I saw on Facebook last week that Dean went scuba diving. His status update reminded me that learning to scuba dive is on my bucket list. Kristi and I went on a cruise about 10 years ago and one of our excursions on that cruise was scuba diving. We maxed out at about 35 feet. I know that’s not very deep for seasoned divers like Dean, but, for me it was an experience I’ll never forget. This experience rates as one of my favorite, weirdest and most magnificent adventures of my life. I remember taking my first breath underwater, the sensation of that moment will stay with me the rest of my life. But I also remember as I followed our guide into deeper water, still only about 35 feet, the pressure I felt on my body. The deeper a diver goes under the surface of water the more pressure per square inch the body experiences. But the real danger is the pressure on the oxygen tanks and equipment the diver uses to breathe under water.
What does any of this have to do with Ezekiel? For the last three weeks we have been talking about Jesus. We talked about Jesus the person, the Redeemer and last week, Jesus as the Boss of everything. We talked about Jesus because the prophets we are reading through prophesied about Him. Much of the Old Testament points to Jesus, and then in the New Testament, Jesus points us back to the Father. Now that the Father has our attention, what does He want from us? It just so happens that the book we will be exploring for the next few weeks has the answer to that question.
We are all in different places in our walk with God today. Some of us have yet to make a decision to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If this is you, think of yourself on the shoreline. You haven’t made the dive into the waters of faith because you have yet to believe. Then there are those of us who maybe have recently come to the conclusion that Jesus is the Son of God and we are in the water. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that there are tools or resources provided by the Holy Spirit that enable and empower us on our journey. In a modern context think of these tools or resources as your scuba diving equipment, and just as a diver could not sustain a dive without his equipment, it’s impossible to sustain a life of faith without truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Bible. So some of us have put on the gear and we’re ready for the dive but we’ve just started getting used to the idea of breathing under water, the whole experience is new and a little uncomfortable. And then there are those who have been diving for awhile. They are used to the experience, the equipment, and they understand the pressure that comes from going deeper in their faith. And then there are some of us who even though we’ve been in the water for a long time just can’t seem to sustain a dive for very long. Maybe the pressure becomes too much, but, with people who have been in the water of faith for a long time but can’t sustain deep dives, my experience tells me it’s because they don’t trust the equipment. They have issues completely trusting truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Bible.
And this is what God, keeping in mind that this is His Old Testament, directs Ezekiel to talk about. In the Scripture we are looking at today God is absolutely livid that His people are at His temple but worshiping something else other than Him. God uses the subject of His temple throughout the book of Ezekiel and this subject is what we are going to focus on today. For the ancient Jew the temple was the spiritual nerve center of their faith. For over 1,300 years the Jews have been unable to completely obey their own Scriptures, the Torah, because they lost the place in Jerusalem the temple was purposed to be to the Arabians, and they have never controlled that place again. Today, where the temple should stand in the city of Jerusalem, for the Jew to worship according to the Torah, belongs to the Muslim section of the city.
But when Jesus Christ died and resurrected himself from the grave He initiated a New Testament between those who choose to worship Him. Hebrews 10:11-18 says, “Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.”
This is great news for us. It’s why God calls it the Good News. The Good News is that because of Jesus Christ we aren’t burdened by the old system of having to go through the ritual of bringing a dead animal and burn it on a pile of rocks, at just the right time, with the right kind of person and at exactly the right place. We don’t have to worry about any of that any more.
But in Ezekiel’s day, this was God’s covenant with His people. And God demands exclusive worship. His Temple is for His worship.
As Ezekiel is coming to the end of his career as a prophet God reveals an allegory through a dream. You can read along in Ezekiel 47:1-12 but I’ll just summarize it.
Ezekiel meets up with a guy at the entrance to the temple and when he gets there he notices that the temple is flooded. There is a stream of water flowing out from under the door of the temple. It wasn’t just some little water leak either, the dude that Ezekiel meets takes him around the temple and shows him how this stream was becoming a river. The guy produces a tape measure, walks off 1,750 feet and crosses the stream, then summons Ezekiel to follow him. When Ezekiel catches up to him and crosses the stream the water is up to his ankles. This mysterious guy then walks off another 1,750 feet. This was one huge tape measure. And crosses the river back to the other side and again summons Ezekiel to follow him. As Ezekiel crosses the river he discovers that the water is up to his knees. The guy then does the same thing again, another 1,750 feet, crosses the river and as Ezekiel follows him, the water is at his waist. And then again, one more time, the guy does the same thing, he would’ve loved GPS. After measuring another 1,750 feet, Ezekiel catches up and the water is too deep to walk across.
I want to pick up in verse 8 and read through verse 12:
(this mysterious dude) said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean. But the marshes and swamps will not be purified; they will still be salty. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”
If you want to google this and do your own research you’ll find a variety of different interpretations of this allegory. But for me I want to filter everything I read through the words of Jesus. I find it interesting that Jesus talks about fruit, too. In John 15:1-5 Jesus says this, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
So I take this story of a river and walking deeper and deeper in it as a metaphor of relationship with God. As long as I’m in a relationship with Jesus I’m growing closer to God; as long as I remain in Jesus, as He put it, I’m connected to God through Him. The result of going deeper with God is that I produce fruit that proves His Son is living in me.
Let’s just put ourselves in this river with Ezekiel for a minute. And I want to ask you to reflect on this question. Where are you in your relationship with God?
Years ago I used to take teens on a canoe trip every year. My single greatest goal was to tip as many canoes as I could, and for me the canoes with the biggest target were ones with middle school girls who had an attitude about getting wet. They always got tipped. But being the generous and benevolent guy that I am I made sure that I tipped canoes in mostly knee deep water. There’s enough water to soften a blow of falling out, but not too much that it’s not easy to get back in the canoe. Falling out of a canoe in ankle deep water can hurt if the rocks or other debris are sharp enough. So I was careful to choose the right depth to do my work.
