peter,
the very shadow of him passing by was enough. to heal and they
always ascribed it to the Lord Jesus Christ. They never, they
said, why look on us? As if there's some power in us.
This is through the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are the channel.
We are being made a blessing to you because of what Christ
has done at Calvary, because of what is bestowed upon us,
the Holy Spirit upon us. You know, when Elijah came back
to the sons of the prophets. They said the spirit of Elijah
resteth upon Elisha. And it did. And we think of our
Lord. Yes, he fed the multitudes. Thousands
followed him with the disciples. The day of Pentecost there were
three thousand believed. Believe the gospel, they were
saved, new creatures in Christ and baptized. The blessings that
followed in that New Testament church through those disciples,
nothing in themselves, but made a blessing by God, by the Lord
working in them and through them. Sometimes as churches today,
we might lose sight of that. Sometimes it's good to go back
and think, well, Were they the church? Yes, they was, the infant
church. Didn't the Lord make them a blessing?
Yes, he did. Cannot he do the same today?
It's the same God, it's the same church, it's the same Holy Spirit. The promises are the same until
Christ comes again. And we have those tokens amongst
us. And so we would be encouraging
that, made a blessing, and may it be your desire, my desire,
the desire of each church. Lord, bless me that I might be
made a blessing to others, that I might not be like at first
those four lepers that went out when there was a famine in Samaria. They found the Syrians had all
fled, and they started to take things from one tent to another
and to bury it. Then they said, ìWe do not well.
This is a day of good tidings. Let us go and tell the kingís
household.î And they did. And that then was a blessing
to the whole of Israel. And you see the effect of one
being blessed, one having that secret of the blessing, and then
that is passed on to others. What a solemn thing it would
be if our neighbours, if those round about us, The judgment
day would say, you knew that secret, you knew that blessing
and you never spoke of it to us. You never even acted as if
you had it. But it is that you shall show
forth the praises of him. who called you out of nature's
darkness and into his marvelous light. When our Lord came into
Jerusalem and they were singing hosannas to the Son of David,
and they said, Lord, command thy disciples that they hold
their peace. He said, if these should hold
their peace, the very stones would cry out. They must, they
cannot but speak. And the apostles said that when
they were commanded by the Jewish council to keep silence, to speak
no more in the name of Jesus, they said that we cannot but
speak of the things that we have seen and heard. How many of you
have had blessings and helps through the word that you can
say, I cannot but speak of these things? And it's good when we
can speak of them even immediately after the service of the Lord's
house, to speak one to another of the things that we've received
and heard. It's a blessing to be favoured
to do that. There's not many amongst our
people that can do it or have that privilege. It's a lovely
blessing to have when the ministry is finished, when the service
is finished, instead of all speaking about other things, there's a
carrying on of what actually has been spoken. It's been like
a little trigger or a little reminder of something, maybe
something the preacher hasn't said, and you've seen in the
word, and you're able to share with the preacher afterwards,
not critical of his preaching, but it's stirred up even more. There's such a mine and a privilege. And then, as iron sharpeneth
iron. And that word then runs, and
it runs swiftly. And those are blessed times.
