All right, if you'll turn with
me back to Ezekiel 33. If you're willing, we'll look at this passage
together this morning. Look again at verse 10. Therefore, O thou son of man,
speak unto the house of Israel. You speak, saying, if our transgressions
and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should
we live? Say unto them, as I live, saith
the Lord God, I have no pleasure. Almighty God, the Lord says,
I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked
would turn. Turn from his way and live. Turn ye. Turn ye from your evil
ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" Apparently, they
were doing what we do sometimes, pining
away over their sin. They said, our sins and our transgressions
be upon us. How should we live? That being the case, how shall
we live? In some way, it would appear
the children of Israel were blaming God for their transgression,
blaming God for their Sin. Blaming God as they often did
for their circumstance. Maybe they'd say, who hath resisted
his will? How can I be blamed for my sin? How can I be blamed for my transgression? They're saying this, that death
is by God's sovereign degree. It's His pleasure that we die,
so how can we help ourselves? The question is asked, why will
you die? I don't know who wrote this. I
thought it was a pretty good illustration. They said when a man dies, when
a woman dies, it's like water being poured out from a cup. We took a cup with us with some
water in it down to the beach, and the lid didn't fit. And the
cup got tipped over, and the water just poured out on that
sand. You know when that happens, there's no putting it back. There's
no putting water back into a cup. There's no going back. And when a man or a woman dies
in their sin, at that point, all hope is gone. And God is not to be blamed for
it. Look at verse 11. Thus saith the Lord. I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked. Those that would say it's God's
fault, as a sinner, are we more just than God? How do we stand in a place where
we could ever blame God for our sin? That's nothing but self-pity. Poor me. Poor me. You remember Adam? Just think
about his argument, his defense when he sinned against God. What
did he say? First thing out of his mouth,
it was the woman. And he didn't stop there. That
would have been bad enough, wouldn't it? It was the woman that you
gave me. She gave me up the tree. And
I did eat. We have a strong tendency to
do that, don't we? Blame everybody but ourselves. Turn with me to the book of Job.
Job chapter 38. I'd encourage you this afternoon,
if you get time, find time to read through these last few chapters of Job, but Job
38, look beginning, we'll just read a short portion of it, look
at verse 4. Job had loathed then a little
self-pity himself, but look here. God replies, the Lord replies
to Job, and look what he says. He said, Job, where were you
when I laid the foundations of the earth. Declare it, huh? If thou hast understanding, who
laid the measures thereof? If thou knowest, or who hath
stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations
thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof? When the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy, who shut up the sea
with the doors? When it break forth as if it
issued out of the womb, when I made the cloud the garment
thereof, and the thick darkness a swaddling board for it, and
break it up for my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said,
hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. And here shall thy
proud waves be stayed. You ever stand at the ocean and
see those mighty waves? And if you're out there in the
water, they'll knock you down. But then they roll up to the
shore, and a little child could stand there in them. And they
come to a point, and it stops. And it goes no further. How could all that be harnessed? Man can't do that. Only God can. Only a sovereign God can do that. The Lord speaks to Job all the
way through chapter 41, and in verse one of chapter 42, Job
replies. After God speaks, Job replies,
and listen to him. Then Job answered the Lord and
said, I know that thou canst do everything. No thought can be withholding
from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel
without knowledge? I've uttered that that I understood
not. Things too wonderful for me,
which I knew not. God's sovereign over all things. Would you blame God for your
sin? Would you argue with God? Turn to Romans 9. Turn to the New Testament. Turn
to Romans chapter 9. Look at verse 20. Romans 9 verse 20. Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? We're not to blame God for our
transgression, for our sin. It's all ours. We're the ones need to take responsibility
for that. I won't have you turn back there,
but in Job 9 verse 20, it says, Job said this, he said, if I
justify myself, if that's what I'm gonna do, if I'm gonna justify
myself, he said, my own mouth would condemn me. If I say I'm
perfect, I'd do nothing but just prove myself to be perverse. Isaiah wrote, woe is me. He said the same thing. I'm undone. I am a man of unclean lips. And I dwell amongst a people,
in the midst of a people of unclean lips. How could he say that? Almighty God had been revealed
to him. He said this, he said, I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord
of hosts. If Almighty God would ever be
pleased to let us see him for who he is, we'll know what we
are. And we'll take our place in the
dust. God is almighty. He's sovereign. He's just in all his ways. Scripture
says he's a just God and a savior. That's God. What's man? Man is sinful. And as such, that sin, I'm responsible
for it. I'm accountable for my sin. And
it falls on no one but me. No one but the sinner. God is
almighty and he's absolutely sovereign in salvation. He has
mercy on whom he will have mercy. He is gracious to whom he will