According to this story in Ezekiel the stranger the prophet met kept taking him another 1,750 feet down the river. I take from this story that it’s not enough for us to stay in one place in our relationship with God. Let me put it this way. In a canoe floating down a river there are varying degrees of depth experienced. There is ankle or knee deep depth. This is the part of the river that is secure, comfortable and there’s no threat really. Think of this depth of relationship as someone who has no life in doing Jesus stuff. They might claim to be a Christian but there’s no fruit or proof from their life that they are connected to God through Jesus.
There is waist deep water, which is a little uncomfortable, especially if the canoe gets tipped over. If the current is strong enough waist deep water is dangerous, because a person can easily lose their footing. At this depth of relationship as long as God stuff is convenient the person is happy to contribute. For example making it to worship service on Sunday is no biggie but making significant sacrifices in lifestyle so that the money saved can be donated to bless a missionary might prove to be too uncomfortable. At this depth being involved with God is all about convenience. If tragedy strikes a Christian person in this level of relationship they will more than likely lose their footing in Christ, even walk away from Him, they’ll just walk back to the river bank.
And then there’s the deep water. The part of the river that is too deep to walk across. Of course in Ezekiel’s day they didn’t have life jackets, so let’s just make believe they don’t exist for a minute. This is the part of the river where there is no safety net. But remember the tools and resources that God provides His people. In this depth of relationship trust is found only in God and in nothing else. For example if there isn’t enough money for the God stuff that needs to be done, this person prays in faith that God will provide. And He always does. There is pressure at this depth. The deeper in the water of faith, the more pressure there is. I believe that Satan steps up attacks for those who are in over their heads in relationship with Jesus. The devil fixated on isolating Jesus from his Father and must have thought he won when Jesus cried out, “Father, why have you abandoned me?” That must have been the highlight of Satan’s existence. I also believe that pressure comes from those who say they’re Christians but are only in ankle to waist deep depth, because a Jesus follower who lives in relationship in deeper faith can cause them to feel guilt. So they’ll say things like, “Let’s be more moderate” or “maybe we should tone things down,” or “we just don’t have the money for that.” But a person who has chosen to swim in the depths and to rely solely on the tools and resources of God to survive won’t back down. The deeper a person gets, the more pressure there is.
2 Peter 4:12-19 says, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian,[e] for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? And also, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners?” So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.”
I believe that Ezekiel 10:18 is one of the saddest in scripture. God left the temple. As long as God’s presence was in the temple He had a relationship with his people, even if it was a dysfunctional one. They could offer sacrifices and repent of their sins, they could worship or communicate with Him. As long as God’s presence was in the temple it could not be destroyed.
Scientists have been using a scene from the 1979 movie "The Champ" to study human emotions. Because of the results of one particular study Time Magazine calls the scene we are about to see the saddest scene in movies.
The reason I want you to see it is because as sad and uncomfortable as this scene may make you feel, it's nothing compared to the sadness of God when His Spirit left the temple never to return.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAhrqKqK_cA
Death is sad, it's emotional, and it's uncomfortable. But when it comes to Spiritual death we lack the same emotions. People all around us are dead because they refuse to live with Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7 says, "Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus."
Shouldn't this make us sad? Shouldn't this truth make us uncomfortable? Shouldn't we be more emotional that people are spiritually dead than we are with a movie scene? And shouldn’t we be motivated by truth and love to live in such a way that people see Jesus in us and be on the edge of our seat ready to share our faith in Jesus with as many as make it possible for us to do so?
In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Paul writes, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple”
We are the temple now, the people of Jesus are His Holy temple. Let the Glory of God fill us from head to toe! God left the temple in Israel because His people refused to go deep. They refused a relationship with Him. Now you are the temple of God.
God warns us on this subject through Revelation 3:16-19, “But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.”
Ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep faith and relationship doesn’t cut it. The truth is there is no relationship there. It might make Christians feel better to think that it does but a relationship with Jesus is just not convenient. A relationship with Jesus will cost the follower everything. A follower of Jesus will experience pressure, sometimes even painful pressure, but it’s only when a follower is in over their head that they can truly rely on God alone.
There was this place on the river that Kristi and I used to take teens every year. It was the kids favorite place on the river because of the 20 foot cliff. There was a path from the river bank up the side of the hill to the cliff and then folks could jump off into the pool of water below. I enjoyed this part of the trip as much, or even more than the kids. And every year Kristi would boldly talk about how she was going to jump off the cliff. And every year she would chicken out and sit in her canoe and watch everyone else. But the last year we went she actually got out of her canoe and walked up the path to the top. We all cheered. The teens were all below coaxing her and encouraging her every step of the way. But then Kristi walked to the edge and looked down at the river and the pool of water below. All of a sudden 20 feet seemed more like a 1000. Her knees started to shake and she backed off. “I can’t do it” she said. So being the good, kind and considerate husband that I am, I offered to jump with her. “We’ll go hand in hand” I said. So with our hands clasped together standing on the edge of the cliff I offered to count to three before the big leap. One, Two, Three and I jumped, I felt her hand go limp and I lost my grasp, when I looked up, Kristi was still standing on the cliff. And then she quickly walked away and back down the path to the river bank.
I don’t know where you are in your relationship with Jesus this morning, but, God demands exclusive worship. A person can say they are a Christian and even claim to worship Jesus but only a genuine follower understands the sacrifice, to be in over their head in worship to God.
If you want to know more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus please take some time to ask me about it. Send me an email or call. I will always make time for someone who is seeking to know Jesus and who is ready to take the leap into a genuine relationship with Him.