And so this word, And this is really a burden on my spirit,
of people not only coming to give thanks for the Lord's blessing
to them, but of people made a blessing. You think of the joy of the disciples
when they'd been in a place, when they'd preached and they
saw the effect, they saw the Lord's blessing, they saw what
had happened. And that should be at ease. I
wonder how often we pray for it. Lord, instead of just bless
me, bless me, Lord, make me a blessing. So favor me that I am used to
others, to point many to thee, to righteousness, to the Son
of God, to the Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every blessing. So a people made. a blessing. The Church of God is to be, in
this world, a channel of blessing for this world. It is a candlestick,
it is a light that shines, it is salt that goes forth, that
is not lost its savour, but though sprinkled through the earth,
yet it shows forth the praises of God. Well, secondly, our text
speaks of showers of blessing. I will cause the shower to come
down in his season. Shower of blessing to cause to
come down. Well, in one sense, we've spoken
a little of that. I believe there are points as
to an overall, because the first time that the blessing is mentioned
or the shower is mentioned, It is in the singular. I'll cause
the shower to come down in his season and there shall be showers
of blessing. The shower. And when we think
of the gospel and we think of the blessing of the gospel, that
encompasses many other other other blessings doesn't it it's
and it is that which the lord will cause in his season and
it's a reminder in this that there is a season to everything
the first promise in the garden of eden of the seed of the woman
that should bruise the serpent's head. Eve said, when Cain was
born, I had borne me a man-child from the Lord. You wonder whether
her expectation was, here is the seed of the woman. But it
must wait for 4,000 years before that seed comes forth, before
the Lord set an appointed time. And even when the Lord comes
into this world, then it must be at a set time, when he is
30 years of age, that then his ministry begins. All the time through scriptures,
we read there's a set time to favour Zion. Your time is always
ready, my time is not yet. And so with this first idea of
a shower of blessing that is caused to come down, we think
of the Lord's timing, the Lord's timing in his coming and in sending
forth the gospel in itself, and then extend that to the gospel
going forth throughout the world. And it is again in the Lord's
hand, in the Lord's way, make my hill a blessing and I will
cause the shower to come down in his season. I will cause those,
the gospel to come down. I will cause the son of man to
come down. I will cause there to be the
blessings of the gospel to actually be known. And may this again
be an encouragement. We made of the harvest and if
ever there is a a providential thing in the earth that speaks
of seasons and not being able to force a growth or force something
to happen in the wrong season or when it's not in God's season. It must be in season and it's
a good time to be reminded of that. There are seasons of blessing. in his season, his time, the
Lord's time, never before his time and never too late. And that was in the first of
it going forth. We can think of another illustration
of this where the Apostle Paul was, he tried to go into Asia,
the Lord forbid him so. into Bithynia and the Spirit
suffered him not. Then he had the vision, come
over into Macedonia and help us, the formation of the Church
of Philippi. Does that mean that the churches
in Asia, they were never there? They were never blessed? We have
seven letters in the Revelation to the churches in Asia. But
it wasn't at that time. But just because it wasn't at
that time didn't mean to say it would never be so. How many
of us know that? Where we've either sought to
do something or to venture, but it has not been the time. And
the Lord's stopped it. The Lord's turned it to another
time or another way. And then he's brought it about.
No, it is a good thing to deserve. I've seen it in employments.
I saw it when I'd had from a young child the exercise of coming
back to this land, to England. I knew when we emigrated to Australia
when I was four and a half, I was identified. I was English. One
day, we would go back. I thought as a child, it'd be
the whole family, not just myself. And yet when I married, and I
married my dear one over here, then it was, is this the time? Is this the time? But the Lord
clearly showed, no, that was not the time. And we had to go
over to Australia first, back to where I was. And the Lord
had brought things to pass that made that so. And a letter from
my father was used as well. We didn't know how long it would
be, but it turned out six years. And then again, my burden, my
exercise was I wouldn't come back to this land to be in the
supply ministry but to a pastorate. And my dear one, she said, there's
been ministers for years in England that have never been called to
a pastorate. You're never going to be called to a pastorate from
the other side of the world to come over here. But I was. The first time I ever preached
in this land was in my pulpit at Cranbrook. And the Lord used
that one first sermon to start the process of bringing me over
as a pastor. And the Lord does these things,
and it's very necessary. It's been greatly tried, but
this is my 26th year there. And when we look at the timing
of the Lord, we can think, is it Lord's time now? And the Lord
says, no, you wait. And you'll see clearly when it
is. Maybe it's a help to some here. You may be thinking things
and praying things and going over things, thinking, is this
the time now? Should I move? Should I do this?