be gracious. He saves whom He will. That's clear in Scripture. And
yet, all men, all men are responsible
under God to walk in the light in which He gives them. The Lord God has fixed it such
that those that perish Those that perish in sin, those that
perish in rebellion, those that perish in unbelief are without excuse. But rest assured of this, no
one's going to go to hell by accident. Unbelief is not a passing
thing. If you go to hell, We don't like to talk about this
much, but listen, you're going to scratch and claw your way
all the way there. Fighting against the light that
God's given you. Men and women don't go to hell
because they're ignorant. They go to hell because they're
rebels. They've rebelled against God. And if I go to hell, it
will be a deliberate effort on my part. But salvation, eternal life,
it's a deliberate effort on God's part. Turn with me to 2 Timothy
chapter 1. Look beginning with verse nine
of 2 Timothy 1. Verse nine, 2 Timothy 1. Who
hath saved us? Who's that talking about? Almighty
God. God hath saved us and hath called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. But now is made manifest
by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death and hath brought life and immortality to light through
the gospel. He saved us. He called us, not
according to our work, but according to His own purpose and grace
given in Christ Jesus before the world began. Aren't we thankful
that where sin abounded, and it truly has, abounded, but where
sin abounded, grace. God's sovereign, free, eternal,
electing grace did much more abound. Turn back to our text,
Ezekiel 33. Quickly this morning, I want
us to Just consider a few points from this passage this morning. With this thought in mind, why
will you die? Why will you die? Look at verse 10. Saying to them, as I live, as sure as Almighty God lives,
That's pretty sure, isn't it? As I live, saith the Lord. Consider
the certainty of that statement, the reality of that statement,
the sincerity of that statement. This is a statement that can
be depended on. This is a true statement, as
is all of God's word, but that just adds a little something
to it. As sure as I live, here's the first point. I have no pleasure
in the death of the wicked." Almighty God is a God ready to
pardon. In the book of Nehemiah, God's
Word declares, Thou art a God ready to pardon. And he goes
on to say he's gracious and he's merciful and he's slow to anger. and of great kindness. He's not hard to be moved to
forgiveness. Turn to Isaiah 55 verse seven.
Isaiah 55 verse seven. Let the wicked forsake his way. In the unrighteous man, his thoughts,
and let him return unto the Lord. And he'll have mercy on him. And to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon. Why do men refuse to confess
their sin? Why do men refuse to come to
Him for mercy? Did you see what we just read?
He's not a God that takes pleasure in the misery of men. Spurgeon wrote this, his ear
is not dull to the cry of our sorrow. His heart is not slow
to compassion. David wrote this in the Psalms,
he said, the righteous cry, and the Lord heareth and he delivereth. He hears and
he delivers them out of all their troubles knowing these things to be so, why would a man refuse to cry? His mercy, the Lord's mercy endureth
forever. He delighteth in mercy, and yet
men run from him. David wrote this in Psalm 9 verse
10. He said, and they that know thy
name will put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, thou hast not
forsaken them that seek thee. Well, turn back to our text.
Here's the second thing. that the wicked would turn from
his wicked way and live. Consider just for a minute that
prodigal son and his father. Turn there to Luke chapter 15. Luke 15. Look at verse 11. Our Lord speaking, He told this
parable, and He said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger
of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods
that follows me, And he divided under them his living, and not
many days after the younger son gathered all together, he took
his journey into a far country. And there he wasted his substance. He wasted his father's inheritance
in riotous living. And when he had spent all, he was empty. He had nothing. And after that, there arose a
great famine in the land. And he began to be in want. And
he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. And
he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would have
feigned filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat.
And no man gave to him. That's what happens when we look
to this world. There is nothing, nothing there. And when he came
to himself, He said, how many hired servants of my father's
have bread enough and to spare? And I perish with hunger. I'll
go. I'll arise and go to my father
and I'll say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven.
And before thee, I'm not worthy to be called a son. Make me as
one of thy hired servants. And he arose and he came to his
father. When he was a great way off, his father saw him, and he had compassion. He didn't go say, there comes
that worthless son, lock the gate. He had compassion. And he ran,
and he fell on his neck, and he kissed him, and he said unto
him, The son said unto him, Father, I've sinned against heaven, and
then I sighed. I'm not worthy to be called a
son. Father had heard enough, hadn't
he? He said to his servants, you
bring forth the best robe, and you put it on him. Put a ring
on his hand. put shoes on his feet, bring
forth the fatted calf, and kill it. He didn't spend the day rehashing
how disappointed he was in his son, did he? No. Kill that fatted calf and let
us eat and be merry, for my son was dead, but now He's alive. He was lost, and now he's found. And they began to be married. This prodigal, I believe it's safe to say, he
turned. He turned from his wicked way.