Should I venture in this matter? When it is the Lord's time, he'll
make it plain. He'll make it clear. And he is
to watch. And sometimes there's a venturing,
and like with the Apostle Paul, he tried to go into Asia. No. The Spirit suffered him not
to go into Bithynia. And I've often thought on that. Because in seeking the Lord's
direction, I look at three things lining up together. The word
of God, providence, and the Lord making us willing. And there's
been times that I've been able, would have been able to move
house. Providence was right, the word of God went along with
it, but my spirit had no liberty to make any move at all and it
couldn't go ahead. And you watch those things, you
watch the spirit the Lord gives you. My people shall be willing
in the day, my power. And like with the Apostle Paul,
he was able to have a contrast. He knew what it was to have two
shut doors, so when the door was opened, it made it even more
clear. And so those time of blessing,
the season, to discern the season, arise, for now is the time. Now is the time for the Lord
to work. And the church's expectation
is looking for those times of blessing and for those seasons
that the Lord has promised in his hand. And so it is then that
the blessing is not just one, but then it's broken down into
showers. And we think of, when I was driving
here, I thought, because I went in and out of rain showers, beautiful
sunshine one moment and the next minute it was all rain and showers
and I thought what an illustration that is. One moment there's no
shower and then there's all the shower and you might come in
and out of the Lord's house, there'd be nothing for a while
and then showers of blessing. Maybe the Lord gives you grace,
or then he gives you love, or peace in your soul, or help in
your soul, or a crumb of mercy. You think of the blessings of
the gospel, it's not just in one aspect, or one part. Sometimes he might give you faith,
and give you the, in your soul you're able to do what you wouldn't
otherwise have done. those blessings of hope, those
blessings of the fellowship with one another and with the Lord. Those showers of blessing and
those blessings then that, like David says, my cup runneth over. And when it spills over and it
spills over to your neighbors, it spills over to those round
about you, come and hear. or you that fear God, and I will
tell what he had done for my soul. You think of on that first
resurrection morning, the Lord is risen indeed. They were coming
from all quarters. They were coming from the grave.
They were coming from Emmaus. They were all gathering together.
They were telling what they had seen and how the Lord had appeared
to them. And then the Lord came and he appeared to them all together. Then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord. I wonder if there's notice then,
briefly, lastly, this certainty. Our text says, there shall be
showers of blessing. With us, there is always uncertainty. We cannot promise a thing and
cause it come to pass, things come in between. But when we
have the gospel, when we have the promises that flow forth
from the Lord Jesus Christ, there is the certainty, the shalls
and wills of almighty God. And his will will be done. Father,
I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am,
that they may behold my glory. And those shalls, the shalls
of the blessings of God, maybe lay that up as prayers and expectations
as we come to and fro God's house. And also in looking back, sometimes
you can see things so much clearer looking back. How has it been
through here? You might have gone several weeks
and no particular blessing, but then you've had some showers
I've heard. You've had some of those that have been really blessed,
some have been brought forth to put the Lord on in open profession,
the Lord knows where there's been those showers that have
been grouped together and they've been really times of blessing.
You say, this is the Lord's doing. He's done this. This is the pattern
of it. And we spoke about with your
pastor and how easy it can be to take things for granted. You
imagine if you went through, say, the whole year and it was
like showers of blessing all the time or just just gentle
all the time. But if it is done where there
seems to be nothing for a while, for a week or two, a month or
two, and then suddenly you get some blessing, you notice it
much more, don't you? And you start to realize as well,
we have no power to bring this forth. This is not us. This is not our doing. This is
the Lord's doing. Very often the Lord will do that
for his people and make the case impossible first. Those in Egypt could not get
out. Those going around Jericho and
those great big walls could not bring them down. The Red Sea
could not make that part. Jordan could not make that stopper. Gideon He had to have his army
brought down so low. Why? So that the honour and glory
was God's. And the church of God is to be
learning this. He's nodding you. There might
be those of you who've been questioning, is it the work of God in me?
Has he given me grace? Am I really blessed? And how
the Lord answers, he withdraws his spirit for a while. And then
you feel hard and cold and lifeless and dead. And you think, no,
it is quite right. The Lord is not my God. No, what
the Lord has shown you is what you are without him. And then
he'll bless you, and then he'll favor you, or perhaps cause you
to remember back to former times, think that must have been the
Lord's hand, because now I cannot bring that forth. That blessing,
I wonder whether it was a real blessing. Can I bring it forth
now? Can I force it? No. And then
it's more clean, more sealy, that that was the Lord's hand.
And so those shells of the Lord, they take us over those dips,
as it were, over those times of captivity, over times when
he's silent. And know that he shall come again. I will see you again. And your
heart shall rejoice in your joy. No man taketh from you. So may
the Lord be pleased to Bless you here, make you a blessing,
and be like the church is to be on earth, to show forth the
praises of him who hath called them out of nature's darkness
and into his marvellous light. Amen.