He returned to his father. I wonder about that trip back
from however far that way was, where he'd said he went to a
far land, right? I imagine that whole trip back,
he had to wonder, how will my father receive me? Probably rehearsed, probably
thought about what he was going to say. This is what I'll say. I've sinned against heaven. I've
sinned against thee. Just make me a servant. I'm not worthy to be called your
son. I don't think he had to rehearse
that. That had been revealed to him. I'm not worthy to be
called a son. Just make me a servant. I ask you, is there any indication
in that parable that the father would have taken any pleasure
in the death of his son? Did he take any pleasure at all
in knowing that his son was in want? His son was in deplorable condition. Was the father angry at him? Did he refuse to receive him
back into his home? Did he look at him and say, listen,
you ought to be glad that I would even let you come back here as
a servant? Is that what he said? Farthest thing from it, wasn't
it? Bring forth the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring
on his hand. Put shoes on his feet. Kill the fatted calf. Let
us eat and be merry, for my son was dead, and he's alive again. He was lost, and now he's found. And they began to be merry. Oh, don't you know there was
great, great rejoicing? Oh, that the wicked would turn
would turn from his evil way and live. Well, back to our text,
back to Ezekiel 33, verse 11. God tells his prophet, he says,
speaking to the house of Israel, say unto them, as I live, saith
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but
that the wicked would turn from his way and live. And then last, in case we didn't
hear it the first time, he says, turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways. We have all transgressed God's
holy law. Turn ye from your evil way. Repent. Repent like that publican
of old. You're familiar with his prayer,
aren't you? You're familiar with just those few brief words. He
said this, God be merciful to me, a sinner. He's saying, pardon my iniquity. He's saying, oh Lord, forgive
me. And in the Greek, it's interpreted
this way, forgive, pardon, be merciful, be propitious through an atonement. not for anything I've done, not
for anything I've not done, be propitious to me through an atonement,
through the work of another. I repent and beg for mercy, but
outside of an atonement, outside of one to atone for my sin, I
have nothing. I need forgiveness and I need
it on his terms, on God's terms. And as a result of that atonement, he is faithful and just to forgive
us of our sins. The Lord in mercy has put away
the sins of his people. Just consider his gracious terms. I take no pleasure in the death
of the wicked. But aren't we thankful that he's
taken pleasure in the death of one? The Lord Jesus Christ. God's word says, it pleased the
Lord to bruise him. Isaiah 53.10, yet it pleased
the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make thy soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong
his day, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his
hand. It pleased the Lord to bruise
him, to bruise his son, to put him to grief. The Lord made his
soul an offering for sin. God didn't just permit his son
to suffer as our substitute in sin offering. He purposed it.
He predestinated. He willed it. And the Lord Jesus Christ suffered
unto death. He made his soul an atonement,
a sin offering, an atonement for our sins. And as a result
of that, what's the rest of that? He shall see his seed. Who's
his seed? Every son, every one of his sheep,
every one of his elect, true Israel. Every one of his sheep known
and loved by Almighty God himself. And he shall prolong his days. As our Lord's day has been prolonged,
He lives forever, eternal. And the pleasure and purpose
and the will of God the Father is gonna prosper, is gonna be
accomplished, is gonna be fulfilled in His hands. Turn, turn ye from
your evil ways. Would you hear his, would you
hear his word? Scripture says this, he that
hath an ear to hear, let him hear. Let him hear. Look at, back to Ezekiel 33,
just quickly, look at verse four and five of Ezekiel 33. Whosoever heareth the sound of
the trumpet, and taketh not warning. If the sword comes and take him
away, his blood shall be upon his own head." That person's
without excuse. If you would continue in your
sin, though worn by the watchman, your blood is on your own head. This is a reference. He said,
he heard not the sound of the trumpet. He heard it, but he
took no action. He took not warning. His blood
is going to be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall
deliver his soul. If you would hear, if we would
just hear and flee to Christ. We're told today, today if you
will, what? Hear his voice. What's he say? As I live, saith
the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but
that the wicked would turn from his wicked way and live. Turn ye from your evil ways Our
transgressions, our sin is upon us and we pine away in them.
How should we live? Will we just sit around and feel
sorry for ourselves and pine away in our sin? What's he say? Turn to him. Turn to him and
flee. How many times in scripture are
we told to come, to come to him? He said, come unto me, come unto
me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I'll give you
rest. Incline your ear, come unto me,
here, and your soul shall live. I'll make an everlasting covenant
with you, even the sure mercies of David. Oh, everyone that thirsteth,
what, what, what? Come. Are you thirsty? Come. Come to the waters, he
that hath no money. No excuse there, is there? Come. Come buy, eat, come buy wine
and milk without money and price. That's the command. That's not
an invitation, that's a command. Come. Those of you who have children,
I can tell you that when ours were little, I probably still
feel this way. If I say, come here, I'm not asking. That's a command. Come. The spirit and the bride say,
Come, and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is
athirst come, and whosoever will. I don't have any problem with
that, do you? When God's saying come, come. And let him take
of the water of life freely. Listen to these words from John
6, 37. All that the Father giveth me shall what? Come to me. and him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out. Am I responsible for my sin?
Yes, without doubt. Am I responsible to come to him
and repent? Yes. Listen to this. Every soul that
the Father gave to Christ in eternity past will come to him. They'll come to him as a lost
sinner with this desire, save me, be merciful to me. And he will never forget them. He will never forsake them. And he will never cast them out. Why? Why will you die? Why would you
die in your sins? The Lord has no pleasure in the
death of the wicked. Turn, turn from your evil. Let me just read from you again
from, turn there with me and we'll just close with this scripture.
Isaiah 55, verse seven. I'll just read this and I'll
sit down. Isaiah 55 verse seven. Let the wicked forsake his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord.
And listen to this promise. And he will have mercy upon him. and to our God, for he will abundantly,
pardon, abundantly multiply to pardon. All right. Isaac Cumberley, you're sent
a closing hymn.